rackem magazine april issue 2010

2 Rackem Magazine - April 2010

April 2010 - Rackem Magazine 3

About RackemRackem is a monthly publication, dedicated to the advancement of the sport of pool and to promoting enthusiasm and encouragement among the players at all levels, regardless of their league affiliation, in addition to recognizing those businesses who support them all. Covering the midwest. Look for Rackem by the 10th of each month.The opinions expressed are those of the author or advertiser and do not necessarily reflect the views of Rackem or its staff. We reserve the right to edit or reject any material submitted for publication. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without the written permission of the Publisher. © 2010 Rackem

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LAYOUTS & DESIGNWendy SwensonSunshine RossMary AkerlowDon Akerlow

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www.OTBnTV.comStreaming ScheduleApr 2-4, 2010 Platte Valley Open Saratoga, WYMay 27-Jun 5, 2010 30th Annual VNEA Int’l Championships Las Vegas, NVJun 17-20, 2010 20th Annual VNEA Junior Nationals Rochester, MN

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04-11-2010 10:00 AM 2001 Sudden Death 7-Ball Frank vs Souquet 04-18-2010 10:00 AM 2001 Wmn’s Tour. Champ05-02-2010 8:00 AM Lassiter vs. Puckett05-03-2010 8:00 AM Legends of The Fall Hall of Fame Trick Shots05-03-2010 1:00 PM 1993 US Open 9-Ball 05-03-2010 2:00 PM 1993 U.S. Open 9-Ball Ellin vs Sigel 05-09-2010 8:00 AM Moore vs. Lassiter

05-08-2010 4:00 PM 2009 Men’s Speed Pool Salvas vs Kane

05-08-2010 5:00 PM 2009 Men’s Speed Pool Mcgrath vs Pearson

05-08-2010 6:00 PM 2009 Men’s Speed Pool Salvas vs Pearson

Cover PhotoJustin Collett


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Get it Straight with Straight PoolBy Samm Diep, PoolTipJar.com © April 2010

Photo Courtesy of Mike Fieldhammer, BilliardCoach.com

Samm Diep

The Price of Performance© 2010 Mike Fieldhammer, BilliardCoach.com

What does golf have in common with pool? Answer: Players look for the quick fix to improve their performance. Verdict: Expensive equipment makes a difference. You get what you pay for in life and there is no such thing as a free lunch. Take a small thing like the tip on your current cue. Have you pampered it by shaping, shaving, scuffing or tapping it? I would think that you have. Players realize that a good tip plays better and that some tips outperform other tips. Moori and Kamui layered tip costs around $40 installed. A LePro or Triangle tip can be had for as little as $15 if you

find some backwater cue repair guy. The truth is that the layered tip typically has 8 or more thin layers of leather but it only provides roughly three times the performance. This makes perfect sense when you figure that there is a point of diminishing returns on layers, but the Price/ Performance ratio is almost exactly the true 3:1. OB and Predator have gone to great lengths to "Over-Engineer" a pool cue shaft. The complicated manufacturing and assembly of these high tech shafts has up to 4 times the waste and 20 times the glue used in a solid "Old-School" maple shaft. These shafts cost 2 to 3 times more than traditional shafts that come standard with most pool cues. Here again, a player can leverage their equipment to have a significant edge on their opponents playing with yesterday's state of the art, today's obsolete shaft. Why on earth would you use caveman tools while working on the space shuttle? Precision counts. The best and naturally most expensive joint configurations of 2010 are the Radial Pin and Uni-Loc joint both made by the same company. These joints assure a solid feeling cue stick when the butt and shaft are put together. If the cue was built by a competent cue maker, the cue should end up dead straight. A high performance cue stick made by a high end builder with the finest components and a quality tip will outperform lesser cues and offer the owner an advantage that can be bought. You may say, "But what if I'm not that good of a player to notice or to make use of all that cue?" Well, a 650 horsepower Ferrari may never break 100 miles per hour on rural roads in the United States, but short flashes of supercar performance will be evident even driving at Hyundai speeds. Acceleration, handling, and braking will all be superior even driving within the speed limit. If by accident, the pedal is depressed to the floor, the Ferrari will make every driver faster be they a Professional or Learner's Permit driver. Equipment does matter. Don't short change your pool game in order to save some pocket change. It's no accident that Tiger Woods gets prototype golf clubs to test that may never hit the production line. They are technically legal for him to use in competition, but are so expensive to build that they couldn't possibly be a profitable consumer product. Thankfully for pool players, some equipment upgrades can be done for under $10 like a couple of cubes of Blue Diamond chalk. If you have any equipment questions or need advice on shaft selection, feel free to drop me a line or give me a call.

I have recently become completely obsessed with straight pool, aka 14.1 continuous or simply 14.1. This classic discipline was the game of choice for many of the old school legendary players. It was the game played in the 1961 movie, The Hustler, starring Jackie Gleason and Paul Newman. A player’s worth was measured by their high run and even then, the better player could still get shut out by steady ball-pocketing and patient safety play. These days, straight pool players seem to be a dying breed. Most recently, “Mr. 400” John Schmidt has made the game popular again. I’ve had the honor of watching him run 100+ balls in person on more than one occasion and it

inspires me be a better player.

Objective Straight pool is a call-pocket game. Balls may be pocketed in any pocket, in any order. One point is received for each ball pocketed. Players shoot until they miss, play a safety, or they reach their target match points. The 15th ball from each rack is left untouched on the table along with the cue ball. The remaining 14 balls are racked, leaving the head ball empty. The player continues to shoot attempting to pocket the 15th ball while breaking open the newly racked balls to continue their run. Most recently, I watched John run 204 balls at the 2010 SBE 14.1 Challenge organized by Steve & Heather Kurtz and Charlie Eames. The run was made on a 9’ Diamond pro-am with fresh cloth, fairly clean balls, in 80 degree greasy, humid heat. Spectators were gathered on both sides to watch. His run was not perfect. Several times he got out of line and was forced to shoot recovery shots to get back in the game. According to him, his run was not textbook but with strong shot-making and savvy position play at the end of each rack, he strung together 14 and a half racks. That’s true a testament to his tenacity.Benefits Since I began playing more straight pool, I have seen noticeable improvements in the following areas: • I pocket balls with better speed. There is an ‘ideal’ speed that comes along

with the game. I learned very quickly that you don’t need to slam the balls. In fact, it’s better if you don’t.

• My breakouts in 8-ball have been much more precise. Instead of just busting into a cluster, I’m much more confident in knowing which balls will go where.

• I feel good about my combination shots. They come up fairly often in straight pool runs.

• I’m reminded of the ‘every single shot matters’ mentality. In this day of alternate-breaks, we’re guaranteed to have another chance at the table. It can be easy to take a shot for granted here and there. In straight pool, one missed shot could cost you 25 or 50 balls, or even the match. If you do get another chance at the table, you need to warm up again from sitting so long.

I’m fortunate enough to have the DSPA (Denver Straight Pool Association) league in my area which affords me the opportunity to share my love for the game with so many others. If you have a league near you, I would strongly recommend checking it out. In no way am I an expert in the game but I certainly appreciate it and all that it has done for me. I love straight pool so much because every single time I crack into the rack it’s a whole new game with original, sophisticated scenarios; a little nudge here, a little bump there. Even John gets surprised at times by the outcome of the stack. There are so many subtleties to this beautiful game. The challenges are endless. If you have never tried it, try it this week. If you haven’t played it in a while, set a new high-run goal and revisit the game. If you already play it, introduce it to someone new. Let’s keep the game alive!


James Davis, “Junior”, formerly of Bastrop, Texas now calls Houston “home”. Junior is well known throughout the pool world, following in the footsteps of his famous player father, James Davis Sr. Davis, along with 57 other Texas sharpshooters converged on Q Stix Billiards to duel for the cash, not only in 9-Ball, but One Pocket too!s The Lone Star Tour yielded a total of 97 players this weekend with 21 entrants in the One Pocket and 18 in the Ladies 9-Ball. The total added money was $1,850, our largest added money event to date! The 9-Ball event kicked off at 1pm on Saturday, and the final 16 returned on Sunday “in the cash”. Tour regulars Andy Jethwa, Dennis Strickland, Ernesto Bayaua, John Newsome, and Danny Tam were just a few who made the cut. The final four on the winner’s side paired Davis v. Newsome and Tam v. Bayaua. Davis v. Newsome was a hill hill thriller but Newsome scratched on the 4 ball in the final game and it was all over. Tam also played like a pro and defeated Bayaua. The hot seat match pitted Davis v. Tam. Davis staked his claim over Tam and awaited his west side opponent. On the one-loss Mike Alonzo bested Aaron Springs, and Doug Young finished David Mendiola. In the next round on the one-loss side, Bayaua bested Young in a hill hill thriller and Newsome finished Alonzo 7-5. In the end, it was Newsome v. Bayaua on the west side. Bayaua played impeccable, and emerged the victor 7-3 to meet up with Tam. Tam succumbed to Bayaua’s drive and he paired up with Davis for the final. Both players displayed utter determination and conviction. Even though it was a great match, Davis finished undefeated by a final score of 9-7. Davis also finished second to Doug Young in the One Pocket event and Joe McNamara finished a respectable third. Congratulations to all of our players, but especially James Davis, Jr. , who we are proud to say, captured his first ever career “win” on the Lone Star Tour. That’s exactly what we are all about!

On the ladies side, 18 tour regulars along with former winners Jillian Valles and Terry Petrosino of the OB1 Tour fiercely competed for over $1,000 in prize money along with former touring pro and Lone Star newcomer Ming Ng. Courtney Peters, vying for her first win, made it to

the hot seat match with Ng only to be ousted taking a 3rd place finish after Terry Petrosino bested her for a chance at first place. It was Petrosino over Ng 7-6 the first set, but the second went Ng’s way 5-2. Congratulations to all of our Lone Star Guys & Gals, who are all ranked as semi pros on the tour’s website. Many thanks to our wonderful sponsors Poison Cues, the Delta-13

Rack, The Billiard Factory, Bobby Rone & Q Stix Billiards, and James Barnett of Cameron, Texas. Our stream is brought to you by Eugene Lee, LSBT Web Tech, and you can watch live pool action, and recorded matches at www.ustream.tv/channel/lonestarbilliardstour . Our first 2010 Bar Table 9-Ball Event is March 27th-28th, at The Green Room in Temple, Texas. For more information and a complete schedule, visit www.lonestarbilliardstour.com. God bless everyone and God Bless Texas.

9-BALL PAYOUTS:1st $800 James Davis Jr. 2nd $550 Ernesto Bayaua3rd $350 Danny Tam4th $250 John Newsome5th-6th $160 Mike Alonzo, Doug Young7th-8th $85 Aaron Springs, David Mendiola 9th-12th $60 Dalton Riley, Andy Jethwa, Jason Abate, Leroy Hawkins13th -16th $40 Sonny Demetro, Dennis Strickland, J.C. Torres, Jacob Pena

LADIES PAYOUTS 9-BALL1st $350 Ming Ng2nd $250 Terry Petrosino3rd $125 Courtney Peters4th $55 Belinda Lee5th-6th $20 Rebecca Riley, Kim Pierce7th-8th Courtney McClure, Robyn Petrosino9th-12th Teresa Garland, Jillian Valles, Michelle Prince, Laura Hsu13th-16th Kyu Yi, Loretta Lindgren, Diona Cardona, Tisha Hay

ONE POCKET PAYOUTS:1ST $425 Doug Young $4252nd $225 James Davis Jr. $2253rd $155 Joe McNamara $1554th Aaron Springs5th-6th Aaron Salinas, Shonn Ballew7th-8th Coby Rabourn, Danny Lee9th-12th Ernesto Bayaua, Eugene Epstein, Jerald Jackson, Jimmy Neal13th-16th Mike Alonzo, Ryan Holley, Dennis Strickland, Jim Walker

JAMES DAVIS, JR. SCORES FIRST CAREER WIN EVER

Chuck Adams; James Davis Jr.; Kim White; Ernesto Bayaua

Ming Ng, Terry Petrosino


MN ACS STATE 8-BALL and 9-BALL SINGLES

WOMEN’S 9-BALL1st $400 Jessica Frideres2nd $250 Kelly Haffner3rd $150 Beth Fondell4th $100 Sam Matuska

MEN’S MAA/MM 9-BALL1st $650 Mike Singer2nd $450 Jim Coffey3rd $300 Matt Sherman4th $200 Randy Hanson

MEN’S MB/MA1st $475 Greg Aarhus2nd $350 Bob Larson3rd $225 Tyler Stich4th $150 Ken Sylvester5th/6th $90 Rocky Mueller, Chad Duval7th/8th $60 Todd Adamski, Scott Norberg

WOMEN’S WA 8-BALL (Round Robin)1st $608 Carolyn Nyberg2nd $372 Linda Zsedeny3rd $72 Cassidy Heilman4th $68 Jenn Green5th $52 Anna Squires6th $48 Bobbi Sides

WOMEN’S WAA 8-BALL (Round Robin)1st $628 Rachael Wentz2nd $421 Lisa Mitchell3rd $84 Pam Mitchell4th $84 Lynn McGarry5th $80 Dee Rupercht6th $64 Gloria Notsch7th $48 Loni Bolz

Jessica Frideres, Kelly Haffner

Mike Singer, Jim Coffey

Greg Aarhus, Bob Larson

Carolyn Nyberg

Rachael Wentz


MO-KAN SINGLES AT SHARKY’S

The MO-KAN Singles were played in a Double Round Robin event March 19th at Sharky's Billiards in Sedalia, Missouri. While this made for a "marathon" match length, the players all agreed they felt they had been given every opportunity to place with this format. Pictured left to right for the women: Amanda Boles - 1st place, Audra Dean - 3rd place (both of Sedalia, MO), and Laurie Reninger - 2nd place of Warsaw, MO. In the men's division: Brad Blankenship - 3rd place, Cory Smith - 1st place, and Keith Hayden - 2nd place (all of Sedalia, MO). MO-KAN Team play was cancelled due weather.

WOMEN’S WM 8-BALL1st $1150 Jessica Frideres2nd $750 Jeri Bouvette3rd $550 Cheryl Hanson4th $250 Angie Wade

MEN’S MB 8-BALL1st $600 Tyler Stich2nd $400 Nick Mayer3rd $300 Brent Prososki4th $200 Tom Sullivan 5th/6th $150 Terry Ranua, Ryan Kingberg7th/8th $90 Todd Adamski, Justin Boen9th/12th $60 Dave Lovik, Rusty Bouvette, Bob Dixon Mohammed Basher

MEN’S MA 8-BALL1st $700 John DePriest2nd $500 Tom Gust3rd $330 Rocky Mueller4th $225 Bob Hunter 5th/6th $130 Bill Neebel, Glenn Henrikson7th/8th $100 Gene Forbes, Bob Larson

MEN’S MAA 8-BALL1st $800 Adam Zajac2nd $550 Nate Pfeifer3rd $300 Mark Finkin

MEN’S MM 8-BALL1st $1260 Brian Heffner2nd $900 Jerrod Frideres3rd $600 Marc Oelslager4th $300 Dustin Morris

Tyler Stich

Adam Zajac

Brian Heffner

MN ACS STATE


With 500 entries, $24,500 added and over $70,000 in total prize money, the 17th Annual U.S. Bar Table Championships (USBTC) came to a close in the late evening hours Sunday, February 28th after having its largest year ever. Held at the Terrible’s Sand Regency Casino Hotel in Reno, Nevada, this year saw a mix of the experienced and new, the return of “The Pearl” to the winner’s circle, a lady named Little who accomplished no small feat, and a slim kid from South Dakota raking in a tad over $13,000 in 7 days. Produced by CueSports International (CSI) with Bad Boys Billiard Productions, the 17th USBTC has become the definitive bar table event in the U.S. that is open to all players. The tournament features 3 open divisions; 10-ball, 9-ball and 8-ball. In 2010 CSI also added for the first time two separate women’s divisions; 9-ball and 8-ball. The weeklong event started with 115 players in the Open 10-Ball segment Monday, February 22. Cruising undefeated into the 10-Ball hot seat, “The South Dakota Kid” Shane Van Boening faced off in the 10-Ball finals against Jose Parica. Van Boening dominated the match from the first crack of the first rack beating Parica 7-1. While the 10-Ball division wrapped up, the first rounds of the Open and Women’s 9-Ball division started. There were 139 players in the Open 9-Ball division and 24 players in the Women’s 9-Ball division. On the open side, again the lightening hot Van Boening found himself in the finals but this time against German Professional Thorsten Hohmann who was playing in his first bar table event ever. This time the hot seat belonged to Hohmann who defeated Joe Gonzalez, Richard Cook, Arturo Hernandez, Tommy Tokoph, Jeff Heath, Sylver Ochoa, Scott Frost and initially tossed Van Boening to the one loss side 7-5. Once being bounced to the “L” side of the bracket, Van Boening took out Stevie Moore, Oscar Dominguez, Scott Frost and then not to be denied wrecked vengeance upon Hohmann double dipping in the finals to capture first place. In its first year, both women’s divisions drew tough fields including professional players Melissa Little, Tina Palowski, Susan Williams, Amanda Lambert, well known Master and Grand Master level players

Noel Campos, Bonnie Plowman, Melinda Bailey and Sunny Griffin to name a few. However it was a story of déjà vu, as the final matches in both divisions pitted Palowski versus Little. Melissa Little, currently ranked 20th on the WPBA, was the queen of the hot seat for both divisions and

Palowski was the queen of determination. However, Little was too strong defeating Palowski in the finals of both the 9-Ball (7-1) and 8-Ball (4-1). The Open 8-Ball division’s top 32 was a virtual who’s who in pool. The final board was chocked full of top young guns including, U.S. Mosconi Cup Team rookie Oscar Dominguez, Texan Sylver Ochoa, NCS 8-Ball Champion Brandon Shuff and phenom Brendan Crocket. However regardless of that firepower it was Hall of Fame member and legend Earl “The Pearl” Strickland who took 1st place. This is the first major U.S event “The Pearl” has won in a couple of years showing, at age 47, he still “has it”. CSI wishes to thank the following sponsors and supporters of the U.S. Bar Table Championships, The Terrible’s Sands Regency Casino Hotel (www.sandsregency.com), Diamond Billiard Products (www.diamondbilliards.net), Simonis Cloth (www.simoniscloth.com), Aramith (www.saluc.com), and The Action Report (www.theactionreport.com). For brackets, payouts and match details visit the CueSports Tournament System website at http://www.ctsondemand.com . RESULTS / PAYOUTS: OPEN 10-BALL (115 ENTRANTS)1st: $5,000 Shane Van Boening2nd: $3,200 Jose Parica3rd: $1,600 Glenn Atwell4th: $1,000 Sal Butera5th- 6th: $750 Thorsten Hohmann and Larry Wilson7th – 8th: $500 Scott Frost and Brian Butler9th – 12th: $300 Oscar Dominguez, Tommy D’Alfonso, Earl Strickland, Brendan Crockett

Van Boening and Little Rules and “The Pearl” Shows He Still Has It

Photos by Justin Collett and Sunny Griffin

17th Annual U.S. Bar Table Championships


17th Annual U.S. Bar Table Championships

13th – 16th: $200 King Kong Chavez, Scott Tollefson, Stevie Moore, Josh O’Neal17th – 24th: $150 Manuel Chau, Darren Appleton, Terry Osborne, Billy Lee Bailey, Gabe Apollos, Max Eberle, Dwayne, Bjornstad, Matt Clatterbuck25th – 32nd: $125 Mark Haddad, Chris Melling, Ernesto Dominguez, Edwin Montal, PJ Massicotte, Stan Tourangeau, Rory Hendrickson, Tommy Tokoph OPEN 9-BALL (139 ENTRANTS)1st: $5,300 Shane Van Boening2nd: $3,400 Thorsten Hohmann3rd: $1,700 Scott Frost4th: $1,100 Oscar Dominguez5th- 6th: $750 Rob Phillips and Stevie Moore7th – 8th: $500 Sylver Ochoa and Jose Parica 9th – 12th: $300 Chris Melling, Earl Strickland, Beau Runningen, Jaynard Orque13th – 16th: $200 Tyler Edey, Tommy Tokoph, Maz Eberle, Dan Louie17th – 24th: $150 Brendan Crockett, Brandon Shuff, Charlie “Hillbilly” Bryant, Justin Whitehead, Jeff Heath, Jonathan Pinegar, Glenn Atwell, Dan25th – 32nd: $125 Jerry Matchin, Manuel Chau, Mike Kuchlin Jr., Scott Slemko, Matt Clatterbuck, Gabe Apollos, Edwin Montal, Don Wirtaman

OPEN 8-BALL (184 ENTRANTS)1st: $6,200 Earl Strickland ($6,200)2nd: $3,800 Darren Appleton ($3,800)3rd: $2,000 Scott Frost ($2,000)4th: $1,100 Shane Van Boening ($1,100)5th- 6th: $850 Chris MacDonald and Beau Runningen 7th – 8th: $600 Sylver Ochoa and Oscar Dominguez

9th – 12th: $400 Glenn Atwell, Tyler Edey, Chris Melling, Matt Clatterbuck13th – 16th: $275 Stevie Moore, Rylan Hartnett, Josh O’Neal, Thorsten Hohmann17th – 24th: $200 Stan Tourangeau, Gabe Apollos, Nicholas Kruger, Charlie “Hillbilly” Bryant, Edwin Montal, Greg Harada Jr., Jonathan Pinegar, Derek Pogirski25th – 32nd: $150 Thomas Giddens, Ernesto Dominguez, Joe Cannella Jr., Paul Juarez, Doug Whaley, Brendan Crockett, Mark Haddad, Don Wirtaman

ALL AROUND BONUS (MUST COMPETE IN OPEN 10, 9 AND 8-BALL):1st: $2,000 Shane Van Boening2nd: $1,000 Earl Strickland3rd: $500 Scott Frost WOMEN’S 9-BALL (24 ENTRANTS)1st: $1,000 Melissa Little2nd: $675 Tina Pawloski3rd: $400 Amanda Lambert4th: $225 Bonnie Plowman5th – 6th: $150 Sunny Griffin and Andrea Wilson7th – 8th: $100 Kimberly Benson and Tara Vreeland WOMEN’S 8-BALL (38 ENTRANTS)1st: $1,250 Melissa Little2nd: $800 Tina Pawloski3rd: $500 Heather Pulford4th: $300 Sunny Griffin5th – 6th: $175 Bonnie Plowman and Kimberly Benson 7th – 8th: $125 Julie Hunter and Noel Campos9th – 12th: $100 Susan Williams, Karla Bagley-Tias, Leslie Bernardi, Andrea Wilson

Shane Van Boening Earl Strickland Melissa Little


Sometimes 3 Cushions Is Not the Best Choice!By Bill Smith “Mr3Cushion”, Old School Pool.net

YES, THE GREAT game’s name is indeed three-cushion billiards, but that doesn’t mean that three-cushion shots are always the right shots. The objec¬tive of these position lessons is to simplify things, but there are many, many ways to accomplish that which

don’t correspond to merely reducing the number of cushions you use. I con¬stantly see average players choose such shots, across the width of the table, in¬stead of correct four- or five-rail shots along the length. And often enough, the longer shots will afford greater op¬portunities to position object balls in high-percentage scoring zones (in the corners being the most favorable, with your second choice being along the side rails). When you play shots three rails across the width,

you must also be more accurate about which side of the second ball you score upon. It sounds like splitting hairs, but it’s absolutely mandatory for good position play. In addition, you’ll need a more delicate touch to control the first ball and speed of the cue ball. By contrast, playing shots over the length of the table lets you cut the first ball to a cor¬ner; or three rails around the table to a long-rail zone; or the other 3-rail object-ball route, short rail, long rail, short rail, to a zone; or to the short cushion and then down to a corner, in the manner of a straight-back bank in pool. Your position possibilities are far more numerous with this length-of-the-table concept. Now on to some examples, In Diagram 1, we see a shot which comes up often. Most players will drive the first ball to the short rail, and play the shot off the obvious three cushions. This technique figures to hit the red ball full and drive it away from the corner

instead of into it for good posi-tion; once again, remember that ob¬ject balls are their biggest when near a corner. This shot is correctly played off four cushions (scoring off the end rail, as shown), over-cutting that first ball into the right-hand cor¬ner so it returns to the opposite side rail. The four-cushion execution demands a slightly better hit, but with the right technique specifically, two tips of 3 o’clock English and a short stroke it’s really not that difficult. Most importantly, it will yield a far better second shot, all three balls near that side rail. Diagram 2 shows you another shot which is often played, in effect, backwards. Many players will indeed choose a four-rail route, but the wrong one, sending the cue ball off the short rail and in behind the second ball. Again, this knocks the red away from the corner instead of into it. These players apparently feel the angle is more natural that way, and that’s fine if you need only one point to win the game... but it won’t get you that good second-shot position you’re looking for. The correct way to play this shot is off four cushions but short, as shown; your fourth rail should be that side rail, driving the

first ball in the route you see diagrammed and moving the second ball toward the corner. Shoot this striking the cue ball dead center; that will help shorten your angle. In Diagram 3, we have a shot which will be played three rails by some and five rails by most. Where they misplay the shot is in trying to drive the first ball off three cushions (rails A, B and C) and back to the long rail for posi¬tion; that only creates a kiss between the third and fourth cushions. Instead, bank that first ball softly cross-corner, as shown. There’s absolutely no

chance of a kiss that way; and you can see that if you score off five cushions, you’ll have a juicy second shot. Here you must play more precisely for tem¬po and speed of the cue ball and first ball; use moderate (one tip) English. Diagrams 4 and 5 show shots similar in concept and in practice; in each case, the ball upon which you’re trying to score is near the middle of the table. The correct method for shots like these is to land on that scoring ball softly, so it becomes the first ball for your next shot. (But you don’t want to try and drive the ball on which you score to the center of the table; that’s too far to send it, and will require you to over-hit the cue ball. shot. Don’t be con¬fused by these explanations; once you practice my recommendations at the table, their simplicity will be apparent to you.) Also, you’ll need to pay more attention to the first-ball speed if you want a good

next practice the shot of Diagram 4 by focusing on the route of that first ball: three rails into the corner, as you see. Use two tips of 3 o’clock English; your correct tem¬po and speed for the cue ball will come soon enough. (If you use sufficient speed to drive the first ball three rails, you should have automatically enough to score too.) In the shot in Diagram 5, you’re trying to bank that first ball softly cross-corner as a one-pocket player would; use extreme 3 o’clock English again, and add a short stroke to help retard the first ball’s progress. Note that the shots of both Diagrams 4 and 5 could be scored off three rails but, you’d be turning the first object ball loose to create multi¬ple kiss risks, and you’d have totally uncertain position in each case. These correct-shot ideas I’m sharing with you have been gleaned by playing and observing the top players in the world. Competitive pressure will make the average player overlook these position opportunities, and nervously hurry the shot. Don’t fall for that. Study these shots, look for similar concepts (they come up more often than you might suspect), and take your time. It’ll pay off handsomely.


2010 One Pocket Hall of Fame Dinner

Voting is now complete for this year's class of One Pocket & Bank Pool Hall of Fame inductees. Our 6th annual Hall of Fame dinner is scheduled for Tuesday, January 26, during the upcoming Derby City Classic, and advance reservations are now available. The One Pocket Hall of Fame is pleased to announce this year’s class of inductees in the categories of One Pocket, Bank Pool and Lifetime Pool in Action. This year we have two One Pocket inductees, the well travelled professional player, Jose Parica, and the outspoken legend of pool, the late Rudolf ‘Fats’ Wanderone, AKA ‘Minnesota Fats’. Our Banks inductee this year is the aptly named Glenn ‘Piggy Banks’ Rogers, from Chicago, Illinois. The One Pocket HOF is pleased to present this year’s Lifetime Pool in Action award to the legendary player, backer and aficionado of action, Seattle Washington’s Harry Platis. Harry’s name has been synonymous with pool action for more than forty years. Even as he built a successful law career he has maintained an impressively competitive game and a willingness to mix it up with champions for big money, both as a player and a backer. Jose Parica, known as the leader of the Philippine invasion, has long since adopted both the USA as his home, and One Pocket as his game. He is a former Derby City One Pocket champion, as well as a champion or runner up in seemingly dozens of other One Pocket tournaments from coast to coast. ‘Minnesota Fats’ of course, became the most recognized name in pool in the years after The Hustler, the movie, and the Johnston City tournaments provided him a spotlight that was tailor made for his natural bravado and hustler persona. While knowledgeable pool historians generally rank his game a notch below the top players, that still made him a very good One Pocket player in his prime. Even as his game declined and his fame spread, Fats never failed to talk up One Pocket as the true test for champions, and of course Fats could talk, so the world listened and learned about One Pocket. His name will forever be associated with the game and the One Pocket Hall of Fame is proud to welcome him. ‘Piggy Banks’ Rogers comes from a long tradition of Chicago banking greats, from Javanley ‘Youngblood’ Washington and ‘Cannonball’ Chapman, to ‘Bugs’ Rucker and Freddy 'The Beard' Bentivegna; the torch has been passed to another Chicago legend of Bank Pool.(photo: left to right, Doug Corwin (Fats' nephew), Harry Platis, Teresa Bell (Fats' widow), Jose Parica & Piggy Banks)

Harry Platis Lifetime POOL IN ACTION AWARD

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By Samm Diep, PoolTipJar.comOn March 28, Shooters Billiards in Burnsville, MN hosted the season finale pizza party for this year’s juniors’ league. This was the sixth consecutive year of the league which boasted a record-breaking 24 kids. Families drive from hours away each week to participate in this popular league. The players span from ages 7 to 20.Jordan Jumps for Joy with his Trick Shot TrophyA panel of guest judges was brought in for a special Trick Shot Competition. Each junior got two attempts and received two scores, one for difficulty and one for execution. 7-year-old Jordan Boltz was ecstatic when he saw the row of 10’s from the judges after he nailed his first attempt at his original trick shot named the “Stairstepper.” A close second and third place went to Zack Lee for the “Missile Silo” and Cody LaValley for “Jay’s Special.”Perfect Attendance and other PrizesSeven players received special recognition for their perfect attending this

season. Other AwardsThis league has fostered many top junior players. This year, Tyler Steinhaus and Jamie Paumen took the Faribault Youth Doubles tournament for ages

14-17 while Austen Warner and Jesse Hill finished runner-up in the 18-20 division. In the Blooming Prairie Youth 8-ball Singles, 9-year-old April Larson took second place in the 9-14 division. This was her ever first tournament. Michael Perron, Jr. also finished in second in the 14-17 division. In the Owatonna Youth Team event, Steinhaus, Hill, and Perron went undefeated in the 18-20 division.The league-end tournament will be held on May 2 and open to all junior players from the other leagues in the state. Each junior player receives a participation metal for their efforts in the season. Prizes are also awarded based on attendance, lessons, and

matches. This season, 13-year-old Lee received top honors and newcomer Larson was a close second by only three points. Both players chose pool cues for their prizes.Steinhaus also received the annual “I beat Daxs Award” for beating Daxs Balenger in a best two out of three challenge match. Balenger is a local master level player that works with the junior players each week.

The players take pride in their chance at beating him.About the LeagueThe league is coordinated by national women’s master, June Maiers, who works solely on a volunteer basis. She dedicates countless hours each season to ensure all the junior players’ needs are met. Local players, Balenger and Richard Dreyling, Jr., also contribute their time each week for the kids.The league session is 10 weeks long from October to March, based on weekend availabilities. Each

junior pays a one-time $40 league fee which includes a league shirt, prizes, and the league finale pizza party. The weekly participation cost for five league games is only $2.50, $.50 per game. Maiers prides herself in her savvy budgeting to keep the league affordable for the families.Maiers started the league because she, “really wanted to find something positive for the younger players to belong to.” Her crusade has done more than just give away trophies, “one thing that I am really happy that has happened as a result of this league and I didn’t know was going to happen is that some of the

kids have become good friends by being part of the league.”Any junior player in the Twin Cities area interested in participating in the Shooters Juniors Pool League should contact June Maiers directly at [email protected].

Minnesota Juniors Excel

Trick Shot Champs (2nd: Zack, 3rd: Cody, 1st: Jordan)

Perfect Attendance (Front: Brandon Dong, April Larson, Hailey Fullerton. Back: Zack Lee, Michael McCabe,

Tyler Broeckel, Tyler Steinhaus)

Cody LaValley


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Photos and article courtesy of CrownCuesThe 2010 Artistic Pool & Trick Shot Association's (APTSA) Masters competition at the Expo was a great event. There were more in attendance than ever before, because it was the first year the Masters was streamed live, online. Jim "Coach" Barnard stepped up to help with announcing on the stream, along with Jason Lynch. The top 12 players after the preliminary round of 40 shots

advanced into single elimination playoff format. Jamey Gray scored highest at 250 points out of a possible maximum of 320. The top 12 were:1. Jamey "Sharpshooter" Gray - 250 points!!2. Andy "The Magic Man" Segal - 2153. Gabriel "Mr. Perfect" Visiou - 2114. Nick "Quick Nick" Nikolaidis - 2075. Gil "Bulldog" Olsen - 1976. Dave "Triple Jump" Nangle - 1907. Abram "Too Tall" Diaz - 1898. Tom "Dr. Cue" Rossman - 1849. Steve "Triple C" Markle - 18010. Paul "BookEm" Danno - 17811. Tom "Too Kool" Kinzel - 16712. Jason "The Michigan Kid" Lynch - 167

In the Quarter Finals, Nick Nikolaidis defeated Jason Lynch, Andy Segal defeated Paul Danno, Tom Rossman defeated Jamey Gray and Gabriel Visiou defeated Dave Nangle. In the Semi Finals, Nick Nikolaidis defeated

Tom Rossman and Andy Segal defeated Gabriel Visiou. In the final match, Nick Nikolaidis defeated Andy Segal for the 2010 championship. Discipline Champions:Trick and Fancy -- Andy SegalProp / Novelty / Special Arts -- Andy SegalDraw -- Dave NangleFollow -- Andy SegalBank / Kick -- Bruce BartheletteStroke -- Jamey GrayJump -- Jamey Gray / Masse' -- Gil Olsen

Artistic Pool

Jamey Gray, Allen Hopkins, Andy SegalGene LaViness, Jim Barnard, Stacy Mendrick

Dave Nangle, Gil Olsen, Jamey Gray, Andy Segal, Bruce Barthelette (in photo)

Jim "Coach" Barnard won the 2010 Sportsmanship Award (A Crown Cue).Near the end of the event, we learned Jamey Gray will replace Stacy Mendrick as APTSA Chairman. Also, in 2011, the Masters will be in a new location at the Expo. When you enter the front doors on the main floor, look immediately to your right and find some super artistic pool going on, right there. See you next year! For more information about the Artistic Pool & Trick Shot Association, see their website at www.artisticpoolplayers.com


DATE CITY LOCATION PHONE EVENT/RULES ENTRY ADDED TIME

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Attention Pool Players: Do you know of a location that doesn’t receive RACKEM - Call or email info on page 3

Apr 2-4 Saratoga, WY Platte Valley Open (307) 329-8924 8-Ball-Master/Classic/Sportsman Div Varies $10,000 6:00PM www.otbntv.com or www.ustream.tv/channel/otbntv-live

Apr 3 Alsip, IL Red Shoes Billiards (708) 388-3700 8-Ball Last Pocket $50 $500 CallApr 15-16 Walker, MN Northern Lights (507) 210-7558 8-Ball Mx Sc Db MN State ACS $60/team $2,000 7 PMApr 16-18 Walker, MN Northern Lights (507) 210-7558 8-Ball Teams MN State ACS $150-250 $10,000 7 PMApr 17 Alsip, IL Red Shoes Billiards (708) 388-3700 Bank Pool $50 $500 CallApr 17-18 Lubbock, TX Fast Eddies (806) 745-4268 9-Ball Open & Ladies $65/$35 Call 11 AMApr 23-24 Portage, MN Grand Portage Caisno (218) 335-7665 Six Arrows Amateur 8 Ball $65/$55 $4,000 8 PMApr 23-25 New Town, ND 4 Bears Casino (701) 421-0604 8-Ball Singles Men & Women $60/$40 $4,000 1st Men NoonApr 24-25 San Leon, TX Casper’s Billiards (713) 825-1411 9-Ball & Ladies 9-Ball $40/$25 $1,000/$350 CallMay 1 Alsip, IL Red Shoes Billiards (708) 388-3700 One Pocket $50 $500 CallMay 1-2 Houston, TX Slick Willie’s (713) 825-1411 9-Ball Open & Ladies $40/$25 $1,000/$350 Call May 14-22 Las Vegas, NV BCAPL (702) 719-7665 8-Ball National Champ *(based on 2008) Varies $750,000* entries CallMay 17-22 Las Vegas, NV BCAPL (702) 719-7665 U S Open 10-Ball Call $25,000 Guar CallMay 27-Jun 5 Las Vegas, NV VNEA (800) 544-1346 VNEA Int’l Championships Varies Call

www.otbntv.com or www.ustream.tv/channel/otbntv-liveJune 5-6 Waco, TX Fast Eddie’s (254) 399-9300 9-Ball Open & Ladies $65/$35 $1,500/$350 CallJun 17-20 Rochester, MN VNEA (800) 544-1346 VNEA Junior Nationals Varies Call

www.otbntv.com or www.ustream.tv/channel/otbntv-liveJun 19-20 Houston, TX Slick Willie’s (713) 303-8111 8-Ball $30 $500 CallJun 19-20 Houston, TX Q-Stix Billiards (713) 825-1411 10-Ball & Ladies 9-Ball $40/$25 $1,000/$350 CallJun 26-27 Wichita, KS Side Pockets (316)729-4000 9-Ball Bobby Wells Mem $35 $2,500 CallJul 10-11 Houston, TX Bogies Billiards (713) 825-1411 9-Ball Open & One Pocket $40/$25 $1,000/$200 CallJul 17-18 Austin, TX Fast Eddie’s (512) 248-0646 9-Ball Open & Ladies $65/$35 $1,500/$350 CallJul 24-25 San Leon, TX Casper’s Billiards (713) 825-1411 Open 9-Ball $40 $1,000 Call

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OTBnTVLiveStreamingScheduleApr 2-4, 2010 Platte Valley Open - Saratoga, WYMay 27-Jun 5, 2010 30th VNEA Int’l Championships - Las Vegas, NVJun 17-20, 2010 20th VNEA Junior Nationals - Rochester, MN

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Call First - All Tournaments are subject to change without noticeDATE CITY LOCATION PHONE EVENT/RULES ENTRY ADDED TIME

WEEKLY TOURNAMENTS


The World Professional Billiard League “Super Series” has been formed to not only introduce the new game of Bonus Ball to the world, but to help show case the talents of the world's best players. Bonus Ball is unique to the pool world because of the scoreboard, time clock and statistical data it brings to the game of pool. What better way to introduce it than having eight of the world's best professional players show case it! Bonus Ball had it's debut at the US Nine Ball Open event in October in Chesapeake, Virginia. It is a game designed to show case all aspects of pool. It was designed with a time clock to make it more suitable for television and tournaments. In Bonus Ball, you also score points instead of using ball elimination. The statistical program implemented by the WPBL will give fans a lot to analyze. It will give us a picture of how the professional players rank against each other in Bonus Ball. In January of this year, professional players, Johnny Archer and Erik Hjorleifson, sat down with World Wide Sport of Billiards founders, Larry Chiborak and Barry Bremner, to share their ideas on where

to go next with Bonus Ball. That was the day when the World Professional Billiard League was born. Joining Johnny Archer and Erik Hjorleifson in the WPBL are Corey Deuel, Nick Varner, Rodney Morris, Shane Van Boening, John Schmidt and Francisco Bustamante. These eight players will be playing in a unique format that will have each player competing against each other three times, playing the game of Bonus Ball. There will be four of the eight players in a final day play-off of races to four. Each player will be rewarded with points that they will carry with them to the next event. The first event is

scheduled for May the 6th to the 9th in Winnipeg, Canada at the beautiful McPhillip Station Casino. Winnipeg is the birth place of the game of Bonus Ball. You can learn more about Bonus Ball and the WPBL at playbonusball.com on the web. You will find many articles on how to play Bonus Ball and video of Johnny Archer and Erik Hjorleifson walking the viewer through an actual game of Bonus Ball. This is a very exciting addition to billiards, not only a new game but a new league for professionals pool players.

NEW PROFESSIONAL LEAGUE FORMING

rackem magazine april issue 2010

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