SPM Magazine Issue 2 by SPM Billiards Magazine

Intervi ews, Review s, Stories & Mor e!

Max Eberle Photo by Robert Ross Sneaky Pete Mafia Magazine - November - 2013 Sneaky Pete Mafia Magazine1 - November - 2013 - Issue 2

Table of Contents Letter from the Editor - pg 3 Kicking Out - pg4 The Man behind the cloth - pg 9 A Billiards Education in Movies - pg12 Robert Ross - Photographer - pg 18 Delta 13 Review - pg 22 Delta 13 - The True Triangle - 23 Tools of the Trade - 24 Q & A with Briana Miller - 27 Those were the days - 28 Better Missing - 29 Darren “Dynamite” Appleton - pg 30 “Hurricanes” Hot Seat - 34 From little acorns - pg 36 Your Brain is a Lousy Pool Player - pg 38 Money Pool - pg 41 What would a sucker do? - pg 43 Lucky Luke - pg 44 One Pocket - pg 46 Buffalo Unleashed - pg 48

Sneaky Pete Mafia Magazine - November - 2013

Letter from the Editor I want to thank each and every person who has taken the time to support our endeavor here at Sneaky Pete Mafia Magazine. We are very excited about all of the opportunities that lay ahead of us. For me, personally, I feel truly blessed to be surrounded by a team of individuals who are very excited to be doing what we all love. We want to be a complete resource for pool players, once again, taking the focus off individual event results and giving players what Menzel ro nd Sa ited cr o ot Ph they need to take their games to the next level. As always, please feel free to contact me at editor@ sneakypetemafia.com if you are interested in seeing other topics or even writing something for us in the future. We are here because of you— please let us know what we can do to make this project even more of what you are looking for. Yours truly ~ Suzanne Smith “SOS” 3

Sneaky Pete Mafia Magazine - November - 2013

The Drill Instructor By Dominic Esposito

Kicking Out Part 1 Your opponent has executed a safety, placing the cue ball behind a cluster and you have to kick out and make a good hit. Do you walk up to the table and think, “Now what do I do,” or do you think, “I know how to kick this”? DRILL 1

Place the cue ball in front of Diamond Point 0, from 4 inches to 3 diamonds out from the rail. Place an object ball on the rail at Diamond Points 1, 2, & 3, as shown. Shoot, with 1-Tip of English, Right of Center on the cue ball, into Diamond Point 0 to hit the 1 ball. Shoot, with 2-Tips of English, Right of Center on the cue ball, into Diamond Point 0 to hit the 2 ball. Shoot, with 3-Tips of English, Right of Center on the cue ball, into Diamond Point 0 to hit the 3 ball. INSERT FIRST DIAGRAM HERE

Modified Cue Ball Path Positions To Practice From

6 1

C 2

The numbers in each cue ball are the TIPS of English used.

7 3

~continued top of next page Sneaky Pete Mafia Magazine - November - 2013

DRILL 2 Starting Explanation: The diamonds numbered 1-10 at the bottom of the photo, going right and up the bottom rail, are referred to as DP, meaning: Diamond Points . The diamonds numbered 1-11 at the top of the photo are referred to as the DCP, meaning: Diamond Contact Points, The 1 ball in this diagram is located at the TDP, meaning: Target Diamond Point. The cue balls have a number on them. This means the number of CUE STICK TIPS to use from the center out (also see the suggested striking point diagram below).

Place the cue ball in front of (DP) 0, about 4 inches or more off the rail as shown above (the added cue balls on the ball path in the diagram indicate optional points to shoot the cue ball from). Next, place the 1 ball on the rail at TDP number 4, as shown above. Hit 3-Tips Right of Center, into DCP 1, to hit the 1 ball at TDP 4, or Hit 2-Tips Right of Center, into DCP 2, to hit the 1 ball on TDP 4, or Hit 1-Tip Right of Center, into DCP 3 to hit the 1 ball on TDP 4, or Hit 0-Tips Right of Center, into DCP 4 to hit the 1 ball on TDP 4. Do the math! At DP 0 using 3 Tips + DCP 1 (the Cue Ball Path) = TDP 4 (the Target object ball)

THE SECRET FORMULA: A.

Whatever diamond the cue ball is on, that DP and the DCP directly across become the new 0 points to begin adding the TIPS plus DCP spaces to hit the TDP. B. Start by counting the number of DP’s from DP-0 to the TDP (the object ball to kick at). C. Next, add 0, 1, 2, or 3 (Cue TIPS of English) plus a DCP number until it equals A, the TDP spaces to hit total (see the diagram below: The TDP diamond number value is 4). Note: The TIP number, plus the DCP number must equal the TDP spaces number. Count how 3+1, 2+2, 1+3 or 0+4 all equal reaching the TDP space number 4).

6 1

DCP The number on each cue ball indicates how many tips from center to use.

Starting from DP-0, add the TIP count (0, 1, 2 or 3), plus add the DCP number, to equal total TDP

0 1 2

TDP-4 DP-0 0

7 1

You can find these drills in their entity in Pro Skill Drills’ Volume 1 Book and DVD, endorsed by Nick Varner. Go to www.thedrillinstructor.us to get yours.

Sneaky Pete Mafia Magazine - November - 2013

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Sneaky Pete Mafia Magazine - November - 2013

The Man Behind The Cloth Ivan Lee of Iwan Simonis Incorporated Billiards” it is a carom billiards discipline in which players compete at performing 76 preset shots of varying difficulty with a total point value of 500. I would imagine this is a game for a highlyskilled, advanced player which speaks volumes about Ivan’s pool-playing abilities.

by Peggy Mallen When I started to read about the history of Simonis cloth, I couldn’t help but wonder how they survived for the last 333 years!!!! Yes, you heard me correctly…333 years. Think about it – it was the 17th Century in a mid-size community, Verviers, Belgium where it all started. They probably had knights in armor with swords and metal helmets and jousting. Well…maybe not, but it could lead to a great history lesson. This community, Verviers, the center of the wool industry, was renowned for its production of high-quality wool in the year 1680 – and, still is today. Initially, they made wool textiles for many uses but one little known fact is that in the 1860’s they made uniform cloth for Union and Confederate soldiers.

In 2012, the company, Iwan Simonis Incorporated, acquired Photo by another best-of-class Churchill Photography complimentary company to their portfolio, SALUC S.A./Belgium, the leader in phenolic Aramith billiard balls and Aramith Fusion billiard tables. Ivan stated, “The cloth and ball products are perfectly complimentary and both have tremendous brand recognition and loyalty – it was a natural fit. We are no longer just about cloth, Iwan Simonis Incorporated is the U.S. entity that embodies Simonis business.”

Unfortunately, the exact date for the initial production of billiard cloth is not known because of a factory fire in 1982 where the company archives were destroyed. Nonetheless, for over two centuries, generations of technicians and skilled workers have been producing Simonis billiard cloth which is world-famous. Other companies have tried to imitate this high-quality cloth, but none have been successful.

I’m still amazed Simonis has been a leader in wool cloth production for 333 years...after a company does anything for that long they are destined to be the master.

Simonis is a global company, but the man behind the United States entity and the focus of this article is Ivan Lee of Iwan Simonis Incorporated. I had the honor of asking Ivan a few questions to give us insight on his history since, not only does he head his family business in the U.S., but he is also Chairman of the Board of Directors for the Billiard Congress of America (BCA), a position he has held for the fifth time in nine years.

Ivan Lee of Iwan Simonis Inc., has a fascinating family and business story to tell. I’ve only touched a few of the highlights and I appreciated this opportunity to get to know more about the man behind the cloth. (References)

Ivan was born in Boston – the seventh of seven children and grew up in the northern lower peninsula of Michigan on his grandfather’s farm. He comes from humble beginnings where they raised hogs and chickens, but he had also worked in the saw mills, and revealed that he owned a chainsaw at the age of 12. He went on to graduate Magna Cum Laude in Business Administration at Roosevelt University in Chicago.

October, 2013: Biographical information provided by the Ivan Lee of Iwan Simonis Incorporated. www.simoniscloth.com/about-simonis www.poolmag.com/blog/post.cfm/simonis-aquires-saluc http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Artistic_billiards www.theschulercue.com/about-ray-schuler/asp

Ivan started making cues for the late Ray Schuler in 1989. Ray Schuler (1931-2002) was a renowned pool player and cue maker. Schuler cues are still widely used by top players worldwide including several of the recent inductees into the BCA Hall of Fame. Ray had a carom table in his shop and many of the best carom players were always available to play with Ivan. This is where he learned three-cushion billiards and artistic billiards—on Ray’s table. In case you haven’t heard the term “Artistic

Sneaky Pete Mafia Magazine - November - 2013

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 - November - 2013

A Billiards Education in Movies by Jason A. Moss

When many people think about billiards, they are really thinking about pool (also known as pool billiards or pocket billiards), specifically one of the numerous variations of pool, such as eight-ball, nine-ball, straight pool, or one pocket, that are played on a 6-pocket table of 7-, 8-, or 9-foot length. A simple Google search verifies this billiards bias. A search for “8-ball” and “9-ball” yields 909 million and 870 million results, whereas a search for “snooker” yields 44 million, and a search for “carom” (as in carom billiards) yields less than 3 million results. And, if we start narrowing our search to some of the more regional variations of carom billiards, such as Balkline or Goriziana, there are less than a few hundred thousand search results. Certainly, in North America, one reason people commonly equate billiards with pool is because pool is the only game they’ve played. According to research done 10 years ago by the Billiards Congress of America, about 90% of billiards players in the US primarily play pool; the rest play snooker or carom billiards. But, another reason for the global association between billiards and pool is because of popular culture. Conduct any informal survey in which you ask people to name “billiards movies” and the most common responses are The Hustler (1961) and The Color of Money (1986). Ask billiards players and other common responses are Poolhall Junkies (2002), Shooting Gallery (2005), Turn the River (2007) and maybe Stickmen (2001). Each of these films has its own merits, and some are much better movies than others, but a common link is they all feature variations of pool: The Hustler (straight pool), The Color of Money (9-ball), Poolhall Junkies (9-ball), Shooting Gallery (9-ball), Turn the River (one-pocket), Stickmen (8-ball). Fortunately, there have been a handful of billiards movies that don’t focus on pool. So, if you’re looking to expand your familiarity with some of the other cue sports, get your Netflix or Amazon Instant Video queue ready and read on. Snooker Snooker is a billiards game played on a 12’x6’ table using a cue and 22 snooker balls (one white cue ball, 15 red balls, and 6 balls of different colors and point values). The object of the game is to score more points than one’s opponent by potting the object balls in a predefined order. Red balls must be potted in order to attempt to pot one of the colored balls. One of the most interesting movies to feature snooker is Billy the Kid and the Green Baize Vampire, a 1987 film from the UK that revolves around a snooker showdown between a cockney named Billy Kid and a seven-time world snooker champion who wears clip-on fangs and relaxes in a coffin named Maxwell Reardon, aka the Green Baize Vampire. The two main protagonists are modeled on real-world legends Ray Reardon (whose nickname was “Dracula”) and Jimmy White, who battled it out in snooker championships in the early 1980s. The movie is actually a musical, composed by George Fenton, a 5-time Oscar-nominated composer, and includes the song “Snooker (So Much More Than Just a Game).” If you liked The Rocky Horror Picture Show, you’ll enjoy this film based on its camp/cult value alone. But, even if musicals are not your thing, you’ll get a thrill out of watching the exceptional snooker playing, particularly in the final showdown. Other snooker movies you might wish to check out include Legend of the Dragon (1991, Hong Kong), which actually features snooker champ Jimmy White, and Number One (1985, UK), a made-forTV movie starring Bob Geldof and Alfred Molina. Three-Cushion Billiards Three-cushion billiards, one of the most popular and challenging cue sports in the world, consists of three balls and a pocketless pool table. The object of the game is to carom the cue ball off both object balls, but to make sure the cue ball hits the rail cushion at least three times before hitting the second object ball. A point is scored for each successful carom. A humorous, tongue-and-cheek film that prominently features three-cushion billiards is Sneaky Pete Mafia Magazine - November - 2013

Carambola (2003, Mexico). In this low-budget drama, shot entirely in one location, the character “El Vago,” having won a carom-billiards saloon from the character “El Mexicano,” must now figure out how to restore honor and popularity to the game of three-cushion billiards. A lot of mishaps occur, especially in his decision to recruit “El Perro” (the fabulous Diego Luna) as the manager, who feels three cushion billiards is an old man’s game. Amazing three-cushions shot are scattered throughout the movie, and there is a comedic skit in the beginning, in which El Vago attempts to make an instructional video about the rules and nuance of the sport. Another movie you might wish to check out is Wandering Ginza Butterfly (1972, Japan), a “pinky violence” film in which an outlaw heroine tries to save a bar through a three-cushion billiards competition. Goriziana Goriziana (or 9-pins) is a form of carom billiards especially popular in Italy. Nine pins sit in the center of a pocketless table. Two cue balls and a red ball are used. Each player attempts to hit the opponent’s ball and, from there, scores points by striking the red ball, or by making the opponent’s balls or the red ball knock over the pins. Play continues until someone reaches or surpasses a pre-set number of points. The best way to visualize Goriziana is to watch the romantic comedy The Pool Hustlers (1983, Italy), also known by its Italian name Io, Chiara e lo scuro. The story focuses on Francesco, a skilled Goriziana player, who never plays for money. He challenges Scuro, the reigning Goriziana champion (played by real 9-pin billiard legend Marcello Lotti), for a “spiked cup of coffee” wager. When Francesco wins, his newfound confidence leads him to break his own no-betting rule, and he quickly falls into significant debt, losing his rematches to Scuro. This debt leads him to steal money, and ultimately, to compete in the International Single Set Goriziana Championship as a way to pay off his financial obligations, preserve his relationship with his girlfriend Chiara and avoid jail. The Pool Hustlers was followed by a sequel Casablanca, Casablanca (1985, Italy), which continues Francesco’s love of Chiara and of Goriziana, and then much later by Il signor Quindicipalle (1998, Italy), which is also about 9-pins but with different characters. So the next time you’re asked to think about billiards, consider the larger universe of exciting cue sports that exist. And, if we’re lucky, maybe there will be some billiards movies about Russian Pyramid or Balkline in the near future. We could all use some more educating. ************************************************************************************************************* Jason Moss is an avid pool player and cinephile. He combines these two passions in his blog, 8 Ball on the Silver Screen, which is exclusively about the 130 billiards movies, shorts, web series, and television shows he has identified to date. His goal is to watch and review every one of them.

www.jbcases.com 13

Sneaky Pete Mafia Magazine - November - 2013

Sneaky Pete Mafia & Focus Billiard Gear Sneaky Pete Mafia & Focus Billiard Gear have teamed up and the T-shirts and Hoodies are now here. Range of colors are white, black, grey and blue. Sizes come in small to 4X. Shirts and hoodies will be shipped when ordered. Orders over $50 get free shipping in the usa. Use Promo code - 201302 Prices are as follows: Racer back $18, T-shirt$ 22, Long sleeve $28, Hoodie $40, Polo $30 shipped to your door.

To buy a shirt or hoodie, go to https://www.facebook.com/ FocusBilliardGear/app_251458316228 http://focusbilliardgear.com/ Both types of Sneaky Pete Mafia patches have arrived and are ready for immediate delivery. The patches are $11 each, mailed within CONUS and $16 each shipped worldwide by postal service. Please send paypal payment to americancueist@aol.com and indicate how many of each you would like: round and/or rectangular. I also take all major credit cards if you don’t have a Paypal account. Please call me at 609-553-8810 for all phone orders.

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Sneaky Pete Mafia Magazine - November - 2013

Sneaky Pete Mafie Mafia Magazine - September November - 2013

ROBERT ROSS- Photograph Robert Ross was born in Knoxville, Tennessee, in 1943. He now resides in Corona, California. He started taking pictures in 1965, and currently uses Canon equipment. His inspiration came from seeing some of Lee Boyar’s photos of the great players of the past. His favorite events to shoot are the CSI tournaments. Although photography is his passion, Robert does still like to shoot pool. He plays at the recreation center where he lives, and sometimes he’ll go to Shooter’s in Riverside, California. His cues are a 1984 Gus Szamboti, an early 80’s Meucci original, a mid 90’s Leonard Bloodworth, and a 2000 Judd Fuller. All of Robert’s images are for sale, and you can see more at http://rgrossphotography.smugmug.com/

Mark Griffin

John Henderson

Max Eberle

Ike Runnels

Corey Deuel The Black Widow Sneaky Pete Mafia Magazine - November - 2013

her Feature Spread Efren Reyes

Alex Pagulayan

Francisco Bustamante

Robert Leblanc

Shannon Daulton

Ike Runnels

Buddy Hall/Louie Roberts 19

Sneaky Pete Mafia Magazine - November - 2013

Louie Roberts

Left to Right: Michael Col train, Kim Davenport, Johnny Ar cher, Tony Ellin, Front Row: Shannon Dau lton, Mark Bedor, Francisco Bustamante

Pinoy 7 Alex Pagulayan, Francisco Bustamante, Rodolfo Luat, Ronnie Alcano, Marlon Manalo, Dennis Orcullo, Efren Reyes

Pinoy 3 Rolando Vicente, Efren Reyes, Rodolfo Luat

Sneaky Pete Mafia Magazine - November - 2013

Lou Butera

Cole Dixon

David Howard

Frank “The Barber” Alman

Steve Mizerak

Mary Kennisto

n 21

Sneaky Pete Mafia Magazine - November - 2013

I am Eli Ceballos, a professional photographer at Cryfoto in Brooklyn NY, I play in the National Amateur Pool League (NAPL). I’ve had some experience with several styles of racks made of many different materials. I felt that it was time to get a serious rack when my game stared to progress, so I started to do a little testing. Basically I found that they all have their pros and cons ... a few have more pros than cons and the reverse is also true. Here is what I found out when I did my comparison; The basic plastic racks are very affordable ($5) but are almost impossible to get a perfect rack because of their flexibility. You can really forget about any kind of consistency.

bending. Its ability to rack firmly was tarnished by the fact that it takes long to do so. Finally we have the Delta-13 Select. A marvel of engineering that is fairly affordable ($60). Its effectiveness is due to its aluminum construction and its generous spacing on the bottom of the rack. The rack does not interfere with balls that are close when racking for straight pool as much as the old wooden racks. It is the most beautiful of any of the available racks with one exception ...

Next are your basic wood racks that despite also being cheap ($9) are in fact much more durable. They do wear out after time, leaving depressions of the balls on the wood and are quite harsh on the felt. My favorite of the inexpensive racks has to be the heavy duty plastic racks. They defy their nature in that they are plastic but have VERY little flex to them. Nice and tight, cheap ($8) ... but not too pretty. For some, aesthetics matter. Then we get into the specialty racks ... you know the ones we see and make us tilt our head a little. The Sardo M-5000 rack looks cool and works well but has a few drawbacks, namely the cost ($70), its build, (which is plastic and therefore prone to wear) and the effect that pushing down on the balls has on the felt. The Magic Rack for me was a mixed bag and the only constant was its fairly affordable price ($18). Its portability is marred by the fact that because it was so light a plastic, it was also was prone to Sneaky Pete Mafia Magazine - November - 2013

The Delta-13 Elite ... It will outlast all of your other pool related purchases. It comes in 5 standard colors with a free laser engraving. Comes nicely packaged with a certificate of authenticity and a lifetime guarantee. I LOVE THIS RACK! It is beautiful, it is lightweight and ... it is Made in the USA! At the End of the day nothing tops the Delta-13 racks if you insist on tight racks EVERY time. Yes they are pricey with the Elite starting at $120 but if you own a table and consistency matters then this is a small investment.

Delta-13 – The True Triangle - Made in the USA by Peggy Mallen Minnesota Fats once said, “Gleason used to rack balls for me when he was a kid in Brooklyn.” I say… “If only they had a Delta-13 rack…Fats would have snapped more balls in on the break!” I make this statement quite confidently after learning the history behind the life of the production of this high-quality, distinctive product that’s out-of-this-world…”aerospace” engineered! It all started at Tag Team Manufacturing in 2007, when the idea of a product that did not allow your cue stick chalk to mark the walls came to mind. This product came out of necessity, and shortly after there was mention of a billiard ball rack. The first ball rack, admittedly stated by the company “Executive Billiards,” was a “three pound gorilla” - much too heavy and cumbersome. After help from the WPBA (Women’s Professional Billiard Association) and the U.S. Pool Players Association, the “gorilla” went through a couple revision processes. The “Falcon” was the first revision debuted into the industry and only 100 were sold. Later the same year, the rack was re-tooled to a 16 oz. masterpiece, which was ready to take the market by storm! After the final changes, the WPBA and the U.S. Pool Players Association, announced that Delta-13 was their “official” rack. This exceptional product is made of 6061 extruded aluminum. In case you’re wondering, after a little research, I found out that 6061 aluminum is used for heavy duty structures requiring good strength-toweight ratio and excellent corrosion resistance. The Delta-13 “Elite” was machined on a $300,000 horizontal mill. Each rail and corner was cut from solid aluminum and inspected for sharp edges and quality machining prior to anodizing. The anodize process embeds the color molecules into the aluminum molecules in an electricity-charged bath and prevents the aluminum

from tarnishing over time. The corners are “clear” anodized which gives them a silver-like finish. In the summer of 2008, after learning they needed a price point for a rack well under $100 to satisfy a different consumer, the company sent out a request for quotes on a cast mold. The mold would eventually become the basis for an aluminum cast rack called the “Regular” rack. Delta-13 found a U.S. Company that owned a mold factory overseas and signed a contract with them in December of that year. In June, 2013, after the purchase of a $13,000 CAD system, which allowed the creation of a high-quality product at a lower price point - the new “Select” rack was introduced and the “Regular” rack became discontinued. The new Select is made from the same 6061 extruded aluminum and has a sleek, new three-sided design featuring a patented ergonomic grip to insure a consistent, tight rack with explosive results. It also cuts down on billiard cloth wear. In September, 2013, Delta-13 launched a partnership with the North American Poolshooters Association (NAPA) and announced their tour called: NAPA Delta-13 8-Ball Tour. The new tour takes place in 12 locations across the U.S. and Canada between September 2013 and October 2014. Each stop is a 64-player, 8-ball tournament open to all NAPA

players of any skill level. The first stop was on September 21-22 in Indianapolis, with upcoming stops in Orlando on October 11-13 and Little Rock on November 16-17 (more stops TBA). In October, 2013, the company, “Executive Billiards” changed their name to “Delta-13” where they continued to focus on their main objective, to put a high-quality product on the market and distribute the Delta-13 brand! The brand includes, the “Select” and “Elite” ball racks, a cue rack (holding up to 8 cues), a cue lean, a mount to display the Delta 13 rack, a Delta-13 tray and the Delta-13 case (holds only Delta-13 racks, a set of balls, chalk and is stackable). Delta-13 has sponsored over 50 professional tournaments, tours and amateur leagues. There has been over 50 ESPN televised tournaments where the Delta-13 was the official tournament rack. This brand is known to most professional players and amateurs around the world. It is apparent that Delta-13 has set out to make the highest quality billiard products. They keep honing their skills and improving their products, so people like me (pool players) can enjoy the game to the fullest and get excited each time they come to the table to play. Thank you Delta-13! For more information on the Delta-13 brand and products, please visit www.delta-13.com or contact them at 1-866-915-2058. (References) October, 2013: History provided by the General Manager and VP, Kristin Taggart at Delta-13 - USA w w w. s p e e d y m e t a l s . c o m / information/Material5. html#Applications www.brainyquote.com/quotes/ authors/m/minnesota_fats.html

Sneaky Pete Mafia Magazine - November - 2013

Tools of the Trade: The Cue By Kimberely Lecumberri http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cue_stick

In order to play pool, you have to have a cue, or a“stick.” If you are knocking around balls in any other way, you are simply not playing pool. Social players tend to play with cues provided by the venue, or “house sticks,” but if you are part of a league or play on a regular basis, you probably have your own cue that was made by a particular person or company. In this article, we are going to talk about cues and their history. The game of pool has been around for centuries. Throughout that time, the game has evolved in a variety of ways. Therefore, it stands to reason that the equipment used to play the game has evolved as well. Before the invention of the cue that we currently play with, players used a golf club like object known as a “mace” to push balls around the table and into the pockets. The mace was difficult to shoot with because if a ball was too close to the rail, it was almost impossible to get the foot of the mace between the ball and the rail to make a clean shot. By 1670, players started using the butt of the stick to shoot with. This is how the word “cue” was invented. Cue evolved from the French term, queue, which means “tail.” When players used the tail end, or butt, of the stick to make a shot, they were using the “queue.” By 1800, the foot of the mace was removed so that players shot with a pointed stick rather than the bulky mace. These first cues were used along with the mace and stayed in use until the early 19th century. Initially, only skilled players were able to use the cue in public billiards rooms because it was believed that novice players and women would tear the fragile fabric with the pointed cue. With the invention of the cue, tables also changed. Originally, tables were shallow and the rails were very low; their only intention was to keep the balls from rolling off the table. With the cue came more maneuverability for players and an ability to push the ball more effectively, or “stroke” it, off Sneaky Pete Mafia Magazine - November - 2013

the rail. For this reason, rails that were players can be found using the second originally stuffed with cotton flocking type of cue more often, which is a two or linen became rubber. piece cue that is connected by a joint in the middle. One of the benefits of The original intention of the cue was using your own cue rather than a house to try to strike the cue ball as centrally cue is the quality of the tip. You have as possible to avoid a miscue. The idea control over the quality and hardness of spin was actually discovered before of your tip, which leads to more the invention of cue tips. Francois accuracy and, with the investment of Mingaud is credited with inventing the money into your own cue, are more leather cue tip. While being held as a likely to maintain it properly. The two political prisoner in France, he studied piece cue was designed to allow for the game of billiards, experimenting easy transport in a case from location with the leather tip and in 1807, after his to location without damage. Snooker release, he demonstrated his invention players use a third type of cue that is still to others. He is also credited with a two piece design, but varies slightly being the first person to demonstrate from a regular billiards cue. The joint that by raising the cue vertically, to the is located 12 or 16 inches from the butt position adopted by the mace, he could of the stick, rather than in the center. perform what is currently known as a A snooker cue also differs in that the Massé shot. tip is usually smaller than that of a billiards cue and therefore, the taper In pre-tip days, players would often from the tip is smaller in diameter. twist the end of their cue into a plaster In addition, a snooker cue is slightly wall or ceiling in order to “chalk” the shorter than an average billiards cue, tip of their cue to reduce chances of measuring in at 55 inches in a miscue. The first person to market length. An extension can be chalk was John Carr, a marker from used to make it longer. John Bartley’s billiards room in Bath. Carr and Bartley are credited with A typical two-piece cue for discovering how “side” or “sidespin,” pocket billiards is usually made known in American terms as mostly of hard rock maple, “English”could be used to a player’s with a fiberglass or phenolic advantage. This discovery led to resin ferrule and steel joint Carr selling chalk in small boxes. collars and pin. Pool cues He called it “twisting powder” and average around 58 inches because of the magical quality of long and the weight can range the name, he was able to sell it at anywhere from 17-21 ounces much higher prices than would with 19 ounces being the most have been possible if the public commonly used. Shafts can be had known it was nothing more made with various tapers, but than simple chalk. the two most commonly found are the “pro” taper and the Today, three different types of European taper. The pro taper cues are used. The simplest of has the same diameter from the the three is a one piece cue tip to 12-14 inches toward the that can generally be found in joint where it begins to widen. The any venue with a pool table. European taper, on the other hand, These are provided by the widens continually and smoothly venue for public use and are from the ferrule toward the joint known as “house sticks.” and despite its name, is most The quality of these cues is commonly found in most American not the best because they house cues. Despite the term “pro” are used by the general taper, not all professional players public and are rarely well prefer a straight pro taper on their maintained. Experienced custom cues. players or competitive 24

As for the tip of the cue, it is usually glued or screwed into the end of the stick and is still made of leather. There are a variety of tips available for players to choose from, ranging from very hard to very soft, and the one you choose to shoot with depends a lot on personal preference and skill. The compression and tanning process during manufacturing determines the hardness of a tip. Softer tips hold chalk better, but wear faster because of chalking, hitting too hard or shaping. Harder tips maintain their shape better and last longer, but do not hold chalk as well as the softer tips, which can lead to an increased chance of a miscue. Another option available on the market is a laminated tip, which is made of leather layered together and then laminated into one piece. Laminated tips also last longer and maintain their shape better than traditional one piece soft tips, but a potential downfall of a laminated tip is that it can lose its lamination and begin to come apart. However, this is not a common occurrence and is usually a result of the tip having been improperly installed, misuse of tip tools or repeated high impact Massé shots. Laminated tips also mushroom less than a traditional one piece tip. The purpose of the ferrule is to absorb the impact of the shot and keep the less resilient wood of the shaft of the cue from splitting. Ferrules are predominantly made of carbon fiber, or a plastic such as melamine resin, aegis or phenolic resin which are extremely durable, high-impact materials that are resistant to cracking, chipping, and breaking. Ivory was once the most commonly used material in ferrules, but with the implementation of endangered species laws, it is no longer used to make modern ferrules. Therefore, the only cues with ivory ferrules are those that are antique customs and are usually extremely valuable, which puts them well outside of the average player’s budget. There are many custom cue makers, but a very large number of quality pool cues are manufactured in bulk by manufacturers such as McDermott, Lucasi, Players and Cuetec, just to

name a few. In recent years, there have been an increasing number of technological advances in what cues are made of and some of the new materials used include carbon fiber and aluminum. However, the choice of materials used in the design and the beauty of the craftsmanship by custom cue makers can result in extremely valuable cues that can range anywhere from one hundred dollars to tens of thousands of dollars. Designs or inlays can be made of anything from simple carvings or brands in the wood itself to precious metals and stones. Some cues are made for decorative purposes only. This means that you would have the cue made not for play, but simply to hang on your wall, and these are generally referred to as “wall hangers.” An example of a wall hanger is a cue made by the famous cue maker, George Balabushka, who died December 5, 1975. An original Balabushka pool cue is currently on the market for $12,000. In contrast, your local custom cue maker will have more reasonable prices, and depending on materials used, you can usually have a highly quality, excellently crafted custom cue made for just a few hundred dollars. Regardless of your personal preference, any cue you choose can last a player’s lifetime if handled with care and properly maintained. For this reason, most competitive and professional players have a variety of cues they use for different shots. Breaking can cause a tip to mushroom and there have even been instances of the high-impact of the break shot causing the wood to split in the shaft of the cue, so most competitive players have at least two cues; one exclusively for breaking and one for play. Another high-impact shot is a jump shot, and some of the more competitive players use a special cue for these as well. A regular cue or a break cue may be used as the player’s jump cue, but more often than not, a competitive player will have a custom made jump cue for the sole purpose of making this shot. A jump cue is usually made of three parts. The shaft is one solid piece that unscrews in the middle just like a regular cue, 25

but there is an extra joint ¼ from the bottom of the butt of the cue that unscrews as well. This allows the player to unscrew part of the butt and “jack up” enough to get the angle needed to make an over handed jump shot lessening the unwieldy extra weight of the butt of the cue. Occasionally, a player will use a jump stick to make a Massé shot as well. The angle needed to make a Massé shot is similar to that of the over handed jump shot, so in this regard; the jump cue is a valuable resource. A professional player could have 20 different cues, each for a different trick shot. In comparison, an advanced player who competes in tournaments regularly should have no need for more than 3 custom cues: a break cue, a cue for play and a jump cue. It is, however, recommended that whenever possible, at least one extra shaft for the play cue be included in your case. Most competition is found in bar settings, where on any given day a person who has imbibed too much can accidentally knock down your cue and cause the ferrule to be damaged or the wood of the shaft to crack or become dirty. A quick solution is a backup shaft that can be replaced by the regular shaft of your play cue.

Ultimately, when choosing which cue is best for you, a few factors need to be added into the equation. Are you an advanced player or a novice? More advanced players may decide to go with a cue that is a bit more pricey, but novice players should consider their current budget and whether or not they are able to provide the proper maintenance required for a cue, which includes not only tip care, but regular shaft cleanings and refinishing as well. The inlays of the cue in no way affect the outcome of your current shot. While most average players choose a cue based on what it looks like, the truth is, the “feel” of the cue also factors into how well you shoot with it. If it doesn’t feel right, then it will affect the focus of your game. As a novice, you will probably occasionally Sneaky Pete Mafia Magazine - November - 2013

bump the shaft of your cue against the lights above the bar or rub it against the pockets of the table, causing dings and black marks on the shaft. If you buy an expensive stick before you are ready, you are probably not going to be very happy with its condition at the end of the night. One consideration before purchasing a cue is how often you play. If you only play occasionally and in social settings, a custom cue may not be the best option for you, as a regular house cue will suit your immediate needs. If, however, you play in tournaments or on a league and play every week, you may decide your best option is to go ahead and invest in a custom cue.

Buying your first custom cue is an exciting and very personal choice. You need to decide what is ultimately best for your personal needs and act accordingly. Whenever possible, it is always best to explore your options online at various websites, and contact your local cue maker for pricing and options. When you buy from your local cue maker, you are supporting not only your local economy, but an artist as well, and that should also be a consideration when deciding which cue is best for you. When you buy from your local cue maker, there are sometimes benefits, such as a discount on cleaning and getting the shaft re-tipped, which, if

you’re just starting out in league or competition will probably need to be done on a fairly regular basis until your skill improves. A custom cue maker can also make your cue a complete one of a kind or custom to your exact specifications, whereas factory produced cues are usually mass produced and sold all over the country and/or world to various people. Discuss all of these aspects with the cue maker, and see what kind of deal he or she is willing to work with you. In conclusion, pool and the equipment used to play is ever evolving and becoming a bigger and better sport. With passion, skill, dedication and the right cue, you could be the next big thing. Never give up, never give in, if you miss, try it again!

3rd Annual End-of-Year

~ Jack & Jill ~

Scotch Doubles Tourney Backroom Bar, Laver Road, Mansfield, Just off of Rt. 30 $40 per Team Entry Fee - Calcutta Starts at approximately 4:30 p.m. - Open To All - League affiliation not necessary - BCA Rules - Double Elimination - Race to 3 Winners side - Race to 2 Losers side (subject to change depending on teams entered) - - If you have any questions email me at graphixrose3@aol.com - Entries will be capped at 50 teams

••••• Mansfield, Ohio ••••• Facebook: www.facebook.com/658066294234297/ You can also secure your position by submitting your payment via paypal to graphixrose3@aol.com For more info call Rosanna Ramirez at 419-709-6463

Saturday, Dec. 28, 2013 Sneaky Pete Mafia Magazine - November - 2013

Q&A Interview with Briana Miller Interview by Suzanne Smith Briana Miller is arguably the best junior player in American history. Not only has she won multiple titles, she completely dominated the Junior scene and competed in her first WPBA US Open at only 13 years of age. In 2010, I had the opportunity to play Miss Miller at the WPBA Regional Tour Championships. I lost 7-1 and she went on to earn her WPBA tour card at 15 years of age. She continues to impress the pool world, with a ferocity and poise well beyond her years. I wish her all the best in her endeavors and I am hopeful that her passion for billiards continues her whole life. She is a shining example of how pocket billiards can be a positive influence on our youth. ME: How old were you when you started playing pool? Briana: I was 8 years old when I started to play pool. ME: What do you like about pocket billiards? Briana: I like the competitive aspect and meeting new people. ME: What do you like to do besides pool? Briana: Go shopping, listen to music, hang out with friends and play softball. ME: What are some of your proudest memories both on and off the table? Briana: Proudest moment off the table…High School Graduation and starting college Proudest memories on the table… Winning 7 consecutive Junior National 9-Ball Championships Representing the USA at 6 Junior WPA World Championships Winning the 2013 BCA National Championships Women’s Advanced Division ME: Who have been the most influential people in your life? Briana: My family ME: Who are your favorite players? Players you look up to most? Why? Briana: Allison Fisher, because I love her game and she is a great role model for the sport. ME: Do you have any advice for young players just starting out? Briana: Never give up, set goals and try to keep improving to attain them. ME: What are your goals for the future? Briana: I am currently a freshman at

Lindenwood University and I am competing on the LU Billiards team. I would like to obtain more National titles and possibly a World title at some point. ME: How do you feel about the BEF Photo credit Suzanne Smith and what they do for youth, for you in particular? Briana: I appreciate everything about the BEF. They have provided me with scholarship money to put towards my college education. They have provided me the opportunity to travel to several parts of the United States as well as other countries in the World. Briana is sponsored by Jacoby Custom Cues. She will not be representing North America in the Junior World 9 Ball Championships because she is focusing on her new role as a student. She is a freshman, majoring in finance at Lindenwood University. One smart cookie - Best of luck little lady, we will all be rooting for your success!

Photos courtesy of JP Parmentier & Billiards Education Foundation Sneaky Pete Mafia Magazine - November - 2013

Those Were the Days…. In the old days serious pool players carried one cue and maybe one spare shaft to ply their trade. Not a lot of players even had two piece cues of their own and if they did then those cues often stayed in the player’s main pool room in a locker. I am speaking of the period leading up to the late 70s. Until then the dominant professional games were 14.1 straight pool, one pocket and 9-ball. Of those 14.1 was the one that the elite pros played while 9-ball and especially one pocket were considered hustler’s games only good for gambling. So if you were a straight pool player then you only needed one cue to play with and you proudly brandished it. If you were a hustler, like my new friend and author Alf Taylor, then you more often didn’t even admit to owning a cue much less proving that you did. Consequently there wasn’t a lot of choices for cue cases and what was there were mostly for one single cue and maybe one spare shaft. Only carom players carried multiple cues and they usually had a large leather tube with all the cue parts tossed in together. In the late 70s and early 80s the idea of having a break cue for 9-ball came into fashion and manufacturers encouraged the trend. Now players felt that they needed to have a larger case to hold two cues and at least one spare shaft. So naturally the industry responded by providing larger cases. Centennial cases came out with a 2x4 version of their 1x2 tube case. In an earlier article we traced the evolution of that style. It’s George followed suit with not only a 2x4 version but a 3x6 “tour edition” for the super serious professional player. Centennial cases came with one huge pocket. This pocket resembled a men’s toiletry kit but bigger. Its George had similar pockets but smaller with a single zipper down the center. (Sidenote: It’s George was hustler jargon for “I can’t lose” and it’s Tom was the opposite meaning “this is no good”).

Sneaky Pete Mafia Magazine - November - 2013

Along about the same time Joe Porper came out with his line of cases in vinyl which were light in weight and snug fitting and had generous pocket space. Most custom case makers followed suit and the era of the 2x4 and larger case was firmly established by the mid 80s. Fellini never did make larger cases and this trend might have been a factor in the decision to quit making that brand.

In any event, nature abhors a vacuum, so it follows that players were eager to fill up those cases with not only cues but every manner of accessory that enterprising inventors could bring to market to entice them with. It all began with the humble Tip Tapper (actual product name) back in the 70s and has blossomed into an allyou-can-afford buffet of items that are considered indispensable to the modern pool player. Now we have a variety of tip tapping and shaping devices as well as cue extenders and jump cues that all need to be stored in the case for instant access. Back in the early 90s I designed the first Instroke cases with pockets that were about 7 inches in length. Then with the advent of the jump cues with 12” in handles we lengthened the lower pocket to 14” and added a jump handle compartment on the side which has become kind of a standard on many production cases. In the last four years we have done cases with pockets of all shapes and sizes to hold many specialty items. And we have seen many other makers do the same. On top of the increase in pocket size we also have seen a huge assortment of configurations evolve. Back in the day the main case was a 1x1 or 1x2. Then the 2x4 came along followed by the 3x6. Now we see cases like Whitten’s 1x4, JB Cases 2x3 and 3x4, 4x8, 6x12s and more. In fact I developed the 3x7 because when I did the 3x6 I saw that I could fit an extra tube in the back and decided to use that for a jump cue butt. There is almost no configuration that a person cannot get these days. If one maker won’t do it then another will. I often say that the player can carry everything they need to play pool in

their case except skill. That said, there are some things that a player needs to be aware of when ordering a case and especially a larger one. Building a long tube to hold a lot of weight is not easy to do in leather or vinyl. The reason for this is that the way a case swings puts stress on the handle and strap retainers in ways that purses and backpacks don’t get. So when looking for a case it’s imperative that you check the durability of the handles and straps. Back when I started making cases in 1991 I wasn’t as smart about this as I should have been and so my cases were not as strong as they should have been. And speaking of durability with the evolution of larger cases and pouches comes the human need to stuff those pouches full of indispensable items. So you will want to check the stitching, zippers and other stress areas on the pockets to make sure that they will hold up to being filled up as well as to being brushed against doors and the like. Lately there has been a trend to get back to simplicity with people ordering cases with no pockets or even with detachable pockets. GTF, Ron Thomas, Whitten, Rusty Melton and just about any custom maker will make cases that have no pockets for you. When I made the first GTF cases I was fortunate enough to attend the World Championships of 9 Ball held in Manila in the Philippines during the time we were developing that case. I took one case with me, a simple black nappa GTF 1x2. Walking around Manila and going to various pool rooms I felt like a player from the old days. I felt like a warrior who only needed his cue to do battle, with nothing else to weigh him down. And as it happened I played some ten ball for money and broke and ran my first rack. I lost to the sharks there but for a moment this guppy got to feel what it must have been like for the gunslingers of old to walk into a pool room Eddie Felson style and know you owned the room with just one cue in a slender leather cases. Until next time keep those cues protected! John Barton

Better Missing by Tom Simpson © October 2012 – All Rights Reserved – PoolClinics.com Vast casino empires are built on a house advantage of a few percent. In the long run, tiny advantages can compound into major gains. What if your ball pocketing came up a few percent? What if you missed just one ball fewer for every fifteen minutes you’re at the table? How big a difference would that make? The difference can be enormous. Often, the ball you miss is the one you shouldn’t have shot or the one that is the key to the rack. Not missing the key shot makes everything else easy. Shooting the wrong shot is a knowledge or fear issue. If you make that key shot or difficult shot a little more frequently, your winning percentage will go up. As things go better, you get more confidence. As you become more confident, you perform better. As you miss a few less balls, you’ll spend more time at the table. As you play better and spend more time at the table, your opponent’s confidence will erode. The player in the chair often “gets cold” and his performance falls off. The idea here is that something as seemingly simple as missing a few less balls could make a big difference in our results and in how we feel about our game. Why do we miss, and how can we do it less? Here are some of the primary culprits: Shooting the “wrong” shot – The shot was too low-percentage to attempt in the current game situation. Like golfers, reality eventually makes us wise up and play smarter. Golfers don’t swing for the pin every shot, and pool players don’t try to run out every time at the table. Believing you can, will prove disappointing and unproductive. When would now be a good time to start playing smarter? Play it safe when it’s time to play safe.

Inconsistent or flawed fundamentals – To the extent you are not mechanically consistent and precise, your results will be erratic. As you advance as a player, it’s vital to become more and more streamlined and effective in your pre-shot routines, setup, alignment, aiming, speed/ spin control, and stroke delivery. Those players that are beating you are more fundamentally consistent or are more consistent under pressure than you. The more solid and reliable your fundamentals, the more you can trust and let your body do what it knows how to do, especially under pressure. This is an area where a good instructor and some video analysis can clearly identify and quickly correct simple flaws that may have held you back for years. Judgment error – We gradually refine our pool vision over time. With experience, we get better at judging the angle we have to cut a ball, and better at recognizing when we’re “on it.” When you’re down on a shot and you’re feeling some doubt, your body is telling you something is wrong. Pay attention. Start over. Don’t shoot until you are as confident as you can be. A famous road player told me that when he was 14 and missed a shot gambling, the next day he would shoot it until he made it 100 times in a row. No more judgment error on that shot. Perception error – A surprising number of players have gotten pretty good despite the fact that they are not seeing the cueball accurately. Many players believe they are striking the vertical centerline of the cueball, because that’s what it looks like to their eyes/brain. If you are consistently seeing sidespin on the cueball (always on the same side) but it looked to you like you hit the vertical axis on the back of the ball, you probably have this problem. Your eyes are not in the right place relative to the shot line—for you. Come to pool school.

your shot. Fill your mind with the shot at hand. Be fascinated. Not caring – Sometimes we miss a shot we should never miss simply because we didn’t take it seriously enough. Thought it was easy. Or we just didn’t bother to bring our focus to bear. A big part of our challenge as players is to “bring it,” 100%, shot after shot, every time. Making that happen is also part of the reward. Every shot has to matter or the game will punish you. Inadequate precision – Better players do everything with more precision. It stands to reason that the most precise game in the world calls for high levels of precision. The giant tip here is this: You can see more sharply, you can align your stick more perfectly, you can place your tip more precisely, you can fold your arm more fluidly, and so on. Once it occurs to you to notice your level of precision and improve it on purpose, you will begin to find tweaks that help. We learn to walk, and because we don’t fall down, we assume we walk beautifully. Just like beautiful pool, it’s not likely without training and conscious practice. There is always more fluidity, more precision, more simplicity awaiting your discovery. Better missing is when our misses are not so embarrassing, or aren’t embarrassing so often. Take a vow to do something about your easiest errors to avoid. Miss a little less. Feel a little better.

Not present – Good pool takes everything we have. All of our attention. If we’re busy thinking about the score or the great shot we just made or that sticky spot on the shaft, we are not fully “in the shot.” High-level pool happens in the present moment. Present shot, only shot. Get over whatever has happened or will happen before you get down on

Sneaky Pete Mafia Magazine - November - 2013

Darren “Dynamite” Appleton Interview by Suzanne Smith

Darren Appleton was born August 2, 1976, in Pontefract, West Yorkshire, England. He had a simple childhood and he grew up a “normal” kid. Although his parents didn’t have much money they always got by. Darren’s dad was a handy man, mostly a mechanic; he was the guy everyone came to when something needed to be fixed, so he had many different jobs. His mother worked in a sewing factory for years. Both are retired now and they spend a lot of time with their grandkids and keeping up on Darren’s worldwide adventures via the internet and TV. They are very proud of all that Darren has done. When I asked Darren who had been the biggest influence in his life, with no hesitation, he told me: “I always looked up to my brothers and especially my dad. He knew everything and I learned so much from him.” Band of Brothers

Darren has two brothers, Craig and Shane. Growing up, Darren was close to them and I am confident his ambition in life stemmed from being raised in a highly competitive relationship with his brothers. According to Darren, Craig was always very athletic. As a youth, he was a very good boxer but a broken hand early in his career, ended his boxing dreams. For the past few years he has been competing in triathlons comparable to the Iron Man. Darren admires his brother’s physical prowess. “He’s so fit, it’s sick,” were Darren’s words. Shane is Darren’s oldest brother. Like Darren, Shane was also a professional pool player at English 8 Ball and briefly tried American pool but now he does not really play. Darren’s first exposure to the pool league environment was with Shane at a pub called Frog and Firkin in Knottingley, Pontefract. They even won the doubles championship together in 1992 when Darren was only 16 years of age. Growing up, Darren has many fond memories of his family, including going camping and enjoying holidays away from school. Like many kids, Darren didn’t really enjoy school, except for physical education. He absolutely loved competitive sports, primarily soccer, but then followed in his brother’s footsteps and got involved with boxing. They have a big boxing background in their family but at age 15, Darren discovered the world of billiards and got hooked. It took a couple of years, but at seventeen he stopped boxing and played less soccer due to pool tournaments and local leagues. Darren had been exposed to snooker on family vacations and a little bit of English 8 Ball growing up. They even had a 6 foot table that belonged to his brother at home, but Darren never really took the game that seriously. At twelve years old, the table was sold, and he wouldn’t play again until he was 15. Darren’s cousin Andy Appleton was a top professional English 8 Ball player in the UK. Really his first exposure to high level competition was Sneaky Pete Mafia Magazine - November - 2013

Photo credit Suzanne Smith

all due to Andy. Darren says that “Andy was the biggest billiards influence when I was a kid and I learned a lot from him by watching him play in exhibitions and tournaments. I was a good student.” At sixteen years of age, Darren decided to leave school and take the necessary steps to become a professional pool player. Darren never had any coaching; he just jumped in with both feet and started competing. Taking it to the next level

Darren’s biggest win in his early years was beating his cousin Andy Appleton. He was Darren’s idol, so when he beat him in tournaments locally and nationally, it gave him the belief that he could beat anybody in the world. At the time, Andy was ranked 4th in the world in English 8 Ball. In 1996, Darren turned pro and in his very first tournament he won! He was the first player in English 8 Ball history to do that. He beat the World No. 2 at the time named Rob Hill 9-8. That was the moment he believed he was going to be the best player. One year later, Darren was ranked World No. 1 in English 8 Ball. What are your proudest moments?

Winning Junior National Title first attempt 1992 winning national amateur championships with over 1000 entries at 18, first attempt Winning my first professional title, Hilton Professional Championship Becoming World No. 1 within 2 years Winning first television tournament in 1998, first time appearance on TV (Sky Sports International Masters) Later on in my English 8 Ball career, I won over 35 major titles worldwide, was 4 time European Champion, ranked World No. 1 for 6-7 years, won over 200 titles, and represented the England team for 9-10 years and won 6 world team titles in those years.

The back end of 06-07 was my learning/gambling period. My stake horse and I went 50/50 on all my matches and sometimes we let other guys bet if the money was huge. It was a great time and we made good money. In that time, I must’ve played around 100 matches and won about 75. At English 8 Ball, I was regarded as the greatest money player of all time by my peers. So 2008 was my time to start playing tournaments full time. I played the GB9 tour, Euro Tour, Derby City Classic, BCA, US Open, WPA events, etc. I did play some tournaments but not enough to gain a ranking because I missed too many due to my time on the road in Manila and the States.

www.jbcases.com Darren is one of the most well-known and respected competitors in the pool world. For the rest of this interview, I felt like the best way to really understand Darren’s perspective is to read his words. Tell me about your professional career and moments that have defined you as a player. “Around 2005, I started to lose motivation for English 8 Ball, due to politics, bad organization, constant changing of the rules, and lack of prize money and TV exposure. I started to think about American pool from then. In August of 2005, I saw a flier for the IPT. I told a few guys (Mick Hill, Karl Boyes, etc.) and we decided to apply to join the tour. A few months later we were accepted into this multi-million dollar tour. After that it was 90% American pool 10% English 8 Ball for me. IPT was the best memory. It was a dream even though it was short lived. I made about $60,000 from 2 events and we felt treated like royalty. That made me who I am today, and I have a lot of thanks to Mr. Trudeau. Obviously it was sick that it didn’t continue. When it folded in the winter of 2006, I decided I wanted to play 9 Ball, 10 Ball etc and traveled to the Philippines. I ended up spending about 6 months of the next year there playing huge money games every day against players like Kiamco, Corteza, Gomez, and De Luna. I won more than I lost during that period and I learned so much from them. It also made me very mentally strong. After that, I went to America and spend 3 months on the road. I played many matches and won nearly every match. Later on, I found out I probably gave too much weight to the guys I beat but I outran the nuts and it makes me proud when I look back.

2008 was my first full year focused on tournaments and I felt ready to win. I won my first straight pool title at Derby City Classic in January. A few months later I won the US Bar Table Championships 10 Ball Division. The month after that, I won the Euro Tour in Italy which was a big one. In the UK, I got to 6-7 consecutive finals on the GB9 Tour, winning 4 back to back. It’s still a record now. In October the same year, I went back to Manila for the World 10 Ball Championships, the first one to have $100k to the winner, so the field was full of champions. Amazingly, I won it. I fulfilled my childhood dream so it was very emotional for me and my family because it was my first world title. Previous to this, I lost in 2 world finals in English 8 Ball. So this World 10 Ball title was 10 times bigger and more important. It was a huge weight off my shoulders, but more importantly, it gave me the belief and confidence to go on and win more titles and be one of the best in the world. Out of all the titles I won, looking back I would have to say the World 10 Ball title has been my greatest achievement. My other proud moments of course would be the back to back US Open titles, back to back Challenge of Champions titles, World 9 Ball Champion, winning World Pool Masters, my first Matchroom tournaments, and now my 5th consecutive Mosconi appearance this December, winning 3 of the last 4. Also, being named Mosconi MVP 2010, 2010 Player of the year and 3x World Ranked No. 1. World Games champion... it’s all been a dream in such a short space of time.” Tell me about your goals & dreams for the future.

“My goals are to improve and get better. I want to stay at the top for at least another 10 years and win more world titles and play in at least 10 Mosconi Cups. I would like to get inducted into the Hall of Fame and later start coaching and doing more exhibitions. Maybe one day I would like to promote tournaments or build my own stable of players and start a company or open pool rooms. I don’t know for Photo courtesy of WPBL 31

Sneaky Pete Mafia Magazine - November - 2013

sure, but I will definitely always be involved in pool. It’s in my blood and I love the game.”

I just had an overwhelming feeling about her, that’s how I knew she was the one... the rest is a secret :) A special note from Angie Tran

Tell me your thoughts on Bonus Ball.

“Ok, I’ll be honest because I like to speak my mind. Early days, I was excited and Photo courtesy of WPBL I could see the potential. I like the game and the concept, they invested so much money, but there were a lot of road blocks before it got started. So much money spent but nothing on marketing and the stream was poor and done cheap which didn’t make sense with all money spent on the venue. And very bad management, hence why it come tumbling down so quick and so many players out of pocket. Personally, I lost about 10-15k with apartment and furniture and traveling expenses and not once did I receive an apology and they told us lot of lies and false promises and didn’t communicate with the players enough… So I decided to leave. Now, they have got new investor so the league will resume next month but the season cut short to 9 matches per team with probably no play offs and less money for the players than originally planned. So early November, we go to finish the season. Hoping to make good film and sell to networks, that’s the only chance. For it to be success they need to employ the right people to run the show and plan better… Do I see a future? I hope so, but they got a lot to do to earn my trust back and I would want guarantees to be interested. But I don’t hold much hope for a bright future. Around 2 million dollars wasted so far we could’ve done great things with that money…shame. Like I said, the league, concept, and the game are great. But good for TV and spectators? Doubtful, I guess…” Tell me about you and Angie: How did you meet? How did you propose? How did you know that she was the one? Angie and I initially saw each other early 2010 and were introduced by a mutual friend. We started speaking at the US Open 2010, after that we kept in touch. I came back to America afterwards and we met up, it just clicked from there and we’ve been together ever since.

Photo courtesy of Lee Rigby

I had the opportunity to chat with Darren’s fiancé, Angie and I asked her if she wouldn’t mind sharing a little bit of her feelings toward Darren. Here is her response: “Darren is an amazing guy.. I couldn’t say enough things about him in one small paragraph. Darren has worked extremely hard and overcame many obstacles to get to this point of success in his life; yet, he remains humble. When we first met, I couldn’t believe how down to earth he was. At that time, he had just won the US Open and a lot of things were going on but he really went out of his way for me. With that said, I knew from the start that he was a keeper. Darren is very generous, funny, loyal, he’s so good to me and he makes me feel like I can achieve anything... I could go on and on. He’s one in a million. I love him to pieces and I’m so thankful to have him in my life. I would do anything for him!” I wish Darren success in all things and am hopeful that you have enjoyed this interview as much as I have. Here are a few other pieces of information for readers to check out. Thanks again and we will see you next issue! Darren’s website: www.darrenappleton.com -open to sponsorship and can be contacted here. Darren’s sponsors: predatorcues.com - played with predator since day one 2006, love the people they been amazing to me... thanks to them Darren endorses this aiming system www.see-system.com

I proposed in Las Vegas in a quiet setting with our puppy Pixie. I put the ring on Pixie’s collar and got on one knee and asked the question. Pixie lifted her head at the right moment and Angie saw the ring, it was pretty emotional. I’m so glad I involved Pixie because Angie loved that dog more than anything and she sadly passed away 2 weeks later at 10 months old. Sneaky Pete Mafia Magazine - November - 2013

Sneaky Pete Mafia Magazine - November - 2013

“Hurricane’s” Hot Seat

Consistency?

We all want it, we all strive for it, all of the great players seem to have it. Why can’t we seem to achieve it and why can’t we seem to maintain it once we find it? Answer: Mistakes!! We all make them. Some more than others. Some less. Where do these mistakes come from? Believe it or not, most have “practiced” them into their game and do not know they are making them or don’t know how to change. Don’t keep on trying to correct them…Eliminate them!!!!!

Want an advanced game? Find your score with the “Straight Pool” challenge in the Black Belt Billiards section…..how many can you make? Post your results at www.facebook.com/ groups/SneakyPeteMafia

I started making a list of mistakes from what I observed in others and myself, which were the same mistakes, and then learned how to eliminate them. Ball pocketing, cue ball control, cue ball speed, and mental concentration are what are needed to become a highly skilled player. These areas are where we make the mistakes that usually lead us into the one loss side of the bracket and usually out of the tournament. We will take a look into each of these and find ways to eliminate them from your game!! In my other section “Black Belt Billiards” we will take these problems to the table and work them out!!!!! Ball Pocketing I consider this the main key to winning and should be a player’s strongest skill. But what causes us to miss when we think we are going to hit the pocket? Lack of pocketing practice Ball pocketing doesn’t come natural for everyone, some of us have to practice regularly on pocketing balls to keep us top notch. Playing pool is NOT practice. You have to practice each element of the game separately!!! Solution—Start pocketing balls!!!!! Rack and break all 15 balls and run them out in any order. Keep a running total of balls pocketed until you miss, foul, or scratch. Keeping a score sets a starting score and a goal for you to reach and surpass the next time you practice this challenge. Cue ball control is not the main focus. Instead, focus on hitting center pocket on every shot. Getting out of line for your next shot is what you need to push your focus on a shot you didn’t plan to have to make. Sneaky Pete Mafia Magazine - November - 2013

By “Hurricane” Wayne Jenkins When you come across a shot that you are missing or having trouble hitting center pocket, write it down and practice that shot on a regular basis during your practice time. Hitting a rail or rail tip at the pocket can cause enough deflection to miss any shot. Eventually you will have your own personalized practice list that will keep your game at its best. As your ball pocketing ability increases you will see your running total of balls pocketed increase.

Body Movement An unbalanced stance will cause you more missed shots than you realize. Try standing on one leg with your knee straight. Can you see how much your upper body moves trying to keep balance? A stance with straight knees also causes this unbalance. When you get in your shooting stance with your knees straight, you are leaning on the table with one arm like a tripod to keep balance. Solution—Now try standing on one leg with your knee bent. Can you see how little your upper body moves trying to keep balance? A stance with bent knees allows your upper body to maintain balance and lets your arm act like a stabilizer instead of a prop. Also bending your knees is a way to stop the next mistake we are going to eliminate. Standing up or raising up during a shot This is one we all battle with. Moving your upper body during a shot is the easiest way to get your stroke out of line. Usually done during an easy ball to be pocketed or when we are feeling very confident in our shooting. Solution—Don’t move your head until the object ball you are shooting hits the pocket. Keeping your knees bent helps to ensure this because you can’t push up from off of the table with your arm, like when your knees are straight. Next issue we will work on eliminating is improper stroke and the effects that cue ball English has on an object ball, and the limits of “throw” when using it to pocket a ball you cannot directly cut into the pocket. Check out my youtube.com channel………….... Hurricane Wayne Jenkins…. for the video lesson on this article. http://www.youtube.com/CJxGgvL9WKcdvWeZ1fg9SGA

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Committed to promoting a lifelong love of pool & building the next generation of players through youth programs and academic scholarships. 35

Sneaky Pete Mafia Magazine - November - 2013

FROM LITTLE ACORNS DO MIGHTY OAKS GROW In pool, as in life, it is the little things you do over and over that create the reality you experience, and it is your thoughts which control your actions. You do have the freedom to choose your thoughts at all times. You must be very clear about your desired results so that you can create thoughts, and hence action, that will produce the intended outcome. When you are faced with a shot and have already determined where you want the cue ball and object ball(s) to go, then it is time to figure out the best way to get them there. Now, formulate your approach considering the path of the balls, spin, speed, stroke, stance, bridge, equipment, humidity and so on. Next, imagine the shot happening perfectly in your mind. If you think you cannot do this, think again—you can. Visualize the exact line and resting point of the cue ball instead of thinking “in that direction somewhere over there.” While in games such as 9-Ball you can run out by playing area position, it will always improve your touch to pick an exact spot within the position zone. See the line or gutter of the object ball going right into the pocket instead of “towards the pocket.” You may be playing on tight pockets or have to squeeze the object ball around interfering balls. Many times it is necessary to shoot the ball into a certain side of the pocket for position’s sake, so develop clarity of purpose. Do your best not to miss a shot on account of position. Feel your cue tip strike the cue ball. Then, feel the cue ball roll, hit the object ball, slide, spin, jump, decelerate and stop as if you were one with the ball; because you are, feel the object ball roll and drop into the empty space. My grandfather asked Willie Mosconi what was the most important thing in pool, and he said “touch.” Hear the cue ball click the object ball, smack the back of the pocket, or softly drop in and roll into the ball return tray. Smell the dust swirling up from the pockets and taste what it feels like to sink a shot with perfect position, run a rack, or five, or a billion – it’s up to you. What do you think? Big runs do not happen in one shot, and yet they do. Every shot is “The Shot.” Always keep your mind on the present shot, because that is all there is. So make the best of it and concentrate. Every shot is your prayer to the universe, but it does not really matter what you are doing. What you are being in relation to what you are doing makes all the difference. So be positive, confident, focused, relaxed, determined. You name it; your game can only get better. If you consistently think clear, positive thoughts, you will consistently get clear, positive results. Feel free to discard negative thoughts at any time, and replace them with new ones; higher ones. If you should happen to miss, big deal! Be stubborn and keep your ideals. Create rhythm, remember who you are…and remember to breathe.

Max Eberle

Sneaky Pete Mafia Magazine - November - 2013

Your Brain is a Lousy Pool Player By David Sapolis

Let’s face it, some of us just think too much. We think about winning, we think about losing. We think about what can go right, and we crush those thoughts by thinking about everything that can go wrong. Early on, we learn how to train our mind to crush the positive with the negative. In This Chapter, I will show you how to crush the negative with the positive.

The Brain Is a Computer Early on, when you first began playing the game, positive feelings were generated by enjoyment, success, and the love for the game’s challenges. At some level, you enjoyed the game, and linked certain positive emotions to the experiences that you were having either watching or playing the game. Your mind, working as a computer, filed these experiences in a folder, which are part of a complicated operating system. Let’s call this system, “The Brain”. The Brain is a complicated system that operates on the programs and files that are stored in it. If you want to access a certain program, you need to locate it and then run the program. Sometimes that is easier said than done. The Brain operates and functions by utilizing several “Drives” to run these programs. Below is a visual depiction of The Brain’s “Pool Operating System”. The Brain’s Operating System relies upon several drives to function properly

something when we operate the program. The Experience file is like a giant memory center that records all of our “Pool History”. This memory center is divided into two folders: Positive Experiences and Negative Experiences. The longer we play, the more experience and history we collect into this memory system. This system contains files and sub-files, programs and subprograms that are accessed when The Brain recalls the files. As we fill these folders with files, history and experience, we collect Belief and Emotion history. These files are recorded to “Scripts”.

Scripts Scripts are sub-programs that are linked to the experiences: either positive or negative. These “Scripts” are accessed when we face similar situations to those already recorded in the experience folders. The experiences are gathered, and then filed appropriately. They are labeled and stored as either positive or negative. From these experiences, we connect specific emotions and beliefs to the experiences. These emotions and beliefs are stored in a specific script that is accessed by The Brain every time a similar situation arises. The Scripts, once accessed, become the operating centers for two of the 5 major Drive Systems for our Pool Program, Drive B (Beliefs) and Drive E (Emotion). Everything fed into those two drives comes from what is recorded into your experiences. By realizing this, it should be apparent to you how important it is to monitor your Emotions and your Beliefs.

In the below illustration, we have opened our “Pool” program file, and we discover that there is a file labeled “Experiences”.

Experiences Experience is gained every time we encounter Sneaky Pete Mafia Magazine - November - 2013

Emotions All of us have emotions. Emotions are both positive and negative, and most importantly, controllable. Emotions are not to be avoided. Many players believe that if they stifle their emotions, that they will somehow control them. Keeping them stuffed down deep inside will only turn you into a ticking time bomb. Eventually you will explode like a powder keg. Like I said, emotions are controllable. Going back to

our definition of controllable and uncontrollable, anything that exists within you: with your mind or body is controllable. Realistically, we are not going to be able to control every emotion that we experience. We are human, and we are not perfect creatures by any stretch of the imagination. We all experience emotion. Our sensory motors generate the emotions as a response to stimuli. The emotion is a psycho-response to our situation and our surroundings. The emotions are going to occur, and so will our emotional verbal and physical actions. That is where we should concentrate our energy and our thoughts. Plain and simple, the verbal and physical reactions associated with the experience of each emotion CAN be controlled. This takes discipline, preparation, and training, but it is possible. If we miss an easy shot during a critical point in our match, we will experience a myriad of emotions. Our reaction to the stimuli is what will fill up our Emotion system folder. The result of those actions and the result of the experience will fill up our Belief system folder. Both folders will shape our emotional and belief system, as well as our Script.

Beliefs Beliefs are thoughts and feelings. We attach emotions to our beliefs, and eventually we will either defend or resent rescind those beliefs. We all have a belief system that is engrained in our personalities. If we go back to our Brain/Computer, we will see that our beliefs are the result of our experiences. Our beliefs and our emotions associated with those beliefs will shape our “Script” in every situation we encounter. We are what we believe, and it is proven that we will experience what we believe. Our thoughts create our reality and our perception of that reality, so we need to stay on guard and filter what we feed into our mind and our senses. Our Scripts will generate our future thoughts, attitudes, words, and actions, and that will generate future Scripts that are based upon existing Scripts. The new Scripts will reinforce existing beliefs. Beliefs are shaped by our feelings and emotions about certain things, certain situations or ideals. If you believe that winning is impossible... then it won’t be. Possibilities, goals, and dreams are shaped with our beliefs. What your mind sees and believes as being “possible” will be possible; yet what your mind sees and believes as “impossible” will remain impossible. This means that you must be extremely careful about what you choose to believe and what you choose not to believe. You must positively control your belief system, or you run the risk of having your

Photo credit- Rosanna Ramirez

belief system eaten alive by negativity. Your position in life is the sum total of your belief in your ability to succeed and achieve your goals. What your mind sees and believes as being “possible” will be possible; yet what your mind sees and believes as “impossible” will remain impossible. This means that as a player, you must be extremely careful about what you choose to believe and what you choose not to believe. Remember the term Garbage In-Garbage Out. If you fill your belief system about your game with negative thoughts fueled by negative emotions derived from negative situations, then your outlook and your outcome will be just as negative as your past memories. Conversely, if you shape your belief system based upon positive thoughts that are generated by positive emotions from positive situations, then your outlook and outcome will be just as positive and successful as those past experiences. It’s all about your attitude, your outlook, and which Script you decide to play in every single situation. If you miss an easy shot, or scratch on the break, or open the door for your opponent to easily win, you have the choice of how you choose to file that experience. You can choose to look at it negatively. You can tell yourself how careless you were, or how you suck at the game and how you are destined to be a loser –OR—you can look at the situation as a learning experience. The choice is yours. You can choose to verbally and mentally bash yourself until you feel as bad as possible about making the error, or you can look at the occurrence positively and accept that a weakness was exposed.

~continued top of next page ~ Sneaky Pete Mafia Magazine - November - 2013

If you choose to believe that you’re a complete screw up, you will begin to portray that role every single time you make an error. There is no reward in doing that. Eventually, you will generate negative feelings and emotions that will ultimately plant the seeds for extremely low self-esteem. If you are like me, you have enough to deal with. You don’t need to add low self-esteem to your list of problems. If you already suffer from low self-esteem, don’t worry. This book contains solutions and a step by step process to reprogram your belief system. It all comes down to how you see things. It all comes down to perspective. You can enter the playing arena with the mindset and outlook of a helpless victim, or you can enter the playing arena with the mindset and outlook of a proud champion. Each has traits, and belief systems that make them who they are. It all starts with their outlook and their perspective.

Sneaky Pete Mafia Magazine - November - 2013

Money Pool

by Anthony Beeler

In November of 2007, the Clarion Hotel and Conference Center in Louisville, Kentucky, played host to the $20,000 added CSI Qlympics. A star studded field gathered to compete in the BCA, U.S. Open Bank Pool Championship, U.S. Open One-Pocket Championship, U.S. Open 14.1 Championship, and the ever prestigious U.S. Open 10-Ball Championship. Early on Saturday morning I decided to drive north to Louisville and watch some of the world’s greatest players. My intention was to watch the featured Action Report match pitting Earl Strickland against Shane Van Boening. However, when I arrived on the scene, my good friend Samantha Patton and convinced me to enter both the 8-Ball and 9-Ball minitournaments. She said it would be a great way to test my skills against some of the world’s greatest players.

on the hill by a score of 2-1 and Louis had just missed an opportunity at a difficult run out. I came to the table with a crucial decision to make. As you can see below, I had the solids and Louis had only the 8-ball left. It was clear that I had to play safe. The problem was how do you defend against the firepower of a world-class player?

The 9-Ball mini was single elimination, race to 5. I started out strong winning several matches by significant margins. After winning the final match of the 9-Ball tournament against “Detroit Tom” by a score of 5-2, I found myself in the semi-finals of the 8-Ball event pitted against top ranked touring professional, Louis Ulrich. Louis had just won the BCAPL Men’s Master Big Table Singles Division and had just finished 2nd in the U.S. Open 10-Ball Championship.

After carefully surveying the table, I noticed that my 2 and 3 ball were positioned near the 8, and could be potentially used as blockers for executing a different type of safety. My new plan was to shoot thinly into the left side of the 6-ball and position the cue-ball two rails onto the other side of the table, leaving it at position “B”. This plan cuts off the upper cushion, which takes the easier to pocket 1-rail kick out of the equation. I would rather have my opponent kick to the short side of the ball with a lower percentage of making it, rather than letting him kick to the long side, which has a higher probability of the ball being

The match was close and it was only a race to 3. I was

As I studied the layout my first instinct was to do something simple. I wanted to graze the 6-ball rolling up behind it and the 5, leaving the cue ball at position “A”. However, as I continued to study the layout of balls, I came to the realization that it was the incorrect shot. I kept telling myself, “You can’t let him have a clear kick shot to pocket the 8.” So I surveyed the table for other options.

Sneaky Pete Mafia Magazine - November - 2013

pocketed.

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. Beeler is also a fully licensed Kentucky Educator having, received his bachelor’s degree at Campbellsville University and his master’s degree in Education Leadership at Eastern Kentucky University. Throughout his pool-playing career Anthony has won over 300 tournaments and has defeated numerous professional players in tournament competition.

After I executed the safety, Louis came to the table and kicked to the short side. The 8-ball rebounded off the cushion and broke loose my 2 and 3. This was the only opportunity that I needed to run the remaining balls and win the match. Looking back, I now realize how important that it is to look for various safety options and to weigh the probabilities of each shot. If I had elected to go with my first instinct and had attempted to play the simpler safety, I very well may have watched Louis kick in the 8-ball and win the game. The movie Money Ball talks about how the Oakland Athletics general manager, Billy Beane, uses percentages over the long haul to win at baseball. Pool is no different. It’s important to weigh all of your options and to always play the percentage. Any time you can gain even a 1 or 2 percent advantage it is important to exercise that option. Even small percentages add up over the course of time.

Sneaky Pete Mafia Magazine - November - 2013

What Would a Sucker Do? (Part 2)

If you look around the room and don’t see any suckers….YOU are the sucker! You have stripes here. You are snookered and have only one ball remaining. Your smiling opponent has 5 balls left that are all makeable with no obstructions. What do you do? “Kick at the stripe!”~ “Send the cue ball 5 rails!” ~ “Jump the cue ball!” ~ “Massé!”

Suckers. In this case, it is unlikely that you will even hit your object ball, let alone make it and leave yourself in a position to make the 8. Whether you make a legal shot or not, you are left in the unenviable position of taking your seat and watching your opponent run out. If you prefer to take a more aggressive and proactive approach, consider taking an intentional foul by hitting the 8-ball in order to block the corner pocket. Instead of returning to the table to run out, your opponent now has a much more difficult layout and some problem balls to contend with. Rather than watching your opponent run out, you will most likely have at least one more turn at the table. By Jacqueline Karol House Pro at DownLo Billiards in Chico, California League Operator & Tournament Director www.AngelofBilliards.com www.BilliardsBootCamp.com 43

Sneaky Pete Mafia Magazine - November - 2013

SPM Featured Player

Lucky Luke Sutliffe Interview by Andrena Browne Lucky Luke Sutliffe is a man who counts his blessings. He is a man who inspires others with his positive attitude. He is also a man who absolutely loves the game of pool. When Luke walks into a pool hall, he is in his element. “There is something inside me I can’t describe. The music, the balls breaking, the sound of the balls hitting the back of the pocket… the entire atmosphere is when I am at peace. Pool is my love and my passion. Big things will happen for me because I have the heart. My love for this game is beyond measurable. I love Pool.” Luke’s lifelong addiction to pool began when he was only 5 years old. His dad took him to the Recreation Center across the street. They had ping-pong, air hockey, shuffleboard, and a 4’ x 8’ pool table. Luke took one look and said, “I want to do that!” At first he could barely hold the cue. He lost every game. That meant going to the last chair in line and moving up one place each game until it was his turn again. He persevered.

Photo credit Lori Sutliffe Luke plays in Tony Crosby’s Poison Tour and the Simonis Tour. Two of Luke’s goals for the future are to play in the US Open and the Ultimate 10 ball challenge.

Over the years Luke got taller. He was able to hold a cue properly. He had no coach but he learned by watching the 1214 year olds play. The way he says it, he got tired of losing. His game improved through sheer determination. By the time Luke was 12, he was winning the local tournament. It was one dollar to enter with a ten dollar prize for first place. We can all relate to Luke’s memory of those times. “Winning was an awesome feeling. I was the man!”

Luke enjoys playing in the Southern Classic in Mississippi, however, recently Luke went to the Classic with a different purpose in mind. His fiancee’s mother had been diagnosed with breast cancer. Lori says, “While my family was in crisis, Luke almost immediately thought about doing a breast cancer cue auction in honor of my mom.”

Around the time Luke started winning the local kids’ tournaments, he moved to Mississippi. There, he was lucky enough to be allowed to play in the local pool hall/tavern even though he was under age. One of his first opponents was an APA player ranked 7 (top rank in APA). Amazed at Luke’s talent, he asked, “Who are you?” He thought Luke was a 12-year-old hustler from Vegas. They played together for years. It was there that Luke got his pool name, Lucky Luke, which he has used ever since. Two of the coolest moments in Luke’s pool career happened on consecutive New Year’s Eves. In a 2003 tournament on a valley bar table, Luke broke and ran 7 racks of 9 ball. He said, “I’ll never forget it.” But just in case, the following year, in another 9 ball tournament on New Year’s Eve, he did the same thing. He broke and ran 7 racks again! New Year’s Eve seems to be a lucky day for Lucky Luke. Thanks to his job as a project manager building O’Reilly auto parts stores, Luke travels a lot. He has played pool in 48 states, missing only Hawaii and Alaska. In April of 2010 Luke moved to Florida. He loves the sunshine state, especially the winters. There is some good pool to be played in the area. Currently Sneaky Pete Mafia Magazine - November - 2013

Bell Forest Products donated the wood for the cue. Chuck Thomas, of Thomas Custom Cues in El Paso, built it. Luke took it to the Southern Classic and asked the players to sign it. Bad Boys Productions pitched in by keeping the cue at the podium and encouraging players to sign when they came to the podium. SVB, Alex Pagulayan, Dennis Orcollo, Niels Feijen, Jason Shaw, Mike Deschaine, and Wang Can are some of the world class players who signed the cue. Finally, he had a clear coat added over the signatures to protect them. The cue sold for $750 which was donated to breast cancer research. Luke says his next charity cue will be an armed forces cue with proceeds going to assist veterans. “I love all branches of the service.” Lori adds, “I was amazed that he thought of such a meaningful gesture, knowing it would take dedication, hard work and lots of time from start to finish. It still blows my mind that he could step outside the madness and take action to do something that really mattered. Luke walks the walk... he’s modest, honest, loyal and kindhearted. He isn’t a bit arrogant, always has nice things to say about people he meets (especially in the pool world) and would go out of his way to help a friend, even a new friend.”

While at the Southern Classic, Luke also had a chance to spend some time with one of his pool playing role models, English player Chris Meller. Luke describes Chris as “one of the coolest people ever”. Chris has won numerous pool titles, including 2011 China Open champion. He has represented Europe in the Mosconi cup and is currently ranked first in the European Mosconi Cup rankings. At the Classic, Luke and Chris talked for hours. Luke got pool pointers and tips. He said Chris was modest, dedicated, and appreciative of his fans – “exactly what I thought a pool player should be.” One of Luke’s favorite pool halls is Strokers, right in his home town. Strokers has a down to earth family atmosphere. Luke says they have top notch food, better than any other pool hall he has seen. Everyone knows everyone. It’s also where the US Amateur finals will be held. Although Luke qualified for the Amateur, he lost out early in the tournament this year. He is planning to have a good time watching the finals and visiting with everyone. He will be cheering for the editor of Sneaky Pete Mafia, SOS, in her attempt to win the Amateur title for a second time. Due to his skill as a player, his personality, and his promotion of the game of pool, Luke is lucky enough to have sponsors to help him on his path. He is excited that he is as of October 1st, he is sponsored by Balabushka Cues. Balabushka and another sponsor, Focus Gear, will design t-shirts for Luke to wear when he is playing. Luke plays with a Schon cue with a Kamui clear

SS black tip. That may change now that Balabushka is his sponsor. Luke is also sponsored by Sneaky Pete Mafia. Luke’s goal is to be professional and respectful both on and off the table. “It’s how my parents raised me. Respect people and they will respect you.” Luke gives a lot of credit to his coach, David Sapolis. “My coach told me don’t worry about how many matches you need to win or how many games you need.Play in the game you are involved in.” One of Luke’s strengths as a player is his ability to remain positive. After a recent loss, Luke posted this. “Lost my match hill-hill. I play tomorrow at noon. Most pool players give excuses - I was tired balls rolled funny etc etc. not this guy. I will be back with a vengeance tomorrow. Thanks for the support. The way I see it, I’m just getting started.” Luke’s passion for pool is one aspect of a life that inspires others. A few days ago Luke left $20 on a gas pump to make a stranger’s day. He commonly posts motivational messages on facebook. A friend wrote,“I am truly inspired by you on a daily basis...we may not talk a lot...and I know we don’t know each other well...but your positive attitude and your posts do matter... just know that...you are a great person and you affect more people than you realize.” Luke’s fiancée, Lori Miller, has this to say, “Not because I love him or because I’m marrying him in about 2 weeks but because he is so genuine, I look up to him as a person.” Lucky Luke really is lucky. It’s luck that he has created for himself through his approach to life. They say the harder you work, the luckier you are.

UNIVERSE CLOTHING SIGNS LEGENDARY POOL PLAYER JOHNNY “THE SCORPION” ARCHER AS SPOKESMAN UNIVERSE is leveraging Archer’s expertise to shape the design and functionality of each garment in its Pro line, which he will wear exclusively during tournaments and events. Archer is also supporting the company’s mission to elevate the game’s profile as a serious spot and encouraging more people to play. The collection will be available for purchase online at universeclothing.com this fall. “Most people don’t realize the impact that clothing has on your game. The fit and comfort of UNIVERSE is completely different from anything on the market,” Archer said. “It’s the first time I’ve been involved in designing clothing, but I must confess—the shirt looks cool and it makes me feel like a million bucks when I’m wearing it.” UNIVERSE Clothing & Accessories announced that Johnny “The Scorpion” Archer has signed an endorsement agreement with the Atlanta-based company through 2014. Archer now represents the UNIVERSE professional line of apparel, which includes woven shirts, embellished tees and accessories designed to meet the style and performance needs of pool players at all levels. Archer recently made his debut wearing the UNIVERSE Pro Line on The Today Show in a segment featuring Brooke Shields.

A self-professed perfectionist, Archer has been a fan of UNIVERSE’s apparel concept since meeting the company’s CEO in 2007. “UNIVERSE is a young, innovative company with values that resonate with me,” Archer said. “The products are made in the U.S. and UNIVERSE is clearly committed to being the best. That gives me confidence in what we can achieve together to promote the game I love.”

“Johnny connects with fans everywhere not only because of his record as an extraordinary player, but also for his reputation as a consummate professional who’s always calm under fire. This rare combination represents the core of the UNIVERSE brand,” said Nick Bashizi, chief executive officer of UNIVERSE. “Johnny is joining our team during an exciting time and we look forward to partnering to take UNIVERSE and the game of pool to the next level.” UNIVERSE will also sell a line of premium tees inspired by the professional collection. About UNIVERSE UNIVERSE Clothing & Accessories is the ultimate lifestyle brand for pool enthusiasts. The Atlanta-based company supplies America’s best billiards players with the latest styles and innovations to help them perform at their best. Created “By pool players. For pool players,” UNIVERSE is committed to advancing the sport on all levels — from leisure to the professional arena. UNIVERSE’s premium apparel is designed and manufactured in the U.S.A. and will be sold exclusively online. For more information, visit www.universeclothing.com. Facebook: PoolUniverse; YouTube: Universe Clothing Sneaky Pete Mafia Magazine - November - 2013

ONE POCKET by Mark Finklestein

One of the most rewarding things about playing pool is that pool is a great equalizer. It amazes me how I can still be competitive with 20 year olds and collect social security at the same time!! But as I have gotten older, my eyes have gotten a little soft and the edges of the balls aren’t as sharp as they used to be. Pool gives us a game though where I can use my skills and knowledge as a great equalizer to the young, sharp shooting eyes out there. From another direction, if 9 ball is hoping your opponent misses as the pattern is obvious to you, and you have mastered the intricacies of playing safe in 8 ball, it might be time for you to open the door to a new challenge and a new game, one pocket. One pocket has a lot more thinking and problem solving than 8 ball or 9 ball, and you still get to shoot balls off. One pocket places a premium on knowledge, patience, safety play, and nerve. One pocket can be easily handicapped depending on skill level as well. If you are new to one pocket, give it a try. I think you will find it challenging, addictive and fun. Not a bad way to spend an afternoon! THE RULES:

What we are trying to do is hit the second ball, and maybe just kiss the head ball with inside spin. This hit brings the cue ball to the end rail where the spin flattens the angle a little to put the cue ball on the rail by the second diamond. Hopefully this doesn’t leave our opponent a shot and pushes balls in to play near our pocket. ANSWERING THE BREAK: Now comes the fun part. The break is considered worth a ball and a half so it is a bit of an edge. Getting out of the break gives the incoming shooter a chance to turn the break around! Answering the break will challenge your pool thinking and shot making skills. Make a great shot ~continued top of next page ~

I’m not going to bore you with a whole lot of rules. You can find them at Onepocket.org, which is a great site for stories, strategies, and the one pocket community. Basically you have to hit a ball and then after the crash, something has to hit a rail. On a foul, the incoming player gets ball in hand behind the head string and the player committing the foul loses a ball. The object of the game is to pocket 8 balls into your designated pocket. Traditionally each player takes a corner pocket by the foot of the table. The strategy revolves around finding ways to get balls in to play for your pocket, and denying the chance for your opponent to score. BREAKING: Here is a diagram of the traditional break. The idea is to push balls by your pocket, and leave the cue ball by the 2nd diamond. This puts balls in play by your pocket, and hides them from your opponent. This break also doesn’t leave your opponent an open shot at their pocket. All good things in this game! The breakers pocket is the top pocket by the rack in this diagram.

Sneaky Pete Mafia Magazine - November - 2013

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the whole game. As you can see, finding the best shot that maximizes your turn at the table, and then stepping up and executing it is what makes one pocket such an interesting and challenging game.

and you have turned the game around. Make a bad shot, and your opponent may not let you back to the table!! Let’s look at some basic answers to the break to get you started on your one pocket journey. Here is the results of a typical break and a common answer.

SOME STRATEGY IDEAS: Playing the score is a big part of one pocket strategy. For example, when you are ahead, you want to push the balls up table as early as possible. The reason for this is that if you make a mistake, you don’t want the balls in a position that your opponent can run the game out. You want them to work for every ball. Likewise, if you are behind, you want to get balls in to play as soon as possible, hoping for a mistake by your opponent that would allow you to run some balls and get back in the game.

The shooter was a little lucky in that they could see the right side of the 14. By going off the right side of the 14 with the correct speed, you can freeze the cue ball on the back side of the 11, and keep the 14 ball in play for a bank at your hole! Maximizing each turn at the table is one of the secrets of playing top drawer one pocket. The incoming player does not have a clear shot at his pocket, all the balls near your pocket are blocked, the 14 is up table on your side of the pocket threatening your opponent, and there is no easy safe available. Let’s play this out to see what a good player might do in this situation.

The basic strategy idea in one pocket is put a ball by your pocket and hiding it from your opponent. Freezing the cue ball to the stack, or the back of a ball, or on the rail in addition to putting a ball in play by your pocket maximizes your turn at the table and keeps the pressure on your opponent, hopefully forcing them to make a mistake and leave you an open shot where you can run some balls. If there is a secret to one pocket it is that you don’t take chances! Many more games are lost because of mistakes than won by great shots. Be patient and wait and wait and wait. Spring your trap when the time is right and you will win a lot more games. Knowing what your percentages are and when to duck or go for a shot all come with experience in the game. LEARNING THE GAME: The best way to learn one pocket is to play better players. You can also watch Accustats or Youtube matches to see what great players do and how that compares with your shot choices. And of course the best way to get in to the game is start playing it. You will have started on a journey of life long challenges of tough traps, long shots off the rail, and mind bending outs from improbable places. Enjoy!

What our player did here was take a foul, which costs one point, but not selling out of the game. There are other options off the 14, but I wanted you to see this type of thinking and the cue ball route! By going three rails our opponent was able to get behind the 13 ball. Sure it costs a point, but it doesn’t sell out

Sneaky Pete Mafia Magazine - November - 2013

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handicap where if he lost one game….he was out of the tournament. He ended up winning the tournament…. and people not only complained…..they tried to get him banned from the event. She talked about how he had to play at an amazingly high level and had to have luck on his side at that…and when he won…it was another high level player….who won the event many many times…who was the biggest complainer…and who was trying to have him banned. This same scenario has happened to me many times…..and I’m sure to many other players who have worked hard to be a good player…to have their efforts pay off by finally getting to a level where they can win tournaments.

Well it’s time again for another Issue and I was trying to figure out …from everything that I feel is needed to be said in…and about this “subculture”that we call POOL. I sat up long nights and pondered away hot days trying to weigh the most important thing to say to all the readers out there….and since it’s the beginning issues of what is going to be, no doubt, a HUGELY read publication…..I wanted to set an imprint in people’s minds that will stick first and foremost thought the life of Sneaky Pete Magazine. And here it is: BE HAPPY, PROUD AND CONGRADULATORY FOR THE WINNERS OF EVENTS & ACTION!!! There’s a saying: “To The Victor Goes the Spoils.” Yet this is not so true in pool I’m afraid. In pool….unless you’re a Professional…the majority of the population in the local pool scenes HATE the guy who wins the most. They talk bad behind his back…..they jack up his handicap so hopefully he can’t win anymore…even when he’s already the HIGHEST handicap in the city….and they even go as far as to BAN HIM FROM TOURNAMENTS AND ESTABLISHMENTS when he wins even through all that effort to stop his success in this game. Not only does this hurt this players LIFE----its hurts the rest of the pool community because now you have taken away the ability to witness…and play against….a high level player…..who has been handicapped down….so that you have a very good chance to beat him. I remember an article that Samm Diep wrote called “When Handicaps Handicap” or something to that effect. She talked about how her now husband Mark “Spain” Vidal played in a local tournament at a

If we don’t give people in this game love and credit for their very high level of play…and the respect they deserve…why would anyone want to be a good player? How many times have you heard someone say “I don’t want to be good! Good players are broke.. hated and can’t get a game…nor can they play in any of the local events!” and the sad thing is…THEY ARE RIGHT! This rhetoric is TERRIBLE for other people to hear….and it’s also TERRIBLE FOR IT TO BE TRUE! WHY WOULD ANYONE WANT TO GET GOOD IF THIS IS WHAT THEY RUN INTO AT THE TOP….before they go PRO that is.. THEN….. EVERYONE IS ON THEIR YOU KNOW WHAT. And at that point…they have sponsors…people who want to let them stay with them and help pay for their life….and then…they don’t need to play in the local events ANYWAYS…..so why would they care at that point anyway if they can’t play….or they are at a handicap they can’t win?

They don’t. So it doesn’t affect them. It affects the rest of us. The 99% of people who play pool and who don’t have those luxury of other people helping them with their lives. So we need to NOT make it harder for these people…..if they can win…. to make a living…or at least win, without negative

of next -page Sneaky Pete Mafia~continued Magazine -top November 2013

We need to be happy for the winners in the pool world. Give them the credit and respect they deserve. Give them the SPOILS that come along with being the VICTOR. And give people in this subculture….a reason to be the best they can be. Which is…..a very important life lesson to everyone in the world. consequences. WE NEED THESE PEOPLE IN THE POOL WORLD. They are the people we should be looking up to in our own communities. We need these people so others have a goal to work towards…TO BE THE BEST THEMSELVES…so THEY can win the money that that other player is winning…to elevate their game so they can reap the rewards that other players reaps, and to have a goal… “TO BEAT SO AND SO” that motivates them to come spend the time…and the money in their local pool room…to get better. So they can be THAT DUDE (or DUDETTE).

TO BE THE BEST THEY CAN BE….because it pays off in the end. Sincerely, Jason”Buffalo” Hunt

Elite Cue Care & Sales Chris “Chilli” Dininger Owner/Operator Mansfield, OH

419-543-4692 Sneaky Pete Mafia Magazine - November - 2013

Sneaky Pete Mafia Magazine - November - 2013

SPM Magazine Issue 2

Articles inside

One Pocket

What would a sucker do?

Money Pool

Lucky Luke

“Hurricanes” Hot Seat

Darren “Dynamite” Appleton

Your Brain is a Lousy Pool Player

Better Missing

The Man behind the cloth

Letter from the Editor

Delta 13 Review

Delta 13 - The True Triangle

Q & A with Briana Miller

A Billiards Education in Movies

Those were the days