September 2009 page 2
September 2009 page 3
September 2009 Volume 1 Number 7
Cover Photo file photo
Stroke Staff Publisher/Editor Don “Cheese” Akerlow Marketing Director Mary Akerlow Layouts & Design Wendy Swenson Sunshine Ross Don Akerlow Mary Akerlow Distribution Sheila Papke
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Stroke is a monthly publication, dedicated to the advancement of the sport of pool and to promoting enthusiasm and encouragement among the players at all levels, regardless of their league affiliation, in addition to recognizing those businesses who support them all. Covering the Eastcoast and adjoining states. Look for Stroke by the 10th of each month. The opinions expressed are those of the author or advertiser and do not necessarily reflect the views of Rackem or its staff. We reserve the right to edit or reject any material submitted for publication. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without the written permission of the Publisher. © 2009 Stroke
Read Stroke Online at: The Pool Players Voice www.strokemagazine.net Advertisers POOL ON TV Amy’s Billiards
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Crown Cues
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CNY Tour
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Guys & Dolls
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Quality Merchant Solutions
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sammspocket.com
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USA Pool League
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Columnists Bob Jewett
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Samm Diep
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Information Pool On TV Tournament Trail
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Classic 09-01-2009 10:00 am 2000 WPBA Classic TourFinals 09-02-2009 10:00 am 2001 WPBA Classic Tour Semi #1 09-03-2009 10:00 am 2001 WPBA Classic Tour Semi #2 09-04-2009 10:00 am 2001 WPBA Classic Tour Finals 09-09-2009 11:00 am 2001 WPBA Classic Tour Semi #2 09-12-2009 11:00 am 2001 WPBA Classic Tour Semi #1 09-13-2009 9:00 am Luther Lassiter vs. U.J. Puckett 09-13-2009 10:00 am Hall of Fame Trick Shots 09-14-2009 10:00 am 2001 WPBA Classic Tour Semi #2 09-15-2009 10:00 am 2001 WPBA Classic Tour Finals 09-16-2009 10:00 am 2001 WPBA Classic Tour Semi #1 09-17-2009 10:00 am 2001 WPBA Classic Tour Semi #2 09-18-2009 10:00 am 2001 WPBA Classic TourFinals 09-19-2009 11:00 am 2001 WPBA National Champ 09-20-2009 9:00 am Babe Cranfield vs. U.J. Puckett 09-21-2009 10:00 am 2001 WPBA National Champ 09-22-2009 10:00 am 2001 WPBA National Champ 09-23-2009 10:00 am 2002 WPBA Classic Billiards 09-24-2009 10:00 am 2002 WPBA Classic Tour 09-25-2009 10:00 am 2002 WPBA Classic Tour Finals
09-13-2009 3:00 pm 2009 U.S. Open Quarterfinals 09-13-2009 4:00 pm 2009 U.S. Open Quarterfinals 09-13-2009 5:00 pm 2009 U.S. Open Quarterfinals 09-27-2009 5:00 pm 2009 U.S. Open Quarterfinals Time shown are Eastern time. These schedules have been provided by ESPN. These are tentative dates and are subject to change
09-26-2009 11:00 am 2007 Texas Hold’Em Billiards Jennifer Barretta vs Rodney Morris 09-30-2009 10:00 am 2002 WPBA Classic Tour Finals
www.otbntv.com
Wild West Shootout $5,000 added Great Falls, MT Oct 2-4, 2009 Watch it LIVE
September 2009 page 4
Ledford Double Dips the Viking Cue Event
L-R Justin Ledford, Helena Thornfeldt, John Maikke
The Viking Cue Amateur 9-Ball Tour was in Villa Rica, GA at Stix’s Billiards for The Grand Opening Tournament. Stix’s, the newest billiard room in the West Georgia area, houses 10 Diamond Tables, 11 Flat Screen TV’s, a full kitchen with a menu that will please everyone’s taste as well as a full bar. The Viking Cue Amateur 9-Ball Tour hosted 64 players and paid out over $5400 in prize monies this past weekend. Players from around the region as well as local players were in attendance to take their shot at taking home the first place prize fund. Justin Ledford from Clearwater, FL would be the lucky player to make to first place. Ledford began his run in the bottom of the brackets and defeated Bradley Hale 9-3; Daryl Gable 9-4; Robert Frost 9-7; Janez Zabnikar 9-3; and Greg George 9-7; before he was sent to the left side of the chart by John Maikke. Once on the one loss side Ledford faced off against Frost in the semi finals, defeating him 9-7 to return to the finals were he would once again go up against Maikke. Ledford double dipped Maikke in the finals to take home the first place prize monies. The Viking Cue 9-Ball Tour also hosted a 10 player winner take all mini tournament on Saturday night. David Rice won the race to 7, single elimination, tournament to claim his $1000 prize. The event was live streamed on Sunday. Video’s may be viewed at TGTV. The Viking Cue Amateur 9-Ball Tour would like to thank Helena Thornfeldt and Monica Webb the owner’s of Stix Billiards for hosting the event. If you get to Georgia make sure you visit Stix’s Billiards it is at located at 660 West Bankhead Hwy, Villa Rica, GA, phone: 770-4561616. PLACE 1st $1600 2nd $1000 3rd $575 4th $375 5/6th $200 7/8th $100 9/12th $70
Justin Ledford John Maikke Robert Frost Mark Ritter Morty Davis, Greg George Dustin Byrd, Jeff Jordan Jeff Tabet, Horace Godwin, Jamey Lowery Janez Zabnikar
Guys & Dolls
1519 Williamson Rd - Roanoke, VA 540.981.1600 Allen Hopkins 10-Ball Tour - Sept 26-27, 2009
$1500 Added
Doors Open at 10:00 AM - Signup Closes as 11:00 Matches start at 12:00 Noon Sharp!
Open/Pro $100.00 + ($10) (Entry + Fee) - Amateurs $65.00 + 10 (Entry + Fee)
Races to 7 - Races to 9 finals www.teamdmiro.com for more information
Mike Dechaine Wins 64 players come out from all over New England for a chance at the $5,100.00 in prize money. The format was a race to your handicap: (D Level Players Race to 4) (C Level Players race to 5) (B Level Players race to 6) (A Level player’s race to 7) (Open Level player players race to 8) (Pro players race to 10). The tournament had 16 players from each level group, The tournament director Marc Dionne was very happy about this. On the winner's side final, it was a match between Nelson Olivera and Mike Dechaine. Olivera had to win 8 games and Dechaine had to win 10 games. This was a neck to neck battle but at the end, Dechaine would come out on top with the score of 10-7 to take his place in the finals. On the loser's side final, it was a match between Nelson Olivera and Dave Hall (Eagle Hall). This match was an 8-8 race. This match was a nail biter from the very beginning. It was a neck to neck race for the first 10 games up until Olivera made a critical error on the 7 ball, which led to Hall being ahead with a score of 6-5. Hall never looked back, advancing him to play Dechaine in the finals. The score between Hall and Olivera was 8-5. The finals was a true double elimination format where Hall had to beat Dechaine twice in order to get the first place seating. No one was going to beat Dechaine today. He would steamroll over Hall with the score of 10-5, taking the title of first place for the second year in a row. For more information, please visit our 2009 - 2010 tour information available here..http://www.mdpromotions.com/tour_events.html RESULTS: 1st $1,600 2nd $900 3rd $450 4th $325 5th/6th $200 7th/8th $125 9th- 12th $100 13th- 16th $75.00
Mike Dechaine (Pro) $ 1,600 Dave Hall (Open) $900 Nelson Olivera (Open) $450 Kevin Gumiond (Open) $325 Harry Nathan (B) and Darrell Roberts (C) Roy Morgridge (B) and William Lanna (Open) Cletion Rocha (A), Tim Perry (A), Nick Kafalas (C) and Mike Barbagallo (B) Stuart Rainy (B), Shane Cote (A ), Andy Maynard (B) and Tom Mcgongale (Open)
Tri-State Tour 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5/6 7/8
Dan Cintron Johnny Ortiz Raul Reyes Steve Thomas Mike Harrington Scott Simmonetti Gary Murgia Diana Rojas Left Johnny Ortiz; right Dan Cintron.
September 2009 page 5
Michell Monk Wins At Ultimate Billiards Earns spot in the WPBA Colorado Classic
Billiards Tour is Saturday, October 3 at Amy’s Billiards in Stuart, Fla. Please see www. flamingobilliardstour.com for all event details.
Bill Mallen, co-owner of Ultimate Billiards, Fort Pierce, Fla., Michell Monk, Helene Caukin, and Gary Gilsinan (white shirt), co-owner of Ultimate Billiards, Fort Pierce, Fla.
Fort Pierce, Fla. (Aug. 17, 2009) – Michell Monk emerged undefeated from a field of 22 competitors to win the first Flamingo Billiards Tour event. The win was Monk’s first WPBA regional tour victory and automatically qualifies her for the Colorado Classic in September. The modified doubleelimination tournament was held at Ultimate Billiards in Fort Pierce, Fla. on August 15 and drew top women players from throughout the state. In the early rounds, Monk defeated Crystal McCormick (7-3), Mimi McAndrews (7-1), and edged out Mary Pendleton Brown in an exciting double-hill match. On the redraw and facing single-elimination, Monk was unstoppable against Stacey
Lantz (7-0) but went hill-hill against the strong play of Leslee Davis Blaikee before winning 7-6. The final match pitted Monk against Helene Caukin who had stormed back through the field after an opening-match loss to Diana Minor (1-7) and subsequent victories over Cassidy Mulligan (7-4) and Mimi McAndrews (7-4). On the redraw, Caukin defeated Jeannie Seaver (7-1) and Stephanie Mitchell (7-5). Caukin took the first game of the final match, but Monk caught a gear and won the next 5 games. In Game 7, Monk appeared to be out, but jawed the 7-ball, leaving the short run to Caukin, who then snapped the 9 to win Game 8 as well. With the score now 5-3, the women played early safes
on Game 9. Caukin kicked-in a tough 2-ball and sliced a 3, but eventually turned the table over to Monk for a short 3-ball run. In Game 10 with the score 6-3, Caukin made the 1 and 2 balls, but missed a tough 3-ball shot. The miss set up a 3-9 combo, which Monk nailed for the victory trophy and Colorado Classic seat. Monk also received a Sniper jump/break cue courtesy of Custom Cues, a new Flamingo Billiards Tour sponsor. Special thanks to Bill Mallen and Gary Gilsinan of Ultimate Billiards (www.ultimate-billiards.com) for providing outstanding atmosphere, equipment and hospitality for the inaugural event. The next stop for the Flamingo
RESULTS ($500-added, modified double-elimination) 1st $450 2nd $300 3rd/4th $200 5th/8th $110 9th/16th
Michell Monk ($450+ qualifier spot) Helene Caukin ($300) Stephanie Mitchell, Leslee Davis Blaikee Kelly Coyle, Jeannie Seaver, Niki Rasmussen, Stacey Lantz Mary Pendelton Brown, Diana Minor, Tracy McCreary, Amy Poulter, Sabra MacArthur Beahn, Shelly Harrison, Mimi McAndrews, Christine Nevins
Winner, Michell Monk.
September 2009 page 6
Blaze Tour at Hot Shots
Winner Eddie Abraham 2nd place finisher Bruce Nagle, Julian Carvell and Vincent Caramanna
Blaze 9 Ball Tour made its way to Hot Shot Billiards in Deptford NJ on August 2, 2009 A strong field of 35 players came out to play players like: Eddie Abraham, Bruce Nagle, Matt Krah, Shaun Wilkie, Joey Testa, Mike Lizzio, Sam Quinzi, Erin McManus, Denise Reeves, Julian Carvell and Vicent Caramanna to name a few. Leading the top half of the bracket was Eddie Abraham with wins over Bob Whitfield 7-5, Jack McPoyle 7-1, Chuck Roth 7-5, and Joey Testa 7-6. Leading the bottom half of the bracket was Bruce Nagle with wins over CJ Fought 7-1, Bob Mapes 7-4, Erin
RESULTS: 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th/6th 7th/8th
$950 $460 $285 $175 $100 $70
McManus 7-3, and Mike Lizzio 7-5. Playing for the hot seat was Bruce Nagle VS Eddie Abraham this was a good match with Eddie Abraham pulling away late in the match to 7-5, sending Bruce Nagle to the one lost side. Waiting for Bruce Nagle to the one lost side was Shaun Wilkie, this was a one sided match with Bruce Nagle running away with the match 7-4 to get to the finals. In the finals it was Bruce Nagle VS Eddie Abraham, Bruce Nagle has to beat Eddie Abraham twice to win the event. Bruce Nagle put up a good fight but it was all Eddie Abraham winning the match 7-4 and the event.
Eddie Abraham Bruce Nagle Shaun Wilkie Joey Testa Mike Lizzio, Matt Krah Chuck Fought Sr., Sam Quinzi
Bison Billiards
GRAND OPENING
Our long awaited Grand Opening Hatch where offering lessons was August 1st and 2nd. This and demonstrations all weekend. was kicked off with a $500 added Great food was enjoyed by all. On Northeast Tour 9 Ball Tournament Sunday, August 2nd, we hosted a on August 1st. This was a Motorcycle show that brought out Handicapped, Double Elimination some beautiful bikes even though event that had the local weather the top players wasn't cooperating. from Western NY Congratulations to competing for a Mike DiBerardino for $750 1st place. best of show in the The event was a Cruiser class and to sellout with all 32 Bob Brott who took spots prepaid two best of class in the days prior to the Sport Bikes. There event! The $750 were Professional 1st place prize Players's, Bikers, was taken down Youth Groups, by Jim Hoffstetter, Families, Men, Danny Diliberto but everyone Women, and was a winner. Children of all ages We had the company of Danny enjoying themselves all weekend Diliberto, Dennis Hatch, and long. Thank you to all for your Dave Grau. Danny D and Dennis great support and contributions!
Stun Shots
San Francisco Billiard Academy www.sfbilliards.com San Francisco Billiard Academy www.sfbilliards.com
By: Bob Jewett In my last article, I asked you to work really hard on one of the simplest shots on the table -the stop shot. Your homework was to try to shoot Bob Jewett stop shots nearly perfectly with no spin and with no movement on the cue ball Bobafter Jewett contact. This month you get to play with just a little bit of angle. A stop shot with a an angle is called a stun shot. I think the name comes from the fact that the cue ball is almost but not quite dead after the shot. Set up an easy shot as shown, with just a little angle. The cue ball and the object ball are both the same distance off the cushion in my example. If you get the cue ball to arrive at the object ball with no follow or draw, it will move off along a right angle to the path of the object ball. This is to the various Xs depending on how hard you hit the ball. Mark a spot along that line with a coin and try to make the shot and leave the cue ball on the coin. Start with a short distance and gradually increase it. 1 If you have a hard time hitting the cue Z X Y ball hard enough with only a small cut angle, increase the cut angle by moving both balls X Y Z off the rail some. If the shot is too easy, move both balls closer Y X Z to the cushion. Once you have the normal stun shot X 2 3 worked out and can put the cue ball on any X you choose, try just a lottle follow or X draw. Try to move the cue ball towards the side pockets along the lines of Ys and Zs. Stun shot practice. Again, use the coin to Use a coin to mark your mark your target. position target. See how You will probably straight you can make notice that for the the shot and still move the cue ball for a tougher drill. softer shots, you have to hit the cue ball low to get stun, which is due to the friction on the table putting top spin (follow) on the cue ball. Blending the amount of draw with the speed and taking into account the distance to the ball is the essence of learning stun. Just as with stop shots, stun shots are quite sensitive to small amounts of sidespin. For example on the shot shown, if you have just a little right English on the cue ball, you'll likely hit the short rail before the pocket. This shot needs as much precision as you needed for last month's practice. In play, the skills you develop with this drill are most useful when you have made a small position error and gotten too straight on the object ball. In such situations, it's really useful to be able to move the cue ball the length of the table with only a few degrees of cut angle. REJ
September 2009 page 7
What’s your practice mission? By Samm Diep, PoolTipJar.com © August 2009
In order to get the most out of our practice time, it’s important to establish a mission. What is your purpose for practicing today? We’ve all observed the player from across the room that’s just firing at balls. He thinks he’s doing the right thing by getting out there and practicing. His practice session may begin with a couple organized drills or stroke shots. Eventually, he’s lost focus or ends up playing against someone. He gives half a warm-up stroke for each shot, Samm Diep tries to bank balls that should be cut, and is very obviously no longer giving 100%. To get the most out of our practice time, there are some decisions we need to make before we begin. Decide if this going to be a learning session or an achieving session. Do you have an objective for your valuable practice time? Have a plan to work on a specific shot or develop a certain stroke. Or, are you setting out to run 100 balls in straight pool or break and run four consecutive racks of 9-ball? Whichever course of action we choose, it’s most important to make sure our goals are realistic and attainable. Now that we’ve determined our objective, let’s make our shot decisions accordingly. If we’re planning an achieving session, our goals are results-based. This means if I’m setting out to get a perfect score of 150 in the game of 6 Pocket, then I determine that before my practice begins. I will choose smart patterns, take less-aggressive shots, and make sure I get on the correct side of each ball. Ideally, I want to recreate a tournament pressure and mindset for myself. My priority is to accomplish this score and exceed my current high score. On the other hand, if the plan is for a learning session, we may find our goals to be more performance-based. For instance, I’m setting out to develop my power draw stroke. I will set up the same shot and shoot it 50 or 100 times until I achieve my desired outcome and get a feel for the stroke. I’m concentrating less on pocketing the ball and more on developing the muscle memory. My focus is on the execution or performance, not the results. This is also the perfect opportunity to set up that scenario I was unsure of during league. Perhaps I used low outside instead of high inside. I will set it up and shoot it several different ways. I’ll practice pocketing the ball Continued on page 10
September 2009 page 8
Predator 9-ball Tour
Mike Miller Dominant in His First Win on the Predator Tour.
August 15-16, 2009 The Predator 9-ball Tour had its 12th stop of the season at Comet Billiards in Parsippany, NJ. Comet, which often plays host to many of the areas most sought-after events, is definitely a player favorite in the area, and Bill Haley & his staff do a great job in providing a high-quality experience for the players. Kicking off the event at 1pm in the arena, Shaun Wilkie and Matt Krah were matched up in the first round. This set would go hill-hill, with Shaun overcoming Matt in the final game. Krah would take a surprisingly early exit, being defeated by Oscar Bonilla, 8-4 two matches later. Oscar would then take his match against John Alicea hill-hill, but came short to bow out early as well. In the final match, which would be a single race to 11, Ginky was awaiting Mike Miller in the hot seat. Maintaining his momentum from the semi-final, Miller had a swagger as he stepped around
the table. However, Ginky was not about to be pushed over, he and Mike traded games, keeping the score close. With a 5-5 tie, Ginky broke dry, leaving Mike to run out for the lead. Ginky returned with a runout after Mike missed a thin cut on the two, tying the score again 6-6. After alternating safes and kicks in game 13, Ginky gets an open shot and runs out, leading 7-6. In rack 14, Mike broke and ran out to tie it again at 7-7. In the following rack, Ginky looked to have the runout, but made a fatal position error on the 7. He played safe, but it wasn't quite good enough, as Mike sliced in the 7 ball from the far side of the table. In the following game, Mike crushed the rack again, and ran out a challenging layout to lead 9-7. Ginky broke next and had a good chance to get back in the set with a shot on the one. Surprisingly, Ginky did not get where he hoped on the 3,
COMPLETE PAYOUTS 1st $1000 2nd $750 3rd $500 4th $375 5th/6th $250 7th/8th $175 9th-12th $125
Mike Miller George SanSouci Tony Robles Zion Zvi Shaun Wilkie, Al Lapena Victor Nau, Joey Kong Dennis Spears, Wali Muhammad, Pete Ziemak, Sean Morgan
BCD PAYOUTS 1st: $150 2nd: $85
Rene Villalobos Sandie Patarino
Alex Gonzalez is the Highest C/D Finisher
made a tough cut, but had an even tougher shot on the 4. He attempted to back-cut the 4 ball, but was unsuccessful, allowing Mike to runout to the hill. On the hill, Mike demolished the rack again, dropping the 1 and 2. He was left in a tough spot on the 3 however, with the cue up table and the 3 near the head spot. He cut in the 3, and the cue bounced off the rail and kissed into the 9, into the side
rail, then into the 9 again ending up stuck with the 9 blocking his path to the 4. This does not phase him in the least, as he broke out his broke out his jump cue again and popped the 4 ball in the corner to run out the rack and win the match. Congratulations to Mike Miller, for pulling out all the stops for a tremendous win at Comet Billiards!
September 2009 page 9
A Tale of Two Coasts Inaugural NCS 14.1 Continuous National Championship
CueSports International, August 11, 2009 Despite the heavy storms which have hit the North Eastern U.S this summer, players from all over the U.S traveled to Comet Billiards in Parsippany, NJ (Home of the Accu-Stats Arena) for the first NCS 14.1 National Championship. Held August 1-2, it was not only the first U.S straight pool national championship in many years but a true celebration of the game. The NCS is dedicated to encouraging more 9’ table play in a variety of cue disciplines, including 14.1. The players were a mix of long time 14.1 veterans such as Bill Dunsmore who started playing straight pool before many of the younger participants were born, to Bob Madenjian, Carswell “Cosmo” Ransom, Danny Barouty and Tom Walter. While the game itself has not been as publically visible as 8-Ball and 9-Ball in the past 30 years, the participation of young talented players showed a growing interest in the game. One young gun, Brandon Shuff, the 2009 NCS 8-Ball National Champion, had the high run of the tournament at 116. Although not necessarily known as a 14.1 player, Shuff showed his versatility and knowledge at Comet Billiards. Several other of the younger generation players also fared very well including 3rd place finisher Matt Teteaut . Accu-Stats streamed approximately 30 hours during the two day event. The live online video feed offered a rare opportunity for those who may not be as exposed to 14.1 a chance to learn more. Hall of Fame recipient and Accu-Stats founder, Pat Fleming, and New Jersey cue maker, John
Bender, added insightful commentary due in part to their well regarded experience in the sport. The tournament was double elimination, races to 150. Thousands of viewers logged into Accu-Stats.com to view the event and were treated to some tremendous matches, such as the hot seat match between NJ resident Steve Lipsky and Seattle pro Dan Louie. Louie’s break shot at 18 minutes 48 seconds into the recording “8/2 CSI – NCS
Day 2 Lipsky vs. Louie” took the breath away of those to witnessed it. All matches can still be viewed at Accu-Stats.com. Louie won that match 150-67. Lipsky now faced fellow northeastern player Matt Teteaut. Both players demonstrated their finesse of the game throughout the weekend, but it was an unusual bank shot by Lipsky, not often used in 14.1, that secured him one of the two spots to the World 14.1 Championship. In addition to the cash prize fund and the prizes generously supplied by NCS sponsors OB Cues and DELTA-13, Louie and Lipsky received paid entry to the 2009 World 14.1 Championship (August 24-29). This event will also be streamed live by Accu-Stats and held at Comet Billiards. The next event for the National Championship Series (NCS) is the back to back duo of the NCS 9-Ball National Championship and the NCS 10-Ball National Championship, September 3-7 at the Golden Nugget Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada. The Action Report (TAR) will be there to stream all the action. Qualifiers are currently being held around the country in both 9 and 10-Ball. Visit the CSI website at http://www.playcsipool.com/Events/NCS/ NCSEventCalendar/tabid/71/Default.aspx CueSports International (CSI) is the parent company of the BCA Pool Leagues, the USA Pool League, the National Championship Series (NCS) and produces the U.S Bar Table Championship, the Jay Swanson Memorial and coming in 2010 at the Riviera Hotel and Casino the U.S Open 10-Ball Championship. For more information about the CSI or for more details about the NCS please call 702-719-7665 or contact Holy Ryan at holly@playcsipool.com. Photo: Dan Louie. Photo courtesy of mediumpool.com
September 2009 page 10
Oscar Dominguez Wins U.S Bar Table Championships
By AzB staff, AZBilliards.com Reprinted with permission from Mike Zuglan It didn't take long for Oscar Dominguez to snare his first major 9-ball title. He came close earlier this year in Valley Forge (3rd place) and he played even stronger this weekend at the Turning Stone Classic XIII to capture first place. Dominguez started the day with an appointment with Shane Van Boening on the streaming table. A match with arguably the hottest player on the US circuit for the last 3 years could be a lot to fade for a young player looking for their first major title. But Dominguez took it in stride and came away with a 9-5 win. From there, Dominguez's game just seemed to get stronger and he bulldozed Zion Zvi 9-2 to take the hot-seat. Oscar led 4-0 before Zvi got on the board. And Oscar kept the pressure on. Zvi would earn a game here and there, but Dominguez never looked like this match was in dispute as he cruised to a 13-5 win. Dominguez earned $8000 for first place, while Zvi settled for $5000 in second place prize money. RESULTS: 1st $8,000 2nd $5,000 3rd $3,600 4th $2,600 5th/6th $2,000 7th/8th $1,600 9th/12th $1,200 13th/16th $850
Oscar Dominguez Zion Zvi $5,000.00 Corey Deuel Oscar Bonilla Robb Saez, Shane Van Boening Dave Grau, Gabe Owen Mike Davis, Joe Korsiak, Karen Corr, Mhet Vergara Ernesto Dominguez, Shawn Putnam Dennis Hatch, Marc Vidal
Adds New Divisions
CueSports International
Entering its 17th year, The U.S Bar Table Championships is expanding. The popular and long standing $24,500 added event is including two new divisions starting with the February 22-28, 2010 tournament. Produced by CueSports International (CSI) and hosted by the Terrible’s Sands Regency Hotel & Casino in Reno, Nevada the always competitive tournament has traditionally featured three divisions: open 8-Ball, open 9-Ball and open 10-Ball. A special cash “All Around” bonus is awarded every year to the top three men and women shooters who enter all three open events. However, starting in 2010 CSI is expanding the tournament to include women exclusive 8-Ball and 9-Ball divisions. The new Women’s 8-Ball Division will be $1000 added with races to 4 on both the winner and one loss side of the bracket. The new Women’s 9-Ball Division will also be $1000 added with races to 7. The Open 9-Ball and Open 10-Ball Divisions will have $6000 added and the Open 8-Ball Division will have $7000 added. The Open All-Around bonus will have a total of $3500 added. Further information and the 2010 registration form for the U.S Bar Table Championships will be available soon on the CSI website, www.playcsipool.com. CueSports International (CSI) is the parent company of the BCA Pool League, the USA Pool League and the National Championship Series (NCS). CSI also produces the U.S Bar Table Championships, the Jay Swanson Memorial and, coming in 2010, the U.S Open 10Ball Championship. For more information about CSI or any of its divisions and events please call (702) 719-7665 or email holly@ playcsipool.com
Practice Mission
continuned from page 7
with alternative spin options. It doesn’t matter what the results are, this is the time for learning. Establishing a practice mission has helped me maximize the quality of my practice time. While setting out to break my straight pool high run, I would often fall victim to unnecessarily shooting a shot more aggressively simply because it was “more fun” or because I felt I needed to practice that particular shot. Now, I save those shots for my learning sessions. Once I started distinguishing between the two, I increased my focus and high runs, and made better use of my practice time. Visit PoolTipJar.com “random smatterings of pool thoughts, articles, & news”. Take polls, view article archives, and read tournament and training updates. www.pooldawg.com
September 2009 page 11
APA national team championships Message from the President Welcome to the National Team Championships! Here you’ll experience excitement and competition unlike that which you’ve ever faced before. More than $1 million will be awarded at this year’s championships. If your team wants a piece of the prize, you’ll need to be at the top of your game, as this is the highest level of amateur team competition. If your team is up to the challenge, you might return home as National Champions! Before your quest for a title begins, take a moment to reflect on what your team has accomplished. Few make it all the way to Vegas, so you should already consider yourselves winners. We realize that to make it this far you’ve had lots of support from family and friends—many of whom couldn’t make the trip to Vegas. So we’ve dedicated our website, poolplayers.com, to providing updated coverage of the event to those back home. Throughout the tournament you’ll find poolplaying in almost every corner of the Riviera Hotel & Casino. This year, in addition to the National Team Championships, we will once again feature our 8-Ball and 9-Ball Doubles and Masters Championships, the 8-Ball Wheelchair Challenge, along with nearly round-the-clock MiniMania tournaments. This week you’ll have the opportunity to meet billiard superstar the Jeanette “The Black Widow” Lee. She’ll be here early in the week signing autographs and performing exhibitions. Again this year we’ll host the Ultimate Trick Shot Challenge comprised of the top trick shot artists in the world. APA Fan Favorite Tom “Dr. Cue” Rossman will be competing in that event and also performing exhibitions throughout the week. On behalf of our entire APA staff, our network of League Operators, and our sponsors, we wish you the best of luck and hope you enjoy your experience in Las Vegas! Best regards,
Renee Lyle President
8-Ball Ladies Division
Let It Ride of Bakersfield, Calif., defeated Amy’s Avengers of West Monroe, La., 3-2 in the finals of the Ladies 8-Ball Division of the 2009 National Team Championships. The victory earned Let It Ride a $10,000 pay day! As Runners-Up, the Amy’s Avengers didn't go home empty handed either - they received $5,000 in 2nd Place prize money. Let It Ride advanced to the finals with a victory over the Wild Hares of Largo. Fla. Amy’s Avengers victory over the Hustlers of Gretna, La., secured their spot in the finals. Thirty-eight teams competed in the Ladies 8-Ball Division.
Apa 8-Ball Doubles Championship
Stepdads – Adam Pontious (SL4) and Curtis Cardwell (SL7) of Roanoke, Texas, took home the $6,500 first place prize in the 8-Ball Doubles finals on Sunday evening. Play Hard Mississippi – James Scroggs (SL6) and Sam Schifano (SL4) of Summitt, Miss., didn’t go home empty-handed, leaving $4,000 richer. The race was 3-4. Stepdads won the first three games, while Play Hard Mississippi came back to win games four and five, and making the race hill-hill. Stepdads then came back to capture game six for the win.
September 2009 page 12
Score board
from: Don Liebes - Gate City Billiards Club - Greensboro, NC The winners of the Mary Nelson Benefit, US Open Qualifier: August 29th 1st $200 Earl Strickland (Already has paid US Open entry for life) 2nd $200 Tony Morrison - plus paid US Open Spot 3rd $100 Chris Turner 4th $60 Adam Stanton Final Match Results: Earl Strickland beat Paul Mullins 7 to 4 in the winner’s bracket Tony Morrison beat Anthony Arney 5 to 1 in the loser’s bracket Adam Stanton beat Paul Mullins 5 to 2 in the loser’s bracket Earl Strickland beat Christ Turner 7 to 2 in the winner’s bracket Tony Morrison beat Adam Stanton 5 to 0 in the loser’s bracket Tony Morrison beat Chris Turner 5 to 2 in the loser’s bracket Earl beat Tony Morrison in the final match 7 to 2
Tschudi Season Champ
The J. Pechauer Southeast 9-Ball tour on August 1-2. 1st $1,400 Marco Tschudi 2nd $1,100 Tony Crosby 3rd $700 Jerry Calderon 4th $520 Corey Deuel 5th/6th $300 Stevie Moore, Donnie Mills 7th/8th $200 Rodney Morris, Richie Richeson Player of the year T.F.Whittington, Sportsmanship award Bill Dunsmoore, Most improved player of the year Walter Blacker
NE Womens 9Ball Tour We would like to thank Corner Pocket in Johnston, RI for their hospitability in hosting the first qualifier of the 2009 season for the New England Women’s 9 Ball Tour. Also, we would like to extend a big thank you to all the women who made this possible by selling raffle tickets for the Cue-Tec Cue, donated by Imperial International, and the Elite Case. We had a great turnout on this beautiful summer day of 23 women. Stacie Bourbeau, after 3 consecutive 4th place finishes, took a commanding start to the day in hopes of winning that qualifier spot for the WPBA Colorado Classic in September. She defeated Norma Corneau, Taylor Christie, and Joan Thole in route to the hot seat match. Liz Taylor was creating similar havoc on her side of the bracket, RESULTS: 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th/6th 7th/8th
defeating Nicole Christie, Borana Andoni, Lena Lavoie, and Candi Rego to also reach the hot seat match. In a fierce hill-hill match for the hotseat, Stacie Bourbeau smashed the balls with her commanding break to leave herself a one-nine combination for the win. She pocketed it effortlessly and sent Liz Taylor to the loser’s bracket. Liz Taylor and Candi Rego met up for the second time this tournament in hopes of getting to that final match of the day. Liz took a commanding lead and defeated Candi 7-3. After playing all day long, Liz Taylor and Stacie Bourbeau had finally made it to the final round. Stacie left no room for errors and came out firing, defeating Liz in an impressive 7-1 race.
$500 Stacie Bourbeau (plus the $500 paid qualifier spot) $350 Liz Taylor $250 Candi Rego $150 Emily Duddy $75 June Maier, Joan Thole $50 Janet Tycks, Borana Andoni
September 2009 page 13
APA national team championships 9-Ball Open Division
Shoot ‘Em Down of Waterloo, S.C., defeated Mixed Bunch of Jefferson, La., in the finals of the Open 9-Ball Division of the 2009 National Team Championships. The victory earned Shoot ‘Em Down $15,000 in 1st Place prize money. Mixed Bunch took home $7,000 as the Runners-up. Shoot ‘Em Down advanced to the finals with a victory over Cue Tips of Metairie, La. Mixed Bunch’s victory over Good Times of Austin, Texas, secured their spot in the finals. The Open 9-Ball Division featured 381 teams from the United States, Canada and Japan. (pictured left) Shoot ‘Em Down (Waterloo, SC) Terry Oswald, Jimbob Jordan, Katie Plake, Jason Burroughs, Travis McCurry, Buddy Simpson, Glen McDonald
Masters Championship
The finals of the APA Masters Championship on Wednesday paired Ying & Tang – Thomas Torres-Onisto, Kevin Guimond, Eric Tang and Vincente Zuniga of East Windsor, Conn., and California Roll – Joseph Martinez, Yi Fei Mei and David Mount of Duarte, Calif. In the end it was California Roll taking home the $7,800 first place prize money! Ying & Tang didn’t go home empty-handed earning $3,600. The final score was 18-14. (pictured right) California Roll (Duarte, CA) David Mount, Yi Fei Mei, Joseph Martinez
9-BALL DOUBLES CHAMPIONSHIPS
The finals of the 9-Ball Doubles Championship on Friday paired It Only Takes 5 – Becky St Louis (SL3) and Linda Neary (SL2) of Warwick, R.I., against JC/DC – Dan Cordova (SL4) and Joe Corrado (SL5) of Lockport, Ill. The race was 14-38. In the end, it was It Only Takes 5 taking home the $5,000 first place prize. Runners-up, JC/DC, didn’t go home empty-handed, earning $3,000. The final score was 14-23. (pictured left) It Only Takes 5 (Warwick, RI) Becky St Louis, Linda Neary
8-BALL OPEN DIVISION
No English of Bridgeport, Conn., defeated Team Bet of Memphis, Tenn., in the finals of the Open 8-Ball Division of the 2009 National Team Championships. The victory earned No English $25,000 in 1st Place prize money. Team Bet took home $15,000 as the Runners-up. No English advanced to the finals with a victory over Park Place Billiards of Clearwater, Fla. Team Bet advanced to the finals as a result of a disqualification following the semifinals. The Open 8-Ball Division featured 712 teams from the United States and Canada.
(pictured right) No English (Bridgeport, CT) Walter Centeno, Paul Luis, Chris Frazao, Lou Carrero, Sean Zipper, Javier Demora, Mark Pettway
2009 APA WHEELCHAIR CHALLENGE
Wheelchair Challenge Charlie Hans
Charlie Hans (SL7) of Cincinnati, Ohio was up against Timothy Wallen (SL5) of Fayetteville, N.C., in the APA Wheelchair Challenge finals on Friday evening. Hans captured the win and took home the $2,000 cash prize for the second consecutive year. Wallen earned $1,000 for his performance. The final score was 5-0. A total of 58 players competed in this year’s Wheelchair Challenge.
Call First - All Tournaments are subject to change without notice
September 2009 page 14
DATE Sep 3-5 Sep 5-7 Sep 5-6 Sep 5-6 Sep 5-6 Sep 6 Sep 6 Sep 12-13 Sep 12-13 Sep 13 Sep 19 Sep 19 Sep 19 Sep 19-20 Sep 26 Sep 26 Sep 26-27 Sep 26-27 Sep 26-27 Sep 26-27 Oct 3 Oct 3-4 Oct 3-4 Oct 3-4 Oct 4 Oct 5-11 Oct 9-11 Oct 10 Oct 10 Oct 10-11 Oct 11 Oct 17 Oct 17-18 Oct 17-18 Oct 18 Oct 24 Oct 24-25 Oct 24-25 Oct 24-25 Oct 24-25 Oct 31 Oct 31-Nov 1 Nov 6-8 Nov 7 Nov 7-8 Nov 7-8 Nov 7-8 Nov 11-15 Nov 14-15 Nov 15 Nov 21-22 Nov 21-22 Nov 29-30 Dec 5 Dec 5-6
CITY Las Vegas, NV Las Vegas, NV Monroe, NC Tampa, FL Springhill, FL Gainesville, FL E Rutherford, NJ Rocky Mount, NC West Hempstead,NY Maple Shade, NJ Tampa, FL Edison, NJ Williamsville, NY Parsippany, NJ Sunnyside, NY Latham, NY Roanoke, VA Waterville, ME E Rutherford, NJ West Haven, CT Edison, NJ Goldsboro, NC Clifton Park, NY Columbus, GA Boothwyn, PA Goldsboro, NC Palm Harbor FL New Port Richey, FL Parsippany, NJ Jackson Hts, NY Vineland, NJ Sunnyside, NY Williamsville, NY Winchester, VA Gainesville, FL E Rutherford, NJ Groton, CT Syracuse, NY Bayside, NY Midlothian, VA Brooklyn, NY Indianapolis, IN Tampa, FL Palm Harbor, FL Yorkville, NY E Rutherford, NJ Fort Pierce, FL Hollywood, FL W Hempstead, NY Gainesville, FL Providence, RI Yorkville, NY Wallingford, CT Gainesville, FL Syracuse, NY
LOCATION Golden Nugget Casino Golden Nugget Casino Burrkats Stroker II Capones Billiards Art of Billiards Castle Billiards Sharks-N-Shooters Raxx Pool Room Green Room Strokers Billiards Sandcastle Billiards Bison Billiards Comet Billiards Master Billiards Diamond Eight Billiards Guys & Dolls T J’s Classic Billiards Castle Billiards U S 1 Billiards Sandcastle Billiards Fast Eddie’s Trick Shot Billiards Players Billiards Riley’s Concord Billiards Fast Eddie’s Strokers Billiards T J’s Billiards Comet Billiards BQE Billiards Q-Ball Billiards Master Billiards Bison Billiards Blue Fox Billiards Art of Billiards Castle Billiards American Billiards Cap’s Cue Club Cue Bar Diamond Billiards Gotham City Billiards Brickyard Billiards Strokers Strokers Billiards Hippo’s House of Billiards Castle Billiards Ultimate Billiards Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Raxx Pool Room Art of Billiards Snookers Pool Lounge Hippo’s House of Billiards Yale Billiards Art of Billiards Salt City Billiards
PHONE (702) 719-7665 (702) 719-7665 (704) 226-9650 (772) 464-7665 (352) 688-9965 (352) 225-3535 (201) 933-6007 (252) 908-0754 (516) 538-9896 (856) 482-2227 (813) 814-2277 (732) 632-9277 (716) 632-0281 (973) 334-7429 (718) 706-6789
EVENT / RULES NCS 9-Ball Championship NCS 10-Ball Championship Viking Cue 9-Ball Tour KF Cues 9-Ball Tour Women’s Florida State 9-Ball Open Blaze Tour Jacoby Carolina Tour Seminole Pro Tour Blaze 9-Ball Tour Tiger Bay Area Amatuer Tri State Tour 9-Ball Handicap - Limit 32 Predator 9-Ball Tour Tri State Tour www.dominiakcuestour.com Dominiak NE 10 Ball Tour (540) 981-1600 Allen Hopkins 10-Ball Tour (207) 877-7665 Joss Northeast Tour (201) 933-6007 JPNEWT (203) 848-1212 East Coast Tour (732) 632-9277 Tri State Tour (919) 759-0071 Jacoby Carolina Tour (518) 383-8771 Joss Northeast 9-Ball Tour (706) 653-0106 J Pechauer SE Open (610) 859-8058 Blaze 9-Ball Tour (919) 759-0071 Carolina Open (727) 786-6683 Seminole Pro Tour (727) 849-0088 Bay Area Amateur Tour (973) 334-7429 Tri State Tour (718) 779-4348 Predator 9-Ball Tour (609) 267-2300 Blaze 9-Ball Tour (718) 706-6789 Tri State Tour (716) 632-0281 Joss NE Tour (540) 665-2114 Viking Cues 9-Ball Tour (352) 225-3535 9-Ball Open (201) 933-6007 Tri State Tour (860) 445-1561 East Coast Tour (315) 701-0101 CNY 9-Ball Tour (718) 631-2646 Predator 9-Ball Tour (804) 794-8787 Viking Cues 9-Ball Tour (718) 714-1002 Tri State Tour (317) 248-0555 Brickyard 9-Ball Classic www.poolplayers.com APA U.S. Amateur Champ. (727) 786-6683 Bay Area Amateur Tour (315) 768-0218 Joss NE 9-Ball Tour (201) 933-6007 Predtor 9-Ball Tour (772) 464-7665 J Pechauer SE Open (954) 327-7501 Steve Mizerak Championship (516) 538-9896 Joss NE 9-Ball Tour (352) 225-3535 9-Ball Open (401) 351-7665 Joss NE 9-Ball Tour (315) 768-0218 CNY 9-Ball Tour (203) 294-9591 East Coast Tour (352) 225-3535 End of year BIG EVENT (315) 454-8643 CNY 9-Ball Tour
ENTRY ADDED Call Call Call $2500 Call $2500 Call Call $25 $200 Call Call Call $1000 Call $6500 Call Call Call $500 Call Call $50 $250 Call $1000 Call Call Call Call $75-$110 $1500 Call Call Call Call Call Call Call Call Call Call Call Call Call Call Call Call Call Call Call Call Call Call Call Call Call Call Call Call Call Call Call $2000 Call Call $25 $200 Call Call Call Call Varies $600 Call Call Call Call Call Call Call Call Qualify Call Call Call Call Call Call Call Call Call Call Call Call $25 $200 Call Call Varies $600 Call Call $25 $200 Varies $600
TIME Call Call Call Call Call 10 AM Call 1PM Call Call Call Call Noon Call Call Call 10 AM Call Call Call Call Call Call Call Call Call Call Call Call Call Call Call Call Call 10 AM Call Call Noon Call Call Call Call Call Call Call Call Call Call 10 AM Call Noon Call 10 AM Noon
Wild West Shootout - Great Falls, MT Oct 2-4, 2009
Championship Series Coming This Fall All Events Will Be LIVE Streaming Schedules TBA www.OTBnTV.com
September 2009 page 15
Ultimate Trick Shot Challenge by: Tim Chin - Photo courtesy of www.poolplayers.com
Twelve of the top trick shot artists in the world descended on Las Vegas from August 24-28, 2009 for the Ultimate Trick Shot Challenge. Their talents were on full display for this freestyle trick shot tournament held at the APA National Team Championships, providing free entertainment to the APA players between their matches. The preliminary rounds consisted of round-robin play in two groups of six, with the top four in each group advancing to the playoffs. One point was awarded for a win and one half point for a tie. Group one was headlined by Tom “Dr. Cue” Rossman and Bruce Barthelette, perennial Trick Shot Magic and World Cup of Trick Shots contenders. Also in the group was Sal Conti, Gordon Hedges, Jason Lynch, and Stefan Mendrick. Group two saw the past two World Champions together, Andy Segal (2007) and Jamey Gray (2008), along with Tim Chin, Paul Danno, Mark Dimick, and Dave Nangle. Skill and creativity ran rampant throughout the tournament with the unveiling of some ridiculous shots, including a quadruple jump, massive fouettes, lightning speed shots, and no-look wing shots. Racks, ball trays, chalks, and cues also found some incredible uses, from building pyramids to creating obstacles for the balls. When the chalk dust settled, Bruce Barthelette and Andy Segal found themselves undefeated in group play. Tom Rossman, Stefan Mendrick, and Jason Lynch followed Bruce into the playoffs from the first group, rounded out by Gordon Hedges and Sal Conti. Jamey Gray, Mark Dimick, and Tim Chin squeezed into the playoffs from the second group, trailed by Dave Nangle and Paul Danno.
Tim narrowly beat out Dave on a tiebreaker to decide the fourth playoff spot as they tied on points and in their head-to-head match up. Tim won out based on overall shot make percentage, earning him a shot at Bruce Barthelette in the quarterfinals. The other matchups included Jamey Gray vs Stefan Mendrick, Mark Dimick vs Tom Rossman, and Andy Segal vs Jason Lynch. Tim Chin managed to overcome Bruce Barthelette in their quarterfinal match, while Jamey Gray held off Stefan Mendrick. Mark Dimick and Tom Rossman’s semifinal went the distance to a tiebreaker shot - a five rail lag to a target ball on the spot, closest ball wins. Each player had promising practice attempts, landing inches from the target. Mark went first for the real thing though and came up about a diamond short. Tom didn’t fare much better, but his cue ball crawled just a couple inches closer letting tournament referee Gil Olsen easily declare him the victor. In the last quarterfinal, Andy Segal defeated Jason Lynch. In the semifinals, Jamey and Tim couldn’t quite replicate their spectacular preliminary round match as Jamey pulled away for the victory. Andy and Tom battled neck-and-neck through their semifinal match, but Andy won it at the end as Tom missed some key shots. The final between Jamey and Andy looked to be a great matchup as Andy barely won their preliminary round match on the final shot. The match stayed close towards the end, but Andy took a late lead. Needing to make his remaining shots (and hope that Andy missed them), Jamey pulled out a high jump, trying to jump the cue ball out of stack of two racks and two balls. He was unable to connect though and Andy came out victorious, surviving the entire tournament undefeated.
APA Team T-shirt CONTEST Each team that entered their shirts had their photo taken showing off their shirt design. Photo Contest Times were Tuesday & Wednesday, Aug. 25 & 26 10:00 AM to 9:00 PM Awards were given out at the Awards Ceremony on Saturday, August 29.
Ladies 8-Ball Division Winners
9-Ball Open Division Winners
1st Place - Diamonds & Cues of Shreveport, LA
1st Place - Nut’n But Luck of Lafayette, LA