Site News
Topic: *Industry News* 2012

PINOY BET MISTICA WINS CANADIAN 8-BALL CHAMPIONSHIPS; POCKETS $2,250
by Marlon Bernardino

FILIPINO Ramon "Maestro Monching" Mistica won the 2012 Canadian Open 8-Ball Championships held last March 31 and April 1 in Calgary, Alberta, Canada.

He defeated Canadian Nick Kruger in the finals, 6-3, pocketing $2,250 total prize money.Kruger, on the other hand settled for runner-up purse of $1,500. Another Filipino entry Edwin Montal wound up third for $900.

“Finally, I made it. It has been my dream for quite sometime now to win a championship in an international tournament,” said the Murphy, Quezon City pride Mistica, who is best to remember beating Filipino pool legend Jose "Amang" Parica in the mid 80's.

Mistica downed Russ Whittle, 6-1, in the semi-finals to arranged a titular showdown with Kruger, a 6-2 winner over Montal.

Earlier, Mistica, a habitue of Star Billiards Center in Grace Village, Quezon City, playing under the guidance of Matthew lowe and Jerome lansang, defeated Jonathan dela Cruz, 6-3, Joe Pence, 6-4, and Cory Livermore 6-4, respectively to reach the Final Four.

Davis Considers The Long Run

Steve Davis believes that running the Sheffield Half Marathon this May will help him prolong his snooker career.

The 54-year-old snooker legend is joining other green baize stars such as Shaun Murphy, Peter Ebdon and Michael Holt for the 13-mile run in Sheffield on May 27, to raise money for the Paul Hunter Foundation.

And six-times World Champion Davis, now playing his 34th consecutive season on the main tour, hopes he’s still got plenty of time on the professional circuit.

“It has made me fitter mentally and physically,” said Davis, currently ranked 39th in the world. “Next season is going to be very tough, playing in all the qualifiers and PTC events. There’s a lot of travelling involved and sometimes we play three or four matches in a day. So the fitness will definitely help. I’m going to keep the running going after the Half Marathon and maybe aim to run it every year.

“The training has been gruelling. Going the distance at the World Championship leaves you mentally tired and there were times when I lost half a stone over the 17 days. But that’s nothing to compare to the physical tiredness I have felt after running - it’s genuine exhaustion. When you are running uphill your body is telling you to give up and your legs are going, and you have to overrule it with strength of mind.

“There will be a lot of people dressed as bananas or pantomime characters running past me. I could finish last, it will be close between me and the guy in a deep sea diving costume with lead boots.”

Next Wednesday, Davis competes in the Betfred.com World Championship qualifiers at the English Institute of Sport – Sheffield. He’ll face either Joe Swail, Daniel Wells or Ben
Woollaston in his first match, and if he wins that he’ll face Dominic Dale for a place at the Crucible.

“The nerves have started, which is a good thing,” said Davis, who reached the quarter-finals of snooker’s biggest event two years ago. “It’s the one event each season which makes me feel uptight and insular, and I enjoy that because it shows how much is still means. I will be giving it everything.

“At best, each match is 50/50, they are all good players. I just have to hope I can string some performances together.”

Davis also had some words of encouragement for his son Greg, who will attempt to qualify for the pro circuit when he plays in Q School in Sheffield in May. He added: “It will be fascinating to see how he gets on. I know he is practising his head off to be ready and I just hope he enjoys it. He’ll have more eyes on him than most of the other players, but hopefully he’ll be able to relax and play well.

“He wouldn’t let me anywhere near the venue so I won’t be able to watch him. The only way I could get away with it would be to disguise myself as a referee! But I’ll be on the phone to the venue every five minutes to find out how he’s getting on.”

The Betfred.com World Championship qualifiers from April 5 to 15 at the English Institute of Sport - Sheffield. Legends like Stephen Hendry, Jimmy White, Steve Davis and Ken Doherty will be battling for a place at the Crucible. TICKETS FOR THE QUALIFIERS ARE ON SALE and it's a fantastic chance to see star players fighting for a place at snooker's Theatre of Dreams. Prices range from £5 to £7.50. To book call 0114 256 5567 or visit www.arenaticketshop.co.uk

Please note that we are only selling tickets for the matches in the Badminton Hall (April 7-12 and 14-15). This does not include the phase for members not on the tour which is played in the Academy. From April 6, tickets should be purchased at the venue or by calling 07881 437385.

The qualifiers can also be viewed online with our live streaming service. See www.liveworldsnooker.tv

To donate to Steve Davis, visit www.justgiving.com/stevesnooker

For more information on the Paul Hunter Foundation go to www.paulhunterfoundation.org

Pool 300 Sanctions with CSI

Henderson, NV. - April 4, 2012 - CueSports International (CSI) is proud to announce the sanctioning of Pool300 by the BCA Pool League (BCAPL), starting June 1, 2012. CSI and Pool300 have reached a long term agreement to sanction all Pool300 players with BCA Pool League.

“CSI is proud to be affiliated with Pool300. We are very excited about Pool300 sending 50% of all local teams to our BCAPL National Championships at the Rio Hotel & Casino Las Vegas in July 2013. This is the highest percentage that any league has ever tried to send to nationals. It allows more players to participate in The Greatest Pool Tournament in the World and reinforces the CSI mission: More Choices for All Players,” stated Mark Griffin, CEO of CueSports International.

From a recent Pool300 press release:

“Most competing Pool Leagues either don’t offer a paid trip to their National Championship or reward a very small percentage of their teams, usually 5% or less. Pool300 will reward 50% of the teams in each league with a trip that includes roundtrip airfare, hotel accommodations, and entry fee into the tournament.

“In POOL300, clearing the table in order without missing gets the shooter a strike. Clearing the table with one miss is a spare. POOL300 is 100% offense. When it’s your turn, you’re shooting for yourself, not directly against another player. Players are handicapped in the same way as bowling so beginners can compete against accomplished players and still have a chance to win.

“For complete details go to www.pool300.com or to get a league started contact Scott Willoughby at 855-TRY-POOL300.”

For more information about the BCAPL National Championships visit www.playbca.com.

CueSports International (CSI) is dedicated to creating more choices for all players. In the past seven years CSI has directly paid out approximately Seven Million Dollars to players. CSI is the parent company of the BCA Pool League and the USA Pool League. CSI also produces independent events such as the US Bar Table Championships, the Jay Swanson Memorial, the US Open One Pocket Championship and the US Open 10-Ball Championship. Visit www.playcsipool.com, www.playbca.com and www.playusapool.com for more information about CSI and its divisions.

CSI leads the billiard industry in the development of technology. For more information on the state-of-the-art software systems for league and tournament management visit www.leaguesys.net and www.ctsondemand.com.

Hossein Set To Become Iran’s First Snooker Pro

Hossein Vafaei Ayouri will make history next season as the first professional snooker player from Iran.

The talented 17-year-old from Abadan won the IBSF World Amateur Championship last December, which has earned him a place on the professional tour for the next two years. He will be eligible to compete in all ranking events, starting with the Wuxi Classic qualifiers in early June.

Hossein, who beat Welshman Lee Walker 10-9 in the World Amateur final, said: “It was the best feeling of my life. My father passed away last year and it was his dream for me to become a professional and world champion, which I achieved for him.

“I am very excited and determined to succeed on the pro circuit . I have played as a wild card in two ranking events in China and I can’t wait to play in the big tournaments.

“My target for the next two years is to win ranking tournaments and reach the top 16. I believe I can do this.”

Hossein, who will soon move to a practice base in the UK, added: “I am very proud to be the first Iranian pro and I hope I can do well to make my people happy. My Federation has supported me enormously and I hope I can do well to make them proud.

“Snooker is a very popular sport in Iran, second after football. We have over 1,000 clubs and many of the younger generation are attracted to the sport. The stars like Ronnie O’Sullivan are as famous in Iran as they are in the UK. We watch the World Snooker tournaments on the satellite channels. And our local television, with the efforts of our Federation and Ministry of Sport, are to beginning to show our national ranking tournaments, which I am sure will increase the number of snooker supporters.”

Hossein, who names John Higgins and Jimmy White as his snooker idols, first played snooker at the age of seven. “There was a club opposite my house and I was curious to see what it looked like inside,” he said. “One day I asked my father about the club and he held my hand and took me inside. From then on I fell in love snooker. I used to go to the club after school and even finished my homework there.”

WPBSA Chairman Jason Ferguson said: “We’re absolutely delighted to see an Iranian player on the professional tour for the first time. Snooker is growing globally like never before and we are keen to see the sport develop in every country and for gifted players to come through. Hossein played extremely well to win the World Amateur title against a very strong field and he deserves his place on the tour.

“We have recently announced a new qualifying criteria for the main tour with more places allocated for international players. By providing more opportunities for countries where snooker is growing, we can accelerate the development of snooker worldwide.”

EGG-CELLENT DEALS AT RILEYS THIS EASTER

It's business as usual over the Easter holidays with our normal opening hours applying, so get your mates together and head down to your local Rileys for beer, balls and banter

The weather's not looking good so plan ahead as we have lots of deals on for you including our All-in deal which gets you 2 hours of pool or snooker, a pint and a 12-month Rileys membership when you buy online for just £10! Just click here to buy your £10 offer, and we'll see you when you're ready.

For details on other offers including our Play all day deal, under 16s offer and off-peak table booking deal go to our Offers Page.

Cheaper than a couple of Easter eggs, and much more fun!

Regards,
The Rileys Team

REMINDER: CSI US Opens’ Late Fees Start Next Week        

CueSports International - April 6, 2012 - CueSports International (CSI) wishes to remind players that the late fees kick-in April 9th for the 13th US Open One Pocket Championship (May 10-13, 2012) and the 4th US Open 10-Ball Championship (May 14-19, 2012). Both premier pro-level events are held alongside the BCAPL National Championships (May 9-20, 2012) at the Riviera Hotel & Casino, Las Vegas, Nevada.

The US Open One Pocket Championship is limited to 64 players and is a guaranteed $10,000 added event. The standard entry fee for this event is $340 and the late entry fee is $390.

The US Open 10-Ball Championship is limited to 96 players and is a guaranteed $25,000 added event. It is a BCA Point Event which determines the US player invites to World Championships and which players represent the US at the annual Mosconi Cup. The standard entry fee for the 10-Ball event is $550 and the late entry fee is $600.

Both events were announced and entries have been accepted since January. Players who wish to play in either or both events need to contact Holly Ryan at CSI (holly@playcsipool.com) or call 702-719-7665 (9 am – 5 pm US Pacific Time Monday – Friday).

Entry forms can be viewed, downloaded and printed at www.playcsipool.com. To avoid the late fee, entry forms may be faxed at 702-307-1609 or scanned and emailed to holly@playcsipool.com. Entries also mailed and postmarked no later than April 9th will not be considered late, but will be processed when received depending on space availability. It is encouraged that entries be faxed or emailed.

CueSports International (CSI) is dedicated to creating more choices for all players. In the past seven years CSI has directly paid out approximately Seven Million Dollars to players. CSI is the parent company of the BCA Pool League and the USA Pool League. CSI also produces independent events such as the US Bar Table Championships, the Jay Swanson Memorial, the US Open One Pocket Championship and the US Open 10-Ball Championship. Visit www.playcsipool.com, www.playbca.com and www.playusapool.com for more information about CSI and its divisions.

CSI leads the billiard industry in the development of technology. For more information on the state-of-the-art software systems for league and tournament management visit www.leaguesys.net and www.ctsondemand.com.

REYES, BUSTAMANTE, ORCOLLO, ALCANO LEADS PH'S BID IN INTERNATIONAL 10-BALL CUP THIS MONTH

WORLD CHAMPIONS Efren “Bata” Reyes, Francisco “Django” Bustamante, Dennis "Robocop" Orcollo and Ronato "Volcano" Alcano will spearhead the country’s campaign in the forthcoming 2012 Mayor Antonio Calixto International 10-Ball Cup slated on April 26 to 29 at the Cuneta Astrodome in Pasay City.

“It's going to be exciting, that's for sure," said Tournament
organizer and veteran internationalists Edgar "Malabon" Acaba who said that players from Taiwan, China, Japan, South Korea, Vietnam, Germany, Great Britain, the Netherlands, Spain, Finland, France, Canada and US have already confirmed their attendance.

The four-day World Pool-Billiard Association (WPA) sanctioned tournament offers a total prize fund of $60,000 with the champion getting $30,000 in the event hosted by Pasay City Mayor Antonio Calixto and supported by Rep. Emi Calixto-Rubiano and long-time billiards patron Sebastian "Baste" Chua.

“It will be very tough playing against the top Asian players.. Not to be outdone are players from Europe and America,” said the 57-year-old Reyes, a former World 8-Ball and 9-Ball champion and a Billiards Hall of Famer, playing under the banner of Puyat Sports.

"I hope that a Filipino will win," added Orcollo, reigning PSA Annual Awards night co-Athlete of the Year from the star-studded Bugsy Promotions.

Other Filipino entries are Alex Pagulayan, Lee Vann Corteza, Carlo Biado, Roberto Gomez, Jeffrey de Luna, Marlon Manalo, Ramil Gallego, Antonio Lining, Rodolfo Luat, Warren Kiamco, Allan Cuartero, Jundel Mazon, Arman Cagol, Ramon Mistica, Renemar David, Jonas Magpantay and Rodrigo Geronimo.

Among the notable cue masters who are expected to arrive are former world champion Darren Appleton of Great Britain, reigning Philippine Open titlist Thorsten Hohmann of Germany, Shane Van Boening of US, John Mora of Canada, Chang Jung-lin and Chieh-Yu Chou of Chinese-Taipei, reigning World 9-ball champions (for mens and womens, respectively).

The Satellite Tournaments (Qualifying rounds) will be held for Filipino's on April 16-21, 23,24 starts 6pm. at the Star Billiards Center #46 Joy St. Grace Village QC. For registration contact: Edgar M. Acaba at +63922-851-9981: +63927-858-2469; or email: edgar.m.acaba.promotions@gmail.com and Joel Calzado at +6393-350-77259.

French 3-Cushion Championship, D1 Day 7

Follow the best 3-Cushion players LIVE on Kozoom. The Live video coverage will start on Thu, Apr 12th at 5PM, Paris time. If you don't have your Premium Pass yet, you can register here, www.kozoom.com/en/billiard-carom/premium-pass/

Predator & Poison Pro Pool Schools Create Excitement with Kids & Adults in East & West


Girls and boys learn the correct path to pool excellence by pros like Amar "AK-47" Kang.

Virginia & Wyoming- Allison Fisher, Rodney Morris, Raj Hundal, Amar Kang, Charlie Williams. Super star names and world class talents came together to educate and improve players of all ages. Poison Cues by Predator brought together world class billiard professionals Charlie Williams, Rodney Morris, and Raj Hundal to Saratoga, Wyoming for a special Poison Pro Pool School at Duke's Bar & Grill while Guys & Dolls Billiards hosted women's World Champion Allison Fisher and Charlie Williams at the Predator Pro Pool School. The Predator Poison Pro Pool Schools was developed by Dragon Promotions and formatted for 1-2 day courses to help players of all levels improve critical game skills such as breaking, cue ball control, power draw and follow shots. Participants can expect to learn how to improve their overall technique and identify how to take their games to the next level.

The Predator Pro Pool School in Roanoke, Virginia hosted the "Duchess of Doom" Allison Fisher and "The Korean Dragon" Charlie Williams at Guys & Dolls Billiards, one of the oldest poolrooms in the USA today. Men, women, seniors of all skill levels learned the proper way to play the game as well as creating powerful spin strokes and the finer mental nuances of the game.

"Allison really knows her stuff. Plus her voice is so lovely I could listen to her all day", said John Joplin, owner of Guys & Dolls.

"I can't believe that the Allison Fisher I see on TV all the time is actually here in front of me", murmured one of the fans.

Fisher had the complete attention of her pupils

"Roanoke is such a lovely place. I really enjoyed my time here", said Fisher.

In Wyoming, Predator Group and Dragon Promotions brought The Poison Pool School back for the second year in a row to the 1700 population town of Saratoga, Wyoming. World renown professionals Charlie Williams, Rodney Morris, Raj Hundal, and new kid on the pro block Amar Kang worked with kids and adults for 4 hours to put them on the right path to pool greatness.

Wyoming is a future hotbed of pool talent with Predator pros teaching them each year

"Working with these kids was an amazing experience. This is the wholesome part of the game pool needs", said Amar "Ak-47" Kang. Amar uses the Predator BK 2 Break Cue.

"This is a good group of teachers because each of us is so passionate about the students learning and really getting better", said Hundal, who uses Poison and Predator cue technology.

Hundal teaches the nuances of the Break to the advance class

12 year old Jaxon King was one of three returning students from the year before. He passed and scored the highest of the students on a test designed by pro instructor Charlie Williams. He received a free Poison playing cue for his efforts.


Most improved student Jaxon King wowed the class and instructors and was rewarded with a new Poison Cue

Young Jaxon updated his Facebook page with " I had a wonderful day! played with the best pool players in the world and for making 24 shots in a row I was given a $300 pool cue by Charlie Williams. Thanks for everything Charlie, Raj, Amar and Rodney.

Rodney teaches his aiming system to the students. Morris uses his own signature line Poison Cue and the Predator BK 2.

"It's wonderful having the top guys here and I really want our Wyoming players to learn the right way to play", said host EJ Glode. Glode also promotes the Wyoming Open which ended the day before. Conveniently, all 4 instructors took the top 5 spots with Morris at 1st place, Kang 2nd, Williams 3rd, and Hundal at 5th in the 64 player masters division.

"The Predator & Poison Pool Schools is just a perfect opportunity for fans and pros to meet and spend time together. And I enjoy the fact of showing players the benefits of using Predator technology and showing players overnight improvement with Predator Cues", said Williams who currently uses Predator Ikon series and Poison VX Jump Cue.

Poison Cues are the most accurate high performance cues in their price market
                                            
Players can register for future Predator Poison Schools by e-mail at propoolschool1@gmail.com or by calling (407) 782-4978. For more information, click on the following link: https://www.facebook.com/dragonpromotionsnews

Dragon Promotions set a new standard for pool schools and professional instructing by creating the Predator Pro Pool School and Poison Pool School programs over 10 years ago. The schools have featured top notch names such as Rodney Morris, Mika Immonen, Johnny Archer, Francisco Bustamante, Karen Corr, Jose Parica, Nick Varner, Ralf Souquet, Thorsten Hohmann, Charlie Williams, Raj Hundal, Tony Robles, Yu Ram Cha, and Efren Reyes. Predator & Poison Pro Pool Schools have instructed a variety of students in places such as Korea, Japan, India, and cities of the US like Chicago, Boston, Roanoke, Houston, Jacksonville, Philadelphia, and Virginia Beach. For more information on Dragon Promotions’ worldwide events and players email propoolschool1@gmail.com and visit www.dragonpromotions.com and follow Dragon Promotions on FaceBook at http://www.facebook.com/dragonpromotionsnews.

China's Liu Hai Tao favored over Filipino bet Alex Pagulayan in PBB Face Off Series this Saturday night
by Marlon Bernardino

CHINA's Liu Hai Tao remains the favorite over Filipino ace Alex "The Lion" Pagulayan when the Philippine Bigtime Billiards (PBB) Face Off Series dubbed as Philippines versus Asia will resume on Saturday, April 14, 9pm at the PAGCOR Airport Casino in Parañaque City.

"“I will do my very best,” said Liu through an interpreter, currently World No.11 in the latest World Pool-Billiard Association (WPA) ranking list.

The Cabagan, Isabela native Pagulayan, playing under the banner of Puyat Sports for his part " Bagama't dehado ako sa laban tityakin ko na mabibigyan ko s'ya ng magandang laban," added Pagulayan, World No.71 who is schedule to spearheaded the country's bid in the forthcoming 2012 International 10 ball Cup on April 26 to 29 at the Cuneta Astrodome in Pasay City.

Sports Betting at MegaSportsWorld favored Liu against Pagulayan as of Friday. A $1-bet on Alcano would win $ 1.65. A $1-bet on Pagulayan would win $1.87 in this race-to-9, 10-ball affair, winner's break format event, jointly organized by the Mega Sports World and BRKHRD Corp and will be aired live over Solar Sports, Sky Channel 70 and Destiny Channel 34 and also aired worldwide through the Internet, live streaming at www.starbilliards.com.ph, www.megasportsworld.com and www.philippinebigtimebilliards.com.

Taiwanese cue artist Chang Yu Long defeated Filipino Ronato "Volcano" Alcano, 9-7, last March 31. The win allowed Team Asia takes 4-3 series lead against Team Philippines in the event backed up by Sorsogon Province Sports Patron Philip Escudero, Malungai Life Oil, Mandarin Sky Sea Food Restaurant, Servo Marketing, Hermes Sports Bar, Golden Leaf Restaurant, Bugsy Promotions, Billiards Managers and Players Association of the Philippines (BMPAP), Airport Casino Filipino and The Philippine Star as official media partner.

Future matches between Liu against Dennis "Robocop" Orcollo on April 21 and Fong Pang Chao of Chinese-Taipei opposite Lee Vann "The Slayer" Corteza on April 28.

PAGULAYAN BEATS LIU; TEAM PHILIPPINES SERIES TIED 4-4 AGAINST TEAM ASIA IN PBB
by Marlon Bernardino

FILIPINO Alex "The Lion" Pagulayan clustered two straight racks to beat Liu Hai Tao of China, 9-6, to win the Philippine Bigtime Billiards (PBB) Face-Off Series late Saturday (April 14) at the Pagcor Airport Casino in Parañaque City.

The win was worth $5,000 for Pagulayan while Liu settled for $2,500 in the winner's break format, dubbed as Philippines versus Asia, jointly organized by the Mega Sports World and BRKHRD Corp and aired live over Solar Sports, Sky Channel 70 and Destiny Channel 34, and also aired worldwide through the Internet, live streaming at www.megasportsworld.com and www.philippinebigtimebilliards.com. The win allowed Team Philippines series tied 4-4 against Team Asia.

"The ball rolls in my favor in the end game," said the former WPA World 9-ball champion Pagulayan, one of the top player of Puyat Sports who wook a 6-3 to 7-6 lead and never looked back.

Earlier, Taiwanese cue artist Chang Yu Long defeated Filipino Ronato "Volcano" Alcano, 9-7, last March 31. The win allowed Team Asia takes 4-3 series lead against Team Philippines.

The PBB Face Off series backed up by Sorsogon Province Sports Patron Philip Escudero, Malungai Life Oil, Mandarin Sky Sea Food Restaurant, Servo Marketing, Hermes Sports Bar, Golden Leaf Restaurant, Bugsy Promotions, Billiards Managers and Players Association of the Philippines (BMPAP), Airport Casino Filipino and The Philippine Star resumes with a match pitting Liu against Dennis "Robocop" Orcollo on April 21 and Fong Pang Chao of Chinese-Taipei opposite Lee Vann "The Slayer" Corteza on April 28.

O’Sullivan To Face Ebdon At The Crucible

Ronnie O’Sullivan will take on Peter Ebdon in the opening round of the Betfred.com World Snooker Championship at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield, which starts on Saturday.

The random draw took place on Talksport radio earlier today with the top 16 seeds pitted at against the 16 qualifiers.

The Championship runs from April 21 to May 7 and TICKETS FOR SELECTED SESSIONS ARE STILL AVAILABLE. For details call 0844 6565 147 or visit sheffieldtheatres.co.uk

Three-time World Champion O’Sullivan will have a tough task against in-form Ebdon, who won the Bank of Beijing China Open earlier this month and thrashed Alfie Burden 10-0 in his qualifying match for Sheffield yesterday.

On the opening day of the £1.1 million tournament, defending champion John Higgins will take on China’s Liang Wenbo, a former Shanghai Masters finalist who is currently ranked 38th in the world.

Belgian prodigy Luca Brecel, age 17 years and one month, will become the youngest player ever to compete at the Crucible when he faces Stephen Maguire.

Two more debutants, Welshman Jamie Jones and China’s Cao Yupeng, were drawn out against Shaun Murphy and Mark Allen respectively.

Seven time champion Stephen Hendry came through the qualifiers and has been handed a tie with Stuart Bingham, who beat Hendry in the first round on his Crucible debut in 2000.

Last year’s Crucible runner-up Judd Trump will meet Dominic Dale, while the only two non-British former champions in the field, Neil Robertson and Ken Doherty, will go head to head in the opening round.

The full draw is:

John Higgins v Liang Wenbo (Saturday April 21 10am and 7pm)
Stuart Bingham v Stephen Hendry (Saturday April 21 2.30pm and Sunday April 22 7pm)
Graeme Dott v Joe Perry (Tuesday April 24 2.30pm and Wednesday April 25 10am)
Stephen Maguire v Luca Brecel (Sunday April 22 10am and Monday April 23 10am)
Shaun Murphy v Jamie Jones (Sunday April 22 2.30pm and Monday April 23 2.30pm)
Stephen Lee v Andrew Higginson (Monday April 23 7pm and Tuesday April 24 7pm)
Ali Carter v Mark Davis (Wednesday April 25 7pm and Thursday April 26 1pm)
Judd Trump v Dominic Dale (Tuesday April 24 10am and Wednesday April 25 2.30pm)
Mark Williams v Liu Chuang (Wednesday April 25 2.30pm and Thursday April 26 7pm)
Ronnie O’Sullivan v Peter Ebdon (Monday April 23 2.30pm and Tuesday April 24 2.30pm)
Martin Gould v David Gilbert (Saturday April 21 10am and Sunday April 22 10am)
Neil Robertson v Ken Doherty (Saturday April 21 2.30pm and Sunday April 22 7pm)
Ding Junhui v Ryan Day (Tuesday April 24 10am and Wednesday April 25 10am)
Mark Allen v Cao Yupeng (Saturday April 21 7pm and Sunday April 22 2.30pm)
Matthew Stevens v Marco Fu (Monday April 23 10am and 7pm)
Mark Selby v Barry Hawkins (Tuesday April 24 7pm and Wednesday April 25 7pm)

There are also hospitality packages up for grabs and it’s THE ONLY WAY TO SEE THE FINAL as tickets are sold out. For details call Frank Smith on 01277 359925

BULAONG WINS HERMES 10-BALL CUP; HIT P100,000 JACKPOT
by Marlon Bernardino

DANNY BULAONG won the 2012 Hermes 10-Ball Cup held last Saturday (April 14) at the Hermes Sports Bar, Hollywood Square Building in West Avenue, Quezon City.

He defeated Ateneo bet Biondi Te, 7-4, in the semi-final round then toppled Robin Medina, 7-3, in the finals to pocket the top prize of P100,000 (approx. £1,500/€1,800) in the 20 player's field event backed up by Tarsiers Corp., Malungai Life Oil, Association of Club, Karaoke and Disco Owners (Ackdo) and B-League Corp.

Medina settled for the runner-up purse of P40,000 (£600/€700) while Te, product of PCSO Billiards Academy, wound up in third place and took home P10,000 (approx. £150/€180).

Bugsy Promotions head Perry Mariano said that the next Hermes 10-Ball Cup will be on May 12 (Saturday).


Photo, from left to right: Robin Medina (2nd place), Biondi Te (3rd place) and Danny Bulaong (champion) take a souvenir photo during the closing rites of the 2012 Hermes 10-Ball Cup held last Saturday (April 14) at the Hermes Sports Bar, Hollywood Square Building in West Avenue, Quezon City. The 20 player's field event backed up by Tarsiers Corp., Malungai Life Oil, Association of Club, Karaoke and Disco Owners (Ackdo) and B-League Corp.

ORCOLLO READY FOR LIU IN PBB FACE OFF SERIES TONIGHT
by Marlon Bernardino

WORLD Pool-Billiard Association (WPA) Player of the Year and Philippine Sportswriters Association (PSA) Athlete of the Year Dennis “Robocop” Orcollo insists he is ready for war when he goes up against Liu Hai Tao of China in the Philippine Bigtime Billiards (PBB) Face Off Series on Saturday, April 21 at the Pagcor Airport Casino in Parañaque City.

"Liu Hai Tao is a very tough opponent." said currently World No. 6 Orcollo, who is schedule to spearheaded the country's bid in the forthcoming 2012 International 10 ball Cup on April 26 to 29 in Cuneta Astrodome, Pasay City.

"But I'm ready and I will do my very best for flag and country," added the former fisherman from Bislig, Surigao del Sur.

Orcollo, one of the top player of star-studded Bugsy Promotions, is seeking Team Philippines to get the upper hand against Team Asia.

Last April 14, Filipino Alex "The Lion" Pagulayan clustered two straight racks to beat Liu, 9-6, and allowing Team Philippines series tied 4-4 against Team Asia in the winner's break format in the jointly organized event by the Mega Sports World and BRKHRD Corp and aired live over Solar Sports, Sky Channel 70 and Destiny Channel 34, and also aired worldwide through the Internet, live streaming at www.megasportsworld.com and www.philippinebigtimebilliards.com, using the winner's break format, dubbed as Philippines versus Asia.

The PBB Face Off series backed up by Sorsogon Province Sports Patron Philip Escudero, Malungai Life Oil, Mandarin Sky Sea Food Restaurant, Servo Marketing, Hermes Sports Bar, Golden Leaf Restaurant, Bugsy Promotions, Billiards Managers and Players Association of the Philippines (BMPAP), Airport Casino Filipino and The Philippine Star also line up between Fong Pang Chao of Chinese-Taipei and Filipino Lee Vann "The Slayer" Corteza on April 28.

World Snooker - We Love The Crucible

World Snooker Chairman Barry Hearn says he would be happy to keep the World Championship at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield permanently.

Snooker's greatest tournament has been staged at the famous venue since 1977 and the current contract runs until 2015.

Hearn said: "We've had fantastic support from Sheffield City Council, Welcome to Yorkshire and the BBC, and as long as that continues I'd be happy to keep the event at the Crucible until the day I die.

"It's an outstanding venue and the refurbishment which recently took place has greatly improved the facilities.

"There's is so much history associated with the Crucible, it is synonymous with snooker and the World Championship. There's something unique and magical about the atmosphere in the arena which couldn't be replicated anywhere else. The vast majority of people involved in snooker would say the same.

"Anyone who was in the arena for the final last year when the players were introduced will tell you that it was one of the best atmospheres ever witnessed at a sporting event.

"We look forward to a wonderful Betfred.com World Championship starting tomorrow and to great years ahead in Sheffield, the Snooker City."

WPBSA Statement - Mark Allen

Having reviewed comments made in the press conference after yesterday’s match at the Betfred.com World Championship, the WPBSA will be writing to Mark Allen to initiate disciplinary proceedings.

Mark Allen was recently fined £1,000 for comments made in China during the Haikou World Open last month, and now faces further action.

WPBSA Chairman Jason Ferguson said: “The WPBSA is responsible for the governance of snooker worldwide and takes very seriously comments made which could be perceived to be directed at a particular nation. The Chairman of the disciplinary committee Nigel Mawer is making further inquiries into this incident. Mark Allen will be given 14 days to respond to the letter.”

RILEYS GIVES THE COUNTRY SNOOKER FEVER!

With the World Snooker Championship underway, Rileys Sports Bars are planning to send the country snooker mad by giving away over £150,000 worth of snooker cues.

Committed to getting the country to play more snooker, Rileys are offering people of all ages the chance to pick up a free cue worth £30 when they take advantage of their ‘all-in’ table play deal online.

Maurice Kelly, Chief Executive of Rileys Sports Bars, said: “We believe it is our responsibility to give people the opportunity to play more snooker and we want to put our money where our mouth is. The cue giveaway allows everyone the chance to claim a quality cue and start practising in any of over 100 Rileys Sports Bars nationwide.”

Barry Hearn, World Snooker Chairman, said: “This is a brilliant offer from Rileys and anyone who likes snooker should jump at the chance to get on the Rileys website and snatch this offer while stocks last.

“Snooker is well on its way to becoming a global game with the number of tournaments and prize money shooting up. I’m sure there’s an awful lot of untapped talent out there so we want to see as many people as possible playing at amateur level, and by working with Rileys we can achieve this.”

This unique offer kicks off from on Saturday the 21st of April and is available from all Rileys Sports Bars. To take advantage of this free cue offer and get playing, visit: www.rileys.co.uk/value.

ACTION PACKED!

Bobby Lee - No stranger to pool here in Thailand, he"s participated in several tournaments here including invited for the Pattaya 9 Ball invitational.

Stuart Pettman - A former top professional snooker star now doing his trade on the smaller pool tables.

CCTV and World Snooker Cue Up New Ranking Event in China

The new International Championship will be staged for the first time later this year, with the biggest top prize ever for a snooker event in Asia.

The world ranking event will run from October 28 to November 4 with £600,000 total prize money and the winner to collect £125,000. It will have the same level of ranking points as the UK Championship.

The event will be staged for the next five seasons following an agreement between World Snooker and CCTV Sports & Entertainment Co Ltd.

The tournament will feature 32 of the world’s top professional players, plus eight Asian wild cards. The host city will be confirmed shortly.

World Snooker Chairman Barry Hearn said: “We are absolutely delighted to announce this fantastic new event, alongside CCTV Sports & Entertainment Co Ltd, a great partner with vast experience in television broadcast and events.

“The International Championship will be an outstanding addition to the calendar and will take snooker into a city which has never staged a professional event before, which will help the sport continue to grow in China.

“The prize money for this event is the highest ever seen in China, and the incentive for all snooker players to climb to the top of the sport and reap the awards has never been greater.

“Last season there were two ranking events in China, next season there will be five. That shows the level of growth in the region and the hunger of the Chinese fans for more snooker. This tournament will really be something special.”

China’s top player Ding Junhui added: “It’s great news for the players and the Chinese fans that we will have a new ranking tournament in China next season. It’s another chance for our supporters there to watch the best players. I’m really excited about playing in the International Championship and I’m sure it will be a great success.”

2012 World Teams Championship

30 June to 6 July - Beijing

Prize fund: USD 300,000 (Winners USD 80,000)

In brief, this event will consist of 32 teams, 4 players (3 men & 1 woman) per team. There is an option for a team to have 5 or 6 players, but no player can play in more than 2 matches, and the female player must play in the 9-Ball and 10-Ball disciplines.

16 teams will receive automatic invites, 14 teams based on the current WPA men's rankings and 2 teams from the host country (China). Those countries are Japan, Chinese Taipei, Great Britain, Netherlands, Philippines, Germany, USA, Finland, Korea, Canada, Vietnam, France, Croatia, Sweden and China (2).

First stage of the event will be played in groups, 8 groups of 4 teams, with 1 team seeded into each group. Those seeded teams will be, again based on the current WPA men's rankings; Japan, Chinese Taipei, Great Britain, Netherlands, Philippines, Germany and China (2). The top 2 teams from each group will qualify for the knock-out stage.

The other 16 teams will be decided by the WPA members by the following allocation;
APBU 6, EPBF 6, AAPA 1, CPB 1, OPBA 1 and the WPA will retain 1 spot and any member can request this extra spot. If there is more than one request for the WPA spot, the a decision will be made by the WPA Executive. No country, host excepted, can enter more than one team.

PLAYER SELECTION
Each nation must select men players that are in the top 32 of the current WPA men's rankings in forming their team. Where a nation has more than three players in the top 32, they may decide which three players. When a nation has only one or perhaps two players in the top 32, they may nominate any player(s) to make up the balance. The only exception to this when a nation has three or more players in the WPA 32, would be if that country has a current national champion (2011 or 2012) that isn't included in that 32. The national member would then have the option to nominate their national champion as one of the team. A similar criteria will apply to the selection of the female player by using the top 16 of the WPA rankings.


This photo © Markus Hofstätter/Touch Magazine - used by Pro9 with express permission.