the break october issue 2011

T H E P O O L P L A Y E R S B E S T S O U R C E O F I N F O R M A T I O N

BCAPL BIG MOVES COMING IN 2013WHERE AND WHEN

TAR 21THE LION VS. SVB

THE REMATCH

2 The Break - July 2011

The Break is a monthly publication, dedicated to the advancement of the sport of pool and to promoting enthusiasm and encouragement among the players at all levels, regardless of their league affiliation, in addition to recognizing those businesses who support them all. The opinions expressed

are those of the author or advertiser and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Break 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. © 2011 The Break

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www.TheBreakMagazine.com October 2011 - The Break 3

T H E P O O L P L A Y E R S B E S T S O U R C E O F I N F O R M A T I O N

BCAPLBIG MOVES COMING IN 2013

WHERE AND WHEN

TAR 21

THE LION VS. SVBTHE REMATCH

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4 Dave Piona Memorial

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Results

4 The Break - October 2011 www.TheBreakMagazine.com

The Diablo Valley Pool league hosted the 5th Annual Dave Piona Memorial tournament last Saturday September 27, 2011. Sign ups started promptly at 10:30 am and tournament started around 11:45am once Christina Piona and daughter Star had arrived. This was another successful event and it drew total of 51 players, including 14 women from all over the area. We were very fortunate to have names such as George Michaels and Chris McDonald who had actually won one of the previous memorial tournaments held at Vinnies Bar. Friends and players came from Sacramento, Vacaville, Fairfield, Daly City, Livermore, as well as all over Contra Costa County. Aswe all know Dave Piona was not only a personal friend to us but he was also instrumental on the development of our pool clinics and teaching the basics of the game to our new and upcoming players. His friendly disposition and great demeanor will always be remembered. He enjoyed the competition of the Friday night tournament which has been held at Vinnies bar for the last 8 years. It was a place to eat, listen to music and play competitive pool. He had his corner where he always sat and studied the players giving positive and constructive feed back to all.Christina Piona, brought a cd with Dave’s photos his daughter Star had put together for Dave’s memorial. We also had created a favorite play list with all Dave’s favorite tunes such as Eric Clapton, Eagles, James Brown and the Dobbie Brothers. She thanked all for keeping Dave’s memory alive and in a kind gesture proceeded to raise donations for Jeff Gregory’s medical expenses from his recent heart surgery. Christina and the Vinnie’s patrons were able to raise just over $500. Uncle Randy Piona also showed up to salute friends and family.Diablo Valley Pool Leagues and Christina Piona joined efforts and made the pot juicy adding a total of $500 to the pot. Let us also take this opportunity to thank Parker the owner of Vinnie’s Bar and manager Jeanne for offering a delicious barbecue and allowing us to host the event at their house again.

We played a double elimination tournament with a race to two only on the winner side and one game on the one loss side. Tournament was run efficiently with 3 bar tables. By 9:00pm we already had our event champion.Congratulations to Jason Williams who had to shoot lights out this day, to win the event due to the excellent caliber of players participating. He had won the memorial tournament #3. He won his matches against Alex Almendral, last years winner, Bart, Bonnie, Johnny, Paul McCaffrey to finally face Paul Bramwell for the hot seat.Paul in the mean time moved through the other side of the winner bracket winning against Mike Sano, Hunter, Mez, Chris Mcdonals, George Michaels and finally meeting Jason Williams to play for the hot seat.For Top woman ($50) Bonnie Bowman participant of the Tiger West Coast Women’s Tour and Canadian player took top honors amongst 14 women.

1st $450 Jason Williams2nd $250 Vincent Paul Bramwell3rd $175 George Micheals4th $125 Chris MacDonald5th/6th $100 Martin Sherzai, Paul McCaffrey7th/8th $75 George Williams, Bee Davinson9th/12th $25 Deo Alpajora, Micheal Suhr, Johnny Argaivdar, Chris AtkinsAgain thanks to all for taking the time to celebrate with the Piona family and friends.

5th Memorial Dave Piona TournamentMICHAELS AND MCDONALD AMONG PLAYERS

1st Jason Williams & 2nd Vincent Paul Bramwell

3rd George Michaels


BIGGER and BETTER at 2nd BCAPL Southwest Regional Championship

FOUR HUNDRED ENTRIES FROM 11 STATES COMPETED FOR $18,550 PRIZE FUNDPHOTOS COURTESY OF KEVIN TANK ARCO

Stingers Venom Mitch Ellerman

Chad BarberJerry Stuckart

The Babes

Susan Williams Sara MillerSonia FloresSophia Morquecho

our hundred entries from 11 states competed September 1-4 at the Radisson

Fort McDowell Resort in Scottsdale, Arizona in the BCAPL Southwest Regional Championships. With an $18,550 prize fund, the event was played on Diamond 7’ Smart Tables provided by Bad Boy’s Billiard Productions and produced by CueSports International, the parent company of the BCA Pool League. The tournament had seven divisions: Scotch Doubles, Women’s Open Singles, Men’s Advanced / Master Singles, Men’s Open Singles, Men’s / Mixed Open Teams and Women’s Open Teams. While the event is open to all BCA Pool League and USA Pool League members, a special Arizona rating 6 and Under Singles division was also included.Starting Thursday, 32 teams played in the single elimination Scotch Doubles event. Arizona husband and wife team, Mike and Susan Williams took home $500 for first place. Thursday evening was a special BCAPL swimming pool party in celebration of Labor Day Weekend. Players relaxed pool side with their friends, family and team mates under the warm Arizona summer night. Friday morning the four singles divisions revved up. The Men’s Open Singles (which also included any women master level players) had

71 entrants. In the finals were Benjamin Sutherland from Phoenix and Shaun Murphy from Ramona, California. Sutherland was the hot seat recipient after winning 7 consecutive matches including three hill-hill. However, Sutherland could not take out Murphy. After initially being tossed into the one loss side by North Dakotan Brian Erickson, Murphy rallied back winning 6 more matches before double dipped Sutherland 5-1 and 5-3. The Men’s Advanced / Master Singles division had 10 players including top area players such as: Tres “Big Daddy” Kane, Carlos Avalos, Nick DeLeon and Pete Lhotka. A force on the AZ Desert Classic Tour, Lhotka defeated John Smith 6-5, Kane 6-2, Jeff Hagen 6-3 and Provencio in the finals 6-3 to take home the tidy sum of $500 for his 4 match win. This year the Women’s Open Singles field (which included Women Advanced players spotting a game) grew 38% from 23 players in 2010 to 37

this year. Sara “Millie” Miller, ranked 3rd on the Arizona Women’s Billiard Tour (AWBT), cruised into the hot seat taking out Nancy Kennedy 5-0, Lori Kinny 5-2, Bianca Lindahl 5-2, Vilene Stutesman 5-2 and Sue Orr 5-2. Eager for a rematch, Orr dominated Miller in the finals from the beginning, winning set one 4-2, then

(continued on page 38)

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It’s a place most shooters would like to experience first hand but often settle with someone else telling them what is like: what a world champion thinks about when he’s at the table during a match.

Nick Varner wowed spectators with trick shots and played challenge matches in a clinic and exhibition at Black Diamond Billiards and Eatery in Spokane, Wash., as part of the Legends and Champions Pool Tour on Sept. 21 and 22.

Aside light-hearted anecdotes about playing pool, Varner took questions while explaining what he sees on a table when he shoots. Audience members got tips and advice on analyzing a table for trouble balls and taking the right shots to break them out to where they are playable. He also provided pointers on fundamentals like stroke, concentration, knowing where the cue ball is going to hit and properly aligning on a shot.

“We all know where the contact point is on every shot,” Varner said after the exhibition. “Trying to get lined up on that (contact point) and then hit the cue ball good enough to go there, that’s a tough act.”Varner is a tough act of his own. Born in Grandview, Ind., and raised in Kentucky, he started playing quite young and as a teen was regarded as a top local player. He got serious about playing pool again in 1969 while attending Purdue University. Shortly afterward he started

getting national accolades.

Since then he has won 80 major titles, been a world champion eight times, has been a world champion in five different pool games, competed in the Mosconi Cup eight times, won back-to-back championships in the U.S. Open, was voted Billiards Digest Player of the Year five times and was inducted into Billiards Congress of America's Hall of Fame in 1992.

In Spokane, Varner’s exhibition finished with a challenge match that started two days before. Joe Gilliland of Post Falls, Idaho, beat a pool of local shooters in a Sept. 19 tournament to be eligible to play a race-to-five set against Varner. Al Primm, who lost in the opening round of the race-to-three tournament, came all the way back through the one-loss bracket to beat Gilliland once. In the rubber match, Gilliland capitalized on a crucial Primm miss to win the tournament, 3-2.

Against the eight-time world champion, Gilliland had his work cut out for him. Varner broke and ran two tables and was into his third before Gilliland ever took a shot. Varner scratched on the 8-ball to give Gilliland an easy out. It would also be the only out he would get as the soft-shooting Varner effortlessly won 5-1.

Varner makes pool look easier than it is. The smooth confidence he has comes from years of experience, not only on the table, but above it. In the clinic that he teaches,

Varner said the mental aspect is as important as mechanics. He said too many players think too much about missed shots and poor performance. He said players need to concentrate on the next shot, not the last one.

“Your attitude is real important,” Varner said. “If you show your temper or frustration, it’s kind of a sign of weakness.”

Alicia Kvasncka, of Spokane Valley, Wash., gambles Nick Varner's shooting ability against her dental coverage by volunteering as a prop during a trick shot exhibition at Black Diamond Billiards on Sept. 21

Inside the mind of a WORLD CHAMPIONA PLACE MOST SHOOTERS WOULD LIKE TO EXPERIENCE FIRST HAND

ARTICLE AND PHOTO BY DAVID TELLER

Mondays 8 Ball at 7:00pmVNEA & Weaver Cnty Leagues

DEC 3RD: 9-Ball Scotch Doubles Blind Draw

JAN: Women’s 8-Ball

2430 Grant Ave - Ogden, UT801-394-8400

Results


BY: ANDREA SAENZ-MAES Photo courtesy of Shari Ross

TACOMA, WASixty players participated in Malarkey's 1st annual 10 Ball summer scorcher and boy, it was certainly a scorcher!!!! It was HOT, HOT, HOT. And I’m not talking about just the skill of the players :) It was Marc Vidal who won the A side point with wins over Doug Enera,Nick Kruger, Lance Mason,Eddie Carrido, & Rich Geiler.

Rafael Martinez lost early on the A side to Stan Tourangeau. He didnt disappoint, grinding thu the Marc Vidal, Rafael Martinez, Rich Geiler

MalaRkeys 10 Ball suMMeR scoRcheR

B side with wins over Paul Potier,Don Wirtaman,Eddie Carrido,Stan Tourangeau, & Rich Geiler to meet up with Marc in the finals!!!

It was definately a tough battle for both players, but in the end it was Marc who ended up in the winners circle, the final score 7-4.

Thanks to everyone who played &supported the tournament. Looking forward to the next 2012 summer scorcher.

Hope to see everyone at our next big tournament, Malarkeys Thanksgiving 9 Ball Open!!!!, Nov. 25th - 27th.

1st $840.00 Marc Vidal2nd $580.00 Rafael Martinez3rd $400.00 Rich Geiler4th $300.00 Stan Tourangeau5/6 $155.00 Glenn Atwell, Eddie Carrido7/8 $120.00 Lance Mason, Don Wirtaman9-12 $80.00 Pat Vise, Jerry Johnson Paul Potier, Miguel Morfin13-16 $50.00 Troy Payne, Luke Thomas Randy Baker, Nick Kruger

Vidal Takes The 1sT annual


Winners of the 8 ball scotch doubles blind draw played Aug 27th at D&R.1st place - Left to right Don Beuch & John Bemis (top)2nd place - Left to right Ron Stuart & Lyle Tripp (lower)

We are having Qualifiers every Tuesday starting Sept 27th thru Oct 25th,for the Rick John Memorial Tournament November 11th - 13th, 2011

Held at D&R on Sept 17th, thanks to Dan Oneil, D&R holds the Bar Daddy Traveling Trophy for the 3rd month in a row.Lyle Tripp in July, Robert Randall in Aug. This tournament is played every 3rd saturday of the month in Rotation of 4 local Clubs.

Up coming events - D&R is planning on Dec 3rd to hold a 9 ball Scotch Doubles Blind Draw & Jan 7th or 14th a Womens 8 ball Tournament.

8 BALL SCOTCH DOUBLES BLIND DRAW

RESULT

S


Even the best players are not immune to a bungled play getting inside their heads and wreaking havoc with their game. Rafael Martinez demonstrated how a veteran road player overcomes a bad loss. He sat and watched stoically while taking a 9-1 pummeling from Edwin Montal of Calgary, Alberta, that lasted only 29 minutes during the championship match of the open 9-ball tournament in Spokane, Wash. The loss was Martinez’s first in the double elimination contest, but he was far from being beaten.

The Labor Day event brought 74 of the best shooters from the northwestern U.S. and western Canada to Black Diamond Billiards and Eatery for the largest tournament in Spokane, Wash. in the last eight years with arguably the most competitive field in over a decade. Previous tournament winner from last May, Dan Louie, noticed the elevated level of competition in the Labor Day Tournament.

“This one’s definitely tougher,” Louie said. “There’s a lot of good players here.”

In the match for the driver’s seat, Martinez went stride-for-stride with Stan Tourangeau of Vancouver, British Columbia, starting out 1-1. Tourangeau then took a 4-1 lead. The Mexico-born Martinez got his high-octane game on track and quickly tied it up at 4-4. The two continued going toe-to-toe, tying it up again at 5-5 and again at 6-6. Martinez turned up the offense even more and won 9-6 with six of his matches decided by run out.

Philippines-born Montal coasted through the first three rounds of the tournament 9-3, 9-4, 9-2 and rode a hot streak into his

match with Paul Potier, who is making his return to pool after a four-year hiatus. Potier, a two-time Canadian Player of the Year, deposited Montal in the loser’s bracket with a convincing 9-3 win in the fourth round.

In the one-loss bracket, Montal ran over Matt Wood 9-2 before stumbling again and getting in a 7-1 hole against seven-time tournament winner Brady Golan. That’s when Montal found his stroke and commanded the table to rally back and win, 9-7, giving Golan a seventh place finish. The hot streak continued as Montal blistered Eddie Mataya 9-1, then avenged his earlier loss against the one who put him in the loser’s bracket, Potier, beating him 9-3.

Montal’s next match was against Tourangeau, who was freshly removed from the winner’s bracket. With the score tied at 2 a piece, Tourangeau tried a 2-9 combo but missed wide; not even moving the 9 ball. Montal ran that table out and capitalized on a couple of crucial shots Tourangeau missed, taking a 6-3 edge and feeding momentum to his streak, eventually eliminating Tourangeau, 9-6.

Back in the rubber match for tournament finale, Martinez and Montal see-sawed with break and runs until Martinez had a 4-3 advantage. Montal scratched and Martinez showed how he makes a living on the road with six thunderous run outs. Montal interceded the route by wrestling one match away from Martinez only to get a visit from the scratch bug. Martinez continued the onslaught as he lunged to a 9-5 win for the championship.

In other key match ups, Louie lost in an

almost 4-hour long heart stopper to Eddie Mataya. Louie uncharacteristically missed numerous shots and botched safeties to fall behind 6-1. Louie worked out the jitters and mounted a comeback, but fell short, 9-8.

Later in the tournament, after eliminating Louie 9-1, Seattle resident Mark Vidal would eventually go up against Potier. Vidal jumped out to a quick 5-1 lead but experience, patience and discipline prevailed as Potier crept back in to win 9-8 and advance to the tenth round.

A couple of shooters from the Northwest Women’s Pool Association also got a workout in the tournament, though none of them advanced far enough to win any prize money. 2009 NWPA tour winner, Cindy Sliva, won $75 as the top female player, but was eliminated one round short of any tournament payout.

1st $1800 Rafael Martinez2nd $1200 Edwin Montal3rd $800 Stan Tourangeau4th $500 Paul Potier5th-6th $350 Mark Vidal, Eddie Mataya7th-8th $250 Brady Golan, Lance Sapp9th-12th $150 Joe Gilliland, Jasoné Defillipis, Dan Louie, Matt Wood13th-16th $75 Ryan Parke, Greg Garcia, Al Primm, Scott Brasher

laBoR Day touRnaMent BRings Big naMes

PHOTOS & ARTICLE BY: DAVID TELLER

FOR MOST 9-BALLERS, THE MENTAL ASPECT OF THE GAME IS THE TOUGHEST

Veteran road player Rafael Martinez made a stop in Spokane, Wash., and won the open 9-ball

tournament held Labor Day weekend and hosted by Black Diamond Billiards and Eatery.

A pensive Stan Tourangeau studies the table after the break during his match against Rafael Martinez,

who won 9-6.

Edwin Montal takes aim in an early match during the open 9-ball tournament held Labor

Day weekend in Spokane, Wash.


C O L U M N I S T

BY: BOB JEWETTSan Francisco Billiard Academywww.sfbilliards.com

Bob Jewett

San Francisco Billiard Academy is a BCA Certified Master Academy.The academy offers:Private InstructionBasics ClinicEight Ball ClinicNine Ball ClinicIntroduction to Billiard InstructionBCA Recognized Instructor CourseBCA Certified Instructor Course

Fancy anD FinesseHere are two draw shots suitable for propositions or demonstrations. The goal in each is to make the 9 ball with draw.In Shot 1, the goal is to draw from the 2 to the 9 while going around the 3 ball and not touching the rail at A. It requires good power but nothing of a championship level. Like a lot of “fancy” shots, it helps to set up the shot exactly the same way each time if you want to make it in less than 100 tries.Place both the 2 ball and the cue ball exactly one ball off the cushion, using an extra ball as the gauge. Each ball is on the half-diamond as far as placement along the short rail. This placement doesn’t need to be accurate down to a millimeter, but it should be consistent.The main thing to learn from this shot is how to adjust it if the first tries do not succeed. If you run into the cushion at A, you need to hit the 2 ball fuller. Since the ball is so close to the pocket, you have a fair amount of margin on aiming. If you pass to side B of the 3 ball, you need to either shoot harder or thinner on the 2. If you get past the 3 without hitting the cushion but the cue ball misses the

shot along line C, you need to have more draw on the cue ball. Finally, if you get around the obstacle OK but you miss along path D, you need to take a little draw off the cue ball.Shot 1 may be nearly impossible on old, sticky cloth. If you think that could be a problem or if you just want to see some amazing cue ball action, rub the cue ball with silicone spray, such as ArmorAll. That will delay when the draw takes and you will get much more dramatic curves.In Shot 2, finesse is needed rather than power. It gives even very good players trouble unless they have tried to play it before. The mistake most players make is to hit the one ball too thinly or too hard so that the cue ball hits the cushion before it has time for the draw to take and curve back towards the 9.The technique needed is “dead draw” which is standard in carom billiards. Hit the 1 ball nearly full with just a little draw and quite firmly. Since you are taking draw off the ball, you need to compensate by hitting the cue ball harder than you normally would for that distance of draw.Once you have the technique down reasonably well, modify

the position by moving the cue ball farther from the rail. How far out can you move it and still make the shot?


C O L U M N I S T

Tim Miller

How do you Stand on this matter?BY THE MONK

You can go to my web site and read over seventy important instructional articles at no cost to you. www.monkbilliardacademy.net has video clips to show you how to hit the shots.

My special three-day workshop is limited to four students. I do not allow my students to get lost in a large class. I am here to help you at a reasonable price. It is about skill development.

May all the rolls go your way,

The Monk

www.monkbilliardacademy.net

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SEE THE SHOT - KNOW THE STROKE - SHOOT THE SHOT

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In my books I do not go into detail on the stance, grip and stroke. The reason for this is we are different sizes and shapes, with specific ways of seeing things therefore we showcase a wide variety of stances. So there is no one pure stance that fits all. However, I do have some guidelines that I think will help in building that solid foundation from which to perform the shots and strokes this game calls for. If you do not have a strong balanced platform you will not be able to deliver the stroke necessary for success with this game.The spot where you stand has a big influence on what you see. In other words, if you are standing one quarter inch out of line, your vision on the shot will be distorted. We are still able to make balls as the pockets are wide enough to cover some of our mistakes but we find ourselves at odds with what we see and our ability to execute a one hundred per cent stroke is diluted. Find the right place to stand.THE TRADITIONAL POOL STANCEFeet will be shoulder width apart. Do not spread your legs to the point where you are not balanced. Correct foot placement is crucial to proper execution in sports like tennis, golf or bowling and pool.No matter how good you are at hitting the ball, if you are not correctly aligned with the shot, the ball will not go where you intend. This means that your feet alignment can affect your accuracy when playing the shot!You absolutely must get the center of your back foot in line with the path you wish to send the cue ball on. That means look at the object ball and then look down and make sure that center of your right foot is in a direct line

with the shot.I like to draw a line from my target to the

center of my right inner thigh. When I am happy this line connects, I stamp my foot as if to lodge it into the floor, and then and then only, I fall down into my stance. This stamping of my foot is a key that tells my brain that all is well. Some players flip their hair or touch their cap or just rub their nose. We all have these comfort keys that all is well

and we should learn how to use them.Your left knee should be slightly bent, and depending on your height, you may choose to slightly bend the right leg as well. Shift the majority of your weight to

the front leg. Depending on your body type, the positioning of the front foot can vary dramatically.Use this illustration to help you develop a solid stance. The platform from which we deliver the stroke is vital to success. The quality of our performance is found in how solid our stance is.Once I land on the cue ball I then extend my buttocks away from me. With the weight on my left foot and very little pressure on my left arm, I am able to see the shot and shoot the shot as it calls for.“See the shot-know the stroke-shoot the shot.”If for some reason you line up and you are not happy with what you see, stand up and go through your Pre Shot Routine again. Do this until you are satisfied with your stance and alignment. In other words, don’t shoot until you are ready. The reason we are not ready to shoot is we are not standing in line with what we see. Some of us try to wobble a bit and get in line. We get in line, but we are not balanced and thus cannot deliver a good stroke. A poorly delivered stroke gives us negative results.Precise body and cue alignment are some of the most important parts that must be in place before shooting. Accurate foot alignment forms the basis for a pure and straight stroke and thus the fundamentals for a good game!The master is one who is in line with the shot each and every time he goes down on the cue ball. If you are in line, you will not have inner game chatter going on in your head. This is why you need to work on your fundamentals day after day until you have them mastered. Go through the Lesson book, work on each shot with great attention to your Pre Shot Routine and your timing. Do not do anything unless you are in line with the shot and ready to deliver a committed stroke. You are in control of your results. Be particular and win more games.

Results www.TheBreakMagazine.com October 2011 - The Break 13

2011 World Junior Billiard Champions

CROWNEDCHAMPIONS TRAVELED TO POLAND FROM 21 COUNTRIES TO COMPETE FOR THE WORLD TITLES

The 2011 World Pool-Billiard Association (WPA) World Junior 9-Ball Championship was held in Kielce, Poland on August 31 – September 4, 2011. Junior billiard champions 18 years old and younger traveled to Poland from 21 countries to compete for the world titles in both boys’ and girls’ divisions. Europe reigned, with Oliwia Czupryńska and Marek Kudlik of Poland winning the gold.

In the 32 player boys division, Kudlik advanced to the final 8 single elimination bracket by winning a couple of hill-hill matches and continued the narrow victories with wins over David Maslov of Russia, 11-9 and Marc Bijsterbosch of Netherlands, 11-10 before facing fellow teammate Konrad Piekarski in the finals. Both players proved that they could handle the pressure of close matches, both winning most of their matches by no more than 2 games, the same excitement carried through the finals. Kudlik bested Piekarski in a thrilling 11-9 match to win the world title.

In the 16 player girls’ division, Czupryńska began her trek with a 9-6 win over the United States champion, Briana Miller. Czupryńska lost her next match to Darya Sirotina of Russia 7-9, then steadily won her next four matches before battling with Anastacia Nechaeva of Russia for the crown. Czupryńska claimed the world title by winning the final set 9-7.

Among the players that represented North America in the boys’ division were: Danny Olson, finishing tied for thirteenth place; Brendan Crockett, finishing tied for thirteenth; Tyler Styer, finishing tied for seventeenth; Shawn Begay, finishing tied for twenty-fifth; and from Ontario Canada were Jeff Robson, finishing tied for seventeenth and Cheng Peng, finishing tied for twenty-fifth place .

Players that represented North America in the girls’ division were: Briana Miller, finishing tied for fifth; Taylor Reynolds, finishing tied for thirteenth; and Kayla Roloson, finishing tied for ninth place.

The fans, families and players enjoyed a first class event produced by Marcin Krzeminski, honorary president of the Polish Billiard Association and president of Mak Marketing, along with the European Pocket Billiard Association (EPBF). It is apparent that junior billiards is taken seriously in Poland. Since 1997, junior billiard programs have been incorporated in 150 schools. Over 250 teachers have been trained in the sport, with nearly 10,000 students participating in the program.

For more information about this event, visit:http://wpa-pool.com/web/home and http://www.makmarketing.pl/worldchampionships2011/2011 WPA World Junior 9-Ball Championships Medalists

NORTH AMERICAN PLAYERS2011 CHAMPIONS

BOYS’ DIVISION:Ist - Gold Medalist - Marek Kudlik (POL)2nd - Silver Medalist - Konrad Piekarski (POL)3rd/4th-Bronze Medalists- Marc Bijsterbosch (NED) Bence Varga (HUN)

GIRLS’ DIVISION:1st - Gold Medalist - Oliwia Czupryńska (POL)2nd - Silver Medalist - Anastacia Nechaeva (RUS)3rd/4th -Bronze Medalists-Kamila Kodjeva (BEL) Darya Sirotina (RUS)

2011 WORLD JUNIOR BILLIARD CHAMPIONS


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Behind The Rock Tour had two locations playing simultaneously on Saturday, August 27. Black Diamond Billiards in Spokane and the Tacoma/Seattle area playing at Stixx & Stones Billiards in Bremerton WA. Stixx and Stones went all out for us and what a treat it was. The food was great (ever had deep fried Oreos?), the room was neat and clean, tables in super condition, and we had air conditioning on the 82-degree day. What a great venue. Thank you, Stixx & Stones Bremerton Washington for having us!The tournament began with all players playing simultaneously from their local pool room. Players played two matches for the First Round. Once completed, they uploaded the match scores and stats to the website and we calculated winners; each player’s best score determined their position. The top 75% of the players moved to the Sudden Death Round where just one match determined which players moved into the Final Round. Only the top third of the total players got to go for the prize money in the Final Round. The Final Round

consisted of two matches, the players’ best match determined the final tournament results. The first round was very exciting with two tour

records set and one tied. We had five players shoot a personal best: Ren Hone (53), Alicia Kvasnicka (34), Elaine Eberly (32), Brian Dietzenbach (80), and Pete Gonzales. The latter, out of Malarkey’s, came into the tournament with an average of 35.10; basically a low “B” player. But in his first game of the first round, Gonzales went absolutely unconscious and shot a 106 scratch score; over 3 times his average! That’s unheard of for player of his caliber. A score that high is well into semi-pro speed. This set the tour record for the highest score over a player’s average which is now set at 70.90 points. The second record, also set by Gonzales’ phenomenal match, was the highest handicap score of 213.01 which means his scratch score combined with his handicap gave him a total score of 213.01 from any handicap division. If you’ve never played 211 before, believe me when I say this performance was incredible. I think these records will stand for some time to come. Pete had us all mesmerized for his last couple games as we stopped our matches to watch in astonishment. It was dead quiet for his last game, ultimately a snap game. After Gonzales missed his last ball of the match he was congratulated by his

opponents with pure joy for him. Pete’s his eyes glowed with happiness and had an ear-to-ear grin. I don’t think he could believe it himself. Gonzales went on to play above his average for the entire tournament eventually winning the Open Division. That’s getting in the zone and staying there. It just goes to show you anything is possible if you trust yourself and let your unconscious drive the bus. All I can say is, you should have been there to see it. Incredible. Spokane players also got some great games rolling. The terrific

First Round scores from Ren Hone and Alicia Kvasnicka moved them to the Sudden Death Round where they

continued to do well and they both ended up in the Final Round and eventually in the money. Brian Dietzenbach from Malarkey’s shot a personal best of 80 points which put him at 48 points over his average and he also tied a tour record for 3 consecutive snap games (which is defined by making a ball on the break and running out). Dietzenbach also shot solid all day which landed him in the finals and the money. Other great performances were Larry Francisco shooting solid over his average for the entire tournament which put him in the finals as well. John Cook and Elaine Eberly also shot at or above their average in all their matches which moved them to the finals and gave John 1st place and Elaine 2nd place for the Intermediate division.

The tour is catching flight with 5 new rooms coming on board this month and other rooms gearing up.

www.BehindTheRockTour.com Pool Rooms and players can call 253-226-3594. If you’re interested in being an Event Coordinator from your local pool room contact us. [email protected]

“Open Division Winners” Back Brian Dietzenbach 2nd, Pete Gonzales 1st, Larry Francisco 3rd. Intermediate division winners: front John Cook 1st and Elaine Eberly 2nd.

BehinD the Rock touR 2nD tRi-annual eventTHE PAYOUT WAS GREAT AND THE PLAY WAS UNBELIEVABLE!

ResultsOPEN DIVISION - The payout for the Open division paid 45% of the field. 1st Pete Gonzales $400.002nd Brian Dietzenbach $240.003rd Larry Francisco $160.004th Ren Hone $35.00

INTERMEDIATE DIVISION - The intermediate division paid 50% of the field.1st John Cook $178.002nd Elaine Eberly $113.003rd Alicia Kvasnicka $35.00

Total Tournament Payout: $1161.00

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Ask the Viper BY: 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 house-pro 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

Melissa Little

Question:

Answer:

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If the score was tied 8-8 going to nine and you left yourself a tough long 9-ball, is there any mental preparations that you would do in order make that ball to win the match?

Great question

At this point in the match you really need to get back to the basics of just making the ball. Your pre-shot routine will be tested. I try and simplify the shot rather than building pressure mentally on making the ball. Go into the shot with a positive attitude… players need to learn to be kind to themselves with encouragement!

It’s just another shot

There is no bigger reward then knowing that you applied your mental game to a demanding shot that called for it. Have faith in your abilities… Best of luck to you, Viper ☺

Good Luckthis Year

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Samm Diep, “Cherry Bomb” (DenverCherryBomb.com)

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Player Representative for Chris Byrne Custom Cues, PoolDawg, Predator, Jim Murnak Custom Cases, & Delta-13 Rack

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Samm Diep

Half Measures Avail Us NothingBY SAMM DIEP © OCTOBER 2011

C O L U M N I S T

“Half measures avail us nothing.” The origin of this quote is unknown to me but what I do know is that it couldn’t be truer. I can recall numerous instances in my life where my indecisiveness led to my inability to give 100%. As a result, this would always lead to failure, or at least not the successful outcome I desired.

I was first introduced to this passage in 2004 by a former coach and mentor. He would repeat it over and over when he could see that I wasn’t fully committed to the shot or a decision. I never fully appreciated what he was saying to me until lately. In a recent professional turn in my life, I’ve found myself in a position where I have too many roles. Between managing, marketing, writing, teaching, reporting, and just simply trying to be a good wife, I was doing the best that I could but for the first time in years, I revisited the words of my former coach, “Half measures avail us nothing.”

We all wear many hats in our lives. We may be parents, teachers, neighbors, or pool players. Whatever the role may be, it’s impossible to give any of them 100% without awareness. Awareness is what allows us to identify with the specific task at hand and to perform it to our best. Awareness affords us the opportunity to enjoy ourselves when we accept a challenge. Without awareness, we would not be able to take full measures.

Examples of full measures we can practice in pool:1. Do not look ahead on the tournament bracket. Only focus on the one match you are about

to play. Too many times, I’ve seen players psych themselves out by whom their next opponent might be if they win or what time their next match is.

2. When shooting two-way shots, have a specific plan on which is more important, either the safety or the offensive shot. When we divide our efforts between both shots, often times we can miss them both and leave the table for our opponent.

3. If you show up to play in a 9-ball tournament, focus on the tournament. Try not to get caught up on any side action shenanigans. If your focus is to have a positive outcome at the tournament, gambling and playing other games will only distract you from the main event.

4. If you’re ever unsure or not fully committed to the shot, stand up and start the shot over again. Shooting while undecided will only reinforce bad habits.

5. While in a match, shut off your phone. The only way you can do your best at whatever it is you’re doing is by giving it your undivided attention.

The only way to avoid regret and disappointment is to always do your best and give all of yourself to whatever it is you’re doing. If you don’t succeed then you cannot blame yourself for not giving it 100%. If half measures avail us nothing then full measure will avail us everything.

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DVPL women’s summer session of 2011 came to an end last September 2011. The league played a single round, it being summer session and after 14 weeks of continuous play, we got our Summer 2011 new champions the Office’s team “Secret Sauce”.Congratulations to them.

The Office team “The Secret Sauce” joined us this summer without their heavy guns El Callado. However, the Domingo sisters Denise and Darnell “aint” no joke when it comes to stroking the ball, and Selena Castaneda complements the Domingo sisters making this group a “dangerous” team. They brought in Jolene Akin who as the season went along seemed to develop her skills and confidence which helped the team win the number one spot. Congratulations to Denise, Darnell, Salene, and Jolene.

The Peppermint Patties from Vinnie’s bar always tough struggled in the middle of the session but came back strong at the end to regain their usual top place. National BCA and ACS Champion of 2011 Shawn Modelo plays on this team along with veterans Leslie Bernardi, Cathy Reaves, Erin Mckibben and Deanna Spoomer. This team is full of skill and experience. Shawn Modelo won the honors of top female shooter and most improved average for the summer while Leslie Bernardi followed up taking second place in top shooter.

The Cue ‘n Brew-Motley Cue’s who just last summer joined up and came on strong and were in the fight with the Peppermint Patties from Vinnie’s They had a slow start but as the season went on they got stronger finishing in the third spot. They have a great group of players and will only get better and better as they play together longer. Good session for them. Darla Decker of this team placed third in the top shooter list. She was joined by ever improving Jenny McCary, Brenda Clark, Diane Friedman and Nancy Valdez who I personally think has one of the best strokes around.

Jesse’s Mix from Scores Bar was also in the fight for third place along with the Motley Cues and Kristin’s mix from Farrington’s. Jess was joined by Cony Mendoza whose game has reached higher levels since involved in the 9 Ball women’s competition , Josie Baraquil and Kacie Ragen-our most recent mom of a beautiful baby girl-. Tiffany Walker a veteran of the game of pool, with an aggressive game also joined them for the summer session.

Farrington’s team-Kristin’s Mix came out of nowhere to make heads turn throughout the session. Most of us were wondering where they came from and how they were in the fight for the top spots. Kristin

Eisen’s and Carol Prescott’s game have increased tremendously. They were joined by Ericka Schneider who is as tough as they come and Pam DeSoto who can run you out when you least expect it. Miss Fawn, a retired veteran did two shows for this group. This team was also in that triple tie for third when it came to the last week of the session

The other Office team-It Is What It Is, led by yours truly; humble servant Tina Mendoza brought a

new mix to the league. Aleshia Byrnes, one of the original captains from 1995, returned to the game of pool after being retired for years. We are glad to have her back.

Her game is still strong and we hope that she will join us in the winter coming season. Another veteran who had also retired for a few years, Karolyn Covione came back to play and hopefully she is here to stay. Tracey Datuin joined them for the fight and was key in a couple of matches. She is pretty new to the game as well and has the potential to become one of the best. Last but not least veteran Stacy Wilson also played for this team.

She placed 10th on the top shooter list. She is strong and depending on where the sun, the moon and the stars are, she might blow you out of the water. This team was also on the triple tie for third and couldn’t hold on to their spot when it came to the finish.

On the 7th spot Cj’s Salt and Peppa holders led by Barbara Martisch held their own this session putting teams through the ringer. Always dangerous Barbara was joined by Mary Jackson, Roxanne Skane and Theresa Teague who is another always dangerous shooter.

They were only three round points from the triple tie for third…and promise to only get better as they play together more. Keep you eyes open for Mary and Roxanne, they are new blood in the women’s league and have great potential .

The other teams from Cue N Brews team led by Annette Wood were also in the fight. Veteran Ana Gross returned to join her original teammate Annette from years back. Ana took leave of absence to become a mother but is now trying to get back to her champion way of shooting. We are glad to see she is making her come back. Heather Outlaw joined them this session for a change of pace along with Deirdre Hurley, Tina Lux. They placed 8th this summer session.

The Rack Em up team Your Average Lady Killers continue to torture all top teams in the league. They’re not only improved players but the handicap system makes them a more dangerous group than they appear to be. Their leader Laura Tow, whose game is more dangerous everyday,

set the pace for the rest of the group. She was joined by LindaHenry, Sharon Cazier, Val Helenson and Kim Randolph. They placed 9th on the standings and will continue to improve their placement on the standings as they become more experienced and knowledgeable of the game of pool.

DVPL Summer Session Comes To An EndOFFICE’S TEAM “SECRET SAUCE” NEW CHAMPION

1ST PLACE SECRET SAUCE

2ND PLACE JUNIOR MINTS

3RD PLACE MOTLEY CUES

(DVPL continued on page 39)


n adult pool player understands the day-to-day rigors of the sacrifices that are

needed to get better, thrive, and stay at the top of the game. Anyone who lives this life knows what it takes. Imagine what that is like for a 16 year old that also has to deal with family, school, and friends; not to mention growing up into a young adult and trying to make the right choices. One thing about playing pool as a teenager, it seems you have all the time in the world to get better.Many young pool players never stick to the sport. Only a few make enough money to call it a career. Of the millions of aspiring pool players, only 2% will ever present a threat to the best. Many realize a life at the top is not as easy as it looks. They discover it is more than a simple means to an end. Young players fall away from playing for a myriad of reasons. Mainly, as they mature, they take on more responsibilities including jobs, relationships and families. It is guaranteed that there are thousands of players who once showed exceptional promise that we will never hear about. A few famous great young prodigies have beaten the odds. The greats that come to mind who started as kids are Steve Mizerak, age 4; Jimmy Caras, age 5; Efren Reyes, age 5; Jean Balukas, age 6; Jim Rempe, age 6; Keith McCready, age 9; and Cory Deuel, age 14. When he was no older than 6, Willie Mosconi played against billiard World Champion, Ralph Greenleaf. His first major pool match took place in 1919. Ralph Greenleaf was 14 years old when he obtained national notoriety. These are all exceptional players who made the early sacrifices. Most were lucky. They had fathers who had pool halls or they had great mentors. Chris Byers has the dream and desire to beat the odds. He wants to become a professional pool player. He is a talented young player. However, he does not have all the advantages that many other child prodigies have had. He will have to do this the hard way. He wants to help his family out financially and looks at playing pool as his way of making a household contribution. It is the only way he knows how to contribute at 16 years of age. That is truly a chivalrous pursuit. Chris started playing in a local pool hall when he was 12 years old. His father brought him to establish a bond between them. He showed his son the initial basics on how to shoot pool. His parents supported this activity by taking him, almost daily, to the local pool hall to practice. It was a huge effort from the family and a costly one. Chris spent an entire summer every day at the pool hall learning techniques. He sacrificed what other kids his age were doing. It is one activity that would also keep him away from hanging out with the aimless crowd.After going numerous times to the local Pool hall, Chris discovered that pocketing balls was not so complicated anymore. Chris gained an increase in his self-confidence from his time hitting balls. Playing in the room frequently, others started to notice him. He played there from age 12 to 15, and he got some early pool game education from poolroom owner Kevin Parr and poolroom locals John Evans and Tony Newman. Chris became friends with, and received mentoring from, Randy Smith, who is a well-respected table mechanic. Randy spent hours

with Chris on more than pool playing. Chris learned how to deal with, and show respect to, these adult

players. In return, they taught Chris to play all the games.The pool hall where Chris primarily played, in a business move, changed its venue by bringing in alcohol. This meant that Chris had to find another place to continue to develop, practice and learn. There were not any places in this neck of the woods that allowed minors to play. Chris found the closest place to practice in Classic Billiards in Portland; it was 35 minutes and 25 miles away. Chris was not old enough to have a driver’s license, nor did he have his own car. He still needed his parents to drive him there, and come back to pick him up when he was done practicing. Chris went to school, and did his homework, before his father took him to practice. Chris often felt guilty that his parents were making such a sacrifice and wished he could pay them back. The new place, Classic Billiards, had some advantages for Chris by offering higher skilled players to learn from and compete with.At 15, Chris started to play in tournaments that allowed minors. His sister drove him all over the region, sometimes hundreds of

miles to play in tournaments. Chris started to make his mark by winning

tournament matches and beating accomplished players. He won a few tournaments in Salem at the “Cue Ball”,

and at “Rack’em” in Medford, he earned a couple of runners-up.

In a Seattle tournament, he earned his most notable win against former world champion Dan Louie. He went to Phoenix

to see a friend during spring break and ended up playing one pocket with Scott Frost, getting “schooled”, and soaked it all up.Everyone likes Chris and they want to help him get as many tools as possible to compete against his young pool contemporaries. When you get to know him, you discover Chris has a real upside. He gained advice and support from many players and others in the pool community who wanted him to succeed. They suggested he try the Junior Nationals; if he did well enough, he could earn a scholarship. Many people around Classic Billiards set the ball rolling for him. Andrew Monstis “The Godfather”, and this author, is one of many who steered him down his path into BEF Junior Nationals; Cascade Pool League Manager Steve Marker raised money through the league; Paul Schorzman, the owner of Classics Billiards gave him free pool time to practice for this quest; and Glenn Atwell spent hours with Chris showing him all kinds of shots he had never seen and knew nothing about. Chris was an “apprentice”, he had an old used cue and limited equipment. Shelby Locati, a high school teacher and Northwest Regional Women’s Tour player, gave him a jump cue. Pechauer Cues gave him a cue to take to the juniors. Sarah Rousry, Junior tournament coordinator, and Mark Griffin, CEO of Cue Sports

Challenges of a Young Pool Player: Chris Byers ARTICLE BY: ANDREW MONSTIS

PHOTO BY: DON “CHEESE” AKERLOW

(Byers continued on page 20)

A


International, both gave significant help to help him reach the Junior Nationals. The 2010 Billiard Education Foundation (BEF) Junior Nationals was in Illinois. He learned more about competing and what pool was about. Chris ended up 7/8th, and for not knowing what to expect, did very respectable for his first time. He witnessed what other young players were capable of, and he felt he could match it. He signed up with Cascade Pool League, the local BCAPL league, and qualified to attend events. His league play was exceptional, and he won a league award for his high winning percentage. Chris moved on to play in one of the most prestigious regional tournaments in the country, the Western BCA Regional Championships. In the 8-ball tournament, he went through a very good field of regional masters and got 2nd place in singles, losing to Damian Pongpanik. His team finished in 3rd place. It was the first real money he had ever won in a tournament. His young age, 16, brought him attention from the adult participants.BCAPL Nationals in May 2011 was a big ordeal, and preparing for the trip, competitively and financially, was a task. In addition, Chris had to manage his school-work to be gone for that length of time. The biggest event in the world was an eye opener for young Chris. He started out slow by cashing 9th-12th in 9 ball Open Singles. He did much better in the next event, 8-ball singles, where he earned 2nd place. For being one shot away from double dipping a Texas champion, Mike Alonzo, and winning a national singles title, he did very well. It was the most prize money of his young career. His team (pictured above), which included mentors

Todd Gooch and Andrew Monstis, claimed 1st place in the 3-man 9-Ball team event. Chris had his first National Championship. He spent a lot of time watching the US Open where many of the pros were playing. It was a trip, and experience, he is not likely to ever forget. He is eager for more.Chris got another invitation to attend the July 2011 Junior Nationals. Excited to try again, he had a desire for a chance at a scholarship. He could also make a team to represent the United States at the Junior Internationals. Chris fell short and came in 7th/8th again. A little disappointed that he didn’t do better, he recognized there are other very talented young players his age.Chris is in the upper echelon of current young players across the country, and is hoping to make the big time. Some have given him the nickname “The Devastator”, which reflects how some feel after playing him.Chris Byers is considered one of

the top homegrown young talented pool players to come out of the Portland metropolitan

area. It is an honor to be mentioned with other homegrown teenage pool legends of the past 45 years like Frank Armstrong, David Rhodes

and Leo Newberry. He wants to develop to be better with his pool game and his character. Chris has some uphill battles. The hometown pool arena is not thriving in recent years as it once was. The excellence of pool as a sport has lost its compass in promoting a higher level of play. There is little to no action. Players are rarely matching up and there are no open tournaments. It has succumbed to what some call a B player mentality. A lot of the industry emphasis has been on the bulk of recreational players and making a buck. It’s probably good for the sport in some ways, but little support exists to strengthen the above-average and top local players. It is hard for Chris to advance his skills. There are no tournaments that he can play in, no action. All the tournaments are for adult players and money driven. He understands he needs to advance with more experience to be part of the higher level of the sport. He would love to have players to play and to have action to be a part of. Chris has to travel many miles to be allowed to compete, not because he is too good, but to be part of a genuine pool environment. It takes resources like a car and money, and is expensive to get out of town to obtain pool experiences.Traveling distances to pool tournaments and juggling going to high school is really problematic. He knows he needs to finish high school to pursue his passion. His pool options are limited. He has to wait until he is an adult to be able to excel. He might also have to consider moving to another area of the country where pool is thriving. He would have to attend a new high school just to be able to pursue the sport of pool without major travel. He could take on the task to positively cultivate a change in the local pool attitude. It is possible for him to take it on, but as a teenager he will have a hard time doing it alone. It would take time and would be a real learning experience, and maturing process, too. Chris will be an adult some day and much of this will be behind him. Chris wants to get a drivers license and get a car, what kid doesn’t. Chris loves video games and playing basketball. He has aspirations to go to college and become a health professional. He has a desire to be a pharmacist or a nurse. Growing up is demanding; understanding and experiencing the trials and rights-of-passage is key. It is a task to try to stay calm, cool and collected. He will have to deal with new challenges, discover who his real friends are, and show appreciation for those who have helped him. He will have to learn the “Rule of the Road of Life”. No one knows what the future will hold for Chris Byers. It’s hard for him to imagine himself doing something other than playing pool right now, except basketball. Maybe Chris can make a difference in the local pool scene. He could wisely help promote and develop pool, and restore its excellence in his hometown and even beyond. It is this author’s hope that, down the road, he will not only be known for being a great pool player, but also a well-rounded, fine young man.

Challenges of a Young Pool Player: (continued from page 19)

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tixx and Stones Billiards is an all ages pool hall that is located at the heart of Bremerton, WA and serves the surrounding Kitsap County. We serve some of the best burgers, plenty of cold beers, and delicious cocktails to satisfy any palate. We have 12 nine foot table and two

eight foot tables, many of which where recently refelted. We also have a weekly 9 ball tournament on Sundays and leagues. Come in and see how we can serve you. Players came from afar to be named the winner over a collection of experienced players. Eddie Mataya, Paul Potier, Stan Tourangeu, and Lance Mason are just to name a few. The tournament started early Saturday morning as players assembled their favorite stixx’s. Stones were racked and the carnage began. Ahhh… it was an awesome sight to see Pacific Northwests’ finest. It seemed that everyone was ready to do battle, but what lay ahead was only frustration as experienced players succumbed to defeat unexpectedly. James Gifford (a local favorite) drew the first strike as he sent Stan Tourangeu to the B-bracket (not an easy task). Sending other experienced players to the B-bracket also was Eddie Mataya. Rafael Martinez was on fire as his presence was felt by sending players to their defeat and disposing them to the B-side faster than they could say “rack ‘em”. Early Sunday morning as the sun hung high, we all felt the

heat as players returned to claim the to prize. Unfortunately there are always winners and there are always losers. Eddie Mataya and Rafael Martinez remained the two players that were undefeated. However, Martinez was eventually sent to the b-side as Eddie Mataya claim victory and awaited the winner of the loser’s bracket. After his lost, Stan Tourangeu showed that he was a player to be reckoned with as he defeat all those players that came to challenge him. Val Alvarado ,meanwhile, was also proving that he too was capable of sending players packing, only to come head to head with Stan. Stan came out the victor in that match up. The unexpected twist to the game came as Rafael Martinez graciously bowed out the battle for second place to Stan due to personal reasons. Both Stan Tourangeu and Eddie Mataya are experienced tournament players who battled it out for first. The match was a close one. Once again there is always a winner and there are losers and today Eddie Mataya climbed the victory ladder as he defeated Stan. Stixx and Stones and the entire staff would like to thank all the players during the past few days, as they demonstrated their Stixx and Stones were racked and pocketed.

STIXX & STONES(L TO R) RAFAEL MARTINEZ(3RD), EDDIE MATAYA(1ST), VAL ALVARADO(4TH), JUNIOR TOLENTINO(OWNER), STAN TOURANGEU (2ND)

S


&F E A T U R E A R T I C L E

I had the opportunity to speak to Mark Griffin, owner and CEO of CSI and the BCA Pool Leagues after an announcement came across my desk that they were moving! Moving what? Moving where? Who’s moving? Why are they moving? So many questions, so I went to the source.The experience of going to a league national championship has been changed from playing in singles or teams to an experience, to a pool players bonanza if you will. Sometimes you can be playing next to a professional pool player who you may have seen on TV, to watching a U S Open Champion and even a World Champion. The cost of being a spectator at their professional venue is cheaper than having a good meal in Las Vegas. You can walk through the hallways, pool room or the vendor area at any time, and find a world-beater (champion). It doesn’t end there. You can sit back in your room or suite and watch the pro events as they unfold courtesy of CSI and TAR. Technology allows you to receive a text or email telling where you are playing your next match. You can browse through the brackets online, find your next match or a friend’s match, your team schedule as well as anybody who has ever played in a CSI event, their opponents, scores and payouts. All of this brings the pool players experience to a new level not seen before. That is BCAPL Nationals.Mark conducted an extensive survey this past May 2011 among the 7,000 attendees of BCAPL Nationals. 1,400 pool players who took the time to complete the 11 page survey and give their opinion. After countless hours of reading every survey and categorizing the results, acccording to Mark, “We were faced with a decision that if we wanted to continue to grow and change things we needed more space.” So, CSI started making plans to improve the experience that is Nationals in Las Vegas. I’ve seen a lot of changes to the BCA Pool League Nationals in Las Vegas over the years, and Mark and the CSI Staff do a magnificent job. As a pool player, looking at what is available at nationals with the different divisions as an amateur, as a pro, it’s a pool players candy store. Mark remarked, “I think it is the best event there is because of the blend of amateur and pro. We do different things, like last May (2011) we had the high run challenge, all the high tech online bracketing, charts and player information.”So what is the MOVE all about? It has two parts: the FIRST MOVE is to The Rio All-Suites Hotel and Casino in 2013 and the SECOND MOVE is to take the BCAPL Nationals from May to JULY 17-27, 2013. WOW! What a change. Mark said, “We are hoping to do some more events, but not until 2013 when we move to the Rio. We haven’t done our layouts yet but we will have more space. Right now at the Riviera we have about 110,000 square feet. At The Rio we will have over 160,000 square feet to work with. We have simply outgrown the available space at the Riviera.” Increasing the floor space by an additional 50%, high speed internet, flat screen TVs on the walls and 2,500 suites available to pool players, their family and friends, not to mention all the amenities that The Rio has to offer, it will be a welcome change for the players. And Mark promises the room rates are “extremely attractive.” The Rio is also home to the World Series of Poker. In fact, the poker will be ending as the BCAPL Nationals is beginning. “What I’m hoping for is a little bit of synergy here. Some of those poker players really like pool. We might get some interesting things happening. They will back the players. There are a couple of poker players that play really good pool. And they will bet”, mentioned Griffin.The BCAPL has continued to grow back to the membership numbers before the sale. Nationals has seen added divisions, a better player ranking system, and feature Challenge Events the amateur pool player can participate in. Then there are the U

S Open One Pocket and U S Open 10-Ball events, open to all, who’s fields are filled by the best players in the world. You can play in Nationals and watch the most well known players in pool just steps away. The functionality of the online bracketing and all the information that can be gathered from it has added a new dimension to all of the tournaments that are produced by CSI. The online brackets can be seen at ctsondemand.com Mark said, “Moving to The Rio is part of the evolution that we are doing. Our leagues are evolving and this is a step forward. I think it will make a brighter future and that makes a win-win for all the people that we do business with. It’s going to be really cool.”Mark remarked that he owns the registered trademark to all the U S Open Titles except the U S Open 9-Ball so there is a desire to incorporate more U S Open events in conjunction with the BCAPL Nationals. “With the Rio we could have 16 tables and you could play each event in 3 days but really it only takes 2 1/2 days because when you get down to the final four, you are only playing on 1 table and you could start another event while one is ending. So in 12 days you could have 4 or 5 events and it is cheaper for the players because you will have a lot of players that will play in the same events. The biggest hurdle is the added money.”The U S Bar Table Championship is also being MOVED to the Grand Sierra from the Sands Regency in Reno, Nevada. There is a 40,000 square foot room. Dates are Feb 12-19, 2012, and CSI is planning on having 40 - 7’ Diamond Smart Tables where they were limited to 32 tables at the Sands. Talking about the move, Mark said, “We can handle a lot more tables and run it a lot more efficiently. The exciting thing is the WorldPPA will be holding a 9’ table event in conjunction with the Bar Table. The players are really excited about it.” Mark Griffin has a lot of events under the CSI Corporation that he has revived or started new for pool players to participate in besides the BCAPL. There is the Jay Swanson Memorial Tournament, U S Bar Table Championships, BCAPL Nationals, U S Open One Pocket, U S Open 10-Ball, National Championship Series, USAPL, online bracketing at cstondemand.com and an online league management system leaguesys.net The CSI Staff consists of:Mark Griffin - Chief Executive Officer, David Vandenberghe - Chief Operating Officer, Bill Stock - Director of Referees, Glenna Stock - League Administrator, Tesse Vilahu - New Membership Administrator, Sara Bayliss - New Membership Assistant, Ron Guilmett - IT Manager, Holly Ryan - Manager PR/Marketing, Sunny Griffin - PR/Social Media, Mark Estes - Manager USA Pool League, John Casey - League Field Rep The staff is available to assist anyone who may have questions about CSI, the BCAPL and USAPL.September 23-25, 2011 TAR 21 broadcast a challenge match between Shane Van Boening and Alex Payulayan held at the TAR Studio in Las Vegas, Nevada. This is

Amateurs

Professionals

BY: DON “CHEESE” AKERLOW


BCAPL Nationals 2004 and Beyondalso an affiliate of CSI and Mark says that there are plans to bring more special events that will be announced in a couple of months. More about the TAR match on page 26The official Press Release about the move to the Rio can be read on page 32

See you at the Riv in 2012!

See you at the Rio in 2013!

After the U.S Open 10-Ball Finals May 2011


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On September 17-18th, Golden Fleece hosted the NWPA’s 6th Tour Stop of 2011. Located in Kenmore, WA, the Fleece has ten 9-foot Diamond and ten 7-foot Diamond tables, some of the toughest equipment in the great Northwest. Newly renovated the room now offers a menu of food and liquor to go along with its action filled atmosphere. Tournaments offered include Friday night 9 ball on the big tables, Saturday night 9 ball on the small tables, and the room is trying to organize 1 Pocket tournaments for Sunday afternoons, also on the big tables. We would like to thank the Golden Fleece for their continued support of the NWPA, they have hosted two events per year since 2009 and the warm reception by owner and staff makes their stops some of the favorites for the ladies on tour.

We would also like to thank our title sponsor Mueller for their support. Please continue to show your support of the NWPA by going to Mueller’s website at www.mueller.com. Mention the NWPA during your order and receive a discount on all Mueller merchandise. Raffle tickets are still available for the Year End Event that will be hosted at The Parlor in Bellevue, WA on November 19-20th, two for $5/five for $10, need not be present to win. Liz Cole brought some donated Chocolate for raffle at this event and Debbie Cicchitti was the big winner.

Rail2Rail Productions provided a free Live Stream for the entire event. Along with Rail2rail staff, Guest commentators included Leo Violette, Kimberly Kirk, and Jana Montour. Billiards 911 Trivia Challenge winner Pauline McGrath aka luckoftheroll won a box of blue Master chalk and a 5 QClaw. Rail2Rail’s next live streaming will be a Breast Cancer Benefit concert in support of the American Cancer Society on October 7th, and their next pool coverage will be the Western BCA Regional 9 Ball Championships from Lincoln City, OR October 11-17th.

Twenty-nine ladies came out for the main event that was played on nine of the 9 Foot Diamonds including newcomer Stella Speedis. Welcome to the NWPA, Stella! Defending her Queen of the Fleece title and winning the last two stops, Liz Cole was definitely a favorite going into the event. After a long day of fierce competition, only 8 ladies remained to compete for the title. On the A side: Jana Montour vs. Mary Hopkin and Kimberly Kirk vs. Kim Jones. Jana and Kim both defeated their opponents by the score of 7-5 to earn their spots in the A side final. Jana continued her streak by defeating Kim by the same 7-5 score to take the hot seat. On the B side: Shelby Locati vs. Mikki Small and Liz Cole vs. Deby Welfringer. Shelby and Liz defeated their opponents 6-3 and 6-2

respectively, leaving Mikki and Deby with a 7/8th place finish. In the second round of B side play, fresh off their first losses, Mary and Kimberly then played Shelby and Liz. Mary and Liz advanced through by the scores 6-4 and 6-3, to then square off against each other. Liz continued her strong play and defeated Mary 6-1. Liz then had one obstacle between her and her 3rd final in as many stops: Kim Jones. Longtime friends and rivals, this match up was a good one. Consistent shot-making by Liz put her on the hill at 5-3. Kim, not one to concede early, battled back through the next rack to bring the score to 5-4. With Kim breaking, people in the live stream were thinking hill-hill all the way. Kim broke in that 10th game and played perfect position through the rack until coming up short on her shape to the 9 ball. Kim attempted the near 90 cut along the end rail, but rattled the 9 leaving it in the pocket, along with any hope of advancing. Liz pocketed the final 9 to win that match 6-4.

THE FINAL: Jana Montour vs. Liz Cole, Race to 9, Alternating Break Jana’s path to the final: Jessica O (6), Alisha R (3), Liz C (4), Mary H (5), Kim J (5)

Liz’s path to the final: Kathy S (2), Shelby L (6), loss to Jana (4), Sabrina P (5), Deby W (2), Kimberly K (2), Mary H (1), Kim J (4)

Liz won the lag. Straight from the start both players were shooting pretty well. A couple uncharacteristic misses by Liz in the first three racks resulted in an early 3-0 lead Jana. Liz rallied back to 3-2; however a missed bank on the 1, in rack 6, left Jana shooting a 1-6-9 combination which she made to take the score to 4-2. Liz answered with an early 9 in the following rack when a position error on the 5 left Jana jumping. Jana jumped the 8 and the 5 to give Liz that rack making the score 4-3. Jana would proceed to win the next five racks

when missed shots and safes by Liz, late in the racks, resulted in Jana capitalizing on her opportunities. Jana ended Liz’s winning streak (last two NWPA events) to claim the Queen of the Fleece title and move up in the rankings from 4th to 2nd place; however with Liz’s strong finish she solidified her position on top of the standings and will be the 2011 NWPA Tour Champion.Great job ladies!

Nine ladies returned on Sunday for the $100 added Second Chance tournament. Suzanne Smith won her first 3 matches to earn her spot in the final, while Sabrina Petersen quietly dispatched all of her opponents, after a 2nd round loss to Jessica Orth. The final was one race to four. Consistent shot making and position play by Sabrina during the final resulted in her

winning top prize. Great showing Sabrina!

Northwest Women’s Pool Association (NWPA) is the WPBA-sanctioned regional tour for the Pacific Northwest. Though this tour prepares women amateur pool players for the pro ranks, women of all skill levels are encouraged to participate. The NWPA is a volunteer-run, non-profit organization that is funded by player membership and sponsorship. A number of volunteers help keep the organization running by keeping it fiscally sound, communicating with the Women’s

Professional Billiard Association to provide opportunities for players to reach the pro level, negotiating with regional pool room owners/operators, and managing events.

For more information contact:Adrianne Beach 206-755-3847 [email protected] Tamre’ Greene-Rogers 206-920-1936 [email protected]

(l to r) Askar Ahmed, Jana Montour, Liz Cole

Jana Montour is QUEEN of the FleeceGOLDEN FLEECE HOSTS THE NWPA’S 6TH TOUR STOP OF 2011

MAIN EVENT1st 435 Jana Montour2nd 280 Liz Cole3rd 185 Kim Jones4th 145 Mary Hopkin5/6th 86 Kimberly Kirk Shelby Locati7/8th 66 Mikki Small Deby Welfringer

SECOND CHANCE1st 65 Sabrina Peterson2nd 50 Suzanne Smith3rd 35 Jessica Orth4th 20 Alisha Rogers Res

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LAS VEGAS, NEVADAShane Van Boening and Alex “The Lion” Pagulayan faced off in a unique match produced by The Action Report. The match took place September 23rd through the 25th at the TAR Studio in Las Vegas. The Action Report (TAR) has created a unique niche in the pool world with its productions of head to head challenge matches with high entry fees and winner take all format that are live streamed on the internet for the world to see. For TAR 21 Shane and Alex played a race to one hundred games of ten ball over a three day period. Each player posted up a $10,000 entry fee in this two man tournament with the winner to take it all.The match was played on a nine foot Diamond Pro-Am with 4 1/8” pockets and Simonis 860 cloth. The table played a factor in the match as it forced both players to play precise position and maintain laser like focus over the course of three days. The match format called for the players to race to thirty five games on day one. Day two would see them play until one reached seventy total victories and the final days’ play would finish out the long race to one hundred. There were no jump cues allowed, racking was done with the Magic Ball Rack and the winner had the right to break after each victory.Early in day one saw Alex and Shane sparring back and forth as they got used to the challenging Diamond table. Late in the day Alex was leading thirty one to twenty eight needing only four games to close out the day with a lead. He broke the balls in the sixtieth game but came up dry. It would be his last chance at the table on day one. Shane ran out the rack Alex left open then proceeded to break and run six racks to finish out the day leading thirty five to thirty one. Many people who saw this awesome display of skill by Shane called it one of the most impressive things they

had ever witnessed in pool.Day two showed why Alex is nicknamed “The Lion”. After having the momentum on day one swing completely the other way for him Alex came back on day two and ground out a long grueling day. After eight hours of beautiful safety exchanges and offensive spurts by both players the score

stood Shane seventy games and Alex sixty seven. This set up a dramatic opportunity for two of the worlds best to fight it out on the final day.The final day featured a look at what makes Shane Van Boening one of the most feared ten ball players in the world. His break. Alex came out early fighting hard but could not get the break to work consistently for him. After the first hour Shane found the zone and put on an epic display of power ten ball. When the dust settled Shane steamrolled Alex on day three by a score of thirty to seventeen for a final cumulative match score

of one hundred to eighty four. Alex fought like the champion he is but in the opinion of many who witnessed it no one could of weathered the storm Shane unleashed on him.The TAR 21 broadcast was sponsored by Kamui Tips and CueSports International. The live stream featured commentary by international pool commentator and author Jay Helfert as well as pool legend Billy Incardona. The Action Report has been a leader and innovator in the pool world in live streaming and event production. TAR 21 was the first match to be broadcast live from the new TAR Studio in Las Vegas. The TAR Studio is a fully equipped production and live streaming studio that will be home to many more TAR events as well as be available to industry members to produce their own content and promotional material. For more information on The Action Report you can visit theactionreport.com

Shane Van Boening Tames The Lion TAR 21 BY: JUSTIN COLLETT

PHOTO COURTESY OF: MASSIVEUNDERSTATEMENT.COM


n September 17 & 18, Tiger West Coast Women’s Tour (TWCWT) returned to South First Billiards Club in San Jose, CA for its fourth stop of 2011. Thirty-seven players entered the

double elimination, race to 7 on the winners side tournament.

On Saturday we played down to the final 8 in the Main Event. TWCWT is putting an emphasis this year on moving players through the brackets as efficiently as possible. In particular, the race on the one-loss side has been reduced from 7 to 5. We’ve also adopted guidelines for the maximum time we think a match should take and try to let players know when their matches are falling behind that pace.

Mary Rakin, winner of the previous two stops, faced Holly Robinson in her first match. Holly has been playing strong this year and took 3 games from Mary before losing the match. She then proceeded to work the one loss bracket winning against Anita Azevedo, Tammy Moredo, Carolin Koo, Rachel Byrkett and finally Jessica Skye to make it to the top 8 . On the winners side, Mary took a match from Kacie Ragen bringing about a meeting with fellow WPBA pro Eleanor Callado, who had defeated Rachel Byrkett and Brenda Clark in her first two matches. After a tough 7-5 contest, El remained on the winners side and Mary moved over to the one-loss side. Meantime, Revelina Um, returning to play after the August 1 birth of her second daughter, Lindsey, scored wins against Greta Garbo, Jess Quinata and Jessica Skye , setting up a Sunday morning match with El Callado to see who would play in the hot seat match.

On the other half of the chart Bonnie Plowman scored wins over Erin McKibben, LoAnne LaFlamme and Emilyn Callado while Shawn Modelo defeated Tracy Palma, Kristin Eisen and Tanner Roo, putting Bonnie and Shawn into the final 8 still on the winners’ side.

Sunday morning when the main event resumed Eleanor Callado won her match with Revelina Um and Bonnie Plowman beat Shawn Modelo. Tracy Palma, who’d come back after losing her first match to take three straight, made it four by defeating Tanner Roo. Holly Robinson, who has been getting lots of practice playing Mary Rakin lately (twice in this tournament and in the first round of the final 8 two stops in a row) had her tournament ended by Mary in 7th/8th place. They carried the competition over to the ping pong table, no word on what the score was there. Mary went on to defeat Shawn Modelo, while Tracy met good friend Revelina Um with Rev coming out on top.

The upset of the day came when Rev defeated Mary Rakin, putting Mary out in 4th place. Mary had only finished lower than second twice in the last three years. “I was waiting for her to get in her groove, because I knew when she did I’d be gone,” said Rev, “but she never did”. Looking slightly stunned after her win, Revelina had to get her head back in the game quickly to face Bonnie Plowman, who had lost the hot seat match to El Callado. Rev played tough, but ultimately went home to baby with a satisfying 3rd place finish.

Bonnie started the final match against Eleanor Callado by winning the first two games. She was on the verge of going up 3-0 when she missed a very makeable 9 ball. El sank it to get on the board and went on to take the next two games to go up in the match 3-2. Bonnie came back to tie it at 3, El went ahead 5-3 but Bonnie doggedly kept the pressure on and brought the match to 5-5. The next two games were nail biters, but Bonnie took them both for a 7-5 victory.

As Yogi would say, déjà vu all over again. Just last month in Sacramento Bonnie lost the hot seat match, fought her way back to the finals and took the first set. Only her opponent—then Mary Rakin, this time Eleanor Callado—was different. Since the tournament is true double elimination, a second set, race to 5, is needed for a player from the one-loss side to win. This second set was back and forth from the beginning. The two players went to hill-hill. TWCWT plays alternating breaks and the break in the 9th and deciding game was Eleanor’s. Her demeanor as she approached the table was all business. Calmly she broke and ran out to earn her second victory of the 2011 Tour.

As at each of our tour stops, final eight action on Sunday was livestreamed by West Coast Pool Players. If you can’t join us in person, go to their website and click on the link to check out the action and chat online with commentators.

Showing once again that the women on this Tour love to play pool, twenty-one players--a season high—returned to

play in the second chance tournament Sunday. Our thanks to South First owner Ben Soriano and his staff. Ben added a combined $750 to the main event, second chance and end of season prize funds. South First is a great space to spend a day in. Large and airy with outstanding work by local artists displayed on its brick walls, it has a full bar, a full kitchen with an extensive menu, TVs, ping pong, other games and lots of space to spread out. Stop by if you’re in the area. They host a Worldppa handicapped 9-ball tournament every Tuesday night.

Tiger Products once again provided merchandise to be raffled off for the benefit of the Tour. The winners of the raffle were: Erin Mckibben, Cap; Nick Prathe, Shirt; Jaime Dizon,Polo; DJ from Crown, Low Deflection Shaft. Magic Rack donated the racks used in our matches.

We deeply appreciate the support these companies are giving women’s pool and also that of sponsor Diablo Valley Pool Leagues. In what has rapidly become one of our favorite fundraisers, therapeutic massage by Eileen Hanshaw was available during the tournament on Saturday and Sunday with a portion of the proceeds donated to TWCWT.

Unbelievably, we only have two stops left in 2011. Next up is Family Billiards in San Francisco on October 15 & 16. New players can still join in, for information check out our website www.twcwt.com or visit us on facebook. Come to play, or come to watch, or come for a massage and stay for the pool! We’d love to see you in San Francisco. PHOTOS: Top Center - Bonnie Plowman- Eleanor Callado, Below Left - Revelina Um, Below Right - Mary Rakin

SAN JOSE SHOWDOWNDÉJÀ VU ALL OVER AGAIN

ResultsSECOND CHANCE:1 $85 Leslie Bernardi2 $65 Dar Domingo3/4 $50 Jenny McCary3/4 $50 Anita Azevedo

MAIN EVENT:1 $430 Eleanor Callado2 $300 Bonnie Plowman3 $220 Revelina Um4 $145 Mary Rakin5/6 $110 Tracy Palma5/6 $110 Shawn Modelo7/8 $75 Tanner Roo7/8 $75 Holly Robinson

O


LAKE SAINT LOUIS, MO (September 7, 2011) — Last year, Guinness World Records recognized the American Poolplayers Association (APA)’s National Team Championship as the “world’s largest pool tournament.” Not to be outdone, this year’s event featured more teams and more prize money than ever before! More than 2,000 8-Ball, 9-Ball, Doubles and Masters teams made the trek to Sin City to compete, Aug. 18 – 27, for more than $1 Million in prize money.In the 8-Ball Open Division, English Crooks of Bridgeport, Conn., defeated Murder by Numbers of Paola, Kan., 3-2 in the finals to take home $25,000 in cash and the championship title. As Runners-Up, Murder by Numbers received $15,000 in prize money.In the finals of the Ladies 8-Ball Division, it was Snook Hers of Arlington, Va., defeating Queen Bee’s of Newport News, Va., 3-1 to win $10,000 in 1st Place prize money. As

Runners-Up, Queen Bee’s received $5,000 in cash.In the semifinal round, Snook Hers defeated Simply Stuhned of Guelph, Ontario, Canada, 3-2. Queen Bee’s advanced to the finals with a 3-2 win over Just Chickens of Moore, Okla. Simply Stuhned and Just Chickens tied for 3rd Place and each received $2,500 in prize money.All teams in the 8-Ball Championships squared-off in a modified single-elimination format that ensured each team played at least twice before elimination. All 8-Ball Open Division teams automatically received $350 in national qualifier money, and the top 8 teams won at least $5,000. In the 8-Ball Ladies Division, all teams automatically earned $350 national qualifier money, with the top 8 teams winning at least $1,000. The Open Division began play on Aug. 21 and concluded on Aug. 27. The Ladies Division of the tournament started on Aug. 18 and concluded on Aug. 21.

In Open 9-Ball National Championship action, it was Now What of Dayton, Ohio, beating N.J.’s Breakers of Metuchen, N.J., 50-30 in the finals. Now What took home $15,000 of the more than $200,000 guaranteed purse. As Runners-Up, N.J.’s Breakers received $7,000 in cash.The Mickey Mouse Club of El Monte, Calif., finished in 3rd Place and took home $3,500 in prize money.The Open 9-Ball National Championship was held Aug. 18 - 22, with each team competing in a modified single-elimination format that ensured each team played at least twice before elimination. All national qualifiers received a minimum of $350, with the top 6 teams winning at least $2,000.After winning their divisions in weekly APA 8-Ball and 9-Ball League play and then placing in Local Team Championships throughout the United States, Canada and Japan, 721 Open 8-Ball, 422 Open 9-Ball, and 58 Ladies 8-Ball teams, all consisting of

RECORD TURNOUT APA NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS

More than $1 Million in Prize Money Awarded at 31st Annual Team Championships

Charlie Hans

U Just Got Hoffd Still Dont Know Snook Hers

Robert Prince Jr Vegas Bound Take Care Brush Ya Hair


five to eight players, qualified to compete in the 2011 National Team Championships.In the Open 8-Ball Doubles Championship, it was U Just got Hoff’d of Windsor, Ohio, winning $6,500 in the finals with a victory over Tejas Winners of Houston, Texas. Tejas Winners received $4,000 as Runner-Up in the 384-team event.The finals of the Masters Championship event featured Still Don’t Know of Richmond, Va., defeating Bubba N Da Boyz of Coushatta, La. Still Don’t Know took home $10,000 in 1st Place prize money, while Bubba N Da Boyz received $5,000 as Runner-Up in the 256-team event.In the Open 9-Ball Doubles Championship, Take Care Brush Ya Hair of Cheshire, Conn., defeated Vegas Bound of Vinton, Va. Take Care Brush Ya Hair took home a 1st Place prize of $5,000 and the championship trophy, while Vegas Bound walked away with $3,000 in prize money.Robert Prince Jr. of Beltsville, Md., defeated former champion Charlie Hans of Middletown, Ohio, for $1,700 in the finals of the APA Wheelchair Challenge. Hans took home $800 as Runner-Up.In addition, the APA conducted nearly round-the-clock MiniMania tournaments, which took place daily and were open

to all APA members. The MiniMania tournaments offered multiple formats with 100% prize money payback that awarded nearly $250,000.

The APA, based in Lake Saint Louis, Mo., sanctions the world’s largest amateur pool league, known as the APA Pool League throughout the United States, and as the Canadian Pool League in Canada. Nearly 270,000 members compete in weekly 8-Ball and 9?Ball League play. The APA is generally recognized as the Governing Body of Amateur Pool, having established the official rules, championships, formats and handicap systems for the sport of amateur billiards.

The APA produces three major tournaments each year—the APA National Team Championships, the APA National Singles Championships and the U.S.

Amateur Championship—that, together, pay out more than $1.5 Million in cash and prizes annually!The APA and its championships are sponsored by Aramith, Action Cues and PoolDawg. For more information on the National Team Championships, visit the official APA website at www.poolplayers.com.

Murder by Numbers

Bubba N Da Boyz Tejas Winners

APA NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS

RESULTS


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Ma’s 3rd Saturday of the month fell on Sept. 17th. Thirteen players showed up to compete for the winnings of our 4th BIG SHOT 9 Ball-Handicap-Tournament! Each player payed a $15 entry fee plus a $5 green fee and the house added $100., making the total purse $295.Players raced to their handicap skill level as follows; Masters 7, A Players 5, B Players 4, and C Players 3.The final outcome had “A” Player Carlos Cedena taking 1st for $150, “B” Player Cisco Cabello taking 2nd for $85, Master Player Randy Baker took 3rd for $40 and Master Player Matt Horner in 4th for $20.As fall gets into full swing, we expect alot more of you to show up for this exciting tournament! Remember, with 30 or more players the house will add $300!! Sat. Oct. 15th could be a great warm up for Regionals!!Pictured above (l to r): Randy Baker (3rd), Cisco Cabella (2nd), Carlos Cedena (1st)

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Ma’s 1st Sunday of the month Scotch Doubles Tournament took place on Sept. 4, 2011. Seven teams showed up to compete for the money! With a $5 entry fee per person and Ma’s adding $45, the total pot to be won was $115.In the end, Tom Gudmundsen and Glenda Bell took 1st place for $55. Lynn and Dianne Krause finished 2nd for $40 and Steve Mendoza and Gayle Gould took 3rd for $20.Our next Scotch Doubles Tournament will be Oct. 2nd at Ma’s Tavern in Albany. Sign ups start at 1 pm and play begins at 2 pm. The format is a race to 2, eight ball using BCA league rules. Exception: If a team consists of 2 Masters, they must race to 3! So come on in with your partner and try out your skills before Regionals!!

On Saturday, September 3rd The Hub Bar in Belgrade held its 3rd Annual open Doubles tournament. We had a great turn out with a full field of 32 teams, playing of 7 tables and a total payout of $960. It was a great tournament with players traveling to three bars: The Hub, The Lounge, and The Palms. Thanks to all the bars and Rocky Mountain Gaming for their support. With a race to 3, it was fast and furious with the team of Marty and Kevin from Pocatello coming out on top by defeating the team of Dan and Josh from Helena. 1st $400 Kevin and Marty – Pocatello, ID2nd $200 Dan H. and Josh – Helena, MT3rd $140 Dan K. and Pat – Helena, MT4th $100 Curt and Leland – Bozeman, MT5/6 $40 Dan and Charlie – Pocatello, ID Justin and Rich – Helena, MT7/8 $20 Donnie and Dusti – Butte, MT Sky and Macy – Bozeman, MT

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ark Griffin and CueSports International (CSI) announce two major changes for the BCAPL National Championships. In 2013, the “Greatest Pool Tournament in the World” will move from May to July … and will walk the welcome mat at the Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas.

The BCAPL National Championships have outgrown the space at the Riviera Hotel & Casino. The 2012 (36th) BCAPL National Championships, scheduled May 9-20, 2012, will be the last year the event will be held at the Riviera. CSI thanks the Riviera for hosting the championships for the past 18 years. The relocation to the Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino is scheduled for July 17-27, 2013. The move will allow the BCAPL to expand both the amateur nationals and the CSI professional tournaments. The date and venue changes will provide more accommodations and more pool tables, so that more players, families, and friends can enjoy an even richer experience at the new venue. CSI thanks the 1,400 BCAPL members who responded to our player survey at the 2011 nationals for their help in making decisions for the future of the championships. The July dates are generally better for all: participants, families and employers, local leagues, host locations, and League Operators. Starting in 2013, local BCA Pool Leagues can play longer spring sessions – all the way to the end of May. BCAPL players and teams will be able to play in more state and regional tournaments during the spring, and still be able to travel to nationals. A longer spring session allows more time for players to qualify for nationals. It also gives players, teams, League Operators, and BCAPL more time to enter and certify national entries. And lastly, many of our survey respondents said that July is much better than May for time away from work and home,

especially for those who have school age children. This move is long overdue, and we again thank the players who participated in our survey.

The Rio is part of the Caesars Entertainment Corporation – the world’s largest casino entertainment group. With its state-of-the-art conference center of over 160,000 square feet, the atmosphere is elegant, modern and hi-tech – a player’s dream! For player comfort and convenience, the Rio is a 4-star all-suite hotel and casino offering extensive amenities and entertainment options. Providing spectacular views of Las Vegas, the hotel boasts over 2,500 suites with more than 600 square feet of spacious luxury. When it comes to dining, the Rio is unparalleled. According to USA Today Travel 2011 report, the Rio’s Carnival World Buffet and the famous 5 star Village Seafood Buffet are ranked #2 and #3 in the top 5 buffets in Las Vegas. Additionally, the Rio offers 12 more dining options from the casual to the opulent. You name it … the 24-hour $45 “Buffet of Buffets” pass to 7 of the best buffets available anywhere; a 48-hour “All-Stage Pass” to about 20 shows at Caesars properties; the industry leading “Total Rewards” player program by Caesars Entertainment; the free Rio/Paris/Harrahs shuttle service to two key spots on the strip; VooDoo Beach with real sand beaches, cascading waterfalls, four swimming pools and five Jacuzzi-style spas; VooDoo Rooftop Nightclub, an indoor/outdoor double-decker club known to have the best view of the Las Vegas strip … You name it, the Rio has it all. For complete information on the BCAPL National Championships at the Rio on July 17-27, 2013 … www.playbca.com To visit the official web site for the Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino … www.riolasvegas.com Since 2004, Mark Griffin and his team at CueSports International (CSI) have diligently pursued “More Choices for All Players.” During that time, CSI has directly paid out approximately Seven Million Dollars to pool players.

FAREWELL RIVIERA – HELLO RIO 2013!!BCAPL Moves National Championships to the Rio Las Vegas

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On September 5, The Broken Rack celebrated the end of summer with its annual Labor Day Open 8-Ball Tournament. The format was double elimination, race to 3 on the winners’ side, race to 2 on the one-loss side, alternate breaks. Despite the balmy weather in the Bay Area, the maximum field of 32 filled quickly with a few disappointed players turned away. The entry fee was $20 and The Broken Rack added $200.

As in the past, a wide selection of top notch players found the format offered a pleasant way to spend an afternoon and evening on a Monday holiday. Everyone was very happy to see Jeff Gregory among the entries. Just 5 weeks out from open heart surgery, Jeff had been given the go ahead to drive and exercise and--while not looking exactly 100% healthy--finished in the money as usual. It’s a shame Jeff had to go through this ordeal but it’s been nice to see the way Bay Area pool players have come together to offer him their support. Two women, Bonnie Plowman and Holly Robinson, took up the challenge to play with the guys and both played well finishing in the 9th-12th bracket.

The talented Williams family was represented by Jason and Jared. Jared is a fine player in his own right, but sometimes overshadowed by older brothers Jason and Marshall. As the draw would have it, Jason and Jared met on the winners’ side for the opportunity to play in the hot seat match. Turns out it was little bro’s turn as he took the match from Jason and rolled on to defeat the always tough Deo Alpajora 3-0 to gain the hot seat. Deo made it back to the final by besting Reid Stensrud. Jared continued his strong play taking the first

two games of the finals before Deo got on the board. With his Diablo Valley Pool League buddies and brother Jason rooting him on, Jared wasted no time finishing out the match 3-1.

Thanks to all the players who turned out. Thanks to Alex Bradley who carried out his Tournament Director duties in his usual calm and efficient manner. Check out the Broken Rack’s Worldppa Tuesday night handicapped, single elimination, race to five 9-Ball tournaments. The first Tuesday of each month features $100 added with a field of 16 or more players. Entry fee is $15 and membership in Worldppa is free. Play starts at 8 pm. We’ll be hosting a $500 added Worldppa 9-ball tournament on Saturday, January 28, 2012. The contest will be double elimination, race to 5 on both sides and the entry fee will be $20. To qualify players will have to have played in 6 Worldppa tournaments at The Broken Rack between Sep. 27, 2011 and Jan. 24, 2012, or in 10 Worldppa tournaments here between February 2011 and Jan. 24, 2012. Watch our website, www.

thebrokenrack.com, for more information.

L. to r. Dao Alpajora, 2nd place, Jared Williams, 1st place, Alex Bradley, TD

the BRoken RackLABOR DAY TOURNAMENT

TOP NOTCH PLAYERS CELEBRATED THE END-OF-SUMMER

1st $300 Jared Williams 2nd $185 Deo Alpajora 3rd $115 Reid Stensrud 4th $80 Paul Bramwell 5th/6th $50 Jeff Gregory, Jason Williams7th/8th $30 Eric Harada, Michael SuhrPAY

OUTS


STORY

Lucky #11 BY: ANDREW MONSTIS

Life After Vegas………whoo … The Vegas stretch was a long one. It’s hard to be in one place too long.

After Vegas we went back to Lucky’s ranch. We had to check the ranch before heading out again. Lucky checked with the folks he had watching the farm, and then stopped by the Post Office in town to get his mail. Waiting while Lucky went inside I sat there watching people heading here and there, living their lives. I rolled down the window and tried to shoo a fly out of the car who had decided my nose was an interesting place to park. Took forever to get that darn fly out of the car. I was thinking what an amazing trip so far. I had to sort out all the things I planned to put in the next chapter about this amazing road trip with this amazing man. Seemed like Lucky was always surprising me with one thing or another, and the substance of this enterprise was just piling up how am I going to translate to everyone.

Lucky returned, climbed in and unloaded a pile of mail on the seat between us. He pointed to one letter on top as he started the engine. It was from Mr. Top Spin. “I can’t get him to stop sending me money!” Lucky went on to explain. He was from Buffalo New York originally. Lucky beat him out of a whole bunch of money. Mr. Top Spin was one of those guys Lucky learned something from. “Truly the best follow player I have ever seen” Lucky says. “I remember when we played for days and days, until he went broke. I agreed to play him on the wire and I kept winning that, too. It’s been almost twenty years now and he still sends me checks! I told him ten years ago to forget it and quit sending me money!” Lucky shook his head and chuckled, “Mr. Top Spin said, he always pays my debts and besides, he gained a lesson more valuable than the money. Lucky suggested he do something positive with the money instead of sending it to him. “I hear he’s doing charity pool activities now and taking a few vacations He’s an honorable man.”

Lucky opened the mail and showed me the $5,000 check that was in it. Made out just to “Lucky,” the signature on the check said Mark Edwards. He put the check back in the envelope. “I’ll put it with the other I haven’t cashed yet!.”

“But why don’t you cash the checks?” I asked, remembering Mark from some of his visits to the Northwest. “You could use it right about now.”

“Well, he keeps sending it, and I keep telling him not to, so it’s kind of a standoff. Like I said, he’s an honorable man and is keeping his word to pay off the loss.” With a bemused shake of his head, Lucky said, “Stubborn, eh?”

I knew Lucky had won a ton of cash over the years, and it seemed to me like he ought to have some of it left. “It doesn’t make sense to me,” I protested. “Can I ask what you’ve been doing with your winnings all these years?”

“Oh, some of it went towards the ranch. And I send a little to a couple of charities now and again. Well, I guess maybe most of it, actually. I don’t need much… ‘cept now for them damn pills. Speaking of which, I do need to stop and check in with the Doc Cranford before we go again.”

Well, the home stop was short and uneventful. A good night sleep we headed out next day for a spot about 20 driving hours away, and picked a little town down the road where Lucky said he’d heard there was a good local tournament venue. We were now into several months of road play. I want to say again and at the risk of being redundant, Lucky is a wise old codger. We stay only in small towns for the night, avoiding the larger bergs. Each night we check into a decent hotel or motel and then scout out the local pool action. It is better to stick around for days to find players and see their speed but in little town it’s not necessary. Since Lucky does not look like much of a pool player, he always can get some games for one to three bills. He’s grown his beard back some, and still wears that Where’s the Beef hat, and all in all does a reasonable imitation of a retired geezer. In many places he was invited to basically take more money, but he’s careful not to build up a reputation like many road players do. “Next thing you know,” he says, “the jungle drums are telegraphing the next town that you’re coming and they are definitely ready and waiting to do some hustling of their own or just flat say no.” We do need to

win a certain amount each day, just to meet expenses…around a hundred and twenty a day, I figure. It can be expensive to travel these days. I get play too, now and again to contribute to the trip, but truthfully, I’d rather watch Lucky in action than anything else. His subtle maneuvering of the whole show is fascinating to me.

This night we hit an empty hole and didn’t make a dime. The weekly tournament had been cancelled, and no one was around to play. I guess the tavern owner got mad at the players who show up and complain about the tables all the time and it went from there. From the looks of the tables I couldn’t blame the local players, but I knew they’d be back the next week. We just came back to the hotel and watched bad TV and the worse movies. As usual, I had to make sure Lucky took his “pills” before he turned in. Better luck tomorrow night, next town.

You find out a lot about someone when you ride next to him for hours on end. Lucky’s music tastes are surprisingly eclectic. He likes all kinds of music. I know pretty much everyone likes the Beatles, he knows all the words of every Beatles songs. Who’d have thought Lucky’s favorite tape would be the Beatles Revolver. And the next tape he plugged in was the Who. I think he has good taste.

The next day brought us to another town Lucky wanted to hit, partly for the food at a nice café called Donna’s. The food was great. This was a town Lucky played in many years ago and won a ton of money. The waitress told us that they play pool down at this place now on 12th Street. We went over there after dinner. No one was in the place. We asked around but no one talked like they knew what action was. We struck out again. A bum steer.

The natural scenery was way too cool. Some of the most beautiful views from the road I have ever seen. We were enjoying one incredible sunset beaming through fields and forest as we drove by. Lucky I was the passenger able to just get mesmerized looking through the tinted glass window.

(continued on page 36)


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(continued from page 34)

All of a sudden Lucky pulled to a stop and got out of the car. I watched in amazement as he walked back down the road and stomped out a burning cigarette butt. He came back to the car, and seeing my look, shrugged and said, “I saw the guy in the car front of me throw it out. I’d hate to see forest get burnt up.”

Something else about Lucky I didn’t really know. He has compassion for people. We stopped three different times to see if people needed help along side the road. One woman had stopped for a stretch and couldn’t get her car started up again. Lucky found a broken starter wire and fixed it. She gave him a big kiss. Hard to believe Lucky is shy but… Lucky fidgeting turned beet red. He soaked it up and beamed for hours while driving behind the wheel. He reminds me of a modern day Robin Hood, the way he takes down the arrogant and cocky ones without intimidation and pretty much lets everyone else alone, unless it’s to help if it’s needed.

Not everything on the road is fair. We ran into a couple of tournaments where the house actually took money from the entry fees. One was ten percent and the other was fifteen percent. I never heard of such a thing. Guess they never heard of such a thing as the house adding money. We wanted to say something about it but deferred to the need to remain low key. We just got into the car and took off.

Lucky’s pointed out that some pool towns are not thriving as it once were. The excellence of the pool as sport has been lacking of late. Many areas are not promoting higher levels of play. There is becoming little to no action. Players are rarely matching up. A lot of the industries emphasis has been on the recreational level players. Those are the bulk of pool players. That is where making a buck is too. It’s probably good for the sport in some way I guess. Still little pool support exists to strengthen the above average and top local players. At one time in the recent past all major cities had significant pool action. The pool economies were doing well. There are still places where people play and gamble. Lots of areas have succumbed to what Lucky calls a B player mentality.

We hit a lucky stop for the night in White Bird at Hoot’s Motel & Restaurant, not because we found a million dollar game, but because we awoke to a spectacular view of the canyon there, and it just set the day spinning right………

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Pacific ACS Announces Tournament NewsTo all Pacific ACS players it is my sad duty to inform you that Emerald Queen Casino has had a change of heart about hosting our event next year and has cancelled the dates. I have tried to negotiate with the casino to no avail and at this time feel that nothing will happen to regain them as a venue at this time. We are looking for a replacement site and I am actively in talks now with a possible replacement venue. We will keep you informed of new developments when we have positive news as to where and when we will have our event.

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ick Varner was a senior at Purdue University in 1969, world 14.1 pocket billiards champion Joe Balsis visited the campus for an exhibition.As the reigning ACUI national collegiate

champion, Varner was chosen as Balsis’ opponent in a straight pool match.“It took place in Purdue’s ballroom,” Varner told this reporter, during an interview between his pool clinics at the Eagles No. 16 this weekend. “We were going to 150, and I figured I was completely outclassed.”He described how they both had several runs of (pocketing) 40 to 50 balls in a row, before Balsis missed at 148, putting Varner behind by a score of 148-92.The farm boy from Kentucky then stepped to the table and ran 58-and-out for the victory.“I really admired the way Joe conducted his exhibition, and to beat him was very exiting,” the 63-year old Varner related, in a pleasant southern drawl. “But I guess it rubbed him the wrong way, and he asked me if I ever gambled.”Varner recounted how he then proceeded to win “$400 or $500” from Balsis playing one pocket.“That’s when I got the first inkling that I might have a chance of doin’ somethin’ with my pool game,” he said with a sparkle in his eye.Well, that “something” turned out to be eight world championships, a four-time Pool & Billiard Magazine Player of the Year, and an induction into the Billiard Congress of America Hall of Fame.Varner concluded his visit to Helena Monday night at the Eagles 16, with a 3-hour exhibition of skillful trick shots, entertaining stories and challenges from the large group of local pool players in attendance.After graduating from Purdue in 1970 with a major in business economics, Varner initially planned on being a golf pro.But right around that time, the game of pool took an upswing in popularity. And since he was better with a pool cue than a golf club, he switched venues.“In about 1975, I started promoting myself for exhibitions,” he related. “I visited about 80 colleges, including Montana State four times.”At Bozeman’s MSU, he met and cultivated a friendship with

Bill Clutter, who later became an administrator at Olgesby Union, at Florida State University.Varner opened his own billiard business and retail room, and was able to make a living performing exhibitions and competing in money games.Then in the late ‘70s, major pool tournaments started picking up, with larger purses and TV sponsorships, inspiring Varner to set his sights on a new goal – winning a world championship.“That’s what my dad always wanted, too. He taught me the fundamentals, and he believed I could be a world champion,” Varner said.But the elder Varner was only partially correct. His son went on to become the only man to win world crowns in five different games; 9-ball, 14.1 straight pool, 8-ball, one pocket and bank pool.His high run at 14.1 is 337 balls, and his lifetime best in 9-ball is 10 consecutive racks without missing.The Kentuckian’s last title came in 2000, but several years before that, he began thinking ahead to retirement.“In about 1997, I started my own cue company, and now we have a catalog with about 200 different cue sticks, and about 100 cases,” he said.And of course there are his touring clinics and exhibitions, as part of the “Legends & Champions World 9-Ball Tour.”According to Varner, most of his students are pool players that have played the game for awhile, and have gained a certain amount of proficiency.“Mainly they just want to take their game to the next level,” he said.His primary objective with the clinics and exhibitions is to generate more interest in the sport, and create enthusiasm among those who already play the game.“Pool is a fun game,” he grinned.Varner said his ultimate award was being inducted into the BCA’s Hall of Fame in 1992.“When I went into the Hall of Fame, a lot of those guys that I idolized were still alive. It was an awesome experience,” he reminisced.“I couldn’t believe that I was joining guys like Willie Mosconi, Minnesota Fats, Luther Lassiter, Joe Balsis, Eddie Taylor, Jimmy Caras and Irving Crane, and they were all there that night.”

Another benchmark occurred in Tokyo in 1994, when he was the No. 1 ranked player in the world.“We’re riding over to a challenge match, and I see a whole

bunch of people standing in line about a block long,” Varner recounted. “So I asked, ‘Where are these people going?’ And the guy says, ‘They’re coming to see you.’”Varner remembered that when he first started out, he “never dreamed” he would accomplish everything he’s done.“I’ve traveled all over the world, I’ve been able to make a comfortable living playing a game, and my hobby is my work,” said the down-to-earth country boy, who was the second player in history to win over $100,000 a year.“It’s been a hell of a ride.”But as a family man, Varner made it clear that pool is only part of his life.“I’ve got three kids. My son is a CPA, and my daughter is a pharmacist, and I’m more proud of that then anything I’ve ever done on the pool table,” he said with satisfaction.Curt Synness is an IR sports writer and a longtime pool player in Helena, Mont. He can be reached at 594-2878 or [email protected] This article appeared in the Independent Record, www.helenair.com - Photo courtesy of: David Teller

Pool legend gives locals a lesson in art of billiardsNick Varner

By CURT SYNNESS - Independent Record - HELENA, MONTANA -- September 20, 2011

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shutout Miller in set two 4-0 and walked with $600 for the win. Growing in popularity, the AZ 6 and Under Singles division fielded 66 entrants, up 47 players from 2010. The players in this handicapped division were for BCAPL Arizona players who had an AZ state rating 4 to 6. Sitting in the hot seat was Miguel Diaz (AZ 6) from Casa Grande, AZ. Diaz faced Joshua Welch from Yuma, in the finals. Diaz punted Welch to the one loss side during the hot seat match. Eager for revenge, Welch came back tougher than ever double dipping Diaz in the final 6-2, 6-1 to walk with the $700 first place prize. Teams took center stage Saturday September 3rd. The team competitions were handicapped based on the national BCAPL rating of the fielded team members. Open players were valued at 2 points, Advanced players 3 points, Master players 4 points and Grand Master 5 points. Each team fielded a 4 player roster. The player rating points were added together with a minimum 8 and maximum 12 games to win based on the team members’ individual BCAPL national rating. The Men’s / Mixed Open Team division fielded 23 (4 player) teams. Led by top AZ player Mitch Ellerman with team mates Chad Barber, JR Burkhart and Jerry Stuckart, Stinger’s Venom double dipped Knobby Bull Dawgs who was comprised of Burt Balancad, Pat Dicker, Larry Eans, Jose Gonzalez and Chris Shenker all from Arizona. The Women’s Open Team division had 10 teams vying for the $700 first place payday. Going into Sunday the team sitting in the hot seat was Arizona’s Q & Brew Q-Tease comprised of Leandrea Gaff, Tami Hathcock, Cathy Hamilton-Kelley and Veronica Poore. The team handily took out all in their path including long time veteran team Badd Azz Babes who they later would face in the finals. The Babes included Kitty Carroll, Sonia Flores, Sara “Millie” Miller, Sophia Morquecho and Susan Williams. In this case experience won out with the Babes bearing down and double dipping the Q-Tease for 1st place. For all brackets and payouts for the 2011 BCAPL Southwest Regional Championships visit the CueSports Tournament System (CTS) at www.ctsondemand.com. A photo gallery courtesy of Kevin Tank Arco can be viewed at www.playbca.com. For more information about other CSI produced events including other BCAPL state and regional tournaments visit the Upcoming Events Calendar at www.playbca.com

BCAPL SW Regionals (continued from page 5)


DENVER, COExecutive Billiards, manufacturer of the Delta-13 billiard ball rack, announced today that they are hosting a pool trick shots contest for novice and amateur players on “YouTube.” “The Delta-13 International Amateur Trick Shot Contest” will give away over $20,000 in quality billiard accessories, including a 7’ Diamond Sport pool table. Four winners will also receive airfare plus three nights stay in Las Vegas from May 11-12, 2012. “We are promoting artistic pool and trick shots during the four month contest to expose the home recreation market to this exciting sport. Young and old alike, who have access to a pool table, will find trick shots are a terrific activity to entertain family and friends,” says Terry Taggart, President of Executive Billiards. Trick videos will be judged and graded with a maximum point potential of 10 for each of five categories; Degree of difficulty, creativity and originality, execution, presentation, and video quality. World renowned professional trick shot artists will perform the judging. Florian “Venom” Kohler – France, Stefano “ Mr. Trick Shots” Pelinga – Italy, Paul “Professor-Q-Ball” Frankel – USA, and Tom “Dr. Cue” Rossman – USA, will be using their many talents to grade the registered videos. According to ESPN & World Masters Trick Shot Champion Tom “Dr. Cue” Rossman, “The Delta-13 International Amateur Trick Shot Contest should become a landmark competition for the sport of artistic pool. Players from around the world may showcase their artistic skills in 2 presentation categories, which will surely take trick shots to a new level in billiard excellence and magnetic fan appeal.” All qualifying trick shot videos must include a Delta-13 regular or elite ball rack. The entire “Rules of Eligibility” can be found at www.delta-13.com.Please Visit www.delta-13.com/video_contest.htm for more details

Trick Shot Video Contest

Results


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For Sallys Mix-another Vinnies team this summer was a very difficult one. Sally Harvey was joined by veteran Brenda Johnson, Cary Wolcott, Stephanie Guinn and their newest addition Lauren Rutkovitz. They fell apart in the middle of the session giving up all 5 rounds to the opposite teams, which set them up behind the pack. They are talented and have the experience in their group. This team just needs to regroup, put the summer behind them and be ready for next winter session. Good luck to them. They place 10th this session.The Diablo Lanes –Sharp Shooting Divas led by Cocoa Huey is another up and coming group which promises nothing but good things for the young and new talent of the league. They were joined by Lelani Ching, a very dangerous shooter hungry to run out on every game. Dana Sanderson, Miriam Hudson also made up this talented group. They placed 11th this summer.Farrington’s team The Four Cues led by veteran Carmen Millholland struggled this session. Again this group is a relative group to our league and more play time and experience can only help them do better next session. Carmen was joined by Patti Brown, Carmalita Millholland and Carmel Piper They placed 12th on the standings.And last but not least Tonya's Mix. Let us take this opportunity to welcome our newest captain to our league Tonya Daniels. She played for the first time last summer with Brenda Clark, and accepted our offer to run a new team this summer to host all new and fresh talent. If I may say so myself she did a remarkable job being the captain and tortured a few of the top teams when they played them. She was joined by Kristen Pettersen, Lisa Turner and Nichole Shannon. (Cola).

(continued from page 18)

TOP SHOOTER1ST $ 100 Shawn Modelo2ND $ 90 Leslie Bernardi3RD $ 80 Cathy Reaves4TH $ 70 Darla Decker5TH $ 60 Ana Gross6TH $ 50 Salene Castaneda7TH $ 40 Denise Domingo8TH $ 30 Brenda Johnson9TH $ 20 Darnell Domingo10TH $ 10 Brenda ClarkMOST IMPROVEDShawn Modelo

FINAL STANDINGS:1ST $ 1155 Secret Sauce-The Office Bar2ND $ 975 Junior Mints-Vinnies Bar3RD $ 823 Motley Cues-Cue’ n Brew4TH $ 693 Scores - Jess5TH $ 579 Farrington’s-Kristin6TH $ 481 It is what it is-The Office7TH $ 398 Salt & Peppa-Cjs8TH $ 328 Cue ‘ n Brew-Annette9TH $ 269 Rack’ em Up-Your Average Killers10TH $ 218 Vinnie’s- Sallys team11TH $ 172 Diablo Lanes-Sharp Shooting Divas12TH $ 129 Farrington’s-Four Cue’s13TH $ 111 Diablo Lanes-Tonya

DVPL DON’T MISS AN ISSUEWe are starting our 12th year

of publishing The BreakThank you Everyone

www.thebreakmagazine.com

The Break Magazine has been revolutionizing the way we view a billiard magazine for over 11 years now by becoming the first pool magazine to go exclusively to both the print and digital media.The Break appeals to pool players as well as billiard enthusiasts. The billiard lifestyle is represented by pros and amateurs alike, from pool leagues to international tournaments. With a print and digital readership of over 25,000 each month - local, state, regional, national and global, making it a truly international publication.The Break brings to its readers up to date results, tournaments, product reviews, feature locations and exclusive interviews. The Break has broken the mold on what a pool magazine should be by reaching local and global readers interested in this game. Proving that both digital and print magazines are the wave of the future when used in combination. We are now in our 12th year of publishing The Break and we thank you, the pool players, for making us the best we can be.

CALL FIRST: Dates, Times & Tournaments are subject to change without notice.

DAY CITY LOCATION PHONE EVENT / RULES ENTRY ADDED TIMEMondays Snohomish Kornerpocket Billiardz (360) 862-9054 8/9 Ball B & below $5 50% 7:00PM Spokane 7th Rail (509) 325-7751 Texas Holdem Poker $5 Call Spokane Black Diamond (253) 226-3594 211 $10 Combined 6:30PM Sumner Log Cabin (253) 863-2905 9-Ball Vegas Rules $5 $$$ 7:00PMTuesdays Everett O’Finnigan’s Pub (425) 745-4805 9-Ball Vegas Rules $5 100% 8:00PM Kenmore Golden Fleece (425) 908-7332 8-Ball $10 based on field 7:30PM Spokane 7th Rail (509) 325-7751 8-Ball Call 8:00PM Spokane 7th Rail (509) 325-7751 Texas Holdem Poker $10 Call Spokane Black Diamond (253) 226-3594 211 $10 Combined 6:30PM Sumner Log Cabin (253) 863-2905 9-Ball Vegas Rules $5 $$$ 7:00PM Tacoma Malarkey’s Pool & Brew (253) 226-3594 211 $10 Combined 6:15PMWednesdays Bellevue Mustard Seed (425) 603-9001 8-Ball B only Limit 16 $5 up to $100 7:30PM Everett O’Finnigan’s Pub (425) 745-4805 8-Ball Vegas Rules $5 100% 8:00PM Everett P C’s Pub (425) 258-9465 Vegas 8 Ball $5 7:30PM Kenmore Golden Fleece (253) 226-3594 211 $10 Combined 7:15PM Lynnwood Inn Sports Bar & Grill (425) 743-0700 8-Ball - BCA Rules $5 100% 7:00PM Snohomish Kornerpocket Billiardz (360) 862-9054 8-Ball - Mod Vegas rules $5 50% 7:00PM Tacoma Malarkey’s Pool & Brew (253) 383-3301 9 Ball-Race to 3-DE $5+3 g.f. 7:30PM Tacoma Latitude 84 (253) 531-5154 9-Ball $5+$3 g.f. 8:00PMThursdays Belfair Allen’s Billiards (360) 275-2668 8-Ball (1st & 3rd Thurs) $7+$3 g.f. $$$ 7:00PM Belfair Allen’s Billiards (360) 275-2668 9-Ball (2nd & 4th Thurs) $7+$3 g.f. $$$ 7:00PM Everett P C’s Pub (425) 258-9465 Poker $20 buy in 7:30PM Olympia Frankies (360) 455-0352 9-Ball Valley Rules $5 Matching 7:00PM Spokane 7th Rail (509) 325-7751 Cribbage $6 6:00PM Spokane 7th Rail (509) 325-7751 Texas Holdem Poker $15 7:00PM Tacoma Latitude 84 (253) 531-5154 Poker 6 & 9PMFridays Kenmore Golden Fleece (425) 908-7332 9-Ball $10 based on field 7:30PM Lakewood Schooners (253) 584-1919 9-Ball BCA rules $5 100% 7:00PM Ocean Park Doc’s Tavern (360) 665-4105 8-Ball Open $3 Meat Shoot 7:00PM Snohomish Kornerpocket Billiardz (360) 862-9054 9-Ball Mod Vegas Rules $5 50% 7:00PM Spokane 7th Rail (509) 325-7751 9-Ball Call 8:00PM Tacoma Latitude 84 (253) 531-5154 Poker Call 6 & 9PM Tacoma Malarkey’s Pool & Brew (253) 383-3301 9 Ball-Race to 3-DE $5+3 g.f. 7:30PM Vancouver Legends (360) 693-8125 8 Ball - Mod BCA $5 Matching 7:30PM Vancouver Spot Bar & Grill (360) 256-1110 8-Ball Call Pocket $2 Matching 8:00PMSaturdays Kenmore Golden Fleece (425) 908-7332 9-Ball $10 based on field 7:30PM Lakewood Schooners (253) 584-1919 8-Ball BCA rules $5 100% 7:00PM Sumner Log Cabin (253) 863-2905 8-Ball $5 Matching 2:00PM Tacoma Latitude 84 (253) 531-5154 Poker 6 & 9PM Vancouver Legends (360) 693-8125 8 Ball - Mod BCA $5 Matching 7:30PM Vancouver Spot Bar & Grill (360) 256-1110 Blind Draw Scotch Dbls $3 $2/player 8:00PMSundays Olympia Frankies (360) 455-0352 8-Ball Valley Rules $5 Matching 6:00PM Tacoma Latitude 84 (253) 531-5154 Poker Call 6 & 9PM Tacoma Malarkey’s Pool & Brew (253) 383-3301 8-Ball $5 100% 2:00PM Tacoma Malarkey’s Pool & Brew (253) 226-3594 211 $10 Combined 4:00PM

WEEKLY TOURNAMENTSW

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DAY CITY LOCATION PHONE EVENT / RULES ENTRY ADDED TIMEMondays Pocatello Pocket (208) 233-1841 8-Ball Handicap $5 100% payout 7:00PMThursdays Pocatello Pocket (208) 233-1841 9-Ball Handicap $5 150% payout 7:00PMSaturdays Emmett Toadstool (208) 398-7321 9-Ball (Scratch bucket) $5 $2/player 7:30PM Pocatello Pocket (208) 233-1841 Scotch Doubles Call CallSundays Pocatello Oasis Bar (208) 232-9347 8/9 Ball Alternating $5 Matching 8:00PM

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DAY CITY LOCATION PHONE EVENT / RULES ENTRY ADDED TIMEWednesdays Alexander Hi Way Lounge (701) 828-3100 8-Ball $5 100% 8:30PMSaturdays WIlliston Cattails Lounge (701) 572-2679 8-Ball $5 Matching 2:00PMSundays Williston Cattails Lounge (701) 572-2679 9-Ball $5 Matching 2:00PMN

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DAY CITY LOCATION PHONE EVENT / RULES ENTRY ADDED TIME

Mondays Ogden D & R Spirits (801) 394-8400 8-Ball VNEA rules $5 7:00PMUT

Mondays Riverside Shooters (951) 785-9588 9-Ball Handicap 9’ Tables $11 8:00PM Sacramento Jointed Cue (916) 456-3243 9-Ball B $5 8:00PM San Francisco Family Billiards (415) 931-1115 9-Ball Handicap $20 7:00PMTuesdays Emeryville Broken Rack (510) 652-9808 WorldPPA $20 $100 1st Tues only 8:00PM Riverside Shooters (951) 785-9588 9-Ball Handicapped $12 8:00PM Sacramento Jointed Cue (916) 456-3243 9-Ball Open staggered entry $5-$15 $50 8:00PMWednesdays Bellflower Hard Times (562) 867-7733 3 Cushion Handicap $17 incl g.f. $100 w/20+ 8:00PM Mountain View CA Billiard Club (650) 965-3100 WorldPPA 8-Ball $11 6:00PM Riverside Shooters (951) 785-9588 9-Ball Handicap 9’ Tables $11 8:00PMThursdays Bellflower Hard Times (562) 867-7733 9-Ball Handicap $10 7:30PM Emeryville Broken Rack (510) 652-9808 9-Ball Open $20 Call 8:00PM Riverside Shooters (951) 785-9588 9-Ball $12 8:00PM San Francisco Family Billiards (415) 931-1115 9-Ball Handicap $20 7:00PMFridays Concord DVPL (510) 861-0812 Tourny at Vinnie’s Bar Call 8:00PMSaturdays Mountain View CA Billiard Club (650) 965-3100 WorldPPA 9-Ball/SE $11 6:00PM Mountain View CA Billiard Club (last Sat) (650) 965-3100 WorldPPA 9-Ball/SE $22 $100 6:00PM Riverside Shooters (951) 785-9588 10-Ball Hndcp 9’ tables $20 $$$ 1:00PMSundays Bellflower Hard Times (562) 867-7733 9-Ball Open - Limit 32 $20 12:30PM Mountain View CA Billiard Club (650) 965-3100 10-Ball Open SE $10 6:00PM Mountain View CA Billiard Club (last Sun) (650) 965-3100 10-Ball Open SE $20 $100 6:00PM

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DAY CITY LOCATION PHONE EVENT / RULES ENTRY ADDED TIMEMondays Forest Grove Ballad Town Billiards (503) 357-1111 8-Ball BCA 2/2 DE $5+$2 g.f. $3 7:30PM Milwaukie River Road House (503) 653-5885 8-Ball Open $5+$2 g.f. $$$ 7:00PM Oregon City K C Midway (503) 656-9501 9 Ball - No masters FREE $3/player 7:30PM Salem Sharky’s (503) 391-4912 Pool Tournament $5 $10/player w/20+ 7:00PM Wednesdays Coos Bay Silver Dollar (541) 888-5634 Players Choice $5 $$$ w/9+ 7:30PM Forest Grove Ballad Town Billiards (503) 357-1111 9-Ball/BCA 3/2 DE $5+$2 g.f. $3 7:30PM Milwaukee Wichita (503) 654-4201 8-Ball (max 32) $5 House Matches 7:30PM Milwaukee Wichita (503) 654-4201 8-Ball (last Wed only) $5 $100 Bonus 1st 7:30PMThursdays Beaverton Underground Sports Bar (503) 848-8888 9-Ball BCA Rules-No Masters $5 House Matches 8:00PM Portland Greek Village (503) 643-2119 Pool Tournament $5 50% 6:00PM Salem Sharky’s (503) 391-4912 Pool Tournament $5 $10/player w/20+ 7:00PM Fridays Albany Ma’s Tavern (541) 928-4055 9-Ball Race to 3 $3 $30 7:00PM Coos Bay Silver Dollar (541) 888-5634 8-Ball $5 $$$ w/9+ 7:30PM Forest Grove Ballad Town Billiards (503) 357-1111 8-Ball/BCA 2/2 DE $5+$2 g.f. $3 7:30PM Medford Rackem (541) 779-6111 8-Ball Call Call Call Oregon City K C Midway (503) 656-9501 9 Ball Play on Diamond Tables $5 $3/player 7:30PM Salem Jake’s Bar & Grill (503) 362-3600 8 Ball-Open $5 $$$ 7:30PMSaturdays Albany Ma’s Tavern (541) 928-4055 8-Ball Race to 2 $3 $30 7:00PM Forest Grove Ballad Town Billiards (253) 226-3594 211 $10 100% payout 6:00PM Forest Grove Ballad Town Billiards (503) 357-1111 (3rd Sat) Darts: Cricket/501 $7 $5/player 7:00PM Gresham Pub 181 (503) 666-4457 9-Ball $5 Matching 11:00AM Oregon City K C Midway (503) 656-9501 8 Ball No Masters $5 House Matches 7:30PM Oregon City Rodders (503) 650-2363 8-Ball $3 Matching 7:00PM Oregon City Rodders (503) 650-2363 9-Ball (starts after 8-Ball) $3 Call Salem Jake’s Bar & Grill (503) 362-3600 8-Ball Blind Draw Sc Doubles $5 $$$ 7:30PMSundays Albany Ma’s Tavern (1st Sun) (541) 928-4055 8-Ball Sc Dbls (co-ed) $5/person $$$ 2:00PM Beaverton Underground Sports Bar (503) 848-8888 8-Ball BCA Rules-No Masters $5 House Matches 7:00PM Bend Fox’s Billiard Lounge (541) 788-9595 Rotating 8-Ball/9-Ball $10 Match 25% 12:30PM Forest Grove Ballad Town Billiards (503) 357-1111 9-Ball BCA 3/2 DE $5+$2 g.f. $3 7:30PM Portland NiteHawk (503) 285-7177 8 Ball $3M/$2W $100 6:00PM Portland Sam’s Billiards (503) 282-8266 Straight Pool (1st Sun.) $15 11:00AM

CALL FIRST: Dates, Times & Tournaments are subject to change without notice.

WEEKLY TOURNAMENTS

Tuesdays Sun Valley Harvey’s (775) 673-8787 8-Ball $5 7:00PMFridays Sun Valley Harvey’s (775) 673-8787 8-Ball $5 $2/player 7:00PM Sun Valley Harvey’s (775) 673-8787 8-Ball $5 7:00PMSundays Sun Valley Harvey’s (775) 673-8787 9-Ball $5 Noon NE

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DATE CITY LOCATION PHONE EVENT / RULES ENTRY ADDED TIME

Call First - All Tournaments are subject to change without notice

Oct 1 Emmett, ID Diamond Jack’s (See ad Sept) (208) 371-1553 9-Ball Mansor-Walker Mem. $25 Call 10:00AMOct 1 Pocatello, ID The Pocket (See ad p21) (208) 233-1841 8-Ball Scotch Doubles-Hdcp $25+$15 g.f. Call 11:00AMOct 1-2 Lynnwood, WA Uncle Jack’s (See ad p 37) (425) 640-5474 9-Ball on 7’ - No GM’s - Race to 7 $50M/$40W $500 w/32 CallOct 2 Albany, OR Ma’s Tavern (See ad p 30) (541) 928-4055 Scotch Doubles Co-ed $5/person Call 2:00PMOct 2 Portland, OR Sam’s Billiards (See ad p24) (503) 282-8266 Straight Pool $15 11:00AMOct 6-9 Phoenix, AZ Bull Shooters (See ad Sept) (219) 465-8101 9-Ball Singles 4 Divisions $35 ea. $250ea w/full field NoonOct 7-9 Phoenix, AZ Bull Shooters (See ad Sept) (219) 465-8101 8-Ball Singles 5 Divisions $35/$60 $250/$500 ea NoonOct 8-9 Phoenix, AZ Bull Shooters (See ad Sept) (219) 465-8101 9-Ball 4 Divisions $20-$60 $500 w/full fields NoonOct 7 Pocatello, ID The Pocket (See ad p21) (208) 233-1841 9-Ball BCA Rules $25+$10 g.f. Call 5:30PMOct 8-9 Pocatello, ID The Pocket (See ad p21) (208) 233-1841 8-Ball BCA Rules $40+$20 g.f. $1,000 guar 10:00AMOct 8-9 Pocatello, ID The Pocket (See ad p21) (208) 233-1841 8-Ball 16 women needed $20+$10 g.f. Call 10:00AMOct 7 Emmett, ID Toadstool (See ad p 16) (208) 398-7321 9-Ball w/Scratch Bucket $5 Call 7:00PMOct 8 Emmett, ID Toadstool (See ad p 16) (208) 398-7321 8-Ball - No “A” Players $25 $500 w/64 10:00AMOct 8 Salem, OR The Cue Ball (See ad p6) (503) 362-9740 9-Ball So. Willamette Valley players $10 $200 10:00AMOct 10 Lincoln City, OR Western BCA (See ad p8) westernbca.org Minis & Ring Game Fun Night Call Call 7:00PMOct 11-16 Lincoln City, OR Western BCA (See ad p8) westernbca.org 9-Ball Regionals Men & Women Varies $17,500 OnlineOct 15-16 San Francisco, CA TWCWT (See ad p30) (510) 329-3566 9-Ball Tour at Family Billiards Call Call CallOct 15-16 Mtn View, CA CA Billiard Club (See ad p7) (650) 965-3100 One Pocket - Race to 3 - DE $40 $400 Guar 1:00PMOct 22 Bozeman, MT Eagles #326 (See ad p38) (406) 587-9996 “Chip” Pool Classic - Limit 42 $10 Call 10:00AMOct 29-30 Spokane, WA Black Diamond (See ad p17) (509) 891-8357 9-Ball Open - Limit 64 $50 (incl. g.f.) $750 w/full field 9:00AMOct 29-30 Spokane, WA Black Diamond (See ad p17) (509) 891-8357 8-Ball Women’s - Limit 32 $25 (incl. g.f.) $250 w/full field 9:00AMNov 4-6 Billings, MT Bullwackers (See ad p21) (406) 656-2887 8-Ball Singles & Teams Varies $3,000 10:00AMNov 5 Oregon City, OR K C’s Midway (See ad p36) (503) 656-9501 8-Ball Mike Carey Benefit $15 $5/person 11:00AMNov 5 Pocatello, ID The Pocket (See ad p21) (208) 233-1841 8-Ball Scotch Doubles-Hdcp $25+$15 g.f. Call 11:00AMNov 6 Albany, OR Ma’s Tavern (See ad p 30) (541) 928-4055 Scotch Doubles Co-ed 8-Ball $5/person Call 2:00PMNov 6 Portland, OR Sam’s Billiards (See ad p24) (503) 282-8266 Straight Pool $15 11:00AMNov 9-13 Las Vegas, NV Bally’s Casino (See ad p2) (800) 984-7665 TAP National Championships Varies Call 6:00PMNov 10-13 Lincoln City, OR Chinook Winds (See ad p14) 888-CHINOOK WPBA Tour Championship $10-$75 Tickets Call CallNov 11-13 Ogden, UT Ogden Eagles (See ad p 36) (801) 683-9781 8/9 Ball Rick John Mem M/W Varies Call 6:00PMNov 12 Salem, OR The Cue Ball (See ad p6) (503) 362-9740 9-Ball So. Willamette Valley players $10 $200 10:00AMNov 12-13 Mtn View, CA CA Billiard Club (See ad p7) (650) 965-3100 8-Ball Barbox West Coast Cue Show $20 $500 NoonNov 19-20 Albany, OR Ma’s Tavern (See ad p 30) (541) 928-4055 9-Ball Handicap races $15+$5 g.f. $300 w/30+ 10:00AMNov 19-20 Bellevue, WA NWPA (See ad p 16) (206) 920-1936 Year End Event Call $500 Min CallNov 19-20 Mtn View, CA CA Billiard Club (See ad p7) (650) 965-3100 One Pocket - Race to 3 - DE $40 $400 Guar 1:00PMNov 19-20 Emeryville, CA TWCWT (See ad p30) (510) 329-3566 9-Ball Tour at The Broken Rack Call Call CallNov 25-27 Tacoma, WA Malarkey’s (See ad p7) (253) 383-3301 9-Ball - Race to 7 $50+$15 g.f. $3,000 w/128 11:00AMDec 3 Pocatello, ID The Pocket (See ad p21) (208) 233-1841 8-Ball Scotch Doubles-Hdcp $25+$15 g.f. Call 11:00AMDec 3 Odgen, UT D & R Sprits (See ad p6) (801) 394-8400 9-Ball Scotch Dbls Blind Draw Call Call CallDec 3-4 Lynnwood, WA Uncle Jack’s (See ad p 37) (425) 640-5474 9-Ball on 9’ - Race to 9 $125 $1,500 w/32 max CallDec 4 Portland, OR Sam’s Billiards (See ad p24) (503) 282-8266 Straight Pool $15 11:00AMDec 10 Salem, OR The Cue Ball (See ad p6) (503) 362-9740 9-Ball So. Willamette Valley players $10 $200 10:00AMDec 17-18 Mtn View, CA CA Billiard Club (See ad p7) (650) 965-3100 One Pocket - Race to 3 - DE $40 $400 Guar 1:00PMFeb 4-5 Bellflower, CA CSI (See ad p43) (702) 719-7665 9-Ball Jay Swanson Mem. Call $3,000 Guar CallFeb 12-19 Reno, NV CSI (See ad p43) (702) 719-7665 8/9/10-Ball Bar Table Champ. Call $25,250 Call

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the break october issue 2011

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