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RACK’EM
January 2018
Pool Magazine
Who Are We?
The National Billiard News and Tournament Report © 2018 Rack’em Pool Magazine
We recognize the players achievements, accomplishments and championships!
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FEATURE ARTICLES
7 Christmas @ Shark’s 10 Holiday Open @ Big Dogs 18-23 Mosconi Cup 26-31 Year in Review
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11 Dr Chris Stankovich 14 Bob Jewett 12 Tom Simpson 15 Anthony Beeler 13 Stefano Pelinga
WEEKLY TOURNAMENTS 32 Central U.S. Weekly Tournaments 34 Central U.S. Tournaments
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Craig Swanson Biggest Dog at Big Dog’s No Master Craig Swanson and Jim Cook We would like to thank all the No Master players from the Des Moines pool community that came out in a big way in support of this event! A fun day of pool, with good payouts, and lots of upsets highlighted this event held on December 2, 2017 at Big Dogs Billiards in Des Moines, IA.
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“Rackin Around the Christmas Tree” at Sharkys
Alex Grell Tops at Sharky’s No Master 10-Ball
Michael Perron Jr. & Benny Conway Jr.
Corey Danger & Alex Grell
December 16, 2017 was the date of Sharky’s Billiards (Davenport, IA) 4th Annual $1000 added Rackin Around the Christmas Tree 9-Ball Tournament.
A No Master 10-Ball tournament was held at Sharky’s Billiards in Davenport, IA on December 2, 2017. Here are the results. $1000 was added to this tournament.
RESULTS 1st Michael Perron Jr (Saint Paul, MN) 2nd Benny Conway Jr (Silvis, IL) 3rd Kamron Fuller (Davenport, IA) 4th Autumn Duncan (Silvis, IL) 5-6th Jenna Bishoff (Davenport, IA), Alex Grell (Bettendorf, IA) 7-8th Steve Aldrich (Cedar Rapids, IA), Mark VerVynck (Kewanee, IL) 9-12th Drew Knouse (Muscatine, IA), Ryan Short (Cedar Rapids, IA) Brandon Mize (Iowa City, IA), Dean Fuller (Davenport, IA)
RESULTS 1st Alex Grell (Bettendorf IA) 2nd Corey Danger (Iowa City, IA) 3rd Dave Parkins (Coal Valley, IL) 4th Al Martin (Clinton, IA) 5-6th Joe Jalowiec (Chicago, IL), Autumn Duncan (Silvis, IL) 7-8th Kam Fuller (Davenport, IA), Jason Gross (Dubuque, IA) 9-12th Brady Bowman (Moline, IL), River Burke (Bettendorf, IA) Dan Johnson (Bettendorf, IA), Don Grawe (Moline, IL) Congratulations to the top finishers!
Congratulations to the top finishers!
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Jan. 19th - Jan. 27th, 2018 The 20th Annual Horseshoe Derby City Classic
Results Club Billiards Saturday night Rated 9-ball: congratulations to Marshal Roney on winning, 2nd Bralen Martin, 3rd David Witten and 4th Mostafa Toto.
Results Club Billiards Saturday night 11pm mini 9-ball tournament: congrats to David Witten on winning and 2nd Larry Griggs. Thanks for playing everyone.
Something for everyone at Club Billiards in Wichita, Kansas Results Club Billiards Ladies ring game tournament: congratulations to Amber Ayesh and Paula K Goulden, they split 1st and 2nd.
Results Club Billiards Sunday rated 8-Ball tournament: congratulations to Tony Klima on winning, 2nd Marshal Roney, 3rd Mostafa Toto and 4th Nick Powers. Thanks for playing everyone.
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Holiday Open at Big Dogs
Dan Galbraith
Curtis Sellers
We would like to thank everyone for coming out and playing the Holiday Open Event on December 16, 2017!! Interesting format to say the least. Lots of upsets! No Master players in the top 4 of the first tournament! See you all again
High Woman Jodee Ungs
for the 12th Annual New Year’s Celebration, which includes the very popular Hangover Scotch Doubles tournament held every New Year’s Day right here at Big Dog Billiards! Dan Galbraith was the winner of the first of two tournaments at the Big Dog Billiards Holiday Open Event! Congrats Dan!! His first tournament wins ever at Big
Denny Ungs
Dog’s!! I hear he is definitely the best player from Grinnell, Iowa!! Curtis Riley Sellers was our 2nd place finisher in the first of two tournaments. Good shootin buddy! Dennis Ungs was 3rd place. Solid as always sir! And last but not least, Jodee Ungs, finished top female player as she beat out two tough competitors to claim her $50 prize!! Theo Lee finished in 1st place, and Joseph Jones in 2nd place in the second of two tournaments at the Big Dog Billiards Holiday Open Event!! Congrats Theo!! Both of you played great today! Sharon Rinkert was the top female player in the Big Dog Billiards Holiday Open Event!! Congrats!!
Results and Payouts
First Tournament 1st $275/$370 Dan Galbraith 2nd $205/$275 Curtis Sellers 3rd $140/$185 Denny Ungs 4th $70/$95 Matt Duntz 5/6th $40 Justin Richardson, Rick Lee Second Tournament 1st $190/$240 Theo Lee 2nd $140/$145 Joe Jones 3rd $95/$95 Jon Brown Theo Lee and Joe Jones
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The Psychology of Pool SEE CHALLENGES INSTEAD OF FEAR! DR. CHRIS STANKOVICH Dr. Chris Stankovich, known as “The Sports Doc,” is a national expert in the field of sport & performance psychology and has been featured on ESPN for his work with elite athletes. His #1 best selling pool video “Mind of Steel: Mental Toughness for Pool Success” has been used by thousands of players to improve focus, increase confidence, and eliminate anxiety. You can learn more about Dr Stankovich and Mind of Steel by visiting drstankovich.com
Human perception is a really funny thing – what people “see” is really as individual as each person. In fact, have you ever heard the saying “one man’s garbage is another man’s treasure?” Think about that for a moment – what is essentially useless to one person is invaluable to another! EBay has become a worldwide institution based on this idea. So how does this apply to pool you ask? Very simply – what you “see” when you look at the lay of the balls on the table is a very unique, subjective human experience and will ultimately play a major role in whether you run the table – or choke on the first shot you attempt. More specifically, seasoned players will typically see challenges when they look at the table, whereas inexperienced players will tend to see overwhelming, fearful situations that they perceive to be more than they can handle. In reality, both players are actually looking at the same table, yet both players end up experiencing the situation in two completely different ways!
MIND OF STEEL MENTAL TOUGHNESS FOR POOL SUCCESS Eliminate nerves & anxiety, beat pressure, and DOMINATE THE COMPETITION!! Streaming in HD on any device 24/7/365
Dr. Chris Stankovich DRSTANKOVICH.CINEVEE.COM
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Teaching yourself the importance of perception, especially how it plays such a major part in pool success, is vitally important for your self-improvement. When you look at a bed of roses, do you see the flowers or the thorns? Both are there, yet it is the individual who determines what to focus his or her attention toward. With pool, teaching yourself to interpret tricky situations as challenges will help you “play to win,” whereas allowing tough situations to scare you will consequently put your mindset in a “play to avoid losing” perception. When you perceive situations as challenges, your mind and body work in synchrony and confidence emerges. Research clearly shows that confidence is directly related to peak performances, and your perception is actually what helps you develop confidence!
On the other hand, when you perceive situations as catastrophes, your body will immediately respond with anxiety, which will in turn cause all kinds of problems with focus, concentration, and ultimately shot success. When you “choke,” more often than not you missed the shot not because you didn’t know what to do, but instead because you never really felt as though you were going to make the shot in the first place. Again, your initial perception of the situation probably played a major role in this situation. Next time you go out and play, think about the following tips for success: • Only YOU can determine whether a situation is a challenge or a threat. Remind yourself of this each time you approach the table! • If you begin to get nervous about a situation, try to reframe the problem. For example, if the table looks downright ugly and its only the first game of the match, remind yourself about how much time you have to still come out on top. • When you see a tough lay on the table, try to put all your focus into just your next shot. So many times, players look ahead a shot or two and end up blowing the first shot (and often the match) • There probably isn’t a shot on the table that hasn’t been made at some point, so remember to tell yourself that the next time you get down on a challenging shot. Try to put all your energy into positive self-talk and work hard to channel all your confidence into the shot you have at the moment and watch what happens. Pretty amazing, huh?! Dr. Chris Stankovich, known as “The Sports Doc,” is a national expert in the field of sport & performance psychology and has been featured on ESPN for his work with elite athletes. His #1 best-selling pool video “Mind of Steel: Mental Toughness for Pool Success” has been used by thousands of players to improve focus, increase confidence, and eliminate anxiety. You can learn more about Dr. Stankovich and Mind of Steel by visiting drstankovich.com.
I would like to hear from you. If you have a question for me please submit to: information@drstankovich.com
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Stefano’s Delayed Draw Shot This month’s shot is a creation of mine which always granted me a point over my opponent, as no other player could pull this tough shot off within the two allotted attempts.
STEFANO PELINGA stefanopelinga.com
Stefano Pelinga (born 1964) hails from Rome, Italy, where he has served since 1985 as a police officer for the Italian government (Polizia di Stato), until his retirement in 2011. He began to play pool at the age of 12, drawing inspiration from his favorite singer and actor, Dean Martin. Stefano, currently a 5-time World Champion in Pool Trick Shots, won several titles in Italy in straight pool and nine-ball throughout the late 1970s and 1980s. In 1990, he devoted himself entirely to “Artistic Pool,” commonly referred to in its practice as “Trick Shots.” Due to his outstanding achievements, Stefano is recognized worldwide as one of the greatest Trick Shot champions in the history of the sport, and has earned a spot in ESPN’s Trick Shot Magic Hall of Fame. Most importantly, on November 17, 2012, Stefano was inducted into the National Italian American Sports Hall of Fame. In the presence of approximately 500 VIP guests and many sports stars such as Tommy Lasorda, Mike Piazza, Tony Esposito and Ray “Boom Boom” Mancini, Stefano was awarded this honor, becoming a member of this group of legendary Italian Americans.
Good artistic billiards players are quite familiar with this concept, which can enable you to delay the draw on the CB. Let’s start by placing the CB at a one-ball distance from the long rail and centered with the left tip of side pocket E. Then lay the first object ball in front of it at about 1.5-ball distance and in a straight line, with their line of centers aiming at the left tip of side pocket B (black dotted line). Place a bridge across the table, resting on the long rails, as shown. Then lay a rack with its apex X at about one ball from the head
A
spot. Finally place the second object ball by corner pocket D. I suggest to use a partly elevated close bridge, where only the middle, ring and pinky fingers of your bridge hand are touching the rail. Jack up your cue by about 30°. Aim the Yellow OB to make it into pocket B. Shoot down into the CB at its 5:30, using a tad of right English and 2 tips of draw and a 3-speed stroke. Do not poke the ball, even if you are jacked up. You can still use a smooth follow through. After hitting the OB, the airborne CB clears the bridge and lands on the other side. Since it continues to slightly bounce off the surface, the backspin does not grab right away so the CB keeps moving forward. Once full contact with the cloth is restored, the draw grabs and F the CB curves around the rack to then pocket the last OB into D. On a new cloth this shot is a little easier as the CB retains the spin longer. Don’t forget you can always email me your questions and may you all have a blessed 2018!
B
E
X
C
2018
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SAFETY WORKOUT
Bob Jewett
Bob Jewett
I just got back from watching the 2017 Mosconi Cup (five-man teams, USA vs. Europe) in Las Vegas. On paper before the start of the tournament the strengths of the teams looked fairly even, but on the table team USA struggled and lost badly with a final score of only 4 match wins against Europe’s 11 wins. Every US player lost more games than he won in total for the 15 races to 5 at 9-Ball. A large part of deficit was due to poor safety play. How are your safes? When you see a situation coming up that’s going to take defense are you confident that you will come out on top or do you start worrying? If you want to improve your safety play, read on. More importantly, get to the table and use the suggestions below to practice the precise control of both balls that you need to play effective safeties. In the diagram is a typical situation that calls for defense. It could be from either 9-Ball or 8-Ball (if you have the solids). The play shown has five different positive points. You probably won’t achieve all of them, but if you get two out of five it will be a pretty good leave. The cue ball is left on a cushion, the object ball is left near the opposite cushion, the cue ball is hidden behind a blocker, the object ball is (maybe) behind a blocker, and the cue ball is left close enough to a blocker that a jump shot is impractical. About the only trick missed here is to block all possible kick shots to the next ball.
may have faster cushions or slicker cloth than my table, so which positions will work for a particular play will vary some. Try each position until you get a couple of leaves that you feel would win you the game. If you can’t find a way to get a good safe from a particular start, try a different path. One final thing you can spend a little time on is a double kiss on the frozen 7-Ball. Set the cue ball at about X and experiment with hitting the 7 nearly full. There are lots of combinations of left and right-side spin and draw and follow and fullness of hit. See if you can find a set of parameters that will give you a good leave fairly often. Remember that you need a cushion contact other than the 7 into the cushion it’s frozen to. Players often overlook double-kiss plays and that’s probably because they’ve never worked on them. If you would like to check out the Mosconi Cup matches for examples of good and bad safeties as well as some remarkable escapes, you can watch all 15 matches on YouTube on the Genipool14 channel. I plan to be at the 2018 MC in London next December. I hope Team USA figures out this safe stuff in the meantime.
Note that if you are playing 8-Ball, it’s better to leave the 7 in front of the 9 as another possible blocker, while at 9-Ball, it’s better to leave the 7 behind the 9. How many of these can be achieved at the same time depends on exactly where the balls are sitting. If the cue ball is at the location shown and on the table I tried, there is a speed and spin that gets the 7 down by the 9 and the cue ball behind the 8 for a perfect safe. If the cue ball is at S there seems to be no good safe play that leaves the cue ball in back of the 8 and the 7 at the other end of the table. From that position, you may as well just play the cut up the rail or try the bank on the 7 and draw for position on the 8. At 8 ball, the bank would be a good two-way (safe and shape) shot. If the cue ball is moved to T, it is really hard to play the 7 along the same path as in the first position and still hide behind the 8. On my table, if I get the cue ball to the right spot, the 7 is left out in the open. For most opponents that would be sufficient. If I change the plan, it’s still possible to get both parts. By taking the cue ball off the left side cushion at T2 to kill some speed and then go behind the 8, I can get enough speed on the 7 to get it down by the 9. Now it’s time for you to try these shots and work on controlling both balls. Try to duplicate the three (or four) options discussed. Remember that your table
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MOLDING YOUR JUNIOR PLAYER pre-shot routine, attitude). You wouldn’t want a junior to be thinking about the consequences of every shot during the match, so when reviewing their performance, the focus needs to be on the process and how they dealt with the challenges they faced.
As a Master Instructor, I get the privilege of working with junior players of all ability levels. Some are among the best in the world and many are striving to become the best they can be.
Anthony Beeler is the 2017 Pool Instructor of the Year and is a former BCAPL National 9-Ball Champion. He has numerous top 25 national finishes and is one of only 8 ACS Master Instructors in the world. He is the primary author of the National Billiards Instructors Manual and has also authored the book Unstoppable! Positive Thinking for Pool Players. Anthony currently has the highest established Fargo Rating of any Master Instructor. He has won over 300 tournaments and has defeated numerous professional players in tournament competition.
Mental coaching for junior player is perhaps the most rewarding work I do. Teaching a young player how to develop a positive mindset and watching them grow in both ability and confidence is great! I not only help them become better players, but it will also help them in school and other sports. COACHING FOR YOUNG PLAYERS
DO NOT COMPARE THEM TO OTHER PLAYERS
The feedback a junior receives from parents and others heavily influences them. I’ve seen first-hand how this can help or hinder, their development. Here are some of my insights from working with juniors and their parents and some suggestions for creating a healthy environment for the development of their game.
One of the traps that juniors fall into is thinking about how good they are compared to other players. This can cause them to start playing “Ego pool”, instead of focusing on the process. All too often there’s more value placed on “looking good”, instead of focusing on what they can truly learn.
BEGIN WITH POSITIVES After the completion of any match, when you start teaching it’s important to start with the positives and then move onto the areas of improvement. If you’d like your junior to think more positively when they’re on the table, then you need to provide an example by doing this yourself. All my students fill out a “Rate Yourself ” chart after each match. Students reflect on many positive things but also address things they could have done better. For the things that could have gone better, it’s important for the parent to remind the child that these are things they can work on during practice. FOCUS ON THE PROCESS, NOT THE RESULTS The results a junior gets will never be as important as what they are learning. When a parent reviews a junior’s performance, it’s important to reward the things they did that led to end result. By this, I mean the process (decision making,
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When juniors are praised for process and effort (which includes how hard they’ve been practicing), they will be inclined to work harder than those who are told they are naturally talented. If juniors are taught that any skill can be learned with hard work, it will encourage more persistence, more effort and lead to more tournament victories.
THE STRUGGLE Struggling should not be looked at as a negative. When juniors work to overcome challenges, they become stronger. Parents shouldn’t allow juniors to fear mistakes; rather, they should be taught that it is an important part of the learning process. KEEP EMOTIONS OUT OF IT Finally, juniors are always seeking approval from their parents. They care deeply about what their parents think of them and the emotional response they receive. For this reason, juniors are generally very good at being able to determine how their parents are feeling. Parents usually show it on their faces or with their body language. I’ve worked with plenty of juniors who, through this experience, ask their parents to not watch them compete. The relief of not worrying about how their play makes their dad or mom feel is very real. The lesson here is to be careful about how emotional you become and try to remain neutral. I hope this article you some helpful pointers on how to help you child play a better game of pool. If you’d like further guidance, feel free to visit www. poolteacher.com or give me a call to set up a free consultation.
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January 2018
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Guernsey Double Dips Sulsar to Win Tour Finale Top Three: Paul Guernsey, Tony Sulsa and Mike Rountree On the weekend of December 15-16, at a $5,400-added event, which drew 75 entrants to Rusty’s Billiards in Arlington, TX, Paul Guernsey ended a three-match trip on the loss side to defeat Tony Sulsar twice in a double elimination final, and capture the event title. In another interpretation of ‘double elimination final,’ it was not only the last event of the Omega Billiard Tour’s sixth season, it was also the final event of the Omega Billiard Tour itself. Taking a cue from tour director Melinda Bailey about this occasion, we’ll defer comments on the end of the tour to the end of this report
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and highlight the players and the event that closed out its 2017 season. For a while, at the start of Paul Guernsey’s pool career (or at least as much of it as was recorded here at AZBilliards), the only event at which he regularly earned any money was the annual Texas Open. The first time he appeared in our database, he finished second behind David Gutierrez in the 27th Annual Texas Open in 2000. It was the only entry for him that year. The following year, the only entry was his 4th place finish in the 28th Annual Texas Open. Two years later, he finished in the tie for 13th place at the 30th Annual Texas Open, and the following year, he finished 4th again. All single entries in his site profile. Just over a decade later, he started showing up on the payout lists of the Omega Billiard Tour; twice in 2015, once in 2016, and this year, four times, including another second-place finish, behind Justin Whitehead at an Omega stop in April (he competed in five of the tour’s 12 events in 2017). This past weekend, Guernsey broke through and won his first major event, doing it in what most players would describe as ‘the hard way;’ coming from the loss side to challenge and twice defeat a hot seat occupant. He played a preliminary round (one of 12 matches to gain entry into the larger winners’ side bracket), and advanced through four other matches, allowing his opponents an average of between three and four racks per match (3.6) in races to 8; against Steve Raynes (4),
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Bobby Diggs (2), Dario Gomez (5), Aram Hasan (6) and a measly single rack to Doug Winnett. This gave Guernsey a shot at Mike Rountree in one of the winners’ side semifinals. Tony Sulsar, in the meantime, bypassed the preliminary round and faced four opponents, with whom he was stingier than Guernsey, giving up an average of between two and three racks per match (2.75) against Shan Iyer (3), Steve Sheppard (4), Chris Rickman (1) and Mike Nagaki (3). This set Sulsar up in the other winners’ side semifinal against Roman Bayda, who had just sent the tour’s #1-ranked player, Rick Stanley, to the loss side. In a straight-up race to 8, Sulsar advanced to the hot seat match over Bayda 8-4. He was joined by Rountree, who’d sent Guernsey to the loss side 7-7 (Guernsey racing to 8). Sulsar claimed the hot seat 8-5 over Rountree, chalking up what would prove to be his last match win. On the loss side, Guernsey picked up Stanley, who, following his loss to Bayda, had eliminated Phillip Palmer 9-5 and Mike Nagaki 9-3. Bayda drew Luis Lopez, who was working on a six-match, loss-side winning streak that had most recently included wins over Doug Winnett 7-4 and Gerardo Perez, double hill, in a straight-up race to 7. Guernsey ended Stanley’s short, loss-side bid for a fifth win on this year’s tour with an 8-5 win, as Bayda ended Lopez’ loss-side streak at six with a double hill win (8-6). Guernsey and Bayda battled to double hill in the quarterfinals that followed, with Guernsey advancing for a second shot against Rountree in the semifinals. Guernsey got by Rountree 8-4 in those semifinals and with, at minimum, another runnerup finish in his pocket, he turned his attention to Sulsar in the hot seat; the tour’s #8-ranked player (Sulsar) versus its #23-ranked player (Guernsey). Guernsey took the two-set opener in convincing fashion 8-3, and though Sulsar would chalk up two more racks in the second set, it wasn’t enough to keep Guernsey from capturing his first title on the tour’s last stop. Regarding this last event on the tour she’s
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directed for the past six years, tour director Bailey thanked the ownership and staff at Rusty’s Billiards (where the tour began six years ago, and ended on this weekend), as well as sponsors Michael Hoang of OMEGA Billiards Supply, FargoRate.com and OB Cues. Regarding the past six years, she had a few more expressions of gratitude to pass along. The announcement came in September. It stated that “due to increased responsibilities at (Bailey’s full-time job), and future career opportunities,” along with the need for the tour’s main sponsor, OMEGA Billiards Supply, “to make sound business and financial decisions” that, by mutual agreement, they “could no longer move forward with the Omega Billiards Tour after this year.” The statement expressed thanks “to all, for helping put the DFW (Dallas/Ft. Worth) pool scene back on the map for the past five and a half years.” “We loved the players, the pool rooms, and the fans,” the statement went on to say, “and we wish you all nothing but the best in your pool journeys.” Bailey added the released statement and wrote about the decision in a September entry to her blog – Pool is a Journey (pooljourney. blogspot.com/2017/09/tough-decisions.html). “I want to sincerely thank you for always being so supportive, responsive and a great friend to (me) and the tour,” she wrote. Bailey added, “It had always been a dream of mine to start a tour in the Dallas/Ft. Worth area for the players and businesses. I am so honored to have received such great support the last six years from the players, the sponsors and pool rooms that helped make the tour successful.” “We grew from six stops a year with 64 players at each stop, and $1,200-added, to 12 stops a year with nearly 100 players and
$1,700-added. THANK YOU! Going to miss you all.” A new tour will debut in the DFW area soon, “So the players will still have a tour to play on, which is really awesome,” Bailey said with relief. At the conclusion of her September blog entry, she inserted a quote from Lessons Learned in Life, which summed up the joy of the tour, the friends she’d made, and ultimately, the turmoil of the decision to move on. “You will know you made the right decision,” it said, “when you pick the hardest and most painful choice, but your heart is at peace.” — Article Courtesy of Melinda Bailey
1st $1750 2nd $900 3rd $750 4th $650 5/6th $440 7/8th $340 9-12th $200
Paul Guernsey Tony Sulsar Mike Rountree Roman Bayda Rick Stanley, Luis Lopez Mike Nagaki, Gerardo Perez Phillip Palmer, Robbie Cleland, Doug Winnett, Justin Whitehead 13-16th $120 Donnie Gregory, Dario Gomez, Joe Pelayo, Kiengchay Phoutthavong 17-24th $100 Ruben Juarez, Steve Sheppard, Chris Rickman, Jay Murillo, Aram Hasan, Tony Matthew, Jeff Georges, Robert Clark 25-32nd $40 Jessie Wilcoxson, Vincent Tovar, Jeff Turney, Oscar Araujo, Juan Bautista, Curtis Cardwell, Rob Lovelace, Highway Sigadi
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Mosconi Cup Team USA Hoping to End 7 Year Mosconi Cup Drought Skyler Woodward Team USA TEAM EUROPE holds a comfortable 4-1 lead after the opening day of the 2017 PartyPoker Mosconi Cup after controlling most of the play in a session that had the distinct feel of one-way-traffic. Only Shane Van Boening’s win over Jayson Shaw in the final match saved the USA from a total white-wash as well as giving his side a glimmer of hope for tomorrow’s matches. Taking place at the Mandalay Bay Resort, there was genuine anticipation in the air with a packed 1,500 seat arena. Play started with the traditional team game, giving all players an opportunity to settle their nerves.
Dennis Hatch
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With the Rasson table spitting back plenty of balls, it was the most testing conditions at a Mosconi Cup in a long time. However, the Americans couldn’t take the few opportunities that came their way while their European counterparts pounced with clinical efficiency. Commented Euro skipper Marcus Chamat, “We had some tough games there – we were leading 4-0 in the first match and they came back 4-3 and it could have been 4-4 and then anything can happen. “If you look at the way the matches went 4-1 is more
Joshua Filler
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than I would have expected, but the reason we won a few tight games is that we ran out and didn’t make mistakes. We stuck together as a team – we were having group meetings in the middle of matches, if that is even possible.” As ever there was some controversy and Joshua Filler and Dennis Hatch failed to shake hands at the conclusion of their singles match as Hatch left the arena, which lead to booing from some sections of the crowd.
-EuropeTeam Europe Leads the Way After Day One a
at the Mandalay Bay Resort
All photos courtesy of JP Parmentier – Matchroom Multi Sport
Jayson Shaw & David Alcaide with Nick Van den Berg looking on Chamat though was delighted with the 20-year-old German; “When we played the first team match and Filler ran out, I was in tears because I was happy. He is going to be a superstar, he has talent and his personality is out of this world – he can be the Ronnie O’Sullivan of pool. “I will take it one step at a time, sit down, have a meeting with the guys and later on I will tell them who is playing when. The first day is always tough and I feel we need to settle down a little bit now and then go through who is playing when tomorrow.” There had been genuine optimism in the air in the lead-in to the event and a belief that a new-look American side lead by Mosconi Cup expert Johan Ruijsink could end seven years of misery. As the session progressed though, that hope slowly evaporated as Team USA suffered a series of reversals. It was only Van Boening at the death who salvaged some hope.
Shane Van Boening
Van Boening said, “It was very important, especially against the No.1 pool player in the world right now. Jayson has been on fire the last couple of months and that was a big win for the whole team. “We are going to have a different plan tomorrow. We have to work on the break and have to avoid making easy mistakes. We have to re-group tomorrow.” Play continues with a scheduled five more games on Tuesday – three doubles and two singles matches. THE PARTYPOKER MOSCONI CUP has hit the halfway stage and it’s already looking all over as the Europeans home in on their eighth successive victory following another easy day on the table against a miss-firing American side. With the Euros leading 4-1 at the overnight stage anything other than US overall victory would be a huge setback and so it turned out as the European’s once again decimated their opponents 4-1 to carry an 8-2 lead into the third day.
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Mosconi Cup - Day Two US Hopes in Tatters as Europe’s Hammer Falls - Eeks Out Only 1 Win David Alcaide
Dennis Hatch & Billy Thorpe In fact, Marcus Chamat’s Team Europe now need only three more wins to seal the deal with a maximum five matches scheduled for Wednesday. “The way the first match was, I was thinking if we could win two matches today I would be happy because we would still have the lead. Winning 4-1, I am way over the moon,” said a delighted Chamat.
Commented Marcus Chamat, “I get goose bumps just talking about Joshua. When you see him play, you know he will run out and go around smiling. He makes the game look so easy. Once in a lifetime you get these players.” For American captain Johan Ruijsink, it was more misery after the experience of Monday; “We are not happy. We didn’t look confident today, we broke better, I really felt that we broke better but we missed balls that we shouldn’t have, and that is disappointing.
“The second match could have gone either way. The eight ball that Oscar missed, we might look back at a big swing in the event. It is far from over but that could be a big swing. This is sport and we saw today that one mistake can turn things around,” he added. Things started off so brightly for the USA as Dennis Hatch and Billy Thorpe squandered a 4-1 lead before hanging on in the deciding rack to record a 5-4 victory over Nick van den Berg and David Alcaide. That momentum didn’t last long as Oscar Dominguez lost a 3-2 lead to fall to veteran Ralf Souquet by 5-3. After that it was a total collapse as the USA managed to win just three racks in the final three matches as Joshua Filler ran rampant. The 20-year-old German looks set to be one of the game’s brightest stars his shotmaking and positional play look to be up there with the best. First, he teamed up with Jason Shaw to dispatch Van Boening and Dominguez 5-1 and then, alongside Nick Van den Berg, they crushed Van Boening and Thorpe 5-0.
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Day Three Europe One Away from VICTORY!
Firstly, the pairing of Hatch and Dominguez overcame all manner of nerves to edge past Ralf Souquet and Jayson Shaw and give the American fans a moment they had been waiting for. In the next clash, Billy Thorpe, who has looked excellent in his Mosconi Cup debut, got the better of Nick van den Berg for take the score to 8-4 and give the crowd some hope. The nervy Dutchman missed the 7-Ball with ball in hand and Thorpe took advantage. However, Van den Berg recovered well from his glaring error to take the match to hill-hill but the American prevailed. The big USA surge of momentum came to an end in the next as David Alcaide and Ralf Souquet put on a superb show to beat Dominguez and Woodward, who has yet to win a point. That made it 9-4 and set the stage for the final match of the session – Jayson Shaw v Shane Van Boening. An American win would leave the overnight score at 9-5 and offer a glimmer of hope, while a win for Europe would effectively leave the Americans dead and buried. Once again it came down to the final rack as both players struggled with the pressure and atmosphere. It was Van Boening who cracked, missing a simple 8 ball to hand the match to Shaw who celebrated wildly, aiming his joy at the American team. “Unbelievable, what a match - when I was down 4-2 I tried to dig deep and take my chances,” said a delighted Shaw. “I scratched on the first ball and Dennis Hatch is clapping, shouting good shot so that’s why I acted like that, to give it back to him.
Jayson Shaw & Josh Filler “It is hard to win if you get bad racks and in the last match we didn’t do much wrong but they played very good shots and broke well. We got a couple of terrible, difficult shots, which we didn’t make. “Even the 5-4 win was not confident – we should have beaten them 5-1, 5-2. We should have put our foot on the gas pedal but we didn’t and that stayed there for the whole day. “I truly felt that we broke better and if we had played as we did yesterday we would have got more points, but we didn’t. It is a learning curve and we will try to combine the better play from Monday and the break from today, but we cannot lose the day tomorrow – that is obvious.” Play continues on Wednesday – with two doubles and two singles matches. FOLLOWING A DAY of high tension, Europe is now just one win away from retaining the PartyPoker Mosconi Cup as they shared the session 2-2 with the Americans. That increased their lead to 10-4, with 11 points being the magic number. In front of a passionate crowd at the Mandalay Bay, Europe needed three wins to seal victory but after taking a pasting over the first two days, the American squad came out fighting.
“This is crazy, you can’t hold yourself together but I couldn’t believe he missed that ball. One more match tomorrow, and we’ve got it. It has been a big day, they took the first two games 5-4 so the last two matches were real big,” he added. For European captain Marcus Chamat, the end is in sight after a strong showing this week, although like many others he was disbelieving of Van Boening’s error. “Everybody is still shocked; how do you see that from a player of his caliber? This is what this tournament does to you. Any other tournament, it doesn’t happen. “Between Shane and Jayson, they are under pressure. They are the top guns at the moment for both teams so it is pressure for them, but Jayson handled it better than Shane van Boening for sure. “I had good faith in Ralf and David because they play in the same league in Germany and they are good friends. I was so confident in that team and they played brilliantly. 10-4 instead of 9-5, we all know that is a huge different – if it is 9-5 and they win the first two tomorrow it would be 9-7 and it’s up in the air.” For American captain Johan Ruijsink, it was a different story, “We are 10-4 down. We made mistakes earlier in the Mosconi Cup but now everybody is in shock about a big mistake from Shane. It is a ball he would never miss again but that happens, even the best players in the world get the tension, something happens and they don’t make the ball.
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January 2018
21
Europe Crushes USA More Mosconi Glory for Europe
MVP Josh Filler MVP Joshua Filler
“Tomorrow we will take it one by one and every match we survive we will be happy. I was proud of how the guys came out and fought and we won two hill-hill matches. Then Souquet played really good, really solid, and that was hard. “In the end, it was the second time Shane could have beaten the guy everybody considers to be the best in the world but it didn’t happen and it is 10-4. “We have lost the Mosconi Cup already, obviously. We are absolutely not likely to win this one. It is like in basketball being 40 points behind and three minutes to play – it is impossible for everybody. However, we will play six singles tomorrow, six times an American guy against a European guy and if we show our A-game we can prolong it. We are very unlikely to win this one but we will try to win every single match from now on.” Play continues with singles matches on Thursday. IT WAS MVP JOSH FILLER who delivered the final blow as Team Europe wrapped up a comfortable 11-4 win to retain the PartyPoker Mosconi Cup for a record-breaking seventh time. Needing just one point after dominating the opening two days of the tournament, it was 20-year-old Filler who beat rival Dennis Hatch to seal the deal for Europe. Despite an ominous feel about the arena, the fans turned out in their droves to the Mandalay Bay Convention Centre to witness a glorious celebration as the European team reveled in their magnificent victory. For European captain Marcus Chamat it was win No.3 after taking the helm in 2015 and he seems to have the magic touch. “I am overwhelmed! The way we played, the way we came as a team and stood beside each other from the beginning,” said an emotional Chamat.
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Now 8 in a Row Daily Recap Day One: EUROPE 4 – 1 USA TEAM EUROPE 5-3 Team USA SHAW/ALCAIDE 5-3 Woodward /Thorpe JOSHUA FILLER 5-4 Dennis Hatch SOUQUET/VAN DEN BERG 5-3 Dominguez /Van Boening Jayson Shaw 1-5 SHANE VAN BOENING Day Two: EUROPE 8 – 2 USA Van den Berg/Alcaide 4 - 5 HATCH/THORPE RALF SOUQUET 5 - 3 Oscar Dominguez FILLER/SHAW 5 - 1 Van Boening/Woodward DAVID ALCAIDE 5 - 1 Skyler Woodward VAN DEN BERG/FILLER 5 - 0 SVB/Thorpe Day Three: EUROPE 10 – 4 USA Souquet/Shaw 4 – 5 DOMINGUEZ/HATCH Nick van den Berg 4 – 5 BILLY THORPE SOUQUET/ALCAIDE 5 – 2 Woodward/Dominguez JAYSON SHAW 5 – 4 Shane Van Boening Day Four: EUROPE 11 – 4 USA JOSH FILLER 5 – 3 Dennis Hatch
Follow the PartyPoker Mosconi Cup on www. mosconicup.com and @mosconicup across social media. 2017 PartyPoker Mosconi Cup is also sponsored by Rasson Billiards who supplies the Official Table; the cloth is supplied by Iwan Simonis and the Official Balls are Super Aramith by Saluc. Predator is the Official Cue of the event and Ultimate Team Gear provide all Mosconi Cup apparel. APA are the Official Team Sponsor of Team USA. For More Information: Luke Riches, Matchroom Sport: luke.riches@ matchroom.com Nick Teale, Matchroom Sport: nick.teale@ matchroom.com About Matchroom Sport:
Matchroom Sport are one of the world’s leading producers of televised sport and are responsible for over 1,000 hours of original programming across a range of sports. Based in the UK and chaired by charismatic founder Barry Hearn, the Mosconi Cup is one of a stable of pool events that include the World Cup of Pool and the World Pool Masters.
Press Release MOSCONI CUP RETURNS TO ALEXANDRA PALACE IN 2018 — Europe vs. USA set for another record-breaking year in London The Mosconi Cup will return to Alexandra Palace for its 25th anniversary in 2018. Mosconi Cup XXV will take place from Tuesday, December 4 – Friday, December 7 when it returns to European soil next year in front of what is expected to be another record crowd for 9-ball’s biggest event. The tournament made its Ally Pally debut in 2016 as a record 2,000 strong daily crowd witnessed the Europeans defeat USA 11-3. The 24th PartyPoker Mosconi Cup is currently taking place at Mandalay Bay Resort, Las Vegas. Matchroom Sport chairman Barry Hearn said: “We’re very exciting to be returning to Alexandra Palace next year, where we witnessed sell-out crowds in 2016. To meet demand, we have extended our capacity even further for 2018, but fans will have to be quick to secure their seats for the most anticipated event of the pool calendar. “The Mosconi Cup is the biggest event in the world of pool and tickets will sell out quickly once again. “Europe vs. USA is a great sporting battle, and the Mosconi Cup is undisputedly the biggest and best tournament in pool. We’ll be celebrating 25 years of the Mosconi Cup in 2018, and we’ll be doing it at a fantastic venue in front of yet another record-breaking crowd.” Tickets for the 2018 Mosconi Cup XXV will be on sale shortly, with standard, premium and VIP Hospitality packages available. Full ticket details will be announced shortly.
“The American team tried hard and did good. It was a battle and things could have gone the other way in the middle of yesterday. “In the end, hard work pays off – successful people work hard and that is what these guys did.” For Joshua Filler, it was a dream end to a dream debut as his captain presented him with the Most Valuable Player Award. Filler, who ran undefeated through the tournament, winning two doubles and two singles matches, was delighted; “It couldn’t get better than this. This is the best team with the best team spirit. I am lucky I have this team, they are always supporting me and without these guys we wouldn’t win the Mosconi Cup eight times in a row.” For the American side, it was another humbling defeat. Captain Johan Ruijsink it was a bitter blow after putting in so much preparation with the team over the preceding months.
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January 2018
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— Article and Photos By: Kim Newsome
Danny Smith Lights Up Space City Open VI
Danny Smith
Danny “The Shredder” Smith captured his first-ever Space City Open 9-Ball title, plowing through an 83-player field, undefeated, besting Roberto “Superman” Gomez in the first set of the true double elimination final, 9-3. Josh Roberts went undefeated in the 40-player, one pocket division, ousting John Morra in the first set, 3-2, taking home his first Space City Open One Pocket title. Jeremy “Double J” Jones went undefeated in the 9-ball banks division, taking down Tommy Tokoph in the first set, 3-2, earning himself a whopping fourth, banks division title. Wrapping up four long days of match play, the ladies 9-ball concluded on Sunday, with Gail “Virginia Slim” Eaton defeating Ming “The Empress” Ng, to capture her second, Space City Open title. In its sixth year, the four-day, four-division, $6,000 added Space City Open VI (SCO) was held at Bogies Billiards and Sports Bar in Houston, Texas, November 30th – December 3rd, 2017, featuring top players from across America. This year’s line-up featured a cast of
Josh Roberts
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new talent, including Danny Smith, Roberto Gomez, John Morra, Jason Brown, and Kelly Isaac, along with numerous others. Admission was free, and fans enjoyed four days of top-notch pool, provided by world-class players. In the 9-ball division, Danny Smith obliterated the field with wins over Marlin Griffith, 9-4, J.C. Torres, 9-3, Jeremy Jones, 9-7, and Alex Calderone, 9-4, while Jason “Jaybird” Brown took down Taylor Hobbs, 9-8, Curt Sheldon, Josh Roberts, 9-8, and James Davis, Jr., 9-2. Two-time Space City Open 9-Ball Champion, Charlie “Hillbilly” Bryant, made his way to the final four with victories over Mike Wilson, 9-2, David Twitty, 9-6, Kevin Guimond, 9-0, and Cesar Arechiga, 9-2, while Roberto “Superman” Gomez overcame Kenneth Price, 9-6, Randy Nickerson, 9-3, Chase Rudder, 9-5, and John Morra, 9-2. On the one loss side, Tommy Tokoph took out Roberts, 7-3, and Jones eliminated former pro C.J. Wiley, 7-1, while Yovani Salvia ousted Rudder, 7-4, and Jeff Chauncey destroyed Guimond, 7-1. Back on the east side, Gomez bested Bryant, 9-6, while Smith overwhelmed Brown, 9-4. Smith ran away with the hot seat match, defeating Gomez, 9-2. The one loss side witnessed Morra overpower Tokoph, 7-1, and Jones handily defeat Arechiga, 7-0. Davis, Jr. ended Rudder, 7-6, while Guimond dusted off Calderone, 7-4. Morra went on to eliminate Jones, 7-4, and Brown, 7-1, while Guimond overcame Davis, Jr., 7-3. Bryant squeezed by Guimond, 7-6, rounding out the final four players in the division. Morra was on a role, taking out Bryant, 7-2, to win his fourth match on the one loss side. He was stopped short by Gomez, 7-1, finishing in a respectable, third place. Gomez earned himself a rematch with Smith, and “The Shredder” was ready. With his spot-on break, it was a short-lived Open 9-Ball set for 1st $2400/$3750 Danny Smith Gomez, 2nd $1600/$2700 Roberto Gomez 3rd $1600/$1675 John Morra much like 4th $760/$900 Charlie Bryant the first. 5-6th $520/$525 Jason Brown, Kevin Guimond Smith 7-8th $280/$275 Jeremy Jones, James Davis, Jr. shot out 9-12th $140/$100 Tommy Tokoph, Cesar Arechiga, Chase Rudder, Alex Calderone of the gate 13-16th $80 Josh Roberts, C.J. Wiley, Yovani Salvia, Jeff Chauncey 17-24th $60 Derek Fontenot, Joey Torres, Mark Cardenas, Gabe Owen, and never Ted Reeves, Ernesto Bayaua, Alex Olinger, Kenneth Price looked back, One Pocket capturing 1st $1500/$2240 Josh Roberts the first set, 2nd $900/$1420 John Morra 9-3, and his 3rd $600/$705 Justin Whitehead 4th $400 Jason Brown first, Space 5/6th $200 Ernesto Bayaua, Jeremy Jones City Open 7/8th $100 Sylver Ochoa, Marvin Diaz 9-Ball title. 9-12th $50 James Davis Jr., Ted Reeves, Roberto Gomez, Kent Berthelot Last year, Josh 9-Ball Banks Ladies 9-Ball Roberts 1st $1220/$1145 Jeremy Jones 1st $500/$500 Gail Eaton 2nd $760/$785 Tommy Tokoph 2nd $375/$310 Ming Ng finished 3rd $500/$430 Gabe Owen 3rd $250/$195 Brandi Booth runner-up 4th $300/$200 Cliff Joyner 4th $125 Kelly Isaac in the one 5-6th $150/$100 Josh Roberts, 5-6th $45 Teresa Garland, pocket Roberto Gomez Natalie Mans division,
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but this year he came out on top. Roberts ran through a 40-player field, undefeated, booking wins over Jim McCary, Adam Cooper, and Ted Reeves, 3-1, while John Morra overcame Gabe Owen, Marvin Diaz, 3-0, and Sylver Ochoa, 3-1. Houston’s Ernesto Bayaua made his way to the final four with wins over Cliff Joyner, Dallas’ Gerardo Perez, 3-0, and Roberto Gomez, 3-1, while Justin Whitehead overwhelmed Curt Sheldon, 3-0, Corey Flud, 3-0, and Kent Berthelot, 3-1. On the one loss side, Davis, Jr. eliminated Ochoa, 3-1, Brown defeated Reeves, 3-0, and Diaz ended Berthelot, 3-1. Following an early hit at the hands of Roberts, Jeremy Jones won four matches, including victories over Jeff Bramblet, 3-0, Jeff Chauncey, 3-1, and Gomez, 3-1. As the final eight took shape, winners’ side matches witnessed Roberts edge out Morra, 3-2, and Whitehead dust off Bayaua, 3-1. Roberts wasted little time with Whitehead, capturing the hot seat, 3-0. Back on the west side, Brown denied Ochoa, 3-0, and Bayaua, 3-2, while Jones squeezed by Diaz, 3-2, falling in turn to Morra, by the same score. Morra made quick work of Whitehead, 3-0, moving on to Roberts, and the finals. In the first set, players were neck and neck. Tied at two a piece, an unforced error by Morra sealed his fate, and Roberts ended the set
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to secure his first, Space City Open One Pocket title. Kicking off the four-day, billiard extravaganza, was the 26-player, 9-ball banks division, witnessing former Mosconi Cup MVP and former U.S. Open Champion, Jeremy Jones, capture his fourth Space City Open Banks title. Jones blazed a path through Kent Berthelot, 3-0, Gail Eaton, 3-0, and Roberto Gomez, 3-1, while Tommy Tokoph handled Ricki Casper, 3-0, former U.S. Open runner-up, Tan Hoa, 3-2, and Scotty Evans, 3-1. Former U.S. Open Champion, Gabe Owen, checked off Alfred Flores, 3-0, Richie Richeson, 3-0, and Jason “Jaybird” Brown, 3-1, while Cliff Joyner overwhelmed Beaumont’s Carl Honey, 3-0, Will Felder, 3-1, and Alan Myers, 3-1. On the one loss side, John Morra took out Berthelot, while Roberto Gomez ousted James Davis, Jr., 3-1. Canadian Alex Olinger ended Alan Myers, 3-2, while Josh Roberts handled Jason Brown, 3-1. Down to the final eight, on the east side, Jones defeated Tokoph, 3-1, and Owen slid by Joyner, 3-1. In a speedy, hot seat match, Jones crushed Owen, 3-0. Back on the west side, Gomez eliminated Morra, but fell to Joyner, 3-1, while Roberts took out Myers, 3-0, falling to Tokoph in the next round, 3-0. Tokoph was on the war path, sending home Joyner, 3-2, and Owen, 3-2, reaching Jones, and the finals. Players teed off, both keeping pace as the set progressed. Tied at two a piece, Jones inched ahead in the final game, closing out the set to defend his 2016 title and secure his fourth banks title. Wrapping up Space City, 24 women battled it out on Sunday for over $2,400 in cash in the ladies 9-ball division. Gail “Virginia Slim” Eaton came out firing, ousting Terry “The Terrorizer” Petrosino, Calaia Jackson, 7-1, and Toledo’s Kelly Isaac, 7-6, while Ming “The Empress” Ng made her way to the final four with wins over Cindy Ferry, Nayla Hoak, and Joyce Davis. Angleton’s Brandi Booth came out firing, securing victories over Ricki Casper, 7-3, and Robyn Petrosino, 7-6, while Teresa “The Princess of Pool” Garland took down Alicia Huff, 7-5, and Yvonne Asher, 7-1. On the west side, Isaac eliminated Denton’s Amy Jones, 5-2, and T. Petrosino reined in Davis, 5-3. Natalie Mans squeezed by Asher, 5-4, and R. Petrosino extinguished Yvonne Ramirez, 5-2. Down to the final eight, east side action saw Isaac eliminate T. Petrosino, 5-3, and Garland, 5-4, while Mans dusted off R. Petrosino, 5-1, in turn, falling to Ng, by the same score. Ng went on to eliminate Isaac, 5-4, and Booth, 5-1, earning herself a rematch with Eaton. In the first set of the true, double elimination final, Ng served Eaton her first loss, 7-6, and the finals ventured into overtime. Players displayed poise and composure in the late hour, but only one player could wear the crown. Players fought for every game, but it was Eaton who pulled ahead to end the second set, 5-3, capturing her second, Space City Open 9-ball title. The Space City Open extends a heartfelt “thank you” to everyone who supported this event; Bogies Billiards and Sports Bar, along with owners David and Shannon Richardson, the entire Bogies’ staff, assistant tournament director, John Newsome, Simplified Electronics, APA of North Harris County, Gulf War Veteran Mike McDonald, Ozone Billiards, and Outsville Billiards. “Special Supporters” of this event included Mark Stubbs, Glen Benton, Ted Reeves, Adam Cooper, Richard Holstein, Richard “Black Diamond” Stuart, and Art Politte. This year’s event featured booths by Jerry Olivier Cues and Cue Repair, Joe Salazar Connoisseur of Custom Cues, Champions Cues, Bryant Billiards, and Q-Xtender.com. Space City Open VII is set for December 6-9, 2018. For sponsorship information, please contact Kim Newsome at 713.825.1411, or email: lonestartour@gmail.com.
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7 1 0 2 t s u g u A
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WEEKLY TOURNAMENTS If you have any changes to your weekly pool tournaments EMAIL: billiards@OnTheBreakNews.com DATE CITY Mondays Davenport, IA Oklahoma City, OK Des Moines, IA Tuesdays Lawrence, KS Des Moines, IA Wednesdays Midwest City, OK Des Moines, IA Oklahoma City, OK Alsip, IL Oshkosh, WI Thursdays Oshkosh, WI Davenport, IA Lawrence, KS Fridays Azle, TX Oklahoma City, OK Des Moines, IA Shreveport, LA Midwest City, OK Round Rock, TX Oshkosh, WI Mankato, MN Olathe, KS Olathe, KS Olathe, KS Decatur, AL Wichita, KS Wichita, KS Saturdays Lawrence, KS Azle, TX Cape Girardeau, MO Tulsa, OK Decatur, AL Round Rock, TX Olathe, KS Sundays Azle, TX Davenport, IA Lawrence, KS Olathe, KS Round Rock, TX Oshkosh, WI Springfield, MO
LOCATION Sharky’s Bar & Billiards Bill’s Billiards Big Dog Billiards Astro’s Big Dog Billiards Jamaica Joe’s Big Dog Billiards Bill’s Billiards Red Shoes Varsity Club Varsity Club Sharky’s Bar & Billiards Astro’s Open Table Sports Grill Bill’s Billiards Big Dog Billiards Sidepockets Jamaica Joe’s Skinny Bob’s Billiards Varsity Club Kato Cue Club Shooters (1st Fri) Shooters (2nd Fri) Shooters (5th Fri) 6 Pockets Club Billiards (2nd Fri) Club Billiards Astro’s Open Table Sports Grill Blue Diamond T’s Billiards 6 Pockets Skinny Bob’s Billiards Shooters Open Table Sports Grill Sharky’s Bar & Billiards Astro’s Shooters Skinny Bob’s Billiards Varsity Club Shooters Billiards
PHONE (563) 359-7225 405-455-2349 (515) 266-6100 (785) 749-7699 (515) 266-6100 (405) 736-0590 (515) 266-6100 405-455-2349 (708) 388-3700 (920) 651-0806 (920) 651-0806 (563) 359-7225 (785) 749-7699 (817) 400-1990 405-455-2349 (515) 266-6100 (318) 425-8112 (405) 736-0590 (512) 733-1111 (920) 651-0806 (507) 388-7665 913-780-5740 913-780-5740 913-780-5740 256-686-3171 316-265-2293 316-265-2293 (785) 749-7699 817-400-1990 573-837-1148 (918) 622-7747 (256) 686-3171 (512) 733-1111 913-780-5740 (817) 400-1990 (563) 359-7225 (785) 749-7699 913-780-5740 (512) 733-1111 (920) 651-0806 (417) 315-8340
EVENT / RULES ENTRY ADDED TIME 9-Ball $12 $100 every 16 7PM 9-Ball $15 $10/player to $200 7PM 8-Ball-Race to 3 $10 Call 7PM BCA 8-Ball $5 Matching Call Handicap 8-Ball-DE $10 Call 7PM 9 Ball - 10 & under $15 $5/player 7:30PM Open 9-Ball $10 Call 7PM 8-Ball $15 $10/player to $200 7PM 10 Ball $15 Call 8PM 9-Ball Beginners $8 Call Call 9-Ball Intermediate $10 Call Call 8-Ball $10 $100 every 16 7PM BCA 9-Ball $5 Matching 7PM BCA 8-Ball 2/2 DE $10 $100 every 16 8PM 9-Ball $15 $10/player to $200 7PM Open 10-Ball-Race to 6/5 $10 $3/player 7PM 9-Ball Open $20 Call 7PM Open 8-Ball - Rated Call Call Call 9-Ball Race 3/3-Last Woman $ $12 Call 8PM 9-Ball $15 $50 7PM 8-Ball Progressive - Hdcp $16 Call 6:30PM Open 8-Ball or 9-Ball $10 Call 7PM Open 10-Ball $10 Call 7PM B Rated 9-Ball $15 Call 7PM 9-Ball $13 Call 8PM Ladies Only Ring Game-Limit 18 $40 125% payback 7:30PM 8-Ball-Limit 16 $20 $100 Guar 7PM 8-Ball NAPA rules $5 Matching x2 1PM BCA 8-Ball 2/2 DE $10 $100 every 16 8PM Alt 9-Ball / 8-Ball $10 $200 w/16 2PM Alt 8/9 Ball - Vegas Style $25 $100 every 8 1PM 9-Ball $13 Call 8PM 9-Ball Race 4/3 9-Ball Break Pot $12 Call 8PM B Rated 9-Ball $12 Call 7PM BCA 9-Ball 3/2 DE $10 $100 every 16 8:30PM 10-Ball $12 $100 every 16 7PM 3-Ball Rounds - Winner take all $1 10AM Big Table Open 8-Ball or 9-Ball $12 Call 4PM 10-Ball Race 5/3 9-Ball Break Pot $12 Break&Run Pot 2PM 10-Ball on 9’ tables-Race to 5 $15 Call Call Majority Rules $5 $100 6PM
Call First - All Tournaments are subject to change without notice 10 diamond bar tables 2 - 9 ft diamond tables Beer & Wine Snack Food 7 Flat Screen TV’s ANDY CLOTH & VIKING CUE DEALER Bi-monthly Tournaments 2313 S 57th St - Temple, TX
(254) 770-3000
32 32
January 2018
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Hours: Monday - Saturday: 10:00 AM - 2:00 AM Sunday: Noon - 2:00 AM Smoking Allowed Full Bar & Grill Club Membership Required (Must be 21 + $10/year) 810 W 56 Hwy - Olathe, KS 913-780-5740
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3040 FM 1960 East Houston, TX 281-821-4544
POOL - DARTS - FREE POKER
Big screens-Internet Jukebox, OPEN 24 hours Thurs-Sat! poker-7’, 8’, 9’ pool tables 10am-2am Sun-Wed www.facebook.com/onthebreaknews
New Year’s Eve Singles Randy Hopson
Joe Jones, Brian Thompson Brian Thompson is our Champion! Haven’t been able to say that for awhile! Congrats buddy! Players came from Minnesota, Missouri, Iowa, and Nebraska to play the first of two tournaments being held this weekend at Big Dog Billiards.
Thank you to everyone for coming out on this bitterly cold day! But that’s what pool players do. Doesn’t really matter what the weather is doing, we always find a way to make it to the tournament! See you all again real soon!
Top Female Marnie Zimmerman
RESULTS
The three guys that came from Nebraska had a bumpy ride this morning, as they ended up crashing their car on the interstate not far from our location. Thankfully, they were alright! Just a few bumps and bruises. The car, a total loss unfortunately. A good Samaritan pulled up to check on them, and the first thing they asked was if the guy knew where Big Dog Billiards was located. The Samaritan said yes, and was kind enough to give them a ride. They weren’t even late for the tournament! Now that’s dedication!
1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5/6
$360/$320 270/$190 $180/$130 $90 $50
Brian Thompson Joe Jones Randy Hopson Troy Tucker A J Johnson, Matt Duntz
Top Female Marnie Zimmerman
Serving: Lunch, Dinner & Late night snacks!!! Ice cold beverages served till 1:30am Pool ~ Darts Live Entertainment 26 N Main Cape Girardeau, MO
573-837-1148
Specials!!!!!
Everyday till 9pm
Hours: Mon-Sat: 2pm - 1:30am & Sun: 2pm - Midnight
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57 World Class Pool Tables 3,000 sq ft raised lounge Full Service Restaurant Coffee Bar
Tournaments: 3234 43rd St S Fargo, ND 58104 (701) 282-4168
Rack’em
Mon: 9-Ball @ 7PM Sun: Handicapped 8-Ball @ Noon
www.fargobilliards.com
January 2018
33
Call First - All Tournaments are subject to change without notice DATE Jan 1
CITY Davenport, IA
LOCATION Sharky’s
Jan 1
Davenport, IA
Sharky’s
Jan 1
Davenport, IA
Sharky’s
Jan 4-7
Verona, NY
Turning Stone Classic
Jan 12-14
Peoria, IL
Racks on the Rocks
Jan 13-14
Houston, TX
Bogies Billiards
Jan 13-14
Houston, TX
Bogies Billiards
Jan 20
Temple, TX
Charlies Cuez
Jan 20
Seattle, WA
Golden Fleece
Jan 20-21
San Francisco, CA
TWCWT
Jan 20
Elizabeth, IN
Derby City Classic
Jan 22
Elizabeth, IN
Derby City Classic
Jan 25
Elizabeth, IN
Derby City Classic
Jan 27
Parkersburg, WV
The League Room
Feb 2-4
Round Rock, TX
Skinny Bob’s
Feb 2-4
Round Rock, TX
Skinny Bob’s
Feb 10
Alsip, IL
Red Shoes
Feb 10-11
Sacramento, CA
TWCWT
Feb 15
Round Rock, TX
Skinny Bob’s
Feb 15
Round Rock, TX
Skinny Bob’s
Feb 15
Round Rock, TX
Skinny Bob’s
Feb 16
Round Rock, TX
Skinny Bob’s
Feb 16
Round Rock, TX
Skinny Bob’s
Feb 17-19
Round Rock, TX
Skinny Bob’s
Feb 17-19
Round Rock, TX
Skinny Bob’s
Feb 23
Shreveport, LA
Sidepockets
Feb 24-25
Shreveport, LA
Sidepockets
Feb 24
Parkersburg, WV
The League Room
Mar 17
Alsip, IL
Red Shoes
Mar 30-31
Saratoga, WY
Nubbins Memorial
Mar 31
Parkersburg, WV
The League Room
Apr 14
Alsip, IL
Red Shoes
PHONE 563-359 RACK
TIME Noon 563-359 RACK 8-Ball Women’s Div $20 $250 w/16 Noon 563-359 RACK 8-Ball Jr Div $10 Prizes & Cue Noon 518-356-7163 Open 9-Ball $150/$200 $25,000 Call 309-839-2609 Big Table 9-Ball $40 $1,500 Guar 7PM 281-821-4544 Open 8-Ball-Limit 64 $35 $1,000 11AM 281-821-4544 Amateur 8-Ball-Limit 64 $25 Call 11AM 254-770-3000 9-Ball Open - Limit 48 $65 incl g.f. $500 w/48 11AM 425-280-4514 One Pocket Handicap $65 Call Call 415-585-2331 9-Ball Women - Billiard Palacade $30+fees Call Call derbycityclassic.com 9-Ball Banks - Buy in option (bio) $110 bio $50 $10,000 Guar Noon derbycityclassic.com One Pocket - Buy in option (bio) $135 bio $75 $15,000 Guar Noon derbycityclassic.com 9-Ball - Buy in option (bio) $160 bio $100 $25,000 Guar Noon 304-983-9640 8-Ball $30 incl g.f. $150 min. 2PM 512-733-1111 Texas Open 10-Ball Tune Up $50-Limit 64 Call 7:30PM Fri 512-733-1111 Texas Open 10-Ball Tune Up Wmn $35-Limit 32 Call 7:30PM Fri 708-388-3700 Bank Pool $50 incl g.f. $500 w/ff Call 916-332-8793 9-Ball Women - Hard Times $30+fees Call Call 512-733-1111 Jack & Jill Sc Dbls $125+$25 g.f. $500 11AM 512-733-1111 Open Bank Rails Game $100 no g.f. Call 7PM 512-733-1111 Open 10-Ball-Single Elimination $25 Call 8PM 512-733-1111 Open 10-Ball Ring Game $100+$5 g.f. Call 2PM 512-733-1111 Ladies10-Ball Ring Game $30+$5 g.f. Call 2PM 512-733-1111 Texas Open 10-Ball $125+$25 g.f. $4,000 8:30 PM Fri. 512-733-1111 Texas Open 10-Ball Ladies Div $40 $500 6PM Sat. 318-425-8112 10-Ball Ring Game $100-Limit 16 Call 8PM 318-425-8112 Open 9-Ball-Limit 128 $75 incl g.f. $2,000 Guar Call 304-983-9640 8-Ball $30 incl g.f. $150 min. 2PM 708-388-3700 8-Ball $50 incl g.f. $500 w/ff Call 307-710-1447 Saratoga $30 $1,000 Call 304-983-9640 8-Ball $30 incl g.f. $150 min. 2PM 708-388-3700 One Pocket $50 incl g.f. $500 w/ff Call
Old School Pool Hall Bar & Grill
EVENT / RULES 8-Ball
ENTRY $30
920-651-0806
ADDED $1000 w/64
570 N. Main St - Oshkosh, WI 54901
316-265-2293 925 W Douglas Wichita, KS Clubbilliards@hotmail.com Find us on
at Club Billiards
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January 2018
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Full Bar and Grill
OnTheBreakNews.com
(9) 9' Diamond Tables (12) 7' Diamond Tables
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NEW FOR 2018 MORE THAN 50 YEARS OF AMERICAN MADE
INNOVATION MEETS
SimpleElegance
There is a lot to look at in the new Viking 2018 Catalog Over 80 New Viking Cues! A new No-Wrap Crush Break Cue The return of the XRZR eXactShot Cue More than 50 years of industry leading innovation comes together with now available in 3, 4 and 6 inch lengths Viking Joint Extensions simple, elegant design to give you the best playing cue money can buy. Period. The Viking Performance Billiard Glove The feel of the wood on wood joint and finger joined construction, the 2x4 Spring Bottom Back Pack Pro Case Viking Cue Manufacturing, Lower Pro CaseLLC. Prices convenience of the Viking Precision Weight Bolt System and nearly unbreakable 2228 Pleasant View Road Genuine Brass and Stainless Steel rings SuperFerrule and the added value of the standard Viking Quick Release are Middleton, WI 53562 Over 30 new Premium Pearl, Stain and Wrap Options 1.800.397.0122 features built into every Viking at every price point.
The Viking Experience.
MADE IN THE USA LIFETIME WARRANTY
vikingcue.com
With looks as good as they play and made in America since 1965, it’s easy to see With so much to choose from, it’s easy to see why Viking continues to be... why Viking continues to be… LIFETIME WARRANTY
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MADE IN THE USA ...The Player’s Choice ...The Player’s Choice
PERFORMANCE
MAKES ALL OF THE DIFFERENCE The most important factor in cue ball deflection is cue end mass. Katana shafts use a ferrule that is half the length with thinner walls to reduce the amount of cue ball “squirt” during play.
7 Responsive Top Layers The top 7 layers are medium density boar hide, tanned naturally up to 12 months to achieve maximum control and consistency.
3 Foundation Layers The bottom 3 layers are high density pig skin, selected for its premium durability and legendary feel.
KATXS1
TIP: 12.5mm Katana tip by Tiger FERRULE: 3/8” Long Thin Wall Fiber TAPER: Pro
KATXS2
TIP: 11.5mm Katana tip by Tiger FERRULE: 3/8” Long Thin Wall Fiber TAPER: Conical
KATANA PERFORMANCE SHAFT TECHNOLOGY 10-Piece Spliced Radial Construction The grain in a solid wooden shaft creates a natural spine which affects how the cue ball reacts to impact. Rotating the cue, even a quarter turn, will change how the shaft performs. By splitting the shaft into ten sections and alternating the direction of the grain, Katana removes natural variances and provides lower deflection and more consistent results.
QUALIFIED DEALERS WELCOME WWW.CUESTIX.COM | 800.645.9803 Manufactured by CueStix International