CUE SPORTS
AUGUST 2013
JOURNAL -------------------------------Appleton Sweeps One-Pocket and 10-Ball West Coast Challenge at California Billiard Club Page 4
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Kang goes undefeated at 1st Annual Cole Dickson Memorial Tournament at Family Billiards Page 12
CUE SPORTS JOURNAL Editor and Publisher....John Henderson P.O. Box 681, Plymouth, CA 95669 530-391-8316 cuesportsjournal@gmail.com
Pool Trips I started taking these trips after I was widowed around five years ago. My first trip was to Skeeter’s in Gulfport, Ms. Art Tripp (Doc) was running a little handicap one pocket tournament, I had never been there, so off I went. I had a great time, had all the action I wanted, some good, some bad, and left with a good feeling about the hospitality in the south. Even the young Johnny Archer clones (There were three or four there) who tried to make a game with me, were respectful. You might think it was only because they were trying to get my money, but most of the young people I encountered on that trip showed respect to older people. I have made several trips since then, Texas, Kentucky four times to the DCC across the river in Indiana, Arizona a few times and of course Las Vegas. Sometimes I win and sometimes I lose, but I always have a great time, seeing old friends and making new ones. I have another trip coming up this month. I am headed to Chicago to play a one pocket match at Red Shoes Billiards in Alsip, Il. I have never been to Chicago and am looking forward to playing a little pool and checking out a few pizza joints. If I am lucky and play well, it will be a free trip with maybe a little extra money to bring home. If it doesn’t work out, and sometimes they do not, it will be an expensive trip. If I do win, I can start planning another trip somewhere. We lost another old timer who has been around even longer than I have. James ‘Salt’ Duval recently passed away. He goes back to the original Cochran’s in San Francisco and might be seen at any tournament in the country sweating the action. Rest In Peace Salt, we miss you already.
Bustamante and James
James and Diana Hoppe
GoPlayPool.com Adds Ursitti, Ross and VanBoening Items to GoStore GoPlayPool.com has announced that they have joined forces with some true legends and fans of the sport. The GoStore, GoPlayPool.com’s online marketplace, has a range of items including clothing, accessories, books, posters, photographs and more. Charles Ursitti, a long-time fan of pool and historian has provided GoPlayPool.com with a select inventory of items from his collection of memorabilia. The items include posters from tournaments and events such as exhibition matches with Mosconi as well as books dating back to the early 1900’s. GoPlayPool.com’s founder, Mary Ann Starkey says, “These items would be a perfect addition to an enthusiast’s collection. We are honored that Mr. Ursitti has let us showcase these historical items in our store.” GoPlayPool.com has also teamed up with legendary photographer Robert Ross to showcase some of his most treasured images from some of the greatest tournaments and players of our time. He took the infamous “You’ve Got the Seven” photo as well as beautiful images of most of the top players from the last 30 years. Starkey says, “Robert has been gracious enough to share them with GoPlayPool.com so our fans can order these images to add to their personal collection. Page 2
6005 Shellmound St, #160 Emeryville, CA 94608 510.652.9808 We have 16 regulation pool tables along with: 2- 8 ft. pool tables 1- 5’x10’ billiard table 1- 6’x12’ snooker table
BCA Sanctioned 8-Ball (Can qualify for BCA National Championship) 3 player teams with up to 3 alternates, 9 game matches $15 per player per year BCAPL sanctioning fee $30 per team, per season registration fee $30 per team match fees (100% goes to prize fund) 20% OFF Pro Shop merchandise
Goals for WorldPPA: TUESDAYS 9-BALL TOURNAMENTS Worldppa Handicapped 9-Ball, race to 5. Entry fee is $15 ($20 every 1st and 3rd Tuesday and $100 added with a field of 16 or more players/$150 added with a field of 24 or more players through September). Play begins promptly at 8pm. Tournament players get a 10% discount on food and beverage EVERY Tuesday they play. Pro Lessons
•An organization whose purpose will be to promote all games of billiards. •Develop a simple and affordable plan that will bring excitement to billiards. •Implement an accurate, fair, uncomplicated and regularly updated handicap system you can trust. •Have a low annual membership fee. •Have 1-2 major tournaments every year. •Have regular weekly tournaments at local pool rooms. •Track top 4 places of winners for weekly tournaments and maintain a player’s standing report. •Tournament directors will be important to maintain proper ratings and protect members against sandbagging. •Ratings will be reviewed quarterly and tournament directors will be monitored closely. The WorldPPA’s handicap system has 16 levels accommodating pool players from begininner to Pro.
Our House-Pro, Eleanor Callado, is a WPBA Touring Professional, four-time Associated College Unions International Women’s 9-Ball champion, and 2010 West Coast Women’s Regional Tour champion, is available for lessons. For information about rates or to schedule a lesson, please go to Eleanor’s website at: www.eleanorcallado.com
Please send e-mail with your questions or comments to: Bob Beaulieu: bob@worldppa.com Al Markasky: alpodog@worldppa.com Page 3
West Coast Challenge
Darren Appleton won both events of the West Coast Challenge over the Fourth of July weekend, going undefeated in the OnePocket event, and winning five on the loss side to meet and double dip Dennis Orcollo in the finals of the 10-Ball tournament. The $4,000-added One Pocket event drew 55 entrants, while the $10,000-added, 10-Ball tournament drew 64. Both were hosted by the California Billiard Club, in Mountain View, CA, which, one day after completion of the two tournaments, on Monday, July 8, closed its doors, in its current location, forever.
In the One Pocket event, Appleton made his way into the hot seat match, where he faced Carlo Biado, for the first of two against him. They battled to double hill in the hot seat match, with Appleton prevailing. Biado moved west for a semifinal match against Dennis Orcullo, who had just defeated Mike Davis. Biado won the semifinal match, double hill, over Orcullo and got his second chance against Appleton. To no avail, as it turned out. Appleton won the opening set 4-2, to complete his undefeated run. In the 10-Ball tournament, Mike Davis sent Appleton to the loss side in a winners’ side final eight battle. Davis went on to defeat Thorsten Hohmann in one of the winners’ side semifinals. He would meet Orcullo, who’d defeated Jesse Engel in the other winners’ side semifinal, in the battle for the hot seat. Davis and Orcullo fought to double hill before Davis was sent west for a fateful match against Appleton.
According to current owner, Chris Swart, the building which housed the 17-year-old establishment is scheduled for demolition and redevelopment, and the California Billiard Club will re-open in February, 2014, at a new location, 20 miles away, in Fremont, CA. “It’ll be a good thing,” said Swart, during his last day at the Mountain View locale. “It’s just across the bay, and pretty close to everything, so we’re not going to be losing customers.” They will, he added, gain some room and 10 tables at the new location. “Everything’s going to be the same,” he said of the full service menu and liquor licenses, “with some small improvements. The name - California Billiard Club - stays.”
Mike Davis
Chris Swart & Daniel Busch
In its last weekend in Mountain View, the club played host to a variety of the best players in the game, including Appleton as the winner of both events, Orcullo, Mike Davis, Shane Van Boening, Francisco Bustamante, Thorsten Hohmann, Warren Kiamco, Brandon Shuff, Jesse Engel, and Rodney Morris, to name just a few. According to Daniel Busch, whose POVPool livestreamed selected matches throughout the Fourth of July weekend, attendance was both helped and hurt by the event’s relative close proximity to Las Vegas and the events of the World Professional Billiard League’s Bonus Ball matches being held there. “Bonus Ball was responsible for a lot of these players being here,” he said, mentioning players on WPBL teams, like Hohmann, Appleton, Morris, and Davis. “It also hurt us in some ways. We didn’t get to see either of the Dominguez family members (Oscar and Ernesto), because they were playing in Bonus Ball matches over the weekend.”
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On the loss side, Appleton, in the meantime, downed Rodney Morris, Santos Sambajon, Jesse Engel, Thorsten Hohmann, and met up with Davis for a re-match in the semifinals. Appleton wreaked his vengeance against Davis, earning himself a shot at a second title on the weekend. Appleton and Orcullo played 29 games over the two-set, double elimination final, with an aggregate ending score of 16-11. Appleton won the first match 8-6, and then got out in front by three to take the second set 8-5. Thanks were extended to tour directors Janet Okamoto and Ken Shuman, as well as Chris Swart and his staff at The California Billiard Club. Thanks also went to Busch and his POVPool crew for their weekend-long live stream, as well as sponsors Kamui Tips, The World PPA, and GoPlayPool.com Skip Maloney - AzB Staff
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Tommy and Michaels Cue Sales & Repair
www.tmcuesales.com Cue Repairs: We have over 20 years of experience with all sorts of cue repairs, cue maintenance, cue reconditioning and cue restoration. If you are interested in having work done on your cue, please give us a call so we can discuss the details. Here are just some of the cue repairs we offer: Tips: LePro, Elk Master, Triangle, Water Buffalo, Moori, Kamui and many more.
CONTACT FREDDY “THE BEARD” 445 West 27th street Chicago, IL 60616 Telephone: (773)956-6280 Email: bankingwiththebeard@comcast.net
Ferrules: Ivory, Aegis, Melamine, Ivorine, Fibre, etc. Shaft Repair: Recondition Shaft (clean, remove nicks, & reseal), Repair Threads, Replace Insert, Re-taper, etc. Leather Wraps: Premium leather wraps in popular colors and textures such as smooth, lizard, alligator, elephant and more. Exotic Wraps: Wraps from genuine exotic skins such as Python, Monitor Lizard, Ring Tail Lizard, Elephant Ear and others (when available) Phone: (209) 823-9444 - home (209) 470-7211 - cell e-mail tommie1351@comcast.net
CONTACT FREDDY “THE BEARD” 445 West 27th street Chicago, IL 60616 Telephone: (773)956-6280 bankingwiththebeard@comcast.net www.bankingwiththebeard,com Page 5
Vincent Wins One Pocket Championship David Vincent went undefeated in his quest to snag 1st place in the One Pocket division tournament held Sunday, June 23 at California Billiard Club. This was the inaugural end of session tournament for California Cue Sports, Mountain View Division, and it drew nearly all of the players from the division. In his herculean journey to the hot seat, Vincent snapped up wins from Nabi, Avery, Bryck, and Stensrud. Vincent displayed great determination and skill throughout the tournament, but he wasn’t the only player to have a notable performance that day. Bill Johnson, who lost his opening match with Donoho, caught a gear and grinded his way through the left side of the bracket for several hours, dispensing Calip, Mojica, Khalil, and Bryck along the way. At the same time, David Espinoza, also recovering from a rst round loss to Mojica, caught a gear and grinded his way through four opponents before coming face to face with Bill Johnson. In an epic battle that some pool pundits claim could be the longest match in One Pocket history, Espinoza and Johnson fought for an unknown number of hours, each taking turns to carefully hide the cue ball as if it were a colored egg on Easter morning. They battled until well past midnight for the right to play against Reid Stensrud to determine the winner of the left side of the bracket. In the end, Espinoza was able to shoot his way out of some dificult traps to win the match and leave Johnson with a 4th place finish. Espinoza was now facing a battle with Stensrud to determine who would advance to play Vincent in the hot seat. Given that it was past one o’clock in the morning, and all the players were worn out from a full day of play, the final three players agreed to chop and go home early. Vincent took the title for $700, and Espinoza and Stensrud agreed to tie for 2nd/3rd place and take home $550 each for their efforts. All the players reported having a great time in the tournament, and they look forward to playing more One Pocket when the Fall Session kicks of in August.
Dave Vincent Page 6
JOINTED CUE CHANGES HANDS Founded in 1968 by Terry Stonier and his wife Sandy, the Jointed Cue Billiards has been a mainstay in the poolplaying community since its inception. This classic room has been the venue for countless tournaments held for local, national and even international players. Minnesota Fats, Jimmy Mataya, Nick Varner, Mike Sigel, Rafael Martinez and many others have displayed their skills at “The Joint.”
Murphy plans to make changes for the better, but not interfere with the solid foundation of the business. “I’m going to do a lot more promoting through social media and other marketing techiques,” he said. “Even though the Jointed Cue has resided in the same location for almost 45 years, many people are not aware of its existence. I’m going to change that.”
Terry is a pool icon. His dedication to the game was continually demonstrated by his promotions, ability to attract top-notch players and the loyal following of his customer base. He created a friendly atmosphere for all customers and especially those locals who consider the pool hall their second home. Many of the patrons not only come for the pool, they love the burgers and enjoy “hanging out.” Sam Sesso is a fixture at the hall. He arrives each morning, gets a cup of coffee and starts his day. “I quit playing pool years ago, but I come here to see my friends,” he said. Since Terry’s passing in 2001, his son Dave has managed the business. An accomplished player in his own right, Dave successfully furthered his dad’s original vision and love for the game. Said Dave, “My dad was committed to the game. He singularly put Sacramento on the map for pool. He had a unconditional passion for the game.” Dave has been involved in all facets of the Jointed Cue since he was a teenager. Now, some 35 years have passed and he decided that it was time to move on. “I didn’t plan to sell the business and never put it ‘on the market.’” Earlier this year Mike Murphy, a Sacramento native, approached Dave and expressed an interest in buying the business. A key element in Dave’s decision to sell his family’s legacy was to feel comfortable and have confidence that the new owner would continue the tradition established by his parents. With Murphy’s assurance that he would further the passion and maintain the culture the deal was concluded. “The Jointed Cue is more than a pool hall, it’s a way of life. I am committed to continue its legacy,” said Murphy. Mike and his wife Emily will now manage the day-to-day operations. The official announcement was made at the Jointed Cue’s weekly Open Tournament on June 12. The house was packed with long-time loyal customers, some of whom have been playing at The Joint since it opened in 1968. Notables in attendance were: Ted Ito, Warren P. Lew, Joe Dog Murphy, Chick Melson, Rudy Jerez, Jim Fabionar, Robert Aldana, Ralph Deloian, Frank Nasca, Johnny Avalos, Tony Melendez, and Danny Cano, to name a few. In an emotional moment, Dave Stonier expressed his love for the Jointed Cue and all of the great memories it provided his family. He also stated his happiness that the business is in good hands. “The Jointed Cue is alive and well,” he claimed.
Dave Stonier and Mike Murphy
CONGRATULATIONS to the JOINTED CUE LADIES on being the CAL STATE POOL LEAGUE WOMEN SPRING-SUMMER 2013 CHAMPIONS!! Lunch break at playoffs - Jointed Cue Ladies go on to win playoffs and remain undefeated the entire season!!!
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WALL OF FAME Mary Kenniston
A very long time ago, on a cold fall night, something happened to change the course of my life. It was the beginning of a life that took me all over the United States and to Europe, Japan and Taiwan. It was the beginning of a life of meeting new people and the beginning of friendships that still endure to this day. It was the defining moment in my life. It was the night I made the decision to make my living as a pool player. It was the fall of ‘78 and I had a little more than a week before starting a new job. I had grown up on Long Island in a very typical ‘50s -‘60s type of family. My parents had worked very hard to give my brother, sister and I every advantage they could. I was expected to do well in school and, luckily, it came easy for me – I was a little lazy. I was a tomboy and was always the best in the neighborhood at every sport the boys played – basketball was my game. I remember sitting on the sidelines watching the boys from my neighborhood play Little League. Sitting there fuming – I was fuming that because I was a girl, they wouldn’t let me play. I never came straight home after school. I was a Girl Scout, played the clarinet in the band and when I saw the Beatles on the Ed Sullivan Show, I hounded my parents relentlessly for guitar lessons. I belonged to the Spanish Club, worked on the school newspaper and played every sport in school. When I turned 16, I was down at the DMV that very day to get my learner’s permit. I couldn’t wait to get my license and worked as a supermarket checker to save for a car. When I was a senior in high school, I received a basketball scholarship to the only college in the US that was giving scholarships to young women. Things were changing – females of my generation were gingerly dipping their toes into new pursuits. Not me – I was jumping in with both feet! It was also the time when women were trying to break into the male-dominated business world beyond the traditionally “female” roles of secretary, teacher, nurse or waitress and the time of Title IX. After college, I came home and began working hard - trying to carve out a career in sales. I was the first woman to be given the opportunity to sell Nabisco products and later, the first woman to sell Yellow Page advertising in New Jersey. I was excited to land a new job - to market Purolator’s new idea – international courier service to every small business or individual in Bergen County, a bedroom community for New York City. It was an exciting opportunity to get in on the ground floor of a FedEx-style business and I was thrilled that I had landed the job. It was also around the same time that I discovered the “action” side of the pool world - and I loved it.
Me in ’78 – dead aim!
I had a foot in both worlds. I was torn between doing what was expected of me and what I dreamed of for myself – and the fascinating subculture of the pool world. I was trying to juggle the demands of the straight world and the late night action of the pool world. I knew the US Open 9 Ball Championship was starting in two days and I wanted to go. I wanted to check out the action and couldn’t wait to watch some of the great players that were the subject of so many stories. I wanted to take a vacation before I started my new job - I knew I wouldn’t get another chance for a long time. I didn’t have enough cash to go alone and to be honest, didn’t have the courage either. I hit the local pool rooms looking for a running mate to take a ride down to Norfolk, VA. Even though I was dying to go, I had been around the pool world long enough to have a pretty short list as to who I’d leave town with but finally found Bill Hendrixson, one of Jersey’s best. Bill and I had previously made a few profitable forays around the northeast and I knew I could trust him. He agreed to go and we hit the road later that night. After a couple hours driving south on I-95, I asked Bill if he was hungry. “Yeah,” he said, “I could eat. Get off at the next exit. Hop on US 1 South – we’ll find something…” And so we did…after a few miles, we saw a flashing neon sign – “BAR and GRILL.” The parking lot was packed – it looked like a good spot. We walked in and the jukebox was blasting - Bill spied two seats at the bar. “Grab those and order me a cheeseburger,” he said, “I’m hitting the bathroom.” I ordered some coffee as the bartender slid a menu across the bar. I had just started to look it over when I heard the unmistakable click of pool balls. As I turned around to see where it was coming from, I heard, “Well, I’m not betting ten anymore! Bet twenty!” Needless to say, it had my full attention now! Then, the other guy said, “Twenty?!!! Bet fifty!!!” and keeled over. As he was being helped up, the other guy swayed but said, “Bet.” I couldn’t believe it! They were both drunk! And betting fifty a game! Page 9
By this time, Bill had slid onto the stool and grabbed the menu. Gesturing at the table, I excitedly told him what was going on. He didn’t even turn around – just said, “Yeah, so? So put your quarter up…” and turned back to the menu. I slid off the stool and walked over to the table. As I was putting the quarter up, one of the drunks eyed me and snarled, “Hey, girlie. We’re playing for money here…” I smiled sweetly and said, “Oh! I love to play for money! How much are you playing for? Two dollars?” They looked at each other and one of them howled, “Did you hear her? Ha! Two dollars?!!! C’mon, get outa here!” “Why don’t you just go back to your boyfriend and leave us alone? We’re playing for FIFTY here,” the other one barked. “Oh, wow,” I answered, “Fifty? I’ve never played for fifty before…” I started to pick up my quarter and then looked up at the loudest one. I reached into the pocket of my jeans, pulled out a hundred dollar bill and slapped it on the table. “But, I’ll play.” Now, in those days, you have to remember – there weren’t more than a very few females in the entire country that could hold a cue, let alone use one and bet a little. My heart was pounding! They didn’t know it but they were right! I never had played for fifty! I had never played for more than twenty but I sure hoped I could beat a couple of drunks! But, man, was my heart pounding! They looked at each other - their eyes were gleaming. They argued over who was going get me first and ended up flipping a coin to settle it. Bill handled the money and I proceeded to handle them. I didn’t stall – didn’t have to in those days. Most guys had never seen a female shoot plus their egos wouldn’t allow them believe a girl could beat them doing anything anyway! I was nervous but comfortable – I’d been competing against guys my whole life! Trying to keep my arm from shaking, I concentrated on just making the balls. They kept drinking and took turns getting their butts kicked and after a couple hours, the bartender rang the bell for last call. I finished the game and told them I’d be right back – had to use the rest room. Giving Bill the eye, I hit the door and hopped in the car. He came out a few minutes later and we headed off down the road. Although we’d planned on driving straight through to Norfolk, I was exhausted – both mentally and physically - and our pockets were loaded. We pulled into a motel a few miles down the road and sprung for a room. Once we got settled in, Bill pulled out our winnings and threw the wad on one of the beds. . Laughing, I grabbed the money and threw it all up in the air. . Bill started laughing too and grabbed it as it rained down on the bed, sorting it into different denominations.
I knew exactly how many games I had won – four hundred dollars worth. I told him to count out two for himself and give me two. This really got him laughing! What I didn’t know was that Bill had made side bets with just about everyone sitting at the bar…we had won almost a thousand dollars! And the trip was just beginning! No telling how much money we’d make at the US STINKIN’ OPEN!!! As I lay in bed that night, I was so excited I couldn’t sleep! There was no way I was going to start that new job! How could I! I would’ve had to work more than a month to earn what I had won that night! I had loved every minute of it and had fun doing it! I kept it to myself, but that was the night I made the lifechanging decision that I’ve never regretted. I was a pool player. *
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2013 Season Schedule Stop #3: August 17 & 18- Hard Times, Sacramento, CA Stop #4: September 21 & 22- Buffalo Billiards, Petaluma, CA Stop #5: October 19 & 20- Hard Times Billiards, Sacramento, CA Stop #6: November 16 & 17- Family Billiards, San Francisco, CA
BUFFALO BILLIARDS PETALUMA
FAMILY BILLIARDS SAN FRANCISCO
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Three “Hanger,” Automatic Banks for your Arsenal I have diagrammed and will explain exactly how to score on three systematic bank “automatics.” Automatic banks are banks that lay perfectly on the “go” path. Just line up as if you were going to shoot a dead straight-in shot, aim to hit the object ball full in the face, and then confidently pull the trigger with a firm stroke. Use no english, and make no adjustments. Do not use any draw or follow, either. Just expect consistent results. The absolute correct point to contact the cue ball is approximately 1/2 tip above or below dead center. The dead center of the cue ball will apply too much pure “slide.” That’s an effect that for most bank shots you want to avoid. There is a category of trick banks where I take advantage of slide to make the shots, but let’s save all that for another lesson down the road. This system is a jump off from the oft referred to 2-to-1 or mirror-bank angle. By now everyone should know that a bank following a 2-to-1 angle path will usually run about a quarter-diamond short of the intended pocket if hit with medium speed. In my first book, Banking With The Beard, I meticulously go over the many, many adjustments you can make that will pick up that missing quarter diamond. But here we have three positions that have simple solutions that require no special adjustments. You can secure some tasty results because you can easily recognize these angles when they come up. Once you can recognize these “perfect” angles, you can begin to look for parallel angles to shoot also. That’s for those ball positions that don’t t exactly into the three reference angles that I have outlined in the diagrams. The basic paths themselves are very easy to map out. The key, however, is to make sure the “go” path runs through the connecting diamonds (per the diagrams). Diagram 1: “Go” path runs through Diamond 1 through Diamond 2 on the long rail. Diagram 2: “Go” path runs through Diamond 2 through Diamond 1.5 on the long rail. Diagram 3: “Go” path runs through Diamond 3 through Diamond 1 on the long rail Freddy “the Beard” Bentivegna
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Billy Pence Wins Hard Times One Pocket
5536 Garfield Avenue Sacramento, California 95841 Phone (916) 332-8793 Start time is 1 PM, free practice and sign ups begin at Noon. Double elimination, race to 5/3. League players that are “A” players have a $10 entry. All other league players $5 entry No professional players allowed. **************************************************
Hard Times Mens Team Wins Cal State League
The first session of California Cue Sports 22 week handicap one pocket league ended with Billy Pence taking down the first place prize money of $900. DJ was second and every player went home with some prize money. We had players at the start who had never watched a game of one pocket, let alone play a game. Everybody got to play a lot of pool and have a good time, and that is what it’s all about. Thanks to Hard Times for supporting us.
Joe Thompson, Mark St. Germain, Dave Miller, John Henderson Not in picture, Mike Boyd, Dathan Louvire, Mans Kjellin ______________________________________
California Cue Sports Handicap One Pocket League The second session will start at Hard Times in August. Matches will be played on Mondays at 7:30 pm. Beginners to seasoned players play a race to three every week in a competetive system to learn and enjoy the game of one pocket. For more information contact John Henderson at Cue Sports Journal, or Mel Simpson or Brian LaFlamme at Hard Times.
Larry Coody & Tim Diaz
You can also learn more about California Cue Sports at their website: californiacuesports.com
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COLE DICKSON MEMORIAL By the time the 1st Annual Cole Dickson Memorial Tournament was drawing to a close on Sunday night, June 30, most of the drama was playing out on the loss side, where six of the final 10 matches went to double hill, including the final four. Amar Kang, in the meantime, was sitting in the hot seat, waiting for an opponent, who turned out to be Mark Tiu. Kang completed an undefeated run with a victory over Tiu in the finals to claim the $4,000-added event title that had drawn 104 entrants to Family Billiards in San Francisco, CA. According to Daniel Busch, whose POVPool crew livestreamed selected matches for free throughout the weekend, this Cole Dickson Memorial Tournament has been added to the front end of what’s been known for the last four years as the West Coast Swing, a series of tournaments which starts in Northern California and ends up in Las Vegas with the BCA Nationals. The tournament’s namesake, Cole Dickson, a legendary hustler who headed out on the road with Grady Matthews when he was 15, died of cancer at the age of 62 in April.
1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5 - 6th 7 - 8th
Amar Kang $2,100 Mark Tiu 1,450 Danny Gokhul 1,000 Deo Alpajora 600 Jason Williams 350 Marshall Williams 350 Ike Runnels 250 Tommy Lipps 250
Delbert Wong, Owner of Family Billiards
Kang’s uninterrupted path through the field of 104 concluded with four matches in which he gave up only nine racks, total, over 37 games. He defeated two brothers (of three playing) in a row; Jason Williams, among the winners’ side final eight, and Marshall Williams, among the winners’ side final four, both 7-2. He was met in the battle for the hot seat by Danny Gokhul, who’d sent Tiu west, double hill. Kang sent Gokhul to the semifinals and sat in the hot seat, awaiting his return. On the loss side, Marshall Williams and Tiu ran right into the series of four, loss-side matches that would conclude events on that side of the bracket. Williams drew Deo Alpajora, who’d been defeated by Mary Rakin in the second round of play, and was in the midst of a nine-match winning streak that would take him to the quarterfinals. He’d defeated Chris MacDonald 6-3, and survived a double hill match against Ike Runnels to chalk up wins # 6 and # 7. Tiu picked up Jason Williams, who’d been sent west by Kang and then defeated his other brother, Jared, 6-4 and Tommy Lipps 6-3. Tiu won all three of his loss-side matches, double hill. The first against Jason Williams, set him up for a quarterfinal match against Alpajora, whose double hill win over Marshall Williams left the last Williams brothers standing, Marshall and Jason, in the tie for 5th place. Tiu then stopped Alpajora’s loss-side winning streak, double hill, in the quarterfinals, and then, in a re-match from the winners’ side final four, eliminated Gokhul, double hill, in the semifinals. Kang wasn’t having any of this, and secured the event title with a 7-2 finals win over Tiu. Skip Maloney - AzB Staff
MarkTiu 2nd Place Photos courtesy of Ernest Brown
Cole Dickson - Photo courtesy of Robert Ross
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Rich “Bucktooth” Cook
George Michaels
Cole’s daughter Christine
Danny Gohkul
Ike Runnels
Photos courtesy of Ernest Brown Page 13
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Emeryville Division I Finals Sunday evening quarter finals slated Melvin MacKay vs Ronnie Rodas in a 10 to 5 handicapped match. Going to the wire MacKay wins 9-5 10-4 10-4 -2-5 10-3. Semi’s showcased Melvin and Daoud Salman at 9 to 5. Salman wins 5-4 1-9 5-5 and 5-5. The Finals brought on Daoud Salman(7) coming over to the winner’s side with where Hossein Afkhami (9) rested in the hot seat. Match one went to the contender (Salman) 7-5 4-9 0-9 7-0 0-7. Finals number 2 took us into the wee hours of Monday morning. Hossein accompanied by his wife decided to bare down and make the long day worth it all. He closed out the tournament 9-6 9-1 2-7 and 9-6 winning 3-1. We all went home after 3:00 a.m. Congratulations to both combatants!
Emeryville Division II Finals A full day of play on Saturday proved to bee insufficient. At 1:00 a.,m. with at least 3 matches to go we decided to carry over to Sunday afternoon. The afternoon begin with Matt Keveney (7) defeating Bee Davison (9) 7-4 5-9 7-8 4-9 7-5. And then promptly disposed of Chris Atkins (9) with the same spot 7-7 7-2 3-9 and 7-5 Before he ran into the hot seat occupant Ed “Fast” Ames of Napa. Fast slowed down the up and coming Irishman with his old style one pocket play and brought home the bacon 6-7 9-4 9-5 and 9-1 winning 3-1 in final. Excellent job for both players. 2nd Place Season Winner Emeryville Division II Chris Atkins of Placerville in addition to finishing 3rd in the Divisional Playoff Tournament also finished 2nd to Kevin Yi in the seasonal play with great numbers: Rating MP MW ML M%Win GP GW GL G%Win B/G 131 18 14 4 77.8% 71 48 23 67.6%
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Chris received a check for $100.00 for a job well done. Congratulation!
2nd Annual Marti Tracy Memorial The Medford Elks Lodge once again hosted the Marti Tracy Memorial 3-Cushion Billiard Tour Tournament for B and C players. The event took place July 26-28, 2013 and was a huge success. We had 39 players sign up for this event – 21 “B” players and 18 “C” players, The “B” players were divided into three, 7-man groups; the “C” players were divided into three, 6-man groups. Round-robin was played for both groups and the top two players were sent to the 6-man round-robin finals. We played two final rounds on Saturday night and three final rounds on Sunday finishing around 3:00 PM. The awards were presented at that time. Because of the generosity of many people we were able to garner $3050 in donations. We had $1525 donated by the USBA and had $3960 in entry fees for a total of $8535. We then deducted for the USBA and for the Medford Elks Lodge leaving us with a total of $7755 in prize money. Since the “B” entry fee was $120 and the “C” entry fee was $80 the prize money was split 60% for the “B” and 40% for the “C” divisions. The total prize fund distribution is listed below. Homero Landa of Redwood City, California won the “B” division with an unbeaten record in the finals. Francisco Bautisto, also of Redwood City, and Mark Hansen of Sacramento, California tied for 2nd on wins but Mr. Bautista had 3 more points so he was given 2nd place and Mark was given 3rd. Hard on their heels were Eduardo Avila of San Jose, California and USBA SW Director Raye Raskin. They also tied on wins but Mr. Avila had more points so he finished 4th and Mr. Raskin fifth. (Mr Avila also had the high run of 9). The only local player in the “B” finals, Joe Brisson, finished in 6th place. In the “C” finals young Pablo Flores of San Jose, California finished first; he also had the high run with an 8. Local Marc Smith finished in 2nd place; he needed but one point in his last game or he would have been first. Another local, Mark Williams, was tied with Marc but lost out on points. And yet another local, Alfred Wenzl was tied with San Diego, California native Bill Wood in wins. Mr. Wenzl won out on points for 4th place putting Mr. Wood in 5th. Stockton, California resident Vic Lee rounded out the “C” division in 6th place. Page 15
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