Site News
Topic: *Industry News* 2015 - 2024

Stop by the BEF Booth at the Super Billiards Expo!
Fundraising & Volunteer Opportunities Available

March 3, 2016 (Denver, CO): The Billiard Education Foundation (BEF) is excited to again be attending the 24th Annual Super Billiards Expo April 14-17 in Oaks, PA. The youth event will once again be recognized as the PA Junior State 9-Ball Players Championships and the top 25% of the fields will qualify for the BEF Junior National 9-Ball Championships this summer. BEF representatives will be onsite to answer any questions regarding the foundation and its junior programs and events.

Visitors at the BEF booth can also purchase their tickets for a chance to win a 9-Foot Diamond ProAm Table which will be drawn during the 2016 Junior Nationals banquet. You can also show your support by stopping by the Pool & Billiard booth to sign up for or renew your annual subscription at the special show rate of only $20. $5 from each subscription will also be donated to the BEF.

Volunteer opportunities are available for anyone who may have a couple hours to spare during the days of the event. Click the link to sign up:
www.billiardeducation.org/2016-bef-at-sbe/

About the Billiard Education Foundation (BEF)
The BEF was formed in 1993 as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit charity committed to promoting a lifelong love of pool and building the next generation of players through youth programs and academic scholarships. Visit billiardeducation.org or call (303) 926-1039 to learn more about junior billiard programs in your area.

2016 Jay Swanson Memorial 9-Ball Matches on YouTube

CueSports International, Henderson, Nevada (March 3, 2016) – CSI is pleased to announce that the 2016 Jay Swanson Memorial 9-Ball “The Swanee” matches have been released on the CSI YouTube Channel. Fifteen (15) matches featuring notable players such as Rodney Morris, Oscar Dominguez, Ernesto Dominguez, Vilmos Foldes, Amar Kang, and many more can be viewed in their entirety – absolutely free!

The 2016 Jay Swanson Memorial was held February 20-21 at On Cue Billiards in La Mesa, CA. The FREE live stream and recorded videos are brought to you by the following sponsors:

On Cue Billiards: 8308 Parkway Drive, La Mesa, CA, (619) 463-8759
CueSports International (CSI): www.playcsipool.com
Kamui: www.kamuitips.com
Cheqio: www.cheqio.com

Match 1: Amar Kang vs Larry Bohn
Match 2: Rodney Morris vs Doug Whaley
Match 3: Ernesto Dominguez vs Ramin Bakhtiari
Match 4: Rodney Morris vs Justin Logan
Match 5: Cesar Moffett vs Alfred Martinez
Match 6: Greg Sherrow vs Doug Whaley
Match 7: Shaun Murphy vs Sy Nakashima
Match 8: Johnny Kang vs Santos Sambajon
Match 9: Beau Runningen vs Damian Rebman
Match 10: Johnny Martinez vs Rodney Morris
Match 11: Rodney Morris vs Max Eberle
Match 12: Amar Kang vs Oscar Dominguez
Match 13: Rodney Morris vs Oscar Dominguez (Hot Seat Match!)
Match 14: Vilmos Foldes vs Ernesto Dominguez (Semi-Final!)
Match 15: Oscar Dominguez vs Rodney Morris (Final!)

Make sure to “SUBSCRIBE” to the CSI YouTube Channel to be notified whenever we upload new content.

Ladbrokes Players Championship Draw

The draw and format have been announced for the Ladbrokes Players Championship in Manchester, with Mark Selby, Judd Trump, Shaun Murphy and Ding Junhui among the top stars competing.

The world ranking event will be staged at Event City in Manchester for the first time from March 22 to 27 and televised by ITV4. It's the culmination of the season's Kreativ Dental Clinic European Tour and Asian Tours, with the leading 32 players coming together to battle for the £100,000 top prize.

World number one Selby faces Andrew Higginson in his opening match while Trump will be up against German Masters winner Martin Gould. Murphy will take on Chinese ace Liang Wenbo while Ding will play David Gilbert. And in a battle of snooker's rising stars, Michael White faces Luca Brecel.

For the full draw and match schedule see www.worldsnooker.com

Tickets are ON SALE NOW and start at just £10, incredible value for the chance to see the world's best players live. Certain sessions will sell out fast so fans must book quickly. For details see www.worldsnooker.com/tickets

WPBSA Invites For World Qualifiers

Snooker’s world governing body the WPBSA has announced an initial list of amateur players to compete in the qualifying rounds of the Betfred World Championship next month.

The WPBSA has compiled the list in consultation with the IBSF and the many regional and national governing bodies around the world which it works with. These players have won or reached the final of major amateur events and will all now receive an official invitation to join all professional players outside the top 16 seeds, to battle for 16 coveted spots in the final stages at the famous Crucible Theatre.

The qualifiers run from April 6 to 13 at Ponds Forge in Sheffield with all players needing to win three matches to earn a spot at the Crucible.

Ladies World Champion Ng On Yee has already been announced as one of the players to compete at Ponds Forge. The others at this stage are:

Pankaj Advani (India) – IBSF World Champion
Zhao Xintong (China) – IBSF World runner-up
Boonyarit Keattikun (Thailand) – IBSF World Under-21 Champion
Jamie Rhys Clarke (Wales) - IBSF World Under-21 runner-up
Ka Wai Cheung (Hong Kong) - IBSF World under-18 champion
Jak Jones (Wales) – European Champion
Josh Boileau (Ireland) – European Under-21 Champion
Brandon Sargeant (England) - European Under-21 runner-up
Tyler Rees (Wales) - European Under-18 Champion

Any further players, including the winner and runner-up from the Asian Under-21 Championship, will be announced in due course.

The draw for the qualifiers will be made after the China Open, which finishes on April 3rd.

Tickets for the qualifiers are on sale now – for details call 0114 2233777 or visit www.worldsnooker.com/tickets

Trump - I Need To Be More Clinical

Judd Trump admits he needs to convert more opportunities into tournament wins as he goes into the defence of his Ladbrokes World Grand Prix title.

The world ranking event runs from March 8 to 13 at Venue Cymru in Llandudno with the likes of Ronnie O'Sullivan, Mark Selby and Neil Robertson battling Trump for the title.

Last year Trump beat O'Sullivan 10-7 in the final and that was his last victory in a televised tournament, though he did win the Championship League last week.

Bristol's 26-year-old Trump has reached the final of one ranking event so far this season - the Shanghai Masters in September where he lost 10-9 to Kyren Wilson.

“This season has been up and down,” admits the world number five. “At times I have produced a game which is good enough to win tournaments, but then I have come up short by a frame or two at important moments. I’ve been inconsistent – one day brilliant then the next day average. That consistency is what I’m looking for.

“It is frustrating but it is something you have to deal with in sport. I’m not getting thrashed by anyone but I’ve lost a few close matches which could have made it into a really good season.

“I need to be more clinical under pressure. I tend to play better when I’m relaxed and sometimes I try too hard. The Championship League is ideal for me because there’s no pressure – if you lose you’ve always got another game. That’s why I’ve won it three times. If I can take the same attitude into tournaments then I will win a lot more.”

Trump, winner of four ranking events, faces a tough opening tie in Llandudno against two-time World Champion Mark Williams on Wednesday afternoon.

He added: “It’s always a nice feeling to go back and defend a title and I’m really looking forward to this year’s event. We had good crowds and good support last year and I’m sure it will be the same this time. Llandudno is a lovely town and I enjoyed being there for a week.”

The 32-man tournament, with a top prize of £100,000, is televised live by ITV4.

Tickets for the tournament are STILL ON SALE and fans are advised to book fast as sessions are selling out. Tickets start at just £10, for details call 01492 872 000 or visit www.worldsnooker.com/tickets

2016 US Open One Pocket & Straight Pool Championships

CueSports International, Henderson, NV (March 7, 2016) – CSI is pleased to announce the 2016 US Open One Pocket Championship and the 2016 US Open Straight Pool Championship. Both events will be held April 18-24 at Pool Table Magic in Windsor Locks, CT (just a short drive from the Super Billiards Expo which concludes April 17).

US OPEN ONE POCKET
April 18-21
48 players max
Entry Fee: $350
Race to 4/3, Final to 5
Added Money: $5,000 (based on 48 )
Double elimination

US OPEN STRAIGHT POOL
April 20-24
48 players max
Entry Fee: $600
Race to 100/150, Final to 200
Added Money: $10,000 (based on 48 )
Round Robin (8 groups of 6 – 100pt. matches)
Top 3 from each group advance to a singles elimination bracket – 150pt. matches

INVITED PLAYERS – URGENT – PLEASE READ!
Many of the 48 spots for both events are reserved for invited players through March 15 and invitations have already been sent via email. To accept the invitation, a completed entry form with a $200 (non-refundable) deposit must be received by March 15th. If you do not accept the invitation by March 15, you may lose your spot. On March 16, all remaining spots will be open to anyone. Players who believe they should have received an invitation but did not should contact CSI immediately.

All Other Players
All other players should visit the official webpage for either event (links below), download and complete an entry form, and submit to CSI immediately. You will then be placed on the standby list but not charged until you are given a spot. After March 15, all open spots will be filled by those on the standby list first in the order in which they were received. Therefore, to help secure your spot, do not wait until March 16 – Register today!

Dates & Deadlines
Invited players confirm: Tue, March 15
Remaining spots open: Wed, March 16
Late fees begin: Tue, March 29
Last day for mailed entries: Tue, March 29
Last day to register online: Fri, April 15

Miscellaneous Information
All event details including entry forms, payouts, qualifiers, and much more can be found on the following official event webpages.

2016 US Open One Pocket Championship webpage: www.playcsipool.com/2016-us-open-one-pocket
2016 US Open Straight Pool Championship webpage: www.playcsipool.com/2016-us-open-straight-pool

CueSports International (CSI) ◊ 2041 Pabco Rd., Henderson, NV 89011 ◊ 702-719-7665 ◊ 866-USA-POOL

Connelly Competition Pro Named Official Table of 2016 Atlantic Challenge Cup

Organizers of the Atlantic Challenge Cup today announced Connelly Billiards has been named the official pool table for the 2016 event taking place July 8-11, 2016 in Schaumburg, Illinois (just outside Chicago).

Connelly will be providing its Connelly Competition Pro table for use in the tournament room, as well as in the Team USA and Team Europe practice rooms.

"The success of the inaugural Atlantic Challenge Cup was beyond our imagination and really caught the attention of the industry, including the leaders of Connelly Billiards," said Billiard Congress of America Chief Executive Officer Rob Johnson. "We are excited to have their support for the first Atlantic Challenge Cup on American soil."

"Connelly Billiards is thrilled to be the official table partner of the Atlantic Challenge Cup," said Connelly and Valley Dynamo President Kelye Stites. "Promoting our wonderful game through a unique format that aids in the development of tomorrow's players on both sides of the Atlantic is a perfect fit for us. We're very pleased to be an integral part of the Cup for years to come. The Competition Pro is our crowning tournament table achievement. We've crafted the table to be aesthetically beautiful while maintaining the superior construction, quality and consistent playability that we, as billiard manufacturers, have provided for more than 70 years."

Now in its second year, the Atlantic Challenge Cup features the best youth players from Europe and America in a Mosconi Cup style event. Six players on each team, four boys and two girls, battle it out on an annual basis to see who has bragging rights across the Atlantic. The event is the result of a joint venture between the Billiard Congress of America and the European Pocket Billiard Federation.

www.facebook.com/AtlanticChallengeCupUSA/ for more information about Team USA and the Atlantic Challenge Cup. A new website solely dedicated to the Atlantic Challenge Cup is under construction and will be launched in early April.

www2.connellybilliards.com for more information about Connelly Billiards - A company that was built by players for players.

Press release issued by the BCA and the EPBF.

CSI Seeks Marketing Manager

CueSports International, Henderson, NV (March 11, 2016) – CSI is seeking a motivated, knowledgeable, and experienced Marketing Manager to oversee and perform all company marketing functions. The Marketing Manager will be responsible for customer retention & relationship management, new customer attraction, social media marketing, press release development, email marketing, advertising & promotions, and other ancillary functions. The Marketing Manager will help establish company goals and be evaluated against those goals. This position will report directly to the General Manager.

More Information
For more information such as the complete job description, job responsibilities, required experience, and education requirements, visit www.playcsipool.com/employment.

How to Apply
Interested parties may submit a resume and/or cover letter online at www.playcsipool.com/employment or email directly to:

Ozzy Reynolds
General Manager, CueSports International
ozzy@playcsipool.com

New WPA World 8-Ball Championship Announced

The World Pool-Billiard Association (WPA) is pleased to announce the new WPA World 8-Ball Championship will take place at The Corner Bank in Toronto, Canada this coming August. Tentatively scheduled for mid month, the exact dates will be announced very shortly. This will be the first World Professional Championship in North America in twenty years and the first ever in Canada.

The prize fund for this prestigious event will be over $275,000 CAD and will carry a first prize of $100,000 CAD. With just over 14,000 square feet of workable space and licensed for over 450 people, this new venue is ideally equipped to host any major event. Our hosts for this event will be Jim Wych (our promoter) and his partner at The Corner Bank Sports Bar & Grill, John White.

The Corner Bank and the beautiful city of Toronto, cordially welcome all of the world’s very best players to experience some Canadian hospitality in what promises to be a superb tournament.

For further information regarding this event please contact the event manager Jerry Forsyth at Jerry@azbilliards.com or Jim Wych at jwych@thecornerbank.ca.

-Ian Anderson
President, WPA

New referees approved by EPBF

During the recent Euro-Tour event in Treviso, the EPBF has conducted a course for international referees. The course was run by Thomas Overbeck (top left) and assisted by Miha Vovko (lower right). The applicants had to prove their theoretical skills, knowledge, they had to pass a test and work at the Euro-Tour event for individual evaluation. Finally, all ten applicants passed the test and will strengthen the EPBF referee group, entering at „junior level“. The new referees come from Turkey, Croatia, Romania, Austria, Finland, Germany, Slovakia and Bosnia & Hercegovina. They will definitely be an asset to the EPBF in future events.


Top left to right: Thomas Overbeck, Sermet Dagli, Blanka Šlat, Alexandru Balas, Pentti Seppänen, Cigdem Aksoy and Michal Mihok.
Lower left to right: Serdar Karadag, Angela Uebing, Srečko Petrovic and Miha Vovko. Not in the picture: Domenico Thöni

Murphy Targets Manchester Success

Shaun Murphy will hope to win back-to-back ranking titles for the first time in his career when he plays in the Ladbrokes Players Championship in Manchester next week.

Murphy is the man in form having won the Ladbrokes World Grand Prix last Sunday, beating Stuart Bingham 10-9 in a dramatic final. That was his sixth career ranking title though he has never won two in the same year.

The Ladbrokes Players Championship will be staged in Manchester for the first time and runs from March 22 to 27 at Event City.

Televised by ITV4, it brings together the 32 best players from this season’s European Tour and Asian Tour events to chase the £100,000 top prize.

“I can’t wait for the next tournament,” said world number four Murphy, who faces Liang Wenbo on the opening day of the event. “I’ve got a few things to work on this week back on the practice table then I’ll go to Manchester really feeling as if I can mix it with everyone else.

“There’s nothing like the feeling of taking trophies home and I feel I’m on the right road to win more.

“I had been in a slump for a few months and not picked up any silverware. There were a lot of upset journeys back from events, trying to work out what had gone wrong. Eventually I realised where it was going wrong, I have gone back to an instinctive way of playing and it seems to be working.

“I lived in Manchester for eight years, then as soon as I left World Snooker decided to have a tournament there…I’m not sure how to take that! At least I’ll know where all the best coffee shops are. It’s a great location and I think having a big snooker tournament in Manchester is long overdue.”

World number one Mark Selby, Judd Trump, Ding Junhui, Mark Allen and Mark Williams are among the other top stars competing for the title.

Tickets are ON SALE NOW and start at just £10, incredible value for the chance to see the world’s best players live. Certain sessions will sell out fast so fans must book quickly. For details visit www.worldsnooker.com/tickets

Carter – Vegan Diet Is Working

Ali Carter believes that his new vegan diet will help him tackle Crohn’s Disease as he looks ahead to next week’s Ladbrokes Players Championship in Manchester.

Three-time ranking event winner Carter has suffered from the illness for 13 years and was recently told by his consultant he may need more surgery, a measure he is desperate to avoid.

“I don’t want surgery on my stomach because I don’t believe it’s the answer,” said the 36-year-old. “I’ve had it before and it creates scar tissue, so they want to remove the scar tissue but then I’ll just end up with more.

“So for the last eight or nine days I have been trying a healing diet which involves eating nothing other than fruit and vegetables. I am feeling a lot better and hopefully that will continue.”

Chelmsford’s Carter, who has also battled cancer twice within the past three years and is still having regular check-ups, added: “If I’d never had any health problems I think I would have won a lot more, but it’s something I’ve always had to deal with.”

The two-time World Championship finalist reached the quarter-finals of the Ladbrokes World Grand Prix last week and is encouraged by his form ahead of next week’s world ranking event at Event City in Manchester, which runs from March 22 to 27.

“It was good to win a couple of matches though I was disappointed to lose in the quarters,” said the world number 28, who won the Paul Hunter Classic earlier this season. “I feel something good is around the corner.

“This is a rebuilding season for me. It was great to win a title and I had hoped to get back into the top 16, but realistically my goal is to do that in time for the Masters next season. I will have no ranking points coming off because I missed a lot of events last season, so that will be the time for me to climb back up.”

Carter faces Graeme Dott on the opening day of the Ladbrokes Players Championship next Tuesday. Other top stars competing for the £100,000 top prize will include Mark Selby, Shaun Murphy, Judd Trump, Ding Junhui, Mark Allen and Mark Williams.

Tickets are ON SALE NOW and start at just £10, incredible value for the chance to see the world’s best players live. Certain sessions will sell out fast so fans must book quickly. For details visit www.worldsnooker.com/tickets

Europe Announces 2016 Atlantic Challenge Cup Team

The European Pocket Billiard Federation today announced its team to face the Americans during this year’s staging of the Atlantic Challenge Cup taking place July 8 – 11, 2016 in Schaumburg, Illinois (just outside Chicago).

“After the Europeans’ success during the 2015 inaugural Atlantic Challenge Cup, the Americans will have home soil advantage and will want revenge,” said David Morris, International Billiard Promotion Foundation president. “With that in mind, the Europeans have assembled a strong line up of players who have won at the highest level just to qualify for this year’s team.”

First onto the team comes Krystian Cwikla. It was the European gold in the 9-ball U19 division which ensured Poland’s top youth player a spot on the team. Poland’s Patryk Statkiewicz was part of last year’s winning team and will be able to offer Krystian plenty of advice on what to expect in Chicago.

Joining Krystian on the team is the Ukraine’s talented Vitaly Patsura who won the European U19 10-ball gold medal. This adds to his six bronze medals to date in his European youth career.

Andreas Madsen from Denmark makes the team through the highest eligible youth player on the European tour. A silver medal in the U19 European 9-ball championships is not a bad result either, only missing the gold medal by a rack after losing to Krystian 8-7 in the final.

Maxim Dudanets, is a young Russian player that the American team will remember from last year. Maxim makes another appearance due to his fine performance at the world championships by picking up the silver medal.

Completing the European team of six are the two girls. Like Maxim, Kristina Tkach, of Russia, will make her second appearance at the Atlantic Challenge Cup after winning 9-ball and 10-ball golds at the youth European championships. She is joined by Belgium’s Diana Khodjeava who won the gold in 8-ball and two silver medals, losing out only to Kristina on both occasions.

“The EPBF has clear and tough criteria on how to qualify for this team and there are no bag carriers here” said Morris. “We expect a tough few days but our players are already battle hardened and will be up for the fight come July the 8th.”

Press release issued by the BCA & EPBF.

Luxor, your next destination!

The largest open air museum in the world will host the second World Cup of 2016. The Sonesta St. George Hotel in Luxor will be the scene where the best 3-cushion players in the world will fight their battles, with the return of the Greek player Filippos Kasidokostas on the international scene. A few months of absence were enough for the champion to fall back into the 122 place of the world ranking. Last year, the final had reached a unique level with the win of thingy Jaspers at an average of 5.000 over the Korean Haeng-Jik Kim, who’s return after his military service was rewarded with a top 12 rank.

Enjoy the show provided by Kozoom, the level of 3-cushion has never been as high as today, and it is not going to go down anytime soon if we look at the numerous performances since the beginning of 2016.

Dates Re-Set: 76th World Tournament of 14.1 Sept 5-11th

New York City- Due to some world event juggling by other events popping up on the pool calendar, the World 14.1 dates had been placed on hold, but now it is re-released. 2016 will mark the 11th consecutive year the World Tournament of 14.1 will be staged. This is the longest consecutive run of the championship ever in history as Dragon Promotions extends its own record of producing the world's oldest billiards event. This year's confirmed dates for the 76th WorldTournament of 14.1 will take place on September 5th-11th,2016. For the fourth straight year, Steinway Billiards in New York City will host the prestigious championship. As usual, a star studded 56 player field is expected for this year's lineup to win the world's greatest straight pool championship.

This will also be a great opportunity for players coming from far away to play in 3 consecutive events with Turningstone Casino, Robles 9-Ball Tour, and the World 14.1 going back to back.

"Straight pool has the best pool fans in the world. I have no doubt this year will equal if not surpass 2015", said Charlie Williams, Executive Producer of the World Tournament.
"New York City is still the place where straight pool thrives. Steinway Billiards is a fantastic host and they do a great job servicing the event and all the players and fans that come from around the world. We are thrilled to usher the World Tournament into another decade of life ", said Cindy Lee, CEO of Dragon Promotions.

Victoria Members Launch Party - Claim Your Free Hour of Pool

We would like to say a special thanks to all of our loyal members at Rileys Victoria for patiently waiting for our Member's floor refurb!

To celebrate we would like you all to join us on Monday 11th April to check it out with a free hour of pool anytime from 5pm.

We only have limited availability on the night so please book your free table asap by using the code:

victorialaunch

www.rileys.co.uk/book

Rasson, McDermott, OB Chalk, & Aramith Premiere as Official Sponsors of the Andy Cloth Wyoming Open

The Greatest Event in the Rocky Mountain States

Some of the biggest companies in pool are coming on board for the most anticipated and most elite billiards event in the Rocky Mountain states in it's 9th straight year, the 2016 Wyoming Open

Saratoga, Wyoming- Rasson Tables, McDermott Cue, Aramith Balls, and OB Chalk will be the Official Equipment sponsors of the 9th Andy Cloth Wyoming Open! These mega brands will all be featured in the 8-Ball, 9-Ball, 10-Ball, Saratoga, and the Wyoming State Junior Championships disciplines to be mastered at the 3 day Rocky Mountain pool extravaganza taking place on April 1-3, 2016. Arguably the greatest pool player on Earth Shane Van Boening returns and is a former 2x winner. Joining him is Johnny Archer, Corey Deuel, Oscar Dominguez, trickshot world champion Mike Massey, reigning Wyoming Open 8-Ball champion Marc Vidal, and 4 times Wyoming Champion Rodney Morris! It is widely considered to be the most anticipated tournament that players in this part of America looks forward to each year. Event promoter Mayor Ed J. Glode manages to bring players of all levels nationwide to Saratoga. The event is co-promoted by Dragon Promotions and is renown to be the biggest pro/Amateur pool event in the surrounding states drawing over 150 players. From beginner, intermediate, expert and pro/open level tournaments will all be available . The Wyoming Open is kicking in $10,000 this year to the entry fees to sweeten the purse with nearly $30,000 to be paid in cash prizes. The event is sponsored by widely popular Andy Cloth with local partners include Duke's Bar & Grill, the Hotel Wolf & Restaurant, and the Riviera Lodge with all events coordinated by Shively Hardware. In addition, the livestream table will be Rasson Billiards premiere in the Rocky Mountains.

"McDermott Cue is thrilled to be an Official Cue Sponsor of the Wyoming Open," stated Andy Werner, Director of Sales and Marketing for McDermott Cue. “We hope our partnership with the Wyoming Open will help grow the game of billiards in the Rocky Mountain states." Formed in 1975, McDermott Cue is an American pool cue manufacturer that is headquartered in Menomonee Falls, WI. McDermott pool cues and high-performance shafts are some of the most recognized products in the billiard industry. They are known for their quality construction, exotic woods & materials, intricate inlays and limitless customization options.

"There's no question that this is the biggest, most prestigious, and anticipated billiard event in the surrounding 6 states. People get really excited when the event nears because we have so many great things happening over the 3-day weekend. And it's the only opportunity to see the best players in the world", said Monte Thayer, Tournament Director for the Wyoming Open.

The Wyoming Open is organized and promoted by Shively Hardware & Dragon Promotions

Order Andy Cloth today by calling 307-710-1447 and Like Andy at www.facebook.com/andypoolcloth . Official Products used during the Wyoming Open

For more info and to follow the WY Open goto www.facebook.com/wyomingopen

visit www.wyomingopen.com

The Wyoming Open is the only event in the Rocky Mountains where fans and players in the region can rub shoulders with the biggest stars of the game

Past champions of the event include some stellar names. Visit wyomingopen.com to see the complete list.

The event is majorly supported by the town's own businesses which include : Hotel Wolf, Duke's Bar & Grill, Riviera Lodge, Red Sage Spa, Pik Ranch, Carbon County, Bella's Bistro, Lollypops, and Shively Hardware.

For more info or to play in the Wyoming Open contact wyomingopen@gmail.com or call 307-329-8924

Andy Cloth was founded in 1973 and has become one of the premier professional playing cloths in the world today. AndyCloth USA is based in Saratoga, Wyoming and has quickly impressed critics and professional players worldwide. Andy Cloth is used exclusively in major international events such as The Queens Cup, Women’s World 9-Ball Championship, USA’s 103 year old World Tournament of 14.1 , The China Open,The BeijingOpen, the International 10-Ball Championships in Philippines, the Wyoming Open, the High Desert Shootout, the Women’s International Pool Championship, and many more. Andy Pro Tour Cloth is specially designed for the American pool player market. It is engineered for weather conditions, longevity, ball reaction, and speed. It is the most superior professional performance playing surface on Earth. Visit www.andyclothusa.com

LIVE Dynamic European championships & Eurotour Austrian Open

Book your online seat to follow the biggest european event and enjoy 24 tables Live Stream!

You don’t have yet a Premium Pass? Click here to order it...
www.kozoom.com/en/pool-billiard/premium-pass/

Subscribe today!

Betfred World Championship Qualifiers Draw

The draw for the qualifying rounds of the Betfred World Championship took place today, with Ding Junhui, Steve Davis and Jimmy White among those learning their opponents.

The qualifiers run from this Wednesday, April 6, until April 13, at Ponds Forge International Sports Centre in Sheffield. All players will need to win three matches to earn one of 16 places available in the final stages at the Crucible Theatre.

China's Ding was edged out of the world's top 16 last week and will face the qualifiers for the first time since 2007. He meets Greg Casey in the opening round.

Six-time World Champion Davis will be up against Fergal O'Brien while Whirlwind White will take on Gerard Greene.

Ng On Yee from Hong Kong, the 2015 Ladies World Champion, will face Peter Lines, the resident pro at the Northern Snooker Centre in Leeds where On Yee is currently trying to defend her world crown.

For the full draw and format see www.worldsnooker.com

Tickets for the qualifiers are ON SALE NOW and cost just £10 per day or £20 for any three day - a fantastic opportunity for fans to see many of snooker's great names.

To book call the box office on 0114 2233777 or visit www.worldsnooker.com/tickets

On Thursday April 14th at 10am, the 16 qualifiers will be drawn at random against the world's top 16 to create the draw for the first round proper at the Crucible. The final stages at the Crucible run from April 16 to May 2.

The Betfred World Championship is supported by Sheffield City Council.

2016 Atlantic Challenge Cup Team USA To Train At Elite Black Widow Camp

The Black Widow Foundation is no doubt shooting for gold by enlisting a cast of world class billiard professionals to ensure top US junior players viably compete and succeed in future international competitions.

In fact, "The Black Widow" Jeanette Lee has several elite professionals, instructors and industry leaders including: Johnny "The Scorpion" Archer, Allison "The Duchess of Doom" Fisher, Nick Varner, Tom "Dr. Cue" Rossman, Tony Crosby, Donny Mills, Rolando Aravena, Don Wardell, Rick Doner, and Team USA captain Earl Munson coming together for her training camp in Tampa Bay, Florida this April to officially select and prepare Team USA for one of the most prestigious junior events in the world...the 2016 Atlantic Challenge Cup.

Most RecentTen highly intelligent and carefully selected Team USA junior members will attend Jeanette's second star studded Black Widow Camp for four fun packed days of professional skill training. Top junior attending players to be invited include: April Larson, Serena Black, Sierra Reams, Emily Herpel, Chris Robinson, Tyler Howell, Ryan Ponton, Shane Wolford, Ricky Evans, and Zach Gurganus. These Team USA members will not only be mentored by the world's top pro's but they will also become roommates with them at Jeanette Lee's private home to create a cohesive fun team bonding atmosphere.

Jeanette's ultimate goal is to provide these juniors a life lasting experience with these attending pro's and to give them the knowledge and advanced skills to compete and win this year's 2016 Atlantic Challenge Cup or any future national or international events that these juniors may attend.

The camp and the Black Widow Foundation was envisioned and founded by The Black Widow, who is committed to the mission of positive development of personal character, leadership skill sets and the training of aspiring youth amateur and professional billiard players. One of Jeanette's visions for the foundation was to develop an elite camp to offer junior players from any and all billiard organization affiliations the chance to attend and have world class professionals as mentors and instructors.

"My dream has been to bridge the gap between the top juniors and the professionals and build our kids into champions on and off the table and this is the answer," said The Black Widow. "I'm so excited!"

Last year, in recognition of her commitment to developing an elite US junior players camp, Jeanette and the Black Widow Foundation was approached by the Billiard Education Foundation's (BEF) Executive Director Samm Diep-Vidal to see if her foundation was willing to host, 100 percent financially support and prepare the six selected Team USA players for the inaugural 2015 Atlantic Challenge Cup. With a non-hesitating and enthusiastic "Absolutely!" by Jeanette, along with her Black Widow Foundation board of trustees' overwhelming approval, the Elite Black Widow Camp to train junior Team USA was officially launched.

The 2015 inaugural Black Widow Camp proved, without a doubt, to be very successful by the US team's positive experience and respectable results during the 2015 Atlantic Challenge Cup. For their ground breaking achievement the Black Widow Foundation was again enthusiastically invited by the BEF to host and financially sponsor this year's 2016 Atlantic Challenge Cup training camp.

The Black Widow Camp training host sponsor in the Tampa Bay area will be at Fatsos Billiards, with Robertson Billiards also providing donations and sponsor support. Other highly enthusiastic industry sponsors will support the team's training, as well as Iwan Simonis providing cloth and tournament balls to the training host site.

Jeanette and The Black Widow Foundation is sincerely thankful for the many donations, sponsors, and volunteers that will assist and ensure Team USA is in contention to winning the Atlantic Challenge Cup at this year's event being held July 8th - 11th, 2016 in Schaumburg (Chicago), Illinois.

American pride will be on the line for these juniors and the Black Widow Foundation has 100 percent once again committed its financial and world class training resources to ensure Team USA members will be prepared for the 2016 Atlantic Challenge Cup and the 2016 WPA World Junior Championships, being held again in China.

"Please be part of the Black Widow Foundation and Team USA by providing your financial and moral support," said The Black Widow. "Together we can bring back the competitive spirit of America by rebuilding our sport from the grassroots junior level. Thank you so much for supporting these juniors and on behalf of the Black Widow Foundation.........Go Team USA!"

Tax deductible donations to the Black Widow Foundation may be made directly through the 501(c)(3) organization, BlackWidowFoundation.org or by clicking a secure PayPal donate button.

Click here for more information about the Atlantic Challenge Cup. A new website solely dedicated to the Atlantic Challenge Cup will be launched in April.