Rackem Magazine March Issue 2010 by Rackem Magazine

2 Rackem Magazine - March 2010

What’s Inside www.RackemMag.com

DEADLINE: 30th of each Month Call if late

Rackem P.O. Box 100 Three Forks, MT 59752 Phone 1-406-285-3099 Fax 1-406-285-3098 Email rackemmag@aol.com

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Rackem Staff Publisher/Editor Don “Cheese” Akerlow

Marketing Director Mary Akerlow

Layouts & Design Wendy Swenson Sunshine Ross Mary Akerlow Don Akerlow

Distribution Sheila Papke

About Rackem

Rackem is a monthly publication, dedicated to the advancement of the sport of pool and to promoting enthusiasm and encouragement among the players at all levels, regardless of their league affiliation, in addition to recognizing those businesses who support them all. Covering the midwest. Look for Rackem by the 10th of each month. The opinions expressed are those of the author or advertiser and do not necessarily reflect the views of Rackem or its staff. We reserve the right to edit or reject any material submitted for publication. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without the written permission of the Publisher. © 2010 Rackem

Atlas Billiard Supply Skokie, IL

BCAPL/CSI Las Vegas, NV

billiardcoach.com

Brass Rail Kansas City, MO

Crown Cues Broken Arrow, OK

Cue & Case

Fargo Billiards Fargo, ND

Four Bears New Town, ND

League Central Kansas

Lone Star Tour Texas

Lucasi Hybrid

MN ACS Walker,MN

Mr 3 Cushion Bill Smith

Mueller Lincoln, NE OTBnTV Live

3 3,14

Q-Spot Tulsa, OK

Red Shoes Billiards Alsip, IL

sammspocket.com

Sharky’s Sedalia, MO

Shooter’s Olathe, KS

Two Stooges Fridley, MN

Varsity Club Oshkosh, WI

Information Bill Smith Billiard Coach Bob Jewett OTBnTV Live Pool On TV Samm Diep Tournament Trail Weekly Tournaments

15 8 9 14 3 4 14 13

POOL ON TV

Cover Photo Don “Cheese” Akerlow

All times are Central time.

03-06-2010 3:00PM 2004 San Diego Classic: Finals From Alpine, CA. (taped 03/24/04) 03-14-2010 12:00PM 2001 Trick Shot Magic Baltimore, MD (taped 10/12/01) 03-21-2010 12:00PM 2001 Trick Shot Magic Baltimore, MD (taped 10/12/01)

These schedules have been provided by ESPN. These are tentative dates and are subject to change

www.OTBnTV.com Streaming Schedule Mar 26-28, 2010 30th Annual MCMOA State 8 Ball Championships Apr 2-4, 2010 Platte Valley Open Saratoga, WY May 27-Jun 5, 2010 30th Annual VNEA Int’l Championships Las Vegas, NV Jun 17-20, 2010 20th Annual VNEA Junior Nationals Rochester, MN Sponsored by: www.Delta-13.com

Don “Cheese” Akerlow

Watch it LIVE on www.OTBnTV.com

Places People Play

Publisher

Watch on www.OTBnTV.com ustream.tv/channel/otbntv-live

March 2010 - Rackem Magazine 3

Like Music to my Ears By Samm Diep, PoolTipJar.com © March 2010

As you read these words, think your favorite song. Now, close your eyes for a moment and relish that melody you love so much. Is it a love song or a rock or classical piece? It doesn’t matter. Just feel it and really listen to it in your mind. As it gets to your favorite part, think about all the individual pieces coming together to make this song so perfect. Can you hear the steady drumbeat building up to a thrilling crescendo? Don’t forget the hot guitar lick that jumps in just at the right moment. Now, listen for the ominous strings creeping in for that haunting touch. Oh, Samm Diep and what about the vocals? Could you imagine a better person belting out such tender lyrics? All of these elements combined are what make your favorite song so brilliant. All those little touches together are what made you take the needle back over and over again until your parents eventually hid the record from you. Now, let’s dissect all these individual moving parts and relate them to our pool mechanics. The anatomy of a song consists of these main parts: verses, the refrain, and the chorus. The verses tell the story. They set the tone for the whole song and precede the refrain and chorus. Think of the verses as our bridge, stance, and warm-up strokes. Determine where you are aiming and check your tip position for the spin you’ll be applying. Each verse may vary slightly based on the situation. The verse is building up for the chorus to come by establishing our alignment and preparing to pull the trigger. Next is the refrain which is just a couple repeated lines at the end of each verse which lead up to the chorus. The refrain would be that final breath you take as you complete your warm-up strokes and refocus your eyes back to that spot on the object ball again. If you study the pros, their refrain is very distinct. You can always tell when they’re about to pull the trigger. They complete their warm-up strokes, everything comes together, they cue right up to the cue ball, and fire. When you’re ready to pull the trigger, this is the chorus we’ve been waiting for. The chorus is where the main theme and often the title are expressed in a song. It’s the melody that we’re humming for days after we hear a song that we like. Typically, it completes the song. Your verses and refrain lead you to this moment. Make your chorus count. Bring that stroke back smoothly and with control. Sing a chorus that you will want to remember and repeat. Though your verses may vary based on what the shot requires, your refrain and chorus come together to make the shot. Of course, there are extra parts to the anatomy of a song and to our pool game. However, just like a beautiful piece of music, your pool game can’t come together without each of these integral parts. Develop and strengthen all of them and play your favorite song at the table. Visit PoolTipJar.com “random smatterings of pool thoughts, articles, & news”. Take polls, view article archives, and read tournament and training updates. Samm Diep, “Cherry Bomb” House Pro at Rack ‘Em Billiards (Aurora, CO) Author of “You Might Be A D Player If… (101 Classic Moves That All Pool Players Can Appreciate)” Player Representative for CB Custom Cues, Tiger Products, PoolDawg, IB Cue Cases, Predator --- SammsPocket.com (fun & unique products for pool players)

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4 Rackem Magazine - March 2010

Coming From Behind

Few endeavors have such highs and lows as tournament pool. Emotional swings within a single match can rival the story arc of a season of ‘Desperate Housewives.’ How can a player cope with such mood and momentum swings and win matches and tournaments without losing one’s marbles? It has been said that the first and last game are the hardest to win. This is especially true when your opponent seems to be playing great as well as being the benefactor of some lucky rolls. What is one to do? Win a game at the earliest chance possible. Try to take away one game and give yourself a starting block to hook your toes into. What may seem like a small victory may wake up a monster. You may have needed a nudge forward and this may turn into several game wins in a row should your opponent falter. Turning the tide in a match that is going horribly can be easier said than done. Sometimes a player must take a time out to regroup. Wash your hands or get a cool drink. Take a short break and return to the match with a fresh attitude and new resolve to play with hunger. When you are stuck in a rut and the wheels are spinning, reorganize and bring new energy to the match to swing the momentum to your favor. When pool matches are going smoothly, winning games can seem like an easy task. When you aren’t striking the cue ball quite so accurately or your speed control is on the fritz, few things are as difficult as running out. When pool gives you this much trouble just take one game at a time, then one inning at a time, then one shot at a time. Bear down and focus on shooting just one shot to the best of your ability. Make every trip to the table mean something. Playing in the moment will vault you out of the quicksand with regularity. Remember, when you are hopelessly behind, try to mount some kind of comeback, even if it is just a game or two so your opponent must really work for victory. This can have a couple of huge benefits. He’ll not take victory for granted in your next match, be it on the B side or in a tournament months down the road. Secondly, you have played a few games well and if the match were to start again from scratch, you may be the victor. As a matter of fact, if this defeat was your first, you could bring that ‘grind-it-out’ attitude into your first match on the left side of the bracket and mount a charge to win the tournament the hard way. Don’t roll over in a match when you are well behind in the score. You may even come back and win the match! Remember what Nick Varner has to say about the scores of his in-progress matches: “I never worry ‘bout the score until my opponent is on the hill”. No wonder he’s always dangerous in a match. He plays one game at a time and never gives up!

30th Annual MOMA Tournament

Longest Running State Tournament Duluth, MN ~ February 4-7, 2010 Team Open A: (pictured left)

1st 2nd 3rd

Chuck Suchla Dogs Webers

Team Open AA: (pictured right)

1st 2nd 3rd

Preston Servicemens Giggety Avalanche

Team Open B: (pictured left)

1st 2nd 3rd

Bubba’s Roadblasters I’d Hit That Billy’s Bar

Team Open Master’s: (pictured right)

1st 2nd 3rd

Men’s A: 1st Mike Sklasz 2nd Nick Marsolek 3rd Jim Andres

Give Don’t Shxt (Not listed) Ball Itis

Men’s AA: 1st Chad Folken 2nd Nate Rinehart 3rd Mark Kuklok

Men’s B: 1st Steve Hinnenkamp 2nd John Irwin 3rd Brian Heinen

Men’s Masters: 1st Jason Albright 2nd Gene Albright 3rd Marc Oelslager

Womens A Team: (pictured left)

1st Dolls Diamond 2nd Hollywood Nites 3rd Ladies Hacienda Womens AA Team: (pictured right)

1st 2nd 3rd

Pit Stop Eagles Diamond Divas

March 2010 - Rackem Magazine 5

SY LV E R TA K E S G O L D On February 13th Players in limbo on the west 14th, 2010, the Lone Star side were John Newsome Billiards Tour held its first (former player, resurrected), 9-Ball event of the year at Aaron Springs, Ernesto Bogies Billiards & Games Bayaua, and Jeremy Byrd. in Houston, Texas. Even After two rounds, it was though it was Valentine’s Mooney over Newsome, weekend, 54 players Mendiola over Springs 7-4, turned out for the open Bayaua bested Sharp, and event and 16 women came Escobedo beat Byrd 7-6. out on Sunday to compete The one loss side victor was for their own $1,100 purse. Raul Escobedo, who played The event kicked off ferociously, and ousted Saturday morning Danny Lee for second and with its very own live met up with his best friend stream and chat room and road partner in the final (ustream.tv/channel/ match. lonestarbilliardstour), It was a two set finale. showcasing some of the Escobedo barely closed out best talent Texas has the first set 9-7 only to be to offer. The final 12 on ousted 7-1 in this true double Saturday would return elimination format. Not only on Sunday to compete did Ochoa win this event, for almost 6k in cash, but but he finished second in this time there were a few the Derby City One-Pocket, upsets. and won Gabe Owen’s As the event T-Town Classic One-Pocket progressed, final 8 heavy event. Another player “on a (Photo Above, L to R: Happy Couples and all players…Monica Rodriguez, Raul Escobedo, Sylver hitters Billy “Big Tyme” Ochoa and Tisha Hay) roll” was Houston’s David Sharp, Sylver “Cho-Uh” (Ladies Winner Terry Petrosino 253) & (Ricky Casper Runner-Up 262) Mendiola who captured Ochoa, and Raul Escobedo his highest finish to date. remained, no surprises there. Tom Mooney, Dalton Riley, Danny Lee, Congrats to all our Lone Star Open finishers, you make Texas proud! Sonny Bosshamer, and David Mendiola all found themselves guaranteed In the ladies division, we had heavy hitters Terry Petrosino, Kyu Yi, to cash on the east side. After Danny Lee dealt a 9-7 blow to Sharp, Courtney Peters, and Ricky Capser just to name a few of the 16 awesome Bosshamer bested Escobedo, Riley over Mooney, and Ochoa dusted ladies that competed. It was Courtney Peters vs. Terry Petrosino on Mendiola, the final four came down to Sonny Bosshamer vs. Danny Lee the winner’s side, and Ricky Casper vs. Kyu Yi on the one-loss side. Yi and Sylver Ochoa vs. Dalton Riley. After the dust settled, Ochoa found finished a respectable 4th and Peters 3rd! In the finals, Casper won the himself, once again, on the “right side” with opponent Danny Lee vying to first set but Petrosino came through for her second consecutive tour win. capture the “cat bird’s seat” for the first time. Unfortunately, Lee was dealt Congratulations to all of our ladies! We hope to see everyone next time, a blow from Ochoa, sending him west. at Q Stix Billiards in Houston February 27th-28th for our Open 9-Ball and our first One Pocket Event! Of course, ladies play on Sunday! Many thanks to the tour staff, Eugene Lee, Bob McFerren, Viet Do, and Payouts: Mike Terry; and Sponsors Poison Cues and the Delta-13 Rack. . 1st $800 Sylver Ochoa We’ll see you on the Lone Star Trail…..www.lonestarbilliardstour.com. 2nd $550 Raul Escobedo God Bless Texas. 3rd $350 Danny Lee 4th $220 5th 6th $150 7th 8th $100 9th-12th $50

David Mendiola Sonny Bosshamer/Dalton Riley Tom Mooney/Billy Sharp Aaron Springs/John Newsome/Jeremy Byrd/ Ernesto Bayaua

Ladies: 1st $300 2nd $200 3rd $100 4th $70 5th-6th 7th-8th 9th-12th 13th-16th

Terry Petrosino Ricky Casper Courtney Peters Kyu Yi Laura Hsu/Kim Pierce Heather Bryant/Angela Martinez Loretta Lindgren/Robyn Petrosino/Tisha Hay/ Courtney Mcclure Teresa Garland/Chynna Alexander/Vicki Roy/ Christy Grigsby

6 Rackem Magazine - March 2010

30th Annual MOMA Tournament Duluth, MN ~ February 4-7, 2010

Womens Master Team: 1st Logistically Challenged 2nd Shar’s Cues 3rd Midwest Masters

Ladies Masters Singles: 1st Jolene Fondell 2nd Beth Herum 3rd Janet Domabyl

Ladies A Singles: 1st Molly Mish 2nd Laura Trovecke 3rd Linda Ralidak

Ladies AA Singles: 1st Sonya Skoglund 2nd Kelly Messina 3rd Denyse Remick

Mid- W est 9 Ball from Shooter’ s

Jesse Bowman, Mike Durbin, James Baraks

Jeremy Jones, Joey Gray

Olathe, KS Feb 18-21, 2010 One-Pocket 45 players $1000 Added 1st Jeremy Jones, Wichita, KS 2nd Joey Gray, OKC, OK 3rd Jesse Bowman, E. Moline, IL 4th Mike Banks, Jr., Blue Springs, MO 5-6 Gary Lutman, St. Louis, MO / Dale Pence, Tonganoxie, KS 7-8 Danny Harriman, Springfield, MO / K.C. Massey, OKC, OK 9-12th Jerry Reardon, Goodman, MO / Chip Compton, OKC, OK Randy Cole, Pickle's Gap, AR / Mickey Brandt, Raytown, MO LADIES 21 players $600 Added 1st Sarah Rousey, Bloomington, IL 2nd Jeannie Vogelsang, Decatur, IL 3rd Rhonda Pierce, Tulsa, OK 4th Michelle McDermott, Tulsa, OK 5-6 Cindy Wessling, Overland Park, KS / Apryl McGill, Lenexa, KS OPEN 100 players $3400 Added 1st Jesse Bowman, E. Moline, IL 2nd James Baraks, Rock Island, IL 3rd Jason Klatt, Bloomington, IL 4th Jeremy Jones, Wichita, KS 5-6 Jon Kucharo, Bettendorf, IA / Dan Olson, Olathe, KS 7-8 Shane McMInn, Tulsa, OK / Will Freeman, Centralia, IL

9-12 13-16 17-24

Sarah Rousey, Doug Patrick, Jeannie Vogelsang

Darryl Smith, Excelsior Springs,MO / Taylor Anderson, Bonner Spgs, KS Dustin Gunia, Omaha, NE / Sean Turner, Farmington, MO Chase Rudder, Bedford, TX / Jody McLaughlin, Des Moines, IA Chad Vilmont, Clinton, IA / Gary Lutman, St. Louis, MO Jeff Trent, Parsons, KS / John Gabriel, Talala, OK Jerry Reardon, Goodman, MO / Lloyd Moreland, Camdenton, MO Daniel Herring, Ft. Worth, TX / Kevin Condreay, Joplin, MO David Matlock, Olathe, KS / Jordan Davis, Kansas City, MO

March 2010 - Rackem Magazine 7

Article and Photos by: Don “Cheese” Akerlow

February 17-21, 2010 Tacoma Elks Lodge # 174 1965 S. Union Ave Tacoma, WA

8 Rackem Magazine - March 2010

The 2010 Three Cushion Billiards National Championship February 17-21, Tacoma Elks Lodge #174 in Tacoma, Washington. Players arriving from all across the United States by qualifying in regional tournaments. Five beautiful Verhoeven billiards tables were set for play to begin. The Billiard tables were also heated so play is as

consistent as it can be from table to table. Darrel Stuteman the host and Northwest Regional Director (effective March 1, 2010), provided a venue unmatched. Darrel along with his crew made sure the players and spectators were treated well and all the logistics ran smooth. The USBA National Championship Tournament Director Charles Brown opened the ceremonies for the final 10 players. OTBnTV was there to Live Stream all of the event. Mr Brown kept the tournament running smoothly with his computer, tournament chart and schedule sheets. This year’s U S Champion and runner up will be representing the United States in the Pan American Championships in Lima, Peru April 25-May 1. With the top 8 players from the Pan Am Championships qualifing for the October World Championships in the Netherlands. In the field were past champions George Ashby (1976, ‘81 and ‘84), Pedro Piedrabuena (2002, ‘04, ‘07), Carlos Hallon (1982, ‘86, ‘89), Miguel Torres (2008), and Sonny Cho (2005). Last year’s champion and 2003 Hugo Patino did not make the final 10. Play began just after 3 pm Friday February 19th. The finals had begun - it was

a 40 point match. Sitting in the OTBnTV booth watching table #4 that was being Live Streamed to over 100,000 viewers throughout the weekend from all across the world. It was quite evident from the very beginning that these players did not just move their respected cue ball around the table randomly. There is a talent and precision to each stroke and the english that is used. If you will a cue artistry. As a pool player for over 40 years, I have gotten myself into unplayable positions with the cue ball to make a legal hit. These gentlemen and I must say gentlemen when they are in formal attire, tux and bow tie, rarely uttering a word, just pursuing their mastery of the table are able to go 4, 5 and even 6 rails to make a hit and point. Imagine if you will being hidden behind a group of your opponents balls, having to go a minimum of 3 rails, while hitting one of your object balls and making your cue ball hit another object ball. Nothing short of impossible. But these masters of the cloth did it with such precision that when they on the occasion did miss, it was by a hair. (USBA continued on page 10)

Jae Hyung Cho Wins US 3-Cushion Title Article by Bob Jewett

The 2010 US National 3-Cushion Championship was held February 17-21 at the Tacoma Elks Lodge. Play was on five heated Verhoeven tables covered with Simonis 300 cloth and Aramith Pro tournament balls. The Lodge also provided bleacher seating for spectators, staff to clean the equipment after each match, scorekeepers, lunch and dinner buffets, and free practice time for all participants. The 35 entrants were mostly players who had won qualifiers around the country, but also included the four top players from 2009 and a few open entrants who had played in qualifiers but not won. They were grouped into five groups of seven players for roundrobins with 25-point matches. One top finisher from 2009 was seeded into each group. The prelims produced one major surprise as defending champion Hugo Patino failed to advance. He lost matches to 2005 champion Sonny Cho and to Min Jae Pak, who had put in a top-notch performance at the USBA Tour stop in August at Carom Cafe in New York with a 1.3 average. In another group, last year’s runner-up Pedro Piedrabuena was totally dominant as he didn’t let any opponent get to 10 points. Jae Hyung Cho ran a 7 against Pedro to tie at 7 points each, but then Pedro shifted gear to win 25-9 in only 10 innings. Two players from each group advanced to the 10-player final round-robin, which had matches to 40 points. Besides Piedrabuena, Sonny Cho and Miguel Torres had been undefeated in their prelim groups, while Carlos Hallon, Michael Kang, Mazin Shooni, Min Jae Pak, George Ashby, and Jae Hyung

Cho advanced with 5-1 records. John Jacobson advanced from a 3-way tie for second in his group based on a most-points tie-breaker. Of the 10 finalists, six were former US Champions. Live streaming to the Internet of the finals was provided by OTBnTV.com, allowing thousands of fans to keep up with the action and scores. Commentary for each match helped anyone new to the game to catch up on the intracacies of shots including position play and safeties. Going into the final round of five matches, Piedrabuena and Jae Hyung Cho both had 8-1 records, while all the other players had at least two losses. This meant that the match between Pedro and Jae would determine the new champion. (In roundrobin play, it’s possible for equal winloss records to happen, in which case a play-off would have been necessary to determine first and second places.) In getting to the finals, Jae Hyung Cho had turned in the best game of the finals with 40 points in 21 innings against 2006 champ Mazin Shooni. Mazin had an excellent 1.600 average in that game, so he just caught Cho at the wrong time. Cho’s sole loss had been to Miguel Torres. For his part, Piedrabuena got to the finals with the highest grand average and a 1.739 game against 3-time former champ George Ashby. His only loss had been to Shooni. Cho led through most of the final match. Piedrabuena rallied at the end but fell short. Jae Hyung Cho became the new US Champion with a 40-32 score. For more details, visit the US Billiard Association website at USBA.net.

March 2010 - Rackem Magazine 9

USBA by: Don “Cheese” Akerlow

(continued from page 8)

There were only 2 rounds played of the 9 and possibly 10 rounds of the round robin format on Friday. In between the first and second round we were entertained by Dr Cue Tom Rossman on one of the 6 pocket billiard tables at the Elks. Tom’s unique way of entertaining a crowd with laughter and his own brand of cue artistry to the pockets is always nothing short of magnificent. The second round was started immediately following the exhibition. OTBnTV was experiencing some audio difficulties either through the internet connection or server that had a “tinniness” in the first few videos, which was corrected by the time we started the second round. On the mic the announcers were Tom Rossman, Henry Ugartechea and Bruce Warner. Mr Warner was suffering from a cold that limited his time on the mic but did a superb job. Both Mr

We want to thank Huf for the caricature. It will be added to our collection

Tom “Huf” Hofstedt

10 Rackem Magazine - March 2010

Rossman and Mr Ugartechea gave an excellent accounting of each match and shots that were executed and stories and comments about past and present events. As an added feature for the billiard players Tom “Huf” Hofstedt, also know as the “fastest pen in the world” was there throughout the championships creating caricatures of the players. See example on page 18. If you’d like to get in touch with Tom email: tomhuf@tomhuf.com Play on Saturday would start at 10:30 am and 4 rounds to be played and lasted until 9:30-10 that night. On Sunday 10 am was the start of what would be some of the best billiards you could watch. Play ran long but bonus coverage of another match was able to keep the audience in front of their computers. As the charts panned out, the final match of the day was between Pedro Piedrabuena and Jae Hyung Cho each having a 7-1 win/loss record. The final match started approximately 30 minutes after the other matches of the 9th round. This was so they would finish last and all the focus, deservingly so would be on the championship table. You can view this match and find out how each point was made. It was exciting to watch at www.OTBnTV.com Sponsors of OTBnTV were: Simonis: www.SimonisCloth.com USBA: www.usba.net Crown Cues: www.crowncues.biz

Final Placement and Prizes 1st $3700 Jae Hyung Cho 2nd $3100 Pedro Piedrabuena 3rd $2600 Miguel Torres 4th $2200 Sonny Cho 5th $1800 Mazin Shooni 6th $1500 Michael Kang 7th $1200 Carlos Hallon 8th $1000 Min Jae Pak 9th $800 George Ashby 10th $700 John Jacobson High Run: 11 points - Pedro Piedrabuena $50/Michael Kang $ 50 Best Game: 1.905 (40/21) - Jae Hyung Cho $ 100 Best General Average: 1.232 - Pedro Piedrabuena $ 100 Total Prize Fund $18,900

Trying To Make Something From Nothing By Bill Smith “Mr3Cushion”, Old School Pool.net

"I CAN'T DO anything with this!" Time and time again, the endlessly fertile game of three-cushion billiards will present you with a shot that seems doomed no matter what you do. Shots which seem impossible to score introduce themselves to every player at every level; how the Better players determine their approaches to such shots depends on their knowledge of the correct concept of the modern billiard game. It's a matter of a little imagination and a lot of common sense; apply both and you'll soon be enjoying the glow of scoring a point or two that feel like they should be worth twelve. Frequently, shots are seemingly unmake able because of the angle between the cue ball and first object ball; you may be cut off from the angle you'd normally use to score naturally and, confronted with the problem of even coming close to scoring, you may well not think about position play at all. Which, as we’ll see in two of these apparently tough shots, would be a mistake? It is true that, unlike previous articles, not all these examples focus on position play. They're extreme, and not-so-extreme, examples of difficult positions that arise with some frequency. The shots of Diagrams 1 and 2 can indeed be utilized for position as well as to score; Diagrams 3 and 4 shows you more extreme shots, which you can execute with confidence by using a cute little system I, figured out about 25 years ago, it’s really simple, why not, the game itself is difficult enough. In Diagram 1, the cue ball and first object ball are only one to two inches apart; the angle between them is such that you can't go five rails around the table off the left side of the ball, nor can you go four cushions around the table off the other side of the ball (your hit on the first ball would bring you in way short). More than anything else, this is a balk line-type shot that requires a surgeon's touch and precision - but you can still make the most of a bad position. It's critical that you use a very short fist or nip bridge, in order to hit the cue ball with maximum 6 o'clock English. The reason for that low bridge is to get as low on the cue ball as possible yet avoid elevating the butt of your cue; on this shot, you need quick draw action, and you can't get that with an elevated cue. Hit the object ball one-third full, with a short stroke and a soft touch. Properly executed, with just enough cue-ball speed to score, this shot will yield excellent position with all three balls fairly close to the top rail. The shot in Diagram 2 is not only rarely played, but rarely conceived by the average player. Typically, such a player would merely throw up his hands; the angle between cue ball and first ball does not permit going around the table in the natural way, nor can the shot be played with reverse English into the opposite rail which turns into running English off the next three. Again, the cue ball and first object ball are very close together, half an inch to one inch. Here you do need to elevate the cue slightly; that will put a little curve on the ball off the first cushion in order to maintain the extreme 4 o'clock English you must use. Your objective, as shown, is to strike the short rail close enough to the corner that you reverse that rail and return to the red in the comer. A normal bridge will add some speed to the stroke, in order to achieve that maximum English and maintain it through the four rails. Hit the object ball very thin, so as not to drive it too far away from your intended position along the rail. Again, your speed should be such that you just score, and all three balls should end up along that long rail. Editors Note: You can read the rest of Bill’s article online at www.onthebreaknews.com

March 2010 - Rackem Magazine 11

CROWN CUES PLAYERS Last month, we introduced you to the players we have sponsored for a year or more. This month, we’re going to introduce you to some players we recently began sponsoring. AARON “THE ANVIL” BOLLING Aaron is our young one... being only 21 years old. Raised in Palatka, FL, Aaron is one of six children. Being 6 ft. 6 in., everyone assumed he would be a basketball star. After going to several college prep schools for basketball, he moved back home to become the father of two beautiful girls and be near his family. When Aaron was 15, his brother took him to the student union of the local junior college, where there was a pool table. A few of the college students were shooting trick shots, which caught his attention and from there, his love for pool grew. After a few years of hard practice, studying books and watching videos, plus a little game time on the road, Aaron began playing in some of the bigger tournaments, often finishing in the money. Aaron thoroughly enjoys One Pocket and 9 Ball as two of his favorite cue sport games. Aaron recently made a trip to Tulsa, OK, to play in the T-Town Classic One Pocket Championships. It was his first big tournament with his new Crown Cue, which was a hit with all who tried it out. Aaron is still in Northern Florida, where he plays regularly in the local tournaments, as well as some around the area. We hope to see Aaron at the US Open in 2010. Watch for his name as he grows in the sport. 6149 E 31st St Tulsa, OK

918-779-6204

Hours: Sun 2-10 pm Mon-Thurs 12-2am Fri-Sat 12-1am

Family Billiards Room Pro Shop - Cue Repair Cues - Cases - Supplies

Aaron does not have a website, but will soon have a webpage on Crown Cues’ website, which will include pictures of his beautiful cue. JASON “THE LONE WOLF” LAWRENCE Born in 1972 in Birmingham, England to Jamaican parents, Jason is the youngest of four children. He is very proud of his Jamaican roots and he returns to Jamaica as often as possible to see his grandmother, who he proudly claims is still alive and fantastic. At the age of 19, his mother pushed him toward furthering his education. Consequently, in the 1990’s, he studied Product Design and Development at Salford University and has been pleased to have gained the knowledge and experience. Going to the university took him to the northwest of England, where he remains to this date. At the tender age of 9, Jason began playing Snooker. He didn’t begin playing American cue sports until age 33, although he played Snooker at Pro-Am level for 21 years. He claims Anthony Crosby as a good friend who was very helpful towards his Snooker game, when he was still living in England. When he’s not playing pool, Jason enjoys cooking and listening to most styles of music. Having been a part of two “professional signed” bands for over 15 years, he retired from that about 5 years ago, although he still applies his skills on the drum set, whenever he has the opportunity. Jason’s favorite Snooker player is Jimmy White. He would like very much to follow in similar footsteps to the player known as ‘The People’s’ Champion. His heroes in life are his parents, Muhammad Ali, Nelson Mandela and Michael Jackson. Jason’s website is currently under construction, but he can be found on facebook and will soon have a webpage on the Crown Cues website, where you can see photos of his Crown Cue and a list of some of his biggest accomplishments, as well. GO TEAM! As well as sponsoring four terrific players, we also sponsor our own threeman 8 ball team, the Crown Cuesaders, in the in-house BCA pool league down at the Q-Spot, in Tulsa, OK. Since we are two of the three members, we

Gene LaViness, Josh Smallwood, Renee LaViness

wouldn’t find this information to be enough reason to bring to your attention, except we have a terrific young man on our team who is a very good player and we are also quite proud of. Josh Smallwood is only 19, but he’s a force to be reckoned with in a serious game. He loves 9 Ball, 8 Ball, One Pocket and trick shots. One of his heroes is Tom “Dr. Cue” Rossman, who’s signature was on Josh’s cue for quite a few years, before it finally faded away. We took 2nd place in our most recent season, partly because of Josh’s skills at the table. Thank you, Josh! Good luck at the Black Gold BCAPL State Championship, this month, while we are at the Super Billiards Expo, in PA. We believe we are sponsoring some of the best players around the globe!

12 Rackem Magazine - March 2010

Call First - All Tournaments are subject to change without notice DATE

CITY

LOCATION

PHONE

EVENT / RULES

Mondays Tuesdays Wednesdays Thursdays Fridays Saturdays Sundays

Kansas City, MO Kansas City, MO Oshkosh, WI Kansas City, MO Oshkosh, WI Tulsa, OK Oshkosh, WI Kansas City, MO Tulsa, OK Fridley, MN Kansas City, MO

The Brass Rail The Brass Rail Varsity Club The Brass Rail Varsity Club Q-Spot Billiards Varsity Club The Brass Rail Q-Spot Billiards Two Stooges The Brass Rail

(816) 468-6100 (816) 468-6100 (920) 651-0806 (816) 468-6100 (920) 651-0806 (918) 779-6204 (920) 651-0806 (816) 468-6100 (918) 779-6204 (763) 574-1399 (816) 468-6100

Bar Table 9-Ball - DE- race to 3 $5 Matching Bar Table 8-Ball - DE - race to 2 $5 Match+$100 9-Ball Beginners $8 Bar Table 9-Ball - DE - race to 3 $5 Matching 9-Ball Intermediate $10 8-Ball 7 & under $5 9-Ball Open - Break Pot $15 $5/player Guar. Big Table 9-Ball - DE - race to 3 $5 Matching 9-Ball 7 & under $10 (incl. g.f.) 9-Ball Open on 7’ DE Race to 5 $15 (incl g.f.) $75 w/16 Bar Table 9-Ball - DE - race to 4 $10 Matching

Players of the Decade/Year

Efren “The Magician” Reyes, who amassed nearly $1.7 million in prize money, and Allison Fisher, who won 27 Women’s Professional Billiard Association Classic Tour titles, were named Player of the Efren Reyes Decade by the United States Allison Fisher Billiard Media Association, the USBMA announced today. Reyes, the 55-year-old Filipino sensation, won more than 20 major men’s professional pool titles four one-pocket crowns, four 8-ball titles and 14 9-ball titles. He also won the Derby City All- Around title three times. Fisher, meanwhile, continued her dominance over women’s pool for a second straight decade. After winning 26 Classic Tour titles during the ’90s, the former snooker champion added 27 more from 2000Jasmin Ouschan 2010. In addition to her WPBA Classic Tour titles, Fisher, 41, earned the gold medal at the 2009 World Games, was the 2000 BCA U.S. Open 14.1 champion and won the MIka Immonen Tournament of Champions five times. She earned $637,000 over the 10-year span. Finnish-born Mika Immonen, who won his second consescutive U.S. Open 9-Ball Championship title, the world 10-ball crown and the International Challenge of Champions, was the unanimous choice for male Player of the Year in voting conducted by the United States Billiard Media Association, the USBMA announced today. Immonen, 37, was named on all 21 ballots turned in by members of the media group. Jasmin Ouschan, of Austria, who won half of the Women’s Professional Billiard Association’s six Classic Tour events, was the USBMA’s choice for woman Player of the Year.

ENTRY

ADDED

TIME 8 PM 7 PM Call 8 PM Call 9 PM Call 2 PM 9 PM 6:30 PM 6 PM

SCOREBOARD 9 Ball results 1st /2nd split Henry Brodt & Ken Lee, 3rd Bobby Hunter 810 W 56 Hwy - Olathe, KS 913-780-5740

Cue Sales & Repair

21-Valley Bar Tables 3-Diamond 9’ 1-Gabriel Billiard

4-Diamond Bar Tables 9-Brunswick Gold Crowns 1-Antique Billiard

Fri & Sat Pool Tournaments

March 2010 - Rackem Magazine 13

Call First - All Tournaments are subject to change without notice

DATE Mar 6 Mar 6-7 Mar 6-7 Mar 11-14 Mar 11-12 Mar 12-14 Mar 20 Mar 20 Mar 20 Mar 20-21 Mar 26-28

CITY E Moline, IL San Leon, TX San Angelo, TX Tower, MN Walker, MN Walker, MN Kansas City, MO Alsip, IL Clinton, IA San Antonio, TX Billings, MT

Mar 27-28 Mar 27-28 Apr 2-4

Temple, TX Cahokia, IL Saratoga, WY

Apr 3 Apr 10-11 Apr 15-16 Apr 16-18 Apr 17 Apr 17-18 Apr 23-24 Apr 23-25 Apr 24-25 May 1 May 1-2 May 14-22 May 17-22 May 27-Jun 5

Alsip, IL Houston, TX Walker, MN Walker, MN Alsip, IL Lubbock, TX Portage, MN New Town, ND San Leon, TX Alsip, IL Houston, TX Las Vegas, NV Las Vegas, NV Las Vegas, NV

June 5-6 Jun 17-20

Waco, TX Rochester, MN

Jun 19-20 Jun 19-20 Jun 26-27 Jul 10-11 Jul 17-18 Jul 24-25

Houston, TX Houston, TX Wichita, KS Houston, TX Austin, TX San Leon, TX

LOCATION Leisure Time Billiards Casper’s Billiards Fast Eddies Fortune Bay Casino Northern Lights Northern Lights The Brass Rail Red Shoes Billiards Legends Sports Bar Fast Eddies (Braun) MCMOA www.otbntv.com The Green Room Break Billiards Platte Valley Open www.otbntv.com Red Shoes Billiards Bogies Billiards Northern Lights Northern Lights Red Shoes Billiards Fast Eddies Grand Portage Caisno 4 Bears Casino Casper’s Billiards Red Shoes Billiards Slick Willie’s BCAPL BCAPL VNEA www.otbntv.com Fast Eddie’s VNEA www.otbntv.com Slick Willie’s Q-Stix Billiards Side Pockets Bogies Billiards Fast Eddie’s Casper’s Billiards

PHONE EVENT / RULES ENTRY ADDED TIME (309) 752-9559 8-Ball $30 $500 Call (281) 559-1400 OB Cues Ladies 9-Ball Call $2,000 Guar 10 AM (325) 944-4900 9-Ball Open & Ladies $65/$35 Call 11 AM (218) 335-7665 Six Arrows Amateur 8-Ball $65/$55 $6,000 Guar 8 PM (507) 210-7558 9-Ball Singles MN State ACS $50-70 $2,000 7 PM (507) 210-7558 8-Ball Singles MN State ACS $50-85 $10,000 7 PM (816) 468-6100 8-Ball Scotch Doubles $30 $300 w/32 1 PM (708) 388-3700 Straight Pool $50 $500 Call (563) 243-4266 9-Ball $40 $500 Call (210) 680-6800 9-Ball Open & Ladies $65/$35 Call 11 AM (406) 442-7088 MCMOA State Championships Qual. at bars $25,000 Call or www.ustream.tv/channel/otbntv-live (713) 825-1411 9-Ball & Ladies 9-Ball $40/$25 $1,000/$350 Call (618) 332-0330 Midwest 9-Ball Open/Women $35 $2,500 11 AM (307) 329-8924 8-Ball-Master/Classic/Sportsman Div Varies $10,000 6:00PM or www.ustream.tv/channel/otbntv-live (708) 388-3700 8-Ball Last Pocket $50 $500 Call (713) 825-1411 10-Ball & Ladies 9-Ball $40/$25 $1,000/$350 Call (507) 210-7558 8-Ball Mx Sc Db MN State ACS $60/team $2,000 7 PM (507) 210-7558 8-Ball Teams MN State ACS $150-250 $10,000 7 PM (708) 388-3700 Bank Pool $50 $500 Call (806) 745-4268 9-Ball Open & Ladies $65/$35 Call 11 AM (218) 335-7665 Six Arrows Amateur 8 Ball $65/$55 $4,000 8 PM (701) 421-0604 8-Ball Singles Men & Women $60/$40 $4,000 1st Men Noon (713) 825-1411 9-Ball & Ladies 9-Ball $40/$25 $1,000/$350 Call (708) 388-3700 One Pocket $50 $500 Call (713) 825-1411 9-Ball Open & Ladies $40/$25 $1,000/$350 Call (702) 719-7665 8-Ball National Champ *(based on 2008) Varies $750,000* entries Call (702) 719-7665 U S Open 10-Ball Call $25,000 Guar Call (800) 544-1346 VNEA Int’l Championships Varies Call or www.ustream.tv/channel/otbntv-live (254) 399-9300 9-Ball Open & Ladies $65/$35 $1,500/$350 Call (800) 544-1346 VNEA Junior Nationals Varies Call or www.ustream.tv/channel/otbntv-live (713) 303-8111 8-Ball $30 $500 Call (713) 825-1411 10-Ball & Ladies 9-Ball $40/$25 $1,000/$350 Call (316)729-4000 9-Ball Bobby Wells Mem $35 $2,500 Call (713) 825-1411 9-Ball Open & One Pocket $40/$25 $1,000/$200 Call (512) 248-0646 9-Ball Open & Ladies $65/$35 $1,500/$350 Call (713) 825-1411 Open 9-Ball $40 $1,000 Call

Attention Pool Players: Do you know of a location that doesn’t receive RACKEM - Call or email info on page 3

OTBnTV Live Streaming Schedule Mar 26-28, 2010 May 27-Jun 5, 2010 30th Annual MCMOA 30th VNEA Int’l Championships State 8 Ball Championships Las Vegas, NV Apr 2-4, 2010 Platte Valley Open Saratoga, WY

Jun 17-20, 2010 20th VNEA Junior Nationals Rochester, MN