Site News
Topic: *Industry News* 2013

POKER IS BACK AT RILEYS

It's time to get your chips out and join in the Betfred poker league which kicks off from November 3rd.

It's FREE to enter and you could win a place at the grand final where you'll play for a share of a massive £10,000 prize pot!

Call up or call in for all the details.

Regards,
The Rileys Team

IPA & WPBA Warmly Support GBE2014

Here on behalf of GBE organizing committee, we show sincere appreciation to below two worldwide-known associations: Women's Professional Billiard Association (WPBA) and International professional pool players association (IPA) for their kind and warm support to The 8th China (Guangzhou) International Billiards Exhibition, short for GBE2014, held during March 1-3, 2014 in the same venue as always does—China Import & Export fair Pazhou Complex.

International professional pool players association (IPA), as a recognised body under the WPA family, is formed to promote the sport, both nationally and internationally, of pool amongst all 8 ball pool players through competitions and events, to offer the best competitions, with the best prize money, for the best players. While Women's Professional Billiard Association (WPBA), originally formed in 1976 under the name of the Women's Professional Billiard Alliance, both the above two associations stand on GBE’s side and friendly share GBE information to its members. The president of IPA said that GBE is a good chance for IPA to get more public’s attention and glad to join hands together to establish a complete network for billiards industry and develop the billiards industry!

In addition, we also appreciate all the below media partners and sponsors for their standing by to GBE all the time. Including more than 23 associations, such as IBSF, EPBF, EBSA, UMB, WEBSF, BSF, MSBF, ABSF, UPC, APBU, CTBA etc, up to 60 professional media, such as inside pool magazine, Touch magazine, snookeronline.net, snookered magazine etc, with 92 local exhibitors and 27 overseas brands from more than 20 countries, especially famous brand from home and abroad such as Shender, Yalin, Predator, Lucasi Hybrid, Iwan Simonis S.A.etc, No doubt GBE’s high exposure to public through all kinds of media ways and all the industry enterprises’ firmly support are the key point for making GBE to become the “Oscar“ pageant and the top voice for billiards industry! Beyond question, GBE2014 is the chance you can never miss!

The Protege
Mark Williams (Pinot Publishing,$12.95)

The Storyline

A bartender, Charlie Grifter, is taught the 'tricks of the trade' by a pool tournament champion, Big Milwaukee, shortly before his demise. Eventually, this protege becomes involved in tournament play, as well as the convivial and corrupt aspects surrounding it. Bets, the Mafia, drugs and a woman, all blockade the road he must take to win the Tournament Championship.

IN PAPERBACK AND FOR KINDLE

WORLD LADIES BILLIARDS & SNOOKER ASSOCIATION - PRESS RELEASE

HONG Kong’s finest take on Dudley’s deadly duo in the battle for supremacy in the world of women’s snooker on Saturday

A high-quality international cast will assemble at the North East Derbyshire Snooker Centre, Clay Cross, for the UK Championship, a World Ladies Billiards & Snooker Association ranking event.

Nine-time world champion Reanne Evans and defending UK champion Maria Catalano, the world number one, face a four-strong attacking force from the East.

Ng On Yee, Jaique Ip Wan In, Yu Ching Ching and So Man Yan will attempt to halt the relentless flow of silverware to the West Midlands.

Or could the East Midlands spring a surprise? Top junior Hannah Jones sampled the high life by reaching last month’s British Open final and the 17-year-old from Derby will be keen for a second stab at claiming her first ranking title.

Latvia star Tatjana Vasiljeva, who has won four pairs titles at the world championships, will be bidding for her first singles crown. Vicky Carter, a losing semi-finalist last year, is hoping to make her first final. Laura Evans makes a welcome return to the circuit while Sharon Kaur makes her debut.

The £300 sponsored event kicks off at 10am.

UK Championship
Saturday, November 2, 2013
North East Derbyshire Snooker Centre
Derby Road
Clay Cross
Chesterfield
Derbyshire
S45 9AG
Tel: 01246 866364

ENTRIES
Maria Catalano (Dudley, West Mids)
Reanne Evans (Dudley, West Mids)
Vicky Carter (Sandy, Beds)
Hannah Jones (Derby)
Ng On Yee (Hong Kong)
Jaique Ip Wan In (Hong Kong)
Yu Ching Ching (Hong Kong)
So Man Yan (Hong Kong)
Tatjana Vasiljeva (Latvia)
Laura Evans (Neath Port Talbot)
Sharon Kaur (Birmingham)

WLBSA RANKINGS PRIOR TO UK CHAMPIONSHIP

Pos | Name | Home town/country | Pts | Sponsor

1    Maria Catalano | Dudley, West Midlands, GB | 290
2    Reanne Evans | Dudley West Midlands, GB | 207 | MIUS
3    Jaique Ip Wan In | Hong Kong, China | 195
4    Ng On Yee | Hong Kong, China | 187
5    Yu Ching Ching | Hong Kong, China | 170
6    Hannah Jones | Derby, GB | 167 | Jaxx Q Club & Wytech
7    Tina Owen-Sevilton | Bridgwater, Somerset, GB | 125
8    Jenny Poulter | Maidstone, Kent, GB | 121
9    Vicky Carter | Sandy, Beds, GB | 116
10    So Man Yan | Hong Kong, China | 113
11    Emma Bonney | Portsmouth, GB | 110
12    Tatjana Vasiljeva | Latvia | 96
13    Eva Palmius | Isleham, Cambs, Sweden | 88
14    Jasmine Bolsover | Woking, GB | 73
15    Marianne Williams | Smallfield, Surrey, GB | 63
16    Chitra Magimairaj | India | 62
17    Maureen Rowland | Wallsend, Tyne & Wear, GB | 54 | Fine Arch Cues
18    Laura Alves | Dublin, Brazil | 39
19    Natascha Niermann | Cambridge, Germany | 35
19    Pam Wood | Newcastle, GB | 35
21    Martina Lumsden | Eastbourne, GB | 25
21    June Banks | Orpington, Kent, GB | 25
21    Vicky Gibbs | Trowbridge, GB | 25
21    Ellie Mae Jones | Derby, GB | 25
25    Gaye Jones | Melksham, Wilts, GB | 24
26    Chris Sharpe | Chelmsford, GB | 16
27    Michelle Marinova | Bracknell, Bulgaria | 10
28    Jan Hughes | St Neots, Cambs, GB | 5
28    Donna Davies | Carmarthen, Wales | 5
30    Weronika Nowicka | Poland | 4
31    Katie Henrick | Bickley, Kent, GB | 0 | 180poker.com
31    Suzie Opacic | Brambridge, Hants, GB | 0 | Kara Accountants
31    Karen Corr | Republic of Ireland | 0
31    Naomi Clare | Ripley, Derbys, GB | 0
31    Kim O'Brien | Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, GB | 0
31    Revanna Umadevi | India | 0
31    Fran Calvert | Lowestoft, GB | 0
31    Jodie Symes | Swindon, GB | 0
31    Shaghayegh Sanei | Iran | 0
31    Karen Harrison | Fareham, GB | 0
31    Joanne Davies | Derby, GB | 0 | Wytech
31    Clare Heseldine | Broadstairs, GB | 0
31    Georgina Holloway | Derby, GB | 0
31    Charlotte Holloway | Derby, GB | 0
31    Mary Hawkes | Leighton Buzzard, GB | 0
31    Supanni Yam-Oum | France | 0
    

GET YOUR FESTIVE SKATES ON

Don't delay, our early booking offer ends very soon.

Eat, drink and play at Rileys with our fantastic festive party packages which start from just £10 per person.

Our club is packed with great things to do - including pool, snooker, darts and table football.

We can even organise a mini-tournament for you and we'll make sure your party is fun for everyone.

To find out more call in or click here and we'll arrange everything for you.

PS - remember to book your party before 31st October to claim your £10 bar tab to use at your leisure.

Regards,
The Rileys Team

-- www.rileys.co.uk/parties -- www.rileys.co.uk/parties -- www.rileys.co.uk/parties --

Gloucester To Host China Qualifiers

The qualifying rounds of the 2014 China Open will be staged at the Capital Venue in Gloucester next February 17 and 18.

The Capital Venue in the south-west of England has already staged events on the World Snooker Tour this season, and will once again host the best players in the world as they compete for places in the final stages in Beijing.

All 128 players who enter the event will play one qualifying match, with the 64 winners to go on to China for the season's penultimate world ranking event.

A spokesman for World Snooker said: "The Capital Venue has proved an excellent location for staging professional events and we are delighted to hold the China Open qualifiers there for the first time.

"These qualifiers are just before the Welsh Open so it is convenient for the players to make the short journey from Gloucester to Newport."

Tickets to see the action live start at just £5 and they are on sale now - for details see www.thecapitalvenue.com/china-open-world-snooker

RUNOUT APPS - SCOREKEEPER 2.0 - Innovative Scorekeeping

Tracks pool / billiard player match data and allows data submission directly into TAP’s Pool-net handicapping system, eliminating paper score sheets while increasing league management efficiency!

Henderson NV – Nov 2nd 2013 – Scorekeeper 2.0 gives TAP Pool Players, Captains & Directors the ability to track and
reconcile “Match” data via mobile device with direct Pool-net integration. This app allows score keepers to automatically
reconcile games in real time using a secure live sharing system where scorekeeper’s devices can be connected during a match, making the entire process more efficient. Players’ time outs, match data, games & full matches are all tracked on a unique scoreboard with a built in timing system featuring Timeout, Shot Clock and Shot Timer.

This app streamlines TAPs scorekeeping process and eliminates the need for paper score sheets, pens & clipboards. It automatically tabulates and reconciles match data and at the same time makes unprecedented breakthroughs in efficiency for players, captains and league directors. For first time, Scorekeeper 2.0 allows for the importation of match data directly into the Pool-net handicapping system. This app saves thousands of courier hours spent picking up and dropping off score sheets to host venues, paper from e mailed sheets being printed to fully reconcile, data entry and the untold thousands of gallons of gasoline that are consumed to complete the old scorekeeping process across the Nation.

“The time is right to provide a mobile solution that makes pool current, relevant and attractive to the upcoming generation.” – Ian Brock -­‐ Product Development Manager, Runout Apps

“2.0 makes the scorekeeping process paperless, increases efficiency across the board, reduces overhead costs for league owners and minimizes the environmental impact associated the entire process. We know that this is a game changer for our industry.” – Joshua Junqueira – Chief Technology Officer, Runout Apps

“This is perfect timing for the release of the App as it gives TAPs Pool-­‐net, which is currently the state of the art billiard handicapping system, a clear advantage over the competition.” Nikki Brock – Operations Manager, Runout Apps

Runout Apps Scorekeeper 2.0 is available for $.99
in the Apple App Store and will be available in the Android Marketplace by Feb 15th 2013

Please visit www.RunoutApps.com for more information, videos and screenshots of the App.

For more information on scorekeeper 2.0, or to schedule an interview, please Contact:
Josh Junqueira or Ian Brock & Nikki Brock – josh@runoutapps.com.com, ian@runoutapps.com, nikki@runoutapps.com
Runout Apps, LLC - 342 Sunpac Ct, Henderson, NV 89011, Ph. # 702-807-1937

WORLD LADIES BILLIARDS & SNOOKER ASSOCIATION - PRESS RELEASE

HONG Kong star Ng On Yee left the powerhouses of women’s snooker trailing in her wake at the Northern Championship.

But the 22-year-old insisted there is still “more to improve” in her game despite knocking out the top two ranked players on the World Ladies Billiards & Snooker Association circuit.

Ng’s first major scalp at the North East Derbyshire Snooker Centre, Clay Cross, was Reanne Evans.

After beating the nine-time world champion for the first time in the last-four, she won four frames on the trot from 2-0 down to see off world number one and defending UK champion Maria Catalano in the final.

“The final was exciting,” said Ng. “I was playing well.

“I’m very happy that I won the title and beat the world number one and number two.”

The two-time IBSF women’s world champion’s only previous WLBSA ranking title was last year’s Northern Championship where she beat Catalano in the final.

She credited dad Ng Yam Shui and Wayne Griffiths, head coach for billiard sports at Hong Kong Sports Institute and son of the 1979 world champion Terry Griffiths, for her success.

But she added: “(My game is) better but I still have more to improve.”

Evans pocketed the high-break prize of £30 for a run of 97 in her 3-2 semi-final defeat.

Tatjana Vasiljeva (Latvia) defeated 17-year-old Hannah Jones (Derby) 2-0 in the Plate final.

The UK Championship, sponsored by Welbeck Abbey Brewery and Hutton & Mitchell Licensed Traders, was the second of seven legs on the 2013/14 WLBSA tour.

RESULTS (BREAKS)

LAST-16: Laura Evans beat Maureen Rowland 3-0, So Man Yan (35) beat Vicky Carter 3-0, Hannah Jones (50, 32) beat Yu Ching Ching (45) 3-1, Tatjana Vasiljeva (44) beat Sharon Kaur 3-0.

QUARTER-FINALS: Maria Catalano beat L Evans (52) 3-2, So beat Jaique Ip Wan In 3-0, Ng On Yee (34) beat Jones 3-0, Reanne Evans beat Vasiljeva 3-1.

SEMI-FINALS (£50): Catalano (46, 43) beat So 3-2, Ng beat R Evans (97) 3-2.

FINAL (£200/£100): Ng (35) beat Catalano 4-2.

PLATE

QUARTER-FINALS: Sharon Kaur beat Maureen Rowland 2-0, Tatjana Vasiljeva beat Yu Ching Ching 2-1, Laura Evans beat Jaique Ip Wan In 2-1, Hannah Jones beat Vicky Carter 2-1.

SEMI-FINALS: Vasiljeva beat Kaur 2-0, Jones beat L Evans 2-0.

FINAL (£40/£20): Vasiljeva beat Jones 2-0.

ENTRIES

Maria Catalano (Dudley, West Mids)
Reanne Evans (Dudley, West Mids)
Vicky Carter (Sandy, Beds)
Hannah Jones (Derby)
Ng On Yee (Hong Kong)
Jaique Ip Wan In (Hong Kong)
Yu Ching Ching (Hong Kong)
So Man Yan (Hong Kong)
Tatjana Vasiljeva (Latvia)
Laura Evans (Neath Port Talbot)
Sharon Kaur (Birmingham)
Maureen Rowland (Wallsend, Tyne & Wear)

NEXT RANKING EVENT
£2,000 Eden Resources Masters
November 16/17
Cambridge Snooker Centre
Coldhams Road
Cambridge
CB1 3EW
E-mail vcarterwlbsa@yahoo.co.uk for more information


Pictures by Mark Jones
UK Champion Ng On Yee and UK Championship Plate winner Tatjana Vasiljeva with the manager of the North East Derbyshire Snooker Centre

Ponds Forge To Stage World Championship Qualifiers

The qualifying rounds of snooker's biggest tournament, the World Championship, will be held at the prestigious Ponds Forge International Sports Centre in Sheffield next year.

Ponds Forge stages a range of national and international sporting events every year and will host snooker for the first time with the World Championship qualifiers from April 8 to 16, 2014.

All players seeded outside the top 16 will be battling for places in the final stages at the Crucible Theatre.

Steve Davis, Jimmy White, Ken Doherty and rising stars like Jack Lisowksi and Michael White are likely to be among those striving for a coveted spot at the Crucible. The 16 qualifiers will then be drawn at random against the top 16 seeds.

A spokesman for World Snooker said: "We're thrilled to be staging the qualifying rounds of our biggest event at Ponds Forge for the first time. It's a fantastic venue and it's just a stone's throw from the Crucible so the players and fans will have a keen sense of what is at stake.

"Sheffield has proved an outstanding location for staging our qualifiers in recent years. It's a very popular city among the players, as well as the hundreds of fans who come to see so many famous names in action.

"Our calendar is so packed this season that we have moved the qualifiers closer to the main event, so a player could win his final round match on April 16th and be playing at the Crucible on the 19th! This will only add to the drama and intensity.

"Tickets details will be announced in due course and hopefully fans will take the chance to see the qualifying rounds unfold."

The seeding cut off to determine the top 16 for the World Championship is after the Players Tour Championship Grand Finals, which finishes on March 23. The draw and format of play for the qualifiers will be available shortly after this date.

Lorenzo Clark, director of operations for Sheffield International Venues (SIV), which operates Ponds Forge, said: "We are extremely proud to be playing host to the qualifying rounds of snooker's biggest tournament.

"Ponds Forge regularly stages high profile sporting events from the FINA World Diving Series to the ETTA National Table Tennis Championships but this will the first time a major snooker event is contested at the venue.

"We are looking forward to welcoming the world's top players to our world-class facility for nine days of exciting action ahead of the World Championship at the Crucible."

The World Championship is supported by Sheffield City Council.

SELBY CONFIDENT AHEAD OF ‘FANTASTIC’ 888CASINO CHAMPION OF CHAMPIONS

Mark Selby is in confident mood ahead of the 888casino Champion of Champions later this month, a competition he says ‘guarantees’ to cause excitement among the players.

Snooker’s new big-money event offers a £270,000 prize fund, with £100,000 going to the winner. Live on ITV4 from Coventry’s Ricoh Arena, November 19-24, it brings 16 of the world's top players head-to-head for what promises to be an exciting showdown.

Selby was replaced as World number one by Neil Robertson earlier this season, and though he admits he’d love to regain his crown, the 30-year-old says he enjoys playing without the pressure of being top of the rankings.

The Leicester man is targeting his first tournament win of the season in Coventry but knows that with such a strong line-up, becoming the first ‘Champion of Champions’ won’t be easy.

“It's guaranteed to be an event that all the top players will be looking to win,” he said.

“All the top players are playing so it is a fantastic event to be involved and it's going to be good for the fans too seeing all the top players in action.

“It's going to be tough and I'm pretty pleased with my game at the moment so who knows.

“(Returning to number one) is a target but I'm just happy to have achieved it already.

“It would be good but it doesn't have much of an effect on me because I don't have to carry the tag of being world number one.”

The ‘Jester from Leicester’ is well aware of the rivalry between his home city and Coventry, but says he has an affinity with the city playing host to the 888casino Champion of Champions.

“I actually used to play in the Coventry snooker league because back then you were allowed one professional player on a team so I used to travel over every Wednesday night,” he said.

“I made some great friends in Coventry who I used to see week in, week out so hopefully they will be there cheering me on too.”

Tickets for the 888casino Champion of Champions are on sale now and available from as little as £10 at www.theticketfactory.com or call 0844 338 8000.

The tournament features 16 of the world's top players - including Ronnie O'Sullivan, Judd Trump and Neil Robertson - all vying to be crowned the 'Champion of Champions'.

O’Sullivan To Face Amateur Clark In York

Ronnie O’Sullivan will face Scottish amateur Rhys Clark in the first round when he starts his bid to add the williamhill.com UK Championship crown to his World title later this month.

The Rocket will take on Larkhall’s 19-year-old Clark in opening round at the York Barbican on Saturday November 30.

Seven amateur players have been given places in the world ranking tournament thanks to their performances in Q School last May. For the first time, 128 players are all competing in the same round at the venue, and seven players on the professional tour did not enter the event, so their places went to the amateurs highest on the Q School ranking list.

Mark Selby will open the defence of his UK title against Shane Castle, a gifted 15-year-old from Southampton, while world number one Neil Robertson will meet Bradford’s 18-year-old Dylan Mitchell.

China’s Ding Junhui will begin his quest to win a fourth consecutive ranking title against Middlesbrough’s Antony Parsons. Those four matches will all be played on Saturday November 30.

The tournament runs from November 26 to December 8 and top stars like Judd Trump, John Higgins, Jimmy White, Shaun Murphy and Mark Allen will also be among those competing for the £150,000 top prize. There will also be a £55,000 bonus available for a 147 maximum break.

Joe Crilly from williamhill.com said: "With 128 players set to go head to head, there is the potential for some real upsets in the first couple of rounds of action and we could be in for a real treat in York."

TICKETS ARE STILL AVAILABLE and start at just £8 (concessions £4), phenomenal value for a top class sporting event. Call 0844 854 2757 or book online at yorkbarbican.co.uk or worldsnooker.com/tickets

Go to williamhill.com for the latest odds on the tournament.

MOBILE ORDERING HAS ARRIVED

Mobile ordering has come to Rileys with Bar Pass UK!

You can now order from your phone, so no queueing at the bar!

Here at Rileys, we are always striving to improve customer service and make your Rileys experience a great one.

To avoid missing that great goal or interruptions during your game, we are introducing the free app Bar Pass UK which allows you to order and pay for food and drinks on your phone!

How to get the free app?

Click these links to download on Android or Apple.

Or..

Follow these simple 3 steps:

1. Search in Play Store or Appstore - "BAR PASS UK"

2. Download Bar Pass UK

3. Login

Order anything from our menu with Bar Pass UK and avoid the queues. Then just wait and one of our helpful team members will prepare your order and then ping your phone when ready and promptly bring it over to your table.*

We recommend you download it now and you can then even order 10 minutes before you arrive so you're greeted with a cool refreshing drink!

See you soon.

The Rileys Team

Snooker: Allen Is Euro Star

Mark Allen won his second consecutive European Tour event by beating Judd Trump 4-1 in the final of the Kay Suzanne Memorial Cup at the South West Snooker Academy in Gloucester.

Northern Ireland's 27-year-old Allen, who won the Ruhr Open last month, became the first player to win back-to-back events in the same season since the Players Tour Championship series was introduced in 2010.

He took the opening frame with a 62 clearance, before Trump levelled with a break of 128. Allen took a scrappy third then made three scoring visits in the next for 3-1. And a run of 53 in frame five clinched the £20,000 top prize as well as 2,000 ranking points.

"I played very solid snooker over the last couple of days," said Allen. "I had one tight match in the last 32 against Gary Wilson, which I won 4-3, but apart from that I won most of my matches quite comfortably. It's nice to have won two titles already this season as not many other players have done that."

Allen is now looking forward to two major events later this month - the 888casino Champion of Champions in Coventry followed by the williamhill.com UK Championship in York. "My target now is to win a big title and I'm full of confidence," he said. "I'm just happy to be playing well because I was struggling earlier in the season."

In the semi-finals, Trump edged out Welshman Jamie Jones 4-3 while Allen saw off Scotland's Graeme Dott 4-2.

The tournament is named in memory of Kay Suzanne, sister of SWSA owner Paul Mount, and players wore pink shirts to raise awareness of breast cancer. Allen added: "Paul and his family have worked hard on this event and it was great to see the fans and players supporting it so well."

The European Tour comprises eight events, with the top 24 on the final Order of Merit to qualify for the Grand Finals next March, to be joined by eight more players from the Asian Tour Order of Merit. The next event is the Antwerp Open in Belgium from November 14 to 17.

Results (last 16 onwards)

Last 16
Anthony Hamilton 3-4 Judd Trump
Chris Wakelin 4-2 Michael Holt
Michael wasley 3-4 Jamie Jones
Ian Burns 4-1 David Morris
Sam Baird 4-2 Ali Carter
Barry Pinches 2-4 Graeme Dott
Mark Allen 4-1 Joel Walker
Kurt Maflin 1-4 Neil Robertson

Quarter-finals
Trump 4-2 Wakelin
Jones 4-2 Burns
Baird 1-4 Dott
Allen 4-2 Robertson

Semi-finals
Trump 4-3 Jones
Dott 2-4 Allen

Final
Trump 1-4 Allen

NINE-time women’s world snooker champion Reanne Evans has shrugged off last month’s rare defeat and set her sights on this weekend’s £2,000 Eden Resources Masters.

Evans, knocked out of the UK Championship by Hong Kong star Ng On Yee, hopes to return to winning ways at the World Ladies Billiards & Snooker Association ranking event at Cambridge Snooker Centre.

“Everybody loses at some point,” said the 28-year-old from Dudley, West Midlands.

“I just focus on the next event and I’m looking forward to hopefully coming back with the Eden Masters title.”

But she added: “My game needs to improve on the last event.”

Among the 18-strong field are two-time IBSF women’s world champion Ng and world number one Maria Catalano. Ng beat Catalano in the UK final.

Round-robin group matches kick off at 10.30am on Saturday. The top two from each group qualify for the quarter-finals which start at 10am on Sunday. Non-qualifiers will compete in the Plate competition.

£2,000 Eden Resources Masters
November 16/17
Cambridge Snooker Centre
Coldhams Road
Cambridge
CB1 3EW
Tel: 01223 249661

ENTRIES
Maria Catalano (Dudley, West Mids)
Reanne Evans (Dudley, West Mids)
Emma Bonney (Portsmouth)
Ng On Yee (Hong Kong)
Jaique Ip Wan In (Hong Kong)
Yu Ching Ching (Hong Kong)
So Man Yan (Hong Kong)
Tatjana Vasiljeva (Latvia)
Vicky Carter (Sandy, Beds)
Hannah Jones (Derby)
Laura Evans (Neath Port Talbot)
Sharon Kaur (Birmingham)
Jenny Poulter (Maidstone, Kent)
Laura Alves (Dublin)
Marianne Williams (Smallfield, Surrey)
Eva Palmius (Isleham, Cambs)
Chris Sharpe (Chelmsford)
Gaye Jones (Melksham, Wilts)

Snooker’s Back In Barnsley

Top class snooker will return to the Barnsley Metrodome next month for the qualifying rounds of two world ranking events.

The Yorkshire venue hosted the International Championship qualifiers last month and fans flocked to the arena to see the world’s best players in action.

And the Metrodome has now been selected to stage the German Masters qualifiers on December 11 and 12, followed by the Haikou World Open qualifiers on December 13 and 14. Both tournaments will see 128 players each playing one match, with the 64 winners to go through to the respective venues in Germany and China next year.

Tickets are ON SALE NOW and cost just £5 per day, with three sessions on each day at 10am, 2.30pm and 7pm. Or fans can take advantage of a special offer by paying just £10 for any three days. For details call 01226 738 618 or visit www.worldsnooker.com/tickets

A spokesman for World Snooker said: “We were delighted by the response of fans when we staged qualifiers in Barnsley for the first time in October as hundreds of fans packed the arena to see top stars like Ronnie O’Sullivan, Judd Trump, John Higgins and Jimmy White. There was a cracking atmosphere and the players really appreciate that level of support.

“We’re hoping for a similar outcome this time. The value for money for tickets is incredible, especially as the lay-out of the arena means that fans can watch several tables at once, and we expect to see supporters taking advantage. Tickets should be booked early as some sessions could sell out quickly.”

The draw and format for each event will be announced just after the williamhill.com UK Championship, which finishes on December 8.

BCA Hall of Fame Banquet Ticket Deadline

Chicago, Ill., November 12, 2013 - The ticket deadline for the 2013 Billiard Congress of America Hall of Fame Banquet, which will honor women's champion Jeanette Lee and Matchroom Sport president Barry Hearn, is rapidly approaching! The United States Billiard Media Association, which produces the annual banquet with the BCA, announced that the deadline to purchase tickets is Tuesday, Nov. 26. Tickets WILL NOT be sold at the door.

This year's Hall of Fame Banquet, staged during the 2013 Mosconi Cup, will be held at the Mirage Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, Monday, Dec. 2 at 6:30. Action on the first day of the Mosconi Cup will be completed by 4:00 pm, ensuring that all the players from Team USA and Team Europe will be in attendance as Hearn, creator of the wildly popular USA v Europe team 9-ball tournament, is inducted into pool's most exclusive club.

The evening will begin with the Bass Pro Shops Cocktail Reception at 6:30 pm. Bass Pro Shops is a major sponsor of Ms. Lee.

Tickets for the 2013 BCA Hall of Fame Banquet are $95 per person, and can be purchased at www.USBMA.com, or by calling 312-341-1110 ext 229.

U.S. Juniors Prepare to Represent North America at WPA World Junior 9-Ball Championships

November 12, 2013 (Englewood, CO): Through the recent BEF Junior National 9-Ball Championships, the Billiard Education Foundation (BEF) has qualified seven junior billiard athletes to represent North America as part of Team USA at the upcoming WPA (World Pool-Billiard Association) World Junior 9-Ball Championships. This year’s prestigious event will be held at the Gold Reef City Theme Park Hotel in Johannesburg, South Africa December 8-12, 2014.

Through the support of the Billiard Congress of America, the BEF has coordinating international travel and participation for this world tournament for over two decades. The following players will proudly represent our country this year:

Tyler Styer, age 18 (Big Bend, WI)
Brendan Crockett, age 18 (Bell Canyon, CA)
Nick Evans, age 17 (St. Peters, MI)
Taylor Reynolds, age 16 (Winslow, Maine)
Sergio Rivas, age 14 (Milwaukee, WI)
Joey Bourgeois, Jr., age 14 (Bayown, TX)
April Larson, age 13 (Bloomington, MN)

Team coach, accompanying this year’s student-athletes is longtime BEF supporter and PBIA certified instructor, Earl Munson (B.E.T.T.E.R. Play Billiards, www.betterplaybilliards.org/). For nearly a decade, Munson has been actively involved in youth billiards as the official tournament director for the BEF Junior Nationals. He started and organizes successful high school billiard programs in the Dallas area.

For more information on the BEF Junior Nationals or hosting qualifiers or a State Championship, visit the BEF website at billiardeducation.org.

The Billiard Education Foundation is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization that produces the annual Junior National Championships, provides scholarships for young players, sends junior players to the World Junior Championships and promotes Pool in School programs to encourage lifelong participants.

The 8th China Guangzhou International Billiards Exhibition (GBE2014)

         —The Bright Prospects for China’s Billiard Development

With more than 500 hundred years of development, billiard sport has always been distinguished as one of four greatest gentleman sports. Billiards has a broad mass base and an huge increasing number of consumer group internationally and nationally.

Although the global economy is in depression now, we can see from many aspects that billiard in China’s billiard market is less affected in this crisis. Because compared with those foreign countries with more than hundreds of years’ development history, billiard sports in China is still at the starting and developing phase. One with huge purchasing power, one has been placed great importance and being pushed forward by international federations, national government and mainstream news media, will absolutely have a very broad development prospect in China.

On the following aspects would be able to illustrate this point.

1). The billiard sports itself has such advantages as low consumption, high entertaining and simple to learn. Thus making this sport universal is not difficult. There in China we still have a huge, stable and growing consumer group.

2). Billiard is not a Olympic Sport, thus the doorsill for being a billiard player is very low. With wide individual development room, event a normal person can be a champion.

3). Since 2006, the international billiards organizations attached importance of Chinese market and started increasing its input in it. We have so many international events staged in China ever since, such as World Snooker China Opens, World Snooker Shanghai Masters, World 9-Ball China Opens, etc. And we do believe that there will be more international matches held in China in the future.

4). These years, both our government and those mainstream news media lay great stress on spreading billiard sport in China. These international billiard events were frequently lived or relayed through CCTV5 and some local governments hold all kinds of international billiard classic events are the best instances.

Last but not least, the expanding and maturing billiard feast, China Guangzhou International Billiards Exhibition (GBE) witnesses the prosperity of the Chinese market. An increasing number of overseas billiards brands swarmed into China via this platform. Together, let us enjoy the brilliant of the billiard industry in GBE2014(March 1st- March 3rd).

Cuemakers Hall of Fame - Press Release

For their outstanding contributions to their art and industry the Schmelke Family has been inducted into the International Cuemakers Hall of Fame. Brothers Duard and Richard Schmelke started the Schmelke cue making business in 1947 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Within a few years Duard took over the Two Piece cue making operation and ran it as a one man shop until 1969 when his son Jim joined him. Richard took over the One Piece cue manufacturing and ran it himself before selling the one piece cuemaking operation to Valley Manufacturing company. Valley went on to become the best known USA made one piece cue in the industry for decades.

Through the 1980s and 1990s Jim and Judy managed the company while raising a family of one son and two daughters. Jim was one of the first to use the flat laminated shafts and introduced several different joint configurations. Their son David joined the company after college in 1997, and is now general manager. Daughter Carrie has worked at Schmelke part time since 1994. Her husband, Steve Johnson, joined the business in 1999, when Steve started making cues with David. Steve and David share production responsibilities, with Steve also serving as sales manager. Jim and Judy are now semi-retired. Richard passed away in 1987 and Duard passed away in 1995.

Schmelke Cues is a third generation family owned and operated business that has gone from a one-man shop to a manufacturing plant that employs over 20 people year-round in a 15,000+ square foot manufacturing facility in Rice Lake, Wisconsin. They are the oldest continual cuemaking company in the USA. Schmelke is known world wide for building some of the most affordable USA made cues that can be found. They are also famous for their exotic full splice one and two piece cues. They never pursued the high end cue market, but stuck with their original business plan, which was to offer quality affordable cues for the players and they are still doing that today!

For more information on the International Cuemakers Hall of Fame visit www.internationalcuemakers.com

By: Chris Hightower