SPM Magazine Issue 5

Serena Black Future World Champion!

Interview - Pg 21

and more...

Sponsors Pete Mafia 1 - FebruarySneaky Sneaky Pete Mafia Magazine - 2015 - Magazine Issue- February 5 2015

Table of Contents 24. Hillbilly Smacker Review - Pg 56 25. Stop Shots - Pg 59 26. PoolSchool: Introduction at an early age - Pg 64 27. Showing off a trick shot - Pg 67 28. Heather Kurtz & Pool Passion - 70

1. How Sneaky Pete Mafia Was Born - Pg 4 2. Hit The Cueball Low And Where You Want - Pg 7 3. All Consumed by Pool - Pg 9 4. Memorable Beginnings - Pg 13 5. The Entreprenurial Spirit Lives On - Pg 14 6. Confessions Of A Pool Hustler - Pg 16 7. Ebony Custom Made Cue - Pg 17 8. Scott Erwin Breaking Cue - Pg 18 9. Passing The Torch - Pg 20 10. Serena Black: Future World Champion - Pg 21 11. The purpose of Defensive shots? - Pg 24 12. Dont’t get beat by the rules - Pg 25 13. Charlie Williams Interview - Pg 27 14. What would a sucker do? - Pg 29 15. When One Championship isn’t enough - Pg 31 16. Thin To Win - Pg 33 17. The Virtual Tournament Director - Pg 38 18. Constant Provider - Steve Lomax - Pg 39 19. Snagg your Cue - Pg 40 20. Shooting Pool with your Baby - Pg 43 21. Seeing the Drill - Pg 46 22. Where have all the poolrooms gone? - Pg 51 23. Keep Calm & Play Pool - Pg 55

www.jbcases.com

Editors & Staff

We are an eclectic group of creative people from across the United States that have come together to help create this magazine, blog , facebook and website for Sneaky Pete Mafia to Promote love of the sport of pool & billiards and the game in general.

Sneaky Pete Mafia Magazine - February 2015

2

Contributing Writers Max Eberle is a Dover, Ohio born professional pool player, instructor, author,and artist, currently residing in Las Vegas, Nevada. Max is the 2013 Derby City Classic 14.1 Champion and twice a Bronze Medalist at the World 14.1 Tournament, 2014 & 2006. He is a 4 time West Coast 9-Ball Champion and 3-Time National 8-Ball Champion.

As a youngster, Robert “Cotton” LeBlanc was introduced to the sport of billiards at a local bowling alley that owned one pool table in his hometown of Memphis, Tennessee. He was just 12 years old. A quick learner, he became skilled at the game and mastered it under the guidance of top billiards professionals in the state.

Jacqueline Karol is known as “The Angel of Billiards.” She began playing pool when she was three years old. Her father, a nuclear engineer, introduced her to the game and taught her the fundamentals. Jacqueline now lives in Northern California and offers a variety of training programs. You can check her out at her website.

Justin CuttingJustin Cutting is a 36 year old construction foreman and has two children with his wife—Tatum 11 and Anthony 3. He has been playing pool for about five years and has played in the APA national 8 and 9 ball team event in 2012. Tatum has participated in the APA Junior nationals in 2013 -14 finishing 9th both years.

Joe Young is owner and operator of American Cueist Billiards, a retailer, cue repair mechanic and owner of Mighty Custom Cues since 2002. In 2012, partnered to open Fat Albert’s Billiards, South Jersey’s premier billiard room. American Cueist Billiards is an authorized dealer for Jacoby Custom Cues, Viking Cues, Meucci Cues, Kamui and G2 Tips.”

Allan Sand is a certified pocket billiards instructor, qualified by the PBIA (Professional Billiards Instructor Association) and ACS (American Cue Sports). His focus is on helping players become the “Intelligent Shooter” (thinking before shooting). He has played the Green Game for more than 50 years and now resides in Santa Clara, CA.

Patrick Sampey, aka Cellophane Man, is a US Army veteran, billiards enthusiast, from Gainesville, Florida and is 42 years old. He is Air Assault qualified, COMPTIA A+ Certified Repair Technician and an Electronics Technician.

Meagan Krafjack is a freelance writer from Bonita Springs, Florida. Her passion for writing began at the age of seven, during a second grade short story contest. As an avid pool player, who struggled with nervousness and fear during games, she is inspired to help novice players gain both knowledge and confidence through her experience.

Jonathon Smith-Bey has been a stand up comic from Detroit for 20 years, a novice cue sportsmen with a profound love of the game and training. He also writes for Sneaky Pete Mafia.

Kelly Linzy has been training with Jacqueline Karol for over two years, during which time she finished in the Top 10 WPBA points list on the Tiger West Coast Women’s Tour and became “Top Shooter” in her league. She does exhibitions with “The Angels of Billiards.”

Anthony Beeler is a 2013 BCA National 9-Ball team champion. He also finished 9th out of 1086 players in the 2013 BCA National 8-Ball Championships. He is a certified Level 3 instructor for the American CueSports Alliance and is the founder of Maximize Your Potential Billiards Academy located in Bradfordsville, Kentucky.

Florian Kohler grew up in easter France and did not start playing pool until the age of 18 when he received a six foot pool table from his parents. He has set a record for highest jump shot on a moving ball, at 23 inches. He speaks 3 languages, is a licensed Optometrist and holds a black belt in Judo.

3

Sneaky Pete Mafia Magazine - February 2015

The Story of How Sneaky Pete Mafia was Born. ~ Garret Troop I started Sneaky Pete Mafia on March 4th 2012.

My family and I were homeless and my wife was eight months pregnant with our daughter, Willow. We were trying to move in to a larger place but needed to give a 30 day notice beforehand. We felt we found the perfect place and were moving up in the world. After we finished filling out the paperwork we thought we were all set when we were told that we had to deposit four times the rent before moving in. I didn’t know anyone that made that kind of money.

We went back with the idea that we could take back our 30 day notice but we were told that they had already rented the place out and we only had 72 hours to vacate or they would press charges. We found what we could afford at the time — a drug-infested hotel — where we remained for many months. This was where Willow was born. Since we needed to pay the rent, I began playing pool for money — not hustling, but straight up playing. At the time I had a nice collection of cues and a good case.

I played in tournaments for any money that I could get and did well for a time. This was great, but the pool ran dry fast and I couldn’t find a game anywhere. Not knowing what to do, I ended up selling everything I had to el line on the way with Universe Clothing & Accessories. a dear friend who gave me well above market price for We hope to offer much more to the industry as we are what I had and really helped us out for a bit. working so hard to grow.

The rent was high. It was $285 a week for one room with a shower, microwave and a sink that was always clogged.

Well, as a pool player I was going nuts without my cues and I really hated bar cues. Since I had a FaceBook account, I decided to start trying to help. I created the group with the intent of helping others and trying to spread the word about the sport. I really had no idea how big it was at the time. I had never heard of any of the great players then like I know now.

My point is that Sneaky Pete Mafia started off as an idea.

Then it became a dream.

Now it is a business.

On a personal note, I have never ran a business before in my life.

I have always worked for others.

I really am doing all of this from scratch and seeing what needs need to be filled in the industry Time goes on and we had hard times. and turn this into an active, sucWe had to sleep in our car which was a Black Ford Focus cessful, functional business. hatchback that we still have to this day. But we started Yet here we are. moving up in the world and the group grew.

Today we not only have a group, but a fan page, website, This is why I try and give back. magazine, blog and an LLC business License and ApparSneaky Pete Mafia Magazine - February 2015

4

5

Sneaky Pete Mafia Magazine - February 2015

Sneaky Pete Mafia Magazine - February 2015

6

Hit the Cue Ball Low & Where you Want.

before their cue tip strike the cue ball. This causes the tip to raise and not hit low enough and is difficult to see oneself doing. Even many instructors may miss this when watching a student.

I’ve trained myself to watch closely what a player is doing and catch what is going wrong.

~ Max Eberle

If this is your problem, I suggest you think of the draw as more of a stabbing the cue into the table than as a normal stroke.

One of the biggest problems new students of the game have in being able to draw the cue ball is that they are simply not hitting the cue ball low enough to generate the backspin required for the cue ball to change direction and come backwards from the object ball.

Even though I teach to drop the elbow on the stroke, this does not mean to drop the hand very much at all.

The grip hand will swing down and when the cue is coming in at the ideal angle into the bottom of the cue ball, the stroke than goes forward like an ice pick going straight down into some ice. In this case the cue will be heading down into the table.

Hitting the cue ball low enough requires a very accurate tip placement onto the cue ball during the final stroke. Getting to this accurate position requires a good bridge hand that holds the cue at good level and a cue that is angled nicely down into the bottom of the ball.

Make sure to keep your elbow high enough to angle the cue down in the first phase of the draw stroke.

Having a level stroke is not what you want on a draw shot. Of course you don’t want to shoot downward at One thing you can do to help remedy not hitting the too much of an angle, as that will limit follow through cue ball low enough, is to look at the cue ball when and forward cue power, but you do want to shoot you hit the ball. Now your main target is the bottom down into and through the bottom of the ball. of the ball and you just try to stroke the cue through where your vision is focused. Imagine a hole that was So many of my students drop their grip hand too far drilled out of the ball through the bottom and your cue is going through that hole, where you will be looking toward.

Also, it is good to let the cue scrape the table right after it hits the bottom of the ball, scrape the table for 4-7 inches (or so).

The draw stroke is pretty complicated while figuring it out. The work is very much worth it in your game.

Max Eberle is a Dover, Ohio born professional pool player, instructor, author,and artist, currently residing in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Max is the 2013 Derby City Classic 14.1 Champion and twice a Bronze Medalist at the World 14.1 Tournament, 2014 & 2006. He is a 4 time West Coast 9-Ball Champion and 3-Time National 8-Ball Champion.

7

Sneaky Pete Mafia Magazine - February 2015

JARED MCGEE

SHAUN “GET SOME” WILKIE

JENNIFER BARRETTA

THORSTEN “THE HITMAN” HOHMANN

MATT KRAH

JAYSON SHAW

S P O O K TA C U L A R S AV I N G S Buy ANY Lucasi Hybrid that retails for $379.99+ and receive a FREE AIR HOG or buy ANY Lucasi Hybrid that retails for $899.99+ and receive a FREE BIG BEULAH 2 That’s up to $379.99 absolutely FREE! * Offer is valid from Oct 25th. - Dec. 15th, 2014 or while supples last. This offer excludes LH10-LH50 and can not be combined with any other offer.

w w w. l u c a s i h y b r i d . c o m | 1 - 8 0 0 - 8 3 5 - 76 6 5 A Global Division of Cue & Case Sales, Inc.

Sneaky Pete Mafia Magazine - February 2015

8

Greg “Spanky” Hogue: All-Consumed

by Pool. {Interview, Part 1} dealership in Tulsa and had commuted 110 miles a day to get to work. After 30 years, the dealership showed their gratitude by buying her a house in Tulsa so she didn’t have to commute anymore.

This meant that at 13, Greg moved to Tulsa.

Tulsa. It is and always has been one of the best pool towns around.

Everyone in Tulsa plays good pool. Scotty Townsend and Charlie Ford are the only two players that have ever come through Tulsa having won all the money.

Moving to Tulsa meant moving to a new poolroom, Q-Spot. This is where he got his first taste of action. Greg told me, “A lot of people have a negative outlook on action, but if it wasn’t for me growing up with action I wouldn’t be the player I am today. When you are playing for cash out of your pocket at a young age, you have to be serious about your game. I played my first $500 set out of my pocket at 15.”

“I’ve ate, slept, bled pool my whole life.”

Greg Hogue admits to being focused on pool. He has been allconsumed by the game since 1981. At the age of five, Grandpa Frank (“Pops”) took him to a restaurant called Self’s Coney Island in Wagoner, Oklahoma, put him on a milk crate in front of an old American Eagle bar table and handed him a house cue. Greg made six shots in a row. He was hooked.

That was 33 years ago. Since then, pool has woven itself into Greg’s blood.

At the age of 11, Greg graduated from playing at Self’s Coney Island to a rec center called Sure Shot, owned by Norman Rowe.

Here he entered his first tournament playing Snooker. He was the youngest player, competing against all older men, the oldest about 55 years old: farmers, salesmen, and a stay-at-home dad. Greg walked out the winner. While they weren’t professionals, Greg was only 11.

Greg with his friends, Shane Jones & Darrell Cowen in the early years.

It was pretty impressive, and it felt good to win.

Q-Spot was also where he got his nickname, Spanky. Richard TemGreg remembers Sure Shot’s owner’s son: “I’ve been all over the pleton gave him the name when they were playing a 4-handed ring country and played all sorts of pool players. Gary Rowe, his son, game, and Greg had just won six in a row. Richard said, “You better was one of the best players I have ever met. And the local sheriff. not win another game or I’ll have to call you ‘Spanky’ cause you He did nothing but play pool in that rec center and do his job as keep spanking our asses…” Naturally, Greg won the next game, sheriff. I have a long list of Champions I have competed against all making it seven in a row. over the United States and Gary Rowe was as smooth and played as well as anyone I have ever witnessed or competed against…”

And that is how Greg Hogue came to be called Spanky.

Raised by his grandparents, Greg’s grandmother worked for a car Greg played at Q-Spot for the next year and a half. There wasn’t 9

Sneaky Pete Mafia Magazine - February 2015

enough action there for him, so he asked Pops where he could go Estell left Tulsa in 2008, and moved to California. In 2010, Greg to get more. Pops took him to the best action room of all time, in was in California and ran into Roger. It was like the best family Greg’s mind. He took Greg to the Tulsa Billiard Palace, on 11th and reunion anyone could ever have. They spent hours catching up.

Harvard, then owned by Jim McDermott and John Lapardis.

Once Greg found Tulsa Billiard Palace, his grandparents couldn’t When he walked through those doors for the first time, it was like get him to go to school anymore. Grandma tried tough love, anywalking into a holy place, a sanctuary devoted to pool. The second thing and everything, to get him to go to school. Finally, she gave he walked in, he knew he could not be a 14 year old boy anymore. in, and allowed him to pursue his passion. She even supported him There were nothing but pool players, gamblers, and professionals by allowing an account to be set up at the Palace, where he would here, and they weren’t going to tolerate any 14 year old coming charge everything and she would settle up the bill at the end of evinto their space, acting like a kid. He had to instantly grow up. If he ery week for him. Thus, Greg quit school at 14 to pursue a life of couldn’t act a certain way, if he couldn’t cut it, then he couldn’t be pool. There have been a lot of struggles on his path, and there are in Tulsa Billiard Palace. moments he wonders what would have happened if maybe he had gone to school, to college—maybe there wouldn’t have been such a struggle. But then again, maybe he’d be going crazy sitting at a And Greg really wanted to be in this place. desk all wondering about what may have happened if he had just The caliber of players in this place was like nothing Greg had ex- followed his dream of pool. perienced before: Fat Randy Wallace, Randy Jones, Jim McDermott, Mike Betts, Bobby Baldwin, Jay Ecohawk, Mark Coats, Jeff Greg was also the BCA State Junior Tournament Champion in 1990 Melton, Justin Whitefield, Larry Burns and Charley Ford. Roger and 1991, which was hosted at Tulsa Billiard Palace. This qualified him to compete in nationals in Louisville, KY. Jim Mc Dermott Estell was also there. and John Lapardis took him to both of these the big tournament. In Roger was the man who taught Greg plenty of life lessons along 1991, “Oultmulgee” Jack Arnold went with them to the tournament with the mental side of the game, and holds a special place in Greg’s in Nashville, TN. Unfortunately, in 1990, Greg got too busy payheart. There have been plenty of players he has learned from, but ing attention to the action instead of his game, and he came in 9th place…and, as he remembers, there was a action room in Nashville none of them like Roger. as well. Greg was older but no wiser; it was the same as the year Now, you can go broke in a poolroom, especially if you were a before. He blew the BCA event off to stay in action. kid like Greg was. Most of the older guys that hung out at Billiard Palace would see him walk in and think, “Fresh money…” Most of In 1991, at age 15, Greg was privithem beat Greg to death and took his money, but Greg feels every leged to play an exhibition match beating he ever took was part of paying his dues. As Greg said, “If with Willie Mosconi. Seventy years you don’t pay your dues, you can’t call yourself a pool player.” The old, Mosconi was on his last tour quality that separated Roger from the others was that he saw the around the U.S., and Tulsa Billiard Palace was one of the last stops on potential in Greg, just a teenage kid.

Mosconi’s tour. To this day, it is one of the highlights of Greg’s life.

Mosconi holds the straight pool high run record of 526 consecutive balls, and no one has touched his record in 60 years. It felt good to be in the Willie Mosconi presence of one of his idols and actually play with him. An added plus, Greg had everyone connected to pool in town watching him play, which was very cool. They played 9-ball, and they raced to five games. He thinks the final score was 5 to 3.

Roger Estell Greg Hogue beat Willie Mosconi.Mosconi came over and shook his hand and told him he played well. Greg still gets emotional now Estell made Greg pay for his lessons in his losses at the table, but just thinking of it.

Roger played him cheap. Greg can’t begin to count how many $30 sets and breakfasts he lost to Roger during his early years. Roger This moment was truly the highlight of Greg Hogue’s young life. made sure Greg took something away from each of their sessions, something that advanced him a little each time. Truly, Roger Estell Photos (except Mosconi) provided by Author. was Greg’s mentor.

By Marcee Murray King|August 28th, 2014 Sneaky Pete Mafia Magazine - February 2015

10

11

Sneaky Pete Mafia Magazine - February 2015

INTRODUCING...

THE NEW FACE OF SPIN! PRO SOFT

THREE DIFFERENT HARDNESSES

ONE ULTIMATE FIT PRO MEDIUM

IT’S HOW THE GAME

SHOULD FEEL PRO HARD

100% PREMIUM PIG SKIN LEATHER IMPORTED FROM JAPAN LAYERS LAMINATED FOR UNIFORM PERFORMANCE AND PLAYABILITY

Pig Skin Tips are made of 100% Japanese

HIGHLY POROUS LEATHER RETAINS CHALK BETTER AND MISCUES LESS

pig skin, held by many to be the finest in the world. Engineered to give great grip and consistent shots, this 8-layer tip is professional grade with highly porous leather that retains chalk better and

ENGINEERED TO GIVE GREAT GRIP AND ACCURACY

miscues less. Laminated for uniform performance and playability, PureX Pig Skins make using english easy.

FO R M O R E I N F O R M AT I O N V I S I T W W W. C U E A N D C A S E. C O M O R C ALL 800- 835- 7665

Sneaky Pete Mafia Magazine - February 2015

12

Memorable Beginnings ~ Mike Johnson

I don’t recall any specifics of those three games, but I do remember I won the first two. My dad handed me the five dollars and the three guys left never to return.

I remember it like it was yesterday, but it was actually 39 years ago.

I was five and we lived in Seattle, Washington. My dad had a pool table put in the basement, along with a bar for him and his friends. The table seemed huge, and I believe it was just a seven-footer. I began with just a shaft and a stool—I would crawl right up on the table for those shots where the cue ball wasn’t close enough to reach from my stool.

I’ve been hooked as long as I can remember. I can play and play before I realize that four, five or even eight hours have passed.

Well, that’s the story of how I came to the great game of billiards. I only wish I could play more!

Before long I was pocketing balls regularly.

My dad bought me a short cue. After just a few months, I was beating my dad and his friends (I think they let me at first.) After several more months, they struggled to beat me.

We soon moved to Northern Minnesota. My dad’s friend owned a bar, and we were there frequently. The old guys would give me pointers on the table. I played every day and couldn’t get enough. Didn’t take long before the old guys were struggling to win a game!

One night three strangers came into the bar and were playing pool. I put up my quarter, and when my turn came up they said I couldn’t play because they where playing for money. I asked how much, and they said a dollar a game. I had money, and said that I would play a dollar game.

Photo: dominiqueb/Flickr ~ Editor: Hannah Blue

They said, “No, you’re just a kid.”

As I was only eight at the time, they didn’t want to gamble with me. I pulled up a chair alongside my father, and he asked what was wrong. I told him the story, and he said “You have the money, go play.”

I came back shortly after being rejected yet again by the three men. Now my dad got involved. He walked over to the guys and asked why they wouldn’t let me play. Same story—didn’t want to gamble with a kid.

My dad asked which of the three was the best shooter.

The other two agreed on who was their best, and my dad bet him $5 that I could beat him two out of three games.

Reluctantly, the guy agreed.

13

Sneaky Pete Mafia Magazine - February 2015

The Entrepreneurial Spirit Lives On in Pool

~ “Mighty” Joe Young

Meet John Tidd.

It is always inspiring to hear the successes where opportunity meets hard work. In an industry where it is commonly heard and feared for the lack of interest and growth, John Tidd of Crown Billiard Supply, found such an opportunity.

His story is not unlike yours or mine—the colorful balls rolling and bouncing from one end to another, that unique sound of cue hitting cue ball and of course the satisfaction of pocketing balls—envelops you and you fall in love. His introduction started at 15 years of age.

His accomplishments are many and highly respectable.

He is the owner and operator of Crown Billiard Supplies (a retail pro shop out of Burke’s Billiards in Torrington, CT), an authorized dealer for Balabushka, McDermott and Schon Cues and retailer of dart supplies. He has his own brand (and design) of custom cues called 683 Custom Cues with a raving endorsement from World Trick Shot Artist Andy Segal, forged a relationship with custom cuemaker Mark Theriault of MT Cues and together, commissioned one of a kind cues for local tournament winners.

What’s more impressive, is that John has done all of this within the past three years.

I don’t know where he finds the time, but he’s a full-time cabinetmaker by trade… what’s next John?

For more information click on Crown Billiard Supply and 683 Custom Cues, and MT Cues.

After eight months, John decided to become a dealer for Balabushka and now the cases are filled with many popular high-quality cues. As with equipment, the need to service them arises so he reached out to 15 year veteran Mark Theriault of MT Cues. Providing his customers with repair services and upgrades, John’s relationship with Mark grew too.

Being the savvy marketer that he is, John believed the best way to grow his brand was to create his own line of cues and 683 Custom Cues was born.

Together, they’ve created cues for local tournament winners and John hopes to soon feature themed cues too.

Sneaky Pete Mafia Magazine - February 2015

On the topic of leagues, guess who’s also a local division representative for the APA? You guessed it— it was John.

John’s foresight and vision to capitalize on opportunities and network with like-minded individuals will catapult his businesses and more importantly, help grow the sport that we all love.

Seeing a need to support local players and knowing the owner of Burke’s Billiards, a well-established pool room in Torrington, John placed a simple 12-cue display case with some basic accessories there for sale. Demand was high and that quickly grew to another 24-cue display case with more offerings at varying price points. Interest grew to include more accessories, books and DVDs.

Each 683 Cue is personally designed by John and commissioned to MT Cues. The cues are limited to 2 unique designs per year and are traditional-style designs.

Never one to let an opportunity go, dart leagues are popular at Burke’s and guess what? Crown Billiard Supply offers that too.

Joe Young is owner and operator of American Cueist Billiards, a retailer, cue repair mechanic and owner of Mighty Custom Cues since 2002. In 2012, partnered to open Fat Albert’s Billiards, South Jersey’s premier billiard room and winner of Best Billiard Hall 2014 from Philadelphia Magazine. American Cueist Billiards is an authorized dealer for Jacoby Custom Cues, Viking Cues, Meucci Cues, Kamui and G2 Tips.”

Photo: blog/youandmecharlie Editor: Edith Lazenby

14

15

Sneaky Pete Mafia Magazine - February 2015

Confessions of a Pool Hustler.

~ Robert LeBlanc

Las Vegas, NV. Left fatherless at the tender age of 12 years old, Robert “Cotton” LeBlanc spent the next year grieving his father’s death, then left his widowed mother, younger brother and older sister behind in Memphis, Tennessee so he could discover his fate—playing pool along the back roads of America.

That long grief-filled year before he hit the road, Cotton spent most of his days and nights at community centers and bowling alleys learning to play pool. It was the one thing that eased the emptiness in his heart. He soon realized that not only was he skilled at the game, but that he also had a “silver tongue” and dazzling smile that captivated most everyone he met.

He honed his talents and made friends quickly in the pool world. Before he left on his travels across the country, he met and played with such legends as Mike Massey, Buddy Hall, U.J. Puckett and others. The tips and tricks he learned from these players launched him into a secret world unknown to most people, which lasted almost 40 years.

While on the road, Cotton teamed up with the likes of champions New York Blackie and “St. Louie” Roberts, and also came face-to-face with criminals, thugs, killers and others he befriended, because as he justified, “It’s better to have them on your side, than against you in the pool world.”

Then, at age 16, he was confined to a full bodycast for a year due to a near-death auto accident in Texas that put him in a coma, and where three of his pool buddies perished.

His sister drove him back home to Memphis in the back of a station wagon and his little brother, Paul, took care of him until he recovered. He then resumed his travels with his dog, Ginger, and a life that included machine guns, “drop-dead gorgeous women,” size 23 shoes, marrying a stripper in Tijuana, stacks of money and diamonds, pistol-whippings, massacres, heart attacks, and being falsely imprisoned.

These experiences culminated in his becoming Technical Advisor and cameo actor in the 2003 cult hit movie, Poolhall Junkies starring Christopher Walken and Chaz Palminteri. No details of his life are spared and are all contained within 320 shocking pages of his very personal memoir, Confessions of a Pool Hustler.

Take the journey with Cotton as he bounces along the highways and byways of a life from poolhalls to bar-rooms, from broads to booze to bar fights. Winning and losing thousands of dollars on any given day is the way of a road player’s life. In his book, Cotton documents his exciting and dangerous adventures spanning four decades, and traces them back to his roots to uncover a life of no regrets.

Sneaky Pete Mafia Magazine - January 2015

Robert LeBlancRobert “Cotton” LeBlanc is an engaging storyteller and lively interviewee for broadcast or print media.

As a youngster, Robert “Cotton” LeBlanc was introduced to the sport of billiards at a local bowling alley that owned one pool table in his hometown of Memphis, Tennessee. He was just 12 years old. A quick learner, he became skilled at the game and mastered it under the guidance of top billiards professionals in the state. At age 15, he began traveling the billiards circuit across the country. During that time he learned new strategies and techniques from accomplished players like Buddy “The Rifleman” Hall, Wade “Boom-Boom” Crane, and Ronnie Allen.

He soon earned the recognition and respect of the top pool players in the country by winning local, regional, statewide, and national competitions.

16

For a copy of the book or to request an interview please call Sydney LeBlanc at 760 929- 1344 or email sydleblanc@yahoo.com

Ebony Custom Made Cue by Shawn Gainey really nice touch to the cue and helped with the balance point.

Every custom cue maker has a certain feel for the industry and the way they want their cues to look and feel in the hands of the customers.

When I first met Shawn Gainey, we began our relationship on the foundation of what we both liked in cues for looks and the way they feel. Now Shawn does a little something different with his cues and I really enjoy this aspect of his work.

He personally places a roman numeral on the cues to number them and kind of track them. I was happy to receive the cue number XIX. Also, Gainey Q’s come standard with a nine-layered Black King Tip with the customers choice density of Soft, Medium, or Hard.

The cue had an incredible finish on the shaft that I have never seen or felt before. The shaft had an 12.75 pro taper on it and felt like glass freshly shined sliding through my fingers as I shot with it.

The handle is Philippine Burl. This part of the cue was a unique choice piece because of the grain in the wood with dark and light color tones. I have never seen Philpine Burl used before and I could sit and stare at it all day long. The more I get to know about the different woods used and how hard burl is to stabilize, the greater respect I have for the cue craftsmen that choose to use it.

The butt sleeve is Gabon Ebony. The ebony family of woods are unique in the way that they are all darker in color with highlights in different colors. By Shawn putting these dense woods in contrast with the burl, he is giving the cue a firm and solid hit without giving the cue a balance point that is too far down the butt.

The ring work on this cue was made out of nickle and along with his choice in woods really made the entire cue pop. There is matching ring work in the shaft.

As a custom cue maker begans his journey in creating a cue, he has to start off with the elements that it takes to create a masterpiece.

For the cue I had the luxury of testing and reviewing was created with these exotic woods.

This cue came standard with an inch Ferrule and a nine-layered Black King Tip.

The forearm is Macassar Ebony.

The wood is very dark, like all of the ebony woods out there with a dense feel in your hands. The light like contrast of this section was a

The pin was a 3/8X10 and has a solid hit.

The entire portion of the Butt has been cored to stablize the nature of the wood from changing shape orwarping in different conditions.

Mind you these woods that are used in Shawn Gainey’s XIX cue are from all over the world. This is what makes him stand out as a cue craftsmen in the trade.

I believe the price point for this cue is a decent value at $800.00 USD. When you get into custom cues, the sky is really the limit as to what can be the value. The more I personally learn about how much effort it takes to product a custom cue the more I have respect for the work.

I usually prefer a smaller diameter on the shaft but I was shocked on how easially it was to minipulate the cue ball with the shaft.

The only issue I have is that there was a small lip at the joint collars where the butt and shaft meet. This is almost not even noticeable, but feel that I should bring that up. That was the only thing I could see that might have been improved.

The things that really stood out about getting the opportunity to shoot with this custom cue were the Roman Numerals on the butt section, placed right after the Gainey custom cues, and the finish on the shaft and butt. I have never felt anything so slick and smooth to the touch as the finish on his shaft.

Building cues is a labor of love and you can see the love that goes into his work.

The cue should be played with and loved as it was loved by its creator Shawn Gainey.

Review & Photo: Garret Troop Editor: Dana Gornall

17

Sneaky Pete Mafia Magazine - February 2015

The Scott Erwin Breaking Cue ~ Garret Troop {Review} I opened the box to behold an amazingly finished breaking cue.

It comes with a Purple heart 29″ shaft. I find that the Purple heart shaft has a stiffer hit and feel as compared to a maple shaft. This cue’s weight balance is more forward and in my opinion allows you to have a balance point in the cue that makes you want to grab it.

The cue’s Purple heart was off set in color by aluminum rings and a BirdsEye Maple forearm.

It is a 21.15oz wrap-less breaking cue featuring a Black King 13mm tip and a 16″ {Protaper} with a 5/16X18 pin. The cue’s radius at the joint is .860 and has a non-adjustable weight system.

I broke and played out about 50 racks with this cue and have to say that with the long taper and the size of the shaft, it has a feel of a playing cue more than a breaking cue.

I have a good fast stroke when I break and this cue’s weight complements my playing style; however I wish it were just a bit lighter.

Honestly, I think that the tip of a cue can make all the difference and feel that the Black King Hard tip doesn’t complement the weight or playability.

When I break I like the feel the of it in my chest and simply didn’t get the awe inspiring break that I was hoping for. With that being said, if this cue would have a Phenolic, G10 or Samsara tip on it I think it would have a different and stronger result.

This cue makes playing easy and the weight of the cue does most of the work for you.

Retailing at $400, it is more than a fair market value and I can see the work and cue craftsmanship that goes into Scott’s cues as a second generation cuesmith. He runs his shop out of his home and learned the trade from his father.

Woodworking and cue creating is a passion for taking wood and creating something functional and beautiful from it. This gift comes natural to some and to others is a life-long learned art form.

I was proud to go to the two tournaments that I won playing with this cue and say, “Yes It’s a Scott Erwin custom cue.”

With every cue that we lay our hands on, it gives us a new appreciation for what we want and like in a cue.It was a pleasure working and talking with Scott and I think the industry needs more cuesmiths like him. I look forward to working with him again!

Sneaky Pete Mafia Magazine - February 2015

18

19

Sneaky Pete Mafia Magazine - February 2015

Passing the Torch: The Game Found Us

take it easy on her) has developed her game leaps and bounds the past year.

When she goes back to her league to play with the other kids, you can see the advancement in her abilities versus the other “skill levels” she plays against.

~ Justin Cutting

With her wanting to play and wanting to learn I have renewed my passion for the game. It has made it fun again.

I know that a lot of people talked behind my back saying I shouldn’t bring a child to a pool hall or a “bar” atmosphere to play pool. But I wanted her to see the “bad side” of life with the hope that she won’t take that path. I wanted her to have these “life lessons” with me at her side so we can talk openly about them. Hopefully when she is older and on her own I will know in my heart that I showed her right from wrong and she will make good decisions.

Does that make me a bad person or parent? Maybe. But there isn’t a handbook on raising kids. :-) Knowing that I started playing for a purpose (to keep me from drinking, to occupy my time so I would keep my mind off of wanting to drink) and then hitting a wall—meaning I was terrible when I started—I eventually got pretty good. I then lost interest since my skill level advanced so quickly in the short time I’ve been playing and not being able to compete at that level. Now with her interest and progression, it has pushed me to be better at the table just as much as I am away from it.

So the game of pool can be a career for some, a hobby to others, but to Tate and myself it is so much more. It’s bonding time, it’s being beyond proud of the accolades and it’s comforting each other in the time of losing.

This story is about my daughter Tatum.

She “found” the game through me as a way to spend time and bond with her father. From the time she was born (2002) till 2008 I was an alcoholic (not ashamed to admit it). People always ask me how long Tatum has been playing for and how she got into the game. I tell them she picked it up because that was a way for her to spend time with me since I “wasn’t there” (emotionally) for her the first part of her life due to the alcohol.

I strive to do better as does she. But she is my motivation for success and I am the same to her. So I’m thankful that I was able to find the game or more accurately thankful the game found us!

In 2008 I quit drinking and found the game of pool. It was a hobby—a challenge since I had never played prior to that and so as my interest grew so did hers. In late ’10 early ’11 she decided to play instead of just watch me.

She learned very quick. Some of this was from me, like the basics: Bridge, stroke and stance. Other than that using YouTube to help from some upper level players in our area and also she had basic natural ability!

I would take her to local “adult” tourneys and she was always watching the better players and asking questions. Most were happy to show her the “how’s & why’s” of particular shots but some were put off by a kid bugging them. But for her putting the table time in, playing against upper level players (who didn’t Sneaky Pete Mafia Magazine - February 2015

Justin Cutting is a 36 year old construction foreman and has two children with his wife—Tatum 11 and Anthony 3. He has been playing pool for about five years and has played in the APA national 8 and 9 ball team event in 2012, APA doubles 8 and 9 ball in 2013 and then in 2014 he played in the APA 9 ball singles.

Tatum has participated in the APA Junior nationals in 2013 and 2014 finishing 9th both years. She is an honor roll student.

20

Serena Black: Future World Champion. ~Hannah Blue {Interview} I talked to Serena Black from her home in Decatur, Illinois; she is incredibly articulate, driven, and self-possessed.

Serena describes herself as “basically just your average smalltown girl.” She spends a lot of time outdoors; she loves camping, four wheeling, and hunting. Serena’s family is very important to her, and says her brother is her best friend.

She loves animals (she has two dogs, and a chinchilla named Opi,) and she loves to read and write poetry. So, yes, basically just your average teenager. Until her dad brought home a pool table. She quickly became jealous of how well he played, and wanted to be better than him. For Christmas 2011 she got a cue, and then took MVP for her Junior APA league her very first year. Three and a half years ago Serena had never touched a cue. Now, at 16, she’s well on her way to being a force to contend with in the world of competitive billiards.

people through the sport; Jeanette Lee gave me a shout out on her fan page because I wrote her a letter, and I got to meet her for the first time over the summer.

I actually have two little fans [of my own], believe it or not! I walked into the banquet hall for the Junior APA championships this summer, and eight year old twin girls from Davenport, IA, came running towards me and gave me a big hug, saying they were glad to see me there. They handed me an origami flower they had made, and I still have it with my trophies. They will never know how much their support means to me. I think pool has really shaped who I’ve become, I have changed so much in the last few years and I believe billiards is behind this!

So, how large of a role does pool play in your life?

Lately, pool has made more of an impact than I had ever expected. I spend quite a bit of time practicing, up to an hour and a half a day when I’m able. Most of that time is, conveniently, bonding time with my family as well. I have met so many new

21

Sneaky Pete Mafia Magazine - February 2015

That’s great! What are some major accomplishments in your game so far, other than that first MVP? I claimed a 3rd place national title at 14 years old. I was one of the first two females to place simultaneously in a national event in the junior APA, and I was the first official female to place in the higher bracket division.

My father and I often shoot as a team; we have heard that we shoot “like a well oiled machine.” We spend a lot of time drilling each other, and I think that understanding each other’s game really stabilizes our ability to function as one. We placed first in the junior/adult division during the APA championships this summer.

I have also been recognized for my grades, I love school and I think education is very important to ensure the success of the future generations.

So when I ask if pool ever interferes with your schoolwork, the answer is probably a no?

I can’t afford to let it. I have to seriously balance between my social life, my billiards career, and my educational standings.

I would much rather sacrifice my social life for the latter two than slack on something that could lead to a better future.

I really hope to go to Lindenwood University, and play under World Champion Mark Wilson. I believe his expertise and character could lead me to a better game. College is costly though, and I value academic scholarship opportunities just as much as athletic.

Do you know what you want to major in at University yet?

Business Entrepreneurship and Business Administration. I really hope to open my own pool hall down the road, and offer training and lessons to children who value the sport. I love variety, and I participate in many extracurricular activities—a pool hall can combine karaoke, tournaments, banquets, dining, catering, etc. It is full of options.

I love the idea of leading an exciting career; I’m really working to center [my occupation around pool]. If I love what I do I will never have to work a day in my life.

That’s an amazing aspiration! So, who are some of your role models?

Jeanette Lee, and Jennifer Barretta. Both women are beautiful and talented, and have had to work very hard to ensure the success of their careers. While Lee has had life threatening medical difficulties, Barretta faced a life full of loss and devastation in personal areas. Both women overcame their obstacles, and proved to the world that they were worth it.

Outside of the sport, I truly admire Johnny Cash. He is my favorite artist. My family are traditional country lovers, and Cash will always be my king. He had gone through so much by the time he was just a boy, but he had a dream and he folSneaky Pete Mafia Magazine - February 2015

lowed it through. The whole world knew his name, and the impact he left behind will always be present.

He is my reason for not giving up; if these individuals can do it, the only thing standing in my way is myself. Compared to them I live such a fulfilling life. I realize that I take so much for granted; their stories remind me to appreciate everything I have.

What’s it been like for you to participate in a sport so heavily dominated by men?

I find myself [to be] very competitive within the sport… I have been told “You’ll never amount to that,” multiple times regarding my gender. It can be really hard sometimes because, being so young and being a girl, I hardly ever get the benefit of the doubt. Most people take one look at me after hearing that I shoot pool, and their first thought is, “Well, this is going to be easy.”

It can really be discouraging sometimes, but I look past it and think about how good it will feel to prove my worth.

No one expects much from a teenage girl, but I expect a lot from myself. I’m my own worst enemy, I am my most fierce opponent. I may have the short end of the stick but it only motivates me to show the world that the underdogs can come out on top.

I’m The Little Engine That Could—this was my favorite childhood book my father used to read to me; he is a train conductor. It’s a story about a little [train] engine who was always doubted. He had no self confidence, but one day he begins to repeat “I think I can, I think I can, I think I can,” and he proves everyone wrong. I’ve always loved that book. [It] really introduced me to the values of optimism and hard work.

Is there anything you’d like to add? Anything else about Serena Black that we should know?

I’m excited to show the world who I am!

Hannah Blue is an editor for Sneaky Pete Mafia, and a graduate of the American Academy of Art in Chicago. She’s had several shows this year; you can see her artwork at her website. When she’s not working Hannah spends much of her time playing pool. New to the game, she is “totally obsessed,” and hopes to continue learning and improving for the rest of her life.

Photo: Serena Black - Editor: Dana Gornall

22

Introducing...

HOST

COMPETE

SPONSOR get involved

For more information on this nationwide program, visit: billiardeducation.org/events/jsc/ or call: (303) 926-1039

23

Sneaky Pete Mafia Magazine - February 2015

What is the Purpose of Defensive Shots?

You are going to be faced with many shooting situations with little or no chances of success.

Instead, consider this: play a defensive shot and your opponent can only shoot the table layout that you decide to give him.

Think whether you want to depend on the billiard gods for good luck or a chance to give your opponent bad luck.

Therefore, before bending down over the shot, have a plan to play offense or defense.

The purpose of an offensive shot is to pocket the ball and get onto the next shot. The purpose of a defensive shot is to prevent your opponent from pocketing a ball and getting to the next shot.

Strategic Tip: When you think about it, you don’t really have to win games. You only need to help your opponent lose.

~ Allan Sand How many times has this happened to you?

You come to the table with a difficult shot. You are two balls away from winning—if you can make this ball. Your mind believes that the chances of success are 50%. In reality, you couldn’t make the shot even once in 10 tries.

*Blog originally posted on Billiard Gods Productions.

You decide to ignore the truth and reality of your skills and proceed to attempt the fantasy. You declare your intent to your opponent and all the railbirds.

You shoot—and fail! And of course, the cue ball stops in the perfect place on the table for your opponent to do an easy runout. This miss gave the game to your opponent. (To make it worse, your opponent thanks you for giving him the game.)

If you are getting tired of throwing away games, you are beginning to become a more intelligent player.

Maybe you need to spend more practice table time on how to play a defensive shot, instead of making shots.

This actually will ensure an opportunity to become a better shooter. This one little change in your regular shooting style will be key to becoming a better shooter.

And all that is necessary is this little pattern change of your playing style—think before shooting.

Sneaky Pete Mafia Magazine - February 2015

Allan Sand is a certified pocket billiards instructor, qualified by the PBIA (Professional Billiards Instructor Association) and ACS (American Cue Sports). His focus is on helping players become the “Intelligent Shooter” (thinking before shooting). He has played the Green Game for more than 50 years and now resides in Santa Clara, CA. He keeps his skills sharpen on a 5×10 Saunier & Wilhelm 1938 table with double-shimmed pockets. He has written 10 books on pocket billiards and produced five videos on how play better and smarter. He has one of the most popular billiards blogs on the planet with three posts every week.

Photo: blog Editor: Dana Gornall

24

Don’t Get Beat by the Rules

~ Jacqueline Karol

Have you ever heard anyone arguing over pool rules?

First of all there are hundreds of different rules for pool and different games of pool. It is best to go over the rules with your opponent or league/tournament director before a match. However, there are so many, that it is near impossible sometimes to think of every one that might come up.

Furthermore, there are some gray areas within specific rules that lead to more confusion. This could be a very long article if I tried to cover every detail and variation, but at least we’ve started the conversation and will hopefully clear up some confusion. The following are rules that get the most questions from players.

Beginners:

What is a double hit and how do you know if you made a double hit? Basically when two balls are really close to one another and the shooter does not elevate or aim at an angle towards the cue ball, he/she risks double hitting the cue ball. Because the cue ball and object ball are so close together, after the cue ball hits the object ball, the cue stick keeps moving forward, not leaving the cue ball enough time to get out of the way and hits it a second time.

A referee can also be asked to make this call. It helps to put your hand above the ball to make it cast a shadow to see if it is “frozen” or touching the rail. If it is not frozen, then an extremely soft hit can me made to drive the object ball to the rail, which makes it okay for nothing else to hit a rail.

What’s a legal break?

How many balls need to hit a rail for the break to be legal?

The rules state that either “a ball can be pocketed” or four If the cue ball chases the object ball at about the same speed or more balls must hit a rail. it is a double hit. In addition, the shooter can usually feel What if only one ball goes in and it’s the cue ball? and hear the double hit.

If the cue ball is pocketed, it is a foul and opponent can re-­ How long do players get when they’re on the Shot Clock? rack and break again.

Typically players get a 45 second shot clock. Once a player What’s an obvious shot? in down in his/her shot, he can take as long as he wants.

Beginners are particularly confused by this because many The referee is supposed to say “ten” when there are 10 seconds left and a player gets one “extension” of time per game. shots are not obvious to them. Basically, if a shot is straight in or a slight angle, then it is obvious. A kick, bank or combination is never obvious and must be called. If you are What’s a legal shot?

Shooters must make contact with their ball first. In 8-­‐ball, concerned that there may be an argument, then just call the pocket even when it is obvious. a player must hit their stripes or solids first. In 9-­‐ball a shooter must hit the lowest numbered ball first.

The way you will know if it is a double hit depends on the cue ball’s reaction after contact.

Advanced Players:

Any ball (any object ball on the table or cue ball) must hit a rail after contact or an object ball going into a pocket counts Cell phones: Cell phones and headphones are not allowed during a match (See 1-­‐3 Use of Equipment in BCA as “hitting a rail after contact.”

Rules). However, many tournaments and leagues allow it.

Balls frozen to a rail? If the object ball is frozen or almost Practicing: Practicing is not allowed during a match. You frozen to a rail and the shooter is not going to drive any cannot hit balls on another table while waiting for your other ball including the cue ball to a rail, both players need turn to shoot. to both look at it and agree whether or not it is frozen.

25

Sneaky Pete Mafia Magazine - February 2015

Putting together a second cue: Most of us know that you cannot unscrew your playing cue during your match or it will be declared a forfeit. But what about putting together another cue in the middle of a match?

CO. Her first goal was to win the 2003 BCA National 8-Ball Championship. Her hard work paid off and she went on to become the 2003 Billiard Congress of America’s 8-Ball and trick shot champion.

Jacqueline now lives in Northern California and offers a variety of training programs. You can check her out at her website.

In the 25th Annual Ocean State 9-­‐Ball Championships, Jason Shaw asked for a ruling on Earl Strickland because he tried to put together his other cue to make a jump shot. The referee ruled that he could not use it because he did not put it together at the beginning of the match. However, this rule can vary widely from place to place.

Wrong Suit: What if a player shoots the wrong suit in 8-­ball two times in a row? If an opponent does not mention that his opponent is shooting the wrong ball until after his 2nd shot, now he must switch suits. Both players are responsible for watching the match.

“Move it back” where?

In an 8-­‐ball match between pros, a player accidentally bumped another object ball and asked his opponent if he should “leave it there or move it back” like he should. However the opponent moved the object ball in between the cue ball and the player’s next shot. This was definitely not where the object ball was, but it is a gray area in the rules and there was no referee there to settle it.

Walking away: Did you know that if a player walks away from his shot (as if he thought he missed but the ball ends up actually going in) he forfeits his next shot?

This is rare, but it has happened and the official ruling is that no credit is awarded and it becomes the opponent’s shot.

Even when you may know the rules as a player, sometimes the referee or director doesn’t know, understand or enforce the rules. Always remember that a referee can overrule anything if he/she deems appropriate.

Rules are not always completely black and white.

Please email me at Jacqueline.karol@yahoo.com with others that you can think of or can add to this article. (References: BCA Rules, Texas Express Rules) Photo: Andreas Moller/Flickr ~ Editor: Dana Gornall About the Author: Jacqueline Karol Jacqueline Karol is known as “The Angel of Billiards.” She began playing pool when she was three years old. Her father, a nuclear engineer, introduced her to the game and taught her the fundamentals. In 2002, Jackie began training full time with world-renowned billiards coach and columnist Tom Ross of Denver, Sneaky Pete Mafia Magazine - February 2015

www.jbcases.com 26

Charlie Williams, the “Korean Dragon.”

One Pocket, Straight Pool, etc. He contrasts that against Snooker in Europe and how they have a standard game where all the fans know the rules, know the game and that’s what they play. Here, he continues, pool is disjointed, having different formats, rules, games, etc., where the fans can hardly keep up with, or know exactly what’s going on for any given tournament. He indicates that perhaps 8-ball, a game most amateurs know and play, could be that standard, although he says 9 ball or 10 ball could also be. He contends 10-ball is 10-20 percent more difficult than 9, and this seems to be one of the games for which he has a great respect.

~ Patrick Sampey {Interview} Twenty-four hours in a day, and 18 of them Charlie Williams is pushing hard all day long—he sleeps perhaps five to six hours a night.

Williams, born in Seoul , Korea, 37 years old, is a straight shooter; he has a work ethic unlike any I’ve seen, and is very easy to interview. The conversation rolls along as easy as a leaf meandering down a calm, cool Florida river. This seems to fit him well, being that he now lives in Orlando, and has since the age of 21.

Williams also speaks of 14.1 continuous or Straight Pool, which he has supported and promoted for the past 10 years now, with the World 14.1 Championships through Dragon Promotions, which he’s run for 14 years. He contends that 14.1 may not be the game to revive pool, as it doesn’t have as much excitement for the fans to enjoy as the likes of 9 ball, 10 ball and 8 ball—where difficult skill shots come into play more often.

The “Korean Dragon,” now the Florida Dragon, was told when he was 12 that he could be a champion by a young, 15-year-old Max Eberle—who Williams says is his oldest friend in the pool world.

Eberle won the Billiard Congress of America’s National Junior Championship in 1991 when he was 18, is a excellent pro pool player as well, and is known as “Mad Max” by other pros.

He informs me that it’s harder for the fans to get excited about 14.1 because when played at the pro level, it’s a game of a series of easy shots, where cue control is the key, so rarely do any sensational shots, like bank shots or jump shots, come up, and he feels the fans need this type of excitement to enjoy watching matches in the game of pocket billiards.

Many know Williams as a championship pool player, former five time Mosconi Cup player (winning four times out of five, no less) and team captain from 2011, but he informs me that he hasn’t even picked up a cue in about a month. Wow! This is a shock to me. These days, he is first a promoter of the game, second a coach of the game, and third a player; Dragon Promotions, where he is the Executive Producer, is uplifting the game by promoting professional billiards events throughout the world at a time when the game is struggling.

Williams definitely seems to have a feel for the pulse and heartbeat of the fans.

“Dragon Promotions team of world class producers has successfully created and produced over 200 international events worldwide.

In a span of nearly 14 years, Dragon Promotions has produced over 1000 hours of original television programming airing on networks in USA, China, Philippines, Korea, Canada, the Middle East, all of Asia, and Europe. DP has reached literally hundreds of millions of viewers.”

Also, he’s not just a coach, he’s a coach of champions. He informed me that he’s coached top billiard professionals including Allison Fisher, Yu Ram Cha, Shanelle Loraine, Rodney Morris, Eunji Erica Park and Thorsten Hohmann. Williams was there for history in the making on Sunday, July 30, 2006 when Hohmann won pool’s largest purse ever of $350,000; Williams was Hohmann’s coach and corner man before and during the event.

Promoter, coach, and then player—that’s how he sees his role in the billiards world currently.

“I wasn’t nervous at all, the entire match,” Hohmann reported. “I felt really confident, I had a good night’s sleep, slept eight hours, and woke up still full of confidence because of yesterday. I just enjoyed the match. I could’ve won even higher—I wasn’t nervous, I just took my eyes off the ball. Charlie was there for me and said just do it, you’ve done it so many times this week, you can do it again. I had my chance, on that last run-out, my mom could’ve run out that last rack, it was so easy, so I’m thankful, and maybe it was my destiny.” – Pro9 – Europe’s No.1 Pool Player Resource

This is how he supports pool.

These days billiards in the US is not nearly as popular as it used to be, and we discuss what may be needed to return the game we love back to prominence. He tells me how we have 9-ball, 10-ball,

Williams is an accomplished champion in his own right. His high run in 14.1 is 141. He has strung together 11 racks of 9 ball, which is incredible. He has run six racks against players in competition.

27

Sneaky Pete Mafia Magazine - February 2015

Thirteen years ago in 2001, Williams was then a young 24-yearold pro ranked as one of the top professionals in the world; from his Facebook page he recounts the horrific events on September 11th. He was rooming with Mika Immonen and Helen Chang at the US Open 9-ball event in Virginia. They were all sound asleep in their hotel room, which was pitch black when the call came to inform them of the horrible terrorist attacks—an event that has forever altered the history of our nation. They turned on the TV and saw the first tower engulfed in flames, only to witness the second plane crash into the other tower moments later. “We all watched stupefied and in horror,” he recalls of the terrible calamity inked into the collective consciousness of the American people, adding, “It feels surreal that we saw that happen.”

teed” was never really guaranteed at all, boycotted the event for the next two years. “I think the ripple effects of this fact has had repercussions in the sport even till today with not only that event, but with other would-be promoters. That fact led me to skip the tournament for the next two years, though it was one of favorites…” He would go on to win a total of $84,221 in other events, not including endorsements, over those two years.

Promoter first, coach second and player third, Williams appears to have seen and done it all in the game of billiards.

Anyone interested in being coached by Williams can contact him at: propoolschool1@gmail.com.

Patrick Sampey, aka Cellophane Man, is a US Army veteran, billiards enthusiast, from Gainesville, Florida and is 42 years old. He is Air Assault qualified, COMPTIA A+ Certified Repair Technician and an Electronics Technician.

Barry Behrman, Promoter of the US Open had announced that the $72,000 guaranteed added prize fund for the event would be cut in half after the fact. Behrman had then informed the players that the money wouldn’t be available because it was based on gate sales and that the gate was way down as a result of the September 11th attacks. Williams, incensed that after all the years of Behrman running the event, the money that was touted as “guaran-

Sneaky Pete Mafia Magazine - February 2015

28

What Would a Sucker Do?

(Part 4)

If you look around the room and don’t see any suckers….YOU are the sucker!

You have stripes here. You each only have one ball left and the 8-ball. Your opponent’s ball—the solid—is sitting in the jaws and is directly blocking your corner pocket shot.

What do you do?

1) “Bank your stripe in the corner!”

2) “Slowly roll the your ball up in on front of their solid to prevent them from hitting their ball!”

3) “Replace their ball with yours by softly shooting yours directly into theirs!”

Suckers.

You must assess each situation to come to the best possible answer, which is the one with the highest winning percentage.

Why are these not good ideas?

Bank shots are low percentage and if you miss, your opponent will most surely run out and win. Slow rolling your stripe in front of theirs with accurate speed control is very hard to do and the cost is high if you miss. Softly shooting your ball into theirs will leave your ball in the jaws, but you probably won’t get another shot because you will leave them an easy shot on the 8-ball.

Answer: Use draw to put forward spin on your stripe and call it in the corner.

This will likely result either one of two positive out-

comes: A: If you pocket your stripe, you can now shoot the 8-ball to win the game.

B: If your ball does not follow it in but instead, stays in the jaws, you have now blocked their pocket with your stripe because you used a draw speed to set your 8-ball shot in that same corner.

By planning more than one shot ahead and assessing the possible outcomes, you will tremendously increases your odds of winning. ~ Jacqueline Karol 29

Sneaky Pete Mafia Magazine - February 2015

Sneaky Pete Mafia Magazine - February 2015

30

~ Meagan Krafjack {Interview} At 17, Kelly Isaac became enthralled with watching patrons of a local hall shoot pool.

She observed their games intently—studying their stances, bridges, successful shots, and frustrating misses. It was only a matter of time before she gave in to the pull of bright green felt and vibrantly colored balls.

Bob Dilley, the owner of the pool hall, complimented Kelly on her “natural stroke.” Those few, unsolicited words of encouragement were the platform upon which Kelly built her highly successful pool career.

At 19, Kelly entered a pool tournament at Billy’s USA Bar and grill in Fort Wayne, Indiana.

Although she finished one spot below the money round, she received an award as the top female placer. Walking home, with a shiny new trophy clutched in her hands, a fire for competition blazed deep within Kelly’s gut.

placing her quarters on a bar box to make an unsuspecting bar patron pay for underestimating a woman.

Hungry for competition, Kelly traveled to Las Vegas, Nevada to compete in the 2014 BCA Championships. She knew that it took a specific type of player to overcome the nerves that debilitate many well-prepared competitors.

Kelly wanted to know: could she be that kind of player?

Cutting a swath through a group of tough female competitors, Kelly found herself going toe to toe with Ashea Erdahl in the Women’s 9 Ball Finals. With each ball pocketed, Kelly’s brow became increasingly furrowed and a steely glint flashed within her eyes. When the resounding thud of a perfectly pocketed final 9 ball, echoed across the table, it was by Kelly’s hand.

Winning the women’s 9 Ball Championships in straight sets, was confirmation that Kelly was indeed the type of player it took to be victorious.

The pool table was where she belonged.

Kelly continued to improve her game over the next few years, streaming video of competitions, absorbing as much as she could from watching the pros.

At 22, Kelly stepped away from the pool table to care for her ailing mother—only picking up her cue to play an occasional game during her shift at work. Her mother ultimately lost her battle with cancer, and a devastated Kelly struggled to regain the love she once had for pool.

Kelly’s hiatus came to an abrupt end in 2011, when a larger than life Kentucky Colonel and Scorpion blew into town for an exhibition. Sitting on the edge of her seat, watching Nick Varner and Johnny Archer’s incredible skill, Kelly’s love affair with pool was rekindled.

With renewed vigor, Kelly began practicing seven days a week—approaching the table with commitment and purpose.

To keep her body functioning at its peak, Kelly planned her diet as any athlete would; maintaining a clean and healthy food intake. At any given time, a protein bar could be found tucked away within her pool case.

Although her dedication to her training is fervent, Kelly knows how to inject a little fun into her approach to pool. Sneak a listen to her practice music and you will find a whimsical playlist of 80’s love ballads. And nothing thrills Kelly more than

31

Photo via Vincent Rochefort Kelly was able to savor her victory for only a short time. She quickly found herself back at the table competing for the women’s 8 Ball championships. However, her run to the finals did not come without setbacks. Kelly was bumped to the one-loss bracket by Kris Chamberlin where she began her steady march toward the final’s hot seat position.

Sneaky Pete Mafia Magazine - February 2015

Fueled by her success, Kelly is excited to bring her playing to the next level. She has incorporated 10 ball, one pocket, and straight pool into her practice routine. “I think that straight pool prepares you for so many difficult situations that can pop up during a game.”

Kelly offers some advice to those lucky enough to meet her across the table for a game; never resort to stammered excuses and finger pointing when you lose. “That is my biggest pet peeve. You are not going to win every time. If you lose, it’s because your opponent played better, and you should tell them.”

Away from the table, Kelly enjoys golfing, photography, and travel. She is in the process of obtaining her real estate license and looks forward to beginning a new chapter of her professional career.

No one can argue that fewer stars are shining brighter in the pool universe than that of Kelly Isaac. There is little doubt that her particular brand of unwavering dedication and fierce competitiveness will earn her countless future championships.

One of the top female Junior players in the country, April Larson, gave Kelly her biggest challenge in the semi-finals. Although their match came down to the wire, it was Kelly who ultimately took on an undefeated Chamberlin in the Finals.

With sage advice from well-respected pool icons echoing in her ears, and the fuel from one of her stashed protein bars in her belly, Kelly met Chamberlin at the table with a vengeance.

In the end, an elated Kelly raised a championship trophy high above her head for the second time.

Today, those trophies hold court in an unfinished basement, alongside a 9 foot Diamond table in Kelly’s Ohio residence.

The feeling of amazement that came with her double championship has faded into a surreal wonderment as she resumes her day to day life.

Meagan KrafjackMeagan Krafjack is a freelance writer from Bonita Springs, Florida. Her passion for writing began at the age of seven, during a second grade short story contest. Her role as wife and mother inspired her to author the blog: Wifemotherwonderwoman, where she comments on the navigation of daily life. As an avid pool player, who struggled with nervousness and fear during games, she is inspired to help novice players gain both knowledge and confidence through her experience.

“It was mind-blowing to go from being an unknown to someone recognizable to players that I have looked up to for years,” Kelly says. “And I think that my husband is enjoying the attention from all the people of our small town.”

Sneaky Pete Mafia Magazine - February 2015

32

THIN TO WIN

by Anthony Beeler

During the late 1990’s I spent a lot of time competing in tournaments at Shannon Daulton’s All-Star Billiards in Somerset, Kentucky. Shannon’s tournaments were always popular and he always had a way of drawing the most talented players in the area. In fact, I can recall one occasion where North Carolina native, Charlie “Hillbilly” Bryant visited his pool room.

racing to 6 games. The match seesawed back and forth with me leading by a score of 5-4.

At that time, Bryant was a strong road player displaying powerful offensive skills. One Saturday afternoon he entered Shannon’s monthly 9-Ball tournament. The fields were always tough, but I knew that Bryant would be a significant force in an already formidable field. During a normal tournament Shannon usually drew around 40 talented players. However, Bryant was such a powerful breaker and skilled ball runner that local tournament legend Mike Blevins stated that he didn’t believe that Bryant would be beat.

In fact, before the match I had learned a valuable lesson watching Shannon Daulton play Charlie Bryant some one-pocket. During their practice session, Charlie lost a game shooting the same shot that I was currently facing.

After Charlie missed the ball, Shannon said, “You have got to hit that ball with some speed. You didn’t hit it with a full stroke. Your aim on that shot is only as good as the speed that you hit it with.”

As the tournament progressed, Bryant ran rack after rack. The local competition seemed to be no match for him, but it wasn’t long until we were pitted against one another in the semi-finals of the event.

I knew that for me to win I was going to have to play my very best. We were

In game number 10, I broke the balls and ran down to the 7 and was left with a very thin cut shot, as pictured in the diagram below. As I lined up on the shot, I knew that speed would be a critical element in pocketing the ball.

I knew that Shannon was referring to friction induced throw. If you strike a thin cut shot too soft friction will drag the object ball off the intended target line. ssentially, you can strike the object ball in the correct place and still miss the ball.

I remember pondering their conversation as I got down to shoot my shot.

At that point, I got back up off the shot and reset myself. I knew that I needed to hit the shot with top left spin and a firm speed in order to give myself the best possible chance to win.

Shooting the shot firm reduces friction induced throw giving you a much truer aim.

After carefully contemplating what to do, I executed 33

the shot perfectly, falling in line on the 8-ball to get to the 9. I then pocketed the remaining balls to win the match.

After the match was over, Charlie shook my hand and congratulated me on my victory saying, “Son, you are hitting the balls awfully good! I knew that 7 wouldn’t be easy, but you hit it perfectly. Speed was crucial on that shot. Hitting thin cut shots too soft can be a real aiming barrier. You deserved to win that game!” I told him that I was very fortunate to hear his conversation with Shannon before the match.

He said, “Yes, it’s just like Shannon said, no matter what aiming system you use it’s completely worthless if the shot isn’t struck with the correct speed.”

Always remember that speed control is critical. The best aiming system in the world doesn’t mean a thing if you strike the shot too soft. So the next time you have to go thin to win remember to strike the shot firm and you will increase your chances of pocketing the ball by a significant margin.

Anthony Beeler is a 2013 BCA National 9-Ball team champion.

He also finished 9th out of 1086 players in the 2013 BCA National 8-Ball Championships. He is a certified Level 3 instructor for the American CueSports Alliance and is the founder of Maximize Your Potential Billiards Academy located in Bradfordsville, Kentucky.

Sneaky Pete Mafia Magazine - February 2015

www.jbcases.com Sneaky Pete Mafia Magazine - February 2015

34

Banking System from Billiard Buddies Lou and Sal Butera

To order, call:

(801) 465-1411

or send $119.95 plus $19.95 s&h to: Billiard Buddies, P.O. Box 50825 Provo, Utah 84605-0825

W! NEfrom

• Difficult bank shots simplified!

• Learn a new system!

• Less english is needed, so fewer shots are missed!

• Dead accuracy one-rail side and corner banks!

• Makes one-rail bank shots appear easy from any position!

Follow us on Facebook and Twitter

35

Name:____________________ Street:____________________ City:______________________ State:________ Zip:_________ Enclosed is my:

Check

Money Order

Online ordering and information:

www.billiardbuddies.com

Sneaky Pete Mafia Magazine - February 2015

Sneaky Pete Mafia Magazine - February 2015

36

If you compete in tournaments, gamble, play pool regulary, or occasional 8-Ball, 9-Ball, One-Pocket or Straight Pool, these tapes will cut your learning curve by years, it may even turn you into a winner.

Trusted by Niels Feijein, World Straight Pool Champion who owns all of Bert’s Videos. For years, Neils has traveled all the way from Holland to the United States to take Private Lessons from Bert.

As a subscriber, you can access over 100 “One-Hour” DVDs 24/7 on your computer, iPhone and iPod-Touch for less than 22 dollars a month with your premier subscription. If purchased separately at their retail price of $31.95 each, they would total more than $3000. This is an absolute groundbreaking service for present and future pool and billiard enthusiasts.

Bert Kinister’s DVDs are on sale, you can purchase the videos at http://www.bertkinister.com/dvd.html. Or you can contact Bert.

He will personally return your call. Bert is available for private One-On-One private training. Please book in advance.

37

Sneaky Pete Mafia Magazine - February 2015

The Virtual Tournament Director ~ Jonathan Smith Bey

Another feature of VTD is its Match Maker. With this convenient little feature, a player can set up a match with any willing player! No more waiting around the hall for the good players to get there, no more waiting to get in on the action. The Match Maker allows you to choose from rated players.

What if you could play a match any time you wanted to?

What if you could play any player you wanted, regardless of ratings? Well now you can! (More on that in a minute).

If you’re a player, or billiards hall owner, this concept is the next level.

Not ready for the big boys?

Play someone more your speed. Each player is ranked, and listed. So get ready for those challenge matches, and play to win because the matches are tracked and recorded on your online scorecard.

Sneaky Pete Mafia asked me to interview Ron Hoffman, of ProPool.com. He is the guy you’ll be thanking.

Here’s the scoop.

Ron decided to bring the digital age together with tournament play, by creating The Virtual Tournament Director, which has the ability to create as many tournaments or matches as you would like.

Did he say online scorecard?

Yes I did. You have all of your stats right at your fingertips. With Ron’s new scoring system, you score your own matches, on a three level scorecard!!! Level 1 scores the wins. Level 2 balls and errors. Level 3 pro stats.

Suppose you’ve only got a few hours to kill. You can log in to your Virtual Tournament Director page, pick a time, pick a day, and choose an opponent. It’s as simple as that.

Get to your local hall and play pool.

Want more information? Check it out here - http://www. propool.com/?p=180

How’s this possible?

Ron has been in the industry for years, and as a sponsor for the famous Derby city classic, he has talked to players from all over the world and he listened to what they had to say, so he created The Virtual Tournament Director.

Sneaky Pete Mafia Magazine - February 2015

38

Jonathon Smith-Bey has been a stand up comic from Detroit for 20 years, a novice cue sportsmen with a profound love of the game and training. He also writes for Sneaky Pete Mafia.

The Constant Provider: The Story of Steve Lomax fancy cues and wished he could make those or at least, figure out how they were made. He regrets not pursuing cue making sooner instead of waiting nearly 30 years to get into the business but life was different back then.

To say he enjoys what he does is an understatement; he “enjoys every minute of it and has met players from all over the world.” Traveling across the country from tournament to tournament and returning home to his shop to make cues means that he is so busy these days he has “no time to play much.” That is to say, his successes are not entirely due to the quality of his work and cues but more so as a result of his character, personality and customer service.

Over the course of the past 20 years, Steve Lomax has probably seen it all.

Many of us feel the decline of interest in our sport but Steve thinks “it’s growing bigger every year.”

He attributes this growth mainly from the handful of amateur leagues that promote regional and national events. He thanks these leagues, the Super Billiards Expo and the many operators and hardworking individuals that help keep pool alive and growing year after year.

~ Joe Young If you frequent the national and regional league scene and the annual Super Billiards Expo, there’s a cue repair vendor that is highly regarded as one of the best in the business—Joe Blackburn.

At these events, Joe is never too far from his work companion, Steve Lomax of Lomax Custom Cues. The duo has garnered high respect from both players and fellow cue makers alike.

Steve’s story is not too unfamiliar but a success story nonetheless: Devout player has his cue retipped at a tournament, tip pops off and a decision was made to do it better; that decision was made in 1999.

Fast forward 15 years, his hobby has turned career, an accomplishment difficult to achieve in our industry. For 10 years since 1999, Steve repaired cues and worked fulltime as a trim carpenter. During that time as his experiences accumulated, he built his first cue in 2002.

By 2009, it was a new beginning: Steve was a full-time cue maker. Steve was inspired by traditional cues—four pointers with veneers. He recalls back in the 70s when we looked at

Pool is such a small niche market of indoor sports that those making a living off it should be commended obviously for their commitment, dedication and passion to keeping our great sport alive.

Next time you’re at a national event, be sure to stop by and say hello to Steve Lomax at Blackburn Cue Repair. For more information on Lomax Custom Cues (706)776-1252.

Joe Young is owner and operator of American Cueist Billiards, a retailer, cue repair mechanic and owner of Mighty Custom Cues since 2002. In 2012, partnered to open Fat Albert’s Billiards, South Jersey’s premier billiard room and winner of Best Billiard Hall 2014 from Philadelphia Magazine. American Cueist Billiards is an authorized dealer for Jacoby Custom Cues, Viking Cues, Meucci Cues, Kamui and G2 Tips.

Photo: Tracy Russell/Flickr Editor: Dana Gornall

39

Sneaky Pete Mafia Magazine - February 2015

Snagg Your Cue ~ Cary Thompson What happens when someone steals your pool cue?

How often is it found and returned?

When a pool cue is stolen a police report is made and one begins to search local pawn shops hoping to recover it but in the back of their mind they know it is unlikely that the cue will turn up.

Brian Schuh, SNAGG CIO states “With no positive identification, law enforcement cannot confiscate the cue. Physical description of the art is not enough identification to let them identify and confiscate the item.”

Seybert’s billiard supply has implemented several ideas to help lower the theft rate on cues such as adding a laser engraver to their services for personalization options and tracking serial numbers on cues.

The record is then saved in Snaggs database. If the item comes up lost or stolen Snagg works with your investigating officer to relay pertinent information and begin their process of recovering the cue.

Even with these changes, it is not enough and cues are turning up missing with little or no chance of being returned.

Statistically 1 in 3 items protected by Snagg is returned in contract to .01% of standard thefts.

In the Fall of 2014, Seyberts owner, Sid Kries, was introduced to a product that could increase the prevention of cue theft and help return lost and stolen cues to their rightful owners. Snagg RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) is a microchip that is the size of grain of rice. With a few tweaks and help from his store manager, Rick Matzke, they have come up with a way to install these microchips into cues so well that they cannot be located or removed.

More cue makers are jumping on board with this innovative idea to help protect your purchase. Pechauer Custom Cues has started adding Snagg Mircochips to their 2015 line of Camelot Cues, Pro Series, and Limited Edition cues at no extra cost to the consumer.

It is also small enough that the balance point and weight system is not affected. Only scanners located at law enforcement stations can read through the wood to help identify the lost or stolen cue.

This microchip provides proof of ownership to law enforcement so they can scan it, the same way they scan pets, to identify the owner and return it.

Cary Thompson joined Seybert’s Billiard Supply in 2005 in sales and customer service. She has been with them for 10 years now and feels that every day is more entertaining than the last.

Throughout the years their job titles have meant very little. She says: we know where we stand but work together as a group to get things done. I have enjoyed doing sales, marketing, invoicing, customer service, shipping, writing for the site and for press releases. Not a day goes by that I can say is boring.

We strive to have the best possible customer service in our industry with a staff of pool players and normal people just like you.

Rick, Sid, and Kory are amazing at what they do and keep me on my toes. Everyone is knowledgeable in different areas and that makes our process smooth from the time an order is placed until it leaves our building. When Cary is not working she is involved in other activities such as APA Pool League 8 Ball, Coaching Softball and Cheer, reading, writing, sports fitness, and playing music.

Snagg’s database system scans countless online sources including Craigslist, Ebay and pawnshop records worldwide. If your item shows up as a hit, Snagg will send law enforcement to scan the chip through the cue and recover it.

Seyberts Billiard Supply offers the Snagg Mircochip as an option for any cue purchased through them.

They can install it for a single low fee and the item is then protected for life. This is not only an option for new cues but old ones as well. Once the Snagg Microchip is installed into the cues, users can then register the items with Snagg.com to provide contact information, upload images of their cue and print out a certificate of authenticity.

Sneaky Pete Mafia Magazine - February 2015

With Snagg installed, you have a better chance of recovering your cue as well as having piece of mind knowing that it is protected and traceable with high tech scanners in databases all around the world.

40

41

Sneaky Pete Mafia Magazine - February 2015

Sneaky Pete Mafia Magazine - February 2015

42

Shooting Pool with Your Baby. ~ William Hurst If you are like me, you have a spouse or significant other who has no interest in playing pool.

As a pool junkie it is difficult sometimes to grasp their lack of love for our chosen sport, but usually they seem to understand that we need our time to play so that we don’t go through withdrawal and they are sympathetic (if not supportive) when we grab our cue case and head out the door.

However, even if you don’t have someone at home who grabs their cue and is eager to go with you, I know that most of you are still spending quality time with your baby.

How do I know that? I know because more times than I can count, when someone shows me their cue for the first time or posts a picture of their cue on a pool related forum or Facebook page, they refer to it as their baby. You see, to someone like me who is devoted to this sport it seems only natural to feel that way because that cue is your partner. You love it because it shares one of your true passions in life—shooting pool—and it is always ready for another rack.

43

Your cue doesn’t get tired and want to leave the bar or pool hall, it doesn’t need to stop and rest or take a bathroom break and it never complains that it’s too cold in the establishment where you are shooting.

When you are ready to stop, that is fine with your cue and it will be waiting for you when you are ready to shoot again.

You can’t find a better partner than that, can you?

Imagine if you wanted to have steak for dinner three times a week and your spouse said “That’ll be great.

Even though we had steak on Tuesday and Thursday, now that it’s Saturday, I’m ready for steak again!” Or, imagine that you were trying to decide on a movie to watch and your significant other said to you “Sure honey, I’m up for The Color of Money again, I just can’t get enough of it either!”

Stop dreaming guys, I can just see you nodding your heads and smiling right now.

Even though it will probably never be like that with your spouse or significant other, you do have another partner—your cue—that is eagerly waiting for you to once again head to the bar or pool hall where you both play. You may even have a name for your cue and why not? Car enthusiasts will give a name to their favorite

Sneaky Pete Mafia Magazine - February 2015

car and baseball players will pick out a name for their favorite bat. What’s wrong with having a name for your cue?

These possessions of ours seem to take on a life of their own when they become a partner to us in something we love to do, so go ahead and give her (sorry, Freudian slip there) give it a name. Give your baby a name and show the love you feel for your cue because it is your partner during that special time you get to spend playing pool, when you can focus on something other than all of the difficult things you have to do in your no doubt busy life.

Don’t ever be ashamed about your feelings for your cue. It’s a good thing, so embrace it.

This way, the next time you want to watch The Hustler, The Color of Money or The Shooting Gallery and your spouse or girlfriend/boyfriend takes a pass at joining you, consider taking your baby out of the case and setting her right next to you while you enjoy that movie.

Your cue won’t mind that you are about to watch it for

the tenth, fifteenth or twentieth time. In fact, your baby might be the only one in your life that understands the depth of your passion for pool and is always ready to share it with you.

Of course, if you take this last bit of advice, your spouse or significant other might think you’ve finally gone off the deep end….

William Hurst was born in Philadelphia and grew up in a small suburb southwest of the city until the age of fifteen. For the last thirty-five years he has lived in Florida, and currently resides in a small town called Crawfordville located in the big bend area of Florida’s panhandle. He is married and has a teenage daughter who used to play pool, but—unfortunately for him—gave it up. He is a simple man with a passion for this wonderful sport and enjoys sharing that passion with like-minded people.

Angel of Billiards

Jacqueline “The Angel” Karol (formerly Broadhurst) is an instructor, author, inventor, and philanthropist, and has been playing pool since she was 3 years old. She earned her nickname, the “Angel of Billiards”, for organizing and participating in charity fundraising events including, trick shot exhibitions, challenge matches, and spectator contests.

Jackie is also an instructional columnist for AZBilliards, Fury/Cuesight, Professor Q-Ball and Cue Times.

Jackie has developed and teaches a variety of training programs including her new Billiards Boot Camp, a challenging and intensive 2-day course designed to quickly take your game to a higher level. She also produced billiards training videos, is authoring a new instructional book, and has invented several training devices which she uses in her Billiards Boot Camp.

Jackie can be reached at Jackie@AngelOfBilliards.com Visit her on the web at www.AngelofBilliards.com & www.BilliardsBootCamp.com Sneaky Pete Mafia Magazine - February 2015

44

45

Sneaky Pete Mafia Magazine - February 2015

Seeing the Drill Relieves Nervous Competitive Pressure.

See the Drill. That’s it! The answer is that: Seeing the Drill Relieves Nervous Competitive Pressure.

This month’s drill is called: The 15 Ball Master Run-Out. It contains 80% of the shots that come up in almost every match or tournament event you’ll play in. When you can do this drill 7 out of 10 times without any missing, you’ll be good enough to beat 70% of the players you meet.

1. Set up the ball placement exactly as it is in the diagram.

2. Start with the cue ball two diamonds up and one diamond in from any side of the table.

3. Pocket the balls in order from 1 to 15.

~ Dominic Esposito {Video}

4. Do not hit another ball during the run.

Every player who has played an important match knows that feeling of having nervous butterflies.

Your breathing becomes short and erratic, your muscles become tense and flinchy, your blood pressure rises, your pace of play is completely unsettled, your palms may sweat, and worst of all your ability to think clearly becomes clouded and replaced with multiple “what if ” thoughts.

Your impending doom is predictable and more often than not, you do bomb out. But wait; did you ever wonder what was happening to the other player while you were in your own living nightmare?

5. If you miss a shot, reset it and keep shooting it until you can make it twice in a row, then keep going.

6. Alternate the starting corner position of the cue ball, at the start of each new set up, until all four corners have been started from. This is what I call making a complete circuit, during your practice sessions. I advise doing your Pro Skill Drills warm-up drills first, before beginning this practice regimen.

Were they as calm as a cucumber and unnerved all that time too? It’s likely they were too, but you couldn’t tell in your condition and just maybe they couldn’t tell you were either.

It’s more than likely they were nervous too.

So answer this question, if you had known that they too were a nervous wreck, would you have been more calm and ended up giving them the beating of their life? So then, what can you do to better prepare ahead of time to avoid becoming the bigger nervous wreck out of the two of you so you lose? The answer I’m about to give you should bless your heart for the rest of your playing career or at the very least, for each time you remember it when you find yourself going into, “the nervous zone” again.

Sneaky Pete Mafia Magazine - February 2015

46

During your next match, as you survey the table layout, take notice which of the Master Run Out shots is most like the shot you’re about to make and think about that shot and how you have already succeeded many times making it.

Dominic EspositoDominic is a Professional Pool Instructor and Playing Coach who travels throughout the country doing exhibitions and BOOT CAMP pool clinics. Since 2003, his involvement in the pool and billiard industry public speech from The Derby to City Classic continues provide the just a few months before he passed. Grady financial thatputting allow him to function as atogether Prison andresources I started a tournament at his pool roomChaplain, but Grady, and Addiction Recovery plus R.I.P., conductleft meetings this earth before we could follow through teaching The of the Cross The Conditional with it Message and it became theand Grady Mathews Memorial Another fond Promises of God.tournament.

His persona is “The Drill Instructor.” memory was organizing the Country Calvin Dominic has produced an extensive series of books,and Classic old school 9 ball tournament having Country Calvin finish 9th!!

DVDs, playing equipment and training aids, plusHe he was regso excited to feel the excitement of doing ularlywell publishes monthly pool lesson articles for POOL in a big event. It had been several years & BILLIARD as kind well asofother Major Web Site since heMagazine had that fun.

Magazines that reach millions of pool players world We would like to thank Ray for taking the wide time every year. In 2006, Dominic founded the and “Playwe Poolhope to complete this interview with us that readers areutilizes able to streams Youthour Academy,” which theenjoy “Pool his Players Creed,” for many years to come. There have been similar tostreaming his “Kids Karate Creed” that washave taughtagreed at his several companies that to do an interview with us for this series, if you kids martial arts academies for years.

Then, approach and make the shot as you did many times before. You will still miss from time to time as a result of a bad aim, but with your new focus on your experience with The 15 Ball Master Run-Out Drill, you won’t be thinking about being nervous and your out-of-control butterflies.

Finally, don’t be so naïve to think that one day you might get good enough so that the butterflies go away. Some of the world’s greatest champions and performers always get butterflies before an event. The difference is they don’t try to make them go away. They make them fly in formation. like this 7. What events doDid youyou stream?

drill? Go to the

Some of my favorites haveor your favorite supDI’s website been the Ultimate 10 Ball and orderPro the 52 8, 9 and 10 Championships,plier Seminole Tour, White Diamond Super Ball Drills book and 2 hour DVD 9 ball, 4 Bears 8 Ball Classic, today.Emerald Also, inquire about private the Pro events from Billiards, The Texas Open, Houston Open and aI BOOT really lessons or attending love doing the 2 man tournaments like the CAMP Pool School with The and Drill Fight Nights series.

I also cover annual semiannual events.

All in I do 25-30 You Instructor at: all 1-407-927-1484. events a year. can also write to: Dominic@thedril-

8. What are some linstructor.us of your fondest memories with your comments from events you have streamed?

and questions.

Dominic Some of my fondest memories from is also the inventor of the G-5 LAUNCHER, streaming include streaming some of George SanSouci aka Ginky’s last matches The First “Aiming” Jump Cue. It from Long Island pool room Cue Nine and makes fun of the Another hard shots.great Brooklyn’s Skyline Billiards. memory is filming Grady Mathews final

have a streamer in your area that you would like featured, please send me a message at Photo: Tim DeVore/846 Studios - Editor: editor@sneakypetemafia.com.

OurDana nextGornall issue will feature Daniel Busch from POV Pool.

Pool Table Sales Installation • Moving Service & Repair Pro Shop Cues & Accessories We Build Custom Cues 40 Pool Tables – Foosball Darts – Large Screen TV 4510 E. 14th St. - Des Moines, IA

515-266-6100 www.bigdogbilliards.com

facebook.com/bigdogbilliardsdsm

Weekly Tourname nts: Sun - Mon - Tues 1st & 3rd Saturday Tourname nts

Full Service Bar • Great Food!!

69

47

Sneaky Pete Mafia Magazine - September 2014

Sneaky Pete Mafia Magazine - February 2015

Sneaky Pete Mafia Magazine - February 2015

48

49

Sneaky Pete Mafia Magazine - February 2015

Sneaky Pete Mafia Magazine - February 2015

50

Where Have All the Pool Rooms Gone? ~ Bert Kinister I have been doing this for 51 years I have heard all of these paradigms before.

I can tell you this. People who don’t gamble have been “cleaning up pool” since I started playing.

Since I was 14 I played pool for money. I loved pool but when I found out you could win money playing, it changed my attitude completely.

I went to the pool room to make money. I traveled America to make money. The pool subculture was a selfperpetuating economic engine that needed poolrooms to survive so it makes sense that pool rooms could not survive without them.

You would see many great playing (outsiders) men with jobs come in to test their mettle. Time and again they were sent home late, broke—only to have to get up early again and show up on time for a couple of weeks work to get their money back. Then many would try it again. There were many ways to keep them coming back (another story).

But when these men got married that was the end of them on the field of honor.

Then the rains came—I am sorry I mean the leagues.

Now these fun players had a venue to show their skills, where the outcome had no consequence on their economic relationship to society. For five, 10, maybe 15 games a week they could be heroes.

They never had to go home and tell their wives to sign the title to the Jag because the player on the porch is the new owner, and if they played “really good” they could go to Vegas once or twice a year and spend, lose or donate all of the money in or to the Casinos that normally, without the leagues, would have gone into the “pool subculture.”

You guys can talk all you want, for the real player, pool is a blood sport. At the beginning of this century there was only pool and boxing—nothing else. The pool rooms were full at one time. In downtown Chicago there were over 400 pool rooms (not table’s pool rooms) where men—mostly bachelors— contended with men.

Today “real” players in America (not the rest of the world) have become the “mascots” of the well-intended sponsors, promoters, backers and wanna be’s.

51

Sneaky Pete Mafia Magazine - February 2015

In all of these years I have seen a lot of “promoters” come and go with the same battle cry.

“We have to clean up our sport!”

And the cleaner it has become the fewer pool rooms there are and the harder it is to find those promoters.

Bert Kinister The world’s largest producer of pocket billiard instruction since 1988 with over 100,000 videos sold, his is the most influential instruction in the world. One-hundredeight video lessons with no repeat information available on the Internet’s first streaming instructional site, www.bertkinister.com, also for sale on DVD at 800-898-7665

So the leagues have been the conduit to remove the resources from and destroy the economy of the pool rooms and vest those resources in a little town in the desert and various Indian reservations scattered throughout the land.

Bert has taught pocket billiards in 51 countries during the last 28 years. More than 30 of his students have played in the “world 9-ball championships.” Most notably, his private student of more than 20 years, That money never returns to the pool economy, it is Niels Feijen, won the World title in Qatar in 2014 and gone forever. “Honey I did lose everything budgeted for has won six out of seven of the last major tournaments Las Vegas” is the new battle cry, not “I just lost the Jag he has entered since then. Niels was also MVP of the to that uneducated bum looking guy on the front porch.” “Mosconi Cup” in 2013. Bert and his wife Orietta Strickland International Scotch Doubles champions If all of this is true, it would mean that pool rooms all (undefeated). At Derby City Open, Bert beat US over America would be closing.

Open winner Jimmy Reid [undefeated], Freddy the Beard (undefeated) and eliminated the returning 9-ball But wait there is more! Pool rooms all over America are champion and two time U.S. Open winner Mika closing.

Immonen.

They are driven out of business as the fuel of their industry is deposited in the coffers of those that only Bert gives private lessons at his studio in Plano, TX. book bets, but do not make them.

He can be contacted at, bertkinister@gmail.com.

Sneaky Pete Mafia Magazine - February 2015

52

53

Sneaky Pete Mafia Magazine - February 2015

Sneaky Pete Mafia Magazine - February 2015

54

Keep Calm & Play Pool ~ Keith Diaz

While playing in the first Gotham City Classic 9 Ball tournament, I’ve noticed intense emotions running at high altitudes.

Players letting the complexity of the mind get in the way of their game. Now for myself, I definitely have a temper and love to call it being a passionate player. But I can’t always lie to myself. Sometimes anger will get the best of me and my abilities on the pool table. Those are the times we players have to absolutely admit that we are taking ourselves out of the zone.

With anger being the culprit, a player has to practice letting go of their mistakes, or the unlucky rolls he/ she might get from opponents. We all have to learn and follow those annoying British T-shirts that say, Keep Calm, and Carry On.

Chocolate makes everything better, right? Afterall, its not like you can change things that have already happened.

The first thing a player must do is admit that there is a problem with his/her temperment. I’m not trying to tell you guys to submit yourself to alcohol and substance abuse meetings, but this does pertain to abusing your game when falling into a state of anger. This is especially important if you ever want to excel above the amateur level and into the world of professional pool.

“I had trouble with my temper all the way through the minor leagues.” ~ Cal Ripken, Jr. Who’s going to argue with that man?

If you fall into this emotional roller-coaster, take a moment or two before attempting your next shot. I’m not telling you to go off into a corner and practice your downward-facing-dog pose. Just take some time to pace around the table, while chalking your cue. Remember that doing this enables you to also think about your run and the pattern you’re looking to execute.

The Greek philosopher Plato had said, “There are two things a person should never be angry at, what they can help, and what they cannot.”

A player can always adjust and make his/her own comeback victory.

If you’re still not convinced, I’ll leave you with one last verse from a sports psychology website.

“When you go into a game, match, or race and focus on anything that is directly out of your control either before or during the performance, you’ll get yourself uptight, kill your confidence and ruin your performance.” ~ www.

CompetitiveEdge.com - So learn how to suck it up, and keep shootin’!

Keith Diaz has been playing the game for over twenty years and competing since 1997. Along with being a competitor, he has experience as a tournament director and is a contributing writer/photographer for pool. With several high finishes in both local and regional tournaments, his heavy passion for the game pushes him to learn more of its mastery.

You can also take that 5 minute break each player is entitled to during a match.

Go outside and take a breather. If its the dead of winter and you’re in New York, then go get a hot chocolate.

55

Sneaky Pete Mafia Magazine - February 2015

Sneaky Pete Mafia Magazine - February 2015

56

57

Sneaky Pete Mafia Magazine - February 2015

Sneaky Pete Mafia Magazine - February 2015

58

Chico Billiards Academy: Stop Shots

~ Kelly Linzy For this blog post Jacqueline Karol is pleased to introduce Kelly Linzy, one of her top students, as a guest commentator.

I’m obsessed with stop shots. I thought I was good at them. I thought they were easy, but then I realized that making a shot once does not mean “I’ve got it.” You have to attempt a shot over and over before you realize how inaccurate are the impression of your abilities.

I’ve heard that some pros, after missing a shot, will later practice the shot over and over until they perfect it. I wanted to give myself an easy drill to start with, so I went back to a simple stop shot drill.

Here’s how it works: I start off by putting the object ball (OB) in the center of the table and placing the cue ball (QB) one diamond away, lined up to make the OB straight into a corner pocket. After making a shot many times (75, in my case), my confidence takes over—more than just my brain and eyes are working in my favor. My body itself becomes a biological alarm system alerting me to the fact that I’m “off” and my eyes don’t know what the hell they’re doing.

There is a connection with thought process, vision, and muscles that no one can get by making a shot once or twice. You have to put the work in to gain this connection, but once you do you can literally feel the accuracy of the shot. It is rewarding because you know you can make it. False confidence falls away and is replaced by true confidence. For me, the tangible results are what fuel my obsession—but now, back to the shot.

The next step is to start pulling back the cue ball (QB) one diamond at a time until it is down at the end rail. Then put the QB back at the diamond that you started from and start moving the OB toward the corner pocket a diamond at a time, shooting each shot 75 times in a row.

Finally, the last shot is having the OB in the jaws of the corner and the QB in front of the opposite corner.

A stop shot at this point is no longer simple, taking the drill from seemingly basic into what is advanced.

Once the drill is complete, you will have gained a crazy amount of skills, including the ability to gauge how low and how hard to strike the QB to make it stop no matter where the OB or QB are lying, and there will be a solid point of reference for a contact point when making cut shots. You will also avoid the scratch when following your OB into the pocket.

Let’s face it: being able to make a super-long, straightin shot and stop the QB dead is impressive. And it feels good.

Kelly Linzy has been training with Jacqueline Karol for over two years, during which time she finished in the Top 10 WPBA points list on the Tiger West Coast Women’s Tour and became “Top Shooter” in her league. She does exhibitions with “The Angels of Billiards.” Kelly will share some insight on what has helped improve her game—she believes this may help you improve yours as well.

59

Sneaky Pete Mafia Magazine - February 2015

Sneaky Pete Mafia Magazine - February 2015

60

Coming up in our next issue Harry Munro of Night Wolf Billiards will be telling us all about the cues he has had the opportunity to review: Stealth breaking cues, VikingRZR exactshot shaft, Schmelke cues, Lacusi cues, Scott Erwin custom cues and Rick Elms Summit cues.

www.beastmodepool.com

Beast Mode Pool offers the best in clothing and accessories for pool and billiard players wanting something new. Clever and classic designs for both men and women in the latest colors and styles are what you’ll get.

Whether you’re running the table like a beast or relaxing with your friends and watching the action....you’ll be looking good in Beast Mode.

61

Sneaky Pete Mafia Magazine - February 2015

Sneaky Pete Mafia Magazine - February 2015

62

Aramith... ’cause that’s how I

roll. w w w . a r a m i t h . c o m 888.ARAMITH

63

Sneaky Pete Mafia Magazine - February 2015

PoolSchool: Introduction to Pool at an Early Age. Photo: Provided by Author

~ Boris Vidakovic

Pool is a skill of controlling the cue ball, and all of pool disciplines could be called ‘’The Cue Ball.”

A common question asked—when is the best time to start practicing pool?

The answer—as soon as a child can reach the table and not displace the arm from the right position. My student, Pavle, who is six years old, can’t even reach the table but if we lift him up on a board he will be in a good position (like in the picture above).

Improvement of the game for beginners is fastest in the first year of learning pool, when they learn basic techniques and interact with pool disciplines. Many world champions started their careers learning straight pool first, and then the other disciplines—8 ball international, 9 ball and 10 ball, rotation and one pocket. In that period of learning, the nervous system rapidly creates new synapses Sneaky Pete Mafia Magazine - February 2015

and different engrams in the brain. That neuro-motor memory is vulnerable and it takes time to become automatic.

In the first year of training, we build new reflexes and memory engrams, we come to the phase called ‘’plateau,’’ where our knowledge appears to stagnate. That plateau period can last up to two or three years. In that period most of talented players who have quickly gained the basics of pool, give up because they can’t handle the pressure of stagnating. The slower, less talented players, who learned that for every little achievement they had to work hard, are more likely to overcome this period.

So talent can be both an advantage and disadvantage, if systematic training does not follow it.

Who survives that temporary stagnation will experience an improvement of the quality of their game, which is a reflection of mental and psychological, and emotional 64

growth. The player has gained a certain playing routine, experience, and has learned to play under pressure and thus he can move the limits of his game. Improvement is slower than the one from the beginning but it is not limited and becomes a reflection of philosophy and approach towards the game, as well as the reflection of the character of a player himself.

When pool stops being a game of your hands than it becomes game of your mind!

After two decades of playing I am still learning together with my students and from them.

Boris Vidakovic was born in Sremska Mitrovica, Serbia. By profession, he is a medical doctor, but pool is his biggest love.

Officially, he has been competing since 1996, and has worn jerseys of many of the first league clubs in the Serbian Pool Association. He founded his own club, BK «Lucky Ball».

A licensed pool coach and PAT examiner since 2009, he has had the privilege to train many people, such as Vojislav Krstic and Luka Bulatovic, both who were junior champions of Serbia, as well as female champion of Serbia, Dunja Vujanic. Follow him on Twitter and on Facebook.

Check out his YouTube channel here. You can also email him: vidakovicboris@yahoo.com or Skype: poolschool-luckyball and mob. 00381 65 2822 722.

65

Sneaky Pete Mafia Magazine - February 2015

Sneaky Pete Mafia Magazine - February 2015

66

Just Showin’ Off: A Trick Shot

~ Florian Kohler

For this column we are going to revisit a classic—probably one of the most famous—trick shot. The original version was made famous by the great Steve Mizerak as he executed this trick during the miller lite commercial and is now called the “just showin’ off.”

In this version we are going to pot 6 balls as well but we will add a jump shot to finish the shot. This is a pretty hard shot to execute perfectly and it should take you a bit of time to master but once executed you will stun your audience or friends. Let’s study the set

up first: Balls 1 and 2 are frozen to each other with ball 1 frozen to the rail. There is usually a gap of 1/2 a ball or more depending of the table between the point of the pocket and the one ball. Balls 1 and 2 are also on a straight line. The next balls to be set up are balls 3 and 4.

Again these balls are frozen to each other on a straight line with ball 4 being set up a bit to the right of ball 2. Check the zoomed view of these balls for more precisions.

In the meantime the cue ball should now pass under the bridge. Once the cue ball is in this zone, drop your cue (don’t break it please ;) ) and quickly pick the jump cue in order to jump the moving cue ball into ball 4.

You will then take care of ball 5. Like Mike Massey would say the important thing here is the tangent line. Always aim to the right of the pocket due to the “throw.”

Of course the white ball has to be hit while still in motion. I said it before, this shot is far from easy as it combined the elements of a set up plus a jump shot. You will need some patience and skill to perform it but it will for sure bring the house down if you can perform it correctly.

This effect is only depending on the conditions—the quality of the balls as well as their state— and mainly the cloth. Usually on old cloth and with balls that aren’t clean, you will get a lot more throw than on a brand new felt.

Of course there is no magic for that ball; the best is just to try it and watch where the ball goes.

The rest of the setup is simpler.

Set up a ball 6 in front of the corner pocket but not too deep and on the long rail side. You will then need a bridge that you are going to place as diagrammed on the rail, making sure you have enough space under it so the cue ball can roll.

Pick also a jump cue and prop it up on the table or laying on the rail so it doesn’t disturb the shot.

The last element of the shot is the cue ball. There are a few options for that ball, but I personally set it after the diamond line and almost in line with ball 2, maybe a centimeter to the its right.

Let’s study the execution of the trick shot now. Shoot the cue ball 3 rails with a medium to hard stroke using top left English, and the cue ball will travel as drawn while balls 1, 2, 3, 5 are being made. Ball 4 will replace ball 6 in front of the pocket while pocketing it.

67

Due to complexity of this shot it is hard to really explain more and like I say, the best thing to do to master this shot is practice, so have fun practicing!

Florian Kohler grew up in easter France and did not start playing pool until the age of 18 when he received a six foot pool table from his parents. Florian started watching exhibition videos online and trying to imitate shots in them. He began experimenting with his own versions of trick shots, and eventually developed many new concepts, such as ball jumping, massé-ing with multiple cues simultaneously, executing jump and massé shots on moving balls, and executing very high jumps. He has set a record for highest jump shot on a moving ball, at 23 inches. He speaks 3 languages, is a licensed Optometrist and holds a black belt in Judo. You can learn more about him by visiting his website or connecting with him on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.

Sneaky Pete Mafia Magazine - February 2015

Mitchell Thomas Custom Cues Custom Cue Building One of a kind original designs Cue repairs of all sorts Re-wraps, new tips & more...

Make your old cue look new with a professional refinish Some of the best break cues and jump cues on the market

909-496-2442 http://mitchellthomascustomcues mitchellthomas_customcues@yahoo.com Sneaky Pete Mafia Magazine - September Sneaky Pete Mafia Magazine - February2014 2015

66 68

69

Sneaky Pete Mafia Magazine - February 2015

~~~Heather Kurtz and Pool Passion ~~~ ~Hannah Blue {Interview} Heather Kurtz got her introduction to pool in Levittown NY when she was a teenager.

While hanging around a local pool hall with her friends she fell in love with the game, and soon got a part time job there.

She spent hours watching the regulars play, and got tips from the old-timers.

She has played in the presence of many pros, but one whom she would love to meet is world champion Allison Fisher.

Fisher is someone Heather greatly admires, and she would love to have the opportunity to pick her brain. Another player she admires is John Schmidt—Heather has actually met him many times but hasn’t gotten to play a game with him yet.

Some of Heather’s fondest memories of pool are from her years working the Straight Pool Challenge at the Super Billiards Expo in PA and NJ. Having the opportunity to watch different players shoot 19 hours a day while trying to qualify for the championship competition at the end of the expo was incredibly inspiring and amazing.

Heather’s favorite hall to play at is Raxx Pool Room, in West Hempstead NY. One of Heather’s proudest moments in the game was her first year in the Raxx straight pool league, when she placed first out of 16 guys. night at the pool hall. This is one of the reasons she started Pool Passion, a Facebook group for pool players of all skill levels.

At her peak she was playing, ideally, every day or every other day for at least three hours at a time.

“Some people say playing pool is like riding a bike, but I don’t agree with that at all; personally, if I take time away from the table it’s not so easy to get back into the swing of it.”

Like many players with a true love and respect for the game, Heather thinks the main thing pool needs is exposure.

“It’s a beautiful game, you would think it would have a better rep’! I don’t care what anyone says, pool players are athletes.

I’d love for it to be as big as other sports. I wish there were more streamers that offered free streaming online, so that more people could watch and appreciate pool. Right now I feel there is too much pay-per-view, and people who are new to the game may not be willing to pay to watch a lot of these tournaments and amazing players. As a huge supporter and promoter of our sport, I really feel that streams are important to bring in more fans!”

Her goal for the group is to create a safe haven for players— from total novice to world champion—to ask questions, give advice, market products or lessons, and just have an open dialogue about the sport in general.

Heather has personally benefitted from the group; she was having issues with lifting her bridge arm, she put it to the group, and got many helpful responses and videos that helped her improve. She hopes many others will have similar positive experiences.

She’s made friends (as in real-life, actually-met-in-person friends) through the group, and knows of several members who have met up at tournaments. This kind of communitybuilding is exactly what she was hoping for when she started Pool Passion.

At the end of our conversation, I asked Heather if she had As she got more into the game, Heather realized she had anything she would like to add, and this is what she said: many more questions than could be answered on your average Sneaky Pete Mafia Magazine - February 2015

70

“I’d love to see more females in the game! It really is a maledominated sport. I’ve had so many experiences where men won’t give me the time of day, or think they can beat me just because I’m a girl. It’s as much a mental game as a physical one, so men have no advantage other than the fact that most people associate the game with men. Lots of girls who like the game don’t take it seriously–they just go to a bar once in a while and bang around balls–and I don’t think they realize how much farther they could go.”

Hannah Blue is an editor for Sneaky Pete Mafia, and a graduate of the American Academy of Art in Chicago. She’s had several shows this year; you can see her artwork at her website. When she’s not working Hannah spends much of her time playing pool. New to the game, she is “totally obsessed,” and hopes to continue learning and improving for the rest of her life.

Holiday Gift Ideas

for billiard enthusiasts

71

Visit BilliardBuddies.com

Sneaky Pete Mafia Magazine - February 2015

Universe Clothing Mission Statement. ~ Nick Bashizi

Good business networking tool

I apologize in advance for the length of this message. I am going to try to make it as short as possible, but there is a lot to say and this message cannot be compressed any further.

I started Universe Clothing with one goal in mind: to change the general public’s perception of pool. If people could see what pool really is all about, if they could see past the bad image that it has, they would fall in love with it, like we did. It’s a game of strategy, finesse, patience, discipline, perseverance and skills. It’s a game that does not discriminate in any way: tall or short, rich or poor, big or slim, no matter the skin color, no matter where people are from, everyone can play pool, and everyone has a chance to become a good player if they work hard at it. How many other sports can claim that? And yes, pool is a sport, just as much as golf is.

Fun

However, here is the gist of what people wrote: GOLF

POOL (BILLIARDS)

Smart

Difficult

Expensive

Smoking

Strategy

Pricey

Elitist

Drinking

Intelligent

Good for your health

Outdoorsy

Gambling

Difficult

Requires to be Classy in good shape

Sneaky Pete Mafia Magazine - February 2015

Entertaining

Here is a post I found on Facebook the other day that I think sums it up pretty well: It is my firm belief that unless we “clean up our act,” we won’t be able to attract companies outside of pool to invest in the game and

I then asked each person to write as many words as possible in each column based on what each word meant to them in terms of associated values or perception. This was just a test to satisfy my own curiosity so I did not record the results in an organized fashion.

TENNIS

Fun Bar Game

Again, these are people who are not pool players. They might have picked up a cue every now and then, but they don’t play on a regular basis at all. This illustrates what the problem is pretty well: People associate great values to those other activities: Smart, Good for your Health, Classy. But when it comes to pool there is overwhelming sense of negativity. Most of those people wouldn’t want their kids to pick up pool as their hobby because of that. That’s not something that would be considered “good news.”

If the general public could see all that, pool would have a lot more respect and our pros wouldn’t be struggling to make a living.

Unfortunately that is not the case. I ran a test with a number of non-pool players just to see what the results would be. The test was very simple: I wrote down four words on a piece of paper: Chess, Tennis, Golf and Pool (with the understanding that I meant Billiards). Each word had its own column.

CHESS

Lots of money in it for the players

Hustling

72

help us grow so we can have bigger, better tournaments, which in turn will help the Pros make a better living and help the sport get more exposure and respect.

of support from a lot of people so far, but I feel that it is now time to reach out to everyone and get real feedback from the industry, directly from the source.

I believe that this is what this sport needs.

Great players like Johnny Archer, Dennis Hatch, Shannon Daulton, Rodney Morris, Shawn Putnam and Jennifer Barretta have shown me great support and have been invaluable in getting this started.

Companies like AZ Billiards, Big Truck, TV Mike, Sneaky Pete Mafia and many others have gone out of their way to help me get the word out. I feel very fortunate that I have been able to get all that support. Matchroom Sport also showed their vote of confidence by letting Universe Clothing manufacture and make available to the public all the uniforms for this year’s upcoming Mosconi Cup, which is a great honor for me.

We cannot keep on glorifying the hustling aspect of pool. Even though it is an integral part of pool, it is not going to help us achieve the goal of attracting new people to the sport. People gamble in Golf, they gamble in Tennis, but that is not what those sports focus on. They focus on the positive values. And unless we start doing the same, we won’t get rid of the bad image we currently have. I am only talking about the US of course, because that is all I know. The pool industry might be better off in other parts of the world, but the US is my focus.

So when people ask me if I do clothing, I say “Yes and No.” Clothing is a means to an end, but the project is much broader than that. I didn’t start Universe Clothing so we could sell clothes and make money. I had a great paying, stable job as CEO of an electronics company. I was doing well and if money was my motivation I would have simply stayed right where I was and continue my career. I started Universe Clothing to try and make a small difference for a sport that I absolutely love.

That’s why from the get go I included the players. I wanted to compose with them, to better understand what they had to go through, what they thoughts the problems were and what ideas they had to try and change it. I chose clothing because I think perception of paramount. And if we truly want to change the general public perception of pool, it starts with what they see.

We have guys working hard to stream and document pool events.

But if the players do not look professional, regardless of how great they play, the event won’t look “important” or “respectable” to those non-pool players who might come across it. The same reason why you don’t show up to work in your pajamas is the reason why we shouldn’t dress up in jeans and a T-shirt for competitions. It simply doesn’t look professional.

And for better or worse, image is paramount.

That’s why I thought starting with clothing would be a good way to get the ball rolling. But eventually we want to do a whole lot more.

We want to have our own tournaments, sponsor more players, help up and coming players, even put together scholarships, whatever can help promote and grow the sport. It’s a long term plan and a very ambitious one. I started this, but there is no way that this plan is going to come to fruition with just me working on it. I need the support of this industry, from the players to the companies that are involved.

This message is my way to ask your opinion, so I can know whether or not you agree with what I said and support what I am doing.

Because if people within the industry don’t think any of what I said here is true, then this is never going to work. I have received a lot

Now is time for you to voice your opinion and let me know what your thoughts are.

Please post a comment and start by typing one of the following: I agree and I support this, I partially agree, I don’t agree.

Thank you very much for taking the time to read this and let’s see what the pool community has to say. As always: Please get involved, spread the word and keep on playing!

Nick BashiziNick Bashizi is a young serial entrepreneur. After graduating from college with 2 Bachelor of Science degrees (Computer Science and Political Science), he decided to open an electronics company which he built from the ground up in partnership with a French manufacturer. His experience playing college tennis and seeing the importance of comfortable, athletic clothing, prompted him to inquire about Billiards apparel when he fell in love with the sport in 2010. He soon realized that there was no one providing Athletic apparel for pool players although the need was there. Encouraged by his success from his previous venture, he decided to start a new company—Universe Clothing & Accessories—which would enable him to enjoy both his passion for business and billiards. However Universe Clothing was created to be more than a Clothing Company. It was created as a project to help change the general’s public perception of pool, starting with the most visible: the clothing. Universe Clothing is the first and only apparel company to offer an Athletic Clothing line for pool players that is a unique combination of Dress shirt/Polo shirt /Sportswear. When he isn’t working on growing his business, he spends time playing tennis, going to the gym, and allocates most of his free time trying very hard to become a better pool player. You can reach him at nick@universeclothing.com.

Photo: Universe Clothing Company Editor: Dana Gornall

73

Sneaky Pete Mafia Magazine - February 2015

The 8-ball Droid-man says...

Let’s Play Pool!!!

Sneaky Pete Mafia Magazine - February 2015

74

75

Sneaky Pete Mafia Magazine - February 2015

Sneaky Pete Mafia Magazine - February 2015

76