U.S. Open Billiards Event Set to Begin

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U.S. Open Billiards Event Set to Begin
U.S. Open 9-Ball Championships / Chesapeake, VA

by Skip Maloney, InsidePOOL Staff

Van Boening will be looking to do what others have rarely accomplished-- successfully defend the U.S. Open title.

The gathering has begun in Chesapeake, VA. With top-ranked players coming from the four corners of the globe, tournament officials are expecting between 240-275 entrants in the 33rd U.S. Open 9-Ball Championships at the Chesapeake Conference Center this weekend. While some consideration is being given to sealing the entrant total at 256 (there are currently over 200 confirmed registrants), Barry Behrman, tournament founder, has committed to keeping the brackets open beyond that figure, if necessary.

Among those scheduled to appear are Johnny Archer and Charlie Bryant, who’ll follow their epic finals battle at last week’s Carolina Open with a shot at this $100,000-added U.S. Open event, which will put $40,000 dollars in the pocket of the winner. Also on hand will be Francisco Bustamante, Tony Chohan, Corey Deuel, Ronnie Wiseman, and Gabe Owen, among others.

Among the European players expected to be on hand are defending champion Shane Van Boening, Niels Feijen, and Ralf Souquet, who won in 2002. Japan will be represented by Kento Yonezu and Kenichi Uchigaki. There will, as well, be six entrants from Kuwait—the country’s national team—which will include 12-year-old Saad Al-Adasami, who, along with America’s 12-year-old Brenden Crockett, will be the youngest players in the event. To date, the youngest player to ever win the U.S. Open was Mike Sigel, who was 21 when he won it in 1976. The oldest, at 54, was Mike LeBron in 1988.

Action is set to begin at 11 a.m. Sunday morning and will entail races to 11, with winners breaking. In the finals, scheduled for Saturday, October 25, if the one-loss side opponent reaches 11 first, the match will automatically extend to 13 games.

Team Poison Races For The Cure

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Team Poison Races For The Cure

In the spirit of National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, Poison is taking several initiatives to help find a cure for Breast Cancer.

In addition to donating profits from the Pink Ribbon Poison cues sales, a team of Poison employees is participating in the 2008 North Florida Race for the Cure. 

The race is taking place Saturday, October 18 in Jacksonville, Florida.  We have gathered a a group of employees, friends, and family running and/or walking, to raise money in the fight against breast cancer.

If you’d like to show support for a breast cancer cure through us, you can visit our page at http://www.komennorthflorida.org/site/TR/Race/General?pg=team&fr_id=1020&team_id=4250&JServSessionIdr001=wncghvknk3.app43b and make a donation in your name or your company’s name.  Any amount, small or large, is very much appreciated.

After the event, we’ll be sending out pictures and a press release to share our experience with others, and to let everyone know how much money was raised for the cause.  Any company that choses to contribute to the Poison Team will be specially recognized as a sponsor.

Every month, Poison donates a percentage of all profits from the new Pink Ribbon cues toward breast cancer research initiatives. This October, in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, we are donating 100% of the profits to the cause. http://www.poisonbilliards.com/poison_billiards_pink_pool_cues.php
 
Thank you for your support.
 
The Poison Team

Inside Pool Announces Interactive Interview Challenge

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Inside Pool Announces Interactive Interview Challenge

By Samm Diep

If you have a question that you would like to ask a billiard pro, submit it to us and if we use it, you could win a free subcription to Inside POOL Magazine or a copy of "You Might be a D Player if" by Samm Diep.

What would you ask your favorite pro?  On October 19-25, the Inside Pool Xtreme News team will be reporting from Chesapeake, VA at the 33rd Annual US Open 9-Ball Championships. This event draws the largest international field of players from all over the globe and now YOU can participate in the interviews.
Ever had a question you’ve been dying to ask your favorite pro?

Send it to us and we’ll ask it for you. If one of our reporters asks your question with your name, you will win a free 1-year subscription to InsidePool magazine or a signed copy of “You Might Be A D Player If… (101 Moves That All Pool Players Can Appreciate)”.
Submit your question(s) to:

Interviews@InsidePoolMag.com

All entries must include:
1. First Name, Last Initial
2. A valid email address
3. City, State
4. Question(s)
5. Who is the question for?

Questions will be randomly selected and may not all get asked. Winners will be notified after October 25, 2008 and all prizes will be awarded at that time.
Now that you’ve asked your questions, be sure to catch the interviews for the answers!

Johnson Scores Undefeated Victory

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Johnson Scores Undefeated Victory
Pechauer All-American Tour / West Peoria, IL

by InsidePOOL Staff

Josh Johnson went undefeated in the J. Pechauer event at Dave's Good Times in West Peoria, IL.

The third stop of the Pechauer All American Tour was hosted by Dave’s Good Times in West Peoria, IL, October 11. The $500-added event featured 28 players in a double-elimination 8-ball format on 7-foot bar boxes, with Josh Johnson marching undefeated to the finals.

In the hot seat match, Johnson managed Brad Ogborn well by a 7-3 margin. Earlier in the A-bracket semis, Johnson turned back Jamey Bowman 7-4, while Ogborn clipped Buford Pusser 7-6. In the B-side quarterfinals Brad Ogborn, saddled with an early-round loss, eliminated Bowman at fifth place 7-6, while Buford Pusser tied with Bowman, courtesy of a 7-5 decision at the hands of Rich Bideaux.

In the B-side semifinals Ogborn took another victim by ousting Bideaux at fourth place by a slim 7-6 margin. Ogborn continued his recovery in the one-loss side by clipping John Pekora in the B-side finals 7-5. Momentum for Ogborn ceased in the tournament finals, as Johnson put the clamps down in one set, to claim the title by a 7-3 margin.

Results:
1st Josh Johnson $500
2nd Brad Ogborn $250
3rd John Pekora $125
4th Rich Bideaux $85
5th Buford Pusser $50
Jamey Bowman $50

Grau Grabs First on CNY Opening Stop

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Grau Grabs First on CNY Opening Stop
CNY 9-Ball Tour / Syracuse, NY

by Skip Maloney, InsidePOOL Staff

Grau outlasted Pound winning two out of three to win the CNY tour stop hosted by Salt City Billiards in Syracuse, NY.

Dave Grau took two out of three from David Pound to win the opening event of the CNY 9-Ball Tour October 11. The $460-added, A,B-handicapped event drew 51 entrants to Salt City Billiards in Syracuse, NY.

Grau and Pound grappled first in the hot seat match. Grau had sent Dan Smith to the one-loss side with an 8-3 victory, as Pound was sending E.J. Worden over 7-5. In the first of their three head-to-head matchups, Grau sent Pound to the semifinals with an 8-1 victory.

On the one-loss side, Gary Empey and Jose Mendez were at work advancing ultimately to the quarterfinals. Mendez then dropped Empey into fourth place and faced Pound in the semifinals.

Looking for a second chance at Grau, Pound defeated Mendez 7-2 and got that chance. In a true double-elimination final, Pound made the most of it, taking the first set 7-3. Grau fought back, however, and successfully completed a one-loss day with an 8-3 victory that earned him the first-place prize.

Kight Stops Schwartz at Castle Billiards

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Kight Stops Schwartz at Castle Billiards
Tri-State Tour / East Rutherford, NJ

by Skip Maloney, InsidePOOL Staff

Kight held off Schwartz twice to win the Tri-State tour stop hosted by Castle Billiards in East Rutherford, NJ.

Robert Kight twice came within a game of falling to a one-loss side challenge by Jason Schwartz but hung on to win the Tri-State Tour stop on October 11. The $500-added, B-C-D-handicapped event drew 34 entrants to Castle Billiards in East Rutherford, NJ.

Kight opened his three-game finish to the final victory with a hill-hill win over Ryan McCarthy, as James DeGiosafatto won his own double-hill battle against Rhio Anne Flores. Kight and DeGiosafatto squared off in the hot seat match, which advanced Kight to the potential for an undefeated day and moved DeGiosafatto west for the semifinals.

Schwartz, in the meantime, who’d been moved to the one-loss side in his third match, was on his way back. After besting McCarthy in the quarterfinals 7-3, he then dropped DeGiosafatto into third place 7-3 and moved into the finals against Kight. Schwartz reached the hill first, but Kight fought back to knot it. On the subsequent break, Kight failed to make a ball and left the 9 ball hanging by a thread in a corner pocket. Schwartz took advantage, playing the 1-9 combination that put him up 7-6, forcing a match extension to nine games.

On the next break, Schwartz duplicated Kight’s hung 9 ball scenario but made a ball on the break. He played his second straight 1-9 combination and was suddenly poised on the hill to grab the victory, but Kight fought back to take the next three racks and win it.

Pros Challenge at Obelisk Billiard Club

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Pros Challenge at Obelisk Billiard Club

Cha and Williams will be taking on all challenger at The Obeilask Billiard Club in Newport News, VA on October 18.

Newport News, Virginia-  On October 18,2008 The Obelisk Billiard Club in Newport News (VA) will be hosting The Poison Challenge Match with Charlie Williams and Yu Ram Cha.  Dragon Promotions and Predator Group, creators of Poison Cues, once more team up to bring fans closer to the pool stars they see on television.
 
Originally from Newport News, Charlie “Korean Dragon” Williams started his pool career in this East Coast area of Virginia known as Hampton Roads where the US Open is held every year. The Obelisk was one of his frequent stops as a young player. Since then Williams has won multiple pro titles including the BCA Open, UPA Capitol City Classic, Korea Pro Tour Championships, Lucasi Hybrid Classic, and 5x Member of the US Mosconi Cup Team. Williams just recently finished 5th at the World 10-Ball Championship in the Philippines.
 
Any fan and player can sign up at the Obelisk Billiard Club to challenge Williams or Cha to a game or match. Matches available are races to 3,5, or 7 with a grand prize winner receiving a Predator Air Jumper. The Obelisk Billiard Club is a 21 table room owned by George & Mary Tucker and Donald & Cathy Dale. The Obelisk was established in 1988 and has since been the premiere billiard room in the Hampton Roads area. It was also recognized as one of the nation’s top rooms during the 90’s. The show starts at 7:00pm, please contact Obelisk at 757-874-8588.
 
“It’s great to be able to come back to my hometown and see all my friends and family. I remember going to the Obelisk as a 12 year old kid when they first opened. I used to ride my bicycle there! It’s really great to see them still doing well after two decades.” said Williams. “I’m bringing my mom and my protege Yu Ram from Florida with me on this trip, and it’s exciting to introduce Hampton Roads pool fans to Yu Ram.”

Korean sensation Yu Ram Cha has been tearing up the pool scene with regional men and women’s tour victories along with high finishes in major WPBA pro events. Although a TV celebrity in Korea, she just recently made her ESPN debut with a 3rd Place finish at the Women’s US Open. Known as “Little Lightning” , Cha in just a few months with only attending 4 major events out of six, has escalated from unranked to the Top 20 on the Women’s Pro Billiards Tour.
 
“Charlie and Yu Ram are fantastic representatives of our sport. Charlie is a long standing pro and believer in Predator technology while Yu Ram is one of the strongest up and coming talents we’ve ever seen. We’re pleased to have both use Predator in their endeavors.” said Karim Belhaj, CEO of The Predator Group.
 
The Predator & Poison Challenge Match Series is produced by Dragon Promotions. The series of exhibitions, schools, and challenge matches have included events such as Europe vs Philippines, New York City vs Korea, with celebrities such as Efren Reyes, Francisco Bustamante, Mika Immonen, Johnny Archer , Rodney Morris, Karen Corr, Tony Robles, Jennifer Baretta, Ralf Souquet, Mike Davis, and Thorsten Hohmann.
 
For more information please go to www.Poisonbilliards.com and Dragonpromotions.com

Heather Lloyd wins at Rusty’s Billiards

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Heather Lloyd wins at Rusty’s Billiards; Cristina DeLaGarza wins WPBA Qualifier

De La Garza and Loyd finished second and first respectively at the OB Cues Tour stop at Rusty's Billiards.

Rusty’s Billiards in Arlington, Texas hosted the 6th event of the year for the OB Cues Ladies 9-Ball Tour September 27-28.  Fifty-one ladies came to compete and many new faces were in attendance!  Welcome to all the new players!

On hand were the owners of OB Cues - Royce Bunnell and Don (and Anita) Owens - and we were able to thank them in person for sponsoring the tour!  They provide two OB Cues (each with an OB1 Shaft) to raffle off for money raised in this $2,000 guaranteed-added tournament!

Jeff Pitts and regular OB Cues Ladies Tour player Tracie Voelkering welcomed the ladies but it was the ladies who welcomed the opportunity to play in their pool room!  The non-smoking section was a welcome change for most of the players and the love of pool was always in the atmosphere in their 24-hour pool room.
By Sunday morning, only 12 players survived.  Lisa Marr defeated Amanda Lampert 7-3, Tara McCracken defeated Lisa Henderson-Major 7-3, Michelle Abernathy defeated Kim Pierce 7-3 and Michelle Ram defeated board member Julie Stephenson 7-3.  9th-12th finishers received $85 each. On the winner’s side, Cristina DeLaGarza took care of board member Melinda Bailey 7-2 while Heather Lloyd took care of Bonnie Plowman 7-4.

Cristina DeLaGarza won a hard-fought fight against seasoned Heather Lloyd 7-5 for the hot seat match.  On the one loss side, 7th/8th place finishes were filled by Michelle Abernathy and Michelle Ram who both earned $105.  Melinda and Tara filled out the 5th/6th spots for $160.  Lisa Marr won over Bonnie Plowman 7-4 and Bonnie won $275 for 4th place.  Lisa was stopped by a determined Heather Lloyd who won 7-3.  Lisa earned $410 for 3rd place.

This meant Heather would have a rematch with Cristina for the title in this double elimination tournament.  The first set went hill-hill (with the fans loving every minute of it!) and Heather won and forced the second set.  After a quick break, Heather won the next set 7-2 and earned $750 for 1st place!  Heather had an invite to the WPBA Championship in November and therefore Cristina won the Qualifier for that WPBA event.  Cristina also won $570 for second place.  This was the highest finish for Cristina and her first Qualifier win!!! 

Tournament Payouts:
1st – Heather Lloyd - $750
2nd – Cristina DeLaGarza - $570 + WPBA Qualifier
3rd – Lisa Marr - $410
4th – Bonnie Plowman - $275
5th/6th – Tara McCracken & Melinda Bailey - $160
7th/8th – Michelle Ram & Michelle Abernathy - $105
9th -12th – Amanda Lampert, Lisa Henderson-Major, Kim Pierce, Julie Stephenson - $85
13th-16th – Snowy Belt, Samm Diep, Ashley Nandrasy, Jillian Valles - $50
17th-24th – Monica Anderson, Shayla Neris, Kathy Knuth, Deanna Henson, Nancy French, Sam Holliday, Christy Powell, Shirley Fields - $25

Congratulations to all the ladies!!!
Numerous other winners throughout the tournament weekend included:

Free Entry (refunded their $30 entry fee) – Janice Go, first time tour player
Painting on the Green Canvas - book by Bob Watson – Robyn Petrosino
Strok-n-Style Glove from Ellen Van Buren – Samm Diep
(2) Starbucks Gift Cards (courtesy of Carter Nakashima) – Tera Saunders & Lisa Marr
 (2) You Must be a D Player book from sammspocket.com – Julie Stephenson & Terri Petrosino
Cue Holder from Ellen Van Buren – Jerri Winnett
OB Cues Raffle Winners (courtesy of OB Cues)– Monica “Sha-nay-nay” Anderson, OB Cues board member & regular tour player and Janice Cabral, frequent Rusty’s Billiard weekend customer
9-Ball Crystal Ball Winner (courtesy of Randy Autrey)  – Tara “Firecracker” McCracken, OB Cues regular tour player

Also a Second Chance Tournament was held on Sunday–$10 entry fee with 13 players and $100 added monies.

Samm Diep – 1st - $95
Robbie Daugherty – 2nd - $65
Becky Jones – 3rd - $45
Shirley Fields – 4th - $25

A BIG thank you to Rusty’s Billiards, OB Cues (obcues.com), AZBilliards.com (Internet sponsor), Billiards Digest, Pool and Billiard Magazine, and InsidePool, authors Carl Miller and Bob Watson, Pro Player Ellen Van Buren, and supporters Samm Diep of sammspocket.com, Carter Nakashima and Randy Autrey.   Also we would like to thank Sam Holliday, Collin County APA League Operator, who brought eight of her league players to play in this event.  This was fantastic.  We couldn’t have had this wonderful event without all the ladies and fans.  Thank you!

See everyone November 22-23 in League City, Texas at Legend’s Billiards for our Championship Stop!

Mueller Recreational Products and OB Cues Partner

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Mueller Recreational Products and OB Cues Partner 

Mueller Recreational Products is proud to announce they have added OB Cues and OB-1 cue shafts to their catalog.

Nick Maser at Muellers stated from his Lincoln, Nebraska office, “We have talked to Royce Bunnell at OB Cues for some time now about being able to provide OB Cues products to the players.  We are excited this has come to fruition because the OB-1 Cue shafts are not only very popular, but we get a lot of inquiries about OB1 and OB Cues.”

The partnership is just as important to Royce. “Everyone admires Muellers and we are proud that OB-1 Cue shafts and OB Cues will be a part of their catalog.  This is an exciting partnership and opportunity for everyone involved, especially fans and players of our products,” Royce added from his Plano, Texas shop.
Mueller Recreational Products is a provider of over 7000 products to the pool and billiard industry. They have the best prices available for billiard supplies. They are also the exclusive dealer in the United States of Gorina cloth, one of the finest cloths in the world and used in major tournaments around the world by the top players (including the United States Billiard Association’s 2008 tour). Gorina cloth is available for both pool tables and 3-cushion tables at great prices, only through Mueller Recreational Products.

Mueller Recreational Products

Their website address is: www.muellers.com
The OB-1 Cue Shaft provides low cueball deflection, exceptional playing consistency and efficient cue ball spin. The design of the OB-1 Cue Shaft provides for an extremely consistent cue shaft, which allows players to become more confident because the shaft performs the same every time.   OB Cues are new to the market and feature “FLC” and “AWS” Technology.  “Full Length Core” (FLC) is a solid maple core that extends from the joint to the bumper, and adds just the right amount of strength in just the right place.   “Adaptive Weight System” (AWS) allows the weight of the OB Cues to be adjusted to the player’s preference using readily available tools and weights.

Their website address is:  http://www.obcues.com
OB1 Cue shafts and OB Cues will be available from Mueller’s print catalog and on their website later this month.

 
For more information contact:
 Royce Bunnell – OB Cues
rbunnell@obcues.com 
972.578.9100 or 877.399.9901

Or Mueller Recreational Products
1-800-627-8888
or online at www.muellers.com

Buddies Rack up Billiards World Record

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Buddies Rack up Billiards World Record

By Cassandra Locke
Owner, B & C Advertising (official event sponsor)

Brian Lilley and his buddy Daniel Maloney broke the previous "Longest Marathon Billiards Match," noted in the Guiness Book of World Records of 50 hours and 2 minutes.

SPRING LAKE, N.C. — At 2 p.m. October 10 Brian Lilley broke the first rack of balls, not knowing he and buddy Daniel Maloney would break the previous “Longest Marathon Billiards Match,” noted in the Guiness Book of World Records of 50 hours and 2 minutes at 5:03 p.m. October 12. They continued to play until 7:25 p.m. that evening to match their 52-hour goal. The competitors played more than 600 games of pool.

Lilley and Maloney worked together as ammunitions troops at Pope Air Force Base, NC, and found a common interest 7 years ago—billiards. They had competed in competitions in the local area for years until Maloney was reassigned to Moody because of the Base Realignment and Closure law.
From the time Lilley’s grandmother gave him the 1994 edition of the Guinness Book of World Records as a Christmas gift, he’s since dreamed of breaking a record at some point in his life. When he came up with the idea to combine his dream and passion, he asked his friend if he wanted to partake in the event. Maloney said, “Let’s do this.”

Once the date of October 10 was established, Maloney drove 8 hours to Spring Lake to attempt the record that was established two years ago by two Englishmen. He and Lilley had their doubts, but after a roller coaster of ups and downs they managed to push through.

Brian Lilley and his buddy Daniel Maloney.

“The first twenty-four hours was the toughest,” said Maloney. “Then after the thirty-six-hour mark it got even tougher.”

A slab of carpet was donated by a local flooring company about 24 hours into the match because the men’s knees were hurting from walking on VCT tiling. “That helped out a lot,” said Maloney.

What started out as an individual effort to fulfill the dream of breaking the record turned into an event the local community and Lilley’s second family, the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 9103, of which he is a life-member, embraced. The idea then evolved into a fundraiser for the post’s building expansion efforts. The Airmen and B & C Advertising raised more than $400 for the committee from sponsorships, donations and a 50/50 raffle drawing.

“What better way to fulfill this dream than to share the opportunity with my family and friends and raise money for a worthy cause,” said Lilley.

Under Guinness World Record guidelines, the men were allowed five minutes every hour to eat and drink or go to the bathroom. Their strategy included accumulating their breaks for when fatigue heavily set in. They took a total of six 5-minute breaks and one 15-minute break. What kept them going was water, electrolytes, snacking on bananas and peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, and the support of the spectators.
 

After the record was broken, the players took a little time to relax and take in the moment.

“Our post is honored to have been able to take part in this event,” said Dave Hamel, VFW Post 9103 member commander, and former 23rd Fighter Group chief enlisted manager.

The post, local sponsors, and other members of the community volunteered to work 4- to 12-hour shifts as official witnesses and nurses for the event. The Guinness guidelines state that there has to be at least two independent witnesses at a time and a nurse for every four hours of play to ensure the players were physically able to continue the marathon without injuring themselves. Also, 24 hours of video footage was required for validation purposes.

The event included up-to-date videos of Lilley and Maloney’s match and photos on www.springlakeliving.com. The website gave Lilley and Maloney’s family and friends who were unable to attend the opportunity to see them play. For those that missed the event and want to see the latest feed and photos, visit the website.

“The record is still unofficial,” said Lilley. “It will become official once Guinness verifies everything, and I don’t know how long that process will take.”

Lilley has to review the evidence and ensure all of the witnesses and nurses appropriately filled out their paperwork. Once that is complete, an official package will be sent to Guinness for them to validate their efforts. If their efforts are validated, the Airmen will be featured in the 2009 Guinness Book of World Records.