Site News
Topic: *Industry News* 2011

GOMEZ, CHUA OFF TO GOOD START IN PREDATOR 10-BALL
BY: MARLON BERNARDINO

LAST year runner-up Roberto "Pinoy Superman" Gomez and Johann "Bubwit" Chua of the Philippines got off to a blazing start by posting victories in the opening round of the
11th Predator International 10-Ball Championships yesterday at the Robinson's Galleria in Ortigas.

The Zamboanga City native Gomez, a member of the star-studded Bugsy Promotions defeated countryman Warren "Warrior" Kiamco, 9-5, while the Bacolod City ace Chua routed compatriot former World Junior quarter-finalists Renemar "Revo" David, 9-4.

Down at 4-5, Gomez clustered five straight racks in this race-to-9, winner's break format to advance in the next round of this double elimination format which offersn $10,000 to the champion.

"Buti na lamang sa 10th frame nagsablay si Warren (Kiamco) then naka diretso na tayo," said Gomez, who lost to hall of famer Efren "Bata" Reyes, 10-9, in the finals last year.

Reyes, on the other hand took a bye in the first round in this Dragon Promotions Inc. event in close cooperation with Puyat Sports and ABS-CBN 2 thru Studio 23.

Meantime, the 19-year-old Tansa, Cavite resident Chua took a 7-0 to 7-4 commanding lead and never looked back.

"Maganda ang tira natin at pumanig y'ung bola sa akin kaya nakauna agad ako kay Revo (Renemar David),"

Sharing the limelight are Jayson Shaw and Chris Melling of the United Kingdom, Dennis Grabe of Estonia, Ronato Alcano and Jech Limen of the Philippines, Wu Hao of China and Omar Al Shaheen of Kuwait.

Shaw bested Brett Anar, 9-3, Melling dealt Erid Erm, 9-6, Grabe upset Tony Drago, 9-5, Alcano won by default over Reda Belhaj, 9-0, Limen edged Francois Cottances, 9-8, Hao nipped Rick Zerna of the Philippines, 9-3, and Al Shaheen defeated Lemaire Emmanuel, 9-7.

European Blackball Pool Championships Live on Cuesport TV

The 2011 European Blackball Pool Championships from Tullow, Ireland, is once again being broadcast live online at Cuesport TV.

The event, featuring team and individual championships in the World Pool Association recognised Blackball discipline, is being hosted by the fantastic Mount Wolseley Hotel, Spa & Country Club in the heart of Ireland's County Carlow.

Players from 7 different European Nations will be participating with France and Northern Ireland expected to feature strongly in the men's event and Scotland looking to defend the title they won in 2009 in the Ladies event.

The live internet coverage is only available on pay-per-view and starts at 10:00am (UK Time) on Sunday 18th September. The coverage then concludes on Thursday 22nd September with the team finals.

Details on the PPV coverage can be found here: www.cuesport.tv/Events/signin.aspx?eventID=512

Throughout the course of the five days the 'Live Match Schedule' will be updated via the Cuesport TV Blog to keep viewers informed of the match picked for the TV Table. The first match will be France v Catalonia at 10:00am on Sunday in the Men's A Division.

Pete Williams, Director of Cuesport TV Ltd said, "I was delighted to receive the call from Martin Kirwan regarding this years European Championships, we have an excellent relationship with the EBA and it is great that the organisations two pinnacle events can now both be seen exclusively on Cuesport TV."

The coverage of the European Championships follows the live broadcast of the EBA Masters in April this year.

2011 US MOSCONI CUP RANKINGS LATEST

Mike goes back to No.1 despite not playing

DESPITE missing the recent Turning Stone event, the third to last qualifier in the PartyPoker.net Mosconi Cup USA Rankings, Mike Dechaine reclaimed the top spot, edging Shane Van Boening into second place.

This was because players are allowed to ditch their worst finish in the ten event series, and due to the fact that Dechaine was representing the USA in the PartyPoker.net World Cup of Pool in Manila, he did not compete at Turning Stone.

Therefore his zero points from the event became his worst placed finish and his previous worst effort of 33 points, returned to his tally. Other movers included Johnny Archer, chasing his 15th consecutive Mosconi appearance, who climbed into the top five for the first time.

Mosconi veteran Rodney Morris, who took the title at Turning Stone, climbed to No.4, padding the top five with plenty of experience. Shawn Putnam, who flew the flag in 2005, moved up one to third spot.

The US Mosconi Cup Ranking consists of 10 events throughout the United States, culminating in the US Open in October. Points will be allocated as per the BCA Points List and each event will be weighted depending on total purse, size of field and number of top-ranked players competing.

Only players finishing in the last 32 of each event will be allocated points and players will be allowed to drop their worst finish of the ten event series. At the conclusion, after the 2011 US Open, the top three players will automatically gain entry to the Mosconi Cup side.

The remaining two players will be Matchroom Sport wildcard picks although the ranking will play a part in this.

The final two events left to determine the American Mosconi Cup team are the Steve Mizerak Championship (16-18 September) and finally, the US Open 9-Ball Championship (16-22 October).

ORCOLLO BOUNCES BACK TO ENTER PREDATOR 10-BALL QUARTERS
BY: MARLON BERNARDINO

WORLD no.1 Filipino Dennis "Robocop" Orcollo came back with a vengeance in the 11th Predator International 10-Ball Championships scoring five victories and advancing to the quarterfinal round yesterday at the Robinson's Galleria in Ortigas.

Orcollo, the top player of Perry Mariano's Bugsy Promotion shrugged off his 9-3 loss to Japan's Yukio Akagariyama and nailed successive victories over his opponents.

The reigning World 8-ball champion outclassed Han Hao Xiang of China, 9-3, Jayson Shaw of the United States, 9-1, Daryl Peach of Great Britain, 9-3, countryman Carlo Biado, 9-3, in the loser's brackets then nipped compatriot Jundel Mazon, 10-2, in the round-of-16.

Orcollo’s next assignment will be the winner of the match between another Filipino entry Ramil "Bebeng" Gallego and Wu Hao of China.

Against Mazon, Orcollo took the first two racks in the race-to-10 format, Last 16. However, Mazon won two straight racks to level the count at 2-all. Orcollo won eight straight racks to advance in the next round. "Talagang maganda lang ang nilalaro natin ngayon at hope ko na magpatuloy ito," said Orcollo, coach of PCSO Billiards Academy.

Against Biado, Orcollo took a 5-0 to 7-3 commanding lead and never looked back in this $10,000 top prize tournament.

"Nakauna agad ako at maganda ang latag ng bola sa akin," earlier said the Bislig, Surigao del Sur native Orcollo.
The other quarterfinalists in the tournament are defending champion Efren "Bata" Reyes who edged countryman John Salazar, 10-8, in the Last 16 as well Mika Immonen of Finland who brought downed Chris Melling of the Great Britain, 10-9.

ORCOLLO REACHES PREDATOR 10-BALL TOUR FINALS
BY: MARLON BERNARDINO

WORLD no.1 Dennis “Robocop” Orcollo of the Philippines reached the 11th Predator International 10-Ball Championships Finals by beating Wu Jia Qing (formerly Wu Chia-ching) of China on Sunday at the Robinson's Galleria in Ortigas.

Orcollo, top player of Perry Mariano’s Bugsy Promotions, defeated Wu, 10-5, in the semifinal. Wu, a former World 9-ball and 8-ball champion ace from Taiwan who migrated in China failed to sank black eight ball in the 15th frame, allowing Orcollo to clean up the table.

Orcollo, the reigning World 8-Ball champion, raced to a 5-1 to 8-5 lead in this race-to-10, winner’s break format.

Wu failed to sank orange five ball in the 5th frame allowing Orcollo to widen a 4-1 lead. A 2-10 combination in the 6th frame for 5-1 lead of Orcollo. A safetyshot of Orcollo in the 7th frame allowing Wu to clean up the table and cut 5-2 lead. However, Wu suffered a dry break in the 8th frame allowing Orcollo to a 6-2 lead. Break and run in the 9th frame as Orcollo took a 7-2 commanding lead. But Wu fought back winning two consecutive racks to sliced the 7-4 lead. Wu suffered scratch in the 12th frame that put Orcollo an 8-4 comfortable lead. This time Orcollo suffered a dry break in the 13th racks as Wu managed to clean up the table for 8-5 count before Orcollo won the final racks.

He is hoping to capture again the coveted title he won two years ago at the Riviera Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas. Orcollo beat Ralf Souquet of Germany, 8-3, in the 2009 Predator 10 ball finals.

He said it was difficult because the game was short and was played on a break format.

“Thanks for those who cheered for me, including my own family and the husband-and-wife team of my boss,” said Orcollo after beating Wu.

Billiards Managers and Players Association of the Philippines (BMPAP) co-founder Ceferino “Perry” Mariano said, “I hope the ball goes Orcollo’s way through the finals.”
Mariano, with wife Verna and the audience cheered wildly at the venue.

The former fisherman from Bislig, Surigao del Sur will next face Mika "The Iceman" Immonen of Finland in the finals, who edged Liu Haitao of China, 10-9, in another semi-final affair.

On the road to the semifinals, Orcollo defeated countryman Ramil "Bebeng" Gallego, 10-3, in the quarterfinals while Wu outclassed last year champion Filipino cue masters Efren "Bata" Reyes, 10-9, Immonen nipped Filipino Roberto "Pinoy Superman" Gomez, 10-7, and Liu edged Philipp Stojanovic of Croatia, 10-8.

Murphy Masters Brazil

Shaun Murphy won the inaugural Brazil Masters by thrashing Graeme Dott 5-0 in the final in Florianopolis.

In the first ever professional snooker tournament staged in South America, Murphy took just 64 minutes to win a battle of two former World Champions.

Sale-based Murphy picked up the trophy and a cheque for $40,000 at the Costão do Santinho Resort, to conclude the 16-man invitation event.

A break of 81 gave him the first frame and he took a scrappy second for 2-0. Runs of 54 and 70 saw Murphy make it 4-0 at the interval, and he delivered the coup de grâce in the next with a 139 total clearance.

"I got better with each match through the tournament, and played my best in the final," said World No 6 Murphy, who conceded just two frames in his four matches.

"It's a great opportunity we've been given, to go around the world playing the game we love. I'll have very fond memories of Brazil and I would love to see this become a regular event. The people here are very enthusiastic, they have enjoyed it and I think this is a market that can be expanded.

"This is a great time for snooker and it's very exciting to be part of it, with so many new formats and new locations."

Murphy is now looking forward to six Players Tour Championship events before December's UK Championship. He added: "Mark Selby and Mark Williams have been running away from the rest in ranking events so it's up to me now to catch them up."

Results

Last 16
Mark Selby 4-3 Stuart Bingham
Peter Ebdon 4-1 Stephen Lee
Jamie Cope 2-4 Igor Figueiredo
Graeme Dott 4-1 Mark Davis
Shaun Murphy 4-0 Sobradinho de Dues
Martin Gould 1-4 Ricky Walden
Stephen Hendry 4-1 Noel Rodrigues
Ali Carter 4-2 Steve Davis

Quarter-finals
Mark Selby 3-4 Peter Ebdon
Igor Figueiredo 2-4 Graeme Dott
Shaun Murphy 4-1 Ricky Walden
Stephen Hendry 4-0 Ali Carter

Semi-finals
Peter Ebdon 2-5 Graeme Dott
Stephen Hendry 1-5 Shaun Murphy

Final
Graeme Dott 0-5 Shaun Murphy

DENNIS ORCOLLO BEATS MIKA IMMONEN, WINS PREDATOR 10-BALL; POCKETS $10,000; ENDS MANILA JINX
BY: MARLON BERNARDINO

WORLD no.1 Dennis Orcollo of the Philippines put together a big comeback, winning the final three racks to beat Mika Immonen of Finland, 10-8, to capture the 11th Predator International 10-Ball Championship Sunday night at the Robinsons Galleria in Ortigas.

Orcollo, top player of Perry Mariano's Bugsy Promotions claimed the champion’s purse of $10,000 prize plus Predator elegant trophy. More important, the reigning World 8-ball champion won his first international tournament here in Manila.

"It's a great tournament, really hard," said Orcollo. "First day I lost to (Yukio) Akagariyama. I went to the loser's bracket. But I didn't worry."

"I am so happy to win this tournament.This is my first international tournament title here in Manila," added Orcollo, who also won the 9th Predator International 10-Ball Championship two years ago in Las Vegas, Nevada at the expense of Ralf Souquet of Germany, 8-3.

“I’m happy for Dennis (Orcollo). He’s long been looking to win this tournament,” said Ceferino "Perry" Mariano, Orcollo’s chief benefactor at Bugsy’s Promotions.

Immonen settled for the runner-up prize of $5,000.

"I was really close to ending this drought that I've had for the past four or five months," he said. "I thought I'd end it with this event. I was up by two racks, but I made a couple of unforced errors. Maybe I got ahead of myself a little bit." added Immonen.

Earlier, Orcollo defeated Wu Jia Qing (formerly Wu Chia-ching) of China,10-5, in the final four to arranged a titular showdown with Immonen, who brought downed Liu Haitao of China, 10-9, in another semi-final affair.

Losing semi-finalists Wu and Liu received $3,250 for their efforts.

Immonen seize a 5-2 lead winning four racks in a row before allowing Orcollo to finally get his chance at the table by missing a tough shot on the 7 in the eighth rack, which the Filipino parlayed into a two-rack run that cut the lead to 5-4. A poor safety shot by Orcollo in the 10th, however, prevented him from knotting up the score, and Immonen seized the rack to go up 6-4.

Another error by Immonen, this time a miss on the 1, gave Orcollo another opening, and he took full advantage by winning the rack as well as the next to knot it up at 6-6. But Immonen inched ahead again at 7-6 after Orcollo came up dry with his break in the 13th rack. Then things started going south for the Finn.

The Iceman has been in a slump of late, failing to win any title of sort for the last five months or so. Now he was three racks away from victory and breaking to go ahead 8-6. He had a good break in the 14th rack and seemed to have a clear path to the 10 ball and a decisive two-rack advantage in the homestretch. But he shunned the use of a bridge in an attempt to hit a difficultly placed 4 ball, choosing instead to stretch across the table. He missed badly, and Orcollo made him pay by tying it up at 7-7.

Immonen came back to win the 15th rack after Orcollo missed a bank on the 4, but Orcollo tied it up again in the next rack. The 17th rack was messy, with both players committing errors. Immonen nearly stole the rack with a kick-in on the 7 that just rattled out, but Orcollo left the door slightly ajar when he didn't completely cover up the 8. Immonen had a chance at a safety, but he virtually handed over the rack to the world no. 1 when he scratched.

Orcollo sank the 3 on his break in the 18th rack, but he had to sink a couple of tricky shots before he could complete a run-out and clinch the title, his second with Predator after winning this same event in 2009.

For Orcollo, this latest tournament win, which came off a runner-up finish in the World Pool Masters, firmly established him as the top player in the world, even though the Predator event carries no World Pool Association (WPA) ranking points. Orcollo also made it to the semifinals of the World 9 Ball Championships in Doha in June and the quarterfinals of the World 10 Ball Championships in Pasay City in May.

Orcollo became the third Filipino in eight years to rule the World 8-Ball Championship, clobbering the Netherlands’ Neils Feijen, 10-3, for the 2011 crown at the Fujairah Exhibition Center in Fujairah, United Arab Emirates last February.

Dynamic Euro-Tour in Eger, Hungary, only 10 days away

The upcoming Euro-Tour 10-ball event will kick off the Beassy Billiard Festival week

Monday, September 19, 2011: On September 29th, the Euro-Tour will begin in Eger, Hungary. Europe’s top players will have a rendezvous at the pool-billiard tables in Hotel Eger Park, Eger, Hungary.

The final of the Dynamic Euro-Tour 10-ball Hungarian Open will be played on Saturday, October 1st. Following the Euro-Tour are two high class international events, organized by the local organizer, the Beassy ™ Company. The Beassy ™ 9-ball World Class Open is scheduled from October 2nd to 4th while the Beassy ™ 8-ball World’s Top Gun will be played from October 5th to 6th. A total prize fund of 100.000,- € in all three events is on the line for pool’s elite players. European top guns will be joined by international pool players from all over the planet.

There are still spots for participants available; Announcements can be made via the Euro-Tour website (www.eurotouronline.eu) or through the Beassy ™ website (www.beassy.com). No player of international format should miss this line-up of World-Class pool events in Hungary.
The Euro-Tour event will be hosted by the European Governing Body for Pool, the European Pocket Billiard Federation (EPBF) and organized by International Billiard Promotion (IBP). For further information and reference please go to the event website www.eurotouronline.eu or contact our press office.

44th Annual All Japan Championship

*** NOTICE - EVENT MOVED FORWARD BY 1 DAY ***

Men’s     WPA ranking game

Date:
Qualifying round(1st stage); 2011 Nov 14 – 15
* Nov 14 event is for only Japanese players. Nov 15 event is for Japanese and international players.
Main event (2nd stage)
( Group round );     2011 Nov 16 - 19
( Final round );        2011 Nov 19 - 20
Venue: “Archaic hall OCT”
            2-7-16, Syowa-dori, Amagasaki-city, Hyogo, Japan, 660-0881

Format:
WPA 10-ball,
Qualifying round;                Double elimination, race to 8
Main event
( Groupe round );     128 players, Double elimination , race to 8
( Final round );     64 players, Single elimination, race to 10

Prize money:
The exchange rates is at June 13.
Total;     $100,400
Winner;     $28,600
Runner-up; $14,300
3rd finish;     $7,150 x 2
5th finish;     $3,600 x 4
9th finish;     $1,800 x 8
17th finish;     $900 x 16

* The 20% tax is imposed on the prize money for Foreign players.
Entry dead line for foreign players; 2011 Sep 30

Top 32 players on latest WPA ranking( on 2011 Aug 31) will be seeded at Main event.
1 Orcollo, Dennis
2 Akagariyama, Yukio
3 Alcano, Ronnie
4 Appleton, Darren
5 Melling, Chris
6 See, Huidji
7 Chang, Jung Lin
8 Corteza, Lee Vann
9 Hohmann, Thorsten
10 Lining, Antonio
11 Souquet, Ralf
12 Feijen, Niels
13 Van Boening, Shane
14 Biado, Carlo
15 Peach, Daryl
16 van den Berg, Nick
17 Fu, Che Wei
18 Fu, Jianbo
19 Chang, Yu Lung
20 Li Wen, Lo
21 Gomez, Roberto
22 Immonen, Mika
23 Alcaide, David
24 Kuo, Po-Cheng
25 Liu, Haitao
26 Ko, Pin-Yi
27 Gray, Mark
28 Dalmatin, Karlo
29 Tanio, Vinancio
30 Klatt, Jason
31 Boyes, Karl
32 Engert, Thomas

10 seeded players (each 2 players from 5 continental federations, AAPA, BCA, CPB, EPBF, and OPBA) will be seeded at Main event.
The number of seeded players from APBU is TBA.
Entry fee: Player starting from the 1st stage ; $250 (20,000)
Player qualified to the 2nd stage ; Additional $190 (15,000)
Player starting from the 2nd stage ; $440(35,000)

Total added money is $50,400
Dress code    Please wear a white shirt, a tie, a vest, and leather black shoes

Women’s

Date:
Main event (2nd stage)
( Group round );     2011 Nov 18 - 19
( Final round );        2011 Nov 19 - 20
Venue: “Archaic hall OCT”
            2-7-16, Syowa-dori, Amagasaki-city, Hyogo, Japan, 660-0881

Format: WPA　9 -ball,
Main event
( Groupe round );     64 players, Double elimination , race to 7
( Final round );        16 players, Single elimination, race to 9

Prize money
1st     600,000 JPY
2nd     300,000 JPY
3 ～4th 150,000 JPY
5 ～8th    75,000 JPY　
9 ～16th　 38,000 JPY
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　
Entry fee： 20,000JPY

The 20% tax is imposed on the prize money for Foreign players.

Entry dead line for foreign players; 2011 Sep 30

To players　＆　Guest
If it is not early, the reservation of the official hotel becomes a full occupancy.

Takashi Namie
President
Japan Professional Pocket-Billiard Association
10-21 Hiranokamiyanagi-cho, Kita-ku,Kyoto, Japan 603-8355
Tel. +81-75-463-3777 Fax +81-75-461-8706
namitaka39@jpba.ne.jp

Toughest Pool Nationals Set in October
by: Marlon Bernardino

THE Billiards and Snooker Congress of the Philippines (BSCP), the governing body of pool sports in the country, will unwrap the toughest national pool championship ever staged in the country with the 2011 BSCP National Championships scheduled on October 3-11 at the Star Billiards Center in Quezon City.

To highlight this year’s championship, the BSCP will adopt a three-game format for the tournament.

In the battle for the men’s championship, the players will compete in three disciplines – eight ball, nine-ball and ten-ball -- each a tournament in its own right.

The 2011 men’s national champion will be determined based on total points garnered by each player from all three tournaments. Points will be assigned to players based on their order of finish in each event.

In the women’s championship, women players will only compete in one 10-ball event.

A total prize fund of P800,000 await the winners of the three tournaments and the grand national championship.

Because of the grueling format adopted in the men’s championship, “whoever emerges as the winner will be the truest national champion ever,” says BSCP spokesman Butch Argonza.

He explained that the BSCP adopted the format with a view to accelerating the development of cue sports in the country and defending the country’s image as the leading pool-playing nation in the world. “As the rest of the world have gotten better at pool, it is important that Filipino players excel in all pool games. We have to maintain our edge,” he said.

BSCP, AKTV, Star Billiards and Raya Sports have joined together in mounting this year’s championships.

AKTV on IBC 13 will broadcast the event .

Raya Sports will organize and promote the tournament.

Star Billiards, under BSCP president Sebastian Chua, will host the 9-day pool extravaganza.

Top-ranking Filipino players, as well as young fast-rising players are expected to join the competition. “We are expecting a minimum number of 64 players to join each of the three tournaments,” says tournament coordinator Sol Gueco.            

The full schedule of the 2011 National championships is as follows:

Men’s 8-Ball tournament (Oct. 3-4), Men’s 9-Ball tournament (Oct. 5-6-), Men’s 10-Ball tournament (Oct. 7-8 ). Women’s championship (10-ball only, Oct 6-8 ).

The finals of all tournaments will be held on three successive days: Oct. 9, Oct 10, and Oct. 11.

Registration in the tournament is now ongoing. To register, call Sol Gueco at (0910)887-5216; or Edgar Acaba, BSCP secretary-general (0916)573-1458.

FILIPINO VICTOR ARPILLEDA WINS JOGJAKARTA 9-BALL OPEN; POCKETS $7,000

BY: MARLON BERNARDINO

FILIPINO Victor Arpilleda flashed his vintage form by winning the 2011 Jogjakarta 9-ball Open in Indonesia on Sunday.

The Jakarta based Arpilleda who hails from Murphy, Quezon City edged Irsal Nasution of Indonesia, 11-10, in the finals to win the US$7,000 top prize and the championship trophy.

The 1997 Jakarta Southeast Asian Games 9-ball gold medallist Arpilleda, a habitue of Star Billiards Center outclassed Philippine Open titlist Ricky Yang of Indonesia, 9-4, in the semifinals.

According to Billiards and Snooker Congress of the Philippines (BSCP) chairman Florentino "Yen" Makabenta, the field consisted of 128 players, including foreign players.

Last Sunday, Filipino Dennis Orcollo won the 2011 Predator International 10-Ball Open at the Robinson's Galleria in Ortigas. Orcollo, top player of Bugsy Promotions bested Mika Immonen of Finland, 10-8, in the finals to take the crown and the first prize of $10,000 plus Predator elegant trophy.

Thus, Orcollo and Arpilleda are expected to show their wares when the 2011 BSCP National Championships gets underway on October 3-11 at the Star Billiards Center in Grace Village, Quezon City.

According to BSCP chairman Florentino "Yen" Makabenta, to highlight this year’s championship, the BSCP will adopt a three-game format for the tournament.In the battle for the men’s championship, the players will compete in three disciplines – eight ball, nine-ball and ten-ball -- each a tournament in its own right.

The 2011 men’s national champion will be determined based on total points garnered by each player from all three tournaments. Points will be assigned to players based on their order of finish in each event.In the women’s championship, women players will only compete in one 10-ball event.

In the women’s championship, women players will only compete in one 10-ball event. A total prize fund of P800,000 await the winners of the three tournaments and the grand national championship.

Because of the grueling format adopted in the men’s championship, "whoever emerges as the winner will be the truest national champion ever," says BSCP spokesman Butch Argonza.

He explained that the BSCP adopted the format with a view to accelerating the development of cue sports in the country and defending the country’s image as the leading pool-playing nation in the world. "As the rest of the world have gotten better at pool, it is important that Filipino players excel in all pool games. We have to maintain our edge," he said.

BSCP, AKTV, Star Billiards and Raya Sports have joined together in mounting this year’s championships.

AKTV on IBC 13 will broadcast the event . Raya Sports will organize and promote the tournament. Star Billiards, under BSCP president Sebastian Chua, will host the 9-day pool extravaganza.

Top-ranking Filipino players, as well as young fast-rising players are expected to join the competition. "We are expecting a minimum number of 64 players to join each of the three tournaments," says tournament coordinator Sol Gueco.

The full schedule of the 2011 National championships is as follows:

Men’s 8-Ball tournament (Oct. 3-4), Men’s 9-Ball tournament (Oct. 5-6-), Men’s 10-Ball tournament (Oct. 7-8 ). Women’s championship (10-ball only, Oct 6-8 ).

The finals of all tournaments will be held on three successive days: Oct. 9, Oct 10, and Oct. 11.

Registration in the tournament is now ongoing. To register, call Sol Gueco at (0910)887-5216; or Edgar Acaba, BSCP secretary-general (0916)573-1458.

Simonis To Attend GBE2012 As An Exhibitor

We are delighted to announce that Iwan Simonis S.A. will attend the 6th China Guangzhou Int’l Billiards Exhibition as an exhibitor (from 9th to 11th March 2012, Guangzhou ).

Simonis, The cloth of Champions®

Sold in over 50 countries, Simonis cloth is truly the universal choice for cue sports. Having earned its reputation with professional players and amateurs alike, Iwan Simonis remains the choice for more tournaments worldwide than any other cloth.

Simonis is truly The Cloth of Champions® and you can use its functional superiority to enhance your enjoyment of the game because it allows you to play your best.

Iwan Simonis is the oldest company in the billiard industry and the only textile mill in the world dedicated solely to the production of cloth for pool, carom, pyramid and snooker. Our specialization enables us to maintain the precision and consistency that have become the reference standards for the billiard industry. Providing a flawless, defect-free playing surface is why Simonis Cloth has been on tournament tables all around the world for generations and why it is the perfect choice for commercial rooms and home tables alike.

A range of new innovative products will demonstrated at the upcoming GBE2012 expo. “We are looking forward to meeting prospective customers and distributors at GBE2012 and would like to welcome everyone to stop by our stand. Our booth number is B005-B006 in Hall 11.3”.

FAREWELL RIVIERA – HELLO RIO 2013!!

BCAPL Moves National Championships to the Rio Las Vegas

Mark Griffin and CueSports International (CSI) announce two major changes for the BCAPL National Championships. In 2013, the “Greatest Pool Tournament in the World” will move from May to July … and will walk the welcome mat at the Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas.

The BCAPL National Championships have outgrown the space at the Riviera Hotel & Casino. The 2012 (36th) BCAPL National Championships, scheduled May 9-20, 2012, will be the last year the event will be held at the Riviera. CSI thanks the Riviera for hosting the championships for the past 18 years.

The relocation to the Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino is scheduled for July 17-27, 2013. The move will allow the BCAPL to expand both the amateur nationals and the CSI professional tournaments. The date and venue changes will provide more accommodations and more pool tables, so that more players, families, and friends can enjoy an even richer experience at the new venue.

CSI thanks the 1,400 BCAPL members who responded to our player survey at the 2011 nationals for their help in making decisions for the future of the championships.

The July dates are generally better for all: participants, families and employers, local leagues, host locations, and League Operators. Starting in 2013, local BCA Pool Leagues can play longer spring sessions – all the way to the end of May. BCAPL players and teams will be able to play in more state and regional tournaments during the spring, and still be able to travel to nationals. A longer spring session allows more time for players to qualify for nationals. It also gives players, teams, League Operators, and BCAPL more time to enter and certify national entries. And lastly, many of our survey respondents said that July is much better than May for time away from work and home, especially for those who have school age children. This move is long overdue, and we again thank the players who participated in our survey.

The Rio is part of the Caesars Entertainment Corporation – the world’s largest casino entertainment group. With its state-of-the-art conference center of over 160,000 square feet, the atmosphere is elegant, modern and hi-tech – a player’s dream!

For player comfort and convenience, the Rio is a 4-star all-suite hotel and casino offering extensive amenities and entertainment options. Providing spectacular views of Las Vegas, the hotel boasts over 2,500 suites with more than 600 square feet of spacious luxury.

When it comes to dining, the Rio is unparalleled. According to USA Today Travel 2011 report, the Rio’s Carnival World Buffet and the famous 5 star Village Seafood Buffet are ranked #2 and #3 in the top 5 buffets in Las Vegas. Additionally, the Rio offers 12 more dining options from the casual to the opulent.

You name it … the 24-hour $45 “Buffet of Buffets” pass to 7 of the best buffets available anywhere; a 48-hour “All-Stage Pass” to about 20 shows at Caesars properties; the industry leading “Total Rewards” player program by Caesars Entertainment; the free Rio/Paris/Harrahs shuttle service to two key spots on the strip; VooDoo Beach with real sand beaches, cascading waterfalls, four swimming pools and five Jacuzzi-style spas; VooDoo Rooftop Nightclub, an indoor/outdoor double-decker club known to have the best view of the Las Vegas strip … You name it, the Rio has it all.

For complete information on the BCAPL National Championships at the Rio on July 17-27, 2013 … www.playbca.com

To visit the official web site for the Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino … www.riolasvegas.com

Since 2004, Mark Griffin and his team at CueSports International (CSI) have diligently pursued “More Choices for All Players.” During that time, CSI has directly paid out approximately Seven Million Dollars to pool 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.    

Higginson Wins Maiden Pro Title

Andrew Higginson won the first professional title of his 16-year snooker career by beating John Higgins 4-1 in the final of Players Tour Championship event five.

The 33-year-old from Widnes, ranked 23rd in the world, won seven matches at the World Snooker Academy in Sheffield, culminating in a fine display against Betfred.com World Champion Higgins.

Higginson, whose previous career highlight was reaching the final of the Welsh Open in 2007, where he lost 9-8 to Neil Robertson, takes home the trophy and £10,000 first prize.

Pots on blue and pink saw Higginson win a scrappy opening frame, and he started the next with a break of 63, only for Higgins to take it with a trademark 73 clearance. But Higginson bounced back to win the third with a 78, then dominated frame four for a 3-1 lead.

Wishaw's Higgins, who has not won a title since his victory at the Crucible last May, compiled a run of 55 in frame five, and later had a clear chance to win it, but missed the black at 56-41. Higginson seized his chance with a break of 28 which proved enough.

"I'm thrilled to bits," said Higginson. "Even though it's not one of the big ranking tournaments, there were 200 players in it including all the big names, so to be the last man standing is a great achievement. Especially to beat John, the World Champion and best all round player in the game, in the final. He wasn't at his best but I'll still take it.

"I was practising the day before coming to Sheffield and hitting the ball better than I have done for years. Over the two days here I've made so many good breaks, not centuries but 60s and 70s which are enough to win frames."
The result pushes Higginson to the fringes of the top 16, with one more PTC event to come, in Poland next week, before the seeding list is revised. The top 16 at that point will earn an automatic spot in the UK Championship and The Masters.

"Getting into the top 16 is one of my main goals," added Higginson. "There are six or seven other players fighting for it and I had to win this to give myself a chance. I'm in the mix now and we'll see how it goes next week. But if I don't make it this time then at least I'm getting close to it."

The PTC is a series of 12 short events, with the top 24 players in the final Order of Merit to qualify for the Grand Finals in March, providing they have played in three domestic and three European events. PTC6, at the Arena Ursynow in Warsaw, starts on Thursday.

Results (last 16 onwards):

Last 16
Jack Lisowski 4-3 David Gilbert
Jamie Burnett 4-2 Anthony Hamilton
Joe Perry 2-4 Dave Harold
Ian McCulloch 0-4 Andrew Higginson
Li Yan 3-4 Neil Robertson
John Higgins 4-2 Ryan Day
Michael White 3-4 Barry Hawkins
Martin Gould 1-4 Michael Holt

Quarter-finals
Jack Lisowski 4-3 Jamie Burnett
Dave Harold 2-4 Andrew Higginson
Neil Robertson 1-4 John Higgins
Barry Hawkins 4-2 Michael Holt

Semi-finals
Jack Lisowski 1-4 Andrew Higginson
John Higgins 4-1 Barry Hawkins

Final
John Higgins 1-4 Andrew Higginson

World Snooker and The Killarney Convention Centre Present 'The Alex Higgins International Trophy' European Players Tour Championship 8 (PTC 8 ) October 20 -23

With a prize Pool of 200,000 Sterling for the top ranked final 24 players in the PTC Series after 12 European Players Tour Championshp Events and with 50,000 Euro on offer in Killarney alone plus those vital World Ranking points PTC 8 IN Killarney is going to be electric as the Global Stars of World Professional Snooker Go Head to Head On the Green Baize.

As well as seeing your favourite cue-men in action there is also a fantastic opportunity to see some of Europe's top Amateurs players as 40 players will join the 90 Professional players entered into the first round proper of this event, where the Amateur player can realise his dream of mixing it up with the elite of the game on the World Stage.

The first round of PTC 8 starts at 9.30am on Friday the 21st of October with Ten tables in action and there will be one 'Television Table' as Eurosport will be broadcasting the PTC 8 Live across Europe.

The Best Players in the World deserve the best venues and the Killarney Convention Centre (KCC) is used to hosting events of this magnitude, and it's expansive layout and ideal tiered seating is perfect and will make this an event not to be missed
World Snooker are installing Ten 'Star' Snooker Tables for the event, so conditions will be perfect.

'The Rocket' Ronnie O'Sullivan, 'World Number One' Mark Selby, 'Seven Times World Champion' Stephen Hendry, 'Current World Champion' John Higgins, 'World Seniors Champion' Jimmy White, 'Ireland's Favourite' Ken Doherty, Mark Williams and a host of house hold names from World Snooker will be in Killarney in Mid October and immediately they will realise that they are in a special place, playing in a tournament named in the honour of a very special player.

As this is the First World Ranking Event to be played on Ireland's shores for many year's the Organisers felt it was fitting to name PTC 8 after the 'Iconic' Alex 'The Hurricane ' Higgins.

Alex twice World Champion in 1972 and 1982 is often credited for bringing the game of snooker to a wider audience and very much contributed to the popularity of the game in the '80's. Don't miss this rare opportunity to get up close and personal with the greatest players in the World.

With Ten tables in play at any one time this is a unique chance to watch many of your favourite players. With an all-day entry ticket starting from just Ten Euro
(An all day ticket gets you 12 hours of Snooker).

Special accommodation rates are available at the adjacent Gleneagle Hotel and Apartments and also at the neighbouring Brehon hotel. Base yourself at the centre of all the action in The Gleneagle Hotel from just €79 per room per night or in the luxurious Brehon from €100 per room per night. Residents of both hotels will receive a 50% discount on daily tickets to the event, excluding the VIP tickets. Call Reservations on 064 6671550.

For more information on World Snookers PTC 8 at the Killarney Convention Centre go to www.ptckillarney.com or checkout PTC Killarney' Facebook Page or call 00353-894191901

Gould Chases Masters Dream

London snooker ace Martin Gould is determined earn place at The Masters in January, and can do that with a good performance in Poland this weekend.

Gould is currently ranked 16th in the world, and if he's still in the top 16 when the seeding list is revised on October 3, he'll have an automatic place in The Masters at Alexandra Palace.

First he travels to Warsaw for Players Tour Championship event six, and will be wary of Mark Davis who is just behind him in the rankings at No 17.

"I'm a few points ahead of Mark so it's in my hands," said Pinner's 30-year-old Gould. "I play the day before him, so if I can win a few matches it puts daylight between us, and it would also bring Matthew Stevens and Stephen Lee (14th and 15th) into the equation.

"I have tried to avoid looking at the rankings, but people keep telling me what I need to do and it's not easy to keep it at the back of your mind. I've got Liu Chuang in my first match and that will be difficult because all of the Chinese players are dangerous.

"I would love to play at the Masters because I've always considered it one of the biggest tournaments, and it's my home event as I live in London. It's for the elite players and it's all about prestige. I've watched it from a distance for a long time so to play in it would be fantastic."

Already safe in the top 16 are the likes of Mark Selby, Mark Williams, World Champions John Higgins, Ding Junhui, Neil Robertson, Shaun Murphy, Judd Trump and crowd favourite Ronnie O'Sullivan, so it's sure to be a stellar line up at The Masters.

The event runs from January 15 to 22 and tickets are on sale now. To book visit www.worldsnooker.com/tickets or call 0871 620 7052 (calls cost 10p per minute plus network extras).

And there's a HALF PRICE TICKET OFFER WHICH ENDS THIS FRIDAY (SEPTEMBER 30). A limited number of tickets for the Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday of the event (January 16, 17 and 18 ) are half price, which means you could see the best players in the world for just £5! To claim the offer just quote 'Snooker Loopy' when booking tickets.

There are also some exceptional hospitality packages up for grabs, the perfect gift for friends or family or a great way to entertain clients. For details call 01277 359925.

Euro-Tour Spain for 2011 cancelled
Eger in Hungary will be last Euro-Tour stop for this year

Wednesday, 28 September 2011: The Euro-Tour stop in Spain which was scheduled for December 2011 is now definitely cancelled.

As previously already announced, the organizer of the Euro-Tour in Benidorm, the Spanish Federation RFEB, had to cancel the contract with the IBP due to economic problems in Spain at the time. The IBP tried to organize a tournament on its own but for several reasons did not succeed in arranging a venue and hotel yet.

With the time running and the tournament only being eight weeks away, IBP regrets to take the only reasonable decision possible. “We have contacted several people and hotels in Spain, but negotiations are not far enough to come up with a alternative event”, stated David Morris, IBP President. “Since we cannot simply go ahead and take chances on whether the tournament will go ahead or not, we decided it would be better to cancel the event and give everyone clarity.” “This does not mean that we will not have any Euro-Tour in Spain in the future again. It was just too short notice for this year to come up with a reasonable replacement”, stated Morris.

For further information and reference please go to the website www.eurotouronline.eu or contact our press office.

Beassy™ Billiard Festival starts with Dynamic Open Euro-Tour
Hungarian “Megastar” singers opened the tournament

Wednesday, 28 September 2011: The Beassy™ Billiard festival week in Hotel Eger & Park in Eger, Hungary, has just been opened today.

The player’s meeting took place in the venue and was run by IBP President David Morris. Several information for the upcoming tournament was passed on to the players present. After Morris concluded his speech, the Hungarian “Megastars” Renata Tolvai and Atilla Kökeny performed a song each to the likings of all players present. The megastars who are promoted by Hungarian TV 2 also had the honour of executing the opening break shot for the festival week.

In the first tournament, the Dynamic Euro-Tour Hungary Open, 145 players from 30 countries will compete for a prize fund of over 42.000,- €. The event will be played in 10-ball, race to 8 racks with double elimination system played until the last 32 players are left in the field. From then on, the system changes to single elimination. A break box is used on the tables and the cue ball must be placed outside the box to execute the break shot.

After the opening ceremony, a short press conference took place where among others the owner of Beassy™ Ltd, Beatrix Dobossy explained some of her goals and expectations. “Beassy™ Ltd. is promoting and sponsoring the Billiard sport in Hungary by installing a professional tournament system on a national level. We want to do something for our players. It is a great opportunity for us to organize these events together with the EPBF here in Eger and to promote the sport in our country and world-wide”, said Dobossy in the press conference. “I am extremely happy with the professional equipment and conditions we find here in Eger”, stated the President of the EPBF, Gre Leenders. “We are pleased with the setup so far and the hotel is cooperating in a fantastic way in order to help us do our job”, said Leenders.

The Euro-Tour event will be hosted by the European Governing Body for Pool, the European Pocket Billiard Federation (EPBF) and organized by International Billiard Promotion (IBP). For further information and reference please go to the event website www.eurotouronline.eu, www.beassy.com or contact our press office.

Snooker Shoot-Out Blackpool Bound

The World Snooker Shoot-Out, a thrilling success when it was staged for the first time last season, returns to Blackpool in January with tickets now on sale.

The one-frame knock-out tournament features the top 64 players in the world with each frame lasting a maximum of ten minutes. There's a 20 second shot clock for the first five minutes, reduced to 15 seconds for the last five. Players must hit a cushion or pot a ball with every shot, and any foul results in ball-in-hand for the opponent.

The action is fast-paced and dramatic, with several matches last season going down to the last few seconds of the frame. Memorably, Neil Robertson made a break of 37 in just 46 seconds to beat Alan McManus on the last ball as the clock ran out, and Rory McLeod enjoyed an incredible fluke on the final black to beat Tony Drago, which won him Magic Moment at the end-of-season awards.

Nigel Bond, who won the event by beating Robert Milkins in the final, said: "It's a fantastic event - obviously I am biased having won it last season, but all the other players felt the same. It's totally different from other snooker events and the great thing is that the fans can get involved, shout as much as they want and have some banter with the players. A few friends of mine are already asking when it's on again because they want to go to Blackpool for the weekend, have a few drinks and enjoy the snooker.

"Before the event the players weren't sure whether 20 or 15 seconds would be enough, but it just means that you play the first shot you see, and that's usually the right one. I really enjoyed the format, plus I won £32,000 for six ten-minute matches, which is the first time I've earned that amount of money for an hour's work!"

World Snooker Chairman Barry Hearn added: "The Shoot-Out proved the most dramatic of all of the new events we have introduced, and I'm sure snooker fans everywhere will be delighted to see it back in Blackpool in January.

"There were four or five consecutive matches which went to the wire, an incredible sequence of sporting drama. The format worked perfectly and the players received a fantastic reception from the fans. The atmosphere was more like football than snooker and that's something we want to encourage. Tickets start at a tenner and that's phenomenal value."

This season's event runs from January 27 to 29 at the Circus Arena in Blackpool. TICKETS START FROM JUST £10 and there's a 10 per cent discount for group bookings (six or more).

To book call 0871 620 7052 (calls cost 10p per minute plus network extras) or visit worldsnooker.com/tickets

The tournament will be televised live by Sky Sports, and will include the top 64 players in the world rankings at next week’s seeding cut-off point.

CURRENT WORLD NO.1 ORCOLLO TO COMPETE IN TOUGHEST NATIONAL POOL CHAMPIONSHIPS TODAY
BY: MARLON BERNARDINO

CURRENT world No. 1 Dennis Orcollo will showcase his talent in the toughest National Pool Championships of the Billiards and Snooker Congress of the Philippines (BSCP) which starts today, Monday (Oct 3) at the Star Billiards Center in Grace Village, Quezon City.

The top player of Bugsy Promotions Orcollo said that he is looking at bagging his first national title this year.

Orcollo believes that winning the National Pool Championships will give him the necessary morale-boosting victory in search for another elusive crown after winning the Predator International title last month.

"Talagang pinaghahandaan ko itong National Pool Championships dahil isa ito sa malalaking tournament, na bukod sa may malaking premyo ay pwede kong gawing training ground para pinaka-target ko, na maging double world champion," said the 32-year-old Surigao del Sur native, prize fighter of sportsman/businessman Ceferino "Perry" Mariano.

(I prepared for the National Pool Championships because this is one of the biggest tournaments. Besides the big prize, I will use the tournament as training ground for my quest to become double world champion.)

Orcollo became the third Filipino in eight years to rule the World 8-Ball Championship, clobbering the Netherlands’ Neils Feijen, 10-3, for the 2011 crown at the Fujairah Exhibition Center in Fujairah, United Arab Emirates last February.

The 9-day competition (Oct 3-11) is divided into three events for the men’s championship: 8-Ball (Oct 3-5), 9-Ball (Oct. 6-8 ), and 10-Ball (Oct. 9-11).
The Women’s division will be contested only in only one disciple – 10-Ball (Oct. 6-8 ).
The official broadcaster of the tournament is AKTV IBC-13. The semifinals and finals of all the tournaments will be broadcast from Oct. 9 to11.

Other Filipino cue masters who are competing in the National Pool Championships are Jundel Mazon (2010 Guinness Champion), the recently crowned Jogjakarta 9-ball champion Victor Arpilleda, former world 9-ball runner-up Roberto Gomez, Carlo Biado (world no. 14), Armando Cagol, Russian Petiza, Karl Andrew Mandrique and 2011 Philippine Junior Pool Champion Jonas Magpantay.