rackem pool magazine august issue 2015

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PL ACES PEOPLE PL AY Back Alley Billiards McAlester, OK 8Big Dog Billiards Des Moines, IA 9,10Bogies Billiards Houston, TX 21Bogies Billiards West Houston, TX 9C R Sports Bar Coon Rapids, MN 27Farmington Billiards Farmington, MN 27Griffith Billiards Griffith, IN 20HighPockets Memphis, TN 7Jamaica Joe’s Midwest City, OK 18Kato Cue Club Mankato, MN 8KK Billiards Appleton, WI 21KK Billiards Green Bay, WI 21One Pocket Championship Des Moines, IA 10Q-Spot Tulsa, OK 24Red Shoes Billiards Alsip, IL 18Sharky’s Bar & Billiards Davenport, IA 23Shooter’s Olathe, KS 27Shooter’s Billiards & Pub Springfield, MO 27Sidepockets Shreveport, LA 8Skinny Bob’s Round Rock, TX 20Spirit Lake Casino Devils Lake, ND 26Teachers Billiards St Peters, MO 9Varsity Club Oshkosh, WI 23

BILLIARD SUPPLIES Aramith Libertyville, IL 3Big Dog’s Showroom Des Moines, IA 19CueStix Int’l Lafayette, CO 36Fair Game Clothing Memphis, TN 7McDermott Cue Menomonee Falls, WI 2Midwest Billiard & Cue Expo Des Moines, IA 10Mueller Lincoln, NE 11Simonis Libertyville, IL 3Tiger Products Burbank, CA 4TNT Billiard Products St Paul, MN 24Valhalla Middleton, WI 22Viking Cue Middleton, WI 35

INSTRUCTION/SERVICES Anthony Beeler 15Bob Jewett 14C J Wiley 17Melinda’s Blog 24Michael Glass 13National Billiard Academy 12Stefano Pelinga 16Subscription 33

POOL TOURNAMENTS Tournament Trail 34Weekly Tournaments 32

2015

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On Th

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COLUMNISTS

12 Tom Simpson

13 Michael Glass

14 Bob Jewett

15 Anthony Beeler

16 Stefano Pelinga

17 C J Wiley

COVER ARTICLE6 Memphis Open

WEEKLY TOURNAMENTS32 Central U.S. Weekly Tournaments





Rackem is a monthly publication, dedicated to the advancement of the sport of pool. The opinions expressed are those of the author or advertiser and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Break or its staff. We reserve the right to edit or reject any material submitted for publication. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced.

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TOURNAMENT RESULTS

8 MW 9-Ball Olathe

9 Bogies West

18 No Master

19 U.S. Open 8-Ball

21 U.S. Open 10-Ball

23 Atlantic Challenge Cup

24 Tiger Challenge

25 Bullshooters

27 World 14.1

29 H of F

31 Deadly Story

August

34 Central U.S. Tournaments

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Highpockets located in Memphis, TN was first opened by James Stricklin in 1983 and the current owner Tracy Whitney took over in 2008. As he put it, “I was in the right place at the right time to buy the business.” He has certainly put his stamp on it!Highpockets is not only a pool hall but a destination. A place to go that everyone enjoys being at. Not just a pool hall atmosphere but a place where you feel you belong. Besides having 27 pool tables, one of which is a 5 x 10 Snooker table, two 9’ Diamond tables and one 7’ Diamond table, you can also play darts, foosball video games and Golden Tee 2015; eat anything from salads to steaks, awesome burgers, fresh cut fries and first rate pizza and sandwiches from their restaurant Side Pocket Cafe; enjoy a beer while watching the tournament. For the pool player there are in-house cash/prize leagues, APA and NAPA and for the sports enthusiast there are 14 TVs and free WIFI. I had the opportunity to observe the atmosphere and action at Highpockets during the tournament. I was very impressed with Tracy who is a “hands on” owner who pays attention to detail. When I asked Tracy about this he said, “I grew up playing pool here. It is easy to be hands on when you love what you do. I know the staff has their hands full so I try to help out.”Highhockets hosted the hugely popular Memphis Open 10-Ball on the weekend of July 11-12, 2015. Pro players from all across the USA & Canada descended upon Memphis to compete for the $6,000 first place prize money. The 16 player field was riddled with local and pro players who were Robb Saez, Danny Olson, Chuck Ralston, Kenny Loftis (who won the ProAm 9-Ball tournament), Jeremy Jones, Dennis Hatch, Johnny Archer, John Morra, Larry Nevel, Drake Niepotter, Sky Woodward, Jason Klatt, Justin Bergman, Taylor Anderson, Shane Mcminn, and Josh Roberts. There was $4,000 added to the pot and it was a monstrous race to 15 on the winners side and 11 on the losers side! I asked Tracy how the races came about and he replied, “After the tournament last year we met with all the players to determine what if anything needed to be changed. What we found was the need to eliminate any reason that somebody would say that the person who won the tournament ‘got lucky’ because of a short race.” The event was set. Live streaming was provided by Ray Hansen of PoolActionTV.com. The layout of Highpockets at first seemed a little tight to me but as I watched during the day and the tournament progressed, I saw no problems with the flow of pool players and pool watchers alike. I was particularly interested in the “arena” atmosphere. Tracy commented that it made everyone playing feel like they were the center of attention. Throw in a few tables to redirect the flow of traffic and everything runs smoothly. Notables in the field who finished out of the money were Johnny Archer who went hill-hill with Justin Bergman to be sent to the one loss side and there he went hill-hill with Shane Mcminn to finish 5th and out of the money. Robb Saez (one of the house pros at High Pockets) was out in 2. Jason Klatt (last year’s winner) beat Robb 15-14 then lost to John Morra 15-5 and Shane Mcminn 11-7.

MeMphis Open 2015Article and photos by: Don Akerlow

1st Justin Bergman


Payout Calcutta1 USA BERGMAN Justin $6,000 $6,2502 USA MCMINN Shane $3,000 $3,1253 CAN MORRA John $1,800 $1,8754 USA NEVEL Larry $1,200 $1,250

In the 4th place match Shane Mcminn won 11-7 over Larry Nevel in a hard fought match. Larry was playing well but just couldn’t finish. Next for Shane was John Morra who he beat and went on to play in the finals (no score available). Play finally wound down to the final two players Justin Bergman on the winners side and Shane Mcminn from the one loss side. In true double elimination fashion, Shane would have to beat Justin twice to take home the win. I had been watching Shane all weekend and he was playing really well. I talked to Tracy about Shane and he remarked that, “Most people believe that Shane only plays on bar tables but the truth is that he is also the house pro at Highpockets and he and Robb Saez practice and give lessons on the big tables all the time.” Shane obviously had the home field advantage, so to speak. But would it be enough ..... Justin had been playing exceptional pool all weekend long and wasn’t about to give up the match. The final table had 4 1/4” pockets, firm rubber rails, no shims and great to play on. Justin was not to be denied as he claimed the first place prize. Looking forwad to the 2016 Memphis Open!

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2nd Shane Mcminn

3rd John Morra

4th Larry Nevel

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One -Pocket [42 players]1st $850 Justin Bergman2nd $560 Joey Gray3rd $400 Skyler Woodward4th $270 T.K. Anderson5th/6th $200 Matt Berry, Charlie Mora7th/8th $100 Alex Olinger, Mike Nagaki

Ladies [23 players]1st $505 Liz Lovely2nd $300 Jessica Frideres3rd $200 Amy Boulware4th $150 Shelby Dawn5th/6th $75 Sarah Weaver5th/6th 75 Brittany Maynard

Open [117 players]1st $2200 Alex Olinger2nd $1500 T.K. Anderson3rd $900 Joey Gray4th $650 Glenn Atwell5th/6th $450 Skyler Woodward, Terry Young7th/8th $300 Gary Lutman, Chuck Raulston9th-12th $250 Marlan Isbell, Eric Obermeier, Brett Hinspeter, John Gabriel13th-16th $200 Robb Saez, Matt Payne, Jeremy Hundley, Dustin Gunia17th-24th $100 Greg Hogue, Darren Everett, C.J. Wiley, Doug Patrick, Mike Morris, Kenny Johnson, Dave Hathman, Greg Fix

Josh Joshua Treadway, Justin Bergman, J Michael Durbin, Joey Gray Joshua Treadway, Alex Olinger, Taylor Anderson, J Michael Durbin

Doug Patrick, Liz Lovely, J Michael Durbin, Jessica Frideres, Joshua Treadway

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The fifth “2015 Viking Tour” presented by Bogies West Billiards in Houston Texas was held on July 11, 2015. The next $500 Added 9-Ball event will be August 15, 2015. For the point match, it was Sylver Ochoa vs. Marc Garza with Marc Garza, winning 7-3 to claim the hot seat. Marc Garza defeated George Clausen 7-4, Kenny Price 7-3, and Garrett Sitz hill-hill to Claim on his way to the hot seat. Sylver Ochoa defeated Chase Rudder 7-4, Erik Renteria 7-2, and Ernesto Bayaua 7-4 before losing to Marc 7-3. Ernesto, after losing to Sylver 7-3 on the winner’s side defeated Chase Rudder 5-3, Eric Renteria hill-to-hill on the one loss side before losing to Sylver 5-3 to end up in 3rd place. This set up Sylver Ochoa and Marc Garza to battle for 1st Place. Sylver defeated Marc 7-3 in the first set. Then, in the 2nd set, Sylver defeated Marc 5-3. Sylver Ochoa was crowned Champion of the fifth event of the “2015 Viking Tour”. This is his second consecutive 1st place! He was awarded the first place cash prize and a new beautiful Viking Cue.

RESULTS AND PAYOUTS

1st $790 Sylver Ochoa 2nd $570 Mark Garza 3rd $370 Ernesto Bayaua 4th $215 Eric Renteria 5/6th $105 Garett Sitz, Chase Rudder

Sylver OchoaWins2015

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Sylver Ochoa Mark Garza


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Aiming is difficult to talk about. We all do it, but describing exactly how we do it, figuring out what matters, and telling someone how to get better at it – well, it’s a challenge. Let’s look at some of what matters, and see if I can convince you to try just one thing.

Pool is probably the most precise game on the planet. One way to get better is to find ways to improve your precision. We can work on precision in aiming, sighting, speed, cueball contact, planning, position, bridge placement, foot placement, and on and on. Working on precision expands your awareness of small movements and body position, balance, and feedback. It improves your fine skills, your strategic thinking, and your consistency. Every little bit of control you gain raises your game. It all matters.

Aiming is a large subject. I’m assuming you’re already a pretty good shot. You may not know how you do it, but you can aim and shoot and a good percentage of the time, you make the shot. We’re going to work on how to get more precise about the final, tiny aiming adjustments that make the difference between missed and made. Part of getting better is noticing finer and finer details.

OK. Do your pre-shot routine as usual. Get into position and aim as you normally do. Do any form checks you’re currently doing (bridge distance, stance stability, chin height, forearm vertical, whatever).

Here’s the new part. This is very simple, but very subtle: Now that you’re in position and pretty much correctly aimed, make final micro-aim adjustments by swaying your butt (yours - not the cue’s) very slightly. The cue will move with you, changing your aim as you sway.

You’ll be able to see the correct aim as you sway past it. Once you can see it, home in on it and then stop swaying. Settle into a solid, unwavering stance at this position. Relax whatever you have to relax so that your butt is no longer moving at all. Shoot from this position, with no hip movement.

My opinion is that a good percentage of our misses, as better players, are due to either or both of:

1. Small, unconscious swaying movement of the hips. If you’re not solid in your stance, it’s like shooting at a moving target. If you’re moving, this practice will make you aware of it, and will fix it because you will consciously settle and cease swaying.

2. Imperfect alignment to the shot. We go down into position, get pretty close to properly aimed, but can’t see that we’re not perfectly aimed because our body is not perfectly aligned to see and know when we’re perfect. By making these slight side-to-side movements, we can see when we’re right as we pass through right, and then home in on it.

This unusual practice (let’s call it Butt Aiming) may also reveal unnecessary movements during your stroke, and help you feel balance changes worth making. This technique is a doorway to an expanded perception of the fine details of aiming. It will improve your sense of when your aim is right, and will raise your percentage and your confidence on difficult shots. Don’t just read this – spend 10 minutes on the table, swaying, seeing, and feeling. Get your butt moving.

BUTT AIMINGTom Simpson © August 2001 – All Rights Reserved – PoolClinics.com

http://www.nationalbilliardacademy.com

TABLE TALK

Michael K GlassMichael Glass has been teaching pool for close to 10 years. He is a Recognized PBIA Billiards Instructor, taught by none other than Bob Jewett of the San Francisco Billiard Academy. Michael has been playing pool almost all of his life (except when he was in the Navy — it’s hard to install a pool table on a rocking ship!). He managed to stay away from the hustler life; he doesn’t believe in being dishonest in order to win money. He will, however, occasionally play for a beer or two at the local watering hole. Michael teaches all levels of pool players, from beginner to pro, and works on all aspects of the game, from fundamentals, to pattern play, to trick shots. He can be found playing in his home town of San Ramon, CA at Crown Billiards. Visit his website at billiardsprofessor.com for pool tips or to schedule a lesson!


Last month, I shared my feelings on the first season of TruTV’s The Hustlers. While a fairly entertaining reality TV show in its own right, it does not truly reflect the life of your typical pool player. And it is nowhere near close to what true hustling is all about. Sure, it’s easy to criticize, but what exactly can they do to improve the show?I suppose the first question to ask is whether or not they need to change The Hustlers. In my opinion, the answer is a resounding YES, but I am one single person. My opinion may be in the minority. TruTv is in the business of making money with a show that appeals to the greatest audience. “Real” pool players might be a very small demographic for them. In any case, if I had my say, here’s what I would do:First and foremost, rename the show. These guys are not true hustlers. Sure, there may be some level of showmanship and misleading information, but it’s very minor, and limited. Hustlers do not have their name put on lists, and they do not make consistent $500 or $1000 bets. I think it’s pretty clear that the producers are giving them to money to gamble with, and it’s always $500 or $1000.Second, leave Steinway Billiards. I get it -- it’s much easier to get one pool room to agree to a film crew, and it would be difficult to get multiple rooms to allow them. But it would be a much more compelling show if we got to follow good pool players as they travel around the world playing in various events. I am in Vegas as I type this, at the BCAPL National Championships, where I have seen Mike Dechaine, Gregg McAndrews, Jennifer Baretta, and Emily Duddy. They should be showing us what they have to go through to get there, how they do throughout the competition, and how it affects their relationships and personal lives.Travel with Shane Van Boening, so we can see what it’s like to live like he does. Take us to China or Europe to show us some of the big competitions, and allow us to live vicariously through

him. Show us that even though he is considered the best in the world, that sometimes he doesn’t win. Even he has bad

days where nothing seems to roll his way. I really want to see that!

I’d love to see what goes on behind the scenes for

a large event, too. What do they do to prepare? Where do they get all of the tables? How long does it take them to set them all up, and tear them all down? How are they keeping track of all of the matches? Show us this interspersed with some stories of teams from all over the country, who would absolutely love to be interviewed and have their stories told.My third idea is to interview some old hustlers. Show some vignettes of old players, and listen to them tell tales of seedy back room parlors, guys getting their fingers broken for welshing on a bet, and stories of great pool action. Even some re-creations of amazing shots would be fun to watch, and would encourage people to get on a table to try them out themselves.My last suggestion is to get a pool player to help edit the cuts. Stop only showing us the ball going into the pocket -- we want to see the whole shot, including the path the cue ball is taking. Show these shots with an overhead camera. Don’t follow the ball with the camera, because there is no way to truly appreciate the shot that way. And make sure that the shot they are taking is the same shot that was shown in the previous frame. Some of the editing is so bad, they are shooting a completely different ball into a completely different pocket! I realize there are always continuity errors in these types of shows. An arm in a different position or a drink that changes sizes between shots is no big deal. But when you’re showing a game of pool, continuity is of the utmost importance. You really need to be very diligent there.What do you think? Do you agree? Would you watch a show with these types of stories? I know I would. I am tired of bickering and name-calling and all of the other petty stuff we see in typical reality shows. I want to see pool. I would love to get some feedback on this – what do you do to change The Hustlers? Do you enjoy it, or think that it detracts from our sport? Please feel free to contact me at [email protected], or come to www.billiardsprofessor.com to join the discussion.Do you have any suggestions for future articles? Drop me a line at [email protected]. You can also find me hanging out at various pool rooms in the East San Francisco Bay Area. Be sure to say hello if you see me!

THE HUSTLERS, EXTREME MAKEOVERMaking Season Two Better

http://www.billiardsprofessor.com

Bob

Jew

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Bob Jewett

San Francisco Billiard Academywww.sfbilliards.com

PBIA certified instruction is available for all levels from beginners to instructor training.


One of the most important position shots to learn is shown in the diagram. It comes up frequently at all games but most often at rotation games like nine ball where you have to move the cue ball more as your shot selection is always restricted and you can only simplify the patterns a little. In this position you have a cut along the long rail and you need to get to a ball in the other end of the table. The cut angle is large enough that simple draw won’t get you back so some outside English -- in this case right side spin -- is needed.

To get to position A for the 2 ball there are several tip positions that will work and you should find out on the table which works best for you and the conditions. In the inset diagram of tip locations is my recommendation of where to start: with a little draw and a good amount of right side spin. The action needed is fairly easy to achieve so the main problem with the shot is to avoid the side pocket but still get far enough up the table for a good shot on the 2 to the side pocket. Work on the shot until you can get the cue ball to come off the cushion within a diamond of the side pocket and at the right speed to have a shot to the side pocket.

I think my recommendation for tip placement will work well on most tables, including tables that are a little worn and sticky. The shot can still work if all the draw is gone from the cue ball when it arrives at the object ball and the side spin does the work. If you have a table with new, slippery cloth, try a little more draw and less side spin.

For shot B you will need more spin on the cue ball and in particular more draw to make sure there is some backspin to help the angle. Again, you need to avoid the side pocket but come close or you won’t have good position on the 3 ball.

If you can’t bring the cue ball back past the side pocket with the cut angle shown (object ball just off the first diamond from the corner and the cue stick passing just below the side pocket) move the cue ball for a slightly straighter shot. Part of learning this shot is find out the farthest you can take the cue ball up the table for a given cut angle.

For shots C and D you need to increase the draw and keep most of the side spin as shown on the inset.

If you have trouble at first getting far enough

down the table, make the cut angle smaller, but after you learn the easier position, try more and more angle to expand your comfort zone. Another way to make the shot easier is to move the 1 ball a little farther off the cushion which both decreases the cut angle and gives the draw on the cue ball a little more space to curve before the cushion and thereby get a better angle.

Master this shot so that you can send the cue ball to almost anywhere along the left cushion starting from a reasonable angle on the shot. Learn the best cut angle to have -- too straight is a problem because you can’t get across the table -- and the spin to use for each destination.

Cross-Table Shots

REJ

1

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ABCD

Startingtip locations

http://www.sfbilliards.com

Anthony Beeler is a 2013 BCA National 9-Ball team champion. He also finished 9th out of 1086 players in the 2013 BCA National 8-Ball Championships. He is a certified Level 3 instructor for the American CueSports Alliance and is the founder of Maximize Your Potential Billiards Academy located in Bradfordsville, Kentucky. Beeler is also a fully licensed Kentucky Educator having, received his bachelor’s degree at Campbellsville University and his master’s degree in Education Leadership at Eastern Kentucky University. Throughout his pool-playing career Anthony has won over 300 tournaments and has defeated numerous professional players in tournament competition.

At some point, we all suffer from performance anxiety or end game “jitters.” In this article we are going to be looking at some useful strategies that can help you

better manage your emotions during stressful situations.We all know pool is a brain game that requires a

lot of deep thought, and more often than not, we have far more control of our emotions than we have been led to believe. Stressing over our ability to perform well and trying to meet unrealistic goals is probably the most negative thing that we could do to ourselves.Having a positive attitude will help you to remain calm. By simply reinventing your thought processes, you can remove stress and play a more focused and relaxed game of pool. You will have to work on this just like any other part of your game. You need to remember that the best place for your mind to be is in the present. You should not be thinking about your last match, what might happen in the future, or who your next opponent is going to be. Now we are going to look at five strategies that will help you to better manage performance anxiety:1. Focus on your Rhythm and Stay Relaxed: When you find yourself in a high-pressure situation, things can get “sticky” without you even knowing it. Stress causes your muscles to tighten up, your hands to sweat, and also causes players to shoot poorly. If you begin feeling nervous, you should attempt to slow everything down—your approach, your stroke, and

you may even want to loosen your grip hand a little. Remember that you can always fall back on your pre-shot routine. Anything you can do to slow your tempo will help. In fact, I always carry a piece of sand paper (Q-Wiz) in my pocket and when I get in a high-pressure situation I simply clean the shaft of my cue. This helps me control my tempo and also helps me burn nervous energy.2. Take a Couple of Deep Breaths: The

moment you become tense, there is a natural tendency for your body to start taking shorter, faster breaths. The more air that we breathe in, the more and more focused we become. Learning to breathe correctly during high-pressure situations is a key part of learning to become a more positive player. During stressful moments on the table, breathing techniques can assist you in the reduction of negative tension. Deep breathing can also help you stay in the present moment, and more importantly, it can help you create a heightened sense of focus.Deep Breathing – Here are the Steps:• Clear your mind after a bad shot with a deep

breath. Inhale while slowly counting to four, and then hold that breath for sixteen seconds. Next, breathe out for eight seconds. Repeat this process until you feel calm and relaxed. Deep breathing helps provide much needed oxygen to the brain. This will help you to regain focus on your match. Surprisingly, the same part of the brain that we use to count also controls how much worry. Therefore, it is difficult to worry and count at the same time.

• If you start to feel tense, try to start thinking about something positive. It’s best to start thinking about a happy memory from your past. Focus on the “good times” as you breathe in, and push out any negative thoughts or emotions as you exhale.

3. Stick with your Pre-Shot Routine. The pre-shot process is a vital part of playing well, so ignoring it is just like handing your opponent games on a silver platter. Our pre-shot routine keeps us functioning firmly in the present, and gives us an outlet for any excess nervous energy that we might have. Every player needs to have a meticulously detailed routine that they stick with. Learning to play the game with a powerful process fosters a positive attitude and also helps you to focus.4. Take a Break. Pool should be enjoyed. Unless you’re playing for a living, it should be 100 percent fun. During intense pressure, think about the fact that you’re not at work. Look around and take note of the fact that you’re playing to enjoy yourself. Free your mind from your performance.5. Accept the Results. Before every step of your pre-shot process, you should tell yourself “I am going to play this shot precisely and accurately.” You should also try to visualize what is going to happen. However, if something happens that you are not expecting, you should remain positive and accept the results no matter what they are.

PERFORMANCE ANXIETY


http://www.poolteacher.com

Stefano Pelinga (born 1964) hails from Rome, Italy, where he has served since 1985 as a police officer for the Italian government (Polizia di Stato), until his retirement in 2011. He began to play pool at the age of 12, drawing inspiration from his favorite singer and actor, Dean Martin.Stefano, currently a 5-time World Champion in Pool Trick Shots, won several titles in Italy in straight pool and nine-ball throughout the late 1970s and 1980s. In 1990, he devoted himself entirely to “Artistic Pool,” commonly referred to in its practice as “Trick Shots.”Due to his outstanding achievements, Stefano is recognized worldwide as one of the greatest Trick Shot champions in the history of the sport, and has earned a spot in ESPN’s Trick Shot Magic Hall of Fame.Most importantly, on November 17, 2012, Stefano was inducted into the National Italian American Sports Hall of Fame. In the presence of approximately 500 VIP guests and many sports stars such as Tommy Lasorda, Mike Piazza, Tony Esposito and Ray “Boom Boom” Mancini, Stefano was awarded this honor, becoming a member of this group of legendary Italian Americans.

STEFANO PELINGA stefanopelinga.com


Banks, rails, cushions… many different names for the same thing: the containment structure of a pool or billiards table designed to prevent the balls from falling off the table. The rails, as most of you know, may have slightly different shapes and height, depending on the different cue sports but what they have in common is that they are all made, in full or just in part, of a special rubber. Thanks to the rubber rails, the pool balls can bounce off of them, maintaining most of their speed and drawing some amazing trajectories on a pool table. This month’s Trick Shot is indeed a “skill shot” but it also represents a good drill to get to know your rails better.Just like the diagram shows, place the cue ball (CB) frozen to the long rail at the 2nd diamond from the corner pocket. Then place another ball, which we will call the “obstacle ball”, frozen to the CB, in a straight and perpendicular line with the long rail. By shooting into the rail, you will experience several different and legal escapes from behind the obstacle ball which will enable you to basically drive the CB anywhere you need on the table, simply because the CB will slightly sink into the rail.Let’s start by aiming at the first diamond from the side pocket. If we use a 6 o’clock hit on the CB, 2 tips of bottom English and a smooth follow through with a speed 2, we will see our CB curve coming out of the rail and likely sink ball A in the top left pocket. If we shoot a little harder, this time at 7 o’clock on the CB (to give it a small dose of “good” or “running” English), we will possibly make B-ball in the bottom right pocket after hitting two rails. We can also change our aim and move it more into the rail, let’s say at 1.5 diamonds from the side pocket. Now we have a steeper angle but because of the help we get from the rubber rail, we will still clear the obstacle ball and hit the opposite long rail about a foot from the pocket. Let’s add 2 tips of right English to the CB with a 4 o’clock hit (for some extra speed) using a 3-speed stroke and we will drive the CB to hit three rails to make C-ball in the bottom left corner pocket.“3-Cushion Billiards” or “Italian 5-pin game” players know better than pool players how to play the rails so practice these shots and keep in mind that the CB acts pretty much the same way also when it is away from the rail or hits a rail after slicing an Object Ball, provided the cloth is fast and fairly new.

LET’S GET TO KNOW

THE RAILS BETTER

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Cueball PositionDescription of how cue ball should be struck, positioned, etc.

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Shot TitleShot Description, Setup Description, detailed instructions, references, etc.

Cueball PositionDescription of how cue ball should be struck, positioned, etc.

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He hustled pool for a while and made a living, then turned pro and made a killing. Clearly, Dallas’ CJ Wiley is on the ball.By Michael P. Geffner

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I’ve now been doing the “Push Hammer Drill” drill every day for several weeks and it’s made a noticeable improvement in my stroke and Targeting the cue ball as precisely as ever. It’s a drill that requires you to get down and place the tip to the center of the cue ball and PUSH the ball into the pocket with just a Hand/Wrist/Forearm motion.....the practitioner must be very precise of the ball with squirt off path very noticeably, and when done correctly it grooves the stroke in a very effective way.

I put all 15 balls up two diamonds and “Push Hammer Style” all 15 balls down to the opposite corners and then repeat for a total of 30. Then I put the balls an inch off the rail and “Push Hammer Style” the balls again, with my cue elevated like I’m shooting off the rail.

This is a really effective way to groove the stroke and feel that “SLOT/TRACK” that I’ve referred to in this thread several times. I also shoot all the balls off the rail “Mexican Rotation” style after the “Push Hammer Style” drill to groove the stoke for acceleration.

I’ve been incorporating these drills in my lessons with noticeable results. I have an entire 3 hour training that I”m doing on request where I oversee the player do a regiment of the most effective drills I know.....it’s like going through a workout, however the results are worth it for those that truly want to improve.

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JULY 29-31, 2015 by: AZBilliards.comThe final day at the US Open 8-Ball Championship started out with more of a whimper than a bang, as Shane Van Boening misread the tournament chart and ended up forfeiting his 10am match against Rafael Martinez. Shane ended up settling for $2250 in prize money, and Rafael got to enjoy a stress free morning.Noon brought Dennis Orcollo and John Morra to the table to compete in the other 5/6 match on the one loss side. Orcollo maneuvered his way through the match and scored the 9-7 win.Orcollo was right back in action at 2:00; facing a rested and relaxed Rafael Martinez. Orcollo advanced with the 9-7 win.The next round shifted back to the winner’s side, where Rodney Morris took on Mike Dechaine for the hot-seat. Dechaine smoothly ran out the final rack for the 9-8 win.Rodney Morris had started his quest for the title with a lopsided 9-0 victory in round one. In his semi-final match against Dennis Orcollo, Morris learned what the other side of a blowout feels like. Orcollo would run out every opportunity he got at the table.The final match saw Mike Dechaine take early control with four straight wins and a 4-0 lead. Just as quick as he took the lead, he then gave it back as Orcollo won four straight games to knot the scoreline at 4-4. The two players alternated table runs over the next six racks

and the score was tied at 7-7 when Dechaine was able to win a rack on Orcollo’s break. Dechaine then broke and ran on his own break and held a 9-7 lead in the race to 11. Orcollo would break and run in rack seventeen, but Dechaine still held a one rack lead and only had to win on his break to win the event. Rack eighteen would be a turning point as Dechaine scratched early in a run-out attempt and Orcollo tied things back up at 9-9. A break and run in rack nineteen put Orcollo on the hill and a dry break by Dechaine in rack 20 was the end of his hopes as Orcollo ran out for the 11-9 win. Orcollo earned $11,000 for first place, while Dechaine settled for $7,000. Day three was a testament to Orcollo’s drive to win as he went from struggling with his break on day two to a dominating break on day three. He put in the time early, honing a second ball break that led to successful table runs in eleven of his last fifteen games.

US Open 8-Ball

1 $11,000 ORCOLLO Dennis (pictured right)2 $7,000 DECHAINE Mike3 $5,000 MORRIS Rodney4 $3,500 MARTINEZ Rafael5 $2,250 MORRA John, VAN BOENING Shane7 $1,250 WOODWARD Skyler, KLATT Jason9 $800 KIAMCO Warren, IGNACIO Jeffrey, RUNNELS Ike, RILEY Craig13 $500 HOHMANN Thorsten, DEUEL Corey, SHAW Jayson, DOMINGUEZ Ernesto17 $300 OLSON Danny, APPLETON Darren, DOMINGUEZ Oscar, ROBERTS Josh HOGUE Greg, VILMONT Chad, SZUTER Chris, ROBLES Tony

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THE FINALSEfren Reyes 3, Danny Smith 1Reyes avenged his only loss of the tournament to Smith last night, winning the finals 3 to 1, and finishing with a record of 5-1. Danny Smith ended with a record of 4-2. Going into the finals there was that age old question – who would have the advantage? The player who was coming off of a victory and was riding on a high, or was he worn out – going against a player who was well rested?GAME 1 – Reyes 8, Smith 7 (Innings: 15)Smith broke strongly but Reyes responded with a good move, knocking balls towards his pocket, and the battle was on. The players traded safeties and missed banks until the 15th inning when Smith left Reyes with another bank. Reyes deposited it in his pocket, got excellent position, and sank the gamewinner.GAME 2 – Reyes 8, Smith 1 (Innings: 4)Reyes broke poorly but Smith sold out. Efren promptly made four balls before he missed position, played a kick, and left Smith with a shot. But Smith could only make one ball, and left the table trailing 4-1. On his third turn Smith again left Reyes with a shot, but Reyes could only make one before missing shape. But he played a carom shot off the pack, made two more to close out the game. He took a commanding 2-0 lead in this race to 3.GAME 3 – Smith 8, Reyes 0 (Innings: 19)Smith broke well but Reyes replied with a double carom safety and the defensive struggle was underway. Reyes did score a ball in his third inning, but he gave it back in the sixth thanks to the only shot clock violation of the tournament, so after seven complete innings the score was 0 to 0. On his 18th turn Reyes missed, and Smith made two balls, then fired in the game winning bank. He now trailed in the match, 2 games to 1. GAME 4 – Reyes 8, Smith 0 (Innings: 7)Reyes broke well, but Smith came back with a great kick safety and the players went to work on defense. Reyes did get lucky not to sell out on a long kick on his third turn, but other than that is was a routine safety battle until his sixth turn when Smith left Reyes with an easy shot. Reyes showed why he is the best ball runner in the history of One-Pocket as he smoothly ran 8 and out to win the match and become the 2015 Accu-Stats Make It Happen One-Pocket champion. Smith did extremely well in finishing second, and is splitting two matches with The Magician.

SCORES

Make it Happen

STANDINGS W-L GM. W/L PRIZEEfren Reyes 5-1 17/8 $5,000Danny Smith 4-2 15/14 $4,000Shane Van Boening 3-2 13/8 $3,000Scott Frost 2-3 11/12 $2,000Justin Hall 2-3 8/12 $2,000Alex Pagulayan 0-5 – 5/15 $2,000

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US Open 10-BallOur semi-final began with Van Boening facing Thorsten Hohmann. Hohmann claimed the rack and our first mark at 1-0. The score went back and forth. Van Boening was on the hill at 9-8. But Hohmann would not be denied the win.He would move on to face Justin Hall in the finals while Van Boening was awarded third place.The finals was a race to thirteen. After three racks Hohmann led 2-1 and Hall was running out the next rack when he missed the five. Hohmann ran out to lead 3-1. After a little back and forth Hohmann made the five in the corner and then walked through the rest of the rack to lead 4-1. Hall was fighting to stay in the match but was coming up short.With the score at 10-4 Hall had only a 4% chance of winning. Hohmann broke dry next rack but left a table with six balls clustered together. He missed his shot on the one ball and it was then up to Hohmann to negotiate all that traffic. Hohmann would take no foolish chances now. He did not need to do so with his lead. He went gently into the cluster off of the two ball and then played safe off the three. Hall kicked two rails to contact the three but left a shot for Hohmann who converted the opportunity into another rack win. 11-4. Hohmann had now won five consecutive racks. When Hall broke the one ball again went and hid. Again he would have to push, kick or jump to start the game. He chose the push and unfortunately left Hohmann an easy one-ten combo to get to the hill 12-4 and own the break.

Hohmann broke the table open. He easily took on the layout and ran home to win the U.S. Open Championship in convincing style 13-4.

1 $10,000 HOHMANN Thorsten (pictured right)2 $6,500 HALL Justin3 $4,500 VAN BOENING Shane4 $3,000 ORCOLLO Dennis5 $2,000 DEUEL Corey, APPLETON Darren7 $1,250 BUTERA Sal, MCMINN Shane9 $800 DECHAINE Mike, ROBERTS Josh, PAGULAYAN Alex, TOURANGEAU Stan13 $500 HATCH Dennis, IGNACIO Jeffrey, MARTINEZ Rafael, WOODWARD Skyler17 $300 SOSSEI Jeremy, ROBLES Tony, KIAMCO Warren, MORRA John HARADA Greg, ARCHER Johnny, HJORLEIFSON Erik, SHAW Jayson

JULY 24 - 26, 2015

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Team Europe won the Inaugural Atlantic Challenge Cup after a dramatic last day of singles matches here in Rankweil Austria. Leading 9-6 after day three, team Europe only needed to win two from the six singles matches to claim victory but team USA did their best to spoil the party.Europe’s Kristina Tkach, who had played solid throughout the previous three days seem to suffer a bout of nerves in the first match of the day, losing 6-3 to USA’s Taylor Hansen which brought the overall score to 9-7.USA had obviously loaded their front line up with their best players and it was the General’s turn “Nick Evans” who came up against the inform Daniel Tangudd from Europe. Nick was off to a flyer and it seemed that the USA selection was working, they were in control and looking good until Daniel found his feet. He pegged back rack after rack in a thriller that was to produce the fifth hill-hill match of the tournament and for the fifth time, Europe came out on top.Europe, now leading 10-7 and needing just one more match to claim the title looked odds on to finish this event quickly but the USA team would not lay down and surrender. The next match saw Europe’s Patryk Statkiewicz up against USA’s Drake Niepoetter.In this match, Patryk created the running jump shot, having already used his time extension and forgetting that he had, sprinted back to grab his jump stick. While running back to the table, he just aimed and shot in a single motion making the ball in the pocket and the whole crowd went crazy. This however was not enough to stop the USA winning this match to bring the score closer at 10-8 in Europe’s favor, ironically it was another hill-hill and the first USA had won.The nerves seemed to be creeping in to the European team, they could see the finish line but were trying to force themselves over it and this was clearly seen in the next match. Marharyta Fefilava who had played a very good tournament until this match was feeling the pressure the most and could not get going at all. Team USA capitalized on the mistakes from Marharyta and April Larson picked off rack after rack coming out on top 6-3.Only two matches remained with Europe leading 10-9 and still needing that one point to

clinch the crown. USA had the momentum and Europe were on the ropes until the cool headed Maxim Dudanets came to the arena. With the pressure mounting, could the youngest member of the European team deliver? It started evenly and after the score was 1-1, Maxim showed such maturity that you could easily forget that he was still only 16 years old. Running racks and playing some brilliant safety shots, he never let his opponent “Joshua Franklin” have any joy when he did get to the table. As the racks piled up, Europe were on the march again, singing as every 9-ball went down. Maxim delivered the point required, playing beautify pool in the process as this match finished 6-1 and 11-9 overall.A relived European team were now celebrating the victory that seemed to be slipping away as USA pressed them all the way to the wire.April Larson picked up the MVP award for team USA and Daniel Tangudd the same award

for team Europe. This event was an amazing display of pool at the highest level and shows the talent that is going to grace the world stages in years to come.It is now over to the BCA & BEF in America to organize this event in 2016 and an announcement will be forthcoming on the date & location, meanwhile the European’s have a complete year to bask in the glory of a well earned victory.All results and pictures can be found here at http://www.x-patspoolleagues.com/#!atlantic-challenge-cup/c5ayThe Atlantic Challenge Cup was organized by the EPBF/IBPF in cooperation with the BCA/BEF.

Team Europe WinsAtlantic Challenge Cup

APRIL LARSON DANIEL TANGUDD

TEAM EUROPE


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Read Melinda Bailey’s blog, as she writes about her Journey with Pool at: http://pooljourney.blogspot.com& here in Rackem Pool Magazine

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VS

the spread just to be able to prove it had actually happened. Dechaine then began his run but got out of line on the three ball and had to play a safety. That did not work as the three ball kept rolling until it found the side pocket (which meant Dechaine had to keep shooting) and he was safe on the four. He made the hit and left Shane tough. Shane made the hit but scratched on the shot and that brought Dechaine back up for the runout.

Shane tied us back up at 5 apiece when Dechaine had a dry break in the next rack but Van Boening had to jump to hit the one ball. He hit it and made the shot and ran out.

The rest of the match belonged to Van Boening. He took the next four racks, then Dechaine claimed two of his own. But Van Boening just kept stretching out his lead and soon the score was 16-9 in favor of Van Boening. A few racks were traded back and forth but when Van Boening got to the hill Dechaine scratched when he made the one ball and that left Van Boening with an easy 2-10 combination to take the title 21-13 and the $1000 check.

LAS VEGAS, NVShane Van Boening and Mike Dechaine teed off in a race to 21 10-Ball Challenge Match last night at the Rio with $1000 going to the winner and $500 to the runner-up.

The match was played on a Diamond 7-foot table and began as a break and run show that many felt would carry throughout the evening as these sharpshooters were making the small track appear effortless. But that changed in rack #3 when Van Boening missed a tough reverse cut on the two ball to bring Dechaine to the table for a runout. Dechaine took the next rack on his break (alternate break format) and then led the match 3-1. But SVB won the next three racks in part due to Dechaine scratching on the one ball in rack #6 and was briefly on top 4-3.

Rack #8 went to Dechaine to tie us at 4 and then we had an unusual rack as SVB broke dry. Mike Dechaine felt this was so unusual that he took out his cell phone and took a photo of SHANE VAN BOENING

For the first time ever in McAlester pool leagues, a woman won the title of League Most Valuable Player. Rachel Petersen (pictured right) won 73 out of the 95 games she played during the league and finished with a winning percentage of 76.8%. She had 4 undefeated matches during the league session. “I am so excited to be the first woman ever to win this title,” Petersen said. “I was really nervous there at the end when I knew I had a chance to win it. But I put my nerves aside, and shot well, and can’t wait to try and defend my title in the next league session.”

Finishing in second place was another Back Alley Billiards’ team, “Side Pocket.” They won 362 games of 550 played and got $780 for there runner-up finish. “Side Pocket” team members include Rachel Petersen, Sharon Stanton, Cody Davis, John Riley, Tony Pipino and Trenton Bolding. Also playing on the team as subs were Jason Cooper and Ryan Holmes. Rachel Petersen was named team MVP as well as League MVP. Cody Davis was the second runner-up for LMVP.


Bull Shooters Win 8-Ball League in McAlester, OK

Marlan Isbell (pictured left) finished the league with the highest win percentage. He won 51 of 55 games played and had a 92.7 win percentage. He also had one 8-Ball break, six break-and-runs, six errorless run-outs and seven undefeated matches.

Back Alley Billiards in McAlester, Okla., hosts leagues 6 nights a week all year long. For more information on leagues or tournaments, call the pool hall 918-916-CUES (2837).

The race for league MVP was a tight one and came down to the very last night of league play. Four league players were in the running to win the league MVP title but Petersen came out on top. Finishing in the runner-up spot was Lee Riddle, who won 83 of 110 games played and had a 75.4 win percentage. He also had one break-and-run, one errorless run-out and 6 undefeated matches during the season. Cody Davis

was the second runner-up for LVMP. He won 78 of 105 games played, had a 74.2 win percentage and had 5 undefeated matches. Finally, Ron Taylor was the third runner-up for LMVP. Taylor won LMVP during the previous session of the league. Taylor won 80 of 110 games played, had a 72.7 win percentage, had two 8-Ball breaks, five break-and-runs, one errorless run-out and three undefeated matches.

Cody Davis, Ron Taylor,Rachel Petersen, Lee Riddle

From left, Tim Bocher, Louis Watson, Marlan Isbell, Floyd Maxey, Lee Riddle and Ralph Cox

Taking third place in the league were the “Outlaws.” They won 348 out of 550 games played and got $745 for their third-place finish. Team members include Mel Taylor, Butch Fields, Ron Taylor, Pete Manschreck and Fred Legg. Ron Tayor was named team MVP and was the third runner up for LMVP

After 22 weeks of league play, the “Bull Shooters,” playing out of Back Alley Billiards in McAlester, were named league champions. As a team, they won 382 games out of 550 games played. Team members include Tim Bocher, Louis Watson, Marlan Isbell, Floyd Maxey, Lee Riddle and Ralph Cox. The team won $815 for their first-place finish. Lee Riddle was named team MVP.

Tim Bocher, Louis Watson, Marlan Isbell, Floyd Maxey, Lee Riddle and Ralph Cox

Cody Davis, Sharon Stanton, Rachel Petersen and Trenton Bolding (not pictured)Tony Pipino and John Riley


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THORSTEN HOHMANN

Photo by: Eli Ceballos - www.cryfoto.com

New York City, NY - Germany has now taken the World 14.1 Cup for a record 6 times when it’s favorite straight pool son defeated reigning champion Darren Appleton of England. In a re-match of 2013, the two best players with the best records in the event faced off for a second finals within 3 years. The Andy Cloth 75th World Tournament of 14.1 featured a who’s who of world class players in attendance to etch their name into history’s elite of the father of all pool games. Darren Appleton, Thorsten Hohmann, Dennis Orcullo, Warren Kiamco, Stephan Cohen, Shane Van Boening, Johnny Archer, Corey Deuel, Earl Strickland, Mika Immonen, Tony Robles and many, many more have participated all week. The main event took place once more in New York City on July 13th-19th, 2015. As usual, a star studded field attended this year at Steinway Billiards Cafe, who once more hosted the world class event. The World Tournament Official Equipment included Viking Cue with all matches played on Andy Cloth. Event partners included Mr.Tom Gleich, Dr. Gregory Diehl, Mr. Greg Hunt of Amsterdam Billiards, & Mr. Jim Gottier of Greenleaf ’s Pool Room. Patron sponsors include Mr. Harold Siegel of Excelsior Graphics, Dr. James Heller, Mr. Charles Eames of Charles Eames Photography, Frank Scharbach of Frank’s Billard Cafe, Focused Apparel and the National Amateur Pool League. US Open Tennis singer Brandon Hernandez sings America’s anthem, Leyman goes over the special finals rules. Williams explains the significance of this special 75th finals.Appleton had now made it to three consecutive finals of the World 14.1, a feat no one has done this millennium and several decades. Hohmann had made this an unprecedented 4th trip to the finals. No player has won consecutive World 14.1 titles since the early 1980’s by Steve Mizerak. Appleton had the chance to be the first ever non-American repeat champion. And he had not lost a match in the event since the 2013 finals lost to Hohmann. On the other hand, Hohmann had never been beaten in the finals of the World 14.1 and a chance to break his own record of wins, getting closer to chasing Mosconi’s record of World 14.1 wins of seven.One way or another, history was destined to be broken.The match started with Hohmann winning the lag and Appleton making the opening break. Facing a long, difficult shot to start, Hohmann fired it in with authority and started his run. Looking confident and playing with vigor, there was a murmur in the air that a new world record may be set. But at 50 balls, Hohmann abruptly missed an easy shot. But the opportunity to still break Appleton’s 200 ball record still existed.Appleton was unable to capitalize and ran only a 30 ball run giving Hohmann another chance. This time, Hohmann went on a 126 ball run but again missed an easy shot. This would force a mandatory intermission of 30 minutes. When Appleton returned, again he was unable to sustain a long run, but this was when the comedy of errors begin. Both players went into limbo unable to get through multiple racks. But at one point Hohmann sustained a seemingly insurmountable lead according to the current level of play. But Appleton seemed to have the momentum as Hohmann’s game fell dramatically once he reached 200 points.

After 4 hours and 30 minutes of play, Appleton finally managed to level the match at 216 to 216. Appleton surpassed that with taking the lead for the first time and reached 232 to 216 before he missed. With the score at 299 and the World 14.1 in the balance, the shot had more pressure than anyone could imagine.The 5-ball missed the target pocket by a diamond. The stack was split open like the red sea. Appleton would have his chance. If Darren would succeed in a 68 ball run, a mere morsel compared to what he has done so many times, then he would remain champion with an amazing 300-299 score. But it was not meant to be. The first shot he played resulted in the ball made, but also the cueball. Stunned, Appleton slowly went back to his chair and conceded the final shot to Hohmann. The match ended nearly 7 hours later.“I got unlucky a few times but so did Thorsten. Of course I’m disappointed of the result because I have been playing well all week. But Thorsten deserves it. He is the best straight pool player in the world”, said Appleton in the aftermath speech.“Darren has proven he is one of the best in the world in just a few short years. His patterns are perfect now”, said Hohmann. When asked if he was chasing the World 14.1 record of 10 wins by Ralph Greenleaf, Hohmann simply answered,” I just love straight pool. I keep playing for that reason.”Hohmann now surpasses Ray Martin and Mike Sigel in wins, and ties at 4th for all time World 14.1 wins with Luther Lassiter. In the new millenium and for non-American champions, Hohmann holds the record for most wins than any player.

417-315-8340

525 S Glenstone Ave Springfield, MOWeekly Pool Tournaments

Smoking AllowedFull Bar & GrillClub Membership Required(Must be 21 + $10/year)

Hours: Monday - Saturday: 10:00 AM - 2:00 AMSunday: Noon - 2:00 AM

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

Turning Stone Classic XXIV August 20-23, 2015

Mike Zuglan’s Joss Northeast 9-Ball Tour, www.joss9balltour.com and Turning Stone Resort Casino are proud to present our 2014-2015 Season Finale, The “Turning Stone Classic XXIV 9-Ball Open”. This event will take place in Turning Stone’s beautiful & spacious Event Center which is known worldwide as one of the best venues ever. There are no bad seats, and the layout allows you to mingle with all of your favorite players and friends, giving you the feeling of being part of the action yourself. There is an aura of intimacy that seems to surround you at these events. If you have never been to Turning Stone, located in Verona NY, you simply don’t know what you are missing. Check them out at www.turningstone.com For an unprecedented 24th time, we will have a full field of players with no shortage of past, present and future Champions. Shaw, Van Boening, Archer, Karen Corr, Jennifer Barretta, Deuel, Dechaine, Appleton, Dominguez, Bergman, Sossei & Immonen are just a few competing in this world class event. Don’t think for a minute that any of these players are a “lock” to win. Joss Tour regulars like Souvanthong, Casanzio & Dupuis just might have something to say about that. Then there are the many others that have a legitimate chance of making history, and even more that are very capable of a high finish. So look for anything to happen when the smoke clears on Sunday night. I am pleased to also announce that this event, in addition to being a BCA event, will be a Mosconi Cup and WPA ranking event! There will be a “second chance” tournament on Sunday August 23 at 10AM running continuously until completed. This is an event for those Non Pro level players (I will decide) eliminated from the main event. The event format will be as follows: $60 Entry Fee - 32 Player Max - same rules as main event - Single Elimination - Races to 4, best 2 of 3 sets, with the deciding set a single game sudden death. This means that if each player wins a race to 4, there will be a lag for the break and a 1 game playoff to determine the match winner. Entries will be taken for this tournament as players are eliminated from the main event and will be treated as first paid - first in until the event is full.The equipment for this world class event will once again be 16, 9 foot Diamond Pro tables covered with 860 Simonis (“The Cloth Of Champions”) tournament blue cloth. We will be using the new Aramith Tournament TV Pro Cup balls. Thanks again to Ivan Lee for providing us with the World’s best cloth and the World’s

best balls! All of these items will be for sale in tournament used condition, and only seriously interested parties are urged to contact Mike Zuglan immediately at 518-356-7163 for info and pricing. Being a spectator at Turning Stone is an experience you won’t find anywhere else. We always offer fans, Free Admission, Free collectible posters (while supplies last) and once again Turning Stone will be giving away a $10 free play to all players and fans. So you get Free admission, Free posters and Free bets!! No one else does it like Turning Stone and the Joss Northeast 9-Ball Tour! Included in the Event Center at Turning Stone is a full service snack bar serving all of our favorite foods and

adult beverages. There will be billiard product vendors and on site cue repairs available for all your needs. We will also be raffling off 2 gorgeous, custom, engraved Joss Cues on Saturday at 8pm and Sunday immediately prior to the final match and you Do Not have to be present to win. These cues have a retail value of $1275 each and are generously provided by Danny Janes of Joss Cues Ltd. Thanks again to Danny for all he does for us!! So come to Turning Stone Resort & Casino August 20-23 for a great experience and 4 full days of some of the best pool you will ever witness. If for some reason you are unable to

make it, there will be a free live stream and live scoring expertly provided by Mike Howerton & Jerry Forsyth ( www.azbilliards.com ), Upstate Al Leon, The Joss Northeast 9-Ball Tour and Turning Stone Resort Casino. The Joss Northeast 9-Ball Tour is Proudly sponsored by; Joss Cues - http://www.josscues.comTurning Stone Casino - http://www.turning-stone.comSimonis Cloth - http://www.simoniscloth.comPool on the Net - http://www.poolonthenet.comAzBilliards.com - http://www.azbilliards.comAramith - http://www.aramith.com OB Cues - http://www.obcues.com The Billiard Press - http://www.billiardspress.com Heidrich Custom Cues - http://heidrichcustomcues.com World Class Cue Care - http://www.jnj-industries.comStroke Pool Magazine - http://www.OnTheBreakNews.com

[email protected] Bank of America escrow account in Norfolk, Virginia is in order and is ready to service the competitors with their liberal check cashing policies.The Sheraton Norfolk Waterside Hotel is also ready to provide the necessary space and comforts at discounted rates for the tournament contestants as well as attendees. To reserve hotel rooms, call 757-622-6664. Use code “USOPEN” for the $89 room rate. See your savings by going to sheratonnorfolkwaterside.com to compare the rates for everyone else! The city of Norfolk is also a sponsor in this event and looks forward to everyone’s arrival.The seating is spread through four undivided convention rooms, similar to the Conference Center in Chesapeake. The TV Arena will be centered in the spacious ballroom. VIP seats are now open to the general public through ticketfly.com.Go to usopen9ballchampionships.com/fans.php for ticket purchases.Go to accu-Stats.com to pay entry fees. All entry fees are escrowed by Accu-Stats.All prize monies will be paid by Accu-Stats. To reserve hotel rooms, call 757-622-6664. To purchase seating tickets, go to usopen9ballchampionships.com/fans.php.To reserve BCA Hall of Fame Dinner tickets, call 312-341-1110 ext 2004.Any questions regarding this report should be directed to Pat Fleming at 973-838-7089 or [email protected].

As of today, July 8, 2015, the added money accounted for by Accu-Stats, the escrow account holder for the U.S. Open 9-Ball Championship, stands at $51,500. Barry Behrman, the promoter of the event, has given assurances that the promised $75,000 in added money will be achieved and it is that amount that is required to be sanctioned as a WPA Tier 2 event. The event is not limited to players from the United States but opened to all players from around the world. If your country requires an invitation for you to attend, please email


Status Report

Allen Hopkins, Danny Barouty & Willie Mosconi to be Inducted into the

2015 Straight Pool Hall of Fame

17, and quickly established himself as a force when, at 19 years old he defeated the mighty Luther Lassiter in a 1000 point money match with Lassiter stating, “That was the greatest straight pool I’ve ever seen”. In 1977, Hopkins started his prime winning the US Open 9-Ball, World 9-Ball, and the World 14.1 all in the same year. Hopkins would remain a force on the pro scene for the next 2 decades, and since then has become a major promoter with the highly successful Super Billiards Expo. “I was fortunate to grow up around so many great players. Straight pool has always been my best game. Straight pool separates all players.”“Allen and I not only used to battle back and forth

in countless matches, but we used to also go in partnership with each other when playing other great players. He played super solid for big money and was dependable under huge pressure. I had so much mutual respect for his abilities. He was the most fierce competitor I ever met,” said Pete Margo, a former top pro player during the 1970’s era. Margo has been nominated for next year’s 14.1 HOF personally by Hopkins himself.

Danny Barouty won 50% of the votes in the Unsung Hero category with a huge fan following in the New York tri-state area. Born in 1956, the Queens, NY native started playing pool at age 7, with 14.1 being his first game. This led to a lifelong passion for

straight pool which has carried on till today as Barouty has been the cause of many players becoming 14.1 addicts through his passion and knowledge of the game. Barouty has also taken down some of the biggest names in pool such as Hohmann, Ortmann, Cohen, Parica and carries a 287 ball high run. His legacy will be his straight pool leagues in NY and now California, which still thrive today. “I never looked at myself as a promoter of straight pool. I just like the game. No hidden agenda. And I suppose everything comes from that.”

New York City, NY - The votes are in. Allen Hopkins, Danny Barouty, and Willie Mosconi will all be inducted this year during the Andy Cloth 75th World Tournament of 14.1 (worldstraightpool.com). The 5th Annual 14.1 Hall of Fame took place Wednesday July 15th 8pm with a dinner banquet at Steinway Cafe-Billiards (facebook.com/SteinwayCafeBilliards). Mosconi won the World 14.1 seven times, which remains the second highest wins in history.Willie Mosconi would be 102 years old if he was alive today. He was born in 1913, just one year after the very first World 14.1 Championship. It’s fitting that the King of 14.1 be inducted in the 75th production of the event he dominated. During nearly 2 decades, Mosconi won the World 14.1 seven times and defended the title an unmatched 12-times. It’s no wonder till this day, the name Mosconi is synonymous with straight pool.

Allen Hopkins was nominated by the World 141 Club members and afterwards won 60% of the votes submitted by fans via social media, polls, and e-mails. Hopkins was born in 1951 in Elizabeth, New Jersey and started playing pool at the age of 7. He ran his first 100 balls by age 12. He joined the pro tour by age

Turning Stone Classic XXIV August 20-23, 2015


ALLEN HOPKINS

WILLIE MOSCONI

DANNY BAROUTY


Thirty-six players showed up Father’s Day weekend June 20-21st at Legend’s Billiards in League City, TX to play in Stop #4 of OB Cues Ladies Tour 2015 calendar. Top players from throughout the Texas area were competing for the first place prize in this $2000 added monies event. Legend’s Billiards, home of the Houston Open, and many other special tournaments throughout the years, is always a player favorite, with courteous and welcoming staff, fans as well as well-maintained Brunswick/Diamond equipment. We look forward to coming back for years to come. Special thanks to Mindy and Craig Cohen for hosting us on this holiday weekend!By days end on Saturday, eight ladies would be returning on Sunday morning to continue in the Main Event. The final four remaining in the winner’s bracket were Sophia Lopez (San Antonio) vs Tara Williams (Ft. Worth) and MzTam Trinh (Austin) vs. Jennifer Kraber (Austin). The four ladies on the one loss side were Natalie Esparza (Houston) vs. Terry Petrosino (Houston) and Amanda Lampert (Dallas) vs. Board Member Tracie Voelkering (Ft. Worth).7th-8th places went to Tracie and Natalie, which is her highest finish in only her second event after a tough first round loss. 5th-6th places went to Terry and MzTam, who also had her highest finish ever and 4th place went to Sophia. Great shooting to everyone. Keep up the great work!Tara made her way through Saturday with wins over Janna Preston (7-0), Natalie Mans (7-4), and Amanda Lampert (7-5). On Sunday, she continued her undefeated run and earned a spot for the hot seat with a win over Sophia Lopez (7-4). On the other side of the winner’s bracket, Jennifer was making her way through her Saturday matches with the strong play that has made her a consistent and formidable player. Her winning matches were as follows: besting Natalie Esparza (7-5), Shayla Neris (7-3), and Terry Petrosino (7-6). On Sunday morning, she continued her run taking down MzTam (7-0) which would secure her spot in the hot seat match. In the hot seat match, it looked like it was going to be over quickly in Jennifer’s favor when she jumped out to a 4-0 lead. Tara regained her focus though and managed to get on the board to bring the score to 4-3 with some strong play. Tara missed a 9-ball to allow Jennifer to pull ahead 5-3, but composed herself and ran the next rack to close it out at 5-4. A late miss by Jennifer then allowed Tara to tie it up at 5 games apiece. Trading run outs the next two games, it came down to a single game to decide the winner. Tara appeared to have the advantage after a solid break, but a tough leave on the 5 ball forced to her to make a few difficult shots in a row.

On the 8-ball, Tara slightly overcut the ball and left it hanging in the pocket but Jennifer was left directly behind the 9-ball. She looked over her options and decided to go for a jump shot, but couldn’t quite get over the 9-ball, giving Tara ball in hand on the last two balls to take the hot seat match and wait for her finals opponent.In the semi-finals match, Amanda and Jennifer traded racks early and it

appeared that both players would be grinding it out for the single spot available in the finals. However, when tied at 2-2, Amanda caught a gear and quickly began pulling ahead in the match. She played some great outs and strategic safeties to shut Jennifer down in the match, finishing out the set with a final score of 7-2. Good tournament Jennifer—nice 3rd place finish! As the finals were now set and both Amanda and Tara being champions in their own right, everyone knew it was going to be a strong and solid fight to the finish. Amanda, seeking to avenge her earlier loss on Saturday to Tara, she quickly jumped out to a 2-0 lead. Tara posted her own solid play to tie it up at 2 games each. After trading games until tied at 4-4, an early miss by Amanda allowed

Tara to pull ahead for the first time in the match. Tara won the next game as well and looked ready to finish out the set, but a tough leave on the 8-ball gave Amanda opportunity to stay in the match and bring the score to only a one game deficit at 5-6. On the final game, it looked as if Amanda was going to force a hill-hill set, but a missed six ball allowed Tara to finish the set with a final score of 7-5. Congratulations to both ladies for a fantastic tournament! With this fourth win in 2015 for Tara, she makes tour history by becoming the first player to ever win four consecutive events. She also becomes only the third player to win four stops in a calendar year – Amanda Lampert had four wins in 2013 and Leslie Anne Rogers scored four wins in 2004. Congratulations on the awesome accomplishment Tara! You have made your mark in tour history!Special recognition and thanks to OB Cues our main tournament sponsor. If you want to get serious about your game, check out OB Cues at www.obcues.comAlso many thanks and love to all our families, fans, supporters—we greatly appreciate each and every one of you. Also to the many, many ladies/ players/friends who traveled from near and far; we loved seeing you all again and greatly appreciate you making the journey to play on the OB Cues Ladies Tour. We look forward to seeing everyone once again at Stop #5 – P.O.E.T.S. Billiards in College Station, Texas, August 15-16th weekend.Good Pool, Good Friends, Good Times – we are the OB Cues Ladies Tour!!!!!Check us out at www.obcuestour.com or Facebook/obcuestour.

9-Ball Tou rLadies

Main Event Tournament Results & Payouts: $2000 monies added – 36 players

1st $800 Tara Williams2nd $640 Amanda Lampert3rd $465 Jennifer Kraber4th $345 Sophia Lopez5th/6th $175 Terry Petrosino, MzTam Trinh7th/8th $100 Natalie Esparza, Tracie VoelkeringBest of the Rest Tournament Results & Payouts: $100 monies added – 7 players

1st $120 Kawania Watson2nd $50 Teresa Garland

Goody-Giveaway Winners:$50 Shell Gift Cards (8) - Michelle Cortez, Karen Lawley, Natalie Mans, Krystal West, D’Andrea McQuirter, Teresa Garland, Yvonne Asher, Natalie EsparzaOB Cues Towel - MzTam TrinhWPBA T-Shirt - Kathy KnuthMzTam Custom Chalk - Heather Bryant$30 Tough Luck Draw for drawing the reigning Tour Champ first round - Janna PrestonOB Cues Raffle Winner - Adam Vargas OB Rift Break Cue Winne - Amanda Lampert

Results


***ANY HELP IS GREATLY APPRECIATED REGARDING THIS TRAGIC DEADLY STORY FROM MY LOCAL BILLIARDS COMMUNITY***Some of these details are rough and are all pieced together but I’m just trying to help. Yesterday at 5:00 pm at Diamond Billiards here in Cape Coral Florida, there was a deadly “accident”. I play at Diamonds about half of my time. We have 5 pool halls here in SWFL and Diamonds is definitely the premier place to play.

Apparently a 75 year old man was kicked out for hitting on a young server as he was acing inappropriately (probably a creeper). He went outside and drove his Ford F-250 through the front window through the pool hall and pinned 2 people down between the bar and his truck with all the debris. I’ve been told he told the police “he did it out of revenge”. I HAVE TO SAY IT IS MORE THAN 60 FEET TO THE BACK OF THE BUILDING AND HE WENT ALL THE WAY THROUGH TO THE FAR WALL.

They had to extract the two pinned people out and they are in critical condition and two more in stable condition. One of the victims so happens to be the Ron Gravel, he was the cook at Diamonds and a LONG time player and fan of the sport. A

super nice guy I just met a few weeks ago and had a conversation with about Brunswick Centennials which I happened to have in my truck. We hit them around and weighed them and agreed they were great. I didn’t even know he played and that he was a walking billiards encyclopedia. Great guy.

Ron didn’t make it and sadly he passed away in surgery shortly after... RIP Ron Gravel. ***SEE BELOW HOW TO HELP***

There are three “money tables” right there in the front (9 ft Diamond Pro Ams) and that’s usually where everyone sits and watches or just chats all day if not playing. Apparently pro player, Justin Hall was racking at the table right where the truck came through (see photo below) and was clipped but he is fine.There is a GoFundMe account setup for Ron’s family and his funeral expenses, if you feel you could give anything, please do. Even $1.00 helps. I donated $100 on behalf of Billiard Bill’s, my business. www.gofundme.com/rongravel

TRAGIC DEADLY STORY

RON GRAVEL

Mondays Davenport, IA Sharky’s Bar & Billiards (563) 359-7225 9-Ball $12 $100 every 16 7PM Houston, TX Bogies Billiards (281) 821-4544 9 Ball on 8’ tables-Race 4/3 $7 $100 w/20 8PM Des Moines, IA Big Dog Billiards (515) 266-6100 Open 8-Ball $10 no g.f. $/player 16+ 6PM Appleton, WI KK Billiards (920) 830-0083 9-Ball-Race to 4-Alt Break-DE $10 $50 w/16 7PM Green Bay, WI KK Billiards (920) 432-0059 9-Ball-Race to 4-Alt Break-DE $10 $50 w/16 7PM

Tuesdays Spring, TX Big Tyme Billiards (281) 288-0800 8 Ball $10 Call 9:30PM Des Moines, IA Big Dog Billiards (515) 266-6100 Handicap 8-Ball-DE $10 Call 7PM Houston, TX Bogie’s West (832) 912-4432 9 Ball-Limit 32 $11 $100 w/20 8PMWednesdays McAlester, OK Back Alley Billiards (918) 916-2837 9 Ball Open - Race to 3 $5 $$$ 7:30PM Davenport, IA Sharky’s Bar & Billiards (563) 359-RACK 8-9-10 Ball Coin Toss $10 (incl g.f.) $100 every 16 6:30PM Midwest City, OK Jamaica Joe’s (405) 736-0590 9 Ball - 10 & under $15 $5/player 7:30PM St Peters, MO Teachers Billiards (636) 441-9964 5,6,7 9-Ball - Race to 3+ $13 $5 side pot 7:30PM Houston, TX Bogies Billiards (281) 821-4544 8 Ball on 8’ tables-Race 2/1 $7 $100 w/20 8PM Alsip, IL Red Shoes (708) 388-3700 10 Ball $15 Call 8PM Oshkosh, WI Varsity Club (920) 651-0806 9-Ball Beginners $8 Call CallThursdays Oshkosh, WI Varsity Club (920) 651-0806 9-Ball Intermediate $10 Call Call Davenport, IA Sharky’s Bar & Billiards (563) 359-7225 8-Ball $5+$3 g,f, $100 every 16 7PM Des Moines, IA Big Dog Billiards (515) 266-6100 Short Rack 8-Ball-Race to 3 $10 Call 11PM Spring, TX Big Tyme Billiards (281) 288-0800 9 Ball $10 50% 8PMFridays McAlester, OK Back Alley Billiards (918) 916-2837 8 Ball Open - Race to 3 $10 $$$ 7:30PM Olathe, KS Shooters (1st Friday) (913) 780-5740 9-Ball Open $10 $300 Guar 7PM Olathe, KS Shooters (2nd Friday) (913) 780-5740 Ladies 8-Ball $10 $100 w/16 7PM Olathe, KS Shooters (4th Friday) (913) 780-5740 Mixed Scotch Doubles 8-Ball $15 $100 w/16T 7PM Houston, TX Bogies Billiards (281) 821-4544 8-Ball-on Bar Tables $10 Call 7PM Coon Rapids, MN CR’s Sports Bar (763) 780-1585 8-Ball on 7’ Diamonds $16 Break Pot 7PM Des Moines, IA Big Dog Billiards (515) 266-6100 Open 10-Ball $10 $3/player 7PM Farmington, MN Farmington Billiards (651) 463-2636 8 or 9-ball rotation $15+$5 g.f. $50 w/16 6:30PM Spring, TX Big Tyme Billiards (281) 288-0800 One Pocket $10 Call 8PM Spring, TX Big Tyme Billiards (281) 288-0800 8 Ball - APA 5 & under $6 50% 8PM Tulsa, OK Q-Spot Billiards (918) 779-6204 8-Ball 7 & under $5 Call 9 PM Poplar Bluff, MO Smokin’ Aces (573) 712-2900 9 Ball $10 $200 7PM Midwest City, OK Jamaica Joe’s (405) 736-0590 Open 8-Ball - Rated Call Call Call Davenport, IA Sharky’s Bar & Billiards (563) 359-7225 9-Ball on 7’ Valleys $10 $100 every 16 7PM Appleton, WI KK Billiards (920) 830-0083 8-Ball-Race to 2-Alt Break-DE $5 $50 w/16 7PM Round Rock, TX Skinny Bob’s Billiards (512) 733-1111 9-Ball Race 3/3-Last Woman $ $12 Call 8PM Oshkosh, WI Varsity Club (920) 651-0806 9-Ball $15 $50 7PM Mankato, MN Kato Cue Club (507) 388-7665 8-Ball Progressive - Hdcp $16 Call 6:30PM St Peters, MO Teachers Billiards (636) 441-9964 3,4,5 8-Ball - Race to 2+ $13 $5 side pot 7:30PMSaturdays Houston, TX Bogies Billiards (281) 821-4544 8-Ball on Bar Tables $10 Call 7PM Olathe, KS Shooters (913) 780-5740 9-Ball - ‘B’ Rated $12 Call 6:30PM Round Rock, TX Skinny Bob’s Billiards (512) 733-1111 9-Ball Race 4/3 9-Ball Break Pot $12 Call 8PM Houston, TX Bogie’s West (832) 912-4432 8 Ball-Limit 32 $11 $100 w/20 4PM Tulsa, OK Q-Spot Billiards (918) 779-6204 9-Ball 7 & under $10 (incl. g.f.) Call 9PM St Peters, MO Teachers Billiards (636) 441-9964 9-Ball - Race to Hcp - DE $15 $5 side pot 1PM Springfield, MO Shooters Billiards (417) 315-8340 8-Ball $5 $100 7:30PMSundays McAlester, OK Back Alley Billiards (918) 916-2837 Scotch Doubles - Race to 3 $10 $$$ 5:30PM Des Moines, IA Big Dog Billiards (515) 266-6100 Open Short Rack 8/9 $10 no g.f. $5/player 16+ 6PM Davenport, IA Sharky’s Bar & Billiards (563) 359-7225 10-Ball $12 $100 every 16 7PM Olathe, KS Shooters (913) 780-5740 8-Ball - Race to 3 - No pros $10 Call 7:30PM Green Bay, WI KK Billiards (920) 432-0059 8-Ball Race to 3 $10 $50 w/16 1PM Spring, TX Big Tyme Billiards (281) 288-0800 10 Ball $12 50% 6PM Round Rock, TX Skinny Bob’s Billiards (512) 733-1111 10-Ball Race 5/3 9-Ball Break Pot $12 Break&Run Pot 2PM Oshkosh, WI Varsity Club (920) 651-0806 10-Ball on 9’ tables-Race to 5 $15 Call Call Springfield, MO Shooters Billiards (417) 315-8340 Majority Rules $5 $100 6PM

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Call First - All Tournaments are subject to change without notice

DATE CITY LOCATION PHONE EVENT / RULES ENTRY ADDED TIME


Aug 1 McAlester, OK Back Alley (see ad p8) 918-916-2837 8-Ball Progressive (#5)-Open $20 Call 1PM Aug 8 St Peters, MO Teachers Billiards (see ad p9) 314-614-9920 Missoui State Bar Box 10-Ball $135-Limit 48 $2,000 CallAug 8 McAlester, OK Back Alley (see ad p8) 918-916-2837 8-Ball 7 & under-Race to 5 $20 $$$ 1PM Aug 8 St Peters, MO Teachers Billiards (see ad p9) 314-614-9920 5’s & 6’s Scotch 9-Ball Call $1,000 CallAug 8 Appleton, WI KK Billiards (see ad p21) 920-830-0083 9-Ball $25+$10 $250/$250 9AMAug 8-9 Des Moines, IA Big Dog Billiards (see ad p9) 515-266-6100 8-Ball APA 5 & below $10 $500 w/64 10AM Aug 14-16 Poplar Bluff, MO Smokin Aces (see ad July) 573-712-2900 8-Ball Bar Box Open-Limit 16 $2,000 $2,000 min. 6PMAug 15 Alsip, IL Red Shoes (see ad p18) 708-388-3700 10-Ball $50 incl g.f. $500 w/f.f. NoonAug 15 Davenport, IA Sharky’s (see ad p23) 563-359-7225 9-Ball Bar Box Open $40 incl g.f. $1,000 10AMAug 15 Houston, TX Bogies West (see ad p9) 832-912-4432 9-Ball-Limit 64 $50 incl fees $500 w/32 Noon Aug 15 McAlester, OK Back Alley (see ad p8) 918-916-2837 8-Ball All Players $20 $$$ 1PM Aug 15 St Peters, MO Teachers Billiards (see ad p9) 314-614-9920 Ladies 8-Ball Call $1,000 CallAug 22 McAlester, OK Back Alley (see ad p8) 918-916-2837 8-Ball 5 & under $15 $$$ 1PM Aug 22 St Peters, MO Teachers Billiards (see ad p9) 314-614-9920 Diamond Allstars Call $1,000 CallAug 22-23 Round Rock, TX Skinny Bob’s (see ad p20) 512-733-1111 9-Ball Open/Amateur Call $1,000 CallAug 23 Round Rock, TX Skinny Bob’s (see ad p20) 512-733-1111 Women 9-Ball Call $500 CallAug 29 Appleton, WI KK Billiards (see ad p21) 920-830-0083 Open 8-Ball $40 $750 w/64 NoonAug 29 McAlester, OK Back Alley (see ad p8) 918-916-2837 8-Ball Jack & Jill Scotch $30 $$$ 1PM Aug 29-30 Des Moines, IA Big Dog Billiards (see ad p9) 515-266-6100 One Pocket - Limit 32 $50+$10 g.f. $500 w/32 10AM Sep 3 Round Rock, TX Skinny Bob’s (see ad p20) 512-733-1111 9-Ball SE Limit 128 $25 Call 8PM Sep 3-4 Round Rock, TX Skinny Bob’s (see ad p20) 512-733-1111 Scotch Doubles 9-Ball-Limit 32 $125/team Call 11AMSep 4 Round Rock, TX Skinny Bob’s (see ad p20) 512-733-1111 Texas Open Ring Game $100 limit 16 Call 3PM Sep 4 Round Rock, TX Skinny Bob’s (see ad p20) 512-733-1111 Texas Open 9-Ball $125 limit 128 $3,200 Guar 8PM Sep 5 Round Rock, TX Skinny Bob’s (see ad p20) 512-733-1111 Texas Open Women $75 limit 32 $800 Guar 6PMSep 5 McAlester, OK Back Alley (see ad p8) 918-916-2837 8-Ball Progressive (#6)-Open $20 $$$ 1PM Sep 10 Des Moines, IA Big Dog Billiards (see ad p10) 515-266-6100 10-Ball - Limit 16 - SE $500 Call 2PMSep 10-13 Des Moines, IA Big Dog Billiards (see ad p10) 515-266-6100 One Pocket - Limit 16 $2,000 $5,000 Guar 7PMSep 11-13 Des Moines, IA Big Dog Billiards (see ad p10) 515-266-6100 Open 9-Ball - Limit 150 $20 $2,000 7PMSep 10-13 Des Moines, IA Big Dog Billiards (see ad p10) 515-266-6100 Midwest Billiards & Cue Expo Sep 12 Alsip, IL Red Shoes (see ad p18) 708-388-3700 Bank Pool $50 incl g.f. $500 w/f.f. NoonSep 12 McAlester, OK Back Alley (see ad p8) 918-916-2837 9-Ball 7 & under-Race to 5 $20 $$$ 1PM Sep 18-20 Midwest City, OK Jamaica Joes (see ad p18) 405-736-0590 8-Ball-Limit 16 $2,000 $2,000 CallSep 19-20 Midwest City, OK Jamaica Joes (see ad p18) 405-736-0590 Open 9-Ball-Limit 64 $50 $500 NoonSep 19 Coon Rapids, MN C R Sports Bar (see ad p27) 763-780-1585 8-Ball Varies $1,500 10AMSep 19 Houston, TX Bogies West (see ad p9) 832-912-4432 9-Ball-Limit 64 $50 incl fees $500 w/32 NoonSep 19 McAlester, OK Back Alley (see ad p8) 918-916-2837 8-Ball 8 & under $20 $$$ 1PM Sep 26 Appleton, WI KK Billiards (see ad p21) 920-830-0083 No Master 8-Ball $100+$10 $1,000 NoonSep 26 McAlester, OK Back Alley (see ad p8) 918-916-2837 8-Ball 6 & under $15 $$$ 1PMSep 26 Davenport, IA Sharky’s (see ad p23) 563-359-7225 10-Ball Scotch Doubles $60 incl g.f. $1,000 10AM Oct 1 Devils Lake, ND Spirit Lake Casino (see ad p26) 701-766-4747 Open 9-Ball $65 incl fees Call 6:30PM Oct 2-4 Devils Lake, ND Spirit Lake Casino (see ad p26) 701-766-4747 Open 8-Ball - Men’s $80 incl fees $12,000 total 5PMOct 2-4 Devils Lake, ND Spirit Lake Casino (see ad p26) 701-766-4747 Open 8-Ball - Women’s $60 incl fees Call 5PMOct 8 Appleton, WI KK Billiards (see ad p21) 920-830-0083 Big Table 10-Ball $400 1st 16 Call 7PM Oct 9-11 Appleton, WI KK Billiards (see ad p21) 920-830-0083 10-Ball Cheesehead Classic $100 $12,000 Guar 4PMOct 10 Alsip, IL Red Shoes (see ad p18) 708-388-3700 One Pocket $50 incl g.f. $500 w/f.f. NoonOct 10 Davenport, IA Sharky’s (see ad p23) 563-359-7225 High Roller 8-Ball - Limit 16 $100 $1,000 1st w/ff 10AMNov 7 Green Bay, WI KK Billiards (see ad p21) 920-432-0059 Open 8-Ball $40 incl g.f. $750 w/64 10AMNov 14 Appleton, WI KK Billiards (see ad p21) 920-830-0083 No Master 8-Ball $40 $750 w/64 NoonNov 21 Houston, TX Bogies West (see ad p9) 832-912-4432 9-Ball-Limit 64 $50 incl fees $500 w/32 NoonDec 5 Green Bay, WI KK Billiards (see ad p21) 920-432-0059 Open 10-Ball $40 incl g.f. $750 w/64 10AMDec 19 Appleton, WI KK Billiards (see ad p21) 920-830-0083 No Master 10-Ball $40 incl g.f. $750 w/64 10AM

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rackem pool magazine august issue 2015

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