APRIL 2013
CUE SPORTS JOURNAL pool, snooker & billiard news
Chris Swart, Bob Beaulieu, Ed Ramos, Rylan Hartnett, Al Markasky, Janet Okamoto, Frank Nordmann Picture courtesy of Bob Beaulieu
WorldPPA 2013 Reno Shootout Page 8
Jason Klatt 1st Place Mens 8 Ball
Shane Van Boening 1st Place Mens 9 Ball
An Interview With Michael Reddick From California Cue Sports Page 12
Jessica Frideres 1st Place Womens 8 ball
Rebecca Wagner 1st Place Womens 9 Ball
2013 US Bar Table Championships, Reno Page 9 Pictures courtesy of Bob Beaulieu
Francisco Bustamante beats Jason Shaw in the 109 player Chet Itow Memorial at California Billiard Club Page 9 Pictures courtesy of Michael Brown
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CUE SPORTS JOURNAL Editor and Publisher....John Henderson P.O. Box 681, Plymouth, CA 95669 530-391-8316 cuesportsjournal@gmail.com
This is a great time for pool in our area and the West Coast in general. We have had many of the best players in the world turning up at big events like The Bar Table Championships and local annual events like the Jay Swanson Memorial at Hard Times in Bellflower and the Chet Itow Memorial at the California Billiard Club in Mountain View. Both memorial events draw over 100 players and this year the fields were full of top players with many of the best players in the world.
The handicapped system will allow beginners to play and compete with any level of player as they improve and learn the game of one pocket. Money paid in is returned to the players and the winners of each division get a free paid trip to The US Open One Pocket Championships in Las Vegas in July. Check out the website at californiacuesports.com for more information. My old friend Ronnie Allen passed away On February 6th. I met Ronnie at Hollywood Billiards in Los Angeles in the late 50’s. He was one of a kind and his contributions to pool, especially one pocket, will live on. Another of pools greatest characters and players is gone. We shared a few adult beverages and bet a few horses over the years. Rest in peace old friend….. John Henderson
Povpool.com streamed both of the memorial events free and pool fans around the world were able to enjoy some great play. Bustamante’s six pack to end the Chet Itow Memorial showed everyone watching why he is a Hall of Fame player. Andy Chen of LA streamed the The Bar Table Championships and you were able to watch the best of the best show their stuff on the smaller tables. One of the sponsors for Cue Sports International, who puts on the annual tournament at The Grand Hotel and Casino in Reno, is Magic Rack, and they use them in the tournament. The pros percentage of breaking and getting out while using the rack is extremely high. Corey Deuel told me he thought he got out on 14 or 15 of 16 breaks. They play alternate break in this tournament, and it is a good thing they do or some players would never get out of the chair. You get to watch some aggressive pool at its best. While the bar table championships in Reno were going on there was also a handicapped 9 ball tournament being played on the Diamond 9 footers brought in by CSI, and hosted by the WorldPPA. Players have to qualify by playing a certain number of matches in one of the pool rooms holding weekly WorldPPA tournaments. You can get more information on where to play and how to get WorldPPA in your room or area by checking out the website at worldppa.com. All of these events at The Grand Hotel and Casino are special to play in or just to watch, and the hotel has reasonable rates and is a great facility to host these annual tournaments. There is a new handicapped one pocket league in Northern California. We are nearing the end of our second month of play with almost 70 players playing out of three pool rooms. California Billiard Club in Mountain View, The Broken Rack in Emeryville and Hard Times Billiards in Sacramento.
The Beard on Ronnie Allen One of the greatest ever One-pocket players. I played Ronnie One-pocket at the Chicago Billiard Cafe with Larry Schwartz staking him for $200 a game, and Ronnie playing me 10 to 8. I beat Ronnie the first eleven games in a row, but that didn’t finish him off! How he got Schwartz to keep going I’ll never know. He never gave up. He ended up getting 5 or 6 games back before I packed him in. We played next in Hot Springs, AR in 1986; same game 10 to 8 One-pocket for $200 a pop. In that match Ronnie did something I have never seen or heard of before or since; he ran 10 and out on me 6 games in a row! Plus in one game during the run he had scratched on the break and had to run 11 and out! We never got to find out if he could have run any more racks. Even though I was famed for being long winded and able to absorb brutal beatings, I had to quit. I didn’t stick around for 7 in a row. I had money left, but I couldn’t take fading that horror any longer. Page 2
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Ronnie ‘Fast Eddie’ Allen Dies July 12, 1938 - February 6, 2013
One Pocket legend Ronnie Allen was originally from Oklahoma, and it was there he first developed the makings of a great pool player. In his teens Ronnie found his way to California, where he discovered the very active pool scenes in San Francisco and Los Angeles. He won the very first tournament he ever entered, Cochran’s One Pocket tournament of 1962, which included a veritable who’s who of early One Pocket. As a tournament player, Ronnie won major One Pocket events over three decades: Cochran’s One Pocket tournament in 1962 Johnston City One Pocket division in 1970 Red’s Open One Pocket in1984 Ronnie also won the 9-Ball division at the Jansco’s 1966 Stardust tournament, which qualified him for the finals, and indeed he went on to capture the all-around title for that year. Surprisingly, his clinching win for the all-around title came over Cicero Murphy at the game of Straight Pool, thus proving that Ronnie was one of the top all-around players of his day. As an after hours player, Ronnie was the dominant One Pocket player for nearly twenty years, from the mid 60’s to the mid 80’s. His flamboyant style at the table was as popular with the spectators as it was overwhelming to his opponents. During those peak years, it took a rare player to face Ronnie even; nearly everyone could get a ball or two -- or more. Ronnie also developed a very strong one-handed technique. Many players who hesitated to step to the table with him in normal fashion were enticed to take him on, their two hands to his one, only to find he shot nearly as well one-handed! Credited with inventing ‘power One Pocket’, Ronnie was famous for his creative shots that aggressively moved several balls at once away from his opponent’s pocket and towards his own. His entertaining and exciting style of play came as quite a contrast to the conservative style employed by most of the top One Pocket players when Ronnie first burst on to the One Pocket scene. His exciting style has inspired many of our younger generation of players, which has made the game itself more entertaining for countless fans. Ronnie was elected into the One Pocket Hall of Fame in 2004 for his outstanding contribution to the legacy of the game of One Pocket. Courtesy onepocket.org
Keith McCready First time I met Ronnie was at the Elk’s Lodge in L.A., and then everybody would go over to Vern Peterson’s place, Billiard Palace, in Belflower. All the road players would come there and play. It was a pool haven in heaven. Everybody would match up and play. There wasn’t any of this spot this and spot that. Usually, everybody just got up and gambled, and Ronnie was usually involved in every game, barking at this guy, barking at that guy, barking at the backer, barking at the player, and he went on and on. He was poetry in motion with that gift of gab, just like Fats. It seems like him and Fats were cut from the same mold. Actually, Ronnie steered me into Fats, and I was the last guy that Fats played for money before he passed. What a show that was! I was playing him $500 a game banks and $500 a game one pocket, one game of each. Fatty ended up entertaining everybody, as well as Ronnie, and Fatty was nice enough to pay me off with $2,000 in 500-dollar bills and autographed them. He told me that he wanted me to have them. I give Ronnie his end for steering the game. I did a lot of things with Ronnie. We fished, played golf, played pool, went on the road together, played the horses. You name it; we did it. Drank together, and as you know, Ronnie was a professional. I wasn’t far behind, but I always stuck to beer. He happened to go to the next level, and that was whiskey. Page 4
When Ronnie was in the pool room, he created action. There was nobody ever like him, and I learned a great deal watching him perform his magic. He had a way of getting it out of the mud. Some way, somehow, he did it. I will miss him dearly. Still to this day, every time I see his picture, hear his voice, it just brings back a lot of memories. I consider Ronnie my second father. I learned a lot from him on the table and off the table. Ronnie is probably looking down at us right now, and he’s got three pick-3’s going. The first horse paid 40, the second horse paid 27, and he’s got three all buttons in the last leg, laughing at all of us. “How do you like me now, Catfish?” he would say. I will always love you, catfish. Rest in peace. Keith McCready
‘San Jose Dick’ McMorran I would like to share a few my experiences, of over fifty years, with someone who needs no introduction. Anyone whose ever been in a pool room, or around high dollar gambling at pool will know the name... the late, Ronnie “Fast Eddie” Allen. What I would like to share most with you all, is what really made Ronnie tick,(IMO) and to examine what this unique individual brought to my life, and thousands of others..He is without a doubt, the most unforgettable character I’ve ever met. He is the ‘poster boy’ for people who, you just knew...whatever path he chose in his life, he ould have been really damn good at it !.. Ronnie (or RA as most of us called him) could have made a fortune. as high level salesman, I can see him moving big ticket item’s, like hi-dollar homes, yachts, exotic car’s, or anything else for that atter. Or, how about a ‘politician’ ?..Boggles the mind, doesn’t it ?...Ronnie could have reversed that old saying..He could have sold “an Eskimo, to a Refrigerator” ! He could think just as fast on his feet or had the “gift of gab” that .C. Fields, or Johnny Carson might well have envied... Had he cultivated his business acumen, He could have probably bested Donald Trump, in any big deal.. He wasn’t too shabby at dissecting ‘racing forms’ either. But RA chose to be a “pool hustler” in every sense of the word, or maybe it chose him...who knows, ? He was ‘Action Driven’ and he became so successful at it, at such an early age, I guess that was all he ver wanted to be,..except for maybe owning a few race horse’s, a racetrack,..or a Golf course !...I think he could have easily handled those demanding endeavor’s, but having chose the life he did, there would never be enough money, to get him even a start in that direction, no matter how good he played... By the time he reached middle age, I’m quite sure he realized, those dreams had slipped away.
Having reached an age, where I’ve forgotten, way more than I can remember, most of my time spent with him, was pretty easy to recall...The “war stories” I was involved in with Ronnie, would fill a book, which I would like to write someday. Like the time we went drinking, (with a few other scuff’s) in the North Beach area, of San Francisco. We were taking a break and were mostly checking out the strip joints..But you could not go anywhere there was a pool table, that RA would not try to stir something up...Sure enough, he captured a live one, with his patented ‘come-on, and the guy hustled HIM, to play a game of 8 ball, for a $50 (‘60’s$$)...We were sweating it, and it was obvious the guy was a drunk beginner !..RA was nursing him along just right..’til it came time to make the 8 ball..RA easily knocked it in, got a freak, 8” rolloff, and scratched.. He muttered, (under his breath)...”Dumb Okie”...threw a C-note on the table, and reached for a quarter to rack for another game..The place was packed..The ‘sucker’ says “thats all I got myself, is 100’s, but my girl has some change”. The guy wanders off, Ronnie is watching him like a hawk, when a big bouncer, walks up, and turns off the light and says, “No gambling in here” Ronnie goes into his pleading act with the bouncer, to no avail, worse yet, he loses sight of the guy, who disappeared never to return with his change ! It was kinda funny, but RA was really pissed..He spent the ride back to Cochran’s, trying to convince us we should all share in his loss..(no luck there either)..It was a rare occurance that, that ‘sucker’ was able to outmove the king of the ‘mover’s. It was usually much more enjoyable, in a crowded pool room, especially if you happened to be in with Ronnie. It was fun to watch him ‘work the room’...Here is an excerpt from Alf Taylor’s great pool book, “The Other Side of the Road”...Alfie has been around the block, and here is how he described his first glimpse of Ronnie, at Johnston City, years ago...“His aggressive style of play, his uncanny knowledge of the game of One Pocket, and his precision control in tight spots around the stack made him a threat to run out anytime he got to the table...Ronnie had a charismatic way of controlling his game, his opponent’s game, his backer, his opponent’s backer, and the audience. He looked good, talked fast and right in people’s faces, and he backed it up with his awesome play. I WANTED TO BE HIM.” Ronnie taught me the game of one pocket. (trial by fire..crash courses, and often costly)..We played hundreds of times, in almost as many different ways !...But there was no teaching his ‘people management skills’, or his comedic delivery of them...I really think, that early on, some of my friends would go in with me, or stake me, just to get to watch his act...Win or lose, he put on an ‘academy award’ performance every time ! ‘San Jose Dick’ McMorran Page 5
Half-Ball Shots by Bob Jewett In the fractional ball method of aiming you visualize or imagine how much of the cue ball overlaps the object ball on its way to contact. The most useful part of this system is the half-ball hit, in which the center of the stick (and the center of the cue ball) are directed straight towards the edge of the object ball. You actually have a clear target to aim the stick at, which makes this shot unique. It turns out that the half-ball hit has very, very important applications in position and safety play, which I’ll discuss in a future column.
You can use the same small diamond to set up a half-ball shot anywhere on the table. If you want to set up a shot for the 2 ball, place the diamond so the 1-2 point to the right place if throw is included, and place the cue ball in a straight line with the 1-4, then remove the 1-3-4 and shoot the 2. An even faster way to set up or check shots is to make an angle template out of stiff paper. If one side is lined up with the path to the pocket, the other will give the required incoming path for the cue ball for a half-ball hit. When you practice shooting for half-ball, be sure to play the shot from both sides. Some people see left and right cut shots differently.
For now, let’s work on getting the basic shot down. The spot shot shown in Diagram 1 is a good example to start with. The object ball is on the foot spot, and the cue ball is in hand behind the line. If you place the cue ball so that your stick passes over the shortrail edge of the corner pocket, the shot is a half-ball hit. (On small tables, the correct placement of the cue ball is closer to the side cushion, so your stick will pass over the long-rail edge of the pocket.) If your cue ball placement is right, and your stick is pointed through the center of the cue ball directly at the edge of the object ball, and you bring your arm straight back and straight through, I guarantee you’ll make the shot. (Does not apply to large cue balls, crooked tables, very sticky object balls, or in the State of Connecticut. Your mileage may vary.) Speaking of large cue balls, if your table is cursed with one of these, the correct placement will be closer to the side cushion. How much? It depends on the cue ball -experiment with it. The cut angle for an ideal half-ball hit is 30 degrees. If the normal throw for a rolling cue ball is included, it turns out to be more like 28 degrees. Here is how you can set up your own half-ball practice shot anywhere on the table. See Diagram 2. Place the cue ball on the head spot. Take four balls in a diamond pattern (like a small nine-ball rack) and move them forward on the table until the 1-2 and 1-3 lines point slightly above the pockets as shown. If you now remove the 1 and 4 balls, and shoot the cue ball to the previous location of the 1, you will be playing a half-ball hit on both the 2 and 3 at the same time. The 1-2 line is different from the path of the 2 ball because the 2 ball is thrown slightly forward by friction from the cue ball. Page 6
Payouts for the 17th Jay Swanson Memorial 9-Ball Tournament:
Orcollo Rules Heady 17th Swanee Roster CueSports International, Henderson, Nevada (March 1, 2013) – The Western US Pool Season started full swing in style with the completion of the 17th Jay Swanson Memorial 9-Ball Tournament. The “Swanee” is produced by CueSports International (CSI) and was held at Hard Times Billiards in Bellflower, California. Live streaming was provided by POV Pool (povpool.com). The full 192 field ushered into the pool room early Saturday morning February 23rd to face one of the most regarded and grueling two day 9-ball events in the country. With a total purse of $15,520 up for grabs and the strongest field in the “Swanee” 17 year history; it was tough action for the rail birds. With such names in the field as recent two time consecutive winner Alex Pagulayan, Shane Van Boening - the undisputed top US player for the past several years and multiple world champions such as Francisco Bustamante, Darren Appleton, Dennis Orcollo and making a re-appearance on US soil Ronnie Alcano, the top spot could go to any player.
1st $3,000: Dennis Orcollo 2nd $1,500: Jayson Shaw 3rd $1,000: Rodney Morris 4th $750: Ernesto Dominguez 5th-6th $535: Shane Van Boening and John Morra 7th-8th $400: Brian Butler and Manny Chau 9th-12th $300: Brian Parks, Santos Sambajon Jr., Francisco Bustamante and Ramin Bahkriari 13th-16th $200: Ronnie Alcano, Darren Appleton, Louis Ulrich and Alex Pagulayan 17th-24th $175: James McGoo, Manuel Herrera, Greg Harada, Chris Fitzgerald, Jeremy Jones, Dave Hemmah, Jeff Beckley and Jerry Matchin 25th-32nd $150: Chris Fangre, Jordan Skandlan, Warren Kiamco, Victor Ignatio, Ariel Garrido, Jose Parica, Frank Almanza, and Sal Butera 33rd-48th $100: Chino Reyes, Arthur Garcia, James Milazo, Max Eberle, Keith O’Donnell, Dave Martineau, Stevie Moore, Ike Runnels, Oscar Dominguez, Jaden Brock, Chuck Evans, Stacy Novack, Patrick Kim, Beau Runningen, Danny Gokhul and Jon Giles 49th-64th $75: Butch Barba, Dane Elmstedt, Al Lawrence, Ryan Buist, Daniel Busch, Sean Lane, Mark Barba, Mike Laos, Kelii Chuberko, Wayne Pullen, Mike Longmire, Henry Brodt, Dan Boone, Terry Tom, Dwayne Guillory and Reid Fleming
However not to be ruled out were rock solid top California players such as Sal Butera, Ernesto Dominguez and Louis Ulrich to name a few who have the arsenal in their playing repertoire to take on their international counterparts. Winning the Swanee comes down to several factors, as all premier tournaments do; skill, a strong mental game, perseverance, a dash of occasional luck of the rolls and in this particular event, stamina. When the dust settled it was Dennis Orcollo crowned champion late Sunday night and pocked the $3,000 first place prize. In addition to winning the 17th Jay Swanson Memorial, a few additional highlights of Orcollo’s professional 13 career includes winning the 2012 US Open 10-Ball Championship – also produced by CSI, the 2011 Derby City Classic 9-Ball division, the 2011 WPA World 8-Ball Championship and the 2010 World Pool Masters.
Dennis Orcollo 1st, Daniel Busch POV, Jason Shaw 2nd Picture courtesy of Michael Brown
CueSports International is dedicated to creating more choices for all players. In the past 8 years CSI has directly paid out $8,000,000 to players. CSI is the parent company of the BCA Pool League and the USA Pool League. CSI also produces independent events such as the US Bar Table Championships, the Jay Swanson Memorial, the US Open One Pocket Championship, the US Open 8-Ball Championship and the US Open 10-Ball Championship. Visit www.playcsipool.com,
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USBTC RENO
Congratulations to Ed Ramos! Winner of WorldPPA 2013 Reno Shootout Results for 2013 WorldPPA Reno Shootout 1st $2,000 Ed Ramos 2nd $1,500 Rylan Hartnett 3rd $1,000 Albert Alford 4th $550 Sylvester Coronado 5-6th $300 Teresa Mojica, Carolin Koo 7-8th $175 Hunter Roberts, Kevin Lombard 9-12th $150 Albert Markasky, Mark Tiu, Randy Cady Emerson Joiner 13-16th $125 Don Parker, Linda Myoshi, Riwan Khalil, Michael Morang 17-24th $100 Ron Cook, David Richardson, Brandon Boatman, Mike Gilmore, Robert Yulo Benjamin Kumli, Kenny Koo, Jun Almonte
CueSports International, Henderson, Nevada (March 3, 2013) – The 2013 USBTC proved to be all about diversity, as no one player dominated the entire week. Heading into the final three days and switching from 9-Ball to 8-Ball, the men saw Dennis Orcollo from the Philippines take the men’s 10-Ball event and Shane Van Boening from the US rip through to win the 9-Ball event. On the women’s side, Canadian Brittany Bryant claimed first in the 10-Ball and Rebecca Wagner from the US won the 9-Ball event. In the hotly contested men’s 8-Ball group which was a race to 5 and double elimination, every break, safety and roll counts. With 205 players vying for a chunk of that divisions $20,800 prize fund and a board swarming with current and former national and world champions, who would come out on the final board was anyone’s guess. Long time Canadian professional Jason Klatt was in dead stoke during the men’s 8-Ball event, mowing down his opponents with relative ease. Second place finisher was well-known multiple straight pool champion, Thorsten Hohmann. Rounding out the top 4 places were Francisco Bustamante in 3rd place and Ernesto Dominguez in 4th. There were 55 players in the Women’s 8-Ball Division – the largest field to date since the separate women’s divisions were added in 2010. In the women’s finals match, Wagner came close to taking two titles this year, but was thwarted by Frideres who capitalized on a couple of key errors made by Wagner. Frideres won 4-2. In 3rd place was Mary Rakin and 4th place was Vivian Villarreal. In the week long bonus point and award competition, the top three men were: Dennis Orcollo ($3,000), Shane Van Boening ($1,000) and Rodney Morris ($500). The women’s bonus points were a tie between Rebecca Wagner and Vivian Villarreal, with the two women splitting the bonuses equally ($375 each). The 2013 USBTC was produced by CueSports International (CSI) and sponsored by the Grand Sierra Resorts and Casino. Live streaming was provided by The Action Report (TAR) with commentary by Ken Schuman (http://www.theactionreport.com) and tournament direction by Bad Boys Billiard Productions with CSI. To view the entire payouts for the 8-Ball divisions and all the brackets for the 20th US Bar Table Championships visit http://www.ctsondemand.com.
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Bustamante stops 14-match, loss-side streak by Shaw to go undefeated on Chet Itow Memorial The hot seat match and finals, combined, took just over an hour and a half. Francisco Bustamante won them both (against first, Rodney Morris and then, Jayson Shaw) to capture the 4th Annual Chet Itow Memorial Tournament in Mountain View, CA. The $3,000-added event drew 109 competitors to the California Billiard Club in Mountain View. Bustamante’s path to the winners’ circle was eight matches long. Shaw’s path, which began when Ronnie Alcano defeated him in the opening round, went through 14 loss-side opponents before Bustamante stopped him in a less-than-45minute final. With five down and three to go, Bustamante moved among the winners’ side final four and matched up against Stevie Moore. Rodney Morris and George Pagulayan squared off in the other winners’ side semifinal. Bustamante got into the hot seat match with an 8-3 win over Moore, and was joined by Morris, who’d sent Pagulayan west 8-5. Bustamante made short work of Morris 8-3 and sat in the hot seat for longer than his final two matches combined. Over on the loss side, Shaw was hard at work. With nine down and five to go, Shaw wreaked his vengeance on Alcano, and then defeated Santos Sambajon to pick up Moore. Pagalayun drew Amar Kang, who was on a six-match, lossside streak of his own, which had included a victory over Warren Kiamco. Shaw and Kang continued their streaks; Shaw defeating Moore, and Kang ending Pagulayan’s weekend. Shaw then ended Kang’s streak with an 8-2 win in the quarterfinals, that set him up to face Morris in the semifinals. Shaw repeated his quarterfinal score (8-2) against Morris in the semifinals to complete his long trek back to the finals. Shaw opened the potential double-set finals with two quick racks; he and Bustamante both playing as though they were late for a bus. Bustamante got on the board, and Shaw took advantage of an unforced error to regain his two-rack lead. Bustamante used a carom shot to drop the 9-ball early in the fifth rack, and pull back within one, but he made another unforced error in the sixth rack to return the two-game lead to Shaw at 4-2. Shaw didn’t know it as the balls spread out in rack seven, but it was over. Bustamante put together a title-earning six-pack that included a 3-9 bank combination that finished it, in less than 45 minutes.
Tournament Payouts 4th Annual Chet Itow Memorial March 9 - 10, 2013 California Billiard Club Mountain View, Ca Place
Player name
Prize Money
1st
Francisco Bustamante
$2,500.00
2nd
Jayson Shaw
$1,600.00
3rd
Rodney Morris
$1,000.00
4th
Amar Kang
$700.00
5th
Stevie Moore
$450.00
6th
George Pagulayan
$450.00
7th
Santos Sambajon
$300.00
8th
Bobby Alexander
$300.00
9-12
Brian Parks Deo Alpajora Melinda Huang Ronnie Alcano
$200.00
13-16
Oscar Dominguez Warren Kiamco K. Kobayashi Ray Campanya
$150.00
17-24
Jason Williams Bee Davison Josh Gomes Jeff Gregory Aki Nagata Jordan Beers Greg Harada Pat McLeod
$100.00
By Skip Maloney - AzB Staff Page 9
American Poolplayers Association Forming Teams Now in Sacramento
Largest Amateur Pool Organization forming teams for the Spring Session (SACRAMENTO, CA) (Feb 25, 2013) - The APA Pool League, sanctioned by the American Poolplayers Association (APA), is now forming teams throughout Sacramento under the guidance of franchisee Gary Frerking. “We’re excited to bring APA League Play to the area. Pool is a great way to have fun while getting to know new people,” said Frerking. The first Sacramento APA division formed at Hard Times Billiards in Sacramento shortly after Frerking obtained his franchise last October. Hard Times now hosts two divisions – 8-ball on Thursday nights, as well as 9-ball on Sunday afternoons. “We’d also like to form a division that plays during the day on a weekday, such as Monday or Wednesday,” said Karen Markulis, owner of Hard Times. Each APA Pool League team consists of five to eight amateur players who compete seasonally or year-round in weekly league play. The APA’s copyrighted handicap system, The Equalizer®, gives amateur players the opportunity to compete equally with players of different levels of skill. By participating in weekly league play, members can qualify to compete at National Championships in Las Vegas that award nearly $1.5 million in guaranteed cash and prizes every year.
The performance of teams throughout the year qualify them to compete in the Local Team Championships (LTC) held each June in the Sacramento area. The top team(s) from the Local Team Championships then qualify to compete in the National Championships in Las Vegas. Teams and individuals competing in Las Vegas receive travel assistance to help cover the cost of travel and accommodations. The APA, based in Lake Saint Louis, Mo., sanctions the world’s largest amateur pool league, known as the APA Pool League throughout the United States and as the Canadian Pool League in Canada. More than 270,000 members compete in weekly 8-Ball and 9-Ball league play. The APA is generally recognized as the Governing Body of Amateur Pool, having established the official rules, championships, formats and handicap systems for the sport of amateur billiards. The APA and its National Championships are sponsored by Pool Dawg, Aramith and Action Cues. For more information or to get signed up with the APA, please contact the Sacramento APA League Office at 866-401-POOL (7665) or by email at gary@apaleagues.com. Or you can visit the official Sacramento APA website at http://sacramento.apaleagues.com or Sacramento APA on Facebook.
At the Singles National Championships, individual players compete within skill level tiers against players from across the US, Canada, and Japan. The tiers ensure that even novice players have a shot at some serious prizes. “I personally know someone who took 1st place within his tier, winning $15,000 in cash and prizes as well as someone else who took 2nd place within her tier, winning $9,000 in cash and prizes. I’m not aware of any other pool organization that pays this kind of money to amateur players of all abilities,” said Frerking. APA teams consist of any combination of male and female players. A skill level cap prevents teams from being “stacked” with highly skilled players. An ideal APA team typically consists of a good mix of skilled players and novice players who want to get out of the house and have some fun. “The skill level cap actually makes beginner and novice players an important part of every team but it’s a fallacy to think skilled players are ‘too good’ for the APA – some of our players are good enough to compete with the pros and have placed well into the money at top events like the annual Swanee and Markulis tournaments,” said Frerking.
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Banking with The Beard
Learning the Side–Step Bank is a mighty addition to any banker’s repertoire, because after you learn this bank the odds are great that you will make the shot wherever and whenever it comes up. Take a good look at the diagram above because it illustrates the secret of the Side–Step Bank in graphic terms. The first important point to note is the 14° angle between the 2 to 1 bank angle and the Cue Ball Line. This angle would require a 3/4 Full Left Hit to send the Object Ball onto the 2 to 1 path. Learn this angle well because it contains the key to one of the most reliable bank methods known to man. The secret to locking down this common cross–able bank angle is to cut the Object Ball just a hair toward the 2 to 1 line instead of hitting dead full. DO NOT cut the Object Ball back toward the 2 to 1 line. You only want to hit the object Ball a millimeter to the side so the Cue Ball caroms a few inches toward the pocket. If you actually cut the Object Ball back toward the 2 to 1 line, it will land short. The Cue Ball only crosses one leg of the bank which is why I call these Side–Step Banks. The name also reminds me of the ball action needed to send the Object Ball dead into the pocket. A small “side–step” by the Cue Ball tells me that the Object Ball is getting the correct ball action to score.
BANKS THAT DON’T GO - BUT DO! Available at www.bankingwiththebeard.com
Text For Diagram 2 When you hit a Side–Step Bank properly the Cue Ball only passes over the first leg of the bank angle a few inches. If the Object Ball lands short, you cut the ball too much and need to hit fuller. The cut on the Object Ball is very small. You only want to billiard the Cue Ball 3 or 4 inches toward the target pocket. Old–time Straight–Rail players called these caroms “deadball billiards” because the nearly full hit on the Object Ball absorbs almost all of the force of the stroke leaving the Cue Ball with just enough energy to Side–Step a couple of inches. You only want the Cue Ball to Passover a couple of ball spaces. Once you learn to identify the Side–Step Bank angle and begin playing for the position, your average on cross table banks will soar. The Side– Step Bank is very reliable under pressure, which is why I like it so much. Once you get the hang of the shot, you will rarely miss a Side–Step Bank. Side–Step Bank Action works equally well on Up and Back Banks or wherever it appears on the table. Cross–Sides, Cross–Corners and long angle shots all fall under the power of the mighty Side–Step Bank. When you see the Side– Step angle, meaning that a 3/4 full hit would drive the Object Ball into the 2 to 1 path, you have one of the easiest banks to make.
Set up Side–Step Bank positions and practice them until you engrave the 14° angle between the Cue Ball line and the Object Ball 2 to 1 line into your mind. Learn to recognize this bank angle whenever and wherever it pops up because with a little practice you will own this shot. Once you begin playing the Side–Step Bank properly, your consistency on the shot will soar, no matter where it comes up. Page 11
An interview with California Cue Sports California Cue Sports is a new organization designed to promote cue sports and help bring players back to the pool room. The organization was founded in January 2013 as a California Corporation by Michael Reddick, a long time pool player from Mountain View, California. I recently had an opportunity to speak with Michael about the organization, and what follows is a transcript from our conversation. John: Thanks for taking time to talk with me about California Cue Sports (CCS). My very first question is this: Why did you start CCS? Does the pool industry really need another organization? Michael: That’s a great question, John. This could just be my perception, but it seems that our industry has been plagued over the years by individuals who are out to make a quick buck and who take advantage of the players for their own profit. As a result, the industry has suffered a negative image and many good players have left the game. I’ve been playing pool and have been involved in the sport for over 30 years, and I have finally had enough. I think it’s time we bring some integrity back to the industry and to the game that we all love. John: What does CCS do? Michael: CCS provides an infrastructure whose primary purpose is to bring pool players back to the pool room and to help develop pool talent. Last year I discussed my ideas with Chris Swart, the owner of California Billiard Club, and we decided to partner together to bring the concept into reality. Having more players in the pool room provides an obvious benefit to room owners, but it also benefits players because without room owners there will be no place for us to play. As players, we need to support our local pool rooms. Also, with more players in the room, there are more opportunities for players to match up and develop or hone their skills. John: How does CCS work? Michael: CCS operates leagues that are designed to accommodate players regardless of their playing ability. We want to bridge the gap from beginner to professional player by providing a format that allows all players to compete on an equitable basis. When we launched CCS this January, we wanted to start with a One Pocket league. To ensure success, we chose to only partner with other people of very high integrity, so we made the decision to contact Bee Davison and yourself to get advice, network, and get the league started off on the right foot. There are a large number of competitive One Pocket players in northern California, and the response from the pool community was immediate and very positive.
In February we kicked off four divisions in three California cities: Mountain View, Emeryville, and Sacramento. John: How is the One Pocket league going? Michael: The One Pocket league is going very well. We’ve had over 70 players competing across four divisions, and several more players are on the waiting list for next session. On our website, we maintain a Leader Board for each division which shows player statistics including win/loss records. I’ve overheard several folks bantering about the player rankings, so it seems to be creating some good natured competition among the players. On June 29 we will hold four session playoff tournaments. One player from each division will win an all-expense paid trip to compete in the 14th Annual U.S. Open One Pocket Championship in Las Vegas this July. Since we have four divisions, this means CCS will cover expenses (travel, room, and entry fees) for four players. In addition to these four top prizes, we will also be paying out to 100% of the field. In other words, every single player in our One Pocket league will win something at the end of the session. John: Wow, that’s a pretty impressive payout. Michael: Yes it is. In addition to the session playoff tournaments, we will also be holding a One Pocket Tournament of Champions (TOC) event this summer for all players who qualify. The TOC tournament will bring together the top players from all four divisions who will battle it out for the Northern California One Pocket Title. Entry into the TOC is free and open to those league players who qualify. Like I said earlier, it’s time that we start rewarding players for their efforts. We want to generate some excitement with our leagues and get players back to the pool room. John: What kind of players is the league attracting? Michael: We are bringing in players with a wide range of abilities. We have players ranging from mid-level league players (APA and BCA) all the way up to guys who play at the professional level. I developed a statistically based handicapping algorithm that’s benchmarked from the handicapping system developed by Bob Jewett for straight pool. It fairly quickly pegs a player’s true ability and gives both players roughly a 50/50 chance of winning a match. This gives beginning players at least some chance to win a match, and at the same time, motivates or forces the better players to bear down, concentrate, and elevate their game to a new level in order to win. John: What are your plans going forward?
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Interview cont........ Michael: We will continue to manage and grow One Pocket leagues in Mountain View, Emeryville, Sacramento, and other Northern California cities. In the last month we’ve been contacted by several players from Los Angeles, San Diego, Phoenix, and even as far away as Florida, who have expressed interest in the league, so we will be looking to expand to other cities as well. John: Do you think that you are accomplishing your goal with the One Pocket league? Michael: We are certainly on the right path. I’m encouraged by the fact that we are seeing some talented players come back to the rooms and get involved. I want to create an environment which provides a forum for talented players to showcase their skills and push themselves to be better, but at the same time, gives newer players a chance to step into the ring and learn a new game. We’ve had several men and women join who are totally new to One Pocket, and they are definitely having a great time learning from the more experienced players. That’s really what it’s all about – creating a pool community that fosters growth and development among the players. When we create a community, everyone wins. John: Do you have plans beyond One Pocket? Michael: Yes, we are looking to expand with 9-Ball and 8-Ball leagues in the near future. We do a pretty good job keeping our website up to date, so you can track our progress there. For more information on California Cue Sports, and to keep track of their progress, you can visit their website at www.californiacuesports.com.
Picture courtesy of Bee Davison
5536 Garfield, Sacramento, CA 95841, (916) 332-8793 Weekly and Monthly Tournaments Tournament Room Tournament Director Brian La Flamme Tuesday “LINE” tournament 8 ball. 7:00pm signups 7:30pm start time. $5 for B players $10 for Open players. Everyone plays for 2 hours. Wednesday “B” tournament 9 ball. 700pm signups 730pm start time. $10 entry fee. Single Elimination race to 4 $75.00 added each week. Sunday “Open” 9 ball $15 entry, double elimination race to 6 on winners side, race to 4 on one loss side. Noon for signups, 1pm start time. $5 per player added up to $150.00 1st Saturday of the month One Pocket, DE race to 2 $30 entry fee A players, $20 entry fee B players Signups at Noon, play begins at 1. $300 added w/30 players 1st Sunday oft the month 9ball, DE 6 winners, 4 losers $30 entry fee A players, $20 entry fee B players Signups at noon, play begins at 1. $10 per player added First of the Month One Pocket results 28 players--Hard Times added $150 1 Amar Kang $295 2 John Henderson $185 3 Eric Krause $125 4 Pat McLeod $90 5 George Vasquez $50 6 John Lentini $50 First of the Month 9 Ball results: 38 players--Hard Times added $300 1 Amar Kang $350 2 Jeff Gregory $240 3 Erik Krause $165 4 Joe Palley $115 5 Paul Alexander $80 6 Eric Stanley $80 7 Rudy Estoque $55 8 Junior $55 Page 13
WALL OF FAME Mary Kenniston
It was early ’79 and I was living in New Jersey. I’d been playing for a couple years, played and placed high in a few WPBA events and had just discovered the action world. Life was good! One day, I received an invitation to play in the ’79 World Pro-Am. There were to be two events – single elimination – eight ball and nine ball – men’s and women’s division. The entry fee was high – $600 – a lot of money for those days. However, the entry included a room at the Tropicana Hotel in Las Vegas. LAS VEGAS!!! Well, since I was the best female nine-ball player in New Jersey, I figured I’d be stealing! I desperately wanted to go and it took me several months of five, ten and twenty dollar nine ball to get my entry fee together. The day arrived and I was on my way to Vegas. I couldn’t wait to get there! Finally, the plane landed and I hopped onto the shuttle. Tropicana Hotel – here I come! Checked into my room, grabbed my cue and headed on down to the tournament room. The tournament was being held in the Tennis Pavilion – a huge room filled with little pool tables and bleachers to the ceiling! I’d never seen such small tables before! Disappointed, I spotted Allen Hopkins across the room and made my way over to him. “Allen,” I said, pointing to the tables, “What the hell are these?” “Bar tables. Haven’t you ever seen a bar table before?” “No,” I answered, “What kind of phony tournament is this? How come we’re not playing on real pool tables?!!!” Allen explained that in most other parts of the country, bar tables were very popular and there was plenty of gambling on them. He told me not to worry – he said I’d play a ball or two better on them because since they were smaller, they were much easier. Well, that sounded good to me! I was having a ball. One of my best friends, Tommy Halliday (“Staten Island” or “Doc”), was there so he was introducing me to all the famous West Coast players I’d heard about – Richie Florence - the promoter of the event, Ronnie Allen, Bucktooth, Keith McCready and then… Minnesota Fats spotted his old friend, Tommy, came over and asked him who the “tomato” was! I looked around…tomato? Who was he talking about?!!!Well, it turned out to be me! “Jersey Slim”, he tagged me!Well, I have to tell you – I was tongue-tied! Minnesota Fats called me a TOMATO!!! He was talking to me! Finally, it was time for the players meeting and the draw. I saw a few women that I knew but didn’t know most of them. I drew Sherri Sewell from Oklahoma City – we’d play the next day.
Match time came – it was the last round before the dinner break. Sherri and I started to play & if she didn’t have an open shot, she’d ride the nine! If she had a shot, she’d just run out or combo the nine! Game, set and match – I was out of the tournament! Well, to say I was stunned was an understatement! I couldn’t believe it! I had built up my bankroll for months to get to Vegas and BAM! I was out of the tournament! It was the first day and I was out of the tournament! On the verge of tears, I climbed up the empty bleachers. Sitting with my Fellini case between my legs, I rested my head on it and closed my eyes. A short while later, I felt the vibration of someone climbing up the bleachers. It wasn’t until I realized that someone was close that I looked up. It was Minnesota Fats. “Hey, Slim!” Whatcha doing up here? Why so sad?” he asked. I burst into tears and told him what had happened in the match, how I’d saved my winnings for months, how Sherri got lucky, how I…………..Fatty just looked at me and after a long silence he said, “Hey, Slim! Can you dance?!!!”DANCE!!! I looked at him like he was crazy! DANCE!!! He held out his hand. “C’mon, Slim. Let’s dance.” He kept asking and I could see he wasn’t going to take no for an answer. I finally took his hand and let him lead me down the bleachers to the tournament floor. They were playing music on the loud speakers and Fatty danced me all around the fairly empty tournament room between the pool tables. He was a very good dancer and I had to really pay attention to keep up and not make a fool of myself. As we danced, he asked me how old I was – I told him. Was I married? No. First time in Vegas? Yes. Did I like shows? Yes. Did I like great restaurants? Yes. “Slim, all I can say is that I sure wish I was your age again! Single in Vegas! Doesn’t get any better than that! YOU LOST YOUR MATCH?!!! IN A POOL TOURNAMENT?!!!” He was howling! ”YOU LOST YOUR MATCH?!!!” Well, now, I’m laughing too! “FUHGEDDABOUDIT! Is this the last match you’re ever going to play? Is this the last pool tournament you’re ever going to play in? There’ll be other matches! There’ll be other pool tournaments! YOU’RE IN VEGAS!!! You’re young, single and IN VEGAS!!! Find yourself a guy and have some fun! YOU’RE IN VEGAS!!!” Well, by this time, he had me laughing. The room was starting to fill up for the evening matches and everyone was clapping and cheering us on. The crowd was chanting, “Yeah, Mare - YOU’RE IN VEGAS!!! YOU’RE IN VEGAS!!!”. I did as the fat man told me, I found a guy and we tore up Vegas. Oh, and by the way, Sherri Sewell went on to win the tournament! Page 14
Tommy Halliday & Mary Kenniston
Minnesota Fats
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6005 Shellmound St, #160 Emeryville, CA 94608 510.652.9808 BCA 8-Ball League SPRING session: March 11, 2013 - June 24, 2013 Monday Nights (Warm-ups starting at 7pm) SPRING 2013 schedule
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•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 •End of Season Pay-Out Party Contact: marilyn@thebrokenrack.com For more information about the BCA Pool Leagues visit: www.playbca.com TUESDAYS 9-BALL TOURNAMENT 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. Our House-Pro is Eleanor Callado and available for lessons. For information about rates or to schedule a lesson, please go to Eleanor’s website at: www.eleanorcallado.com Page 15
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