November 2012 Inside POOL Magazine by Inside POOL Magazine

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6 Beat People With a Stick Real It In 8 Pro Pool Workout Clip and Run Three Rails 10 Ten Steps to Pool Success Step Two: The Foundation Skill 12 Intermediate Objectives Analyzing Energy Cycles

14 Orcollo and Fisher Fly High Capture China Open Crowns 22 Success at Str8-Shots.com Shoot for a Cure Pool Players Take Aim at Cancer 24 IP’s Holiday Buying Guide 28 Back to the Boardwalk 32 Surprise Sweep for Skowerski Pole Hits Pay Dirt at World Pool Masters

On the Cover: It’s time to head back to the boardwalk! IP was able to catch up with Michael Stuhlbarg and Vincent Piazza, stars of HBO’s hit series “Boardwalk Empire,” and find out if they’ve stayed in stroke. For the full story, please visit page 28. Cover photo courtesy of HBO / Macall B. Polay 2 InsidePOOL Magazine ◊ November 2012

Publisher JR Calvert publisher@insidepoolmag.com Editor Sally P. Timko editor@insidepoolmag.com Graphic Artists Laura Luzier art@insidepoolmag.com Allen Hopkins Jr. Editorial Assistant Lea Andrews Advertising Sales Director Bill Perry sales@insidepoolmag.com Technical Consultant Tom Simpson Staff Videographer Alvin Nelson Feature Photo Credits JR Calvert, Alison Chang, Abbot Genser, HBO, Matchroom Sport, J. P. Parmentier, Macall B. Polay, Chengzhe Tai, Top147.com, World Pool-Billiard Association E-mail info@insidepoolmag.com Website www.insidepoolmag.com Instructional Staff Johnny Archer, Shannon Daulton, Mark Finkelstein, Bob Henning, Allan Sand, Tom Simpson Contributing Writers Fred Agnir, Mark Finkelstein, Matt Jackson, Rob Johnson, Ted Lerner, Ken Shuman, Sally P. Timko Toll Free 888-428-7665 Administrative Offices PO Box 972, Kittanning, PA 16201

8 Advertiser Directory 40 APA Player of the Month Regional Roundup 42 Northeast 44 Southeast 45 Central

38 Earmarked Editions Mastering the Inner Game of Pool 45 SudoCue Puzzle Thanksgiving 46 Industry News 48 Word Puzzle Chalk Like an Egyptian

Statement of Ownership, Management & Circulation (Required by 39 U.S.C. 3685) 1. Title of publication: InsidePOOL Magazine. 2. Publication No. 1547-3511. 3. Date of filing: 10-01-12. 4. Issue frequency: Monthly except June and August. 5. Number of issues published annually: Ten times per year. 6. Annual subscription price: $19.99. 7. Complete mailing address of known office of publication: PO Box 972, Kittanning, PA, 16201. 8. Complete mailing address of headquarters or general business offices of publisher: PO Box 972, Kittanning, PA, 16201. 9. Full names and complete mailing address of publisher and editor: Publisher: Sherrill “JR” Calvert, PO Box 972, Kittanning, PA, 16201. Editor: Sally P. Timko, PO Box 972, Kittanning, PA, 16201. 10. Owner: Sherrill “JR” Calvert, PO Box 972, Kittanning, PA, 16201. 11. Known bondholders, mortgages and other security holders owning or holding one percent or more of total amount of bonds, mortgages or other securities: None. 12. The purpose, function and nonprofit status of this organization (authorized to mail at special rates in accordance with Section 424.12 DMM only) and the exempt status for Federal income tax purposes has not changed during the preceding 12 months. 13. Publication name: InsidePOOL Magazine. 14. Issue date for circulation below: May/June 2012. 15a(1). Total number of copies net press run: 4,400, 5,000. 15b(1). Paid and/or requested circulation: 2,567, 2,541. 15b(2). Paid in-county subscriptions: 0, 0. 15b(3). Sales through dealers and mailed through the USPS: 1,818, 2,310. 15c. Total paid and/or requested circulation: 4,400, 5,000. 15d(1). Free distribution by mail (samples, complimentary, and other free): 0, 0. 15d(2). Free or nominal rate in-county copies included on PS Form 3541: 0. 15d(3). Free or nominal rate copies mailed at other classes through the USPS: 0. 15d(4). Free distribution outside the mail (carriers or other means): 0, 0. 15e. Total free distribution: 0, 0. 15f. Total distribution: 4,400, 5,000. 15g. Copies not distributed: 0, 0. 15h. Total: 4,400, 5,000. 15i. Percent paid and/or requested circulation: 100%, 100%. 16. Publication of statement of ownership, required: November 2012. 17. I certify that the statements made by me above are correct and complete. Sherrill “JR” Calvert, owner POSTMASTER: Please send address changes to: InsidePOOL Magazine PO Box 972 Kittanning, PA 16201 PRINTED IN THE U.S.A.

November 2012 ◊ InsidePOOLmag.com 3

Advertiser Directory

To contact any of our advertisers, visit their website, send an e-mail, or give them a call. 47

Mark Finkelstein, Pool Ramblings www.mcnallyjackson.com

A Pool Lesson with Jerry Breisath 608-279-9994

McDermott Handcrafted Cues www.mcdermottcue.com

Allan P. Sand www.billiardgods.com

Mueller Recreational Products www.poolndarts.com

40, 46

American Poolplayers Association www.poolplayers.com

OB Cues www.obcues.com

Atlas Billiard Supplies www.cuestik.com

27, 39

Predator Products www.predatorcues.com

Balabushka Cue Company www.balabushkacues.com

Qpod www.qpod-billiard.com

Bebob Publishing www.bebobpublishing.com

Space City Open 713-825-1411

Classified Ads Dr. Popper Jump Q www.drpopperjumpq.com

Sterling Gaming, Inc. www.sterling-gaming.com

5, 9

Fury Cues www.fury-cues.com

Inside Back Cover

Tiger Products, Inc. www.tigerproducts.com

Iwan Simonis, Inc. www.simoniscloth.com

Inside Front Cover

Tom Simpson, Billiard Instruction www.poolclinics.com

23, 45

J&J America Billiards, Inc. www.jjcue.com

Viking Cue Manufacturing, LLC www.vikingcue.com

Kamui Tips www.kamuibrand.com

World Professional Billiard League www.wpbl.tv

6 InsidePOOL Magazine ◊ October 2012

Back Cover 37

Real It In U

barely prevents you from hitting enough of your target object ball to cut it the proper angle. The good news here is you don’t need maximum sidespin to get maximum SIT. Delivering just a half-tip of sidespin, soft speed, and stun (skidding CB) actually produces the maximum throw for any particular cut angle. This means you don’t have to deal with the additional difficulty of controlling a cue ball that has more spin than needed.

sually, the facts and principles produced by science make intuitive sense to us. And then occasionally we get surprises—findings that are contrary to our common sense perspective. Because this type of information doesn’t fit with our assumedcorrect understanding, we may reject it, disagree with it, or just simply forget it. But when this happens—when new facts don’t fit with our cherished beliefs—somebody is wrong somewhere or they don’t have a big enough picture of what’s going on. Rather than ignore or reject the conflict, this is really the time to look deeper, adjust your truth if necessary, and think through how to change your thinking and doing. I recently realized I had been wrong on a physics fact, even though I “learned” it some years ago. I somehow didn’t notice that it conflicted with my understanding until recently, when I happened on the information again. The implications are huge for a certain category of shots and may even cause us to aim slightly differently on some shots.

•

Another useful shot category comes up when you are using sidespin to throw the OB so you can change the CB deflection angle. Shifting the contact point a little and using sidespin to pocket the ball can give you more position options. The other important fact to know here is—and again, not obvious or expected—sidespin does not change the CB deflection angle off the OB.

•

All those pros and instructors who have been urging you to reel it in and not spin the rock so much were right! You don’t need much tip offset to get lots of action. If you use less offset, you won’t have to adjust nearly as much for squirt (OB deflection caused by your shaft when you strike off center). Less offset, less squirt, less aim adjustment. And while we’re here, yet another surprising finding is the fact that squirt is independent of speed. You don’t reduce squirt by hitting harder or softer.

•

Spin-induced throw maxes out when the CB is stunned (skidding at impact). To significantly reduce SIT, use draw or follow.

•

Okay, when might you want to use maximum sidespin? When you need the spin to change the cue ball’s angle out of the cushion. When you are hitting a shot with maximum sidespin, you must very accurately adjust your aim for squirt and swerve. However, as your tip offset increases beyond a half-tip, the SIT aim adjustment actually decreases. Crazy spin can make a big difference off the cushion, especially with a slow-moving cue ball. Consider the fact that draw drags on the cloth and slows the cue ball. Most of the sidespin remains in the cue ball, though, so slowing the CB is another way to get bigger sidespin action off the rail.

Eminent billiard physicist “Dr. Dave” Alciatore, Ph.D., published this information in 2006. Working through the math for spin-induced throw (SIT), Dave came up with the surprising finding that more sidespin doesn’t necessarily produce more throw. This has practical implications for us as players.

‘

’

Spin-Induced Throw (SIT) maxes out at a half-tip of sidespin!

Before we go into that, let’s all get on the same page with this concept. SIT is a friction effect between balls at impact. A cue ball with sidespin will “grab” the object ball and “throw” it a bit in the direction of the spin (left english throws the OB to the right). Most players intuitively get that clean, slippery balls throw less. After all, they slip more. And it certainly seems to make sense that the closer the cut angle is to straight in, the bigger the effect. This is another truth that fits nicely with what we’d expect. It also seems to make sense that the more rpm’s of sidespin, the more effect. Now here’s the surprise: It turns out that, as you offset your tip left or right of the cue ball’s vertical axis, the SIT effect comes on very quickly and maxes out at about a half-tip of sidespin. This is not what our pool sense would lead us to expect. Most of us expect to get more and more throw as we increase the sidespin. Instead, the throw effect gradually falls off as we offset farther out, beyond a half-tip! To be clear, a half-tip offset means shifting the center of your tip to the left or right of center about one-quarter inch. Not what we think of as a lot of english. If we accept this as true, what are some ramifications for our game? The news is good:

•

The obvious category of shots affected by this knowledge is “spin it in” shots. These are shots where an obstructing ball just

6 InsidePOOL Magazine ◊ November 2012

You’re probably using more spin than needed and perhaps not quite aiming correctly with sidespin. Reel it in. A little science can help us do the art. Get real. Do less.

Tom Simpson Tom Simpson is a Master Instructor in both the PBIA and ACS Instructor Programs. He delivers his acclaimed 3-Day Weekend Intensive in 12 cities nationwide. As inventor of Elephant Practice Balls®, the Stroke Groover™, and the Ghostball Aim Trainer®, and authorized instructor for Secret Aiming Systems™, Tom’s innovations in training have helped thousands of players. Listen to an audio description of the Intensive, and read 35 instructional articles at www.NationalBilliardAcademy.com. Contact: Tom@PoolClinics.com.

Clip and Run Three Rails I

n the last column we looked at Clip Safeties, a category of safeties included in my new book Pro Safeties: The TOP 100 Safety Shots in Pool. In this common and highly effective type of safety, the cue ball is moved to a safe location after contacting the object ball with a thin hit. In most cases, the cue ball is moved from one end of the table to the other. The overall goal with the object ball, on the other hand, is to contact it thin, but thick enough to move it a small distance to a safer position. The shot covered in the last issue was the Clip to the Side and Run Two Rails. The featured shot in this column has a couple of differences. As you can see in the accompanying diagram, the table situation is a 9-ball game where the 4 ball can be contacted, but not fully enough it to pocket it in the corner. In addition, the 8 ball is in the middle of the table and cuts off the two-rail path to get the cue ball behind the 7. This forces a different cue ball path and brings this month’s shot, the Clip to the Side and Run Three Rails, into play.

a lock-up safety and will probably win this game. It’s crucial, however, to avoid the inherent risk factor of this shot. Going the extra rail eliminates the risk of running into the 8 ball, but it brings a risk of its own. It requires you to bring the cue ball within a half of a diamond of the side pocket. For this reason, make sure you practice this one before attempting to use it in competition. You want to be confident that you will not scratch in the side. The number-one goal of this safety is to get the cue ball behind the 7, but if you come in a little short or long, you’ll still have a good safety as the 4 will end up on, or very near, the end rail and hidden by the 6, 5, and 7. The main thing to concentrate on is speed, as what you don’t want to do is to overshoot the cue ball target and leave your opponent a thin, but possible cut shot.

Tom Simpson

For a second variation, move the 4 ball to the X. Use enough inside english tois keep the cue on Tom Simpson a Master Instructor in bothball the PBIA track and hit a littleand less the 4Programs. ball, He moving only a ACSof Instructor delivers hisitacclaimed citiesopen, nationwide. As if diamond or so. This3-Day willWeekend leaveIntensive it outinin12the but inventor of Elephant Practice Balls®, the Stroke Groover™, the cue ball ends upandbehind the 7, you’re still all right. the Ghostball Aim Trainer®, and authorized instructor

5 6

for Secret Aiming Systems™, Tom’s innovations in training

have helped thousands of players. Listen to an audio Good luck and good shootin’!

description of the Intensive, and read 35 instructional articles at www.NationalBilliardAcademy.com. Contact: Tom@PoolClinics.com.

x 8

Bob Henning Second variation

Going three rails actually makes it easier to get behind and “snug against the 7 ball. If the cue Ken up” Shuman ball contacts the fourth rail near the second diamond as it runs Ken outShuman of steam, you of Sacramento, CA, isare one ofgoing the country’sto get premier tournament directors. He is an accomplished professional referee and is considered an expert on the 8 InsidePOOL Magazine rules ◊ofNovember play. Ken has2012 officiated at World Championship events in the USA and the Philippines. He directs some of

Bob Henning is the author of The Pro Book, widely considered to be the most advanced training resource for competitive pool players. It brings the latest techniques of the top coaches and trainers of all sports into pool. It is intended for those who wish to prepare physically, mentally, and psychologically for pool competition. Bob is also the author of “The Pro Book Video Series,” a complete, on-the-table training system, and he also released The Advanced Pro Book and The Stroke Zone: The Pool Player’s Guide to Dead Stroke. In addition, he has authored Cornbread Red, a biography of the colorful Billy Burge. Bob recently released a new book titled Pro Safeties: The TOP 100 Safety Shots in Pool.

Robert LeBlanc

Instruction

< by Mark Finkelstein Step Two: The Foundation Skill

ast month we started on the road to pool success. This month we will look at the basic skill of all cue sports: stroking in a straight line. If you can’t hit what you are aiming at, all the pool knowledge in the world won’t help you.

Next is your hinging action. I believe your elbow should stay up for the pool stroke, but if yours moves down a little, that is okay. What won’t work is an excessive elbow drop that is more a swing from the shoulder than a real pool stroke.

A good pool stroke has three key points that we will work on and develop:

Now that your upper arm is straight, you are ready for this drill. Set the balls up as shown in Diagram 2. The object is to shoot normally off the rail and make ten shots in a row. To be able to do this, you must be relaxed and have a good hinging action.

• • •

Getting your hand and wrist over the cue stick in the right place. A smooth hinging action. Pointing your cue stick correctly for the shot at hand.

We will look at three exercises that will develop these skills and build a great stroke for you. These are all difficult exercises, but the end result of doing this work will be a smooth, relaxed, straight swing. First, set up the shot in Diagram 1. This drill is from Bert Kinister’s collection and is highly recommended. Hold the cue stick with one hand at the balance point and try to make ten shots in a row with the cue stick off the rail (one-handed, jacked up). When you are able to pocket ten in a row, your upper arm is aligned with your cue stick. You’ll notice that you will start changing your stance and relaxing more to be successful.

Once you have developed an aligned upper arm and a smooth, relaxed, hinging motion, we need to work on pointing straight. Set the balls up as shown in Diagram 3.This exercise is from Nick Varner and is called the “Straight Arrow” drill. The object is to pocket the 1 ball and drawback for the 8 ball. Do 50 of these shots at a time. Diagram 3

Ken Shuman

Diagram 1

Ken Shuman of Sacramento, CA, is one of the country’s premier tournament directors. He is an accomplished professional referee and is considered an expert on the rules of play. Ken has officiated at World Championship events in the USA and the Philippines. He directs some of Some key points in all these drills are a relaxed levelCity stick, the major tournaments, includinggrip, the Derby Classic, groomed tip, and good attitude. the will to CSI’s win, National but the U.S.Everyone Bar TablehasChampionship, the true winner has the will toChampionship do the work necessary to prepare for it. Series, the U.S. Open 9-Ball Championship, and the U.S. Open 10-Ball Championship. Contact Ken at Again, if your practice time is limited, you can scale back the shucue@yahoo.com. requirements for each drill. What is important, though, is to stick with this work. It is hard and frustrating, but in the end your stroke will be much improved and, along with it, your pool success. 1

The following month we will look at developing the next building block to pool success: speed control.

Diagram 2

Mark Finkelstein

10 InsidePOOL Magazine ◊ November 2012

Mark Finkelstein is an ACS and PBIA Master Instructor, accomplished player, instructional columnist for NYCGRIND, and author of the book PoolRamblings, available at McNally Jackson. Mark has been involved in pool and billiards for almost 60 years and is available for lessons or events at Slate Plus or Eastside Billiards in New York City. Visit Mfpool.com for more information.

Instruction

Tom Simpson Sand < by Allan Analyzing Energy Cycles

s in nature, the underlying natural operations of the human body go through a series of up and down cycles that look very similar to the patterns of a sine wave (see below).

This natural flow has major impacts on your life. It affects your feelings, your focus, your attitude, and your body’s physical responses. Some days you feel enthusiastic, other days you feel depressed. In the grand game of table billiards, these same cycles can be directly observed in the effectiveness of your playing ability. You can no more avoid experiencing these ups and downs than you can stop from getting older. If you don’t believe this, closely watch a competitive player throughout a long match. At times, consecutive game wins seem so effortless. Then, some kind of turn of luck occurs, and the other player takes over.

Ken Shuman

Ken Shuman of Sacramento, CA, is one of the country’s When playing on an up cycle, you are more accurate. The efpremier tournament directors. He is an accomplished fort to pocket balls and move the cue ball around is seemingly professional referee and is considered an expert on the effortless. Billiard god luck goes your way. Game wins occur with rules of play. Ken has officiated at World Championship wonderful regularity. Even the rail birds express their positive adevents in the USA and the Philippines. He directs some of miration of you and your skills. It can get thrilling. the major tournaments, including the Derby City Classic, the U.S. Bar Table Championship, CSI’s National Championship Series, the U.S. Open 9-Ball Championship, and the U.S. Open 10-Ball Championship. Contact Ken at shucue@yahoo.com.

‘

’

You don’t have to be a victim of your up and down cycles.

There is a dangerous side to this pool playing “high.” Because things seem so effortless, it is easy to assume this is the way every match should go, forever and forever. These flowing wins will never stop.

Mark Finkelstein

The problem occurs when you are coming down off the top is an to ACSbe andaPBIA of the cycle. First Mark one Finkelstein shot seems littleMaster moreInstructor, difficult, then player, ball instructional columnist a pocket is rattled,accomplished then the object is getting hit too for full. Half a NYCGRIND, and author of thehas book PoolRamblings, dozen innings later, your adoring crowd moved to other tables available at McNally Jackson. Mark has been involved in for their entertainment. pool and billiards for almost 60 years and is available for lessons at Slate or Eastside in New City. Visit Mfpool.com or events When the Plus down cycle Billiards begins, theYork difference is like night and for more day.information. Layouts that could be done with ease are harder. Routine patterns get tougher to play. The billiard gods seem to have it in for you personally. It can get downright unfair. Frustration grows as you beat yourself up over how poorly your game is going. Even those with excellent control of their temper have a hard time preventing themselves from being overcome with pool rage. 12 InsidePOOL Magazine ◊ November 2012

Tom Simpson is a Master Instructor in both the PBIA and ACS Instructor Programs. He delivers his acclaimed 3-Day Weekend Intensive in 12 cities nationwide. As inventor of Elephant Practice Balls®, the Stroke Groover™, and the Ghostball Aim Trainer®, and authorized instructor for Secret Aiming Systems™, innovations in training No one is exempt from these experiences. TheTom’s seriously dedicated haveenough helped thousands players. Listen to an audio players, when they experience of theseof“episodes, ” eventually description thetheIntensive, 35 instructional articles at figure out how to ofblunt extremeand topsread and bottoms of the cycles. www.NationalBilliardAcademy.com. Contact: Tom@PoolClinics.com. Surprisingly, you don’t have to be a victim of your up and down cycles. There is a solution to surviving and controlling the effects. The solution requires that you be continuously aware of your playing level over the previous several days and are able to self-monitor yourself.

Bob Henning

This is how you can identify when the edges of your skills begin to fray and unravel. This is evident on missing a couple of Bob Henning the author zone. of The Pro Book, widely shots that normally are well within your iscomfort This slight considered to be the most advanced resource for degradation of skills becomes an advance warning totraining immediately reduce your expectations ofcompetitive successpool by players. half. It brings the latest techniques of the top coaches and trainers of all sports into pool. It is those who wish(80% to prepare physically, For example, routinelyintended your for comfort zone success) is mentally, and psychologically for pool competition. Bob is good for most four-diamond-distance shots, and at six-diamond also theplay authoris ofseriously “The Pro evaluated. Book Video Series,” distances (chaos zone), defense On a a complete,reduce on-the-table trainingfactors system, and also released The Advanced Book down cycle, all these byhehalf. In addition, play Pro each and The Stroke Zone: The Pool Player’s Guide to Dead Stroke. In addition, he has shot with exaggerated care and attention. authored Cornbread Red, a biography of the colorful Billy Burge. Bob recently released a new bookawareness titled Pro Safeties: TOP 100identify Safety Shots in Pool. The same thatThe helped when to become cautious will also know when the upside begins. You will notice slight improvements in self-confidence and can justify expanding your comfort zone as reality matches your expectations. This is when you can start returning to normal game patterns and expectations.

Robert LeBlanc

It does take some time to train to be A big Robert yourself “Cotton” LeBlanc is aself-aware. well-known pool player part of it is knowing that these cycles do affect your40 game. sim-the and was a roadman for almost years, The traveling plest process is to detach acountry part of yourvirtually attention be aware playing all ofand the pool legends of and your competence. Simply tellchampions—and yourself at the beginning of each game making friends with them. Highly to watch out for skill degradation. Whenhe a key (missed skilled himself, is thefactor author changes of the best-selling book shots or when reality does not match expected results), an alarm Confessions of a Pool Hustler, which chronicles his islife passed to the conscious mind. backtrack your confidence and Simply hundreds of stories abouton being on the road. Visit his level and youatcan continue to be a serious competitor. Observers will website www.confessionsofapoolhustler.com. only notice that you play a few more safeties than usual. Cycles are real. Learn how to work with them and you will win more games.

Bob Henning Allan Sand Bob Henning is the author of The Pro Book, widely

considered to be the most advanced training resource for competitive players. It brings the qualified latest Allan Sandpool is a pocket billiards instructor, by the Professional Instructor techniques of the Billiards top coaches and Association trainers of(PBIA) all and American CueItSports (ACS). for He teaches players sports into pool. is intended those who wishhow to to become physically, “intelligentmentally, shooters”and andpsychologically how to think before prepare for shooting. He has played the green game for more than 50 pool competition. Bob is also the author of “The Pro years and now resides in Santa Clara, CA, where he keeps Book Video Series,” a complete, on-the-table training system, and he also released his skills sharpened on a double-shimmed 5x10 Saunier The Pro Book ThehasStroke Zone:seven The books Pool Player’ Deadand andAdvanced Wilhelm 1938 table.and Sands authored on hows Guide to playtobetter Stroke. In addition, he has authored Cornbread Red, a biography of the colorful smarter pool, including Art of War Versus the Art of Pool, Psychology of GamesmanBilly Burge. ship, and Safety Toolbox. For more information and details, please visit www.billiardgods.com.

Orcollo ith a grand finale performance that spoke of true greatness, the Philippines’ Dennis Orcollo capped an amazing week in Shanghai, winning the 2012 China Open Sunday afternoon with a brilliant 11-9 win over never-say-die Hui Chan Lu of Chinese-Taipei in front of several hundred people at the Shanghai Pudong Yuanshen Stadium arena.

Fly

“I feel great!” Orcollo exclaimed. “This tournament is definitely more difficult to win than others that I’ve played in. It’s really hard. There are so many good players here. You have to play consistently to win. I played really good all week. I was comfortable, I had good concentration, a good plan. I made sure not to show my emotions.” In the women’s event, Britain’s Kelly Fisher came into Sunday’s final feeling pretty good about her game. But even she had no idea just how good things were about to get. With an eye squarely on the prize—and clearly on greatness as well—Fisher put in an electrifying performance as she completely routed an overmatched Doudou Zhou of China 9-2 to capture the title. “I felt more prepared, and I came in with confidence. Winning the World Nine-Ball Championship in Shenyang gave me a boost. But getting knocked out in the World Ten-Ball in Manila this year knocked me down a bit. I just figured that I’ve won the World Nine-Ball, the World Ten-Ball, but I’ve never won the China Open. Now I have.”

Dennis Orcollo

14 InsidePOOL Magazine ◊ November 2012

Fisher

High

Capture China Open Crowns

POOL’S BEST READY FOR SHOWDOWN IN SHANGHAI

Shanghai is a city where people come to make their dreams, to reinvent themselves, to put pedal to the floor and seek out unimagined success. This makes it fitting that this teeming, ultra-cosmopolitan metropolis, which serves as the bustling, commercial hub of the world’s most populous nation, hosted the world’s finest men and women pool players to do battle in one of the year’s most exciting tournaments. Now in its fourth year, the China Open, held September 13-16 at the Shanghai Pudong Yuanshen Stadium, has quickly established itself as one of the premier events in the professional pool calendar. The tournament, which is a major ranking event of the World Pool and Billiard Association (WPA), features both a men’s and women’s tournament. The men’s event offers $176,600 in prize money with $40,000 going to the winner. The women’s tournament, which is played at the same time, has $125,600 on offer with $30,000 going to the eventual champion. The men’s event had 64 players playing in eight groups of 8, double elimination, alternate break with four players progressing from each group to the single-elimination final 32. The women started with 48 players divided into eight groups of 6 players, with the top two progressing to the final 16, which was single elimination.

DAY OF THRILLERS AT CHINA OPEN IN SHANGHAI

In the evening session alone inside the very chilly Shanghai Pundong Yuanshen Stadium, seven out of the 24 matches on the men’s side went to a one rack decider. That’s nearly 30% of the matches that headed for the cliff. You don’t have to own a sports book to know that the

by Ted Lerner photos courtesy of WPA, Alison Chang, Chengzhe Tai, and Top147.com

odds of something dramatic happening on the way to the title on Sunday are pretty darn good. Perhaps the biggest upset tonight was Hong Kong’s Kenny Kwok coming from behind to take down the current World 9-ball Champion and World number 1, Darren Appleton, 9-8. Kwok was behind 8-6 before tying up the match, then he broke and ran for the surprise victory. The Hong Kong native advanced to the final 32, while Appleton will get one more chance on the losers’ side on Friday. Kwok revealed afterward that he’s been playing hurt for the last two years with a shoulder injury. He’s tried physical therapists, traditional Chinese medicine, all to no avail. Only when he gave up therapy did he get about 80% of his strength back. But tonight he was 100% mentally tough. “In the last two years I haven’t played well at all,” Kwok said. “But today I had one of the best days in a long time. I was calm. I figured I had nothing to lose.” Against defending champion Chris Melling, China’s Liu Wei also played like he had nothing lose and outlasted the Englishman for a 9-7 win to advance to the knockout stage. The 31 year old from Beijing, ranked 11th in China, is one of these superb local players that plays in obscurity but has wheelbarrows full of ability. Afterward the humble Liu said he was just happy to be playing the defending champion. But in the hallway away from the prying

eyes of the media, he was giddy with laughter among his close friends. Winning big matches tends to do that to people. Melling ended the day fairly roughed up as his draw of two tough Chinese players was about tough as one could ever get. Fellow Englishman Karl Boyes was also feeling a bit bruised as he also lost a hair raiser when he admittedly dogged a four ball in the deciding rack and lost 9-8 to American Oscar Dominguez. Dominguez’s victory saved face for the four-man American contingent, as he was the only one to win on day 1. Not all matches in the men’s tournament were cliff hangers. After the lavish opening ceremony featuring singers and ballet dancers, Germany’s Thorsten Hohmann came back for the evening session and cruised past Qatar’s Waleed Majeed to qualify. World 8-ball champion Champion Chang Jung Lin also made it into the final 32 with an easy win over Vietnam’s Nguyen Anh Tuan. In

Kelly Fisher November 2012 ◊ InsidePOOLmag.com 15

“He’s got an agressive game,” said the Netherlands Nick Van Den Berg. “He’s been hanging around for a long time and now he’s starting to make his mark.” There’ll be many hoops for the talented Greek to jump through before he can think about lifting the cup on Sunday. But he’s already starting to make a big name for his big name and he’s sure to make some noise before it’s all over.

Ralf Souquet

first round matches the Philippines Lee Vann Corteza and Taiwan’s Fu Che Wei looked impressive in their wins. On the women’s side all the big names appeared headed for some tasty weekend showdowns starting in the single elimination round of 16. Kelly Fisher, defending champ Fu Xiaofang, Chen Siming, Pan Xiaoting, Liu Shasha, Jasmin Ouschan, Allison Fisher, Ga Young Kim and Yu Ram Cha all made it through. The final 16, which begins on Saturday is when the ladies event is guaranteed to pick up some serious steam. The 2012 China Open runs for four days beginning Thursday, September 13 through Sunday September 16, at the Shanghai Pudong Yuanshen Stadium in Shanghai and is a major ranking event of the WPA. The men’s event has 64 players playing in eight groups of 8, double elimination, alternate break with four players progressing from each group to the final 32, which is then a straight knockout. The men’s event offers $176, 600 in prize money with $40,000 going to the winner. The women start with 48 players divided into eight groups of six players, with the top two progressing to the final 16, which is then single elimination. The total prize fund for the women is $125,600 with $30,000 going to the eventual champion.

APPLETON SHOWN THE DOOR IN SHANGHAI

The 30-year-old Nick Ekonomopoulos of Greece bludgeoned one of Taiwan’s pre-tournament favorites, Ko Pin Yi, 9-2, to advance into

Yukio Akagariyama 16 InsidePOOL Magazine ◊ November 2012

the single-elimination knockout round of 32. The win over Ko was Ekonomopoulos’ second straight drubbing of a player from Taiwan. On Thursday he easily beat last year’s runner up Hsu Kai Lin, 9-4. “This is only my second tournament abroad outside Europe,” Ekonomopoulos said after beating Ko. “I’m just trying to relax. But I’m playing good. I’ve been playing good for a while now.” Indeed he has. He won the Austrian Open on the Euro Tour back in June. A few weeks later he found his way to Qatar for the World 9-ball and won a tough qualifier. In the main event in Doha Ekonomopoulos showed serious bottle as he took eventual champion Darren Appleton to the limit in the round of 16. He comb i n e s some serious talent with a quiet and confident swagger on the table that when combined is clearly intimidating to opponents.

The first two sessions on Judgement Day at the China Open proved daunting for quite a few players as the fields in both the men’s and women’s events began to take shape for the knockout stages. Easily the biggest surprise in the first two sessions of Friday’s play was the ouster of World Number 1, and World 9-ball champion Darren Appleton. Appleton had lost a last rack decider the previous night to Hong Kong’s Kenny Kwok. Today on the losers’ side of the bracket, the Englishman drew a very difficult opponent in 2009 China Open champion Chang Yu Lung of Chinese Taipei. Chang burst out to an early lead and never looked back as he consistently found himself with open shots, while Appleton was continually on the defensive. Chang won going away 9-2 to advance while Appleton had to pack up his cues and hit the road. Appleton’s countryman and defending champion Chris Melling finally had an easy day as he blew past Canada’s John Morra, 9-3 to advance. “I played perfect,” Melling said afterward. “Whenever I win a tournament I always lose a match along the way, so I’ve already lost one and I’m hoping that’ll be the same this time.” The Philippines Lee Van Corteza continued to impress. He easily defeated Japan’s Naoyuki Oi in a winner’s side match, 9-3, to qualify for the round of 32. Fellow Filipinos Dennis Orcullo and Carlo Biado were on the edge playing from the loser side in this double elimination event but both won--

with Orcollo beating the Netherlands Nick van den Berg 9-7,-- and both will be back in the evening session to try and qualify. Easily the most roughed up player of the week is China’s Dai Yong. On Thursday, Dai took Melling to the limit but lost right at the wire, 9-8. Today, Dai had Germany’s Ralf Souquet on the ropes only to see the German great claw his way back to tie things up at 8-8. Souquet broke and ran the last rack to advance while Dai could only rue what might have been. In other matches China’s Dang Jinhu easily beat Canada’s Alex Pagulayan 9-5 in a winners side match. Taiwan veteran Yang Ching Shun advanced with a 9 – 5 win over Sweden’s Andreas Gerwen. Last year’s runner up Hsu Kai Lun of Taiwan rebounded and ousted the USA’s Mike Dechaine. The only American left, Oscar Dominguez lost his winner’s side match by a thread to China’s Han Haoxiang, 9-8. In the women’s event, all the matches in the early session were on the losers’ side of the bracket. The superstar of women’s pool will be back in the evening session on the winner’s side as they trim the field down from 48 to 16.

KNOCKOUT STAGE BEGINS

Perseverance does indeed pay off.

Wu Jing, the twelfth-ranked female player in China, had played 2009 world 9-ball champion Liu Shasha on numerous occasions and never tasted victory against her famous compatriot. But the very unheralded Wu finally pulled it off. And what a time to do it. In a do-ordie match to see who would advance to the final 16 knockout stage, the

Chieh-Yu Chou

diminutive Wu played lights-out pool and thoroughly outplayed Liu, winning the match 7-2 and qualifying for the big stage. The win was clearly one of the biggest of Wu’s career. The best the 24-year-old from Fujian province had previously done was the final 16 in this year’s World 9-Ball Championship and the quarters at last year’s Philippine Open. But it was the opponent and the circumstances that had her beaming from ear to ear afterward. “I’ve played Liu Shasha many times in the past and I always lose,” Wu said after her win. “This time I just said relax, believe in myself, and I have a good chance to win. I’m very happy right now.” Most of the big names in women’s pool made it through. Besides Shasha, however, one other female star will not be making an appearance. Austria’s Jasmin Ouschan has an absolutely miserable day, dropping two matches and uncharacteristically missing the cut. The men’s field was trimmed from 64 to 32, and several of the latecomers were breathing huge sighs of relief. Orcollo found himself down 6-1 to China’s Wang Ming in the race-to-9 alternating-break match. He then went to work and climbed back, finally tying the match at 8. Orcollo had to deftly work his way through a tense last rack to take the match and a spot in the round of 32. “He played good in the beginning,” Orcollo said. “He’s a really good player. Every match is tough. There’s a lot of young guys coming up every day. I just have to keep going every day. I know how to survive.” In another close call Taiwan’s Chen Ying Chieh came back against Japan’s Naoyuki Oi to win

9-7. The USA’s Oscar Dominguez bounced back from a bitter 9-8 defeat to China’s Han Haoxing earlier and cruised past the Netherlands Huidji See 9-5. Dominguez is now the sole American bet in the last 32.

WOMEN’S FINAL CAST SET

After a night of high drama, Britain’s Kelly Fisher and China’s Zhou Doudou emerged victorious by the absolute slimmest of margins to face each other in the finals. Both alternatingbreak, race-to-9 semifinal matches went right to cliff, with each being decided by one dramatic single frame. The first semifinal featured world number three Fisher going up against world number one Xiaofang Fu in a rematch of their tense final at the World 9-Ball Championship in June, which Fisher won. The match was everything fans could ask for: high quality throughout, tense drama, and a thrilling finish. Fisher grabbed an early 2-0 lead and held on to it until Fu tied the match midway. The comeback gave Fu a shot of confidence and she soon went ahead 7-5, then 8-6. Fisher got one back on Fu’s break to make the score 8-7. Then, in the following rack, the Brit sank four balls on the break but didn’t have a shot. After a pair of brilliant safeties by both players, Fisher was faced with one of those door-die shots that can become career highlights if potted. Facing either a difficult bank on the 6 ball or a pick-‘em safety, Fisher took the dangerous route and went for the bank. She made it and ran out the rack to tie the match at 8-8. “I had to go for it,” Fisher said afterward. “I’d have killed myself if I had played safe and then lost the match.” The gamble paid off handsomely for Fisher because Fu scratched on the break in the de-

Xiaofang Fu November 2012 ◊ InsidePOOLmag.com 17

ment because of all the good players here from all over the world. I just have to play my game and not think about winning—just concentrate and play one game at a time.”

Yuan-Chun Lin

Yu Lung Chang built up a head of steam, beginning the day by taking down two of his countrymen in succession: Jung Lin Chang 11-8 and Che Wei Fu 11-6. Against German great Ralf Souquet in the quarterfinals, Chang came back from a 4-0 deficit and streaked to the finish line to win 11-5. This year alone Chang has already won one event in China and a big international tournament in Dubai. And the 30-year-old from Taipei won this very event in 2010.

ciding game. The two had to play safe, but Fu left a shot open and Fisher held her nerve for a memorable victory and a spot in the final.

ment in World Nine-Ball, CBSA events, and other big tournaments, but I finally did something tonight.”

“That was a great match,” Fisher said. “We both played really well. I’m very happy with my performance. I’ve struggled for a few years in China and I never got across the finish line. The final in Shenyang at the World Nine-Ball in June—that was my first final in China, and when I won it just makes you feel that you can do it, you have the confidence. But at this level you have to perform, because if you’re even just a little bit off, you’re going to lose.”

FINAL FOUR MEN SET FOR CLASH

The second semifinal pitted two of the best of the young generation of Chinese women pool stars, 19-year-old Siming Chen and 20-year-old Doudou Zhou. Both are considered by many in China to be prodigious talents, and both are members of China’s eight-woman national team. Chen has had more success on the big stage; however, Zhou was not about to let her moment slip by. Zhou was hardly awed by the circumstances as she came back from an early 3-0 deficit and tied the match at 4. She took her first lead at 6-5, but the pair fought it out tooth and nail to the bitter end. At 8-8 Zhou broke and the pair traded misses. But Zhou found an opening on the 2 and never looked back for the biggest win of her five-year career. “I was not in great form for the past few years because my attitude was not quite right, and [I] had some technical problems,” a clearly delighted Zhou said afterward. “So I kept improving. I could have done well and make some good result, but I knew I was not perfect then. There were no great achieve-

Siming Chen

18 InsidePOOL Magazine ◊ November 2012

In what was a brutally taxing and hardfought day of the very best in professional pool, the men’s event has been whittled down to the final four. And, fittingly, each and every one of the four participants in Sunday morning’s semifinals earned their spot the hard way. Orcollo put in a serious workday against an onslaught of hardcore Chinese pool talent. He first defeated China’s Jianbo Fu 11-4, then China’s Jinhu Dang 11- 9. He then moved on to the quarterfinals, where he bested China’s gutty Haoxiang Han 11-8, who fought all way to the end.

“All of my opponents today were very tough,” Orcollo said. “But I played good today. I have good concentration, my focus is good right now. This is a really big tourna-

Chang’s countryman Hui Chan Lu had an all-around solid day as well. He first defeated fellow Taiwanese Ying Chieh Chen 11-1. Lu then showed his mettle when he stopped the hot-shooting Greek Nick Eonomopoulos in his tracks 11-6. Lu, a two-time former world junior champion in 1998-1999, went on to outpace China’s tough Can Wang 11-8. Japan’s Yukio Akagariyama single-handedly blew the floor out from underneath the Brits with some serious 9-ball. In the round of 32 he came back from a 7-2 deficit to knockout defending champ Chris Melling 11-7. He then mowed down another Brit, England’s Karl Boyes, 11-3. In his quarterfinal match against the resurgent Ching Shun Yang of Taiwan, Akagariyama was down 10-8 and appeared to have run out of gas. But he found another store of energy and came back for a gut wrenching 11-10 win and a spot in the semifinals.

CREAM RISES OUT OF TENSE BATTLES

In the semifinal round, Orcollo was up first at the early hour of 9:30 a.m. against Taiwan’s redhot Chang. Chang bolted out to a 2-0 lead, but then Orcollo caught him at 4-4. Orcollo then took the next rack for a lead he would not relinquish. The Filipino, though, had to scratch and claw all the way to the end. Orcollo pushed the score to 7-5, then 8-6, and got to within the finish line at 10-7. Chang wasn’t going away easily, however. When Orcollo missed a bank on the 2 ball, Chang cleared to make the score 10-8. In the next frame Chang hit a 1-9 combo to quickly pull within one rack.

With the tension hanging heavily, Orcollo was forced to push out off his break. Chang, though, left his answer showing for the Filipino, who held steady and cleared for a spot in the final.

“I was so nervous today,” an obviously relieved Orcollo said. “But I just tried to calm down and enjoy the game. Chang is a great player and he played good

today. I have a lot of experience playing on the TV table and I’ve had a lot of tough matches this week so this helps me with the pressure. For the final I just need to relax, wait for my chances and be aggressive when I find an opening.” The second semifinal featured Lu taking on the 2011 World 9-Ball champion, Akagariyama. Both players committed numerous errors during the first half of the match, with Lu continuing to hold a slim lead throughout. Down 8-6, Akagariyama stepped on the gas and won three straight to get his first lead at 9-8. Lu then grabbed the next two to go up 10-9. A break and run by Akagariyama sent the match into a sudden-death decider. In a cauldron of nerves and tension, Lu, who came in third at this event two years ago, got a ball down on the break. He cleared to the 5 ball but over-hit the cue and had terribly difficult position. He chose a tricky cut and made it, along with the 7 ball by accident. That left the table open, and Lu ran out for the victory. “Mentally I’m better now than I was two years ago,” Lu said through an interpreter. “I practiced for this event for one month, so I’m in good shape. It seems I only play well in Taiwan, so if I can win this event, it will be a very big moment for me.”

FISHER IN A ROUT!

The entire women’s final match took just 45 minutes, and in that short span of time, Fisher left no doubt that she is the premier performer in the women’s game at the moment, and by the looks of it, for the foreseeable future. With two world titles and years more experience in her arsenal, Fisher was obviously favored coming into the match with Zhou, who at 20 had never before played in a final of an international tournament. Still, with China’s government-backed sports system churning out young world-beaters, most people expected the match to be close. While Fisher completely dominated the proceedings, she did get plenty of help along the way from Zhou, who could never find a groove. After Fisher nabbed the opening rack in the alternating-break match, Zhou completely missed an elementary 2 ball in the second rack. Zhou got away with it as she accidentally snookered Fisher and ended up winning the game, but it was a portent of things to come. “When she missed that two ball, I figured right there that she’s not as settled as me,” Fisher said after the match. Fisher smelled blood, and Zhou sensed a hungry shark was on the prowl as she

Doudou Zhou, Kelly Fisher, Dennis Orcollo, Lu Hui-Chan

This is a big day for me, a wonderful day.

’

- Dennis Orcollo

missed a makeable 9 ball in the next to help put Fisher up 2-1.

ings, the Brit then broke and ran for the final slam dunk and another big time title on her resume.

Two racks later Zhou missed another 9 ball to put Fisher up 4-1. From there the match was, for all intents and purposes, over. Fisher’s confidence was sky high and palpable to the several hundred fans watching. Zhou, meanwhile, played as if she had been struck by the fear of a higher power.

Afterwards, as fans mobbed her for photos and autographs, Fisher seemed to be in awe of what she had just done, and struggled the find words to fit the moment.

Within minutes of being up 4-2, Fisher looked to be in a different galaxy as she went ahead 7 -2. Zhou then scratched, and Fisher went up 8-2. Putting an exclamation point on the proceed-

“I’m absolutely thrilled,” she said. “I went in confident. How can I explain it? You go out on tour. You know the odds are against you with the standard being so high now. You can get knocked out at any stage of a tournament. But I’m feeling great about my game. “This is my peak in pool. I played for eight years in the States, and I was always asking myself, ‘Was it going to happen? Could I win the big international events?’ I knew I could do it. But actually doing it is another thing. I’m surprised but I couldn’t ask for anything more.” Characteristic of all Chinese players, Zhou remained the model of sportsmanship in defeat. “Kelly played really well, and I made a few mistakes,” Zhou said. “I’m satisfied with how I played in this tournament and I’m happy that I reached the final. I will try to learn from the experience and hopefully I can come back in the next tournament and do even better.”

November 2012 ◊ InsidePOOLmag.com 19

was clearly in the zone and putting on a master class.

Chan Yu-Lung

ORCOLLO GRINDS OUT TIGHT VICTORY

Anyone who witnessed Orcollo’s efforts in the final match realized soon enough that they were watching a virtuoso at work. Brilliant creative shot-making, tenacious offense and defense, terrific concentration, and the ability to absorb pressure were all on display from the 33-year-old Filipino. The match nearly became a runaway, but the fact that it wasn’t spoke more of the courage of Lu, who did himself proud by battling back when it looked like he was finished.

The final was high quality from the start as the pair split the first six racks, complete with two break and runs each and with both players potting extremely difficult balls. It was then that Orcollo decided to put his foot to the floor as he went on a sevenrack tear, executing creative combinations, kisses, rail-first kicks, and pots. Up 9-3 he

With the pressure mounting Orcollo sucked it up and waited for his chance, which came after Lu left the 2 ball showing. The run-out wasn’t easy, but since nothing this week had been, it seemed only fitting.

100,000 CNY 40,000 CNY 20,000 CNY 10,000 CNY

5,000 CNY

At this level you have to perform, because if you’re even just a little bit off, you’re going to lose. When Orcollo sank the final 9 ball, he looked skyward, then bent over with his face down on the cloth for a few seconds as the emotions—exhaustion, elation, disbelief—came pouring out. Clearly overjoyed, Orcollo afterward knew he had taken his game to another level. And he planned on making sure to remind himself and others for a long, long time. “This is the first time I played almost perfect from beginning to the end of a tournament. I lost my first match nine-eight, then I win my next match nine-seven, then qualified by winning nine-eight. So when I qualified, I have a lot of confidence after that because I played good against good opponents. “This is the first time I win a pro event in China. This is a big day for me, a wonderful day. This is the most special win of my career. It is amazing and I will never forget this. This trophy is going to go right in middle of my living room.”

Doudou Zhou 20 InsidePOOL Magazine ◊ November 2012

Division: Kelly Fisher Doudou Zhou Xiaofang Fu Siming Chen Chieh-Yu Chou Yuan-Chun Lin Xue Chen Xiaoting Pan Ge Bai Meng Gao Ga Young Kim Zhuqing Bi Jing Wu Yu Han Allison Fisher Yu Ram Cha

’

- Kelly Fisher

Men’s Division: 1st Dennis Orcollo 2nd Lu Hui-Chan 3rd Yukio Akagariyama Chang Yu-Lung 5th Haoxiang Han Ralf Souquet Yang Ching-Shun Can Wang 9th Daryl Peach Jinhu Dang Fu Che-Wei Lee Van Corteza Karl Boyes Thorsten Hohmann Su Lee Wan Nick Ekonomopoulos 17th Oscar Dominguez Chen Ying-Chieh Wei Liu Ko Pin-Ye Majeed Waleed He Wen Li Chi Ho Kowk Chris Melling Nick Malai Cheng-Chieh Liu Long Zhou Jung-Lin Chang Jianbo Fu Anh Tuan Nguyen Alex Pagulayan Jason Klatt

Results:

But the beauty of Orcollo’s massive victory in China didn’t emanate from this one match. Orcollo spent the last four days grinding out some of the most hardcore wins of his career. The field that descended on Shanghai was deep, and at every turn players were leaving pieces of themselves out on the tables. Orcollo actually lost his first match in the group stage 9-8 and had to win two tight matches on the one-loss side to make it to the round of 32.

Chan could have easily given up hope, but he stood his ground and managed to get two back to move the score to 9-5. He then cleared when Orcollo scratched off the break, and then he broke and cleared to get the score to 9-7. Orcollo countered to get to the hill and then so did Lu. Lu applied serious heat when he forced Orcollo into a foul and cleared to make the score 10-9.

Women’s 1st 5th 9th

100,000 CNY 40,000 CNY 20,000 CNY 10,000 CNY

5,000 CNY

3,000 CNY

S O

P O W E R F U L,

I T S

C R I M I N A L.

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at Str8-Shots.com

SHOOT for a CURE

Pool Players Take Aim at Cancer by�Event�Staff

hat began as a vision between Colorado Springs Brian�Andrews,�Dave�Gross,� couple Marc and Kimberly Griffiths and�Danny�Medina�were� coalesced into a fun weekend with recognized�at�the�event�for� good friends, great pool, and amaz- the�courage�and�strength�they� displayed�during�their�battles� ing stories, as well as true kindness against�cancer. and generosity. Held at Felt Billiards in Englewood, CO, September 21chose LIVESTRONG and National Breast Cancer Foun23, the first annual Str8-Shots.com dationThey (NBCF) as the lucky recipients and began their fundraising The Griffiths also feel strongly about working with youth, Shoot for a Cure event raised money campaign. so they joined with the Billiard Education Foundation (BEF) to raise for cancer, a cause about which the money and awareness about youth in billiards. The Shoot for a Cure event raised nearly $9,000 for all three charities. Griffiths are both passionate. 22 InsidePOOL Magazine ◊ November 2012

Marc Griffiths, Mark Haddad

Stephen Griffiths, Geoffrey Quezada, Taren Stewart

Cheryl Jones, Sharon Hubbard, Emily Pond, Carol James

The Griffiths alone raised $4,000, which was used as the total prize fund for the three divisions of the tournament. At the time of online registration, players received a link to send to their friends and family for either LIVESTRONG or NBCF. Once they raised a minimum of $40 they were all set to play in the tournament. The junior players were asked to raise $25 for the BEF to participate.

ceived a Str8-Shots goody bag with a tee shirt, stickers, and other prizes. Players could buy raffle tickets for $1 each for LIVESTRONG and NBCF or $5 each for BEF, and every hour a winner was drawn for Str8-Shot grab bags. Both BEF and Str8-Shots also raffled a total of seven pool cues and many other prizes over the weekend.

Dave Gross, Brian Andrews, and Danny Medina were recognized at the event for the courage and strength they displayed during their battles against cancer. Junior player Taren Stewart was recognized for coming out to support the cause by playing in the tournament after recently having knee surgery. Dave Gross of Fort Collins, a recent cancer survivor, was noticed for his extraordinary efforts in raising over $2,400 in donations for LIVESTRONG.

Open Results: 1st Mark Haddad 2nd Marc Vidal 3rd Danny Medina 4th John Sandifer 5th Melissa Little David Gross 7th Anres DeHerrera Doug James

It was truly a day of selflessness, with many great examples set. Carol and Doug James both donated their winnings back, totaling $225. A very generous man who wishes to remain anonymous won a raffle drawing for a 5280 pool cue and donated it back to the youth to be raffled, where it was then won by Aryanna Davis. Tarasa Escoubas passed on her winning raffle ticket to junior player Stephen Griffiths, who won a cue. Marc Vidal gave away the cue he won in the raffle to junior player Cody Escoubas. Several other adults bought tickets for the youth, and with those tickets they won some fabulous other prizes. The giving sprit was noticeably felt by all.

Ladies’ Results: 1st Carol James 2nd Sharon Hubbard 3rd Cheryl Jones 4th Emily Pond

$375 $250 $150 $75

Juniors’ Results: 1st Geoffrey Quezada 2nd Taren Stewart 3rd Stephen Griffiths

$250 academic scholarship $150 academic scholarship $100 academic scholarship

Results:

LIVESTRONG and NBCF were not the only winners on this weekend. Every junior player who participated re-

In total, Str8-Shots raised $6,632 for LIVESTRONG and National Breast Cancer Foundation, while the Billiard Education Foundation raised $2,325, making the total raised for the day $8,957. $750 $575 $425 $300 $150

Marc Griffiths, Marc Vidal

$75

Juniors’ 11 & Under Results: 1st Nicholas Macomber $15 Felt Billiards gift card and Str8-Shots.com gift bag 2nd Aryanna Davis $10 Felt Billiards gift card and Str8-Shots.com gift bag 3rd Cody Escoubas $5 Felt Billiards gift card and Str8-Shots.com gift bag Brayden Davis

November 2012 ◊ InsidePOOLmag.com 23

Holiday Buying

IP’s

Guide

Don't get shut out this holiday shopping season! Check out IP's guide for the perfect p ool-playing prese nts.

Superlative Slippy Cue Care Kit

This kit is a must for every league and serious recreational player. Slippy Powder dispenses talc when you need it, making sure that you cue glides smoothly through your bridge without creating a mess of white powder. Slippy Papers are the ultimate shaft-conditioning papers in the form of three grades of micro-fine sandpaper, similar to what is used in the aviation industry to clean aircraft windshields. The Slippy Grippy four-cue holder is made of durable rubber and designed to fit on virtually any table, shelf, or other flat surface to keep your cues secure. The Super Slippy Tip Tool is the multi-function tip tool that shapes, scuffs, dimples, trims, and burnishes. It is made of durable brass and comes with its own pouch. The Slippy Zippy retractable chalk holder is designed to clip right onto your belt or pocket, keeping your chalk ever-present but out of the way of your shot and preventing it from walking away from the table when you aren’t looking. This set is available online at CueSight.com for $59.95 or by calling 800-660-2572.

Kamui Chalk

Surprise your favorite pool player this holiday season with a fresh piece of Kamui chalk. The Kamui Chalk #.98 is the soft compound for the player who wants to chalk once and play a rack of balls. The Kamui Chalk #1.21 is the harder compound for the player who has the “pre-shot routine.” Both excel at gripping the cue ball and making your shot in the pocket. It’s the perfect stocking stuffer. To order, please visit or call your local retailer, cue maker, or repair shop, or log onto www.KamuiTips.com.

4 24 InsidePOOL Magazine ◊ November 2012

Beat People With a Stick!

Beat People With a Stick! One-Page Pool Lessons

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Tom Simpson Master Instructor – National Billiard Academy

Star Pearl Cues

Master instructor Tom Simpson, founder of the National Billiard Academy, has been teaching pool for 20 years and writing instructional columns for players for 13 years. This book contains the full collection of his 120 one-page lessons. Many of the topics Simpson explores can be found nowhere else. Cost is $36 plus $3 shipping. You are getting better than three lessons per dollar. To order, please call Tom at 614-975-8337, or buy your copy with PayPal at www.PoolClinics.com/book.html. A great gift for any player!

McDermott’s Star Pearl cues feature colorful pearl inlays and are available in many unique designs. Affordably priced at $195, it won’t be hard to find the perfect cue for that special person. To top it off, every Star Pearl cue is guaranteed for life by McDermott’s Limited Lifetime warranty. Please view the full cue line at www.mcdermottcue.com, or call 800-666-2283 for more information.

McDermott Cue Kit

Wizard Laminated Tips Model

J&J America debuts its new laminated leather tip, the Wizard. These black, 11-layered tips are available in soft, medium, or hard black and are 14 millimeters. The suggested retail price $18, but get them at the special promotional price of $12. To order, please call J&J America at 562-229-9688, or check www.jjcue.com for details.

Looking for the ideal gift for a beginner pool player? Look no further than McDermott’s cue kits. These kits include everything you need to get started as a pool player. McDermott kits range in price from $49 to $99 and come with a cue, case, and set of chalk, plus other accessories. The Dr. Cue Training Kit, a fan favorite, comes with an instructional DVD featuring Tom “Dr. Cue” Rossman himself. Who wouldn’t want to take lessons from a pro? Learn more about McDermott cue kits at www.mcdermottcue.com, or call 800-666-2283 for more information.

Pro Safeties: The TOP 100 Safety Shots in Pool

Pro Safeties features the top 100 safeties used by top professionals today. Each one is illustrated in a real game situation and completely explained, named, and categorized. Secrets are revealed! It’s easy to use and fits in most cue case pockets. You’ve mastered any safety when you can recognize the general layout, know the strategic aspects of the shot, and confidently execute it in a match. Learning these top safeties will give you that mastery. Never leave an easy table again! Take advantage of the 2012 holiday special at $29, plus $3 shipping and handling. To order, please visit www.BebobPublishing.com, or call 888-33-BEBOB. A ‘must have’ for any pool player!

8 Kimsah® Bridge Head

New from Tiger Products, the Kimsah bridge head’s special radial design minimizes surface contact for more stability and strength. Quality leather adds better feel, control, and performance while protecting the shaft from scratching. Offering five different shooting positions, the Kimsah’s compact design allows it to be stored in the smallest cue case pouch. To order, please log onto www.tigerproducts.com, or call 800-584-4375.

Balabushka Performance Chalk

In their time-honored tradition of excellence, Balabushka Cues is pleased to present their new Performance Chalk. This chalk adheres to your cue tip, making frequent chalking a thing of the past, and it grips the cue ball, allowing for superior ball control. Also, Performance Chalk produces little dusty residue, keeping the table, balls, and your hands cleaner. A three-piece box of Performance Chalk retails for $8. To order, please visit www.balabushkacues.com.to find an authorized dealer.

10 Rhino Spliced-Points Cue

J&J America’s new line of high-quality cues with spliced points and veneers are for competitive pool players and professionals. They feature selected hard-rock maple wood or other exotic woods, a 3/8” by 11” joint, hand-spliced points and inlays, a layered leather tip or Water Buffalo tip, a fiber linen ferrule, an Irish linen wrap, and a pro taper. These Rhino cues come with two hard-rock maple shafts with matching rings and custom joint protectors. Starting at $300, these cues are available through J&J America at 562-2299688 or www.jjcue.com. November 2012 ◊ InsidePOOLmag.com 25

10 Dr. Popper Jump Cue

This is not your average jump cue! The Dr. Popper Jump Q’s carbon fiber shaft, coupled with a solid phenolic tip, allows maximum energy transfer to the cue ball for those shots that you would otherwise pass up with any other jump cue. The Dr. Popper Jump Q allows you to jump over an object ball less than an inch away. Using the dart-style method allows you to jump balls anywhere on the table, and because of its light weight, you will be amazed at how easy it is to execute jump shots. To purchase for only $125, please visit www.drpopperjumpq.com.

Adam Cues

The Adam line of cues is available once again, featuring new design concepts based on the “old-school” Adam cues of the past. Crafted from the finest exotic woods, these cues have exceptional playability and attention to detail. Ranging in price from $199 to $445, the Adam line features coring technology for consistent balance and feel, splicedpoint colored veneer and real inlays, wood-wrapped brass pilots, aged shaft wood, Tiger Everest tips, and come with joint protectors. A perfect holiday gift for the pool player in your life—or for yourself! Look for a dealer in your area at www.balabushkacues.com, or call 480-940-7003.

13 Qpod

The elegant Qpod is a must-have accessory for your billiard chalk and cue case this holiday shopping season. This precisionmanufactured Qpod is set with finely handcrafted polished inlays of semiprecious stones or mother of pearl. International Billiard pro’s like Jennifer Barretta are excited about the elegance and style of the Qpod. “That’s me” was her first reaction playing with her own Qpod. Two times pool world champion Thorsten Hohmann refers to the Qpod as “The sexiest thing that happened to cue sports”. To order your Qpod today, please log onto www.qpod-billard.com. 26 InsidePOOL Magazine ◊ November 2012

12 14

Pool Player Excuses Towel

This whimsical towel gives your favorite pool player an easy out with six excuses for why that ball didn’t drop. Adorned with original animalthemed cartoons, this 22-inch by 13-inch towel is made of lint-free flour sack material and has a hanging loop on the back. Retail price is $7.95, with 10% of the profits donated to H.E.A.L. Inc (Helping Every Animal Live). To order, please visit www.poolplayerexcuses.com.

Simonis X-1®

This patented Simonis X-1® chalk dust removal tool keeps your Simonis cloth playing better longer. The unique structure of the tool lifts the chalk dust out of the cloth, and the low-profile design gets under the rails as well. Keep your playing field in top shape with the totally unique Simonis X-1®! Retails for $89.99. To order, please visit www.simonis-X1.com, or call 800-SIMONIS.

28 InsidePOOL Magazine â&#x2014;&#x160; November 2012

November 2012 â&#x2014;&#x160; InsidePOOLmag.com 29

30 InsidePOOL Magazine â&#x2014;&#x160; November 2012

SKOWERSKI

Surprise Sweep for

32 InsidePOOL Magazine ◊ November 2012

Pole Hits Pay Dirt at

WORLD POOL MASTERS

by Matt Jackson photos courtesy of Matchroom Sport / J. P. Parmentier

n a fairytale ending, local player Karol Skowerski was crowned 2012 ClubWPT. com World Pool Masters champion as he put away a host of big-name stars over the course of the tournament before ousting fellow Pole Mateusz Sniegocki 8-6 in a tense final at the Hala Legionow in Kielce, Poland, to collect $20,000. “The money is not important, and if I’d have thought about it in any way, then I wouldn’t have achieved this success,” said a jubilant Skowerski. “I’m going home now to see my wife Alina and three-month-old son Jan, and if we can find a baby-sitter, then we will be out celebrating!” The twentieth edition of the ClubWPT.com World Pool Masters saw Matchroom Sport working in partnership with regional billiard organization Swietokrzyskie Stowarzyszenie Bilardowe, as well as the mayor’s office in Kielce. The event boasted a $66,000 prize fund and invited the top 16 players from around the world.

EARLY EXIT FOR SOUQUET

Defending champion Ralf Souquet was the first casualty at the event, as he went out to local hero Mateusz Sniegocki by 8-6. It was a drawn-out war of

Dennis Orcollo

attrition that went on for nearly two hours, as both players struggled with the break. Nothing went smoothly for, player as they grappled with a succession of awkward layouts, but it was Sniegocki, the 27-year-old from Poznan, who dug deep and prevailed. The second match of the evening was a high-quality clash between two previous Masters champions as Canadian Filipino Alex Pagulayan (2008) took on India’s Raj Hundal, a winner in 2005. Pagulayan took off like a runaway train, playing superbly to build up a tidy 4-0 lead within 20 minutes or so. With little table time, Hundal showed little rust as he made three successive run-outs to get within one of his opponent. However, a decent break in the next was derailed by a nudge on the cue ball into the center pocket, and with ball in hand, Pagulayan put some distance between them. Hundal showed some heart to claw his way back, and at 7-6 Pagulayan broke for the match but nothing dropped, and Hundal ran the table to keep his hopes alive. It was his last chance, though, as the Canadian took the final rack. The final match of the day was a hillhill affair as Mika Immonen showed tremendous heart to come back from 3-7 down to take his match against Poland’s Radoslaw Babica. He had a cou-

Alex Pagulayan

ple of slices of huge fortune at critical times in the match, including the final rack, but he battled hard when victory seemed a distant dream. Champion of this event in 2010, Dennis Orcollo made his way into the quarterfinals, but not before he was given a scare by the ladies’ number-one-ranked Kelly Fisher. The final score was 8-6, but the Filipino looked like squandering a good lead as Fisher came back at him .

USA’S VAN BOENING BUMPED

Skowerski came of age last month when he went all the way to the final match of the World Cup of Pool in Manila. Skowerski had too much for a subpar Shane Van Boening, running out an easy 8-2 winner. Hailing from Kielce, Skowerski had all the support, but Van Boening was inexplicably never really in it. Holland’s Nick Van den Berg took a comfortable 8-4 win over young Kuwaiti Omar Al Shaheen. The 19-year-old looked good in parts but made too many mistakes for a player of the obvious class of the Dutchman. Ko Pin-yi and Wojciech Szewczyk put on a marvelous display of pool, and in the end it was a shame that someone had to lose. With a healthy crowd cheering the local man, they shared the opening two racks before Szewczyk got on a roll and went 4-1 ahead. Ko was playing well, though, and a poor safe allowed him to get to 2-4 and then he broke and ran three racks to take the lead at 5-4 and silence the Polish crowd. It was shaping up into an epic match, and when Ko went 6-4 it looked to be heavily in his favor. But the Taiwanese missed a

Mateusz Sniegocki

shocking 9 ball, which made it 6-5, and a skillful 2/9 combo off the 8 ball leveled the scores at 6 each. Ko took the next to reach the hill after a miss on a difficult 3 ball, but Szewczyk showed nerves of steel as he grabbed the opportunity and made it hill-hill. Just when he needed it the Pole delivered an immaculate break and from there he ran out for a magnificent win. Malta’s Tony Drago was on fire at times as he rode his luck and some crazy bad shots to put paid to Darren Appleton’s Masters hopes. In the plus column, Drago raced around the table at times, potting balls in a manner that would have defeated any player in the world.

POLISH PLAYERS SHOWING POWER

Host country Poland’s number-oneranked player, Mateusz Sniegocki, became the first player to make it through to the semifinals, defeating Pagulayan 8-6 in a tense quarterfinal match. It was a proper scrap with neither player showing a whole lot of fluency, and when the Canadian Filipino opened up a 4-1 and then 5-2 lead, the crowd started to quiet down. Sniegocki had to dig deep and find something, and he did as he cashed in on some sloppy play from his opponent. A break and run from the Poznan man in the tenth game saw the match go to 5-5 as Sniegocki grew in confidence. Pagulayan regained the lead in the next but ran horrendously out of position with just two balls left on the table, and the Pole restored parity. The Pole took the next to reach the hill, and just when he needed it, he played a perfect break and run to reach the semifinals. Orcollo looked in top shape as he bested Immonen 8-3 to set up a clash with Sniegocki. The Finnish back-to-back U.S. Open champion was never really in the match. November 2012 ◊ InsidePOOLmag.com 33

CALM CARRIES SKOWERSKI THROUGH

Skowerski had earlier bested Van Boening, Drago and then Van den Berg in the semifinals 8-6 to reach the final, where he faced fellow countryman Sniegocki, who had entered the Masters field via a qualifying event. Hailing from Poznan, Sniegocki was no slouch himself, having defeated Souquet, Pagulayan, and Orcollo in earlier rounds. “I felt calm throughout, though, and for me you need to forget about the tournament, money, and title and just concentrate on the pool. And it worked for me tonight,” explained Skowerski. Skowerski got off to a dream start as he kept Sniegocki off the table, opening up a 6-0 lead in the race-to-8 rack final match. All parts of his game were sharp, and he had the break down sufficiently to give himself opportunities.

Tony Drago

34 InsidePOOL Magazine ◊ November 2012

Mateusz Sniegocki, Karol Skowerski

Sniegocki was not out of it, though, and came back with some break and runs to get the score to 6-5 and let Skowerski know he was in a match. The twelfth game was critical, and when Sniegocki came up dry, the Kielce man ran out to reach the hill. Sniegocki took the next in a bit of a chess match, but when he left the 2 ball on into the side pocket in the next, Skowerski took it on and then eyed up a 3/9 combination that he executed perfectly to take the title and the $20,000 top prize. “I still can’t believe it, and maybe tomorrow morning when my wife pinches me it may sink in,” said a shell-shocked Skowerski. The Kielce native added, “The crowd helped me because when you play in this arena and you know that all the people around are behind you, then it’s very helpful and motivating. It was a strong field, but you must play well in just four matches to win it, and with winner breaks, anything can happen,” said a reflective champion.

Nick Van den Berg

RESULTS:

World Cup of Pool hero Szewcyk, who looked sensational besting Ko Pin-yi the day before, could not replicate that form against Van den Berg, who was a comfortable 8-2 winner. The young Pole went into an early 2-0 lead, which gave the crowd high hopes, but they were soon dashed as the reliable Van den Berg put his head down and ran out the racks. The final match was a dream finale for the Kielce crowd, as local hero Skowerski looked all business, opening up a 6-0 lead against Maltese speedster Drago. The ’05 Masters champion got back to the table and put the frighteners on the Polish crowd as he won three racks in minutes. That was his swan song, as a couple of errors in the final racks gave Skowerski the chances he needed to close out a glorious win.

1st 2nd 3rd 5th 9th

Karol Skowerski Mateusz Sniegocki Dennis Orcollo Nick Van den Berg Alex Pagulayan Mika Immonen Wojciech Szewcyk Tony Drago Ralf Souquet Raj Hundal Radoslaw Babica Kelly Fisher Omar Al Shaheen Ko Pin-yi Shane Van Boening

Darren Appleton

$20,000 $10,000 $5,000 $2,500

$2,000

WORLD PROFESSIONAL BILLIARD LEAGUE (WPBL) OPENS SEASON WITH EARL STRICKLAND COMPETING FOR NEW YORK

ovember 29 marks the launch of the World Professional Billiard League (WPBL), with twelve teams competing out of Atlanta, Las Vegas, Miami, Los Angeles, Houston, Phoenix, Pittsburgh, New York, Toronto, Philadelphia, Chicago, and Boston. The WPBL boasts a star-studded roster of professional billiards Hall of Famers and world champions. Johnny “The Scorpion” Archer is serving as WPBL Player Director and is also competing for Atlanta. The opening game of the season will feature Atlanta and Archer taking on a strong New York team captained by one of the biggest names in billiards history: Earl Strickland. “I’m excited to compete for New York in the WPBL opening season,” said Earl Strickland, billiards Hall of Famer and five-time U.S. Open and WPA World 9-Ball champion. “Bonus Ball’s a great game, and I think the

fans are really going to like watching all of these big names compete at such a high level. It’s gonna be fun.” The WPBL was designed to bring the excitement of other live sports to the world of billiards. Each and every match features live play-by-play announcers and a live audience. The WPBL is the world’s first Bonus Ball league. Bonus Ball, a unique combination of snooker, 9-ball, and straight pool, is the culmination of over 20 years of research, development, and testing by WPBL President Larry Chiborak. “It’s a challenging, exciting game that borrows from all the major billiards disciplines,” explained Chiborak. “We’ve developed Bonus Ball with input from some of the world’s best players. The result is a highly strategic, fast-paced game that is not only

challenging to play but incredibly exciting to watch.” To get a feel for Bonus Ball and to see some real live WPBL action, the WPBL is launching three free videos: Doubles Battle, Archer versus Klatt, and Nations Collide. Visit wpbl.tv to watch these great matches! The WPBL regular season kicks off November 29, 2012, and runs until May 12, 2013. The playoffs start May 16, 2013, and the championship finals will be played June 9, 2013. All WPBL matches are played in Las Vegas, Nevada, at the newly constructed WPBL arena. WPBL matches will be available worldwide via online pay-per-view purchased on a weekly basis throughout the season.

WPBL TEAM ROSTERS FOR THE 2012-13 INAUGURAL SEASON South Conference ATLANTA SCORPIONS: Johnny Archer – Dennis Hatch – Shannon Daulton MIAMI CRUISE: Corey Deuel – Hunter Lombardo – Jose Parica LAS VEGAS DICE: John Schmidt – Charlie Williams – Mike Davis LOS ANGELES WAVE: Oscar Dominguez – Ernesto Dominguez – Louis Ulrich PHOENIX FLAMES: Scott Frost – Tommy Kennedy – Manny Chau HOUSTON HUSTLERS: Jeremy Jones – Chip Compton – Justin Hall

WORLD PROFESSIONAL BILLIARD LEAGUE 36 InsidePOOL Magazine ◊ November 2012

North Conference TORONTO BLUE SHARKS: Jason Klatt – John Morra – Erik Hjorleifson PHILADELPHIA ACES: Darren Appleton – Stevie Moore – Brandon Shuff BOSTON YOUNG GUNS: Mike Dechaine – Thorsten Hohmann – Jesse Engel CHICAGO ROCKETS: Rodney Morris – Raj Hundal – Mika Immonen PITTSBURGH PROWLERS: Shawn Putnam – Adam Smith – Sylver Ochoa NEW YORK PRIDE: Earl Strickland – Larry Nevel – Warren Kiamco

For more information and / or to schedule an interview, please contact: Larry Chiborak World Professional Billiards League (WPBL) President & CEO 204-793-0778 larry@wpbl.tv

EARMARKED Editions

by Mark Finkelstein

Mastering the Inner Game of Pool P

sst! I have a secret I want to tell you. What if I told you that I could improve your game without you having to buy fancy new equipment, a new tip, or the latest in training aids? What if I had one of the secrets of pool?

David Krolick, in his new book Mastering the Inner Game of Pool, has provided us with just that. In six chapters, covering topics from comprehension to competing, Krolick gives us practical concepts that we can take to the table today and use to improve our pool game. Exploring mastery, competing, the inner game, and the outer game, Krolick shows us the way to a better all-around approach. Using examples from his own experience and the mistakes he has made, he provides solutions to help guide us to our own answers. His book is written for pool players by a pool player and is not filled with jargon. In simple terms he explains what a player needs to learn to improve his mental game and the know-how to develop it. If you have ever had problems with your mental game, Mastering the Inner Game of Pool may offer you the answers that you need.

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>Player of the Month Marie Swearingen of Darlington, MD, has been an

APA member for over 13 years. She currently plays in the York County APA, which is operated by Dan Simning and Rob and Jen Miller, and is a skill level 4. Marie helps her league operators by taking photos at all of their tournaments and events and helping keep their league’s Facebook page up to date with them. “Marie is always so helpful; she goes out of her way to assist us on a regular basis,” said Jen Miller. “She’s truly an important part of our league, and we appreciate everything she does for us.” Back in January, the York County APA earned a stop on the APA Black Widow Tour featuring Jeanette Lee. The event was outstanding for the area, growing three new Black Widow Divisions after the event. Marie was there for her league operators through the entire pre- and post-event process.

Books & Videos

“Putting the event together was quite a task,” Miller said. “Marie was invaluable in helping us before, during, and after the event. She assisted with planning, took photos during the show, and even created a slide show for the event.”

that improve your

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Handbook of the Billiard Gods Authored by Allan P. Sand PBIA/ACS Pocket Billiards Instructor Get these books & videos at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and at:

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40 InsidePOOL Magazine ◊ November 2012

Marie Swearingen, Jeanette Lee

the $500-added second chance tournament. Cleiton Rocha came through the west side to twice defeat Joe Dupuis in the finals for the $320 first-place prize. Dupuis collected $240 for second. Phil Davis earned $160 for third, while Bill Cote took home $100 for fourth.

Dechaine Breaks Steele on Joss Tour Joss Northeast 9-Ball Tour / Waterville, ME

Davis Douses Lincoln for Planet Pool Win Planet Pool Tour / Catonsville, MD

by InsidePOOL Staff

Mike Davis escaped the clutches of Andy Lincoln twice to take the title at the Planet Pool Tour’s October 6-7 stop, hosted by VIP Billiards in Catonsville, MD.

Mike Dechaine

The Joss Northeast 9-Ball Tour’s season started with a bang when Maine player Mike Dechaine came back from a hot seat loss to double-dip Gareth Steele in the dramatic final match. The $1,500-added event drew a field of 41 to TJ’s Classic Billiards in Waterville, ME. Starting off strong, Dechaine ended up undefeated in the winners’ side final four and bested Jeremy Sossei 9-5 to reach the hot seat match. There he faced off against Steele, fresh off a hill-hill triumph over Matt Tetrault, for the first time. Steele prevailed with a close 9-7 win. Former junior champion Landon Shuffett was working his way through the one-loss side and ousted Cody Francis 9-7 in seventh place and then Tetrault in fifth. Nelson Oliveira sent Mark Haddad home after their double-hill match and then was eliminated by Sossei in fifth place 9-6. Sossei and Shuffett then matched up, with Shuffett taking home fourth place 9-5. Waiting on the west side, Dechaine fired through Sossei for the second time in the event, this time by 9-6. He then had to best Steele twice to take Results: the title. Dechaine won the first set by 1st Mike Dechaine $1,050 a narrow 9-7 margin 2nd Gareth Steele $800 and then took the 3rd Jeremy Sossei $650 second with a more 4th Landon Shuffett $500 comfortable 9-5 win. 5th Nelson Oliveira $300 Twenty players participated in

7th

Matt Tetrault Cody Francis Mark Haddad

$150

Mike Davis

After defeating both Jose Burgos and Joe Cataldi by lopsided scores, Davis met up with Lincoln for the first time. A 9-3 victory and a follow-up battle with Robb Saez put Davis into the hot seat match. The top half of the bracket saw Alan Duty work his way through Jacob Parrent and Shawn Toni. Duty dispatched a tough opponent in Brett Stottlemyer to reach the hot seat match. Davis had his break going perfectly and won easily 9-3. On the one loss-side Lincoln defeated Steve Wigglesworth and Guy Yates with no trouble. Stottlemyer took Lincoln to the hill, but a break and run went to Lincoln to win 7-6. Lincoln advanced over Saez by forfeit and survived Duty 7-5 to take another shot at Davis. The single-race final to 11 had Results: Davis jump out to a 6-2 lead. The rest of the 1st Mike Davis $500 match was well played 2nd Andy Lincoln $300 until Davis emerged 3rd Alan Duty $200 victorious 11-7. 4th Robb Saez $100 The women’s division had just two entrants, with Kia Sidbury defeating Tina Morfessis in a single race 9-5.

> Upcoming Northeast Tournaments 11/3-4 11/3-4 11/4 11/10 11/10-11 11/11 11/17 11/17-18 11/25 11/26

Predator Tour Joss Northeast 9-Ball Tour Tri-State Tour Tri-State Tour Joss Northeast 9-Ball Tour Mezz Pro-Am Tour Tri-State Tour Joss Northeast 9-Ball Tour Tri-State Tour Mezz Pro-Am Tour

42 InsidePOOL Magazine ◊ November 2012

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Kia Sidbury Tina Morfessis

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nette. Stone then stomped through his quarterfinal match with Burnette, winning 7-2. But Back was too much for Stone in the semifinals, winning it 5-5 to advance for another shot at Murphey in the finals. Murphey made it short and sweet, quickly taking the match in a single set 7-4.

Stone and Murphey Shoot Lights Out Great Southern Billiard Tour Finale / Fairfield, OH by InsidePOOL Staff

The Great Southern Billiard Tour finished up another stellar year with a finale tournament at Michael’s Billiards Shannon Daulton, Shannon Murphy, in Fairfield, OH, the Ryan Stone, Mike Medley weekend of September 27-30. Ryan Stone and Shannon Murphy walked away the big winners of the 9-ball and 8-ball divisions, respectively, with John Brumback dominating the ring game. The extravaganza kicked off Friday with a 10-ball bank pool ring game, and the heavy hitters came out to participate. Tournament director Shannon “The Cannon” Daulton, Shannon Murphey, Jason Miller, Truman Hogue, Danny Smith, Clay Carman, and Brumback all threw their hat into the ring. Daulton and Brumback were the final two players standing, with Brumback earning the lion’s share of the prize money. The $4,000-added 8-ball event drew 45 players to vie for the title. Murphy went undefeated through the field, whitewashing Chris Bosse in the winners’ side final four, while T. J. Back bested Carl Burnette by a closer margin of 5-3. Murphey then took the hot seat match over Back with a 7-4 triumph. Moving through the west side, Stone found Bosse and eliminated him in fifth place 7-2. Billy Thorpe ended up tied with Bosse after his 5-4 match with Bur-

An even larger field of 55 entered the $5,000-added 9-ball division. Stone faced off against Leo Kincannon in the winners’ side final four, with Stone advancing 11-6. In the other winners’ bracket match, Mike Burnette delivered a 7-5 loss to B. J. Ussery. Stone then easily handled Burnette 11-4 to claim the hot seat and await a finals opponent. Out for revenge, Ussery demolished Jeremy Slye 11-0 and delivered him home in fifth place. Tying with Slye was Kincannon, who suffered his second loss to Billy Thorpe 9-6. Thorpe put up a good fight against Ussery, but it wasn’t enough, as Ussery won their match 11-7, sending Thorpe home in fourth. Unwilling to slow down, Ussery only allowed Burnette one game in their semifinal match before blowing past him to win 11-1. It was a different story in the final match, though, as Stone held on to win the title 11-8 over Ussery.

8-Ball Results: 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 7th

Shannon Murphey T. J. Back Ryan Stone Carl Burnette Chris Bosse Billy Thorpe Shawn Estes Leo Kincannon

$1,000 $600 $400 $300 $200 $150

9-Ball Results: 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 7th 9th

Ryan Stone B. J. Ussery Mike Burnette Billy Thorpe Leo Kincannon Jeremy Slye Shannon Murphey Brandon Hallett Chris Lawson Eric Durbin Danny Smith Jake Cooper

$1,500 $1,000 $600 $400 $200 $150 $75

> Upcoming Southeast Tournaments 11/3-4 11/3-4 11/9-11 12/8-9

Great Southern Billiard Tour The Action Pool Tour Florida State BCAPL 8-Ball Champs The Action Pool Tour

44 InsidePOOL Magazine ◊ November 2012

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ideos Shane Winters vs Zack Hampton at The Great Southern Billiard Tour Championships Michael’s Billiards

Alex Olinger vs.Chris Bosse at The Great Southern Billiard Tour Championships Michael’s Billiards

Shannon Murphy vs. Danny Smith at The Great Southern Billiard Tour Championships Michael’s Billiards

Brandon Hallette vs.Jeremy Slye The Great Southern Billiard Tour Championships Michael’s Billiards

B.J.Ussery vs. Shane Winters at The Great Southern Billiard Tour Championships Michael’s Billiards

Ryan Stone vs Leo Kincannon at The Great Southern Billiard Tour Championships Michael’s Billiards

Shane Winters vs. B.J. Ussery The Great Southern Billiard Tour Championships Michael’s Billiards

Eric Durbin vs Jordan Grubb at The Great Southern Billiard Tour Championships Michael’s Billiards

Shannon Murphy vs. Chris Collins 2012 Great Southern Billiard Tour Championships Michael’s Billiards

with an 8-5 victory. Ng and Scott placed a respectable fifth place. Jones won his next two matches against Erman Bullard in the quarterfinals and then Herring in the semifinals, both by the score of 9-5. Jones won the opening set of the true double-elimination final 9-5. Nicholson battled better in the second set and won hill-hill to secure the event title and first-place prize.

Nicholson Captures Inaugural Omega Stop Omega Billiards Tour / Fort Worth, TX by InsidePOOL Staff

Coy Lee Nicholson ended an eightmatch winning streak by Jeremy “Double J” Jones, defeating him in the second set of the true double-elimination final match hill-hill to win the first Coy Lee Nicholson, Jeremy Jones, Daniel Herring event of the newly formed Omega Billiards Tour. Held the weekend of October 6-7 at Rusty’s Billiards in Fort Worth, TX, the $1,000-added inaugural event was limited to 64 players and was full two weeks before the event.

Susan Raymond won first place in the separate $100-added ladies’ event, which drew 12 ladies. Raymond took home $180, while Orietta Strickland placed second and won $140. Melinda Bailey placed third and won $60, with Cindy Vansickle capturing fourth and $20.

When this SudoCue is solved, the symbols in “ ” will appear in each row, column, and box—but only once, and not in any particular order. Answer available online at www.InsidePOOLmag.com.

The Omega Billiards Tour is the first major tour in the Dallas / Fort Worth area and is handicapped to accommodate all levels of players. The brainchild of Melinda Bailey and Michael Hoang of Omega Billiards Supply, the tour will have two stops this year and is planning six stops Results: and a season finale in 1st Coy Lee Nicholson $750 2013. 2nd Jeremy Jones $450 3rd Daniel Herring $300 With Jones al4th Erman Bullard $220 ready at work on the 5th Benny Scott $175 one-loss side, Nichol Crispian Ng son advanced to the 7th Joey Barnes $145 winners’ side final four, Danny Williams where he met up with 9th Doug Winnett $90 Crispian Ng and sent Kevin Guimond him to the one loss Mike Voelkering side 8-4. Daniel Herring Williams Howard squared off against 13th Steve Game $50 Benny Scott and won Marc Gonzalez 7-5 to meet Nicholson Carl McClendon in the hot seat. Nich Mike Filholm olson handled Herring

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November 2012 ◊ InsidePOOLmag.com 45

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Wiley and Ruijsink Appointed Mosconi Cup Captains

Following a 16-year absence from the event, winning 1996 Mosconi Cup player/captain C. J. Wiley will return to London this December as skipper of the American team at the PartyPoker. com Mosconi Cup. The 47-year-old Wiley from Texas was in charge of the side in London in 1996 and had the honor of potting the winning 9 ball in a 15-13 victory. After a highly decorated spell at the top, including winning the ESPN World Championship, Wiley wound down his career in the 2000s, choosing to focus on a successful business career. He’s now back and will be facing one of the toughest challenges of his career as he attempts to rally his side and try and turn their recent Mosconi Cup fortunes around. “It’s an honor to be chosen to represent the USA team as captain in 2012,” said Wiley. “I have been honored with the ‘Player of the Year’ award

and won major championships; however, being chosen to represent my country and its best players in the Mosconi Cup is something I value as an even greater personal accomplishment. “I know that the European team has dominated us over the past six years, and I know it’s going to be especially challenging to go into York Hall in front of a highly enthusiastic home crowd and win the Mosconi Cup. “This year, however, is going to be different. The USA team will be young, ambitious, and hungry for this victory. I, as captain, will make sure they are all on top of their games both mentally and physically. “This is more than just a pocket billiards match— this is for patriotic pride. This is for the right to say WE ARE THE CHAMPIONS and take the Mosconi Cup back to America, where it belongs,” added an ebullient Wiley.

feated record at the event. He led the side for the first time in 2006 when a draw halted a run of three successive American wins, and then the following year he took an untested team to Las Vegas and upset the odds with a glorious 11-7 victory. Ruijsink missed the event in ’08 and ’09 but was back for the tournament’s return to the York Hall in 2010 when two top teams clashed and Europe prevailed 11-8 winners after four unforgettable days. Then last year, he took the team back to the MGM Grand, Las Vegas where they dispatched the Americans 11-7. “I am delighted to have the honor of being Mosconi Cup captain again, and Europe is not about to give up our dominance,” said a confident Ruijsink. “We only need to be on the top our game. But hey, it’s the Mosconi Cup and every player in Europe desires to play in this event, especially at the York Hall, in front of our own crowd. We know we’ll be heavily supported and we know these supporters will give the respect to the American team that they deserve, as we will do, but it will be our party.”

Johan Ruijsink, the 46-year-old Dutchman, will once again be sitting in the captain’s chair for Team Europe. This will be Ruijsink’s fifth Mosconi Cup, and he will be looking to maintain his unde-

The PartyPoker.com Mosconi Cup takes place from December 10-13 at the York Hall, Bethnal Green, London. Tickets are available exclusively from www.seetickets.com.

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Like an On November 4, 1912, Howard Carter and a team of archaeologists discovered the entrance to King Tutankhamen'stomb in the Valley of the Kings. Mostly intact, the tomb contained a massive collection of thousands of priceless artifacts and inspired a mania for all things Egypt throughout the world.

2. 5. 6. 7. 8. 10. 13. 14. 16. 19. 20. 21. 22. 26. 30. 32. 34. 35. 37. 39. 40.

King Tut’s tomb had remained undisturbed for nearly three ____. The only organ left in the body after mumification Goddess of motherhood and magic Ramses the ____ reigned over Egypt for over 65 years and died in his nineties. The Eye of Horus represents this number in Egyptian mathematics. These animals were loved and revered as gods by the Egyptians The ____ had a hit song with “Walk Like an Egyptian” in 1986. Queen ____ is an international icon of beauty around the world. Egyptians used ____ to protect their skin from the sun A narrow, four-sided monument that tapers to a pyramid The artifacts were removed from the tomb over a period of ____ years. Where an Egyptian woman put perfumed wax cones ____ jars held the organs of mummies. Boris Karloff played evil mummy ____ in the 1932 film “The Mummy.” God of the afterlife This 1963 movie starred Elizabeth Taylor and was the most expensive movie ever made. Jane ____ first conceptualized the idea of a mummy rising from the dead in 1827. The striped cloth used to cover the pharoah’s hair The mysterious deaths of members of Carter’s team inspired the legend of the “mummy’s ____.” The oldest-known board game in existence Symbol of eternal life

Down 1. 3. 4. 9. 11. 12. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 23. 24. 25. 27. 28. 29. 31. 33. 36. 38.

48 InsidePOOL Magazine ◊ November 2012

This material predates glass and was invented by the Egyptians to make jewelry, figurines, and pottery. Period of architecture inspired by the discovery of King Tut’s tomb The Great Pyramid of ____ is known as one of the Seven Wonders of the World. Hieroglyphics were the Egyptians’ system of ____. Mythical creature with the head of a woman, body of a lion, and wings of an eagle This ancient beverage was deemed the only appropriate gift to the pharoahs The longest river in the world God of knowledge The capital of Egypt Goddess of war Sacred beetle that represented transformation King of the Gods God of the underworld An oval shape surrounding the name of a god or royal person A virtual recreation of Tut’s tomb can be viewed ____. A paper-like material first used in ancient Egypt Flower symbolizing birth and creation God of the sky The snake allegedly used by Cleopatra to end her life A body that has been carefully preserved for the afterlife God of chaos

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