Site News
Topic: *Industry News* 2013

"Shane VanBoening Double Dips The Rum-Runner!”

March 26th, 2013
The Rum Runner Lounge
1801 E. Tropicana Ave
Las Vegas, NV 89119
(702) 736-6366

A big congratulations to Shane VanBoening and Jeremy Jones, who took 1st and 2nd place, respectively this weekend, earning the top two prizes of $6,000 and $3,000 at the "Andy Mercer Memorial 9-Ball Tournament"!

The Rum Runner Lounge in Las Vegas - home of 'The Andy Mercer Memorial 9 Ball Tournament', celebrated its 23rd annual, 3-day event to a packed house of players and spectators, gunning for yet another weekend of the toughest 'barbox', 9 ball performances of our time.

A 64-player field, studded with an almost equal ratio of professional giants and hopeful killers in their wake, Mosconi Cup veteran and 2003, U.S. Open Champion, Jeremy Jones from Baytown, Texas took the high road to the Hot-Seat of the event, facing off with Shane VanBoening on the final day, only to get 'double-dipped' in two races to 6, ending in scores of 6-3 and 6-0. Shane's electrifying display of cue ball control and one lucky shot on the 7-ball kept Jeremy in his chair for most of the finals. Jeremy's visits to the table were somewhat undeserved, having only a few opportunities to kick, play safe or push away.

Donnie and Johnny Meet The Giants!
3rd place winner, Donnie Branson looked very promising on day three and facing off with with both winners. First, knocking Shane to the one-loss side (6-2), only to follow up with his first loss to Jeremy Jones (6-4). Donnie's next match ended with Shane serving a rather bitter pill of 6 games in a row (6-0), reducing Donnie to the 3rd place position.

5th/6th place winner, Johnny Kang's draw was tough form the 'get-go', immediately defeating jim Blakeman (6-2) and Sal Butera (6-5) on Day 1, followed by Frank 'The Barber' Almanza (6-5) on Day 2. On day 3, Johnny suffered his first loss to Donnie Branson (6-2), only to forge ahead two more wins to Ramin Bahktiari (6-5), Oscar Dominguez (6-3) and finally losing to Ronnie Alcano (6-5)

Watch Out For The Volcano!
4th place winner, Ronnie 'Volcano' Alcano had some well deserved wins against King-Kong' (6-5) and the 'Giant Killer', Ray Skenandore (6-5) and then to Johnny Kang on the one-loss (6-5). Ronnie was untouched until day three, took his first loss against Jeremy Jones (6-4) and finally his second loss to a rather determined Shane (6-3) who had nothing on his mind but to defend his 2-time consecutive championship title.

Max Runs 6 Straight Racks After King-King Refuses The Push!
7th/8th place winner Max Eberle, astounded the crowd with 6 straight racks, run from the break against Bernardo 'King-Kong' Chavez, who refused a push-out by Max on the first rack. King-Kong sat in his chair, writhing and hopeful for a shot, getting up only to rack the balls each time Max closed out. This match was streamed live, commentated by Daniel Busch and Lenny Marshall and can be viewed on demand at POV Pool's YouTube Channel.

Max's historic performance on POV Pool was a well deserved one, after losing in the first round of play on day one to Donnie Branson (6-5), then beating Brian Miller (6-2), King Kong (6-0), Ismael 'Morro' Paez (6-0), Thomas Butler (6-0), Fach Garcia (6-1), Mitch Ellerman (6-2) and then losing to Ernesto Dominguez (6-4).

Congrats To Team Mexico!
Happy Birthday Oscar Dominguez, who turns 28 today! Oscar earned his 7th/8th place position just underneath his father's finish at 5th/6th place. Oscar's wins included a streamed match with Brett Lee (6-3). He then beat Ramin Bahktiari (6-1), Fach Garcia (6-1), lost to Shane (6-2), eliminated Sal Butera from the one-loss (6-3), and finally getting ousted by Johnny Kang (6-3).

Also hit early to the one-loss was Ernesto Dominguez, who notched his belt a number of tough matches against Southwest Cues', Al Lawrence (6-4), Frank Almanza (6-5), POV Pool's night-time commentator, Joshua Edgar (6-2), Max Eberle (6-5) until finally losing to Shane in a hill/hill match.

Live Streamed Matches
Sponsored by Kamui Tips, The Orange County APA, John English and The Public House 1739, there were almost 40 recorded matches which were streamed live by Daniel Busch of www.povpool.com, which will begin posting to YouTube sometime next week. POV Pool would like to thank it's commentators for some excellent coverage of this event: Justin Acker, James Murphy, Stacy Allsup, Jeremy Jones, Mitch Ellerman, Lenny Marshall, Robert Leblanc, Frank Almanza, Jimmy 'Pretty Boy Floyd' Mataya, Joshua Edgar's, 'POV Pool, After Dark' show, Don McClelland, John English and many, many other players and spectators who joined in, to say hello on the stream and pay tribute to the late, Andy Mercer, who may very well be smiling upon us.
Special Thanks!

Thanks also to Geno Hill, Gordy Hill, Jim Blakeman, Mike Ganz, the Rum Runner Staff and many other new friends and strangers who made this event possible. Additional promotional support and thanks go to Max Eberleʼs Pro Academy, Ramin Bahktiari and MaryAnn Starkey of GoPlayPool, Amy Encinias and Nichole of Vegas Billiards Buzz Forums, AZ Billiards, lvin Nelson, JR Calvert of Inside Pool Magazine.

Results and Payouts

1st $6,000 Shane VanBoening

2nd $3,000 Jeremy Jones
Losing 6-3, 6-0 to Shane VanBoening

3rd $1,700 Donnie Branson
Losing 6-0 to Shane VanBoening

4th $1,000 Ronnie Alcano
Losing 6-3 to Shane VanBoening

5th/6th $700 Johnny Kang
Losing 6-5 to Ronnie Alcano

5th/6th $700 Ernesto Dominguez
Losing 6-5 to Shane VanBoening

7th/8th $500 Oscar Dominguez
Losing 6-3 to Johnny Kang

7th/8th $500 Max Eberle
Losing 6-4 Ernesto Dominguez

9th/12th $350 Ramin Bahktiari
Losing 6-5 to Johnny Kang

9th/12th $350 Sal Butera
Losing 6-3 to Oscar Dominguez

9th/12th $350 Mitch Ellerman
Losing 6-2 to Max Eberle

9th/12th $350 Edgar Jackson
Losing 6-2 to Ernesto Dominguez

13th/16th $250 Ray Skenandore
Losing 6-3 to Ramin Bahktiari

13th/16th $250 Walter Glass
Losing 6-5 to Sal Butera

13th/16th $250 Fach Garcia
Losing 6-1 to Max Eberle

13th/16th $250 Tres Kane
Losing 6-4 to Ernesto Dominguez

Top 16 Set For Crucible

The line-up of the top 16 players for this month’s Betfair World Championship at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield is now confirmed.

The Bank of Beijing China Open, the last counting event for the seeding positions, finished on Sunday night with Neil Robertson beating Mark Selby 10-6 in the final.

The Betfair World Championship runs from April 20 to May 6. Defending champion Ronnie O’Sullivan is top seed, with world number one Selby next. The seeds line up in the draw as follows:

Ronnie O’Sullivan v Qualifier
Ali Carter v Qualifier
Stuart Bingham v Qualifier
John Higgins v Qualifier
Shaun Murphy v Qualifier
Graeme Dott v Qualifier
Matthew Stevens v Qualifier
Judd Trump v Qualifier
Neil Robertson v Qualifier
Ricky Walden v Qualifier
Mark Williams v Qualifier
Stephen Maguire v Qualifier
Mark Allen v Qualifier
Ding Junhui v Qualifier
Barry Hawkins v Qualifier
Mark Selby v Qualifier

The seeds will be drawn against the 16 qualifiers in the random draw which will be broadcast live on Talksport radio at 1.30pm on Monday April 15.

Tickets for selected sessions at the Crucible are still available – for details Call 0844 6565 147 or visit sheffieldtheatres.co.uk. And for incredible VIP packages call Frank on 01277 359 925 or the Crucible Theatre on 0844 6565 147.

The qualifying rounds start at the English Institute of Sport – Sheffield this Thursday (April 4) and run until April 14. The draw was made today and full details are available on www.worldsnooker.com

Jimmy White will face either Tian Pengfei or Martin O'Donnell in his opening match and will then have to beat Xiao Guodong and Robert Milkins to make it to the Crucible.

Steve Davis will meet either Craig Steadman, David Grace or Kurt Maflin, and if he wins his first match he'll take on fellow former champion Peter Ebdon in the final round.

Belgium's Luca Brecel, who became the youngest player ever to compete at the Crucible last year, faces Fraser Patrick in his first match this time.

There are also tickets available for the qualifying rounds from April 6 to 14. Call 0114 256 5567 or visit www.arenaticketshop.co.uk

The Betfair World Championship is supported by Sheffield City Council.

#BetfairWorldChamps

April News from OB

The Super Billiards Expo in New Jersey begins on Thursday April 4th and Royce and Shane will be at the OB Booth with the New 2013 OB Cues that are being introduced this month. The new cues will have an MSRP between $545 and $995 and all of the new cues will feature the new OB Infinity Inlay technique which will be debuted at the Expo. If you will be at the Expo, make sure that you stop by the OB Booth to see the new cues and try them out on our demo table. The 2013 OB Cues are expected to be live on our website by 04/15/13.

OB Pro Players Alex Pagulayan and Corey Deuel will both be playing in the Pro Event at the Expo and they will be stopping by the OB booth each day to sign and give away free autographed pictures. Make sure you come by and say hi to these two great champions.

Watch Betfair World Qualifiers Live...Free!

An incredible offer from World Snooker and Perform means that fans can watch the qualifying rounds of the Betfair World Championship live and exclusive on Liveworldsnooker.tv FOR FREE.

The qualifiers run from April 4 to 14 at the English Institute of Sport - Sheffield. Legends like Steve Davis, Jimmy White and Ken Doherty as well as young stars such as Luca Brecel, Pankaj Advani and Liang Wenbo will be among those battling for a place in the final stages of snooker's biggest event at the Crucible.

And as a FREE trial for new subscribers, the whole qualifying event can be watched on our live streaming service. To join up just go to www.liveworldsnooker.tv and click on register.

The Betfair World Championship qualifiers will be available to all users worldwide and will feature three-camera coverage throughout, plus commentary from Clive Everton and his expert team from April 6 onwards.

Liveworldsnooker.tv was launched in 2011 as part of the LIVESPORT.TV network - the home of official high quality streaming of premium sports from around the world. It gives snooker fans the chance to watch the biggest tournaments and best players live online.

The service costs just £3.99 a month or £29.99 a year and the free trial will roll into a monthly subscription unless cancelled.

World Snooker will soon be announcing the full calendar of coverage on Liveworldsnooker.tv for the 2013/14 season.

World Snooker Chairman Barry Hearn said: "This is a wonderful opportunity for anyone across the globe who loves snooker - the chance to see the qualifying rounds of our biggest tournament for FREE! Not only that, but the coverage will be of the highest qualify with three cameras following the action and expert commentary.

"The pressure on the players at the qualifiers is intense. There are few sporting arenas which will throw up as much drama as the competitors go through the agony and ecstasy of trying to earn a place at the Crucible.

"We are delighted to be working with Perform on the outstanding Liveworldsnooker.tv service and hope that anyone who enjoys our sport will take advantage of this offer."

BIG CASH PRIZES UP FOR GRABS!

We've got two great big prize tournaments lined up for you in May.

Our Masters Darts Tournament boasts a £500 prize fund at every participating club, and the top 4 players from each club will be entered into our National Final, where we've boosted the prize fund to a tasty £3,250!

But if you don't give an oche for Darts, there's the English Pool Masters, with a £300 prize fund in every club.

Entries are now open online and in-club. Entry costs just £6, rising to £8 on the day, so don't leave it to the last minute.

Just click here for the full details of each tournament, including the match formats, and a list of all the participating clubs.

Good luck and enjoy!

Regards,
The Rileys Team

SIX countries will be represented at the women’s world snooker championships that
kick off in Cambridge on Friday.

Eight-time champion Reanne Evans heads a star-studded international cast for the World Ladies Billiards & Snooker Association’s (WLBSA) showpiece event.

Ladies Doubles opens the four-day jamboree at Cambridge Snooker Centre on Friday morning.

And that afternoon, world number 20 Joe Perry again teams up with Tatjana Vasiljeva (Latvia) in a bid to land a fourth Mixed Doubles title. Also in the running is WLBSA president Mandy Fisher partnering former snooker professional and top billiards player Phil Mumford.

Round-robin group matches for the main event will be played to a finish on Saturday.

Early favourites in the 21-strong field are Evans, bidding for a ninth straight title, world number one Maria Catalano, desperate to claim a first world crown, and six-time world billiards champion Emma Bonney.

Vasiljeva, India’s Chitra Magimairaj and the Hong Kong quartet of Jaique Ip Wan In, Yu Ching Ching, Ng On Yee and So Man Yan will be hoping to take the trophy overseas.

The top three from each of the four groups qualify for the knockout stage on Sunday. The final will be held on Monday morning.

WLBSA World Championships
Friday, April 12, to Monday, April 15
Cambridge Snooker Centre
Coldhams Road
Cambridge
CB1 3EW
Tel: 01223 249661

DEFENDING CHAMPIONS

WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP: Reanne Evans
MIXED DOUBLES: Tatjana Vasiljeva & Joe Perry
WORLD SENIORS: Revanna Umadevi
WORLD BILLIARDS: Revanna Umadevi

2013 WLBSA WORLD SNOOKER CHAMPIONSHIPS ENTRIES

Reanne Evans (Dudley, West Mids)
Maria Catalano (Dudley, West Mids)
Emma Bonney (Portsmouth)
Eva Palmius (Isleham, Cambs)
Jenny Poulter (Maidstone)
Chris Sharpe (Chelmsford)
Marianne Williams (Smallfield, Surrey)
Gaye Jones (Melksham, Wilts)
Tina Owen-Sevilton (Taunton)
Maureen Rowland (Wallsend, Tyne & Wear)
Jasmine Bolsover (Woking)
Tatjana Vasiljeva (Latvia)
Yu Ching Ching (Hong Kong)
Jaique Ip Wan In (Hong Kong)
So Man Yan (Hong Kong)
Ng On Yee (Hong Kong)
Chitra Magimairaj (India)
Vicky Carter (Sandy, Beds)
Hannah Jones (Derby)
Laura Alves (Dublin)
Weronika Nowicka (Poland)
Mandy Fisher (Wisbech, Cambs) Mixed Doubles only
Fran Calvert (Lowestoft) Ladies and Mixed Doubles only
Martina Lumsden (Eastbourne) Seniors only

2013 WLBSA WORLD BILLIARDS CHAMPIONSHIP ENTRIES

Emma Bonney (Portsmouth)
Chitra Magimairaj (India)
Eva Palmius (Isleham, Cambs)
Tina Owen-Sevilton (Taunton)
Gaye Jones (Melksham, Wilts)
Maureen Rowland (Wallsend, Tyne & Wear)

THE BIGGEST RACE ON THE BIGGEST SCREEN!

We're under starters orders for the weekend and the biggest horse race in the world, The Grand National, is on our big screen on Saturday.

Plus don't forget there's some cracking match-ups on the footy pitch with some real relegation dog fights.

Saturday 6 April

Reading v Southampton K.O. 12.45pm
Watford v Cardiff City K.O. 5.20pm

Sunday 7 April

Queen's Park v Rangers K.O. 12pm
Spurs v Everton K.O. 2.05pm
QPR v Wigan Athletic K.O. 4.10pm

Monday 8 April

Man Utd. v Man City K.O. 8pm

Regards,
The Rileys Team

2013 PARTYPOKER,COM WORLD POOL MASTERS

Back in the UK for first time since 2005

THE 21st annual running of the PartyPoker.com World Pool Masters will take place from 25th to 27th October at the Metrodome in Barnsley, South Yorkshire. This represents the first time in eight years that one of pool’s longest running tournaments takes place in the UK.

In its 20 year history, the Masters spent the first ten years in Britain before moving to Holland for a four year spell, interrupted by a return to the UK in 2005 when Raj Hundal lifted the title in Doncaster, a few miles up the road from Barnsley.

The last five years have seen three Masters in Las Vegas, one in Manila and then Kielce, Poland last year where local man Karol Skowerski shocked some big names to lift the title.

Yorkshire is currently a hotbed of pool with the likes of Darren Appleton, Daryl Peach, Kelly Fisher and Chris Melling all hailing from the northern English county.

Commented Matchroom Sport Chairman Barry Hearn, “We are delighted to be bringing the Masters back to the UK after a long spell away. After the huge sell-out successes of the Mosconi Cup in London in the past few years, I’m sure pool fans will be eager to support the Masters and we will be doing our best to bring the biggest names in world pool to Barnsley.”

The Masters will once again sport a $20,000 top prize, and the event will be produced by Matchroom Sport Television who will be making 15 x 1 hour programmes of the tournament for international syndication.

The 2013 PARTYPOKER.COM World Pool Masters is sponsored by PartyPoker.com, the world's leading online poker school. Cloth is supplied by Iwan Simonis and the Official Balls are Super Aramith.

Ultimate 10-Ball Website Now Live, Prize Fund Increasing

The Ultimate 10-Ball Championships website is now live at www.Ultimate10Ball.com There you will find all relevant information on both the Men's and Women's events. You may also register to play in the tournaments. The website has all of the information any player or fan needs. The Dress Code is explained, the prize fund breakdowns are clearly listed, and the Rules of Play are there as well.

The tournaments held under Ultimate 10-Ball Championships are WPA, BCA and WPBA Ranking events. It is the richest prize fund of any event to be contested in the USA this year. It also immediately precedes the Southern Classic and is in the same venue in order that players and fans can attend two great events on a single air ticket. It is the only Major Pro event in the United States to feature refereed matches and twin-table live streaming. It will also feature live scoring and live brackets via the Internet.

Best of all, the prize fund is growing. The current total prize fund of $171,000 has already begun going up. Within days we will begin to announce our list of additional sponsors and their contributions will take the prize fund higher and higher as 100% of all sponsor funds will be added to the players prize fund. Not a single penny of sponsor money will go towards overhead. It will all go into the prize fund and be distributed to the players. No green fees, no membership fees, nothing to add to the player's burden. The Ultimate 10-Ball Championships intends to reward the players financially and with a professionally run event that will be a pleasure for all competitors to enjoy.

Mark our dates: June 16th-20th, 2013 at the Harrah's Hotel and Casino in Tunica, Mississippi.

POV Pool Is On The Move

May 1st, 2013
Somewhere in Las Vegas, Nevada

As a live stream broadcaster, billiard content provider, and owner-operator of Point Of View Pool Media, I have made the business decision to re-locate our headquarters to Las Vegas, Nevada. Tentative move date is April 15th, 2013. POV Pool will officially re-open in 'Sin-City' as of May 1st, 2013.

In just 18 months of operation, Point Of View Pool Media has streamed live pool action throughout the west coast of the United States at almost every major independent pool tournament from more than a dozen billiard venues including Hard Times Billiards, The California Billiard Club, On-Cue, Butera's Billiards, Stix Billiards, The Broken Rack and more.

POV Pool's success on YouTube has grown exponentially, reaching over 2,700 new subscribers to date with almost 750,000 views. Our events have featured most of the world's top professional players - Efren Reyes, Francisco Bustamante, Alex Pagulayan, Dennis Orcullo, Ronnie Alcano, Rodney Morris, Oscar and Ernesto Dominguez Stevie Moore, Raj Hundal, Jayson Shaw, Jose Parica, Darren Appleton, Scott Frost - and the list goes on.

I believe that cue-sports in America is ready to step up to a new level of exposure and acceptance. Historically, Las Vegas has been the nucleus for ventures like billiards and other gaming activities to re-generate their popularity. It is a city that attracts and maintains many talented individuals and companies in both the entertainment and sports fields.

As far back as the late 80's, the billiard world has suffered a number of set-backs which have hindered this great sport from surviving in the mainstream media.

POV Pool's long term goal is to help generate new and expanded interest in this sport on a global scale. With the rapid growth of social media broadcasting, the timing is right for the great game of pool to re-establish it’s former greatness via extensive live broadcast events that not only will increase interest in the sport, but will attract and provide proper exposure, growth and return on investment for major sponsors and media distributors.

There is a huge amount of pool activity throughout the United States. POV Pool plans to be “on the move”, continuing to schedule our usual live streams at west coast venues, and also broadening our exposure to cover more events across the country, and eventually other parts of the world.

We are looking for long term sponsorship and/or investment in POV. The rapid expansion of our audience volume and positive feedback that we constantly receive underscores the fact that there is, without question, a large audience who love this great game and are looking for more events to watch. This also positive, indicates the high potential for good return on sponsorship and advertising investment.

POV Pool Media is dedicated to bringing back the glory days of pool. With our re-location to Las Vegas, we look forward to being your first stop for pool action!

Warmest Regards,
Daniel Busch

Predator Cues Sponsors CSI US Open Events

CueSports International, Henderson, Nevada (April 8, 2013) – Two dynamic industry leaders are joining forces once again to promote professional pool events during The Greatest Pool Tournament in the World!

CueSports International (CSI) is proud to announce that Predator Cues is the Official Cue sponsor of the 14th US Open One Pocket Championship, the 5th US Open 10-Ball Championship and the inaugural US Open 8-Ball Championship.

The three CSI produced US Open events will be held back to back July 17-27, 2013 at the Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino, Las Vegas, Nevada. The highly regarded pro events will be staged in the main ballroom of the Rio Hotel alongside the BCAPL and USAPL National Championships, also produced by CSI. General spectator admission will be FREE to all amateur participants.

In addition to sponsoring the CSI US Open events, Predator assumes title sponsorship of the 14.1 High Run Challenge which was launched by CSI at the national championships in Las Vegas in 2011. Going into its third year, the newly named Predator High Run Challenge will test the skills of professionals and amateurs alike in the popular 14.1 straight pool contest staged on 9’ Diamond tables.

Since the company’s inception in 1994, Predator Cues (a division of the Predator Group), has a long history of supporting professional pool events. They also sponsor several top professional players including Darren Appleton, Chris Melling, Daryl Peach, Jasmin Ouschan, Ralf Souquet, Chia-Chang Wu, Dennis Hatch and Mike Dechaine.

For more information, including entry and VIP spectator tickets, for the 14th US Open One Pocket Championship, the 5th US Open 10-Ball Championship and the 1st US Open 8-Ball Championship visit www.playcsipool.com or www.playbca.com. For more information about Predator Cues visit www.predatorcues.com.

CueSports International is dedicated to creating more choices for all players. In the past 8 years CSI has directly paid out $8,000,000 to players. CSI is the parent company of the BCA Pool League and the USA Pool League. CSI also produces independent events such as the US Bar Table Championships, the Jay Swanson Memorial, the US Open One Pocket Championship and the US Open 10-Ball Championship. Visit www.playcsipool.com, www.playbca.com, and www.playusapool.com for more information about CSI and its divisions.

The 2nd Annual Southern Classic Tournament

DIAMOND BILLIARD PRODUCTS, INC. and DIAMOND PROMOTIONS, LLC. are proud to announce: The 2nd Annual Southern Classic Tournament (SCT), presented by Harrah’s Tunica Hotel and Casino. The SCT has pool action for everyone and will be held at The Harrah’s Event Center, an area rich in billiard tradition and ripe for a big ‘ole pool tournament! This year’s event looks to bring:

·         9-Ball Banks ($15,000 added)
·         One-Pocket ($15,000 added)
·         9-Ball ($25,000 added, BCA point’s event)
·         "The DIAMOND BIGFOOT 10-Ball Challenge" ($18,000 added)

The Host Venue will be The Harrah’s Hotel and Casino, located in Tunica, Mississippi. The dates are June 21st – 29th, 2013. The venue has two (2) separate buildings and will hold over one-hundred (100) DIAMOND pool tables. The Host Hotel, The Veranda Tower, is attached to The Mid-South Convention Center. The Veranda Tower is located across the street from The Harrah’s Event Center and can be accessed by shuttle or a short walk.

The 2nd Annual Southern Classic Tournament Store for online registration and VIP tickets will be available April 19, 2013 at 6:00 PM EST. Please visit www.southernclassictournament.com

_____________________________________________________________________________________

We are pleased to announce that The 2013 North American Poolshooters Association (NAPA) Nationals will be held at The Mid-South Convention Center, June 21st - June 30th, 2013. For more information please visit www.napaleagues.com

_____________________________________________________________________________________

Also new this year... is THE DIAMOND BIGFOOT 10-BALL CHALLENGE

and this event will be held at The Harrah's Event Center. June 17th - 20th, 2013 for more information please visit www.ultimate10ball.com

_____________________________________________________________________________________

NOTICE: THE CUT OFF DATE FOR $69.00 AND $99.00 ROOM RATE ARE JUNE 10TH, 2013

The Veranda Tower/Mid-South Convention Center: Southern Classic Tournament (9-Ball Banks, One-Pocket, and 9-Ball)

BOOK NOW!

$69.00 per night (for a 9/10-day package)
Southern Classic Package Block: S06SCP3
www.totalrewards.com/hotel-reservations?propCode=GTU&groupCode=S06SCP3
$99.00 per night (for 1-8 days)

BOOK NOW!

Southern Classic Standard Block: S06SCV3
www.totalrewards.com/hotel-reservations?propCode=GTU&groupCode=S06SCV3

Spectator Info

9 DAY EVENT PASS
VIP $185.00
VIP TV $240.00

3 Day VIP Finals Pass VIP $105.00
General Admission $100.00

DAILY ADMISSION AM
General Admission $6.00
VIP $10.00

DAILY ADMISSION PM
General Admission $9.00
VIP $15.00

FINALS
General Admission $15.00
VIP $25.00

VIP & VIP TV SEATS ARE NON REFUNDABLE AND NON TRANSFERABLE. Spouse passes to VIP will be charged full price due to limited seating. Tickets will be held at SCT Office located in the Harrah's Casino Tunica and can only be retrieved by the cardholder with original credit card of purchase and a valid photo ID with signature such as a state ID, driver's license or passport. Tickets will be available starting June 20th, 2013. If you have any questions please contact us at: info@southernclassictournament.com

See you at The 2nd Annual Southern Classic Tournament presented by Harrah’s Tunica. If you need information on The Southern Classic Tournament, please contact the following:

Southern Classic Tournament
www.southernclassictournament.com
info@southernclassictournament.com

Office: (812) 288-7665

THE DIAMOND BIGFOOT 10-BALL CHALLENGE

Friday June 21st - Tuesday June 25

·         $18,000 added
·         $1,000 entry fee
·         32 Players

ONLY CONTACT JAY HELFERT THE DIAMOND BIGFOOT 10-BALL CHALLENGE

jayhelfert@yahoo.com

310-370-3994

Steinway Billiards Hosts 73rd World Tournament of 14.1 in New York City

Chicago, Illinois - Steinway Billiards has been selected as the official location of the 73rd World Tournament of 14.1 ! The championship will take place in New York City on August 19th-24th,2013. Dragon Promotions, in cooperation with Dr.Michael Fedak, will once again produce the greatest straight pool championship in the world in its eighth consecutive year since its 2006 resurrection. Through additional support from such sponsors such as Championship Cloth, Aramith Balls and Master Chalk, the absolute best pool players from around the world will arrive on the birth country of 14.1 once more to attend this prestigious event, and vie for the coveted title of greatest straight pool player in the world.

"Steinway Billiards is extremely honored to be chosen as the host of the 73rd World Tournament. Steinway, and actually the entire city of New York, is thrilled and cant wait to host this beautiful, exciting event!", said Manny Stamatakis, one of the co-owners of Steinway Billiards. The legendary poolroom was established in 1990 and has thrived the past 23 years. Steinway has 25 full size 9ft tables, a full bar, famous food from it's full service restaurant, and has free parking for up to 60 cars. Steinway Billiards is co-owned by George Nikolakakos and Anna Nikolakakos.

"We had many poolrooms and hotels contact us to host the World Tournament. We are extremely pleased at the growth of this event and the brand. But we never saw so many people and experts that we trust go to bat to have us produce the event, like we experienced with Steinway. From promoter Tony Robles, journalist Geoff Conway, and NYCGrind's Jerry Tarantola plus many more, they all raved about the establishment and the passion of the management. Even our sponsors love the location such as Mike Serra, Chairman of the BCA and VP of Championship Cloth, who posted on Facebook how much he liked Steinway when he visited it last week, and he intends to fly out to attend the event once more. So we are looking forward to being there this year and hosting the greatest 14.1 players in the world", said Charlie Williams, producer of the World Tournament and Founder of Dragon Promotions.

The World Tournament is the oldest tournament in history that still exists today. Invented by Jerome Keough and shortly after recognized as the official game of billiards. The first World 14.1 Tournament was held in 1912 and won by Edward Ralph. In its history due to war and economics, the World Championships had 29 tournaments that did not take place including a 15 year gap between 1990-2005 until Dragon Promotions revived the game and the World Tournament in 2006. Since that time, 14.1 has seen a resurgence that it has not experienced in decades with the World Tournament inspiring new players, spin-off tournaments, and leagues to help secure straight pool for new generations to come.

Dr. Michael Fedak

The end of summer event will also mark the 101 year birthday of the World Tournament which has created new 14.1 icons such as Thorsten Hohmann of Germany, Oliver Ortmann, Stephan Cohen of France, Niels Feijen of Netherlands and the first American in over 20 years to hold the title, John Schmidt of the United States.

"I visited numerous locations on my trip to New York City and New Jersey last month. I was pleasantly surprised at Steinway Billiards. And they have been extremely compliant and easy to work with. We have a great feeling about this year's World Tournament", said Cindy Lee CEO of Dragon Promotions. The experienced Mrs.Lee has handled the logistics of organizing the World Tournament from locations at the Hilton Hotel, the Hyatt Hotel, and all it's other locations during the better part of a decade. The demand to host the World Tournament has grown each year.

One of the few self standing poolroom buildings in the world, Steinway Billiards has plenty of space, tables, good food, and ample free parking

The format for the event will be the same as the past six years. 64 players divided into 8 groups of 8 players in a round robin format playing races to 100. The top 32 players will advance to a double elimination tournament races to 150. The top 16 players will then advance to a single elimination race to 200 points.

Steinway will also be the host of the 3rd Annual Straight Pool Hall of Fame Banquet. Past inductees included Ray Martin, Jerome Keough, Danny Diliberto, and Jack Colavita.

    The World Tournament Champion will also have his name inscribed on the 14.1 Champion's Cup alongside the names of previous winners such as Hohmann, Ortmann, Mosconi, Feijen, Mizerak, Lassiter, Cohen, Martin and John Schmidt.

Vendor spaces and sponsorship packages are available, and for more information on player registration, sponsorship, or if you would like to submit a comment, please email worldstraightpoolchampionships@gmail.com or contact Dragon Promotions at 1-407-782-4978. Full event info will later be on www.worldstraightpool.com and www.dragonpromotions.com

Dragon Promotions is one of the leading producers of billiard programming in the world today. In a span of over 12 years, Dragon Promotions has produced 200 international events airing on networks in USA, Korea, and Europe such as ESPN, ABS-CBN, ESPN Star Asia, MBC ESPN, XTM, XPORTS, and Euro Sport. Events include The World Tournament of 14.1, The International 10-Ball Championship, King & Queen of Carom, Empress Cup, Pro Pool Schools, DP Pro Classic, Women's Trickshot Challenge, World Junior 10-Ball Championships, The World Mixed Doubles and many more. Dragon has expanded to other sports such as football and manages some of the world's best pool players including Johnny Archer, Allison Fisher, Mika Immonen, Shanelle Loraine, Rodney Morris, Charlie Williams, Mike Davis, and Erica Park. Watch their anniversary video www.youtube.com/watch?v=LZrvwijI8fg and visit www.dragonpromotions.com

New Game Texas Bumps Joins CSI in July at Rio

CueSports International, Henderson, Nevada (April 8, 2013) – Joining CueSports International (CSI) roster of events being held July 17-27, 2013 at the Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas, as a featured associated event, is the newly launched game of Texas Bumps™.

The Texas Bumps™ National Tournament will be held alongside the 37th BCAPL National Championships at the Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino, Las Vegas, July 17-27, 2013. The entry fee for the Texas Bumps™ Tournament is only $20 and there will be at least $5,000 guaranteed total cash paid out by the Texas BumpsTM.

Invented by 7th Pocket Billiards, LLC, Texas Bumps™ is a new and fun pool game where professionals and amateurs can compete on a fairly even playing field without the use of handicaps. It is designed for all skill levels - professionals, amateurs and recreational pool players alike.

In addition to the Texas Bumps™ National Tournament, there will also be free Juniors Contests with prizes and scholarship money being awarded. Please visit the Texas Bumps™ website, www.texasbumps.com/ for all the tournament details.

Texas Bumps™ game sets are available for purchase at www.texasbumps.com/. The game sets include a $20 voucher for free entry into the Texas Bumps™ Tournament in Las Vegas, along with a free training DVD by professional billiards player and instructor, Joe Tucker, entitled “Guaranteed Improvements.”

List of Events at the Rio All Suite Hotel & Casino July 17-27, 2013 produced solely by CueSports International (CSI) or in conjunction with fellow pool industry organizations:

Amateur League National Events:
37th BCAPL National Championships
3rd USAPL National Championships
5th BCAPL 9-Ball Challenge

Pro Events:
14th US Open One Pocket Championship
5th US Open 10-Ball Championship
1st US Open 8-Ball Championship

Special Associated Events:
2013 WPA World Artistic Pool Championship
25th US Junior National 9-Ball Championships (Billiard Education Foundation)
Predator High Run Challenge
Texas Bumps™

The 37th BCAPL National Championships are sponsored by the Rio All Suite-Hotel & Casino, Diamond Billiard Products, Simonis Cloth, OB Cues, and Billiards Digest with tournament direction by Bad Boys Billiard Productions (BBBP).

The CSI US Open events are specifically sponsored by Predator Cues, The American Cue Makers Association, Aramith and OnePocket.org in addition to the Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino, Diamond Billiard Products, and Simonis Cloth with tournament direction by CSI. The Action Report (TAR) will be live streaming all three CSI US Open events.

CueSports International is dedicated to creating more choices for all players. In the past 8 years CSI has directly paid out $8,000,000 to players. CSI is the parent company of the BCA Pool League and the USA Pool League. CSI also produces independent events such as the US Bar Table Championships, the Jay Swanson Memorial, the US Open One Pocket Championship and the US Open 10-Ball Championship. Visit www.playcsipool.com, www.playbca.com, and www.playusapool.com for more information about CSI and its divisions.

Schedule a Qualifier for the CSI US Open Events

CueSports International, Henderson, Nevada (April 16, 2013) – CueSports International (CSI) is scheduling qualifiers for the following 2013 CSI US Open events produced this July at the Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino, Las Vegas, Nevada:

14th US Open One Pocket Championship: July 17-20, 2013 ($10,000 Added)
5th US Open 10-Ball Championship: July 19-23, 2013 ($25,000 Added)
1st US Open 8-Ball Championship: July 23-27, 2013 ($25,000 Added)

If you are interested in hosting a qualifier, please contact CSI to register the dates. All qualifiers must be completed no later than July 7.th and all spots for a qualifier must be prepaid to CSI to hold the spot for your qualifier winner.

Two of the events, the US Open 10-Ball and US Open 8-Ball Championships are sanctioned BCA Points Events. For details including the requirements and criteria for hosting a qualifier, contact Bill Stock at CSI bill@playcsipool.com or call him at (702) 719-7665.

The CSI US Open events are among the top professional level events in the United States. Drawing top professional players, both men and women, from around the world, past winners include Dennis Orcollo, Shane Van Boening, and Efren Reyes. Other participants have traditionally included such names as Francisco Bustamante, Darren Appleton, Jasmin Ouschan and Ralf Souquet, to name just a few.

The CSI US Open events are sponsored by the Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino (Host Hotel), Predator Cues (Official Cue), Diamond Billiard Products (Official Table), Simonis Cloth (Official Cloth), Aramith (Official Balls), and The American Cuemakers Association (Sponsor of the US Open 8-Ball Championship). CueSports International provides tournament direction. The Action Report (TAR / www.theactionreport.com) provides live video streaming of all three CSI US Open events.

CueSports International is dedicated to creating more choices for all players. In the past eight years CSI has directly paid out $8,000,000 to players. CSI is the parent company of the BCA Pool League and the USA Pool League. CSI also produces independent events such as the US Bar Table Championships, the Jay Swanson Memorial, the US Open One Pocket Championship and the US Open 10-Ball Championship. Visit www.playcsipool.com, www.playbca.com, and www.playusapool.com for more information about CSI and its divisions.

CSI Events Calendar

04/15 – 04/21/2013
15th Annual Black Gold State Tournament
$25,000 Added
Scotch Doubles, Singles and Teams
Buffalo Run Casino &Hotel
1000 Buffalo Run Blvd
Miami, Oklahoma
Contact: www.playokbca.com

04/18 – 04/21/2013
2013 Ohio State BCAPL Team Championships
$2,000 Added
Hollywood Casino
200 Georgesville Rd
Columbus, Ohio 43228
Contact: chriswilliams@centralohiobca.com
Ph: (614) 989-0680
www.centralohiobca.com

05/01 – 05/05/2013
6th Annual BCAPL Canadian Open Series 8-Ball Tournament
$5,000 Added
Penticton Curling Club
505 Railway Street
Penticton, BC CANADA
Contact: bcehcanada@telus.net
Ph: (604) 242-4123
www.bcehpool.com

**05/02 – 05/05/2013
16th Annual Indiana 8-Ball State Championships
Open Division
John Wayne’s Pub & Eatery
2367 East Stop 11 Road
Indianapolis, Indiana 46227
Contact: wally.walburn@xyzpool.com
Ph: (260) 413-1604
www.xyzpool.com

**05/09 – 05/12/2013
16th Annual Indiana 8-Ball State Championships
Women and “A” Divisions
John Wayne’s Pub & Eatery
2367 East Stop 11 Road
Indianapolis, Indiana 46227
Contact: wally.walburn@xyzpool.com
Ph: (260) 413-1604
www.xyzpool.com

05/24 – 05/26/2013
2013 USAPL / BCAPL New England 8-Ball Championships
$2,000 Added
Snookers Sports . Billiards Bar & Grill
53 Ashburton Avenue
Providence, Rhode Island 02904
Contact: info@playbca.com
Online Registration: www.ctsondemand.com
www.playbca.com

07/17 - 07/20/2013
14th US Open One Pocket Championship
$10,000 Added
Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino
3700 W. Flamingo Road
Las Vegas, Nevada 89103
Contact: CueSports International
info@playcsipool.com
www.playcsipool.com
(702) 719-7665

07/17 - 07/21/2013
3rd USAPL National Championships
Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino
3700 W. Flamingo Road
Las Vegas, Nevada 89103
Contact: CueSports International
info@playusapool.com
www.playusapool.com
(702) 719-7665

07/17 - 07/27/2013
37th BCAPL National Championships
8-Ball and 9-Ball Events
Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino
3700 W. Flamingo Road
Las Vegas, Nevada 89103
Contact: CueSports International
info@playbca.com
www.playbca.com
(702) 719-7665
07/18 – 07/21/2013
2013 WPA World Artistic Pool Championship
$10,000 Added
Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino
3700 W. Flamingo Road
Las Vegas, Nevada 89103
Contact: Mark Dimick
dimickmark@aol.com
(405) 642-5641

07/19 - 07/23/2013
5th US Open 10-Ball Championship
$25,000 Added
Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino
3700 W. Flamingo Road
Las Vegas, Nevada 89103
Contact: CueSports International
info@playcsipool.com
www.playcsipool.com
(702) 719-7665

07/23 - 07/27/2013
1st US Open 8-Ball Championship
$25,000 Added
Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino
3700 W. Flamingo Road
Las Vegas, Nevada 89103
Contact: CueSports International
info@playcsipool.com
www.playcsipool.com
(702) 719-7665

Holly Dimmick
CueSports International
2041 Pabco Road
Henderson, Nevada 89011
CSI Main Office: 702-719-7665
Holly WA Office (Skype): 425-312-1819
holly@playcsipool.com
www.playcsipool.com
www.playbca.com
www.playusapool.com

BETFAIR LAUNCHES SEARCH FOR THE MAN WITH THE GOLDEN CUE

Thursday 18th April, 2013

The Betfair World Championship is set to reveal snooker’s latest golden boy, with the first ever Golden Cue awarded to the star who lands the tournament’s highest break.

Betfair, in its first year as title sponsor of the World Snooker Championship, is adding extra sparkle with a £10,000 cheque and the “Betfair Golden Cue” up for grabs for the player with the highest break.

With the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield set to play host to several thrilling moments over the next fortnight, the race is on to see who will hold their nerve the longest to land the brand new prize.

The star studded Betfair World Championship line-up includes snooker pin-up and defending champion Ronnie O’Sullivan, whose explosive style and impressive 147-break record means he starts as an early pre-tournament favourite to lift the Betfair Golden Cue at 8-1.

Betfair Spokesman Barry Orr commented today: “It’s set to be the most wide-open and exciting World Championship in years, and so the Betfair Golden Cue is the perfect way to celebrate our inaugural year as title sponsor of snooker’s finest event. We are dedicated to heightening the thrill of winning for the players and fans and the Golden Cue incentive makes the tournament all the more exciting”.

To Win The Betfair Golden Cue - Betfair Bet: 8-1 Ronnie O’Sullivan, Judd Trump, Ding Junhui, 9-1 Mark Selby, Neil Robertson, 10-1 Stephen Maguire, Mark Allen, 12-1 Mark Williams

World Snooker Chairman Barry Hearn said: "The Betfair Golden Cue adds an extra element of excitement to what is already the most widely-anticipated Championship in history. The players are so good these days that we expect to see a barrage of high breaks and, who knows, perhaps a 147. The competition for the Golden Cue will be intense."

OB the Official Cue of the BCAPL & USAPL National Championships

CueSports International, Henderson, Nevada (April 16, 2013) – The 37th BCAPL National Championships and the 3rd USAPL National Championships will be held July, 2013 in Las Vegas at the Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino. Tournament producer, CueSports International (CSI), is excited to announce that taking front and center in 2013 will be OB as the Official Cue of the BCAPL & USAPL National Championships.

OB has grown steadily in the past 8 years into a solid company that not only manufactures high quality products but also supports all facets of the pool industry. CSI looks forward to a long and productive relationship, and we thank OB for choosing to participate as the Official Cue of the CSI amateur events.

Called “The Greatest Pool Tournament in the World,” the BCAPL & USAPL National Championships feature over 30 divisions in singles, scotch doubles and team events, over 300 Diamond tables and 50+ exhibitors. Below is the full list of CSI produced and associate events being held at the Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino:

Amateur League National Events:
37th BCAPL National 8-Ball Championships
9th BCAPL National 9-Ball Championships
3rd USAPL National Championships

Pro Events:
14th US Open One Pocket Championship
5th US Open 10-Ball Championship
1st US Open 8-Ball Championship

Special Associated Events:
2013 WPA World Artistic Pool Championship
25th US Junior National 9-Ball Championships (Billiard Education Foundation)
Predator High Run Challenge
1st Annual 6 Pocket Challenge
Texas Bumps™ National Tournament

CueSports International is dedicated to creating more choices for all players. In the past 8 years CSI has directly paid out $8,000,000 to players. CSI is the parent company of the BCA Pool League and the USA Pool League. CSI also produces independent events such as the US Bar Table Championships, the Jay Swanson Memorial, the US Open One Pocket Championship and the US Open 10-Ball Championship. Visit www.playcsipool.com, www.playbca.com, and www.playusapool.com for more information about CSI and its divisions.

World Snooker Launch Official YouTube Page

World Snooker has launched an official YouTube page - www.youtube.com/WorldSnookerOfficial - to give fans around the globe a wide range of high quality content in one location.

Launched ahead of the Betfair World Championship which starts tomorrow, the page will feature an array of exclusive content including:

- Player interviews looking forward to tournaments and reacting to matches

- Backstage interviews giving a unique insight into what happens behind the scenes on the World Snooker Tour

- Fun Q&As with players, commentators and officials with revelations about their lives away from the table
- Highlights clips showing the key action from tournaments

- Archive footage showing magic moments from years gone by
- Fun features like challenging players to clear the colours in the fastest time

- Videos giving latest news and promoting events with ticket details

A spokesman for World Snooker said: “The average person spends 15 minutes a day on YouTube so we want at least some of that time to be spent watching snooker! YouTube has over 800 million visitors per month and four billion video views per day so we see this as a fantastic opportunity to develop the popularity of snooker worldwide and bring the sport to people who might not have seen it before.

“Our official page will include some fantastic content featuring the best players in the world. Videos will be posted every day during the Betfair World Championship so we're urging fans to keep visiting the site and add to their enjoyment of the tournament.”

LET THE GAMES BEGIN

The biggest fortnight in the snooker calendar starts this weekend and of course The Rocket returns to defend his World title and he'll be kicking off his defence on Saturday against Marcus Campbell.

There's top boxing on Saturday night when Tyson Fury takes on Steve Cunningham and of course there's all the fun of the footy with crucial matches including Rafa Benitez taking his Chelsea team back to his old stomping ground.

Watch it all here on the big screens.

Friday 19 April

Hull City v Bristol City K.O. 7.45pm
WORLD SNOOKER CHAMPIONSHIPS START
TYSON FURY v STEVE CUNNINGHAM - 9pm

Saturday 20 April

Burnley v Cardiff City K.O. 12.45pm

Sunday 21 April

Celtic v Inverness K.O.12.45pm
Spurs v Man City K.O.1.30pm
Liverpool v Chelsea K.O.4pm

For the full fixture list click here.

Regards,
The Rileys Team