January 2009 page 2
Places People Play 4 Bears Classic New Town, ND ACS Green Bay, WI Atlas Billiard Supply Skokie, IL Biff’s Billiards Spring Lake Park, MN billiardcoach.com CuePen.com Delta13Rack.com End Zone Elko, MN League Central Kansas M8 Pool Leagues Roseville, MN MN Straight Pool Minnesota MOMA Oconomowoc, WI Mueller Lincoln, NE NCS/CSI Henderson, NV Players Pub New Town, ND Shooters Billiards Olathe, KS Subscriptions Two Stooges Fridley, MN
What’s Inside
January 2009 page 3
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About Us at Rackem
DON "CHEESE" AKERLOW
Rackem 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 midwest. 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 Publisher 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 Rackem
www.RackemMag.com Index Letter from the Editor
I would like to introduce myself, I am Don “Cheese” Akerlow. I have been playing pool for over 40 years and have played in leagues for 25 years. I’ve played APA, BCA, TAP, VNEA as well as Independent leagues. My wife, Mary, and I have been publishing pool magazines for 20 years. I came up with the idea when we couldn’t find any tournaments outside of our small town. There were no schedules and there was a lot of players that wanted to go to tournaments. This is a passion that has become a business and we hope to bring to you the pool player a comprehensive look at what is being played in the Midwest and where it is played. A complete digital copy of the printed version of Rackem will be available each month on our website www.RackemMag.com to read if you can’t find a copy in a location near you. We will promote leagues, tournaments, amateurs, semi and pro players. We will also include instructional articles, new product reviews, feature locations and people making news in the billiard industry. We will also be working closely with the billiardcoach.com and mnbilliards.com As Rackem grows it will have weekly tournaments for its advertisers and a section called the Tournament Trail which will feature tournaments in the midwest 3 months out. Deadline will be the 30th of the month or the last day of the month. This is the first issue of Rackem Magazine and is dedicated to the pool players. They deserve it! We will publish Rackem once a month and try to distribute it throughout the Midwest by the 10th of each month. Feel free to contact us about your tournaments and events so that we can help you promote them or to get Rackem delivered to your favorite location 406-285-3099. We would like to thank the advertisers in this Premier Issue of Rackem for believing in and promoting pool in the Midwest.
Respectfully, Don “Cheese” Akerlow
Classic 01-04-2009 12:00 pm Generationpool.com Wmn's 9-Ball 01-04-2009 1:00 pm Generationpool.com Wmn's 9-Ball 01-04-2009 2:00 pm Generationpool.com Wmn's 9-Ball
01-02-2009 10:00 am 2002 Sudden Death 7-Ball 01-03-2009 10:00 am 2003 BCA Open 9-Ball (Women) 01-06-2009 10:00 am 2003 BCA Open 9-Ball (Men) 01-10-2009 10:00 am 2003 WPBA Classic Tour Finals
01-17-2009 10:00 am 2007 WPBA Carolina Classic 01-24-2009 10:00 am 2007 WPBA San Diego Classic 01-24-2009 11:00 am 2007 WPBA San Diego Classic 01-24-2009 12:00 pm 2007 WPBA San Diego Classic
Baldwin Wins Billiard Coach Freeman Takes Sharkeys Kaufman on Varsity Kirkwood Wins Finale Live Streaming Guide McGovern Takes Pyramid Midwest ACS Midwest Championship New Years Eve at Biff’s Northern Lights Shootout Rohner Undefeated Samm Diep Subscriptions Tournament Trail Weekly Tournaments Yi Wins Championship
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These schedules have been provided by ESPN. These are tentative dates and are subject to change
January 2009 page 4
Article and photos courtesy of Michigan Players Tour Courtesy of mnbilliards.com Photos courtesy of billiardcoach.com
2008 was Biff’s 18th New Year ’s Eve Tournament. The $1000 added event has a history of drawing the best players from MN and neighboring states to comptete for the championship and ring in the new year. This year’s event featured live music by Dawg Wild. Last year’s event drew very talented teams from as far away as TX and CO. 1st Jamie & Chrissy 2nd Ty & Deb 3rd Matt & Marissa 4th Jerrod & June 5/6 Tony & Snap Jamie/Chrissy & Ty/ Deb split, but they gave the win to Jamie & Chrissy because they had the driver’s seat. Chrissy & Jamie
Deb & Ty
763-784-9446
www.biffssportsbar.com dean@mnbilliards.com
20 7' Diamond Pool Tables 10 Arachnid Dart Boards Winter Pool & Dart Leagues Starting in Jan.
Live Music Every Weekend Largest Pull Tab Booth in MN 7777 Hwy 65 NE Spring Lake Park, MN
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MN's best Bloody Mary Bar only $3.75 Build Your Own
The mini event took place Friday evening and was a $30 entry fee race to 7 (amateur women race to 5), 9 ball, true double elimination format. Michigan weather had us worried that the event may be cancelled but I received so many calls from players saying they were on their way that I held the event with an hour delay in the start time. We had blizzard like conditions and even with some roads being closed, we ended up with 56 players in the mini event! WOW! We had some great names attend this event so there are some amazing matches to watch once I post the Jason Kirkwood vdeos on our website. Iit amazed me to see how well the players handled it. My thanks to all of them for not letting anything break their professionalism, They all deserved to win! 1st Chris Bartram ($520+$750 side pot) 2nd Matt Beckwith ($260+$400 side pot) 3rd Billy Pinion ($150+$200 side pot) 4th Adam Smith ($100+$100 side pot) 5-6 Jeremy Seaman, Houston Rodriguez ($75+$75 side pot) 7-8 Jason Kirkwood, Lee Lambaria ($50+$55 side pot) 9-12 Shawn Buchholz, Troy Myers ($30+$50 side pot) Tom Decker, Bart Goode ($30+$50 side pot) The main event pulled in less entries than the mini event however, as the players said when they walked into the room and saw who was playing, it was like walking into a haunted house and seeing nothing but monsters! The main event was truly an event not to be missed because the level of play was amazing! 1st Jason Kirkwood ($800+$1400 side pot) 2nd Chris Bartram ($450+$800 side pot) 3rd Tom Dalfonso ($250+$500 side pot) 4th Bob Diebold ($130+$225 side pot) 5-6 Chad Palmer, Norm Wines ($75+$100 side pot) We had some great matches and yet again, the players that come to the MPT events showed that they are professional and great at what they do. They entertained many spectators with high levels of play and professionalism. I cant be happier with the year end event or the players that have attended the tour all year long. Thank you to everyone that supported us this year and thank you to the players, true professionals! Thank you to AZbilliards for all of their help, Inside Pool, Inside English, Billiards Digest, Chalkys Que Stick cafe, Versatility Inc, Seyberts Billiards Supply, Reliable Sports, Got Action Wear and of course Break Room for hosting the event. See you all next year! www.playerstourproductions.com
January 2009 page 5
Photos courtesy of Mike Fieldhammer, BilliardCoach.com
Northern Lights Shootout recap By Matthew Mullally, Pierce County Tribune RUGBY, N.D. - Perhaps it was fitting the two players with the most success at the Northern Lights Shootout would meet in the eight-ball tournament¹s final match. Fargo’s Marc Oelslager and Stan Tourangeau, of Vancouver, BC, both had a pair of tournament titles to their credit over the past nine years. Now, Oelslager can claim one more. The 43year-old defeated Tourangeau 6-0 in the raceto-six championship match, claiming the $4,000 first prize on Nov. 23 at the Rugby Armory. He won his first two matches to get into the round of 32 and then won six more to complete the three-day event with an undefeated mark. Oelslager won the inaugural tournament in 1999 and again last year. The Rugby event features a strong field, is well-run, and its proximity to Fargo (about three and a half hours away) makes it a favorite for Oelslager. And now he can lay claim to being the tournament¹s only three-time champion. “It’s a great event and one I look forward to competing in,” he said.
DIEP
WINS WOMEN’S CROWN
On the women’s tournament, Samm Diep of Colorado captured the $1,000 first prize in the women’s draw, which featured just 10 players this year. She won four matches to claim her first title. Julie Brunelle of Belcourt was again runner-up. Rachel Wentz, formerly of the Rugby area, was third.
B EARDY CUP
WINS
I NTERNATIONAL
The third International Cup 9-ball challenge preceded the Shootout. Twenty American players and 12 from Canada took part in the tournament. The champion was Felix Beardy of Winnipeg, MB. He won the $1,000 first prize. The top six players received a cash payout. There were 71 men and 10 women in the tournament field, which was significantly fewer than past tournaments. Mark Hamilton, tournament coordinator, said a couple of large tournaments going on in the region were a factor in taking away some top regional players. Nevertheless, the tournament did have its fair share of top players, including some from north of the border. Hamilton said about one-half of the field was from Canada. Hamilton said tournament officials will determine whether to move the tournament back to mid-December. The
first eight years it was held at that time. That may provide fewer scheduling conflicts with other tournaments. The event is sponsored by the Rugby Geographical Center Chamber of Commerce with the help of several other local and area sponsors. Hamilton said those businesses which again supported the tournament deserve the credit. “They help make this a go every year.”
OELSLAGER
FEATURE STORY
Feeling right at home - Oeslager has enjoyed much success at ‘Shootout’ By Matthew Mullally, Pierce County Tribune RUGBY, N.D. - It was a bowling alley, of all places, where Marc Oelslager, of Fargo, N.D. learned at an early age he had a talent for pool. “I was in a youth bowling league, and there were a couple of (pool) tables there. We would play while waiting for rides home,” Oelslager recalls. “We would play for quarters, and often I¹d come home with a pocket full of them.” These days the 43-year-old has walked away from the pool table with much more. Oelslager captured his third Northern Lights Shootout title on Nov. 23 in Rugby, becoming the tournament’s only three-time champion. He won the inaugural ‘Shootout’ in 1999 and again in 2007 and was runner-up another time. “There is always a strong field here with a number of pro-level players competing,” he said. “I look forward to coming, especially since it’s
close to home,” Oelslager said. Entering an established, well-known tournament like the Northern Lights Shootout means the field will include a number of talented players, he said. “In a field like this there are up to a dozen guys who have a good shot at winning,” Marc said. Of course, there is always that possibility of an underdog who gets hot, but usually talent and experience win out. And the players with both rise to the top. Marc’s not only been a six-time participant in the event, he’s also helped tournament officials by running the past two Calcutta tournaments held at the same time. “We appreciate him taking time out to do that,” says Mark Hamilton, tournament coordinator. “Marc is always wanting to promote the game.” Although Marc doesn’t devote as much time to his game as he once did, noting his commitments to his business and family, he said experience makes up for some of that time away from the table. “When you’ve played in a number of tournaments, you don’t get as nervous,” he said. “You have that past experience to draw from.”
(continued on page 12)
January 2009 page 6
Effective 8-Ball Break Shots, Part I © 2008 Mike Fieldhammer, BilliardCoach.com
The coin flip or lag can be a significant factor in match play. How can such an arbitrary bit of luck count for so much? The right to break the initial rack and the chance to draw first blood can be a significant advantage provided you’ve fine-tuned your breaking technique and are prepared to pounce on your prey. Players dream about running the first rack from the break in tournament play. This tends to put pressure on your opponent to ‘hold serve’, especially in short races with an alternate break format. If your opponent gives you a shot in game two, you stand to break the third rack with a chance to move ahead three games to none. This could be an insurmountable lead for your foe to overcome. Some attention must be given to your break shot to put yourself in such a commanding position early in the match. A successful break shot can be defined by the following description after the break: One or more balls have been pocketed The cue ball is in a position that offers an opening shot Object balls have scattered sufficiently and few clusters exist The first step to a successful break is obtaining a decent rack. Worn cloth, a sub-standard triangle, mismatched object balls, a spot with a lump or divot, or dirty old object balls all make it difficult to rack tightly. An effective spread is difficult to achieve with a sloppy rack. Make an effort to see that you and your opponent rack as tightly as the equipment conditions allow. Power and accuracy are two primary break shot stroke factors. Blended perfectly, these two factors transmit maximum energy into the stack while minimizing cue ball movement after impact. A forceful stroke delivering a full ball hit to the apex of the rack with minimum cue ball spin is optimum. Strike the cue ball as near to center ball as possible and aim to hit the head ball full. The goal is to have the cue ball rebound off the 15 ball stack and settle in the center of the table as indicated by the shaded oval in the diagram below.
Wor se is Better orse By Samm Diep (c) December 2008
If you’re fortunate enough to play only on the finest Diamond or Gold Crown table with shiny, clean Super Aramith Pro balls and newly recovered Simonis cloth, then you’re probably pretty spoiled. And let me guess, you might struggle a little at league or the local weekly tournament when you have to play on bar tables with ripped felt, mismatched balls, and karaoke blasting in your ear. There’s something to be said about practicing and competing under controlled environments where your opponent is respectful and everything is pristine, but welcome to the real world. Unless you’re a professional and you only compete in professional events where the equipment is Samm Diep perfect and consistent, then you’ll need to learn to adjust. Not even the pros are that lucky. It’s no secret that sub-par conditions level the playing field. A C-player that wouldn’t win one game against you on a big table stands a fair chance of beating you on an unkempt bar table. The biggest weakness for the Aplayer is that they forget that they’re on a bar table. They’re still trying to play perfect pool. They’re delicate with safeties and attempting finesse shots for window shape. In this environment, it only gets them into trouble. The C-player on the other hand may only be playing position 50% of the time. The other 50% they’re just hoping they make the shot. They’re used to the difficult shots because they’re out of line more often than not. They’re faced with the tough shots and they just fire them in and take what they get. They shoot everything firmly and they pot the balls. They’re fearless. These circumstances make the better player play worse and the worse players thrive. The C-player doesn’t know any better because they’re not used to being in line anyway. The A-player gets frustrated. Their cue ball is reckless, they can’t control the speed, and they’ve lost their touch. The moral to this story is that you must adjust your style to the equipment and conditions that you’re faced with. Like they say, “When in Rome...” If you don’t trust the table, don’t try to be so delicate. Pocket balls with firmer speed. Choose defensive shots with more blocker options. Adjust your patterns to use less rails. Short-side shape is more than acceptable on the bar table. Please be sure to visit PoolTipJar.com “random smatterings of pool thoughts, articles, & news”. You can take polls, view article archives, and read tournament and training updates. Samm Diep, “Cherry Bomb” - House Pro at Mile Nine & Rack ‘Em Billiards (Aurora, CO) Author of “You Might Be A D Player If... (101 Classic Moves That All Pool Players Can Appreciate)” Visit: www.SammsPocket.com fun & unique products for pool players
The shaded cue balls illustrate the change in aim and impact based on the point of origin for the cue ball. Notice the cue ball is shown from various positions behind the head string. Different tables may break more effectively from a side of the table or angle of impact. If your favorite position isn’t pocketing balls after a few breaks, try a different spot. Also note that all of the cue ball positions shown are as close to the head string as possible. This will keep cloth friction that will slow the cue ball before impact to a minimum. It will also keep the cue ball closer to the target and aid in aiming to make the perfect full hit on the head ball. If the cue ball contacts the head ball perfectly, the cue ball should rebound off the stack and check up in the shaded area in the middle of the table. Barring a kiss from an object ball, it will not contact a cushion. Beware of scratches in the side pockets. If your cue ball tends to move off toward (Billiard Coach continued on page 13)
January 2009 page 7
November 14-16 Singles Champions Anchor Team Champions journey to the division title, clipping Pam at ACS Midwest 8-Ball Patton (Milwaukee, WI) [forfeit], Judy Ninke The Richfield Chalet in Hubertus, (West Bend, WI) 6-1, Laura Link (Oak Creek, Wisconsin (a suburb of Milwaukee) WI) 6-3 in the winner’s bracket finals; and has proved to be a perfect fit for the repeating her performance over Link 6-3 in annual ACS Midwest 8-Ball the tourney finals! Championships in its first three years. Warm, comfortable surroundings, “Rockstars Only” (IL) won the Women’s Open plenty of seating space around the Team division, but it did not come easy. They twenty competition tables provided outpointed Miller Time Girls (IA) 6-5, Trifecta by Dr. Pool Promotions, and a huge (IL) 6-4 and Pour House (WI) 6-2 before being Women's Open Singles [L-R]: Donna Whitcomb, bar and staff to cater to the food and drummed by Flanagan’s (WI) 2-6. “Rockstars Heather Lavin, Debbie Rodriquez drink needs of the masses complete Only” (Heather Lavin, Karolina Quigley and the appeal. A large elevated stage also accommodates the tournament Tracy Mallet) recovered to win the loser’s bracket, eliminating Trifecta staff for an event that is quickly gaining numbers and success among (IL) 6-3. Having to defeat “Flanagan’s” two sets for the title, “Rockstars the ACS stable of events. While every division had its share of close Only” was up to the task, eclipsing “Flanagan’s” 6-1 in set #1 and 6-5 in competition, it was coincidental that the champion in each singles division set #2! went on to anchor the champion in each team division! The Men’s Open Team division was dominated by Women’s Open Singles champion “Flanagan’s Jaybirds” (WI) Heather Lavin (Frankfort, IL) marched [Jay Slonske, John Gonzales undefeated to the title via victories over and Ron Crom], as they Chris Flint (Braidwood, IL) 4-1, T.J. defeated for the title every Meyers-Jansky (West Allis, WI) 4-3, opponent they faced Donna Whitcomb (Bettendorf, IA) 4-2, convincingly: T.H.U.D. (IN) 7Debbie Rodriguez (Pekin, IL) 4-2 in the 3, River City Billiards (IL) 7-4, winner’s bracket finals and Donna Flanagan’s Killers (WI) 7-1, Dead Stroke (IL) 7-1 and Men's Open Singles [L-R]: William Mueller, Jay Slonske, Dean Foster
1st Women's Master Team "Logistically Challenged" [L-R]: Kelly Haffner, Beth Fondell and Jessica Frideres 1st Women's Open Team "Rockstars Only" [L-R]: Karolina Quigley, Tracy Mallet and Heather Lavin
Dead Stroke again in the tourney finals 7-1!
The six teams in the Women’s Master Teams played triple-elimination, Whitcomb 4-1 in the first set of the tourney finals! Eventual Men’s Open and “Main Inn” (IL) [Amy Latzko, Lenore McCarthy and Kim Mickulas] Singles champion Jay Slonske (Waukesha, WI) suffered a loss in his emerged in the hot seat, but it was “Logistically Challenged” (MN) [Kelly trip to the crown, first beating Tim Fitzpatrick (Valparaiso, IN) 5-0, Ron Haffner, Beth Fondell and Crom (West Allis, WI) 5-3, Mike Green (Peoria, IL) 5-3, Andrew Jessica Frideres] that Stephenson (Peoria, IL) 5-1 and Scott Kugel (Mequon, WI) 5-2 before took the honors via a being whitewashed by William Mueller (Milwaukee, WI) 0-5 in the win over Flanagan’s winner’s bracket finals. Slonske recovered to eliminate Dean PB&J (WI) 8-5, a Foster (Braidwood, IL) 5-1, rewarding Jay with a final’s loss to Main Inn 4appointment with William Mueller. This time Slonske 8 and then succeeded in two sets 5-1 and 5-3 for the championship! running the table W o m e n ’ s over Tripped Up M a s t e r (IL) 8-2, Singles Flanagan’s 1st Men's Open Team "Flanagan's Jaybirds" [L-R]: John Gonzales, Jay Slonske and Ron Crom champion PB&J 8-4 and K e l l y Main Inn twice in the finals 8-5, 8-5 for the title! Haffner lost no The ACS would like to thank sponsors Schuler Cue, Wild Eyes matches Creations and Nick Varner Signature Cues and Cases, whose multiin her World Champion namesake took on all challengers throughout the Women's Master Singles [L-R]: Beth Fondell, Kelly Haffner, Laura Link event. (Midwest 8-Ball Results continued on page 12)
January 2009 page 8
Deanna Henson and Kyu Yi were quietly moving through the brackets on Saturday and Sunday of the Championship stop at Legend’s Billiards in League City,TX November 22-23 of the OB Cues Ladies 9-Ball Tour. Both players have amazing talent and so it was no surprise they would meet in the finals, but who would win? Kyu Yi’s highest finish was second place last year in the summer and Deanna hadn’t won an event since 1997. They would meet in the hot seat and then again in the finals to see who would come out on top. On Sunday morning, 12 players of the 42 remained. On the winner’s side, Lisa Marr was bested by Kyu Yi 7-1 while Deanna Henson bested Kim Pierce hill-hill. On the one-loss side, 9th-12th place matches saw Bonnie Plowman over Cristina De La Garza 7-5, newlywed Jillian Martinez over Heather Lloyd 7-4, Liz Cole over Lisa Henderson-Major 7-6 and Amanda Lampert over Board Member Julie Stephenson 7-5. 9th-12th place paid $70. Amanda then bested Liz (from Oregon) 7-2 while Bonnie bested Jillian 7-3 for 7th/8th finishes and $100. Bonnie was stopped by Lisa Marr 7-4 and Amanda stopped Kim 7-2. Kim Pierce and Bonnie Plowman placed 5th/6th and earned $155 for their fine efforts. Lisa Marr, newly-crowned Tour Champion (she had enough points in this event to secure the Tour Champion title!), then won 7-4 over Amanda. Amanda Lampert placed 4th and won $260. Lisa Marr Kyu Yi and Deanna Henson played for the hot seat and Deanna won by a
close score of 7-5. Kyu then played Lisa Marr for 3rd where Kyu won 7-3. Lisa won $400 for 3rd place. Congrat’s on the finish and for earning the 2008 Tour Champion title, Lisa! The rematch was on between Kyu and Deanna in the finals. Kyu won the first set 7-2 which forced a second set. While the score was closer, the outcome was the same in the second set: Kyu won 7-4 to double dip Deanna in the finals and win the tournament. Kyu claimed 1st place and $750! Deanna Henson won $550 for 2nd place AND the WPBA Qualifier for the first WPBA event of 2009! Courtney Peters won the Second Chance tournament over Helen Hayes and Tracie Voelkering placed 3rd. Kyu Yi Other winners in this Championship Stop: Tracie Voelkering won the “Tour’s Most Loyalist Member Award” and Melinda Bailey won the “Most Improved Player Award.” Lisa Marr not only won the “2008 Tour Champion” title, she also won one of the OB Cues that was raffled off. Additionally, Deanna Henson not only won the WPBA Qualifier, she won the other OB Cue that was raffled off. Congratulations to all the ladies! Thanks to Mindy Cohen for hosting this event and adding $2,000 for the ladies! We appreciate you, Mindy! A BIG Thank You to OB Cues for sponsoring the tour and providing the ladies a chance to reach their dreams. Good Pool, Good Friends, Good Times - The OB Cues Ladies 9-Ball Tour. 1st $750 Kyu Yi 2nd $550 Deanna Henson 3rd $400 Lisa Marr 4th $260 Amanda Lampert 5th $155 Kim Pierce, Bonnie Plowman 7th $100 Liz Cole, Jillian Martinez 9th $70 Lisa Henderson-Major, Julie Stephenson, Heather Lloyd Cristina Delagarza
What is really important to pool league players? Is it more important that a league have a fair handicapping system in place to level the playing field so that lesser skilled players feel that they have an equal chance of winning whenever they step to the table against a more skilled player? Or is it more important to compete for bigger prizes at larger more exciting events? Whichever one of these is important to you - M8 Pool Leagues is the undisputed leader in both of these categories. In 20 years of operating pool leagues in the Minneapolis/St. Paul area, M8 league players have enjoyed competing in league play where approximately 3 out of every 4 sets played has come down to hill/hill where either player could win the set by winning that last game. It truly is the best handicapping available to any pool league system. And the prizes - how many league systems out there pay a team prize up to $10,000.00? What about 2 team prizes up to $10,000.00 each? Hmmm, dare I ask how many league systems pay 3 different team prizes up to $10,000.00 each? That’s right! M8 Pool Leagues has 3 different formats for different interest/skill levels and each level plays for
up to $10,000.00 at our Midwest Championships. The top Singles Prize is $3,500.00. Our prizes are paid to local pool player’s onsite at our event. There is no need to make our pool players travel to Las Vegas to compete for prize funds that they paid into locally - although if they want to win up to $10,000.00 in our local event and then go to Las Vegas and compete for a share of the millions of dollars available at the BCAPL, VNEA, and ACS tournaments through our sanctioning agreements with these national organizations - that is always an option. M8 Pool Leagues - access to more tournaments than ANY other league system. Canterbury Park will host the M8 Midwest Championships for Advanced Teams and Singles February 19-22, 2009 and Open Teams along with the Masters Teams March 5-8, 2009. Play will be on 96 Diamond Tables priced at $1.25/game. There will be over $100,000.00 in prizes at this event - come on out and have some fun with us. M8 is expanding into many new territories - if you or your league has an interest in joining M8 to become a bigger - better - stronger league, call 651-636-2022 or visit us at www.M8Pool.com to get more information.
January 2009 page 9
Live Streaming of Pool tournaments -- Is this the wave of the future for the billiard industry or is the future now? By: Don “Cheese” Akerlow
unfortunately the show would have been cancelled but this is still a young There are a lot of variables in streaming. What camcorder to buy? What and growing medium. Live streaming on the internet and watching on other equipment is needed? When to stream, settings, mics, announcers, your computer has an advantage that television doesn’t, a chat room, cost of streaming, sponsors, internet connections, and upload speeds. where the viewer can ask But probably the biggest questions after they have logged problem after you have in and sometimes when they accomplished the maze of haven’t. information, or lack of it, is what Sometimes in the chat room there to do when it crashes or simply are drawbacks. There are those stops or the picture is herkywho will ridicule and use foul jerky or the audio is pitting every language which Ustream censors. other word. Once you have There are those who are rude and accomplished, to a satisfactory crude whether they are behind the degree, the technical aspects, mic or in front of the camera. then there are finding sponsors. Streaming pool matches or The love of the game is playing tournaments is in its early stages but working it as a business you and even though there is must treat it as such. sometimes a small following of an There is another quandary, abusive posse-like attack on were do you get the viewers? viewers, this is few and far Sometimes word of mouth, or OTBnTV between. I only mention it as part chat rooms but those fail in of the growing pains that these entrepreneurs work their way through to numbers. The favorite streaming server at this point is Ustream.tv. this undiscovered medium and its potential. Sometimes a streamer only gets 50-100 viewers depending on the length I had the privilege of interviewing some of the streamers who are actively of time that you are streaming. You can have viewers that drop in and bringing to you, the pool playing audience, tournaments and events that leave upwards of 1,000 but usually 100-200 is a good number. What I you would never have the opportunity to watch. Many of these streamers have found to work best besides word of mouth are emails. Emails can spend their time off on weekends to stream local tournaments. inform the viewers of the upcoming events and ask them to pass the I composed a set of questions that I posed to many of the streamers and information on to others. Pool forums are good but they only host a small viewers in order to find out what they thought percentage of the pool playing public (about about this medium that is beginning to grow 1%). in popularity. I also posted it on three different If you use one or more of the national forums, I wanted to see their opinions. The magazines, your event would most likely be over first was Matt, who streams in the before they would come out with the Southeastern United States. He does this as announcement. Another way would be local and a sideline because he is interested in regional publications that publish on a monthly promoting pool and thinks there is a future in basis, have a dedicated website or build your streaming. Matt is a self-proclaimed own show page on Ustream. Develop a logo to perfectionist and is always striving to improve go along with your webpage that way it will get the quality of his stream and commentary so recognized by more players. You would have that the viewers enjoy the show. He believes name and sight recognition among league and that the medium will be here to stay as long tournament players that would most likely tune as the interest remains, the quality gets better in. and the industry supports the efforts of the In my opinion, Pay Per View (PPV) in some Michigan Players Tour streamers that for now is done on a limited cases is not worth it. As OTBnTV has done from basis goes on without much industry support. the beginning, find sponsors. If you charge $20-$30 for an event for Next I spoke to Deno Andrews from the International Pool Tour. The IPT someone to watch, it may get 30 or 40 viewers but your name won’t be out was the first to stream a live pool tournament with their World Open 8 Ball there except for your loyal followers. This is not a way to grow the live Championships from Reno, Nevada in September of 2006. This was a streaming. first class event, professionally produced, commentated and broadcast In December of 2007, I watched the Mosconi Cup streamed live for $5 a and there was no expense spared and it showed. I watched the finals live day. I watched it pretty much every minute it was on. I believe you will from my living room on my computer! I caught the bug. The IPT made an have a captive audience, if you make your price low enough for viewers to investment and experimented with a new medium in which to deliver their watch matches between the better players or the challenge matches, just tournament content to a wider audience. Pool until recently has been an observation that I have made. A friend of mine told me when I asked designated to being watched on ESPN or as some type of filler show on a him if he’d pay for PPV to watch pool on the internet, “If I’m going to pay lesser-known sports network. It has not been brought to the mainstream $20 or $30, I want to own it.” I think he has a good point. Perhaps the audience until now. Deno remarked, “We should all be streaming everybody streamer should have an archive of pool matches that they have streamed else’s streams. Nobody is making money at this and we need to get pool or a live stream on a regular basis so that the viewer has a reason to come in the mainstream. The sport has limited resources available and the ability back to your site or offer a membership to watch the archived videos. to broadcast over the internet makes the dollars spent go much further.” In November of 2008, the Great Southern Billiard Tour held it’s Rita, who streams the Michigan Players Tour and does a weekly show championships, streamed it live by Inside Pool and had over 700 viewers called the Players Pulse believes that streaming is the wave of the future that stayed to watch on the weekend. They streamed all week and Sunday was the finals. If this was compared to television and had a Neilson rating, (Live Streaming continued on page 13)
January 2009 page 10
Sandite Billiards & Grill Sand Springs, OK, Saturday, December 6, 2008 The $500 added event showcased a double-elimination 8-ball format on 7foot bar boxes. On this day, John Baldwin (Tulsa, OK) vanquished the field, including an A-side bracket finals win over Stan Townsend (Cleveland, OK) 7-5. Earlier in the A-bracket semis, Baldwin blew out Jeremy Wahl (Sand Springs, OK) 71, as Townsend was besting Cindy Smith (Sand Springs, OK) 7-2. In the (l to r) Steve Page, Cindy Smith (owner), John Baldwin B-side semifinals, Steve Page (Cleveland, OK) eliminated Donnie Ferguson (Sapulpa, OK) 5-3 at 4th
(l to r) John Pokora, Will Freeman, Rick Carrillo, Jeff Paxton
Sharky’s Billiards Sedalia, MO, Saturday, December 13. Shooters from the four different states of Missouri, Illinois, Minnesota, and Mississippi. Of the 33 entries in the tournament, the Illinois shooters were the ones who served notice they were present and ready to win. The match for 1st between Freeman and Carrillo rivaled any professional match seen on television. Carrillo made an award-winning “Spectacular
Bulldog Billiards Dubuque, IA Saturday, December 13. The $500 added event drew twentynine players in a double-elimination 8ball format on 7-foot bar boxes. Mike Rohner (Dubuque, IA) ran undefeated to the finals. In the A-side finals, open player Rohner (rated a “4” on a regional handicap system used) clipped master player Ron Pluym [5] (Dubuque, IA) 43. Earlier in the A-bracket semi-finals, Rohner fought off K.C. Brokus [4] (Dubuque, IA) 4-2, while Pluym defeated Ken Zirtman [4] (Manchester, IA) by a 5-3 margin. In the B-side bracket Scott Hargens [5] (Cedar Rapids, IA) ousted Shannon
Mike Rohner
place. The B-side finals were again all Page, as he ended Stan Townsend’s event at 3rd place by a 5-1 margin. The tourney finals were a one-set, extended race to 10, and the undefeated John Baldwin had little trouble in turning back Steve Page 10-3 for the title! Further information, www.americancuesports.org 1st John Baldwin (Tulsa, OK) $375 + $69 side pot + Free Singles entry to ACS Nationals 2nd Steve Page (Cleveland, OK) $186 + $46 side pot 3rd Stan Townsend (Cleveland, OK) $113 4th Donnie Ferguson (Sapulpa, OK) $75 Top Woman: Cindy Smith (Sand Springs, OK) $50
Shot” when he called, and made, a cross-side two-banks, eight ball shot. Carrillo broke and ran the table in one minute, 45 seconds to take the lead in the race-to-7. Tournament rules were alternating breaks, and Freeman returned the favor in the second game, breaking and running the table in one minute, 47 seconds. Freeman broke in the sixth game, but missed his second shot. Carrillo broke and ran the next game, with Freeman following suit the game after. The score was Freeman 6, Carrillo 2 going into the ninth game, with Carrillo having the break. Freeman made it easily and took the game win as well as the match. Nicole Stock (Sedalia, MO) and the only female to compete, didn’t place, but she did claim the fourth “Spectacular Shot Award” of the tournament. www.sharkysbilliards.com Final Results: 1st Will Freeman (Centralia, IL) $521.50 + Free Singles entry to ACS Nationals 2nd Rick Carrillo (Sterling, IL) $357 3rd John Pokora (Springfield, IL) $217.50 4th Jeff Paxton (Sedalia, MO) $149 5-6 Brad Blankenship (Sedalia, MO) $81.50 Chris Wilder (Chenoa, IL) 7-8 Clarence Hunter (Sedalia, MO) $41 Cory Smith (Sedalia, MO)
Rasmussen [5] (Cedar Rapids, IA) at 7th place 5-0, while Chad Vilmont [7] (Clinton, IA) dominated Shane Kelly [4] (Dubuque, IA) at the same placement 7-1. In the loser’s quarterfinals Vilmont toppled Kent Zirtman into 5th place 7-2, while Hargens finished off K.C. Brokus 5-2 at the same placement. Vilmont then eliminated Scott Hargens at 4th place, 7-2. In the B-side finals, Ron Pluym stopped Chad Vilmont’s march at 3rd place on the hill – 5-6! The tournament finals went the distance in each set, with once-defeated Ron Pluym claiming the first set over undefeated Mike Rohner 5-3. Pluym took a 4-3 lead in set #2, but both needed one game to claim the title, and Miker Rohner was the successful one – claiming the title by a 4-4 margin! Final Results: 1st $430 Mike Rohner (Dubuque, IA) + Free Singles entry to ACS Nationals 2nd $270 Ron Pluym (Dubuque, IA) 3rd $150 Chad Vilmont (Clinton, IA) 4th $90 Scott Hargens (Cedar Rapids, IA) 5-6 $40 K.C. Brokus (Dubuque, IA), Kent Zirtman (Manchester, IA) 7-8 $30 Shane Kelly (Dubuque, IA), Shannon Rasmussen (Cedar Rapids, IA)
January 2009 page 11
The Varsity Club Oshkosh, WI Saturday, December 20 The $1,000 added event featured forty-seven players in a doubleelimination 9-ball format on 7-foot Diamonds. Duncan Kaufman (Sauk City, WI) took an undefeated route to the finals. In the A-side finals, K a u f m a n managed to clip Nate Angel (Green Bay, WI) on the hill 7-6. Earlier in the Abracket semis, K a u f m a n dominated Tom McCloskey (Des Plaines, IL) 7-1, while Angel comfortably dispatched Kurt Duncan Kaufman J e n n i s o n (Elkhorn, WI) 7-3. In the B-side “last eight” John Fields (Neenah, WI) eliminated Jamie Welch at 7th place 7-4, while Terry Zagar (Sheboygan, WI) tied with Welch, courtesy of a 7-6 loss at the hands of Tim Ruenger (Appleton, WI). In the B-side quarterfinals both Fields and Ruenger had their day ended at 5th place at the hands of Kurt Jennison (7-5) and Tom McCloskey (7-5) respectively. McCloskey then tapped Jennison into 4th place by a 7-2 margin, and McCloskey kept up his momentum to end Nate Angel’s run in 3rd place, 7-1. McCloskey’s tourney finals was a repeat of his previous match with Duncan Kaufman, as Kaufman again dispatched McCloskey by a 7-1 margin for the title! Further information at www.americancuesports.org 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5-6
$600 $400 $275 $200 $125
7-8 9-12
$75 $50
Duncan Kaufman (Saul City, WI) + $620 Side Pot Tom McCloskey (Des Plaines, IL) + $450 Side Pot Nate Angel (Green Bay, WI) + $330 Side Pot Kurt Jennison (Elkhorn, WI) + $150 Side Pot John Fields (Neenah, WI) + $75 Side Pot Tim Ruenger (Appleton, WI) Jamie Welch (Beloit, WI), Terry Zagar (Sheboygan, WI) Mike Zahalka (Sheboygan, WI), Billy Lassee (Antigo, WI) Chad Elston (Rockford, IL), Chad Gosz (Appleton, WI)
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Pool & Darts
The Pyramid Club Addison, IL Saturday, December 27 The $500 added event featured twenty-eight players in a double-elimination 8-ball format on 7-foot bar boxes. On this day, Mike McGovern (Palatine, IL) dominated the field from start to finish. In his march to the finals, he successfully dispatched John Carvell 5-0, Jack Wu 5-3, Jeff Mohl 5-3, Ernesto Contreras 5-1 and Ricky Weir 5-0 in the hot-seat match! Weir had earlier toppled Areil DiAngeles.5-0, Greg Spencer 5-2, Jim Engels 5-3 and Tony Gong 5-4 prior to his loss to McGovern. On the B-side, Mike Monegato (St. Charles, IL) and Keith Schneiderman (Belvidere, IL) were Mike McGovern ousted at 7th place by Jim Engels (Aurora, IL) 5-0 and Eddie Balderas (Palatine, IL) 5-3 respectively. Balderas then lost to Tony Gong (Chicago, IL) 5-3, while Engels clipped Ernesto Contreras (Aurora, IL) 5-4, tying both Balderas and Contreras at 5th place. Gong then tripped Jim Engels into 4th place by a 5-4 margin, but Gong in turn ended his day in 3rd place resulting from a second 5-4 loss to Ricky Weir (Crystal Lake, IL). Weir gave Mike McGovern (Palatine, IL) some good competition in the finals, but McGovern continued his hot stick to win the title match 5-3! Further information at www.americancuesports.org 1st Mike McGovern (Palatine, IL) $400 + Free Singles entry to 8-Ball singles at ACS Nationals 2nd Ricky Weir (Crystal Lake, IL) $275 3rd Tony Gong (Chicago, IL) $165 4th Jim Engels (Aurora, IL) $95 5-6 Ernesto Contreras (Aurora, IL) $78 Eddie Balderas (Palatine, IL) 7-8 Mike Monegato (St. Charles, IL) $54 Keith Schneiderman (Belvidere, IL)
January 2009 page 12
League Central
Shooters - Olathe 10-BALL RING GAME
ONE POCKET
Gabe Owen
Astro Amusements - Shawnee Mission, Kansas MOST RUN OUTS (ERO) 1 36 KELLERMAN, SHANE: “CLARETTE GOLD” THURSDAY VEGAS 2 30 HASSELL, STEVE: “CLARETTE RES IPSA LOQUITOR” WED-THURS VEGAS 3 28 HASSELL, STEVE: “CLARETTE RES IPSA LOQUITOR” THURSDAY VEGAS 4 28 HASSELL, STEVE: “BREAKERS STARDUSTERS” THURSDAY VEGAS 5 27 GALLUP, TRAVIS: “CLARETTE JUST WISHING” THURSDAY VEGAS WIN-ZIPS 1 44 MANNING, CHIEF: “CHIEFS SHOOT THE 9” MONDAY 9-BALL 2 40 ANGSTEAD, DAN “CLARETTE SLOP CITY” MONDAY 9-BALL 3 35 MILBERGER, LOUIS “CLARETTE SLOP CITY” MONDAY 9-BALL 4 34 PARKS, DAVE “CLARETTE 3 MUSKETEERS” MONDAY 9-BALL 5 29 JOHNSON, BILL “JOCKS RATS” MONDAY 9-BALL WINNING STREAKS 1 29 SAVALA, JOHN “CLARETTE J.D.G.'S” TUESDAY BANKERS 16 GAME 2 29 SAVALA, JOHN “G. & N.'S” TUESDAY CLARETTE IN-HOUSE 3 28 COMLEY, STEVE “KC'S DRUNKEN FEW” THURSDAY RUNNERS 4 27 RICE, JIM “CLARETTE ALL BALLS” TUESDAY HUSTLERS 5 27 ROBINETT, BOB “BREAKERS MOFO'S” TUESDAY HUSTLERS - 20 GAME
16 players - $3,000 entry and $6,000 added 1st $21,500 Justin Bergman, Fairview Heights, IL 2nd $15,500 Shane McMinn, Tulsa, OK 3rd $11,000 David Matlcock, Olathe, KS 4th $5,000 Shane Van Boening, Sioux Falls, SD
24 players - $100 entry and $1,000 added 1st $1,100 Gabe Owen 2nd $800 Buddy Hall 3rd $480 Chip Compton 4th $320 Joey Gray 5/6 $230 Scott Frost, Tony Chohan
M & M Amusement - Olathe & Gardner, Kansas MOST RUN OUTS (ERO) 1 11 WILLIAMS, JAYME “SHOOTERS ACES” WEDNESDAY OLATHE HUSTLERS 2 10 CRAWFORD, RICH “SHOOTERS BREAKERS” WEDNESDAY OLATHE HUSTLERS 3 10 JOHNSON, BILL “TUMBLEWEED TERMINATORS” WEDNESDAY OLATHE SHARKS 4 9 CRAWFORD, RICH “MULLIGAN'S EIGHT-N-OUT” WEDNESDAYOLATHEHUSTLERS 5 8 CRAWFORD, RICH “ MULLIGAN'S EIGHT-N-OUT” WEDNESDAYOLATHEHUSTLERS WIN-ZIPS 1 12 CRAWFORD, RICH “SHOOTERS BREAKERS” WEDNESDAY OLATHE HUSTLERS 2 11 TOWNS, JOHN “TUMBLEWEED TERMINATORS” WEDNESDAY OLATHE HUSTLERS 3 9 CRAWFORD, RICH “SHOOTERS BREAKERS” WEDNESDAY OLATHE SHARKS 4 9 JOHNSON, BILL “TUMBLEWEED TERMINATORS” WEDNESDAY OLATHE SHARKS 5 8 BOYD, DUANE “LUMPY' STEPPIN' UP” WEDNESDAY OLATHE SHARKS WINNING STREAKS 1 23 CALDERON, RAUL “JOB SITE NO EXCUSE” WEDNESDAY OLATHE SHARKS 2 23 THOMPSON, BRIAN “JOB SITE DONE DEAL” WEDNESDAY OLATHE SHARKS 3 22 BOYD, DUANE “SHOOTERS MAGNIFICENT 7” WEDNESDAY OLATHE SHARKS 4 20 CRAWFORD, RICH “SHOOTERS BREAKERS” WEDNESDAY OLATHE SHARKS 5 19 BROWN, TERRY “JOB SITE DONE DEAL” WEDNESDAY OLATHE SHARKS
League Central - Kansas City Metro, Kansas MOST RUN OUTS (ERO) 1 12 POUCHE, ED “SHOOTERS IN VEGAS” WEDNESDAY B.C.A. 2 11 BANKS, MICHAEL “SHOOTERS KISS THIS” WEDNESDAY B.C.A. 3 11 BANKS, MICHAEL “SHOOTERS HOMEWRECKERS” WEDNESDAY B.C.A. 4 11 GERGICK, CLAY “GERGICK HOPIEDON'TS” SHOOTERS IN-HOUSE BIG TABLE 5 10 BANKS, MICHAEL “SHOOTERS IN VEGAS” WEDNESDAY B.C.A. WIN-ZIPS 1 13 BANKS, MICHAEL “SHOOTERS KISS THIS" WEDNESDAY B.C.A. 2 12 BANKS, MICHAEL “SHOOTERS KISS THIS” WEDNESDAY B.C.A. 3 11 LUTHER, NORM “TEAM 4-LIEBERMANN” SHOOTERS IN-HOUSE BIG TABLE 4 11 LUTHER, NORM “LIEBERMANN” SHOOTERS IN-HOUSE BIG TABLE 5 11 MONTGOMERY, BILL “GERGICK HOPIEDON'TS” SHOOTERS IN-HOUSE BIG TABLE WINNING STREAKS 1 49 LIEBERMAN, MIKE “LIEBERMANN” SHOOTERS IN-HOUSE BIG TABLE 2 48 GERGICK, CLAY “GERGICK HOPIEDON'TS” SHOOTERS IN-HOUSE BIG TABLE 3 46 DONIGAN, MICHAEL “LIEBERMANN” SHOOTERS IN-HOUSE BIG TABLE 4 43 LUTHER, NORM “LIEBERMANN” SHOOTERS IN-HOUSE BIG TABLE 5 37 MILNER, JESSE “MILNER” SHOOTERS IN-HOUSE BIG TABLE
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ACS Midw es Midwes estt 8-Ball Women’s Master Singles 1st Kelly Haffner (St. Joseph, MN) 2nd Laura Link (Oak Creek, WI) 3rd Beth Fondell (Owatonna, MN) Men’s Open Singles 1st Jay Slonske (Waukesha, WI) 2nd William Mueller (Milwaukee, WI) 3rd Dean Foster (Braidwood, IL) 4th Scott Kugel (Mequon, WI) 5-6 James Stricker (Hales Corners, WI) Tony Gong (Chicago, IL) 7-8 Mike Frisch (New Berlin, WI) Jim Ruettiger (Elwood, IL) 9-12 Andrew Stephenson (Peoria, IL) Greg Rintelman (Ashippun, WI) Tom Radawitz (Colgate, WI) Tim Krouse (Watertown, WI) Women’s Open Teams 1st Rockstars Only (IL) 2nd Flanagan’s (WI) 3rd Trifecta (IL) 4th Pour House (WI) Women’s Open Singles 1st Heather Lavin (Frankfort, IL) 2nd Donna Whitcomb (Bettendorf, IA) 3rd Debbie Rodriguez (Pekin, IL) 4th T.J. Meyers-Jansky (West Allis, WI) 5-6 Patty Anderson (Davenport, IA) Jennifer Freeman (Peoria, IL) Women’s Master Teams 1st Logistically Challenged (MN) 2nd Main Inn (IL) 3rd Flanagan’s PB&J (WI) Men’s Open Teams 1st Flanagan’s Jaybirds (WI) 2nd Dead Stroke (IL) 3rd Flanagans 1-800-Run-Out (WI) 4th Flanagan’s Killers (WI) 5-6 Bare Down (IL) Red Shoes (IL)
(continued from page 7)
$500 $300 $215 $600 $400 $275 $200 $150 $100 $50
$700 $400 $200 $120 $350 $250 $150 $100 $35 $1,000 $500 $340 $1,000 $600 $400 $240 $100
January 2009 page 13
(continued from page 3)
At first glance, eight-ball is a far different style game from nine-ball. “I compare it to a chess match,” he said. “You have to think through your shots carefully, always looking ahead. It’s a far different approach from the one taken in 9-ball.” To win at eight-ball a player needs to make a ball or two on the break and get a roll now and then. “And in a big tournament there is always that one match that’s tight,” he admits. “If you can get through that one, you’re in good shape.” Marc has come out on top of his share of tough matches over the years. In addition to capturing the Rugby tournament, he’s won other regional tournaments. And in 2001, he won the singles title an a large international tournament in Las Vegas. Two years earlier he was a member of a fiveman team from Fargo that won the team title. And the women’s team from Fargo also was tourney champion. That is the only time that has happened, he said.
ONE
OF THE BEST
Oelslager was one of the top Fargo area teen pool players, and following high school he went to Chicago to work for a cue maker and to also refine his game. Eventually, he would enroll at St. Cloud State University in St Cloud, Minn., graduating with a degree in Business Administration. It was there where Marc also won the ACUI national pool title in 1991 - the equivalent of an NCAA title. In 1992, Oelslager opened Billiards on Broadway - a pool hall, bar and restaurant in Fargo. Today he’s married and has an eight-year-old son who is starting to get interested in pool. “It¹s fun to help him along,” he said. And perhaps one day there will be another Oelslager competing for the ‘Shootout’ title. MENS TOP 32 1 Marc Oleschager 2 Stan Toureangeau 3 John Brown 4 Ryan Solleved 5 Rory Hendrickson 6 Felix Beardy 7 John Traverse 8 Jerod Spence 9 Mike Fieldhammer 10 Paul Chilcout 11 John Thorson 12 Clarence Davis 13 Robert Pulver 14 Tony Hilla 15 Layne Opstedal 16 Ken Azure 17 George Goodburn 18 Glenn Henrikson 19 Dusty Geller 20 Jim Williams 21 Jeff Nadenn 22 Dan Fisher 23 Jami Plata 24 Cornell McLean 25 Mike Nerby 26 Chris Halkyard 27 Frank Howe 28 Tyler Perry 29 Tom Kaminski 30 Eric Longie 31 Wade Odegard 32 Caleb Schumacker
WOMENS TOP 4 1 Samm Diep 2 Julie Brunelle 3 Rachel Wentz 4 Sharon Morrison CONSULATION 1 Dean Flanders 2 Moe Bashir 3 Brent Donahue 4 Buck Herman 5 Dieter Bonas 6 Joe Kluka 7 Chase Gunwell 8 Kyle Opstedal PAST ‘SHOOTOUT’ CHAMPIONS (Men¹s Tournament) 2008 Marc Oeslager, Fargo, ND 2007 Marc Oeslager, Fargo, ND 2006 Jerrod Spence, Winnipeg, MB 2005 Kevin Cardinal, Edmonton, AB 2004 Stan Tourangeau, Vancouver, BC 2003 Edwin Montel, Edmonton, AB 2002 Stan Tourangeau, Vancouver, BC 2001 Rick Marshall, Calgary, AB 2000 Rob Mattson, Minneapolis, MN 1999 Marc Oeslager, Fargo, ND (Women¹s Tournament) 2008 Samm Diep, Colorado 2007 Jana Montour, Saskatchewan 2006 June Maiers, Minneapolis, MN 2005 Janet McKinnery, Saskatchewan 2004 Jana Montour, Saskatchewan 2003 Linda Hern, Bismarck, ND 2002 Tasha Thomas, Calgary, AB 2001 Tasha Thomas, Calgary, AB 2000 Candice Copence, Winnipeg, MB 1999 Julie Mason, Oklahoma
because the internet streaming reaches more people and gives the audience more options of what to watch. She too would like to see larger sponsors involved and commented, “It would be great to see ESPN sponsor a streaming event”. Live streaming is a way to get the popularity of pool back in the mainstream and as the technology advances so will the audience. When asked about paying for the streaming Rita commented that she doesn’t mind paying to watch premier streaming events but was more in favor of paying a small monthly membership fee to watch live or recorded matches. Commentary should not be boring, negative or too commercial. We have received many emails and responses to the questionnaire. One room owner from North Carolina thanked us for our efforts and said he had “bookmarked, saved and will check back often”. Cyd says that it is here to stay and would watch a match with on without commentary from start to finish. King G thinks perhaps live streaming with a membership may help the streamers continue. Cherry writes, “Hopefully it’s here to stay.” She likes the streams that are recorded and you can view later and are archived. To improve it get different interesting people to commentate, keep it free, with more camera angles. 8.5 is what effect streaming will have on pool.” Dwie thinks, “An archive of free videos would be nice.” Dax says, “It’s here to stay, not sure how to improve it. I would rate it a 10. It will eventually bring pool to a mainstream market. I like to watch it from start to finish. It doesn’t matter pro or amateur.” These are the problems that we all face. It is fun and exciting to participate in promoting pool in this manner but the challenge still remains in getting the content to a wider audience and attract more support for the streamers. The countless hours of streaming, sitting there talking, analyzing but most importantly making sure whatever goes wrong is fixed and that the stream to the audience is as good and entertaining as it could possibly be. With the downsizing of our economy, the billiard industry or should I say it’s faithful, it’s players, have come up with a unique and challenging endeavor. I too have this passion and have set up a Live Streaming Guide for Pool on the Web www.onthebreaknews.com/livestreaming.htm where you can watch a “wall” of video players from streamers from all over the U.S.A. and the world. You can watch all the shows in small windows or you can click on the link to your favorite show and be directed to their show page or website to watch and chat. When one show ends you can return to the Guide and watch another. So go watch and have some fun!!! Email me with your comments RackemMag@aol.com
Billiard Coach
(continued from page 7)
one of the side rails, make a small adjustment in your line of aim. No English (sidespin) should be applied to the break shot nor any draw or follow. English will make the full hit more difficult and draw or follow bring scratches in the corners into play. The position zone in the middle of the table will yield the most choices for an opening shot. Preferably, the cue ball has a position with multiple shots and a choice of stripes or solids. If the cue ball ends up below the stack, you’ll have fewer choices to shoot at if you’ve got a shot at all. The first step to running racks is an effective break shot. Strive for making a ball, spreading the rack open, and controlling the cue ball to give yourself the best chance to run out. Keep these goals in mind and spend time sharpening your crucial opening shot. For an alternate break which offers several advantages called the second ball break, look for Part II in next month’s article. Mike FieldhammerProfessional Billiard Instructor www.billiardcoach.com / 612.802.0519 Mike is a full time tournament player and professional billiard instructor. He is available for private instruction or group clinics and events. Mike is a certified PAT examiner, a Billiard Congress of America Certified Instructor, and an ACS Certified Coach/Instructor. Gift Certificates Available
Call First - All Tournaments are subject to change without notice
January 2009 page 14
DA TE DATE Jan 3 Jan 10-11 Jan 10-11 Jan 10 Jan 11 Jan 17 Jan 17 Jan 17-18 Jan 17-18 Jan 21-24 Jan 23-25 Jan 23 Jan 24 Jan 24 Jan 24 Jan 25 Jan 27 Jan 28 Jan 30 Feb 7 Feb 7 Feb 12-15 Feb 13 Feb 14-15 Feb 21 Feb 21 Feb 19 Feb 20-22 Feb 20-22 Feb 26 Feb 26 Feb 26-Mar 1 Feb 26-Mar 1 Feb 26-Mar 1
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Frida ys riday Sa tur da ys Satur turda day Sunda ys Sunday
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PHONE (563) 359-7225 (734) 422-7665 (281) 559-1400 (507) 838-7299 (507) 838-7299 (563) 583-9809 (630) 898-7769 (708) 388-3700 (217) 433-8868
EVENT / RULES 9-Ball NCS 8-Ball Qualifier NCS 8-Ball Qualifier 8-Ball Bar Box 9-Ball Bar Box 8-Ball 8-Ball NCS 8-Ball Qualifier 8-Ball League Operator WIBCA State Singles M/W League Operator WIBCA State Team M/W (812) 288-7665 9-Ball Banks Derby City Classic (763) 574-1399 9-Ball Open DE - Race to 7 (812) 288-7665 9-Ball Mini Derby City Classic (563) 321-8435 8-Ball (812) 288-7665 One Pocket Derby City Classic (812) 288-7665 9-Ball Bank Mini Derby City Classic (812) 288-7665 9-Ball Derby City Classic (812) 288-7665 One Pocket Mini Derby City Classic (763) 574-1399 9-Ball Open DE - Race to 7 (563) 359-7225 8-Ball Charter Holder MOMA 8-Ball Singles/Teams (888) 372-7665 9-Ball Single Elimination (888) 372-7665 8-Ball Partners (309) 342-7665 8-Ball (563) 663-6600 8-Ball (651) 636-2022 M8 9-Ball (651) 636-2022 M8 Adv Teams Midwest Champ (651) 636-2022 M8 Singles (651) 636-2022 BCAPL 9-Ball Midwest Champ (651) 636-2022 BCAPL S-D Midwest Champ (651) 636-2022 BCAPL S/T Midwest Champ (913) 780-5740 Midwest 9-Ball Tour One Pocket (913) 780-5740 Midwest 9-Ball Tour 9-Ball M/W (918) 245-2859 8-Ball (651) 636-2022 M8 Open/Master Team Champ (309) 752-9559 8-Ball (618) 332-0330 Midwest 9-Ball Tour 9-Ball M/W League Operator 8 & 9-Ball Singles MN ACS State (608) 782-6622 8-Ball League Operator 8-Ball Team/MSD MN ACS State (701) 421-0604 8-Ball Men/Women
ENTR Y ENTRY $30 $60 (incl g.f.) $65 $75 incl $10 g.f. $75 incl $10 g.f. $30 $30 $75 (incl g.f.) $35 Varies Varies $100+$10 g.f. $25 (incl g.f.) $25+$5 g.f. $30 $125+$10 g.f. $25+$5 g.f. $150+$10 g.f. $25+$5 g.f. $25 (incl g.f.) $30 Varies $20 $70/team $30 $30 Call $150 $80 or Qualify Call Call Varies $60 $65/$50 $30 Call $30 $35 Call $15 Call $50 M/$35 W
Olathe, KS Olathe, KS Elko, MN Fridley, MN
Shooters Shooters End Zone Two Stooges
(913) 780-5740 (913) 780-5740 (952) 461-4441 (763) 574-1399
$10 (no g.f.) $10 (no g.f.) $10 $100 Guar $15 (incl g.f.) $75 w/16
9-Ball DE Race to 5/4 9-Ball Big Table DE Race to 4 8-Ball (7’) Handicap-Race 3/4/5 9-Ball Open on 7’ DE Race to 5
NAME ________________________________________ ADDRESS _____________________________________ CITY __________________________STATE _________ ZIP ___________________________________________ E-mail ________________________________________
ADDED $500 $500 $1500 $1,000 1st w/32 $1,000 1st w/32 $500 $500 $500 $500 $$$
TIME Call Call Call 10:30 AM 10:30 AM Call Call Call Call Varies Varies $10,000 Guar 10 AM $500 10 AM $1,000 Noon $500 Call $15,000 Guar 10 AM $1,000 Noon $25,000 Guar 10 AM $1,000 Noon $500 10 AM $500 Call $85,000 payouts Call $700 Guar. 6:30 PM $3,000 w/75T 10 AM $500 Call $500 Call $500 Call $10,000 top prize 9 AM $3,500 top prize 9 AM $500 Call $500 Call $10,000 7 PM $1,000 Call $4,000 Call $500 Call $10,000 top prize 9 AM $500 Call $2500 11AM $12,000 Call $500 Call $12,000 Call $4,000 1st Guar. 7 PM
Call Call Noon 6:30 PM
For Home Deliv ery Delivery Send Check or Money Order to: Rackem - P O Box 100 - Three Forks, MT 59752 Credit card orders call 406-285-3099
NOW ONLY $25 US or $35 CANADA YEARLY
January 2009 page 15