March 2010 Inside POOL Magazine by Inside POOL Magazine

InsidePOOLmag.com

Wilkie's Path to Greatness

March 2010 Volume X, Issue 3 USA $3.95 Can. $5.95

Sports Marketing: The Future of Billiards

Professional Choking

How Pros Aim

REYES

Cashes at Derby City Classic Wins 5th Master of Table Award

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March 2010 Contents Instructions 12

Grady’s Grad School

Beat People With a Stick

Tricknology

Pro Pool Workout

Shoot or Bunt

Professional Choking

Mastering the Lighter Side

Planting Seeds

On the Cover: Efren “Bata” Reyes started off the new decade with a big win at the 12th Annual Derby City Classic. Not only did the legendary Filipino take first place in the 9-ball division, he earned Master of the Table honors for an astounding fifth time. For the full story, please visit page 22.

The Year of Pro Secrets How Pros Aim

Features 22

The Derby Dozen

Brought to You by C3 Sports Marketing: The Future of Billiards

The Path to Greatness: Shaun Wilkie’s Ongoing Journey Into Pool

Reyes Dominates to Earn Fifth Master of Table Award

page 34 4 InsidePOOL Magazine ◊ March 2010

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Departments 8 10 44

Pool on TV Advertiser Directory League Player of the Month

Regional Roundup 46 51 55 61

Northeast Southeast Central page 28

Western

Columns 32

What’s in the Case?

What’s New

Stripes

Industry News

Places to Play, Places to Buy

Donny Mills

page 26

Back to School

Publisher JR Calvert publisher@insidepoolmag.com Editor Sally P. Timko editor@insidepoolmag.com

Advertising Sales Director Bill Perry sales@insidepoolmag.com Technical Consultant Tom Simpson Feature Photo Credits JR Calvert, Todd Minobe

Graphic Artists Laura Luzier, Maria Ogilvie-Lawrence art@insidepoolmag.com

Email info@insidepoolmag.com

Editorial Assistant Lea Andrews

Toll Free 888-428-7665

6 InsidePOOL Magazine ◊ March 2010

Website www.insidepoolmag.com

Instructional Staff Johnny Archer, Shannon Daulton, Bob Henning, Jason Lynch, Grady Mathews, Matt Sherman, Tom Simpson Contributing Writers Fred Agnir, Lea Andrews, Jose Burgos, Jonathan Demet, Rob Johnson, Ken Shuman, Jerry Tarantola, Kevin Vidal

Administrative Office PO Box 972, Kittanning, PA 16201

InsidePOOL Magazine Volume X, Issue 3 (ISSN1547-3511) is published monthly except June and August by Spheragon Publishing, PO Box 972, Kittanning, PA 16201. Single copy price: $3.95 in U.S.A., $5.95 in Canada. Subscription prices: $19.99/yr in the U.S.A., $28/yr in Canada, $39/yr international. Periodicals postage at Kittanning, PA, and additional mailing offices. Submissions of manuscripts, illustrations, and/ or photographs must be accompanied by a self-addressed, stamped envelope. The publisher assumed no responsibility for unsolicited material. Reproduction of this magazine in whole or in part without written permission of the publisher is prohibited. POSTMASTER: Please send address changes to: InsidePOOL Magazine, PO Box 972, Kittanning, PA 16201. PRINTED IN THE U.S.A.

Pool on TV

POOL on TV Pool on TV POOL on TV ESPN, ESPN2, ESPN CLASSIC

All times are Eastern Time Zone - check local listings for changes

times are Eastern Time Zone - check local listings for changes All timesAllare Eastern Standard Time

ESPN, ESPN2, ESPN CLASSIC

2000 WPBA Classic Tour 1-Sept 10:00 AM ESPNC ESPNC 2004 WPBA SanClassic Diego Classic March 6 2-Sept 1:00 AM PM 2001 WPBA Tour 10:00 ESPNC 2000 WPBA Classic Tour 1-Sept 10:00 AM ESPNC ESPNC 2001 Trick Shot Magic March 143-Sept 10:00AM AM 2001 WPBA 10:00 ESPNC 2001Classic WPBATour Classic Tour 2-Sept 10:00 AM ESPNC ESPNC 2001 Trick Shot Magic March 214-Sept 10:00AM AM 2001 WPBA 10:00 ESPNC 2001Classic WPBATour Classic Tour 3-Sept 10:00 AM ESPNC ESPN2 2009 WPBA Pacific Coast Classic May 1 9-Sept4-Sept 12:00 PM AM 2001 WPBA 10:00 AM ESPNC 2001Classic WPBATour Classic Tour 10:00 ESPNC ESPN2 2009 WPBA Pacific Coast Classic May 1 12-Sept 1:0010:00 PM AM 2001 WPBA 11:00 AM ESPNC 2001Classic WPBATour Classic Tour 9-Sept ESPNC ESPN2 2009 WPBA Pacific Coast Classic May 1 13-Sept 2:00PM PM AM 2009 WPBA Open 3:00 ESPN 2001U.S. WPBA Classic Tour 12-Sept 11:00 ESPNC ESPN2 2009 WPBA Pacific Coast Classic May 1 13-Sept 3:00PM PM PM 2009 WPBA Open 4:00 ESPN 2009U.S. WPBA U.S. Open 13-Sept 3:00 ESPN 2009 WPBA Open 13-Sept 5:00 PM ESPN 2009U.S. WPBA U.S. Open 13-Sept 4:00 PM ESPN Great Southern Billiard March10:00 6-7 5:00 2001 WPBA Classic Tour 14-Sept AMPM www.greatsouthernbilliardtour.com ESPNC 2009 WPBATour U.S. OpenGJays 13-Sept ESPN Kylie’s Sportsbar and Grill Great Southern Billiard March10:00 13-1410:00 2001 WPBATour Classic Tour 14-Sept ESPNC 2001 WPBA Classic Tour 15-Sept AM AMwww.greatsouthernbilliardtour.com ESPNC The Green Room Lone StarWPBA Billiards Tour Tour March10:00 27-2810:00 2001Classic WPBA Classic Tour 15-Sept ESPNC 2001 16-Sept AM AMwww.lonestarbilliardstour.com ESPNC The Pool Room Sports 17-Sept Bar 16-Sept Great Southern Billiard March10:00 27-2810:00 2001 WPBATour Classic Tour ESPNC 2001 WPBA Classic Tour AM AMwww.greatsouthernbilliardtour.com ESPNC 2001Classic WPBA Classic Tour 17-Sept ESPNC Bogies Billiards and Games Lone StarWPBA Billiards Tour Tour April 10-11 2001 18-Sept 10:0010:00 AM AMwww.lonestarbilliardstour.com ESPNC 2001 WPBA Classic Tour 18-Sept 10:00 AM ESPNC Casper’s Billiards Lone StarWPBA Billiards Tour Tour April 24-25 www.lonestarbilliardstour.com 2001 Classic 19-Sept 11:00 AM ESPNC 2001 WPBA Classic Tour 19-Sept 11:00 AM ESPNC Gate City Billiards Great Southern May 15-16 www.greatsouthernbilliardtour.com 2001 WPBABilliard ClassicTour Tour 21-Sept 10:00 AM ESPNC 2001Classic WPBA Classic Tour 21-Sept ESPNC Q Stix Billiards Lone StarWPBA Billiards Tour Tour June 19-20 2001 22-Sept 10:0010:00 AM AMwww.lonestarbilliardstour.com ESPNC 2001 WPBA Classic Tour 22-Sept 10:00 AM ESPNC Bogies Billiards and Games Lone StarWPBA Billiards Tour Tour July 10-11 www.lonestarbilliardstour.com 2002 Classic 23-Sept 10:00 AM ESPNC 2002 WPBA Classic Tour 23-Sept 10:00 AM ESPNC Casper’s Billiards Lone StarWPBA Billiards Tour Tour July 24-25 www.lonestarbilliardstour.com 2002 Classic 24-Sept 10:00 AM ESPNC 2002 WPBA Classic Tour 24-Sept 10:00 AM ESPNC 2002 WPBA Classic Tour 25-Sept 10:00 AM ESPNC 2002 WPBA Classic Tour 25-Sept 10:00 AM ESPNC 2007 Texas Hold ‘Em Billiards Championship 26-Sept 11:00 AM ESPNC 2007 Texas Hold ‘Em Billiards Championship 26-Sept 11:00 AM ESPNC 2009 WPBA Open 27-Sept 5:00 PM ESPN 2009U.S. WPBA U.S. Open 27-Sept 5:00 PM ESPN 2002 WPBA 30-Sept 10:0010:00 AM AM ESPNC 2002Classic WPBATour Classic Tour 30-Sept ESPNC

Please visit InsidePOOLmag.com for television schedules.

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Instructi n Grady’s Grad School

Shoot or Bunt by Grady Matthews

At the end game, against talented opposition, sometimes it is necessary to take extra time to decide whether to shoot or bunt. Often the choice isn't obvious. In Diagram 1 I could shoot gently down table and cut the 1 ball slightly to the left. The problem is that my next shot is going to be worse. I greatly prefer the two-rail bank, knocking the object ball towards my pocket. This shot selection gives me distance between the balls, which in this instance is better than playing a bunt safety.

It is possible to scratch here. So if I make a mistake with speed, I want to err on the side of shooting too easy. If you know of a better shot in this situation I'd love to hear about it. This is a tough spot to be in. Diagram 3 shows a common lie of balls in the end game. I have always believed that if you have a tough shot or a difficult safety, shoot. At least you give yourself a chance to win. I play the bank shot here, but I'd rather, if I make a mistake on the thickness of the hit, strike the ball too fat, which makes the cue ball not travel so far and lessens my chances of leaving a free crossing bank.

My pocket My pocket The situation in Diagram 2 is completely different. Now I can't strike either side of the ball with speed and get safe; therefore, I like shooting softly with no english and leaving the cue ball at Point X and the object ball on the end rail.

If you happen to double-kiss the object ball, it's not necessarily a sell-out. Although it seems nigh impossible from this angle, a scratch into the far left-hand corner pocket could occur, with just the right thickness and speed on a double-kiss.

Point X 1

My pocket 12 InsidePOOL Magazine ◊ March 2010

Grady “The Professor” Matthews is one of pool’s most recognized figures. His success at the table has opened doors for him as a technical advisor to movie producers, commentator on Accu-Stats video productions, producer of billiard instructional video tapes, and as an author. Grady has won several world one-pocket titles and recently became the proprietor of “Grady’s” poolroom in Lexington, South Carolina.

Instructi n Beat People With a Stick

Professional Choking by Tom Simpson

It’s one of the most effective sharks: “Don’t choke!” Everyone knows the easiest way to get someone to choke is to get them to think about choking. Even just getting them to think of the possibility of choking may be enough to set it off. It can come on like a disease, infect you for a while, and then fade away. In golf, it’s called the yips. Pool players have a few other four-letter words they tend to prefer. Choking is not pretty. It’s embarrassing. Players suddenly get rust in their arm, go blind, and lose their connection with the game. It jars their confidence, and before long, they become professional chokers. Choking is typically blamed on distraction or anxiety. Pool is a performance art. If we’re distracted or anxious, we can’t do it well. We might be distracted by the awareness that people are watching. Thoughts of failure take some of our intention away from performance. Sometimes we’re distracted by our own awareness of physical form details (“don’t drop that elbow”). Focus on physical form during practice. Play is performance. Anxiety is a tense bodystate. Worry, fear, and doubt all produce tensions and micro-movements in the body. We strive for years to attain some fluidity in our stroke. Tension interferes with fluidity. Anxiety can produce micro-tremors in our stroke arm. We get jerky. We choke. We are mortified by what we just did. A vicious circle begins. We can really pile on the pressure in pool. Ball-pocketing pressure, position pressure, winning pressure, losing pressure, score pressure, match pressure, tournament pressure, opponent pressure, gambling pressure, status pressure, audience pressure … Our own high expectations for our performance are another source of pressure and anxiety. What are we to do? Top players seem to thrive under pressure. What are they doing? They are performing what they’ve “burned in”—their excellent pool game—under the high-pressure conditions in which they have become comfortable. It’s one thing to run a few racks by yourself in the comfort of your home. It’s another matter to perform the same feat in the finals of a tournament. Top players have spent a lot of time learning to perform under pressure. Some players can’t understand how anyone can play without a serious wager. They need some pressure to become motivated to perform. Gamblers will try to get a $5-a-rack player to play for $50 a rack, expecting the pressure to get to him. We choke when we’re out of our comfort zone. Maybe we should train in a less comfortable zone? 14 InsidePOOL Magazine ◊ March 2010

“

Play Video Play Video What makes you uncomfortable? Do some of that.

Let’s squeeze some chokes out of our game:

”

1. When it’s time to play, focus on the results you want, not on monitoring or perfecting your form. When you get caught up in the details of what you’re trying to do, your body may get conflicting messages—and move accordingly. Self-consciousness detracts from performance. 2. Don’t over-work it. If you find you’re spending too much time setting up on a shot, you’ve probably lost the general focus. Research indicates that, on the average, people can focus well for about eight seconds. If you’re down longer than that, you might want to back away and reset. If you’re seeing it, don’t slow things down. Slowing down can lead to self-consciousness, doubt, over-thinking, over-adjusting—and choking. Trust your body to do what it knows how to do. 3. Don’t try to play with a complex thought in your head. If you’re trying to score while thinking about how far back to swing the stick, where your eyes are, and how big the trophy is, obviously it ain’t likely to happen. Instead, choose a quality that you can express in one word (flow, smooth, soft, calm, sharp, rhythm …) and try to embody that. More than just one simple word, though, and you’re mired in thinking again, trying to consciously control things you don’t have time to control. 4. Get comfortable with pressure by training under pressure. What makes you uncomfortable? Do some of that. Choose some practice games (bowlliards, for example), play hard, and keep score. Dedicate score sheets to each practice and date your scores, so you know what you have to beat. 5. How about when you’re terrified you’re going to choke? Don’t get fancy. Get simple. Shorten up your bridge a bit, take a short backswing, make the ball. Work through the challenges. Play tougher opponents. Go to a different poolroom. Play some tournaments. Put a little skin in the game sometimes. Feel the fear. Think of it as excitement. This is supposed to be fun, remember?

Tom Simpson is a Master Instructor in both the BCA and ACS Instructor Programs. He delivers his acclaimed 3-Day Weekend Intensive in Columbus, Ohio, and in selected cities nationwide. As inventor of Elephant Practice Balls®, the Stroke Groover™, and the Ghostball Aim Trainer®, and authorized instructor for Secret Aiming Systems™, Tom’s innovations in training have helped thousands of players. Listen to an audio description of the Intensive, and read 35 instructional articles at www.NationalBilliardAcademy.com. Contact: Tom@PoolClinics.com.

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Instructi n

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Tricknology

Mastering the Lighter Side by Jason Lynch

It’s time again for my favorite tournament: the Masters at Allen Hopkins’ Super Billiards Expo. As trick shot artists, we are not only expected to just set up and make shots—we are also expected to put on a show and entertain. Here are a couple of examples of trick shot artists pulling off both with aplomb. The first time involved a humorous moment with the ESPN tie-breaker shot—the eight- or nine-railer onto a dollar bill. Now, a week before the Masters I went to the office supply store and printed out a 20 dollar bill that was almost as long as the table was wide: four feet! I rolled it up into my pool case and waited for the right moment. I was shooting in my flight with Nick Nikolaidas and Arturo Hernandez. Gerry Woodlief, another player, was acting as the table judge. When it was my turn to shoot the shot, I asked Nick to distract Gerry and rolled out the 20 dollar bill onto the table to the laughter of the audience and players alike. Gerry, that spoilsport, wouldn’t let me use that bill, so one of the fans got a four-foot souvenir. The way to set up and make the infamous ESPN tie-breaker shot is to place the cue ball as shown in Diagram 1, with the dollar bill edge even with the front of the rail (you can adjust it along the rail). If you are on a nine-foot table, hit the cue ball at almost break speed with bottom left. The bottom english keeps the cue ball from jumping off the table, and the left english helps you get that elusive eighth or ninth rail. Most seven- or eight-foot tables require about three-quarters break speed to make the shot. The shot is successful if the edge of the cue ball is over the dollar.

1 7

16 InsidePOOL Magazine ◊ March 2010

2 6

3 5

One of the other moments that sticks out in my mind involved one of the jump shots in our program. One of the new competitors tried to execute this shot, and we thought he hit himself in the forehead. It turns out he did an improv worthy of an award—he promptly fell to the ground. I have never seen a room so silent. He got back up with a smile on his face. As soon as the crowd realized he was okay, he took a bow to acknowledge their applause. To execute this shot, place a ring of balls arcing from the first diamond on the end rail to the first diamond on the side rail. Place the 8 ball in the corner on the same side of the table. I find that the best place for the cue ball is two balls’ width from the end cushion. Hit the cue with a punch stroke and a half tip below center with the back of the cue elevated to approximately 30 degrees. The cue ball should jump into the rail, fly over the ring of your opponent’s balls, and pocket the 8 for the win. The most common mistake people make on this shot is to hit the cue ball with top English, which sends the cue ball flying right off the end of the table.

4 5 6 7

Remember that we all started playing pool for the fun of it. So have fun with these trick shots, and I will see you at the Masters! Jason Lynch grew up playing pool in Michigan. In his early twenties he started playing in the VNEA and placed as high as 16th in 8-ball and 9-ball. In 2005, he won the Michigan VNEA speed pool contest. He has also pocketed 11,100 and 12,011 balls in 24 hours as fundraisers for the American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life. In 2007 he had his best finish to date, placing sixth at the Artistic Pool U.S. Open and winning the stroke category. Jason is ranked 14th in the world by the WPA. His sponsors are Shelti Pool Tables, Seybert’s Billiard Supply, Pechauer Cues, Dieckman Cues, OB-1 Shafts, and Leisure Elements. Visit his website at www.michigankid.com.

Instructi n Pro Pool Workout Planting Seeds

by Bob Henning

A player’s pool game is never a static, finished project. It is always a dynamic, living thing that is constantly changing—sometimes evolving and sometimes regressing; sometimes blooming and sometimes fading. In many respects it is like a flower garden. At any given moment it is a perfect reflection of the creativity and caretaking of the gardener. If it’s appealing to the eye, that quality comes from the magic of the seeds that were planted and the overall design vision of the gardener. If it is overgrown with weeds and underbrush, that condition comes from neglect and undesirable seeds that got into the soil. One advantage the gardener has over the pool player is that it is very easy to predict the outcome of a seed before it gets planted. In fact, seeds actually come in little packages with full color photographs of the mature plant right on the front. You get to see what you’re getting before you put them in the soil. You don’t have to wait until they grow to see what you bought. In addition, information and instructions on how to properly support and nurture any type of plant is readily accessible. There is creativity in gardening, of course, but not a lot of guess work. The developing pool player, on the other hand, is often shooting in the dark. There are examples of the desired end products, such as the pocketing skills of a top professional under competitive pressure, but is there any guarantee about how to go about attaining that? It’s not like a player can go out and buy a pack of seeds labeled “A Super-Straight & Consistent Stroke” and simply pop them into the fertile soil of the subconscious. And even if he could find the seeds, where would he get the instructions for cultivating a fine crop of, say, “Brilliant Shot Selections”? As pool players, we have a tremendous variety of seeds to plant. They are found in every book and video and in every serious conversation between students of the game. They are found in every competitive game played and in every match watched. They are dropped like pennies from heaven by video commentators, teachers and instructors. The only problem is that nobody really knows which ones are truly valuable until long after the fact. Compounding the problem is that some of the most valuable seeds take a long time to 18 InsidePOOL Magazine ◊ March 2010

germinate. They require a certain level of maturity from the player before they can bloom. Some are like desert flowers that lie dormant for years only to suddenly burst into brilliant color. Others go through stages and change their appearance from one season to the next. “Staying Down on the Shot,” for instance, looks much different to a beginner who only sees gross physical movement than it does to an advanced player who recognizes the mental and perceptual aspects of the concept. The seeds to grow a robust pool game are the ideas, concepts, techniques, and insights that a player collects throughout his involvement with the sport. Since there are so many of them, every aspiring player has to function as his own reviewer. He has to evaluate the value of whatever seeds come his way and determine whether to experiment with them, nurture them over the long haul, or pull them out before they can take root.

“

The seeds to grow a robust pool game are the ideas, concepts, techniques, and insights that a player collects throughout his involvement with the sport.

”

There are three things a pool player can do to improve the beauty of his pool garden. The first is to carefully check the source of each and every seed. Is the author or presenter credible? Are they sharing things discovered through their own experience or simply rehashing unexamined material heard from other sources? Secondly, does the tip or idea being offered pass the logic test? Does it make sense? Exercising your intelligence in this area can save a lot of backtracking. Lastly, get as many seeds as possible! Advanced players will sift through a lot of material just to find one little thing to bring their game up a notch. Read a lot. Watch a lot. Play a lot. Who knows, you might even find one of Jack’s fabled beanstalk seeds that’ll take you right to the top! Good luck and good shootin’! Bob Henning is the author of The Pro Book, widely considered to be the most advanced training resource for competitive pool players. It brings the latest techniques of the top coaches and trainers of all sports into pool. It is intended for those who wish to prepare physically, mentally, and psychologically for pool competition. Bob is also the author of “The Pro Book Video Series,” a complete, on-the-table training system, and he also released The Advanced Pro Book and The Stroke Zone: The Pool Player’s Guide to Dead Stroke. In addition, he has authored Cornbread Red, a biography of the colorful Billy Burge.

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HAVE A QUESTION? FEEL FREE TO USE OUR LIVE ONLINE HELP DESK. www.tapleague.com Total Statistics: Total Matches:

Matches W-L:

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Ball Count Ratio:

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Success Rates: Shot:

Games W-L:

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70%

Ball:

83%

LOT / Game: Self:

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Opponent:

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83%

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4-2

Detailed Performance Against Handicap 2 Total Matches:

Matches W-L:

0-1

Ball Count Ratio:

1.65

Success Rates: Shot:

63%

Ball:

8p%

LOT / Game: Self:

1.00

Opponent:

3.50

Match Closeness:

-20%

Player Aggressiveness:

79%

Eight on Break:

Break and Run:

Instructi n The Year of Pro Secrets How Pros Aim by Matt Sherman

Aim systems for pool are a controversial subject. Some aim systems give false hope as pros tend to aim by experience, and many teachers I respect say, “Forget using an aim system!” But an aim system helps avoid what I call a “false point” hit, where aiming at the contact point directly will provide a missed cut shot. Ignoring collision-induced throw, shooting cue ball center at the contact point, where the object ball sinks following impact, hits a false point. So beginners instead use ghost ball center, the cue ball projected to the pocket line (Diagram A).

Visualize impact. The cue ball is halved to each side of the contact point for a handy ghost edge reference. Focus your concentration on the cue ball “nose” that strikes the object ball, not the edge that passes the object ball. Pros look through the ghost ball at the object ball’s real edge, not through the ghost ball center into empty space. It’s ghost ball aim that feels like aiming, even stroking, directly at the contact point. You believe cue stick and cue nose are on the contact point line even if they are not. You pocket more balls than you’ve dreamed possible, and tend to hit shots fuller than with the ghost ball, when you grossly overcut balls. Pro aim works for full hits to about half-ball hits. Beyond that, when the nose doesn’t look “on,” lock eyes on the contact point anyway, but send a cue ball edge at the contact point. Here’s another juicy secret I call pivot aim, used by several famous pros, and taught by me, Hal Houle, and others to an elite few before this InsidePOOL issue. I want to credit Hal rightly, so don’t confuse Houle’s pivot aim with his controversial fractions and degrees aim system. Ignore the contact point and aim at the object ball’s edge using one tip of english, aligned with both hands one tip off center ball. Leave your bridge hand in place and pivot the cue stick to center ball with your stroking arm only. Now you are aimed to cut the object ball to the pocket (for most shots). Seriously, you are.

Aim at an imaginary ball is difficult. Parallel aim, used by greats including Ralph Greenleaf, Willie Mosconi, and Nick Varner, uses real balls and adds imaginary lines. Visualize parallel lines to both contact points. Add lines connecting the points and parallel through the cue ball center (Diagram B). Visualize lines that cross the ball equators and don’t sight down on the cloth. Joe Tucker’s excellent “Aiming by the Numbers” training aid teaches Parallel aim without lines, but whether parallel or ghost ball, you aim to pass the object ball as you graze its edge. It’s easy to aim a baseball into a catcher’s glove, but it’s harder to aim to graze the glove’s edge in passing. Imagine impact before it happens. At that moment, exactly one-half of the cue ball will be to either side of the contact point—a handy visualization reference. Focus your aim while using the far side of the cue ball, the “nose” that strikes the object ball, rather than an edge that touches only empty space. Pros look through the ghost ball at the object ball’s real edge, not through the ghost ball center into empty space.

20 InsidePOOL Magazine ◊ March 2010

Some trial and error is required based on your bridge length. I’ll let you experiment with left or right ball edge and left or right english and in cutting balls extra thin. Here’s a hint—absolute half-ball hits use regular pro aim. Swiveling the cue in the stance is not a smart idea, of course, so the pros kept this secret—before now—by an “edge and swivel” using eyesight alone before assuming the final, correct stance. Pivot aim will refresh your visual appraisal of the relationships between cue ball, object ball, and pocket. Try it—you might like it—but remember, aim system or sheer instinct, a pro locks onto the contact point and not empty ghost space with their vision. This month I’ve revealed the chief pro aim secrets. Don’t miss next issue’s stroke secrets. Credit me and InsidePOOL for bravery! Matt “Quick Draw” Sherman has appeared dozens of times in major print media and popular TV channels promoting billiards and entertainment. He has taught hundreds of students and has directed pool leagues, pool tournaments, pool fundraisers, and pool adult ed courses. Sherman directs the University of Florida’s leagues, which have produced six national champions, and is the Guide to Pool & Billiards at About.com, one of the world’s most popular websites. He is the author of Picture Yourself Shooting Pool, available at Amazon.com as a book/DVD combo and also as an electronic book.

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22 InsidePOOL Magazine â&#x2014;&#x160; March 2010

March 2010 â&#x2014;&#x160; InsidePOOLmag.com 23

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Brought to You by C³ Sports Marketing:

The Future of Billiards

by Lea Andrews photos courtesy of Todd Minobe

asadena, CA, resident “Crown City” Corey Harper has come a long way from his days of seeking refuge from the hardships of high school on a barbox. Raised just a few miles from Pasadena in Alhambra, CA—“I am a southern California native and I refuse to leave no matter how hard they try to kick me out,” he declared with a laugh—Harper got serious about pool in 1986 when found himself inspired by The Color Of Money, and after recently serving as marketing director of Tiger Products, he now heads up his own sports-event planning company, C³ Sports Marketing (C³SM). “Marketing has always been an area of great interest to me, and through my work with Tiger and others, I was able to delve deeper into this area,” he explained. Though Harper’s focus is on his growing business, his love affair with pool is still going strong. It’s led him all over the country and given him match wins over legends like Keith McCready and Jose Parica, both of whom he took down on his way to winning Danny K’s Best Billiards Open V in 1999. Luckily for Harper, his wife, Nancy, is tolerant of his other love. “We’ve been together about fifteen years and she’s seen the ins and outs of it, seen my development, and she can appreciate my own growth in the sport …” But the rest of

26 InsidePOOL Magazine ◊ March 2010

his family hasn’t had the same exposure. “Pool-playing just never factors into their lifestyle,” said Harper of his father, Richard, who holds three master’s degrees; his sister, Caprice, who holds one; and his mother, Lois, who owns an accounting firm. “I’m the only one that chose an alternative type of lifestyle,” he confided wryly. There was one instance when family and pool did mix, though. At the 2004 UPA Tour Finale at the Bicycle Club Casino in Bell Gardens, CA, he met up with 2004 World Summit of Pool champion Santos Sambajon, and there to support Harper—and take up an entire rail—was everyone from his sister and her husband to his wife and her parents and grandparents to his own grandparents. And despite the fact that Sambajon pocketed two 9 balls on the break and ended up closing out the win 11-9, Harper considers that tournament performance among his more notable. “Even though I lost, none of them had ever seen me play before, and every single one of them was just ecstatic. They couldn’t believe how well I played and I guess how I presented myself or composed myself in the match, because the room was full, of course,” said Harper, noting that southern California has always shown “pretty good support” to the big tournaments that come through there.

Corey hard at work

Stairway to Heaven That tournament and his family’s interest in it was, on a smaller scale, a preview of what Harper hopes to achieve with C³SM, which was in the works for a couple of years before its 2008 launch. Right now, the company’s main project is one of its own creations, the upcoming California Pro Billiard Tour, but Harper explained that always in the plan is “raising the level of billiards sophistication in the general public—through education—to create billiards fans.” When Harper’s plan succeeds, more events will grow to be as popular or even more popular than the Mosconi Cup, for which C³SM shared some of the promotional responsibilities in 2009, the goal being to boost ticket sales and increase awareness. Mission accomplished—the Cup sold out every day. “That was an awesome experience,” recalled Harper. “In my opinion, it’s the best pool event in the world, bar none. It has everything to offer and the pool aficionado and just the general person out there can appreciate that environment. It’s just such an awesome live event. I’m sure when it comes on television it looks pretty good, too, but as far as a live experience, there’s nothing that comes close,” he enthused. “The energy is just unbelievable.” Of course, pool isn’t the only sport out there, and while C³SM doesn’t discriminate, Harper does take a special

Office window (upper left)

interest in promoting the sports he’s involved in, endurance sports such as running, swimming, and triathlons. A self-described “gym rat,” Harper is also an avid cyclist and is currently training to complete a 2012 Ironman triathlon, which involves swimming for 2.4 miles, cycling for 112, and running for 26.2. But his heart lies in pool, and on his agenda besides pool’s general expansion is getting cue sports into the Olympics. “We [in the billiards industry] can learn a great deal from those sports that have achieved that wide audience appeal,” said Harper, who’s currently working with the 10,000-entrant Annual Pasadena Marathon and dealing with some major market sponsors. “My affiliates and I know the billiards sports intimately, in all its intricacy and detail. No other sport offers anything more than we do, but it’s all in how we communicate our sport to the mass audience. I can see how to do this.” And even though Harper’s not spilling any trade secrets, they may be evident soon enough. “C³SM is an action-oriented company. It’s not enough to just see opportunity--we jump on it.” According to Harper, it’s that perspective and vision that set C³SM apart from other sports marketing firms, and while it may be impossible for C³SM to ever be too much of a good thing, it nonetheless comes with a warning, delivered by “Crown City” Corey himself. “Keep your eyes open and get very familiar with my business name and logo—it’s going to be here for a very long time.” March 2010 ◊ InsidePOOLmag.com 27

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Whats in the Case? Donny Mills by Lea Andrews

onny Mills isn’t just running with the big boys—the third-place finisher of the 2009 U.S. Open 9-Ball Championships is a big boy himself. But his acceptance of that fact didn’t come after he snapped off any one particular tournament—it was more of a gradual realization. “I just started thinking how I don’t really miss any of these shots and I play shape good and kick good and break good. Then I started comparing myself to other people that have won tournaments and I realized that I can win.” Mills’ first bigger tournament win came in June 2007, when he beat out Alaska native Richie Orem 9-5 in the finals of a J. Pechauer Southeast Open Tour stop after being down 8-3, closing with five straight break and runs. Two more SE Open wins soon followed, along with a first-place Seminole Pro Tour finish, back-toback KF Cue Tour wins, and several other high finishes. His victory paths were invariably impressive, taking him past the likes of Tony Crosby, Tommy Kennedy, Corey Deuel, and many of Florida’s top players. So far, though, the tournament he counts as his best performance is the 2009 U.S. Open, where he made it to the hot seat match before falling to eventual runner-up Ralf Souquet after breaking dry when he was up 10-9, allowing the German to run out the set. In the semifinals, a scratch on the break at 10-10 against soon-to-be winner Mika Immonen sealed Mills’ third-place fate. “Getting [to third] was a great feeling, but losing hill-hill twice when I even had the break to get to the finals is still a nightmare to this day,” he confided.

32 InsidePOOL Magazine ◊ March 2010

His tournament schedule is actually on the light side compared to that of other players at his level—he’s admittedly “picky”—and when he doesn’t have a big event coming up, he may spend only four or five hours a week practicing, but he can afford to. “Once you get to a certain level … I’d almost compare it to losing weight. If you weighed three hundred pounds, once you get down to two hundred, you can maintain that level pretty easily,” he said.

“When I was a kid, whenever I went to a place with a pool table, I loved the smell of chalk. It’s weird—I can’t explain it. I played once in a while, and when I was almost seventeen, I saw this guy in a pool hall who could put the cue ball wherever he wanted, and I just wanted to be able to do that. I started playing a lot.” Now, some fifteen years later, he’s well beyond where he wanted to be. “I never, ever thought that I would reach this level. That is really awesome.”

Playing Cue: Randy Mobley. “It was actually made for somebody else, but they didn’t like it, and I loved it, so I bought it.” Shafts: Hardrock maple Break Cue: Sniper break/jump cue. “I actually only break with my playing cue, I don’t use a break cue. I just use it to jump with.” Break Cue Tip: Phenolic Loose in Case: Picture of family and friends, Predator patch, two containers of baby powder (one empty, one full). “Since I have this empty one, I went ahead and swiped this from my friend James Roberts. So now I got one that’s full of powder.” Case: Two-by-four hard case by Stroke It Wear

March 2010 ◊ InsidePOOLmag.com 33

What’s New 1

Masterpiece Cues It takes a true work of art to be called a masterpiece, and McDermott’s newest Masterpiece cue lives up to the name. The Masterpiece cues are six original cues that share the same design but utilize different exotic and precious materials. The second cue of the series, the M9M2: Masterpiece 2 features ebony, turquoise, and real ivory. The Masterpiece 2 comes standard with two I-Shafts, 90 ivory inlays, 98 turquoise inlays, 24 ebony inlays, and 8 sterling silver rings. This new one-of-a-kind cue from McDermott is a true original masterpiece. The only one of its kind retails for $6,500. To order, please visit www.mcdermottcue.com or call 800-666-2283.

Cue Tattoo Define yourself today with a cue tattoo from Castillo Leather Goods. These leather wraps are made of a specially treated cowhide uniquely designed with handcrafted artwork called pyrography. The result is similar to tattoo art, except instead of ink, heat is used to create the artwork. A custom cue tattoo will dress up any cue! To order, please call Castillo Leather Goods at 773-491-0018, e-mail gil@castilloleathergoods.com, or visit www.castilloleathergoods.com.

EzBridge™ Kit With the EzBridge™ and the tall EzJump™ attachment you can have a tall, stable bridge while shooting over a large cluster of balls anywhere on the table. The optional 6-inch tall EzJump™ attachment is also ideal for jump shots and massé shots. A pivoting ball joint allows the bridge head to pivot 45 degrees up, down, left, or right. The EzBridge™ has six bridge heights that provide an infinite array of bridge heights from 1 to 4 inches. The EzBridge™ and EzJump™ can be snapped apart for easy storage in your cue case. The suggested retail price is $89 for both. EzBridge™ and EzJump™ can be purchased separately, too. To order, please call 877-906-1818, or log onto www.ezbridge.us.

34 InsidePOOL Magazine ◊ March 2010

Stripes

Back to School by Ken Shuman

Each May at the BCA Pool League’s National 8-Ball Championships in Las Vegas, I serve as instructor for their national referee training classes. As you’d expect, the rulesbased portion of the class deals only with the BCAPL rule book. However, every other aspect of the course focuses on preparing the candidate to be a professional referee. Becoming a professional referee doesn’t mean you will only work pro events. It means doing your job in a professional manner regardless of the event level or what rules a particular organization uses. You can be the best referee in the world from a technical standpoint, with perfect mechanics and the ability to get almost every call correct. But that doesn’t mean a thing if you can’t also communicate clearly and effectively. Learning to be a professional referee means knowing how to interact on the ﬂoor, by using proven interpersonal skills to deal with anyone in any situation. Gaining credibility and earning respect is far less about mechanics and rules knowledge than it is about how you treat the players. And they do remember. Your interaction begins with something as simple as going to the table. You might not think this is important, but how do you get there when called? You walk at a normal pace. Why? Because it won’t distract others. Sure, you have to be aware of your surroundings en route, but please don’t come to a quick stop along the way. Stopping abruptly is not a normal action. Even though you are trying to be courteous, an abnormal halt will be a distraction. Players are used to movement around them so it’s much better to just keep going unless you face an obstructed path. If you must stop, come to a controlled, gentle stop as far away as possible. We teach not to approach with hands in pockets, arms folded or any other body language that implies negativity. A referee’s demeanor upon arrival should not be too jovial or too serious. Facial expressions can also send messages. We teach our students to arrive with a relaxed and conﬁdent appearance. As the referee interacts with the players they should get a feel for their demeanor. Whenever possible, we want the referee to adjust their demeanor to match that of the players. If there seems to be a lot of ten36 InsidePOOL Magazine ◊ March 2010

sion, remain businesslike. If the players appear friendly, you can be, too. Once there, take control. This means you must man age the players in order to gather the information you need. Talk first with the player who called the referee. Usually that’s adequate. If there is open disagreement, you may have to ask one player to remain silent or take their seat while you speak to their opponent. If you have to give that type of direction, always do so in a polite and respectful manner. But also make sure each player understands they will have an opportunity to tell their side of the story. As you gather information, be sure to clarify what you heard and confirm your understanding of the facts. This is a critical step. Repeat back what the player told you until everyone agrees. Don’t be in a hurry to issue a ruling. If you are called to watch a hit, you may have to observe the layout to determine where to stand. If necessary, ask the shooter to wait until you’re ready. This is a proper and acceptable technique and enables you to be in the best position to make an accurate call. When we teach how to actually make the call, we emphasize the importance of verbal skills. A referee’s call must be clearly audible and sound authoritative to avoid any perception of uncertainty. When calling a foul, we require referees to call the foul as soon as it occurs, and they must state the specific basis for the foul. If a hit is initially judged to be legal, we instruct the referee to wait until all balls have stopped moving before announcing the call. Once the referee has made their call or ruling, he is taught to leave promptly. There is no reason to linger or to debate what just happened. Get out of the way so play can resume. I just heard the bell ring. No more school, go play pool! Ken Shuman of Sacramento, CA, is one of the top professional referees and tournament directors in the country. He is the referee instructor for the BCA Pool League’s national referee school and is considered by his peers to be an expert on the rules of play. Ken has served as head referee for the International Pool Tour and currently directs or co-directs several major events, including the Reno Open, the Derby City Classic, and the U.S. Bar Table and U.S. Open 9-Ball Championships. Contact him at shucue@yahoo.com.

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Industry News Referee Class to Be Conducted at 2010 ACS Nationals in Las Vegas A national referee training and certification class will be conducted at the Riviera Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, NV, June 6- 8, during the 2010 National Championships being produced by the American CueSports Alliance ( ACS ). Interested parties must pass an open-book, ACS referee test prior to attending the class. Class hours are flexible, with entrants taking either a four-hour class in the mornings or a four-hour class in the afternoons on each day. Class registration fee is $75, payable onsite. Successful completion of the course by the individual will result in accreditation at “ACS National Referee” level. For information on taking the test prior to the class and reserving your spot for the class, please contact ACS Referee Program Administrator Janet Ybarra at 972-345-9762 or jybarra@americancuesports.org

Frederick Mali Honored with Billiard Congress of America 2009 President’s Award Each year the Billiard Congress of America (BCA) recognizes an outstanding individual who has made significant contributions to the billiard industry with the presentation of the BCA President’s Award. This year the BCA has chosen to recognize Frederick Mali. Mali, who passed away at the age of 76 in 2007, was the president and CEO of The Henry W.T. Mali & Co., Inc. (Mali Cloth), the oldest continuously family-run company in New York City, founded in 1826.”Fred Mali was a great ambassador for the game of billiards, as well as the most gentlemanly individual with whom I have ever done business,” said BCA President Ivan Lee. “I feel it is important to recognize a man who never had an enemy, made an indelible mark on his company and this industry, and always found time for anyone need-

38 InsidePOOL Magazine ◊ March 2010

ing his assistance or support. Fred provided direction and assistance to many people in the billiard industry selflessly and willingly. The loss of Fred Mali to the billiard industry is difficult to accurately determine, but his eternal optimism and civilized manner would have been a guiding light in the troubled economic times that our industry faces today. I only regret that this recognition comes to him posthumously.” Born in 1930 in New York City, Mali was educated at Buckley, Groton, Yale, and earned an MBA from Harvard Business School. Mali also served his country in the U.S. Army, where he was stationed in Paris, between World War I and II. He married Lucretia Obolensky Mali in 1979. “Fred lived by the simple belief that a man’s word is his honor,” said his wife, Lucretia, who is also the current president of The Henry W.T. Mali & Co., Inc. “He believed deeply that the only thing you have in life is your reputation, and so he rolled up his sleeves and worked non-stop to ensure Mali’s status as one of the leading companies in the billiards industry. They don’t make them like Fred anymore.” Mali’s true love was using his engineering mind to improve systems and procedures at Mali and in the billiard industry overall. He personally developed many of the automated manufacturing equipment used to make the Mali Cue line of cues. He also was an expert craftsman with inlays for pool cues. Mali was also involved in the early days of organizing the Billiard Congress of America and the Billiard and Bowling Institute of America. Outside of billiards, Mali devoted time to arts and theater, helping design sets for numerous New York City theaters. “I am eternally grateful to Fred Mali for the support he provided me during our 20 year friendship,” said Victor Stein, author of the Billiard Encyclopedia. “He opened many doors for me in the billiard industry—in the U.S. and throughout the world. And, as far as his reputation, Fred was a respected elder statesman in the billiard business.”

APA Named in Entrepre neur Magazine The American Poolplayers Association (APA) has been named one of Entrepreneur magazine’s “Top 10 franchises for under $20,000.” The ranking appears in the January 2010 issue of Entrepreneur. It’s not the first time Entrepreneur has recognized the APA for its franchising success. The world’s largest pool league has appeared in the publication’s top rankings dating back to 1993. Despite a tough economy in 2009, the APA managed to increase its active membership count to 268,774 last year.

While the increase was less than 1%, it still brought an additional 1,248 members to the APA Pool Leagues throughout the U.S., Canada, and Japan. APA added an additional 15 new league markets in 2009, bringing its network total to 270. “Our expansion and growth during this economic climate is a direct reflection of our strong network of league operators and our highly motivated national staff. We’ve developed a strong network over the past thirty years, and when you combine that with the popularity of our league system, it adds up to consistent growth,” said APA President Reneé Lyle. For more information about the APA franchising opportunity, please visit www.apafranchise.com. For more information on APA league play, please visit www.poolplayers.com.

USBMA Announces 2009 Players of the Year

Meanwhile, Ouschan made her mark by winning the WPBA Great Lakes Classic, the WPBA Pacific Coast Classic, and the WPBA Tour Championship. She also placed third in the women’s world 10-ball event and second to Allison Fisher at the World Games. Despite finishing second to Korea’s Ga Young Kim in the WPBA year-end points standings for 2009 (26,500 to 26,000), Ouschan picked up 12 votes for player of the year. Kim received four votes, while Karen Corr received two votes.

Finnish-born Mika Immonen, who won his second consecutive U.S. Open 9-Ball Championships title, the World 10-Ball crown, and the International Challenge of Champions, was the unanimous choice for male Player of the Year in voting conducted by the United States Billiard Media Association (USBMA), the USBMA announced today. Immonen, 37, was named on all 21 ballots turned in by members of the media group. Jasmin Ouschan, of Austria, who won half of the Women’s Professional Billiard Association’s six Classic Tour events, was the USBMA’s choice for female Player of the Year. Immonen, who resides in New York City, enjoyed his best year ever as a pro, adding the Galveston World Classic 10-Ball title and Qatar Open title to his 2009 haul. Overall, Immonen won five of the seven events that featured a top prize of more than $20,000. His 2009 winnings topped $230,000.

March 2010 ◊ InsidePOOLmag.com 39

InsidePOOL Magazine to Stream Super Billiards Expo Video

InsidePOOL Magazine is pleased to announce that it will be the official live streaming video provider for Allen Hopkins’ Super Billiards Expo. The Super Billiards Expo will be held March 18-21 at the Valley Forge Convention Center in King of Prussia, PA. The streaming video for the event will be available for free at InsidePOOLmag.com. The Super Billiards Expo has become the largest consumer-oriented show in the billiards industry. With its hundreds of vending booths, combined with dozens of professional, amateur, and TAP League events and thousands of players, the event has defined the standard that all billiards events are measured. The main event, the Diamond Open 10-Ball Professional Players Championship, is a $500 entry fee 10-ball event that features $20,000 added and is limited to 64 players. The double-elimination tournament is one of the events that will be featured on the live streaming video produced by InsidePOOL Magazine. Another popular event is the Artistic Pool Masters Championship event. This event features the greatest artistic players in the world, such as Tom “Dr. Cue” Rossman, Jason “The Michigan Kid” Lynch, Eric Yow, Bruce “The Big Guy” Barthelette, and Andy “The Magic Man” Segal, vying for the title. This event will also be streamed live. The free live stream will be produced by InsidePOOL Magazine and streamed both at InsidePOOLmag.com and at the InsidePOOL Magazine channel at Ustream. The stream will begin at 11 a.m. EST, Thursday, March 18 and run until Sunday, March 21 at 7 p.m. for the finals of the Players Championship. If you have an iPhone, please download the free Ustream app.

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Places to Play, Places to Buy Don Broos has always possessed superior craftsmanship. Even at a young age, his creations and designs won awards. His interests in wood craftsmanship spanned unique woodworking creations and the design and construction of custom cabinetry. When the opportunity presented itself in 2003 for Don to apprentice with a custom cue builder Roy Mason of Cambridge, ON, he seized this opportunity, quickly mastering the craft. Since then Don has become an expert pool cue builder, crafting hundreds of custom cues and creating unique designs for his clients as well as offering cue repair services. Pros such as Brittany Bryant, John Morra, Jason Klatt, Erik Hjorleifson, Naomi Williams, Luc Salvas, Jim Wych, Alain Robidoux, Cliff Thorburn, and Jason Williams are among some of the players Don does cue work for. First Choice Billiards will be taking over the late Scott Soroko website Shooterville.com shortly. Because of its increasing demand and growth, db Custom Cues, Don’s business, evolved into a billiard and gameroom business under the name of First Choice Billiards. This growing enterprise occupies 3,000 square feet of retail space on Main Street in Milton, Ontario. Don and his wife, Lisa, now manage their growing business together. With a high value on customer service, they believe in treating all customers like family. Their aim is to have all of their customers’ expectations exceeded when it comes to purchasing billiard- and gameroom-related products and services from First Choice Billiards. First Choice Billiards offerings include pool tables and accessories, lighting fixtures, gameroom furniture, darts and accessories, foosball, custom billiard and snooker cues, cue repairs, tips, cleaning, leather and Irish linen wraps, pool hall cue and table service, and re-clothing and refinishing all makes of tables. First Choice Billiards also carries its own line of custom pool tables. Previously enjoyed pool tables are available at a fraction of the retail price. Hundreds of production cues are available for sale, along with Don’s own line of production cues from Falcon. First Choice Billiards is an authorized repair center for Falcon and OB Cues but will happily repair any make or model. For more information please visit FirstChoiceBilliards.com or call 905-636-1120. If you are in the area, please drop by at 925 Main Street East, Units 2 and 3 in Milton, ON. Their hours of operation are 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday and noon to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.

The Obelisk Billiard Sports Bar and Grill, or “OBC,” as it's known by the regulars, is furnished with 21 billiard tables (16 nine-foot, 5 seven-foot), presenting ambitious challenges for players of every skill level. The club is located in the Denbigh Village Shopping Center in Newport News, VA, at the intersection of Warwick Blvd. and Denbigh Blvd., next to Burlington Coat Factory. The OBC offers guests a full-service restaurant featuring food guaranteed to please any appetite. It is open seven days a week and is committed to bringing you an enjoyable billiard experience. Expect exceptional playability, a helpful staff, and superior service from the moment you arrive. The OBC seeks out young players today and has many new young prospects to become professional players. They sponsor teams that play in the APA (American Pool Players Association), VBA (Virginia Billiards Association), a Youth League, and in-house BCA Leagues. Special events that the OBC schedules every year include monthly 8-ball tournaments that pay out $3,600 plus a trophy and an annual invitational 14.1 championship that pays out $1,780 in cash, a trophy, and a cue for the high run. The OBC also offers professional classes or clinics for players who want to improve their game. These have been given in the past by players such as Jim Rempe, Nick Varner, Charlie Williams, Tony Robles, Rodney Morris, and Yu Ram Cha. They will be hosting the Virginia State Straight pool championship in the early part of 2010. The OBC abides by a strict set of house rules and tries to keep a level of good sportsmanship and a clean and well-kept place where you can enjoy yourself and play pool. 42 InsidePOOL Magazine ◊ March 2010

A-Best Billiards, located in the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex, offers complete commercial and residential services for pool table relocation and repairs. Owner Shane Johnson is a billiard mechanic who began crawling inside coin-operated tables at age 7, helping to fix problems and replace parts. This started his addiction to a better-playing table, leading to the reputation he has today as a mechanic. Opening up his own 24-hour service business in Colorado and then California allowed Johnson to provide his customers with something that no one else was interested in doing: a company willing to work around their schedule. His work ethics, dedication, and reputation in the industry speak for themselves. Working "one table at a time," Johnson and everyone connected with A-Best Billiards are players making tables for players, thus assuring that one's coveted pool table is in the safest and most capable hands of knowledgeable people who take great pride in their work. “We understand the concerns and needs of pool players and poolroom owners when it comes to entrusting the care and maintenance to someone of their most prized possession: their pool table." Johnson is confident and welcomes potential clients to check his references before making the decision to hire A-Best Billiards. The accolades all echo the same theme: "His word is his bond." Whether the job is local or coast to coast, A-Best Billiards offers complete set-ups, pool table moves, repairs, upgrades, re-felting, re-leveling, custom work for commercial or residential, restoring antique pool tables, tournament set-ups, and cue making, to name a few of their wide range of services. In addition, Johnson works with other billiard mechanics to inform and educate the public on exactly what to ask for and expect, whether contemplating the purchase of a new pool table or having upgrades or repairs done to an existing one. He is also involved in the training of potential candidates as future billiard mechanics and installers. Johnson is opening a brand-new location soon: Deep Pockets Billiards, to be based out of Dennison, TX, and in association with Abear Custom Cues. To reach Johnson, please call 817-471-0764, e-mail him at A-Best_Billiards@poolplayers.us, or log onto abestbilliards.com.

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been instrumental in getting the APA going in his location. Anyone who knows pool in Jefferson County knows Kenny’s, and we’re proud to host leagues in his location,” said Jefferson County league operator Jason Bowman.

APA Player of the Month The APA Player of the Month is Mark Wiseman of Lancaster, OH. Mark is a member of the APA of Central Ohio and is rated as a skill level 7 in both 8-ball and 9-ball. He began playing pool at the young age of 5, and in 1992 he joined the APA. Mark’s wife, Lori, is also an APA member.

44 InsidePOOL Magazine September 2009

44 InsidePOOL Magazine ◊ March 2010

Mark has played more than 460 APA League matches to date. Mark has qualified for both the National Singles and Team Championships in Las Vegas. This year, on his fortieth birthday, Mark qualified for the U.S. Amateur Championship in Tampa, FL, where he finished tied for 33rd Place. “Mark enjoys playing in the 888-245-7665 APA League because of the opportunity to advance to higher-level tournaments and spend time with friends. It also provides an outlet for his competitive nature,” said Central Ohio League Operator Nancy Whaley.

Regional roundup Reyes Runs Undefeated for Tri-State Title Tri-State Tour / Sunnyside, NJ by InsidePOOL Staff

Arturo Reyes went undefeated through a 38-player field that braved the Northeast’s snowy conditions to take first place at the Tri-State Tour’s January 9-10 event. Hosted by Master Billiards in Sunnyside, NJ, this stop featured a $1,500-added prize purse at the A-D handicapped event. Reyes matched up with Justin Muller in the winners’ side final four, sending him to the one-loss side with a decisive 7-3 victory. Meeting Reyes in the hot seat match was Alan Chan, who had just bested Ra Hanna in a hill-hill match that he won 6-5. Reyes kept on his winning streak and defeated Chan 7-2 to await a finals opponent. Once on the west side of the chart, Muller seemed to lose steam and was ousted by Rikki Ragoonanan in a close 7-5 match, while Chan rebounded from his earlier loss and eliminated Troy Deocharan 6-5 to advance. Ragoonanan was his opponent in the quarterfinal match, and it wasn’t long before Chan sent him home in fourth place 8-4. Chan had Results: few problems dispos- 1st Arturo Reyes $800 ing of Hanna as well, 2nd Alan Chan $540 winning the semifi- 3rd Ra Hanna $330 nal match 6-1 and 4th Rikki Ragoonanan $220 moving on to face 5th Justin Muller $135 Reyes. It was a close Troy Deocharan final match all the 7th Brian Hunter $100 Kapriel Delimelkonoglu way through, but $75 Reyes was able to 9th Mark Mallari Stewart Warnock close out the win 7-5. Alex Borukhovich Wilfredo Albay

Arturo Reyes, Ra Hanna, Alan Chan 46 InsidePOOL Magazine ◊ March 2010

Manlulu Prevails on Tri-State Tour Tri-State Tour / Edison, NJ by InsidePOOL Staff Ed Manlulu topped the 30-player field that showed up for the January 16 stop on the Tri-State Tour, besting Chris Luethi in the finals. The event was hosted by Sandcastle Billiards in Edison, NJ, and boasted a $750-added prize fund.

Chris Luethi, Scott Abramowitz, Ed Manlulu

Manlulu went unchallenged to the finals, besting George Osipovitch 7-5 in the winners’ side final four to reach the hot seat match. Meeting him there was Luethi, fresh off a 7-5 defeat of Gary Murgia. In the lopsided winners’ side final that followed, Manlulu sent Luethi packing 7-1.

Results:

Once on the one-loss side, Murgia 1st Ed Manlulu $530 and Osipovitch were ousted quickly. 2nd Chris Luethi $310 Raul Reyes Jr. eliminated Murgia 7-4, 3rd Scott Abramowitz $210 while Scott Abramowitz sent Osipov4th Raul Reyes Jr. $125 itch home 6-1. In the ensuing quarter5th George Osipovitch $75 final match, Abramowitz dealt a 6-3 Gary Murgia blow to Reyes and advanced to the semifinals. With a rematch with Manlulu in his sights, Luethi raced past Abramowitz 8-4 in the semis but could not get a toehold against Manlulu, who ended up winning the final match 7-5.

Northeast

Davis Dominates Dominiak Tour Dominiak Cues Northeast Amateur 10-Ball Tour / Windsor Locks, CT by Kevin Vidal The Dominiak Cues Northeast Amateur 10-Ball Tour’s January 16 stop was hosted by Pool Table Magic in Windsor Locks, CT. The event drew 28 players, including Steve Parise, Brandon Charin, Dave Walsh, and Chuck Hill, with Phil Davis earning first place.

Joey Testa, Angie Tran, Adam Kielar, Ernie Arcaro

Testa Defends Blaze Finale Title Blaze 9-Ball Tour / Egg Harbor, NJ by Jerry Tarantola The Blaze 9-Ball Tour saw the crowning of Joey Testa at its final pro/am event of the season January 9-10. Hosted by Atlantic City Billiards, the event saw a tough 73-player field show up, but it was Testa who defended his “Blaze Tour Finale Champion” title. Adam Kielar led the way through the top half of the bracket, notching wins over Shaun Wilkie 9-8, John Alicea 9-1, Larry Pearlman 7-3, Tony Rudi 7-1, Wali Muhammad 7-3, and Eddie Abraham 9-6. Testa was on the top part of the bracket, going through Theresa Intelisano 7-4, Derek Schwager 7-5, Randy Schwager 7-3, Danny Basavich 9-6, and Manny Chau 9-8. In the following hot seat match-up, Kielar faced off against Testa, and Testa came away with a 9-6 victory. Kielar rebounded, scoring a 9-8 win over the Abraham in the semifinals to earn a rematch with Testa. In the true doubleelimination format Kielar had to best Testa twice to take the title. But Testa came out of the gate aggressively and gained an early lead he never relinquished, capping off the tournament in impressive fashion. Testa not Results: only defended his title but 1st Joey Testa $2,250 earned paid entry into the 2nd Adam Kielar $1,250 2010 U.S. Open 9-Ball Cham3rd Eddie Abraham $550 pionships. Kielar won paid 4th Manny Chau $700 entry to the U.S. Open as well, 5th George Sansouci $300 and Abraham won entry into Shaun Wilkie the Turning Stone Classic.

The top half of the winners’ brackets saw former tour stop winner Davis make his way to the hot seat match with closely contested matches over Adam Blair, Janet Tycks, Jason Noble, and Lorenzo Reyes. On the bottom half of the winners’ side, tour newcomer Nick Conner was playing steady and fought his way to the hot seat match with wins over Ryan Bijur, Rich Senna, Mark Kulungian, and Steve Parise. The hot seat match saw Davis display his shotmaking skills to advance to the finals. Another newcomer, Rich Senna made his way through the one-loss side to meet with Conner in the semifinals. Senna was looking for revenge, as Conner had been responsible for sending him west earlier. But it was not to be this time, as Conner came out on top once again. In the finals, Davis took an early lead, but it wasn’t long before the match was knotted hill-hill. The players traded opportunities at the table in the final rack, but David Results: 1st Phil Davis $225 jawed the 8 ball, leaving 2nd Nick Conner $165 Conner either a long bank 3rd Rich Senna $100 or a safety. After contem4th Eric Tang $75 plating the situation, 5th Lorenzo Reyes $35 Conner went for the bank Steve Parise but came up dry. Davis 7th Jason Noble $20 was able to get out and Mark Kulungian take home his second Dominiak Cues Tour title of the season.

March 2010 ◊ InsidePOOLmag.com 47

Regional roundup Hanna Wins Tri-State Event Handily Tri-State Tour / East Rutherford, NJ by InsidePOOL Staff

Tri Chau, Bill Focaccia, Ra Hanna

Ra Hanna bested the Tri-State Tour’s 42-player field that showed up to play January 23, going undefeated to win over Tri Chau in the finals. The $500-added stop was hosted by Castle Billiards in East Rutherford, NJ, and also awarded the winner a Pechauer cue.

Hanna skated through the event, winning 6-3 over Pho Tran in the winners’ side final four and then going on to defeat Dave Shlemperis 6-2 in the hot seat match. Shlemperis had just sent Annie Flores to the one-loss side 6-3. Flores rebounded briefly on the west side of the chart—faced with Randy Mackin, she eliminated him in fifth place 6-3. Tying with Mackin was Tran, who was ousted by Chau, also 6-3. Chau finished Flores off at fourth place with a 6-3 score. Chau kept going strong, meeting and defeating Shlemperis in the semifinal match 6-4. But his run came to an end in the final match against Hanna. Chau ran up a 5-2 lead against Hanna, but Hanna came back and won the next four racks, finishing the match with a golden break.

Results: 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th

Ra Hanna Tri Chau Dave Shlemperis Annie Flores Randy Mackin Pho Tran 7th Minnie Trobiano Andrew Boryszewski

$500 $350 $200 $140 $100

George Sansouci, Tony Robles, Frankie Hernandez

Alex Gonzalez, Tony Robles, Wilson Cruz

Andrew Kane had a gritty performance, defeating Pat DiBuono 7-6, Matthew Harricharan 7-4, and Warnock 7-2 before being defeated by Gonzalez 7-0. Hungry for a rematch against Cruz in the double-elimination finals, Open/Pro Results: $600 Gonzalez completed the 1st George Sansouci Frankie Hernandez 2nd $400 set with a 9-7 score and an Amateur Results: impressive Predator Tour 1st Alex Gonzalez $900 win. 2nd 3rd 4th 5th

Wilson Cruz Andrew Kane Stu Warnock John Alicea Matthew Harricharan 7th Pat DiBuono Brian Hunter 9th Diana Rojas Dave Ascolese Luis Jimenez Ricky Rangoonan 13th Gary Murgia Ron Mason Jason Gonzalez Walter Goller

$625 $425 $300 $200

On January 23-24, the Ozone Billiards Predator 9-Ball Tour made its second stop of the 2010 season at Eastside Billiards in Manhattan, NY. Alex Gonzalez took home the gold in the amateur event, while George “Ginky” Sansouci earned first place in the open/pro event.

In the open/pro 10-ball event, tour promoter Tony Robles won his first two matches over Randy $150 Jaragoske 8-5 and Paul Raval 8-4 before being sent $125 to the west side by Frankie Hernandez 8-6. Hernandez knocked Sansouci to the one-loss side 8-6, where he $100 rebounded, winning over Randy Jaragoske 8-1, Mike Miller 8-4, and Robles 8-5. This earned Sansouci a rematch against Hernandez, whom he was able to overcome with a major 8-4 win in the finals.

On the winners’ side of the A-D event, Wilson Cruz rolled over Stu Warnock 7-3 in a dominant performance and was then matched up with Gonzalez, who had previously defeated Matthew Harricharan 7-3. Cruz continued his winning ways over Gonzalez 7-3, earning a spot in the finals.

Though Sansouci had numerous second- and third-place finishes on the Predator Tour, this was his first win. Also, this was the first time in over ten years, since the Ocean State Championship, that arguably the top three New York players finished in the top three of an event.

$55

Sansouci and Gonzalez Tops in Manhattan Ozone Billiards Predator Tour / Manhattan, NY by Jerry Tarantola

48 InsidePOOL Magazine ◊ March 2010

Northeast off a 9-7 win over Paul Rozonewski, managed to notch just one game against the man of the hour. On the left side of the bracket, Dan Hewitt, one of Orme’s earlier victims, was making his way back towards Orme for a rematch. After ousting tournament director Mike Zuglan 9-6, Hewitt moved on to Rozonewski, holding him to two games to face Bucky Souvanthong. Souvanthong, who’d gotten past Jose Mendez 9-3 and Fernandez 9-6, marked up three against Hewitt, landing in fourth. In the semifinal match, both Hewitt and Cutler were vying for another crack at Orme, and Hewitt earned it 9-6.

John Stiles, Borana Andoni, Justin Muller

Andoni Aces Tri-State Event Tri-State Tour / Brooklyn, NY by InsidePOOL Staff Borana Andoni went undefeated at the 1-30 installment of the Tri-State Tour, besting Justin Muller in the final match to take the title. A total of 28 B-D players showed up at Gotham Billiards in Brooklyn, NY, to vie for their share of the $750-added prize purse. After sending Mel McCullen to the one-loss side with an 8-4 victory, Andoni moved on to the hot seat match. This was the first time during the event she met Muller, who had just defeated Allen Wong in a hill-hill match 7-6. It was a close call, but Andoni moved on to the hot seat 7-5, while Muller was sent west.

The true doubleelimination final match was 100% Canadian, and Toronto native Orme jumped out to a 5-1 lead. Montreal native Hewitt fought back, managing to get within two at 7-5, but when his chance to get within one was within reach, he missed it, giving control back to Orme, who claimed the final two racks to earn his first win this season 9-5.

Results: 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th

Chris Orme Dan Hewitt Reggie Cutler Bucky Souvanthong Paul Rozonewski Dave Fernandez 7th Mike Zuglan Jose Mendez 9th Kevin Guimond Ron Casanzio Gary Poulton Jack Smith

$1,400 $1,000 $710 $500 $350 $200 $100

Once on the left side, Wong rebounded, eliminating Trevor Heal 7-2 in fifth place, while McCullen tied with Heal after his 8-4 defeat at the hands of John Stiles. Wong advanced to the quarterfinal match against Stiles, who ousted Wong 7-3. In the semifinals, a determined Muller was able to Results: earn a rematch with Andoni by 1st Borana Andoni $530 sending Stiles home in third 2nd Justin Muller $300 place 7-4. The final match was 3rd John Stiles $200 touch and go, but after the 4th Allen Wong $125 hill-hill match was over, it was 5th Mel McCullen $75 Andoni who was sitting pretty in Trevor Heal the winner’s circle 9-8.

Orme Outshoots the Joss Field Joss Northeast 9-Ball Tour / Latham, NY by Lea Andrews After a weekend of undefeated play, Chris Orme was the lone man standing at the seventh stop of the Joss Northeast 9-Ball Tour, held January 30-31 at Diamond Billiards in Latham, NY. The $2,000added event drew 39 fierce competitors, including recent Mosconi Cup MVP Dennis Hatch, who’s topped three Joss events so far this season. In the winners’ side final four, Orme got past Dave Fernandez 9-5 to face Reggie Cutler in the hot seat match. Cutler, who was coming March 2010 ◊ InsidePOOLmag.com 49

Regional roundup

Northeast

Chavez and Testa Split Mezz Tour Honors Mezz Pro-Am Tour / Drexel Hill, PA by Jose Burgos

Vernon Vies for First Place Dominiak Cues Northeast Amateur 10-Ball Tour / Clifton Park, NY by Kevin Vidal

The Mezz Pro-Am Tour’s first stop went off with a bang, hosted by Drexeline Billiards in Drexel Hill, PA, January 31. A strong field of 53 players came out, including Eddie Joey Testa, Ignacio Chavez, Victor Nau Abraham, Shaun Wilkie, and Matt Krah, but Ignacio Chavez and Joey Testa took home top honors. Chavez led the top half of the bracket with wins over Caroline Pao 7-2, Abraham 7-3, Josh Brothers 7-4, Wilkie 7-1, and Adam Kielar 7-4. Leading the bottom half of the bracket was Testa, with wins over Sharon O’Hanlon 7-1, John Graziano 7-0, Gregg McAndrews 7-2, and Victor Results: 1st Joey Testa $1,200 Nau 7-3. Ignacio Chavez $600 Testa and Chavez matched 3rd Victor Nau $330 up in the hot seat match, with 4th Josh Brothers $250 Testa pulling away late to win 7-4. 5th Matt Krah Adam Kielar Waiting for Chavez on the one-loss side was Nau, coming 7th Shaun Wilkie $150 fresh from a win over Brothers. Joe Hong But Nau’s momentum wasn’t 9th Keith Christman $75 enough to carry him through to Gregg McAndrews the finals, as it was all Chavez, Bill Wilson who easily won 7-2. John Graziano

Norm Vernon took down the January 31 stop of the Dominiak Cues Northeast Amateur 10-Ball Tour, besting a 28-player field to take first place. The stop was hosted by Trick Shot Billiards in Clifton Park, NY. Vernon went undefeated through the winners’ side, besting Mike Laboissire, Ryan Durnberg, Scott Winchell, and Gene Hunt to reach the hot seat match. His opponent was John Rich, who defeated Tom Hebert, Mark Swirsky, and Mike Fitch to reach Vernon. The hot seat match went hill-hill, with Vernon prevailing and sending Rich to the one-loss side of the chart.After being sent west, Fitch started Results: working his way back, winning over Kevin Ketz and Gene Hunt. 1st Norm Vernon $250 $150 Fitch then met up again with Rich 2nd John Rich $100 in the semifinals. Another hill-hill 3rd Mike Fitch $75 match ensued, with Rich once 4th GeneHunt again winning over Fitch. 5th Doug Wabnig $40 Kevin Ketz In the race-to-5 finals, Vernon 7th Paul Picard $20 took an early 2-0 lead, but Rich Chuck Hill battled back to knot the score at 2. Vernon grabbed the next game after Rich missed the 10 ball, and from there it seemed Rich ran out of gas, for it was all Vernon who went on to win the match and title.

In the true double-elimination finals, it was Testa versus Chavez. In order for Chavez to win the event, he would have to best Testa twice. However, both players decided to be co-champions and split first place.

Upcoming Northeast Tournaments 3/6-7 3/6-7 3/13-14 3/13-14 3/13-14 3/14 3/18-21 3/20-21 3/21 3/27 3/27-28 3/28 4/3 4/3-4 4/10 4/10-11

Tri-State Tour Mary Cappotto Memorial Team DMIRO 10-Ball Tour Joss Northeast 9-Ball Tour Tri-State Tour Dominiak Cues 10-Ball Tour Super Billiards Expo USSA National Snooker Tour Tri-State Tour Tri-State Tour Joss Northeast 9-Ball Tour Dominiak Cues Tour Finale Tri-State Tour CNY 9-Ball Tour Tri-State Tour Joss Northeast 9-Ball Tour

50 InsidePOOL Magazine ◊ March 2010

Master Billiards Cap’s Cue Club Atlantic City Billiards Trick Shot Billiards Master Billiards Silver Cue Billiards Valley Forge Convention Center New York Athletic Club Castle Billiards Sandcastle Billiards Salt City Billiards Snookers Billiards Castle Billiards Korky’s Pool Hall Master Billiards Raxx Pool Room

Sunnyside, NY Syracuse, NY Egg Harbor, NJ Clifton Park, NY Sunnyside, NY Woburn, MA King of Prussia, PA New York, NY East Rutherford, NJ Edison, NJ North Syracuse, NY Springfield, MA East Rutherford, NJ Fairmont, NY Sunnyside, NY West Hempstead, NY

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$1,000 $1,500 $1,000 $2,000 $1,500 Prizes TBA $300 $500 $750 $1,500 Prizes $500 $600 $750 $2,000

Open Open Open Open Open Amateurs Open Amateurs A-D players C-D players Open Amateurs B-D players Amateurs B-D players Open

Southeast

Regional roundup Bennett Bursts “Big Bubba’s” Bubble Jacoby Custom Cues Carolina Tour / Fuquay-Varina, NC Keith Bennett

Great Victory for South Great Southern Billiard Tour / Duluth, GA by Lea Andrews

by Lea Andrews He was looking for his third Jacoby Custom Cues Carolina Tour win in three appearances, but Shawn “Big Bubba” Putnam’s streak was broken by local favorite Keith Bennett, who’s had several Jacoby victories in the past himself. Bennett and Putnam were part of the talented field of 16 that gathered for the $1,000-added event, which was held the weekend of January 9-10 at On The Snap Billiards in Fuquay-Varina, NC. Bennett got past Sam Monday 7-3 to face Putnam for the first time in the hot seat match. Putnam, who was coming off a 7-2 win over B.J. Ussery, sent Bennett the long way to the finals 7-4. On the left side of the bracket, Chris Vollmar rode back-to-back 7-3 wins over AJ Monsma and Johnny Griffin to meet up with Ussery, while Sidney Champion edged out former winner Arnold Hamlet 7-6 and Brad Shearer 7-4 to face Monday. It was heavy hitters Ussery and Monday who advanced to the quarterfinals 7-1 and 7-4, respectively, but the semifinals had room for just one of them, and it was Monday who earned it 7-3. Unfortunately for Monday, his second chance at Bennett went only marginally better than his first, and he landed in third 7-5, giving Bennett his own second chance at Putnam. Bennett’s revenge in the single race-to-11 final match began in the first rack, which he broke and ran. After Bennett scratched on the break in the next rack, Putnam tied it up, going on to take the next rack, as well, to lead for the first and only time 2-1. Putnam made nothing on the next break, and Bennett took that one with a 4-9 combination and the next with a 5-9 carom. Putnam tied it up again after Bennett made nothing on the break in the next rack, but from there, he got very few chances at the table. Knocking out four more break and runs, including one in the final rack, Bennett finished up 11-3. In the finals of the 13-entrant early bird tournament Friday Results: night, Bennett and Putnam put 1st Keith Bennett $1,000 on a little preview of the main 2nd Shawn Putnam $500 event—it went hill-hill 7-6, with 3rd Sam Monday $225 Bennett earning $140 for first and 4th B.J. Ussery $75 Putnam earning $80 for second, while David Strum took home $40 for third. Jordan Harrison took first in the juniors’ division on Sunday, while Karen Webb took first in the ladies’ division. In the second chance event, Chris Vollmar went home with $70 for his 7-5 win in the finals over room owner Billy Wood, who received $30.

Henry Cofer, Shannon Daulton, Robert South

Though Robert South took a bit of a hit in the first set of the finals of the January 9-10 stop of the Great Southern Billiard Tour, he came back when it counted. South topped the full field of 64 that stormed The Pool Room in Duluth, GA, for the $1,500-added A-B amateur event. B-ranked South earned his spot in the hot seat match with a 7-4 win over A-ranked Denny Singletary, who was racing to 9. Meeting South there was past winner AA-ranked Horace “Groundhog” Goodwin, who’d won 11-4 over B-ranked Chad Royal. South and Goodwin both fought hard to go undefeated into the finals, and they took it to the hill, with South earning the spot 7-10. On the one-loss side, B-ranked Mike Basha notched a strong 7-6 win over recent winner Adam Pendley, who needed 11 games, to face Randy Jordan, who’d gotten past AA-ranked Brian White 9-7. At the same time, Henry Cofer was making his move towards the finals. His 7-7 win over AA-ranked Benny Conway, Jr., pitted him against Jeff Hooks, who was coming off a 9-8 win over AA-ranked Harold MCAbee. Holding Hooks to six games, Cofer moved on to Singletary, whom he also kept to six games to reach the quarterfinals. Meanwhile, Basha had gotten past Jordan 7-7 to meet up with Royal, and the two went hill-hill, with Royal coming out on top 7-6. In the quarterfinal match against Cofer, though, Royal managed just five games Results: to land in fourth, while 1st Robert South $1,000 Cofer moved on to Good2nd Henry Cofer $600 win, allowing him just 3rd Horace Goodwin $400 four games to reach 4th Chad Royal $200 South. 5th Mike Basha $100

Denny Singletary

In the true double7th Randy Jordan $75 elimination final match, Jeff Hooks Cofer pushed the second 9th Brian White $50 set decisively 7-2, but in Adam Pendley the second set, South got Benny Conway, Jr. off to an early lead, and Harold McAbee though Cofer managed to John Maikee 13th $25 stage a bit of a late comeSean Davis back, it didn’t take. With Jim Jennings the score at 6-4 South, Chris Kendrick Cofer broke the final rack and ran a few balls, but when he hooked himself, giving up ball in hand, South took over and pocketed what was left to earn first 7-4. March 2010 ◊ InsidePOOLmag.com 51

Regional roundup Sparkling White Diamonds Victory for Ferrell White Diamonds Billiards Winter Extravaganza / Lafayette, LA by Lea Andrews Sparky Ferrell met Joey Gray twice—and put him in his place twice—on his way to undefeated victory at the White Diamond Billiards Winter Extravaganza. The $1,000-added event, which was streamed live by Ray “Big Truck” Hansen at poolactiontv.com, was an extravaganza indeed, drawing a full field of 128 players to White Diamond Billiards in Lafayette, LA, the weekend of January 9-10. Ferrell got past 2009 Summer Extravaganza winner Jeremy Jones to reach the hot seat match, where he met up with Gray for the first time. Gray, who was coming off a win over Rafael Martinez, moved west after falling 7-3 to Ferrell. On the left side of the bracket, Jerry Slivka landed in a ninth-place tie courtesy of David Trest, who moved on to face Bobby Pickle. Pickle, who’d just ousted Shane Waltrip, did the same to Trest to meet up with Martinez. Meanwhile, Joey Barnes notched a win over David Gutierrez to face Kevin Noel, who’d gotten past Sean Black. Barnes put Noel in seventh to face Jones and dashed his hopes of back-to-back Extravaganza victories 7-4. In the quarterfinals Barnes met up with Martinez, who’d put Pickle in fifth, but it was the end of the road for Barnes. Martinez kept it close in the semifinals against Gray, but with the score at 6-5 Gray, Martinez attempted a thin cut on the 8 ball but hit nothing but the cushion behind it, giving up ball in hand and the set to Gray. In the true double-elimination final match, Ferrell hit the string first after he broke and got out with a 2-9 combination. Gray returned with a break and run to tie it up, but Ferrell pulled ahead 4-1. Gray staged a comeback that began with a 9 on the break, going on to get the score to 4-4 and 6-5. His final break, though, put the cue ball in a pocket and spread the balls wide open, leaving Ferrell a clear path to victory.

Results: 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th

Sparky Ferrell Joey Gray Rafael Martinez Joey Barnes Jeremy Jones Bobby Pickle 7th David Trest Kevin Noel 9th Jerry Slivka Shane Waltrip David Gutierrez Sean Black

$2,142 $1,040 $796 $551 $367 $214 $107

Saunders and Kennedy Come Out on Top KF Cue Tour / Spring Hill, FL by Lea Andrews Though they chose different routes to get there, George Saunders and Tommy Kennedy both ended up in the same place the weekend of January 9-10: the KF Cue Tour winner’s circle at Capone’s Billiards in Spring Hill, FL. While Saunders went undefeated to top the $1,000added, 40-entrant amateur event on Saturday, Kennedy rebounded from an early loss to Mike Davis in Sunday’s $1,000-added open event to capture his second KF Cue Tour victory this season.

52 InsidePOOL Magazine ◊ March 2010

Saunders got past Josh Lewis to reach the hot seat match, where he faced Dan Dennis, who was coming off a win over Joe Scarborough. A hard-fought 7-6 win left Saunders the sole undefeated competitor, and Dennis moved to the left side to look for the rematch. To get there, though, he’d have to get past Derek Greenwood, who’d been moving through the west side after taking a hit from Saunders, marking up strong wins over Louis Altes, Bill Dunsmore, Scarborough, and Lewis to reach the semifinals. The finals would be a rematch Tommy Kennedy no matter what, but it was Dennis who earned it, and when he reached the single race-to-9 final match, he made a strong case for himself, pushing the score to 8-8. But it was Saunders who topped the safety battle in the final rack, pocketing the final 9 to notch his first-ever KF Cue Tour win.

Amateur Results: 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th

George Saunders Dan Dennis Derek Greenwood Josh Lewis Joe Scarborough Louie Smith 7th Bill Delisle Bill Dunsmore 9th Coot Highsmith Bill Stoll Louis Altes Wesley White

$550 $400 $300 $200 $100 $75 $50

On Sunday, as Kennedy was moving steadily through the elimination rounds to reach the finals, Justin Hall was making his way through the right side, posting a 7-5 win over Davis to reach the hot seat match against Louis Altes, who’d just shut out Wesley White. Against Hall, though, Altes had no such luck, moving to the other side 7-4.

$50

On the one-loss side, Kennedy, who’d run through Open Results: Elvis Rodriguez 6-3, Derek 1st Tommy Kennedy $500 Greenwood 6-0, and Lewis 6-2, $400 faced Davis once again, allow2nd Justin Hall $300 ing him only one game in a 3rd Louis Altes 4th Richie Richeson $200 race to 6 and planting Davis in $100 fifth. After a 6-3 quarterfinal 5th Wesley White win over Richie Richeson, Mike Davis who’d just ousted White, it was semifinal time for Kennedy, who allowed Altes to reach the hill but took the final rack for himself. In the single race-to-7 final match, Kennedy went ahead and let Hall reach the hill, too, but when Hall broke open the final rack and left all the balls on the table, Dan Dennis, George Saunders Kennedy took over, making the 1 and the 2 to set up a 3-9 combination, which he nailed for his second win this season.

Southeast Corr and Ferrell Crowned Music City Champs Music City 9-Ball Open / Madison, TN by InsidePOOL Staff

Karen Corr

The Music City 9-Ball Open crowned two new winners January 17, with Karen Corr winning the ladies’ division over Amy Chen, and Sparky Ferrell taking top honors in the o pen division over Jesse Bowman. The event was hosted by JOB Billiards in Madison, TN, with 29 ladies participating and 109 players in the open event. Corr went undefeated through the ladies’ division, only giving up a total of eight racks to capture the title. After winning over Paulette Spauling 7-2 and Sonya Chbeeb 7-1, Corr whitewashed her next two opponents, Kristan Tidwell and Amanda Townsend. In the hot seat match she bested Chen the first time 7-3, sending her to the one-loss side of the chart. Kim Jones swept past Tina Hess 7-5, while Grace Babcock eliminated Townsend 7-5. Jones and Townsend tied for fifth place. Babcock went on to oust Jones in the quarterfinals but was shut down by Chen in the semifinals 7-5. Chen earned her rematch with Corr but with the same results—Corr defeated her 7-3, winning the title. Defending champion Johnathan “Hennessee” Pinegar was ousted at 17th place after a second-round loss to Matt Beckwith 11-4 and then a later loss to Shane McMinn 11-9. But he rallied for Saturday night’s Midnight Madness, a winner-takes-all mini tournament. In the eightplayer event, Pinegar came out on top, defeating Jesse Bowman. Other competitors included Gabe Owen, Keith Bennett, and Bobby Pickle. Ferrell also went unscathed through the event, sending opponent after opponent to the west side of the chart on his trek to the finals. He bested John Gatton 11-3, Bobby Pickle 11-6, Tab Pranee 11-4, Mike Dunklin 11-7, John Gabriel 11-6, and Josh O’Neil 11-5 to reach the hot seat match. There he faced off against Jesse

Women’s Results:

Karen Corr Amy Chen Grace Babcock Kim Jones Tina Hess Amanda Townsend 7th Michelle Dunn Amy Williams 9th Becky Todd Kristan Tidwell Val Harris Sonya Chbeeb 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th

Open Results: 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 7th 9th

13th

17th

Sparky Ferrell Jesse Bowman John Gabriel Tommy D’Alfonse Manny Chau Josh O’Neil Gabe Owen Claude Marrier Shane McMinn Keith Bennett Shane Winters Matt Beckwith John McCloud Nicholas Hickerson Mike Laney Gabe Apollos Johnathan Pinegar Mike Bennett Royce Morton Tab Pranee Mike Dunklin Chad Vilmont Dallas Bilbrey Jerry Clayman

$2,860 $1,715 $1,145 $760 $490 $285 $200

$145

$90

Bowman. After a first-round bye, Bowman had bested Dale Lorenz 11-9, Tommy Hampton 11-3, Shane McMinn 11-8, Tommy D’Alfonse 11-2, and Manny Chau 11-10. The hot seat was a close contest, but Ferrell prevailed 11-8, sending Bowman to the left side to try his luck. There he met Gabriel, who had fought through the one-loss side after his loss to Ferrell earlier. After four west-side matches, three of which went hill-hill, Gabriel’s stamina ran out, and Bowman was able to earn a rematch with Ferrell 11-9. The final match was neck and neck, but Ferrell eked out the 11-9 victory. Sparky Ferrell

Wilson Takes Down World Cup Billiards Field Great Southern Billiard Tour / Greenville, SC by Lea Andrews Though many tried, no man was up to the task of derailing Kenny Wilson on his way to the ultimate victory at the January 16-17 stop of the Great Southern Billiard Tour. The $1,500-added A/B amateur event drew 55 players to World Cup Billiards in Greenville, SC. B-ranked Wilson rode a strong 7-1 win over A-ranked Dale Philips into the hot seat match, where he met A-ranked Sean Davis, who’d gotten past B-ranked Jerry Cairnes 9-4. Keeping Davis one rack shy of his goal of 9, Wilson claimed the hot seat hill-hill 7-8. On the one-loss side, AA-ranked Brian White, who’d taken a second-round loss to B-ranked Mike Basha, was on a straight path to the finals. An 11-3 victory over B-ranked Jose Tovar pitted White against Duane Davis, who’d ousted Basha 7-3. Cruising past Davis 11-5, White met up with Philips. Meanwhile, B-ranked Greg Gilliam went hill-hill with A-ranked Joseph Cole, coming out on top 7-8 to meet up with past winner Josh Newman. Newman, who’d held fellow A-player Jim Jennings to five games, managed only three racks against Gilliam. Gilliam moved on to Cairnes, holding him to Amateur Results: three games, as well, to reach the 1st Kenny Wilson $1,000 quarterfinals against White, 2nd Brian White $500 who’d sailed past Philips 11-5. 3rd Sean Davis $300 Another smooth win for White, 4th Greg Gilliam $200 this one 11-3, put him in the 5th Dale Philips $100 semifinals against S. Davis, whose Jerry Cairnes four games planted him in third.

7th Duane Davis $75 Josh Newman 9th Mike Basha $40 Jose Tovar Joseph Cole Jim Jennings

In the true double-elimination final match, White needed to take the first set to put him on equal footing with Wilson, but Wilson wouldn’t give him the chance. Taking advantage of some errors made by White, which were perhaps brought on by his having to fight his way through ten elimination-round matches, Wilson got ahead and stayed ahead, earning his first Great Southern Billiard Tour win 7-6. March 2010 ◊ InsidePOOLmag.com 53

Regional roundup

Southeast

apiece. Kennedy took the next two to reach the hill first 8-6, but Scarborough rallied, tying it hill-hill. In the final rack, it looked like Kennedy was going to claim his Amateur Results: by Lea Andrews second win in a row, his third this 1st Dan Dennis $650 season, but he came up short on 2nd Eddie Wheat $500 the 9 ball, and his bank attempt left 3rd $390 Ernie Medina The amateurs took control of both the the 9 hanging for Scarborough, 4th Joe Scarborough $250 amateur and open divisions of the who earned his first KF Cue Tour win 5th Todd Anderson $150 January 30-31 KF Cue Tour stop, with Dan 9-8. Brian McBride Dennis topping Saturday’s amateur 7th Lincoln Seifert $90 division, and Joe Scarborough taking Shawn Miller Open Results: control of Sunday’s open division, which 9th Sean Leason $65 $650 drew big names like Mike Davis, Tommy 1st Joe Scarborough George Saunders $450 Kennedy, and tour director Tony “The 2nd Tommy Kennedy Dan Dennis Jeff Mabry $300 Sniper” Crosby. The $1,000-added 3rd Glen Olson Prescott Buckwold $200 amateur event brought 67 players to Corner Pocket in Orlando, FL, while 4th Tony Crosby 13th $50 James Adams $130 the $1,000-added open event drew 44. 5th Butch Croft Tony Vicari Josh Degler David Boyd $80 Though Scarborough went undefeated in the open division, he took a 7th Carlos Torres Brian Valentine Mark Coats late loss to Dennis in the amateur division, putting Dennis in the hot seat match against Eddie Wheat, who’d gotten past Ernie Medina. Wheat couldn’t get past Dennis, though, and he moved west 7-5. On the one-loss side, Scarborough moved past Brian McBride to reach the quarterfinals against Medina, who’d arrived via Todd Anderson. Wanting another crack at Wheat, Medina put Scarborough in fourth, but the second time against Wheat wasn’t the charm, and Medina landed in third, pitting Wheat back up against Dennis. Wheat’s rematch in the single race-to-8 final match was looking good for him at the start as he jumped to a 4-0 and 5-1 lead, but Dennis came back strong and tied it up at five apiece. Wheat got in front again, reaching the hill first 7-5, but he couldn’t close out the win, leaving “More For The Player” Dennis to finish off his first KF Cue Tour win with three straight racks 8-7.

Dennis and Scarborough Fare Well on KF Cue Tour KF Cue Tour / Orlando, FL

On Sunday, it was Scarborough’s turn to shine. He made it to the winners’ side final four with a string of strong wins (including a Joe Scarborough 7-0 revenge match over Dennis), capping it off with a 7-2 victory over Josh Degler to reach the hot seat match against Glen Olson. Another shut-out win put Scarborough in the hot seat and Olson on the west side looking for a rematch. On the left side of the bracket, Crosby, who’d earlier ousted Mike Davis 6-1, faced Degler, the man responsible for giving him his first loss 7-6. Earning his revenge 6-3, Crosby moved on to the quarterfinals against last stop’s winner Tommy Kennedy, who’d just put Butch Croft in fifth. Edging out Crosby 6-5, the 1992 US Open Champion moved on to the semifinals against Olson, taking care of him 6-2 to face Scarborough in the finals. In the single race-to-9 final match, Kennedy and Scarborough stayed close, trading games to tie it up at six games

Upcoming Southeastern Tournaments 3/6-7 3/6-7 3/13-14 3/14-15 3/27-28 3/27-28 3/27-28 3/27-28 4/10-11

Southeast Open 9-Ball Tour Great Southern Billiard Tour Great Southern Billiard Tour KF Cues 9-Ball Tour KF Cues 9-Ball Tour Viking Cue 9-Ball Tour Great Southern Billiard Tour Virginia State 9-Ball Championship Viking Cue 9-Ball Tour

54 InsidePOOL Magazine ◊ March 2010

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Regional roundup Powers Grabs the Brass Ring Billiard Congress of Wisconsin Open 9-Ball Tour / Madison, WI by Jonathan Demet

Craig Powers, Bob Hunter

Instead of staying home to watch the Packers versus the Cardinals playoff game, ten players decided to compete at the Billiard Congress of Wisconsin’s Open 9-Ball Tour stop January 10. The $400added stop was hosted by The Brass Ring in Madison, WI, where Craig Powers took home the first prize of $345. In the top bracket of the winners’ side Powers made it to the hot seat match with a bye in the first round and then 9-5 wins over Jonathan Demet and Chris Gitzlaff. In the bottom bracket straight pool world champion Bob Hunter received a bye the first round and then went on to defeat Jim Fitzpatrick 9-6 in the second and Bob Treffeisen 9-1 in the third. Powers went on to best Hunter 9-3 to claim the hot seat match.

Results:

1st Craig Powers $345 Jim Fitzpatric fought back 2nd Bob Hunter $210 from a first-round loss with 3rd Jonathan Demet $140 wins over Terry O’Brian 7-6, Chris Mason7-4, and Treffeisen 7-3, putting him in a match with Demet. It was a close match, but luck came into play, leaving Demet a run-out in a double-hill match to advance. Hunter proved to be too much for Demet and took the semifinal match 7-5.Moving on to the finals, Hunter was looking for revenge against Powers but came up a bit short, as Powers went on to take the final match 9-7.

Central Jones and Petrosino Corral Lone Star 10-Ball Premiere Lone Star Billiards Tour / Houston, TX by InsidePOOL Staff The Lone Star Billiards Tour kicked off their 2010 season with style, breaking their records with 88 players in the open 10-ball event and 21 in the ladies’ 9-ball open Rafael Martinez, Kim White, Jeremy Jones event. Q Stix Billiards in Houston, TX, played host the weekend of January 16-17, with Jeremy “Double J” Jones and Terry Petrosino winning their respective divisions. Jones went undefeated through the event, besting Charlie “Hillbilly” Bryant in the final four on the winners’ side with a hill-hill victory. In the other winners’ side match, Rafael Martinez bested David Parker. Martinez then went on to face Jones in the hot seat match, but Jones proved to be too much and sent Martinez west. There Courtney Peters, Terry Petrosino he sent Bryant home in third place, but in his rematch with Jones he fell short 7-5, with Jones taking top honors. In the ladies’ event, Petrosino and Courtney Peters matched up for the hot seat while newcomers Tasha Salandanan and Loretta Lindgren dueled on the one-loss side. Petrosino bested Peters, and Salandanan ousted Lindgren. The seasoned Peters eliminated Lindgren for a rematch with Petrosino. It was a hill-hill finale, with Petrosino finishing undefeated throughout the entire event.

Open Results: 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th

Jeremy Jones Rafael Martinez Charlie Bryant Zaid Thweib David Parker Andy Jethwa 7th Aaron Spring Ernesto Bayaua

$1,000 $700 $500 $300 $150 $100

Ladies’ Results: 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th

Terry Petrosino Courtney Peters Tasha Salandanan Loretta Lindgren Kyu Yi Courtney McClure 7th Michelle Prince Deanna Henson

$350 $250 $150 $100 $35 $25

March 2010 ◊ InsidePOOLmag.com 55

Regional roundup ACS Midwest 8-Ball Championships a Hit ACS Midwest 8-Ball Championships / Riverside, IA

The team of Connie O’Heron and Jon Kent from Wausau, WI, captured the scotch doubles 8-ball event over a field of 25 teams, while Dave Webb of Fort Madison, IA, outpointed a 105-player field in the 9-ball singles for by InsidePOOL staff the top spot. “The Old Guys” from the Eastern IA/IL ACS The American CueSports Alliance hit a home run by moving its league captured the men’s team second chance division. annual Midwest 8-Ball Championships to the Riverside Casino and Golf Resort in Riverside, IA, January 21-24. Over 400 players from throughout the Midwest and from as far away as Colorado and South Carolina came to the $10,000-added championships, which offered competition in six primary events and two secondary events: men’s and women’s master 8-ball singles, men’s and women’s open 8-ball singles, men’s and women’s four-person 8-ball teams, scotch doubles 8-ball, and handicapped 9-ball singles. In the men’s master 8-ball singles, Marseilles, IL, native Donald Branson took down Steve Parlow 6-1, Jerrod Frideres 6-4, Frank DeCastecker 6-3, Josh Johnson in the A-side finals 6-3, and Johnson again in the finals 6-0 to take the title. Terry Stevens, Janelle Melohn In the women’s master 8-ball singles, multi-time national champion Jessica Frideres marched undefeated to the title by eclipsing Chris Glass 5-0, Connie O’Heron 5-2, Tina Larsen 5-1, Kelly Birmingham 5-4 in the A-side finals, and again over Birmingham by a 5-1 margin in the finals. In the men’s open 8-ball singles, Terry Stevens outpaced a field of 117 players to take the title over Joshua Mason 4-0, Mike Durbin 4-1, Ron O’Meara Sr. 4-3, Jim Goldring 4-2, Casey Brokus 4-1, Mike Peiffer 4-2, Bruce Ribble 4-2, and transplanted Texan Ryan Robinson in a two-set finals 2-4, 4-2. In the women’s open 8-ball singles, Janelle Melohn took down the Donald Branson, Jessica Frideres title in a field of 51 players via wins over Simone Huskey, Gina Knight 3-2, Lorrie Lanham 3-2, Patti Clancy 3-2, Veronica Lyon 3-1, Jessica Rahlf 3-2, and Belinda Perez 3-1 in the finals. In the men’s 8-ball teams, the team of “Danny O’s Thud” (Robert Ball, Sam Ball, Cecil Messer, and Mike Strudas) from the GMPA ACS league in northwestern Indiana stormed to the crown of the 66-team division by vanquishing “Thrown Together” 9-6, “Big Slicks with Sticks” 9-5, “Table Hoggz” 9-3, “Sheila’s” 9-8, “Hot Shots” 9-7, “Reuthers Ruthless” 9-4 in the A-side finals, and “Reuthers Ruthless” again in the first set of the finals 9-6. In the women’s 8-ball teams, the team of “White Class” (Julie Connie O’Heron, Jon Kent Ann Mitchell, Tina Larsen, Heather Lavin and Gina Knight) from the GMPA ACS league in northwestern Indiana took down the 23-team division by vanquishing “There Is No ‘I’ in Drunk” 9-6, “Go Figure!” 9-5, “Team Motorboat” 9-4, “Which Witch Is Which” 9-6 in the A-side finals, and “There Is No ‘I’ in Drunk” again in a finals requirJulie Ann Mitchell, Heather Lavin, Tina Larsen, Gina Knight David Webb ing two sets 7-9, 9-3.

56 InsidePOOL Magazine ◊ March 2010

Central Men’s Master 8-Ball Singles Results: 1st 2nd 3rd

Donald Branson Josh Johnson Scott Hargens

$550 $375 $250

Women’s Master 8-Ball Singles Results: 1st 2nd 3rd

Jessica Frideres Kelly Birmingham Amy Latzko

$600 $400 $250

Men’s Open 8-Ball Singles Results:

Sam Ball, Cecil Messer, Bob Ball, Mike Strudas

Scotch Doubles 8-Ball Results: 1st 2nd 3rd 5th

Connie O’Heron / Jon Kent Mary Lynn Breitenbach / Donald Boysen Jr. Shawna Elder / Brett Elder Dawn Spencer/ Tony Sundstrom Kelly McBride / Jamey Bowman Sheree Hill / Mario Perales Jr. Debra Laughlin/ Milton Eichman Tara Allison / Mike Guy

Men’s Teams Results: 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 7th 9th

13th

Danny O’s Thud Reuthers Ruthless Sheila’s Hot Shots Terminators Clean Slate Raise the Bet Cocktails Foe Cue Fockers Silver Dollar Young Guns Show Me The Money N.S.B.O.A. Stumble Inn II Jesse Bowman Brother’s Team Dizzy Dean’s Bar & Grill Cue Master Houy Table Rats

Women’s Teams Results: 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 7th

White Class There Is No “I” In Drunk Which Witch Is Which Girls On Top All Mixed Up Team Motorboat Hey Hey We’re The Monkees Stumble Inn Chix

Men’s Teams Second Chance Results: 1st 2nd

The Old Guys Quart House Tavern

1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 7th

$300 $200 $100

9th

$75

13th

$2,000 $1,480 $1,000 $700 $500

1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 7th

$250

9th

$220

$450 $280

$150 $125

$100

Janelle Melohn Belinda Perez Jessica Rahlf Veronica Lyon Marcy Brown Heather Lavin Nancy Beadel Michelle Read Patty Clancy Kay Ackman Donna Whitcomb Lorrie Lanham

$600 $440 $300 $200 $150 $100 $75

9-Ball Singles Results: 1st 2nd 3rd

$1,500 $1,000 $700 $500 $350

$1,000 $730 $500 $300 $225

Women’s Open 8-Ball Singles Results:

$350

$150

Terry Stevens Ryan Robinson Bruce Ribble Mike Peiffer Dennis Shumway Mike Clancy Anthony Garcia Patrick Bayer Clayton Shepard Casey Brokus Mike Durbin Tim Bringman Dennis Reding Daniel Messervey Jim Goldring Bob Bartlett

5th

9th

David Webb Jim Goldring Cory Smith Patrick Frazelle Donnie Branson Joel Hammargren Don Boll Steve Parlow Scott Boyd Josh Blaylock John Gorsch Sr. Tony Sundstrom Weston Broad Anthony Garcia Tony Zierman Toney Bringman

$400 $300 $200 $120

$90

March 2010 ◊ InsidePOOLmag.com 57

Regional roundup Cantrell and Cucculelli Capture Top Prize Lucasi Hybrid All-American Tour / Columbus, OH by InsidePOOL Staff Mike Cantrell took top honors in the men’s division of the January 16-17 Lucasi Hybrid All-American Tour, while Teruko Cucculelli won the women’s event. Hosted by 8 Ball Sports Bar & Billiards Club in Columbus, OH, the $750-added Central Ohio Open featured an 83-player men’s division in a doubleelimination 8-ball format on 7-foot Valley bar boxes.

Teruko Cucculelli, Mike Cantrell

Cantrell captured the hot seat with a win over Skip Shumate 5-3. Once on the one-loss side, Shumate bested Shane Lykens 5-1 for the right to meet Cantrell again in the tournament finals. But Cantrell was just too strong, taking the finals 5-3 over Shumate. The $250-added women’s division event featured an 18-player field. Cucculelli captured the hot seat with a win over Shannon Dunn 4-1. From the west side, Dunn returned to the finals after eliminating beat Deidra Govin 4-2 in third place. Cucculelli proved to be the stronger player in the finals, again winning over Dunn 4-2.

Men’s Results: 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th

Mike Cantrell Skip Shumate Shane Lykins Mark Wiseman James Cantrell Rick Brown 7th Jared Kolie Chad Dailey 9th Mario Herevia Mike Cumberledge Dylan Lipatapanlop Jeremy Haines 13th Tom Walsh Rich Chan Russ Huffman Nathan Wallace

$500 $400 $300 $200 $130 $80 $55

$30

Ladies’ Results: 1st 2nd 3rd 4th

Teruko Cucculelli Shannon Dunn Deidre Govine Julie Spripac

$295 $185 $90 $40

Styer Stays Steady Billiard Congress of Wisconsin Open 9-Ball Tour / Racine, WI by Jonathan Demet

Fifteen-year-old Tyler Styer took home the gold at the Billiard Congress of Wisconsin Open 9-Ball Tour’s January 17 stop, Dave Leverenz, Tyler Styer defeating Dave Leverenz in the final match. The $300-added stop attracted 25 players to Outbreak Billiards in Racine, WI.

Play Video Play Video

There was no shortage of well-played matches at this event as the winners’ side dwindled down to the final four, featuring Chris Stevens, Josh Wilms, Clay Johnson, and Styer. Wilms sent Stevens to the one-loss side 8-2 and went on to face Styer, who whitewashed Johnson 5-0. In the hot seat match, Styer showed that his love for the game and dedication to hitting balls has paid off, and he won 5-5 getting three games on the wire. On the west side, only Gitzlaff, Johnson, Stevens, and Leverenz remained. Johnson played hard to oust Gitzlaff at fifth 5-5, while Leverenz continued his streak by eliminating Stevens 5-2. Leverenz stayed hot in the quarterfinals, besting Johnson with an overwhelming 5-0 score. Still going, Leverenz then put Wilms in third place and advanced to the finals. Results: Styer received a one-game spot from Leverenz and lost the first match of the double-elimination finals 6-4. But in the second and last match Styer remained calm and patient all the way to his first victory with a 4-0 win.

58 InsidePOOL Magazine ◊ March 2010

1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th

Tyler Styer Dave Leverenz Josh Wilms Clay Johnson Chris Stevens Chris Gitzlaff

$305 $205 $150 $100 $45

Central

RTC Players

Williams Bursts Cinderella’s Bubble OB Cues Ladies’ Tour / Arlington, TX by InsidePOOL Staff

The OB Cues Ladies’ Tour kicked off their 2010 season January 24, stopping at Rusty’s Billiards in Arlington, TX. Forty-eight players were chomping at the bit to get their game on, including many new faces and new members for the tour, but it was tour veteran Tara Williams who took home the gold at this $2,000-added stop. Williams matched up with newcomer Angela Garza in the hot seat match. As the match progressed, it appeared that the tables were not cooperating with either player and the rolls were pretty evenly spread out. Whoever best capitalized on the other’s mistakes was victorious, and Garza secured her spot in the finals with Results: a score of 7-5. In the semifinals, Williams was faced with Amanda Lampert. These two know each other’s game, and the crowd knew it would be a grudge match. Once again, though, the rolls went both ways, and it came down to a hill-hill match. Lampert came up short on an 8 ball shot, and Williams was able to close out the match to force a rematch with Garza.

1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th

Tara Williams Angela Garza Amanda Lampert Lisa Marr Michelle Cortez Jennifer Kraber 7th Orietta Strickland Lisa-Henderson Major 9th Shayla Neris Kim Pierce Tracie Voelkering Ashley Nandrasy 13th Sherri Palma Helen Hayes Terry Petrosino Melinda Bailey

$750 $550 $405 $265 $150 $105 $80

$50

In true double-elimination format, Williams would have to defeat Garza twice, and that is exactly what she did. Williams was as solid as a rock, scoring a first-set win of 7-1 and a final-set victory of 7-0.

Robinson Rampages Lucasi Field Lucasi Hybrid All-American Tour / Clinton, IA by InsidePOOL Staff Ryan Robinson took top honors at the January 30 stop of the Lucasi Hybrid-All American Tour, besting Charlie Wolfe in the final match. This $500-added event was hosted by Legend’s Sportsbar in Clinton, IA, and featured a full 49-player field in a double-elimination 8-ball format on 7-foot bar boxes. Robinson rolled to the hot seat, including an A-side semifinals win over Don Sager 5-2 and A-side finals win over Wolfe 5-1. Wolfe won his A-side

semifinals match over Will Kohl 4-1 prior to his loss to Robinson, and Wolfe then awaited his opponent in the B-side finals. In the B-side round of eight, Frank DeCastecker and Chad Vilmont eliminated Jason Totten 6-4 and Barney Olinger 8-4, respectively, at seventh place. The B-side quarterfinals showcased Sager and Vilmont ousting DeCastecker 5-5 and Kohl 8-1, respectively, at fifth Results: place. In the B-side semifi$410 1st Ryan Robinson nals, the spot was too much $295 2nd Charlie Wolfe for Vilmont, as he lost out to $210 3rd Don Sager Sager 5-4 for a fourth-place $135 4th Chad Vilmont finish. Wolfe finally faced his $85 5th Frank DeCastecker B-side finals opponent, Sager, Will Kohl and Wolfe promptly took $60 down Sager 4-3 to claim 7th Jason Totten Barney Olinger another shot versus Robinson $35 for the title. The finals only 9th John Gorsch lasted one set, as Robinson Brian Hearl eked out a 5-3 win on the hill Paul Wright over Wolfe to claim the title. Ron Pluym March 2010 ◊ InsidePOOLmag.com 59

Regional roundup

Central

Paulowske Pull It Off Billiard Congress of Wisconsin Open 9-Ball Tour / Kenosha, WI by Jonathan Demet

Tommy Paulowske

Eighteen players made their way from various parts of Wisconsin and Illinois to compete in the January 30 installment of the Billiard Congress of Wisconsin Open 9-Ball Tour. Hosted by Claw’s Billiards in Kenosha, WI, this $400added event was won by Tommy Paukowske.

In the final four of the winners’ side bracket, Paulowske sent Claudio Parrone to the one-loss side 8-3, while Jonathan Demet bested Jason Barnhill 8-3. In the following hot seat match between Paulowske and Demet, Paulowske finished well, winning the final two games he needed to defeat Demet in a hill-hill nail-biter. Once on the west side, Parrone rebounded against “Big Jay” and won their match 6-3. Jay tied for fifth place with Barnhill, who was eliminated by Gil Hernandez 6-2. Hernandez went on to win twice as many games as Parrone in the quarterfinals, winning 6-3. In the semifinal match, Hernandez steamrolled Demet 6-1 to Results: 1st Tommy Paulowske $430 advance to the finals. After a $240 2nd Gil Hernandez long wait, Paulowske played 3rd Jonathan Demet $175 well to best Hernandez 8-3, 4th Claudio Parrone $101 taking home first place.

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Wilms Finds a Way Billiard Congress of Wisconsin Amateur 9-Ball Tour / Sturtavent, WI by Jonathan Demet

Twenty-seven amateur players made their way out for the $300added Billiard Congress of Wisconsin Amateur 9-Ball Tour January 31. This handicapped event was hosted by Boomers Billiards in Sturtavent, WI, and was won by Josh Wilms. Patrick McGuire, recently returned from his second Josh Wilms 15-month Army term in Iraq, played very well to make it into a final four winners’ side match with Wilms that he won hill-hill. In the bottom bracket, junior player T.J. Brucker squared off with John Ehrhart, with Brucker taking the match 7-3. McGuire won the ensuing hot seat match 7-3. In the final six of the one-loss side, 15-year-old Tyler Styer battled new tour member Troy Hansen, who won their doublehill match. In the bottom bracket Tony Loeper bested Tim Nickle 6-2. Loeper was then ousted by Wilms 7-2 and tied for fifth place with Ehrhart, who was eliminated by Hansen 5-3.

Results:

Wilms continued his winning 1st Josh Wilms $340 streak by steamrolling Hansen 2nd Patrick McGuire $205 7-0 in the quarterfinals, leaving 3rd T.J. Brucker $120 Hansen in fourth place, and then 4th Troy Hansen $80 besting Brucker in the semifinals 5th John Ehrhart $40 7-5. But Wilms didn’t stop Tony Loeper there—he went on to win his final two matches against Patrick McGuire 8-4 and 7-3, taking another BCW amateur title and earning a promotion to 9-ball open player status.

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Regional roundup

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Sam Cordova, Ed Borrego, Dave Hughes, Rich Cunningham

Cordova Turns Back Borrego for Title Lucasi Hybrid All-American Tour / Lakewood, CO by InsidePOOL Staff Sam Cordova triumphed at the January 23 stop on the Lucasi Hybrid All-American Tour, defeating Ed Borrego in the finals to take the title. The $500-added event showcased 30 players in a double-elimination 8-ball format on 7-foot Dynamo bar boxes. Cordova moved unscathed to the finals via wins over Jimmy Dean Birdsall 5-0, Cannon Russell 5-1, Bill Skinner 5-1, Rick Field 5-3, and Borrego 5-4. Borrego earlier had handed losses to James Largent 5-0, Roy Yamane 5-3, Rich Cunningham 5-3, and Jackie Karol 5-3. Dave Hughes challenged Borrego for the B-side finals, but Borrego ousted Hughes 5-2 for a second chance at Cordova in the title match. Results: $439 1st Sam Cordova Cordova left no doubt that $220 2nd Ed Borrego he was top dog on this day, $165 3rd Dave Hughes as he turned back Borrego 4th Rich Cunningham $110 by a 5-1 margin in the first $55 5th Jackie Karol set for the title. Rick Field

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March 2010 ◊ InsidePOOLmag.com 61

ollow F

The final match was a first: Finland versus France. To date,The neither ever wonstrong a World 14.1this billiards secondcountry semifinalshad featured another match-up, title, nor had a Frenchman or -woman ever claimed a time between Kim and Hofstatter. It did not start out auspiciously for Kim, though, when her cue ball fl ew off the table on her fi rst world title in pool. The match started with heavy favorite break and Hofstatter cleared to win the first game. But Kim was Immonen 97-ball run. eventually held able to focuswith betteraafter that, and herHe trademark aggressive styleCohen tokicked a devastating a matter lessKim than an hour. in as she won145-15 the next in three racks in of a row. fouled

on a jump shot attempt on the 8 ball in the following game, and Hofstatter took that to draw within one, and then a carom into the But Cohen way backofwith a couple 9 brought the scoreclawed to even athis 3-all. A couple tactical errors by small but helpful runs, Immonen made twoa more the Austria gave Kimand a two-rack lead again, and then long 2-9errors. combo put Kim on the players hill 6-3. A defensive battle over the 2with ball ImEventually both were very close, left Hofstatter in charge of the table, and though she missed the 6 monen 160-145. Immonen hadwon another ball, Kimleading then missed a kick shot, and Hofstatter that rack.turn at the and it seemed he would close theofmatch Buttable, it was not enough, for Kim broke and ran out the ﬁout nal rack that match to win 7-4. still as expected, but at 181 he left himself with either

a jacked-up onagainst the 4Corr, balland orthough a kickthey shot Kim went cut on toshot the ﬁnals trad-on the ed the ﬁHe rst two games, Kim pulled to but a two-rack after 12ball. opted for the kickaway shot onlylead managed to a break and not then athreaten dry break by Corr. She brokeCohen and ran came hit the and ballrunand the pocket. out again despite a dicey shot on the 9 ball, but with a missed 2 back and left“The himself a tough backwards ball in the ran next out. rack, Cohen she allowed Irish Invader” back into the shot match,on andthe Corr4grabbed by shot clearing thehit table cut ball asher thechance break but it to beautimake it 4-2 Kim. Though they split the next two racks, Corr took fully. This started his final run, and he closed the match advantage of poor position on the part of Kim to even the score at out 200-181 with a jubilant shout and st in the air. 5 apiece. Kim had to push out on her next break, and fi Corr again

pressed her advantage and began running out, but an ugly miscue on the 5 ball handed game toundefeated Kim. Corr then broke and made the Cohen had that gone throughout a ball but had to play safe on the 1 ball. Kim made the tough entire pocketed 1300 balls. Emotionlong shotevent but had toand two-rail kick at the 2 ball, which she clipped, hooking Corr behind the 6. Afterout getting her jump Corr went ally, Cohen squeaked a out few tearscue,and sent the cue ball into the 2 but left it by the side pocket. Kim pocketed the ball and went two rails for position on the 4. With that accomplished, Kim successfully cleared the remaining balls to win 7-5, collecting her ﬁrst WPBA title in two years.

to Danny Diliberto, Accu-Stats commentator and former billiards champion, and embraced him. Allison FIsher

“I owe this world title and everything I know of straight pool to this man. He gave me all his knowledge, and I wouldn’t have won without 1st Ga Young Kim him,” said Cohen in his victory speech to the fans.

Results: 2nd 3rd

Karen Corr Allison Fisher Gerda Hofstatter 5th Xiaoting Pan Vivian Villareal Helena Thornfeldt Monica Webb 9th Line Kjorsvik 1st Stephan Cohen Tracie Hines 2nd Mika Immonen Jasmin Ouschan Kyoko Sone 3rd Johnny Archer Kim White Oliver Ortmann Angelina Paglia 5th Thorsten Hohmann Jeanette Lee Kelly Fisher Tony Robles 17th Iris Ranola Charlie Williams Megan Smith Jonathan Fulcher Yu Ram Cha Michell Monk Brittany Tournament brackets available online at Bryant Morgan Steinman www.InsidePOOLmag.com Kim Shaw Nicole Keeney

Results

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March 2010 ◊ InsidePOOLmag.com 63