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The October Issue of Rackem Magazine for the pool players in the Midwest is now online. Read all about the events, results and tournaments going on this month.

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Page 1: Rackem Magazine - October 2009
Page 2: Rackem Magazine - October 2009

October 2009 page 2

Page 3: Rackem Magazine - October 2009

October 2009 page 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. © 2009 Rackem

www.RackemMag.com

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RackemP.O. Box 100Three Forks, MT 59752Phone 1-406-285-3099Fax 1-406-285-3098Email [email protected]

Contact us at:

15Rack.com Denver, CO 12ACS Green Bay, WI 19All American Billiards Muskogee, OK 12Atlas Billiard Supply Skokie, IL 2Billiard Center Cape Girardeau, MO 2billiardcoach.com 4Billiards On Main Galesburg, IL 4Crown Cues Broken Arrow, OK 12Deadwood Shoot-out Deadwood, SD 19Diamond Billiard Products 20Fargo Billiards Fargo, ND 16J J’s Billiards Sioux Falls, SD 12League Central Kansas 7M-8 Pool Leagues Roseville, MN 8MN ACS Walker,MN 13Mendota Valley Twin Cities,MN 16Mueller Lincoln, NE 3Northern Lights Rugby, ND 19Old Busters Lounge Amarillo, TX 16Q-Spot Tulsa, OK 7Ray Ray’s Pockets Lawton, OK 7Red Shoes Billiards Alsip, IL 12sammspocket.com 4Sharky’s Sedalia, MO 12Shooter’s Olathe, KS 17Six Arrows 9Texas Open Harker Heights, TX 18Two Stooges Fridley, MN 17Varsity Club Oshkosh, WI 17

PlacesPeople Play

Bill Smith 7Billiard Coach 4Bob Jewett 13Melissa Little 13OTBnTV Live 18Pool On TV 3Samm Diep 7Tournament Trail 18Weekly Tournaments 17

Rackem StaffPUBLISHER/EDITORDon “Cheese” Akerlow

MARKETING DIRECTORMary Akerlow

LAYOUTS & DESIGNWendy SwensonSunshine RossMary AkerlowDon Akerlow

DISTRIBUTIONSheila Papke

What’s Inside

POOL ON TV

Information&Columnists

10-04-2009 2:00 pm 2009 U.S. Open QF #410-04-2009 3:00 pm 2009 U.S. Open SF #110-04-2009 4:00 pm 2009 U.S. Open SF #210-11-2009 2:00 pm 2009 U.S. Open SF #210-11-2009 3:00 pm 2009 U.S. Open Final10-25-2009 2:30 pm Colorado Classic SF #110-25-2009 3:30 pm Colorado Classic SF #210-25-2009 4:30 pm Colorado Classic Final

10-01-2009 9:00 am 2002 WPBA Classic SF #110-02-2009 9:00 am 2002 WPBA Classic SF #210-03-2009 10:00 am 2007 Texas Hold’Em SF #2 Jeanette Lee vs Johnny Archer10-04-2009 8:00 am Mosconi vs. Moore10-05-2009 9:00 am 2002 WPBA Classic Finals10-06-2009 9:00 am 2002 WPBA Classic SF #110-07-2009 9:00 am 2002 WPBA Classic SF #210-08-2009 9:00 am 2002 WPBA Classic Finals10-09-2009 9:00 am 2002 WPBA Classic SF #110-11-2009 8:00 am Mosconi vs. Moore10-12-2009 9:00 am WPBA Classic SF #210-13-2009 9:00 am 2002 WPBA Classic Finals10-14-2009 9:00 am 2002 WPBA Nationals SF #110-15-2009 9:00 am 2002 WPBA Nationals SF #210-16-2009 9:00 am 2002 WPBA Nationals Finals10-17-2009 12:00 pm 1999 Women’s Tourn. of Champs 10-17-2009 1:00 pm 1999 Women’s Tourn. of Champs 10-17-2009 2:00 pm 1999 WPBA Classic Tour Finals10-17-2009 3:00 pm 2003 Women’s Tourn. of Champs 10-17-2009 4:00 pm 2004 Women’s Trick Shot Magic Jeanette Lee vs Ewa Laurance10-17-2009 5:00 pm 2004 WPBA Florida Classic Julie Kelly vs Jeanette Lee

Classic

These schedules have been provided by ESPN.

These are tentative dates and are subject to change

10-18-2009 8:00 am Moore vs. Lassiter 10-19-2009 9:00 am 2003 WPBA Classic Tour SF #110-20-2009 9:00 am 2003 WPBA Classic Tour SF #210-21-2009 9:00 am 2003 WPBA Classic Tour Finals10-22-2009 9:00 am 2003 WPBA Classic Tour SF #210-23-2009 9:00 am 2003 WPBA Classic Tour SF #110-24-2009 10:00 am 2007 United States Pro Tour 10-25-2009 8:00 am BabeCranfieldvs.U.J.Puckett10-26-2009 9:00 am 2003 WPBA Classic Tour Finals10-27-2009 9:00 am 2003 WPBA Classic Tour SF #110-28-2009 9:00 am 2003 WPBA Classic Tour SF #210-29-2009 9:00 am 2003 WPBA Classic Tour Finals10-30-2009 9:00 am 2003 WPBA Classic Tour SF #1

These times are Central Time.

Cover Photo by:Mike Fieldhammer

Page 4: Rackem Magazine - October 2009

October 2009 page 4

Returning to pool? Here’s your come-back checklist!© 2009 Mike Fieldhammer, BilliardCoach.com

By Samm Diep, PoolTipJar.com © August 2009

Samm Diep

“Dead Stroke” vs. “In Stroke” Have you recently decided to dust off your cue after years of disuse? Did job and family responsibilities cause you to abandon your pool game? One of the great things about the game of billiards is that it is something you can enjoy your whole life. From young champions to super tough veterans, great pool can be played at any age. After a long lay-off, you must keep a

few things in mind. Don’t be too hard on yourself if your elbow or other parts of the pool mechanism are rusty. Some things are like riding a bicycle, others are not. Don’t expect to play as well as you did years ago. Your memory is probably ‘rose-colored’ as you fondly recall running racks, and conveniently forget the missed shots and mistakes. Also, when you play someone today it is likely he plays better than the opponents of yore. In general, the level of play today is much higher than in the past. Equipment is different too. Today’s cloth is faster requiring not only a delicate touch, but also an unforgiving need for accuracy on spin. On heavy cloth a little unintentional side spin may not have hurt you, but on Simonis cloth of today your cue ball might catch a rail and hurdle two feet past your intended position. Pocket openings are generally tighter too, especially on 7 foot Diamond tables and many regulation 9 foot pool tables. These tighter pockets will accept fewer balls, particularly if you shoot too hard. Ever jaw up a ball that you shoot down a rail with speed and just catch the long rail a few inches before the pocket? Shoot softer and you’ll make more of these errant shots - at least until your stroke becomes more accurate. What if you have an accuracy problem? It could be related to the glasses that you have been wearing for many years. There is no doubt that keen vision is helpful to slicing in cut shots from 8 or 9 feet away. Check into a special pair of glasses just for shooting pool if your fashion pair doesn’t allow you to see through the lenses when you are in your pool stance. If you must, keep your head a bit higher over the cue stick so that you can see the shot through your glasses. Your old college pool cue might need some maintenance. Is it straight? Does the tip need some attention? You may not want to use that antique piece of chalk. Have a cue repair expert look over your cue. It may be just fine, but years in the closet may have made it unsuitable for competition. You might be better off with a house cue or a new cue all together. Get your groove back! Try some drills to ease back into the game. You wouldn’t want to go out and run a ten mile race without some training. Contact me for some good warm up drills to use before you throw yourself into a league match, tournament, or even a couple hour practice session with a friend. You’ll need some time to reacquaint your body to the proper pool stroke mechanics which is more easily done prior to a game. The pro baseball and football players have spring training and fall training camps. Shouldn’t you do some conditioning before you dive back into your pool game?

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Once in a while, and always unexpectedly, I experience being in “dead stroke.” If you’re unfamiliar with this term, the most accurate definition I have found is from theBilliardsForum.info website. It defines deadstroke as: Similar to playing on autopilot where a player is at peak playing level and is playing without any conscious effort or thought. Dead stroke is a sustained period of play where the specific player is in stroke. In simple terms,dead stroke is where a player is performing so flawlesslythatheorshejustcannotmiss.Toaplayerwhoisexperiencingdead stroke, the game seems effortless. Let’s break it down. Have you ever broke and ran without even attempting to play position but getting your cue ball perfectly in line for each shot? Something comes over you; almost like you’re having an outer-body experience and you could feel the contact point with little to no effort. You just knew the ball was going into the hole, without even trying. “You cannot miss” and “the game seems effortless.” These are both things that we would love to experience all the time, right? Well,notnecessarily.Thepartofthisdefinitionthatconcernsmeis,“similar to playing on autopilot.” This means that we enter a zone where something else takes over and we’re practically unconscious. Don’t get me wrong, its fun when it happens and I try to take full advantage of it when I experience it. However, one of my least favorite things about experiencing dead stroke is that after it’s over, I don’t remember a thing. I can’t remember the super runs I made or how it felt when I made them. The other thing Ifindmyselfdoingisgettingcareless.Whenyoufeellikeyoucanmakeanything from anywhere, you forget that you should still try to play position. Ifindmyselfmakingtheshotsbutgettingintomuchmoretrouble. Some instructors may disagree with this theory, but I believe there is a difference between “Dead Stroke” and simply being “In Stroke.” You see, when you’re in stroke, you’re well-prepared both mentally and physically. Youareproperlytrained.Youfeelconfidentanddecisive,yetyouarenot“playing without any conscious effort or thought.” You’re fully aware of your actions and executive each one deliberately. Being in stroke is being in control. To me, that’s the difference between the two. Being in dead stroke is a “sustained period” that may come and

continued on page 17

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Page 5: Rackem Magazine - October 2009

October 2009 page 5

Sambajon and Butera Down to the Wire at NCS 9-Ball National Championship FinalsAt theNCS9-BallNationalChampionshipfinals, spectatorswitnessedthefinesseandknowledgeoftopveteranplayers,SantosSambajonandSalButera.Bothmenplayed theextendedfinals race to15 inAclassform. On the tough pro cut 9’ Diamond table and with the alternate break format, initially the match was tied up. However starting with game 9,

Butera started making his move when given ball in hand after Sambajon scratched on the break and in quick fashion, Sambajon saw himself down 9-6. With a combination of well executed safes and patience Sambajon fended off Butera, who as a spectator said earlier was playing all day as if giving a clinic. The next 30 minutes saw the match tied up 10-10. Butera, also known for his laid back and patience at the table, calmly waited for his opportunity. It came when the next break by Sambajon came up dry allowing Butera to run out. The next came when Butera broke and ran out to now give himself a two game advantage making it 12-10. In game 23, Butera pushed to a jump. Sambajon chose his option and handed the table back to Butera. The cue ball close to one short rail on one end and the one ball near the other short rail but close to the corner pocket. Butera had one big challange, the wall of other balls between whitey and the one. Due to a couple of other balls obstructing the potential kick path, Butera had no choice but to jump almost the entire length of the table and over two balls in the middle in order to keep Sambajon in hischair.Poise,stroke,bang,thecueballflewthroughtheairandlandeddead pocketing the one in the corner and getting perfect on the two. The crowd of 70-80 spectators went wild. Butera, after taking a moment to compose himself from the shot and crowd response, ran out to make it 13-10. Sambajon was now facing needing 5 to Butera’s 2. But Sambajon has been in this rodeo before and knows how to keep focus and bear down just waiting for his opening chance. Perfect shape, well played safes and few misses by Sambajon slowly allowed him to edge up on Butera. Soon the match was hill-hill. Butera broke but scratched in the side leaving the final rackwide open. Sambajonmeticulously played perfect shape onthe entire rack until his shot on the 8-Ball did not come up on the table as high as he played leaving himself a deep back cut to a corner pocket. With the cue ball and 9-ball only about an inch apart as well, this shot is one that tests any player. Taking a close examination, Sambajon also had to impart high inside to avoid a potential scratch at the other end of the table. He made this under pressure tough shot and to a standing ovation by the crown, Sambajon won 15-14.Both players will receive paid entry to the 2010 U.S Open 10-Ball Championship at the Riviera Hotel and Casino where 96 players from around the US and world will vie for approximately . Sambajon also won $3800 in cash, the #308 cue from OB Cues and custom engraved rack

commemorating his win by DELTA-13 and a custom engraved and made solid crystal trophy.1st Santos Sambajon (IL) $3800 + Entry 2010 US Open 10-Ball2nd Sal Butera (CA) $2500 + Entry to 2010 US Open 10-Ball3rd Adam Kielar (PA) $17004th John Kucharo (IA) $11005-6 Jui Lung Chen (TX) $750 / Denis Strickland (TX) $7507-8 Justin Whitehead (AZ) $400 / Todd Marsh (WA) $400Parica First NCS 10-Ball National ChampionIn front of over 300 spectators both on-line and on-site, Jose Parica defeatedShaunWilkieintheNCS10-BallNationalChampionshipfinalsat the Golden Nugget Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas.Produced by CueSports International (CSI) with Bad Boy Billiards Productions, the 4th event in the new NCS series had a small but talent loadedfield,includingsuchnotibleplayersasHarryPlatis,JonKucharo,14 year phenom and Junior National Champion Brendan Crockett, Sal Butera, Adam Kielar and Denis Strickland to name a few as well as Parica and Maryland top player Wilkie.Parica, who found himself early in the tournament on the left side of the bracketbattledbacktomeetWilkieinthefinalsingleextendedraceto13.ThesemisfinalssawParicaplayingBillAndersonfromMcKinney,Texas.Anderson, who started competing again in 2008 after years away from the sport, found Parica too dominant a force and settled for 3rd.ThefinalmatchwasalsoallParica,asWilkiefacedthelethalcombinationof dry breaks and an in-form Parica. Thus, the leader of the U.S Pinoy invasion handily added another title to his long list of pool accomplishments. BothWilkieandParicawill join thetoptwofinishersof theNCS9-Ball

National Championship, Santos Sambajon Jr. and Sal Butera receiving a paid entry to the 2010 U.S Open 10-Ball Championship scheduled next May at the Riviera Hotel and Casino.As the winner of the inaugural NCS 10-Ball event, Parica also received $3000 in cash, a #308 model cue designed by Danny Janes exclusively for NCS sponsor OB Cues, a custom engraved DELTA-13 Elite rack and a custom solid crystal trophy.The NCS (National Championship Series) is a division of CueSports International. CSI is also the parent company of the BCA Pool League, the newly launched USA Pool League. CSI also produces the U.S Bar Table Championships and the Jay Swanson Memorial in addition to the U.S Open 10-Ball Championship. For more information about CSI and the NCS, please call (702) 719-7665 or email [email protected] Jose Parica (CA) $3000 + Entry 2010 US Open 10-Ball2nd Shaun Wilke (MD) $1900 + Entry to 2010 US Open 10-Ball3rd Bill Anderson (TX) $12004th Denis Strickland (TX) $8005–6 Todd Marsh (WA) $500 / Jon Kucharo (IA) $500

National Championship Series

Page 6: Rackem Magazine - October 2009

October 2009 page 6

By MBC Staff

The Minneapolis Billiard Club hosted its 3rd Annual Fall Classic 3 Cushion Tournament September18-20,2009.Eighteenplayersfilledtheopentournament’sthreepreliminaryflightsof six players. Each flight would be a roundrobin format of 20 point games with the top 2 players making the finals. Two Verhoevenscovered in Simonis Delsa Blue cloth set the stage for three days of carom action. Sunday’s finalflightwouldfeaturematchesto25.Specialguests at this year’s tournament included former American champion George Ashby, billiard author Bob Byrne, and USBA Secretary Jim Shovak. Players traveled from six states to compete.FlightA. Halfway through the flight it lookedpossible that Byrne, Fred Lamers, and Shovak could all end up with 4-1 records as each had a single loss to one another. Shovak’s loss was with the fewest points so he’d be the odd man out. Then an interesting series of events began. First, Shovak defeated Gary Eake to indeedfinishat4-1.Second,BernardKapinosplayedhisbestgametoearnhisfirstvictorytoleave Lamers at 3-2. This put Shovak into the finals and it looked like Lamerswould be theodd man out. Next up was Byrne who needed at least 18 points to wrap up the second spot. His previous game was a tournament best 1.250 so his chances of advancing looked good. This was not to be—Craig Gullett played his best game and made the Hall of Famer Byrne the oddmanout.Shovakwontheflightat4-1andLamersfinishedsecondat3-2.Flight B. Ashby cruised confidently to a 5-0record tosweep theflight. SteveGullett,PatPreziuso, and Carl Nelson fought for second place with the outcome not decided until Nelson topped Preziuso while holding him below 15 points. Nelson advanced to the finalswith arecord of 3-2. Flight C. John Jacobson, the inaugural champ from2007,wonhisflightwitharecordof4-1.Second place turned into a battle between Brad Vollmers, Bob Jacobson, and Tim Gardner. Gardner earned the second spot with his victory overJohnJacobsontoalsofinish4-1.Finals. Midway through the finals bracket,

Ashby was undefeated and Shovak, Lamers, and John Jacobson each had a single loss. Shovak’s loss came at the hands of Lamers who ran out with a tournament high run of 11. John Jacobson defeated both Shovak and Lamers to remain with only a single loss. Lamers handed Ashby his first loss with thefinals high game of 1.136. Ashby then beatShovakwhichsetup thefinalmatchbetweenAshby and John Jacobson. The winner would takefirstandtheloserthirdsinceLamershadsecond wrapped up based on points. Lamers, thestrongestplayerinhishomeclub,finishedrunner up for the third straight year. He was runner up to Lupe Cruz in 2008 and John Jacobson in 2007. The final match was atightly fought contest with Jacobson prevailing 25-20 over Ashby. Congratulations to John Jacobsonforbecomingthefirstrepeatwinnerof the Minneapolis Billiard Club Fall Classic! MBC thanks sponsors David Levine, Rene duCret, Mickey Campbell, Troy Thoennes of All About the Game Room, and Craig Gullett. The club also thanks Goerge Bisonnette for preparing and delivering Saturday night’s feast;

Bob Jacobson for tournament assistance; and Jim Larson of Billiards Unlimited for use of his club. Most of all, we thank the players for making the tournament a success and a fun event for all. Full tournament charts with scores and averages and more than 200 photographs from the tournament are available at the MBC website. http://www.minneapolisbilliardclub.com The Fourth Annual tournament in the fall of 2010 should be just as exciting.

Jacobson Triumphs in Minneapolis

The total prize fund of $3,900 ($1,800 entry + $2,100 added) paid as follows:1st Place $1,250 John Jacobson 2nd Place $900 Fred Lamers 3rd Place $600 George Ashby 4th Place $425 Tim Gardner 5th Place $300 Jim Shovak 6th Place $225 Carl Nelson High Run Out of the Money $100 Bob Byrne High Average Out of the Money $100 Bob Jacobson Schulercuerafflewinner JamieSibley

(Above) From Left to Right: Tim Gardner, John Jacobson, Carl Nelson, Fred Lamers, Jim Shovak, and George Ashby.(Below) John Jacobson.

Page 7: Rackem Magazine - October 2009

October 2009 page 7

The 3 Slate SystemBy Bill Smith “Mr3Cushion”, Old School Pool.net

BEFORE WE EMBARK together on this new billiards odyssey, I’d like to clarify two points, 1) The systems, concepts and methods you will read in my column are identical to those I apply in tournament play or anywhere else, I never teach anything I don’t use myself. 2) The instructions you’ve been receiving in

other publication are normally about how to score on a shot-by-shot basis, generally have been uniformly excellent, and my instructions should be extremely helpful to you too, but they’re based on a different concept. That concept is fairly simple, at least in writing. I believe that the correct primary focus, in advanced three-cushion billiards play, is the positioning of the first object ball. In other words, when I execute a shot, my main concern is to cut, drive, or carry that first ball to a high-percentage scoring zone (a corner), or a high-percentage scoring lane, (along either long rail). Least favorable is the center of the table, where the target becomes smaller. The correct secondary focus of a shot is to see the angle into the first cushion I need to score, along with the proper stroke and speed. Third, I determine whether to play a shot short or long, whether I want to /score off the right or left side of the second object ball, and perhaps whether I can drive that second ball into a high-percentage zone, or lane. Now to the system at hand, which I call The T h r e e - S l a t e System. As you probably know, a billiard table is divided equally into three slates, Diagram 1 : shows you a visualization of these three sections. In Diagram 2, your first object ball lies in the Slate 1 section, here we try to cut that ball into an area between the fourth and fifth diamonds on the opposite long rail, banking it cross corner into a high-percentage scoring zone (in all these diagrams the cue ball path is or should be, obvious). You must cut 1/8 of that first object

ball, using 4 o’clock English if the shot lies on the other side of the table), and a short stroke; remember, you’re cutting the object ball

thin here, and a long stroke will impart too much speed to the cue ball. In Diagram 3, your first object ball is located in Slate 2a. Cut the first ball into the opposite corner, long rail first, with enough speed to bring it back to the other long cushion. Hit it 1 /3 full, with 3 o’clock English, and a normal stroke (that is, your follow-through is

the same length as your bridge). In Diagram 4, the first object ball lies in the Slate 2b section, here instead of cutting the ball, we drive it to the short rail, between the first and second diamonds from the opposite corner. As diagrammed, that ball’s route should take it to the opposite long rail, short rail and back to our high-percentage scoring lane. That ball should be hit half-full, with 3 o’clock English, use a bit more speed than usual, to drive the first ball properly. Finally, Diagram 5 shows you an object ball, lying in the Slate 3 section, this time drive that ball to the short cushion,

between the first and second diamonds from the near corner. This is similar to a straight-back bank shot in pool, a two-thirds full hit will send it back to the opposite corner, then to the Slate 2b section and once again, a high-percentage scoring lane. Use minimum 1 o’clock English this time, with a (quick short stroke ) to keep your cue ball

from going forward and to long.

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Bill Smith has been one of the top players in the country for all of his 40 year career as a professional 3 Cushion player. He has been making Ultimate Billiards in Fort Pierce, FL his classroom every Saturday working with students of different levels and abilities. For more info and to schedule your lesson, please visit www.ultimate-billiards.com

Page 8: Rackem Magazine - October 2009

October 2009 page 8

All Female Team Takes FirstFall, winter, and early spring are typically considered the pool-playing seasons in most pool halls. However, at Sharky’s Billiards in Sedalia, MO, players heat up the tables all summer long. Wednesday nights found teams playing Scotch Doubles 8 ball, while Thursday nights were taken over by Team Trios playing 9 ball. Scotch Doubles teams consisted of an “A” player and a “B” player and encouraged coaching throughout. Instead of each player

having a handicap, the team itself, earned a handicap. Both players had to be committed to the season, as substitutions were allowed for extenuating circumstances only. Teams for 9 Ball Trios could be made up of any skill level and each person earned a handicap. Both sessions ran for 14 weeks.The race was close but in the end it was the Scotch Doubles team In The Nic Of Time (pictured above), consisting of Josh Blaylock and Nicole Stock bothofSedalia,MO,who tookfirstafter fourteenweeksofplay.Theyended the session with a match record of 9 wins, 5 losses; 130 games, and 1740.87 points. Coming in second was the Grumpy Ole Men, made

up of Joe Southard (Ionia, MO), Herb Shull, and Willie Schrader, Jr., both of Sedalia. Their ending record was also 9 match wins, 5 losses; but they only won 122 games and ended with a score of 1707.39. Third place team was The Homeboys, Charley Case of Marshall, MO, and Robert Cranmer of Sedalia, MO. With 9 match wins also, they won 116 games and scored 1707.39 points.ForthefirsttimeinSharky’shistoryateamconsistingofallfemalestookfirstplace in league play. After fourteen weeks of play the Bar Maids (pictured below), made up of Audra Dean, Heather Naylor, Caron Schrader, and MellodyAllee,allofSedalia,tookfirstinTeamTrios9Ball.Theyendedthesession with 11 match wins, 3 losses, and took 39 rounds in the process. Coming in second was the Hawks with a record of 9 wins, 5 losses; 33 rounds and 173 games. The Hawks team of Bobby Eastep, Nate Degraff, Jimmy Phillips, and Willie Schrader, Jr., all of Sedalia, squeezed by the

Bar Maids On Top

(Bar Maids continued on page 17)

Page 9: Rackem Magazine - October 2009

October 2009 page 9

Queen B’s in Lebanon, MO hosted a tournament, September 26-27, 2009. Evelyn Dysart was the tournament director. 55 great players were in attendance and $2,000 was added to the pot.In the hot seat match Marty Caylor defeated Kenny Turner 9-8, while Mitch Cravens defeatedMatt Hays 9-8 on the one loss side. The semi finalmatch saw Kenny Turner defeat Mitch Cravens for his chance to meet MartyCaylorinthefinals.Kenny would have to defeat Marty twice to take home the $900 firstplace prize money. He won the first set 9-5 and the second set 9-8.Congratulations Kenny!1st $900 Kenny Turner, Branson, Mo (pictured on left)2nd $600 Marty Caylor, Parsons, KS (pictured on right)3rd $400 MitchCravens,Springfield,Mo4th $300 MattHays,Springfield,Mo5-6 $200 Darren Everett, Ozark, Mo Jimmy Eberhart, Wood River, Il7-8 $100 Martin Warren, Rolla, Mo Brandon Spitler, Kimberling City, Mo9-12 $75 Denny Bays, Waynesville, Mo Chuck Raulston, Poplar Bluff, Mo Johnny Neels, Hillsboro, Mo Lloyd Moreland, Camdenton, Mo

Turner Captures Queen B’s

Charlie Bryant Leaves Another Brand on the Lone Star Billiards TourCharlie “Hillbilly” Bryant cleaned up at Bradley’s N Billiards in San Antonio, Texas at the eighth stop on the 09 Lone Star Billiards Tour event held September 25th-27th. Hillbilly dealt two striking blows to Jui Lung Chen, sending him to the loser’s side, then sending him home withsecondplaceinthefinalmatchby a score of 9-6. This is his third consecutive victory on the Lone Star Billiards Tour which houses some of the best players around including Sparky Ferrell, James Davis Jr. “Bastrop Jr.”, Sylver Ochoa, and many, many, more. This event, like all events on tour was $1,000-added and drew 61 entrants to compete for afirstprizeof$1900.Winners’ side final four playedoutwithHillbilly sendingFred “Scooter”Goodman west 9-4, as Chen was sending Sam Manaole over 9-2. In the firstoftheirtwomeetings,battlingforthehotseat,HillbillyprevailedoverChen 9-5, and then awaited his return.Meanwhile, west on the Lone Star bracket, Bobby Gonzalez was working his way back to meet up with Goodman. He shotdown James Garcia and RobertAlmarez7-4fromamongtheevent’sfinal12.ZaidThweibdefeatedSylver Ochoa 7-3, and Frank Ferrer to 7-4, met up with Manaole. It ended upaGoodmanandManaoleshowdowntoadvancetothequarterfinals;Goodman with a 7-4 win over Gonzalez, and Manaole with a 7-3 victory over Thweib. Manaole emerged victorious over Goodman 7-4 who fought an awesome battle after a very early tournament loss. Chen didn’t waste any time with Sam Manaoli running through him like a hot knife through butter 7-1. But things took a turn when it became a Bryant-Chen showdown for the big cash. Hillbilly took it to him 9-6 and added another notch to his Lone Star Cowboy belt with a total of 5 wins this year.A concurrent ladies’ event, which drew 10 entrants, saw Helen Hayes defeatYvetteReyes5-3 in thefinals to takehome thefirstplaceprize

of $150. Reyes picked up $50 for her second placefinish.CristinaDelagarzafinishedthird.Congratulations to Ken Lewis who won our Anthrax2CuerafflesponsoredbyPoisonCues!We would like to thank Bradley’s and our tour sponsors Poison Cues, Delta 13, and Cue Reach for all of their support. The next stop will be November 6th-7th at Casper’s Billiards in beautiful San Leon, Texas.For tour and travel info visit: www.lonestarbilliardstour.com. We look forward to seeing you on the Lone Star Tour Trail!!!Place Playername Prize Money1st $900 Charlie Bryant2nd $500 Jui Lung Chen3rd $350 Shane Manaole4th $250 Fred Goodman5th $210 Bobby Gonzales, Zuid Thweib7th $80 Robert Almarez, Frank Ferrer Jr.

9th $60 Sylver Ochoa, Justin Rios, James Garcia, Lanny Hennin13th $40 Ismail Ramirez, Dave Parker, Andy Jethwa, Jacob Jiminez

Hillbilly & Hayes Top the Field

Page 10: Rackem Magazine - October 2009

October 2009 page 10

Shooting Star Classic Crowns Champs By Staff. Photos by Mike Fieldhammer,

BilliardCoach.com

The Shooting Star Hotel & Casino hosted the first annual Shooting Star Classic8-ball tournament September 4-7, 2009 in Mahnomen, Minnesota. The hotel’s 15,000 square foot event center had recently presented such acts as LeAnn Rimes, Jay Leno, and Styx. On this Labor Day weekend, it accommodated several hundred pool players and fans, competing in 6 pool tournaments on 34 pro-cut 7’ Diamond pool tables. Tournament directors and promoters, Samm Diep and Mike Fieldhammer, along with the casino took a risk on hosting a new tournament in the upper Midwest over the last long weekend of the summer. “Historically, summertime in Minnesota is a tournament snooze-fest—even the most avid pool player likes to get outside a few months out of the year,” said Fieldhammer, “Tournament attendance has been suffering in the past several years and we wanted to give the tournament scene a shot in the arm.” Their risk paid off. More than 250 players arrived for their chance at over $18,000 in total prize money. $5,000 was added by the Shooting Star Casino. “Being competitors ourselves, we wanted toputonafirstclassevent thatplayerswill

look forward to for years to come. We went to great lengths to keep the event fun and professional, yet affordable,” said Diep. The tournament offered quality equipment with affordable greens fees, generous payouts, reasonable room rates at a top notch hotel/casino, on time matches and sensible match times, and live streaming from a feature table.

SCOTCH DOUBLES The inaugural event kicked off Friday night with a 64-player Scotch Doubles event. All were welcome to play and they did. Scotch teams saw the likes of former touring professional Jimmy Wetch and multiple Master’s Team champion Mario Parayno as partners. Minnesota’s dynamic duo Beau Runningen/Tony Hilla versus the Iowa/Nebraska pairing of Jerrod Frideres/Dustin Gunia chopped the total $1,380 prize and hit the road.

1st $690 Runningen/Hilla Minneapolis, MN2nd $690 Frideres/Gunia Fort Dodge, IA3rd $380 Steinhaus/Sherman Clearwater, MN

4th $230 Calleja/Moua Deer Park, WI

MEN’S OPEN The 128-player Men’s Open field wasunderway by noon on Saturday and saw a 12 player waitlist, most of who either got in or played in the Masters division. Some notable players were Midwest up-and-comers Matt Berg and Chase Plumley, Chicago’s secret weapon Shannon Schroeder, and Canadian names Andrew Thomas, Joe Kluka, and Blair Lawson. Taking advantage of the Labor Day long weekend, the Men’s Open division wrapped up Monday afternoon. Brad Krystofiak ofCambridge, Minnesota soared through the full fieldwithoutlosingamatch.Infact,theonlytoget more than two games on him was runner-upCullenNewton, in the finalmatch of thetournament.ThemodestKrystofiakhesitatedtocommentonhisstellarfinishclaiming,“I’m75 percent happy with my performance.” Krystofiakfeltnervousinhissemi-finalmatchbut loosened up to claim his first title. Heattributes the win to his new pool table and return to competition.

1st $1,400 BradKrystofiak Cambridge, MN 2nd $1,000 Cullen Newton Fridley, MN3rd $700 Charlie Garza Albert Lea, MN 4th $500 Ron Latterell Sauk Rapids, MN

WOMEN’S OPEN The Women’s Open concluded with a double-set finals resulting in favor of thehot-seat winner. Of the 24 players, Natalie Plumleycruisedthroughtheopenladiesfieldto meet up with Joan Jacobs in the finals.Jacobs narrowly escaped a hill-hill battle with Fargo’s Sam Matuska before meeting Plumleyinthefinalspitforafourhourgrudgematch. Jacobs dished out a 4-0 victory in thefirstsetbutslightlyoverstrokedthekeyScotch Doubles

Page 11: Rackem Magazine - October 2009

October 2009 page 11

BradKrystofiak Jacqui Herrera-Schroeder Demetrius Jelatis Natalie Plumley

ball at hill-hill, coming just shy of the prize. Plumley was elated for the victory.

1st $900 Natalie Plumley Owatonna, MN 2nd $600 Joan Jacobs Devils Lake, ND 3rd $380 Sam Matuska Fargo, ND 4th $180 Veronica Lyons Schofield,WI

MEN’S MASTERS The Men’s Masters division was drew 45 players, and was no cake walk with the likes of Wetch, Runningen, Lee Heuwagen, as well as the famous Wisconsinite Gene Albrecht. After cruising through the A-side and defeating Felix Beardy for the driver’s seat, Demetrius Jelatis would face him again in the finals. Beardywas ready to retaliate,takingthefirstset5-2.Afteraquickbreak,arefreshedJelatiswouldreturntoflipthescorein his favor and claim the Men’s Masters title. “Although I didn’t get to play Jimmy or Lee, this is thefirst tournament I’veplayed in15years of competing in Minnesota that both

of them were in the field. It was an honorto play along side players like that and so many others I've looked up to for years,” said Jelatis.

1st $1,400 Demetrius Jelatis Brooklyn Park, MN2nd $1,000 Felix Beardy Winnipeg, MB3rd $700 Jerrod Spence Winnipeg, MB4th $380 Marc Oelslager Fargo, ND

WOMEN’S MASTERS Though the field was smallest of 12, itincluded players from seven states and two countries. Of the six women to return on day two, Chicago prevailed, taking the gold and bronze. Kristen Castaldo of Oak Brook, Illinois captured third place while her road partner Jacqui Herrera-Schroeder met Jeri Bouvette for a rematch in the finals. Thesingle-set finals saw a repeat 5-3 score inHerrera-Schroeder’s favor, crowning her the new Women’s Masters champ.

1st $900 Jacqui Herrera-Schroeder Streamwood, IL 2nd $600 Jeri Bouvette East Grand Forks, MN3rd $400 Kristen Castaldo Oak Brook, IL4th $200 Kelly Haffner St. Joe, MN All four singles champions received custom Delta-13 Elite racks engraved with the event name, date, and “CHAMPION” along with their prize money and a large commemorative tournament check. Even the second chance winner Pat Powers won $300 and a Delta-13 rackforcarvingthroughthefieldof32players.With support from their sponsors, the Shooting Star Classic was able to provide coin-free play the entire weekend for only a $10 greens fee. Event Sponsors: Shooting Star Casino, SammsPocket.com, BilliardCoach.com, Tiger Products, Delta-13 Rack, Peters Billiards, PoolDawg.com, Predator Group, and Simonis Cloth. Visit ShootingStarClassic.com for complete results, tournament details, online brackets, photo gallery, and match videos.

Shooting Star Classic Crowns Champs

Page 12: Rackem Magazine - October 2009

October 2009 page 12

Little Wooden Shed

9-BALL - SEPT 19TH

309 S Elmwood - Sioux Fall, SD605-335-7637

$30 entry - Race to 7Play Starts at Noon - Handicap A-B-C

For info contact Gary or Matt 605-335-7637

J J’s Billiards

In August, Gene and I climbed the ladders and put a new roof on the little wooden shed, so it will stay dry, inside. We worked into the night, but we got the roof done before it rained. The new roof works great and looks good.Also in August, two young men we sponsor, Jamey Gray and Tim Chin, were 2 of the 12 top trick shot artists who competed in the Ultimate Trick Shot Challenge, in Las Vegas. Andy Segal took 1st place, followed by Jamey Gray in 2nd and Tim Chin in 3rd. Crown Cues is proud to sponsor such talented young men as Tim and Jamey.We took to the roads again in September! Thanks to an invitation from Dwight Sisson (BigDogatLarge) and a welcome from Tom Gedris of TripleCrossCues,wetookourcuestoshowattheUSOpenQualifierat Pockets, in Tallahassee, Florida on the 18th and 19th. We saw some super talent and some intense competition. Mike Davis took 4th place and Han Barber took 3rd place. Aaron Bolling and Stoney Stone went head to head for 1st place. Their match started off tight, but Stoney stayed focused and drove ahead to claim a 1st place victory, with Aaron taking 2nd place.During the tournament, Blackjack David Sapolis was secluded to one side of the room, while he was pocketing 10,000 balls to raise money for The United Way of The Big Bend. Toward the end of the second day, the management decided to open up that side of the room to business, and interference became a huge problem for him. People continued getting in his way. I don’t know many people who would have been

abletocontinuewithoutgettingangry,buthedidafine job. Finally,after he perservered as long as he could, he unscrewed his cue and left. Before he left, he did manage to pocket 8400+ balls for the cause.Before we left town on Sunday, Aaron Bolling took us to the usual hangout at Snookers and we also went to check out the new smoke-free pool hall, Geo’s, on Mahan Drive. They are planning a big shindig for their grand opening event on October 2nd. We hope their place does well.On our way back home, we decided to go through Mobile, Alabama, where we found a really nice pool hall on the I-65 Service Road South, called Bumpers Billiards. We stopped in to play for a while and found a couple of large rooms with some well-cared for tables, some big tv screens and a very comfortable atmosphere.In Meridian, Mississippi, we returned to Sneaky Pete’s on Poplar Springs Dr., where we stopped for a while in July. They recently acquired and recovered an old, United barbox table, which was VERY nice to play on!! Now, we know why we played so much better when we were younger... it wasn’t the difference in our skill, it was the TABLES!! Our games on

(continued on page 17)

Page 13: Rackem Magazine - October 2009

October 2009 page 13

Limited BanksBy: Bob Jewett

Bob Jewett

San Francisco Billiard Academywww.sfbilliards.com

A lot of learning to play pool is finding your own limits, but you alsoneed to know the limits of the equipment you are playing on. You may have plenty of draw on new cloth with a standard cue ball, but go to a table with old, sticky cloth and an over-sized bar ball, and your draw will evaporate. Banks in particular can vary a lot from table to table and sometimes from day to day depending on the humidity. Here are two shots you can use to test the cushions. Each one tests the limit for a particular bank. In Bank 1, the object ball is on the spot, so it is exactly between the first diamond onthe banking rail and the third diamond on the shooting rail. The simple mirror system for banking says that shot is not on, but if you hit the object ball full and hard with a little left English, the ball will bank cross corner on a "standard" table. When trying the shot, make sure that the two balls are exactly on the line between the two diamonds as illustrated. Also, check whether you hit the one ball full by whether the cue ball moves to the left or right after the shot. Unless you do the test accurately, you can't learn much about the table. Once you have tested the cushion like this, you will be prepared for similar shots that may come up in a game. They will rarely be exactly on line, but your test will give you a clue about how to correct them. The same rule (3-to-1) works for cross-side shots as well. Bank 2 is particularly useful at the game of one pocket. It is a two-rail bank of a ball on the foot spot. On many tables, this shot is just barely possible if you can just miss the corner pocket. Note the black target I've placed on the table. If you shoot the object ball towards that target, you should hit on solid cushion on the second rail. On your table, that target may be in a slightly different place. On tables with brand new cloth, Bank 2 is easy because the cue ball slidesandhooksoffthefirstcushionifyoushootatmoderatespeed.Youmay even be able to move the one ball a ball or two to the "hard" side. On tableswithstickyrails,thisshotisdifficultorimpossiblebecausethereisnoslideoffthefirstcushionandthecueballgoeswide.Ontableslikethat,findhowmanyball-diametersyouhavetomovetheobjectballtothe“easy”side of the spot to allow you to make the ball. It is possible to help the angle by getting some “hold-up” side spin on the object ball. In this case, right English on the cue ball will get a little left on the object ball which will help the angle on the second cushion. Shots like these are useful both as rules of thumb for standard equipment and as tests to measure an unknown table against that standard. If you have some of your own, email them to me and you may see them in a future column.

REJ

Bank 11

Bank 2

P

“What is the best excuse you have given for

missing a shot, losing a game OR the best excuse

you have heard? OR all of the above?”

Melissa Little

Answer: There are so many answers for this question I’m not sure where to start. Everyone has an excuse for missing but when players become verbal it can be quite humorous. The best excuse that I have ever heard was a friend of mine (john Sandifer) told me that he played in a tournament in South Carolina and when his opponent missed a 9-ball the guys excuse was that his hair was in the way- the problem was that the guy was nearly bald with maybe a handful of hairs on his head. John proceeded to giggle and thinking to himself, ”what hair”? Believe me there are plenty of excuses why players miss shots, I have heard them all- “did you see that guy walked in front of my shot”, “I miss-cued”, “the ball squirted”, or even “my hair got in the way”. But in reality those are all excuses and if players can honestly ask themselves why they missed then those excuses will eventually diminish. Usually the real answer is the player did not approach the shot right, or did not chalk their pool cue, or mentally they were not ready to pull the trigger. The moral of the story is to learn from your mistakes and stop making excuses for misses! If you have a question for “viper” please e-mail them to [email protected]

Page 14: Rackem Magazine - October 2009

Galveston World Classic

With a purported first place prize of $10,000, the Women’s 9-Ball event drew all the big names in women’s professional pool but the field was light with only 29 women. There were players like Allison Fisher, Gerda Hofstatter, Monica Webb, Megan Smith, Yu Ram Cha, Iris Ranola, and Vivian Villarreal. The field was also scattered with some of the best players from the regional women’s tours, Angel Paglia, Cristina DeLaGarza and Susan Williams to name a few.The finals saw Allison Fisher on the point and Yu Ram Cha who made her way through the one loss side of the bracket. Cha was sent to the one loss side in the second round with a loss to Allison Fisher. From there she faced and defeated 7 opponents to once again meet Allison. Although Yu Ram worked her way through the one loss side her opponents gave her very little trouble. She seemed to be an unstoppable force.This was a double elimination tournament, Yu Ram would have to defeat Allison twice to win the event. The advantage was in Cha’s favor since she had been playing consistently and had the momentum behind her. The first set started off with a bang for Yu Ram when she jumped out ahead 4-0. From there she gave Fisher little opportunity at the table and won the first set 9-5.Set two started with a 2-0 lead for Cha with Fisher fighting for her life at the table with a lot of safety play between the two. Yu Ram was up 5-0, the tournament was about to finish very early Wednesday morning. It wasn’t long before she finished the set and the match taking home the $6,000 first place prize.1st Yu Ram Cha2nd Allison Fisher3rd Line Kjorsvik4th Vivian Villarreal

Women's 9-Ball

Galveston World Classic continued next page

October 2009 page 14

Page 15: Rackem Magazine - October 2009

One

Poc

ket

The Open 8 Ball Division saw the same top guns players that had participated in the One Pocket and 9-Ball Divisions. Once again it was a division with two double elimination preliminary brackets advancing four playerstothefinaleightplayerbracketinaraceto9for$15,500firstplaceprize.ThefinaleightplayersinthisdivisionwereRonnieAlcano,LarryNevel,RobertoGomezand Goh Takami on the winners side and Nick Varner, Lee Van Corteza, Dennis Orcollo and Johnny Archer on the one loss side. Play started on Wednesday on the winner side and Friday for the one loss side. Saturday saw matches between Alcano and Gomez (winners side) and Varner and Archer (one loss side). JohnnyArcherandRobertoGomezbattleditoutinthesemi-finalmatchtodeterminewhowould face Ronnie Alcano on the point. Archer won the match 9-2 and would face Alcano inthefinals.BothAlcanoandArcherfoughthardtogetaheadbutafter8racksthescorewas 4-4. Alcano then jumped ahead making the score 8-4. Archer won the next game but it was not enough. He gave Alcano ball in hand in the 14th rack and that was all it took. Alcanofinishedthematchundefeatedandtookhomethe1stplaceprizemoneyof$15,500.1st Ronnie Alcano2nd Johnny Archer3rd Roberto Gomez4th Nick Varner

8-B

all

This One Pocket Division with 88 entrants, had 2 Double Elimination preliminary brackets, each advancing 4 players to the 8 player Final bracket, a race to 3 with afirstplaceprizeof$15,000.ThefinalbracketconsistedofEfrenReyesvsJefferyHeath, Shannon Daulton vs Brandon Shuff, and on the one loss side Isaac Runnels vs John Macias, and Sylver Ochoa vs Cliff Joyner. FromthefirstroundReyes,Daulton,MaciasandJoyneradvanced.Thefirstroundmatches were played on Sunday and Monday, round two and three on Monday and Tuesdaywiththesemi-finalandfinalmatchesbeingplayedonThursday.Roundtwohas Reyes and Daulton facing off with Daulton coming out on top on the winner side and Maciam and Shuff with Macias advancing, plus Joyner and Heath with Joyner moving on to round 3 from the one loss side. Joyner and Macias faced off to see who would advance and face Reyes for a chance to meet Shannon Daulton in the finals.ItwasReyeswhowouldprevailoverJoynerwithoutlosingagame.Thefinalsweresettobeginat9pmThursdayevening,doubleeliminationsoReyeswouldhavetobeatDaultontwicetogohomewithfirstplace.ThefirstsetwenttoReyes but it was a hard fought set with the set tied at 2, Daulton missed calculated his position and Reyes went on to win. Set two was not to be Daulton’s either. Reyes was just too tough when the opportunities presentedthemselvesandhefinishedthesetandthematchearlyFridaymorning.1st Efren Reyes2nd Shannon Daulton3rd Cliff Joyner4th John Macias

10-Ball

The 10-Ball Division had 2 Double Elimination preliminary brackets, each advancing 4 players to the 8 playerFinalbracket,raceto11,withfirstplacereceiving$25,000.Thefieldof75wasfilledwithtopgunslike,JohnnyArcher,EfrenReyes,FranciscoBustamante,ShaneVanBoening, Mika Immonen, Alex Pagulayan, Gabe Owen, Nick Varner, Rafael Martinez and the list went on andon.Thematchupsforthefinal8startedFridayat6pmwithJohnnyArchervsMikeDeschaineandat9 pm Shane Van Boening vs Mike Immonen. The one loss side Efren Reyes vs Warren Kiamco and Alex Pagulayan vs Francisco Bustamante started at Noon on Saturday.The winners side saw Immonen and Dechaine advancing while the one loss side was narrowing down the contestants. Immonen was on the point and Dechaine and Kiamco were battling for the chance to face Immoneninthefinals.KiamcowassenttotheonelosssideafterthefirstroundofplaybyDennieStrickland.From there he fought his way back to be battling it out with Dechaine. InthefinalsitwouldbeWarrenKiamcoagainstMikaImmonen,doubleelimination,raceto11thefirstsetandraceto9thesecond.Thefirstsetstartofffairlyevenwiththetwotiedat3whenKiamcoshotoutinfront9-3,Immonenwon2moregames9-5.Kiamcogottothehillfirst10-5andfinishedthesetoutwithan11-5 victory. On to the race to 9 second set, again the set was tied at 3 and again at 5 and 7. Finally Immonen would pull outthewinandtakehomethefirstplace$25,000whileKiamcosettledfor$12,000.1st Mika Immonen2nd Warren Kiamco3rd Mike Dechaine4th Francisco Bustamante

October 2009 page 15

Page 16: Rackem Magazine - October 2009

October 2009 page 16

Segal Wins The 2009 ESPN ZONE BILLIARDS SHOOTOUT was held September 17 in Las Vegas. Andy Segal defeated Sebastian Giumelli for the TRICK SHOT MAGIC title and the lion’s share of the $30,000 purse. ESPN Zone Las Vegas was host to the event which was taped for three 1-hour telecasts on ESPN November 22. The Tenth Annual TRICK SHOT MAGIC featured a stellar international cast vying for the most coveted title in Artistic Pool. The matches required each player to execute 10 Artistic shots in a challenge format. Players challenged their opponents with shots of their choice, with each player forced to make the shot to score a point. In the event of a tied score, the tiebreaker was an 8-rail bank shot onto the face of a $100 bill. The player who came closest to the center of the bill won the match.

The 2009 ESPN ZONE BILLIARDS SHOOTOUT was held September 16 in Las Vegas. Luc Salvas defeated Dave Pearson for the INTERNATIONAL SPEED POOL CHALLENGE crown and the $25,000 purse. ESPN Zone Las Vegas was host to the event, which was taped for three 1-hour telecasts on ESPN November 15..The Fourth Annual INTERNATIONAL SPEED POOL CHALLENGE drew an international lineup battling for the $25,000 winner-take-all prize. The action in Speed Pool is fast and furious (the speed of light compared to 9-ball) with two sets, twelve racks in each set, thefirstsetStraightPoolandthesecondset8-Ball. Players routinely run racks of fifteen

balls in about 1-minute and the player with the lowest accumulated time for twelve racks wins the match.

Salvas Speed

Page 17: Rackem Magazine - October 2009

October 2009 page 17

810 W 56 Hwy - Olathe, KS913-780-5740

Cue SaleS & RepaiR21-Valley BaR TaBleS 4-DiamonD BaR TaBleS3-DiamonD 9’ 9-BRunSwiCk GolD CRownS1-GaBRiel BilliaRD 1-anTique BilliaRD

Fri & Sat Pool Tournaments

Wednesdays Wright City, MO Dano’s Hillbilly Heaven (636) 745-8020 8-Ball - pays top 3 places $10 $100 7:30 PM Oshkosh, WI Varsity Club (920) 651-0806 9-Ball Beginners $8 CallThursdays Oshkosh, WI Varsity Club (920) 651-0806 9-Ball Intermediate $10 CallFridays Cape Girardeau, MO Billiard Center (573) 335-9955 9-Ball Handicap Call $200 7 PM Galesburg,IL BilliardsOnMain (309)342-7665 8Ballon7’Valleys $10 $$$w/fullfield 7PM Tulsa, OK Q-Spot Billiards (918) 779-6204 8-Ball 7 & under $5 9 PM Oshkosh, WI Varsity Club (920) 651-0806 9-Ball Open - Break Pot $15 $5/player Guar. CallSaturdays Midwest City, OK Jamaica Joe’s (405) 736-0590 9-Ball 8 & under Call 7:30 PM Tulsa, OK Q-Spot Billiards (918) 779-6204 9-Ball 7 & under $10 (incl. g.f.) 9 PMSundays Fridley, MN Two Stooges (763) 574-1399 9-Ball Open on 7’ DE Race to 5 $15 (incl g.f.) $75 w/16 6:30 PM

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

Dead Stroke... continued from page 5go without warning. Being in stroke is managing your own actions and not being on autopilot. It means that even when the conditions are not ideal and your opponent is driving you bonkers, you maintain your sense of awareness and grind through it. You aren’t oblivious to it. You trust in your stroke and force yourself to stay down and follow through, no matter how uncomfortable you may feel. Most importantly, you’re living and experiencing each shot. Don’t be on autopilot. Be in control.

that table took us back to when we were young. Even with the smaller pockets, it played so beautifully! We’d have brought it home with us, if we

could! They also have a newly-covered 9 footer in the back. They are looking for a larger place to grow, but for now, they’re stuck in a nice little corner... just some nice folks who treat you as if you belong to the neighborhood.

As we were cruising through Memphis, Tennessee on Hwy 78, we stopped at The Rack, which is a 24/7 pool hall... ring the bell and walk in. We didn’t have time to play, but it looked very nice, with a good number of tables and a nice lady named Pat, who invited us to come back, anytime.Now that we are back home, we are planning to stay here for a while and get a second wind. We’ve traveled a lot, this year, but we’ve had some greattimes,metsomefinepeopleandfoundsomeexcellentplacestoplay. Gene is currently working hard in the little wooden shed, preparing for the holiday rush that is coming, soon. If you did not get to meet us on the road, this year, we hope to meet you, next year.

Little Wooden Shed(continued from page 12) NoNames who placed third by 14 games. The NoNames team ended the

session with 9 wins, 5 losses; 33 rounds and 159 games. Players for the NoNames were Jimmy Koeller, Sedalia; Frank Parratt, Clinton; Nicole Stock, Sedalia, Brent Haile, Blairstown; and Gary Wallut, Deep Water.With the end of the summer league, Fall 5 Person Team 8 Ball leagues are starting on both Wednesday and Thursday nights. Sharky’s Utter Chaos Tournament will be held October 31st, and is one of the most fun tournaments of the year. Races are to 7 in the winners bracket and 5 in the losers bracket. Breaker chooses the game from 7 ball to 10 ball up to threegamesinthesamematch.ItisafittingtournamentforHalloween!November 21st will the Powder Puff Power 7 Ball Tournament for females only. For complete information go to www.sharkysbilliards.com.

Bar Maids (continued from page 8)

Page 18: Rackem Magazine - October 2009

October 2009 page 18

DATE CITY LOCATION PHONE EVENT / RULES ENTRY ADDED TIME

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Oct 1-4 Olathe, KS Shooters (913) 780-7850 Midwest 9-Ball Tour-1 Pocket $60 $1000 8 PM Oct 1-4 Olathe, KS Shooters (913) 780-7850 Midwest 9-Ball Tour-9-Ball $55-$65 $4000 8 PMOct 2-4 Great Falls, MT 8 Ball In (406) 761-9169 8-Ball Wild West Shootout $25 $6500 Guar 7:00PM

Oct 3 Alsip, IL Red Shoes Billiards (708) 388-3700 9-Ball $75 (incl g.f.) $500 w/fullfield CallOct 9-11 Cape Girardeau, MO Billiard Center (573) 335-9955 Midwest 9-Ball Tour Open $50 $5000 w/128 NoonOct 9-11 Cape Girardeau, MO Billiard Center (573) 335-9955 10-Ball Ring Game-Limit 16 $200 $200 7PM Oct 9-11 Blue Springs, MO Twin Stroke Bar & Grill (816) 224-6188 5 Person Team 8-Ball $150/Team 8 PMOct 10 Saint Robert, MO Q’s Billiards (573) 336-9400 9-Ball $40+$10 g.f. $200 w/32 CallOct 10 Amarillo, TX Old Busters Lounge (806) 379-8100 8-Ball $5 $300 8 PMOct 10-11 Waco, TX Fast Eddie’s (254) 399-9300 Fast Eddie’s 9-Ball Tour Call Call CallOct 16-18 Grand Portage, MN Grand Portage Casino (218) 335-7665 Six Arrows Amateur 8-Ball $65/$55 $4,000 Guar 8 PM Oct 17 Alsip, IL Red Shoes Billiards (708) 388-3700 One Pocket $75 (incl g.f.) $500 w/fullfield CallOct 17 Cape Girardeau, MO Billiard Center (573) 335-9955 8-Ball Handicap Call $200 NoonOct 18 Cape Girardeau, MO Billiard Center (573) 335-9955 9-Ball Handicap Call $500 NoonOct 17 Blue Springs, MO Side Pockets (816) 224-5454 KC Rated 9-Ball Tour $30+$10 g.f. $300 w/32 2 PMOct 24 Iron Mountain, MI Best Shot Billiards (906) 776-9411 8-Ball $25 NoonOct 24 Galesburg, IL Billiards On Main (309) 342-7665 8-Ball ACS Handicapped $35 (incl g.f.) $500 10 AMOct 24-25 Deadwood, SD Deadwood Pavilion (605) 578-2000 9-Ball Deadwood Shootout $40 $5,000 5 PMOct 24-25 Arlington, TX Rusty’s Billiards (817) 468-9191 OB Cues Ladies Tour Call $2,000 10 AMOct 24-25 Amarillo, TX Fast Eddie’s (806) 355-2540 Fast Eddie’s 9-Ball Tour Call Call CallOct 31 Alsip, IL Red Shoes Billiards (708) 388-3700 Bank Pool $75 (incl g.f.) $500 w/fullfield CallOct 31 Sedalia, MO Sharkey’s Billiards (660) 826-5855 Halloween Utter Chaos Rotation Call CallNov 4-8 Harker Hgts, TX E-Center (317) 440-1143 Texas State BCAPL 9-Ball Varies $3,000 CallNov 7 Mission, KS Clarette Club (913) 384-0986 KC Rated 9-Ball Tour $30+$10 g.f. $300 w/32 NoonNov 7-8 San Leon, TX Casper’s (281) 559-1400 9-Ball Big Table Open II - Wmn $40 $1,000 NoonNov 7-8 Midwest City, OK Jamaica Joe’s (405) 736-0590 9-Ball Bar Table $50 $2,500 Guar. 11 AMNov 14 Alsip, IL Red Shoes Billiards (708) 388-3700 Straight Pool $75 (incl g.f.) $500 w/fullfield CallNov 14 Amarillo, TX Old Busters Lounge (806) 379-8100 8-Ball $5 $300 8 PMNov 20-22 Tower, MN Fortune Bay Casino (218) 335-7665 Six Arrows Amateur 8-Ball $65/$55 $6,000 Guar 8 PMNov 21 Kansas City, MO Side Pockets (816) 455-9900 KC Rated 9-Ball Tour $30+$10 g.f. $300 w/32 2 PMNov 21 Sedalia, MO Sharkey’s Billiards (660) 826-5855 Powder Puff Power 8-Ball Call CallNov 21 Cape Girardeau, MO Billiard Center (573) 335-9955 8-Ball Handicap Call $200 NoonNov 22 Cape Girardeau, MO Billiard Center (573) 335-9955 9-Ball Handicap Call $500 NoonNov 21-22 Houston, TX Parker’s (281) 870-0120 Lone Star Tour - Women $40 $1,000 NoonNov 21-22 League City, TX Legends Billiards (281) 332-7716 OB Cues Ladies 9-Ball Tour Call $2,000 10 AMDec 3-6 Tulsa, OK Magoo’s (918) 663-3364 Midwest 9-Ball-1 Pocket $60 $1,000 8 PMDec 3-6 Tulsa, OK Magoo’s (918) 663-3364 Midwest 9-Ball-9-Ball $55-$65 $2,500 11 AMDec 5 Galesburg, IL Billiards On Main (309) 342-7665 8-Ball ACS Handicapped $35 (incl g.f.) $500 10 AMDec 10-13 Rugby, ND Rugby Armory (701) 776-5846 Northern Lights Shootout $75 M/$45 W $3000 1st Guar 5 PMDec 12 Alsip, IL Red Shoes Billiards (708) 388-3700 One Pocket $75 (incl g.f.) $500 w/fullfield CallDec 12 Amarillo, TX Old Busters Lounge (806) 379-8100 8-Ball $5 $300 8 PMDec 12-13 Houston, TX Bogie’s Billiards (281) 821-4544 Lone Star Tour-Women FINALE $40 $1,000 + NoonDec 19 Cape Girardeau, MO Billiard Center (573) 335-9955 8-Ball Handicap Call $200 NoonDec 20 Cape Girardeau, MO Billiard Center (573) 335-9955 9-Ball Handicap Call $500 NoonDec 31 Sedalia, MO Sharkey’s Billiards (660) 826-5855 14.1 Continuous Call CallMar 11-12 Walker, MN Northern Lights (507) 210-7558 9-Ball Singles MN State ACS $50-70 $2000 7 PMMar 12-14 Walker, MN Northern Lights (507) 210-7558 8-Ball Singles MN State ACS $50-85 $10000 7 PMApr 15-16 Walker, MN Northern Lights (507) 210-7558 8-Ball Mx Sc Db MN State ACS $60/team $2000 7 PMApr 16-18 Walker, MN Northern Lights (507) 210-7558 8-Ball Teams MN State ACS $150-250 $10000 7 PM

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Page 19: Rackem Magazine - October 2009

October 2009 page 19

Page 20: Rackem Magazine - October 2009