October 2009 page 2

October 2009 page 3

About Us at StrokeStroke 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 Eastcoast and adjoining states. Look for Stroke by the 10th of each month.The opinions expressed are those of the author or advertiser and do not necessarily reflect the views of Rackem or its staff. We reserve the right to edit or reject any material submitted for publication. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without the written permission of the Publisher. © 2009 Stroke

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Publisher/EditorDon “Cheese” Akerlow

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Layouts & DesignWendy SwensonSunshine Ross

Don AkerlowMary AkerlowDistributionSheila Papke

The Pool Players Voice

October 2009Volume 1 Number 8

Read Stroke Online at:www.strokemagazine.net

AdvertisersArt of Billiards 12

Atlas Billiard Supply 2

Best Shot Billiards 5

Crown Cues 11

CNY Tour 15

Dimaond Billiards 16

Doral Billiards 2

Fairview Inn & Suites 15

Mueller 3

OTBnTV.com 14

pooldawg 13

sammspocket.com 6

Sandcastle Billiards 6

T J’s Classic Billiards 13

Ultimate Billiards 15

ColumnistsBill Smith 6Bob Jewett 7Samm Diep 7

InformationOTBNews Group 14Pool On TV 3Tournament Trail 14

POOL ON TV10-04-2009 3:00 pm 2009 U.S. Open QF #410-04-2009 4:00 pm 2009 U.S. Open SF #110-04-2009 5:00 pm 2009 U.S. Open SF #210-11-2009 3:00 pm 2009 U.S. Open SF #210-11-2009 4:00 pm 2009 U.S. Open Final10-25-2009 3:30 pm Colorado Classic SF #110-25-2009 4:30 pm Colorado Classic SF #210-25-2009 5:30 pm Colorado Classic Final

10-01-2009 10:00 am 2002 WPBA Classic SF #110-02-2009 10:00 am 2002 WPBA Classic SF #210-03-2009 11:00 am 2007 Texas Hold’Em SF #2 Jeanette Lee vs Johnny Archer10-04-2009 9:00 am Mosconi vs. Moore10-05-2009 10:00 am 2002 WPBA Classic Finals10-06-2009 10:00 am 2002 WPBA Classic SF #110-07-2009 10:00 am 2002 WPBA Classic SF #210-08-2009 10:00 am 2002 WPBA Classic Finals10-09-2009 10:00 am 2002 WPBA Classic SF #110-11-2009 9:00 am Mosconi vs. Moore10-12-2009 10:00 am WPBA Classic SF #210-13-2009 10:00 am 2002 WPBA Classic Finals10-14-2009 10:00 am 2002 WPBA Nationals SF #110-15-2009 10:00 am 2002 WPBA Nationals SF #210-16-2009 10:00 am 2002 WPBA Nationals Finals10-17-2009 1:00 pm 1999 Women’s Tourn. of Champs 10-17-2009 2:00 pm 1999 Women’s Tourn. of Champs 10-17-2009 3:00 pm 1999 WPBA Classic Tour Finals10-17-2009 4:00 pm 2003 Women’s Tourn. of Champs 10-17-2009 5:00 pm 2004 Women’s Trick Shot Magic Jeanette Lee vs Ewa Laurance10-17-2009 6:00 pm 2004 WPBA Florida Classic Julie Kelly vs Jeanette Lee

Classic

These schedules have been provided by ESPN.

These are tentative dates and are subject to change

10-18-2009 9:00 am Moore vs. Lassiter 10-19-2009 10:00 am 2003 WPBA Classic Tour SF #110-20-2009 10:00 am 2003 WPBA Classic Tour SF #210-21-2009 10:00 am 2003 WPBA Classic Tour Finals10-22-2009 10:00 am 2003 WPBA Classic Tour SF #210-23-2009 10:00 am 2003 WPBA Classic Tour SF #110-24-2009 11:00 am 2007 United States Pro Tour 10-25-2009 9:00 am Babe Cranfield vs. U.J. Puckett10-26-2009 10:00 am 2003 WPBA Classic Tour Finals10-27-2009 10:00 am 2003 WPBA Classic Tour SF #110-28-2009 10:00 am 2003 WPBA Classic Tour SF #210-29-2009 10:00 am 2003 WPBA Classic Tour Finals10-30-2009 10:00 am 2003 WPBA Classic Tour SF #1

These times are Eastern Time.

Cover Photo by: Anne Craig

Stroke Staff

October 2009 page 4

Jere my S o s s e i Go e s Unde fe a te d On September 5-6, 2009, the Predator 9-ball Tour spent the weekend at Master Billiards in Queens, NY, and it brought some of NYC's toughest players along with it. Players like George Sansouci, reigning Empire State Champion "Spain" Marc Vidal, Tony Robles, Jorge Rodriguez, Jeremy Sossei, Joey Korsiak, Oscar Bonilla, Jonathan Smith, Mike Miller, and John Alicea were some of the top names to appear at Master for the Predator Tour's 13th stop of the season. Out of the 55 total players attending this event, 5 of them were females, with Gail Glazebrook, Alison M. Fischer, Brenda Heras, Diana "Snooky" Rojas, and the Highest Finishing C/D Player in the event, Erin McManus. This is the second time this season that Erin has won this award, and she continues to prove that she can play with some of the toughest guys in NYC. However, reigning Ocean State Champion and Connecticut native, Jeremy Sossei, was the player to rise above the crowd at Master Billiards, going undefeated to make it his first-ever win on the Predator Tour. On his route to the finals, Jeremy landed in the final four of the winner's bracket after defeating John Alicea, along with George Sansouci, Jorge Rodriguez, and Marc Vidal. Jeremy would defeat Marc Vidal by a 9-5 score to move on to play in the match for the hot seat. Also moving into the hot seat match was Jorge Rodriguez, who came with a strong win over Ginky, to meet with Jeremy Sossei. In this match, Jeremy took a 7-1 lead on Jorge, but after taking a break, he did not come back to the table playing quite the same. Jorge fought all the way back to pass up Jeremy and take an 8-7 lead, winning seven consecutive games to take the hill. In the following game, Jeremy would come out on top of a safety battle, to make the match hill-hill. In the tie-breaking game, the two got into a safety battle early on, but Jeremy left an open shot and Jorge took advantage. Jorge had a clear table, but got out of line on the 8-ball. However, he wowed the crowd with a show-stopping thin cut down the rail, and the cue ball

barely missed scratching in the side pocket. He was left a cut shot with the 9 one diamond out of the corner. Incredibly, he under-cut the shot, and the 9 bounced out and onto the head spot. The fans were in shock as the cue ball then rolled towards the opposite corner pocket, but hung in the jaws. This left Jeremy Sossei with a make-or-break 9-ball, which he fired in to win the match and secure a position in the finals. Meanwhile, after a first-round loss to Sean Morgan, winner of Predator Stop #12, Mike Miller, was grinding back through the one-loss side, with wins over Carl Khan, Justin Muller, Arturo Reyes, Juan Guzman, and Oscar Bonilla to come back on Sunday to knock out Joey Korsiak. Miller's run was then ended by Marc Vidal, who had just come from his winner's side loss to Jeremy Sossei. Also returning on Day 2 was NYCgrind.com's Jerry Tarantola, who bounced back after a first-round loss to Tony Robles to beat "Alaska" Sean Morgan, Lionel Rivera, Steve Wright, Mhet Vergara, and John Alicea. However, Jerry would forfeit his Sunday rematch with Tony Robles, who was ousted to the one-loss side by Ginky on the hill.

However, Tony avenged his 1st loss to Ginky by beating him on the hill, 9-8. Tony did not last much longer though, as Marc Vidal would continue his strong play to beat Tony 9-5, in what Spain mentioned was his first-ever win over "The Silent Assassin." This win moved Spain forward into the semi-final to meet Jorge Rodgriguez, who was returning from his hot seat loss to Jeremy Sossei. In this semi-final match (race to 9), Jorge and Spain stayed locked, alternating games to meet at 6-6. After Spain took a one-game lead at 7-6, Jorge had a chance tie the match again, but missed another surprising 9-ball, and Spain sailed through to win the set 9-6 to get a chance in the finals. Marc "Spain" Vidal then met with the undefeated Jeremy Sossei in the finals. At the late hour, the players decided to shorten the race to 7 games. In the first few games, Jeremy took charge of the match with an early 3-1 lead, and continued to move forward to win dominantly with a final score of 7-3.

Congratulations to Jeremy Sossei for his first win on the Predator 9-ball Tour, along with Marc Vidal for a strong performance. The Predator 9-ball Tour would also like to thank it's sponsors Predator Cues, Blatt Billiards, Delta 13- Racks, The Seminole Pro Tour, and NYCgrind.com. PAYOUT: 1st: $1100 Jeremy Sossei 2nd: $800 Marc “Spain” Vidal 3rd: $550 Jorge Rodriguez 4th: $400 Tony Robles 5th/6th: $275 George "Ginky" Sansouci, Mike Miller 7th/8th: $200 Joey Korsiak, Jerry Tarantola 9th-12th: $150 Teddy Cook, Jonathan Smith, John Alicea, Oscar Bonilla

continued on page 12

By Alison M. Fischer, NYCgrind.com

Top: Delta-13 Highest Finishing CD Winner, Erin McManusL-R BCD Runner-Up Dennis Fokin, Tony Robles & BCD Winner Justin MullerL-R Stop 13 Runner-Up Marc Vidal, Tony Robles & 1st Place Winner Jeremy Sossei

October 2009 page 5

Uwate Lays Down The Law

David Uwate, Tony Crosby, Floyd Milsap

Strokers 2, Tampa was the host location for the Fl State Amateur Championships this weekend. 70 players showed up for this $2500 Added Event, plus a free ($500) entry sponsored by the Seminole Tribe of Florida into the $40,000 Added Mizerak event. Albert Howe was officially crowned Amateur player of the year and received a $500 bonus plus a High end KF Custom cue and a beautiful trophy supplied by Javier Chirino, a very close second was Mark Wathen who received a high end KF custom cue, 3rd was Mike Delawder also receiving a KF Custom Cue. Taz Naravane in his last year as a junior received Junior player of the year, a special award of Sportsman of the year was given to Angel Rivera who Also Received a high end cue. Saturdays 70 players were wittled down to 16 coming back Sunday, 8 winner side and 8 one loss side matches. Local favorite Floyd Milsap went through the winner side to take the hotseat, with wins over, Travis Croft 7-6, Angel Rivera 7-2, Julio Del Pozo 7-3, David Uwate 7-6, Mike Delawder 7-4, Bobby Moore 7-4 and then a final win over Trey Jankowski 7-4. Laying down the law on the one loss side was David Uwate, After taking his first loss to Floyd Milsap, Uwate would reach Sundays play with a win over Jason Richko. Sunday would see Uwate come out strong with wins over John Souders 6-1, Chip Dickerson 6-4, Todd Anderson 6-3, Bobby Moore 6-2, Mike Delawder 6-5 and then a final win over Trey Jankowski to get to the final for a rematch with Milsap who had taken him down on Saturday. The Final would be a single race to 9, the first two racks were shared and at 1-1 Uwate would take control. And never fall behind again. Uwate would take a 6-2 lead, Milsap would win the next two rack to get back to 6-4 and within two racks this would be as close as he would get as Uwate would win 3 of the next 5 racks to take the match 9-6 and be crowned The 2009 FL State 9-ball Amateur Champion which also came with 1st place money of $1100 and a $500 entry into the $40,000 Added Mizerak event to be held in November at the Hard Rock Casino in Hollywood Fl and also the beautiful Fl State Champion Trophy which was provided by Javier Chirino , A touch of glass Trophies.

PAYOUT1st $1100, plus $500 Entry David Uwate2nd $800 Floyd Milsap3rd $600 Trey Jankowski4th $450 Mike Delawder5th-8th $325 Jeff Mabry, Bobby Moore George Saunders, Todd Anderson9th-12th $150 Walter Blacker, Chip Dickerson, Dan Whitten, Richard Fox13th-16th $100 Jarred Schlauch, Bill Delisle, John Souders, Taz NaravaneTop Lady $50 Stephanie Mitchell

Best Shot Billiards recently held a Customer Appreciation Week, September 14th – 19th shown above are a few pictures of the event – special rates on table time were given all week as well as 10% - 50% off select in-store items. During the month of September customer could register to win a pool cue or a set of darts. Pictured above are the winners of the cues given away, Kevin Ellis, Denise Kuder, owner presenting the cues and Adam Collins. Steve Leslie was the winner of the dart set. Best Shot Billiards is owned and operated by Denise & Ray Kuder. They offer a wide variety of billiard and dart products, home pool tables, foosball, air hockey and poker supplies. They are an authorized McDermott and Viking Cue Dealer and carry other brand name cues, cases and accessories. Service is available on pool tables; re-felting, moving, assembly and leveling. There are six 7’ pool tables for open play in a relaxed environment. There is also a dart board to play for your enjoyment. Pool Tournaments are being held each month throughout the year and are posted on the website monthly. Specials are run on table time throughout the month. They are open at 1:00 CST Monday - Sunday Best Shot Billiards is located in the White Birch Plaza, South US 2, Iron Mountain, MI For further information you can contact them at (906) 776-9411 or www.bestshotbilliards.com for more information.

Best Shot Billiards Customer Appreciation

The 3 Slate System

October 2009 page 6

By Bill Smith “Mr3Cushion”, Old School Pool.net

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

uniformly excellent, and my instructions should be extremely helpful to you too, but they’re based on a different concept. That concept is fairly simple, at least in writing. I believe that the correct primary focus, in advanced three-cushion billiards play, is the positioning of the first object ball. In other words, when I execute a shot, my main concern is to cut, drive, or carry that first ball to a high-percentage scoring zone (a corner), or a high-percentage scoring lane, (along either long rail). Least favorable is the center of the table, where the target becomes smaller. The correct secondary focus of a shot is to see the angle into the first cushion I need to score, along with the proper stroke and speed. Third, I determine whether to play a shot short or long, whether I want to /score off the right or left side of the second object ball, and perhaps whether I can drive that second ball into a high-percentage zone, or lane. Now to the system at hand, which I call The Three-Slate System. As you probably know, a billiard table is divided equally into three slates,

Diagram 1 : shows you a visualization of these three sections. In Diagram 2, your first object ball lies in the Slate 1 section, here we try to cut that ball into an area between the fourth and fifth diamonds on the opposite long rail, banking it cross corner into a high-percentage scoring zone (in all these diagrams the cue ball path is or should be, obvious). You must cut 1/8 of that first object ball, using 4 o’clock English if the shot lies on the other side of the table), and a short stroke; remember, you’re cutting the object ball thin here, and a long stroke will impart too much speed to the cue ball. In Diagram 3, your first object ball is located in Slate 2a. Cut the first ball into the opposite corner, long rail first, with enough speed

to bring it back to the other long cushion. Hit it 1 /3 full, with 3 o’clock English, and a normal stroke (that is, your follow-through is the same length as your bridge). In Diagram 4, the first object ball lies in the Slate 2b section, here instead of cutting the ball, we drive it to the short rail, between the first and second diamonds from the opposite corner. As diagrammed, that ball’s route should take it to the opposite long rail, short rail and back to our high-percentage scoring lane. That ball should

be hit half-full, with 3 o’clock English, use a bit more speed than usual, to drive the first ball properly. F i n a l l y , Diagram 5 shows you an object ball, lying in the Slate 3 section, this time drive that ball to the short cushion, between the first and second diamonds from the near corner. This is similar to a straight-back bank shot in pool, a two-thirds

full hit will send it back to the opposite corner, then to the Slate 2b section and once again, a high-percentage scoring lane. Use minimum 1 o’clock English this time, with a (quick short stroke ) to keep your cue ball from going forward and to long.

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

Limited BanksThe 3 Slate SystemBy Samm Diep, PoolTipJar.com © October 2009

Samm Diep

“Dead Stroke” vs. “In Stroke”

October 2009 page 7

San Francisco Billiard Academywww.sfbilliards.com

Bob Jewett

San Francisco Billiard Academywww.sfbilliards.com

Bob Jewett

By: Bob Jewett

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

continued on page 15

A lot of learning to play pool is finding your own limits, but you also need to know the limits of the equipment you are playing on. You may have plenty of draw on new cloth with a standard cue ball, but go to a table with old, sticky cloth

and an over-sized bar ball, and your draw will evaporate. Banks in particular can vary a lot from table to table and sometimes from day to day depending on the humidity. Here are two shots you can use to test the cushions. Each one tests the limit for a particular bank. In Bank 1, the object ball is on the spot, so it is exactly between the first diamond on the banking rail and the third diamond on the shooting rail. The simple mirror system for banking says that shot is not on, but if you hit the object ball full and hard with a little left English, the ball will bank cross corner on a "standard" table. When trying the shot, make sure that the two balls are exactly on the line between the two diamonds as illustrated. Also, check whether you hit the one ball full by whether the cue ball moves to the left or right after the shot. Unless you do the test accurately, you can't learn much about the table. Once you have tested the cushion like this, you will be prepared for similar shots that may come up in a game. They will rarely be exactly on line, but your test will give you a clue about how to correct them. The same rule (3-to-1) works for cross-side shots as well. Bank 2 is particularly useful at the game of one pocket. It is a two-rail bank of a ball on the foot spot. On many tables, this shot is just barely possible if you can just miss the corner pocket. Note the black target I've placed on the table. If you shoot the object ball towards that target, you should hit on solid cushion on the second rail. On your table, that target may be in a slightly different place. On tables with brand new cloth, Bank 2 is easy because the cue

continued on page 15

REJ

Bank 11

Bank 2

P

Order Online atCuePen.com

On Saturday September 19, 2009, 50 top and rising stars in the pool world gathered at Comet Billiards. Home of the Accu-Stats Arena, Comet Billiards is a marquee locale on the Predator Tour’s calendar and this week’s location for a two-day pro/am billiards brawl. The 15th stop on Predator Tour season drew fierce competitors, many of whom were locked in a heated points race for their respective class divisions. Top player including “The Preacher” Steve Lillis, George “Ginky” Sansouci, Zion Zvi, Joey Kong, Jorge Rodriguez, Oscar Bonilla, Ron Park, “Alaska” Sean Morgan, Mhet Vergara, Jason Michas, Jeremy Sossei, and Tony Robles, among others, came to battle. Room proprietor and host Bill Haley rolled out the red carpet for the players, who enjoyed the spacious playing environment. Feature matches were streamed live from the Accu-Stats Arena (www.accu-stats.com). The arena boasts a professional commentary booth, where you could hear many top players, as well as Pat Fleming himself giving their perspective on the matches. While there was no shortage of standout play from a number of different players, several players were stirring up a buzz with their swaggered approach. Among them, Scott Simonetti bounced back from a early loss from Tony Robles to win 3 matches in impressive fashion before losing to “King Kong” Joey Kong 9-4. Also, NYC’s Brenda Heras and Alex Gonzalez, who were two underdogs coming in to the tournament, surprised the knowledgeable crowd with top-notch play. Although many of the players at Comet impressed, only the eight final players could come back on Sunday. Tony Robles was running through the tournament with a game that was firing on all cylinders. His break, jump shot, cue ball control, and overall shot making were superb throughout the event. Tony was lined up with a winner’s side match against arguably the most improved player of the year, Oscar Bonilla. Tony Robles defeated Oscar 9-4, in a dominant

performance, lining him with Mhet Vergara. Mhet is a strong open player who has had some impressive performances of late, and this event was no different. Mhet had just come off a clutch 9-7 win over a hot “Alaska” Sean Morgan, who fell short of mounting a comeback in their match. On the one-loss side, “Ginky” George Sansouci defeated Ocean State Champion, Jeremy Sossei 9-6 which set him up with Oscar Bonilla. Oscar was looking to bounce back from a loss to Tony Robles but wasn’t able to fade Ginky’s break in that match, and Ginky closed out the set 9-6. Ginky’s journey wouldn’t get any easier as he had to defeat Zion Zvi, who had two dominating performances on the TV table. Ginky followed up two gritty wins with a near flawless performance over Zion, who was unable to consistently make a ball on the break in their match. After going through 3 top players, Ginky had a chance to avenge his earlier loss to Mhet Vergara, who clutched out a big win over Ginky on Saturday. Mhet put on a display of heart and determination as he overcame a marathon blow-for blow-match over Mr. Sansouci. While both players did not play up to their earlier performances, this was a battle of strategy and kicking, leaving Mhet the last man standing with a final score of 9-7. This win was a huge win for Mhet, because his highest prior finish in the Predator Tour was third, and his win against Ginky put him in the finals for the first time against “The Silent Assasin” Tony Robles. Mhet’s road to the finals included wins over Jason Michas

9-7, Carmen Lombardo 9-6, Wali Muhammad 9-2, Ginky Sansouci 9-7, Sean Morgan 9-7 before losing to Tony, then defeated Ginky in the semis. Tony had a dominant run on his way to the finals going undefeated, and taking out Scott Simonetti 9-1, Antonio Guerrero 9-5, Zion Zvi 9-7, Oscar Bonilla 9-4, and Mhet Vergara 9-4 along the way. In the final match, which was one race to nine games, Mhet took an early 4-1 lead on Tony, as he was feeling

comfortable and sharp on the Accu-Stats table after his match against Ginky. Tony’s game took some warming up, but after missing a few shots early, he got into gear, and the two battled back and forth. There were few easy table layouts in this set, leading to a number of safety battles, but with the score tied at 6-6, Mhet broke dry and gave Tony an open table to run out and build some momentum. Mhet would win the following game to tie it again at 7-7, but the next rack, Mhet missed a crucial 5 ball, and from there the match was in Tony’s hands as he finished it 9-7 to win the 15th stop on the Predator Tour. Congratulations to Mhet Vergara on this breakthrough performance and to Tony Robles for a dominant win at this event. The Predator Tour would also like to thank their sponsors Blatt Billiards, Delta 13 Racks, and Predator Cues for their support of the tour.1st: $1000 Tony Robles 2nd: $675 Mhet Vergara 3rd: $500 Ginky Sansouci 4th: $375 Zion Zvi5/6: $250 Oscar Bonilla, Sean Morgan7/8: $175 Jeremy Sossei, Joey Kong9-12: $100 Yesid Garibello, Steve Lillis, Jorge Rodriquez, Junior Sanchez Highest Finishing C/D: Alex Gonzalez $75 Highest Finishing Female: Brenda Heras $75 The Sunday B/CD Tournament drew 16 area amateurs. In this event, Diana Rojas met Ariel Rivera to battle him once again in the finals. However, Ariel continued his strong play in this match to win 7-3, making this his second consecutive B/C/D Predator event win. B/C/D FINAL RESULTS: 1st: $175 Ariel Rivera 2nd: $125 Diana Rojas 3rd: $70 Dave Fitzpatrick 4th: $30 Gail GlazebrookHighest Finishing C/D: $100 Erin McManus On Sunday, the Predator Tour also held a B/C/D event, which featured a comeback

L-R, BCD Winner Ariel Rivera, Tony Robles & Runner Up Diana Rojas

Robles Assassinates Vergara

Runner-Up Mhet Vergara & 1st Place Winner Tony Robles

October 2009 page 8

October 2009 page 9

BLAZE 9-Ball Tour

Blaze Tour made its way to Castle Billiards in East Rutherford NJ, on Sunday September 6th a small field came out to play players like: Steve Moore, Sean Morgan, Carmen Lombardo, Caroline Pao, Steve Lillis and Wali Muhammad.

Leading the top half of the bracket was Sean Morgan with wins over Steve Banner 7-1, Rob Pole 7-2, Bob Madara 7-3 and Steve Moore 7-5. Leading the bottom half of the bracket was Carmen Lombardo with wins over Erin McManus 7-2, Steve Lillis 7-4, and Caroline Pao 7-3. Playing for the hot seat was Sean Morgan VS Carmen Lombardo this was a great match with Sean Morgan pulling it off 7-4 to win the match sending Carmen Lombardo to the on lost side. Making the moves on the one lost side was Steve Moore with wins over Steve Lillis 7-5, Caroline Pao 7-6, and Carmen Lombardo 7-5 to get to the finals. In the finals it was Sean Morgan VS Steve Moore, Steve Moore has to beat Sean Morgan twice to win the event. First set was all Steve Moore winning easily 7-4. Second set was the same as the first Steve Moore winning 7-4 and the Blaze event at Castle Billiards.1st $800.00 Steve Moore 2nd $350.00 Sean Morgan 3rd $230.00 Carmen Lombardo 4th $100.00 Caroline Pao

Blaze 9 Ball Tour made its way to Skyline Billiards in Brooklyn NY on Sunday September 20th. A small field came out to play players like Eddie Vazquez, Carl Khan, Sam Quinzi, Erin Mcmanus, John Alicea and Marc Vidal. Leading the top half of the bracket was John Alicea with wins over Jose Burgos 7-0, Eddie Vazquez 7-6, and Alex Gilarg 7-5. Leading the bottom half of the brsacket was Marc Vidal with wins over Mike Miller 7-6, Carl Khan 7-4, and Bob Madara 7-2. Playing for the hot seat was Marc Vidal VS John Alicea tyhis was a great match with Marc Vidal pulling away late winning 7-5 and Sending John Alicea to the one lost side.

Waiting for John Alicea on the one lost side was Jorge Rodriquez. This match was a great match that went hill, hill but when it was all said and done it was John Alicea winning the match to get to the finals. In the finals it was John Alicea VS Marc Vidal, John Alicea has to beat Marc Vidal twice to win the event. First set was one sided with John Alicea winning easily 7-4, the second set went the same way with John Alicea winning easily 7-3 and his first tour win.1st $670.00 John Alicea 2nd $300.00 Marc Vidal 3rd $150.00 Jorge Rodriquez 4th $100.00 Bob Madara

Winner Steve Moore owner John Trobiano second place finisher Sean Morgan

Dominiak Cues Northeast 10-Ball Tour Kicks Off in Latham, NYDespite a beautiful sunny fall day in the northeast, the first stop of the Dominiak Cues Northeast Amateur 10-Ball Tour season kicked off with 25 players at the popular Diamond Eight Billiards in Latham, NY on Saturday Sept. 26th.The tour saw many new faces show up to participate on tour as well as some usual suspects like Tom Acciavatti, Joe Sobowicz, Chuck Hill, Gene Hunt and Jeremy Bean. The lone female player in the field was Janet Tycks, also a regular on the tour. Players came from New York, Massachusetts, Connecticut and Vermont to try their skills at 10 ball.The top half of the winners side brackets saw tour newcommer Jared Zimmerman from Mayfield, NY make his way to the hotseat match after getting a bye in the opening round with wins over Jackie Ford, Rich Atlre, and Frank Rich. On the bottom half of the winners side tour regular Tom Acciavatti was playing steady and got by Paul Oickard in the first round and continued to the hotseat match with wins over Walter Rogowsi, Chuck Hill and Frank Majesky. The hotseat match was a closely contested battle with Jared Zimmerman coming out on top with great shotmaking. Tom Acciavatti came out on top from the one losss side. The finals kicked off about 7pm and the tour format is a 1 race to 5 finals at all tour stops. Jared got out to an early 3-0 lead on Tom and seemed to be cruising to the win on the season opener. But, Tom Acciavatti was not done yet. After an error by Jared, Tom clawed his way back into the match with a win to make it 3-1. Jared again appeared to take control of the match

by winning the next game and getting to the hill with a score of 4-1. Tom again clawed his way back in with a win, then the next 2 games as well

making the match now hill/hill 4-4. The final game went back and forth with a couple balls tied up and both players playing cautiously taking safties when available. Then an opening came for Jared to run out and take the match with a combo on the 10 ball off the 9 ball. It hit the center of the pocket and Jared Zimmerman takes home the title to the season opener. A shout out to Janet Tycks for her 13-16 finish in a tough field. Ladies receive free entry at every tour stop and only have to pay the $10 table

time fee. Also Jackie Ford held the winning ticket for the new beautiful Dominiak Cue.For tour dates and info please visit the tour website www.DominiakCuesTour.comOn behalf of all the players we thank Bill Dominiak www.DominiakCues.com for his support in sponsoring the tour with adding a new Dominiak Cue to each tour stop.We would also like to thank our co-sponsors www.LeagueShirts.com and www.Rackemwear.com for their continued support of the tour.1st $250 Jared Zimmerman2nd $150 Tom Acciavatti3rd $90 Frank Rich4th $70 Frank Majewski5/6 $20 Chuck Hill, Walter Rogowski

Zimmerman Wins Season Opener

October 2009 page 10

Sambajon and Butera Down to the Wire at NCS 9-Ball National Championship FinalsAt the NCS 9-Ball National Championship finals, spectators witnessed the finesse and knowledge of top veteran players, Santos Sambajon and Sal Butera. Both men played the extended finals race to 15 in A class form. On the tough pro cut 9’ Diamond table and with the alternate break format, initially the match was tied up. However starting with game 9,

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

commemorating his win by DELTA-13 and a custom engraved and made solid crystal trophy.1st Santos Sambajon (IL) $3800 + Entry 2010 US Open 10-Ball2nd Sal Butera (CA) $2500 + Entry to 2010 US Open 10-Ball3rd Adam Kielar (PA) $17004th John Kucharo (IA) $11005-6 Jui Lung Chen (TX) $750 / Denis Strickland (TX) $7507-8 Justin Whitehead (AZ) $400 / Todd Marsh (WA) $400Parica First NCS 10-Ball National ChampionIn front of over 300 spectators both on-line and on-site, Jose Parica defeated Shaun Wilkie in the NCS 10-Ball National Championship finals at the Golden Nugget Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas.Produced by CueSports International (CSI) with Bad Boy Billiards Productions, the 4th event in the new NCS series had a small but talent loaded field, including such notible players as Harry Platis, Jon Kucharo, 14 year phenom and Junior National Champion Brendan Crockett, Sal Butera, Adam Kielar and Denis Strickland to name a few as well as Parica and Maryland top player Wilkie.Parica, who found himself early in the tournament on the left side of the bracket battled back to meet Wilkie in the final single extended race to 13. The semis finals saw Parica playing Bill Anderson from McKinney, Texas. Anderson, who started competing again in 2008 after years away from the sport, found Parica too dominant a force and settled for 3rd.The final match was also all Parica, as Wilkie faced the lethal combination of dry breaks and an in-form Parica. Thus, the leader of the U.S Pinoy invasion handily added another title to his long list of pool accomplishments. Both Wilkie and Parica will join the top two finishers of the NCS 9-Ball

National Championship, Santos Sambajon Jr. and Sal Butera receiving a paid entry to the 2010 U.S Open 10-Ball Championship scheduled next May at the Riviera Hotel and Casino.As the winner of the inaugural NCS 10-Ball event, Parica also received $3000 in cash, a #308 model cue designed by Danny Janes exclusively for NCS sponsor OB Cues, a custom engraved DELTA-13 Elite rack and a custom solid crystal trophy.The NCS (National Championship Series) is a division of CueSports International. CSI is also the parent company of the BCA Pool League, the newly launched USA Pool League. CSI also produces the U.S Bar Table Championships and the Jay Swanson Memorial in addition to the U.S Open 10-Ball Championship. For more information about CSI and the NCS, please call (702) 719-7665 or email holly@playcsipool.com.1st Jose Parica (CA) $3000 + Entry 2010 US Open 10-Ball2nd Shaun Wilke (MD) $1900 + Entry to 2010 US Open 10-Ball3rd Bill Anderson (TX) $12004th Denis Strickland (TX) $8005–6 Todd Marsh (WA) $500 / Jon Kucharo (IA) $500

National Championship Series

October 2009 page 11

Little Wooden ShedIn August, Gene and I climbed the ladders and put a new roof on the little wooden shed, so it will stay dry, inside. We worked into the night, but we got the roof done before it rained. The new roof works great and looks good.Also in August, two young men we sponsor, Jamey Gray and Tim Chin, were 2 of the 12 top trick shot artists who competed in the Ultimate Trick Shot Challenge, in Las Vegas. Andy Segal took 1st place, followed by Jamey Gray in 2nd and Tim Chin in 3rd. Crown Cues is proud to sponsor such talented young men as Tim and Jamey.We took to the roads again in September! Thanks to an invitation from Dwight Sisson (BigDogatLarge) and a welcome from Tom Gedris of Triple Cross Cues, we took our cues to show at the US Open Qualifier at Pockets, in Tallahassee, Florida on the 18th and 19th. We saw some super talent and some intense competition. Mike Davis took 4th place and Han Barber took 3rd place. Aaron Bolling and Stoney Stone went head to head for 1st place. Their match started off tight, but Stoney stayed focused and drove ahead to claim a 1st place victory, with Aaron taking 2nd place.During the tournament, Blackjack David Sapolis was secluded to one side of the room, while he was pocketing 10,000 balls to raise money for The United Way of The Big Bend. Toward the end of the second day, the management decided to open up that side of the room to business, and interference became a huge problem for him. People continued getting in his way. I don’t know many people who would have been able to continue without getting angry, but he did a fine job. Finally, after he perservered as long as he could, he unscrewed his cue and left. Before he left, he did manage to pocket 8400+ balls for the cause.Before we left town on Sunday, Aaron Bolling took us to the usual hangout at Snookers and we also went to check out the new smoke-free pool hall, Geo’s, on Mahan Drive. They are planning a big shindig for their grand opening event on October 2nd. We hope their place does well.On our way back home, we decided to go through Mobile, Alabama, where we found a really nice pool hall on the I-65 Service Road South, called Bumpers Billiards. We stopped in to play for a while and found a couple of large rooms with some well-cared for tables, some big tv

screens and a very comfortable atmosphere.In Meridian, Mississippi, we returned to Sneaky Pete’s on Poplar Springs Dr., where we stopped for a while in July. They recently acquired and recovered an old, United barbox table, which was VERY nice to play on!! Now, we know why we played so much better when we

The Final match of the 2009 WPBA Colorado Classic is set, with Kelly Fisher looking for her first win of 2009. Meanwhile, the 2009 U.S. Open 9 Ball Champion, Ga Young Kim, was gunning for her second win this season! We knew this could end up a quick match since both players are known for their fast play. Kelly Fisher won the lag and pocketed a ball on the break. She proceeded to run out and take the first game of the match. Ga Young stepped up and broke, pocketing a ball. Ga Young was finally able to

get a good shot on the ball and ran out to tie the match. Kelly broke and made a ball but missed the 3 and Ga Young took advantage of the error and ran out to go up 2-1, and go into game 4 with the break. Ga Young made the 2 and nearly pocketed the 9 ball but instead, had a very long shot tough cut on the 3. She sank it, coming up short shape for the 4 in the side. She not only pocketed the 4 but sent the cue ball up table to hit the 9 in and she took a 3-1 lead. Kelly is never one to give up easily, and went into game 5 with the break. She pocketed a ball, and proceeded to navigate through the rack. The only problem ball was the 3. She decided to play a safe, leaving Ga Young to jump. Once again her trusty jump cue worked. She came up short, leaving Kelly with a very long spot shot. She made it, but another safety battle was underway on the 4, but she scratched off the 4 ball and Ga Young ran out to take a 4-1 lead. Ga Young broke, made a ball and came back off the one ball for shape on the 2. She played

an amazing back cut shot. She gained shape on the five ball, sinking it down the rail. The 7 was below the 8 and Ga Young came to the short side of the ball. She elected to play safe, sticking the cue ball behind the 8 and sending the 7 ball up table to rest on the rail. Kelly missed the ball entirely giving Ga Young ball in hand and in record time, Ga Young took a 5-1 lead. Kelly broke in game 7, pocketing a ball and played a great safe on the 1. Ga Young was forced to kick 2 rails, leaving the cue ball on the

end rail and the one ball 8’ away. Ga Young couldn’t make the long slice down the rail and Kelly was able to pocket the one ball in the side. She continued on and ran out, down 2-5. But Ga Young had the break in game 8, making a ball and putting together an awesome run out. She was now on the hill, 6-2 Kelly broke in game 9, and although she made a ball, she had no open pocket for the 1. She tried a tough 1/7 combination and left Ga Young with the cue ball sitting over the 7. She missed the 1 and Kelly stepped back to the table. She executed a poor safety and Ga Young, made a bank into the side pocket. She snookered the cue ball behind the 5 while the 2 went up table, and Kelly kicked one rail. She hit the ball, leaving Ga Young with a partial jump shot. This time though, her jump cue failed her as the 2 ball hung in the pocket. Kelly focused all of her energy into this rack, running out but still down 3-6. Ga Young went into game 10 with the break advantage and won her 2nd title of the 2009 Season winning 7-3.

Photos and story by Anne Craig – WPBA

Colorado Classic

(continued on page 12)

October 2009 page 12

Sossei

were younger... it wasn’t the difference in our skill, it was the TABLES!! Our games on that table took us back to when we were young. Even with the smaller pockets, it played so beautifully! We’d have brought

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

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

Little Wooden Shed

performance from one of NYC’s toughest up-and-coming players, Justin Muller. Justin, who hails from Long Island, had a first-round loss to Chris Laz, then returned with wins over Teddy Cook, Steve Wright, Rene Villalobos (6-5), Carl Khan (6-2), and Alex Gonzales (6-2). However, young Dennis Fokin was dominating the winner’s bracket of this tournament, going undefeated to land in the hot seat. And, in the final match, it looked like Dennis would easily take out Justin Muller, as he took big 4-0 lead in the final race to 7. But, Justin got back on track and turned the match around to win the final match 7-5. Congratulations to Justin Muller, who has been officially dubbed “The Rogue Rhino” by Jerry T, for his killer instinct, aggressive style, and his “never say die” attitude, which he proved in this event.1st: $150 Justin Muller 2nd: $100 Dennis Fokin 3rd: $50 Alex Gonzales

Story by: Mike Andrews Photos Courtesy of: Mike Andrews and Team DMIROTeam DMIRO was at Guys and Dolls in Roanoke, Va, this past weekend for a two day event. Guys and Dolls doors quickly filled with over 50 spectators and players alike; when the Team DMIRO Nationwide 10 ball tour rolled in the town. Local favorite like Larry Price, who was the winner of the amateur 9 ball event at The 2009 Allen Hopkins’ Super Billiards Expo. Larry played as an open player along side with the Team DMIRO Pros. Shaun Wilkie Showed up for his 2nd event to challenge the amateurs.Friday night we had over 22 players challenge Shaun Wilkie in a race to one, if the amateur wins, they would receive a free tour card from Team DMIRO. Only 1 amateur beat Shaun Wilkie, Jon Chisom. The other 21 players had to purchase their tour cards, after they were dominated by Shaun Wilkies impeccable play.

Saturday we began with the open/pro side where only 3 players showed. Shaun Wilkie defeated Larry Price 7-2. Mike Andrews received a bye after the random draw was completed.The amateur bracket had strong competition, with Eric Charliton, Chris Stoneman, and Jon Chisom, along with Tilford Epling. The final 4 to come back for Sundays final 8 were, Eric Charliton and Tilford Epling on the winner side, on the one loss side we had Chris Stoneman, and Steve Connor. The first match on Sunday was Mike Andrews vs. Tilford Epling, Mike Andrews missed a straight in 10 ball to go hill hill, and Tilford defeated him 7-5. Tilford advanced to the hot seat match where he faced Eric Chaliton, after Eric upset Shaun Wilkie defeating him 7-5. The hot seat match was won by Eric,and it seemed he was playing on the table by him self. He defeated Tilford 7-1 and took the hot seat. On the 1 loss side, Larry Price Defeated Mike Andrews 7-2, and Shaun Wilkie defeated Chris Stoneman 7-3, Tilford Epling 7-3, and Larry Price 7-6. During the final match which is one race to 9; Shaun won the lag and took control of the match. After a few missed opportunities Shaun defeated Eric Chaliton 9-3 and he took home his 2nd Team DMIRO stop in a row.Team DMIRO 4 The WORLD 0. Think you have what it takes? Join Team DMIRO at the next tour stop in Break Time Billiards Salisbury, MD Oct 10-11th, then at Gate City Billiards, in Greensboro, NC Nov 7th.The players and the tour would like to thank their sponsors, Tiger Products, McDermott Cues, OB Cues, Delta 13, Zinzola Custom Cues, Hammond Custom Cues, Donnelly Custom Cues, NYCGrind.com, Azbillairds, Maxim Billiards, and The Super Billiards Expo.1st $780 Shuan Wilkie2nd $555 Eric Charliton3rd $325 Tilford Epling4th $225 Larry Price5/6 $110 Mike Andrews, Chris Stoneman7/8 $55 Steve Connor, Johnny Nixon

Wilkie 2 in a Row

October 2009 page 13

Scoreboard West Palm Beach, Fla. – Sept. 16, 2009 – The Flamingo Billiards Tour, Florida’s only WPBA-recognized regional tour, is proud to announce the addition of Concept Cues as a product sponsor. Concept Cues (www.conceptcues.com) was founded by pro players Tony “The Sniper” Crosby and Corey Deuel and features high-performance cues with superb craftsmanship. The winner of each Flamingo Billiards Tour event will receive the best-selling “Sniper II” jump/break cue, a solid maple cue with two quick release joints and an all-in-one phenolic tip and ferrule. “Our cues are designed by players for players,” said Tony Crosby. “That’s one of the reasons we’re very excited to join the Flamingo Billiards Tour and to have the opportunity to put our cues in the hands of the top women players in Florida.” The next Flamingo Billiards Tour event is Saturday, October 3rd at Amy’s Billiards in Stuart, Fla. For more information, please visit www.flamingobilliardstour.com.

Flamingo Billiards Tour

For the first time streaming live 4000 online viewers watched the Joss Northeast 9-Ball Tour kick off its 2009-2010 Season with a bang. The Maine Event III hosted by TJ’s Classic Billiards in Waterville Maine saw Shane Winters emerge on top of the 39 player field including such notables as Mike Zuglan, Nelson Oliveira, Tom McGonagle, and local legend TJ LaFlamme former owner of TJ’s. Maine was represented well by hot seat winner Ivaylo Petrov who dominated a very tough bracket beating Richard Young of Canada, Shane Winters and Dave Grau. In the true double-elimination format Shane Winters battled back to beat Ivo twice. The first set Shane jumped out to an early lead but Ivo grinded back to eventually lose 9-7. The second set was all Shane Winters as he cruised to a 9-1 victory which earned him the first place prize of $1500.00 and the coveted State of Maine plaque. The owners of TJ’s Classic Billiards, Steve and Tammy Reynolds, would like to thank Mike Zuglan , all the players and fans that made this event such a great success.RESULTS:1st $1,500 Shane Winters (pictured left)2nd $1,020 Ivaylo Petrov3rd $800 Dave Grau4th $600 Nelson Oliveira5/6 $400 Cleiton Rocha, Ray McNamara7/8 $200 John Clark, Joe DupuisRaffle Prizes $1500 Joss Cue won by Mike Bradford Turning Stone Prize Package Winner TJ LaFlamme

Winters Cruisin’ at TJ’s

T J’s Classic Billiards

14.1 Airport Rd - Waterville, ME 207-877-POOL (7665)

Maine State Ladies 9--Ball ChampionshipOctober 10th

Open to all ladies - $50 entryDoors open at 11 am - Call to sign up

$500 added

with 32 ladiesCome Out& Play

www.pooldawg.com

PAYOUTS1st $1000 Mike Davis (+ Entry into Steve Mizerak $40,000 Added) 2nd $800 Corey Deuel $8003rd $600 Han Berber $6004th $500 Jerry Calderon $5005th/6th $280 John Foster, Louis Altes $2807th/8th $150 Richard Broumpton, Tony Crosby $150Top Lady $50 Borana Andoni $50

Strokers 2 in Tampa was again the host location for part 2 of the FL State Championships, Last week was the Amateur this week saw the Open which attracted some World Class players showing up for the $2500 Added plus a entry into the $40,000 Added Steve Mizerak event to be held in November by the Seminole tribe of Florida.

October 2009 page 14

DATE CITY LOCATION PHONE EVENT / RULES ENTRY ADDED TIME

Check us out! All new and interactive - Post your commentswww.onthebreaknews.com

Oct 3 Edison, NJ Sandcastle Billiards (732) 632-9277 Tri State Tour Call Call CallOct 3-4 Jacksonville, FL Bankshot Billiards (904) 998-2100 KF Cues Tour Amateur/Open Call $1,000 ea CallOct 3-4 Columbus, GA Players Billiards (706) 653-0106 J Pechauer SE Open Call Call CallOct 3-4 Duluth, GA The POOL Room (770) 418-9086 GSBT A/B Amateur 9-Ball Call $1500 CallOct 3-4 Goldsboro, NC Fast Eddie’s (919) 759-0071 Jacoby Carolina Tour Call Call Call Oct 3-4 Clifton Park, NY Trick Shot Billiards (518) 383-8771 Joss Northeast 9-Ball Tour Call Call CallOct 4 Boothwyn, PA Riley’s Concord Billiards (610) 859-8058 Blaze 9-Ball Tour Call Call CallOct 5-11 Goldsboro, NC Fast Eddie’s (919) 759-0071 Carolina Open Call Call CallOct 9-11 Palm Harbor FL Strokers Billiards (727) 786-6683 Seminole Pro Tour Call Call Call

Oct 10 Waterville, ME T J’s Classic Billiards (207) 877-7665 Maine State Ladies 9-Ball $50 $500 w/32 11 AM

Oct 10 Parsippany, NJ Comet Billiards (973) 334-7429 Tri State Tour Call Call CallOct 10-11 Jackson Hts, NY BQE Billiards (718) 779-4348 Predator 9-Ball Tour Call Call CallOct 11 Worcester, MA London Billiards www.dominiakcuestour.com 10 Ball Dominiak Cues Tour $25+$10 $350 11 AMOct 11 Vineland, NJ Q-Ball Billiards (609) 267-2300 Blaze 9-Ball Tour Call Call CallOct 17 Sunnyside, NY Master Billiards (718) 706-6789 Tri State Tour Call Call CallOct 17-18 Jacksonville, NC Fast Freddy’s (910) 938-3050 GSBT A/B Amateur 9-Ball Call $1500 CallOct 17-18 Williamsville, NY Bison Billiards (716) 632-0281 Joss NE Tour Call $2000 CallOct 17-18 Winchester, VA Blue Fox Billiards (540) 665-2114 Viking Cues 9-Ball Tour Call Call CallOct 18 Gainesville, FL Art of Billiards (352) 225-3535 9-Ball Open $25 $200 10 AMOct 24 Windsor Locks, CT Pool Table Magic www.dominiakcuestour.com 10 Ball Dominiak Cues Tour $25+$10 $350 11 AMOct 24 Ft Pierce, FL Ultimate Billiards (772) 464-7665 Flamingo Tour - Ladies Call $250 CallOct 24 Ft Pierce, FL Ultimate Billiards (772) 464-7665 Men’s Open 9-Ball Call $100 CallOct 24 Iron Mountain, MI Best Shot Billiards (906) 776-9411 8-Ball $25 Call NoonOct 24 E Rutherford, NJ Castle Billiards (201) 933-6007 Tri State Tour Call Call CallOct 24-25 Gainesville, FL Art Of Billiards (352) 225-3535 KF Cues Tour Amateur/Open Call $1,000 ea CallOct 24-25 Syracuse, NY Cap’s Cue Club (315) 701-0101 CNY 9-Ball Tour Varies $600 NoonOct 24-25 Bayside, NY Cue Bar (718) 631-2646 Predator 9-Ball Tour Call Call CallOct 24-25 Midlothian, VA Diamond Billiards (804) 794-8787 Viking Cues 9-Ball Tour Call Call CallOct 31 Brooklyn, NY Gotham City Billiards (718) 714-1002 Tri State Tour Call Call CallOct 31-Nov 1 Indianapolis, IN Brickyard Billiards (317) 248-0555 Brickyard 9-Ball Classic Call Call CallNov 7-8 Ft Pierce, FL Ultimate Billiards (772) 464-7665 Tommy Kennedy Open/Amateur Call $1000/$500 CallNov 7-8 Ocala, FL Bankshot Billiards (352) 867-8100 KF Cues Tour Amateur/Open Call $1,000-700 CallNov 7-8 Sanford, NC Speakeazy Billiards (919) 775-1166 GSBT A/B Amateur 9-Ball Call $1500 CallNov 7-8 Yorkville, NY Hippo’s House of Billiards (315) 768-0218 Joss NE 9-Ball Tour Call Call CallNov 7-8 E Rutherford, NJ Castle Billiards (201) 933-6007 Predtor 9-Ball Tour Call Call CallNov 7-8 Fort Pierce, FL Ultimate Billiards (772) 464-7665 J Pechauer SE Open Call Call CallNov 8 Manchester, CT World Champ. Billiards www.dominiakcuestour.com 10 Ball Dominiak Cues Tour $25+$10 $350 11 AMNov 9 Ft Pierce, FL Ultimate Billiards (772) 464-7665 One Pocket Call $500 CallNov 11-15 Hollywood, FL Hard Rock Hotel & Casino (954) 327-7501 Steve Mizerak Championship Call Call CallNov 14-15 W Hempstead, NY Raxx Pool Room (516) 538-9896 Joss NE 9-Ball Tour Call Call CallNov 15 Gainesville, FL Art of Billiards (352) 225-3535 9-Ball Open $25 $200 10 AMNov 20 Ft Pierce, FL Ultimate Billiards (772) 464-7665 One Pocket Call $500 CallNov 21 Ft Pierce, FL Ultimate Billiards (772) 464-7665 DMIRO 10-Ball Call $1000 CallNov 21-22 Palm Harbor, FL Innisbrook Resort (727) 942-2000 KF Cues Tour Amateur Only Call $1500 CallNov 21-22 Providence, RI Snookers Pool Lounge (401) 351-7665 Joss NE 9-Ball Tour Call Call CallNov 21-22 Fairfield, OH Michael’s Billiards (513) 860-0044 GSBT A/B Amateur 9-Ball Call $1500 CallNov 21-22 Yorkville, NY Hippo’s House of Billiards (315) 768-0218 CNY 9-Ball Tour Varies $600 NoonNov 22 Amsterdam, NY Main Street Billiards www.dominiakcuestour.com 10 Ball Dominiak Cues Tour $25+$10 $350 11 AMNov 28-29 Inman, SC G-Jays (864) 472-8716 GSBT A/B Amateur 9-Ball Call $1500 CallDec 5 Gainesville, FL Art of Billiards (352) 225-3535 End of year BIG EVENT $25 $200 10 AMDec 5-6 Mobile, AL Breaker’s Billiards (251) 341-1117 GSBT A/B Amateur 9-Ball Call $1500 CallDec 5-6 Ft Pierce, FL Ultimate Billiards (772) 464-7665 KF Cues Tour Amateur/Open Call $1,000 ea CallDec 5-6 Syracuse, NY Salt City Billiards (315) 454-8643 CNY 9-Ball Tour Varies $600 NoonDec 6 New Milford, CT Buster’s Billiards www.dominiakcuestour.com 10 Ball Dominiak Cues Tour $25+$10 $350 11 AMDec 19-20 Holiday, FL Hammer Heads Billiards (727) 939-9494 KF Cues Tour Amateur/Open Call $1,000 ea CallDec 19-20 Cayce, SC Karl’s Korner (803) 791-1772 GSBT A/B Amateur 9-Ball Call $1500 CallDec 20 Springfield, MA Snookers Billiards www.dominiakcuestour.com 10 Ball Dominiak Cues Tour $25+$10 $350 11 AM

Watch the LIVE Stream from TJ’s at http://api.ustream.tv/channel/tj-s-classic-billiards

Watch the LIVE Stream from Strokers at http://www.ustream.tv/cuesportsvideo

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October 2009 page 15

Dead Stroke thought.” You’re fully aware of your actions and executive each one deliberately. Being in stroke is being in control. To me, that’s the difference between the two. Being in dead stroke is a “sustained period” that may come and go without warning. Being in stroke is managing your own actions and not being on autopilot. It means that even when the conditions are not ideal and your opponent is driving you bonkers, you maintain your sense of awareness and grind through it. You aren’t oblivious to it. You trust in your stroke and force yourself to stay down and follow through, no matter how uncomfortable you may feel. Most importantly, you’re living and experiencing each shot. Don’t be on autopilot. Be in control.

Limited Banks ball slides and hooks off the first cushion if you shoot at moderate speed. You may even be able to move the one ball a ball or two to the "hard" side. On tables with sticky rails, this shot is difficult or impossible because there is no slide off the first cushion and the cue ball goes wide. On tables like that, find how many ball-diameters you have to move the object ball to the "easy" side of the spot to allow you to make the ball. It is possible to help the angle by getting some "hold-up" side spin on the object ball. In this case, right English on the cue ball will get a little left on the object ball which will help the angle on the second cushion. Shots like these are useful both as rules of thumb for standard equipment and as tests to measure an unknown table against that standard. If you have some of your own, email them to me and you may see them in a future column.