Rackem Magazine - August 2010

2 Rackem Magazine - June 2010

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August 2010 - Rackem Magazine 3

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

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Atlas Billiard Supply Skokie, IL 15billiardcoach.com 4Crown Cues Broken Arrow, OK 12CuePen.com 5Dr Popper Jump Q Oklahoma City, OK 15Fargo Billiards Fargo, ND 15Hillbilly Heaven Wright City, MO 5Lone Star Tour Texas 6Mueller Lincoln, NE 3OTBnTV Live 2Q-Spot Tulsa, OK 5sammspocket.com 4Sharky’s Sedalia, MO 5Shooter’s Olathe, KS 7SW 10-Ball Tour 5Two Stooges Fridley, MN 7USAPL/CSI Las Vegas, NV 16Varsity Club Oshkosh, WI 15White Diamond Lafayette, LA 12

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Rackem StaffPUBLISHER/EDITORDon “Cheese” Akerlow

MARKETING DIRECTORMary Akerlow

LAYOUTS & DESIGNWendy SwensonSunshine RossMary AkerlowDon Akerlow

DISTRIBUTIONSheila Papke

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What’s Inside

08/01/2010 10:00 AM Luther Lassiter vs. Cicero Murphy 08/01/2010 10:30 AM 1983 Minnesota Fats vs. Luther Lassiter08/02/2010 8:00 AM Luther Lassiter vs. Joe Balsis08/02/2010 2:00 PM 2000 Wmn’s Tourn of Champ Shin-Mei Liu vs Allison Fisher. 08/09/2010 8:00 AM Babe Cranfield vs. U.J. Puckett08/11/2010 2:00 PM 2001 BCA Open 9-Ball Jeanette Lee and Karen Corr. 08/15/2010 7:00 AM Luther Lassiter vs. Irving Crane08/16/2010 8:00 AM Cowboy Jimmy Moore vs. Joe Balsis

08/22/2010 7:00 AM Joe Balsis vs. Irving Crane08/23/2010 8:00 AM U.J. Puckett vs. Babe Cranfield08/30/2010 8:00 AM Willie Mosconi vs. Cowboy Jimmy Moore09/05/2010 7:00 AM Willie Mosconi vs. Minnesota Fats09/06/2010 8:00 AM Cowboy Jimmy Moore vs. Luther Lassiter09/13/2010 8:00 AM Legends of The Fall- Hall of Fame Trick Shots09/13/2010 2:00 PM Legends of The Fall- Hall of Fame Trick Shots

Cover PhotoDon “Cheese” Akerlow

4 Rackem Magazine - August 2010

My Family Treeand Pocket Billiards

© 2010 Mike Fieldhammer, BilliardCoach.com

Back to PoolBy Samm Diep, PoolTipJar.com © August 2010

Samm Diep

It’s that time of the year again! As the leaves turn, the kids return to school and the fall pool league season begins. Do you have any plans for a better season this year? Enjoy this easy checklist and have a fun

pool season!

Set a GoalOne great thing about league is that someone else is keeping the stats for you. Now would be an ideal time to set some tangible, measurable goals. Maybe you’d like to move up by one handicap. Maybe you want a higher win percentage. Whatever your objective is, keep your eye on the target and have a plan of attack.Kids come home with progress reports that show their development. These stats may indicate their areas for improvement. Granted, the league stats won’t identify

the shots you miss most often or how many times you broke dry, but most will show ERO’s (Earned Run-Outs) and win-loss percentages. Use these stats to track your progress throughout the league season.

Keep it SimpleChoose one new shot or exercise to focus on. This should be something that allows you to target a specific weakness in your game. Perhaps you’re struggling with safeties or you have a phobia of inside english. If you have trouble identifying your weaknesses, ask a teammate for help. Try to dedicate at least 10 hours to each new drill before moving to the next one. Track your progress as you go along. Continuing EducationPick up a book, watch some videos, surf the internet, or simply read through the rest of this publication. There are so many great resources out there to help you get started. Many of them won’t even cost you a dime! If you need to be pointed in the right direction, let me know.

Review and RepeatNow remember, even though you’re using the league stats, your goals should be performance based and not outcome based. When you do your best and work to improve your weaknesses, the results will follow.

If all your opponents break and run out on you in league, the outcome was negative but that was not a reflection of your performance.Take some time to review your stats from previous seasons and periodically check on your standings in the current season. Have fun with your new goals and enjoy going back to pool!Visit PoolTipJar.com “random smatterings of pool thoughts, articles, news, & reviews”. Take polls, view article archives, and read tournament and training updates.Samm Diep, “Cherry Bomb”House Pro at Rack ‘Em Billiards (Aurora, CO)Author of “You Might Be A D Player If… (101 Classic Moves That All Pool Players Can Appreciate)”Player Representative for CB Custom Cues, Tiger Products, PoolDawg, Jim Murnak Custom Cue Cases, PredatorSammsPocket.com (fun & unique products for pool players)

This article is from a series of posts written in coordination with other pool bloggers on the topic of “What’s your story.” For related articles visit http://www.billiardcoach.com and use the search term PoolSynergy.My pool playing experience began in my maternal grandfather’s basement in Glenwood, Minnesota. High on a hill, overlooking Lake Minnewaska, my grandparents had a split level home with a rec room just beneath the ground level with a big 8’ Brunswick from the 30’s or 40’s. Scarred with cigarette burns from its previous

home in a bar, it resembled the anniversary model by Brunswick. It had tattered white plastic wrapping on the two oval legs, but did have the white racing stripes around the skirt. One side of the table was bleached from the southern sun pouring in through the picture window. Classic red pockets were held in place by weak tacks and crumpled newspapers from the 60’s.I’m not sure of the first time I played pool, but this was definitely the table and the time was probably when I was about seven years old in the 70’s. Before that my younger brother and I started horsing around on the table by whipping balls down the length of the table at each other trying to cause a mid-table collision. This occasionally got out of hand and turned into a game of chicken. We learned to watch our fingers or they might get squished against the cushion or worse yet a game ending smash between balls while reaching for or releasing the next projectile.This kamikaze game didn’t last long—grandpa hated when balls hit the press-on tile floor or when a grandson was leaking tears. When he coaxed me into holding a short stick and pushing balls around with the cue, I was hooked. Even watching my older cousin Brad, who had his own blue two-piece cue, was interesting. When grandpa deemed me old enough to join a game of 8-ball or cut-throat, I dove right in.Grandpa taught proper chalking and gave me the line to the pocket from the object ball to help me sink balls. Sink. This was a word he used constantly and not a word I hear commonly around the pool

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Family Tree (continued on page 7)


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In an upset victory, the Bears claimed the Wednesday night Maple Leaf Billiards Congress

of America league championship at Sharky’s Billiards this past week. After sixteen weeks of competition, the Bears took the league championship from the Sharks for only the fourth time in Sharky’s Billiards leagues history. The Bears teams is comprised of Joe Southard and Brandon Hammonds of Ionia; and Jose Montano, Keith Hayden, Chris Haskew, Jimmy Phillips, and Josh Blaylock, all of Sedalia. To claim first place, they won thirteen matches and lost only two matches. Sharks came in second, winning ten matches and losing five. The Dollies placed third and the Jokers fourth. The Maple Leaf League most valuable male and female players for Wednesday night were Jose Montano and Audra Dean, both of Sedalia. Montano ended the session with a 9.28 average out of a possible ten, while Dean ended with a 7.29. Runners up were Greg Mantei, 8.86, and Brittainy Zimmerschied, 6.28, both of Sedalia. The Sharks were not taking an

upset two nights in a row. They decidedly claimed first place in the Show Me American

Cue Sports league with twelve match wins and two losses. The Sharks team consists of Steve Allee, Jeff Paxton, Clarence Hunter, Greg Mantei, and Nate Degraff all of Sedalia. The team, Mass Confusion took second with ten match wins, followed closely by team Shoot to Thrill with nine wins. Coming in fourth was Five Jokers and a Lady with eight wins. The Show Me League most valuable male and female players for Thursday night were Rebecca Smith and Clarence Hunter, both of Sedalia. Smith ended the session with a 7.60 average out of a possible ten, and Hunter ended with a 9.50. Runners up were Greg Mantei, 9.48, and Amanda Boles, 6.69, both of Sedalia. The Sharks, along with new team mate, Jimmy Koeller, Sedalia, will travel to Las Vegas, NV, to play in the

American Cue Sports Nationals June 5-12. Year before last, they placed 13th in their division at Nationals.

Spring ChampionS

Jose Montano and Audra Dean.

Rebecca Smith and Clarence Hunter.

Approx6” long


It was a 2010 record turnout for the Lone Star Tour this past weekend at Bogies Billiards where 83 Open players, 13 One Pocket players, and 16 ladies gathered to play for over 10k in cash. Players from all over the globe converged on Houston and included Louisiana’s Derek Fontenot, New Mexico’s own Tommy Tokoph, Canada’s P.J. Masicotte and Kevin Murphy, Arizona’s Evan Beeson, and Texas shooters David Gutierrez, James Davis, Jr., and Charlie Bryant. Open 9-Ball matches ended on Saturday night and brought back the final 24 on Sunday. All day, Tommy Tokoph and Derek Fontenot fought their way to the hot seat, and the one loss side final four saw newcomer Francisco Taylor, blast from the past, Gerald “Top Water” Jackson, James Davis Jr. and Jason Bacon. Fontenot secured his position over Tokoph 9-7 while on the west side, Jackson made quick work of Billy Sharp 7-2 and Bacon 7-6 and won a rematch with Tokoph who sent him west earlier 9-2. Tokoph topped Jackson again for a rematch with Fontenot. Tokoph played his heart out but Fontenot swiftly closed the set out 9-4 for his first well deserved tour title. Open One Pocket players also retired Saturday afternoon and

resumed play Sunday. It was David Gutierrez over James Davis Jr. for the hot seat while on the west side, Charlie Bryant bested Dave Favor, James Christopher, David Parker, and then Davis for a shot at Gutierrez. Bryant came on strong the first set 3-0 but Gutierrez answered back the

second set 2-0 and claimed first. The ladies Open 9-Ball event fired up on Sunday with 16 women and included tour players Ming Ng, Deanna Kniola, Rebecca Archangeli, and Angela Martinez just to name a few. It was Ng over Kniola 7-5 for the hot seat, and on the west side, Kyu Yi bested Terry Petrosino then Kniola for a rematch with Ng who sent her west earlier that day. Both ladies were focused on the win, but Ng closed out the set 7-3 and captured her second consecutive tour title. LSBT extends many

thanks to our sponsors Poison Cues, Delta-13 Rack, Leagueshirts.com, and James Barnett. Because of you, POOL PAYS in the great state of Texas. God Bless everyone, and God Bless Texas. We hope to see you at our next event July 24th-25th at Q Stix Billiards in Houston.

FONTENOT FINISHES FLAWLESSLY FOR FIRST TOUR TITLE

Tommy Tokoph, Kyu Yi, Ming Ng, Derek Fontenot


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rooms. The other Grandpa terms used were “Kitchen” for behind the head string and “Granny” for the mechanical bridge. Not Grandma upstairs in the kitchen. She was “Mother”. Granddad’s aiming aid was standing behind the pocket and hovering his cue stick over the pocket with just the tip barely on the other side of the object ball. “Just hit the six below my tip,” he’d say. The instructions were simple and true, but not easy to execute.Grandpa had some old school house rules.1. Break the balls with the break cue ball and then swap it for the playing cue ball. No penalty, but don’t improve your position. If the replacement was very delicate, one more shot was required before the ball exchange.2. In 8-Ball, scratch and you spot one. Make one and scratch, spot two.3. Always play scratches from the kitchen.4. I don’t recall the drive a ball to the rail penalties, but other fouls were shoot from the kitchen.5. He had to bank the 8-ball to win. This was his spot to give me a chance for the first couple of years.Grandpa was never a great player, but he really enjoyed having a game with the boys and

visiting about guy stuff in the basement. It was about being social first and about competition second. As I was pleased to sit and watch the men play before I was old enough to join in, Grandpa was happy to sit and watch the younger fellows play when he got older and wasn’t quite up to playing. His classic table is still in the family and holds great memories. Four generations have played on and talked over games on the old Brunswick.End of part 1. In the next part of this story, I go to college. One with four regulation 9 foot tables! Please stay tuned.Mike Fieldhammer - Professional Billiard InstructorSamsara Player Representativewww.billiardcoach.com / 612.802.0519Mike is a full time tournament player and professional billiard instructor. He is available for private instruction or group clinics and events. Check out the new Billiard Coach Store: Serious Gear for Serious Players. Gift certificates are available.

Grandpa modeling a stylish gift

Family Tree (continued from page 4)

Ga Young Defends U.S. Open WinThe WPBA held their U. S. Open event July 28-August 1, 2010 at the Riverwind Casino in Norman, Oklahoma. There was no streaming of the early rounds but the TV filming started on Saturday at 1pm with the Quarter Finals. 16 players were brought back for the redraw, single elimination rounds, race to 7. The final 16 were Jasmin Ouchan, Morgan Steinman, Vivian Villarreal, Melissa Little, Kelly Fisher, Kim Shaw, Iris Ranola, Karen Corr, Xiaoting Pan, Julie Kelly, Allison Fisher, Kyoko Sone, Dawn Hopkins, Gerda Hofstatter, Ga Young Kim and Monica Webb. The finals pitted Ga Young Kim and Karen Corr. This was the fourth time they have met in the finals of the U. S. Open and Ga Young has won 3 of the 4 times, 2004, 2009 and now in 2010. Ga Young started out winning the lag but Karen won the first game. Ga Young then went on to win the next 3 games with an amazing 2-9 combination to win game 3. Karen then won the next two games - tie 3-3. Ga Young in game 7 has a break and run and continues on by winning the next 2 games and

making the hill first. Karen wins the next 3 games with a break and run in game 12 to bring the match to a hill-hill tie. Game 13 is Ga Youngs break. She makes 2 balls and runs the 1 and 3, makes a tough 4 going the length of the table, runs 5 through 8 but leaves a tough cut on the 9. The win is in hand, she thin cuts the 9 in for the 2010 U. S. Open Title!The fans were treated to some great safety play from both Ga Young and Karen throughout the finals. Ga Young wowwed the crowd with her excellent jumping ability by making 80% of the jump shots that she attempted in the finals.1st Ga Young KIm2nd Karen Corr3rd Vivian Villarreal, Julie Kelly5th Gerda Hofstatter, Kyoke Sone, Kim Shaw, Jasmin Ouschan9th Morgan Steinman, Melissa Little, Kelly Fisher, Iris Ranola, Xiaoting Pan, Allison Fisher, Dawn Hopkins, Monica WebYou can see the complete brackets at www.wpba.com

1st 9-Ball Masters Jana Montour

1st 9-Ball Int.Nicole Scott

1st 9-Ball MastersFrancisco Pizzaro

During the LIVE Streaming we met an amazing amount of people with heart, pride and a love for this game. Each photo has its own unique story from Nicole who is from South Africa, to a team from Minnesota who won its 3rd Master Team title in a row. A gentleman from Portugal who’s countrymen supported him and when the LIVE Streaming started, added over 300 viewers from Portugal to watch him double dip his opponent. In the Women’s Masters Chrissy’s brother Andy, sat in to commentate during her team’s victory. To the Sportsmen’s Champion Team who’s hometown bar was watching them LIVE, with Roger’s win over the gengleman who beat him in the finals last year. We were priviledged to have met, filmed and shared a moment with these pool players.I’d like to take this time to explain why OTBnTV was not on all 9 days of the Championship. The unions at the Riviera had a policy in place that any LIVE Streaming had to be shadowed by a union worker at a cost of $70 per hour. This worker did absolutely nothing to help with the live streaming, mostly sat and did nothing, read

a book, or disappeared. The 30th Annual Championship seemed not to have as many players as the previous two years. In all the singles there were 3,214 players and 557 teams, most teams had 5 players times the number of teams comes to 2,785 (these numbers were taken from the VNEA website and may vary). But all in all it is definitely the league players Super Bowl to come to Las Vegas and play for a National Championship. OTBnTV has been lucky enough to be able to witness the level of competition and be priviledged to be able to bring that to you our audience. Here are some of the comments OTBnTV received during the LIVE Streaming. You can read more of them online atwww.otbntv.comThank you so much for putting my husband on for a chat. I was up at 3am just in the hope I might get a glimpse of him, when I actually got to see him in your booth I was so happy. I can now show my kids Rhiannon andWyatt their dad in Vegas, from your recording. --- Vicki (Australia)I would like to say the feeds are AWESOME.

by: Don “Cheese” Akerlow

1st 8-Ball Masters Dustin Gunia

1st 8-Ball Int. Angie Vorhees

1st 9-Ball Regular Jason McPherson

1st 9-Ball Int.Carlos Ariza

World Speed Pool Attempt Dave “Ginger Wizard” Pearson

1st 8-Ball Int. Team: ONE BALL SHORTJayne Michelle Lynn Andrea OTBnTV Commentators: John Geer and Mike Akerlow

1st 8-Ball Sportsmen’s Team: SUNVALLEY ROOKIESBernie Kevin Preston Kim Ron

OTBnTV LIVE Streams the VNEA’s 30th Anniversary


Like everyone – I wish that there were more – but this is super. --- Larry (Minnesota)GREAT CONCEPT LOVE IT. --- Roger (Utah)Congratulations on a fantastic job of covering the men’s intermediate finals. I am the co-owner of the winning team’s charter-Smee’n Goan.What a thrill to see them win, when I

was unable to be there. --- Barb (Ontario, Canada)You can still watch the videos at www.otbntv.comWe would like to thank our title sponsor VNEAOther sponsors: Viking Cue and Fury CuesOTBnTV was sponsored by:Delta-13 www.delta-13.comSimonis www.simoniscloth.comCrown Cues www.crowncues.bizCuePen www.cuepen.comWithout our sponsors OTBnTV would not be able to bring to you LIVE Streaming events. Please support them.

Hope to see you in Vegas next year!

Marty “Ms Cue” & Tom “Dr Cue” Rossman

1st 8-Ball Masters Team: METRO - 3 Petes

Ty WilsonRichie

CunninghamMario

Parayno Brian Brekke Josh Burbul 1st 8-Ball ClassicRoger Anderson

1st 8-Ball ClassicRenee Young

1st 9-Ball ClassicDawn Spencer

1st 8-Ball RegularAlfredo Correia

1st 8-Ball Master Team: LOGISTICALLY CHALLENGEDKelly

HaffnerBeth

FondellJessicaFrideres

ChrissyPluta

1st 8-Ball Regular Team: PREFERABLY ON TOPTami

HofferErin

BixlerB J

PlummerCarrieGoheenOTBnTV Commentators: John Geer and Mike Akerlow

OTBnTV LIVE Streams the VNEA’s 30th Anniversary



So many divisions! So many winners and multi-division champions! As with each of the six National Championships produced by the American C u e S p o r t s Alliance (ACS) – and this year welcoming its new league and c h a m p i o n s h i p sponsor: Lucasi Hybrid Cues – the annual spectacle at the Riviera Hotel & Casino in

Las Vegas, June 6-12, showcased formats that encouraged many different winners…in many different formats…for many different skill levels…along with multi-titlists in the higher-skilled divisions. Multi-titlists included the likes of: Debra Aarens (Las Vegas, NV) who anchored the Women’s Open 8-Ball Team Champion “Smokin’ 8s,” the same Women’s Open 9-Ball Team runner-ups, and placed as the Women’s 9-Ball Singles runner-up; Dustin Gunia (Omaha, NE) who won the Men’s 9-Ball Singles crown and shared top honors as well with his Master 8-Ball Scotch D o u b l e s p a r t n e r , J e s s i c a Frideres (Fort Dodge, IA) [Jessica also anchored the c h a m p i o n W o m e n ’ s Open 9-Ball team “Which Witch Is Which” as well]; Christy Goldsmith (Henderson, NV) who won the Women’s Speed Pool Challenge, placed 2nd in the Women’s Open 8-Ball Singles and 2nd again on Vegas’s “I Had A Plan” team in the Women’s Open 8-Ball Teams; Beth Fondell (Owatonna, MN) who won the coveted Women’s Master 8-Ball Singles crown and placed runner-up with partner and Men’s Speed Pool Champion, Jerrod Frideres in the Master 8-Ball Scotch Doubles category; Edward Mataya who was runner-up in the Men’s Open 8-Ball Singles and anchored both the repeating champion “Malarkey’s” Men’s Open 9-Ball team from Tacoma, WA and the same “Malarkey’s” Men’s Open 8-Ball Team 3rd-place finisher; and Mary Rayner (Calgary, AB) who captured the Women’s Standard 8-Ball Singles title and placed 2nd with partner Brian Bird in the Open 8-Ball Scotch Doubles division. The Championships also highlighted its share of first-time

national champions: Standard player Kassandra Bein (Virginia Beach, VA) outdistancing some much stronger players to take the handicapped Women’s 9-Ball Singles title; Ray Skenandore (Las Vegas, NV) who has improved in the Men’s Open 8-Ball Singles field every year until finally claiming the title in 2010; Jeff Heath

(Reno, NV) who has always threatened but never claimed the Men’s Master 8-Ball Singles title until this year; York Haven, PA’s Christine Chamberlain in the Women’s Open 8-Ball Singles; Robert White (Conception Bay South, NF) who probably traveled the farthest to take down a title – that of the Men’s S t a n d a r d 8-Ball Singles; Pat Mowdy (Longview, WA) who improved on his runner-up performance in 2008 to take down the 2010 crown in the Men’s Senior 8-Ball Singles division; Shawn Modelo (Antioch, CA) who claimed the top award in her rookie year in the Women’s Senior 8-Ball Singles; and Milton Strack (Monticello, IL) who – after thirty years of competing in various national championships

in Vegas - finally claimed a national championship trophy for his case against a very formidable Super Senior 8-Ball Singles field. In the Open Scotch Doubles contest, Lexington, Kentucky’s Samantha Patton teamed up with her league mate, 2009 Super Senior 8-Ball Singles champ Madison Adkins, to claim the top spot; and Madison went on to help his “American Legion Post # 313” (KY) team to win the Open 8-Ball Team title after knocking on that door for the previous five years. Lexington, Kentucky’s other powerhouse team,

Multi-Winners Abound at the

Men’s Senior 8-Ball SinglesMichael Navarre (LA), Pat Mowdy (WA), Victor Tyynismaa (AZ)

Women’s Standard 8-Ball SinglesJean Hendricks (MN), Mary Rayner (AB) and Maria Davis (VA)

Women’s Standard 8-Ball Team Champions: “Flawless” (L-R) Donnia Antura, Ernestine Equia, Debra Lopez, Maria Rodriguez, Delia Ramirez (TX)

Master Scotch Doubles 8-Ball (L-R) Dustin Gunia (NE) & Jessica Frideres (IA)

Men’s 9-Ball Singles Glenn Atwell (WA), Dustin Gunia (NE), Damien Michaud (AB)


“Mike’s Team/Silver Cue,” almost brought a n o t h e r national trophy home with a runner-up performance in the Open 9-Ball Team division won by defending c h a m p s , Malarkey’s of Tacoma, WA. Las Vegas

struck again, with the “Tuesday – Rich” team capturing top honors in the Men’s Standard 8-Ball Team division, while Texas claimed honors thanks to the performance of team “Flawless” in the Women’s Standard 8-Ball Team class. Aside from Scotch Doubles honors, Canada claimed further team honors by capturing the Men’s Master

9-Ball Team competition, courtesy of team “Fort McMurray” (AB). In 2011, the ACS is excited a b o u t m o v i n g the newly titled Lucasi Hybrid Cues

ACS National

Championships to the newly renovated Tropicana Las Vegas – a

month earlier – May 7-14 ! Players will be royally entertained at this legendary anchor on the southern Vegas strip that is transforming itself into the best modern, mid-priced value in Las Vegas. The ACS

looks forward to continuing to build its ranks in 2010/2011 through its twelve state associations and championships and its i n d e p e n d e n t leagues, its Lucasi Hybrid All American Tour, and to

welcoming players to its $10,000

added 2011 Midwest 8-Ball Championships, January 20-23 at the Riverside Casino in central Iowa, and to the 2011 ACS Nationals at the Tropicana Las Vegas in May !! Complete results and winners photos may be viewed online at www.americancuesports.org.

2010 ACS Nationals in Las Vegas

Super Senior 8-Ball SinglesJonathan Hahn (WA), Milton Strack (IL), Mark Grooms (AZ)

Women’s Open 8-Ball SinglesTina Scott (IL), Kristine Chamberlain (PA), Christy Goldsmith (NV)

Women’s Masters 8-Ball SinglesAndrea Saenz-Maes (WA), Beth Fondell (MN), Kit Dennis (WA)

Women’s Open 9-Ball Team “Which Witch is Which” Jill Nagel, Jessica Frideres, Clare Marsh (NE)

On July 10th, while Shane Van Boening was winning his way to the top of the Gem City Classic at the Marietta Billiard Club in Marietta, GA, several of the finest cue and case makers, as well as some high end collectibles and fine collections were being displayed in the Scorpion Room, where the Southern Cue & Case Show was taking place.The big event of the day was the induction of Leonard Bludworth into the International Cuemakers Hall of Fame, which was streamed live to the world. In the 1970’s, Leonard began repairing cues and he started building them in the 1980’s. Over the years, he developed and sold the Bludworth Ball Cleaner, as well as wood

lathes he had converted into reliable cue repair machines and many other mechanical and CNC machines for cue building. Leonard was also a

master pool table mechanic and equipment coordinator for the men’s pro tour and the senior tour for many years. He was probably the first cuemaker to ever sell a cue for $100,000. In 1992, he founded the American Cuemakers Association. Leonard practically created the role of cue repairman and the traveling pro shop. In honor of all he has done for cue sports over the years, he has truly earned this prestigious position. Congratulations, Leonard Bludworth!

Bludworth Recognized at Southern Cue & Case Showby Renee’ La Viness of Crown Cues


In an effort to have a pool league that runs through the summer months, Q-Spot and Crown Cues came up with a different idea. They started a "Fun League" that is more about helping the new or returning player learn the game with today's rules, while giving the seasoned player the opportunity to share his skills and continue

competing through the off-months. It wasn't long before Renee' La Viness, of Crown Cues, assumed the role of league coordinator. According to Renee', "The hardest part was changing our focus from highly competitive to an educational mode and retaining our normal playing level. It was instinctive to play down, in order to let the other guy get a few shots at the table. After a couple of weeks of the newer players getting the idea, the seasoned players returned to their skill levels and helped the new players play UP, instead. This league allows coaching within limits and even a player from the opposing team may assist the player at the table." After about 3 months, the Fun League's first season ended on July 22nd with a pizza party and a free tournament. Trophy plaques were awarded to the top two teams and top three players. The 1st Place Team was Crown Cuesaders, followed closely by Tulsa Thunder. The top player was Barry Curtius, with Gene La Viness taking 2nd and Melvin Cade in 3rd. Christian Young won the free tournament, which was a race to 2 on both sides. He mastered his way through the winner's side and beat Milton Cade for the win. It was assumed that the league would resume next summer, when needed once again. However, due to popular demand, the next season will begin on Tuesday, August 17th and new teams are signing up, now. Teams require 3

players (ages 12 and up) and matches are played from 7:00 pm to 10:00 pm. So, if you're a new player who wants a little help, or a returning player after raising a family or some other long term absence, or a seasoned player who wants to help out, head on down to the Family Q-Spot and sign up for the next season of the Fun League! Call 918-355-3766 after noon or 918-779-6204 after noon for more information.

Q-Spot Fun League

Crown Cuesaders, left to right: Gene La Viness, Renee' La Viness, Joshua Smallwood.

Tulsa Thunder, left to right: Melvin Cade, Milton Cade, Cameron Cade.

Christian Young and Milton Cade.

by Renee’ La Viness of Crown CuesWe normally have our 15% off Summer Meltdown Sale during August, but we decided to move it to July, this year. However, without proper notice we feel we might have shorted someone the chance to buy a great cue at a super discount. So, we are carrying the sale over into August. All our cues --finished, in-progress and custom ordered -- will be 15% off through August. Don’t miss this great opportunity!In July, I hit the road and represented Crown Cues at the Southern Cue & Case Show in Marietta, GA. On my way back to Oklahoma, I stopped at The Corner Pocket in Meridian, MS, where I was welcomed and even had a little competition, before I headed to the motel for the night. Thanks to Brian and the locals for making me feel at home after a very long day on the road.After the Super Billiards Expo, Gene’s day job changed his hours, seriously limiting his workshop time. Recently, the hot weather has added extra limitations by making it near impossible for him to get any work done in the little shed, with temps often above 120 degrees. We are anxious to have the large workshop, again. We should finally have the trees removed within the next couple of weeks. Then, the rebuilding can finally begin.Since we seldom have the opportunity to spend much time together, we have taken the odd times given by circumstances mentioned above to relax and enjoy the pool league more and I have also begun broadcasting a live stream of the Saturday night 9 ball tournaments down at Q Spot Billiards, in Tulsa. You can find us at http://ustream.tv/channel/tulsa-qspot Hope to see you there!Don’t forget to check out our great sale which will now last through the end of August, 2010! www.crowncues.biz

The Little Wooden Shed

BCAPL Restructures Criteria for National ChampionshipsCueSports International (CSI) announced last month the expansion of the BCA Pool League national singles player rating criteria to include an Advanced Division. A natural extension of that update is an additional restructuring of the teams and scotch doubles criteria. After much consideration and consultation with BCA Pool League Operators CSI has made the changes effective with the 35th BCAPL National 8-Ball Championships May 13-21, 2011 at the Riviera Hotel & Casino.To view the Advanced, Master and Grand Master player list please visit: http://playbca.com/Leagues/AdvancedandMasterList.aspxAll requests for review to be removed from the Advanced, Master, or Grand Master lists must be in writing. Telephone requests will not be accepted. Either email or mail your requests to:Bill Stock - Director of RefereesRules AdministratorCueSports International2041 Pabco RoadHenderson, NV [email protected] more information about CSI call (702) 719-7665 or email [email protected] International is dedicated to creating more choices for all players. CSI is the parent company of the BCA Pool League, the National Championship Series (NCS), and the USA Pool League. CSI also produces independent events such as the U.S. Bar Table Championships, the Jay Swanson Memorial and the U.S. Open 10-Ball Championship. Visit www.playcsipool.com, www.playbca.com and www.playusapool.com for more information about CSI and its divisions.

BCAPL Restructures Criteria

Read all the changes online at www.playbca.com


BUSTAMANTE

BROOMFIELD, Colo., July 27, 2010 — Francisco Bustamante, one of the most accomplished players to come out of the Philippines, has been elected for induction into the Billiard Congress of America Hall of Fame in voting conducted by the United States Billiard Media Association. Also, in the Meritorious Service, Terry Bell and Larry Hubbart, founders of the American Poolplayers Association league system in 1979, were elected for induction. Bustamante, 46; Bell, 66; and Hubbart, 69, will be formally inducted into the BCA Hall of Fame on Oct. 21 during ceremonies in conjunction with the U.S. Open 9-Ball Championship in Chesapeake, Va. Bustamante, nicknamed “Django” because of a resemblance to the lead character in a Western film of the same name, was born in the Philippine province of Tarlac. He began playing pocket billiards at 10-years-old, and began competing in the United States in the early 1990s. He hit his stride in the United States in 1997, winning two Camel Pro Billiard Tour events. He was named Billiards Digest’s and Pool & Billiard Magazine’s Player of the Year in 1998 after notching four major tournament wins, and he earned Billiards Digest’s and Inside Pool’s Player of the Year titles again in 2002, winning five major events in the U.S. and abroad, and finishing second at the World Pool Championship. Bustamante finally garnered his first recognized world title in 2010, winning the WPA World 9-Ball Championship in Doha, Qatar. His strongest game is 9-ball, where his blockbuster break is legendary; although he is more than proficient at all the major games, as witnessed by his All-Around title at the 2008 Derby City Classic. Upon hearing the news that he would be the second Filipino in the BCA Hall of Fame (after Efren Reyes’ 2003 induction), Bustamante was completely shocked. “Really? I’m still young!” Bustamante said. “Two things that I always dreamed of were to be world champion and to be in the Hall of Fame. This year both dreams came true. We all dream to be in the BCA Hall of Fame, so I am very happy today. We are heroes in the Philippines, but for the American people to recognize me like this makes me very proud.” Longtime road players and accomplished professionals, Bell and Hubbart decided to reach out to the grassroots players in 1979 through an amateur pool league they called the American Poolplayers Association (APA). Nationwide league systems like the BCA National 8-Ball leagues and Valley National Eight-

Ball Association were just getting started as well, but Bell and Hubbart opted to go in another direction. They developed a handicapping system to allow players of all skill levels to compete against each other. With the handicapping system in place, they began franchising their concept. Bell and Hubbart spent several years pouring all of their time and resources into developing the APA and its franchise system. With the support of sponsorship from Busch beer as a title sponsor beginning in 1981, the APA grew from 1,000 to 100,000 members over the next decade. Their ability to garner such non-endemic national sponsorship allowed the APA to grow into a league that today has more than a 250 thousand players and 270 franchisees. As a matter of fact, the APA was listed earlier this year as one of Entrepreneur Magazine’s “10 Great Franchises For Less Than $20,000.” “We were outcasts for a long time because we were looked at as competition,” Bell said. “But Larry and I just tried to build a business and do something worthwhile. We’ve always felt like we’ve done things that have helped the industry.” Voting was conducted by the USBMA Hall of Fame Board, which consists of USBMA members, elected At-Large members and living members of the BCA Hall of Fame. Induction is awarded to the player named on the most ballots. A second player is elected if he or she is named on more than 70 percent of the ballots. Bustamante (56 percent) was the leading vote getter, edging out familiar foe Ralf Souquet (46 percent) and fellow Filipino Jose Parica (44 percent). No other players were named on more than a quarter of submitted ballots. According to BCA Hall of Fame voting rules, this was the last year of eligibility for Parica and Jim Mataya in the Greatest Players category. Both individuals will be past the age of 60 in 2011, which means the Veterans Committee will consider them for possible induction in future years. To be eligible for consideration in the Greatest Player category, a player a) must be 40 years old by Jan. 1 of the year of their induction; b) must have a professional playing career of at least 10 years; and c) must have recorded significant achievements in U.S.-based events. Hubbart and Bell were placed on the general election ballot after the USBMA’s Board’s 10-member Meritorious Service Committee named them as its official nominee. Thirty-one of 39 board members voted to approve Hubbart and Bell, with a simple majority required for induction.

Francisco Bustamante, Terry Bell and Larry Hubbart Gain BCA Hall of Fame ElectionFilipino star enters in Greatest Player category; Hubbart, Bell recognized for Meritorious Service

photos courtesy of: Farid Mostafa Abdulwahab - Press PhotographerFrancisco Bustamante has finally put the demons from the past to rest and has won a world championship. He defeated Kuo Po-cheng of Taiwan today 13-7 at the World Pool Championships in Doha, Qatar to finally be known no longer as the finest player not to have won a World Title.

To truly appreciate the significance of this feat you must go back to 2002 when Bustmante also played in the finals of the WPC against Earl Strickland. The evening prior to the final match word came from Manila that Bustamante’s daughter had taken ill and died. Bustamante, crushed, was told that he need not play the final, that all would understand. He considered this, but his wife somehow reached him and convinced him that their child would have wanted him to continue the fight.

And he did. In one of the bravest moments that our game has ever witnessed Bustamante took the stage while the crowd around him wept. Word had spread through the morning and the sight of this man continuing the battle after the hand that fate had dealt him was simply stunning.

He lost to Strickland that day, but won the hearts of every pool fan in the world. And since that moment we have been waiting, with him, for this. Today he defeated Antonio Lining 11-5 to re-enter the Final Arena and then put away Kuo Po-cheng, the man who has been in the quarter, semi, or final match of a WPC more times than any other player without a win.

Antonio Lining and Johnny Archer share the third place honors.

Francisco Bustamante Wins World Crown


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Rackem Magazine - August 2010