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FEATURES
Don “Cheese” Akerlow
5 Zingales DEADLINE: 6 Dr Cue 25th of each Month - CALL IF LATE ABOUT US 8 Columnists 13 Junior Profile 16 Mosconi Cup 23 World Juniors 27 Stephano Pelinga Stroke is a monthly publication, dedicated to the advancement of the sport of pool and to promoting enthusiasm and encouragement among the players Publisher at all levels, regardless of their league affiliation, in addition to recognizing those businesses who support them all. Covering the Eastcoast and adjoining states. Look for Stroke on or before the 15th 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. © 2013 Stroke
4 Stroke Magazine - January 2013
15 POOL ON TV All times are Eastern time.
30
There are no scheduled broadcasts of pool or billiard events on any ESPN networks in January. These schedules have been provided by ESPN. These are tentative dates and are subject to change
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PUBLISHER/EDITOR Don “Cheese” Akerlow MARKETING DIRECTOR Mary Akerlow LAYOUTS & DESIGN Erica Senf, Don Akerlow Mary Akerlow
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Dave “Doggin” Grossman Crowned Florida State 10-Ball Champion
Zingales Billiards Tallahassee Fl, hosted the Florida State 10-Ball Championships weekend of 12,1,2012. The $4000 added event drew 43 players. Dave “Doggin” Grossman would prove to be to strong on the weekend making his way to the hotseat where he would be matched up against road man Chris Bartram. This match looked like it was going to be a stroll in the park for Bartram as he moved swiftly to lead the match 8-5, Grossman had other ideas as he grinded out 5 racks in a row to capture the hotseat. Donnie Mills would be the man looking to take his place in the finals as he made his way back with a 8-2 win over Jason Richko, followed by a 8-3 win over James Roberts to set up a semi final revenge match with Chris Bartram who had early dispatched mills 9-4, Mills would avenge this loss with a very hard fought 8-7 win over Bartram to give himself a shot at Grossman. The poison tour has a sudden death format which means Mills would have to defeat Grossman in the first race to 9 to force a 1 Rack shoot out similar to the Champion of Champion format used. Both players were nervous with the Florida state title and $2000 for first place up for grabs. Grossman managed his nerves a little better, even after a miss on a simple 10-ball to win the match at 8-6 up it didn’t stop him from eventually running a nervy final rack to win the match 9-7 and be crowned the FL State Champion. Along with the beautiful glass trophy made by Javier Chirino and the $2000 first place Grossman received a custom Robert Harris cue. Grossman called himself “Doggin” Dave all day while taking down the title with an undefeated run, not to bad for two days of Doggin. Mills would receive $1200 plus a custom Robert Harris Cue and 2nd place trophy. There was also a $1000 added 2nd chance event to give the travelling
Donnie Mills, Tony Crosby, Dave Grossman
players that extra chance of making some money and James Davis Jr travelling from Texas managed to take first place down with two wins on the day over Nick Applebee to take 1st place prize money of $550. This was the final event of the season on the Poison tour 2012 schedule and it finished the season on a high note at Zingales Billiards Tallahassee Florida. Tour Director Tony Crosby would like to say a special thank you to Michael Zingale and his staff for hosting two great year ending events, Poison Cues the Tours Title Sponsor, Robertson Billiards for supplying Zingales with a beautiful custom pool table, cue makers Robert Harris main event and Triple Cross cues 2nd chance event. My wife and I would also like to thank all the players who have shown great support to the tour. We look forward to seeing you at our events in 2013 a new schedule will be released soon with events planned to start late January.
RESULTS MAIN EVENT 1st Dave Grossman 2nd Donnie Mills 3rd Chris Bartram 4th James Roberts 5th Jason Richko Jesse Middlebrooks 7th Ke Wu Adam Wheeler 9th Ronnie Wiseman Denny Fox Tony Crosby Randy Jordan
SECOND CHANCE $2,000 $1,200 $800 $600 $350 $200
1st James Davis, Jr. 2nd Nick Applebee 3rd Randy Jordan 4th Stoney Stone 5th Ronnie Wiseman, Jeff Jordan
$550 $350 $250 $150 $100
$100
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January 2013 - Stroke Magazine 5
Dr. Cue Artistic Cup VI
The 2012 Dr. Cue Classic “Artistic” Cup VI has etched its signature mark in billiard history once again. 25 of the world’s greatest Artistic Pool Playing Artists participated in this unique “Artistic Pool” Professional Challenge at the Marriott Indy East in Indianapolis, IN from November 30th to December 2nd. Florian “Venom” Kohler from France raced to the “artistic” victory circle with a slim 1 point winning margin – taking home the first place guaranteed prize money, beautiful “Victory” Cup trophy, and title honors! Florian also became the 1st repeat champion for this prestigious event, having won the Dr. Cue Classic Artistic Cup IV in St. Louis, MO two years ago. This special event of the Dr. Cue Classic Artistic Pool “Sport & Show” Tour showcased some of the greatest Artistic Pool players under the WPA / APTSA sport umbrella. In addition, top players from several league tour stops held in 2012 at respective National and / or International events of the BCAPL, VNEA, ACS, and APA, plus several “at large” entries participated. All event activities were done in conjunction with the APA Indiana State Invitational tournament with over 1100 APA players in attendance, along with a huge fan base watching in amazement at all that was going on. Competitors played side by side in special 3 / 4 person – player groupings with 7-foot Diamond tables and high percentage make rate shots creating an equalizer effect for all participants. Over $10,000 in guaranteed payout values and a rather large player / audience prize fund produced player and fan friendly opportunities in a reunion style billiard atmosphere. The APPA (Artistic Pool Playing Artists) crusader force showcased a “class” act
6 Stroke Magazine - January 2013
of billiard skills from each of the 8 magnetic disciplines of “artistic pool” – 1) Trick / Fancy Shots, 2) Special Arts, 3) Draw Shots, 4) Follow Shots, 5) Bank / Kick Shots, 6) Stroke Shots, 7) Jump Shots, and 8) Masse Shots. When the program of 40 “classic” shots / challenges were finished by the competitors a special awards ceremony honored the Overall event champion, eight Discipline champions, and two Sportsmanship recipients. In addition to the Cup VI event, the 1st ever Q & Cue Characters “Roll To Victory” Challenge took place with over 261 preliminary and / or “buy back” entries participating in this simple, and yet very unique “pool ball rolling” challenge – done without the aid of a cue stick. On Saturday night the magnetic finals took place for those that had qualified from the initial rounds, as 4 top finalists earned a share of the $1000 guaranteed prize fund. James Hess from Marion, IN displayed great focus and a steady hand on his way to becoming the event champ, while winning $400 for 1st place. Note: An added feature for this special challenge included raffle drawings for players entering the competition. Scott Smithhart (Evansville, IN) won a custom “Table Trotter” cue / case ($600 value) donated by McDermott Cue, and Greg Fox (Bloomington, IN) won a Dr. Popper jump cue valued at $125 donated by Mark “Dr. Popper” Dimick. Dozens of APA t-shirts were awarded to finalists out of the money, via raffle ticket drawings, and thru exciting “parade moments” with audience members. A special feature accented the 3 days of festivities when a unique presentation was made to Charles “Spitball Charlie” Darling from Washington, MO as the 2012 Cue-Dean-“E” IV Honoree. A large group of sport fans and fellow players witnessed the emotional moment, as “Charlie” was presented with a beautiful McDermott “Table Trotter” cue / case, plus a custom Cue-Dean-“E” IV plaque. These awards were given to signify his “E”ntertainment, “E”ducation, and “E”nergetic talents, plus his “E”nlightening “spirit gift” to the magnetic world of “artistic pool” and beyond.
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Artistic Cup VI continued on page 32
Gotham City Billiards
The
saga of the Hurricane Sandy Tri-State is completed. Since October 28th,when hurricane Sandy struck, the Gotham City Billiards' B/D Tri-State Tour event sat on hold awaiting the its conclusion. On December 1st, Dave Shlemperis emerged as the winner, his tournament trail included wins over Gary murgia 7 - 0; Guy Iannuzi 7 - 4 and, Kim Meyer-Gabia 7 - 4, before suffering a loss to Tony Ignomirello 7 - 6. Orlando Forgie made his way to the Hot Seat, and probably holds the record for sitting in a Hot Seat longer than anyone, with a win over Tony 7 - 5. During this time, Dave Shlemperis continued to prevail on the loss side. Dave defeated Mark Perel 7 - 3 and Kim 7 - 6, to have a rematch against Tony Ignomirello. This time it was Dave's turn to win 7 - 3. Dave and Orlando faced off in the Finally. During the Finals, Dave took charge and maintained control winning 9 - 3. Special recognition goes to Orlando Forgie and Tony Ignomirello for strong second and third place finish respectively. The Tri-State Tour, staff and membership wish to thank Kevin and Isabel Buckley, the owners of Gotham City Billiards, for their generous support of the players, along with providing great playing conditions. Please provide a thank you to Sterling-Gaming, Ozone Billiards, Poison Cues, Ron Tarr Cues, Kamui Tips, Phil Capelle, BlueBook Publishing, Human Kinetics for their sponsorship leading to this event. Please leave tournament staff names out of this article, comments and credits to remain general. Thank You.
Left 1st place - Dave Shlemperis, Right 2nd place - Orlando Forgie
Player Andrzej Kaldon Dave Shlemperis
Player Orlando Forgie Tony Ignomirello
WINNERS' SIDE FINAL FOUR Winner Orlando Forgie Tony Ignomirello
Score 7-5 7-6
Player Tony Ignomirello
Player Orlando Forgie
HOT SEAT MATCH Winner Orlando Forgie
Score 7-4
Player Player Emit Yocul Kim Meyer-Gabia Teddy Lubis Harry Guevarez Wonlop Chantarakoikat George Poltorak Mark Perel
ONE-LOSS SIDE FINAL EIGHT Winner Loser (9-12) Kim Meyer-Gabia Emit Yocul Harry Guevarez Teddy Lubis Kapriel Delimelkonoglu Kapriel Delimelkonoglu Mark Perel George Poltorak
Player Player Harry Guevarez Kim Meyer-Gabia kapriel Delimelkonoglu
ONE-LOSS SIDE FINAL SIX Winner Loser (7-8) Kim Meyer-Gabia Harry Guevarez Mark Perel Mark Perel
ONE-LOSS SIDE FINAL FOUR Player Player Andrzej Kaldon Kim Meyer-Gabia Mark Perel Dave Shlemperis
Winner Kim Meyer-Gabia Dave Shlemperis
Player Kim Meyer-Gabia Tony Ignomirello
Player Dave Shlemperis Dave Shlemperis
Winner Dave Shlemperis Dave Shlemperis
Player Orlando Forgie
Player Dave Shlemperis
Winner Dave Shlemperis
Wonlop Chantarakoik
Kapriel Delimelkonoglu
Score 8-7 7-5 7-5 7-3 Score 7-4 7-4
Loser (5-6) Andrzej Kaldon Mark Perel
Score Forfeit 7-4
Loser (4) Kim Meyer-Gabia Tony Ignomirello
Score 7-6 7-3
Loser (2) Orlando Forgie
Score 9-3
QUARTERFINAL
FINAL
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January 2013 - Stroke Magazine 7
“The“The Viper” Viper” An Interview by:
An interview with WPBA Professional Melissa Little Over the past few months, my FB friends have been requesting an interview of the Viper. So your wish has been granted and here you go…
Melissa Little
Melissa “The Viper” Little has been a WPBA Touring Professional for over 10-years, she has represented the USA in Four WPA World Championships and has over 20 top-10 WPBA career finishes. Melissa is currently the housepro at the Wynkoop Brewing Company located in Downtown Denver. She teaches monthly clinics, gives private lessons, and has created a juniors program that promotes billiards education to the local youth. For more information about Melissa please visit: www.melissalittle.com Read more articles by Melissa Little at www.onthebreaknews.com
Where were you born? Viper: I was born in 1970 30-miles west of Denver in Boulder, Colorado. Where and when did you first start playing pool? Viper: I was 12-years-old when I first pick up a pool cue. Everyday after school I would walk to the local arcade on the Boulder mall called “The Milky Way” where my childhood friend Keith Lavender worked as a part time manager. I truly looked up to him as a gamesmanship – as he played so many games and well. Each day I would try and beat him at my favorite game, which at the time was foosball but never could. So one day I asked him to play a game of pool and I drilled him. He encouraged me by saying I was a natural and that I should continue playing. Agreeing to my friend’s compliments I ran to my moms work and shouted out loud to her that when I got older that I was going to be a famous professional pool player that played pool on TV. My mom nodded her head in disbelief and said, “They don’t even have pool on TV, forget about it and just focus on school”. I questioned her answer by hoping and saying that pool would eventually be on TV someday. I didn’t pick up cue again until I was 17 years old. In high school my mom was managing a Mexican restaurant in Broomfield, CO named Buenos Tempos that housed a few pool tables. The owner, Rich Hamilton, was also the previous owner of Billiards on the Hill in Boulder, CO. and was very familiar with the sport of billiards.
While my mom worked, Rich played pool with his friends and then a few times a week a couple of young kids would drive up from Boulder to gamble with him (Dave Evans and Kevin Satterfield). I was so intrigued by how good those young players were. One day they asked me to play a game and I almost beat them. Over the years, Rich continues to inspired me to be one of the best in the world and even bought me my first Gold Crown that is still covered up at Buenos for only special people can play on. He even built be a Viper shrine that he brags about to this day. What was your biggest accomplishment in the sport of billiards? Viper: Back in the day, the criteria to play full-time on the WPBA tour was that you had to participate in x amount of tournaments and you had to place in the top-half of those tournament x amount of times per year. In 1999, I travelled to 18 different places trying to qualify for WPBA pro events. Going into that BCA pro event I knew if I finished in the top half of the field, I would establish my touring pro status. I had won my first two matches and lost a nail biter 9-7 match against Jeanette Lee, which put me into the loser’s bracket prematurely of achieving my goals. My next match was a 7 PM feature match against now Hall of Famer Loree Jon Jones. The spectator seating of the Riviera ballroom was sold out and in the middle row was my mom and step-dad looking as nervous as ever. One of my biggest accomplishments was winning that match 9-7 and ending the tournament with a 5th place finish. Viper continued page 27
For Juniors Events, Tournament News, Sponsors, Lessons & For My Fans...
The WPBA Touring Profession
www.melissalittle.com 8 Stroke Magazine - January 2013
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2013 is the year of the Pool Player
The Monk
Tim Miller
It is time to make our New Year’s Resolution. How about skipping the diets, quitting smoking, loving people more and go on to the more important things like, “I will have a world class game in 2013”. In order to achieve your goals you must “be your goals”. As a world class player you don’t mind a specific and deliberate training program. You don’t mind hard work. You don’t mind training. You are sure of your success. You have confidence because you are your goals. As I say in Point the Way. “In order to follow the path you must become the path.” Let me give you a pattern from THE PHILIPPINE EXPERIENCE. This is a training program I wrote for my Philippine students. I am here in the Philippines for six months working with players who want to be world class. I ask each student to achieve an 80% success rate with this pattern. These are the kind of shots that will win tournaments and win games. Time for some tough work. Shoot the seven, then the eight and finish with the nine and it does not matter which pocket you shoot the balls into. The important thing is to achieve 80% success rate. All through this training program I offer two and three ball runs that you need to have the skills to run out on. With these skills you will win more games. How many times have you wondered why you did not run three balls that were on the table? We hit ourselves in the forehead and feel like failures. Here is a pattern that looks easy. I faced this one time in the finals and was so happy I had the training to succeed.
When you approach this first shot, visualize exactly where you want the cue ball to end up and anything less that that is not acceptable. Remember, you are striving to be the best in your area. It is possible you may have to shoot this pattern for months before you reach the 80% level. While you are training, make sure you go through your pre shot routine in every single shot this way you are gaining even if you don’t reach the 80% level right away. Go on my web site, www.monkbilliardacademy. net and click on THE PHILIPPINE EXPERIENCE to find out more about this program. Your game is worth your investment and this program cost less than a shaft. In training, always strive for excellence. We strengthen that which we focus on. So when you work hard, you strengthen your skills even if you do not succeed with the shot. Always know your training has value. I will look for you in the winners circle. Tim "The Monk" Miller http://www.monkbilliardacademy.net/
The Philippine Experience YOU ARE READY FOR A NEW GAME AND A UNIQUE TRAINING MANUAL FULL COLOR WIRE BOUND FOR ONLY $129.95 http://www.monkbilliardacademy.net/PHILIPPINEEXPERIENCE.html
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January 2013 - Stroke Magazine 9
COLUMNIST
Bob Jewett
San Francisco Billiard Academy www.sfbilliards.com San Francisco Billiard Academy is a BCA Certified Master Academy.
Bridge Work If you are like me and like most players I’ve watched, you need to work on your technique for using the mechanical bridge. Some players would rather miss than use the crutch. They’ll twist and stretch until there’s no hope of making the ball and they’re lucky just to hit it. Let’s both try to get over that. The first problem is to find a decent bridge. Some rooms have none so you will have to bring your own bridge head at least. Some rooms provide bridges but the metal heads have sharp edges (from flashing) that will tear up your shaft. Even if the bridge head is not sharp, if it has a corner right where the cue sits it will leave a dent. If you do have to shoot with a bridge that’s dangerous, use a house cue for the shot. Once you solve the equipment problem try the practice shots in the diagram. In Shot A the goal is to make the 1 ball and just break up the 2-3. The shot itself is not hard; the point is to perfect your technique with simple shots before moving on to tougher challenges. Lots of players have trouble with stance and stroke with the mechanical bridge. Here are the major points: First hold the bridge with your left hand (for righties, of course) with the handle flat on the table. If you will need to get the bridge out of the way during the shot, you can keep your left hand wrapped around it with your knuckles on the cloth. Occasionally you may need to hold the bridge handle up in the air to avoid interfering balls, but that’s less stable. Second, hold your cue stick with the same grip that dart players use -- mostly between the thumb and index finger with your pinky nearest the tip. Third, keep your right forearm horizontal. Fourth, make sure you follow through a little extra. This last is to make sure you have the power you need and that your
10 Stroke Magazine - January 2013
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Bob Jewett
stroke is as straight as possible. When playing Shot A, you will need some right draw. Pay special attention to how much you have to compensate for the English and swerve. Often shots with the bridge will have more elevation than you are used to and consequently will need different compensation. After you are comfortable with making the 1 ball and just separating the 2-3, move the 2-3 mini-cluster back another foot and try again. Try some other distances and angles such as coming straight off the cushion or going forward to the end rail with left follow. In all cases, make sure you have a specific goal for the cue ball such as touching the pair. In Shot B the goal is to build up your power with the bridge. The cut on the 4 is too thin to try to hold the cue ball by the first cushion, so the play is to take the cue ball around the table with a thin hit and a little right English. Work your way up to speed gradually; first play the shot at a speed that just makes the 4 then increase the speed to go clear around the table. This shot can also be played with a little left English so the cue ball comes straight off the end rail. This path will require that you get the bridge out of the way promptly. Finally, go back to Shot A but place an extra object ball just on your side of the cue ball so that you will need to do something special. Some bridge heads have configurations that give enough elevation to get over an obstructing ball like that but more commonly you will have to stack two bridges by placing the handle of the top bridge where the cue stick would normally be on the bottom bridge. When you have a precarious structure like that, severely limit your ambitions; just roll the object ball into the pocket. You may have to settle for a harder shot but at least you will still be shooting.
Britt goes undefeated for second time on GSBT stop in Myrtle Beach By Skip Maloney - AzB Staff Having tried the loss-side route on the Great Southern Billiard Tour in July, and come up just short, Phillip Britt opted for the shorter, undefeated route in October. He repeated that effort on the weekend of December 1-2 with an undefeated run through a field of 34 to win his second 2012 GSBT stop. The $1,000-added event was hosted by Shore Thing Billiards in Myrtle Beach, SC. Britt was among the winners' side final four, facingDarren Blitch, as Gatlin Askins, his eventual hot seat and finals opponent, squared off against Allen Mixon. Britt advanced Greg Dix (TD), Phillip Britt (Ski-Bo), Gatlin Askins, & James Carroll (manager of Shore Thing Billiards) to the winners' side finals with a 9-3 victory over Blitch and was joined thanked Shore Thing Billiards' owners Brent and Ann Hudgins for by Askins, who'd downed Mixon 7-6. Britt gave up only a single their continued support of the tour. The next stop on the GSBT, rack to Askins in the battle for the hot seat. a $1,000-added event, is scheduled for December 8-9 at Blitch moved west where he met up with Dennis Crist, who'd Raisin' Cain's in Inman, SC. defeated Scott Lewis 6-1 and Mike Slaughter 6-3. Mixon picked GREAT SOUTHERN BILLIARD TOUR STOP RESULTS up Belinda Calhoun, who'd given up only three in matches against Jason Martin (7-1) and Scott Roberts (7-2). Calhoun got PLACE PLAYERNAME PRIZE MONEY into the quarterfinals with a 7-4 win over Mixon. Crist joined her 1st Phillip Britt $650.00 after a 6-7 victory against Blitch. 2nd Gatlin Askins $360.00 Calhoun got a step closer to the winners' circle with a 7-5 3rd Belinda Campos-Calhoun $250.00 victory over Crist in the quarterfinals, but fell to Askins 7-3 in the 4th Dennis Crist $150.00 semifinals. Askins chalked up three more racks against Britt in 5th Allen Mixon $100.00 the finals than he had in the hot seat match, but Britt prevailed 5th Darren Blitch $100.00 9-4 to take his second GSBT title at Shore Thing Billiards. 7th Scott Roberts $50.00 Tour directors Shannon Daulton and Marge Cooper 7th Mike Slaughter $50.00
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January 2013 - Stroke Magazine 11
SHEA
Undefeated at Final 2012 JPNEWT
by Kia Sidbury
It was no surprise that Linda HaywoodShea, #1 ranked in and director of the J. Pechauer Northeast Women's Tour (JPNEWT), went undefeated at the season finale event of the year. Triple Nines Bar & Billiards in Elkridge, Maryland hosted the finale on the weekend of November 10-11, 2012. Hurricane Sandy came and went and then we were hit with “Hurricane” Haywood-Shea. She swept through a field of 15 ladies undefeated at this $500-added event. As a sidebar, JPNEWT sponsored its very first amateur JPNEWT event on November 3, 2012 at Lucy’s ARL in Shirlington, VA. Ji-Hyun Park was gracious enough to organize and run this event. Fifteen players competed for a chance to receive free entry into this season finale event. The amateur event was designed to attract league members and to expose JPNEWT to others who never knew of an all-women’s event. We congratulate Jennifer Nhek for winning the JPNEWT amateur event and joining us for the season finale. We hope to see more of Jennifer and the other players next year. Linda Haywood-Shea was focused and calm through the storm she stirred up as she breezed through Tricia Tennant 7-4, Sharon O’Hanlon 7-4, and Kia Sidbury 7-3. Meanwhile, Judie Wilson conquered two double-hill matches against Denise Reeve and Kathy Friend before being sent west by Linda 7-2; putting Linda in the hot seat. Wilson was determined to make it back to Haywood-Shea for a rematch and a chance to win her first JPNEWT. In the meantime, she had to wait for Kathy Friend and Nicole Nester to battle it out in a rematch in which earlier, Friend downed Nester in a clean-sweep match. After defeating Nicole Vincent 7-5, Denise Reeve 7-2, and Kia Sidbury 7-5, Nester fought hard against Friend in a double hill match but to no advancement. However, Nester was happy to cash-in since joining JPNEWT. Friend (defeated both Colleen Shoop and Nicole Nester twice) advanced to the semi-finals for a rematch against 1861 W Tennessee St. 850 224-8644 Tallahassee, Florida Wilson. Wilson, with her determining drive, wasted no time sending Friend 22 - 9’ pool tables - HD TVs home 7-3 and Darts - Liquor - Full Kitchen got her awaiting 10,000 Sq Feet opportunity against Tournaments weekly and monthly
12 Stroke Magazine - January 2013
Haywood-Shea in the finals. However, Linda held true to form defeating Judie 7-3 and taking JPNEWT’s season finale undefeated. Top finishers in this event with their payouts were: 1st Linda Haywood-Shea - $425 2nd Judie Wilson - $285 3rd Kathy Friend - $190 4th Nicole Nester - $125 The J. Pechaurer Northeast Women’s Tour thanks all the players and spectators (local and via Ustream.tv) for your participation and interest. A continued thank you goes out to our sponsor J. Pechauer Custom Cues. Last, but not least, thank you Triple Nines Bar & Billiards for supporting the tour and providing great service.
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JUNIOR PLAYER PROFILE
IULIAN CERNATINSCHI
FULL NAME: Iulian Cernatinschi
FAVORITE POOL GAME:
NICKNAME: The Eagle
FAVORITE POOL PLAYER: Shane VanBoening
HOME TOWN: Jersey City
GOALS (PERSONAL AND/OR CAREER): Video Producer and being member of the Mosconi team.
BIRTH DATE: 7/5/12 GRADE:
10-ball
ANYTHING ELSE YOU'D LIKE PEOPLE TO KNOW
9th
FAVORITE SUBJECT IN SCHOOL: Biology
ABOUT YOU? I enjoy creating videos and I’m fluent in
WHAT KIND OF CUE(S) DO YOU USE? Lucasi Hybrid Playing cues, Dunkel Custom Cues Jump cue, Dunkel Custom Cues Masse cue.
have a wide knowledge of Spanish and French.
a few languages such as Romanian and Russian. Also I
AT WHAT AGE DID YOU START PLAYING POOL? 12 LEFT OR RIGHT HANDED? Right OTHER NOTABLE AWARDS: Sportsmanship Award at the 2012 Artistic Pool World Championship. SPONSOR(S): Lucasi Hybrid,Kamui
Tips,Seybert’s Billiards Supply, Dunkel Custom Cues HOBBIES: Shooting Videos and Pictures, Learning Languages and Volleyball.
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January 2013 - Stroke Magazine 13
14 Stroke Magazine - November 2012
Ronnie Alcano
Alcano shuts Kielar out By Skip Maloney - AzB Staff
On November 11, at Stop # 22 on the Mezz Pro Am Tour, Adam Kielar double-dipped hot seat occupant Ronnie Alcano to win the event. A little over a month later, on December 15, Alcano once again made it to the hot seat, but this time, when Kielar came back from a three-match, loss-side winning streak, Alcano shut him down in the finals to claim the top prize. The $1,000-added event that drew 33 entrants to Castle Billiards in Edison, NJ, was to have played out over two days, but players chose to finish things late on Saturday night. The two met first among the winners' side final four, where Alcano survived a double hill match that sent Kielar west. Michael Wong, in the meantime, defeated Joe Landi 6-3 and moved into the hot seat match against Alcano. Alcano prevailed 6-4 (seven of the event's final 14 matches were decided by that score) and waited in the hot seat for his second straight finals matchup against Kielar. Kielar moved west to pick up Matt Krah, who'd gotten by Bill Gallagher and Mike Miller, both 6-4. Landi drewRob Hart, who'd also chalked up
two 6-4 victories over Wali Muhammad and Bruce Nagle. Two more 6-4 victories - Hart over Landi, and Kielar over Krah - sent Hart and Kielar to the quarterfinals, where yet another 6-4 win sent Kielar to the semifinals against Wong. Kielar and Wong broke the 6-4 pattern that had characterized the previous five loss-side matches and battled to double hill before Kielar prevailed for a second chance against Alcano, and his second straight finals meeting with him on the tour. With memories of November no doubt on his mind, Alcano got right to work, and never stopped, winning six straight to claim the event title. Place 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 5th
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Playername Ronnie Alcano Adam Kielar Michael Wong Rob Hart Joey Landi Matt Krah
Prize Money $830.00 $425.00 $280.00 $150.00 $100.00 $100.00
January 2013 - Stroke Magazine 15
MOSCONI CUP 2012
Americans battle to first day lead
TEAM EUROPE
Europe 2 – 3 USA | Europe 3-5 USA
Nikos Ekonomopoulos, Chris Melling, Johan Ruysink (team captain), Barry Hearn (founder Matchroom Sport), Darren Appleton, Nick van den Berg, Niels Feijen
16 Stroke Magazine - January 2013
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Chris Melling
TEAM EUROPE TEAM EUROPE
Johnny Archer
Brandon Shuff
Nick van den Berg
TEAM EUROPE
Niels Feijen
TEAM USA
Shane Van Boening
TEAM EUROPE
Jim Wych & Jerry Forsyth (live streaming commentators) Nikos Ekonomopoulos
TEAM USA
TEAM USA
TEAM USA
Mike Dechaine
Dennis Hatch
TEAM USA, the pre-match underdogs took the early lead in the 19th running of the PartyPoker.com Mosconi Cup as they took the team and pairs matches but lost both of the singles matches in front of a very noisy crowd at London’s York Hall. It was just the sort of start US captain CJ Wiley was looking for but at this stage the match is anyone’s. The opening match of the competition featured all ten players playing racks at a time and there were plenty of nerves in the early stages – Feijen missed a couple of makeable balls to hand his rack to Dennis Hatch and then Mike Dechaine was forever chasing a lost position before finally missing the 9 ball to give Nick Van den Berg the game. Some typical Mosconi Cup gamesmanship entered the next one as one of the American players incorrectly accused Nick Ekonomopoulos of nudging the 4 ball after playing an outstanding full table kick shot to deposit the 3 ball. The Greek rookie went on the miss a tough pot on the 8 ball to give Brandon Shuff the game. That took the score to 3-2 to the USA. Feijen look in much better shape in his next outing as he made the score 3-3. Shuff won the battle of the rookies in the seventh game as he once again beat Nick Ekonomopoulos and Mike Dechaine was back to take the match for the USA with a tidy 6/9 combination. The Americans made it two out of two as a game Johnny Archer and Brandon Shuff came back from 4-1 down to beat the Euro pair of Nick Van den Berg and Chris Melling. It was a nervous affair as all four players missed balls but the American duo stuck with it and capitalised on a few gifts to put themselves into a 2-0 lead. “It’s never over until it’s over and you must never give up,” said a relived Shuff. “I’ve never experienced a crowd like this but I have the experienced
the pressure but it’s not fading me and I’m doing good. This could be the best team we have had in years, everybody has been saying that, and it does feel good,“ he added. “We are definitely the underdogs, that is for sure, everybody says it,” added Archer. “We know that all we have to do is stay together. Absolutely we are good enough. We C J Wiley (USA team captain) are a great team, a great bunch of guys, we have a great new guy and some experience so it is a lot of fun,” he concluded. Niels Feijen got the Europeans back on track in the third match as he took Mike Dechaine to the cleaners, winning 5-0. Dechaine was not at his best, giving his opponent chances throughout and the Dutchman was all over him. “This match was a must win as we didn’t want to go down 3-0 because that means we’ve lost the session and the best we can get is 3-2 and that puts a lot of pressure on the other guys,” said Feijen. “They’re not going to run over us – we’re here to stay. I don’t feel like I’m any better than the other guys and I put my faith in them.”
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TEAM USA
- Melling & Van Den Berg 4-5 Archer & Shuff - Niels Feijen 5-0 Mike Dechaine - Appleton & Ekonomopoulos 4-5 Hatch & Van Boening - Darren Appleton 5-2 Brandon Shuff
TEAM USA
Nikos Ekonomopoulos
TEAM EUROPE
TEAM EUROPE
Mosconi Cup Day 1 continued on page 28
January 2013 - Stroke Magazine 17
MOSCONI CUP 2012
It’s all square at the halfway stage Europe 5 – 5 USA
Appleton/Melling 4-5 Archer/Dechaine Nick Ekonomopoulos 5-3 Shane Van Boening Feijen/Van Den Berg 5-2 Hatch/Shuff Chris Melling 5-3 Dennis Hatch Appleton/Feijen 4-5 Van Boening/Archer
TEAM EUROPE won the second session of the 2012 Mosconi Cup by three points to two to leave the annual Europe v America match dead level at the halfway stage. There were wins for American pairs in the first and last doubles matches of the day while Europe took both singles matches as well as the second doubles match. With America leading 3-2 from the first day’s play but underdogs at the start of the competition, there was a feeling that both teams would have been happy being tied at the end of the day. It was Johnny Archer, playing in his 16th Mosconi Cup and Shane Van Boening who squared it up in the final match of the evening as they beat the stellar European team of Darren Appleton and Niels Feijen. It was another 5-4 match – the fourth of the competition and the fourth won by the American team – but Archer and Van Boening came with some
18 Stroke Magazine - January 2013
great shots under pressure to record the win. The Europeans got off to a bad start to the session though, as the English duo of Darren Appleton and Chris Melling lost a squeaker to Mosconi legend Johnny Archer and Mike Dechaine. The Americans had lead 4-2 before Europe clawed their way back into it with a pair of quality run outs. At 4-4 Dechaine broke, but Archer missed a fine cut on the 1 ball. Melling was left with a full table pot on the one but it failed to drop and in the end Dechaine took the point with a 6/9 combination. That took the overall score to 4-2 in favour of the away team but Archer was as cautious as a man who has played in 15 Mosconi Cups could be; “It is going to be nip and tuck all the way, any match you could lose it at any time or you could win it at any time. We made a mistake tonight but we have to take advantage of whatever first shot we have and Melling made a mistake to give us the opportunity. “I want to say congratulations to Mike because he felt bad after losing yesterday but he came out today and played wonderful like the champ that he is.”
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Mosconi Cup Day 2 continued on page 28
MOSCONI CUP 2012
Europe supershow puts Cup in sight Europe 9 – 6 USA
Van Den Berg & Ekonomopoulos 5-4 Dechaine & Shuff Nick Van Den Berg 4-5 Johnny Archer Ekonomopoulos & Feijen 5-4 Hatch & Dechaine Chris Melling 5-2 Brandon Shuff Darren Appleton 5-0 Shane Van Boening TEAM EUROPE needs just two more points to make it three PartyPoker.com Mosconi Cups in a row after a blistering night at the York Hall that saw them win four of the five matches with only a game Johnny Archer offering any sort of resistance. The two teams shared the opening two matches before the Euros squeezed past the USA in the final doubles match of the tournament. Then followed two demolition jobs as the English pair of Chris Melling and Darren Appleton beat Brandon Shuff and Shane Van Boening respectively, conceding just two racks in the process. Appleton looked super-focused as he pasted Van Boening, capitalising on the American’s errors and taking full advantage of his own excellent break. The Englishman’s win made the final score 9-6 and with most of the American side distinctly under-powered, it looks a big ask for CJ Wiley’s men. The session got off to a flyer as the two Nicks – Van den Berg and Ekonomopoulos – finally won a hill-hill match as they took a thrilling
decider against the American pairing of Mike Dechaine and Brandon Shuff. The Americans looked strong at outset but both players missed balls to let the Europeans back in the match. There was drama as the Americans lead 4-3 and Van den Berg made the 9 on the break but scratched into the middle pocket. Dechaine and Shuff came with a couple of miracle shots to keep the run out going before Dechaine missed a bad one on the 6 ball and the Europeans made it 4-4. Both had chances in the final rack before Dechaine missed another one – this time a 4 ball down the rail. Van den Berg made it and made perfect position on the 6 ball and he and Ekonomopoulos ran the last three balls to spark wild scenes of celebration. Van den Berg was back out for the second match of the evening as he faced a revitalised Johnny Archer in the first singles match of the evening. Archer had won all three of his doubles matches while Van den Berg was also in great shape. The Dutchman looked rock solid as he lead 4-2, not missing a ball but somehow Archer clawed his way back into it, fighting both Van den Berg and a rowdy crowd who at times stepped close to the line. Archer, playing in his 16th consecutive Mosconi, showed immense heart as he took the game to a deciding rack and then gave Team USA its fifth 5-4 win
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Mosconi Cup Day 3 continued on page 29
January 2013 - Stroke Magazine 19
MOSCONI CUP 2012 20 Stroke Magazine - January 2013
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Europe claim third Mosconi in a row Europe 11 – 9 USA
Nikos Ekonomopoulos 3-5 Dennis Hatch Niels Feijen 1-5 Johnny Archer Darren Appleton 1-5 Shane Van Boening Chris Melling 5-2 Brandon Shuff Nick Van Den Berg 5-2 Mike Dechaine EUROPE HAVE retained the PartyPoker.com Mosconi Cup, defeating the USA 11-9 in front of a packed York Hall to make it three wins in row in the annual transatlantic team tussle. It was Holland’s Nick van den Berg who dropped the final 9 ball of the four day event to spark wild scenes of celebration. The Americans were on the floor after the Wednesday night session, trailing 9-6 going into the final day but they dug deep and turned the tide as they won the first three matches to level it at 9-9 and make it anyone’s match. It was Chris Melling though, a deserving MVP, who stopped the rot with a confident 5-2 over Brandon Shuff and then Nick Van den Berg who closed out a dog fight with Mike Dechaine to win the final match for the Europeans. “That was by far the most thrilling Mosconi Cup win of all,” said a jubilant captain Johan Ruijsink. “They pulled out a big gun today and it was really hard work. I’m happy for the fans and the team; absolutely delighted and over the moon!” he added. Van den Berg was relieved to get the team over the line in what must rank as the greatest moment of his career. “I think my heartbeat was about 220 the whole match and Johan told me to calm down but it was almost impossible. That last shot, I had to break it open, but it worked out perfectly. That must be the most exciting match of my life but also I made a lot of mistakes but in the end I won.” All players had fired throughout the tournament and England’s
Darren Appleton consolidated his position as a potential Mosconi Cup legend. “The emotion is amazing, it is all about the team. The Americans fought really hard today, showed a lot of heart but at 9-9 Melling played unbelievably and Nick at the end that was just a dog fight. “The pressure is unreal, it is just crazy out there and the crowd is amazing.” Chris Melling looked assured throughout and his MVP trophy was the result of three superb singles wins, “It has been unbelievable. It is a dream come true to win it once but to win it twice is just unbelievable. Wow! I cannot believe I have won the MVP. The first two days I started off very slowly, lost two 5-4s which I could have easily won but I came good at the end.” For Niels Feijen it was his fifth Mosconi Cup win and sweeter than the
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Mosconi Cup Day 4 continued on page 29
January 2013 - Stroke Magazine 21
MEGLINO/JACOBS
finish off the FBT Winter 8-Ball Open at
SLATE BILLIARDS
New tournament format seeks to level playing field
Wise stops loss-side run by Robbins to win By Skip Maloney - AzB Staff
Mike Wise went undefeated through a field of 40 entrants on hand for the Great Southern Billiard Tour stop on the weekend of December 8-9, but not before being challenged in the finals by Zach Robbins, who'd won five straight on the loss side to get there. The $1,000-added Amateur event was hosted by Raisin' Cain's in Inman, SC. A good cross-section of amateur rankings were featured among the winners' side final four. It was Wise (B) and Josh Newman (A) who squared off in the hot seat match. Wise had sent Josh Richards (C) to the loss side 7-5, as Newman was busy sending Jared McGee (AA) over 9-6. Wise sent Newman to the semifinals 7-2, and waited in the hot seat for what turned out to be the return of Robbins. Robbins loss-side streak, which began when he'd been sent west from among the winners' side final eight by Richards, commenced with a shutout over Jeff Abernathy and a 7-2 victory over Joel Cain, which set him up to face McGee. Richards picked up Scott Howard, who'd gotten by Justin Price 7-2, and Daniel Autry 7-4. With four on the wire at the start, Robbins ended McGee's AA-run with a double hill win, while Richards (C) did likewise to Howard (B). Robbins then wreaked his vengeance on Richards in the quarterfinals 7-4, and went on to defeat Newman in the semifinals 7-6. In a straight-up, battle of the "B"s, final race to 7, Robbins and Wise fought back and forth to double hill. Robbins scratched shooting at the 8-ball in two separate games, which, in effect, cost him the set. Wise prevailed to secure the event title. Tour Directors Shannon Daulton and Marge Cooper thanked Raisin' Cain's owners Joel and Sheila Cain for their hospitality. They also extended wishes for a Happy Holiday season to all of their players, sponsors, room owners and spectators, as well as announcing that the GSBT would be back in action on the weekend of December 17-18, for a $1,500-added Christmas/Player Appreciation Tournament, to be hosted by Speak Eazy Billiards in Sanford, NC. Great Southern Billiard Tour Stop Results PLACE 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 5th 7th 7th
PLAYERNAME Mike Wise Zach Robbins Josh Newman Josh Richards Scott Howard Jared McGee Daniel Autrey Joel Cain
PRIZE MONEY $700.00 $440.00 $225.00 $175.00 $100.00 $100.00 $50.00 $50.00
22 Stroke Magazine - January 2013
Boynton Beach, Fla. (Dec. 15, 2012) – Forty players packed Slate Billiards in Boynton Beach, Florida, Saturday night at the Flamingo Billiards Tour $300-added Winter Open handicapped 8-Ball tournament. In the end Anthony Meglino and Smokey Jacobs split the top two spots and the prize money. This modified double elimination format, race to three, with three skill levels allowed players in all three levels to make the money. Players initially competed against others in the same skill level. The highest finishers in each level then redrew into a final board of eight. At that point, the matches were handicapped and the format switched to single elimination. Making the final board: Alicia DeAbrue, Christian Lopez, Tom McCloud, Matt Lussier, Anthony Meglino, Smokey Jacobs, Sam Kantor, and Johnny Aguilar. DeAbrue, Lopez, Lussier and McCloud lost in the first round, Meglino then stopped Kantor, and Jacobs got by Aguilar. Due to the lateness of the event, Meglino and Jacobs split the pot. Some of the event matches can be viewed at Ustream.com (search “Palm Beach ACS”), the Palm Beach ACS Stream page, and the Flamingo Billiards Tour Stream page. Thanks to everyone who came out to play during this holiday season, and to room owners Mike Bradford and Joe Sistarelli (www.slatebilliards.com).
RESULTS
($300-added, modified double-elimination) 1st/2nd 1st/2nd 3rd/4th 3rd/4th 5th 5th 5th 5th
Anthony Meglino Smoky Jacobs Sam Kantor Johnny Aguilar Tom McCloud Christian Lopez Matt Lussier Alicia DeAbreu
$195 $195 $120 $120 $65 $65 $65 $65
Alicia DeAbreu also won the paid spot to the Flamingo Billiards Regional Tour Qualifier to be held at Ultimate Billiards in Ft. Pierce, Florida, January 12, 2013. For more information, visit www.flamingobilliardstour.com.
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Champions Crowned at WPA World Junior & Wheelchair Championships December 7, 2012 (Englewood, CO): Cheng-Chieh Liu of Taiwan, Kamila Khodjaeva of Belgium, and Henrik Larsson of Sweden secure gold medals at the 21st Annual WPA Junior & Wheelchair 9-Ball Championships in Willingen, Germany. In the junior boys division, Liu went undefeated to take top honors among the strong field of 32 players. In the girls division, Khodjaeva defeated reigning champion, Czuprynska, in the finals with a convincing score of 7-0. Meanwhile, Larsson received his sixth medal, and fourth gold medal, in the wheelchair division. Over 30 countries were represented at this prestigious event and the Billiard Education Foundation coordinated international travel for the nine North American junior representatives: Brendan Crockett (USA), Chad Behnke (USA), Brady Behrman (USA), Manny Perez (USA), Brianna Miller (USA), April Larson (USA), Charles Guimont (CAN), Cody Ward (CAN), and Kayla Roloson (CAN). Miller and Behnke both continued to day three of competition, finishing just one spot away from achieving a medal. The BEF congratulates our young North American players for their hard work and dedication. These junior players achieved their chance to compete in this world event through the junior state and national championships. 2013 marks the 25th Annual Junior National 9-ball Championships. Summer dates and location will be announced soon. The WPA provided online brackets, live scoring, and complete event information at www.wpapoolonline.com. Live was made available by www.kozoom.com. The online photo galleries are courtesy of Markus Hofstaetter: http://blog.markushofstaetter.at/. The Billiard Education Foundation (BEF) was formed in 1993 as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit charity committed to promoting a lifelong love of pool and building the next generation of players through youth programs and academic scholarships. Visit billiardeducation.org or call (303) 926-1039 to learn more about junior billiard programs in your area.
Wheelchair Winner: Henrik Larsson, Sweden
Jr. World Winner: Kamila Khodjaeva, Belgium BOYS RESULTS: Cheng-Chieh Liu Tobias Bongers Moritz Lauwereyns Berk Mehmetcik
Chinese Taipei Germany Belgium North Cyprus
Gold Medal Silver Medal Bronze Medal Bronze Medal
GIRLS RESULTS: Kamila Khodjaeva Oliwia Czuprynska Karen Garcia Szu-Ting Kuo
Belgium Poland Nicaragua Chinese Taipei
Gold Medal Silver Medal Bronze Medal Bronze Medal
WHEELCHAIR RESULTS: Henrik Larsson Jouni Tahti Fred Dinsmore Roy Kimberley
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Sweden Finland Ireland Great Britain
Gold Medal Silver Medal Bronze Medal Bronze Medal
January 2013 - Stroke Magazine 23
Davis wins 83% of his games captures Toys for Tots Tournament on Action Pool Tour
got by four opponents, including Greg Sabins and Mike McNaughton, both 5-2. Stottlemyer drew a re-match, as well, against Robb Saez, whom he'd sent west, also in the third round. Saez, too, got by four for the re-match, including a shutout over Shaun Wilkie, and a 5-3 win over Andy Lincoln. It was Stottlemyer and Deska hooking up in the quarterfinals, after Stottlemyer had eliminated Saez 5-1, and Deska ended Hunt's day 5-2. In a familiar APT match-up between Deska and Stottlemyer, it was Stottlemyer advancing with a 5-2 win for a semifinal
By Skip Maloney - AzB Staff With delivery of an unopened toy, participants in the December 8-9 Toys for Tots Tournament, under the auspices of the Action Pool Tour, got $10 knocked off their entry fee. The exchange accrued to the benefit of Toys for Tots, more than the pool players, because unless you're buying a toddler toy, the chances of it costing $10 or less are remote. That said, the 63 entrants who signed on for the 8-ball tournament, hosted by VIP Billiards in Catonsville, MD, brought far more than 63 toys to the site. "I didn't count," said tour director Ozzy Reynolds, "but we had two big bins full of them and one player (Guy Yates) brought a small bicycle. VIP Billiards' owner, Steve Didier, made the arrangements with Toys for Tots, including the presence of a US Mike Davis Marine to guard those toys on Saturday." Mike Davis, went undefeated through the 8-ball tournament, chalking up his first victory of the 2012/2013 APT season (he'd won the 2011/2012 season finale in September at the same location). In addition to getting by Dominic Noe twice, Davis ended the tournament with an 83% winning average over 59 games played; seven matches in which he gave up a total of only 10 racks, nine of them over the final three. Davis went through the opening rounds of the tournament like a hot knife through soft butter, shutting out David Sund, James Pounds, and Jeremy Perkins. Between Pounds and Perkins, Lee Fallin had chalked up a single rack against him. From among the winners' side final four, familiar APT opponent Brian Deska challenged him, but a 7-4 Davis victory sent Deska west, and Davis to the hot seat match. Noe, in the meantime, gave up eight racks in his first three, against Bruce Gardner (1), Billy Gallagher (4) and Ozzy Reynolds (3), before shutting outRafael Reyes for a winners' side final four match against Brett Stottlemyer. Davis downed Deska 7-4, as Noe was busy sending Stottlemyer over 7-3. Davis took the hot seat match 7-3, and waited for Noe to return. Deska moved Happy hour: 11:30am-7pm & 12am-3am over for a re-match Mention this ad and play free any daytime against Dave Hunt, 10 - 9’ pool tables Play pool from 11:30am - 7pm and whom he'd sent to the Midnight -3am for only $5 loss side in the third 12686 Starkey Rd - Largo, FL round of play. Hunt 727.330.7822
re-match against Noe. Noe took their second meeting 5-3, and turned for a second shot against Davis. A 7-2 win by Davis completed his undefeated run through the field of 63. Kia Sidbury, who finished in the tie for 25th place, won $100 as the top female finisher. A regular on the J. Pechauer Northeast Women's Tour, Sidbury was last seen in the winners' circle at a Planet Pool Tour Ladies Division stop in October at the same location.
NOW FULL LIQUOR
24 Stroke Magazine - January 2013
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The Tri-State Tour
VICTOR NAU, BORANA ANDONI, KYLE BUBET
Borana Andoni went to the hotseat in the tour stop at Castle Billiards after enduring 2 hill-hill matches on her way, after being sent west by Eddie Medina. Victor Nau reels off 7 victories in a row to get a shot at the title but because of the late hour, he and Borana Andoni decided to split the cash and give Andoni the title since she had no losses. 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5-6
$700 $400 $250 $100 $75
Borana Andoni Victor Nau Kyle Bubet Joe Varvaro Kapriel Delimelkonoglu, Ray Marisette
Scott Bannon wins House of Billiards’ A/D Tri-State Tour event.
During the event, Scott went undefeated through the field of players. His tournament trail included wins over Jerry Troy 7 - 5, Ed Medina 7 - 3, Justin Muller 7 - 4, Gary Murgia 7 - 5 and, Anthony Dahab 9- 8 for the Hot Seat. After Anthony Dahab defeated Bogie Uzdejczyk 8 - 2, he was set for a rematch with Scott in the Finals. Scott repeated his past performance against Anthony with a 9 - 7 victory. Special recognition goes to runner-up Anthony Dahab and third place Bogie Uzdejczyk. Please provide a thank you to Sterling-Gaming, Ozone Billiards, Poison Cues, Ron Tarr Cues, Kamui Tips, Phil Capelle, BlueBook Publishing, Human Kinetics for their sponsorship leading to this event. 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5-6
$560 $320 $210 $125 $70
Scott Bannon Anthony Dahab Bogie Uzdejczyk Robert Veit Gary Murgia, Dennis Kennedy
ANTHONY DAHAB, SCOTT BANNON, BOGIE UZDEJCZYK
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January 2013 - Stroke Magazine 25
ors Events, Tournament News, Sponsors, Lessons & For My Fans...
The Viper The
Did you ever play in a pool league? Viper: I tried it once but in reality I have always been an independent player pursuing to be a top ranked pro player. Are you good at any other sports? Viper: Oh yea…Being born a very competitive person I could honestly say that I play all games well. As a matter of fact my boyfriend of 8-years Mark Haddad and I have had numerous world championship games between the two of us in games like real tennis, table games, bowling, and race car driving. Oh, and he still can’t beat me playing any game on our Wii system at the house. Describe yourself in three words? Viper: Tenacious, diligent and loyal If you had to live your life over again, what would one thing you change about yourself and/or your career? Viper: When I was younger I truly wanted to become who I am today so I would have to say nothing. Who were/are your favorite professionals? Viper: All of my WPBA sisters who I compete against, without them I would be nothing. I am a Mark Haddad fan, of course when he is in stroke; I love to watch him play. I also like Warren Kiamco, he is such a true gentleman and a heck of a player. How did you prepare for events? Viper: I learned from Cory Deuel that you have to put in 50 hours of play before majors, whether that is playing in tournaments, gambling or just practicing with friends. I took that advise to heart, these days I try and stay active all the time so you don’t have to put those 50 hours in because your already there. What was the best advice you were ever given? Viper: My friend, 1st coach and mentor Sam Jones once told me that when approaching the cue ball you should always look to make sure you are hitting center ball. I still do that to this day and I suggest you try it too. What is one thing that you enjoy most while playing pool? Viper: It is a complete honor to me to have represented my country USA in six world championships, there’s nothing like it in the world. If you could say one thing to a young upcoming player what would it be? Viper: Follow your dreams…have the courage to plow through any fears that stop you from accomplishing any of your lifetime desires. What’s your Favorite game? Viper: ALL games that have to do with pool. I live, dream, and love to play pool. 9-ball, 10-ball, 1-pocket, 3-cushion billiards, you name it, I love them all. Facebook Questions: Phil Carpenter from Atlanta, GA asks, what is your high run?
continued from page 12
Viper: In straight pool I once played my friend Howard Ashford who tried to give me 50 points to 100 for dinner and I won 100-7. I think I ran 45 balls before he shot…lol Denise White from Vancouver, WA asks, can you tell us of a time when it looked like you were going to lose, but you came back to win. What did you focus on to come back and win? Viper: I once played Mike Hellmer (great player from here in Colorado) in a tournament and he broke and ran the first 6 racks in a race to 7, then scratched and I ran 6 racks right back on him, played safe, he scratched and then I ran the rest of the set out. Jason Christopher Hunt from Buffalo New York asks, do you think the young talent of America needs to rise up? Viper: Jason, one of the biggest reasons that I support kids playing pool is that we need them playing. It takes like 10-years to become halfway decent, so if we can get them playing at a younger age then we hope they will stick with it and become the next generation of pro players. Colin Brandt from Rock Island, IL asks, I see you play a lot of men’s events as well as women’s, which do you prefer? Viper: Colin, I like to play in both men’s and women’s because they both offer different challenges. It seems like I play in more men’s events because these days they have more tournaments to offer me. Chris Smith from Belton, TX asks, through trials and tribulations, what made you decide to go pro? Viper: Even as a young commutative person I just knew that was what I wanted to do for a living. I surrounded myself around encouraging people, stepped fear aside and went for it. Rick Worby Jr. from Bridgeport, CT asks what do you think about having something similar to a Mosconi Cup for women?? Viper: Watching the men’s Mosconi cup this year, I think it’s a terrific idea and the WPBA should segregate the players into countries and instead of just having USA vs. Europe but we could incorporate other countries like Asia and Canada? Jackie Claxton from Springfield, MO asks, when you practice, what do you practice on more mental or physical aspects of the game? In your off time, away from everything pool, what do you do for enjoyment? Viper: Jackie, what a cool question to ask. Thinking about it I practice both and by doing so, I try real hard when I play pool, whether I am playing in a tournament or playing my mom my demeanor is always the same. For enjoyment I like to go to the movies, play Wii, watch football, and shop till I drop…
Gary Pacatan from Orange Park, FL asks, what drives you to do what you’re doing, with your life and with the kids, in your future goals, in what puts a smile on the Viper’s face? Viper: Gary, a long time ago, a friend asked me what did pool offered me during my career and I said a lot; pool has offered to take me to places I would have never gone to before, meet all of the different people and to have a career that I truly love! The same person asked me but what have you offered the game of pool? So I use that motto to encourage me each day and create events that can make a difference for our sport. Lissie Baguio from Bronx, NY asks, what drills do you practice the most and for what amount of time? How many days a week? How do you fit it in your normal life schedule? Viper: Lissie, your right about having a tight schedule but in reality you have to make time to play. I do not do drills anymore but I do schedule workouts with friends and family and we play an array of different games in the same time frame for instance I might play a set of 9-ball, a race in 1-pocket and a set of bank pool. Michael Gray from Boulder, CO asks, Do you think the fact that everyone is heartless and refuses to gamble for even small amounts (without the mortal nuts) has hurt the game? It seems to me that having even a small financial incentive in a match is the difference between motivation to focus and lax/lazy process. How can we get the new players to gamble? Can we pass some legislation to make it mandatory? Viper: Michael, in earlier postings I wrote that pool is like a subculture with multiple subdivisions. Pool offers tournament, money, league players, and then we have the sweaters and stake horses, then all of the different type of players that play all the different games?? But the most important thing is that we all enjoy the same sport. Some people like to gamble and others don’t. I personally think that you should play for something to keep your focus a little bit longer. But it’s not a necessity to gamble… A special “Thank-you” to ALL of my FB friends who participated in this interview. Next month I’ll be back interviewing other pros.
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26 Stroke Magazine - January 2013
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Stefano Pelinga Inducted CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, November 17, 2012 -- Stefano Pelinga, a 5-time World Champion in Artistic Pool, has been inducted into the National Italian American Sports Hall of Fame. In the presence of approximately 500 VIP guests and many sports stars such as Tommy Lasorda, Mike Piazza, Tony Esposito and Ray “Boom Boom” Mancini, Stefano has been awarded this honor, becoming a member of this group of legendary Italian Americans. Also inducted that evening were former World Boxing Middleweight Champion Vito Antuofermo, World Series Champion John Smoltz, Stanley Cup champion Mark Recchi, Olympic Medalist Alicia Sacramone, New Jersey Devils CEO and GM Lou Lamoriello, GM of the Los Angeles Dodgers Ned Colletti, President of Comcast SportsNet Chicago Jim Corno and the Venturini Family (Venturini Motorsports). All of them, together with Stefano, are extremely proud and humbled to represent the Class of 2012. Past NIASHF Hall of Famers include Joe DiMaggio, Rocky Marciano, Jake LaMotta, Mario Andretti, Lou Ferrigno, Franco Columbu, Vince Lombardi and Willie Mosconi…to name a few! This year was a special occasion for NIASHF as it celebrated its 35th anniversary since it was founded by George Randazzo in 1977. Stefano, now residing in Las Vegas, Nevada, hails from Rome, Italy, where he has served since 1985 as a police officer for the Italian government (Polizia di Stato), until his retirement in 2011. He began to play pool at the age of 12, drawing inspiration from his favorite singer and actor, Dean Martin. Stefano, currently a 5-time World Champion in Pool Trick Shots, won several titles in Italy in straight pool and nine-ball throughout the late 1970s and 1980s. In 1990, he devoted himself entirely to “Artistic Pool,” commonly referred to in its practice as “Trick Shots.” In a few years, Stefano became not only the reference point but a true idol for fans of this exciting game worldwide, earning the names of “Mr. Trick Shots” and “Il Maestro” from his loyal fans. Stefano has given the sport considerable international exposure by performing exhibitions, organizing competitions and raising funds for a variety of charitable organizations with his personal appearances. He has been featured for over ten years in the prestigious ESPN’s televised tournaments, as well as in articles and on the covers of many pool and billiards publications around the globe. In addition to having won several international titles, Stefano’s achievements have been numerous and remarkable in other facets of the sport: he produced best-selling instructional videos and he was appointed official instructor of cue sports by FIBIS (Italian Billiards Federation) and CONI (Italian Olympic Committee). He was also awarded the honorary title of Professor of Sport Games by the University of Kharkov (Ukraine). Stefano has the largest repertoire of Trick Shots and is able to execute more than 1,000 unique and “fancy” shots. Due to his outstanding achievements, Stefano is recognized worldwide as one of the greatest Trick Shot champions in the history of the sport, and has also earned a spot in ESPN’s Trick Shot Magic Hall of Fame.
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January 2013 - Stroke Magazine 27
MOSCONI CUP 2012
Mosconi Cup Day 1
continued from page 17
Unfortunately for the Europeans, Team USA regained their two point leading margin as the heavyweight pairing of Shane Van Boening and Dennis Hatch held on to beat Darren Appleton and Nick Ekonomopoulus 5-4. The crowd, who nearly blew the roof off the venue in the earlier part of the evening were becoming increasingly subdued and Hatch took full advantage with a few taunting chants of ‘USA, USA!’. Appleton looked increasingly uncomfortable as they spurned a 2-0 lead and found themselves 4-2 down. The fought back to 4-4 but the Americans ran out the last for the win and a 3-1 lead. In the final match of the session, World 9 Ball Champion, Darren Appleton had a chance to make amends as he faced
Mosconi Cup Day 2
continued from page 18
Dechaine enjoyed the moment, “It is incredible; I feel I have had to go back to basics with my game because of the crowd yelling and everybody cheering Europe on. I feel that might put some more pressure on them as well because they have to win in front of their own crowd.” That put enormous pressure on European captain Johan Ruijsink as arguably his weakest player Nick Ekonomopoulos went out to face the pick of Team USA in Shane Van Boening. However, the nervy Greek debutant clearly hadn’t read the script as he powered to a 5-3 win to pull his team off the floor and set the York Hall on fire. Aided by one or two rolls at opportune times, Nikos, as he is known in his home country, stayed with Van Boening in the opening stages before the tide turned. At 3-3, the American looked a little less confident than at the outset when he shot into a 2-0 lead. Ekonomopoulos looked a different player from yesterday’s slow-paced bundle of nerves as he moved swiftly around the table punching the cue ball with authority. He took the final two racks to take his team to within one of the Americans. “I feel great, with so many people cheering,” said a delighted Ekonomopoulos. “It was a very difficult game and Shane Van Boening is a very good player, a great player. I tried to be relaxed, I think I was relaxed and I won. We lost three matches 5-4 and I believe we were unlucky. But now it will be better for us I think. I think the crowd helps me, I like to play in front of these people.” There was more joy for the Europeans in the next as the dynamic Dutch duo of Nick Van den Berg and Niels Feijen turned the momentum in a big way as they beat Dennis
28 Stroke Magazine - January 2013
US debutante Brandon Shuff and he did just that winning 5-2 to leave the event poised at 3-2 to the Americans. It was a big point for the Europeans as the alternative was a nasty looking 4-1 deficit which they managed to avoid. “I went in and we were losing 3-1 which was amazing as we should have won the first doubles match; me and Nikos were a bit unlucky and on another day we’d have won,” said Appleton. “I felt like we’ve played pretty well but we didn’t break well in the first half of the evening. 3-2 is probably a fair score but winning that last match was massive so at least we’ve something to build on for tomorrow,” he concluded.
Hatch and Brandon Shuff 5-2 in front of an increasingly vocal York Hall crowd. Everyone was talking about a miracle jump shot that Van den Berg executed to set up a run out at a decisive point in the match. Using a strange looking Perspex bridge, he dug into the cue ball and clipped the orange 5 down the rail. Afterwards Van Den Berg said, “Unbelievable, did I make that shot?! I was running to the table to get the rest and I heard the shot clock so I just totally went for it. “I just couldn’t reach it with my bridge hand so Darren Appleton had said before the match that he had this tool and I said we would never use it! I have never used that before.” Feijen added, “I played horrible shape for him to get there. There was nothing for him to do, he couldn’t reach the jump, he couldn’t reach with the normal cue, the extension was gone and he had only 10 seconds left, so he is running back to the chair to get this thing. ‘Where is that thing?’ he said, and I said ‘What thing, you have five seconds!’ He runs back, manoeuvres it around and 3, 2, 1, boom he makes it.” Chris Melling piled on the misery for the Americans in the next as he outplayed Dennis Hatch to give the Europeans the lead for the first time in the Mosconi Cup. The boisterous crowd gave ‘The Hatchetman’ a run for his money and he seemed to lap it up but it was Melling who cashed in on Hatch’s errors to run out a 5-3 winner. And in the final match of the day Archer and van Boening levelled it to leave the 2012 PartyPoker.com Mosconi Cup intriguingly poised at five points each.
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MOSCONI CUP 2012
Mosconi Cup Day 3
continued from page 19
of the competition to level the scores. “Our team needed that, they needed some boost. I didn’t play too well, I really was going to blow it for our team if I didn’t do something there because I had chances but I was lucky enough to have chances at the end and I just came through,” said a relieved Archer. “I didn’t play well, Nick made some mistakes but I didn’t know if I was going to get a shot, I was praying and it worked out. As a team we play hard, we grind it hard. We haven’t played great as a team but I know the guys have fought hard and are giving it heart and I would rather that happen than everything go well. “We lost a couple of heartbreakers but we won some we could have lost so it has evened out. Morale has to be a little better now that I have won that one.” The final doubles match of the competition saw the Europeans regain the lead as Nick Ekonomopoulos and Niels Feijen won the third 5-4 game as they beat Dennis Hatch & Mike Dechaine. Europe motored to the hill first as the experienced Feijen and rookie Ekonomopoulos looked sharp throughout. The Greek debutant had played superbly over the past two days despite looking shaky on day one. The Americans came back but once again the decider was claimed by the Europeans for a 7-6 lead. There were scenes of celebration in the arena and somehow Feijen failed to shake Dechaine’s hand which lead to a verbal
Mosconi Cup Day 4
continued from page 21
others, “This is the best, the heat was really on. We were up 9-6 and they came back and left us really nervous. Chris came out, started firing and then the pressure on Nick was unbelievable.” Finally, debutant Nikos Ekonomopoulos played a huge part as he took down America’s top player in his opening singles match to set the tone for days two and three, “It is very exciting, the atmosphere is very nice. I like it very much. We played very well, I think we deserved it but the USA also played very well.” The Americans started the evening three behind and first out was Dennis Hatch, playing in his third Mosconi Cup, and he needed to do something to stem the flow and give his side a chance and he did just that, beating Nick Economopoulos 5-3 to put his side within two of the Europeans. Hatch looked better than he had done at any point in the tournament in what was a scrappy match but he took advantage of some errors to claim the win. Johnny Archer continued to show the sort of form that has given him the record for Mosconi Cup appearances, as he took care of Niels Feijen 5-1 to give the European side an uneasy feeling as their three point lead started to evaporated. The Georgia veteran was the definition of focus as he kept everything out and played about as good as he could under the testing circumstances. In fact, Archer was unbeaten throughout the week – a stunning feat. There was more American joy in the next as Shane Van Boening did a number on Darren Appleton, running out a 5-1 to tie the Mosconi Cup up at 9 all. The Englishman suffered a couple of bad rolls, but like Hatch and Archer before him, Van Boening was a picture of focus and determination. The South Dakotan ended the watch with a spectacular table length combination bank shot on the 9 ball. He had run out of position and it was his only real option and it paid
exchange. “We were 4-2 up and we played pretty well but USA came back to make it 4-4 so they showed a lot of heart there. Everything is going 5-4 so it was close,” said Feijen. “Mike said I was waiting to shake your hand. Everybody gets carried away a little bit, it is the pressure and I meant no harm to the guy. I wanted to shake his hand I didn’t see him in the corner of my eye and everyone was going crazy. It was a misunderstanding and it is no big deal I hope.” In the penultimate match of the evening, England’s Chris Melling, making his second Mosconi Cup appearance, put on a masterclass to overpower Brandon Shuff and give Europe a two point lead. Melling hadn’t looked at his best in the opening two days and with a point to prove took Shuff to the cleaners. After the three hill-hill battles of earlier, the match seemed over in a flash as Melling cued perfectly and left his opponent at the starting gate. That left the stage clear for Dynamite Darren Appleton to make it a massive night for Team Europe as he whitewashed Shane Van Boening to put one hand on the Mosconi Cup.
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off in spades. Finally it was Chris Melling who stopped the rot when he beat Brandon Shuff 5-2 to put Europe on the hill. Shuff was fighting the nerves as well as Melling but like his team mates before, tried to stay focused and he stayed with the European in the early stages. Melling though started to come with his best in the latter stages and in the end there was only one man in it. His piece de resistance was in the final rack when, blocked behind the 8 ball, played a side rail kick shot to pocket the 6 ball in a move that would have done Efren Reyes proud. That set the stage for Nick Van den Berg to seal another glorious Mosconi Cup win for the Europeans. They will be returning to Las Vegas in December 2013 as they go for win No.4. For the Americans it was more disappointment and they have now won this tournament just once in the past seven years. However, they can take some heart from the courage that they showed in the final day. “For the first three matches we were playing very well, we had the momentum, and then we had a key match that could have gone either way,” said skipper CJ Wiley. “I cannot complain, the first three players did a fantastic job and we just had a little hiccup on the fourth one but there is next year. We have plans for them in the United States. I hope they enjoy it, for one year.” Finally, Johnny Archer summed up American feelings; “Firstly I would like to say I am very proud of my team, they showed a lot of heart today. We were down and my hat is off to the European guys, they outplayed us for the week. “The guys showed a lot of heart today, we were all so nervous and under a lot of pressure but they are great champions.”
January 2013 - Stroke Magazine 29
Press Releases
Jim Sydlo is McDermott Cue Mfg. moves to TAP Licensee new facility in Menomonee Falls of the month By Derek Blaguski, McDermott Cue
I’ve been playing in pool leagues since 1987. I have been the league operator in Central, New Jersey for the past 2 years. Jersey Boys 45, our territory, encompasses five counties: Middlesex, Union, Mercer, Somerset, and Essex. We have grown TAP from 23 teams to 54 now and with many more to come. We are on Facebook and just opened up a website;www. jerseyboys45.com. We play 8-ball mostly, with one 9-ball league on Wednesday night. We play from Monday through Sunday, all in Taverns, Inns, and Bars. Hopefully in January we will have some billiard parlors. I am very excited and certain that TAP is the best league in our area. It will continue to flourish in New Jersey, especially now that the “Rally in Edison” is in our backyard. On a personal level I have a beautiful wife of 28 years, Cecilia who has blessed me with 4 daughters; Danielle 22, graduate of Rutgers University, Ashley 20, current studet at Seton Hall University, and the twins, Sarah and Jayme, 15, freshman in Colonia High School. My wife and Danielle have been a great help in growing TAP. I, as well as my daughters and wife, are huge NY Giant football fans, attending every home game and even some road games. I play TAP as well, rating out to a 6. Thank you for this wonderful honor. I am very humbled to be a part of the best billiard league around. TAP on!
MENOMONEE FALLS, WI (December 6, 2012) - McDermott Cue Mfg. LLC is a leading manufacturer and worldwide distributor of pool cues, performance shafts and billiard accessories. McDermott is proud to announce that they have moved to a brand new location. The new location features an upgraded facility and showroom. In the past, McDermott's showroom has primarily consisted of their own brand of pool cues and accessories. The new showroom will now add popular game room gear such as pool tables, foosball tables, air hockey tables, shuffleboard tables and billiards lights. "We are proud and excited to add Connelly pool tables, Tornado foosball, Dynamo air hockey and Champion shuffleboard tables to our retail showroom product lineup," said Jayme Cernicka, Showroom Manager. "These 'Made in the USA' products align perfectly with the commitment to quality, performance and value that is synonymous with McDermott cues." The showroom isn't the only thing upgraded at the new facility. The pool cue manufacturing process has been improved with new production equipment and a streamlined workflow. "Over the last 35 years, we've become much more efficient with our cue building process," said Larry Liebl, Executive Vice President. "We are now able to build more cues in less time using less space." McDermott's new factory showroom is open in time for the holidays and operates from 8am to 5pm, Monday through Friday at N84 W13660 Leon Rd, Menomonee Falls, WI 53051. McDermott Cue is headquartered in Menomonee
30 Stroke Magazine - January 2013
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Falls, WI and markets under the brands of McDermott Cue,Star Cue, Lucky Cue, Element Cue, Wildfire, Pool Prodigy, Intimidator i-Shafts, G-Core Shafts, Big Boy Shafts, Sledgehammer Break Cue, Stinger Break/Jump Cues and Elephant Balls.
Press Releases
2013 Junior National WPA World Artistic Pool 9-Ball Championships Championship Joins CSI at the Rio in July 2013 Heads to Vegas December 19, 2012 (Englewood, CO): The Billiard Education Foundation (BEF) announces its 25th Annual Junior National 9-Ball Championships to be held July 26-29, 2013 at the Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada. This special anniversary event will be hosted alongside the CueSports International (CSI) annual amateur and professional events. Many of the top professional players today got their start with this prestigious junior event and it continues to attract the nation’s finest youth with its four divisions: boys’ 15-18, boys’ 14 & under, girls’ 15-18, and girls 14 & under. These young competitors vie for titles, scholarships, and prizes each year, along with an opportunity to represent the US at the World Pool-Billiard Association (WPA) Junior World Championships. “I’m very excited for next year’s venue. With CSI’s support, we’ll be able to offer professional equipment, live streaming, real-time scoring, online brackets, and more! The juniors will play alongside their favorite pros, and even attend clinics featuring many of them,” said BEF Executive Director, Samm Diep-Vidal, “we’re looking forward to a memorable 25th anniversary.” “CSI has been actively supporting junior programs for years and look forward to putting them on center stage. We are happy and proud to be able to provide the juniors with the best playing equipment and conditions possible (Diamond tables, Simonis cloth, and Aramith balls),” added Mark Griffin, CEO of CSI. For more information on the BEF, Junior Nationals, and other junior billiard programs, visit the BEF website at www. billiardeducation.org.
BISON BILLIARDS There were 10 shooters, almost $900.00 in cash prizes, and the final 4 had APA handicaps of 3,4, 5, and 7. Two 5s, four 6s, and a 7, all fell before reaching the quarter finals. Young Kevin Bridenbaker, from Gowanda, a 3 handicap, won his first four matches before losing to Mark Hatch on the hot seat. Rick Pendleton, a 4, won 2 in the winners bracket and 2 in the losers bracket before losing the left side finals to Kevin. Bob Brott, a 5, won 1 on the winners side and 3 on the losers side, his only 2 losses were on the hill, both to Rick Pendleton. With all the hill-hill matches, it’s obvious that the APA handicap system is working. Mark Hatch put on an incredible exhibition of shot making and defensive pool, to go undefeated during the tournament. special thanks to Jonnie Walker for his help in making this a great APA Tournament. 1st Mark Hatch $170.00 plus $325.00 2nd Kevin Bridenbaker $85.00 plus $150.00 3rd Rick Pendleton $50.00 plus $80.00 4th Bob Brott $30.00
CueSports International, Henderson, Nevada (December 11, 2012) - CueSports International (CSI) is proud to announce the 2013 WPA World Artistic Pool Championship will be held at the Rio All Suite Hotel & Casino on July 18-21. The prestigious world artistic event will be held in conjunction with the 37th BCAPL National Championships (July 17-27, 2013). CSI and Diamond are donating the use of 9' Diamond tables for the artistic competition in Rio’s state-of-the-art conference center. The growing roster of events that will be staged in Las Vegas this coming July will now include the following: • 2013 WPA World Artistic Pool Championship • 37th BCAPL National Championships (30 divisions) • 3rd USAPL National Championships (3 divisions) • 14th US Open One Pocket Championship • 5th US Open 10-Ball Championship (BCA points event) • 1st US Open 8-Ball Championships (BCA points event) • 3rd CSI 14.1 High Run Challenge
For details and entry information for the 2013 WPA World Artistic Pool Championship contact Mark Dimick at dimickmark@aol.com or call (405) 642-5641. For information on the CSI roster of events being held in July at the Rio-All Suite Hotel & Casino visit www.playcsipool.com, www.playbca. com or www.playusapool.com. CueSports International is dedicated to creating more choices for all players. In the past 8 years CSI has directly paid out $8,000,000 to players. CSI is the parent company of the BCA Pool League and the USA Pool League. CSI also produces independent events such as the US Bar Table Championships, the Jay Swanson Memorial, the US Open One Pocket Championship, the US Open 8-Ball Championship and the US Open 10-Ball Championship. Visit www.playcsipool.com, www.playbca. com, and www.playusapool.com for more information about CSI and its divisions.
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January 2013 - Stroke Magazine 31
CHALK TALK.....
It’s All About the Momentum
BY: DON “CHEESE” AKERLOW
What you are about to read in no way has anything to do with Team USA. While sitting at home watching the 2012 Mosconi Cup on my computer, something struck me that I find very odd. I noticed it at the 2011 Mosconi Cup in Las Vegas, watching it live at the MGM Grand. I was taking photos and rooting for the U.S. Team, but it never struck me what I was seeing. Now back to today, watching it live on my computer. The camera pans, as they say, after the final ball was potted for the Europeans to win 5-4 in the match between Chris Melling and Brandon Shuff. The camera pans the audience as they erupt. I have rarely seen such enthusiasm from any player, let alone a spectator. Members of the audience were jumping up and down, hugging each other as if they themselves had won the match. It dawns on me the audience has been doing this all along during each match. Even when the Europeans lost it was a crushing, emotional blow to them. Yet by the time of the next match they were raring to go. The enthusiasm was BACK. In comparison to the American spectators, it would be like they would high five each other or one or two fist pumps. I don’t want to psychoanalyze them or even myself for stating what I am, but the enthusiasm that the spectators show and what they give to the players cannot be measured by a win or loss but by momentum. Whether to change it, keep it or exploit it. I am not saying in any way, shape or form that the American team doesn’t want to win but they would
Artistic Cup VI
surely need to tap into the enthusiasm that they all possess whether players or spectators. Momentum is a huge factor that is driven by enthusiasm along with other emotions. It is a sad state of affairs when the Mosconi cup here in America can’t even draw enough spectators to fill a 3 sided arena that has seating for 500 to 1,000 spectators. If the pride and enthusiasm in the American team is not shown, especially from the spectators, it may very well be that the United States will not win another Mosconi Cup in the near future. I hope this, with all my heart, not to be true. We must support the U. S. Team 110% if not more. I’ll be there in Vegas in 2013 for the 20th Mosconi Cup. Hope to see all of you. Just come up and say “Hi”. IMHO
If you have something to say about anything in pool, billiards or any of the games played on the felt, send it to Chalk Talk. Did you get sharked or is someone sharking you? Let’s make this game better by weeding out what is wrong or tell us what you like. Email: pool@onthebreaknews.com Subject line: Chalk Talk
continued from page 6
Below is a brief recap of the top 4 positions of finish for the “Artistic” Cup VI: 1st Florian “The Venom” Kohler Kingersheim, France 2nd Tim “The Dragon” Chin Las Vegas, NV 3rd Chris “Juggler 314” Kelly Plainfield, NJ 4th Curtis “Redneck Cue Guy” Robertson Abilene, TX Cup VI Discipline Champions – $100.00 each, plus special award medal: Trick / Fancy Tom Kinzel Special Arts Draw Shots Jeremiah Owens Follow Shots Bank / Kick Chris Woodrum Stroke Shots Jump Shots Josh Ulrich Masse Shots Cup VI Sportsmanship Recipients – Special honors and award medal: Jeremiah “Daddy-O” Owens (IL) – By vote of players John “Johnny B” Harty (IN) – By vote of directors / staff Below is a brief recap of the top positions for the Roll To Victory Challenge : 1st James Hess Marion, IN 2nd Scott Smithhart Evansville, IN 3rd Adam Koehler Decatur, IL 4th Brad Biggs Evansville, IN
32 Stroke Magazine - January 2013
$1,500 + Cup $1,250 + Cup $1,000 + Cup $750 + Cup Tim Chin Chris Woodrum Josh Ulrich Charles Darling
$400.00 $300.00 $200.00 $100.00
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Note: Complete event results / stats for Cup VI available by email! drcue@artisticpool.org Events: Dr. Cue “Artistic” Cup VI & “Roll To Victory” Challenge, plus Cue-Dean-“E” IV Honoree Event Venue / Location: Marriott Indy East – Indianapolis, IN Dates: 11/29 – 12/2, 2012 Documented / Submitted: Tom “Dr. Cue” and Marty “Ms. Cue” Rossman December 20, 2012 Dr. Cue Classic Artistic Cup VI Roll To Victory Event Directors Cue-Dean-“E” IV International Honoree Selection Committee Dr. Cue Classic Artistic Pool “Sport and Show” Tour Administrators
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LOCATION PHONE Leisure Time Billiards & Cafe (516) 796-4600 Good Time Emporium (617) 628-5559 Brookhaven Billiards (601) 754-4422 Ultimate Sports Bar (586) 751-2222 Hall of Fame (586) 939-8880 Airway (937) 274-1230 Bankshots (614) 777-0022 Crown Billiards (330) 644-3985 Sandcastle Billiards (732) 632-9277 Branford Cue & Brew (203) 483-1388 Cue Time (270) 782-2740 Sportsmen’s (614) 279-5888 Zingales (850) 224-8644 PJs (724) 285-7307 Cones & Cues (734) 241-5533 Snookers (734) 422-9510 The Rack (734) 422-7665 Airway (937) 274-1230 Player’s (614) 239-7665 Bison Billiards (716) 632-0281 150 n Out Billiards (704) 660-5363 Leisure Time Billiards & Cafe (516) 796-4600 Cue Time (270) 782-2740 Coaches (517) 882-2013 Ultimate Sports Bar (586) 751-2222 Phat Guy Birds (812) 346-0870 8 Ball Sports Bar (614) 436-2948 Player’s (614) 239-7665 Sportsmen’s (614) 279-5888 Whiskey Barrel (937) 829-7948 Rack (601) 372-6576 Rack Attack Billiard Cafe (419) 732-7225 The Break Room (616) 454-0899 The Break Room (616) 454-0899 Good Times (517) 263-9490 Play Time (269) 323-2295 8 Ball Sports Bar (614) 436-2948 Lucky 7 Billiards (954) 239-8254 Ultimate Billiards (772) 464-7665 150 n Out Billiards (704) 660-5363 Rack Attack Billiard Cafe (419) 732-7225 Scooters on Main St (270) 230-1879 Guppies (616) 396-1071 The Break Room (616) 454-0899 The Break Room (616) 454-0899 Brickyard (269) 968-0692 Brickyard (269) 968-0692 8 Ball Sports Bar (614) 436-2948 Fiddlestix (330) 498-8422 Scotty’s (614) 755-9407 150 n Out Billiards (704) 660-5363 Rack (601) 372-6576 Rack (601) 372-6576 Chicks Billiards (407) 275-6064 Pepperbottoms (586) 419-4144 Play Time (269) 323-2295 Snookers (734) 422-9510 Phat Guy Birds (812) 346-0870 8 Ball Sports Bar (614) 436-2948 Airway (937) 274-1230 Cushions (614) 882-5986 Michael’s (513) 860-0044 Sundown (419) 564-4538 Whiskey Barrel (937) 829-7948
EVENT / RULES ENTRY ADDED 9-Ball Call 8 Ball $15 8 Ball $5 9 Ball $20 $100 w/32 Open 9 Ball $10/$20 Call Open 9 Ball $5 Call 9 Ball $10 Call Open 9 Ball $8 Call Open 9-Ball $30 Calcutta 8-Ball $12 8 Ball $5 Call Open 9 Ball-Ladies play free $10 Call 9-Ball Handicap $10 8 Ball $6 8 Ball $10 Call 8 Ball $13 Call 8 Ball $10 Call 8 Ball $10 Call 8 Ball $8 200% payout 9-Ball Handicap-SE $15 (incl g.f.) Call 9-Ball Handicap-Round Robin $15 $$$ 9-Ball $Call 9 Ball $5 Call 8 Ball $5 Call 9 Ball $20 $100 w/32 Open 9 Ball $5 Call Open 9 Ball $10 Call 8 Ball $7 100% payout 3 Cushion $15 Call 9 Ball $15 $200 8 Ball $10 8 Ball $10 9 Ball $5 Call 8 Ball $5 Call 8 Ball - Race to 1 $10 Call 8 Ball $15 Call 8 Ball $8 Call 8-Ball-Race to 2-DE $5 Match w/20+ 9-Ball Open-Handicap $7-$12 $3/player 8-Ball Race to 2-DE $5 $$$ 9 Ball $10 8 Ball 8 Ball $15 9 Ball $5 Call 8 Ball $5 Call 8 Ball $20 Call 9 Ball $20 Call 8 Ball $8 5 Chip Elim. 8 Ball $7 Call 8 Ball Call 200% payout 10-Ball Handicap-Race to 5 $15 $$$ 9 Ball $10 9 Ball $10 Mixed 8 Ball & 9 Ball $7 8 Ball $10 Call 9 Ball $15 Call 8 Ball - bank the 8 $10 Call 8 Ball Call Call 8 Ball $5 $$$ Alt 8 & 9 Ball Call Call 9 Ball $10 Call 8 Ball $6 Call 8 Ball $7 1/3 pot 8 Ball $10 $3/player
TIME Call 7PM 7PM 7PM 8PM 7PM 8PM 7:30PM 7PM 7PM 8PM 8PM 8PM 7:30PM 7PM 7PM 8PM 7PM 7PM 7PM 7PM Call 8PM 7:30PM 7PM 7:30PM 7PM 7PM 7PM 5PM 8PM 8PM 7PM 7PM 7:30PM Call 8PM 8PM 11:30AM 7:30PM 8PM 7PM 6PM 6PM 6PM 1PM 7PM 7:30PM 7PM 3PM 2PM 6PM 8:30PM 2PM 6:30PM 4PM 2PM 7:30PM 7PM 7PM 8PM 8PM 5:30PM 2PM
Call to see how to list your weekly pool tournaments 406.285.3099
www.StrokeMagazine.net
January 2013 - Stroke Magazine 33
Call First - All Tournaments are subject to change without notice
Click on the MAP link online to get directions to each location DATE Jan 5
CITY Williamsville, NY
LOCATION Bison Billiards
PHONE (716) 632-0281
EVENT / RULES 8-Ball Bar Box
ENTRY ADDED $35 (incl g.f.) $250 Guar
TIME Noon
LINK MAP
Jan 11
Fargo, ND
Fargo Billiards
(701) 282-4168
9-Ball
$40
$500
6PM
MAP
Jan 12-13
Fargo, ND
Fargo Billiards
(701) 282-4168
Midwinter Shootout 8 Ball
$60
$2,500
9:30AM
Jan 11
Fairfield, OH
Michael’s Billiards
(513) 860-0044
Bank Ring Game-Limit 7
$300
Call
Jan 12-13
Fairfield, OH
Michael’s Billiards
(513) 860-0044
Old Style Bank
$60
Call
Jan 19
Hartsville, SC
Pool Time
(843)383-0884
9-Ball Sc Dbles
$20
Call
5:30PM
Jan 19-20
Williamsville, NY
Bison Billiards
(716) 632-0281
NE 9-Ball
$60-A/$40-B
$1,000 Guar
11AM
Jan 20
Williamsville, NY
Bison Billiards
(716) 632-0281
2nd Chance - Players out
$20
$250 Guar
Ask
Jan 25-Feb 2
Elizabeth, IN
Derby City Classic
(812) 288-7665
9-Ball Banks (buy back option) $110
$10,000 Guar
Noon
MAP
Jan 27-Feb 2
Elizabeth, IN
Derby City Classic
(812) 288-7665
One Pocket (buy back option)
$135
$15,000 Guar
Noon
MAP
Jan 27-Feb 2
Elizabeth, IN
Derby City Classic
(310) 370-3994
Straight Pool Challenge
$100
$6,000 Guar
9:00AM
Jan 29-Feb 2
Elizabeth, IN
Derby City Classic
(812) 288-7665
10-Ball Challenge
Call
$10,000
Call
Jan 30-Feb 2
Elizabeth, IN
Derby City Classic
(812) 288-7665
9-Ball (buy back option)
$160
$25,000 Guar
Noon
Feb 2
Williamsville, NY
Bison Billiards
(716) 632-0281
8-Ball Bar Box
$35 (incl g.f.) $250 Guar
Noon
MAP
Feb 23-24
Bellflower, CA
CSI
(702) 719-7665
Jay Swanson 9-Ball (Max 192) $80/$85
$3,000 Min
Call
MAP
Feb 25-Mar 3
Reno, NV
CSI
(702) 719-7665
10-Ball Bar Table-Open Div
Call
$5,500
Call
MAP
Feb 25-Mar 3
Reno, NV
CSI
(702) 719-7665
10-Ball Bar Table-Wmns Div
Call
$1,000 w/16+
Call
Feb 25-Mar 3
Reno, NV
CSI
(702) 719-7665
9-Ball Bar Table-Open Div
Call
$5,500
Call
Feb 25-Mar 3
Reno, NV
CSI
(702) 719-7665
9-Ball Bar Table-Wmns Div
Call
$1,000 w/16+
Call
Feb 25-Mar 3
Reno, NV
CSI
(702) 719-7665
8-Ball Bar Table-Open Div
Call
$5,500
Call
Feb 25-Mar 3
Reno, NV
CSI
(702) 719-7665
8-Ball Bar Table-Wmns Div
Call
$1,000 w/16+
Call
Mar 14-17
Wheeling, WV
Corner Pocket Billiards
(304) 280-8688-Jay
Eastern Reg BCAPL 8/9 Men
$45 ea
$10,000 Guar
9AM
Mar 14-17
Wheeling, WV
Corner Pocket Billiards
(304) 280-8688-Jay
Eastern Reg BCAPL 8/9 Wmn
$35 ea
Payout
9AM
Mar 14-17
Wheeling, WV
Corner Pocket Billiards
(304) 280-8688-Jay
Eastern Reg BCAPL Men Team
$275
9AM
Mar 14-17
Wheeling, WV
Corner Pocket Billiards
(304) 280-8688-Jay
Eastern Reg BCAPL Wmn Team
$200
9AM
$500 w/32
TM
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BCAPL Results
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APA National Singles
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Lucky’s Vegas Vacation
Southern Classic Complete Results
VNEA Vegas Team Results
BEF Junior Nationals
Allison Fisher Back-2-Back WPBA U.S. Open
Tiger Bay Area Amateur
Justin Hall
MASTER OF THE TABLE Tunica Southern Classic
Kelly Fisher World 9-Ball Champion
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