Stroke Magazine March Issue 2010 by Stroke Magazine

2 Stroke Magazine - March 2010

Stroke Staff Publisher/Editor Don “Cheese” Akerlow Marketing Director Mary Akerlow Layouts & Design Wendy Swenson Sunshine Ross Don Akerlow Mary Akerlow Distribution Sheila Papke

DEADLINE: 30th of each Month - Call if late

Stroke P.O. Box 100 Three Forks, MT 59752 Phone 1-406-285-3099 Fax 1-406-285-3098 Email strokemagazine@aol.com

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About Us at Stroke

Stroke is a monthly publication, dedicated to the advancement of the sport of pool and to promoting enthusiasm and encouragement among the players 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. © 2010 Stroke

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Gate City Billiards Golden Cue Billiards Lucasi Hybrid Mueller OTBnTV.com

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Seminole Pro Tour

T J’s Billiards

Columnists Bill Smith

Bob Jewett

Samm Diep

Information OTBNews Group Pool On TV Tournament Trail

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POOL ON TV All times are Eastern time.

03-06-2010 4:00PM 2004 San Diego Classic: Finals From Alpine, CA. (taped 03/24/04) 03-14-2010 1:00PM 2001 Trick Shot Magic Baltimore, MD (taped 10/12/01) 03-21-2010 1:00PM 2001 Trick Shot Magic Baltimore, MD (taped 10/12/01) These schedules have been provided by ESPN. These are tentative dates and are subject to change

Read Stroke Online at: www.strokemagazine.net

Watch it LIVE on www.OTBnTV.com www.OTBnTV.com Streaming Schedule Mar 26-28, 2010 30th Annual MCMOA State 8 Ball Championships Apr 2-4, 2010 Platte Valley Open Saratoga, WY May 27-Jun 5, 2010 30th Annual VNEA Int’l Championships Las Vegas, NV Jun 17-20, 2010 20th Annual VNEA Junior Nationals Rochester, MN Sponsored by: www.Delta-13.com

Don “Cheese” Akerlow

Cover Photo Don “Cheese” Akerlow

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February 2010 Volume 2 Number 2

Publisher

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March 2010 - Stroke Magazine 3

Warnock Undefeated Pre-Valentine’s

Day Massacre

The 30th stop of the 2009-2010 Lucasi Hybrid All American Tour (produced by the American CueSports Alliance – ACS) was hosted in Port Charlotte, FL, at Q’s Sports Bar & Girl, February 13. The $500 added “Pre Valentine’s Day Massacre” showcased 14 players from both coasts of Florida in a double elimination handicapped, 8-ball format on 7-foot Valley bar boxes. Master players Steve Knoll of Sarasota, and Nathan Rose of Port St.

3rd - Sam vitellaro; 2nd - Mike Gasper; Winner Stewart “ The Scottish Lion” Warnock.

Stewart "The Scottish Lion" Warnock Undefeated in Tri-State Tour A/D 10 Ball at the Sandcastle Billiards. His winning trail included wins over Dan Cintron 7 - 3; Mike Panzarella 7 - 5; Paul Wortman 7 - 4; Paul Everton 7 - 6; Sam Vitellaro 9 - 6 for the Hot Seat; and Mike Gasper 7 - 5, in the finals for the victory. Special Congratulations to 3nd place finisher Sam Vitellaro for his best finish of the season. Expect to hear more from him in the near future. Special thanks go to Sterling-Gaming and Milliken SuperPro professional cue sports cloth for their sponrship related to this event.

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

$810 $495 $310 $190 $100 $75

Stewart Warnock Mike Gasper Sam Vitellaro Raul Reyes, Jr. Paul Everton, George Osipovitch Leo Liu, Allen Wong

Trey Jankowski (1st) and Shawn “Pokie” Collie (2nd)

Lucie competed. The quarter-final winner’s side found Trey Jankowski of Key West defeating North Port’s Ken Coulter 4 to 2. In the same bracket Shawn "Pokie" Collie of Port Charlotte upset Tim Baron of Sarasota 4 to 2. On the one loss side Master player Steve Knoll of Sarasota got upended by Tim Baron - newly arrived from the no loss-side, 4 to1. Ken Coulter plodded by Rick Madaffer of Naples 4 to 2. Back on the winner's side, Trey Jankowski got out rolled by Shawn "Pokie" Collie for a 4 to 3 loss to Collie. On the one-loss side Ken Coulter could not hold off an determined Tim Baron in a 4 to 3 loss to Baron. Trey Jankowski, fresh from his winner's side loss, stopped Tim Baron in his tracks with a 4 to 0 win. This set up the Jankowski - Collie battle for first place with Jankowski having to win two sets. Jankowski pressed on in the first match for the 4 to 3 win, and repeated in the final match 4 to 3 for the Tournament Win! Shawn Collie qualified for a free 9-Ball singles entry into the 2010 ACS Nationals in Las Vegas, June 6-12. The ACS wishes to thank sponsors Lucasi Hybrid Cues, Championship Billiard Fabric, Nick Varner Signature Cases, Ozone Billiards, Pool Cue Guru and Billiard Gods Productions for their support. All entries in the Tour are also entered into a drawing in January for a $1,000 Lucasi Hybrid Cue, courtesy of Ozone Billiards. Sponsorship opportunities and tour stop openings are still available for the 2009/2010 All American Tour by contacting the ACS.

Final Results: 1st 2nd 3rd

4 Stroke Magazine - March 2010

$350 $200 $75

Trey Jankowski (Key West, FL) Shawn Collie (Port Charlotte, FL) Tim Baron (Sarasota, FL)

Sheerman & Hall Take first KF wins

Strokers Billiards was the latest venue to host the KF Cue tour 2/13/10. Saturday would see 59 players show up for the $1000 Added Amateur Event, with a record 9 ladies taking advantage of there reduced entry feeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s. Jason Sheerman would prove to be a handful on the day as he cruised his way to the hotseat with wins over Boomer 7-3, Jim Sandaler 7-4, Bill Stoll 7-3, Dan Whitten 7-1 to put himself in the winners side final, He would meet Custom cue maker Eddie Wheat who had made his way to the finals with wins over Dave Ross 7-3, Hank Samuel 7-4, Mike Delawder 7-2, Chip Dickerson 7-5 and then a tight 7-6 win over Mark Wathen 7-6 to reach the hotseat match to play Sheerman. The hotseat match was a lopsided with Wheat coming out a 7-2 winner over Sheerman. While all this was going on Mike Xiarhos Snr after taking a 1st round loss to Mark Wathen 7-4 would go on a rampage with wins over Louie Smith, Kevin Tennery, James Adams, Mike Delawder, Dan Dennis, Bill Stoll, Louis Altes a revenge win over Mark Wathen which was followed by one more win over Dan Whitten before losing a very close 5-4 match to Jason Sheerman to get to the final. Sheerman was looking for revenge from his earlier 7-2 loss to Wheat, Revenge it was as

Jason Sheerman & Eddie Wheat

he would reverse the role and take down wheat 8-2 and take his first KF Cue tour win. With 9 ladies in attendance we paid the top 3 after a play off which Stephanie Mitchell won.

Payouts

1st $600 Jason Sheerman $600 2nd $400 Eddie Wheat $400 3rd $380 Mike Xiarhos Snr $380 4th $250 Dan Whitten $250 5th-6th $150 Glen Olson, Mark Wathen 7th-8th $100 Louis Altes, Jim Sandaler 9th-12th $70 Chip Dickerson, Tom Giorgi, Bill Stoll, Justin McNulty

chance to win his 1st KF title. The final would be a single race to 9, Hall would come out firing to take a 7-3 lead and put one hand on the trophy. Davis would now mount a come back taking the next four games to tie the match at 7-7 and just when it looked like he would take the lead to go 8-7 up trying to play a tricky positional shot the cue ball would scratch and throw the momentum back in Halls favor as he would take this and the next rack to win his first KF cue tour title by the score of 9-7. We would like to thank Strokers room owner Jose Del Rio and his staff for putting on a great event also all our great sponsors that can be seen at www.kfcuetour.com our next event will be at Fast Break billiards in Longwood, Florida 2/27/2010 visit www.kfcuetour.com for more info and the full Schedule and tour

Ladies, 1st Stephanie Mitchell $40, 2nd Kelly Cavanaugh $20, 3rd Valerie Dukich $10 A strong 34 player field showed up for Sundays $1000 Added event some of the notable names in attendance were Mike Davis, Donnie Mills, Justin Hall, Han Berber, Jason Richko, Louis Altes to mention a few. Mike Davis would prove to be the man to beat on the day after he would make it all the way to the hotseat with wins over Louis Altes 7-4, Michell Monk 7-0, Justin Hall 7-0, Donnie Mills 7-2 and then a 7-2 win Over Hunter Lombardo to capture the Hotseat, Lombardo had made his way to the Jose Del Rio, Justin Hall, Mike Davis winners side final with wins over Jessie Payouts Bradley 7-4, Jim Sandaler 7-4, Dave Ross 7-1, 1st $600 Justin Hall Mike Delawder 7-5 before taking his loss to 2nd $400 Mike Davis Davis. 3rd $300 Hunter Lombardo Justin Hall who had taken a bad 7-0 beating 4th $200 Donnie Mills from Mike Davis earlier was in no mood on the 5th-6th $100 Tony Crosby, one loss side as he would make his way back to Mike Delawder the final with wins over Jason Richko 6-5, Jason 7th-8th $80 Jason Sheerman, Sheerman 6-5, Mike Delawder 6-5, Donnie Julio Aquino Mills 6-2 and then a 6-4 win over Lombardo to Top Lady $20 Michell Monk set up a revenge match with Mike Davis and a

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March 2010 - Stroke Magazine 5

Trying To Make Something From Nothing By Bill Smith “Mr3Cushion”, Old School Pool.net

"I CAN'T DO anything with this!" Time and time again, the endlessly fertile game of threecushion billiards will present you with a shot that seems doomed no matter what you do. Shots which seem impossible to score introduce themselves to every player at every level; how the Better players determine their approaches to such shots depends on their knowledge of the correct concept of the modern billiard game. It's a matter of a little imagination and a lot of common sense; apply both and you'll soon be enjoying the glow of scoring a point or two that feel like they should be worth twelve. Frequently, shots are seemingly unmake able because of the angle between the cue ball and first object ball; you may be cut off from the angle you'd normally use to score naturally and, confronted with the problem of even coming close to scoring, you may well not think about position play at all. Which, as we’ll see in two of these apparently tough shots, would be a mistake? It is true that, unlike previous articles, not all these examples focus on position play. They're extreme, and not-so-extreme, examples of difficult positions that arise with some frequency. The shots of Diagrams 1 and 2 can indeed be utilized for position as well as to score; Diagrams 3 and 4 shows you more extreme shots, which you can execute with confidence by using a cute little system I, figured out about 25 years ago, it’s really simple, why not, the game itself is difficult enough. In Diagram 1, the cue ball and first object ball are only one to two inches apart; the angle between them is such that you can't go five rails around the table off the left side of the ball, nor can you go four cushions around the table off the other side of the ball (your hit on the first ball would bring you in way short). More than anything else, this is a balk line-type shot that requires a surgeon's touch and precision but you can still make the most of a bad position. It's critical that you use a very short fist or nip bridge, in order to hit the cue ball with maximum 6 o'clock English. The reason for that low bridge is to get as low on the cue ball as possible yet avoid elevating the butt of your cue; on this shot, you need quick draw action, and you can't get that with an elevated cue. Hit the object ball one-third full, with a short stroke and a soft touch. Properly executed, with just enough cue-ball speed to score, this shot will yield excellent position with all three balls fairly close to the top rail. The shot in Diagram 2 is not only rarely played, but rarely conceived by the average player. Typically, such a player would merely throw up his hands; the angle between cue ball and first ball does not permit going around the table in the natural way, nor can the shot be played with reverse English into the opposite rail which turns into running English off the next three. Again, the cue ball and first object ball are very close together, half an inch to one inch. Here you do need to elevate the cue slightly; that will put a little curve on the ball off the first cushion in order to maintain the extreme 4 o'clock English you must use. Your objective, as shown, is to strike the short rail close enough to the corner that you reverse that rail and return to the red in the comer. A normal bridge will add some speed to the stroke, in order to achieve that maximum English and maintain it through the four rails. Hit the object ball very thin, so as not to drive it too far away from your intended position along the rail. Again, your speed should be such that you just score, and all three balls should end up along that long rail. In Diagram 3, the cue ball's position is somewhat unique in that it's only about

6 Stroke Magazine - March 2010

an inch from the first cushion we're going to contact. This shot represents the new system I have to share with you. What we do first here is to locate our cue-ball position in relationship to a 45-degree angle — the dotted line — from the first cushion we're to hit and back through the cue ball to the long cushion. Once we've established that, we can estimate what English to put on the cue ball, according to the contact point on the third rail. In the position shown in the diagram, the cue ball is two diamonds from the side rail; 6 o'clock English will take us exactly twice that far, or diamond 4, just what we need to go rail-first off the white ball. This shot requires maximum 6 o'clock English and a medium-soft stroke. To go farther down the rail than that, add one tip of reverse English for every two diamonds you want to add. Thus if the cue ball were three diamonds from the long rail instead of two, and the object balls were as you see them, 6 o'clock English would take you too far down the rail; you'd use 5 o'clock instead. If the cue ball were just one diamond from that long rail, 6 o'clock English would take you just two diamonds down; you'd have to add one tip of reverse, or 7 o'clock, English to reach diamond 4. For instance, in Diagram 4, we have the same cue-ball position, but the third-rail contact point is the corner, or four more diamonds away (assume the balls lie so there is no conventional "tickey" available). So use two tips of 7 o'clock English, to make the cue ball curve a little more than in Diagram 3 (remember, two tips of reverse English means four diamonds farther down the rail). Remember to keep your line of aim at 45 degrees through the first rail. It will probably look severe to you, the first few times you line up shots like this, but trust me: it works. (Actually, position would be possible here, too, with appropriate speed; you'd be keeping the white ball somewhere near the rail and scoring softly enough on the red that you could play your next shot off it. But let's not get ahead of ourselves; as stated, these are difficult shots in and of themselves, and besides, you've got a new system to learn here.) I've got a good idea what you're thinking: "Billiards is a tough game to begin with; these diagrams pose even more complex problems; why try such abstract variations and make the whole proposition even harder?" It's a logical enough question, but if there's one thing I've learned playing this game, it's that no one player always has the definitive solution to a shot. Practice and experiment with these positions. Not only will you learn to score some difficult shots at least occasionally, but they'll help you develop deeper insights into the right approach to three-cushion billiards I’m glad to announce that my book and DVD, “The Concise Book of Position Play”, is ready to take PRE PAID orders to PAY PAL ONLY, retail price $59.95 for the set, for the reader’s of “On The Break News”, I’m offering a 20% discount, plus FREE S&H in US, your cost$48.95. My website will be live the first week of March. Mr3Cushion.com My Email address is mr3cushion@live.com, I think everyone will able to appreciate and improve their 3 cushion game from this work.

Dechaine Like Music to my Ears Breezes Through Field

WATERVILLE, ME February 13-14, 2010 45 of Maines finest pool players showed up at Tj’s Classic Billiards to battle it out for this years State Championship Title. In one of the strongest fields in recent history Mike Dechaine breezed through such notables as John Clark, TJ LaFlamme, Greg Libby and Samoth Im. Easily winning the hot seat he then waited for his final match versus Dave “the Eagle” Hall. There would be no need for a second set this year in true double elimation format as Dechaine showed his superior fire power and easily won the race to nine sending home the railbirds early for once. For his efforts he recieved $1380 and the coveted State of Maine plaque. Owners of Tj’s Classic Billiards, Steve and Tammy Reynolds, Mike Dechaine would like to thank everyone in Maine for keeping TJ’s one of the best places to play pool in new england for over 20 years and counting. 1st Mike Dechaine $1380 2nd Dave Hall $900 3rd Cody Francis $560 4th Greg Libby $410 5-6 John Francis $210 John Clark $210 7-8 TJ LaFlamme $100 Derrick McCarthy $100 9-12 Gareth Steele $70 Ivo Petrov $70 Dave Vigue $70 Fred Dechine $70

T J’s Billiards Watch for Upcoming Tournaments

14.1 Airport Rd Waterville, ME 207-877-POOL (7665)

Watch it LIVE on www.OTBnTV.com

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By Samm Diep, PoolTipJar.com © February 2010

As you read these words, think your favorite song. Now, close your eyes for a moment and relish that melody you love so much. Is it a love song or a rock or classical piece? It doesn’t matter. Just feel it and really listen to it in your mind. As it gets to your favorite part, think about all the individual pieces coming together to make this song so perfect. Can you hear the steady drumbeat building up to a thrilling crescendo? Don’t forget the hot guitar lick that jumps in just at the right moment. Now, listen for the ominous strings creeping in for that Samm Diep haunting touch. Oh, and what about the vocals? Could you imagine a better person belting out such tender lyrics? All of these elements combined are what make your favorite song so brilliant. All those little touches together are what made you take the needle back over and over again until your parents eventually hid the record from you. Now, let’s dissect all these individual moving parts and relate them to our pool mechanics. The anatomy of a song consists of these main parts: verses, the refrain, and the chorus. The verses tell the story. They set the tone for the whole song and precede the refrain and chorus. Think of the verses as our bridge, stance, and warm-up strokes. Determine where you are aiming and check your tip position for the spin you’ll be applying. Each verse may vary slightly based on the situation. The verse is building up for the chorus to come by establishing our alignment and preparing to pull the trigger. Next is the refrain which is just a couple repeated lines at the end of each verse which lead up to the chorus. The refrain would be that final breath you take as you complete your warm-up strokes and refocus your eyes back to that spot on the object ball again. If you study the pros, their refrain is very distinct. You can always tell when they’re about to pull the trigger. They complete their warm-up strokes, everything comes together, they cue right up to the cue ball, and fire. When you’re ready to pull the trigger, this is the chorus we’ve been waiting for. The chorus is where the main theme and often the title are expressed in a song. It’s the melody that we’re humming for days after we hear a song that we like. Typically, it completes the song. Your verses and refrain lead you to this moment. Make your chorus count. Bring that stroke back smoothly and with control. Sing a chorus that you will want to remember and repeat. Though your verses may vary based on what the shot requires, your refrain and chorus come together to make the shot. Of course, there are extra parts to the anatomy of a song and to our pool game. However, just like a beautiful piece of music, your pool game can’t come together without each of these integral parts. Develop and strengthen all of them and play your favorite song at the table.

March 2010 - Stroke Magazine 7

Article and Photos by: Don “Cheese” Akerlow

February 17-21, 2010 Tacoma Elks Lodge # 174 1965 S. Union Ave Tacoma, WA

8 Stroke Magazine - March 2010

The 2010 Three Cushion Billiards National Championship February 17-21, Tacoma Elks Lodge #174 in Tacoma, Washington. Players arriving from all across the United States by qualifying in regional tournaments. Five beautiful Verhoeven billiards tables were set for play to begin. The Billiard tables were also heated so play is as

consistent as it can be from table to table. Darrel Stutesman the host and Northwest Regional Director (effective March 1, 2010), provided a venue unmatched. Darrel along with his crew made sure the players and spectators were treated well and all the logistics ran smooth. The USBA National Championship Tournament Director Charles Brown opened the ceremonies for the final 10 players. OTBnTV was there to Live Stream all of the event. Mr Brown kept the tournament running smoothly with his computer, tournament chart and schedule sheets. This year’s U S Champion and runner up will be representing the United States in the Pan American Championships in Lima, Peru April 25-May 1. With the top 8 players from the Pan Am Championships qualifing for the October World Championships in the Netherlands. In the field were past champions George Ashby (1976, ‘81 and ‘84), Pedro Piedrabuena (2002, ‘04, ‘07), Carlos Hallon (1982, ‘86, ‘89), Miguel Torres (2008), and Sonny Cho (2005). Last year’s champion and 2003 Hugo Patino did not make the final 10. Play began just after 3 pm Friday February 19th. The finals had begun - it was

a 40 point match. Sitting in the OTBnTV booth watching table #4 that was being Live Streamed to over 100,000 viewers throughout the weekend from all across the world. It was quite evident from the very beginning that these players did not just move their respected cue ball around the table randomly. There is a talent and precision to each stroke and the english that is used. If you will a cue artistry. As a pool player for over 40 years, I have gotten myself into unplayable positions with the cue ball to make a legal hit. These gentlemen and I must say gentlemen when they are in formal attire, tux and bow tie, rarely uttering a word, just pursuing their mastery of the table are able to go 4, 5 and even 6 rails to make a hit and point. Imagine if you will being hidden behind a group of your opponents balls, having to go a minimum of 3 rails, while hitting one of your object balls and making your cue ball hit another object ball. Nothing short of impossible. But these masters of the cloth did it with such precision that when they on the occasion did miss, it was by a hair. (USBA continued on page 10)

Jae Hyung Cho Wins US 3-Cushion Title Article by Bob Jewett

The 2010 US National 3-Cushion Championship was held February 17-21 at the Tacoma Elks Lodge. Play was on five heated Verhoeven tables covered with Simonis 300 cloth and Aramith Pro tournament balls. The Lodge also provided bleacher seating for spectators, staff to clean the equipment after each match, scorekeepers, lunch and dinner buffets, and free practice time for all participants. The 35 entrants were mostly players who had won qualifiers around the country, but also included the four top players from 2009 and a few open entrants who had played in qualifiers but not won. They were grouped into five groups of seven players for roundrobins with 25-point matches. One top finisher from 2009 was seeded into each group. The prelims produced one major surprise as defending champion Hugo Patino failed to advance. He lost matches to 2005 champion Sonny Cho and to Min Jae Pak, who had put in a top-notch performance at the USBA Tour stop in August at Carom Cafe in New York with a 1.3 average. In another group, last year’s runner-up Pedro Piedrabuena was totally dominant as he didn’t let any opponent get to 10 points. Jae Hyung Cho ran a 7 against Pedro to tie at 7 points each, but then Pedro shifted gear to win 25-9 in only 10 innings. Two players from each group advanced to the 10-player final round-robin, which had matches to 40 points. Besides Piedrabuena, Sonny Cho and Miguel Torres had been undefeated in their prelim groups, while Carlos Hallon, Michael Kang, Mazin Shooni, Min Jae Pak, George Ashby, and Jae Hyung

Cho advanced with 5-1 records. John Jacobson advanced from a 3-way tie for second in his group based on a most-points tie-breaker. Of the 10 finalists, six were former US Champions. Live streaming to the Internet of the finals was provided by OTBnTV.com, allowing thousands of fans to keep up with the action and scores. Commentary for each match helped anyone new to the game to catch up on the intracacies of shots including position play and safeties. Going into the final round of five matches, Piedrabuena and Jae Hyung Cho both had 8-1 records, while all the other players had at least two losses. This meant that the match between Pedro and Jae would determine the new champion. (In roundrobin play, it’s possible for equal winloss records to happen, in which case a play-off would have been necessary to determine first and second places.) In getting to the finals, Jae Hyung Cho had turned in the best game of the finals with 40 points in 21 innings against 2006 champ Mazin Shooni. Mazin had an excellent 1.600 average in that game, so he just caught Cho at the wrong time. Cho’s sole loss had been to Miguel Torres. For his part, Piedrabuena got to the finals with the highest grand average and a 1.739 game against 3-time former champ George Ashby. His only loss had been to Shooni. Cho led through most of the final match. Piedrabuena rallied at the end but fell short. Jae Hyung Cho became the new US Champion with a 40-32 score. For more details, visit the US Billiard Association website at USBA.net.

March 2010 - Stroke Magazine 9

USBA by: Don “Cheese” Akerlow

(continued from page 8)

There were only 2 rounds played of the 9 and possibly 10 rounds of the round robin format on Friday. In between the first and second round we were entertained by Dr Cue Tom Rossman on one of the 6 pocket billiard tables at the Elks. Tom’s unique way of entertaining a crowd with laughter and his own brand of cue artistry to the pockets is always nothing short of magnificent. The second round was started immediately following the exhibition. OTBnTV was experiencing some audio difficulties either through the internet connection or server that had a “tinniness” in the first few videos, which was corrected by the time we started the second round. On the mic the announcers were Tom Rossman, Henry Ugartechea and Bruce Warner. Mr Warner was suffering from a cold that limited his time on the mic but did a superb job. Both Mr

We want to thank Huf for the caricature. It will be added to our collection

Tom “Huf” Hofstedt

10 Stroke Magazine - March 2010

Rossman and Mr Ugartechea gave an excellent accounting of each match and shots that were executed and stories and comments about past and present events. As an added feature for the billiard players Tom “Huf” Hofstedt, also know as the “fastest pen in the world” was there throughout the championships creating caricatures of the players. See example on page 18. If you’d like to get in touch with Tom email: tomhuf@tomhuf.com Play on Saturday would start at 10:30 am and 4 rounds to be played and lasted until 9:30-10 that night. On Sunday 10 am was the start of what would be some of the best billiards you could watch. Play ran long but bonus coverage of another match was able to keep the audience in front of their computers. As the charts panned out, the final match of the day was between Pedro Piedrabuena and Jae Hyung Cho each having a 7-1 win/loss record. The final match started approximately 30 minutes after the other matches of the 9th round. This was so they would finish last and all the focus, deservingly so would be on the championship table. You can view this match and find out how each point was made. It was exciting to watch at www.OTBnTV.com Sponsors of OTBnTV were: Simonis: www.SimonisCloth.com USBA: www.usba.net Crown Cues: www.crowncues.biz

Final Placement and Prizes 1st $3700 Jae Hyung Cho 2nd $3100 Pedro Piedrabuena 3rd $2600 Miguel Torres 4th $2200 Sonny Cho 5th $1800 Mazin Shooni 6th $1500 Michael Kang 7th $1200 Carlos Hallon 8th $1000 Min Jae Pak 9th $800 George Ashby 10th $700 John Jacobson High Run: 11 points - Pedro Piedrabuena $50/Michael Kang $ 50 Best Game: 1.905 (40/21) - Jae Hyung Cho $ 100 Best General Average: 1.232 - Pedro Piedrabuena $ 100 Total Prize Fund $18,900

Barnes Closes Door

Jessica Barnes, Stephanie Mitchell, Bethann Ryno

After nearly 15 hours of competition, Jessica Barnes outplayed Bethann Ryno to capture the win at the second stop of the Tiger Bay Area Amateur Tour’s (BAAT) 2010 season. The $400 added event was held at Strokers of Tampa, FL, which hosted 20 players from around the state, Feb. 27. Significantly, one player, who has played with BAAT since its inception, and for many years before that, broke the ice and slid into the top three, Saturday. Seventy-five-year-old Barbara Ellis, whose previous best finish with BAAT was 5th, has steadily been improving her game, and stroked herself into a third place finish. As the tournament progressed, in the handicapped format, veteran Michell Monk was bested by Shanelle Loraine, who secured 5th for herself, and resigned Monk to a 7th place finish tie with Sis Tarver, who lost to Susanne Cherkowsky. Monk and Tarver received prize bags for their efforts. New BAAT member Cherkowsky offered a good showing with her 5th place win, after being ousted by last month’s newcomer Ryno, who took the match 5-2. Tour regular Loraine went to the hill before losing to Valerie Dukick, with a score of 6-3. Loraine and Cherkowsky each received $50 for their 5th place finishes. Dukick, who returned to the tour last month after a long hiatus, defeated Tammy Gillis, Kelly Cavanaugh and Cherkowsky, before being sent to the one-loss side by Ellis. Ryno had prevailed over last month’s winner Rachel Delaney and last year’s tour champion Monk before succumbing to Barnes. Dukick and Ryno faced off in the hard fought quarter-final match, and went hill-hill with Ryno sinking the game-winning ball, taking the match 4-4. Dukick took 4th place and $100 in prize money. Facing Ryno in the semi-final was Ellis, who defeated Christine Brenner, Lana Loomis, and Dukick before losing to Barnes. All but one of Ellis’s matches went to the hill, and this one was no different. The games went back and forth, Ellis playing with new-found deliberation, and Ryno stroking with steady determination. Ryno predominated 6-3, and took the opportunity to try to exact revenge on Barnes in the finals. Ryno outperformed Barnes in the first final match, winning 4-2 in the four-to-five race of the true double-elimination tournament and forcing the second set. But Barnes retaliated with a vengeance in the second set, and won it 5-1. Barnes’s first place finish earned her $300, Ryno took home $225 for second, and Ellis won $150 for her third place finish. In a sneak preview of the brand new Lucasi Hybrid Big Beulah II set to hit the market in March, the BAAT tour held a break contest where over 30 competitors got a chance to try out the new cue and show their breaking skills. Out of all of the contestants, men and women alike, a small-framed woman showed off the biggest break. She pocketed 3 balls on the break and won a Stroke It t-shirt and a Strokers gift certificate for her breaking skills. Thanks go out to Jose DelRio and Dan Leonard, Strokers’ owners, and their staff members, for their support and use of a fantastic venue. Thanks also to our sponsors, including: Tiger Products, Lucasi Hybrid, Sterling Gaming, Ozone Billiards, Ray Martin, Nick Varner, Strokeitwear.com, Robertson Billiard Supplies, Tweeten Fiber, Billiard Scoop, and Sports Rock, for making it possible for BAAT to give gifts to players, fans, and room owners. 1st Jessica Barnes $300 2nd Bethann Ryno $225 3rd Barbara Ellis $150 4th Valerie Dukick $100 5-6 Shanelle Loraine $50 Susanne Cherkowsky $50 7-8 Michell Monk Prizes Sis Tarver Prizes

March 2010 - Stroke Magazine 11

CROWN CUES PLAYERS

Blackstock wins Dominiak Cues Tour Stop

Sunday February 14th on Valentines day the Dominiak Cues Northeast 10-Ball Tour came to Springfield, MA for tour stop #11 at the popular Snookers's Billiards. The tour would like to once again thank Snooker's and the staff for being a great host to the tour. On This Valentines Day we saw a slightly smaller field than usual, but certainly not short of talent! We saw many tour regulars walk in the door ready to play, including tour regulars Gene Hunt, Mike Wheeler, Art Houghtaling, Kevin Blackstock, Steve Parise and Tim Haley. Also in attendence were many previous tour stop winners including Stan Wilk, Norm Vernon and Chuck Hill. The top half of the winners bracket would see Carl Guimond steadily making his way to the hot seat match with wins over Mike Wheeler in the opening round, then consecutive wins over Kevin Ketz, Keith Lauer to face Norm Vernon in the hot seat. The bottom half of the winners side would see previous tour stop winner Norm Vernon make his way to the hot seat to play Carl with wins over Chuck Hill in the opening round, then wins over tour regulars Tim Haley and Kevin Blackstock. The hot seat match would prove to be very close between Carl and Norm, but Carl came up with the win to send Norm to the 1 loss side and earned his spot in the finals. The 1 loss side would see tour regular Kevin Blackstock take wins over Doug Wabnig and Stan Wilk to again meet up with Norm Vernon to try and avenge his earlier loss to Norm sending him to the B side of the chart. This time around Kevin Blackstock beared down and earned his spot in the finals over Norm Vernon. Congrats to Norm on a strong showing and 3rd place finish! Around 7pm the 1 set finals was called to the table between Carl Guimond and Kevin Blackstock. We extended the race to 6 for the finals and we were off! Early on it was a back and forth match, then with the score 3-2 in favor of Kevin, he opened it up to take a commanding lead to 5-2. Carl would battle back and win the next game to make it 5-3, but in game 9 of the finals Kevin Blackstock smoothly ran out the rack to take home his first Dominiak Tour Stop win! Congrats to Carl Guimond for a very good performance and strong 2nd place finish. Rodney Polak was the winning ticket holder of the beautiful Dominiak Cue donated by Bill Dominiak. Bill generously donates a new beautiful cue to every tour stop in support of pool players. Visit www.DominiakCues. com to see Bill's work and great prices. Gene Hunt was the winner of the tour T-Shirt donated by co-sponsor www.LeagueShirts.com and trophies for the top 2 finishers were provided by co-sponsor www.RackemWear. com.. Visit the tour website www.DominiakCuesTour.com for all info and schedule. RESULTS: 1st Place 2nd Place 3rd Place 4th Place

$175 $110 $75 $40

Kevin Blackstock Carl Guimond Norm Vernon Stan Wilk

12 Stroke Magazine - March 2010

Last month, we introduced you to the players we have sponsored for a year or more. This month, we’re going to introduce you to some players we recently began sponsoring. AARON “THE ANVIL” BOLLING Aaron is our young one... being only 21 years old. Raised in Palatka, FL, Aaron is one of six children. Being 6 ft. 6 in., everyone assumed he would be a basketball star. After going to several college prep schools for basketball, he moved back home to become the father of two beautiful girls and be near his family. When Aaron was 15, his brother took him to the student union of the local junior college, where there was a pool table. A few of the college students were shooting trick shots, which caught his attention and from there, his love for pool grew. After a few years of hard practice, studying books and watching videos, plus a little game time on the road, Aaron began playing in some of the bigger tournaments, often finishing in the money. Aaron thoroughly enjoys One Pocket and 9 Ball as two of his favorite cue sport games. Aaron recently made a trip to Tulsa, OK, to play in the T-Town Classic One Pocket Championships. It was his first big tournament with his new Crown Cue, which was a hit with all who tried it out. Aaron is still in Northern Florida, where he plays regularly in the local tournaments, as well as some around the area. We hope to see Aaron at the US Open in 2010. Watch for his name as he grows in the sport. Aaron does not have a website, but will soon have a webpage on Crown Cues’ website, which will include pictures of his beautiful cue. JASON “THE LONE WOLF” LAWRENCE Born in 1972 in Birmingham, England to Jamaican parents, Jason is the youngest of four children. He is very proud of his Jamaican roots and he returns to Jamaica as often as possible to see his grandmother, who he proudly claims is still alive and fantastic. At the age of 19, his mother pushed him toward furthering his education. Consequently, in the 1990’s, he studied Product Design and Development at Salford University and has been pleased to have gained the knowledge and experience. Going to the university took him to the northwest of England, where he remains to this date. At the tender age of 9, Jason began playing Snooker. He didn’t begin playing American cue sports until age 33, although he played Snooker at Pro-Am level for 21 years. He claims Anthony Crosby as a good friend who was very helpful towards his Snooker game, when he was still living in England. When he’s not playing pool, Jason enjoys cooking and listening to most styles of music. Having been a part of two “professional signed” bands for over 15 years, he retired from that about 5 years ago, although he still applies his skills on the drum set, whenever he has the opportunity. Jason’s favorite Snooker player is Jimmy White. He would like very much to follow in similar footsteps to the player known as ‘The People’s’ Champion. His heroes in life are his parents, Muhammad Ali, Nelson Mandela and Michael Jackson. Jason’s website is currently under construction, but he can be found on facebook and will soon have a webpage on the Crown Cues website, where you can see photos of his Crown Cue and a list of some of his biggest accomplishments, as well.

Players of the Decade/Year Efren “The Magician” Reyes, who amassed nearly $1.7 million in prize money, and Allison Fisher, who won 27 Women’s Professional Billiard Association Classic Tour titles, were named Player of the Decade by the United States Billiard Media Association, the USBMA announced today. Reyes, the 55-year-old Filipino sensation, won more than 20 major men’s professional pool titles during the decade, starting with his $30,000 Camel Pro 8-Ball Championship Efren Reyes win in 2000. Of his 22 major victories, the versatile Reyes won four one-pocket crowns, four 8-ball titles and 14 9-ball titles. He also won the Derby City All- Around title three times. But it was during the short-lived International Pool Tour that Reyes scored his biggest wins. In three multi-million dollar events, Reyes won two titles (2005 IPT King of the Hill Allison Fisher and 2006 IPT North American Open) and pocketed $765,000. Fisher, meanwhile, continued her dominance over women’s pool for a second straight decade. After winning 26 Classic Tour titles during the ’90s, the former snooker champion added 27 more from 2000-2010. In addition to her WPBA Classic Tour titles, Fisher, 41, earned the gold medal at the 2009 World Games, was the 2000 BCA U.S. Open 14.1 champion and won the Tournament of Champions five times. She earned $637,000 over the 10-year span. Additionally, both Reyes and Fisher were elected into the Billiard Congress of America Hall of Fame during the decade, with Reyes being inducted in 2003 and Fisher in 2009. In Player of the Decade voting, Reyes out-pointed Johnny Archer, Mika Immonen and Ralf Souquet. Fisher was named woman player of the decade on all but two ballots, with Karen Corr and Jasmin Ouschan each receiving one vote. Finnish-born Mika Immonen, who won his second consescutive U.S. Open 9-Ball Championship title, the world 10-ball crown and the International Challenge of Champions, was the unanimous choice for male Player

of the Year in voting conducted by the United States Billiard Media Association, the USBMA announced today. Immonen, 37, was named on all 21 ballots turned in by members of the media group. Jasmin Ouschan, of Austria, who won half of the Women’s Professional Billiard Association’s six Classic Tour events, was the USBMA’s choice for woman Player of the Year. Immonen, who resides in New York City, enjoyed his best year ever as a pro, adding the Galveston World Classic 10-ball title and Qatar Open title to his 2009 haul. Overall, Immonen won five of the seven events that MIka Immonen featured a top prize of more than $20,000. His 2009 winnings topped Jasmin Ouschan $230,000. Meanwhile, Ouschan made her mark by winning the WPBA Great Lakes Classic, the WPBA Pacific Coast Classic and the WPBA Tour Championship. She also placed third in the women’s world 10-ball event and second to Allison Fisher at the World Games. Despite finishing second to Korea’s Ga Young Kim in the WPBA year-end points standings for 2009 (26,500 to 26,000), Ouschan picked up 12 votes for player of the year. Kim received four votes, while Karen Corr received two votes.

6004 Landmark Cntr Blvd Greensboro, NC

(336) 856-8800

April 3rd

Classic One Pocket 100% Payout

May 15-16

GSBT - $1500 Added Call for info March 2010 - Stroke Magazine 13

Call First - All Tournaments are subject to change without notice

DATE Mar 6 Mar 6-7 Mar 6-7 Mar 13-14 Mar 13-14 Mar 13-14 Mar 14 Mar 20 Mar 26-28

CITY LOCATION Gainesville, FL Art of Billiards Syracuse, NY Cap’s Cue Club W Hempstead, NY Raxx Pool Room Tampa, FL Strokers 2 Billiards Cornelius, NC Kylie’s Sportsbar Clifton Park, NY Trick Shot Billiards Albany, NY Golden Cue Billiards Largo, FL Corner Pocket Billings, MT MCMOA www.otbntv.com Mar 27-28 Indianapolis, IN Brickyard Billiards Mar 27-28 Atlanta, GA Mr Cues II Mar 27-28 Duluth, GA The Pool Room Mar 27-28 Merritt Island, FL Island Breakers Mar 27-28 N Syracuse, NY Salt City Billiards Mar 27-28 Sunnyside, NY Master Billiards Mar 28 Springfield, MA Snookers Billiards Apr 2-4 Saratoga, WY Platte Valley Open www.otbntv.com Apr 3 Greensboro, NC Gate City Billiards Apr 3-4 Syracuse, NY Korky’s Pool Room Apr 10-11 Jacksonville, FL Bankshots Billiards Apr 10-11 W Hempstead, NY Raxx Pool Room Apr 17 Clearwater, FL Park Place Billiards Apr 17-18 Albany, NY Golden Cue Billiards Apr 24-25 Sunnyside, NY Master Billiards May 1-2 Sanford, NC SpeakEazy Billiards May 8-9 Jackson Hghts, NY BQE Billiard Cafe May 15-16 Rocky Mount, NC Sharks N Shooters May 15-16 Greensboro, NC Gate City Billiards May 14-22 Las Vegas, NV BCAPL May 17-22 Las Vegas, NV BCAPL May 22 Palm Harbor, FL Stix Billiards May 22-23 W Hempstead, NY Raxx Pool Room May 27-Jun 5 Las Vegas, NV VNEA www.otbntv.com May 29-30 Sunnyside, NY Master Billiards May 29-31 Los Angeles, CA Hollywood Billiards Jun 5-6 Sunnyside, NY Master Billiards Jun 12-13 Providence, RI Snookers Billiards Jun 12-13 Spring Hill, FL Capone’s Billiards Jun 17-20 Rochester, MN VNEA www.otbntv.com Jun 26-27 W Hempstead, NY Raxx Pool Room Jun 27 Somersworth, NH Busters Billiards

PHONE EVENT / RULES ENTRY ADDED (352) 225-3535 9-Ball Open - Men/Women $25/$20 $500 Guar 1st (315) 701-0101 Joss NE 9 Ball Tour Call $1,500 (516) 538-9896 Predator Empire State ABCD Call $2,500 (813) 814-2277 KF Cues Tour Amateur/Open Call $2,000 (704) 895-6944 GSBT 9-Ball A/B amateur Call $1,500 (518) 383-8771 Joss NE 9 Ball Tour Call $2,000 www.dominiakcuestour.com 10 Ball Dominiak Cues Tour $25+$10 $350 in prizes (727) 330-7822 Tiger Bay Area Amateur Tour Call $500 (406) 442-7088 MCMOA State Championships Qual. at bars $25,000 or www.ustream.tv/channel/otbntv-live (317) 248-0555 9-Ball Bar Box - Limit 64 $75 $1,500 (770) 454-7665 Seminole Pro Tour Call $7,000 (770) 418-9086 GSBT 9-Ball A/B amateur Call $1,500 (321) 459-9100 KF Cues Tour Amateur/Open Call $2,000 (315) 454-8643 Joss NE 9 Ball Tour Call $1,500 (718) 706-6789 Predator 9 Ball Tour ABCD Call $1,000 www.dominiakcuestour.com 10 Ball Dominiak Cues Tour $25+$10 $350 in prizes (307) 329-8924 8-Ball-Master/Classic/Sportsman Div Varies $10,000 or www.ustream.tv/channel/otbntv-live (336) 856-8800 One Pocket - Non Handicap $30 Call (315) 488-4888 CNY 9-Ball Tour $105 $600 (904) 998-2100 Seminole Pro Tour Call $7,000 (516) 538-9896 Joss NE 9 Ball Tour Call $2,000 (727) 725-7665 Tiger Bay Area Amateur Tour Call $500 (518) 459-9442 Joss NE 9-Ball Open XXIII $100 $2000 added (718) 706-6789 Predator 9 Ball Tour ABCD Call $1,000 (919) 775-1166 GSBT 9 Ball A/B Amateur Call $1,500 (718) 779-4348 Predator 9 Ball Tour ABCD Call $1,000 (252) 937-8882 Jacoby Carolina Tour Call $1,000 (336) 856-8800 GSBT 9-Ball A/B amateur Call $1,500 (702) 719-7665 8-Ball National Champ *(based on 2008) Varies $750,000* entries (702) 719-7665 U S Open 10-Ball Call $25,000 Guar (727) 937-9225 Tiger Bay Area Amateur Tour Call $500 (516) 538-9896 Joss NE 9 Ball Tour Call $2,000 (800) 544-1346 VNEA Int’l Championships Varies or www.ustream.tv/channel/otbntv-live (718) 706-6789 Predator 9 Ball Tour ABCD Call $1,000 (323) 465-0115 Seminole Pro Tour Call $8,500 (718) 706-6789 Predator 9 Ball Tour ABCD Call $1,000 (401) 351-7665 Joss NE 9 Ball Tour Call $2,000 (352) 688-9965 Seminole Pro Tour Call $7,000 (800) 544-1346 VNEA Junior Nationals Varies or www.ustream.tv/channel/otbntv-live (516) 538-9896 Predator 9 Ball Tour ABCD Call $1,000 (603) 682-7926 New England 9 Ball Series Finale Call $1,500

TIME 10 AM Call Call Call Call Call 11 AM Call Call 9 AM Call Call Call Call Call 11 AM 6:00PM 2 PM Noon Call Call Call 10 AM Call Call Call Call Call Call Call Call Call Call Call Call Call Call Call Call Call Call

Attention Pool Players: Do you know of a location that doesn’t receive STROKE - Call or email info on page 3

OTBnTV Live Streaming Schedule Mar 26-28, 2010 30th Annual MCMOA State 8 Ball Championships Apr 2-4, 2010 Platte Valley Open Saratoga, WY

May 27-Jun 5, 2010 30th VNEA Int’l Championships Las Vegas, NV Jun 17-20, 2010 20th VNEA Junior Nationals Rochester, MN