Site News
Topic: *Industry News* 2012

REYES, ORCOLLO, CORTEZA, GABICA, MAZON GAIN LAST 32
by Marlon Bernardino

FIVE Filipino cue artists from a total of 17 participants still alive in the on-going 2012 World 9-ball Championship at the beautiful Al Sadd Sports Club sa Doha, Qatar.

Hall fo famer Efren "Bata" Reyes, still steady and deadly at 57, advanced to the tough Last 32 along with compatriots Dennis "Robocop" Orcollo, Lee Vann "The Slayer" Corteza, Antonio "Ga-Ga" Gabica and Jundel "Jano" Mazon after winning their Round-of-64 assignment on Thursday.

Reyes who is seeking a third world crown after conquering the World 9-ball title in 1999 at Cardiff, Wales and World 8-ball crown at the Fujairah United Arab Emirates in 2004 toppled Toh Lian Han of Singapore in the Round-of-64. Orcollo, another World 8-ball titlist, on the other hand dealt Andrew Kong of Hongkong, 11-8.

“The pressure is very big here,” Orcollo said to American Ted Lerner, spokesman of WPA. “You just have to deal with it because it’s only going to get bigger.” added Orcollo wo ealier lost to Kong in their group play match.

Corteza, meantime subdued Serge Das ng Belgium, 11-4, Mazon edged compatriot ex-double world champion Ronato "Volcano" Alcano, 11-9, Gabica, a former Asian Games 9-ball gold medal winner and 8-ball silver medal winner , a national coach here in Qatar routed Mario He of Austria, 11-7.

In the Last 32, Reyes will square off with Dominic Jentsch of Germany, Orcollo opposite Hsu Kai Lun of Chinese-Taipei, Corteza will meet Mika Immonen of Finland, Mazon versus Konstantin Stepanov of Russia and Gabica will face his former student Yang Ching Shun of Chinese-Taipei.

A total of 128 of the best pool players from over 50 countries, who are vying for $300,000 in prize money, with $40,000 going to the eventual winner.

Aside from Alcano, other Filipino in the exit door is Marlon Caneda who bowed to Nick van den Berg of the Netherlands, 11-8, Israel Rota who yielded to Han Hao Xiang of China, 11-8, Elvis Calasang who lost to Chang Jun Lin of Chinese-Taipei, Carlo Biado who was beaten by Naoyuki Oi of Japan, 11-10, Roberto Gomez who lost to Liu Haitao of China, 11-4, and Francisco "Django" Bustamante whi lost to Chao Fong Pang of Chinese-Taipei, 11-6.

ASIA VS EUROPE IN WORLD 9-BALL FINAL FOUR; NO FILIPINOS IN SEMIS
by Marlon Bernardino

Ralf Souquet of Germany, Darren Appleton of Great Britain,Naoyuki Oi of Japan and Lee He-wen of China toppled their respective rivals with a similar 11-9 victory to booked their seat in the Final Four of the 2012 World 9-ball Championship at the beautiful Al Sadd Sports Club in Doha, Qatar.

However, no Filipino this time make it to the semi-final round.

Souquet trounced Nick van den berg of the Netherlands, Appleton toppled Ko Pin-yi of Chinese-Taipei, Oi edged Karl Boyes of Great Britain and Lee ousted last Filipino standing Antonio Gabica.

Earlier, Efen "Bata" Reyes succumbed to Dominic Jentsch of Germany, 11-10, and Lee Vann Corteza was yielded to Mika Immonen of Finland, 11-5, in the Last 32.
Dennis "Robocop" Orcollo was beaten by van den berg, 11-6, in the Last 16 as well Jundel Mazon was lost to Ko, 11-9, also in the Sweet 16.

A total of 128 of the best pool players from over 50 countries, who are vying for $300,000 in prize money, with $40,000 going to the eventual winner.

WHO WILL REIGN IN UKRAINE?

It's all come down to this. After goals, penalties, fake injuries, bare chests and supporters with some of the worst face painting ever seen it's down to the final two. Del Bosque's Spain against Prandelli's Italy. A teasing mix of midfield maestros and bonkers strikers.

And you can watch it right here in from the comfort of Rileys in front of the Blue Square Fanzone big screen, giving you the best view and the best sound. It's the only place Balotelli's ego can be captured in full.

But beware, you won't be the only footy fan looking to get the best seat in the house, so now is the time to get your seats reserved. A quick call to the posse, tot up the numbers and then get on the blower to your local club to make sure there'll be a seats with your name on it. Build up is crucial for these big occasions, that's why we lay on all the best ball game and darts facilities so you can be fully warmed-up for the kick-off.

Enjoy the game and don't forget to drink responsibly - so get your round in!

Plus don't forget to read up on all the latest news and views on the Euros with Rileys very own star pundit Stan Collymore.

Regards,

The Rileys Team

WORLD TEAM IN CHINA: PHL CUE TEAM OFF TO HOT START, BEATS INDON
by Marlon Bernardino

FRESH from a sorry lost to just ended World Pool-Billiards Association (WPA) World 9-Ball Championship in Doha, Qatar, Filipino cue masters headed by hall of famer Efren “Bata” Reyes, Francisco “Django” Bustamante, Dennis "Robocop" Orcollo and Rubilen "Bingkay" Amit off to a blazing start at the start of the 2012 World Pool Team Championship in Beijing, China.

Inspired by their supporters PHL God Father Aristeo "Putch" Puyat and sportsman/businessman Ceferino "Perry" Mariano, the Team Philippines defeated Indonesia, 4-2, made up by Ricky Wang, Isral Afrinneza Nasution, Muhammad Zulfikri and Amand Rahayu in Group A in a what a rousing start in this $300,000total pot prize tournament with the winning team will pocketed $80,000 while the runner up team will take home $40,000.

Also impressive in Group A is Team Croatia of Ivica Putnik, Bozo Primic, Carlo Calmatin and Zrinka Antonijevic who bested Team Estonia, 5-1, composed of Erki Erm, Joonas Saska, Mark Magi and Anna Grintosuk.

In the World Team Championship, all disciplines in billiards will be played – 8-Ball, 9-Ball and 10-Ball.

One 8-ball match will be men’s scotch doubles, race to 6. The other 8-ball match will be a men’s singles, race to 6.

In 9-ball, the teams will compete in a women’s singles, race to 8, and a men’s singles race to 8.

In 10-ball, the teams will play one mixed doubles match (scotch doubles), race to 7, and one men’s singles match race to 7.

The female player must play in the 10-ball mixed doubles match, and a 9-ball match.

No player is permitted to play more than two matches per session.

The team who gets the most wins in a particular set of six in their match with another country will receive three points on their total in the group. If the match is a tie (3-3), each team will receive one point in their group.

The two teams with the highest total points from each group will advance to the single elimination stage. In the event of a tie between two teams, the team with the best win/loss record will qualify number one.

In Group B, Team China 1 headed by Li He Wen, Fu Jianbo, Liu Haitao, Fu Xiaofang and Pan Xiao Ting walloped Team Canada, 5-1, of Jason Klatt, John Morra, Erik Hjorleifson and Brittany Bryant.

In other result in Group B, Team Finland of Peter Makkonen, Aki Heiskanen, Abbas Al-Marayati and Marika Pokkijoki nipped Team Malaysia, 4-2, of Ibrahim Amir, Patrick Ooi, Moh Keen Hoo and Klaudia Djajalie.

In Group C, Team China 2 of Dang Jinhu, Dai Yong, Han Haoxiang, Liu Shasha and Chen Siming dealt Team Australia, 4-2, of David Rothall, Louis Condo, Robby Foldvari and Lyndall Hulley. Team Hongkong of Kenny Kwok, Lee Chenman, Andrew Kong, Ellen Cheung and Ruby Cheung ended into a 3-3 all stand off against Team Singapore of Sharik Aslam Sayed, Toh Lian Han, Aloysius Yapp, Lum Wai Keong and Ann Koh Seng.

In Group D, Team Japan of Yukio Akagariyama, Toru Kuribayashi, Naoyuki Oi and Chihiro Kawahara waylaid Team Poland, 4-2, of Mateusz Sniegocki, Radoslaw Babica, Tomasz Kaplan and Oliwia Czuprynska. Team Sweden of Marcus Chamat, Tomas Larsson, Andreas Gerwen and Carline Roos drew, 3-3, game against Team Vietnam of Do The Kien, Nguyen Anh Tuan, Nguyen Manh Tung and Doan Thi Ngoc Le.

In Group E, reigning 2012 World 9-ball champion Darren Appleton spearheaded Team Great Britain together with Daryl Peach, Chris Melling, Mark Gray and Kelly Fisher to blank Team South Africa, 6-0, of Dave Van Den Berg, Dino Nair, Nickie Erasmus and Nicola Roussouw. Another 6-0 shut-out win posted by Team South Korea of Lee Wansu, Ryu Seungwoo, Hwang Yong and Kim Ga Young against Team India of Alok Kumar, Sundeep Gulati, Syed Habib and Neena Praveen.

In Group F, as expected power house Team Chinese-Taipei of Chang Jung Lin, Fu Che Wei, Ko Pin Yi and Chieh Yu Chou smashed Team Mongolia, 6-0, of L. Munkbold, L. Delgerdalai, T. Amarjargal, B. Uyanga and A. Batkhuu.

However, another tournament favorite Team Germany of Oliver Ortmann, Thorsten Hohmann, Ralf Souquet and Jasmin Michel was forced a 3-3 draw against Team Norway of Roger Rasmussen, Mats Schjetne, Matey Ullah and Ine Helvik.

PHL TEAM ADVANCED TO THE KO STAGE OF WORLD TEAM EVENT IN CHINA
by Marlon Bernardino

Total Points after two rounds in Group A
Philippines 6, Indonesia 3, Croatia 3, Estonia 0

Winner gets 3 points, loser none, tie gets 1 point. The top 2 teams in each group advance to final 16. The 4 best 3rd place teams also advance.

THE Philippines,with the great Efren "Bata" Reyes, Francisco "Django" Bustamante, Dennis "Robocop" Orcollo and Rubilen "Bingkay" Amit had no trouble in manhandling Estonia, winning 5-1 made up by Erki Erm, Joonas Saska, Mark Magi and Anna Grintosuk advanced to the knock-out stage on Day 2 of the 2012 World Pool Team Championships at the Tongzhou Luhe High School in Beijing, China yesterday.

"Today (Tuesday) is last day of group stage but Philippines will go through they already have 6 points. Tommrow (Wednesday) it starts the real action
now is just group stage," said American journalist and commentator Ted Lerner, spokesman and publicist of the World Pool-Billiards Association (WPA).

Inspired by their supporters PHL God Father Aristeo "Putch" Puyat and sportsman/businessman Ceferino "Perry" Mariano, the Team Philippines defeated Indonesia, 4-2, made up by Ricky Wang, Isral Afrinneza Nasution, Muhammad Zulfikri and Amand Rahayu in the opening round in Group A.

The Indons bounced back in contention by blanking Team Croatia, 6-0, spearheaded by Ivica Putnik, Bozo Primic, Carlo Calmatin and Zrinka Antonijevic.

Last night, Team Philippines battling in a no bearing game against Team Croatia.

After two games of play in Group A, Philippines 6, Indonesia 3, Croatia 3, and Estonia 0 in this $300,000total pot prize tournament with the winning team will pocketed $80,000 while the runner up team will take home $40,000.

The format call winner gets 3 points, loser none, tie gets 1 point. The top 2 teams in each group advance to final 16. The 4 best 3rd place teams also advance.

Meanwhile, Great Britain, China 1 and 2, Taiwan and Japan also won their matches for the second straight day and ensured their places in the single elimination round of 16 which begins on Wednesday. Germany finally got a win and is looking strong for a place in the final 16. South Korea won again and is probably the leading dark horse in the 24 team competition.

PHL CUE MASTER BLANKED CROATIA IN WORLD TEAM; TOPS GROUP PLAY
by Marlon Bernardino

FILIPINO billiards maestro Efren “Bata” Reyes, Francisco “Django” Bustamante, Dennis "Robocop" Orcollo and Rubilen "Bingkay" Amit came together as one solid unit Tuesday night to blanked Team Croatia made up by Ivica Putnik, Bozo Primic, Carlo Calmatin and Zrinka Antonijevic to topped Group A in the Day 3 of the 2012 World Pool Team Championships at the Tongzhou Luhe High School in Beijing, China.

The Philippines is employing a unique strategy in all their matches, putting the legend Reyes only in doubles matches, both the 8-ball and 10 ball according to American journalist and commentator Ted Lerner, spokesman and publicist of the World Pool-Billiards Association (WPA). "Expect the Pinoy team to continue down this path as they’ve barely been touched so far." he added.

Backed up by PHL God Father Aristeo "Putch" Puyat and sportsman/businessman Ceferino "Perry" Mariano, the Philippines also beat Indonesia, 4-2, made up by Ricky Wang, Isral Afrinneza Nasution, Muhammad Zulfikri and Amand Rahayu then subdued Estonia, winning 5-1 made up by Erki Erm, Joonas Saska, Mark Magi and Anna Grintosuk.

In the Final 16 on Wednesday, the list of top seeds is a who’s who of the world’s best pool playing countries are Chinese-Taipei, China 2, the Philippines, China 1, Japan and Great Britain.

The Philippines will square off with Team Norway on Wednesday in the knock-out stage led by Roger Rasmussen, Mats Schjetne, Matey Ullah and Ine Helvik for the quarter-finals seat.

A total pot prize $300,000 nput up by the organizing committee with the winning team will pocketed $80,000 while the runner up team will take home $40,000.

PH teams bow out of World Team in China

THE Filipino cue artists competing in the 2012 World Pool Team Championships bowed out of the competition after yielding to Japan in the quarterfinals at the Tongzhou Luhe High School in Beijing, China late Wednesday.

The Philippines made up by billiards maestro Efren "Bata" Reyes, Francisco "Django" Bustamante, Dennis "Robocop" Orcollo and Rubilen "Bingkay" Amit battled back from a 3-1 deficit to tie the match and force a sudden death shootout against the Japanese compose of Yukio Akagariyama, Toru Kuribayashi, Naoyuki Oi and Chihiro Kawahara.

According to American journalist and sports commentator Ted Lerner, spokesman and publicist of the World Pool-Billiards Association (WPA), the shootout went back and forth and was tied at 3, 4 and 5. With each clutch pot, the players would shout and dance around the table and high-five their teammates. But the Philippines’ had a weak link in the shootout and it turned out to be Reyes, whose 57 year old eyes failed him each time he tried the shot. Japan won the shootout 7-5.

"The shootout is unique to team pool and is implemented when the two teams split their six matches against each other at three matches each. The 8 ball is then put in the middle of the table down near the short rail level with the first diamond and the cue ball is placed way down at the other end near the head string. The three men and one woman on each team take turns trying to pot the 8-ball in either far corner. All players play in sequence and the team to score six hits first with a margin of two or more(6-4, 7-5, etc.) wins the match and advances to the next round." said Lerner.

With the win, Team Japan battles China 2 in one of the featured semi-final matches on Thursday. Chinese-Taipei and defending champion Great Britain hurdled their respective rivals to complete the Final Four.

China 2 (Dang Jinhu, Dai Yong, Han Haoxiang, Liu Shasha and Chen Siming) toppled Canada (Jason Klatt, John Morra, Erik Hjorleifson and Brittany Bryant), 4-2, Chinese-Taipei (Chang Jung Lin, Fu Che Wei, Ko Pin Yi and Chieh Yu Chou) routed Sweden (Marcus Chamat, Tomas Larsson, Andreas Gerwen and Carline Roos), 4-1, and Great Britain (Darren Appleton, Daryl Peach, Chris Melling, Mark Gray and Kelly Fisher) also needed extra time to beat crowd favorite China 1 (Li He Wen, Fu Jianbo, Liu Haitao, Fu Xiaofang and Pan Xiao Ting) in another thrilling sudden death shootout, 6-3.

Earlier, the Team Philippines backed up by PHL God Father Aristeo "Putch" Puyat and sportsman/businessman Ceferino "Perry" Mariano of Bugsy Promotions topped Group A elimination by beating Indonesia, 4-2, Estonia, 5-1, and Croatia, 6-0, respectively then blasted Norway, 4-0, at the start of knock-out stage in the Last 16 before losing to Japan in the Quarter-Finals.

Today is the day... Reserve your room before they are gone!

The 1st Annual Southern Classic Tournament
Presented by: Harrah’s Tunica Hotel and Casino
July 20th - 28th 2012


Book your hotel stay at Harrah’s Tunica Hotel and Casino.

Four (4) Room Reservation types offered:

Code S07SPT2: Discounted 9/10-day package (you must book package for arrival on either July 19th or 20th, 2012 and departure on July 29th or 30th, 2012).

July 29th may be booked at the discounted rate as well with the day night package.

Code S07SCA2: Veranda Standard Room Block - Individual Booking Dates (book any nights you choose between 7/19/12 through 7/29/12 or 7/30/12).

Code S07SCS2: Veranda Suite Room Block – Individual Booking Dates (book any nights you choose between 7/19/12 through 7/29/12 or 7/30/12

Code S07SCT2: Harrah’s Casino Tower Block – Individual Booking Dates (book any nights you choose between 7/19/12 through 7/29/12 or 7/30/12

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Reservations Must be Booked by July 11th,

to Guarantee Availability

Here are some very important notes on room reservation policies:

·     Every room reservation requires a charge of the first night's deposit at time of reservation.

·     This deposit is taken at the time of booking and is nonrefundable. No exceptions will be made.

·     A maximum of four people are allowed to stay in each room. Rollaway beds are not available. Additional $10 per room night per extra room occupant when more than 2 occupants

·     If the discounted 9/10-day package is booked and any one of the nights is canceled, all room discounts will be revoked. Prices for all nights booked will revert to the full individual date prices.

·     Must be 21 to rent room.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Here is the information on each reservation type:

9/10-day package (limited availability)

GROUP/OFFER CODE S07SPT2

Book online: www.totalrewards.com/hotel-reservations/main/?propCode=GTU&groupCode=S07SPT2

Minimum stay: 9 nights

Book by phone: 866-635-7095, code S07SPT2

Dates available: arrive 7/19/12 and depart Sun 7/29/12 or Mon or 7/30/12. July 29 may be booked at the discounted rate as well with the day night package.

Price: $69.00/night. Additional $10 per room night per extra room occupant when more than 2 occupants.

Deposit Refundable? No

Policies/Terms: A credit card is required at time of booking. The nonrefundable first night's deposit is charged for each reservation at the time of booking. Reservations for the 9/10-Day Package rate cannot be booked for fewer than the 9-day consecutive stay for the dates mentioned above. Cancellation of any day(s) within the 9-day package will result in all days reverting to the individual rates of $126 Sunday-Thursday, $146 Friday-Saturday. The Hotel will accept 9-day package reservations until the block is full.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Individual Dates (limited availability):

Veranda Standard Room Block

GROUP/OFFER CODE S07SCA2

Book online: www.totalrewards.com/hotel-reservations/main/?propCode=GTU&groupCode=S07SCA2

Minimum Stay: 1 night

Book by phone: 866-635-7095, code S07SCA2

Dates available: Thursday 7/19/12 through Monday 7/30/12.

Price: $99.00 per night . Additional $10 per room night per extra room occupant when more than 2 occupants.

Deposit Refundable? No

Policies/Terms: A credit card is required at time of booking. The nonrefundable first night's deposit is charged for each reservation at the time of booking. Reservations will be accepted until the block is full.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Veranda Suite Room Block

GROUP/OFFER CODE S07SCS2

Book online: www.totalrewards.com/hotel-reservations/main/?propCode=GTU&groupCode=S07SCS2

Minimum Stay: 1 night

Book by phone: 866-635-7095, code S07SCS2

Dates available: Thursday 7/19/12 through Monday 7/30/12.

Price: $189.00 per night . Additional $10 per room night per extra room occupant when more than 2 occupants.

Deposit Refundable? No

Policies/Terms: A credit card is required at time of booking. The nonrefundable first night's deposit is charged for each reservation at the time of booking. Reservations will be accepted until the block is full.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Casino Tower Room Block

GROUP/OFFER CODE S07SCT2

Book online: www.totalrewards.com/hotel-reservations/main/?propCode=GTU&groupCode=S07SCT2

Minimum Stay: 1 night

Book by phone: 866-635-7095, code S07SCT2

Dates available: Thursday 7/19/12 through Sunday 7/29/12.

Price: $137.00 per night . Additional $10 per room night per extra room occupant when more than 2 occupants.

Deposit Refundable? No

Policies/Terms: A credit card is required at time of booking. The nonrefundable first night's deposit is charged for each reservation at the time of booking. Reservations will be accepted until the block is full.

For information on Harrah’s Tunica Casino & Hotel property amenities, events, features, dining options, etc. please visit www.harrahstunica.com

SCT Flyer -> Here: www.southernclassictournament.com/SCTFlyer/tabid/225/Default.aspx

SCT Event Schedule -> Here: www.southernclassictournament.com/SCTFlyer/tabid/225/Default.aspx

Ladies Only! Amsterdam Billiards Hosts Women's Qualifier for World Tournament of 14.1 !
by Melanie Marquez Domingo

New York, New York - Women 14.1 players and female fans of the game will have their shot to play in the premiere tournament of straight pool. Amsterdam Billiards will be hosting the ladies only tournament this weekend, Saturday July 14th. The winning ladies will get their chance to match up against legends such as Efren Reyes, Thorsten Hohmann, Johnny Archer, Mika Immonen, John Schmidt and many more during the Predator World Tournament of 14.1.

The ladies will race to 100 points in a double elimination format. Winner of the event will get a free entry and spot into the main round robin where she will play a guaranteed 7 matches. If the qualifier draws 7 ladies or more, the top 2 winners will both get free entries.

"Amsterdam Billiards loves supporting the women and also straight pool. The World Tournament of 14.1 is a terrific event and great for the industry and New York City!", said Greg Hunt, owner of Amsterdam Billiard Club. Amsterdam Billiards will also be hosting a open 14.1 qualifier the following weekend on July 21st-22nd. Amsterdam Billiards is also the Official Poolroom Sponsor of the Predator World Tournament.

Amsterdam Billiards has had a long history of hosting great events and the world's best players such as Jeanette Lee.

Amsterdam Billiard Club has been one of the most famous and prestigious poolrooms in the history of pool for over 22 years. It has hosted many celebrities and been the home of billiard stars for decades. It's 11,000 sq ft. location has a full bar, serves food, and caters to dart players, pool leagues, and world champions. It is located at 110 East 11th Street New York, NY 10003-5302 (212) 995-0333 visit www.amsterdambilliardclub.com/

Tour Places For European Amateurs

World Snooker and the European Billiards and Snooker Association have joined forces to set up a new series of events which will give European amateur players the chance to qualify for the main tour.

The new EBSA Qualifying Tour will be a series of four events, staged concurrently with the following World Snooker European Tour events:

Paul Hunter Classic, Furth, Germany August 23-26
Antwerp, Belgium, October 19-21
Sofia, Bulgaria, November 16-18
Ravenscraig, Scotland, December 14-16

Entry into the EBSA Qualifying Tour can only be made by entering the World Snooker European Tour events. The EBSA events will only be open to amateur players registered with a national governing body of the EBSA.

A ranking system will run across the four events. The four event winners, plus the next eight players on the ranking list, will go through to the final play offs.

Those 12 players will then be separated into three quartets, who will play semi-finals and a final. The three winners will be handed a two year card for the World Snooker Tour in 2013/14 and 2014/15.

WPBSA Chairman Jason Ferguson said: "We are delighted to be working with the EBSA and to have secured three places on the World Snooker Tour for European amateur players.

"These events will be played on the world's best tables in professional tournament conditions. This will help ensure that Europe's elite performers will join the World Snooker Tour.

"Snooker is growing rapidly across the continent and we want to assist this growth at grass roots level by giving players the opportunity to play in events with real significance, and compete for a place on the professional circuit.

"We have seen young players like Belgium's Luca Brecel and Poland's Kacper Filipiak come through in recent years and I'm sure there is a lot more talent out there.

"I would encourage all amateurs to get their names down for the European Tour events as quickly as possible and they will then be able to play in two tournaments at each venue. There has never been more opportunity for amateur players to get top level experience and climb the snooker ladder."

Details of how to enter the European Tour events will be on www.worldsnooker.com

The Paul Hunter Classic is open for entry and the deadline is at 12 noon Thursday July 19. For details see www.worldsnooker.com/staticFiles/2/b5/0,,13165~177410,00.pdf

UK's First Professional 10-Ball Event to be Shown Live on Cuesport TV

The ever innovative and evolving GB 9 Ball Tour will this weekend serve up the UK's first ever professional 10-ball pool event. It is with great pleasure that Cuesport TV announce themselves as the Internet broadcast partner for this historic event.

Fans of the game will be able to watch live action of both the Pro Cup and the main Northern Masters 10-Ball tournament over at http://www.cuesport.tv - to access the streaming a user will have to pay a small fee of £2.95 ($4.60) in advance or £4.95 ($7.70) during the weekend. The price provides access for the full two days of coverage and will enable a user to view the high quality (1.2mbps) multicam stream and live commentary.

The GB 9 Ball Tour features players of such high calibre as Karl Boyes, Raj Hundal, Darren Appleton, Tony Drago, Daryl Peach, Imran Majid, Mark Gray and last years Northern Masters champion Craig Osborne. With a vast number of International events now on the calendar there are a few of the regular professionals that are not competing in Daventry due to prior commitments but this will not detract from the overall quality of the event.

This is now the fifth season that Cuesport TV have partnered with the GB 9 Ball Tour and Managing Director, Pete Williams had this to say, "It is a honour to be involved with a very well organised and innvovative national pool tour that continues to grow year-on-year, one of the key driving forces has of course been the players and it is from consultation with them that this 10-Ball event has come about. It will offer a very different challenge to a lot of the players involved with the tour and also serves to freshen things up a bit. From a live streaming perspective it is great to finally have to quality 10-Ball content that we can show to our growing audience."

The live streaming runs from 10:15am - 7:00pm (approximately) on Saturday 14th July and then from 10:15am - 11:00pm (approximately) on Sunday 15th July.

Anyone brand, pool club or cue sports manufacturer that has an interest in sponsoring all or part of a live streaming weekend should contact Pete Williams on pete.williams@cuesport.tv

To give you an idea of the live streaming please visit this link: www.cuesport.tv/video.php?id=802&catId=9-ball&itemsStart= which is the Paul Medati Pro Cup Final from April this year between Tony Drago and Karl Boyes.

HAMMER TIME FOR THE HEAVYWEIGHTS

After giving it stick in Munich, the fighters prepare to do their thing in the ring as the bad boys of boxing David Haye and Dereck Chisora get their chance to sort it all out at Upton Park this Saturday.

Lest we forget, these boys do actually have form, despite the unseemly goings on in Germany. Chisora went the distance with Vitali K and Haye certainly has proved himself in the ring despite his disappointing performance against Vladimir K.

So after the punchlines, come the punches and it's live at the Blue Square Fanzone here at Rileys. Now if you really want to see the sweat on the brow and Dereck's wild eyes in all their glory, this is the place to view. Get in nice an early, grab a frame, grab a drink and get ready for the rumble. Seconds out.

Plus contact us now for some great value deals including VIP packages that will ensure you see this fight in style.

Regards,
The Rileys Team

World Snooker Championship Tickets On Sale Saturday

Tickets for snooker’s biggest tournament, the 2013 World Championship, go on sale at 10am tomorrow (Saturday).

The event at the hallowed Crucible Theatre in Sheffield will run from April 20 to May 6, 2013. It is one of the outstanding events on the sporting calendar, the title that every snooker player covets the most.

Fans are STRONGLY RECOMMENDED to book tickets as soon as possible as many sessions will sell out rapidly.

To book call 0844 6565147 or visit www.sheffieldtheatres.co.uk

Tickets start at just £15 (plus booking fees).

VIP packages are also available for the semi-finals and final. For more information and to book an extra special package, call 0844 6565 147.

World Snooker Chairman Barry Hearn said: “For anyone who loves our sport, a trip to the Crucible to watch the World Championship is the ultimate snooker experience. The intensity of the atmosphere just couldn’t be replicated anywhere else which is why I have already said that I’d be happy to keep the event in Sheffield until the day I die.

“The tournament is steeped in history and prestige and it means more to the players than anything else.

“I believe that the ticket prices reflect fantastic value for money, especially when compared to equivalent events in other sports. So get on the phone or online tomorrow and get your seats booked, then you can start counting down the days to watch the greatest snooker show on Earth.

“Last year we set a new record for ticket sales, and I want to break that record again!”

The World Championship dates back to 1927 and has been staged at the Crucible since 1977. All of snooker’s great names are inscribed on the trophy. There are 17 days of dramatic action, with extensive television coverage from BBC.

The 2013 event will feature the top 16 seeded players plus 16 qualifiers. The top 16 will be determined at the seeding cut off point on April 1, 2013, after the China Open.

The World Championship is supported by Sheffield City Council and Welcome To Yorkshire.

Roberto Gomez Back On Track in Guinness World Series of Pool
by Marlon Bernardino

FILIPINO Roberto “Superman” Gomez bounce back from a lackluster first session five-rack outing of 6:43 mins with a much improved run of 5:21 mins in the second session for a total qualifying round time of 12:04 mins to boost his chances of booking a seat in the Top 32 after the day 2 of the Guinness World Series of Pool: Speed Challenge at the Ciputra World Mall in Surabaya, Indonesia on Saturday.

It shall be recalled that World 8Ball Champion Dennis Orcollo upstaged his compatriots Jeffrey De Luna and Gomez at the first session of the preliminary rounds on Friday.

With the tournament adopting a brand new format of 10Ball speed pool, the first day of competition proved to be a learning experience for most of the players. Unfortunately, Gomez was one of the many players who felt uncomfortable during his turn at the table which translated to an unimpressive Day one result.

But determined to improve, Gomez took the challenge in stride and through keen observation of the playing style from yesterday’s top performers, Britain’s Karl Boyes (4:24 mins) and Chris Melling (4:20 mins), the Filipino was able to make the necessary adjustments in his second session run.

The Gomez remarked “I was not really sure how to approach the table yesterday. In my mind, slow and steady should have been a great strategy which was why I took the time to address the cue-ball but the British boys (Boyes and Melling) proved me wrong. They were running around, potting balls left and right, wasting no time in the address and applying stop and stun shots to kill the clock. I realized, this was the key to winning and used this strategy today and wouldn’t you know it, it works!”

With the worst five-rack times averaging in the high eight minutes, Gomez’ time should be strong enough to carry him through to the next round.

His fellow countrymen Orcollo (04:31 mins) and De Luna (05:20 mins) whose initial times belong in the top ten, have yet to take to the table for their second set of five-rack qualifiers. Both are also in great position to enter the Top 32.

The first round of the GWSOP: Speed Pool challenge sees the 40 players battling the clock as they play two sessions of five racks each with the top 32 times advancing to the next round. From there it will be a single knockout format all the way to the semifinals with each match having the players face-off in five racks, whoever has the total best-time wins. The finals will be a 7- rack shootout to determine the championship.

Orcollo, De Luna Through To Quarterfinals
by Marlon Bernardino

quarterfinals head-to-head matchups:
Thorsten Hohmann (GER) vs Chris Melling (GBR)
Darren Appleton (GBR) vs Jeffrey De Luna (PHI)
Mika Immonen (FIN) vs Karl Boyes (GBR)
Dennis Orcollo (PHI) vs Cherry Suliawan (INA)

2011 World 8Ball Champion Dennis "Robocop" Orcollo blasted local bet Adolof Leunupun in the Round-of-16 with a five rack total time of 05:18 mins versus the Indonesian’s 8:13 mins to become the first Filipino to enter the quarterfinals of the 2012 Guinness World Series of Pool: Speed Ball Challenge at the Ciputra World Mall in Surabaya, Indonesia on Sunday.

Following suit was compatriot Jeffrey "The Bull" De Luna who scored a similar easy win against Indonesian veteran Ricky Yang, 5:00 mins to 5:38mins.

Orcollo whose performance in Day 2 action was hampered by high fever and convulsions during the preliminary stages of the tournament seems to have completely recovered and delivered a solid run during his head to head round of 16 encounter with the Indonesian.

An impressive opening rack of 58 seconds from the Filipino ace set the tone for the match and although he made a few mistakes in the second with a 6ball corner pocket miss and in the fourth with a bungled 2ball attempt, Orcollo somehow managed keep his times to an average of just under a minute. Unfortunately, Leunupun was just not able to keep up with the pace, ultimately succumbing to the Filipino in front of his home crowd.

With his win, Orcollo has landed in the quarterfinals and will take on another Indonesian, Cherry Suliawan who defeated compatriot Iwan Saga, 5:58 mins to 7:49 mins. Jeffrey De Luna on the other hand should have his hands full in his quarters clash with current world number one Darren Appleton (GBR) who scorched American top shooter Shane Van Boening, 4:33 versus 5:09 in their top 16 matchup.

Asked about how he felt about his chances Orcollo said “I’ve finally found a good strategy to give me great times. When you break, you should not rush the first shot. You must wait for the balls to settle and then pick the best pattern from there. I believe Chris Melling and Karl Boyes are also using this strategy and so far it has given them some of the best times in the tournament. I think this is the key to the championship and I plan on employing this approach for the rest of the competition. I know it’s going to be tough but I believe I have a great chance to win!”

Earlier in the day, Blackburn native Karl Boyes put on a fantastic show as well, trumping his Indonesian counterpart Ferdi with a total time of 4:47 mins against 8:06 mins. Finland’s Mika Immonen followed suit with a 5:27 mins thrashing of another local bet Muhammad Andre who clocked in at 6:28 mins.

The first round of the GWSOP: Speed Pool challenge sees the 40 players battling the clock as they play two sessions of five racks each with the top 32 times advancing to the next round. From there it will be a single knockout format all the way to the semifinals with each match having the players face-off in five racks, whoever has the total best-time wins. The finals will be a 7- rack shootout to determine the championship.

BOYES RULES SPEED BALL CHALLENGE, HALTS ORCOLLO, APPLETON
by Marlon Bernardino

KARL BOYES of Great Britain mastered 2011 world 8-ball champion Dennis Orcollo in the semi-final round then subdued compatriot Darren Appleton in an all-British final to pocket the 2012 Guinness World Series of Pool: Speed Ball Challenge at the Ciputra World Mall in Surabaya, Indonesia on Sunday.

Boyes made short work of Orcollo in their semifinal, 3:49 mins against the Filipino’s 5:37 mins then smashed Appleton in their thrilling seven-rack finale with an extraordinary time of 5:33 mins versus the latter's 7:03 mins.

Boyes’ incredible championship performance earned him the coveted title of 2012 Guinness World Series of Pool: Speed Challenge Champion and the top prize of USD41,500.00. For his admirable efforts, Appleton took home USD12,500.00.

On winning the first ever speed pool championship in Asia, Boyes said, "Oh I’m just on top of the moon, ecstatic for sure. I knew it was going to be a tough match and up till the second rack it was anybody’s game. But in the third I knew I had it in the bag. Funny it’s not every day you can say you beat the world’s number one pool player. I’m extremely happy with the way things turned out and you can look for me to come back again next year!"

Appleton, earlier beat another Filipino entry Jeffrey "The Bull" de Luna, 4:37 mins to 4:56 mins. It was also Appleton who beat Chris Melling in the other semifinal, 4:43 mins to 5:12 mins.

All throughout the three-day tournament, it was apparent that the British trio of Boyes, Appleton and Melling were the ones to beat as they seemed to have a strategy that helped them dominate all the rounds from the preliminaries to the final.

Astounding Ticket Sales For World Snooker Championship

Nearly 15,000 tickets were sold for snooker’s 2013 World Championship within two days of the box office opening.

Ticket sales were launched at 10am last Saturday, and by Monday morning a phenomenal 14,552 had been snapped up.

There are still tickets available for most sessions but fans are STRONGLY URGED to book their seats as soon as possible. The event runs from April 20 to May 6, 2013, at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield.

A spokesman for World Snooker said: “These opening sales figures are extraordinary and show the massive appetite people have for this tournament. At this rate, every seat for every session will be sold out before long.

“If you are hoping to be at the event to witness the magical atmosphere then book immediately! Don’t miss out because this is going to be an amazing tournament. Nearly 200 Premium and Hospitality packages were purchased on the first day of sales so if you want that extra-special experience you also need to book quickly.

"The Crucible is such an iconic venue and if you are a lover of great sporting occasions then a visit to the World Championship is an absolute must, so don't miss out on another year! If you haven't been before then you should try the Sheffield experience at least once!"

To book tickets call 0844 6565147 or visit www.sheffieldtheatres.co.uk

Tickets start at just £15 (plus booking fees).

VIP packages are also available for the semi-finals and final. For more information call 0844 6565 147.

The event will feature the top 16 seeded players plus 16 qualifiers. The top 16 will be determined at the seeding cut off point on April 1, 2013, after the China Open.

The World Championship is supported by Sheffield City Council and Welcome To Yorkshire.

Kiev is wating for the best teams!

European Billiard Council and Weekend Company would like to invite for:

         2012 EBC TEAM CUP

Date –    11-12 August 2012

Venue – Billiard club “Weekend”, Kiev, Bozhenkko str., 107 and Shopping mall “SkyMall”, Kiev, Vatytina ave., 2-3-rd level

Participants

32 Teams – each team – 2 players,

More information: www.ebc-billiard.com

Brunswick Billiards' Roger Blank Honored with
Billiard Congress of America 2011 President's Award

Schaumburg, IL.- July 17, 2012 - Each year the Chairman of the Billiard Congress of America (BCA) Board of Directors has the opportunity to recognize an outstanding individual who has made significant contributions to the billiard industry with the presentation of the BCA President's Award.

This year, BCA Chairman Mike Serra has chosen to recognize Roger Blank as the recipient of the 2011 BCA President's Award. An industry veteran of 17 years, Roger is currently Director of National & Commercial Accounts for Brunswick Billiards. Twice elected to serve on the BCA Board of Directors, Roger has also served on numerous BCA committees, including participating on the Trade Show Committee seven times since 2001 (three years as chair), Long Range Planning, Finance, Instructors, Hall of Fame, Nominating and By-Laws Committees. He has also served three years on the BCA Executive Committee, two of those as first vice-president of the BCA Board.

"In choosing this year's President's award recipient, I wanted to choose someone whose work ethic mirrored the vision and mission statements of the Billiard Congress of America," Chairman Serra stated. "Roger's dedication to growing the billiard industry and to supporting industry members is unparalleled by anyone in a similar position."

Chairman Serra added, "This year's award recipient is honest, passionate and always exceeds expectations. His commitment to the industry is what separates him from others, and his versatility provides him the ability to the see the bigger picture and not only help develop the growth and success of his customers but also the entire industry."

Other industry leaders agree with Serra's assessment of Roger's dedication to the industry. "As I was finishing my last year as BCA Chairman, I needed a reliable and committed person to take the daunting task of Trade Show Committee Chair. Without hesitation I knew Roger was my guy. I was fortunate enough to work along side Roger at the BCA and watched him bloom into a diligent, selfless, hard worker that not only took on every challenge he was given, but always did it with a positive attitude and smile. Even after Roger's career as a BCA director, he continues to volunteer his time and expertise to help the BCA and the billiard industry in every way he can," says Skip Nemecek, Tweeten Fibre President, and former BCA Chairman.

"Roger's loyalty to billiards is evident in the many connections and relationships he has made across manufacturers and retailers. He has always been extremely passionate about the billiards industry, and prides himself on serving the BCA in any capacity,"said Austin Rothbard, President at Brunswick Billiards.

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About Billiard Congress of America

Founded in 1948, the Billiard Congress of America is a non-profit trade organization dedicated to growing a united, prosperous and highly regarded billiard industry through BCA leadership. The BCA seeks to enhance the success of its members and promote the game of billiards though educational, marketing and promotional efforts, an annual industry trade show and other programs designed to encourage billiards as a lifestyle and make pool everybody's game. For more information, visit bca-pool.com or call 303-243-5070.

Billiard Congress of America Rebrands BCA Instructor Program to
Professional Billiard Instructors Association

Broomfield, Colo. - July 17, 2011 - The Billiard Congress of America today announced it has changed the name of the BCA Instructor Program to the Professional Billiard Instructors Association (PBIA). The change comes as part of a new marketing initiative aimed at promoting the benefits of quality billiard instruction from PBIA Instructors to players of all skill levels. The PBIA is further committed to providing a reputable certification program for individuals wishing to become qualified PBIA instructors.

The association today also announced that three industry-leading businesses have signed multi-year partnership agreements to support and promote the PBIA, including Iwan Simonis, PoolDawg and Predator Group.

As part of this new initiative, the PBIA has launched a new web site, www.playbetterbilliards.com, aimed at promoting the benefits of seeking out quality instruction from certified PBIA instructors. In addition to offering an easy-to-use search function for locating PBIA instructors, www.playbetterbilliards.com also features PBIA master instructors, PBIA pool schools, an "Ask an Instructor" Q&A section, plus additional content designed to promote better billiard play. The site also provides information on how to become a certified PBIA instructor as well as a PBIA marketing guide that offers marketing tips for certified PBIA instructors.

Additionally, an integrated marketing campaign promoting the PBIA was launched in early 2012. The campaign includes a pay-per-click keyword advertising campaign on Google and Facebook aimed towards driving consumers interested in pool instruction to www.playbetterbilliards.com. To date, the online ads promoting the PBIA have been clicked 8,615 times. The site has already had more that 10,000 unique visitors, and there has been more the 3,500 searches for PBIA instructors on the web site.

"We hold tightly to the belief that quality billiard instruction enhances an individual's enjoyment of the game, which in turn creates life-long customers for all categories of the billiard industry," said Billiard Congress of America CEO Rob Johnson. "With this belief as the foundation for this new initiative, making our instructor program more consumer friendly via such initiatives as a consumer-driven web site, creating an integrated marketing campaign promoting the benefits of PBIA instruction and by committing to provide qualified, reputable billiard instructors, the PBIA will have a positive impact on the billiard industry."

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About the Professional Billiard Instructors Association

The PBIA is the largest international organization of professional billiard instructors. Since its founding in 1992 as the BCA Instructor Program, the PBIA and its instructors have been dedicated to growing cue sports through professional instruction, guidance in the development of training products, contributing instructional articles to industry publications, participating in educational workshops and seminars for pool room operators and instructors, acting as certified referees and/or league officials, and directing some of the most notable billiard tournaments throughout the country. For more information, visit www.playbetterbilliards.com or call 303.243.5070.

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About Billiard Congress of America

Founded in 1948, the Billiard Congress of America is a non-profit trade organization dedicated to growing a united, prosperous and highly regarded billiard industry through BCA leadership. The BCA seeks to enhance the success of its members and promote the game of billiards though educational, marketing and promotional efforts, an annual industry trade show and other programs designed to encourage billiards as a lifestyle and make pool everybody's game. For more information, visit bca-pool.com or call 303-243-5070.