Contents
PLACES PEOPLE PLAY
13 20 FEATURES
5 Shark Cases 8 Four Bears Classic 16 WPBA U.S. Open
25 27 27 11 23 27 28 8 12 8 23 2 9 12 3 3 8 17 8 13 6 4,26 23
8 POOL ON TV All times are Central time.
18 Grady Mathews 20 East Coast RTC 24 Product Review LIVE Streaming
Watch on www.OTBnTV.com ustream.tv/channel/otbntv-live www.facebook.com/otbntv
Sponsored by: www.tigerproducts.com
ESPN is not listing any Billiard telecasts scheduled for May These schedules have been provided by ESPN. These are tentative dates and are subject to change
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Rackem P.O. Box 100 Three Forks, MT 59752 Phone 1-406-285-3099 Fax 1-406-285-3098 pool@onthebreaknews.com www.RackemMag.com
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RACKEM STAFF PUBLISHER/EDITOR Don “Cheese” Akerlow
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Mary Akerlow Don Akerlow
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ABOUT US
Rackem is a monthly publication, dedicated to the advancement of the sport of pool and to promoting enthusiasm and encouragement among the Publisher 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. © 2012 Rackem
May 2012 - Rackem Magazine 3
4 Rackem Magazine - April 2012
Cue Cases that really BITE!!! Mel Larsen from Fort Meyers, Florida has been making one of a kind cue cases made with real sharks teeth and exotic wood. I first met Mel at the BCA Trade Show in New Orleans in July 2002. He was exhibiting his amazing cue cases. Mel calls himself an artist, inventor, craftsman and cue case designer. His latest project is the Shark Purse. Made with the same care for detail and exotic woods but in a smaller size, to be used by the ladies for a purse. Mel wrote me in March that he was builing a purse for Lady Gaga. Two of Mel’s purses are pictured below. I always look forward to seeing what Mel will come up with next. If you get a chance to see one of these cases or purses, you will be amazed.
Purses too!!! May 2012 - Rackem Magazine 5
6 Rackem Magazine - May 2012
Em MANNY Down TIGER CHAUS On TheTOUR By Tour Staff
THE
in Houston Texas
Tiger Tour stop #3 of the season was changed at the last minute to a new venue Big Tyme Billiards , and we had 55 players show up, as there was some APA event going on the same day it took some of our players, but anyhow we played it down to the final 3 and they finished up along side the second chance event on Sunday. I will update you to the final 12 spots, all of whom cashed. The winners side final 4 pitted Jason Pearce against Ernesto Bayaua and it was a thriller and the final score was 9-8, on the other half of the winners side Manny Chau put on an exhibition against Jason Brown, Jason won the lag and that was the end of him basically, after not getting out the first rack Manny cleaned the table, then Jason did not see the table again until the score was 8-0, Manny laid down a 7 pack on him. The final score of this match was 10-1. This matched Manny up against Jason for the hot seat match, Manny had to give up 2 games to 10 and the final score was 10-7 in favor of Manny. The round of 9/12 on the one loss side saw Lil Hand Gus Correa MANNY CHAU, JIM HENRY (ROOM OWNER) AND JASON PEARCE get by Danny Lee, Brian Rosenbaum ousted David Chow, Sonny Bosshamer edged Leon Contreras, and Derek Fontenot got by Victor The finals was a close one and in the end Manny squeaked out a hill hill win, Rojas. giving up the 2 game spot. Congrats to both players on a great run. Toe round of 7/8 saw 2 hill hill matches and in a very unlikely finish we The Second Chance Event on Sunday had 20 players in it. The top 4 saw some crazy stuff in the case game as Sonny B got by Derek and on the spots got paid and those results are below, this is a handicapped event also. other half Gus nudged Brian R. 1st- Victor Rojas $330, 2nd- Will Felder $245, 3rd- Chase Rudder $165 and The round of 5/6 Ernesto oust sonny B and Jason B. sent Gus packin. 4th- Brent Thomas $80. This setup the final 4 and Ernesto got by Jason B. pretty handily. Now the We would like to thank everyone for playing and expect to see everyone final of the one loss side pitted Ernesto gettting a rematch with Jason P. and at our next event April 21-22 at Bogies Billiards. Also Mike Gulyassy will be as before these 2 played a very close match but in the end the result was the on hand at this event for all your cue repair needs and he always brings a big same, Jason P came out on top to advance and get a shot at Manny in the assortment of cues to sale. So come check out what he’s got. finals.
Thanks to all of our sponsors that make these events possible: Tiger Products- www.TigerProducts.com Omega Billiards- www.OmegaBilliards.com Muellers- www.Muellers.com htownbilliards- www.htownbilliards.com CSI- www.playcsipool.com Jay Helfert- www.JayHelfert.com Mike Gulyassy- www.babysproshop.com Magic Rack
1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 7th 9th
Manual Chau Jason Pearce Ernesto Bayaua Jason Brown Sonny Bosshamer Gus Correa Brian Rosenbaum Derek Fontenot David Chow Danny Lee Leon Contreras Victor Rojas
$820 $550 $350 $200 $130 $130 $90 $90 $50 $50 $50 $50
May 2012 - Rackem Magazine 7
Four Bears 8-Ball Classic
S
Some of the best players in the country showed up to participate in the 21st Annual 4-Bears 8-Ball Classic, April 19th-22nd, 2012 held at the 4-Bears Casino in New Town, ND. Thursday’s $3,000 added 9-ball mini tournament didn’t turnout to be so mini with 86 players signed up before the 5 PM deadline. The field consisted of many of the top pros and amateurs from across the country. In the finals it was pros, Jeff Beckley who won the host-seat match and John Morra winner of the loser’s side match. Morra would have to win 2-sets races to 9 to win the title and was up for the challenge by winning the 1st set 9-4. In the second set, Beckley rallied back to win 9-7 and earn his first 4-Bears Classic title and a purse of $1,300.00. By Thursday’s 5:00 PM deadline, 128-players had maxed out the field abandoning some extra players, so the committee decided to open up the field so that ALL 149-players could participate in this year’s main event. In the $10,000 added 8-ball main event, players from 14-states and 4-Canadian providences which
2012 Women
s 8-Ball Cha
Nicole Keen
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included some of the top rated professionals in pool; Shane Vanboening, Stevie Moore, John Morra, Brandon Shuff, Shane McMinn, Jeff Beckley, Jesse Engel and Mark Haddad. Jeff Beckley, Reno Open 8-ball winner and just winning the p U r 9-ball classic had e n Run n o i p m his eyes set on a h 8-Ball C winning backto-back-to back championships, which proved to be a little too much by exiting early with a 24th-32nd finish in the 8-ball event. However Beckley wasn’t the only professional to exit early, Shane Vanboening
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Mo n h o y J l e k c ff Be
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ask for the Facebook Fan discount
www.hawleys.com
8 Rackem Magazine - May 2012
$1,500. 00 The committee would like to thank all of the players who played is this years championships, Big Truck from Texas for televising the Internet matches, all the vendors and sponsors. And a special thanks to our host; The Four Bears Casino and Lodge, including all of their employees and general manager Pat Packinuea.
2012 Mens 8-Ball Champion
Mark Haddad
(Four Bears continued on page 25) 6149 E 31st St Tulsa, OK
Toll Free 800-938-3000 Custom Pool Cues, Cue Cases, Billiard Supples and Gameroom Furnishings
and defending champion Lee Huewagon also failed to make the money and/ or the final 32-redraw. Mark Haddad of Colorado and Jesse Engel of Minnesota paired up in the 8-ball championship final match. Mark who went undefeated though the winner’s side brackets and Jesse winning from the 1-lose side bracket, and once again just like the 9-ball event Jesse would have to beat mark twice to win the title. Jesse proved he had a shot at the title winning the 1st match 7-4. Mark’s strong play continued as he won the second set 7-4 to win the title, cash and was awarded an embroidered jacket for his efforts. The women’s division was just as tough which included some of the best players from North & South Dakotas, Montana and two top WPBA touring professionals Nicole Kenney and Melissa little. But in the end it came down to Melissa and Nicole in the finals. And just like the men’s event Nicole would have to beat Melissa twice, in two-sets race to 5 to win the championships. The first TV match went to Nicole winning 5-3 and in the second match Nicole squeaked by with another 5-3 win over Melissa to win the championship and 1st place purse of
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FAMILY BILLIARDS ROOM PRO SHOP - CUE REPAIR CUES - CASES - SUPPLIES
COLUMNIST
Mike Massey
Slam Dunk (aka Smiley Face or Half Moon) The first time I saw this shot was on a video by Yoshikazu Kimura. Everyone loves this shot, which Earl Strickland christened the Slam Dunk. Others call it the Smiley Face or Half Moon Shot. The set up is the big key to this shot because three of the balls must travel long distances to the corner pockets. So take care in lining up the combos and tangent lines as shown on the diagram. Hit the cue ball in the center and aim for a full hit on the 1-ball. Use a hard stroke. When practicing this shot, it helps to have a friend watch closely so they can tell you where each ball that misses hits the rail. This will help you make the necessary adjustments. For instance, if the 2-ball hits to the left of Pocket A, you will need to move it clockwise just a little so that the tangent line points a little farther up the long rail. You can place a series of object balls where the dots are located. This makes the shot even more impressive because the balls in the cluster appear to explode out of the center of the table. Once you’ve mastered this shot, you might try placing glasses of water where the dots are located. But be aware that an error could possibly damage the cloth.
GETTING WAXED IN JAPAN
I was in Japan for a TV show when disaster struck on the Slam Dunk. Before an exhibition I always go over the table and check out my shots, especially the set-up shots. After evaluating the table I decided to go to dinner before the show. While I was gone the organizers waxed the balls to a bright
Mike Massey
shine. The producers wanted them to look their best for the show. Before I left for dinner the balls looked immaculate. So when I went back to the table I didn’t think the waxing would affect my shots. I was wrong. I set up the Slam Dunk with 13 shot glasses full of water spaced so that the balls would go between the. When I shot hard into the 1-ball, it forced through a little more than I had planned for and hit the point of the side pocket. It then bounced out across the table, breaking four of the glasses. I was reminded of why 13 is the unluckiest of numbers. It was so quiet you could have heard a pin drop. Now when I do an exhibition and use glasses of water, I always leave this shot for last just in case. In all of the times I’ve played this shot, this is the only time I’ve spilled a drop. Whew! EXPLANATION OF ABBREVIATIONS: SUR: Set up Ratings EXR: Execution Ratings MSR: Mike’s Success Ratio
Nine time World Champion, Mike Massey is considered pool’s best trick shot artist. He was voted the “Best in History” and is a member of the BCA Hall of Fame. Mike’s most amazing accomplishments were in two 24 hour poolathons. In one he pocketed 8,090 balls playing with one arm. In the other poolathon he ran 330 racks of 9-ball in Austria on live TV. Mike has consulted or appeared in the movies, “The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia”, “The Baron and the Kid”, “Justice”, “Chalk”, and “Pool Hall Junkies” Mike is available for exhibitions and clinics. Please contact Mike or Francine Massey at 435.640.5787 or francine.massey@gmail.com
SUR: 3.5 EXR: 2.5 MSR: 95%
MIKE MASSEY
Nine Time World Champion
EXHIBITIONS & CLINICS Contact Mike or Francine Massey 435.640.5787 francine.massey@gmail.com
To order Mike’s book call 888.295.7665 or 714.894.1157 Visit us on the web at www.billiardspress.com
May 2012 - Rackem Magazine 9
COLUMNIST
San Francisco Billiard Academy www.sfbilliards.com
Bob Jewett
San Francisco Billiard Academy is a BCA Certified Master Academy. The academy offers: Private Instruction Basics Clinic Eight Ball Clinic Nine Ball Clinic Introduction to Billiard Instruction BCA Recognized Instructor Course BCA Certified Instructor Course
10 Rackem Magazine - May 2012
Bob Jewett Passing T hrough
How many times towards the end of a game of 8 ball have you found yourself frustrated by a position like those in the diagram? You have cleared your group and are ready to claim a win except for one unfortunately placed ball of your opponent. Here are six techniques that may help you escape from this trap and win on this turn. In Shot 1 the 8 and the 11 are frozen together. In this situation, if you shoot the 8 straight towards the 11 -- and in the diagram hitting the 8 full will drive it directly towards the 11 as required -- the 8 will travel forward after the 11 leaves. Draw on the cue ball will help with this but it’s not absolutely required. To test the shot without draw, put a third object ball in front of the 8 where you want the cue ball to land and try the 3-ball combo. Shoot firmly. The middle ball (8) should follow the other ball into the pocket. The 8 and 11 must be really, really touching; even a small gap will destroy the action. In Shot 2 a different technique is needed because the 8 is not touching the 12. Depending on the balls, it may be possible to use draw on the cue ball and transfer enough follow to the 8 ball that it will follow the 12 into the pocket. Try this on your table with about a quarter-inch between the 8 and 12 and with medium draw on the cue ball. Super draw is bad here because it will just slip on the 8 and not grab. Try different speeds from moderate to high to see what works. While trying the draw shot method, you may have found the third technique: if you shoot Shot 2 hard with a little elevation, the cue ball may jump up a little and land on the 8 which is still where it was when it hit the 12. This is a little risky as you might land the cue ball on the floor instead. A fourth technique works in Shot 2 if you are playing with a “bar ball” -- a large cue ball on a table that has that kind of ball-return sorter. Just shoot firmly with draw. The cue ball, being more massive than the 8, will not stop on contact but will slide through to contact the 8 ball a second time. In situations like this you can get remarkable draw from a cue ball that normally destroys your backspin. A fifth technique, also for the position in Shot 2, is to use follow on the cue ball. This is a finesse shot and you must shoot along the right line with the right speed. If the shot is not absolutely straight, you will have to
pick the angle that will maintain the needed cue ball-8 ball contact. Shot 3 shows a situation where the table will provide the needed follow for the 8 ball. As the 8 travels across the cloth to the 13, it will pick up top spin by rubbing on the cloth. The amount depends on the distance it travels before hitting the 13, the stickiness of the cloth, and the speed of the shot. On this shot you do not want high speed as that doesn’t give the 8 ball time to pick up spin. Try this shot on your table with a variety of speeds and distances between the balls to see what works best. Finally, you shouldn’t overlook a safety opportunity if you are not ready for the “hero shot.” In Shot 2, playing the combo very softly will leave your opponent stuck for a shot if he doesn’t have something nearby to shoot at.
JUNIOR PLAYER PROFILE
SHAWN D. BEGAY
NAME: Shawn D. Begay HOME TOWN: Gallup, New Mexico BIRTH DATE: August 28, 1997 SCHOOL YOU CURRENTLY ATTEND: Gallup High School GRADE: Freshmen FAVORITE SUBJECT IN SCHOOL: Math and Geometry AT WHAT AGE DID YOU START PLAYING POOL: 9 years old TITLES/HIGH FINISHERS: • 2011 BEF Junior National 9-Ball Championships, Runner- up, 14 & Under Boys’ Division • Lucasi Tour, Phoenix, Arizona - First Place • BEF New Mexico State Junior 9-Ball Champion • Navajo Nation Fair Boys & Girls Club Pool Tournament, Window Rock, Arizona – First Place OTHER NOTABLE AWARDS: Represented the United States at the 2011 WPA World Junior 9-Ball Championships in Kielce, Poland WHAT KIND OF CUES DO YOU USE: Lucasi Hybrid LEFT OR RIGHT HANDED: Right SPONSORS: Lucasi Hybrid - Florida; Kamui Tips - California; and Slop Shot Billiards - Gallup, New Mexico
FAVORITE BAND/MUSIC: Country HOBBIES: Hunting and Playing Basketball MEMORABLE POOL MOMENT: When I was invited to play in the WPA World Junior 9-Ball Championships in Kielce, Poland FAVORITE FOOD: Navajo Traditional recipes REAL - WORLD HERO: My Dad FONDEST CHILDHOOD MEMORY: Family cook-outs GOALS (PERSONAL AND/OR CAREER): Complete grade school and go to college to study to be an Electronic Technician
JUNIOR BILLIARDS... PLAY. SPONSOR. GET INVOLVED WWW.BILLIARDEDUCATION.ORG
May 2012 - Rackem Magazine 11
COLUMNIST
The Monk
KEYS TO SUCCESS! KEYS TO SUCCESS!
CONFIDENCE, LUCK AND CONCENTRATION CONFIDENCE LUCK AND CONCENTRATION Tim Miller
This is not a feel good program. This is the real deal. You will be working with the monk for over four months. You will be working step by step to build the skills at nine ball that your opponent does not have. You will master the important moves this game calls for. You will become a master nine ball player and play better nine ball than you have every played this game before. May all the rolls go your way, The Monk
CALL THE MONK TODAY 1-603-566-6229
I Iam in Manila right am in Manila right now filming a clip for a company in New Zealand. This place has a wonderful following for the now filming a clip for a game of pool. In many restaurants they have a poster of Effren Reyes. He isin a national hero inZealand. the Philippines. company New How do you become a hero in this game?
You must learn how to practice. This is vital to any form of skill development. Deliberate practice and specific training will take away any limits you might have. It is not talent that brings you to the top it is commitment and a dedication to excellence. Effren once walked in to a Chicago pool hall broke and ran three racks of rotation in a row. That killed all his action. He is that good. He could very well be the greatest player who ever played the game. He told me he spent hours upon hours working on one shot. He did not run balls he worked on building skills. He would set up a shot and see if he could get the cue ball three rails to land on a dime circle. He ever told me he used my 2-7-2 Cue Ball Speed system to perfect his position play. What I like about these Filipino players is that they perfect one shot before they move on. They know how to train. I had a student in Russia who went through my book The Lesson and mastered every single lesson. When I was in Moscow we filmed him shooting each shot. His sponsor told me he worked on The Lesson book for almost two years. In New Zealand Matt Edwards worked on shots from The Lesson until he became the top player in the south Pacific. I really enjoyed working with this remarkable boy. We spent two years together. His skills are enormous. You become a hero when you work on skill development. These players and many more champions did not throw balls on the table and play games. They did not go out and compete in meaningless matches, instead, worked for hours on Cue Ball Speed, Shot Making and the Four Strokes of Pool. I went to a pool hall here in Manila and worked on a Cue Ball Speed pattern from my book THE ROAD PLAYERS NINE BALL TRAINING. I told myself
http://www.monkbilliardacademy.net/9-balltrainongprogram.html
12 Rackem Magazine - May 2012
to slide across the table for an angle shot on the next ball. Many times I went too far and ended up straight. I continued my training. It was vital I build the muscle memory that would enable me to land the cue ball in a specific spot. Once I achieve this, I logged it in my mind and continued to deliver the stroke that would give me the desired results. I became aware of how it felt, what it sounded like and the visual experience of seeing the ball slide to the right spot. In other words, I mastered the skill until it became mine. When you “pile rocks” you must focus on one specific skill. I will shoot balls and pay close attention to how I land on the cue ball and my finish. I shot many shot like this. I also focus on the sound of the cue tip going through the cue ball. There will be times in a match when I am tired and cannot think. I will need to recall how it sounds to hit a good shot. I build skill in everything I do. Training is skill development. You must also build the way you think. Effren Reyes once faced a tough three rail shape shot to win close to a half of million US dollars. He could have clinched the shot and then had a tough shot on the eight ball. I would have done that. I would not have taken the chance with the three rail shot for position. Effren, on the other hand, knows what shot to shoot. That is his mind set. “I try to shoot the right shot all the time”. He is not thinking about the money. He has mastered his mind. After he delivered the stroke, he was straight in with an easy shot on the winning eight ball. See the shot know the stroke shoot the shot. You should begin your training so you become a hero, if not a hero in the world, a hero in your home town. Become the player you deserve to be. I have scheduled a two day workshop in Atlanta Georgia for May 26th & 27TH. I hope you will make plans to attend. Go to my web site, www.monkbilliardacademy. net and learn the details of this remarkable workshop. As always, I bring exciting guest teachers so you receive personal attention to your skill development.
May 2012 - Rackem Magazine 13
R E S U LT S
By Dragon Promotions
Saratoga, Wyoming- Rodney "Rocket" Morris won his second time in Saratoga at this year's 5th Annual Wyoming Open. He went through a talented field of 8-Ball players that included the likes of Charlie Williams, Raj Hundal, Amar Kang, Mark Tadd, Tony Piazza, Marc Vidal, and more. The event was sponsored by Poison Cues by Predator and Asia's #1 cloth Andy Cloth will be the official cloth used during the event.
and qualify for the final 16 bracket. Raj Hundal only dropped 2 games (to Williams), in his first 3 matches with two 7-0 shut-outs. Rodney Morris cruised through along with road buddy Amar Kang to the winner's bracket finals which Amar won.
In the final 16 rounds, the players were all drawn into a new double elimination bracket. Unknown local Utah talent Ace Brown upsetted Charlie Williams 6-4 in a stellar played match. Raj Hundal dropped The Wyoming his match to Amar Open drew nearly Rodney "Rocket" Morris "AK-47" Kang but 150 players from rebounded with a Colorado, Utah, 7-6 decider over Ace Brown. Williams rebounded Wyoming and of course the top pros with back to back wins including a 7-1 over which came from England, Florida, and Vidal, a 7-6 revenge match over Hundal, and a California. There were a total of 5 events 7-6 over Mark Haddad. Leaving the final three including the opening night Saratoga Open, and the 8-Ball main events with Sportsman, players Williams, Morris, and Kang which became known as the Rat Pack, the pro crew of players that Classic, Masters, and Ladies divisions. traveled to the event together and roomed. " Almost all the divisions were full, so I'm Morris stopped Williams from a Wyoming Open really ecstatic about that. There will definitely repeat at 7-4 and then defeated Kang 7-6 in the be a 6th Annual Wyoming Open next year. I first set of the finals. Forcing a deciding set, Morris plan on making the event bigger and better for came back from a 2-0 deficit to win 7-4 to become all the players and divisions. We always want the Wyoming Open Champion again. improvements. ", says EJ Glode , promoter of the Wyoming Open. "EJ does a terrific job promoting pool in the region of the country. I always look forward to coming In the Classic Division which was hosted for intermediate level players, Ronnie Chavez defeated here to play and help out", said Morris. Rodney is Chris Wilson in the 64 man field. Jordan Thayer sponsored by Poison Cues made by Predator which he has his own signature line, and managed by and Chris McCreary rounded out the top 4. Dragon Promotions. In the Sportsman Division, Eric Coincedentally Morris, Kang, Williams, and Burgman won the event over Brian Hundal all use Predator Poison technology and Guice. The Poison Cues Ladies Open they represented the top 5 finishers of the event saw Melissa Little go undefeated over Tenille which was sponsored by Predator and Poison Cues. Whitten in the finals. The Masters Division drew 57 players with several contenders. Defending Champion Charlie "Korean Dragon" Williams took an early loss to Raj Hundal in the second round but managed to come back 14 Rackem Magazine - May 2012
The pro players will give fans and players an opportunity to learn tomorrow in Wyoming at the Poison Pro Pool School hosted by Duke's Bar & Grill.
Classic 1st Ronnie Chavez 2nd Bruce Wilson 3rd Jordan Thayer 4th Chris McCreary 5th Ole Olson Chuck Gemelli 7th Alan Hendricks Travis King 9th Aaron Schnitker Nick Dittmar Shannon Fisher Sam Diep 13th Troy Maben Jason Burt Kirk Brenamann Bobby Brown
$1,250 $1,000 $800 $600 $350 $350 $225 $225 $125 $125 $125 $125 $65 $65 $65 $65
Masters 1st Rodney Morris $3,200 2nd Amar Kang $2,400 3rd Charlie Williams $1,800 4th Mark Haddod $1,300 5th Raj Hundal $750 Tony Piazza $750 7th Mark Vidal $400 Steve Pierson $400 9th Shane Wertz $200 BJ Spencer $200 Ace Brown $200 Tom Bourdeon $200 13th John Sandifer $100 Mike Kushlan $100 Andrew “ATM� Pettenger $100 EJ Glode $100 Sportsman 1st Eric Burgman 2nd Brian Guice 3rd JJ Morris 4th Trey Brattin 5th Tyler Hopkins Bill Ward 7th Jason Michael Earl Espy 9th Desi Grootegoed Reg Forster Casey Tully Jackie Norwood
$400 $300 $200 $150 $85 $85 $50 $50 $30 $30 $30 $30
The event is majorly supported by the town's own businesses which include : Hotel Wolf, Duke's Bar & Grill, Valley Foods, Riviera Lodge, Carbon County, and Shively Hardware. For more info or to play in the Wyoming Open contact EJ Glode ejglode@yahoo.com or 307329-8924.
Manny Chau
DOMINATES in Houston
O
On April 14th-15th, 2012, the Lone Star Tour boasted 32 Open division players and 50 Amateur division players at Bogies Billiards 1k added Lone Star 9-ball event. Tour regulars included Jerald “Top Water” Jackson, Dave Ramirez, Riley Lemons, Robert Odom, Danny Lee, and many more. Among the Amateur competitors were Natalie Smith, Barbara Black, Lana Kopsie, and Loretta Lindgren who competed for “top lady” prize money. Also, DeAndrea McQuirter became the first lady this year to compete in the Open division of the Lone Star Tour and will be the only female ranked in the Open standings. We hope more ladies will come out to test their skills! At the close of Saturday’s action, 8 players from the Open and 12 players from the Amateur divisions were brought back for Sunday’s competition. In the Open division, Manny Chau breezed through his bracket to meet Jason Watson for the hot seat. After losing 9-5 to Chau in the final 4 winners’ side, Steve Lenz ousted Brent Thomas 7-5 while Chase Rudder eliminated Jeff Chauncey who finished a respectable 5th. Rudder bested Lenz 7-0 while Chau secured the hot seat over Watson 9-4. Rudder made quick work of Watson, OPEN 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th-6th 7th-8th
Manny Chau Chase Rudder Jason Watson Steve Lenz Brent Thomas, Jeff Chauncey Robert Demetro, Rick Castillo
$440 $310/$350 $230/$175 $100/$50 $70 ea. $40 ea.
7-0, for a rematch with Chau who bested him earlier, 9-8. At 8-8, Chau broke and ran the table to secure the first set, and the undefeated victory. In the Amateur division final 8 winners’ side, it was Sonny Demetro over Chuck Adams 7-4, Junior Jueco ousted Jonathan Poon 7-3, Steve Lindgren over Herman Campusano 7-3 and Joey Torres bested Rich Rodriguez 7-4. The next round of winners saw Torres beat Lindgren 7-1 and Jueco squeeze by Demetro 7-6. Jueco then overcame Torres for the hot seat, 7-3. On the west side, Wendell Moser made a huge comeback winning 7 consecutive matches after losing his second round to Rick Castillo. He was stopped short by Brent Thomas who had the most incredible run of 9 consecutive winning matches after losing his second round match to Anthony Clark. Thomas met Jueco in the final and took the first set 7-5. In overtime, Thomas was down 4-3 when Jueco broke and made 3 balls on the break. Jueco ran the last rack and ended Thomas’ run, 5-3.
Congratulations to Natalie Smith who earned “top lady” and Joey Torres who captured the Junior tournament with John Romero, runner-up. Many thanks go out to Bogies Billiards and staff for hosting a fine event, as well as Jerald Jackson, Chuck Adams, BCA referee Derrell Montgomery and especially Carl Miller for their Tour assistance. The Tour would like to acknowledge its official cue, Poison by Predator www.poisonbilliards.com, and official rack www.delta-13.com, along with www.poolwebsites. com, APA of North Harris County, Gulf Coast Billiards www. gulfcoastbilliards.biz, and www.Pool-Trax.net. The Lone Star Tour T shirts were a huge hit! You can only purchase these T’s during an official tour event. The next Lone Star event is June 16th-17th, 2012, at Houston’s Sports Bar, 1942 FM 1960 West, Houston, Texas 77090, 281-580-7777. The Poison by Predator Tour (www.pxptour.com) invites for the June 2nd event are going out, so check your email; 50 invited amateur players, 1 day, 1k added!
RESULTS AMATEUR 1st Junior Jueco 2nd Brent Thomas 3rd Joey Torres 4th Wendell Moser 5th-6th Sonny Demetro, Steve Lindgren 7th-8th Chase Rudder, Jonathan Poon
$500/$600 $350/$400 $230/$325 $100/$100 $70 ea. $40 ea.
9th-12th Herman Campusano, Rich Rodriguez, Chuck Adams, Rick Castillo $25 ea. TOP LADY Natalie Smith
$80
JUNIORS 1st Joey Torres 2nd John Romero
$50 $25
May 2012 - Rackem Magazine 15
WOMEN'S US OPEN 9-BALL CHAMPIONSHIPS RETURN TO TULSA! River Spirit Casino in Tulsa to Host its 2nd WPBA U.S. Open, June 6-10, 2012
TULSA, OK - The 2012 U.S. Open 9-Ball Championships return to the fabulous River Spirit Casino in Tulsa, Oklahoma June 6-10, 2012 as Great Britain’s Allison Fisher attempts to defend her title, won on this very stage on June 19, 2011. The quarter final, semi final and final matches will be taped by ESPN for seven onehour national broadcasts. The WPBA U.S. Open 9-Ball Championships is a major stop on the Women’s Pro Billiard Tour and is happy to make its home at the River Spirit Casino for a second year in a row. Said WPBA president Tamre Rogers, “The River Spirit Event Center and Casino staff were second to none, and Tulsa fans are simply the best! The event and staging were spectalular and the tour is already looking forward to returning to Tulsa in 2012.” “River Spirit Casino and the River Spirit Event Center are pleased to have hosted the 2011 Women’s US Open 9-Ball Championships and proud to have been selected to host the event again in 2012 and 2013,” commented Jerry Floyd, General Manager at River Spirit. “The Tulsa area and the entire state support and deserve world class events such as this one. We are committed to making this year’s event bigger and better than 2011.” Already slated to compete are the best known names in the world of women’s pro billiards, including European and World Champion Jasmin Ouschan; famed "Black Widow" Jeanette Lee; Chinese sensation Xiaoting Pan, British "Kwikfire" Kelly Fisher; 2010 U.S. Open champ Ga Young Kim aka "Little Devil Girl"; BCA Hall of Famer and defending champion Allison Fisher; USA's own Monica Webb; and BCA Hall of Famer Ewa Mataya Laurance, who stunned the pool world with her victory over Allison Fisher in the tour’s season opener at the WPBA Masters in Michigan earlier this year. NEW to this year’s U.S. Open will be a playoff between WPBA’s East and West Coast Regional Tour champions. In years past, the Regional Tour Championships was a single event hosting the top regional tour players from around the country. While this event will continue to host the top regional tour players, this year’s format is a bit different in that West Coast and East Coast division winners will each receive a paid spot to the 2012 WPBA U.S. Open. These division champions will not only participate in the WPBA U.S. Open, they will also play a final playoff match for the title of 2012 Regional Tour Champion! The WPBA U.S. Open 9-Ball Championships 16 Rackem Magazine - May 2012
will once again kick off with a charity pro-am on June 6, 2012 at 7 p.m. Open to the general public, fans have a chance to compete against top players while raising money for Komen for the Cure Tulsa. It all takes place at the River Spirit Event Center, adjacent to the River Spirit Casino at 81st and Riverside in Tulsa. Visit www.riverspirittulsa.com/entertainment/eventcenter for tickets and more information! ABOUT RIVER SPIRIT CASINO AND EVENT CENTER River Spirit Casino, Tulsa's $195 million casino project at 81st & Riverside, showcases 300,000 square feet of gaming space and is one of the largest gaming floors in Oklahoma. With over 2,600 high-tech electronic machines, 23 table games and 15 poker tables, River Spirit Casino offers the most current technology and latest games available. The facility features four dining and beverage venues including the largest casino buffet in Oklahoma, a steakhouse, a 24-hour café, a lounge and a sports bar. The newly renovated River Spirit Event Center is located at the site of the former Creek Nation Casino - Tulsa at 81st and Riverside Drive. The venue has nearly 20,000 sq. ft of useable space for sporting events, entertainment, conventions and meetings and all amenities. For more information on River Spirit Casino please visit www.riverspirittulsa.com. As an active community partner, River Spirit Casino provides a positive economic impact for Tulsa and surrounding towns. Proceeds from gaming operations help to fund a variety of Muscogee (Creek) Nation service programs such as housing, education, elderly assistance and healthcare. For more information on the tribe's history and government, please visit the Muscogee (Creek) Nation's Web site. www.muscogeenation-nsn.gov ABOUT THE WOMEN'S PROFESSIONAL BILLIARD ASSOCIATION (WPBA) The WPBA was established in 1976 as the Women's Professional Billiard Alliance, and celebrated its 35th anniversary in 2011 as the oldest pro player organization in the sport. The WPBA sanctions and produces the Women's Pro Billiard Tour, which features ESPN-televised events with the world's greatest women players. Visit www.wpba.com for more. The WPBA Classic Tour is sponsored by Diamond Billiards (tables), Iwan Simonis (cloth), Delta 13 (racks), Pooldawg (supplies), and Aramith (balls).
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Tribute to
Grady ‘The Professor’ Mathews Article & Photos courtesy of OnePocket.org
January 3, 1943 - April 18, 2012
A bearded 'Professor' photographed at one of the Red's tournaments in '83 or '84 Photo courtesy Bill Porter
They called him ‘The Professor”,
but
they could just as aptly have called him Mr. One Pocket. It is hard to imagine a model for contributing more to the game of One Pocket than exhibited over the career of Grady Mathews; he has truly been an ambassador to the game. Born January 3, 1943 in San Antonio, Texas, when Grady was a teenager his family moved to San Mateo, California, just about 25 miles outside of the pool Mecca of San Francisco. Grady was a good natural athlete, but once he got started with pool, that is where he turned his attention. He proved to be an adept student of pool, especially the game of One Pocket, honing his skills at fabled Cochran’s in San Francisco in the early 1960’s before he took to the road. Just about every great player of that era made appearances at Cochran’s. As Grady tells it, “You had guys there at Cochran’s like ‘Bananas’ Rodriguez. ‘Mexican Phil’ was another one. Those two guys couldn’t run a lot of balls, but boy could they play One Pocket! The young guys like me and Rich Marques and Ronnie Barber and Denny Searcy and ‘One Eyed Hank’; we’d kick shots around, trying different ways to do things. We learned pretty quickly as young people are wont to do. I don’t think you could find a better learning facility than Cochran’s.” Grady actually worked at Cochran’s for a while, until it became clear he could make more money playing pool than he could working. In the late 60’s, Grady moved to Texas and ended up at another great action room, Le Cue in Houston, frequented by such greats as Jack ‘Jersey Red’ Breit, Danny Jones and ‘Connecticut’Johnny Vevis, the winner of inaugural Johnston City One Pocket tournament. In 1975 Grady opened his own poolroom in Denver, CO, which he ran for seven years. It was during this time that Grady’s One Pocket game really matured. It was also during this time that he recalls first starting to take notes about the
18 Rackem Magazine - May 2012
18 Rackem Magazine winner - May 2012 Grady with tournament Ed Kelly photo courtesy Dennis Wilson
Grady competing in 1981
Photo courtesy Billie Billing
nuances and details of One Pocket – the kind of studying that may have contributed to his moniker, ‘The Professor’. Those notes certainly contributed to his wealth of knowledge about the game, and over the years Grady really developed his role as teacher, including many years of regular magazine columns, eleven instructional videos on the game, hundreds of exhibitions, clinics and private lessons all over the US – mostly featuring One Pocket. As a tournament player, Grady topped very tough fields to win four major One Pocket tournaments: • 1983 Red’s Open One Pocket • 1984 Sid Mann’s World One Pocket • 1985 Red’s Open One Pocket • 1995 Olathe, KS Legends of One Pocket As a One Pocket tournament promoter Grady brought fans of the game 19 major One Pocket tournaments spanning twenty years, including his gold standard, Legends of One Pocket. The “Super”One Pocket tournament he and his good friend Richie Florence promoted in 1993 (won by Ed Kelly) featured what to this day is the highest purse for a One Pocket event. Many of his Legends of One Pocket tournaments were filmed by Accu-stats featuring excellent expert commentary, leading to a wide distribution of One Pocket knowledge to a whole new generation of players and fans. All of this adds up to why Grady was the top vote-getter for our very first One Pocket Hall of Fameelection back in 2004. He was the ideal candidate -- a great player, great teacher and tireless promoter of the game. Yes, he is ‘The Professor’, but you could also call him ‘Mr. One Pocket.’
Thank you, Grady Mathews, for your unsurpassed contribution to the legacy of pool, and especially One Pocket.
In his role of Master of Ceremonies for the One Pocket Hall of Fame,Grady congratulates inductee and old friend Billy Incardona
May2012 2012-- Rackem - RackemMagazine Magazine 19 19 May 2012 Rackem Magazine 19 May
All 32 players
My Experience at the
East Coast WPBA Regional Tour
Article & Photos By: Janis Sessions
It was like a dream come true when I found out that I was eligible to play for the East Coast WPBA Tour. I have been waiting for this opportunity and when I received an email from Mimi McAndrews, Director of Flamingo Tours; “I COULD NOT BELIEVE IT!” I’m like, “WOW, I FINALLY MADE IT!!!”
This is a once in a lifetime opportunity for me and I can’t be thinking about what my chances are of winning. I worked hard to finally make it this far and I will give it my best shot. After learning that I will be attending the tour, I immediately booked a flight and made reservations. Luckily, three other Flamingo Tour players were also going to the tournament: Kelly Cavanaugh, Melissa Durkins and Elenor Freeman aka “Jane”. It felt good to know that my fellow players will
Becky in the front and her sister in the back. Enjoying lunch at This is Bob and Janice the owners of 150 N Billiards and Darts billiard place. Becky was our director.
20 Rackem Magazine - May 2012
be joining me and we can support each other. Jane and I booked the same flight and shared a hotel room together. Finally, April 13th arrives and Jane and I flew to Mooresville NC. The event was held at place called 150 n Out Billiards & Darts. After we settled in our hotel, we went to check out the facility. The place was fantastic and the whole setup was what every pool player dream of: great layout of the tables, spacious and the
Meg (Second Place) My (Winner)
4 for the Flamingo Tour (Kelly, Jane, Janis and Melissa)
tables play fast. I met Bob and Janice, who were the owners of the place. They said that they did their homework first on how they wanted the place to look like. They did a phenomenal job of planning this and they have a great staff and people. Check out their website at www.150noutbilliardsanddarts.com. That night during practice, we met some of the players like Shanna Lewis who was playing at the J. Pechauer Tour. Some of the ladies whom I met over the years were playing at the Miss Cues Regional Tour. After practice, we head back to our hotel to rest up because tomorrow is the “Big Day”. Saturday, April 14th was tournament day. There were a total of 32 players. 4 boards with a round robin format having 8 players on each board. Jane, Kelly, Melissa and I (Flamingo Tour players) was placed separately on each board. The match began at 10:00 am. We are playing 6 rounds and a race to 5. What’s nice about this format is that we have the opportunity to play all the players on your board. This allows players to play a lot of pool time. On my board I played against: Teruko Cucculelli, Cheryl Pritchard, Kathy Friend, Nicole Vincent, Kia Sidbury, Christina Hansen and Buffy Jolie. I met Kia’s husband and daughter who also enjoy shooting pool. Another thing I have in common with her is that we share the same faith in our Lord, which was “super neat”. That day, it was nice to see family and friends coming out to support us. The last round was held on Sunday. All the players return to see who receives the cash prize and who makes it to the Final 8. The Final 8 players will play a race to 9, single elimination match. I won 22 games out of a total of 57 games. One match won over Cheryl P., another match was double hill with Buffy Jolie. Both players made it to the Final 8. I was pleased with how I played. It was a great experience and I got to meet players who came from Chicago, Pennsville, Maryland and North Carolina. From our Flamingo Tour players, Kelly Cavanaugh and Melissa Durkins got in the money and finished 13th place. Congrats to both of them. Kelly had the toughest round having to play Janet Atwell, Megan Smith and My-Hahn Lac.
FINAL 8 PLAYERS WERE: Buffy Jolie vs. Shanna Lewis Megan Smith vs. Lisa Cossette Braiana Miller vs. Cheryl Pritchard Eugenia Gyftopoulos vs. My-Hanh Lac During the Final 8 match, there were some pretty amazing safety plays and winning shots like combo on the 9-ball. There were players who brought out there jump cue sticks. FINAL 4 PLAYERS WERE: Buffy Jolie vs Megan Smith Braiana Miller vs. My-Hanh Lac Smith and Lac played strong to finish their matches as they both advance to the final round to compete for the East Coast Regional Tour Championship. FINAL 2 PLAYERS WERE: Megan Smith vs. My-Hanh Lac The matches played at the final round were at a WPBA level of play. Lac had the lead and had a very nice break and run. Smith returned with her own break and run. Sometimes the players will get the ‘hangers’, those balls that just won’t go in. When that happens, it just drives you crazy. The score ended up with a double hill match. Smith was about to take it home but had one of those ‘hangers’ which left the 8-ball for Lac to clean-up and win the final match. Great game! I hope the WPBA will keep these events going. I want thank Becky Todd for all the hard work that she did along with her sister who helped out as well as Robin Kelly for making this an amazing 2-day tour. Also, thanks to Bob and Janice for hosting this event and for putting together a fantastic billiard room. But most of all, thanks to friends and family for supporting and encouraging me via text messages. I will definitely be taking more lessons from my coach, Harvey Mason. What I got out of this whole experience is to keep practicing, stay focused and most of all, have fun playing pool. May 2012 - Rackem Magazine 21
STORY
Lucky
#16 Back at the Ranch
Lucky and I have been back to the Lucky Q Ranch only a few days. All after the California and Northwest trip, We had snow storms winds up to 100 miles an hour good to be somewhere nice for a while. We passed on going to Reno to the Bar Box Championships and to the WBCA Regional in Lincoln City. Both favorites of his…..We had been out on the road for a several weeks and I could see Lucky needed a rest. Lucky talked a lot on the drive to the ranch. It was mostly how impressed he was with Detroit John back in Portland pool hall. Nice guy! Thinks he made another good friend. Lucky hopes Detroit John starts playing pool more because like Lucky pool is something you can do no matter how old you get, Lucky is proof of that. I was starring out the kitchen window drinking a cup of hot fresh brewed coffee. Some of the best coffee I seemed to ever have, not sure why coffee is coffee but this must have been some imported high quality stuff….
roads to the office we went. The Doc’s place looked like a big home. We walked up to the office went inside few cars outside. It was dimly lit no over head lights on. Light was chiefly from a blazing log fire to warm the place and sun coming through the window...a small crowd sitting around waiting to see the doctor. Finally it was Lucky’s turn. I waited thumbing through some magazines. Over the years I have known Lucky I noticed he has aged. Like a fine wine but it hard to think that someday even I will be old like he is. I have benefited and learned so much being around him as has his friends and others who have come to know him through his stories. I am constantly being asked how like is… He always has said that “people have to decide what to do with the time they are given and make it good”, that sounds just like a phrase out of Lord of the Rings…
what a way to see the world, playing pool….
In the back yard was blooming white, pink, yellow flowers scattered among the well seeded grasses. An idyllic setting at the start of Spring... the radio on in the back ground and in the distance, the gentle chirping of a group of robins flying from one limb to another in the garden building nests in trees. The shinning sun just coming up over the snow tipped mountain top in the off in the distance. What a morning……… I thought this is living….. Lucky out in the back sitting at the table is reading a book while HUMMING to the tune on the radio “The Road Goes Ever I’ve got one more silver dollar...rolling his piece of straw in his mouth “ A figure in the grass sits up, looking straight at me looking out the window it is a handsome young squirrel, with bright eyes eating some of the vegetation. I walked out to the back Lucky’s eyes alight with excitement “Good Morning” Tossing away the long stem straw, The squirrel runs off.
Lucky surveys the peaceful scene before him. “Well, what can I tell you? Life in the world goes on like this every where much as it has in the past. Full of its own comings and goings majesty, scarcely even aware of the existence of Mankind ...for which I am very thankful....but if we don’t do something about global warming this will all change…..Human really are amazing creatures. They think they can learn all that there is to know about their ways in a one life time and yet, after hundreds of years, they can still learn nothing. You don’t need to be a scientist to observe the changes in nature. This beautiful morning scene normally has been a month earlier. Some people are so selfish they want the Earth’s resources now! Not considering the consequences. “Use it while you can attitude” I say enjoy it cuddle it and savor it while you can……. Again Lucky is being profound and philosophical. Not sure that Lucky has many if any short comings, he is a well rounded man. Lucky is always taking stock of his surroundings and never forgets from where he came or what he was left. The day was still beautiful. That’s all I could see, but I think that was Lucky’s point. Lucky had to go see the doctor nearby. We got in the truck and over the gravel
22 Rackem Magazine - May 2012
BY: ANDREW MONSTIS
I just reached for another magazine, just then Lucky came out of the examination room. He had an indifferent smile on his face. It was a bewildering look I could tell something was up. The doctor said “See you in two weeks” we walked out to the truck…”Well what did the doctor say”. Lucky said “Nothing much I am fine”. Usually a Doctor doesn’t have you back in a short time. All Lucky really said about it was “We will have to wait to go back to the road until after next visit to see Doc”. We got back to the ranch where we went to the pool den and Lucky started to hit some balls. He showed me this shot where he jumped over a stack of balls and hit the rail and it bounced over another group of balls to pocket a ball in the side. He set it up almost identically again and made it. A shot I had not seen done deliberately but by accident. We started to make plans. He said that he wanted to go to the National BCAPL Tournament in May one of his favorite action spots these days. He also mentioned he wanted to go to an event in Asia. I was thinking wow getting out of the US to play pool. The trip is three fold he said. ?? I didn’t understand. He explained Play pool win money, See the sights and talk to small village “barefoot doctors” who know herbal medicine and have special remedies. The phone rang “Hello Askar, how you doing?” Askar wanted to know what happened that we were coming to Seattle area. Lucky explained that he had to take care of some business at home. The conversation went on a while…. Askar said he could get a game with Dan Louie and a few others who were around the area. He told Askar he knew Louie and they played a long time ago. They played when Louie was a young champion. Lucky told Askar he wasn’t able to come there and bust everyone for a while. That he had some other things he had to do, Askar said the money is good right now!! But we still couldn’t make it but looked forward to coming to Seattle soon. Lucky asked Askar to play like he didn’t know him if anyone asked…. Lucky got off the phone, it looks like we have a lot of plans and places to go. We talked about Europe and all the places in US like Oklahoma, Texas, Arizona and even more east coast stuff…I thought too many spots to go to but what a way to see the world, playing pool….
BOSSHAMER Sonny Demetro, Sonny Bosshamer, and Will Felder
HAMMERS THE COMPETITION
The Poison by Predator 9-ball event hosted on March 31, 2012 by Bogies Billiards and Games in Houston, Texas proved to be just as successful as the first. The one day event boasted a tournament payout in excess of $5,000 with 50 invited, amateur players. The field included tour regulars Dalton Riley, Brian Rosenbaum, Steve Lindgren, Loretta Lindgren, Bill McCormick, Robert Hitchcock, Eric Gauthier, Val Charles, Mark Fusina, and many more! Match play began at approximately 2pm following the player auction. The swift race to 6, winner break format, produced numerous upsets throughout the day and into the evening. Winners’ side final 16 upsets included Will Felder over Chase Rudder 6-2, and Brian Rosenbaum over Brent Thomas 6-5. One-loss side upsets included Dave Ramirez over Casey Crews 6-3 and Chris Penry over Jerald Jackson 6-5. New faces on Tour included J.J. Manley, Dee Davis, and Kyle Perry who all made the east side final 8 and had a great finish! Newcomer Jeff Chauncey lost his second match, then defeated Bill Fuller, Val Charles, Chuck Adams and Bobby Perez, but was stopped cold by Rosenbaum for a top ten finish. The final four winners’ side saw Felder best Perry and Oklahoma’s Dee Davis fall to Sonny Bosshamer, 6-3. This pitted Felder against Bosshamer for the hot seat. Meanwhile, after suffering defeat at the hands of Bosshamer 6-3 in the east side final 8, Sonny Demetro made his bid for first eliminating Thomas, Manley, Perry, and Riley. Back east, it was a hot seat heartbreaker for Felder, losing 6-5 to Bosshamer. Adding insult to injury, Felder became Demetro’s fifth and final victim on his trek to the finish line. Bosshamer ended Demetro’s *Tournaments *Cue stick tip and shaft repair *Cue sticks & supplies *Lessons *In house & traveling leagues ISPA, ACS, VNEA
218 Walnut St - Muscatine, IA
563-263-7665 www.krugzpoolhall.com
run, 6-3, for an undefeated Poison Tour victory. Congratulations to Sonny Bosshamer who has now captured both Lone Star and Poison Tour titles using his Poison VX playing cue and his Poison VX2.9 break/jump cue. The Poison Tour would like to thank its exclusive venue host, Bogies Billiards and Games. Live streaming was provided by Eugene Lee and official BCA referee services by Derrell Montgomery. The next Poison by Predator Tour 9-ball event is June 2nd. To qualify for this event, simply participate in the April 14th-15th Lone Star Tour stop’s amateur division at Bogies Biliards. Want to take your game to the next level? Visit www.poisonbilliards.com or www.predatorcues.com then call 713.825.1411 to place your order with Kim White, Authorized Predator/Poison Dealer. 1st $800/$1,025 Sonny Bosshamer 2nd $475/$740 Sonny Demetro 3rd $325/$580 Will Felder 4th $200/$300 Dalton Riley 5th-6th $125/$140 Kyle Perry, Dee Davis 7th-8th $100 J.J. Manley, Brian Rosenbaum 9th-12th $62.50 Brent Thomas, Steve Lindgren, Chris Penry, Jeff Chauncey
Watch for Upcoming Tournaments Schedules 8525 Cottonwood St NW Coon Rapids, MN 763-780-1585
May 2012 - Rackem Magazine 23
Product Review
I wanted to try out the new HUSTLER cue by Tiger Products and asked Tony to send one to me for evaluation. He sent the TH-2. It has a Sneaky Pete design, which I really like. I was struck by the feel of the stick when it hit the cue ball. The Sniper laminated cue tip which comes standard provided the perfect hit. Tiger’s patented cue design is unlike any other and you really want to try this cue out. It features the Ultra-X® high performance shaft that Tiger is known for and that plays so well. Visit the Tiger Booth (23-24) at the BCAPL National 8 Ball Championships in Las Vegas in May. Tell Tony that “Rackem” sent you by to test out the cue. I recommend it. Don Akerlow, Publisher “Rackem”
PRODUCT DESCRIPTION
Tiger Hustler Series Cue (TH-2) This HUSTLER cue features Sneaky Pete design in Bacote, fully spliced into a light color Canadian Hard Rock Maple forearm and accented with black, natural and black point trims. Thin black phenolic ring complements the butt cap and wood to wood joint creates solid one piece cue look. Each cue features the Ultra-X® high performance patented technology shaft (low deflection shafts are optional) and a radial Tiger joint protector. MSRP $409
PRESS RELEASE
Pool 300 Sanctions with CSI
Henderson, NV. - April 4, 2012 - CueSports International (CSI) is proud to announce the sanctioning of Pool300 by the BCA Pool League (BCAPL), starting June 1, 2012. CSI and Pool300 have reached a long term agreement to sanction all Pool300 players with BCA Pool League.
“CSI is proud to be affiliated with Pool300. We are very excited about Pool300 sending 50% of all local teams to our BCAPL National Championships at the Rio Hotel & Casino Las Vegas in July 2013. This is the highest percentage that any league has ever tried to send to nationals. It allows more players to participate in The Greatest Pool Tournament in the World and reinforces the CSI mission: More Choices for All Players,” stated Mark Griffin, CEO of CueSports International. From a recent Pool300 press release: “Most competing Pool Leagues either don’t offer a paid trip to their National Championship or reward a very small percentage of their teams, usually 5% or less. Pool300 will reward 50% of the teams in each league with a trip that includes roundtrip airfare, hotel accommodations, and entry fee into the tournament. “In POOL300, clearing the table in order without missing gets the shooter a strike. Clearing the table with one miss is a spare. POOL300 is 100% offense.
24 Rackem Magazine - May 2012
When it’s your turn, you’re shooting for yourself, not directly against another player. Players are handicapped in the same way as bowling so beginners can compete against accomplished players and still have a chance to win. “For complete details go to http://www.pool300.com or to get a league started contact Scott Willoughby at 855-TRY-POOL300.” For more information about the BCAPL National Championships visit www. playbca.com. CueSports International (CSI) is dedicated to creating more choices for all players. In the past seven years CSI has directly paid out approximately Seven Million Dollars to players. CSI is the parent company of the BCA Pool League and the USA Pool League. CSI also produces independent events such as the US Bar Table Championships, the Jay Swanson Memorial, the US Open One Pocket Championship and the US Open 10-Ball Championship. Visit www. playcsipool.com, www.playbca.com and www.playusapool.com for more information about CSI and its divisions. CSI leads the billiard industry in the development of technology. For more information on the state-of-the-art software systems for league and tournament management visit www.leaguesys.net andwww.ctsondemand.com.
F our Bears (continued from page 8)
R e sults 9-Ball Payouts: 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th 7th 8th
$1,533 Jeff Beckley $1,022 John Morra $730 Mark Haddad $511 Brandon Shuff $438 Stan Tourangeau $438 Shane VanBoening $366 Stevie Moore $366 Shane McMinn
8-Ball Payouts:
1st $4,500 Mark Haddad 2nd $2,500 Jesse Engle 3rd $1,500 Danny Olson 4th $1,000 Eric Durbin 5th $700 Brady Gollan 6th $700 Gene Albreght 7th $550 Michael Perron JR 8th $550 Danny Watson
Ladies 8-Ball Payouts:
1st $1,500 Nicole Keeney 2nd $1,000 Melissa Little 3rd $700 Timi Bloomberg 4th $500 Val Wilhelmi 5th $300 Stephanie Barnes 6th $300 Rachael Nadeau 7th $200 Julie Bruenell 8th $200 Mary Plante
Scoreboard
CR’s MPA Singles 8 - Ball Tournament Mar 24,2012 Open - 8 Ball - Singles Master/AA Division - 22 Entries 1st Scott Tollefson $500.00/$520.00 2nd Lee Heuwagen $350.00/$310.00 3rd Mario Parayno $200.00/$210.00 4th Dave Pearl $100.00 5-6 Dave Coon $60.00 5-6 Jeff Johnson $60.00 A Division - 14 Entries 1st Jolene Herum $270.00 2nd Kyle Anderson $170.00 3rd Tim Stadther $120.00 4th Mark Bailey Jr $70.00 B Division - 19 Entries 1st Johnny Neisen $230.00 2nd Todd Tokheim $130.00 3rd Lindy Ellenbaum $90.00 4th Peter Semler $60.00 5-6 Chris Caskey $40.00 5-6 Tracy DAndrea $40.00 C Division - 14 Entries 1st Bob Hutchins $200.00 2nd Dave Dehn $130.00 3rd Ron Tobias $80.00 4th Celeste Healey $50.00
May 2012 - Rackem Magazine 25
Presents
Call First - All Tournaments are subject to change without notice
Click on the MAP link online to get directions to each location DATE CITY LOCATION PHONE May 5 LaCrosse, WI Charlie’s Inn (608) 788-4977 May 5 Beaver Dam, WI Brewski’s Ale Haus (920) 356-8990 May 5 W Bend, WI The Last Pocket (262) 353-2405 May 9-20 Las Vegas, NV BCAPL (702) 719-7665 May 9 May 10 May 11 May 12 May 16 May 17 May 10-13 Las Vegas, NV CSI (702) 719-7665 May 14-19 Las Vegas, NV BCAPL (702) 719-7665 May 12 Waupun, WI The Other Bar (920) 324-5505 May 12 Lenexa, KS Side Pockets (913) 888-7665 Jun 2 Houston, TX Bogie’s Billiards (713) 825-1411 Jun 8-10 LaCrosse, WI Moose Lodge (608) 788-1908 Jun 9 Kaukana, WI Ets Dog Pound (920) 462-4667 Jun 16-17 Houston, TX Houston’s Sports Bar (713) 825-1411 Jun 23-24 Spring, TX Big Tyme Billiards (281) 288-0800 Jul 7-8 Houston, TX Bogie’s Billiards (713) 825-1411 Jul 20-28 Tunica, MS Southern Classic southernclassictournament.com
Jul 20-22 Tunica, MS CSI (702) 719-7665 Jul 23-25 Tunica, MS CSI (702) 719-7665 Aug 11-12 Round Rock, TX Skinny Bob’s Billiards (713) 825-1411 Aug 30-Sep 3 Scottsdale, AZ BCAPL playbca.com
EVENT / RULES ENTRY ADDED TIME LINK 8-Ball $30 9AM 8-Ball $25 Call 10AM 8-Ball $20 10:30AM BCAPL Nationals Varies $800,000 payout Call MAP 9-Ball Singles Open Scotch Doubles Master/Advanced Sc Dbls Grand Master Singles Open/Women Teams Master/Trophy Teams U S Open One Pocket Call $10,000 Guar Call U S Open 10-Ball Call $25,000 Guar Call 8-Ball $25 11AM Metro Sports Rack & Roll $30 Call Noon Poison Tour-Open/Am/Jrs Call $1,000 Call Janet’s Pool Tour Call Call Call Scotch Doubles Call Call 11AM Lone Star Tour-Open/Am/Jrs Call $1,000 Call 9-Ball Call $2500 Call Lone Star-Open/Am/Jrs Call $1,000 Call 9-Ball Banks Online $10,000 total Online MAP One Pocket Online Online MAP 9-Ball Online Online MAP 8-Ball - Men’s Open Division $50+$25 fees $3,000-1st w/64 Noon 8-Ball - Women’s Division $50+$25 fees $500-1st w/16 Noon 8-Ball - Men’s Sr (55+) Division $50+$25 fees $1,000-1st w/32 Noon MAP 8-Ball - Juniors Division FREE (w/8) Prizes-Entry Noon 9-Ball - Men’s Open Division $50+$25 fees $3,000-1st w/64 Noon 9-Ball - Women’s Division $50+$25 fees $500-1st w/16 Noon 9-Ball - Men’s Sr (55+) Division $50+$25 fees $1,000-1st w/32 Noon MAP 9-Ball - Juniors Division FREE (w/8) Prizes-Entry Noon Lone Star Tour-Open/Am/Ladies Call $1,000 Call Southwest Regionals Varies $6,000 Online MAP
WEEKLY TOURNAMENTS Call First - All Tournaments are subject to change without notice
DATE Wednesdays Thursdays Fridays Saturdays
CITY Oshkosh, WI Muscatine, IA Oshkosh, WI Coon Rapids, MN Farmington, MN Muscatine, IA Tulsa, OK Oshkosh, WI Farmington, MN Tulsa, OK
26 Rackem Magazine - May 2012
LOCATION Varsity Club Krug’z Pool Hall Varsity Club CR’s Sports Bar Farmington Billiards Krug’z Pool Hall Q-Spot Billiards Varsity Club Farmington Billiards Q-Spot Billiards
PHONE EVENT / RULES (920) 651-0806 9-Ball Beginners (563) 263-7665 Pool/Darts (2nd Shift) SE (920) 651-0806 9-Ball Intermediate (763) 780-1585 8-Ball on 7’ Diamonds (651) 463-2636 8 or 9-ball rotation (563) 263-7665 9-Ball Race to 4 or 5 (918) 779-6204 8-Ball 7 & under (920) 651-0806 9-Ball Open - Break Pot (651) 463-2636 8-Ball Bar Box Hdcp (918) 779-6204 9-Ball 7 & under
ENTRY ADDED $8 $5 $10 $16 $75 $10 $50 w/16 $5 $5 $15 $5/player Guar. $20 entry $25 every 8 $10 (incl. g.f.)
TIME Call 1AM Call 7PM 6:30PM 8PM 9 PM Call 2PM 9 PM
CueSports International ~ MORE CHOICES FOR ALL PLAYERS! CueSports International ~ MORE CHOICES FOR ALL PLAYERS!