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Topic: *Industry News* 2012

'DJANGO' BUSTAMANTE DOUBLES UP, WINNING WEST COAST CHALLENGE ONE-POCKET AND 10-BALL EVENTS
by Marlon Bernardino

FILIPINO billiards icon Francisco “Django” Bustamante is once again on top of the world as he emerged as the winner of the 2012 West Coast Challenge was held at the
California Billiard Club in Mountain View, California, USA.

Bustamante, playing under the banner of Puyat Sports, scored six in a row to beat Raj Hundal of India, 8-4, in the finals and capture his second event title in the 10-Ball event over the weekend (April 29).

Sportsman/businessman Aristeo “Putch” Puyat hailed Bustamante’s victory, saying “Once again, our flag has been raised in this foreign land.”

With the feat, the Tarlac City cue masters went home the top purse of $5,200 to raise his total money earnings of $8,200.

Last April 25, Bustamante downed John Schmidt of the USA, 4-2, in the One-Pocket event finals to received $3,000 champions purse.

Ramon "Maestro Monching" Mistica of Murphy, Quezon City wound up 7th to 8th place with Corey Deuel of the USA in the 10-Ball event for $700 while Macalelon, Quezon province native Santos "The Saint" Sambajon was landed at 9th to 12th place for $500.

Filipino pool legend Jose "Amang" Parica, meantime landed at 9th to 12th place for $200 in the One-Pocket event.

BANARES GETS PAST CORTEZA; POCKETS P100,000 FOR STAR 10-BALL CUP
by Marlon Bernardino

2008 Reno WPA World Junior silver medallist Jericho Banares of Antipolo upset 2011 San Miguel Beer Oktoberfest Festival 9-Ball Open Masters Champion Lee Vann "The Slayer" Corteza, 11-7, to rule the 2012 Star Billiards 10-Ball Cup was held recently at the Star Billiards Center in Grace Village, Quezon City.

Banares capture the P100,000 champion’s purse. Corteza settled for the runner-up check of P40,000 in the tournament staged by long-time billiards patron Sebastian "Baste" Chua and sportsman Danny Chong, an avid billiards enthusiast.

Banares and Corteza, both top player of Jonathan Sy's Negros Billiards Stable (NBS).

Reigning PSA co-Athlete of the Year Dennis "Robocop" Orcollo of Bislig, Surigao del Sur and former double world champion Ronato "Volcano" Alcano of Calamba, Laguna came third and fourth for P20,000 each.

At 5th to 8th place for P8,000 each were Jeffrey " The Bull"de Luna, Jundel "Jano" Mazon, Leonardo "Dodong" Didal and Jech Limen of Bacolod.

9th to 16th place for P4,000 each were Antonio "Nikoy" Lining of Pinamalayan, Oriental Mindoro, Rodrigo "Edgie Marilao" Geronimo, Mika "The Iceman" Immonen of Finland, Allan "Surigao" Cuartero, John Rebong of Makati, Godofredo "Boy" Ducanes of South Cotabato, Mario "Aklan" Tolentino and Oliver Villafuerte.

Snooker’s Wuxi Classic Becomes World Ranking Event

The Wuxi Classic will become a world ranking event for the first time next season, thanks to a new five-year agreement.

The tournament will run from June 25 to July 1 and will be the first ranking event of the 2012/13 season. It has been a regular fixture on the calendar since 2008, initially as an invitation tournament, and has now been given full ranking status. It will be one of five ranking events in China next season.

Total prize money for the event this year will be £400,000, rising to £425,000 next year then £450,000 for the following three years.

Wuxi, located in the Jiangsu Province, is known as one of the most beautiful cities in China and is the home town of the country’s top player Ding Junhui. The city has a purpose-built stadium for snooker tournaments.

World Snooker Chairman Barry Hearn said: “We are delighted to welcome the Wuxi Classic to our family of world ranking events in China. This is a wonderful example of an invitation event attended by the top players, opening the door for a full ranking event.

“We have built an excellent relationship with the CBSA and that has been fundamental to our success. China is a rapidly expanding market and we are going where the demand is because this game belongs to the world. There were five Chinese players in the World Championship this year and there are many more waiting in the wings.”

The qualifying rounds of the tournament will run from June 5 to 8 at the World Snooker Academy in Sheffield.

York Return for UK Championship

Following record ticket sales, snooker’s UK Championship will be staged at the York Barbican for the next two years.

In 2011 the williamhill.com UK Championship was held at York Barbican for the first time since 2006 and proved a resounding success. A new deal between World Snooker and SMG Europe means that the £625,000 tournament will be held there until at least 2013.

Next season’s event will run from 1 to 9 December, 2012. TICKETS ARE ON SALE NOW – for details call 0844 854 2757 or visit www.worldsnooker.com/tickets

And until May 31 we are running a HALF PRICE OFFER on tickets from Monday to Thursday.

Last year’s tournament was a classic, culminating in a superb final which saw new sensation Judd Trump beat Mark Allen 10-8.

Trump said: “I’m really pleased that the UK Championship is going back to York. I thought the atmosphere there last year was amazing and it helped inspire me to win the title. There are a lot of snooker fans in and around York and I’m sure they’ll be back this year to support the best players.”

World Snooker Chairman Barry Hearn added: “Our decision to take the UK Championship back to York last season was inspired. There is a huge amount of enthusiasm for snooker in York and the surrounding area and the top players love the Barbican. We’re delighted to sign this deal for the next two years and looking forward to December.”

James Allen of SMG Europe, who manage and operate the venue, said: “We’re delighted the UK Championship is returning to the York Barbican following last December’s successful homecoming.

“After an absence of five years from the city, the support shown by the people of York has been nothing short of exceptional, as witnessed by last year’s recording breaking ticket sales.

“We are now building on the success of our partnership with World Snooker to position the York UK Championship as one of the highlights on the national sporting calendar for 2012 and beyond.”

Masters Snooker Returns To Alexandra Palace

Snooker’s most prestigious invitation event, the Masters, will be staged at Alexandra Palace for the next three years.

A new agreement between World Snooker and the north London venue will see the tournament staged there until at least 2015.

The Masters, which features the world’s top 16 players and boasts a top prize of £150,000, moved to Ally Pally this year and proved a resounding success with phenomenal ticket sales.

Next season’s event runs from 13 to 20 January, 2013. TICKETS FOR THE MASTERS ARE ON SALE – for details call 0871 620 7052 (calls cost 10p per minute plus network extras) or visit www.worldsnooker.com/tickets.

And until May 31 we are running a HALF PRICE OFFER on tickets from Monday to Thursday.

Australia’s Neil Robertson won it this year by beating Shaun Murphy 10-6 in the final. He said: “I think all of the top players are delighted that the Masters has moved to Ally Pally. It’s a big arena with 1,500 seats and when it was full it was really buzzing. It was the best atmosphere I’ve ever played in apart from the world final. I can’t wait to get back there and have a crack at defending the title and I hope to see the arena packed out again.”

World Snooker Chairman Barry Hearn added: “We are thrilled to sign this new three year agreement to keep the Masters at Alexandra Palace. It is a fantastic venue and moving this elite invitation event there was a spectacular success. I have no doubt that the fans will flock to north London again to see the very best players in the world.”

Duncan Wilson, Chief Executive of Alexandra Palace, said: “We are very proud that Alexandra Palace will host the Masters for the next three years. It is a superb reflection of the event we created with World Snooker 2012, and we will continue to build on that success. We look forward to hosting and working with the players and the World Snooker team, to create the best atmosphere for the tournament.”

Newbury Open Blackball - Live

20th May 2012

On Sunday 20th May the Cuesport TV camera's will be in Newbury for a £50-per-man open event at the Crucible Sports and Social club. The Cream of English Blackball Pool are in attendance in what will surely be a highly entertaining day of pool with an £800 first prize.

This is just a selection of those participating:

John Chambers - (EBPF National Champion 2012)
Shane Thompson - (BAPTO winner 2011)
Jack Whelan - (European Championship runner-up)
Ian Ali - (England International)
Aidan Finch - (England International)
Adam Brown - (EBPF National Champion 2011)

For the full list of entries click here.

Buy the Pay-Per-View live event for only £1.49 here.

Ken Doherty Joins WPBSA Board

Ken Doherty, one of snooker’s most experienced players, has joined the board of the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association (WPBSA).

Former World Champion Doherty was co-opted as the second Non-Executive Player Director at a WPBSA board meeting during the Betfred.com World Snooker Championship this week. He will join six times World Champion Steve Davis to advise on a number of playing matters.

Irishman Doherty is the only player to have won the World Championship at junior, amateur and professional level. He turned pro in 1990 and over an outstanding career he has won six world ranking events. The Dubliner conquered the Crucible in 1997 when he beat Stephen Hendry in the final to capture the world title. Doherty is still going strong on the main tour and is ranked number 32 in the world.

WPBSA Chairman Jason Ferguson said: “We are delighted that Ken has agreed to join us and we look forward to working with him. Over the past two decades he has been a fantastic ambassador for snooker and has always played his part in promoting the highest standards in our sport. Ken is extremely popular, well respected by his fellow professionals and brings a vast amount of knowledge to our table.

“The sport of snooker is going from strength to strength and the WPBSA continues to play a vital as it expands rapidly worldwide. We have a strong management team in place and as we make decisions we keep open dialogue with our playing members, both Steve and Ken help us provide this vital link.”

Doherty said: “I’m delighted to join the WPBSA board. I hope my experience as a player will help when it comes to keeping at heart the interests of the players as a whole when key decisions are made in terms of changes to the tour. I look forward to working alongside Steve Davis and the other directors to help develop this great sport that we have.”

2012 DYNAMIC BEST OF THE EAST

         CZECHIAN 10-BALL

                     19-20 .05.2012 OSTRAVA

Last call for registration - mak@makmarketing.pl

More information: www.makmarketing.pl or www.ebc-billiard.com

LIVESTREAMING AND LIVESCORING - FREE !!!!!!!

Predator Headlines The World Tournament of 14.1

Queens, New York – The oldest tournament in the world is now being headlined by the world's #1 cue company. Predator Cues returns as the title sponsor of the 72nd Annual Predator World Tournament of Straight Pool. Predator has been the Official Cue of the World Tournament for 7 years straight, since the event's revival in 2006. This year’s event, July 29 - Aug 3, 2012, will be the biggest international 14.1 event in the world. Dragon Promotions in partnership with Dr. Michael Fedak, will once again produce the event which will take place in New York City at Carom Cafe in Queens. The well renown billiard room will host the greatest straight pool players from around the world. Sixty-four top notch 14.1 masters will arrive on USA soil and attend this prestigious event to play for the coveted title of greatest straight pool player in the world.



"This is truly one of the game’s great events and this year’s tournament will only provide more evidence of the continuing revival of straight pool. As far as I know, this is the only event of its kind, anywhere, and Predator Group is is pleased to be a part of it. It's a tradition that's lasted a 100 years and we want to see it grow even more", said John Forrester, Chairman of The Predator Group. The Predator Group manufactures leading cue brands Predator and Poison.

“14.1 defined so many of the greatest players and with that in mind, Predator Group is thrilled to be the title sponsor of this world class event. We’re looking forward to seeing some precision play and very high runs. The knowledge and consistency required to excel in 14.1 at this level is certainly befitting of the Predator brand and its innovative technology,” stated Kyle Nolan, Associate Director of Brand & Communications at The Predator Group.

Devout Predator user and Women's World 10-Ball Champion Jasmin Ouschan of Austria during her victory over France's Stefan Cohen at the 70th World Tournament of 14.1

The World Tournament is the oldest tournament in history that still exists today. Invented by Jerome Keough and shortly after recognized as the official game of billiards. The first World 14.1 Tournament was held in 1911 and won by Alfredo DeOro. In its history due to war and economics, the World Championships had 29 tournaments that did not take place including a 15 year gap between 1990-2005 until Dragon Promotions revived the game and the World Tournament in 2006.

"Predator is not only a leader in cue innovation, but a leader in the entire billiard industry. They set the bar for many companies. What can I say, they are tops in my book!", said Charlie Williams, Founder of Dragon Promotions and a longtime pro player and user of Predator Cue technology.

Williams was the 3rd Place Bronze semi-finalist at last year's World Tournament. Charlie has been using Predator for over 12 years on the pro tour

Players may also join qualifiers to get a chance to compete in the World Tournament with all the legendary greats. Qualifier info will be announced shortly and later can be found at www.DragonPromotions.com

To host a qualifier or play, contact may also contact DP to host a qualifier.

Sponsors and private contributors are still needed for this year's event. Final added money and fund raising for the 2nd Annual Straight Pool Hall of Fame still must be generated. To help be a part of this treasured event, please contact Dragon Promotions.

Vendor spaces are also available, for more information on player registration, sponsorship, or if you would like to submit a comment, please email worldstraightpoolchampionships@gmail.com or contact Dragon Promotions at 1-407-782-4978.

Full event info is at www.dragonpromotions.com

Predator Group, an international billiards industry leader, is focused on bringing constant innovation and game-improving equipment to billiards players worldwide. Headquartered in Jacksonville, Florida, USA, Predator Group’s core brands include Predator Cues® – high-end (professional level) cues with revolutionary technology to enhance performance, Poison Billiards® – recreational cues with cutting-edge designs and Predator engineering for best-in-class playability, and Uni-Loc® – precision billiards equipment manufacturer. For more information regarding Predator Group’s products, visit www.predatorgroup.com.

MEDINA WINS HERMES 10-BALL; POCKETS P100,000
by Marlon Bernardino

Dr. Robin Venzon-Medina edged Rogel S. Garcia, 7-6, to rule the just ended 2012 Hermes 10-Ball Cup last Saturday at the Hermes Sports Bar, Hollywood Square Building in Quezon City.

Medina took home the top prize of P100,000 while Garcia settled for the runner-up’s purse of P40,000 in the Hermes 10-Ball Cup, which is backed up by Tarsiers Corp., Malungai Life Oil, Association of Club, Karaoke and Disco Owners and B-League Corp.

Medina also teamed up with Jonathan Uy-Delegencia to rule the 10 ball doubles competition two weeks ago. The duo bested the pair of George Ranola-Ong and Francis "Kiko" Garcia-Zulueta, 7-6, to received the top prize of P100,000.


Champion - Dr. Robin Venzon -Medina and Right, Runner-up - Rogel S. Garcia take a souvenir photo during the closing rites of the 2012 Hermes 10-Ball Cup last Saturday at the Hermes Sports Bar, Hollywood Square Building in Quezon City.

ENTER TEAM TAYLOR!

Rileys in association with Protégé Events Ltd has created an unprecedented opportunity to become a professional darts player and to be mentored by Phil "The Power" Taylor. Move quickly though because the closing date is 1st June.

The Team Taylor challenge starts on week commencing the 4th June and will run for 24 weeks. Each week offers a different darts practice routine to complete. To qualify, each entrant must complete any 12 from 24 weeks throughout the summer.

The 128 highest points scorers from throughout the UK will make it to the regional finals; 16 of these will be paid for by Phil Taylor to attend Qualifying school for the Professional Darts Corporation in January 2013. The ones that make it through Q school are in Team Taylor for 2013.

Each weekly task will feature a Phil Taylor created practice routine. Each one is designed to test specific aspects of the game such as scoring, finishing, accuracy and consistency. Check them out here: www.protege-teamtaylor.com. Each week the scores will be collated and a league table will be published so that you can check on your progress throughout the UK.

Simply visit the Team Taylor page on the Rileys website, select your local club and fill in the application form to be entered into the Team Taylor Challenge.

Regards,
The Rileys Team

Vegas Heats Up as the 36th BCAPL National Championship Rolls into Town

Las Vegas, NV. - May 14, 2012 - The 36th BCAPL National Championships rolled into the Riviera Hotel and Casino Wednesday, May 10th. Approximately 7,000 players congregate each year in Las Vegas to compete in the event known as “The Greatest Pool Tournament in the World.”

Produced by CueSports International (CSI) and taking place over 11 days, the group of events include; 23 BCA Pool League (BCAPL) divisions, three USA Pool League (USAPL) divisions and two professional tournaments (the 13th US Open One Pocket Championship and the 4th US Open 10-Ball Championship).

The BCAPL competition began with three 9-Ball singles events: the Men’s Open 9-Ball Singles, the Women’s Open 9-Ball Singles and the 9-Ball Challenge.

The Men’s Open 9-Ball saw a full field of 256 players compete for over $15,000 in prize money. Daniel McKenney (league #1073) from Texas beat out Matt Beckwith (league #23) from Wisconsin for the $2,100 first place check.

The Women’s Open 9-Ball Singles had 83 competitors. Jennifer Polik (league #1152 and 719) from Michigan reigned as the winner beating Valerie Franiel (league #497) from Alberta, Canada and taking home the $900 first place prize. Both 9-Ball Open events followed a single elimination best two out of three sets per match and are only for open rated BCAPL league players and CSI player members known to be open level.

The 9-Ball Challenge welcomes both league and CSI player members of all ratings. The more traditional double elimination race to 7 format event had 147 entrants. Known to attract a roster of seasoned players, this year’s champion was Arizona top gun Mitch Ellerman. Also a former Jay Swanson Memorial winner, Ellerman pocketed $2,600 and only lost a total of 16 games out of 9 matches beating out Marc Vidal-Claramunt, Nick Malaj, Melissa Little, Ramesh Gokhul, Phil Burford, Heath Bartley and Chad Lovelace.

As the 9-Ball Singles competition concluded, the Scotch events began with the Open Scotch Doubles kicking off May 11th at 7 pm. This year a new Advanced Scotch Doubles division was added and it and the Master Scotch Doubles started Friday, May 12th. All Scotch Doubles divisions will conclude Tuesday, May 15th.

Saturday saw the start of the highly competitive BCAPL Singles 8-Ball divisions. There are 11 total divisions and 2,295 entrants in the 8-Ball singles competition. The Grand Master 8-Ball Singles will conclude today and the other 8-Ball singles divisions will conclude Tuesday.

To view online all of the brackets for the 36th BCAPL National Championships, the 2nd USAPL National Championships, the 13th US Open One Pocket Championship and the 4th US Open 10-Ball Championship visit the CueSports Tournament System at www.ctsondemand.com. You may search a player or team by name or can view by division or tournament.

For more information about the BCAPL 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.


(Photo of Mitch Ellerman courtesy of Fred Stoll of Filmless Art)

Belgium Cup, 3-Cushion

Follow the best 3-Cushion players LIVE on Kozoom. The Live video coverage will start on May 18th. If you don't have your Premium Pass yet, you can register here...

www.kozoom.com/en/billiard-carom/premium-pass/

French Carom Championships, All Disciplines

The best French players will fight for the national titles in 11 different Carom disciplines. Watch it LIVE on Kozoom. The LIVE broadcasting starts on May 18th. If you don't have your Premium Pass yet, you can register here.

www.kozoom.com/en/billiard-carom/premium-pass/

Dynamic Duos Crowned Winners at the 36th BCAPL National Championships

Las Vegas, NV. - May 16, 2012 – Scotch Doubles is a unique pool event. A successful team in the scotch doubles division takes two players who understand each other’s games almost as well as their own. Each must trust the other’s abilities and communicate as one mind. The best scotch doubles players learn to play in one rhythm. Where one player ends the other takes over.

The finals of the 36th BCAPL National Championships Scotch Doubles events saw the best of the best, Tuesday, May 15th at the Riviera Hotel & Casino. This year there were three BCAPL Scotch Doubles divisions with the addition of the Advanced Scotch Doubles.

In the Open Scotch Doubles, Lisa McNab and Brad Poorman (league #1120) from Saskatchewan, Canada outlasted the other 321 teams to win the coveted top spot winning $3,200. McNab also finished 33rd in the Women’s Open Singles 8-Ball division and 5th in the Women’s Open 9-Ball division.

48 teams formed the new Advanced Scotch Doubles division. The winners of this division’s inaugural year were the husband and wife team of Larry and Andrea Wilson (league #186) from British Columbia, Canada who took home $2,000. In addition to the win in the Advanced Scotch Doubles, Larry Wilson took 5th in the BCAPL 9-Ball Challenge.

The Wilsons overcame another Canadian team in the finals, Russ Whittle and Bev Ashton (league #624). Whittle had a particularly strong day. In addition to placing second with Ashton in the scotch event, he took second in the Men’s Advanced Singles.

The BCAPL Master Scotch Doubles is a favorite among the spectators. The top two teams this year again consisted of some well known names. From New York was the team of Tony Robles Jr. and partner Gail Glazebrook (league #1355) versus Janet Atwell and Wes Largen Jr. (league #1151) from Virginia. A total of 25 teams represented this division. Halfway through the brackets Atwell and Largen Jr. blitzed team Robles Jr. and Glazebrook 7-0. In the finals Robles Jr. and Glazebrook got revenge on that previous loss by taking the first set 7-3. Atwell and Largen Jr. redeemed themselves taking set two 7-3 for the division win and $1,800.

Following the Scotch Doubles event, the team competitions began, with 6 divisions and a total of 875 entries. The halls of the Riviera Hotel & Casino swarmed with colorful matching team shirts representing pool rooms and bars from around the world. Additionally, the CSI US Open 10-Ball Championship marked the halfway point of the 6 day pro level event. The Action Report live streams the US Open action at www.theactionreport.com.

To view online all of the brackets for the 36th BCAPL National Championships, the 2nd USAPL National Championships, the 13th US Open One Pocket Championship and the 4th US Open 10-Ball Championship, visit the CueSports Tournament System at www.ctsondemand.com. You may search by player or team name or can view by division or tournament.

For more information about the BCAPL 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.


(Photos of Lisa McNab and Brad Poorman / 1st place Open Scotch Doubles AND of Lisa Just and Brock Noteboom / 2nd place Open Scotch Doubles courtesy of Fred Stoll of Filmless Art)

CUESPORT TV NEWS - MAY 2012

Live Blackball - Only £1.49!
20th May 2012

On Sunday 20th May the Cuesport TV camera's will be in Newbury for a £50-per-man open event at the Crucible Sports and Social club. The Cream of English Blackball Pool are in attendance in what will surely be a highly entertaining day of pool with an £800 first prize.

Rob Chilton is the latest big name to put himself forward for this one.

Buy the Pay-Per-View live event for only £1.49 here.

EBPF County Pool Videos - 2012
Video's from the EBPF County Finals

The first batch of videos from the EBPF County Finals have now been released and here are a few of the direct links:

- John Chambers v Tim Hodgkinson - Men's Final
- Adam Brown v Andy Speirs
- Dan Davy v Paul Webster

The rest can be found in the Blackball Category

Golden 8-Ball
June Live Event

We have just confirmed with the organisers of the Golden 8-Ball Team event being held in Blackpool in June that Cuesport TV will provide live coverage of this three day event.

It's a 3-person team event will a guaranteed £7,500 in prize money held at the fantastic Norbreck Castle. More details to follow next week.

Cuesport TV Ltd, 19 St Georges Road, Portland, Dorset DT5 2AT, UNITED KINGDOM

USBA NATIONAL 3-CUSHION CHAMPIONSHIPS IN LAS VEGAS

Pedro Piedrabuena Wins 5th National 3-Cushion Title

The 2012 United States Billiard Association (USBA) National Three-Cushion Championship Tournament, played for the second consecutive year at the Las Vegas Tropicana Hotel as part of the ACS National Championships week, ended in dramatic fashion as defending champion Pedro Piedrabuena overcame a twelve point deficit with a scorching finish to defeat Mazin Shooni 40 to 33 in 34 innings. With the victory, Piedrabuena not only defended his crown but also notched his 5th national championship title.

Played in the Cohiba Ballroom of the Tropicana on 8 fabulous Gabriels Elements tables with Simonis 300 Rapide cloth, the USBA national championship started on Sunday, May 6th with 49 players from around the country. The 49 players were randomly placed in flights of 7. After a three-day round robin, where a player competed against each other player in a flight, 20 players advanced to the semi-finals. The semi-finalists were placed in 4 flights of 5 players, where another round robin was played. The top two players in each flight advanced to the finals, which was contested in a single-elimination bracket with consolation matches to determine all 8 places.

In addition to Piedrabuena and Shooni, the other finalists were Hugo Patiño, Miguel Torres, Sonny Cho, Jae Cho, Michael Kang and Khalil Diab. In first round action of the final day, Patiño squeaked by Diab 40 to 38, Piedrabuena destroyed Kang 40 to 13 in 17 innings for a 2.353 average, Sonny Cho topped Jae Cho 40 to 36 and Shooni bested Torres 30 to 24 in 24 innings for a 1.667 average. Piedrabuena continued his strong play in the next round by beating Patiño 40 to 21 in 24 innings (1.667 average), and Shooni defeated Sonny Cho 40 to 28 in 24 innings (1.667 average), thus setting up the Piedrabuena-Shooni final.

In the title match, Shooni started strong, scoring almost at will. “I knew I had to remaining patient and not do anything crazy on the table,” Piedrabuena later explained what went through his head as Shooni built the early lead. But, with Shooni leading 30 to 18, he missed a five-cushion shot by a hair that would have left position and provided the opportunity to lengthen his lead. Piedrabuena stepped up the wide-open table and ran 5, making the score 30 to 23. With Shooni’s miss and Piedrabuena’s run, the momentum shifted. Over the next eight innings, Shooni managed but 3 billiards, while Piedrabuena scored 17 times, including a finishing run of 7, to win the title. For the game, Piedrabuena averaged 1.212 and Shooni averaged 1.000. For the finals, Piedrabuena’s overall grand average was 1.600, while Shooni’s was 1.395.

With the victory, Piedrabuena took home $4,000, while Shooni pocketed $3,200. In other finals action, Sonny Cho defeated Patiño for 3rd place, and Jae Cho defeated Diab 40 to 15 for 5th place. Torres finished 7th, and Kang 8th. Prize money was awarded to the top 20 players. Eighth place was worth $1,000, and 20th place was worth $300. The total prize fund topped $20,000.

Gabriels was the primary sponsor for the tournament, supplying the tables, the Dyna sphere balls used in the finals, and a cash contribution. Other sponsors included Simonis, which supplied the 300 Rapide cloth and contributed to the prize fund. Aramith supplied the balls used in the preliminaries and the semi-finals, and Tiger Cues supplied three beautiful billiard cues that were raffled by the USBA at the conclusion of the tournament. Tony Ferrara from Massachusetts, Doug Deitel from Texas, and Leonard Williams from Denver won the cues.

Many individuals contributed to the success of the tournament. Among them, great thanks go out to Charlie Brown, the Tournament Director who ran an efficient event; Larry Hundley, Rich Kuchma, Jim Hendrickson, Paul Frankel and Andy Janquitto who helped with assembling the tables; Russ (“Rosy”) Rosenberger, Raye Raskin, Andy Janquitto and Tony Ferrara, who helped with vacuuming the tables between games; Doug Deitel, who manned the live stream cameras and chat room; and many others who volunteered to score matches in the semi-finals and finals.

Special Thanks to our major sponsors for the tournament: David Levine, Bob Jewett, Gabriels, Simonis, Tiger, Aramith & Joe Piper. Complete charts and detailed results at www.usba.net.

The ACS is a non-profit, national organization dedicated to heightening the interest and awareness of cue sports through the support and sanctioning of organized competition throughout the United States.

American CueSports Alliance: Staying true to old traditions while embracing new beginnings.


Finalists (l to r): Pedro Piedrabuena (1st), Andrew Janquitto (USBA President), Sonny Cho (3rd), Hugo Patino (4th), Mazin Shooni (2nd), Jae Hyung Cho (5th), Khalil Diab (6th), Miguel Torres (7th), Michael Kang (8th), Charles Brown (Tournament Director).

Grand Prix of Poland for the disabled - Kracow 9-Ball

Date: 21-23 June 2012
Venue: , Billiard Club „ Break Club”
Kraków ul. Zbożowa 1
Sport system: 9-Ball, Robin Round system and single elimination ( from quarter –final to final),
Tables: 9ft and 8 ft – Dynamic and Olympic WiK,
Prize : Cups+ medals and souvenirs
Accomodation: ( free of charge for foreign players)
The dormitory of the School Centre for Deaf Young People
Ośrodek Szkolno-Wychowawczy dla Dzieci Niesłyszących
31-455 Kraków ul. Spadochroniarzy 1, Poland

Registration and hotel booking until 10.06.2012
sekretarz@bilard-sport.pl or ebc@ebc-billiard.com

Schedule:
21.06 – arrival day
22.06 – 10.00 – registration and start of matches.
23.06 – 10.00 – matches,
    - 1.00 p.m.– semifinals
    - 4 p.m. - final

Dress code: polo shirt, long trousers
Entry fee – 10 euro

Tournament director – Andrzej Siejko,

More information: Polish Billiard Association -phone + 48 41 362-39-03
www.ebc-billiard.com ; www.bilard-sport.pl

DANUBE CUP 2012
8 and 9 ball International Tournament for Wheelchairdrivers
Piváreň VÁH – Biliard Club
Rakoczi 2
94501 Komárno

16.06.2012-17.06.2012

CSI Challenge the Pros Raised $3,810 for Junior Pool

Las Vegas, NV. - May 19, 2012 – On Tuesday, May 15th from 7-9 pm, the annual CueSports International Challenge the Pros Fundraiser and Raffle in support of junior players took place as part of the 11 day BCAPL National Championships. This year, CSI raised $3,810 during the challenge event and raffle. The raffle was for a donated Ginacue valued at $3,000. All proceeds will be used to help fund junior players to the US Junior National Championships in 2013.

For the second straight year, WPBA Professional and former Junior National Champion, Sarah Rousey, organized this fun event on behalf of CSI. She was assisted Tuesday evening by well regarded coach, Randy Goettlicher, from Master’s Pool School. Amateur players paid $10-$40 to challenge a professional player a race to two. In addition, to the chance to beat pro, amateur participants received a certificate and a photo with the pro they played.

The professional players who donated their time to the cause were Mika Immonen, Thorsten Hohmann, Stevie Moore, Kim White, Cristina De La Garza, Christopher Lawson, Kenichi Uchigaki, Dennis Orcullo, Nick Nikolidis, Angel Paglia, Max Eberle, Oscar Dominguez, Jennifer Barretta, Hunter Lombardo, and Tom Rossman. A huge thanks to Moore and Hohmann who stayed the entire time playing challenge matches. Brothers Joey and JC Torres from Texas, two of the most accomplished junior players in the US, and sponsored by CSI to the Junior Nationals, also participated in the challenge.

In 2013, CSI will be moving the BCAPL National Championships and all accompanying events, including the CSI Challenge the Pros, to the Rio All-Suites Hotel and Casino and will be held July 17-27th.

For more information about the BCAPL 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.


(Photo of Sarah Rousey and Randy Goettlicher courtesy of CSI)