Professor-Q-Ball’s
Publisher/Editor Graphic Design Photographers
Rack for October/November2016 Issue 5 • Vol XVII
☜ Turning Stone Classic XXVI
6/7
Shaw Claims Title • Photos by Tony Fox
76th World 14.1
8/9
Mika Immonen is Champion
Tom Simpson Obituary
10
3rd Annual Memphis Open • Highpockets 12 US Open 9-Ball Championships
14
US Bar Table Championships
17
Wagner Wins 8-Ball, 9-Ball & All -Around
☜ US Open 8-Ball & 10 Ball
20/21
Van Boening Sweeps both
Joss Junior 9-Ball Championships
23
Saving America’s Game
32
Tri-State • Steinway Billiards
32
☜Win a Piece of the Legend • J. Pechauer 41 Poison Lone Star Billiards Tour
Pool Instructional… A Good Finish…Mark Finkelstein Chico Billiard Academy…Jacqueline Karol Sink to Score…Robert Byrne Looking, Acvting Like a Professional…Tom Rossman Check the Rack…Mike Roque Carom Draw Machine Gun…Tim Chin Bar Box 8-Ball…Marty Kaczmarowski DPM Universal Pocket and Carom Billiard Systems 87…Darrel Martineau Departments …
Places to Play National Tournament Directory
USBA Newsletter • 3-Cushion
Jeremy Bury, Miracle Man in New York Choose the Big Ball over the Obvious Show…Phil Panzera President’s Desk USBA Upcoming Events Membership Promotion Special On a Personal Note PQB 3-Cushion Shot Contest George Theobald
4 PQB October/November
46
10 14 15 15 16 17 23 40 33-35 45
26/27 28 29 29 29 30 31 31
Paul Frankel Gary Tate Ricky Bryant Joseph Ratke Josh Gilmore
Contributing Writers Samm Diep • Darrel Martineau • Robert Byrne • Tom Rossman • Marty Kaczmarowski • Jacqueline Karol • Ricky Bryant• Tim Chin • Mike Roque • Mark Finkelstein • Phil Panzera SPECIAL AFFILIATIONS
APA, BCA, WPBA, USBA, AZBilliards.com, ACS, TAP PQB News is a bi-monthly publication dedicated to providing pool & 3-cushion news. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written permission of the publisher. Professor-Q-Ball is not responsible for claims made by it’s advertisers. All dates, times and added tournament money is subject to change without notice. All persons interested in submitting articles for publishing consideration, are welcomed.Material submitted becomes the property of Professor-Q-Ball. Submissions may be returned if accompanied by a self addressed envelope. All advertising, articles, and photos must be submitted by the 15th prior to the issue date to be considered for the following issue.
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Shaw Wins Turning Stone Classic Undefeated Azb Staff
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e looked unstoppable all week, and in the end he was unstoppable. Jayson Shaw cruised to his fourth (in 5 attempts) Turning Stone Classic title at the Turning Stone Classic XXVI in Verona, NY on August 25th - 28th. Shaw’s path to the hot-seat started with three dominating wins over Korean Champion Lee Kang, Bucky Souvanthong and Ivaylo Petrov. After three matches, Shaw’s combined win/loss record was 27 racks won and 4 racks lost. Next up for Shaw was veteran Ernesto Dominguez. Dominguez would win six racks before Shaw got to nine, but Shaw was back to his dominating ways in his next match as he defeated Danny Hewitt 9-3. Shaw’s winning streak looked to be in danger in his next match, a true battle with Earl Strickland. Strickland led the match early, but he seemed to lose his focus mid-match and Shaw regained control to cruise to a 9-6 win. The hot-seat match saw Shaw in full “break and run mode”, as he defeated Karen Corr 9-2. While the presence of Corr in the late rounds of a tournament is no real surprise, her bid for the hot-seat here was her best finish at a Turning Stone event. Corr had early wins over Sean Morgan, Dawn Fox, Zion Zvi and Alain Parent. Aside from a hill-hill match with Morgan, Corr was almost as dominating as Shaw with her next three matches won with a combined 27-7 scoreline. Just like Shaw in his match with Strickland, Corr looked to be on her way to the one loss side in her match with 17 year old Russian sensation Maksim Dudanets. Dudanets led the match 8-2, before Corr won seven straight racks for the 9-8 win. She capped off her comeback with a 9ball break at hill-hill to send the Russian youth to the one loss side. Corr then survived another hill-hill match, this time with Donny Mills, to earn her place in the hot-seat match.
than up to the challenge on this day though, as she fought neck and neck with an unusually subdued Strickland. Corr and Strickland went to hill-hill, a place that Corr was becoming comfortable with at this event. and it was Corr that navigated a tough rack to earn the win. “I’m over the moon” Corr said after the match. “Earl is such a genius at the table, and how many times are you going to have the chance to play him?” she continued.
The extended race to 13 final started out close, as Shaw couldn’t seem to distance himself from the tenacious Corr. She was within one rack at 5-4, when Shaw found a groove with his break and quickly took control of the match. After multiAfter the loss to Shaw in the hot-seat match, she found Earl ple table runs by Shaw, he had scored a 13-5 win for his fourth Strickland waiting on the one loss side. In her long career, Corr Turning Stone title. When asked after the tournament as to had never defeated Strickland in a tournament. She was more what he attributed his Turning Stone success to, Shaw credited
6 PQB October/November
the beautiful arena in Verona. “I just feel really comfortable. There are a lot of people watching, which is good. I feel as if I can play good anywhere, but it’s nice to have a crowd watching. You know what it is like sometimes. Some places you go you don’t have many spectators. I like the fact that it’s open to anyone. I feel really at home here”. Here is the complete order of finish for our Joss Northeast 9Ball Tour’s, “Turning Stone Classic XXVI 9-Ball Open”, which was held on August 25-28, 2016. The event was $25,000 added with a total prize fund of $41,400. There were 128 players (full field). 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5/6th
$8,000 $5,000 $3,600 $2,600 $2,000 each -
7/8th
$1,600 each -
9/12th
$1,200 each -
Jayson Shaw (Scot) Karen Corr Earl Strickland Donny Mills Mike Dechaine Ernesto Dominguez Danny Hewitt Maxsim Dudanets Joey Cicero, Brandon Shuff Shaun Wilkie Samoth Sam
13/16th $850 Hunter Lombardo, Nelson Oliveira, Kevin Guimond & Dan Heidrich 17/24th $550 Alain Parent (Can), Jeremy Sossei, Jarrod Clowery, Rick Scarlato, Cleiton Rocha, Redgie Cutler, Rodney Morris & Sourith Thammavong 25/32nd $300 Sean Morgan, Bruce Nagle, Norm Pomainville, Ivaylo Petrov, Dave Fernandez, Erik Hjorleifson, Tom D’alfonso & John Moody 33/48th Bruce Barthelette, Jerry Crowe, Jerome Rockwell, Luc Salvas (Can), Martin Daigle (Can), Ed Abraham, Kevin Ketz, Caroline Pao, Ron Casanzio, Dave Shlemperis, Jennifer Barretta, Zion Zvi, Mike Yednak, Ed Saur, Dan Milligan, Gregg McAndrews 49/64th Earl Herring, Jorge Rodriguez, Shawn Jackson, Nicole Fleming, Kyle Pepin, Greg Antonakos, Ed Culhane, Nick Antonakos, Joe Dupuis, Brian Holmes, Jean Therriault (Can), Tom Zippler,
Shaw’s win earned him $8000 in prize money, while Corr settled for $5000 for second place. Dawn Fox, Mike Toohig, Jason Michas, Marco Kam 65/96th Matt Tetreault, Charley Lamarche (Can), Holden Chin, Kang Lee (S. Kor), Richard Miller, Robert Ferry, Frank Gaetani, Jed Jecen, Kevin Piccinin, Greg Bombard, John Abraham, Tony Antone, Xavier Libby, Rick Matarazzo, Nick Coppola, Tom Gildea Mike Wallace, Raphael Balverde (Can), Ray Lee, Paul Rozonewski, Richard Andrews, Rohit Aggarwal, Nick Brucato, Hendrik Drost, Gary Lloyd, Willie Oney, John Babravich, Bucky Souvanthong, Matt Krah, Dave Mills, Larry Phlegar, Brent Boemmels 97/128th Stephen Motilal, Josh Harding, Joe Sinicropi, Mike Perhach, Mike Andrews, Tom Peterson, Jerry Markland, Rick Grannis, Steven W Smith, Patrick Meyer, Paul Pensgen, Steve Lillis, Fred Gokey, Linas Veselka, Ray Buthe, Travis Arias,, Chuck Sampson, Charlie Matarazzo, Frank Delconte, Joe Ziegler, Ira Lee, Cory Payne, Phil Harju, Dave Ricci, Jim Romanowski, Gene Hunt, Roarke Dickson, Bob Cunningham, Steve Fleming, Spencer Auigbelle, Chris Braiman, Don Reigel Our Sunday second chance event results were: 1st $500 Jean Therriault 2nd $300 Kevin Ketz 3/4th $200 Mike Toohig & Tom Zippler 5/8th $100 Stephen Motilal, Nick Coppola, Steve Fleming & Dave Shlemperis October/November PQB 7
Mika Immonen is the 76th World 14.1 Champion by Phil Capelle .. Photos by Joseph Ratke
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ew York City- It seems only fitting that two adopted New Yorkers play for the World 14.1 Title on the 15th Anniversary of 9/11. Mika Immonen is from Finland, but he has resided in NYC for over 15 years. And Earl Strickland, who hails from North Carolina, has lived in New York for about five years now.In the end, it was Immonen who was able to sigh a deep breath of relief. “Between the nerves and 6 hours of play, I was shaking. I have to admit I was more of afraid of losing in the finals again then thinking of the joys of winning”, admitted Immonen. “But I now have this huge weight off my shoulders finally. I can’t believe it. I’m the World 14.1 Champion and it is just such a huge honor.” Straight Pool Hall of Fame inductee Pete Margo congratulates Mika after commentating on his match. They had developed a bond after meeting earlier in the week and Margo had been texting him well wishes in his matches. Immonen, age 43, was inducted into the BCA HOF in 2014 while Strickland, age 55, gained entry in 2006. Both players have been at the top of the pool world for so long that they have become one name icons of the sport – if you say Mika or Earl, everyone knows who you are talking about. Both players have excelled in 9-ball. Strickland has won a record five US Open 9-Ball titles and four
Taiwan’s Lo Liwen was all smiles on his bronze medal performance in his first World 14.1
8 PQB October/November
Mika was stymied by Strickland’s (left) comeback World 9-Ball championships. Immonen has won back-to-back titles in the US Open 9-Ball and a world title in 9-Ball and 10-Ball. In straight pool, Immonen won the 2007 Derby City Straight Pool title. He has finished third in this event in 2006, and was second in 2009 and 2010. Strickland had never cracked the top three in this tournament until this year, but he has run over 400 balls and he definitely plays world class straight pool. While both have secured their place among the game’s all-time greats, a World title in 14.1 would look great on their resume and it would boost their credentials as an all-around superstar. The beautiful Rasson Victory Table premieres on the East Coast of the United States with a new champion being crowned on it The Rasson TV table has super tight side pockets but the players have adjusted to it – Strickland ran a 135 and out on the table while Immonen had two runs in the fifties and a 69
and out in his semifinal match. Today’s final match is to 300 points, so they will likely be playing at least 35-40 racks. We should therefore be treated to every kind of layout imaginable, and we should see a mix of every kind of scenario, from long runs to defensive battles for the table. Immonen and Strickland have been in the game for so long now that they each have developed huge and enthusiastic followings. The audience was very equal in terms of rooting for each player. Up and coming star Brandon Hernandez brought down the house with a special 9/11 tribute to New York and then the national anthem. It was standing room only to witness a new World 14.1 Champion crowned
The Finals, First Half
Mika Immonen 180 - Earl Strickland 80 Immonen won the lag, Strickland broke, Immonen missed a long combo, and Strickland was off and running as he quickly cleared the first rack. But then he missed the break shot, setting in motion an uncharacteristic series of misses that would plague him throughout the first half of the match. Immonen did run the second rack, but he missed the stack on his break shot and, after a safety battle, Strickland made a few balls, then ran 31 and now led, 53-13. But he missed another break shot and Immonen ran 48 to forge ahead, 61-53. Strickland managed to run 15, but missed again. Immonen ran 23 but got stuck on the stack, played an intentional foul, and now led, 83-65. The resurgent Strickland was down by 100 balls but mounted a comeback to take back the lead. Strickland managed to make only three balls before missing for the fourth time. Immonen responded with a run of 52 before his key ball skidded. Strickland ran 12, but missed. Immonen managed to run four before getting stuck on the stack on a break shot. But after he played a poor safety, Strickland missed his first shot and Immonen ran 44 balls before committing a foul – so at the break he led by a score of 180-80.
The Second Half
Earl Strickland 190 - Mika Immonen 120 The 30 minute intermission was just what the doctor ordered for Strickland as he came back with a vengeance, running 57 balls to narrow the gap – the score: 192-137. After his miss, Immonen ran 20, then made a huge error by failing to make contact with a ball near the jaws of the side pocket. So, with the score now 199-137, Strickland went back to work, running 61 balls before missing a ball on a skid and scratching in the side. He caught the ball before it went it, so he lost 16 more points – 1 for the scratch, 15 for the penalty. The net result was that Immonen now led, 200-182 and was at the table with
a break shot after making the final ball. Immonen ran a rack, but jawed a close to the rail break shot and Strickland ran 32 before missing. The score was now tied at 214. But Immonen then ran 38 to take a 252-214 lead, but he failed to get shape on his break, so a safety battle ensued. The proceeding included several intentional fouls and three in a row by Immonen. At this point the score was 235-212. Strickland put together a run of 48 then missed, but he was now leading, 260-236. Immonen came back with a run of 21 but got stuck on the rack and a safety battle took place. After several intentional fouls and short runs the score was 285 to 260 in Immonen’s favor. Strickland ran 10 balls, but missed a break shot and Immonen struggled through the last 15 balls to win the six hour marathon, 300-270. Full results of the Round Robin, 32 Double elimination chart, and the final 16 player single elimination chart on www.WorldStraightPool.com It was the 11th year of Dragon Promotions producing the World 14.1, and the 10 year anniversary of the World 14.1 executive team of Charlie Williams, Cindy Lee, and John Leyman The AZBTV livestream TV table will be on Rasson Billiards uniquely designed Victory Table premiering in New York City for the first time. Event elite partners include Mr.Tom Gleich, Dr. Gregory Diehl, Mr. Greg Hunt of Amsterdam Billiards, and Mr. Harold Siegel of Excelsior Graphics. The World Tournament Official Equipment will feature all matches played on Andy Cloth with Aramith Balls. Patron sponsors include Dr. James Heller, Walsh & Townsend Attorneys, Maropulos Motors, Charles Eames Photography, North County Restorations Pool Mechanics, Frank’s Billard Cafe, and EDionisio.com Photography. Be a proud sponsor of the most prestigious and classiest event in the United States, the World Tournament of 14.1 which has been ongoing since 1912. For only $250, become part of the elite World 141 Club and garner all the benefits that well exceed the money you will spend. Click here for full details. We invite you to join this year’s 76th anniversary event in New York City as a supporter or attendee. For those interested in a higher level of support as one of our advertisers or elite World 14.1 Patrons, please reply here or call 407-782-4978 . Sponsors are welcomed to contact 407-782-4978 Also for tickets, Vendors, tournament entries and information: worldstraightpoolchampionships@gmail.com
October/November PQB 9
Sink to Score
by Robert Byrne From “Byrne’s Complete Book of Pool Shots” with permission
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t the upper left, there are two ways to make the 3-ball in the lower-left corner pocket. One is by shooting in the direction opposite of the one shown, throwing the 3-ball. The other is to bridge over the 3-ball, aim into the cushion, and hit the cueball as high as possible to avoid a foul. The choice depends on where you want the cueball to go. At the lower right, the cueball and the 4-ball are a full diamond away from the end rail. The shot can be made by aiming as shown. It’s a hard shot to judge because the direction the 4-ball takes is directly related to how hard your shoot. The more speed you use, the deeper the cueball sinks into the rail, and the thinner is the hit on the 4-ball.
Looking, Acting Like a Professional by Tom Rossman • drcue@artisticpool.org Contributing Writer
Special Note: The content below is from my new instructional manual entitled: “Student of the Game and Life” To receive a free copy of this 70-page manual in a PDF color format document, please email me at: drcue@artisticpool.org
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plumb bob‚ of the cue stick under the shoulder. On the other hand, a perpendicular movement of the rear foot in relation to the cue stick can quickly alter the potential for a straight cue stick release, since the ‚plumb bob‚ is affected negatively.
ot looking or acting like a professional‚ can affect the outcome of a match before it begins, as well as during Inverting the chalk on the rail surface is a sign of improper the heat of battle. In addition, when the match is over, pre-shot routine development. Not only is this a foundational a player can often portray non-professional traits. Below are flaw, it is also commonly regarded as an etiquette shortcoming. some often-overlooked points of observation for this critical topic: Finally, after the match is over, one can quickly determine whether he or she has played a person with professional deIn today‚ high tech world, looking down is the norm ‚Äì very meanor and a personal spirit of kindness as they: ‚Win with huoften players will come to the match more concerned with a last mility (and grace) and / or lose with integrity (and grace)! message being read than the joy of meeting / playing the person before them ‚Äì sidetracked, so to speak, and psychologically The mechanical, etiquette, demeanor, image factors above not prepared for the job at hand. can set the stage for a psychological uplift to a watchful player, one who is a student of the game and knows what to ‚look for‚ A key factor of professional image and performance deals with with a resolve to learn and grow. ‚ how a person walks‚ normally ‚ a top player will walk with his or her stroking arm in a back and forth motion directly under If an opponent is ‚not looking / acting like a professional,‚ his or her shoulder, which conditions the ‚ cue under the shoulwatch your confidence rise!! ‚ If an opponent ‚ looks / acts like der‚ when the arm holds / moves it during a respective shot. a pro,‚ then it reinforces the need to remain focused on, and entrenched in, your ‚ very best‚ form / behavior!! Another mechanical factor deals with the back foot movement after the stance is first taken. Seeing the rear foot shift parallel to the cue stick assures balance without changing the ‚ October/November PQB 15
A Good Finish
by Mark Finkelstein Pro at Slate and Eastside Billiards, New York City; Instructional Columnist
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hat would you think if I told you that I’m going to get improve your game without having you do anything! That’s right. I want you to swing your pool cue, and do nothing at the end. One part of our pool swing that we don’t think too much about is our finish. What I want you to do is stay down and freeze at the end of your stroke. Let’s see why. When we jump up quickly, something is moving while we are swinging. This will cause us to miss. When we stay down, we also can see what the results of our stroke and shot were. If we made our shot, we confirmed our cuing action, cue pointing, and feeling of speed. If we made an error, by staying down we can evaluate what happened; did we make a cuing error, a pointing error, or in some way did table conditions cause our mistake. This feedback is key to maximizing the benefit of every shot. The first step in correcting a problem is recognizing what caused it. By freezing at the end of your swing, you are in a perfect position to evaluate what caused the results you can see on the table. Did you hit your finish? Were your eyes on the target and your head still when you swung? Was your stick pointed in the
right direction? Did the table roll off? Did you get a skid? By freezing at the end of your stroke you are in a better position to make these evaluations. Here is a very hard, but simple way to learn how to stay down. What I want you to do is randomly throw some balls on the table. The drill is to take them off the table, and force yourself to stay down on all shots until the balls, including the cue ball, stop moving. This is a lot harder than it sounds, but keep at it. Another practice is to spend time making sure your eyes are on the target and your head is still before you swing. Play a rack like this slowly, not shooting until you have looked at your target for at least two seconds. Sounds easy, but this will also challenge you. By disciplining yourself to do nothing at the end of your swing you will miss less and improve faster as you learn from each shot. Not a bad return for doing nothing. Next stop is at Fat Albert’s in Somerdale, NJ Oct 1-3 with Tom Simpson’s National Billiards Academy. Check out poolclinics.com if you are interested. See you on the road.
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ne Saturday morning about a month ago I got a call from Candace Coffin, Tom Simpson’s wife, telling me that Tom had died the night before. He was on the way to the hospital and had a heart attack. His passing was sudden and a shock to me. That is the last thing I could ever imagine. I have been working with Tom for about 10 years and have done close to 100 seminars with him over the years. During that time I have come to understand the passion and love for the game that Tom exuded. Tom was a true pioneer and role model for players and instructors alike. Tom encouraged me to write about pool and was instrumental in exposing me to the bigger pool world. Tom had that quiet ability to motivate me to always be looking for ways to do better. I only know pieces about Tom’s life before he became a full time Instructor, but I have been with him enough years doing the Intensive seminars to understand the great passion and dedication he had to helping pool players improve and bringing more qualified instructors into the industry. Tom had an exceptional ability to look at a player’s stance and figure out a more efficient way for the player to stand. He was also a marketing genius! Puns, turns of phrases, and article titles delighted me over the years. Just look at the chapters of his book “Beat People with a Stick” to get chuckle after chuckle over his use of Tom Simpson, Master Instructor words. I am also honored to be considered a friend of Tom’s. He was a loyal, dedicated and exceptional man that I have had the pleasure to work with and learn from over the years. You are missed Tom here on earth. That one pocket game up there just got another great one. Rest in peace Tom, I miss you.
10 PQB October/November
Mark Finkelstein
Check the Rack
by Mike Roque From “Build Your Game”365 Days of Instruction, Motivation and Insights for Pool Players" www.bebobpublishing.com - 1- 888-33-BEBOB
“…if you’re playing a serious game,”it’s the right thing to do.” • Ewa Laurance
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he Break is often called the most important shot in pool. It sets the tone for the entire game. A weak break creates a congested table and future problems even if you do make a ball. A strong break leads to more run outs and can park your opponent in the chair for a long time. You are entitled to a fair rack and it’s your right and responsibility to make sure you get one. Here are a few things to look for when you check the rack. In a perfect world, every ball is frozen to each other with no gaps. However, this is only possible with the very best equipment. At the least, make sure the top three balls are frozen tight. Make sure the head ball is centered right on the spot and that the rack is aligned straight—not angled to one side or the other. Large gaps in the rack prevent a transfer of power, reducing ball movement and pocketing opportunities. If you suspect a bad rack, ask for a re–rack. If you can’t get a good rack, suggest that both you and your opponent start racking your own racks. This is becoming very popular as it eliminates arguments and speeds up play.
If the balls aren’t breaking nicely, check the rack!
Carom Draw Machine Gun by Tim Chin – www.trickshottim.com Ranked 6th by WPA-APD
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his month’s shot is the Carom Draw Machine Gun, which has a few variations we’ll go over. The objective is to hit the cue ball off ball ‘A’, carom into ball ‘E’, and draw back down the rail for ball ‘D’. In the simplest form, which you’ll find in the WPA shot program, those are the only 4 balls on the table and ball ‘A’ doesn’t need to be pocketed. The basic setup is ball ‘A’ is one diamond out from pocket ‘E’, balls ‘E’ and ‘D’ are hanging in their respective pockets, and the cue ball is on the 3rd diamond line from the head cushion (I like to put it one diamond out from cushion 3 as well). If you want to dress it up, the first thing to add is the rack by pocket ‘A’. Hopefully, this make’s pocketing ball ‘A’ pretty automatic. If you’re more devilish, add a row of 8 balls one ball width out from cushion 3 leading to pocket ‘D’. This is the classic ‘machine gun’ setup which Dave Nangle first showed me on this shot. The two balls closest to pocket ‘E’ can be flared out a little to create a larger entry way for the cue ball. With a real good draw stroke, the cue ball will tikki all the way through the balls and still get to ball ‘D’. 16 PQB October/November
Hit this shot pretty hard with straight draw. You want the cue ball to be sliding all the way to ball ‘E’ and you want to hit it full! This will require a ¾ ball hit on ball ‘A’. If the draw starts taking before hitting ball ‘E’, move the cue ball away from cushion 3 by a ½ ball and aim a little thinner. You can use a touch of right english as well, especially if you’re trying the machine gun version, but the cue ball will pick a little up from the initial collision anyway.
Justin Bergman Defends Memphis 10 Ball Open Title By Mary Kenniston
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he thirty two-man field drew twenty-seven players to take their shot at the Ten Ball division of the Third Annual Memphis Open at High Pockets, once home court for the legendary “St Louie” Louie Roberts. After claiming a hill-hill victory over Mike Dechaine at the BCAPL 10 Ball Challenge in Las Vegas last week, young Manny Perez drew a first round bye. Others getting the coveted bye were Billy Thorpe, Mike Delawder, Jason Klatt and Corey Deuel. 2016 Memphis Open One Pocket champ Justin Hall, Johnathan Pinegar, defending champion Justin Bergman and High Pockets house pro Shane while Ted Reeves finished third and Kenny Loftis McMinn shot their way into the finished in fourth place. Jake Waymire was the final four on the winner’s side. tournament Director. After being down 9-4 Hall came The Memphis Open is always a favorite for the back and beat Hennessee 13-10 to players as High Pockets owner, Tracy Whitney, earn his spot in the hot seat match. and staff pull out all the stops. In addition to proBergman defeated McMinn 13-5 viding a topnotch venue, Tracy always makes for the other spot. sure the players are well-fed. Included with their On the other side of the bracket, entry fee is all they can eat from steaks to burgers. after losing his second round PoolActionTV.com’s Ray Hansen would like match to Hall, BCA Hall of Famer L-R Jake Waymire (Dir.) Zack to thank Mary Kenniston for writing this article, Sanderson 1st • 9 Ball. Johnny Archer put his head down & also Larry Schwarz on commentary and Justin Schwarz on setbarrelled through Delawder, Deuel & McMinn until he up. reached Pinegar. A hard fought match put the veteran out of contention 9-6 & Hennessee waited for the loser of the Battle Memphis Open One-Pocket $3,000 added - 15 Players $500 entry of the Justins. Tournament Calcutta Both hailing from St Louis, MO, longtime friends and comJustin Hall 1st $5,250 + 3000 petitors Hall and Bergman duked it out with Hall taking it Chip Compton 2nd $3,000 + 2000 down 13-6. After a few minutes break, Bergman dispatched Billy Thorpe 3rd $1,500 + 1,300 Hennessee 9-5 and took his spot in the finals. Tom Chohan 4th $750 + 700 Since this event was double elimination, Bergman would Memphis Open 10-Ball have to defeat Hall twice to take the title. A race to 13 ensued, $4,000 added, 32 players- $250 entry with Bergman winning the first set 13-6. Since both players Tournament Calcutta now had one loss, the final set would be a race to 9. $3,800 + 6,000 The second set was all Bergman as Hall just couldn’t seem to Justin Bergman 1st Justin Hall 2nd $2,650 + 3,550 do anything right. Even though he was struggling with his Jonathan Hennessee 3rd $1,600 + 2,000 break, Bergman played flawless pool and defeated his close Johnny Archer 4th $1,100 + 1,500 friend 9-0 for his second consecutive Open 10 Ball title! $800 + 1,000 Congratulations to Justin for an unbelievable display of pre- Shane Mcminn, 5/6th Tony Chohan cision pool! Great tournament, Justin Hall! Not too shabbyMemphis Open 9 Ball first place in the One Pocket & second in the Ten Ball! Event played on the seven footers The Open 9 ball event was played on the seven footers . Tournament Calcutta Zack Sanderson defeated Robert Stewart to win the event Zack Sanderson 1st $1,300 + 1,500
12 PQB October/November
Wagner Takes Women’s 8-Ball, 9-Ball and All-Around Titles at US Bar Table Championships
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ebecca Wagner of Las Vegas had the hometown advantage and made the most of it, earning the Women’s 8-Ball, Women’s 9-Ball and the AllAround Titles at the 2016 US Bar Table Championships at the Westgate Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas. Not bad for a woman who has only played one tournament since having her son, Lincoln, in October. “The only tourney I played was an AWB stop and I won that,” she said. In fact, Wagner was so unsure about playing the USBTC that she waited until the very last minute to enter. She was at work and asked a co-worker to cover for her so she could go to the bathroom and enter the tournament 18 minutes before entries closed. “The (USBTC) is in my backyard, so I felt stupid not playing,” she said, even though she was not prepared and hadn’t been practicing. In 2015, Wagner won the Chinook Winds Open 10-Ball tourney, beating world champion Allison Fisher twice in the finals to win. She also posted three first place wins in Arizona Women’s Billiard Tour stops throughout the year. In 2013, Wagner was the USBTC 9-Ball Champion and took second place in the 8-Ball Division. Wagner, who is sponsored by Tony Hargain, owner of Hustlin USA Clothing Co., used her experience on the table to send opponent after opponent to the loser’s bracket. She beat Heather Cortez in the first round, 41, and followed that win up with wins over Bo Bowman, 4-1; Kimberly Whitman, 4-2; Tina Larsen, 41; and finally beating Jessica Frideres in the hot seat match, 4-1. Frideres beat Juliana Goodman, 4-0; Sierra Reams, 4-0; and Melinda Huang, 4-0; in the winner’s bracket before losing to Wagner, 1-4. In the loser’s bracket, Frideres beat Tina Larsen, 4-1, to earn her way back to the final’s arena. In the true double-elimination tournament format, Frideres had to beat Wagner twice and she knew it, jumping out to capture the first set quickly and decisively, 0-4. But in the second set, Wagner played smart and careful, keeping Frideres from the table and an opening shot as often as possible. The strategy worked and Wagner finished Frideres off in the second set by a score of 4-2. Wagner said her only regret in the tournament was not
playing better in the 10-Ball Division, where she placed second to Frideres. “I did not capitalize on the opportunities given to me in the 10-Ball,” she said. The $20,000-added 23rd Annual US Bar Table Championship concludes today with the finals of the Men’s 8Ball Division. Sponsors include: OB Cues, the Official Cue; Kamui, the Official Tip; Diamond Billiard Products, Cyclop Balls, Simonis Cloth, BadBoys Billiard Productions, FargoRate, Magic Ball Rack and Matchroom Sport. The 2016 US Bar Table Championships are produced by CueSports International, the parent company of the BCAPL and USAPL. CSI also produces independent events, such as the US Open 10-Ball Championship, the US Open 8-Ball Championship and much more. For more information, visit www.playcsipool.com or call 702-719-POOL. CueSports International (CSI) ◊ 2041 Pabco Rd., Henderson, NV 89011 ◊ 702-719-7665 ◊ 866-USA-POOL For the latest Event News www.pr ofessor qball.com
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Van Boening Claims Second US Open 10-Ball Championship title
Photo by JP Parmentier & Cuesports International.
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hane Van Boening of South Dakota did what he did best at the US Open 10-Ball Championship at the Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino — break with consistency; pocket balls with deadly accuracy; and place the cue ball with precision. And so Van Boening was able to pocket a second US Open 10-Ball Championship, and the $10,000 prize that accompanied a silver cup. Van Boening’s tournament started strong, with wins over Chad Sholders, 10-4; Tommy Tokoph, 10-7; Georgi Georgiev, 10-5; Amar Kang, 10-6, and Sky Woodward, 10-5, before being bested by runner-up Rodney Morris in the hot seat match, 10-7. Morris forced Van Boening to the loser’s side of the bracket where he beat Canadian John Morra 10-6, to ensure himself a spot in the finals and another shot at Morris. Morris’ path to the hot seat included wins over Mitch Ellerman, Brandon Shuff, Vilmos Foldes, Jason Klatt and Morra. The finals match remained close until the score was tied at eight games each, when Van Boening broke and ran the rack to move ahead in the single race-to-13 final match. Van Boening capitalized when Morris made mistakes and played solidly to capture every game until he pocketed the final 10 ball and the championship title. Van Boening, who won his first US Open 10-Ball Championship in 2011, also has four US Open 9-Ball Championship titles; a US Open One Pocket title and a US Open 8-Ball Championship title. “I’ll always support (Griffin’s) events and play in them,” Van Boening said. “He’s done so much for me.” The final standings The 52-player field and payouts in the tournament were: 1. Shane Van Boening, $10,000; 2. Rodney Morris, $6,000; 3. John
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Shane Van Boening of South Dakota won both the 2016 US Open 10-Ball Championship and the 2016 US Open 8-Ball Championship, which were held at the Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas. Morra, $4,000; 4. Sky Woodward, $2,500; 5/6th Oscar Dominguez, Rodrigo Geronimo, $1,500; 7/8th John Schmidt, Amar Kang, $900; 9/12th Jason Klatt, Taylor Anderson, Jesse Bowman, and Billy Thorpe, $600. The 2016 US Open 8-Ball & 10-Ball Championships were being held in conjunction with the 40th BCAPL National Championships, July 20-30 at The Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino. The event features more than 5,000 amateur players representing 47 states, nine Canadian provinces and eleven countries, competing in approximately 40 divisions, on 300 Diamond pool tables. The annual tournament also includes about 50 exhibitors.
Shane & Rodney Morris 2nd
Van Boening Pockets Eighth and Ninth US Open Titles
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he 2016 US Open 8-Ball Championships became a Dakotas Duel Monday when Shane Van Boening, ‘The South Dakota Kid’ met Rory Hendrickson, of Fargo, N.D., in the finals of the prestigious tournament. The men have known each other for years, and the mutual respect was apparent as the match got underway with a handshake and smiles before the lag.
Shuff, 9-6; Thorsten Hohmann, 9-8; and Josh Roberts, 9-5; and Jesse Bowman, 9-8. The US Open 8-Ball Championship is a true open tournament. Any player willing to put up the entry fee is allowed to play and the championships traditionally attract the top players in the world. The tournament is being played with Cyclop balls on 7-foot Diamond tables with Simonis Cloth.
The final standings in the tournament were: Shane Van Boening, South Dakota Rory Hendrickson, North Dakota Jesse Bowman, Illinois Josh Roberts, South Carolina Van Boening is undisputedly one of the best players in the U.S. and, therefore, expected to grind through a tough field to Mike Dechaine, Waterville, Maine Amar Kang, California make it to the finals of a tournament. But after losing in the Francisco Bustamante, California $1100.00 first round, 7-9, to Taylor Anderson, Van Boening had to take the long road to the finals. He posted wins over: Steve Register, Brandon Shuff, North Carolina 9-2; Kyle Pepin, 9-1; Greg Harada Jr., 9-4; Chris McDaniel, 9- Corey Deuel, California Vilmos Foldes, California 5; Shane McMinn, 9-5; Thorsten Hohmann, 9-6; Francisco Bustamante, 9-8; Amar Kang, 9-8; Josh Roberts, 9-6; and Jesse Thorsten Hohmann, Florida Rodney Morris, California Bowman, 9-4. Oscar Dominguez, California Shane McMinn, Tennessee Hendrickson, on the other hand, was a long shot to make it into the final’s arena of the 63-player field. In his path through Richie Orem, Alaska John Schmidt, California the right side of the bracket, Hendrickson, of Fargo, N.D., beat: Kelli Chuberko, 9-4; Hunter Lombardo, 9-6; Brandon Then things got serious on the table as Van Boening and Hendrickson, the house professional at Fargo Billiards, went to work.
$11,000 $6,300 $4,100 $2,600 $1,600 $1,600 $1100 $700 $700 $700 $700 $350 $350 $350 $350
“The Venue”
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Professor-Q-Ball’s 3-Cushion Shot Contest
“The quickest way to get new players to play the game of 3-Cushion Is to reach out to pool players.”
On Labor Day Weekend, The Rack in Memphis, Tn. held their 5th Annual 3-Cushion Shot Contest. A $20 entry also included table time and $250 was added money. It was played on a Gabriel table with Simonis cloth. All diagram shots were placed on the Racks bulletin board for several weeks to give the players a chance to practice the shots if they chose to, giving the room an opportunity for extra table time. Paul Frankel, tournament director, went over all the rules before the start of the Shot Contest and thanked all 7 contestants for accepting the CHALLENGE.
3-Cushion Shot Contest Format:
There were 8 diagram shots. Each player shoots each of 8 shots 3 times (24 shots total). Each shot is worth 2 points (48 pts max) and the total points wins. Three small round dots (stick-ons) are placed on the table, which represented the exact placement of the diagrammed shots. All players had the same shot and same placement of the 3 balls. Then the dots are removed and replaced for the next shot selection. Special Note: After each shot a player takes a straight rail carom shot as the balls come to rest. If they make it, it is worth 1 point and added to their previous scores. It was not only an excit-
ing time for the pool players, but very funny at times to see the players missing by just a little bit and listening to some of their remarks. Half way through the event the shots were tallied so the players knew their score. Payout out 3 places. 1st Bob Hunter $225 2nd Gary Baker $90 3rd Paul Spain $75
George Theobald Passes August 14,2016 The first time I met George and his goofy grin was I think at the USBA Nationals at Chris’s in the mid 1990’s and the last time was at the just concluded Verhoeven Open in NYC. In the years between practically every billiard tournament I attended Georgie Porgie, as I called him, was there supporting the game that he loved so dearly and playing his heart out. He was not a great player but his knowledge and love of the game transcended that. Many times, as I passed through Chicago, he put me up for a night of billiards and the libations of our choice, as he did with many others, whether champions or just schmucks like me. I loved listening to his stories of Lennie Bruce and all the other outlaws he had associated with over the years during the course of many meals we ate and the many good times we had together. He had a brilliant mind and could and would discourse on any subject you cared to bring up. In many areas we disagreed philosophically but even so, worked together over the years attempting to promote billiards in this country, a task we agreed was almost impossible, but he soldiered on despite all. Many times we talked philosophy over the phone for hours at a time trying to solve the problems of the world and failed miserably to come to terms. He was a dear man, an outlaw; I will miss him and his goofy grin as I know many others out there will also. Knowing I will never see him again saddens me, but I will never forget him and his kindness and love of the game. Dennis Dieckman October/November PQB 31
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