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STROKE STAFF PUBLISHER/EDITOR Don “Cheese” Akerlow MARKETING DIRECTOR Mary Akerlow LAYOUTS & DESIGN Wendy Swenson Don Akerlow Mary Akerlow
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Contents
ABOUT US
Stroke is a monthly publication, dedicated to the advancement of the sport of pool and to promoting enthusiasm and encouragement among the players Publisher at all levels, regardless of their league affiliation, in addition to recognizing those businesses who support them all. Covering the Eastcoast and adjoining states. Look for Stroke by the 10th of each month. The opinions expressed are those of the author or advertiser and do not necessarily reflect the views of Rackem or its staff. We reserve the right to edit or reject any material submitted for publication. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without the written permission of the Publisher. © 2012 Stroke
February 2012 - Stroke Magazine 3
4 Stroke Magazine - February 2012
GARDNER IS KING OF THE HILL
BY JANIS SESSIONS AND SEBASTIAN DEL MARMOL while there were plenty of run outs and a sampling of kick shots that would have been replayed time-after-time had ESPN cameras crews been at the event.
Jim Gardner outlasted John Ditoro in a late night thriller to win the first 9-ball tournament held at Gold Crown Billiards in Hollywood Sunday, Jan. 15.
Right out of the gates Meglino, Gardner, Eric Shriller, Maurice Bacsit, Kris Glueck, Warren Lee and Allen Dawson won their first round matches, while Ditoro had a bye. Sammy Williams, Rickey Charles, Judd Parker, Paul Bok, Sandy Nicholas, Bobby Scott, and Bob Coehrane started with loses and wound up on the loser side.
Gardner, one of the owners of the pool hall, battled his way through a 15-player field, all of who qualified to play in the final tournament by participating in at least four tournaments throughout the 10-weekly tournaments held Tuesday nights. On Sunday, players were given practice time before the real action got started with Gardner calling out the Calcutta which drew even more interest to the tournament.
In those opening round matches, Meglino and Paul went double hill, with the former pulling out the win. Paul graciously complimented Meglino's beautiful run to give him the final game in the 15-5 match.
The tournament was handicapped with Anthony Meglino having the honor, and challenge, of being the highest rated player. Meglino had to win 15 games to take a match and often had to give up the 7 or 8 ball to his opponents, depending upon their ratings. Ditoro followed Meglino with a handicap of 11 games, while Ricky Charles (AKA "Miami Heat Rick) had to win 10. The rest of the field had to win anywhere from 5 to 8 games to win a match.
In the next round, the number-one seed faced Gardner, with the room owner making his home-court advantage count. Gardner won and continued victorious until he faced Ditoro in the King of the Hill match. Although Gardner lost that initial meeting, the two had to play a second match because it was the room owner's first loss. In the rematch, which started after 1 a.m., Gardner pulled out the victory and took home the tournament win.
Once matches started the room filled quickly Above: Maurice Bacsit; Jim Gardner, Anthony Meglino with many watching the play on tournament and John Ditoro. Photo by Janis Sessions tables, while others enjoyed playing on the Bacsit played strong throughout the day and Below: Jim Gardner filling in the board entertaining Golf Table located at Gold Crown. finished in third place. He even pushed Ditoro Not even the NFL playoffs shown on televisions across the room could to a double-hill match before the latter won out. Meglino finished in a distract spectators from the tournament action. disappointing 6th place and was ousted by Warren Lee. That match as went double-hill with Lee making a ball on his break and leaving the Throughout the tournament the quality of play was high with several 9 hanging in a corner pocket and the 1 in position to combo it in. Lee players snapping in 9s on the break, others hitting combos to sink the 9, finished 5th with Dawson rounding out the top four.
RESULTS
Congratulations to the King of the Hill – Jim Gardner. 1st 2nd 3rd
$318 $150 $100
Jim Gardner John Ditoro Maurice Bacsit
The Calcutta raised a pot of $300 dollars, which was paid out to winning buyers
Big Daddy’s Billiards
GOLD CROWN BILLIARDS
Feb 18: 9-Ball Race to 7/5 Feb 25: Maryland Open 8-Ball Championship 7954 Baltimore Annapolis Blvd Glen Burnie, MD 410-760-1332
>>> Under New Management <<< (Oldest Pool Hall in Broward, FL) 2233 Hollywood Blvd, FL 33020 (954) 921-8439 Open: Sun-Thurs 11am to 2am Fri-Sat: 11am to 4am
(11) 9 ft. Tables & (1) Golf Table Tues Night - 9 Ball Tournament Variety of Soft Drinks Beer Bucket Specials - Hot Food
February 2012 - Stroke Magazine 5
COLUMNIST
Mike Massey
Coin in the Glass Shot Place a dime a quarter to a half inch away from the edge of the rail. The distance depends on the liveliness of the cushion. Place a glass directly behind the dime on the rail. I recommend a double shot glass. A paper coffee cup would also work, but the sound of the coin settling in the glass sounds so much neater than a paper cup. The cue ball is placed on the head spot. Speed is everything on this shot. Shoot straight into the rail with a soft to medium soft stroke.
Mike Massey
You can add another element of suspense to this shot by having an audience member call whether the coin will come up heads or tails in the glass. MR. KIMURA’S 57TH TAKE If you get real good at this shot you might try putting the glass on another table about 10 feet away. A quarter works best. Lest you think this version is easy, keep in mind that Mr. Yoshikazu Kimura, made this shot on his video Mind-Boggling Trick Shots. However, it
required 57 takes! Considering it took him this long it might take the average shooter 570 attempts. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.
EXPLANATION OF ABBREVIATIONS: SUR: Set up Ratings EXR: Execution Ratings MSR: Mike’s Success Ratio
EXHIBITIONS & CLINICS 2/3/12 The Palms Hotel and Casino - Las Vegas, NV.
2/17/12 Tin Cup Sports Bar - Huffman, TX
2/4/12 Stage Bar and Billiards - Arlington,TX
2/7/12 Stubby’s - Needville, TX
2/21-23/12 Clinic - Park City, UT
Slick Willies - Katy, TX
2/11/12 Cottons Cay - Orange, TX 2/16/12 Big Tyme Billiards - Spring, TX
Clicks Billiards - Houston, TX
3/3/12 Big Mikes - Baton Rouge, LA 3/11/12 High Rollers Sports Bar & Pool Hall - Greensburg, LA
MIKE MASSEY
Nine Time World Champion
EXHIBITIONS & CLINICS Contact Mike or Francine Massey 435.640.5787 francine.massey@gmail.com 6 Stroke Magazine - February 2012
To order Mike’s book call 888.295.7665 or 714.894.1157 Visit us on the web at www.billiardspress.com
Nine time World Champion, Mike Massey is considered pool’s best trick shot artist. He was voted the “Best in History” and is a member of the BCA Hall of Fame. Mike’s most amazing accomplishments were in two 24 hour poolathons. In one he pocketed 8,090 balls playing with one arm. In the other poolathon he ran 330 racks of 9-ball in Austria on live TV. Mike has consulted or appeared in the movies, “The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia”, “The Baron and the Kid”, “Justice”, “Chalk”, and “Pool Hall Junkies” Mike is available for exhibitions and clinics. Please contact Mike or Francine Massey at 435.640.5787 or francine.massey@gmail.com
TEAM BEAUDOIN TAKES DOWN MARBL LEAGUE II & $1,800 CASH
presents
interesting to see if Team Beaudoin could catch the same gear that got them to the hot seat. As it turned out, they hadn’t cooled off at all and dominated the match leaving the Cutters with a not so unbearable second place price of $1,100.00. Owners of Schmengee’s Billiards, Kathy & Dave Lebel, and owners of Tj’s Classic Billiards, Tammy & Steve Reynolds would like to thank all the players for a great season. We would also like to remind everyone that the league is expected to get even bigger when our next season begins on January 9th we will be welcoming Sneaky Pete’s Billiards owned by Jacqueline & Gareth Steele in Windham to our league. Any questions about how to join
the MARBL league could be directed to Steve Reynolds at (207) 877-7665.
RESULTS
This weekend at Schmengee’s Billiards & Tj’s Classic Billiards the final 8 teams of the second ever MARBL eight ball league played for almost $5,000.00 in total prize money and the coveted MARBL trophy. The top eight teams out of seventeen played a double elimination tournament with all eight finishing in the money. Team Beaudoin seamed to be on cruise control straight through to the hot seat while the Cutters had some very close matches like their semi-final match with Vengeance which was a nail biter through and through. While many of the railbirds at Tj’s looked on, Ron Patterson of the Cutters edged out Mark Haines to send his team to the finals. After a four hour wait, it was
Schemengee’s Billiards MVP - Ray Beaudoin Tj’s Classic Billiards MVP - Jeff LaFlamme
1st $1,800 The Beaudoins 2nd $1,100 The Cutters 3rd $650 Vengeance 4th $350 Scratch This 5th/6th $150 Almost Perfect Over Rated 7th/8th $100 Gift Certificates The Outlaws, Odd Angles
POOL ON YOUR COMPUTER
Live Streamer’ s links & schedules http://ontherailtv.com/ Last Saturday of every month: Floating Saturday One Pocket: Stream starts at 12pm (3pm est) http://www.ustream.tv/user/cmbwsu/crowds http://www.ustream.tv/channel/ greatsouthernbilliardtour http://live2ustreams.com/Mi_Billiards.html
http://www.actionpooltour.com/live-streaming.html http://www.theactionreport.com http://poolactiontv.com/ http://www.ustream.tv/channel/accu-stats-on-location
T J’s Billiards
TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE
Feb 4-5: 9-Ball Maine Residents Mar 3-4: 8-Ball Maine Residents (played at Schemengee’s-Lewiston, ME) Mar 24-25: Maine State Straight Pool $60 entries with $500 added Doors open at 11 - Play starts at 1 14.1 Airport Rd - Waterville, ME 207-877-7665
February 2012 - Stroke Magazine 7
Future of Seminole Pro Tour
The Seminole Pro Tour would like to thank all of the fans, players, room owners and especially sponsors who have supported the tour through the past five years that the tour has been in existence. It is with great sorrow and lament that the Seminole Tour will not have a season in 2012 and will continue to suspend operations indefinitely. From its small beginnings as a regional tour in South Florida, to its growth as the premier national 10-ball tour in the country, the Seminole Pro Tour has always strived to put the player’s and fan’s interest first. The operations were not munsoned, but rather an executive decision to suspend operations was made. The amount of support that the Tour has had has been overwhelming. The countless correspondence that has been received expressing their support for the Tour has not gone unnoticed. The Seminole Pro Tour and the Seminole Tribe would like to say, “Sho-naa-bish (thank you).” The Tour would especially like to thank a few people specifically. John DiToro, the creator of the original Seminole Pro Tour, is not only one of the best tour directors, but also a wonderful person. It was his vision and dedication that got the Seminole Pro Tour to the heights of the industry. John is a true professional and his work ethic is second to none. Thank you, John. The Seminole Tribe had the pleasure to sponsor a couple of players. Corey Deuel, the Prince of Pool, was a true cornerstone to the betterment of the Tour’s operations. Corey’s professionalism and true love of the game helped the Tour grow leaps and bounds. If not for Corey, the Tour would have never been able to reach the levels that it did. Thank you, Corey. The many sponsors and room owners that helped make the Tour possible are another group of people that were essential to the Tour’s operations. Without dedicated room owners and sponsors, the Tour would have never been able to reach the number of fans all over the country and the world. One room owner who stood by the Tour through thick and thin has been Rocky McElroy. No matter what the situation, The Tour could always count on Rocky to be there with his support and the support of his pool room, Capone’s. Thank you to all the sponsors, room owners and Rocky. The Tour could not have grown without all of the great players that have honored the Tour by playing in the tournaments. The Seminole Pro Tour was unique in that it allowed average players to play alongside of World Champions. The Tour has seen several great matches and players in each tournament. If the great players would have never supported the Tour, there would have never been a national Tour. Thank you to all players who played in the tournaments. The Tour would like to thank all of the staff and workers who dedicated themselves and sacrificed their time to make sure the Tour ran as smoothly as possible. Gerry Mayen, Tiffany Marquez, Kevin Pickard, Brenda Mello, Bobby Frank, OB Osceola and Elrod Bowers all had their mark on the operations of the Tour. Without their hard work in the office and on the road, the Tour would not have been so successful. Thank you, Seminole Pro Tour staff. Lastly, the tour would like to thank all of the fans who supported the Tour. So many great fans came to see the events all over the country and thousands more watched online through our web streams. The fans are who the Tour was created for and their unconditional support is appreciated. Thank you, fans.The Seminole Tribe of Florida has decided to pursue other operations within the Tribe and therefore will not be considering any further pool-related ventures at this time. TheSeminoleprotour.com website will remain running so the final inventory of merchandise can be sold with extremely reduced prices.
8 Stroke Magazine - February 2012
JUNIOR PLAYER PROFILE: BILLY
THORPE
NAME: Billy Thorpe HOME TOWN: Dayton, Ohio BIRTH DATE: 8-31-1996 NICKNAME: Billy SCHOOL YOU CURRENTLY ATTEND: Northmont High GRADE: 9TH FAVORITE SUBJECT IN SCHOOL: Math AT WHAT AGE DID YOU START PLAYING POOL? 3 TITLES: • BEF Junior National 9-Ball Champion 2011 & 2010, 14 & Under Boys’ Division • VNEA 8-Ball National Champion, 3 times OTHER NOTABLE AWARDS: • United States representative to the World Pool-Billiard Association (WPA) World Junior 9-Ball Championships in 2010
JUNIOR BILLIARDS... PLAY. SPONSOR. GET INVOLVED WWW.BILLIARDEDUCATION.ORG
WHAT KIND OF CUE(S) DO YOU USE? Robert Weir LEFT OR RIGHT HANDED: Right SPONSORS: None Currently FAVORITE BAND/MUSIC: SHINEDOWN, COUNTRY AND ROCK HOBBIES: LOVE POOL and BILLIARDS, SPORTS, VIDEO GAMES MEMORABLE POOL MOMENT: DERBY CITY PLAYING PIGGY BANKS ON THE T.V. TABLE AND WINNING FAVORITE FOOD: SPAGHETTI FICTIONAL HERO: FAMILY GUY REAL-WORLD HERO: TRAVIS PASTRANA FONDEST CHILDHOOD MEMORY: WINNING THE PEE-WEE SUPERBOWL; I HAD AN INTERCEPTION GOALS- PERSONAL AND/OR CAREER: TO BECOME A PROFESSIONAL POOL PLAYER AND TO WIN SOME WORLD TITLES
February 2012 - Stroke Magazine 9
Bob Jewett
COLUMNIST
San Francisco Billiard Academy www.sfbilliards.com
Thin-hit Control
Here is a position situation that challenges intermediate players. You have a fairly thin cut and need to control the cue ball travel either to minimize it or to get it just right. These two drills will help you perfect your technique for such shots. In Shot 1 the goal is to precisely control the distance from a fairly thin hit. The object ball is right between the side pockets and a diamond out from the intended pocket. The goal is to pocket the ball and take the cue ball successively to distances 1 through 6 going straight up and down the table. I have shown the shot with the angle at about a 60-degree cut but you can make the shot thinner or thicker to change the difficulty. Bob Jewett
San Francisco Billiard Academy is a BCA Certified Master Academy. The academy offers: Private Instruction Basics Clinic Eight Ball Clinic Nine Ball Clinic Introduction to Billiard Instruction BCA Recognized Instructor Course BCA Certified Instructor Course
For distance 1 you want to leave the cue ball right on the end cushion. You may need to use a little draw to slow the cue ball down on this shot. The idea is to play the shot with enough draw so there is still some after the cue ball hits the object ball so the cue ball slows after the collision. If you slow down too much before the collision, the object ball might not make it to the pocket. Consider the shot OK if you leave the cue ball within a diamond distance of the goal. For distance 2 you need to bring the cue ball back to even with the side pockets and for 3 you want to leave it on the bottom end cushion. Similarly, shots 4, 5 and 6 are to successively greater distances. Distance 6 is very tough to also keep the cue ball going straight up and down the table -- consider the shot OK if the cue ball stays between the center of the table and the side cushion, which is to say within a diamond of perfect. To score this drill, take three tries at each distance and give yourself 3, 2 or 1 points for a good shot depending on how many tries it takes you. This drill is one of 170 drills shown on the DVD series I recently made with Dr. Dave Alciatore, the Video Encyclopedia of Pool Practice. For some video previews of drills from that series, go to http://billiards.colostate.edu/normal_videos and scroll down towards the bottom of the page. Shot 2 is another common situation. You have a thin cut along the cushion and you need to minimize the travel of the cue ball. You want the object ball to barely reach the pocket. Do you have a good feel for â&#x20AC;&#x153;barely pocketâ&#x20AC;? speed? Can you also predict how far the cue ball will go for a slowest- possible shot? The starting position shown is about a 45-degree cut shot. After you get the speed and distance for this try increasing the angle of the cut. Note that if the object ball is closer to or farther from the pocket, less or more speed and consequently cue ball travel will be needed. Knowledge of the angle-speed-distance relationships on shots like this are essential if you are going to master the minimization of cue ball motion.
10 Stroke Magazine - February 2012
Product Review
Video Encyclopedia of Pool Practice
BY: DON “CHEESE” AKERLOW The five DVD’s offer you online resources to further your instructions. Speed control, stop, follow and draw are just a few of the practice shots that you will find. These DVD’s are good for the beginner, amateur, tournament player and would serve any pro that is having trouble with his game. Remember when your game is off you should return to the basic fundamentals of the game. These DVD’s allow you to remember the fundamentals whenever you need to. They use training aides for shot selections. You are given illustrated practice shots, cue ball and position control, and basic english. These DVD’s will not only take you back to your basics but will also teach you more than what you knew! I recommend the Video Encyclopedia of Pool Practice (VEPP) highly. With patience, determination and practice, your game will improve. These are the best DVD’s on making your game better than it is or bringing you back to where you were! They are easy to understand. Coupled with the additional resources online which gives you more videos, diagrams and instruction, the entire set whether purchased individually or as a complete set is well worth the price. You can purchase the Video Encyclopedia of Pool Practice online at: http://www.dr-dave-billiards.com Taught by Dr. Dave Alciatore and Bob Jewett
Disc I - Fundamentals and Basic Position Control Disc II - Position Control and English Disc III - Patterns and Safety Play Disc IV - Banks, Kicks, and Advanced Shots Disc V - Challenges, Games, and Advice
CREDENTIALS
DR. DAVE author of the innovative book, CD-ROM, DVD, and website: “The Illustrated Principles of Pool and Billiards.” Co-author of the popular instructional DVD series: “The Video Encyclopedia of Pool Shots (VEPS).” Instructional author and monthly columnist for Billiards Digest. Head instructor for Dr. Dave’s Pool School. Inventor of the 30-degree-rule and trisect-system peace-sign techniques. BOB JEWETT instructional author, coach, and referee for 30 years. Long-time columnist for Billiards Digest and On The Break News. Solid player and past ACUI collegiate champion. Leading authority on all aspects of the game. Very active supporter of the pool community.
February 2012 - Stroke Magazine 11
The Monk
COLUMNIST
“WHAT DOES THE MONK TEACH?” Tim Miller
This is not a feel good program. This is the real deal. You will be working with the monk for over four months. You will be working step by step to build the skills at nine ball that your opponent does not have. You will master the important moves this game calls for. You will become a master nine ball player and play better nine ball than you have every played this game before. May all the rolls go your way, The Monk
CALL THE MONK TODAY 1-603-566-6229
On March 24th I am visiting California for a special ONE DAY WORKSHOP in LA at VIP Billiards. Because I get to the heart of this training, I offer a money back guarantee. How many instructors will return your money if you are not happy with the lesson? I always tell my students that there are three things they need to learn about pocket billiards to become a good player. One, There are four strokes in this game we must master Two. The stroke determines the track line of the cue ball after making contact with the object ball. Three, The stroke determines the speed of the cue ball. When I help you master the four strokes and show you how to move the cue ball around with the stroke, you have just moved to the next level. You won’t ask for your money back. No one has ever asked for their money back. Then I teach which stroke gives you a better chance to pocket the object ball. There are times when we aim perfectly but miss the shot because we used the wrong stroke. A good nine ball break calls for a specific stroke. Since you cannot deliver a pure stroke without proper mechanics, I help you get into position to make quality contact with the cue ball. In this game it is all about quality of hit. Many instructors try to teach you about the game before you learn how to hit the cue ball. This ruins you for life. You must learn how to hit the cue ball before you move on to game strategy.
If you attend my special California workshop you will master the strokes and then be enrolled in my ROAD PLAYERS TRAINING PROGRAM. This is a sixteen level training program that is designed to help you win more games. Have you ever wondered why there are so few world class players and so many pool players? The reason is skill development. There are some closely guarded secrets in the game of nine ball. It would take seven years of training to uncover these secrets. Grady says two million balls. The professional player has paid a high price to learn this material and he/she is not going to give it away. In my workshop I supply you with a manual that includes these secrets. That is why I can guarantee my work. You will move to the next level or your money back. I am going to be in California only one time. The class is limited to ten students. I have an assistant Monk Master here to help. Call me if you are interested in joining us. 1-603-566-6229 I apologize if I used this article to promote my stop. I offer you some valuable tips on this great game. I am visiting your area one time so I want you to know about it. Following my California visit I am going to Manila Philippines to film my special training program. Until we meet in the finals, may all the rolls go your way. The Monk will be at VIP Billiards 20627 Golden Springs Dr., Diamond Bar, CA 91789 with one full day of training featuring THE ROAD PLAYERS NINE BALL TRAINING PROGRAM, MARCH 24th, starting at noon.
ROAD PLAYERS 9-BALL WORK WITH THE MONK, STEP BY STEP WITH NO RISK FOR $300.00!!!! WOULD YOU PAY $300.00 TO BECOME A TOP PLAYER IN YOUR TOWN? More detailed information available online http://www.monkbilliardacademy.net/9-balltrainongprogram.html
12 Stroke Magazine - February 2012
TRI-STATE TOURNAMENTS Castaneros wins at Gotham City Billiards Ben Castaneros wins A/D 9 Ball TriState at Gotham City Billiards. His tournament trail of 9 wins and 1 loss, included wins over Tom McManamon 6 - 5; Kyle Bubet 6 - 4 ; Alan Chan 6 - 5 and Luis Jimenz 6 - 4, before suffering a loss to Raymond Lee, who was devastating all of his opponents, 6 - 1. Ben never gave up and fought his way back to the Finals. His comeback included wins over Mike Strassberg 7 - 4; Alex Osipov 6 - 4 and Bryan Jeziorski 7 - 4. Considering the event 3rd Place Bryan Jeziorski, 2nd Place Raymond Lee ; 1st Place Ben Cataneros was two days, the Finals could include two sets should Ben win the first. Ben proceed to take charge 1st $1,250 Ben Castaneros over Raymond and win 6 - 2. The second set went the same way with a 6 - 1 victory.....what a way to finish! Both 3rd 2nd $870 Raymond Lee place Bryan Jeziorski with an impressive 5/2 win/loss record 3rd $590 Bryan Jeziorski in spite of a tough draw and 4th place Alex Osipov deserve praise for their solid performance. Enough can not be said 4th $420 Alex Osipov about the beautiful conditions at Gotham City Billiards and 5th - 6th $270 Ron Gabia, Mike Strassberg the hospitality of owners Kevin and Isabell Buckley, who continually go out of their way to support the sport and 7th - 8th $190 Ed Culhane, Andrzej Kaldan its players. The next Tri-State event is a $500 Added A/D 9th - 12th $140 Robert Plaut, Arturo Reyes at Castle Billiards in East Rutherford, NJ on January 14, 2012. Please provide a thank you to Sterling-Gaming, Ozone Luis Jimenez, Alan Chan 13th - 16th $120 Billiards, Ron Tarr Cues, Kamui Tips, Phil Capelle, BlueBook Publishing, Human Kinetics for their sponsorship leading to this event.
RESULTS
Gabia and Culhane Go One Two It was Ron Gabia who went to the hotseat match after a hill/hill battle with Joe Palone only to send Cory Sohlman west, not letting him win a rack. Meanwhile, Ed Culhane, after losing his 1st match to Joe Palone, reeled off 9 victories to get to the finals. because of the late hour, Gabia and Culhane decided to split the prize and give Gabia 1st place since he had no losses.
RESULTS 1st 700 2nd 450 3rd 275 4th 150 5th - 6th 100 7th - 8th 75 9th - 12th
Gabia Culhane Sohlman Dacosta Palone, Osipovitch Flores, Shellhouse Jeziorski, Zimny, Jiminez, Vogelsang
February 2012 - Stroke Magazine 13
J
Morra Wins Banks
ohn Morra may not be known for his bank pool game, but that will be be a thing of the past as he has won the Derby City Classic Bank Pool event. There were 404 players in the Banks competition at DCC.
Truman Hogue, but had wins over Pinegar, Robb Saez Danny Smith to compliment a bye in the 10th round. With three players left in the 12th round, one player a bye and fate would smile on Morra as he got to watch Van Boening and Shuff try to knock each tournament. Van Boening eliminated Shuff and unenviable task of trying to hand Morra Shane was up to the task in the second match saw Morra take take advantage of a number to notch a 5-3 win in the banks title.
Morra started the event with a fairly manageable draw but that is only half the battle in any tournament. Morra displayed a bank game that many fans were not expecting from him with notable wins over Jerry Matchin, Josh Smith and Josh Oneal in the early rounds. The level of competition picked up after that as Morra rattled off wins against Louie Ulrich,Charlie Bryant and John Brumback to make his way undefeated into round twelve with only three players remaining. The other two players left at that time were Shane Van Boening and Brandon Shuff. Van Boening had dropped a match to Francisco Bustamante in the 8th round, but had come back with wins over Efren Reyes, Jonathan Pinegarand Alvis Fitch. Shuff had dropped his 7th round match against
and would get sit out and other out of the
got ready for the back to back losses.
first match 3-2, but the a 2-0 lead and then at 2-1, of hung balls by Van Boening final game for the 3-1 win and the
Senior One Pocket Tournament and the results from the 83 player event were as follows... 1st $800 Bob Herchik 2nd $400 Walt Anderson 3rd $200 Charlie Lane 3rd Dennis Schell 5th $50 Jerry Matchin Jose Parica John Henderson Sy Brown
JOHN MORRA ARTICLES COURTESY OF: AZBILLIARDS.COM PHOTOS COURTESY OF: RICKY BRYANT
14 Stroke Magazine - February
2012
VAN BOENING WINS
DERBY 9-BALL/ALL AROUND TITLE
In the most dominant performance in Derby City Classic history, Shane Van Boening played in the finals of all three divisions and won two of those divisions. In order to get to the finals, Van Boening had to get by Mike Dechaine in round twelve of the 9-ball division. Dechaine has one of the best tournament records of anyone against Van Boening, but this was not to be another entry in Dechaine’s resume as Van Boening took advantage of careless mistakes by Dechaine and added four table runs to win the match 7-0. With only three players going into that round of play, it was Stevie Moore who caught the bye and had the easy route to the finals. Moore came out early in the final match against Van Boening and proved that he belonged in the finals when he rode a 1-9 combo and a break & run to a 2-1 lead. The lead would be short lived for Moore as Van Boening kicked a two ball in and ran out to tie the match at 2-2. A poore safety by Moore in the fifth rack led to a 3-2 lead for Van Boening and then a very careless safety attempt by Moore in rack six gave ball in hand to Van Boening and he jumped on the opportunity. Van Boening ran that rack and the next two for a 6-2 lead. Moore would add one more bead to his side of the scoreline after winning a safety battle in rack nine, but a dry break in rack ten was Moore’s last time at the table as Van Boening ran out for the 9-ball division win and $16,000 in prize money. As far as the Master of the Table competition, that race was decided very early in the 9-ball division as Shane only had to get out of the third round to lock up the title for the second straight year. John Morra took second in the all around competition and Brandon Shuff finished in third. The Fatboy 10-Ball event finals, as well as the 14.1 finals, are yet to be played. Both of those matches will still take place on Saturday night after the awards ceremony for the main events.
VAN BOENING WINS
DERBY ONE POCKET
The One Pocket Division of the 14th Annual Derby City Classic ended the same way it ended last year; with Shane Van Boening pocketing the final ball for the win. Van Boening made his way through a field of 311 other players to defend his title from last year. The seats were jam packed for Van Boening’s semi final match with another Derby City Classic Favorite, Efren Reyes. That match ended with a lopsided 3-0 scoreline after Shane looked to have Efren right where he wanted him (down 2-0 and 7 - (-1) in the third game). Reyes displayed some of that vintage Reyes magic to get the score back to 7-6 but he ran out of magic dust when an intended two rail bank found Van Boening’s pocket instead of Efren’s. While that match was going on, 25 year old Joey Gray was getting the maximum enjoyment out of his first Derby City Classic as he defeated Darren Appleton to set up a showdown with Van Boening in the finals. The first rack of the finals was a quick 5-minute tussle as Van Boening made a ball off of Gray’s break, but could only manage three balls before leaving a ball in the jaws and watching Gray run eight for the game. The second game included some classic one pocket safety play, but Van Boening came with tough shots to take control for small runs. At 5-0, Van Boening back cut a ball into the heart of his pocket and left two gimmes to end the rack 8-0. Shane made a ball after Joey’s break again in rack three - but then missed a ball in the rack - leaving what looked like a completely open table for Gray. The youngster from Oklahoma City could only manage a run of four balls before missing a small window of shape. From there, the game looked a lot like the previous game with Gray playing some great one pocket shots and Van Boening patiently waiting for a shot before fearlessly making the shot and running balls. Van Boening put three different short runs together for an 8-4 win.
Master
The fourth rack started out with a safety battle that left Shane “ahead” (-1) - (-2). Once again, Gray appeared to out-move Van Boening but ended up eventually leaving a shot and Van Boening took full advantage. A double kissed attempt to clear Shane’s pocket by Gray left an opening for Shane and he quickly ended the game and match with a 9 ball run for his second straight one pocket crown and what appears to be a hammerlock on the all around title.
SHANE VAN BOENING
OF THE TABLE February 2012 - Stroke Magazine 15
ONE POCKET HALL OF FAME CELEBRATING THE LEGACY OF POOL IN ACTION
At the 8th annual One Pocket Hall of Fame banquet, Tuesday, January 24th, 2012, we honored this year’s inductees for One Pocket, Buddy Hall and ‘San Jose Dick’ Mc Morran, and one of our very few repeat inductees, as Nick Varner is honored for Bank Pool this year, after having been inducted for One Pocket back in 2005. We looked forward to welcoming Grady Mathews on the other side of the podium, as health issues
are forcing him to take a break from his usual role of hosting our Hall of Fame evening as one of our Masters of Ceremonies. This year we turned the tables on Grady and treated him to some well deserved living legend recognition and roasting for all that he has done for us, and for this great game of ours over the years. As these great players were honored by their peers, their friends, their family and their fans we all had an evening that guaranteed a rollicking good time!
ARTICLE COURTESY OF: AZBILLIARDS.COM PHOTO COURTESY OF: RICKY BRYANT
BUSTAMANTE WINS FATBOY CHALLENGE
Francisco Bustamante ended his 2012 Derby City Classic with a lopsided 15-5 victory over Stevie Moore in the finals of the Fatboy 10-Ball Challenge.
Held immediately following Moore’s loss in the finals of the Derby City 9-ball division, the match saw Moore appearing to be off of his game while Bustamante had no such problems. Bustamante held an early 2-0 lead and only a scratch on the 10-ball in rack three kept him from a 3-0 lead. Moore came back to tie the score at 2-2 and was close at 3-4 down before Bustamante found the zone and rolled off nine straight games for an insurmountable 13-3 lead. Moore took a break at 13-3 down when Bustamante broke dry, which seemed to take Bustamante out of the zone more than it helped Moore get into the zone. The players swapped racks until the score was 14-5 Bustamante, and Moore threw in the towel after a scratch on the break in the 20th rack. Bustamante earned $12,000 for the win, while Moore settled for $7000 in prize money. John Morra and Alex Pagulayan both pocketed $3,500 each for third place.
ARTICLE COURTESY OF: AZBILLIARDS.COM PHOTO COURTESY OF: RIXX IMAGES
16 Stroke Magazine - February 2012
FRANCISCO BUSTAMANTE
February 2012 - Stroke Magazine 17
Music City 9-Ball Open Archer Wins Back 2 Back with live pool action from JOB’s. Check out poolactiontv.com. And as usual for JOB’s tournaments, Spider was there to take photos of all the action. He got lots of photos for the event, so if you need photos, call Spider at 615-804-4671. Action got kicked-off Wednesday night with a 9-ball, race-to-9, single elimination mini tournament. 55 players entered this event and defending champ, Josh O’Neil, from last years mini won again, defeating Robb Saez in a hill to hill final match. The main tournament format is 9-ball, race-to-11, double elimination in the Open Division and race-to-7 in the Ladies Division. This tournament has always been a full double elimination event, and this year the Open Division went the full two rounds in the final with, Hall of Famer, Johnny Archer defeating Larry Nevel, a first timer at the Music City Open, in two sets. Young Gun Shane McMinn finished a strong third, with Road Man Justin Cone rounding out the top four. In the Ladies Division, WPBA Touring Pro, Nicole Keeney, stepped up from last years second place and went undefeated through the field to win over Kristan Tidwell. Lisa Porter played a great tournament finishing third and Donna Favors from Chattanooga rounded out the top four.
JOHNNY ARCHER BY STEVE MCDONALD For 25 years running, Nashville, Tennessee’s premier billiard club, JOB Billiard Club, hosted the 25th annual Music City 9-Ball Open held January 11-15, 2012. Miller Lite, Alex Brick Custom Cues, Diamond Billiard Products, Simonis Cloth, Nick Varner Cues and Cases, Magic Ball Rack, and The Bigtruck Show/poolactiontv.com sponsored the event. This was the second year for JOB’s new owner, Ricky Gamble, as Jim Blaylock, previous owner, is still enjoying retirement. Ricky still has, former WPBA Touring Pro, Peg Ledman as General Manager of the club and they are keeping the tradition alive for JOB’s. Two Hall of Famers were present for this event……..Johnny Archer and Buddy Hall. Also, legendary cue maker and player Bill Stroud entered this event. Legends and tradition are common place at JOB’s. This year Johnny Archer got lots of playing time in and completed a very tough task, as he won both the Midnight Madness on Saturday night and the main event, which ended about 2:00am Monday morning. And he did so against fields of very stout players. Tournament Director Steve McDonald had a busy week as 55 mini tournament players, 85 open division players, and a full field of 32 ladies division players showed up for the competition that was held on 7-foot Diamond Smart Tables with Simonis Cloth. This year the Magic Ball Rack was used in every match and there were many break and run games and a number of up to 8 rack strings put together. This year all the action was covered via live streaming by The Bigtruck Show at poolactiontv.com. Big Truck Ray Hansen did a great job providing fans everywhere
18 Stroke Magazine - February 2012
On Saturday night, JOB’s always has Midnight Madness at this event. This always proves to be a great and exciting event, as it is 8 players in a single elimination format, race-to-11, winner take all 9-ball. It is a $500 entry fee, so that makes $4000 to the winner. This year Hall of Famer, Johnny Archer defeated Nick Hickerson, former Volunteer State Champion, in the final. Johnny played late Saturday night, got very little rest, then won the main event on Sunday. That is tough by any standards. A beautiful $1500 Alex Brick Custom Cue was raffled off and given away just before the finals. The lucky winner was Rachel Knight, a local JOB’s regular player. KICK-OFF MINI TOURNAMENT 1st $465 Josh O’Neil 2nd $300 Robb Saez OPEN DIVISION 1st $3470 Johnny Archer 2nd $2040 Larry Nevel 3rd $1300 Shane McMinn 4th $865 Justin Cone 5/6 $600 Robert Frost, Johnathan Hennessee 7/8 $390 John Gabriel / Nick Hickerson 9-12 $245 Gabe Apollos, Mike Dunklin, Tony Mougey, Josh O’Neil 13-16 $185 Tommy Greer, Robb Saez, Lee Uhles, Randy Vaughn 17-24 $125 Bobby Conner, Eric Hall, Mike Jones, Billy Martin, Sam Monday, Chuck Raulston, John Tate, Joey Yarbrough LADIES DIVISION 1st $930 Nichole Keeney 2nd $675 Kristan Tidwell 3rd $460 Lisa Porter 4th $275 Donna Favors 5/6 $215 Lonnie Fox / Amanda Townsend 7/8 $155 Ashley Nandrasy / Rebecca Sullins
10-Ball Season Opener
BY JERRY TARANTOLA, NYCGRIND.COM
L-R: JENNIFER BARRETTA (2ND) & JORGE RODRIGUEZ (1ST) The Predator Pro/Am Tour’s 2012 Season kicked off Saturday, January 14th, at Steinway Billiards in Astoria, NY, a pool room which has recently helped positively contribute to a surge in competitive pool in Queens, NY. In addition to becoming the newest host location for the Predator Tour and William Finnegan’s two weekly tournaments on Mondays and Wednesdays, the management have invested in new Simonis Cloth and have stepped up their equipment maintenance… in effort to cater to aspiring and top talent. The inaugural event of the 2012 Predator Tour season began at noon on Saturday with the Amateur event, which brought in an impressive total of 81 players participating in the tour stop. Tour Founder Tony Robles and Tour Director William Finnegan invited the top 16 players back on Sunday, to play in the Sunday Money rounds, where each player was in the money, and each match built with excitement and meaning. Each tour stop’s chart has an A/B bracket as well as an C/D bracket, giving each level an opportunity to stand out amongst their peers. Game on the wire spots keep the players from different rankings competitive. The 81 participants were all vying to start the season off on the right foot, and try to take an early lead in the season’s points standings, earn bragging rights, and make it to the cash. Several notable players went into battle in the A/B division, such as Lionel Rivera, Steve Wright, Eric Tang, John Alicea, Jack Smith, Tony Liang, Wellington Reyes, and the 16-year-old phenom, former Junior National Champion Briana Miller. Briana, who is also a multiple-time JPNEWT Regional Tour Champion, came in at B+ and eventually was raised to an A for putting on a remarkable performance. There were many players participating in the Amateur 9-Ball event who were digging deep and playing hard for a chance to win the 1st prize of $1,225 and start the season at #1. Other stand-out performances were seen from Trevor Heal and Steven Wright, who both brought a combination of fearless shotmaking and a patient approach to grind out several clutch sets, which stirred up great buzz. Lionel Rivera, Alex Platonov, and Dave Ascolese (who had impressive finish in 3rd place) also left it all on the table in their push in this event. Several ‘C’ class players made a statement, showing they they have what it takes to win tough matches including Junior Singh, Wellington Reyes, and Bob Schlott, who had several impressive wins. 15-year-old top junior talent Darwin Vergara also showed a lot of heart, and wowed a few people with how his game has improved. Darwin mentioned that one of the reasons he is playing better is because he has recently been sponsored by Steinway Billiards, giving the young aspiring talent free table time to practice and hone his game. His father, Mhet Vergara, also participated this weekend, in the Open/Pro Event. Taking the lead role in the winner’s bracket was Ray Feliciano, who went through undefeated wins over Niko Berdzeniskvili 7-1, Omar Chavez 7-6, Marvin St. John 7-1, Fabulous 7-1, Junior Singh 7-5, and Dave Ascolese 8-3 earning him the hot seat and a position in the final match. Brian Hunter would be the player to eventually face off against Ray Feliciano in the finals, after making an impressive run through the one-loss side. Brian lost his very first match to Rikki Ragoonanan at 7-5 before grinding through the west side of the bracket. Brian’s road to the finals included wins over Rafael Ortiz 7-3, Darwin Vergara 7-6, Jerry Tarantola 7-3, Dan Cintron 7-4, Eric Tang 7-5, Tony Sinacore 7-6, Steve Wright 7-5, Lionel Rivera 7-2, Bob Schlott 7-6 and Dave Ascolese 7-4. This run of ten consecutive wins left Brian Hunter feeling confident that he could defeat Ray Feliciano, who was having a breakout event. In the finals, Ray Feliciano started out slow, while Brian Hunter took control of the pace and momentum of the set. Ray was able to start to settle in and fight back, and fought hard for a potential come from behind win. Brian Hunter clutched out during several key moments to end up capturing the first Predator 9-Ball Tour event of the season in a exciting hill-hill final match. Brian was very impressive in showing a lot of grit and determination as he fought back to win the event, despite losing his first match. Congratulations to Predator 9-Ball Tour’s Stop #1 Winner Brian Hunter, who starts out the season ranked #1.
The Open-Pro 10-Ball event of the first Predator Pro-Am 9-Ball Tour stop of the 2012 season got underway at noon on Sunday, January 15 with a field of 21 players. The double-elimination, called-shot event was a race to eight on the winner’s side and race to seven on the one-loss side. A number of the area’s top players came out to take a shot at this opening event, including Sean “Alaska” Morgan, Tony Robles, Mike Fingers, Zion Zvi, Mhet Vergara, Frankie Hernandez, Jeremy Sossei, and many others. Some of the area’s strongest up-and-coming players had a standout day at this event, including Raphael Dabreo, who defeated Jerry Tarantola 8-2 and Evan Broxmeyer 8-0, before losing to Jeremy Sossei 8-5 on the winner’s side. Dabreo would finish tied for 7th place with Sean Morgan. Dabreo then met up with Jerry T again on the one-loss side, where Tarantola avenged his earlier loss, winning 7-4. Previously, Tarantola had a solid run through the loser’s bracket, knocking out Alex Borukhovich 7-5, Rob Pole 7-5, and Tony Robles 7-5. After defeating Dabreo, Jerry T fought a tough battle against Jorge Rodriguez, who came out the winner at 7-5, leaving Tarantola to settle for fourth place. Jorge “J-Rod” Rodriguez had a long journey to get to that quarterfinal match after having lost his first round match to Jeremy Sossei 8-6. Rodriguez tore through the one-loss side in impressive fashion, defeating Victor Nau 7-5, Frankie Hernandez 7-6, Evan Broxmeyer 7-0, Zion Zvi 7-4, Sean Morgan 7-2, Jerry T 7-5, and Jeremy Sossei 7-2, to lock in a spot in the finals against Jennifer Barretta. Jennifer had the been the story this weekend, with impressive wins over Frankie Hernandez 8-7, Rob Pole 8-2, Sean Morgan 8-6, and Jeremy Sossei 8-7 in an exciting hill-hill thriller to take the hot seat. Barretta made headlines last season when she became the first female to win the Predator Tour’s Open/Pro event, defeating Sossei in the finals. Right now, Jennifer is playing the best pool of her career, and proving that the women can win against the best players in the Tri-State area… showing she has major game to back up the buzz. Jennifer Barretta has been named by ESPN as one of the 50 Sexiest Athletes, and has been featured in Maxim and Playboy magazine… and has now earned the respect of many more knowledgeable NY pool fans that have a new appreciation for the firepower this girl is packing. In the finals,
L-R: DAVE ASCOLESE, BRIAN HUNTER, RAY FELICIANO undefeated Jennifer Barretta took on a hot Jorge Rodriguez at around 4am am Monday morning. Rodriguez continued his very strong play from throughout the event in this match, with impressive shotmaking that was exciting to watch. While Rodriguez was in prime form, Barretta showed signs of fatigue and was not able to keep up her top game she showed throughout the event. The match ended with a strong 11-2 win for Jorge Rodriguez to take the title. With this win, Jorge solidifies himself as one of NY’s strongest players, and starts out leading the points rankings of the Pro/Am Tour. Congrats to both Jorge and Jennifer, along with 3rd place finisher Jeremy Sossei on their performances in this event! Stay on the NYC Grind for the upcoming final results from the two-day Predator Tour Amateur 9-Ball event. For the second year in a row, the Predator Pro/Am Tour is going to be awarding an Open/Pro player with an entry into the invitational U.S. Open 10-Ball Championships. After the end of the 7th stop of the season, the player who accumulated the most points will win the entry (worth $500) to the big event in Vegas. Below is the breakdown of the points given to the top finishers. Good luck to all the players working towards earning this big entry! COMPLETE PAYOUTS ABCD 1st Brian Hunter $1,225 2nd Ray Feliciano $900 3rd Dave “Devil Dave” Ascolese $650 4th Bob Schlott $450 5/6 Junior Singh,Wellington Reyes $300 7/8 Brian Russell, Lionel Rivera $200 9-12 Mike Fisher, Steve Wright, Alex Platonou, Fabulous $125 13-16 Alex Osipov, Tony Sinacore, Niko Berdzeniskvili, Trevor Heal $80 COMPLETE PAYOUTS OPEN/PRO 1st: Jorge Rodriguez $800 2nd: Jennifer Barretta $600 3rd: Jeremy Sossei $350 4th: Jerry Tarantola $200 5/6 Raphael Dabreo, Sean Morgan $75
February 2012 - Stroke Magazine 19
PRESS RELEASE
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Bar Box 8-Ball 1st Saturday of the Month $35 entry includes green fee - Double Elimination - Race to 3 Doors open Noon - Calcutta 2pm - Starts 2:30pm
20 Stroke Magazine - February 2012
WPBA Masters Epic Battle of the Hall of Famers! MT. PLEASANT, MI - The WPBA Masters at the Soaring Eagle Casino & Resort has now concluded, and the winner is none other than Ewa Mataya Laurance defeating #2 ranked Allison Fisher (left) in an epic battle of two veteran champions! BCA and WPBA Hall of Famer and former Grand Ledge, Michigan resident, Ewa Mataya Laurance took an early 2-1 lead in the short televised race to 7 against fellow BCA Hall of Famer, #2 ranked Allison Fisher. Ewa then extended the lead to 3-1, 4-1 and 5-1... And then Allison mounted a comeback! 5-2, 5-3, 5-4 and suddenly the score was tied 5-5; a race to two, with Allison breaking. Ewa dug deep and pulled out the next two games for a 7-5 victory and $10,000 payday in the first WPBA event of 2012!
EWA MATAYA LAURANCE
Photo by: Line Kjorsvik on Facebook
In the first sem-final, Ewa proved she’d be a formidable contender when she defeated #1 ranked Ga Young Kim 7-6 for her place in the title bout. The other semifinal was a battle of the Fishers: Kelly Fisher vs. Allison Fisher (pictured left). Though they’re not related, they both hail from the U.K. and both yield a deadly cue. Allison pulled out all the stops and defeated Kelly 7-4 to head to the finals against Laurance. Final Results Top 24 (24 Placed Paid): 1 $10,000 Ewa Mataya Laurance 2 $5,500 Allison Fisher 3/4 $2,750 Ga Young Kim, Kelly Fisher 5/6 $2,000 Helena Thornfeldt, Jasmin Ouschan 7/8 $1,750 Jeanette Lee, Eleanor Callado 9/12 $1,500 Liz Ford, Dawn Hopkins, Monica Webb, Brittany Bryant 13/16 $1,250 Karen Corr, Line Kjorsvik, Jennifer Barretta, Gerda Hofstatter 17/24 $1,000 Emilyn Callado, Susan Williams, Joanne Ashton, Teruko Cucculelli, Tamara Peeters, Jennifer Chen, Jessica Barnes, Nicole Keeney To view the final tournament chart, visit www.wpba.com and click on “2012 Soaring Eagle Tournament Board.” The three final-round one-hour matches will be broadcast by ESPN for on Sunday, March 18, from 1:30 - 4:30 pm EST.
February 2012 - Stroke Magazine 21
STORY
Lucky
#11
BY: ANDREW MONSTIS
Life After Vegas ………whoo … The Vegas stretch was a long one. It’s hard to be in one place too long. After Vegas we went back to Lucky’s ranch. We had to check the ranch before heading out again. Lucky checked with the folks he had watching the farm, and then stopped by the Post Office in town to get his mail. Waiting while Lucky went inside I sat there watching people heading here and there, living their lives. I rolled down the window and tried to shoo a fly out of the car who had decided my nose was an interesting place to park. Took forever to get that darn fly out of the car. I was thinking what an amazing trip so far. I had to sort out all the things I planned to put in the next chapter about this amazing road trip with this amazing man. Seemed like Lucky was always surprising me with one thing or another, and the substance of this enterprise was just piling up how am I going to translate to everyone. Lucky returned, climbed in and unloaded a pile of mail on the seat between us. He pointed to one letter on top as he started the engine. It was from Mr. Top Spin. “I can’t get him to stop sending me money!” Lucky went on to explain. He was from Buffalo New York originally. Lucky beat him out of a whole bunch of money. Mr. Top Spin was one of those guys Lucky learned something from. “Truly the best follow player I have ever seen” Lucky says. “I remember when we played for days and days, until he went broke. I agreed to play him on the wire and I kept winning that, too. It’s been almost twenty years now and he still sends me checks! I told him ten years ago to forget it and quit sending me money!” Lucky shook his head and chuckled, “Mr. Top Spin said, he always pays my debts and besides, he gained a lesson more valuable than the money. Lucky suggested he do something positive with the money instead of sending it to him. “I hear he’s doing charity pool activities now and taking a few vacations He’s an honorable man.” Lucky opened the mail and showed me the $5,000 check that was in it. Made out just to “Lucky,” the signature on the check said Mark Edwards. He put the check back in the envelope. “I’ll put it with the other I haven’t cashed yet!.”
22 Stroke Magazine - February 2012
“But why don’t you cash the checks?” I asked, remembering Mark from some of his visits to the Northwest. “You could use it right about now.” “Well, he keeps sending it, and I keep telling him not to, so it’s kind of a standoff. Like I said, he’s an honorable man and is keeping his word to pay off the loss.” With a bemused shake of his head, Lucky said, “Stubborn, eh?” I knew Lucky had won a ton of cash over the years, and it seemed to me like he ought to have some of it left. “It doesn’t make sense to me,” I protested. “Can I ask what you’ve been doing with your winnings all these years?” “Oh, some of it went towards the ranch. And I send a little to a couple of charities now and again. Well, I guess maybe most of it, actually. I don’t need much… ‘cept now for them damn pills. Speaking of which, I do need to stop and check in with the Doc Cranford before we go again.” Well, the home stop was short and uneventful. A good night sleep we headed out next day for a spot about 20 driving hours away, and picked a little town down the road where Lucky said he’d heard there was a good local tournament venue. We were now into several months of road play. I want to say again and at the risk of being redundant, Lucky is a wise old codger. We stay only in small towns for the night, avoiding the larger bergs. Each night we check into a decent hotel or motel and then scout out the local pool action. It is better to stick around for days to find players and see their speed but in little town it’s not necessary. Since Lucky does not look like much of a pool player, he always can get some games for one to three bills. He’s grown his beard back some, and still wears that Where’s the Beef hat, and all in all does a reasonable imitation of a retired geezer. In many places he was invited to basically take more money, but he’s careful not to build up a reputation like many road players do. “Next thing you know,” he says, “the jungle drums are telegraphing the next town that you’re coming and they are definitely
ready and waiting to do some hustling of their own or just flat say no.” We do need to win a certain amount each day, just to meet expenses…around a hundred and twenty a day, I figure. It can be expensive to travel these days. I get play too, now and again to contribute to the trip, but truthfully, I’d rather watch Lucky in action than anything else. His subtle maneuvering of the whole show is fascinating to me. This night we hit an empty hole and didn’t make a dime. The weekly tournament had been cancelled, and no one was around to play. I guess the tavern owner got mad at the players who show up and complain about the tables all the time and it went from there. From the looks of the tables I couldn’t blame the local players, but I knew they’d be back the next week. We just came back to the hotel and watched bad TV and the worse movies. As usual, I had to make sure Lucky took his “pills” before he turned in. Better luck tomorrow night, next town. You find out a lot about someone when you ride next to him for hours on end. Lucky’s music tastes are surprisingly eclectic. He likes all kinds of music. I know pretty much everyone likes the Beatles, he knows all the words of every Beatles songs. Who’d have thought Lucky’s favorite tape would be the Beatles Revolver. And the next tape he plugged in was the Who. I think he has good taste. The next day brought us to another town Lucky wanted to hit, partly for the food at a nice café called Donna’s. The food was great. This was a town Lucky played in many years ago and won a ton of money. The waitress told us that they play pool down at this place now on 12th Street. We went over there after dinner. No one was in the place. We asked around but no one talked like they knew what action was. We struck out again. A bum steer. The natural scenery was way too cool. Some of the most beautiful views from the road I have ever seen. We were enjoying one incredible sunset beaming through fields and forest as we drove by. Lucky I was the passenger able to just get mesmerized looking through the tinted glass window.
STORY
Lucky
#11
All of a sudden Lucky pulled to a stop and got out of the car. I watched in amazement as he walked back down the road and stomped out a burning cigarette butt. He came back to the car, and seeing my look, shrugged and said, “I saw the guy in the car front of me throw it out. I’d hate to see forest get burnt up.” Something else about Lucky I didn’t really know. He has compassion for people. We stopped three different times to see if people needed help along side the road. One woman had stopped for a stretch and couldn’t get her car started up again. Lucky found a broken starter wire and fixed it. She gave him a big kiss. Hard to believe Lucky is shy but… Lucky fidgeting turned beet red. He soaked it up and beamed for hours while driving behind the wheel. He reminds me of a modern day Robin Hood, the way he takes down the arrogant and cocky ones without intimidation and pretty much lets everyone else alone, unless it’s to help if it’s needed. Not everything on the road is fair. We ran into a couple of tournaments where the house actually took money from the entry fees. One was ten percent and the other was fifteen percent. I never heard of such a thing. Guess they never heard of such a thing as the house adding money. We wanted to say something about it but deferred to the need to remain low key. We just got into the car and
took off. Lucky’s pointed out that some pool towns are not thriving as it once were. The excellence of the pool as sport has been lacking of late. Many areas are not promoting higher levels of play. There is becoming little to no action. Players are rarely matching up. A lot of the industries emphasis has been on the recreational level players. Those are the bulk of pool players. That is where making a buck is too. It’s probably good for the sport in some way I guess. Still little pool support exists to strengthen the above average and top local players. At one time in the recent past all major cities had significant pool action. The pool economies were doing well. There are still places where people play and gamble. Lots of areas have succumbed to what Lucky calls a B player mentality. We hit a lucky stop for the night in White Bird at Hoot’s Motel & Restaurant, not because we found a million dollar game, but because we awoke to a spectacular view of the canyon there, and it just set the day spinning right………
February 2012 - Stroke Magazine 23
PRESS RELEASE
CSI Supports BCA
As a long time member of the Billiard Congress of America (BCA), CSI supports the BCA in their recently announced pro pool initiative to provide funds to send North American players to international events. CSI is one of the first industry leaders to support the BCA initiative as a “2012 Official Contributor to International Competition.” A solid framework for both North American and world professional pool has long existed, with the World Pool-Billiard Association (WPA) as the world body, and the BCA as the WPA member for North America. CSI commends the BCA on their commitment renewal as the “Governing Body for Cue Sports in North America.” CSI supports the BCA as the governing body, its pro points program, and the player selection process for international events. With a decline in US player participation in world events, the time has come to change the structure of how pro pool in North America is supported. This is a great step in building that structure which will allow the top US and Canadian players to continue to compete and represent their countries internationally. CSI, which produces the “US Open 10-Ball Championship,” one of the BCA pro point events, believes the future and strength of the sport lies in creating a synergy between the industry, the amateurs, the professionals, and the general public. Two years ago CSI launched the USA Pool League
with that goal in mind, and a portion of CSI’s proceeds from the USAPL is pledged to promote and fund pro awareness. We at CSI encourage industry support of the BCA in their new endeavor. In the past, CSI partnered with five other industry leaders to help support and fund the BCA Hall of Fame. It is time for all organizations that have the sport and industry foremost in mind to band together in support of the BCA. CueSports International (CSI) is dedicated to creating more choices for all players. In the past seven years CSI has directly paid out approximately seven million dollars to players. CSI is the parent company of the BCA Pool League and the USA Pool League. CSI also produces independent events such as the US Bar Table Championships, the Jay Swanson Memorial, the US Open One Pocket Championship and the US Open 10-Ball Championship. Visit www.playcsipool.com, www.playbca.com and www.playusapool. com for more information about CSI and its divisions. CSI leads the billiard industry in the development of technology. For more information on the state-of-the-art software systems for league and tournament management visit www.leaguesys.net andwww. ctsondemand.com.
DESTINATION RENO WorldPPA Joins the 19th US Bar Table Championships in 2012 February may be the shortest month of the year, but also ushers in the largest open bar table event in the United States: the 19th US Bar Table Championships. February 12-19, 2012 players will arrive to the Grand Sierra Resort and Casino, Reno, Nevada with expanded opportunities for play. In addition to the six divisions of the US Bar Table Championships on 7’ Diamond Tables, the WorldPPA Reno Shootout will take place February 17-19 on Diamond 9’ Tables. Entries are being taken online via www.ctsondemand.com for both events. You can also enter via mail or fax. To download and print the entry forms for the 19th US Bar Table Championships visit http://playbca.com/Events/2 012USBarTableChampionships.aspx. To download and print the WorldPPA Reno Shootout entry form visit http://playbca.com/Events/2012WorldPPARenoShootout. aspx. Be sure to get your entry fee in early (before February 8th) to avoid late fees. Room rates for the 4 star Grand Sierra Resort & Casino are low at $39 / $49 for up to 4 guests per room and without a resort fee. Call 800-501-2651 and use group code: POOL12 to reserve your room. The entry fee for the WorldPPA Reno Shootout is $110 (includes $25 registration and $10 green fees); $75 per entry goes toward prize fund. As of today, we have
24 Stroke Magazine - February 2012
$1,000 (very likely could be higher depending on deposits made by tournament directors) from the extra dollar Reno fund. With 128 players, the total prize fund would be $10,600; everyone will win something; there will be no losers at the Reno WorldPPA Shootout. The group of events, the 19th US Bar Table Championships and the WorldPPA Reno Shootout are being scheduled so players interested in competing in both will be able to. CueSports International (CSI) is dedicated to creating more choices for all players. In the past seven years CSI has directly paid out approximately seven million dollars to players. CSI is the parent company of the BCA Pool League and the USA Pool League. CSI also produces independent events such as the US Bar Table Championships, the Jay Swanson Memorial, the US Open One Pocket Championship and the US Open 10-Ball Championship. Visit www.playcsipool.com, www.playbca.com and www.playusapool.com for more information about CSI and its divisions. CSI leads the billiard industry in the development of technology. For more information on the state-of-the-art software systems for league and tournament management visit www.leaguesys.net and www.ctsondemand.com.
PRESS RELEASE
TAP DREAM TEAM Rally in the Valley and Much Much More March 2012 starts off with another exciting venue for TAP Pool League members. Hundreds of TAP players from different parts of the United States and Canada are preparing their activities for this historical event. Whether it be a Dream Team 8-Ball spot, our newly added Dream Team 9-ball, or you’re testing your skills in the 8-Ball Singles Championship event, your experience will truly be rewarding, memorable and entertaining. To take some of the pressure off from the main events, TAP also offers minis to keep your game warmed up. TAP is proud to announce this years Rally in the Valley represents our 16th year. Rally in the Valley is held in conjunction with the Super Billiards Expo at it’s new and exciting location “The Greater Philadelphia Expo Center At Oaks”. To see the formats of Rally and past photos click hear . If you have any questions regarding this event feel free to call us at 800-984-7665 or visit our online help desk on the right of our national website for quick FAQ’s. Be sure to join our Facebook for these updates and more.
If you are one of the lucky ones to attend the Super Billiards Expo and Rally in the Valley, please stop by our expo booth and see what great opportunities we have for you. Come take a look at our newly released phone APP and much more ( Booths #335 and #415). TAP closes 2011 with another year of record growth, servicing not only our existing members but also thousands of new members. With this growth TAP Pool Leagues have expanded into new counties, states, zip codes and Provinces across the United States and Canada. The message from TAP is clear, you as a player and host location do have a choice to replace or add to your league activities, at TAP we work for you. TAP is also proud to close 2011 not only with a record growth, but with the comfort that we offer added employment for TAP Licensees and extra revenue to the league locations. If you are a league location, player or entertainer, be a part of the TAP family today. What’s going on with TAP in 2012? Keep your eyes on us and you will see!
BEF Scholarship Opportunities The Billiard Education Foundation (BEF) is accepting applications for the 2012 scholarship awards. The objective of the BEF Academic Scholarship Program is to grant scholarships to high school seniors who have benefited from the sport of billiards and are pursuing a college education. The BEF Academic Scholarship Program is divided into two categories: Excellence in Education scholarship (a single $2,000 award) and Aiming for Higher Education scholarships (three individual scholarships at $1,000 each). Each applicant will be considered in both categories; only one completed application is required and must be postmarked no later than Monday, April 2nd, 2012. Applications can be downloaded at the BEF website: www.BilliardEducation.org. Students must adhere to the following scholarship criteria: 1) hold a minimum 3.0 cumulative GPA (on a 4.0 scale); 2) must have an ACT score of at least 23 or SAT combined score (critical reading + math) of 1050 or higher; 3) submit a 500-1000 word essay on how billiards has been an integral part of their life; 4) must be accepted to an accredited undergraduate academic program by June 1; 5) must attend an accredited undergraduate institution and carry at least 12 hours per semester.
The final application must also include a letter from the applicant outlining academic achievements, leadership and/or community service work, a description of the applicant’s background and career objectives plus personal and professional (academic) goals. Applicants must also submit an official High School Transcript and SAT/ACT scores. The Billiard Education Foundation has awarded over $200,000 in scholarships since 1993. Said BEF executive director Laura Smith, “The BEF is proud to help young adults who have benefitted from billiards to offset their education expenses and become our future leaders.” About Billiard Education Foundation The Billiard Education Foundation (BEF) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization which is committed to promoting education and encourages the development of life skills through youth billiard programs. The BEF funds academic scholarships, produces the Junior National 9-Ball Championships, supports billiard athletes to attend the WPA World Junior 9-Ball Championships and promotes “Pool In School” programs. For more information, visit www.BilliardEducation.org. To become a sponsor, make a donation or inquiry, please contact Laura Smith at info@ BilliardEducation.org or phone 303.926.1039.
February 2012 - Stroke Magazine 25
Presents
Call First - All Tournaments are subject to change without notice DATE Feb 4 Feb 4 Feb 4-5 Feb 4-5 Feb 11 Feb 12-19 Feb 12-19 Feb 12-19 Feb 12-19 Feb 12-19 Feb 12-19 Feb 18 Feb 18-19 Feb 19 Feb 25 Feb 25 Feb 26 Mar 3 Mar 3 Mar 3-4 Mar 3-4 Mar 3-4 Mar 10-11 Mar 10-11 Mar 11 Mar 18 Mar 24 Mar 24-25 Mar 31-Apr 1 Apr 7 Apr 21-22 May 9-20 May 10-13 May 14-19
CITY LOCATION Buffalo, NY Bison Billiards Brooklyn, NY Gotham City Billiards Waterville, ME T J’s Billiards Bellflower, CA CSI E Rutherford, NJ Castle Billiards Reno, NV CSI Reno, NV CSI Reno, NV CSI Reno, NV CSI Reno, NV CSI Reno, NV CSI Glen Burnie, MD Big Daddy’s Billiards Winter Park, FL Cue-Phoria Billiards Jackson Hghts, NY BQE Billiards Glen Burnie, MD Big Daddy’s Billiards Ft. Pierce, FL Ultimate Billiards Baydise, NY Cue Bar Buffalo, NY Bison Billiards E Rutherford, NJ Castle Billiards Providence, DI Snookers Billards Lewiston, ME Schemengee’s Tallahasse, FL Zingales Billiards Lafayette, LA White Diamond Billiards Lafayette, LA White Diamond Billiards Levittown, NY Cue Nine Billiards Brooklyn, NY Gotham City Billiards Staten Island, NY Port Richmond Billiards Waterville, ME T J’s Billiards Brooksville, FL Capone’s Buffalo, NY Bison Billiards Vero Beach, FL Cunningham’s Billiards Las Vegas, NV BCAPL Las Vegas, NV CSI Las Vegas, NV BCAPL
PHONE EVENT / RULES (716) 632-0281 8-Ball Bar Box (718) 714-1002 9-Ball Tri State Tour C-D (207) 877-7665 9-Ball Maine Residents Only (702) 719-7665 9-Ball Jay Swanson Mem. (201) 933-6007 9-Ball Tri State Tour A-B-C-D (702) 719-7665 10-Ball Bar Table Open (702) 719-7665 10-Ball Bar Table Women (702) 719-7665 9-Ball Bar Table Open (702) 719-7665 9-Ball Bar Table Women (702) 719-7665 8-Ball Bar Table Open (702) 719-7665 8-Ball Bar Table Open/Wmn (410) 760-1332 9-Ball - Race 7/5 (321) 972-1867 9-Ball Amateur/Open 10-Ball (718) 779-4348 9-Ball Tri State Tour A-B-C-D (410) 760-1332 8-Ball Maryland Open (772) 464-7665 Flamingo Billiards Tour (718) 631-2646 9-Ball Tri State Tour A-B-C-D (716) 632-0281 8-Ball Bar Box (201) 933-6007 9-Ball Tri State Tour A-B-C-D (401) 351-7665 NE P&B Hall of Fame 9-Ball (207) 777-1155 8-Ball Maine Residents Only (850) 224-8644 9-Ball Amateur/Open 10-Ball (337) 989-9889 9-Ball Mini Tournament (337) 989-9889 9-Ball Bar Table - Race to 7 (516) 796-4600 9-Ball Tri State Tour A-B-C-D (718) 714-1002 9-Ball Tri State Tour B-C-D (718) 727-0800 9-Ball Tri State Tour B-C-D (207) 877-7665 Maine State Straight Pool (352) 688-9965 Poison Pool Tour (716) 632-0281 8-Ball Bar Box (772) 562-1171 Poison Pool Tour (702) 719-7665 BCAPL Nationals (702) 719-7665 U S Open One Pocket (702) 719-7665 U S Open 10-Ball
ENTRY ADDED $35 (incl g.f.) $250 Guar Call $1,000 $60 $500 $80 $3,000 Guar Call $500 Call $6,000 Call $1,000 w/16 Call $6,000 Call $1,000 w/16 Call $6,000 Call $1,000 w/16 $45-$85 Call Call $2,000 Call $1,000 $50/$75 pro Call Call Call Call $1,000 $35 (incl g.f.) $250 Guar Call $500 $125 Call $60 $500 Call $2,000 $20 Call $40 $1,000 w/128 Call $1,000 Call $1,250 Call $750 $60 $500 w/20 Call $2,000 $35 (incl g.f.) $250 Guar Call $2,000 Varies $800,000 payout Call $10,000 Guar Call $25,000 Guar
TIME Noon Call 11AM Call Call Call Call Call Call Call Call 1PM Call Call 10AM Call Call Noon Call Call 11AM Call Call 9AM Call Call Call 11AM Call Noon Call Call Call Call
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