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Topic: *Industry News* 2014

Jeanette Lee to Play 14.1 in the ANDY CLOTH World Tournament
Story by John Kang

New York City- The most recognized billiards player in the world will be heading to the streets of New York City to participate in the ANDY CLOTH 74th World Tournament of 14.1 ! Jeanette Lee, aka "The Black Widow", will appear at Steinway Billiards Cafe starting on August 4th against a field of 47 men professionals where she will be the sole female competitor. Jeanette will play some of the best players the game has to offer and her entrance will just make the competition even tougher. Some of her opponents will include France's Stephan Cohen, World 14.1 Champion John Schmidt, Filipino champ Warren Kiamco and many more. World renown ANDY CLOTH is now the title sponsor as well as the Official Cloth of the straight pool extravaganza. The ANDY CLOTH World Tournament takes place on August 4th-9th and is sponsored by Andy Cloth, Kamui Brands, OB Cues, Amsterdam Billiard Club, Realrealcool.com, and Pool & Billiard Magazine. Official patron 14.1 aficionados are Stu Mattana, Tom Gleich, Harold Siegel, and Dr. Greg Diehl Plastic Surgery. The World Tournament of 14.1 is presented by Dr. Michael Fedak and produced by Dragon Promotions.

“Straight pool is definitely my favorite game to play. It has a good balance of ball pocketing, strategy and artistry. I love it!” says Lee. Known for her sex appeal and
deadly accuracy with a pool cue, Jeanette will undoubtedly be able to hold her own. Born and raised in Brooklyn, New York, Jeanette is quite fond of the city she grew up in. Lee confessed that she was lucky to have fallen in love with the sport in the city she loves. Jeanette acknowledged that “being from New York I had access to great players and great competition. There was also some sort of tournament every day of the week that I could compete in.”

When asked how it feels to play in the world's oldest, most traditional championship in billiards, The Black Widow joyously expressed her excitement. “It has been years since I’ve played in the World 14.1. I know there’s going be a tough field, but I'm going to enjoy the experience and hopefully finish well in the tournament. It will also be nice catching up with my old friends and family"

Unlike most sports, billiards can be played in multiple fashions. The ANDY CLOTH World Tournament is a straight pool tournament where most of the competitors will be men. However, the Black Widow is no dummy when it comes to " breaking balls" and never shies away from hard-nosed challenges.

"It's thrilling for Andy Cloth to elevate our sponsorship to spearhead the World Tournament name. And knowing that the Black Widow is going to be playing against all the biggest male names in pool just makes this all even more exciting!", said Ed J. Glode, President of Andy Cloth USA.

Pool fans are also invited to have dinner with the world's greatest players at the 4th Annual 14.1 Straight Pool Hall of Fame Banquet on August 6th. The Straight Pool Hall of Fame Induction videos will be produced by Jerry Tarantola of www.NYCGrind.com and Ron Mason of www.GothamCityTechnologies.com . The Hall of Fame ceremonies will be streamed online for free on Ustream by Upstate Al of AZBtv.

Fans will be in for a treat seeing the Black Widow's strikingly fierce, yet sweet look during the World Tournament.

Jeanette Lee is truly a living icon in her respected sport. Last year the Black Widow became a bonafide legend when she was inducted into both the Women’s Professional Billiards Association (WPBA) and the BCA Hall of Fame. Jeanette’s name will forever be written in the stars along side other pioneers of the game such as Willie Mosconi, Minnesota Fats, and Steve Mizerak. She is also actively trying to grow the sport with her new initiatives. She explains, “I am having a Black Widow Juniors Camp next year where the top billiard players mentor the top junior players both on and off the pool table. Our goal is to teach vital life lessons that they can use outside of playing pool, develop their game, and create a bond between our youth and our world champions.”

Lee totally redefines the term “play like a girl” . A world champion and Hall of Famer, Jeanette is a fierce competitor wearing many hats. But the biggest name in billiards still makes times to cook dinner and tuck her kids in for bedtime.

To get the latest news and pictures of what Jeanette is up to make sure you follow and www.facebook.com/jeanetteleetheblackwidow & www.twitter.com/JeanetteLeeTBW & instagram.com/jeanetteleetbw/

Fans can buy tickets at the door, and tickets for the Hall of fame 14.1 Banquet in advance for $55 by going to http://worldstraightpool.com/tickets.html . The dinner includes a 5 course meal and beverages as well as seating next to the stars of billiards. For $141 you can also join the Elite Members of the 141 Club on the same link.

Get the latest news by following www.facebook.com/Worldstraightpool and www.twitter.com/Dragonpromoter

BCA Names Mike Serra 2014-2015 Board Chairman

Broomfield, Colo. - July 15, 2014 - During its general membership meeting in Louisville, Ky., on June 22, 2014, the Billiard Congress of America announced the results of its 2014-2015 Board of Directors elections, which are as follows:

Category 1 (Manufacturer/Distributor)

    Dave Barry (GLD Products), three-year term
    Mike Serra (Championship, LLC), three-year term

Category 2 (Retail)

    Jonathan Goudeau (Indoor Recreation), three-year term

In the follow-up election of BCA officers, Mike Serra (Championship, LLC) accepted a one-year term as BCA Board Chairman, as did each of the remaining seated officers: Vice Chairman Jonathan Goudeau (Indoor Recreation Co., LLC); Secretary Chris Kuntz (RAM Gameroom Products); and Treasurer Tony Stick (The Billiard Factory).

The remaining directors include: Brain Rosselli (Olhausen Mfg), Chance Pack (Champion Shuffleboard/Valley Dynamo/Connelly Billiards), Carl Galante (Classic Cue Billiards - Buffalo) and Cris Gould (Legacy Billiards).

"I am honored to again serve as BCA chairman," said Serra. "I look forward to continue working with the BCA Board of Directors and the BCA staff to find new and creative ways to raise awareness about the industry and help enhance the success of our members. As we see signs of a recovery in our economy and housing starts begin to rise, we look forward to seeing our members begin having improved financial success. We have all worked extremely hard during this long, difficult down-turn in our economy."

2014 Junior Artistic Champs Crowned: Kinney, Lang, Stagner, & Herpel

July 15, 2014 (Englewood, CO): The 21st Annual Junior Artistic Pool Championships was held June 24-26, 2014 alongside the Billiard Education Foundation (BEF) Junior National 9-Ball Championships and BCA Summit at the Kentucky International Convention Center in Louisville, Kentucky.

Taking top honors this year were three returning champions: Garrett Kinney in the 18 & Under Boys division, Rachel Lang in the 18 & Under Girls division, and Emil y Herpel in the 14 & Under Girls division. While newcomer Devan Stagner claimed the 14 & Under Boys division.

18 & Under Boys Division
1st Place - Garrett Kinney, 16 (Randleman, NC)
2nd Place - Manny Perez, 16 (Kansas City, KS)

18 & Under Girls Division
1st Place - Rachel Lang, 16 (Catskill, NY)
2nd Place - Taylor Reynolds, 16 (Winslow, ME)

14 & Under Boys Division
1st Place - Devan Stagner, 14 (Nixa, MO)
2nd Place - Vincent Evans, 13 (St. Peters, MO)

14 & Under Girls Division
1st Place - Emily Herpel, 13 (Freehold, NY)
2nd Place - April Larson, 13 (Bloomington, MN)

A personal note from Mark Dimick, this year’s event director (in the absence of “Dr. Cue” Tom & “Ms. Cue” Marty Rossman): Congratulations to all of the 21st Annual Junior Artistic Pool Champion players! I had the privilege to direct the BCA/BEF Junior National Artistic Pool Championship competition on June 24th-27th in Louisville, Ky. I enjoyed meeting all of the young players and their families. This last week was a lot of fun. I would like to thank Samm Diep-Vidal and the BEF along with Tom “Dr. Cue and Marty “Ms. Cue” Rossman for inviting me to be this year’s Artistic Pool tournament director. A special thanks goes to Tammy Jo and Mel Leonard, Earl Munson, and the other staff members.

Special Thanks go to Mark Dimick for his assistance in making this year’s event possible, and to this year’s Premier Sponsors: Predator/Poison Cues, Diamond Billiard Products, Simonis Cloth, and Aramith Balls.

Any young players interested in participating in next year’s BEF Junior National 9-Ball Championships, Junior Artistic Pool Championships or State Championships should visit the BEF website at BilliardEducation.org or call the office at (303) 926-1039.

KELLY FISHER TO HAVE OPEN HEART SURGERY

Great Britain's World Number 2 expected to make full recovery but will miss the 2014 World Team Championship.

By Ted Lerner
WPA Press Officer

Multiple world champion and current WPA World number 2 ranked player Kelly Fisher of Great Britain has announced that she will be undergoing open heart surgery on July 22nd.

The West Yorkshire native said that she was diagnosed with a large hole in her heart several months ago. After the surgery, Fisher is expected to have a three month recovery period. She said she is hoping to be fit and ready to compete in the 2014 Women’s World 9-ball Championship, which will take place in Guilin, China in October.

Fisher has been one of pool’s leading lights over the last ten years, winning every major women’s event on the calendar. After a stellar five year career in snooker beginning in 1998, in which she won the World Snooker Championship four times, she turned to American pool in 2004. In 2010 she began to dominate the women’s game and rose to be the top ranked player in the world. She won her first world title by grabbing 2010 World 10-ball championship in Manila. In 2012 Fisher then captured the Women’s World 9-ball Championship in Shenyang, China. That same year she steam rolled the competition on her way to winning the China Open in Shanghai. In 2013 Fisher won the long running Amway Cup in Taipei.

Because of the surgery, Fisher will be forced to miss the WPA World Team Championship, which will be held in Beijing beginning on July 28th. Fisher’s replacement on the United Kingdom team has yet to be announced.

The World Pool-Billiard Association, as well as the entire pool community worldwide, wish Kelly Fisher a successful surgery and speedy recovery. Her mammoth fighting spirit will surely carry her through this trying time and soon bring her back to the world’s biggest pool arenas better and stronger than ever.

Summit 2014 Draws To Close In Louisville On High Note

Exhibits, Social Events and BEF Junior Nationals Highlight 2014 Version of BCA Summit

Broomfield, Colo. - July 16, 2014 - The 2014 edition of the Billiard Congress of America's BCA Summit was held at the Louisville International Convention Center in Louisville, Ky., June 25 - 27, 2014.

Total buyer attendance for the three-day event was 740. Attendance for the 2013 show was 749.

"This year's event brought more opportunities for our industry to network and spend significant time with customers, prospects and peers," said Summit 2014 Chairman Chance Pack. "Not only was there a real energy on the show floor, but with all the social events the BCA planned outside of the trade show there was business taking place around the clock."

With 264 booths and 71 exhibiting companies, the show floor was comprised of 78,000 square feet of exhibit space along with the Billiard Education Foundation (BEF) Junior 9-Ball National Championships space. Of the 71 exhibiting companies, 11 were first-time exhibitors or returning to the event after an absence, including: Beijing Xingwei Sports Goods, Racket Power, MoPro, Mosconi Cup Team USA, Giant Dragon, Memphis Wood Fire Grills, Metroline, Party Animal, All Weather Billiards and Games, Snyper Games, and Winning Streak Sports.

In addition to Summit 2014's show floor activity, the Business of Billiards Seminar Series offered six seminars designed to provide tangible, immediately implementable business improvement solutions. "I believe that the Business of Billiard Seminars are as important as the show itself," said Kim Morrison-Heacock of International Billiards in Houston, Texas. "They are extremely informative and always give me tools to better my business."

The industry social, sponsored by the Billiard Congress of America, on Wednesday, June 25, attracted hundreds of show participants who enjoyed free cocktails and soda, while mixing and mingling with old friends, networking with industry leaders and watching a trick shot exhibition by Andy Segal, Steve Markle, Tim Chin, Jamey Gray, Nick Nikolaidis, and Dave Nangle.

Another successful social event planned by the BCA was the industry pub crawl, on Thursday, June 26. "As host of the first pub stop of the industry sponsored pub crawl, Presidential Billiards, was delighted with the turn out," said Elaine Gerber of Presidential Billiards. "It was a huge success, a great venue with an historic and unique ambience. The BCA pub crawl participants added to the lively convivial atmosphere."

New to the BCA Summit this year was the Billiard Education Foundation (BEF) Junior National Championships. "One of the best moves the BCA has done in years was to have the BEF Junior Nationals take place with the BCA Summit," said Skip Nemecek of Tweeten Fibre. "It was great to see the kids play and the whole event was excellent. I hope this leads to building more involvement between the players (especially the juniors) and the industry. Having the Junior National Championships in conjunction with the BCA trade show is a win-win for everyone."

Sponsors of Summit 2014 included: Ace Product Management Group, Inc., Championship LLC, Cue & Case Inc., CueStix International, Diamond Billiard Products, GLD Products, Iwan Simonis, Legacy Billiards, MetroLine Products, OB Cues, Presidential Billiards, RAM Gameroom Products, Tweeten Fibre Co., Siriani & Associates, Valley Dynamo L.P., and Z-Lite Jenamees Inc.

During the event, the Billiard Congress of America also announced Summit 2015 will return to Las Vegas, Nev. from Wednesday, August 5 through Friday, August 7, 2015. More information on Summit 2015 and the host location South Point Hotel and Casino will be available as it develops at bcasummit.com.

"2015 presents a great opportunity for the BCA Summit to return to Las Vegas," said BCA Chairman Mike Serra. "The location is great, the venue is top notch and it offers great room rates and perks, such as free wi-fi, parking and airport transfers. In addition, the dates of the show overlap with the Las Vegas Market, so many of our attendees will have the opportunity of attending two expos during one visit to Las Vegas. Our exhibitors were excited about the announcement, as we saw an increase in space commitment by many of our 2014 exhibitors."

Blackpool To Host Snooker Spectacular

Blackpool will stage a sensational week of snooker next March with the World Seniors Championship followed by the dramatic Shoot-Out.

The World Seniors will take place at the Blackpool Tower Circus Arena for the first time, on Monday 2 March and Tuesday 3 March, 2015. Then the Shoot-Out returns to the same venue for the fifth consecutive year, from Wednesday 4 March to Friday 6 March.

Tickets are ON SALE NOW for what will be a glorious week of top class snooker action in the Lancashire seaside town. Fans MUST BOOK FAST to make sure of their seats as many sessions will sell out quickly.

Tickets for the Seniors start at just £10 (concessions £8 ). And for the Shoot-Out they start at just £12, with a 10% discount for groups of six or more. For details call 0871 620 7052 (calls cost 10p per minute plus network extras) or visit www.worldsnooker.com/tickets

The World Seniors Championship has been running since 2010 and brings together legends of the sport. Steve Davis is the defending champion while favourites like Jimmy White, Dennis Taylor and Cliff Thorburn have been recent regulars in the popular event.

Davis said: "It's a wonderful celebration of snooker, both for people who fell in love with the sport in the 1980s, and those new fans who want to see some of the all-time great characters showing they can still play. I hope the arena will be packed and the event will be a great success in its new home in Blackpool."

The Shoot-Out is fast and furious snooker at its best: a one-frame knockout featuring 64 of the world's best players, with a shot clock and plenty of crowd participation.

Dominic Dale won the trophy and £32,000 top prize last season and the player nicknamed The Spaceman is looking forward to landing back in Blackpool to defend his crown.

"The atmosphere in Blackpool is so special, it's unlike anywhere else," said Dale. "The crowd get involved and it's all about being able to embrace that and get them behind you. I love the event and winning it was one of the highlights of my career. I can't emphasise strongly enough what amazing fun it is for the fans, there is so much drama and so many great players involved."

Both tournaments will be televised on Sky Sports.

Ko over Van Boening at Kamui 10-Ball Challenge

Taiwan's Pin-Yi Ko came back from an early five rack deficit to defeat Shane Van Boening 21-17 at the Kamui 10-Ball Challenge, held at The Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Most fans in the audience held Van Boening as the favorite in this match, due to his experience in one on one challenge matches and Ko's lack of success in events on American soil. That bet looked to be a good one early, as Van Boening took control after a Ko safety in rack one and ran out that table and the next two. Surprisingly though, neither player would manage to best that two rack package over the next four hours.

After eleven racks, Van Boening held a comfortable 8-3 lead. Ko seemed a little uncomfortable early in the match, making two fairly major mistakes already. Ko underdrew a position shot in rack four, but managed to complete the rack. He would not be as lucky after missing position bad in rack nine and missing his next ball.

That five rack lead would dwindle as the long match went on. Ko had multiple chances to tie the match as he got back to within one at 10-9, 13-12 and 14-13. An ugly exchange of misses in rack 28 finally led to Ko tieing the score at 14-14.

Van Boening was uncharacteristically struggling with his break as the match went on. Although he was making two and three balls each break, he was leaving himself no shot on the first ball of the rack each time.

After a time-out, Ko took his first lead at 16-15 with a table run in rack 31. Ko stretched his lead to two racks at 18-16 before Van Boening got back within one rack at 18-17.

While it was Van Boening playing his best early in the match, it was Ko who ended things the same way that Van Boening started them. A scratch on the break by Van Boening in rack 36 would be Van Boening's last trip to the table as Ko ran that rack and proceeded to break and run the next two for the 21-17 win.

Professional play continues on Friday as the CSI Invitational 10-Ball Championship kicks off with sixteen of the World best players competing in a round robin 10-Ball event.

The Kamui 10-Ball Challenge is a production of Cue Sport International (CSI). 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, Jay Swanson Memorial, US Open One Pocket Championship, US Open 8-Ball Championship, US Open 10-Ball Championship, CSI Invitationals, and CSI Challenge Matches. Visit www.playcsipool.com, www.playbca.com, and www.playusapool.com for more information about CSI and its divisions. Also, visit the CueSports International YouTube channel for lots of great content.

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AcueClean Oil Wipes for maintenance

These non woven wipes are impregnated with a UK formulated blend of organic oils which nourishes the wood of the cue and provides a protective layer. As the deepest pores of the cues have been cleaned by the enzymes, these oils can now penetrate much deeper in the wood and secure a long lasting protection against moisture and bending. This can increase the life span of the cue considerably.

Verkruyse & Karabotsos Win Chicago: OB Official Cue of ANDY CLOTH World 14.1 Tournament

Chicago, Illinois- Here are the results of the 2014 World Tournament of 14.1,Red Shoes Billiards Qualifier that was held a few weeks back. It was a small field but there were many quality contenders, including Michael Verkruyse, Tom Karabatsos, Ronald Dobosenski, Bob Cozzolino, Richard Michalec Sr., Jim Colling, Rich Klein, and Dean Markoshan, one of Chicago's finest, just back from a straight pool lesson with Dallas West.

OB Cues has also joined as the Official Cue of the ANDY CLOTH World Tournament which takes place on August 4th-9th, 2014. Sponsored by Andy Cloth, Kamui Brands, OB Cues, Amsterdam Billiard Club, Realrealcool.com, Pool & Billiard Magazine , Aramith Balls, and George Beckman Kinetic Sculptures. Official patron 14.1 aficionados are Stu Mattana, Tom Gleich, Harold Siegel, and Dr. Greg Diehl Plastic Surgery. Each qualifier winner will be guaranteed a minimal of 5 round robin matches in the finale main event. The main event will take place once more in New York City. Dragon Promotions and Dr. Michael Fedak are pleased to bring the 74th production of the oldest billiard event in the world on August 4th-9th, 2014. A star studded field is expected this year at Steinway Billiards Cafe, who is once more hosting the world's grandest straight pool championship.

“OB Cues are now the official cues of one of the oldest, longest running tournaments in billiards: The 74th World Tournament of 14.1. This event has a rich history connecting us with legends like Mosconi, Greenleaf, Lassiter, Mizerak, Crane and so many more. OB is proud to be associated with such names in the game they mastered and we look forward to seeing many of the champion players of today competing in this event to try and best the records of some of the great legends of yesteryear." , said Shane Sinnott , Director of Sales and Marketing for OB Cues. Headquartered in Plano, Texas, OB is a leading manufacturer of High Performance Pool Cues and Pool Cue Shafts made 100% in the USA since 2005.

Bob Cozzolino, who has qualified twice before had a tough opening round match with Tom Karabatsos. Bob beat Tom last year on the loser's side of the qualifier and beat Tom in a league match at Red Shoes Billiards just a week earlier. Tom had come in second in the league out of 32 players and has qualified numerous times, so he is always dangerous. Bob got off to an 60-20 lead but Tom came back hard and bested him 100-80. In the other first round match in that bracket, Ron Dobosenski ran a 41 and a 38 and out on Jim Colling who had come down from Texas to play in the qualifier while visiting relatives. Jim is a somewhat recent convert to straight pool that boasts a high run of 70. Ron is a student of Frank "Sailor" Stellman, noted cue maker and 14.1 teacher from Racine Wisconsin. Ron boasts a high run of 211 and Sailor had made the trip down to Chicago to watch his former student and to sweat some straight pool matches. Ron had just finished up one session of Red Shoes Straight Pool league, driving down from Madison, Wisconsin twice a month to play the game he loves.

The next round found Tom Karabatsos matched up with Ron Dobosenski and the straight pool heavyweights, who have played each other many times in the last 30 years, traded punches with Tom coming out on top. On the other side of the bracket, Rich Klein, one of the league directors at Red Shoes Billiards and one of the sponsors of the Derby City Classic Straight Pool Challenge every year, matched up with Dean Markoshan, a member of the Red Shoes Straight Pool league and an officer with the Chicago Police Department. Dean is relatively new to straight pool, but gave it everything he had. It was not enough to best the steady Rich Klein. On the other side of that bracket, Rick Michalec, Sr., a veteran of the Illinois Billiards Club Straight Pool League and the Red Shoes league was going up against a new face at Red Shoes in Michael Verkruyse. Rick has a high run of 70 and has won one of the straight pool qualifiers before and is always a threat. The two of them went back and forth with no big runs, and eventually, Michael landed the last punch, winning 100-77. That matched him up with Rich Klein and he was able to get off to a 75-19 lead. A couple of unforced errors on Mike's part were enough to give Rich an opportunity and he was able to get within striking distance, but Mike closed out the game and finished it 100-55. Richard referred to Mike as "Madman MIke, he of the fabulous fundamentals and perfect stroke", Mike is a student of Mark Wilson's and I imagine that might be where he honed his fundamentals. He also has spent some time with Nick Varner, so who knows.

I will use the words of Mike to describe the final match on the winners side between him and Tom Karabatos:
"I had been watching him play all day and knew I had my hands full. The opening break was the first time I had to break all day and I managed to hit a good clean safe leaving him long and tough on the 9-ball. Tom played safe and left me a small glimpse of a shot, I thought to myself if I make it I spread the rack wide open, if I miss it I will spread the rack wide open for my opponent. Well in for a penny in for a pound. I got down and stroked the 4 ball home into the corner pocket and was off and running. I don’t recall much of the middle of the match, only that I had a big lead of like 75-20 something, then tom went on a tear and caught me and passed me with a great run. The score was now closed in tight at 90(me) to 89(tom). A small safety battle ensued and tom took a chance at a ball in the stack and it missed leaving me a wide open table. I made one ball after another, steadily getting out of line lol. I now needed 2 balls for the win and a chance to go to New York. I had a long straight shot on the 15 ball, as soon as I pulled the trigger my heart fell into my stomach as I watched it go slightly wide of the pocket and rattle. Tom cleaned up the rest and was all set to make the break ball and put the nails in my coffin when something happened I did not expect, he missed the break ball! I gathered myself and pocketed the last two balls."

In the meantime, over on the other side, Bob Cozzolino had taken down Jim Colling and Rick Michalec had bested Dean Markoshan. Bob Cozzolino had qualified from the loser's side before, last year having to beat Jeffrey Mohl, Ed Latimer and Tom Karabatsos to qualify. This year it was not to be as perennial giant killer Rich Klein took him down. At the same time, Rick Michalec who has been there before was beating Dean Markoshan. Ron Dobosenski beat Rick Michalec and then beat Rich Klein, leading to a rematch with Tom Karabatsos for the second spot. Ron has only been back playing pool for about a year and perhaps it showed, but Tom is always a threat and sent Ron back to Wisconsin.

Tom Karabatsos was taught by Dallas West and you can see that in his smooth stroke. He is a perennial high finisher in all Chicago area pool events, especially straight pool. He also had a nice showing at the Maryland Straight Pool Tournament last year, besting Dave Daya and Shaun Wilkie, among others. Michael Verkruyse is 32 years old from Mahomet, Illinois and is currently the House Pro at Jupiter’s Pizzeria & Billiards in Champaign, Illinois. His sponsors are Durbin Custom Cues (www.durbincues.com) out of Sullivan, Illinois, Nick Varner Cues & Cases (www.nickvarner.com), Fast Action Cues Clothing and Jupiter's Pizzeria and Billiards. Jupiter’s Pizzeria & Billiards.


Pool fans are also invited to have dinner with the world's greatest players at the 4th Annual 14.1 Straight Pool Hall of Fame Banquet on August 6th. The Straight Pool Hall of Fame Induction videos will be produced by Jerry Tarantola of www.NYCGrind.com and Ron Mason of www.GothamCityTechnologies.com . The Hall of Fame ceremonies will be streamed online for free on Ustream by Upstate Al of AZBtv.

Fans can buy tickets at the door, and tickets for the Hall of fame 14.1 Banquet in advance for $55 by going to www.worldstraightpool.com/tickets.html . The dinner includes a 5 course meal and beverages as well as seating next to the stars of billiards. For $141 you can also join the Elite Members of the 141 Club on the same link.

Get the latest news by following www.facebook.com/Worldstraightpool and www.twitter.com/Dragonpromoter

Jim Rempe & Frank Stellman Inducted into the 14.1 Straight Pool Hall of Fame

New York City - "King James" Rempe and Frank "Sailor" Stellman will be this year's Straight Pool Hall of Fame inductees. Both men are still alive and well, and are due to appear in New York City for the first time in a long, long, while. Rempe made a huge impact on the pro pool scene from the 1970's through the early 2000's, while Stellman influenced numerous top players in the mid-west with his 14.1 teachings over a span of 60 years. Fans and players can attend the once in a lifetime special event at 7:00pm on August 6th, 2014 at Steinway Billiards Cafe during the 74th World Tournament of 14.1. It will be a star studded gala with billiard super stars such as Mika Immonen, Shane Van Boening, John Schmidt, Stephan Cohen, Johnny Archer, Darren Appleton & many more with Charlie Williams as the event MC. The ANDY CLOTH World Tournament of 14.1 is sponsored by ANDY CLOTH, Kamui Brands, OB Cues, Amsterdam Billiard Club, Realrealcool.com, Pool & Billiard Magazine , Aramith Balls, and George Beckman Kinetic Sculptures. Official patron 14.1 aficionados are Stu Mattana, Tom Gleich, Harold Siegel, and Dr. Greg Diehl Plastic Surgery. Dr. Michael Fedak and Dragon Promotions are pleased to bring the 4th Annual Straight Pool Hall of Fame and the 74th production of the oldest billiard event in the world on August 4th-9th, 2014.

"Straight pool is my favorite pool discipline. It's a game where knowledge is very important and makes the difference between good players and the best players", explained Rempe about his love for 14.1. " I know not many players can say this, but I really look back at my life and see that I did not have a misspent youth. I took my dad's advice on finding something I love and make a living doing it. Pool is the greatest game ever."

Of the 4 nominees including Nick Varner, Lou Butera and Allen Hopkins, Jim Rempe won 40% of the votes submitted by fans via social media, polls, and emails. King James was born in 1947 in Scranton, Pennsylvania. Rempe began playing pool at the age of 6 and he turned pro at the age of 22, winning 98 major championships, and taking 11 world titles, including the World Nine-ball Championship, the World One-pocket Championship, and the All-Around World Championship. Rempe won 3 US 14.1 Masters Championships (later changed to the US Open 14.1), 1973 NY State 14.1, the US Open 9-Ball, and 4 World 9-Ball titles. He accumulated 23 tournament wins between 1972 and 1978, more than any other pool player in the world, thus acquiring the nickname "King James".

"When I decided to become serious about pool five years ago, I looked up Jim Rempe to learn the game from a true professional. I thought that I would spend a couple of hours with him that afternoon. His enthusiasm for pool was so infectious that before we knew it, eight hours had gone by. He has become a good friend and mentor, and he teaches the game as well as he plays it. His pedigree speaks for itself, and he belongs in the halls of fame of all of the pool disciplines. Congrats, Jimmy!", said Dr. Gregory Diehl of Diehl Plastic Surgery.

In the Unsung Hero category, Frank Stellman won 80% of the votes and had many vocal supporters lobbying for this mid-western legend. Frank "Sailor" Stellman is from Racine, Wisconsin and was born in 1927. He was a guru who taught and influenced many 14.1 players and groomed dozens of 100 ball runners. He also organized Wisconsin's first state 9-Ball tournaments for men and women, and he was the technical host for a weekly TV pool show. He has given numerous pool seminars usually free of charge. This was Frank's second year on the 14.1 HOF ballot.

"Wow. This is something I really never expected in my life. I helped players learn the game not for any recognition or money, but only because I felt it was the right thing to do. It's quite an honor and I'm going to do my absolute best to get to New York City! It's all up to my doctor to give me the green light!" The 87 year old Stellman has diabetes and faces amputation of his foot, but still manages to get to the poolroom to watch and advise players. He recently was transported to Red Shoes Billiards to watch the World 14.1 Qualifier in Chicago.

"This induction is going to a very, very deserving man. Frank to me is like Yoda, not well known but so full of wisdom and knowledge. He influenced myself as well as so many top notch players. Guys like Dallas West, Jimmy Mataya, and Jeff Carter would always defer to Sailor's final word about any shot on the pool table. That's the kind of reverence he had. And he did it for no money. For him it was about the love of the game. That's why he never competed. He was close friends with Willie Mosconi, and one whom Mosconi considered a peer", said an enthusiastic Mark Wilson, a student of Stellman's as well as a renown teacher now himself. More notably, Mark is the current Captain of the USA Mosconi Cup Team. "No one could be more happier than myself on hearing the news of his induction. For me, this further legitimizes the Straight Pool Hall of Fame."

"Every year the Straight Pool Hall of Fame sells out with over a hundred people attending. It's a classy, entertaining, and emotional celebration of the greats of the sport", says Cindy Lee, CEO of Dragon Promotions.

Past inductees include live inductions of Ray Martin, Jerome Keough, Jack Colavita, Danny Diliberto, Oliver Ortmann, Gene Nagy. Group inductions by decades include 14.1 Hall of Famer legends Ralph Greenleaf, Frank Taberski, Erwin Rudolph, Jimmy Caras, Andrew Ponzi, Thomas Hueston, Alfredo de Oro.

Fans can buy tickets at the door, and tickets for the Hall of fame 14.1 Banquet in advance for $55 by going to www.worldstraightpool.com/tickets.html . The dinner includes a 5 course meal and beverages as well as seating next to the stars of billiards. For $141 you can also join the Elite Members of the 141 Club on the same link.

People who can't make the dinner can watch the complete ceremony for free online at www.ustream.tv/channel/AZBtv

Live stream Pay Per View of the matches from Day 1 - Day 6 of the World 14.1 can be bought at www.worldstraightpool.com

Andy Cloth, OB Cues, Excelsior Graphics, Pool & Billiard Magazine, Amsterdam Billiard Club, Kamui, www.Realrealcool.com , Aramith Balls, and host Steinway Billiards are the Official Sponsors of the event

World Tournament of 14.1 additional info and frequent updates email to worldstraightpoolchampionships@gmail.com .

The Straight Pool Hall of Fame Induction videos will be produced by Jerry Tarantola of www.NYCGrind.com and Ron Mason of www.GothamCityTechnologies.com . The Hall of Fame ceremonies will be streamed online for free on Ustream by Upstate Al of AZBtv.

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HEART SURGERY SUCCESSFUL FOR KELLY FISHER

The WPA World number 2 is out of intensive care and recovering after undergoing heart surgery.
By Ted Lerner
WPA Press Officer

The World Pool-Billiard Association is pleased to announce that multiple world champion and current WPA World number 2 ranked player Kelly Fisher of Great Britain has successfully undergone surgery for her heart condition, and is now recovering in hospital.

WPA President Ian Anderson reported that he personally spoke with Fisher soon after her surgery on July 22nd.

“I just spoke with Kelly Fisher and her operation has been successful,” Anderson said. “She is now out of Intensive Care and in a normal hospital room.”

The 35 year old Fisher was diagnosed with a large atrial septal defect earlier this year. This is more commonly known as a “hole in the heart".

The West Yorkshire is expected to have a three month recovery period. She said she is hoping to be fit and ready to compete in the 2014 Women’s World 9-ball Championship, which will take place in Guilin, China in October.

Because of the surgery, Fisher will be forced to miss the WPA World Team Pool Championship, which will be held in Beijing beginning on July 28th. Fisher’s replacement on the United Kingdom team will be her good friend and Hall of Famer Allison Fisher.

Fans wanting to send their best wishes to Fisher can do so through her Facebook page, “Kelly Fisher.”

CSI 8-Ball Day One

The CSI 8-Ball Invitational kicked off on Wednesday with two morning matches. The first was between Jayson Shaw and Mike Dechaine. In this one Dechaine got off to a big lead and at one time the score was 5-1 in his favor in the race to 9 games.

Shaw tried to change the pace of the match with soft breaking but the effort was far too late. Dechaine stuck to his knitting and won 9-6.

On the other table we had Ping-Chung Ko facing veteran Warren Kiamco. Ko, who had already finished second in the Ten Ball event earlier this week, kept up his strong play and he won 9-7. This young man is only 18 years old and seems destined to be a force in this game for a very long time to come.

Both of these matches were in Group A of the round robin. Our next two matches featured players out of Group B. Table one was Efren Reyes versus Jung-Lin Chang and table two was Thorsten Hohmann versus Corey Deuel. After the first seven racks on table one Chang led 4-3 and soon increased that lead to 6-3 simply by keeping Reyes seated as he ran through the balls.

Reyes began to stop the bleeding in rack 8 as he ran the rack, overcoming some tough positions to do so. Now trailing 6-4 he needed some help in this alternating break format if he were to make a charge. He got that help when Chang failed in his attempt at a combo. That was all Reyes needed to bring the score close at 6-5.

Reyes scratched on the next break. Chang was out before he got to the table. His focus and cue ball control continue to astound and his lead of 7-5 over the great Reyes offered ample testimony to his prowess. He impressed again when he broke and ran the next rack to go out to 8-5 and onto the hill. Reyes then broke and chose to play the solids. Everything looked good but he ran into the 15 ball on his way to shape on the six and had to change his pattern late in the game. This made his out a lot tougher but he wasp to the task and ran out to bring us to 8-6.

Now it was Chang's break and his task was to break and run to win the match. Instead, he broke dry and Reyes came to the table once again. This changed the whole complexion of the game as if he could get out he would be at 7 games and breaking to get on the hill beside Chang. Chang looked anxious in his chair as Reyes calmly cleared the table to get 7 games.

Reyes needed to make a ball on the break, get a good spread, and have an opening shot. He failed. Nothing fell on the break. Chang faced a tough table. Clusters were abound. He massaged one of those part on the first shot and then somehow fit the cue ball through a keyhole to get to the only spot on the table where he could reach the second ball in the combo to take away that challenge. There were still problems with balls that only could go in a single pocket. But his sharpshooting picked those birds off the wire one by one and he won the match 9-7.

On table two Hohmann seemed comfortable and in control over Deuel. His lead started early and near the later stages had stretched to 7-3. At the end of the next rack he stood on the hill at 8-3 but Deuel had a little air as it was his break. That proved to be little advantage when nothing fell on his break. Hohmann cleared the table for a very comfortable 9-3 victory.

Next came our first look at Group C. On table 1 we had Ralf Souquet versus Shane Van Boening and table two offered up Yu-Hsuan Cheng versus Dennis Orcollo. Early on Van Boening took the first mark on table 1 as Cheng went out to a narrow 2-1 lead over Orcollo. That would not last as Orcollo broke and ran the next rack to tie them at two apiece.

By that time Cheng's lead had also disappeared and he and Souquet were tied at 1. Then Souquet easily cleared the next rack to lead 2-1 while Orcollo eased out to a 3-2 lead over Cheng.

Table 1 was destined to stay close. Souquet and SVB traded the next two racks to tie again at 2 apiece. Table 2 at this point showed Orcollo with a 5-2 lead over Cheng. Cheng was rapidly running out of room and air. Orcollo then delivered another body blow with a break and run to go up 6-2.

Souquet and Van Boening traded two more racks to be tied now at three apiece while Cheng found some renewed vigor to bring his score to 6-3. He ran through his colors in the next rack but got out of line on the 8 ball and had to jump. When that failed he left Orcollo an easy out and Dennis cashed it to lead 7-3.

Souquet and Van Boening kept up their pattern of winning their own breaks with runouts and were soon tied again at 4 apiece. At this point, one and a half hours into the matches, Orcollo led Cheng 7-4.

The next rack on table 1 found Shane breaking Souquet's serve and winning to go to 5-4 and owning the break. But Shane broke dry and left an ugly table that would require a lot of tactics to conquer. Souquet was up to the task and managed to clean this very tough table to once again be tied, this time at 5 apiece, with Van Boening. Meanwhile, Orcollo had gotten to the hill on table 2 and led 8-4 over Cheng. Cheng won the next rack but Orcollo then broke and ran the next rack to take the victory 9-5.

Finally on table 1 Souquet was able to put two racks together for a 7-5 lead over Van Boening. Now Van Boening would be forced to win against Souquet's break if he were to succeed in the match. He did so and the players returned to trading racks until they were both on the hill at 8-8.The final rack was Souguet's break and he kept the table, ran the rack, and won the match 9-8. In an alternate break format it pays to win the lag.

We were unavailable to watch the next round but can report this round was comprised of members of Group D. In this round Francisco Bustamante defeated Pin-Yi Ko 9-2 largely on the strength of his break shots. On the other table Darren Appleton defeated John Morra 9-4.

The final round of the night found another set of players from Group A. On table 1 it was Jayson Shaw versus Ping-Chung Ko and table 2 featured Warren Kiamco versus Mike Dechaine. Dechaine broke and ran his first rack while Shaw and Ko were having a strategic battle. Ko won that argument when Shaw failed to hide the cue ball on a two-way shot and left Ko with full vision on his remaining balls. Ko took the first mark to lead 1-0. At the same moment Kiamco finished off his table to tie Dechaine at 1.

Early on both matches stayed close and soon both tables showed identical scores of 3-2 with Ko leading on table 1 and Dechaine on table 2. Dechaine became the first player in the room to own a 2 game lead at 4-2 over Kiamco while Ko and Shaw remained tight at 3-3. Then Kiamco caught a little gear and soon our tables were tied again with both matches at 4-4.

After two more racks on both tables Shaw and Ko were still tied, this time at 5 apiece, while Dechaine took both racks on table 2 to lead 6-4. That lead grew to 7-4 for Dechaine after the next rack while Shaw went out to a narrow lead of 6-5. But that lead went away in the next rack and Shaw and Ko were tied yet again at 6 apiece.

The first man to get to the hill was Mike Dechaine when he took his score with Kiamco to 8-6. He then broke and ran the next rack to win the match 9-6.

On table one Ko was beginning to get some momentum. He won one rack to go to 7-6 and then ran through the colors in the next rack. But on his shot on the key ball he missed his shape on the eight ball and wound up with only a tough jump shot into the side pocket as his only option. He made it and went to the hill against Shaw 8-6. Ko never let Shaw see the table in the final rack. He broke and ran for a 9-6 victory.

Watch the rest of the CSI Invitationals and challenge matches live at www.playcsipool.com. 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, Jay Swanson Memorial, US Open One Pocket Championship, US Open 8-Ball Championship, US Open 10-Ball Championship, CSI Invitationals, and CSI Challenge Matches. Visit www.playcsipool.com,www.playbca.com, and www.playusapool.com for more information and visit the CueSports International YouTube channel for lots of great content.

CSI 8-Ball Day Two

Day Two of the CSI 8-Ball Invitational began with action in Group B. On table 1 we had Thorsten Hohmann versus Jung-Lin Chang and table 2 featured Corey Deuel versus Efren Reyes.

Table 1 began with Hohmann and Chang getting a rack apiece while Deuel claimed the first two racks in his match against Reyes. In rack number three Jung-Lin was running out against Hohmann when he snookered himself on the second to last ball. This was an opportunity for Hohmann to win against his opponents break and he took full advantage to go ahead 2-1 with the break. On table 2 Reyes could not get started and Deuel was controlling each rack to lead 5-0.

Hohmann broke and ran his next rack to go up 3-1 over Chang. This was an important match as at this point both players were undefeated within the group. Chang broke the next rack and made four balls but he missed an elementary shot into the side and left the table open for Hohmann. For the second time Hohmann won against Chang's break and soon led the match 4-1. Deuel continued his domination over Reyes and led 6-0 in our race to 9 games.

Reyes finally took a rack but then Deuel came right back on him to lead 8-1 while Hohmann just kept running out every time he got to the table to lead Chang 7-1. Reyes and Deuel traded the last two racks of their match and Deuel secured the win 9-2.

Chang was in a very deep hole. He won the next rack but Hohmann took the one after to go to the hill and lead 8-2. They traded the last two racks to give the nod to Hohmann 9-3. This result means that Hohmann wins Group B as he is the only player with two wins. The matches in that group tonight cannot alter that outcome but have some importance in the final standings and the prize payouts.

Our next round was in Group C. Table 1 belonged to Shane Van Boening and Dennis Orcollo while table 2 was occupied by Ralph Souquet and Yu-Hsuan Cheng. The early gonigs found Van Boening handsomely ahead of Orcollo at 4-0 while Cheng led Souquet 4-1.

At the mid-point of these matches we had identical scores of 5-2 on each table. Van Boening and Cheng were leading. Souquet and Orcollo had to turn the tide quickly or risk being swamped. Orcollo made a good effort and got back within one game at 5-4 but that was short-lived as Van Boening won the next rack to go up 6-4. Souquet was not so fortunate and only fell further behind as Cheng went out to a 7-3 lead.

Orcollo was not to be rolled over. When Van Boening missed a shot into the side in rack 12 Orcollo took that moment to the bank and tied the score at 6-6. Souquet was not able to duplicate that feat and fell 9-3 to Cheng.

Orcollo just kept pouring on the heat against Van Boening and got to the hill first at 8-7. But it was Van Boening's break and he broke the rack marvelously. He had the opportunity to tie on the hill. And he made it. The match went to double-hill with Orcollo breaking.

Orcollo broke dry for only the second time in the match and Van Boening was in control of his own fate. The stripes were all out in the open and he began picking them off. Now he was back in his rhythm and playing his usual pace. There was nothing to stop him and he cleared the table for the win 9-8.

The next group to play was Group D. Table 1 found Pin-Yi Ko in an early 3-1 lead against Darren Appleton while John Morra and Bustamante were staying close at 2 apiece. Morra caught the first gear and rode it out to a 5-2 lead while Pin-Yi Ko just kept doing what he was doing and had the identical lead on his table over Appleton. He continued his momentum through to the end and won 9-2.

By that time the score between Morra and Bustamante had increased to 7-3 in favor of Morra. Bustamante broke and ran the next rack but he still trailed 7-4 and in an alternating break format like this that is a very large margin to overcome. Morra was giving no slack. He broke and ran the next rack to go to the hill and an 8-4 lead.

Bustamante was not ready to retire and again broke and ran his rack. 8-5 now but it was Morra's break and Bustamante knew he might not get back to the table. But he did. He ran all of his colors but the 8 ball was close to an object ball and he barely missed the shot. With that he conceded the match and Morra won 9-5.

Five PM brought the match we had been waiting for all day. This is the final round of Group A and only two players have a shot at going through to the semis, Ping-Chung Ko and Mike Dechaine. They were matched up on table 1. Table two held Jayson Shaw and Warren Kiamco but neither of them had a shot at progressing to the next round as both already had two losses on their card.

Dechaine and Ko split the first four racks to tie at 2 and then Ko won the next rack to go to 3-2. Ko had the next break and scratched on it to give Dechaine an opportunity but the table had broken into ugly clusters. It would be a tough road to travel to make a run. Somehow he made it through to take the match to 3-3.

Dechaine won the next game off of his break and then also the next to grab the first lead of any note at 5-3. It was again his break so he had the opportunity to increase that lead but he scratched on the break and gave an opportunity to Ko that had not been expected.

Warren Kiamco won his match against Jayson Shaw 9-4, but that would have no effect on the group.

Ko got through the rack to go to 5-4 and as it was now his break he would have the chance to tie the match. Ko broke and made a ball, then chose stripes as his suit and began his run. For the first time you could see some nerves creep into his game as his position play was not as precise as we had seen earlier in the week. That did not harm his run through the rack and we were soon tied at 5 games each.

Dechaine broke the next rack and ran down to his penultimate color, then missed a shot in the side pocket to bring Ko back into play. Ko took the rack to lead 6-5, then broke and ran the next to extend out to 7-5. Dechaine broke the next rack and when he got on his last color appeared to be out, but his cue ball over-rolled position and he was forced to jump for the eight. He missed and once again was forced to turn the table over to Ko. Ko took the rack and arrived on the hill at 8-5 with the additional advantage of the next rack being his break.

Ko broke, made a ball and had a moderately tough table to navigate as four balls were clustered near the center of the head rail. He opened the cluster early and from there faced no real obstacles. He cleared the field of play to take the match and his position in the semi-finals 9-5.

The final round of the night was group B which had already been won by Thorsten Hohmann. These matches were played for final position in the tournament as only Hohmann would go through to the semi-finals.

Hohmann played his usual sharp game and soon led over Reyes 3-1 while Corey Deuel and Jung-Lin Chang were keeping it close and were tied at 2 apiece. After an hour of play Hohmann had stretched his lead to 6-3 over Reyes while Chang and Deuel were still neck and neck at 4-4. Then Chang just caught fire and dominated the rest of the match to win 9-5.

Meanwhile, Reyes was mounting a comeback on table 2 and at the end of the match the two champions were tied on the hill with Hohmann breaking. The great warrior's comeback fell short when Hohmann broke and ran to win 9-8.

Watch the rest of the CSI Invitationals and challenge matches live at www.playcsipool.com. 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, Jay Swanson Memorial, US Open One Pocket Championship, US Open 8-Ball Championship, US Open 10-Ball Championship, CSI Invitationals, and CSI Challenge Matches. Visit www.playcsipool.com,www.playbca.com, and www.playusapool.com for more information and visit the CueSports International YouTube channel for lots of great content.

Tiger Products Challenge Match at CSI

Jung-Lin Chang came to his 9-Ball race to 21 Tiger Products Challenge Match against Dennis Orcollo with a serious mind. He won the first three racks on the trot and then had to play a safety for his first shot in rack four. Orcollo, as is his want, kicked out of the safety into a safety of his own. On his next safety attempt Chang came up a bit short and left Orcollo a tough cut into the corner. He made the shot but then overran his shape on the four. He got lucky on his next safe when he was trying to run the cue behind the eight and instead wound up in the jaws of the corner and the jaws had Chang hooked. He could not escape the trap and Orcollo was awarded ball in hand. With that, Orcollo took his first mark to bring us to a 3-1 score.

Orcollo broke, made the one and then had a very tough position shot to get on the three which was tucked behind the four. He solved that riddle by going two rails into the four and moving it out of the way. That done, he owned the rest of the rack to bring us to 3-2.

Orcollo made three balls on the next break but had no opening shot that carried great odds of success. He tried to cut it in but failed and Chang came to a roadmap layout. This brought us to 4-2 in favor of Chang. On his next break he did not satisfy the demand that three balls pass the head string and had to turn the table over to Orcollo. Orcollo got out of line on his shot for the five and and was forced to play a safe that kept Chang from seeing anything but an edge of the ball. He made the hit, however, and left Orcollo 9 feet away from the five, but with a full vision of the ball. He made an amazing long-rail bank and then combo'ed the 9 off of the six ball to bring the score close again at 4-3.

When Orcollo shot the one ball in rack number 8 he got an unintentional contact with another ball and wound up with no shot on the two. He tried to tie the table up as he had no real safety and did not complete that task well. Chang had ball in hand but a tough table to overcome. He had to open up a cluster and did that on a table-length cut shot. That was all he needed to take the rack and get his lead back up to two with a score of 5-3.

Chang scratched on the next break and Orcollo with ball in hand easily cleared the table. 5-4. The next rack opened poorly as Orcollo had nothing but a bank on the one ball. The bank went two rails (unintentional) and found the side pocket. Orcollo should have been out from there but he drove the six ball into the rail rather than the pocket and Chang leaped from his chair to claim his prize. He easily cleaned up to take us to 6-4.

Chang broke the next table wide open. He easily claimed that rack and the next to bring us to 8-4 and Orcollo began to realize that he had to step things up before this match got out of hand. He got an opportunity when Chang missed the two ball in the next rack. Orcollo had to shoot the two which was deep in the jaws of the corner pocket and shape on the three had to be achieved via four rails. Again he ran into a ball on his way to position and that caused him to end up poorly and he missed the three. Chang had no shot and played a fine safety. But Orcollo kicked the ball into the side pocket and got great shape on the four. This put the rack in his pocket and he now trailed 8-5.

Orcollo missed the one ball in the next rack but left Chang only a long-rail kick at it. He kicked. He made it, ran the table, and now led the match 9-5. He made three balls on the next break and only had to conquer a long opening shot to own a nice table layout. He made the shot and put the remaining balls into the center of their pockets to jump out to a 10-5 lead. One note here: Unless Chang is cheating a pocket none of his shots hit the pocket facing except those that are shot down the rail. His aim and accuracy is astounding.

Orcollo won the next rack but he was struggling. He was off his normal pace and appeared to have left a bit of his confidence in the chair. Still, at the end of the rack he had moved another bead to go to 10-6. And he regrouped. In the next rack he never hesitated as he banked the two ball cross-corner. His pace picked back up to normal speed. You could see he had his rhythm back. Now only down by two racks at 10-8 he knew he was right back in this thing. After his break shot he called a timeout. He would collect himself in order to mount the charge he wanted to begin.

Orcollo would have to play a safety on the one as no pocket was available. Then Chang was trapped behind the four ball. Chang kicked out of the trap but left Orcollo a long shot on the one. Orcollo made it as if there were never a doubt. He was doing fine but hen he went for shape on the five ball he once again collided with another object ball and wound up within three inches of the four and above it with no cut available as the four was near the rail. He had to use the bridge but still managed to father off of the five ball and go three rails to hide perfectly behind the 6 ball. Chang made the hit but that was all he accomplished. However, Orcollo flat missed the shot on the five ball. It was not an easy cut, the angle was acute, but he missed it badly. However, he got a good roll and left Chang hooked behind the six. Chang made the hit and left Dennis a tough bank or safety. He opted for the safety and at the same time he tied the five up with the seven ball. Chang could see the five but had no way to work it. He tried to hit the five so that it would tie the table up some more but he fluked the ball into the corner and remained at the table to take the rack and put a hatchet wound into Orcollo's comeback. 11-8.

Chang broke and had an easy layout. He was cruising through the rack but when he made the seven ball he over-ran his shape by at least a foot and left himself a near 90 degree cut on the eight. He made the shot but wound up only a half an inch from the nine ball. He had to severely cut the nine into the upper corner some seven feet away. He left it in the jaws of the pocket and Orcollo took the gift to come back to 11-9.

Orcollo easily broke and ran the next table. 11-10 and Orcollo breaking. His break left nothing to complain about and Orcollo relaxed at the head of the table as he planned his routes. He looked as if he knew the rack would belong to him. It did. For the first time Chang did not own a lead.

His next rack opened poorly with some nasty clusters to manage. When he tried to break out the seven-six tie-up he wound up snookering himself and had to kick two rails to make contact. He got a good roll and the cue ball offered nothing to Chang but a very long tough cut on the four. He made it but left himself long and hard on the five and he missed it. Orcollo could taste the lead coming his way if he could get through the rack. But he had to shoot over the top of the seven and missed the shot. Chang breathed a sigh of relief and came back to the table with only a cross-corner bank or safety option on the five ball. He made the bank and took the rack to regain his lead 12-11.

Chang's next break sent the balls careening but two sets of them wound up coming back close together and the table was anything but a Cosmo. It appeared we could be headed for a safety war. Change began and forced Orcollo into a two-rail kick. Orcollo made the hit but the cue ball went straight into the corner pocket nearby and Chang, now with ball in hand, had an opportunity. He made the four and sent the cue ball two rails to open up the five.After that it was connect the dots and our score line went to 13-11.

After the break Chang had a very long shot on the two ball. When it failed to drop Orcollo went to work and brought us back within one game at 13-12. The break was very unkind to Orcollo. He wound up almost touching the one ball and had to play a safety that left Chang only a long and very tough cut into the upper corner. He missed that shot but left Orcollo only a kick and Orcollo scratched off of the kick to present Chang with ball in hand. That was all he needed. 14-12.

Chang's next break was dry and left a shot on the one ball but the layout was far from easy. Orcollo would need his best cue ball control to navigate this rack. It was not to be. He scratched on his second shot and again Chang enjoyed ball in hand. But the match was beginning to tire both players and Chang lost his focus on the two ball and he missed it. Orcollo could not take advantage as he missed his second shot. Chang came back to the table with a shake of his head and appeared to have the nuts for the rack but again he over-ran his shape off of the eight ball and nestled up right next to the nine ball to take away many of his options. He tried to play a safety but failed and Orcollo took this sloppy rack. 14-13.

Orcollo pushed out after the next break. He left a long thin cut on the one but it was a low-percentage shot so Chang played a safety that came up lacking. Suddenly both players were way off their normal game. They were out of rhythm and their pace was staggered. The safety war wound up with Chang again having ball in hand. 15-13. Orcollo made a ball on the next break but was hidden from the one ball and pushed out. Orcollo took the shot and played a poor safety that allowed Chang to make the hit and leave Orcollo down-table behind a group of balls. However, there was a tiny window in that group and Orcollo was able to make the shot. Everything was not roses. He had a bad angle on the two ball and when he made that he wound up running into the six ball which became a blocker for the three ball. He missed the shot and Chang had a long shot on the three that he made and drew all the way back to the other end of the table for his shot on the four. Trouble jumped up on the six all. Chang needed to draw the ball about six inches and instead rolled it back nearly two feet that turned what should have been an easy shot into a real tester. Fatigue was wearing on both men now as the match crossed the three and one-half hour mark. Chang made the seven but missed the eight ball. Orcollo could not send the eight away to rest either and then Chang missed a bank attempt. Orcollo needed to pocket a tough cut on the ball and finally sent it off. He deposited the nine ball then to bring us to 15-14.

His break again found a tough leave on the one ball that required a safety. Chang made a good hit but could not work anything else out on the shot. He left Orcollo with no shot but with a wide selection of safety options. He put the one behind a group of balls and sent the cue ball to the head rail. Chang failed the safety check and gave Orcollo ball in hand. With that advantage he brought us back to a tie at 15-15. Our match now became a short race to 6.

The table finally gave up an at least decent layout on the next break. There was a path to follow but it was narrow and required great speed control on the cue ball. Orcollo was up to the task and for the first time in the match Orcollo led 16-15. When he broke and ran the next rack he stretched that out to 17-15. He did it again on the next rack. 18-15.

Reenergized, Orcollo made three balls on the next break. But he had no cut on the one, only a bank cross-corner. He opted for a safety but did not hide anything and left Chang a long but basic cut on the one into the corner. Chang made the shot and the rest of the rack was basic. 18-16.

Chang now had the break and needed to begin exerting control over the table. He could not afford to leave Orcollo any good options. The best way to do that is to run out and never let your opponent out of the chair. He did that to get back within one game at 18-17. The following rack opened nicely, no clusters, and Chang knew he could get through this rack. He did and we were tied at 18 games apiece in the race to 21. So anyone who could string together a small run would win the match.

When Chang broke and ran the next rack Orcollo had been forced to sit in his chair without a single journey to the table for fifteen minutes. Now behind 19-18 Orcollo could only sit and hope he would get another shot. But the next rack opened up like an Easter Lily and Orcollo hung his head. He knew Chang was headed to the hill. Chang made it. With the score now at 20-18 he would be breaking for the win.

What a critical break shot this was. Chang did all anyone could ask. He made two balls and had a good shot on the one ball. He made the one and got perfect on the two. The two went into the corner and he easily pocket tat and drew back two inches to be correct on the three. Now he had to shoot the six and get the shape on the seven to move over for the eight which was on the side rail. He did that and the rack and the match was his! Final score 21-18.

Watch the rest of the CSI Invitationals and challenge matches live at www.playcsipool.com. 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, Jay Swanson Memorial, US Open One Pocket Championship, US Open 8-Ball Championship, US Open 10-Ball Championship, CSI Invitationals, and CSI Challenge Matches. Visit www.playcsipool.com,www.playbca.com, and www.playusapool.com for more information and visit the CueSports International YouTube channel for lots of great content.

Germany's Lackner & Scharbach Book Tickets to New York for ANDY CLOTH World Tournament of 14.1
By Patrick Baumann

Berlin, Germany- The owners of brand-new Berlin-based pool hall Bata Bar & Billards didn’t think about it too long when they got the chance to host the only European qualifier for the prestigious ANDY CLOTH 74th World Tournament of 14.1. And so it came that 18 of the top european players met last weekend to fight for two spots for New York and 800 Euro each for travel expenses. The qualifier was played with a double elimination format, races to 125.

Fans and players can attend the once a year special event August 4th-9th, 2014 at Steinway Billiards Cafe or watch online at www.worldstraightpool.com . It will be a star studded gala with billiard super stars such as Mika Immonen, Shane Van Boening, John Schmidt, Stephan Cohen, Johnny Archer, Darren Appleton & many more with Charlie Williams as the event MC. The ANDY CLOTH World Tournament of 14.1 is sponsored by ANDY CLOTH, Kamui Brands, OB Cues, Amsterdam Billiard Club, Realrealcool.com, Pool & Billiard Magazine , Aramith Balls, and George Beckman Kinetic Sculptures. Official patron 14.1 aficionados are Stu Mattana, Tom Gleich, Harold Siegel, and Dr. Greg Diehl Plastic Surgery. Dragon Promotions and Dr. Michael Fedak are pleased to also bring the 4th Annual Straight Pool Hall of Fame inducting "King" James Rempe and Frank "Sailor" Stellman. Since 1912, this will be the 74th production of the oldest billiard event in the world.

Lackner marches, Scharbach fights:

On the first day, Andre Lackner and Frank Scharbach fought their way through the winner’s bracket and should clash on sunday to play for the first spot in New York. Scharbach won two very close matches, one against Tobias Bongers with 125:120 and the next one 125:119 against Sebastian Ludwig, where he trailed 60:119 and sealed the deal with a very nice 65 and out. Lackner crushed the competition on day one, none of his opponents got more than 50 points, some of them names like Dieter Johns and Jörn Kaplan. In the loser’s bracket, Manuel Ederer, Marco Spitzky, Tobias Bongers, Jörn Kaplan, Thomas Damm and Sebastian Ludwig survived day 1.

Spectators also saw some well-known players drop out early: Dieter Johns, Tobias Hoiß and Stefan Nölle had to pack their stuff after day 1.

Showdown on sunday:

Sunday was decision day for the remaining eight players. Andre Lackner and Frank Scharbach clashed in a race to 150 for the first spot in New York. The winner would be qualified, the loser would get another chance later in the tournament. One could tell that both players were aware of what they were playing for. Gone was the relaxed and confident play both showed on saturday. Both were struggeling to get a feel for the table, with Lackner getting a better start and leading somewhat like 100:50. But Frank Scharbach never gave up and almost tied the match. But finally, he made one or two mistakes to much while Berlin local Andre Lackner made some crucial high-pressure shots and won the match with 150:107.

In the loser’s bracket, Marco Spitzky dominated Ederer, Ludwig and Kaplan and deserved his shot for the ticket to NY. In the match for the second spot, he faced Frank Scharbach again. In a race to 150, we saw a fight between traditional and modern 14.1. Scharbach used his meticulous planning skills, carefully splitting clusters and superb pattern play, while Spitzky favored the powerfull smash-and-runout style of modern straight pool players. Unfortunately, he was a little too dynamic, ran out of position a couple of times and made more mistakes than he could afford against Scharbach. Scharbach played the tournament high-run of 73 on these tight Diamond tables and sealed the deal with a clear 150:101 win. So finally, Andre Lackner and Frank Scharbach will be taking part in the 74th World Tournament of 14.1 in New York and joining the legends!

Pool fans are invited to have dinner with the world's greatest players at the 4th Annual 14.1 Straight Pool Hall of Fame Banquet by clicking here . The Straight Pool Hall of Fame Induction videos will be produced by Jerry Tarantola of www.NYCGrind.com and Ron Mason of www.GothamCityTechnologies.com . The Hall of Fame ceremonies will be streamed online for free on Ustream by Upstate Al of AZBtv.

People who can't make the dinner can watch the complete ceremony for free online at www.ustream.tv/channel/AZBtv

Live stream Pay Per View of the matches from Day 1 - Day 6 of the World 14.1 can be bought at www.worldstraightpool.com

"Every year the Straight Pool Hall of Fame sells out with over a hundred people attending. It's a classy, entertaining, and emotional celebration of the greats of the sport", says Cindy Lee, CEO of Dragon Promotions.

Past inductees include live inductions of Ray Martin, Jerome Keough, Jack Colavita, Danny Diliberto, Oliver Ortmann, Gene Nagy. Group inductions by decades include 14.1 Hall of Famer legends Ralph Greenleaf, Frank Taberski, Erwin Rudolph, Jimmy Caras, Andrew Ponzi, Thomas Hueston, Alfredo de Oro.

18 Days of Live in August

The Dynamic European Championships for Juniors, Seniors and Ladies will be LIVE on Kozoom from August 1st to August 16th, immediately followed by the next Eurotour stop from August 21st to the 23rd. So order your Premium Pass now to follow the action!

Free Replays of the Qatar World 9-Ball Championship
Did you know you can watch replays of the Qatar World 9-Ball Championship as a courtesy from the Qatari Billiards & Snooker Federation? You just need to create an account if you don't have one already. Click here to view the replays.

New Exciting Feature for Players
From now on, all players who have registered on kozoom.com can access their own matches that have been recorded during the competitions covered by Kozoom.com. The Beta version of this new service already includes matches from the latest European Championships in North Cyprus. Click here for more details.

Dynamic Billard European Youth Championships 2014 ready to go

This year’s version of the Dynamic Billard European Youth Championships is about to be started. The location could not be better. The event will be played in Hotel Bernadin in Portoroz, Slovenia, and organized by the Italian Federation FIBIS.

This uncommon setup is due to the fact that Portoroz is a beautiful Slovenian holiday resort which is situated in the lovely region of Istria, a few kilometers away from the Italian coastal town of Trieste. The resort is surrounded by a scenic bay and is situated right on the water. The players can relax and go for a swim in between matches or enjoy an amazing walk on the promenade.

From August 1st through 8th, 131 youth players from over 28 European nations will compete for titles in straight pool, 8-ball, 9-ball, 10-ball and team competition in the juniors, pupils and girls category. The youth EC will be followed by the EC for seniors and ladies which will take place from August 10th through 16th. 104 players in the seniors and ladies category will as well joust for the titles in the same disciplines as the youth players.

After the two European Championship events, a Euro-Tour will take place from August 21st through 23rd. These three back to back tournaments will make Portoroz in Slovenia the European Pool capital for the upcoming month.

Play will begin on Friday morning at 09:00 CET with the first rounds of straight pool.

If you want to follow the action LIVE on the internet, you can join on www.kozoom.com and register for free. Then, become a premium member and watch all matches on 22 tables as they happen. Can you get any closer to an event than that? Matches will be provided in HiRes quality. You can also visit us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/KozoomPool.

All results, lineups, player information, etc. can be found on the event website www.epconline.eu or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/europeanpocketbilliardfederation.

High quality matches in juniors and pupils straight pool on day 1

In the juniors division, last year’s most successful player Joshua Filler (GER) played for the first time just coming out of the pupils. His play was as strong as it used to be. The young German who also participates in the men’s Euro-Tour at times won all his matches today with clear results. He defeated Patryk Statkiewicz (POL) 100:28, Andreas Madsen (DEN) 100:47, Klemen Gradisnik (SLO) 100:44 and in the quarter-final match Pawel Kaczmarek (POL) 100:26 even. He will meet Tian Zhang (SWE) in tomorrow’s semi-final at 17:30 CET. Zhang surprisingly ousted Raphael Wahl (GER) in his quarter-final match with 100:82. The second semi-final will be played between Spasian Spasov (BUL) and Daniel Tangudd (SWE). In that match, Tangudd definitely is the player who could be regarded as the favorite. But Spasov has proven today that he should not be underestimated by any opponent in this event. He lost his first match with Klemen Gradisnik (SLO) 76:100 but then started his crusade on the loser’s side. Victories over Dylan Vyvey (BEL) 100:83, Clemens Schober (AUT) 100:80 and Oliver Szolnoki (HUN) in the quarter-final with 100:77 demonstrate that Spasov definitely also is a factor to calculate with. On paper, Tangudd and Filler are the players who can be regarded as favorites for the semi-final matches.

In the pupils division, the defending Champion was not playing this year. Joshua Filler (GER), who won the title last year in Sarajevo and reached the age limit this year. However, there were still some brilliant players in the pupils division. One of them was Maksim Dudanets (RUS). The young Russian started at a very young age. He is 16 years by now and therefore eligible to still compete in the pupils. And he had a good day today. He won four straight matches in a row. In his first round appearance, he defeated Osman Sanlisoy (TNC) with 75:54. In the next round, Emil Bjorkmann (NOR) was his next victim with 75:17. It seemed as if Dudanets would get stronger during the competition. In the winner’s qualification round, he sent Frederico Amendola (ITA) to the loser’s side. Then, in the quarter-final match, he eliminated Nicolas Georgopoulos (GER) with 75:25. Dudanets will face Cyriel Ledoux (NED) tomorrow in the semi-final match which will be played at 17:30 CET.

The other semi-final match will be played between Patrick Hofmann (GER) and Daniel Maciol (POL). Both players had four straight wins and the match is looking promising to become quite intense.

The Dynamic Billard European Youth Championships 2014 will continue tomorrow morning at 09:00 CET with matches of the 10-ball individuals. Later on in the afternoon, the straight pool semi-finals will be played with the finals scheduled for 19:30 CET.

All matches can be viewed LIVE at www.kozoom.com. 22 tables in HiRes quality are providing you with all the action of the event. You do not miss out one single match! Join today!

More information about participants, schedules, achievements, rankings, etc can be found on the event website www.epconline.eu.

The event is hosted by the European Pocket Billiard Federation EPBF and organized by International Billiard Promotion Foundation IBPF.

Dennis "Spears" It 3 Years in a Row for ANDY CLOTH World Tournament of 14.1
By Ed Liddawi

Edison, NJ – For their third consecutive year, Sandcastle Billiards hosted a qualifier event for the World Tournament of 14.1 Continuous Straight Pool. Only one slot remained available in the 16 man double-elimination qualifier tournament. The top 2 finishers were to be awarded a seat in the prestigious main event being held this year in New York from August 4th.A very talented and bloodthirsty field came out from various neighboring states to compete on this 12th with players by Noon time as they began practicing till the first round was called at 1pm.

Fans and players can attend the once a year special event August 4th-9th, 2014 at Steinway Billiards Cafe or watch online at www.worldstraightpool.com . $50 All Event Pay Per View special for the ANDY CLOTH World Tournament of 14.1 !! Price goes up on Aug 2. It will be a star studded gala with billiard super stars such as Mika Immonen, Shane Van Boening, John Schmidt, Stephan Cohen, Johnny Archer, Darren Appleton & many more with Charlie Williams as the event MC. The ANDY CLOTH World Tournament of 14.1 is sponsored by ANDY CLOTH, Kamui Brands, OB Cues, Amsterdam Billiard Club, Realrealcool.com, Pool & Billiard Magazine , Aramith Balls, and George Beckman Kinetic Sculptures. Official patron 14.1 aficionados are Stu Mattana, Tom Gleich, Harold Siegel, and Dr. Greg Diehl Plastic Surgery. Dragon Promotions and Dr. Michael Fedak are pleased to also bring the 4th Annual Straight Pool Hall of Fame inducting "King" James Rempe and Frank "Sailor" Stellman. Since 1912, this will be the 74th production of the oldest billiard event in the world.

The pills had been drawn at random and the first round matchups were as follows;
Holden Chin vs. Sean Leinen
Sean “Alaska” Morgan vs. Gene Ok
Gerard Soriano vs. Flaco Rodriguez
Don Montalvo vs. Robert Madenjian
Dominic Noe vs. Jeff Crawford
Jim Heller vs. Eddie Culhane
Geovani Hosang vs. Dennis Spears

Although any one of these competitors were very capable of winning this event, only two of these cue proficient warriors would be awarded the honors to advance and compete in the 74th World Tournament of Straight Pool.

The first to receive those honors by ripping through the field undefeated for the 3rdin a row was Sandcastle’s very own house player, Dennis Spears aka “Spider”.

With victories over NJ local player, Geovani Hosang 100-19, then 100-32 over Eddie Culhane also from NJ, then a close one over a very impressive Dominic Noe 100-87 and finally over World Tournament veteran and solid player Bob Madenjian 100-39, Spears once again defended his home turf and rightfully claimed the 1st spot.

The other valiant contender took a very scenic route with a first round loss. After getting sent to the one-loss side of the charts by Dominic Noe, Jeff Crawford originally from Elkhart, Indiana and currently residing in Parkesberg, Pennsylvania clawed his way through a gauntlet of skillful and commendable opponents.

Crawford’s first round loss to Noe was followed by a 2nd battle began. First taking down the fierce Sean “Alaska” Morgan of NY with a score of 100-60, then Sandcastle’s own Gerard Soriano 100-41, he went on to defeat Raxx Pool Room owner, Holden Chin 100-45, then the well revered NY player, Flaco Rodriguez 100-34 and finally being victorious over the unyielding Bob Madenjian, Crawford claimed the 2nd year slot into the main event.

Special recognition goes out to Sean Morgan and Holden Chin as they had a nail biting final score of 100-95 in their match. Congrats to Michael Franzyshen, Sandcastle In-House 14.1 handicapped league 3 –Time Champion for stepping up to the big leagues and also squeaking out a 100-95 victory over Sean Leinen. Acknowledge Gerard Soriano, long overdue for getting his feet wet. It’s not the last time you’ll see his name for sure.

Thank you Sean Leinen and Bob Madenjian for making those long trips out to compete once again, Don Montalvo for doing what it took to make it possible to come out, Geovani Hosang and Jim Heller for your continued support and improved games as you entered the battlegrounds, the well respected Flaco Rodriguez, always a pleasure to have,
Gene Ok and Dominic Noe, such a pleasure meeting you. I hope to see you all at the main event.

Sandcastle Billiards would like to thank all those who came out to compete this year and all of its loyal regular patrons that continue to work to improve their game and share the same passion for the game enjoying the beauty of its complexity, poetry, high demand for focus and freedom of individual expression and style of play. “We’re not here just to make a dollar- we’re here to make a difference!” Good luck and play well.

Amsterdam Billiards World Tournament of 14.1 Qualifier: Smith & Lombardo Triumph!
By Jude Rosenstock

The battle for the two last remaining spots in the 2014 World Straight Pool Championships took place this past weekend at a poolroom truly worthy of hosting it. Amsterdam Billiards, home to the world’s oldest and largest 14.1 league has seen its share of great straight pool over the decades and this tournament would be no exception.

The field was filled with qualifier winners from past years including Holden Chin, Bob Madenjian, Sean Morgan, Gary O’Callaghan, Jude Rosenstock and Jonathan Smith but it was clear from the start that the polished professional yet new-comer to straight pool was certain to make an impact. Hunter Lombardo was here to play.

With a bye in his first round match, Hunter began his journey through the bracket with the lone shut-out of the tournament, dispatching Holden Chin 100-0 while posting a 50+ consecutive run along the way.

The Hunter locomotive continued past veteran local player Ed Culhane in a decisive 100-19 victory but was immediately stalled by the field’s most accomplished straight pool player, 178-ball runner, Jonathan Smith. It was clear, Hunter’s path to the finish just got a lot more difficult.

First to meet Hunter on the B-Side of the bracket was Holden Chin who had just narrowly eliminated Brian Lau from the tournament. A rematch from the second round, Holden rebounded from his early loss and proceeded through Jim Murnak, Gene Ok, Bob Zak and Lau to earn his chance to revenge his shut-out but it was not to be. Hunter, on his own rebound, returned to form and handed the Raxx House Pro another loss. This time, he won by the score of 100-36, sending his journey into Sunday to meet Gary O’Callaghan.

Gary had been here before; the second day, the finals in sight. This was familiar territory for the Irish-born pool player who boasts a cash-finish in his first World Championship appearance. To say Gary was comfortable would be an understatement. His four victories on Saturday were won in an average of 55 minutes and his only loss was delivered by none other than Society Billiards house pro, Jonathan Smith.

Storming out of the gate, Gary set the pace, quickly depositing the first rack of balls but ran into trouble in the next. Hunter managed to come back and take the lead momentarily but Gary served-up another batch of balls and looked destined for the finals, taking a 90-73 lead but facing an awkward break-shot.

It didn’t take Gary long to decide the risk was not worth the reward and instead of thinly slicing his break-ball, he opted to play safe which proved costly. Hunter went on to win the safety battle and, in spite of the long break between offensive opportunities, came up with one great shot after another to win 100-94 and face Sean “Alaska” Morgan.

This was Sean’s second opportunity to secure a spot. The night before, in the midst of all the B-side action going on, he lost to Jonathan Smith in the Winner’s Side Finals. Jonathan truly earned his spot having gone through Gary O’Callaghan, Hunter Lombardo and finally Sean Morgan but Sean remained optimistic about his chances even though he would have to go through Hunter to get there.

Sean opened the final match with a textbook perfect safety, forcing Hunter to foul twice in a row and earning the first lead. That lead, established in the third inning, would expand to a 34-point margin inning with the score at 91-57 in Sean’s favor. It was at that moment, the game wouldcome to a grinding halt for Sean. Hunter began by running off 16 balls and playing safe. The battle for control continued with both players taking fouls and playing safe while picking off open shots during the process. All the while, Hunter was gaining ground and then finally, the pivotal moment worthy of Hollywood happened.


Up by the score of 95-92, Sean played an aggressive safety, further opening the table while leaving the cue-ball frozen and tucked neatly away from any direct shots but an unpredictable kiss would send the 10-ball dangling over the side pocket. It was clear; Hunter would have to try and kick the 10-ball in.

Leaving it was too risky and the scattered balls nearly insured that this lone shot would determine the outcome of the tournament. After taking a moment to measure the shot, Hunter opted for a soft kick, pocketed the 10-ball cleanly and positioned perfectly to run the final seven balls to win the final qualifier spot. Undoubtedly, this was the most dramatic ending ever seen at any previous Amsterdam qualifier.

Hunter Lombardo and Jonathan Smith will go on to compete at the 74th August 4-9, hosted by Steinway Billiards in Astoria, Queens, New York City. This will be Jonathan’s 9th appearance and Hunter’s first. Note from Dragon Promotions: Special thanks to Jude & Cate Rosenstock who did an excellent job directing the event and updating live score brackets for 14.1 fans around the world. And many thanks once again to Greg Hunt, owner of Amsterdam Billiard Club for his staunch sponsorship and support of the World 14.1 since its revival in 2006.