Stroke Pool Magazine October Issue 2013 by Stroke Magazine

Our 333rd year... and we hardly look a day over 200.

Founded upon unwavering principles of quality and value, 2013 marks our 333rd continuous year in business. We are the oldest company in the billiard industry. Being the oldest didn’t make us the best... being the best has made us the oldest. Premium products with premium value. Iwan Simonis.

KLEMATCH PERFORMANCE CUSHIONS

A u t h e n t i c.

A c c u r a t e.

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4 Stroke Magazine - September 2013

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2013 October

9 Tom Simpson 10 Bob Jewett 11 Chalk Talk

COVER ARTICLE

18 Turning Stone XXI FEATURES

12 The Monk 13 Michael Glass 14 Anthony Beeler

JUNIOR

15 Joey Bourgeois, Jr

WEEKLY TOURNAMENTS 33 Eastern U.S. Weekly Tournaments 34 Eastern U.S. Tournaments

Photo by: Don Akerlow

COLUMNISTS

STROKE

6 Holiday Spotlight 16 Gate City Billiards 20 Sandcastle Billiards 21 Corner Pocket 25 Amy’s Billiards 28 SanSouci Memorial 30 World 9-Ball TOURS/RESULTS

17 Tri State Tour 22 Florida

23 New York

POOL ON TV - POOL ON THE NET

Live Streamer’s links

www.otbntv.com www.ontherailtv.com/ www.ustream.tv/user/cmbwsu/crowds www.ustream.tv/channel/greatsouthernbilliardtour www.actionpooltour.com/live-streaming.html www.theactionreport.com www.ustream.tv/channel/accu-stats-on-location www.povpool.com

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Anthony Beeler 14 Aramith 3 BCAPL/CSI/USAPL 35 BEF 15 Billiard Buddies 17 Bison Billiards 22 Bob Jewett 11 Corner Pocket Billiards 19 CueStix International 36 Gold Crown Billiards 16 GoPlayPool.com 32 Holiday Spotlight 6,7,8 Lucky 7 Billiards 19 Master Chalk 11 McDermott 2 Michael’s Billiards 16 Michael Glass 13 Monk, The 12 Mueller 5 National Billiard Academy 9 Sandcastle Billiards 20 Simonis 3 Steinway Billiards 29 Subscription 32 T J’s Classic Billiards 29 Tiger Products 4 Zingale’s 16

DEADLINE:

25th of each Month - CALL IF LATE

Phone 1-406-285-3099 pool@onthebreaknews.com www.TheBreakMagazine.com Stroke is a monthly publication, dedicated to the advancement of the sport of pool. The opinions expressed are those of the author or advertiser and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Break or its staff. We reserve the right to edit or reject any material submitted for publication. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced.

Don “Cheese” Akerlow

On The Cover

Local Coverage National Exposure PLACES PEOPLE PLAY Amy’s Billiards 22

Publisher

October 2013 - Stroke Magazine 5

Holiday Spotl Athena break/jump

(ATHZBJ): A powerful zebra that can really jump. The new Athena break/jump cue has an innovative new tip the combines phenolic power with leather feel. An industry first Chamber Loc® joint captures and delivers more power and feedback than ever. The quick release butt gives you performance in two turns of the cue. An extra length Irish linen wrap, lowered for ergonomic efficiency combines with a slightly shorter overall cue to maximize stroke speed for ladies under 5’8”. Dealer requests welcome at www. cuestix.com or call 800-645-9803. Ask your favorite billiard retailer about it today.

G223 mcdermottcue.com

MSRP: $299 Cocobolo forearm/sleeve Silver & white rings Genuine Irish linen wrap White joint collar & butt plate G-Core shaft

G303

MSRP: $340 Birdseye maple forearm/sleeve Dk American cherry stain Silver & recon ivory rings 6 green dymondwood clover inlays Maple diamond inlays Genuine Irish linen wrap G-Core shaft

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Action Ink

(INK01): Polynesian warriors invented the tattoo centuries ago to mark their place in the tribe and their power as men. Action cues new Ink Series delivers the same status to your weapon of choice. Pick one up and prove your manhood at the table. Retail price $89. Dealer requests welcome. 1-800-645-9803. www.cuestix.com. Manufactured and distributed exclusively by CueStix International.

6 Stroke Magazine - October 2013 www.StrokeMagazine.net

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light on Cues LX series cues from Tiger

mcderm

ottcue.c

G411

MSRP: $430 Rosewood forearm Silver rings 12 pewter, turquoise, recon ivory & recon ebony handle/ butt plate inlays Birdseye maple no-wrap handle Recon ivory joint collar & butt plate G-Core shaft

Item #TL-3 This cue features a Ebony Forearm & Butt Sleeve w/4 points of white plastic, shell inlayed inside each points. Each point is complemented with white, black and green veneers around it. Each cue features the Ultra-X® high performance patented technology shaft (low deflection X shafts are optional) and a radial Tiger joint protector. The standard is with double black genuine Irish linen. Stack or regular leather wraps are available (optional). Standard cue specifications and items included; Length 58” Weight 18oz. - 20.5oz. Wrap - Double Black Irish Linen Shaft - Ultra-X® high performance shaft Cue tip - Sniper laminated cue tip - 12.75mm Ferrule - Saber-T® Tiger ferrule Joint protector - Radial Tiger joint protectors Case - Soft black velvet Tiger cue case MSRP $1099.00

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G413

MSRP: $450 Birdseye maple forearm Recon ebony sleeve Silver, green & maple rings Recon ebony & green points 6 sets of maple, recon ebony & green sleeve inlays Genuine Irish linen wrap G-Core shaft

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VooDoo

(VOD-21): Battles on the pool table can get pretty tough. The new VooDoo VOD-21 cue from CueStix delivers the death blow you need to finish off your competition. Named “Bloodshed” for a design that features dripping blood and an 8 Ball skull, it comes with all the extra performance you need and a little bit of black magic just to be sure. Dealer requests welcome at www.cuestix.com or call 800-645-9803. Ask your favorite billiard retailer about it today.

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October 2013 - Stroke Magazine 7

Holiday Spotlight on Cues Outlaw 33

(OL33): The innovative team behind the best-selling Outlaw cues has done it again. Original Thunder series artwork has been blowtorch branded and then inlayed with recon turquoise accents to stunning effect. This landmark cue has already drawn raves in early previews. Retail $195. Sold exclusively by CueStix International. Dealer requests call 800-645-9803 or visit www.cuestix.com.

G709

MSRP: $799 Birdseye maple forearm/handle 4 sets of cocobolo, brass, recon ivory & recon ebony shaft inlays 12 cocobolo, brass, recon ivory & recon ebony forearm/handle points 6 sets of cocobolo, brass, recon ivory & recon ebony sleeve inlays Stainless steel joint collar Intimidator i-Shaft

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Katana

(KAT01): The Way of the Sword describes the ancient Samurai path of a lone warrior and his quest for glory. Using his blade, known as a Katana, he determines justice through the purity of battle. Carry one of our new Katana cues into your pool room and find your own glory. Retail price $499. Dealer requests welcome. 1-800-645-9803. www.cuestix.com. Manufactured and distributed exclusively by CueStix International.

8 Stroke Magazine - October 2013 www.StrokeMagazine.net

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Bank Robbery

Tom Simpson

Master Instructor, National Billiard Academy, “Beat People With a Stick!”

Frequently, when I ask players what they would like to learn, they mention banking systems. I might ask them how good a banker they feel they are, how they feel about that part of their game. It usually turns out they have no confidence in banking, and are frustrated when they try to figure it out. They’re hoping for magical banking systems because they don’t have a good feel for banking. It seems difficult and mysterious. More an art than a science. Well, banking is difficult, and it is both art and science. If you’re determined to improve in pool, you’ll have to be able to make at least the “easy banks” with confidence – and without a system. Let’s look at some key factors that complicate banking: Banks are often longer shots, as they have to travel farther to get to a pocket. That means you have to be more accurate in your aim & delivery. Be more precise. Observe more closely. Your results will improve and your understanding will deepen. Bank angles are not obvious. If banking worked like mirrors, things would be easier. Sorry. I do have good news, though. Most players have never thought of this. In banking, you have to consider and control what the OB is doing when it hits the rail – skidding, rolling, and any sidespin. Balls that skid (stun) into the rail come out at pretty much the “mirror” angle. Balls that roll into the rail open their angle, relative to the mirror angle. Angle of approach, speed of roll, and rail-cloth friction are contributing factors. Knowing how this works is the science. Applying it in the wild is the art. Banks are sensitive to any rotational force in the object ball. Cut shots are not. (Note: Roll and sidespin are both considered rotational force.) There is more to understand and control in a bank shot. When an OB is close to a rail, it’s going to be skidding (stunned) when it hits the cushion. For these shots, you know the angle the ball is taking on its rebound - mirror. But when the OB is more than a few inches from the rail, it may not be obvious whether it will be rolling or skidding on arrival. You have to decide and make it so. Here’s another important factor of which most players are not aware: Collision-Induced Spin (CIS). On cut shots, as the CB swipes across the face of the OB, friction between the balls imparts a tiny amount of sidespin to the OB (e.g., cutting the OB to the left puts a little right english on the ball). It’s not enough spin to matter if the ball is going to a pocket, but any sidespin matters when you’re going to a rail.

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As the OB comes off the rail, the more spin, the more friction between the rail-cloth and ball, and the less speed, the greater the deviation from the neutral (no sidespin) angle of departure. For practical purposes, think of speed into the rail as the key variable. That “little bit of sidespin” from CIS matters little at high speeds, but can make a dramatic difference at low speeds. Cushions can impart (or reduce) sidespin in the ball. You have to know this to begin to understand two and threerail banks & kicks. Think of the cloth on the cushions as sticky. When an OB strikes the cushion, the cloth grabs the ball a little, adding to or reducing sideways rotation in the ball. Any change in sidespin will affect the path of the OB as it comes off the next cushion. Considering and allowing for these factors will remove some of the mystery and improve your banking. In general, we struggle with banking because there are more variables, and some of them are far from obvious. To go about becoming a better banker, start with mastering the simplest one-rail banks. As you gain clarity and control, increase the challenge. Here’s the drill: Throw an OB out onto the table. Place the CB wherever you feel is the optimum spot for you to absolutely make a one-rail bank. Make it as easy as you can. Take the shot, observing closely, throw out another OB, and continue for as long as you can maintain proper focus. To keep your attention, you might try keeping score, striving to improve your percentage of banks made. Try to place the CB for “straight-in” banks, shots where you are hitting the OB full. This eliminates CIS and develops your sense of when a bank shot is “dead on” and does not need to be cut. As that sense improves, you’ll naturally begin to see how to also make shots that are not quite dead on. “Dead on” becomes the angle you look for while planning your banks. Some straight-in banks don’t work because there is a kiss. Work to learn which combinations of angle and distance from the rail have natural kisses. After a while, some of these straight-in bank shots will become “hangers” – too easy to bother shooting. OK, so ramp up the challenge a little and bank them the longer direction across the table or to the other end of the table. Don’t assume you have nothing to learn from this simple drill. Do it. See what you know – and what you don’t. Successful bank robbers do their homework.

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October 2013 - Stroke Magazine 9

COLUMNIST

Bob Jewett

San Francisco Billiard Academy www.sfbilliards.com San Francisco Billiard Academy is a BCA Certified Master Academy.

THE BILLIARD UNIVERSITY A couple of months ago I described a practice drill from the web site BilliardUniversity.Org. It is part of a series of drills or “exams” that let you measure your current skill level and also provide a way to work on problem areas. The drill then was a fairly hard nine ball drill. Here is one that is based on eight ball and is a little easier. The positions of the balls are shown -- all lined up with the diamonds. Your opponent has just scratched on his last stripe and you have ball in hand on the solids. Can you run out the table? Try it ten times and score one point for each ball pocketed. (If you want to try the other layouts in the exam, visit the site above and look for the “Bachelor’s” level exam II.) Before reading farther, try to work out how you would play the balls. Can you plan a pattern that only uses shots you are comfortable with? Can you find one that only uses simple shots such as plain follow without side spin? If a table is handy, take a couple of tries right now. OK, now that you’ve had a chance to see some problems, let’s look a little closer at some possible approaches. A common piece of advice in planning an eight ball run out is to figure out which ball you are going to use for your “key” ball, which is the last one of your group that will get you onto the eight ball easily. Often the key ball is the one closest to the eight, or for this diagram the seven. If you left the cue ball at X, a simple stop shot or maybe a little draw would leave a perfect angle on the eight.The problem with that sequence for this layout is that you have no easy way to leave the cue ball at X and if you miss that spot a little you could get into real trouble. Suppose for example you ended up at Y. It’s not a hard shot, but you have to stretch or use a bridge. There is a good chance of hitting the eight after the cushion. Similarly, if you end up at Z when trying for X, you’re faced with a tough cut and a decision about which and how many rails to hit for position on the eight. The moral here is that for some open balls, you shouldn’t try to get ideal position because a small percentage error in how far the cue ball will run can result in a disaster. Move all three positions away from the ball to A, B and C and they all work OK and B and C are much better. Especially for beginners, I recommend playing

10 Stroke Magazine - October 2013

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Bob Jewett

C A

REJ

position with just a smoothly rolling cue ball without any side spin. Can you see a way to do that here? One way is to place the cue ball for the five in pocket P with a little angle so you can roll the cue ball to D. From there you can shoot either the one or the two and roll back to D for the other one. When you shoot the second of those two, hit the shot a little harder and try for B as your position, where soft follow on the seven will bring you to X. You might be tempted to use the five to get on the seven since it is the closest to it. Try that a couple of times to see how it works for you. I think you will find that unless you get a pretty good angle on the five, controlling the cue ball to get on your key ball will be very hard. For a real challenge, try to clear the table without a cushion. To do that, I think you’ll see that the five really wants to leave the table early. Good luck.

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CHALK TALK Sponsored by: Master Chalk

BY: DON AKERLOW

Tournaments! Tournaments!

Where have they gone?

THE SKY IS NO LIMIT

In years past it seemed like there were tournaments at every corner bar, pool hall and any place else you would stumble upon. I have heard people comment on social media and in person that there are not as many tournaments as there used to be, or there is nothing to play in. I find part of this to be true, but if you are willing to travel, not so much. If you live in the west in January there is $1,000 added in eastern Washington; or $2,500 added in Wyoming. In February, California offers $3,000; Idaho $1,000; Western Washington offers a $1,000 9-Ball and a $1,500 Scotch Doubles. Then at the end of February in Reno there is over $25,000 in 3 events. In March a regional tournament with $30,000; Northwest Montana $2,500; Vegas $3,700 added 9-Ball; California $5,000 9-Ball. If you like 8-Ball Eastern Montana adds $1,000; Wyoming $8,000. April in North Dakota $15,000 divided between 8 and 9 Ball and Eastern Washington has a $1,000 tournament for 9-Ball. May as we all know is for National

league championships or at least two; $1,500 added in Utah and $1,000 in Idaho. As you can see there are tournaments if you are willing to travel and there are smaller tournaments with a few hundred dollars added. All of 2012 there was over $300,000 added to tournaments throughout the Western states that we listed in The Break. Along with league championships, there is a lot of money out there and a lot of people and locations that are promoting it. In the west, there are a few if any tours, that should change. If you have any ideas or want to start a tour contact us. The point of this article is to focus on what we have and try to build it up, instead of complaining about what we don’t have. When you go to a tournament whether a weekly or small or large added money tournament, thank the owner, say something nice to the TD. Remember the TD does this for little to no money. Sometimes for only meals, sometimes for more. But it never hurts to show your appreciation to those who offer you an opportunity to win.

So chalk up your stick and get out there and play! Advertise your Tournaments or maybe your Bar FOR SALE Reason; Lack of Business By no means do I refer that if you advertise your pool tournaments or not your location will succeed or fail. Just some food for thought. If you do advertise - Thank you!!! BUT

How is it that you can;

• wake up after sleeping under an advertised blanket • on an advertised mattress, • pull off advertised pajamas, • bathe in an advertised shower, • shave with an advertised razor, • brush your teeth with advertised toothpaste, • wash with advertised soap, • put on advertised clothes, • drink a cup of advertised coffee, • drive to work in an advertised car and then .... REFUSE TO ADVERTISE believing it doesn’t pay? Yet later, when business is poor, THEN, ADVERTISE IT FOR SALE!

WHY IS THAT?

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October 2013 - Stroke Magazine 11

Twelve Rules The fall season is upon us and league is in full bloom. It is nice to be back with your friends, competing and playing the game you love. This season, let's work to gain all we can about your league experience. Here are twelve rules we can go by.

The Monk

TIM MILLER

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10.

Make it a point to thank the league operator. Get known as a first class player. Never say a critical word to any of your team members. Remember, they are doing the best they can. If you lose a game, be sure you compliment your opponent. Remember you are first class. When you win, tell your opponent you got lucky or he had a bad roll. Thank the room owner for the support he/she gives to the league. (this is important) Never shark your opponent. Play at your own pace. You paid your league dues. You deserve to be the player you are. Always make it a point to learn something from your match. You will always get the chance to perform. Each night you arrive at the pool hall you have the chance to socialize with your friends. If you are not a good sport you will ruin your chance to have a good time. Focus on the good times with your friends.

11.

Go through your pre shot routine on every single shot. Don't let the score determine your experience on league night. It is a special night, a time to enjoy. If you have my book I Came to Win you will learn how to feel good about your performance, win or lose.

12.

Make it a point to be known as the classy guy/girl who is willing to help a fellow pool player out.

I will look for you in the finals, The Monk

SPECIAL TRAINING MANUAL

Email me at: timiller7872@gmail.com

12 Stroke Magazine - October 2013

I designed this book just for the collector who cares about his game. Each page is in full glossy color. The cover is hard bound. It is a masterpiece. This is the only book I will sell while I am in the states. The book cost me one hundred dollars to produce. I got a good price on ten copies. You can order this book for just $79.95 + S&H

section then move on to the blue section, then through the green section and so on until you complete the training. You must master each session. You will have a top level game when you complete the training. Email me now for a buy now button. I am not putting this on the market as I only have ten copies in my inventory.

You have my full money back guarantee. If you are not satisfied in every way, I will refund your money.

This is the only book I will sell. When you order your copy, I will send you a digital download of my training book THE LESSON.

The training is color coded. You work through the red

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TABLE TALK

BY: MICHAEL K GLASS

Mind Games

Michael K Glass Michael Glass has been teaching pool for close to 10 years. He is a Recognized PBIA Billiards Instructor, taught by none other than Bob Jewett of the San Francisco Billiard Academy. Michael has been playing pool almost all of his life (except when he was in the Navy — it’s hard to install a pool table on a rocking ship!). He managed to stay away from the hustler life; he doesn’t believe in being dishonest in order to win money. He will, however, occasionally play for a beer or two at the local watering hole. Michael teaches all levels of pool players, from beginner to pro, and works on all aspects of the game, from fundamentals, to pattern play, to trick shots. He can be found playing in his home town of San Ramon, CA at Crown Billiards. Visit his website at mikekglass.com for pool tips or to schedule a lesson!

It’s all in your head, they say. Sometimes, this is brought home all too clearly. I’m sitting in my chair, in the finals of the tournament. Up to now, I have battled many excellent players, and it’s all come down to this last match. My opponent is an excellent player with a cool head, and he rarely misses. I know that in order to beat him, I’m going to have to play smart, aggressively, and flawlessly. And I have been; we’re hill-hill now, and neither of us has made any major mistakes. My opponent won the lag and we have gone back and forth the whole match. It’s my turn to rack for him in this final game. I approach the table, and take a deep breath as I retrieve the rack and balls from the table. Placing them on the table, I quickly rack the balls, 9 in the center, 1 at the front. With a practiced hand, I quickly tighten them up, ensuring there are no gaps, and lift the rack. It’s time for him to break. Once I get back to my seat, I take another deep breath, and watch as he takes aim. I have seen him break before; they call him “Earthquake” for very good reason. With a thundering crack! he sends the balls scattering, racing around the table looking for a hole. It only takes a few seconds for them to settle down, but to me, they take forever, as I somehow track each ball, silently praying that none of them find a pocket. By some miracle, the 9 balls stay up on the table, as the 9-ball trickles toward the corner pocket. Somehow, it stays up, and I’m up like a shot, ready to run the table. This is my moment! I quickly survey the table, and it’s time to go to work. 1-ball goes into the side pocket, cue-ball travels down the end rail for a shot on the 2 in the corner. After making the 2-ball, I send the cue-ball to the other end of the table, for a perfect straight-in shot on the 3. I make the 3, drawing the cue ball back to the side rail so I have a shot on the 4 and 5 balls in the other corner.

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The 4 and 5 are pieces of cake, and after potting them, the cue ball makes its way to the center of the table for the 6-ball in the side. The 7 is clustered up with the 8-ball, but it shouldn’t be a problem after getting on the 6-ball at the perfect angle. An easy follow pots the 6, and bumps the 8 away. At this point, the 7-ball is a tricky cut shot down the rail into the far corner pocket. With some focus, however, it’s not too difficult, and after potting the 7, the 8 is a no-brainer. With a little victory dance in my heart, the 9-ball, sitting on the very edge in the corner pocket, is an easy win. At this point, I have reached the table. I am chalking my stick, an important part of my pre-shot routine, feeling very confident. The balls are still on the table; the runout was all done in my head, and I’m ready to complete my plan, win the match, and hoist my trophy. Suddenly, a roar erupts from the crowd, and my opponent is dancing around, his cue raised high over his head. I close my eyes... I don’t want to look. Slowly, I turn to the table, open my eyes, and make a horrific discovery: The 9-ball fell in the pocket. My heart drops to my feet as I realize the truth. It’s over. I have lost. My opponent approaches me, his hand out-stretched. I want nothing more than to grab his hand in a crushing grip,”congratulating” him on his tremendous fortune. I want to tell him how lucky he is, because I was so going to run that table! I want to. But I don’t. I smile the best I can, shake his hand, and congratulate him. Let him have his moment. Next time, he won’t be so lucky. In my head, I won.

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October 2013 - Stroke Magazine 13

Take it to the Bank! 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.

In late July, the Rio All Suites Hotel and Casino played host to the 2013 BCA Pool League National 9-Ball Championships. Coined the name “Bad Boyz,” Kentuckians Dean Lawson, Kenny Tran and I formed a team, to compete against the best BCA players in the nation. The format was single elimination, race to 9, two out of three sets. Our team started out strong, defeating several opponents by significant margins. As the tournament progressed, match play got tougher and tougher. After winning several matches and 3 highly competitive hill-hill battles we found ourselves in the finals against a team from New York, New York. The team called “Hurricane Higgins,” featured multi-time speed pool champion Jason Kane, along with his teammates Trevor Heal and Thom Wan. “Hurricane Higgins” was a fundamentally sound team that played both jam up offense and defense. During the first set we found ourselves in a nip and tuck battle, and I found myself facing the shot below. The shot was a difficult off angle bank. You can see that the shot was lined up to bank wide, if shot full in the face. However, being from Kentucky and growing up in the bank pool capitol of the world I knew I had an advantage.

Maximize

Your Potential!

Bradfordsville, KY Cell: 606-669-8401 Office: 606-346-2953 www.poolteacher.com 14 Stroke Magazine - October 2013

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(Beeler continued on page 32)

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Joey Bourgeois, Jr JUNIOR PLAYER PROFILE

FULL NAME: Joey Lynn Bourgeois, Jr NICKNAME: Bubba HOME TOWN: Baytown Texas BIRTH DATE: 5/11/99 GRADE: 9th GPA: 3.8 FAVORITE SUBJECT IN SCHOOL: Algebra POOL ROOM(S) WHERE YOU PLAY: Slick Willies Family Pool Hall and Bogies Billiards WHAT KIND OF CUE(S) DO YOU USE? Jerry Olivier LTD Custom Cue, a Poison VX 2.9 Break Cue, and a Jacoby Jump Cue AT WHAT AGE DID YOU START PLAYING POOL? 12 LEFT OR RIGHT HANDED? Right TITLES / HIGHEST FINISHES: Texas Junior State Champion. I Finished 9/12 in the Open Lone Star Tour twice. Runner-up at 2013 Jr Nationals 9-ball Championship 14 & Under Boys division. OTHER NOTABLE AWARDS: I wrote an essay and it was one of the two best in my school and was put in a book (Do The Right Thing Challenge). MOST MEMORABLE POOL MOMENT: When I beat my dad for the hot seat in a weekly tournament. SPONSOR(S): My Dad FAVORITE BAND/MUSIC: Country Music HOBBIES: Billiards, Golf, Football, and Tennis FAVORITE POOL GAME: 9-ball and Banks FAVORITE POOL PLAYER: Corey Deuel FAVORITE FOOD: Steak and a Baked Potato FICTIONAL HERO: Batman REAL-WORLD HERO: Dad FONDEST CHILDHOOD MEMORY: Going to Louisiana for Mardi Gras with my grandparents. GOALS (personal and/or career): To become a professional pool player and a teacher of the game.

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October 2013 - Stroke Magazine 15

Q City 9 Ball Tour

at Gate City Billiards This past weekend we were at Gate City Billiards Club. Always a great venue. We had 34 players and the field was strong, with players like Stevie Moore, Tony Morrison, and Brady among others. Final Results, Norris Brady won the tournament by beating George Crawford Jr. in the finals 10-6. George played well all day and came up just short. 3rd place went to David Brown from Raleigh. 4th place was taken by Matt Fralin. 5th and 6th were taken by JT Ringgold and Josh Padron. Overall a great tournament. I would like to thank Don Liebes for always being so helpful. Cannot wait to be back. I am updating the standings right now and will post them on our Facebook page --- the Q City 9 Ball Tour. Thanks.

Norris Brady 1st place

David Brown 3rd place George Crawford, Jr. 2nd place

1861 W Tennessee St. Tallahassee, Florida

850 224-8644

SINCE 1961

GOLD CROWN BILLIARDS First Pool Hall in Broward County (11) 9 ft. Tables & (1) Golf Table

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16 Stroke Magazine - October 2013

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Koka Davladze wins at Gotham City Billiards

KYLE BUBET; KOKA DALADZE; CHRIS DECAPRIO

results

Koka’s tournament trail included wins over Gary O’Callaghan 7 - 5; Andrzej Kaldan 8 - 5; Carl Yusuf Khan 7 - 6; Rajesh Vannala 7 - 5; Juan Guzman 7 - 6 and Chris DeCaprio 10 - 7 for the Hot Seat. Kyle Bubet after suffering his loss to Chris defeated Mike Harrington 7 - and Juan Guzman 8 7 to face Chris again. Fatigue wore both players down with Chris advancing to the Finals 6 - 5. Due to the late hour, Koka and Chris decided to call it a night, with Koka taking a well deserved win. Kyle Bubet and Juan Guzman deserve recognition for a strong 3rd and 4th place finish respectively. The next Tri-State will be held on Saturday, September 21st at Rockaway Billiards in Rockaway, NJ. Thank you to Sterling-Gaming, Ozone Billiards, Qpod, Heptig Custom Cues, Kamui Tips, Phil Capelle, BlueBook Publishing, Human Kinetics for their sponsorship leading to this event. Finally, enough can not be said for the generousity for the owners of Gotham City Billiards, Kevin and Isabel Buckley. Not only do they support all the players, but the equipment is outstanding....all new Pro Cut Diamond tables with great lighting.

1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th - 6th 7th - 8th 9th - 12th

Koka Davladze Chris DeCaprio Kyle Bubet Juan Guzman Carl Yusuf Khan, Mike Harrington Rhio Anne Flores, Pat Mareno Rajesh Vannala, Harry Lau, Tornike Khaduridze, Luis Lopez

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October 2013 - Stroke Magazine 17

d n a l k c i Str Takes

By: AZBilliards.com

Turning Stone XXI

18 Stroke Magazine - October 2013

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Results

Earl Strickland

has emerged victorious at Turning Stone XXI by defeating Jeremy Sossei 13-7 in the finals. Strickland only tasted defeat once at the hands of Brandon Shuff (9-4), a loss he avenged on the final day by relegating Shuff to fourth place with a 9-3 score line. No one else could hang with the Pearl. He defeated Ron Cosanzio (9-2) and Jason Klatt (9-8) before Shuff sent him left and once over there he rolled over Mike Dechaine (9-6) in a match where both players challenged one another to a series of mind games over the rack and cue ball break position, Karen Corr (9-6), Joey Dupuis (9-5) and Dany Normandin (9-3) before entering the finals against Sossei who had been undefeated coming into the last match. Sossei had quite the week. He had a tough row to hoe but he took down Robb Saez (9-8), Chris Bartram (9-7), Thorsten Hohmann (9-8), Joey Dupuis (9-6) and Dany Normandin (9-5) before finding his only loss of the event to Strickland in the finals. AzBilliards wishes to thank Mike Zuglan of the Joss Northeast Tour, Turning Stone Casino and resort, Pat and Pete Fleming of Accu-Stats, Al Leon, Eddie Culhane, Lucasi Hybrid Cues, the TAP League System, and Master Chalk for making our live stream and scoring as well as the brackets possible.

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October 2013 - Stroke Magazine 19

Dawn Fox

Headed for Yalin World Championship qualifies at

Sandcastle Billiards

The Hatchetman: ‘I’ll chop ‘em up!’ DENNIS HATCH, a Mosconi Cup MVP back in 2009, becomes the fourth member of the American team at this year’s PartyPoker.net Mosconi Cup and will take his place alongside Johnny Archer, Shane Van Boening, Rodney Morris and an as yet unnamed final member when the USA and Europe do battle at the Mirage Hotel from 2nd to 5th December. The 42 year-old from Buffalo, New York made his debut that year after he came out top in a wildly popular ‘fan’s vote’ for the final place on the team. Once in Vegas, he became the Americans’ talisman as he won four out of his five matches to lead the team to an emotional victory.

Dawn Fox of Pennsylvania will represent the USA at the Yalin World Championship in the Philippines ! Congrats on her qualifier victory at Sandcastle Billiards in NJ! She will be joining the elite 48 players from around the world at Resorts World Manila in the Philippines ! Help her raise funds for her trip by clicking here:https://www.facebook.com/ events/528538633882981/ or contact us about making a donation to the USA women’s Travel Fund to help the USA women get to the Worlds!

“It is an honour and a privilege to be part of this incredible USA team and the 20th anniversary Mosconi Cup. This event means the world to me and I live for the Cup. It’s the best atmosphere there is and there is nothing that can even come close to comparing it to,” said a fired up Hatchetman. “Winning the MVP in 2009 as a rookie was one of the greatest moments of my career and if I can perform anywhere near that level for the team in December I will be delighted. “This year we have an all-star team and we are all ready to win. We all want it really bad and we are all playing great. The Mosconi Cup has to come back to the USA and I’ll be gunning for the Europeans. Go USA!” It will be Hatch’s fourth appearance in the PartyPoker.net Mosconi Cup and he carries an excellent 60% win record. Never one to hold back, the New Yorker endeared himself to thousands of fans on his debut with his tearful interviews with Sky Sports presenter Andy Goldstein. The PartyPoker.net Mosconi Cup takes place at the Mirage Hotel and Casino, Las Vegas from Monday 2nd to Thursday 5th December and features two five-man teams representing the USA and Europe. The Europeans are the defending champions, having won 11-9 in London last December, their fifth win in six years. Tickets are available from www.ticketmaster.com (Search ‘Mosconi Cup’) or directly from the Mirage on (+1) 702 792 7777 or 1-800-963-9634.

20 Stroke Magazine - October 2013

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y a d r u at

n e p O l l a

at Corner Pocket

Corner Pocket Billiards N Cafe in Wheeling WV held their Open 9Ball Event with one short of a maximum field of 48 players. As usual the players came from over 4 states and as far as 200+ miles away to get a shot at winning one of the best tournaments in the East Coast. The event draws so many good players due to the high payout to entry fee ratio! Just like the Regional BCA Event held at Wheeling Island Hotel-Track-Casio every March, Corner Pocket Billiards owners Jay & Sonya Davis keep prize money to the maximum while always adding money to their sponsored events. The 47 players battling for $3260 in Prize funds included: Alex Olinger, Shane Jackson, Jordon Grubb, Ed Hancock, Jim Van de Bussche, Chris Helm, Tom Purich, Don Blevins, Kurt England, Wally Bentley, Chris Austin, Jerry Hager, Mike Cumberledge, Kevin Arco, Jake Cooper, Lucas Hawkins, Jerry Endsley, Ryan Elifritz, Bob Hibbitts, Curtis Walker and 3 ladies -Julie Skripac, Kimi Staschiack, and Leslie Dubich. There were too many

favorites to root for but things changed quickly when Alex Olinger lost the first round to Ed Hancock. After Kurt England escaped the first two rounds hill/ hill things started looking better for the 4x Wheeling Champion but none of the matches where easy. After a king seat battle with Ed Hancock hill/hill, he sat and waited as Tom Purich continued to battle his way to the finals with his own hill/hill matches. In the end Kurt went undefeated for the title...he doesn't understand how he plays so well in Wheeling but he said, "The tournament draws so many tough opponents that you have to play your best to win and I seem to do that alot here is Wheeling....I LOVE WHEELING!". Next event will be Saturday November 16th at NOON! Please send your email to get tournament details and Regional entry forms to cornerpocketbilliards@comcast.net The event was streamed by On site Pool Network-TVMIKE and can seen at www.onsitepool. com/tvmike

Results 1 2 3 4 5 6

Kurt England Tom Purich Ed Hancock Wally Bentley Chris Austin Nick Carrelli

$1,600 $920 $360 $180 $100 $100

Top Women- tie $20 each Julie Skripac, Kimi Staschiack, and Leslie Dubich.

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October 2013 - Stroke Magazine 21

Summer 2013 APA DIVISION 101 Article & Photos by Janis Sessions

Play-off weeks would be on August 26, 2013 and September 9, 2013. The Nightowls who had the highest points at the end of the summer session would have to keep playing hard if they wanted to win the First Place trophies and prize money. They had to get by Mike & The Mechanics who defeated the Beach Sharks. Mike’s team gave them tuff game after game, but the Nightowls would win to advance. First Place $312 – Nightowls: Marty Sherman, Galeno Rivera, Meir Strahlberg, Jay Valinsky, Stephen Temeyer, Gary Gottfried, Eddie Kahl and Leonardo Fernandez Second Place $234 – Mike & The Mechanics: Mike Vandetty, Demetrius Smith, Peter Parrish, Cesar Padilla, Osel Armand, Melanie Luke, Charles Young, Charles, Robert Moss Third Place $156 – Beach Sharks: , Virginia Kalos, Janis Sessions, Mitchell Goldman, Gary Hardee, Ronnie Santarone, Warren Sweeney, Daniel Gray, Erick Henriquez “Top Gun” trophy for the Summer Session would go to Erick Henriquez. Congratulation! Thanks to Sunny Isles Billiards (Sunny Isles, FL.) for hosting the final playoff games and to Howard and his father, Gary Kalos (Dade APA League Operators) for doing a great job with the league.

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22 Stroke Magazine - October 2013

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Robles and Tamba

claim victory

Predator Pro/Am Tour founder Tony Robles was unstoppable in the Open/Pro 10-Ball division of tour stop #13 at Snookers Billiards Bar & Grill in Providence, RI, held on Sunday, September 15, 2013. Twelve top area players competed in the event, which paid out $800 to first place. Click here for the results of the Amateur 9-Ball division of this stop. To start out Robles’ showing in the event, he would have to face his fiancée Gail Glazebrook for an 8-3 win, and went on to defeat room owner Steve Goulding 8-3, Snookers sponsored top player Tom D’Alfonso 8-4, and frequent Joss Tour player Nelson Oliviera 8-3 to take the hot seat. In the meantime, top amateur player Phil Davis from Connecticut was making waves on the one-loss side, following an 8-3 loss to Justin Muller in the first round. Davis rebounded with wins against Dan Cintron 8-5 and Cleiton Rocha 8-4, then got revenge against Justin Muller in an 8-7 win to move on to the quarterfinal and defeat Ray MacNamara 8-4. Davis moved on to the semifinal to play Nelson Oliviera, who had lost the match for the hot seat to Robles, but would fall short with a score of 8-5 to finish strong in third place…continuing on a hot streak including his recent 3rd place finish at the Ginky Memorial. Advancing to the final, Oliviera got another shot at Tony Robles…and it would turn out to be a much closer

match than their first. In this extended-race, single-set final, Robles could win with nine, but if Oliviera made it to nine first, they would both need eleven to win. It would go all the way to eight apiece, but Robles shut the door at 9-8 to capture the win. For the first time in the tour’s five-year history, the Predator Pro/Am Tour was hosted by Snookers in Providence, RI, one of the Northeast’s premier pool rooms, on September 14-15, 2013. Snookers is known as host to the annual Ocean State 9-Ball Championships as well as the New England Pool & Billiards Hall of Fame, and is sponsor to top players Mike Dechaine & Tom D’Alfonso. Local Providence player Ranulf Tamba would find victory in the Amateur 9-Ball division of this event after a comeback through the one-loss side…following a 7-1 loss to Abel Barriento in the winner’s bracket. Tamba’s road to the final match would start with wins against Brooke Meyer (7-1), James Stevens (7-5), and Gail Glazebrook (7-4) on day one, which landed him in the quarterfinal at noon on day two. In the quarterfinal, Tamba would have a rematch against Abel Barriento, who had a prior 8-6 win against Justin Muller. Tamba would redeem himself against Barriento, winning 7-5 to continue his run with another close 7-5 win versus Ervin Simkins in the semifinal. Waiting in the hot seat for his shot in the final was top

L-R Phil Davis (3rd), Snookers owner Steve Goulding, Ray MacNamara (4th), Tony Robles (1st), Nelson Oliviera (2nd) Long Island amateur player Stewart Warnock, who made his way through the winner’s bracket with wins over Paul Laverdiere (7-5), Jamie Moniz (10-6), James Stevens (9-7), Abel Barriento (9-6), and a hill-hill win versus Ervin Simkins (8-7) in the hot seat match. The final match at Snookers would be a tough battle for both players, where Ranulf Tamba would emerge as the winner at hill-hill, winning the event with a final score of 9-8. The Predator Pro/Am Tour would like to give special thanks to their sponsors for their support: Predator Cues, The National Amateur Pool League, Delta-13, NYCgrind, PoolOnTheNet.com, and host room Snookers.

ABCD

1st: 2nd: 3rd: 4th: 5th/6th: 7th/8th:

Ranulf Tamba Stewart Warnock Ervin Simkins Abel Barriento Gail Glazebrook, Justin Muller James Stevens, Kevin Falco

$900 $600 $400 $300 $200 $120

1st: 2nd: 3rd: 4th:

Tony Robles Nelson Oliviera Phil Davis Ray MacNamara

$800 $500 $300 $100

Open/Pro

L-R Stewart Warnock (2nd), Abel Barriento (4th), Ranulf Tamba (1st), Ervin Simkins (3rd) Like us on Facebook www.facebook.com/onthebreaknews www.StrokeMagazine.net October 2013 - Stroke Magazine 23

Emerson Verano Finishes Undefeated at Rockaway Saturday September 21st, marked the return of Rockaways Billiards (Rockaway, NJ) on the Tri-State Tour calendar. The $1,000 –added event drew 19 tour players, eager to welcome the room back with this next edition to the tour. On this day, player Emerson Verano would chalk up an impressive showing, finishing his tournament run undefeated. Verano accomplished victories over Fred Garcia (7-4), Chris Karp (7-5), and made it through a double hill match against Steve Kaminow (7-6), before beating Andrew Cleary for the honor of sitting on the hot seat (8-6), awaiting the finals. The west side of the brackets had player James “Doc” Pasciolla, who showed moxy after suffering a first round loss, fighting back with a shutout win over Mike Figueroa (6-0), then besting player Mike Guevara in a double hill set (6-5). Pasciolla kept it going by defeating Greg Motos (6-

L-R: Rockaway Billiards owner, Bob Guerra, 1st place Emerson Verano, 2nd place James “Doc” Pasciolla

24 Stroke Magazine - October 2013

3), and Chris Karp (8-6). Due to a forfeit out of the tournament by Andrew Cleary, Pasciolla advanced to the final round. Verano eagerly gunning for the win, snapped off six straight racks on his opponent. Pasciolla continued to fight on, winning the next two, but fell short, as Verano kept the steam rolling, closing out the match for an undefeated tournament run (8-5). Special thanks go to Sterling-Gaming, Ozone Billiards, Qpod, Heptig Custom Cues, Kamui Tips, Phil Capelle, BlueBook Publishing, and Human Kinetics for their sponsorship leading to this event, as well as host room Rockaway Billiards and staff.

Results 1st 2nd 3rd 4th

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Emerson Verano James Pasciolla Andrew Cleary Chris Karp

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$590.00 $300.00 $175.00 $100.00

U.S. Amateur Preliminary Round

at Amy’s Billiards

Amy’s pool room was packed with players coming to play starting on Friday morning and all weekend; September 20 - 22, 2013. From the Men’s Division 96 players would show up to complete, but only 6 can advance. From the Women’s Division 22 players would also show up to complete, but only 1 can advance. The winners advance to the U.S. Amateur Championship that will be held at Stroker’s in Palm Harbor, FL; November 6 – 10, 2013. Men’s Division winners were: Dan Heins beat Erick Vere 11 to 5. This was Dan’s first time playing in this event and he played strong all weekend. David Uwate beat Eddie Acosta 11 to 2. 2011 David came in third place at the Championship round. Raymond Linares beat Jeremy Darden 11 to 7. This will not be Raymond’s first time to the finals; in 2010 he beat the Championship. Richard Knight beat Prescott Buckald 11 to 8. Javier Chirino beat Ricardo (Miami-Heat Ricky) Charles 11 to 9. Steve Slasor beat Xavier Sotelo 11 to 5. I was not able to watch all the matches, but I know that everyone played their best. I was able

to catch Ricardo (Miami-Heat Ricky) Charles game with David Singleton. Charles won 7 to 2 and it wasn’t that Singleton wasn’t playing good; Charles just kept him off the table. Charles was playing with passion and determination. One game was a breakn-run, 8 on the break; Charles moving around the table with control of that cue ball. Charles next match was with Zenon Rawley; Charles won 7 to 0. Next thing you know Charles is in the final round with Javier Chirino. Chirino was taking the lead and Charles was fighting back, but Charles would come up short and lost to Chirino 11 to 9. Charles is also very passion about his business “The Infernos Challenge” check out his web site: www.infernoschallenge.com/ All weekend there were other matches that were great to watch, Corey Baughhman had a nice win over Melvyn Osin 7 to 2. Eddie Acosta beat Anthony Hess 7 to 2. Xavier Sotelo beat Ted Harris 7 to 5, which from what I could see was a battle. Women Division winner was: Jennifer Page from Port St. Lucie, FL; stayed on the winner’s side all day on Saturday and Sunday. Page would play Jennifer Lust in the final round.

AMY, PAGE, DAVE Page had a win over Lust earlier 5 to 2. Lust beat Lauren Pickard 5 to 2 to meet up with Page again in the finals. Page kept her game face on and played very strong winning 9 to 0. The women also had some very good matches. Lauren Pickard’s journey on Saturday would start off with her win over Misty Anderson 5 to 0 and Tracy Chirino 5 to 4. That would bring her back Sunday to play Kelly Coyle with a win 5 to 2. Pickard had her first loss when she played Jennifer Lust. Lust would win over Pickard 5 to 2. But Pickard would have another win on the loser side beating Kira Brown 5 to 2. Pickard and Lust would meet again in the semi-final round. Lust would end Pickard’s journey with another win of 5 to 2. This was Pickard second year finishing 3rd place and it was Lust first time playing in this event and finished 2nd place. Congratulations to the 6 Men and the 1 Woman. Play your game when you go to the U.S. Amateur Championship in November. Thanks to all the players who participated and thanks to Amy’s Billiards (www. amysbilliards.com) for being a great host. Thanks to Amy’s staff for all their hard work. Thanks to the APA League Tournament Director, Dave LaBonte for running this event with Amy.

MEN’S DIVISION WINNERS

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October 2013 - Stroke Magazine 25

THORSTEN HOHMANN In the final match of the tournament, which began shortly after nine, there were some wonderful racks. Early safeties set the stage and then Johnny jumped out to a big lead, 111 to -2. Thorsten showed why he is the World 14.1 Champion, not only as a great player, shot maker and technician, but the heart of a true lion. I have watched hundreds of great 14.1 matches spanning six decades. Thorsten put together a run of 134, which included two of the toughest racks that I have ever seen. Situations where there were 3 or 4 very difficult clusters, spread out on the table and no easy or obvious pattern to get through the rack even for the best shot makers, and still leave a break shot. Thorsten afterwards agreed and that his approach was to just knock off a ball

at a time and try at some point to disturb the different rail frozen clusters. Wow! There were a couple of difficult banks, and a break shot that surprised all when the final ball was moved to the head spot, with the rack at the opposite end. The cue ball was straight in line to the far corner pocket, a simple safe for most players to pocket the last ball and leave the cue ball at the bottom rail. Thorsten slammed the 15th ball into the far corner, drew the ball back to the rail just below the side pocket, and then back down table into the rack. Three or four balls emerged, and he continued his run to get to 132. Archer finally got to the table following a most unexpected break shot scratch by Toasty, but facing an extended time in his chair and a long shot, Johnny

missed. Thorsten ran out to take the match 150 to 111 and win the Maryland 14.1 title for the second time. Just a terrific match by two of the world’s greatest players in the modern era. All who watched would surely agree. Always gracious, Johnny remarked. “Peter, I would like to say that it is always a pleasure to come back and play in the Maryland 14.1. It was especially nice this year with the new venue, Mike & Joy’s Top Hat Cue Club. Great people, great food, great fans. It made me feel like home. If you will have me I would love to come back next year.” You’ve got it, Johnny! See you in 2014. Congratulations and a tip of the old fedora to Thorsten and Johnny Archer, Corey Deuel, Charlie Williams, and to everyone

1st $5,000 Thorsten Hohmann 2nd $3,500 Johnny Archer 3-4 $2,000 Huidji See, Charlie Williams 5-8 $1,000 Bob Maidhof, Bob Chamberlain, Tom Karabatsos, Corey Deuel 9-16 $600 Rob Saez, Max Eberle, Bob Hunter, Dennis Spears Shaun Wilkie, Steve Lipsky, Mick Dechaine, Ralf Eckert

26 Stroke Magazine - October 2013

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who helped make this year’s Maryland 14.1 Championship a huge success. And we wish to again thank our many dedicated sponsors, including Ivan Lee and Simonis Cloth and Aramith balls, Qpod, Sheehy Lexus of Annapolis, Nathan Sulinski, Kamui Tips, Bob Jewett, J.R. Calvert ~ Inside Pool, and Jerry Tarantola ~ NYC Grind, and our entire tournament committee. Last but not least thanks again to outstanding room owners Mike & Joy Connelly and their entire staff at Top Hat Cue Club. God willing we hope to see everyone next year, same time, Sep 12-15, 2014, the weekend before the fall 2014 Turning Stone event.

17-24 $250 Andy Lincoln, Jim Gottier, Alan Duty, Michael Yednek, Dave Daya, Jeff Crawford, Dominic Noe, Bob Madenjian $700 Various High Runs etc.

$24,000 Total Payout

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Billiard Club Davie, FL Article and photos by Janis Sessions Another great tournament at the Billiard Club located at 9060 W State Rd 84, Davie, FL 33325. Mike Ecklund and his staff Kimberly Baxley, Julio Sanchez, Brain Ecklund and Telise Cassidy; hosted another tournament. They did an amazing job keeping the food and drinking coming for the players. This room has 26 – 9foot tables; room to move around the table to play; APA and TAP hold major events in this place. For more information check out this link: www.thebilliardclub.net The TAP tournament lead by Carl Johnson the league operator would be playing on 09/13 – 09/15/2013. Around 16 teams would show up over the weekend to play for a spot for a trip to the 2013 National Championships that will be held on 10/31 – 11/03/2013 in Chicago. Over the weekend there would be some great matches and great shot making; hill/hill matches as well. Mike and staff opened up at 8:00am on Saturday so players could practice, and enjoy a great breakfast before playing their hardest to advance. Scott Gassin was one person who came early to get in stroke. Carl Johnson would start calling the matches at 9:00am and would continue into the evening. Those players with the best games would come back on Sunday. Congrats on those teams advancing and best of luck to the teams making it to Chicago.

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October 2013 - Stroke Magazine 27

SanSouci Memorial

On Labor Day weekend 2013 (August jump shot on the three ball. match. Along his way, he defeated Derek Schwager 31-September 2), players from around the U.S., along Tom D'Alfonso breaking in the semifinal. (Photo (9-5), Robert Hart (9-4), Tony Robles (9-6), Danny with top international touring pros, came together by Joseph Ratke) Mastermaker (9-3), and Oscar Dominguez (9-5). to remember NYC’s George “Ginky” SanSouci and While it looked like he was about to reach the However, Davis hit a road bump on his run… compete for the title named after him…the 3rd Annual hill, D’Alfonso rattled the 10 in the pocket, and Davis in the form of a player who is very familiar to fans of Ginky Memorial. The event was held at a new location instead got to the hill first for his first lead of the match. pool in the Northeast: Dennis Hatch. Hatch made it in its third year, Steinway Billiards in Astoria, NY in The adrenaline may have gotten the better of Davis in through the bracket undefeated to go to the hot seat, Queens. the next rack, as he lost the cue ball off the table on taking out Kevin O’Brien (9-1), Daniel Dagotdot Robb Saez shooting on the feature table. Once his next break, allowing D’Alfonso to get to the table (9-6), Zion Zvi (9-8), Jeremy Sossei (9-7), and Tom again, it was standing room only at Steinway during the D’Alfonso (9-7), before sending Mike Davis over to the and run out the rack to make it double-hill. D’Alfonso Ginky Memorial. (Photo by Joseph Ratke) successfully made two balls on the break (the 1 and 9), one-loss side in the hot seat match at 9-3. Click here for more but was left with no shot photos from the Open/Pro on the 2. He attempted to 10-Ball division of the Ginky play a safe, but instead gave Memorial by NYC Grind an open shot to Davis, who contributor Joseph Ratke. cleared the table to win the The event was comatch and move on to the presented by three of the finals for a second shot at top New York area tours, Dennis Hatch. the Tri-State Tour, Predator Final Match Pro/Am Tour, and Mezz The battle for the Ginky Pro/Am Tour, and featured Memorial title was played two divisions held over the out in a rematch between course of three days: the Mike Davis and Dennis Amateur 9-Ball and the Hatch, but this time it Open/Pro 10-Ball. Feature would be a single race to matches in both events were fifteen. After Davis broke streamed live on the web dry in the opening rack, in a co-production from Hatch struck first blood, and NYC Grind and Inside Pool won the first two racks of Magazine. Recordings of the the match. A couple errors matches streamed during the were made by both players L-R Dennis Hatch (2nd), Tri-State Tour directors John Leyman & Todd Fleitman, event will also be available to in the third rack, but Davis Predator Tour director Tony Robles, and Mike Davis (1st) watch online on Inside Pool’s came out on top, then broke Youtube Channel. and ran out to tie at 2-2. A The Open/Pro 10-Ball got underway at noon Quarterfinal scratch on the 8 by Hatch would give the lead to Davis on Sunday, September 1, and drew in both big-name On the one-loss side, another Northeast top at 3-2, and would cost him two more games, as Davis touring pros and top NYC-area players. Headlining gun “Shorty” Tom D’Alfonso would go up against broke and ran two and went up 5-2. players in the event included Shane Van Boening, Earl Earl Strickland in the quarterfinal to see who would Mike Davis would retain control throughout the Strickland, Oscar Dominguez, Jayson Shaw, Stevie continue on to face Mike Davis in the semi. To get to rest of the match, and played with a cool and confident Moore, Jennifer Barretta, Jorge Rodriguez, Robb Saez, the quarterfinal, D’Alfonso defeated Zion Zvi (9-3), demeanor. While both players struggled with making a Frankie Hernandez, Sean “Alaska” Morgan, Steve ball on the break, Davis maintained more consistency. while Earl Strickland toppled Oscar Dominguez (9-7). Lillis, Danny Mastermaker, Zion Zvi, and Hunter At a key point in the match, Davis had given Hatch an Tom D’Alfonso proved to be too strong for Strickland, Lombardo. On the heels of the Ginky Memorial, Van opportunity to get his foot in the door with the score and won by a solid five-game margin at 9-4. Boening and Saez are set to represent the U.S. at the at 11-8, after he surprisingly missed the 9 in the side. Semifinal upcoming World 9-Ball Championships. Up-andAt 11-9, Hatch had his first successful break in many Following his win against Strickland, Tom coming NYC tour players including Daniel Dagotdot, games, and ran out the rack to get within one. D’Alfonso moved on to match up with Mike Davis. Travis McKinney, and Dan Cintron had top finishes in With a chance to tie the match for the first time D’Alfonso held the lead through nearly all of this the event. since 2-2, Hatch turned the table back over to Davis match, going ahead 4-1, and got two games away from Despite having recently announced his retirement after a scratch on the break…and instead of 11-11, the win at 7-3. But, a dry break from D’Alfonso in from playing professionally, North Carolina native and Davis made an early 4/10 combination to lead 12-10. the next rack would begin to shift the moment of the longtime touring pro Mike Davis came out on top in Davis broke and ran the next rack to widen the gap at match…as Davis went on to win the next four racks this very tough field of 61 players. Davis impressed 13-10…and although he broke dry in the next rack, to tie it 7-7. Davis broke dry in the next rack, and the full house of New York pool fans after making D’Alfonso proceeded to run the rack with an impressive Hatch missed his opening shot on the 1 in the side, a run through the winner’s bracket to the hot seat

28 Stroke Magazine - October 2013

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and Davis got a second chance and ran out to get on In this event, one of New York’s top amateur the hill. The next break would also be unsuccessful for players, Michael Yednak, made his way to an Davis, and Hatch put the score at 14-11. However, undefeated win over the course of the three days. Hatch returned the favor in the next rack, and Mike Yednak, who is originally from Arizona, was a friend Davis ran out the last needed game to win the match at of Ginky’s, and game was also greatly impacted by 15-11, becoming the 3rd Ginky Memorial Champion. Ginky. Moving through the winner’s bracket, Yednak Dennis Hatch (2nd), Tri-State Tour directors John took wins against Jack Cuomo (10-7), Dinko Busanich Leyman & Todd Fleitman, Predator Tour director Tony (7-3), Christian Smith (7-4), Dan Faraguna (8-4), Ron Robles, and Mike Davis (1st) - Photo by Jerry T. Gabia (7-5), and Phil Davis (7-2) to make it to the hot While Davis and Hatch ended up in the spotlight seat match. of the finals, Steinway house pro Earl Strickland may have stirred up the most buzz at the Ginky Memorial, after having dealt event favorite & recent Steinway Classic champion Shane Van Boening a loss on both the winners and the oneloss sides of the tournament. In the week prior, Strickland had fallen in the final of the Steinway Classic to Van Boening, and was likely seen as the underdog going up against him in the Ginky Memorial. In their first meeting of the event, Earl and SVB went nearly game-for-game before Earl won at 9-8 after trailing 8-6. In their second match, Earl kept a bit of an edge over Shane, who made some uncharacteristic errors, leading to a 9-6 win for Earl. As Shane and Earl both have a strong base of fans and have a great history of matching up with one another, both of their matches were featured on the live stream. Prior to the start of the event’s final match, NYC Grind founder Jerry Tarantola, who was a friend of Ginky’s, presented a video he created in his memory. The video, which highlighted both L-R Phil Davis, Michael Yednak, Koka Davladze Ginky’s style of play and personality, is available to watch in the player below. Meanwhile, Koka Davladze, another top amateur Both the level of play in this event and the expert New York player who hails from the Republic of leadership of the staff of the Predator Tour, Tri-State Georgia, made his own trek through the winner’s Tour, and Mezz Tour made the 3rd Annual Ginky bracket, and defeated Ross Lacy (7-6) to make it to Memorial a great success…along with the support of the hot seat match. Davladze & Yednak had a closelythe tournament’s sponsors. Their dedication to the fought match, where Yednak came out ahead 7-6 to sport of pool has helped strengthen the community of lock in his spot in the final. players who love the game, and carry on the spirit of One of the most notable performers on the oneloss side was top New Jersey player Scott Simonetti, one of NYC’s legends, George “Ginky” SanSouci. who had a long grind of winning nine matches to get Ginky Memorial Amateur Event to the quarterfinal after defeating Ross Lacy (7-5), who A full field of 128 players filled Steinway Billiards finished strong in 5th place. Meeting up with Simonetti for the 3rd Annual George “Ginky” SanSouci in the quarterfinal was top Connecticut-based player Memorial Amateur 9-Ball division, held over Labor Phil Davis (rated A+), who made it through the Day Weekend, August 31-September 2, 2013. A winner’s bracket to the final four before his loss to co-production between the Predator Pro/Am Tour, Michael Yednak. Phil, who is currently the #1-ranked Tri-State Tour, and Mezz Tour, players from all over the player in the A+ class, defeated Juan Guzman (7-2) to New York Tri-State area and beyond came to compete make it to the quarterfinal, where he got past Simonetti for one of the most sought-after titles in NYC.

Steinway Cafe & Billiards 9-Ball Tournaments at 8pm Every Monday & Wednesday

Take Lessons with Earl Strickland and other World Champions Hours: Monday-Sunday 11am-4am 3525 Steinway St. Astoria, NY 11102 (718) 472-2124

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by a score of 7-5. Davis then moved on to the semifinal to play Koka Davladze, who had previously lost the hot seat match to Michael Yednak. Davladze was able to keep Davis at bay in this match, and ended it with at score of 7-3, landing him a shot in the final to take on Yednak for the second time in the event. The extended-race format final was another tug of war battle, as Yednak and Davladze went back and forth to tie at 3-3, when Davladze went on to take a 6-3 lead. Yednak then took the next three, tying the match at 6-6. They would again alternate racks to tie it 7-7, and a missed four ball from Yednak gave Davladze the chance to take the lead 8-7. Davladze had a big break in the following game, making four balls and presenting a 2/9 combination, which gave him a 9-7 lead, and get the needed game to extend the race to 11. However, things started to turn around for Yednak at this point, and he fought hard to win the next four games he needed to win the match…finalizing the score at 11-9, not allowing Davladze to get to the hill. Congratulations to both Michael Yednak and Koka Davladze for their excellent performances against a tough field of players at Steinway.

Results ABCD

1st: 2nd: 3rd: 4th: 5th/6th: 7th/8th: 9th-12th: 13th-16th: 17th-22nd:

Open/Pro 1st: 2nd: 3rd: 4th: 5th/6th: 7th/8th: 9th-12th:

Michael Yednak $2,000 Koka Davladze $1,500 Phil Davis $1,000 Scott Simonetti $750 Ross Lacy, Juan Guzman $425 Kelly Wong, Tony Liang $300 Ron Gabia, Laszlo Kovaks, Chuckie Romero, Rhio Anne Flores $200 James Stevens, Lidio Rasta, Brian Russell, Glen Ramsey $150 Cody Phillips, Simon Lau, Adrian Daniel, Geovani Hosang, Ron Mason Dan Faraguna Mike Davis $2,300 Dennis Hatch $1,500 Tom D’Alfonso $1,000 Earl Strickland $750 Zion Zvi, Oscar Dominguez $525 Danny Mastermaker, Shane Van Boening $400 Hunter Lombardo, Jeremy Sossei, Redgie Cutler, Tony Robles, Travis McKinney, Daniel Dagotdot, Jayson Shaw, Robb Saez/Dan Cintron $175

October 2013 - Stroke Magazine 29

Hohmann

Raises The Bar!

By Ted Lerner Wpa Press Officer Photo by Vinod DivaKaran, Doha Stadium Sports Weekly

Germany’s Thorsten Hohmann Wins His Second World 9-Ball Championship With A Searing 13-7 Victory Over The Philippines Antonio Gabica (Doha, Qatar)--Playing with a laser-like focus and an intensity that spoke of a clear desire for pool immortality, Germany’s Thorsten Hohmann capped an incredible week with yet another a searing performance, and won the 2013 World 9-ball Championship, beating the Philippines Antonio Gabica, 13-7, in front of nearly 1000 highly partisan Filipino fans at Doha’s Al Arabi Sports Club. With the victory Hohmann now becomes only the second man to win the WPA World 9-ball Championship two times, matching American Earl Strickland, who won pool’s most prestigious crown in 1991 and 2002. Hohmann will now also take over as the World Number 1 ranked player. Hohmann’s second World 9-ball

Championship comes exactly ten years after he burst on to the international scene with a powerful run through a stacked field in Cardiff, Wales in 2003. In the intervening years Hohmann has firmly established himself as one of the greats of this era, consistently winning events big and small all over the globe. He excels at various other pool disciplines as well, especially straight pool, for which he is arguably the best in the world. But while the last ten years have placed the 34 year old Hohmann in pool’s elite, his performance this week in Doha has surely brought his stature into rarefied air. Along the way to the title he defeated a who’s who of pool strong men, among them the defending world champion Darren Appleton, and five, yes five, top

30 Stroke Magazine - October 2013

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Filipino players, including four in a row down the homestretch. And don’t forget to throw in the fact that Hohmann did all this in front of what was essentially a highly partisan home crowd of mostly Filipinos who cheered wildly for their boys. Looked at in total, that’s a masterpiece by anyone’s standards. For Gabica, the loss to Hohmann ended what had become one of the great Cinderella stories pool had seen in years. The 41 year old Filipino had always been known to pool fans as a superbly gifted player, but one who, except for a few occasions, would collapse under the pressure of big time matches. With the pool scene practically dead in the Philippines, Gabica sought greener pastures, and

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four years ago emigrated to Qatar, where he took up a job as an assistant coach with the Qatar national pool team. During that time he has stayed off the international pool circuit, only playing in the World 9-ball Championship since it came to Qatar in 2010, and practicing long hours at the local federation. Gabica’s run through to the finals this year literally electrified the game, with huge, partisan crowds turning the Al Arabi Sports Club into what seemed like a football match instead of a pool tournament. The excitement was literally palpable as the day began on Friday with the two semi-finals, which were played simultaneously. On the main table, Hohmann faced the Philippines, Carlo Biado. While on a nearby table Gabica went up against England’s Karl Boyes. Biado, who’d been playing brilliantly up to this point, learned quickly that you don’t make more than one or two mistakes against a player like Hohmann and expect to get away with it. Especially when the German is picking up a head of steam. Two errors by the 28 year old Filipino in the first half of the contest pretty much sealed his fate as Hohmann took a tight match early and quickly made it a rout. In what amounted to a pool clinic, Hohmann won 11-4. Boyes played perfect pool in the first half of his semifinal against Gabica, who stayed on the Brits’ coat tails. Up 6-4, though, Boyes missed a makeable four ball. From there the entire match turned, and the crowd grew ever louder as their hometown boy played perhaps the best pool of his life. Gabica won seven straight racks to clinch a spot in the finals as the throng chanted “Ga-Bi-Ca! GaBi-Ca!” By the time the race to 13 final began an hour and a half later, the Filipino fans, all of whom live and work in Qatar, were in a fever pitch at the prospects of having one of their own win an unlikely world title. They had every reason to believe they would get their wish as Gabica, who won the lag, came out relaxed and broke and ran the first rack. Hohmann returned the favour, but then so did Gabica to go up 2-1. When Gabica cleared off a Hohmman mistake in the next frame for a 3-1 lead, the anticipation grew even more. Hohmann, though, wasn’t going anywhere. He took advantage of two illegal breaks and a bad jump shot by the Filipino to take his first lead of the match at 4-3. But Gabica countered with three racks of his own, first a clear off a botched safety by the German, a break and run, and another clear from a safe that included a wild bank that sent the crowd into fits. At this point Gabica was exactly where he wanted to be. In front 6-4, he was playing silky smooth and it looked like he couldn’t miss. Then in rack 11, he had a wide open table and was down on an easy straight in five-ball. Inexplicably, though, the five-ball bobbled in the jaws of the pocket. Gabica, and the crowd, couldn’t believe it, and the Filipino walked back to his chair visibly upset as Hohmann stood up and cleared. Instead of a commanding 7-4 lead, Gabica only led 6-5. As fast as anyone could say “World 9-ball Championship,” the momentum completely abandoned Gabica and swung over to Hohmann, who was more than ready to pounce. In the next frame Gabica scratched off a brilliant Hohmann safety and the German tied the match. Hohmann then took the lead at 7-6, running the table

after another illegal break from Gabica. Hohmann got Gabica to scratch again in the next rack, and, in the blink of an eye, led 8-6. The two players were now clearly going in opposite directions. Gabica was still visibly upset by the missed five-ball three racks prior, while Hohmann zeroed in on the finish line with laser-like focus. Gabica bobbled the two ball in the jaws in the proceeding frame, and Hohmann made a strong clear to move up 9-6. As Hohmann broke and ran the next frame, his demeanor, his potting, his eyes, all indicated he was squarely in the zone and there would be no stopping him. Now up 10-6, Hohmann tied up Gabica again and forced him to foul. Another strong break and run, and Hohmann was on the hill, 12-6. Gabica got one back in the next frame, but the ‘Thorsten Hohmann Express’ could not be stopped. The two played safe in the next rack but Hohmann fluked the one-ball and ran the colors straight to his second world championship. As the final 9-ball dropped, Hohmann raised his cue high over his head with both hands, giving it a big fat kiss. He then let out a fist pump and a roar, and flexed his muscle for the crowd. Moments afterward, the new World 9-ball Champion was clearly in awe of what he had just accomplished. Like all pool players, he’s had to deal with his share of doubt. But this week, he said, he knew there was something special about to happen. “I’m really proud of myself,” Hohmann said. “It means a lot to me. If I had to choose between my first World 9-ball and here, I couldn’t make that decision because winning the first world championship back in Cardiff was incredible and to do it again ten years later, I’m just speechless. “I’ve been around for 20 years now. I’m not a youngster anymore. I’ve made many mistakes. And I’ve learned from my mistakes. It doesn’t mean that you don’t make mistakes again. Everything just worked for me. I was in stroke. I came from a big victory that meant a lot to me a couple of weeks ago. In my personal life I’m really happy right now. And I thought I really could win this from the beginning to the end. I never had a doubt. “The whole universe has to come together and work for you to win a tournament like this. But I never had doubts. I always believed in myself. I

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Walker

Antonio Gabica always felt that I can win this.” For Gabica, the fairy tale roller coaster ride that he had just been on wasn’t enough to mask his obvious disappointment. Especially about the errant 5-ball that turned the match. “I didn’t feel the pressure on that shot,” Gabica said. “I was just careless. I’ve played 30 years and I have many experiences. I got upset because I was ready to go 7-4 up. That’s a big big mistake. I think at that moment I had too much confidence. Maybe this is a learning experience for me. I’ll be thinking about that 5-ball for one week.” The Filipino also knew that he had let a golden chance at history slip through his grasp. “I’m very lucky to make it to the final. Because you don’t know what can happen in the future. It’s not easy to get to the final, because there are too many good players. I’m very lucky. Maybe next year I don’t know where I’m going to finish. This was my one chance. “Thorsten played very well and he’s very fit. As he got more of a lead on me, he got more confident. That’s the way it is in pool. But me, I started to feel the pressure.” For winning the 2013 World 9-ball Championship, Hohmann collected $36,000. Gabica took home $18,000. The total prize fund was $250,000. *The World Pool-Billiard Association is the world governing body of the sport of pool.

October 2013 - Stroke Magazine 31

Beeler (Continued from page 14) In fact, several times throughout the tournament my teammates Dean Lawson and Kenny Tran snatched victory from the jaws of defeat by ripping similar straight back banks into the corner pocket. I knew this wasn’t by coincidence. In fact, this was because people from Kentucky shoot banks a little differently. All of the great bank pool champions from Kentucky such as John Brumback, Nick Varner and Shannon Daulton shoot a high percentage of their bank shots with authority. In most pool games it is a disadvantage to shoot a shot with speed.

“Straight back!” I said, as I lined up to execute the bank. As I pulled the trigger, I knew I hit the shot perfect. You could see the ball flatten out as it left the cushion. As the ball split the wicket, I was in perfect position to win the game. Our team went on to win the first set by a 9-7 margin. During the second set our team caught fire and claimed the championship by score of 9-2. I will never forget the way I felt as I saw Kenny Tran pocket the 9-ball in the side pocket to win the match. We were BCA National 9-ball champions!

However bank pool is a little different. Last month we discussed the importance of flattening out kick shot angles with speed and spin. We learned that balls coming off the rail on narrower angles are easier to make because the pocket plays wider. You should note that the same principal applies to bank shots. As I approached the table, the shot I faced was off angle but was lying perfect to bank. The shot required me to aim as though I were banking the shot wide (striking the object ball full in the face). My plan was to pocket the ball with speed and left sidespin. The left spin integrates the gear principle to transfer right spin onto the object ball. The right spin and added speed aids in shortening the ball up and also helps it spin into the pocket.

Looking back, we had a lot to be thankful for. In fact, many matches were won and lost because of a player’s banking ability. Anyone will tell you that making a bank is not a 100% proposition. However, knowing how to widen the pocket certainly gives you an advantage when there is no other sensible alternative. So the next time you are faced with a tough bank shot don’t be intimidated, use speed and reverse spin to help you pocket the ball. It will help you pocket a higher percentage of shots and will also help you win more matches and you can take that advice all the way to the bank!

32 Stroke Magazine - October 2013

Summer Madness Sweepstakes

GOPlayPool Announces winners of summer madness sweepstakes Aliso Viejo, CA – September 09, 2013: The GoPlayPool.com Summer Madness Sweepstakes ended on August 31, 2013. Prize winners were randomly selected from the qualifying entries. Prize winners were notified by email and phone, and everyone was excited that they had won something in the Summer Madness Sweepstakes. The prizes were packaged and shipped to the winners on September 6. Mary Ann Starkey, owner of GoPlayPool.com said, “We are excited that this sweepstakes has come to a close and we have shipped off the great prizes from our sponsors to the lucky winners. Everyone is so excited about winning one of the prizes and we’re thrilled that we had so many entries to the sweepstakes. It’s a great thing for the prize winners, because everybody loves to win something. It has been especially good for our sponsors, as they’ve gained a lot of exposure through this sweepstakes.” The GoPlayPool app was launched in September of 2012. The app features a directory of pool halls in the United States along with tournament listings, information about leagues and tours throughout the country as well as a music playlist, live stream listings and much more. The GoPlayPool app is free to download on both iOS and Android. If pool halls are interested in promoting their establishment, they can become a member of GoPlayPool.com and create a detailed profile of their room, including all amenities they offer, not just pool. The rooms get the first 30 days of their membership for free, and after that it is $19.95 per month. The GoPlayPool app offers businesses within the industry a way of advertising to fans and players in the pool and billiards sport. They also promote leagues and tours at no charge. If you’re interested in promoting or advertising ideas, you can find out more information by visiting GoPlayPool.com and clicking on the “Join Us” link.

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WEEKLY TOURNAMENTS

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October 2013 - Stroke Magazine 33

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Click on the MAP link online to get directions to each location DATE Oct 4-6 Oct 5 Oct 5-6 Oct 5-6 Oct 9-13 Oct 10-13 Oct 10-13 Oct 10-13 Oct 11-13 Oct 11-13 Oct 12-13 Oct 13 Oct 15-19 Oct 15-19 Oct 15-19 Oct 15-20 Oct 15-20 Oct 19 Oct 26-27 Oct 26-27 Nov 2 Nov 2-3 Nov 2-3 Nov 2-3 Nov 3 Nov 9-10 Nov 10

CITY Raleigh, NC Williamsville, NY Waterville, ME Bayside, NY Gary, IN Gary, IN Gary, IN Gary, IN Gary, IN Gary, IN Gary, IN Windham, ME Uncasville, CT Uncasville, CT Uncasville, CT Lincoln City, OR Lincoln City, OR Stuart, FL Cape Coral, FL Cape Coral, FL Williamsville, NY Utica, NY Myrtle Beach, SC E Rutherford, NJ Windham, ME Astoria, NY Portland, ME Nov 30-Dec 1 Lindenhurst, NY Dec 2 Myrtle Beach, SC Dec 7 Williamsville, NY

LOCATION Brass Tap Billiards Bison Billiards T J’s Billiards Cue Bar Majestic Star Casino Majestic Star Casino Majestic Star Casino Majestic Star Casino Majestic Star Casino Majestic Star Casino Majestic Star Casino Sneaky Petes Mohecan Sun Casino Mohecan Sun Casino Mohecan Sun Casino Western BCA Western BCA Amy’s Billiards Diamond Billiards Diamond Billiards Bison Billiards Hippos Shore Thing Billiards Castle Billiards Sneaky Petes Steinway Billiards Union Station Mr Cue Billiards Shore Thing Billiards Bison Billiards

PHONE 919-876-2382 716-632-0281 207-877-7665 718-631-2646 219-465-8101 219-465-8101 219-465-8101 219-465-8101 219-465-8101 219-465-8101 219-465-8101 207-893-8237 888-226-7711 888-226-7711 888-226-7711 360-703-4081 360-703-4081 772-232-9966 239-573-7665 239-573-7665 716-632-0281 315-768-0218 843-712-1905 201-933-6007 207-893-8237 718-472-2124 207-899-3693 631-226-9486 843-712-1905 716-632-0281

EVENT / RULES ENTRY ADDED 9-Ball Call $5,000 8-Ball Bar Box $35 (incl g.f.) $250 Guar Maine Event VII Call $2000 Open/Pro 9-Ball Call $1,000 GMPA Early Bird 9-Ball $50 incl. g.f. Call GMPA Senior 8-Ball $50 incl. g.f. $5,000 GMPA Singles 8-Ball (M) $50 incl. g.f. GMPA Singles 8-Ball (W) $50 incl. g.f. GMPA Sportsmens Singles FREE GMPA 3 Person Team $150 incl. g.f. GMPA Sportsmens Teams Call $500 9-Ball Call Call Tournament of Champions Call Call Int’l Tournament of Champions Call Call World Cup of Trick Shots Call Call 10-Ball Open Men’s $125+$25 g.f. $4,000 w/24 10-Ball Open Women’s $100+$25 g.f. $3,000 w/16 Cues for the Cure $40 $250 Amateur 9-Ball Call $2,500 Ladies 9-Ball Call $1,500 8-Ball Bar Box $35 (incl g.f.) $250 Guar Al Conte Mem. 9-Ball Call $1,500 GSBT Amateurs Call $2,500 Open/Pro 9-Ball Call $1,000 9-Ball Call Call Open/Pro 9-Ball Call $1,000 9-Ball B-C-D Call Call Open/Pro 9-Ball Call $1,000 GSBT Amateurs Call $2,500 8-Ball Bar Box $35 (incl g.f.) $250 Guar

TIME LINK Call Noon MAP Call MAP Call 3:00PM MAP 1:00PM 1 & 4PM 6 & 8PM 2:00PM 7:00PM 2:30PM Call Call Call Call Call MAP Call Call MAP Call Call Noon MAP Call Call Call Call Call Call Call Call Noon MAP

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34 Stroke Magazine - October 2013

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The Ronin stands alone. He holds his sword as the only means to find truth and make legend. A Samurai who answers to no man, he is now bound by his own code of honor. He will live and die as a free warrior, solitary in mind and spirit, depending on a single weapon to deliver justice, his

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