Efren Reyes Wins Fifth Derby City Classic Master of Table

The February issue of Inside POOL Magazine, which again features Efren Reyes on the cover as he captures his record fifth Master of Table tile at the Derby City Classic has been made available for free download at InsidePOOLmag.com. This month the download features new technology in online billiards magazine viewing such as enhanced clarity, Bonus Content, full-screen full length videos, links to favorite web sites, flipping pages, zooming, emailing, sharing, and printing.

March 2010 Inside POOL Magazine features Efren Reyes on the front cover as he wins his fifth Master of Table award. Get to know Shaun “Get Some” Wilkie. Figure out whether to shoot or bunt from Grady Mathews. Get a trick shot lesson from Jason Lynch. Get the secret on how pros aim. Ever wonder what it takes to choke like a pro? Check out what Donnie Mills has in his Pool Cue case. See Corey Harper’s new vision of sports marketing. Get the pool on TV lisitngs and check out some cool places to play pool and buy billiards supplies. See what’s new in the pool world. Ken Shuman gives us a lesson in being a referee. Get the latest billiards news from tours and tournaments around the U.S. and the rest of the world.

View the March 2010 issue of Inside POOL Magazine for Free

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About Inside POOL Magazine
Inside POOL Magazine launched in 2001 and, with pool player-based content and high impact photography, quickly became the largest magazine in the world for the sport of billiards. The official web site, InsidePOOLmag.com, followed shortly after and became one of the largest web sites in billiards. The web site features videos, image galleries, pool lessons, custom Pool Cue makers, online games, player profiles, tournament brackets, live streaming video, rules, product reviews, and the latest billiard news from around the world.

by InsidePOOL Staff

Lisa Marr defeated Jennifer Kraber in the finals of the OB Cues Ladies’ Tour’s March 6-7 event, winning the title and the lion’s share of the $2,000-added prize purse. The event was hosted by Casper’s Billiards in San Leon, TX.

Marr and Kraber met first in the hot seat match, and it was Kraber who handed Marr her first loss with a 7-4 win. But Marr was not down for the count just yet. Peters, who had just won a hill-hill struggle against Ming Ng, faced Marr in the semifinals. A motivated Marr defeated Peters 7-1 for another chance at Kraber.

As the double-elimination finals began, Marr had to beat Kraber twice. With a first set score of 7-5 and a second set score of 7-3, Marr captured the first-place spot and the guaranteed $750. Kraber finished her highest tour finish to date in second place and earned $550.

A second chance tournament was held with 21 players competing on Sunday for the $310 payout. Belinda Lee went undefeated to take first place, and board member Monica Anderson finished second.

Marr defeated Jennifer Kraber in the finals of the OB Cues Ladies’ Tour’s March 6-7 event, winning the title and the lion’s share of the $2,000-added prize purse.

Results:
1st Lisa Marr $750
2nd Jennifer Kraber $550
3rd Courtney Peters $400
4th Ming Ng 270
5th Amanda Lampert $155
Helen Laiche
7th Ashley Nandrasy $100
Melinda Bailey
9th Terry Petrosino $70
Kyu Yi
Tara Williams
Julia Rapp

(From left to right: Jennifer Kraber, Courtney Peters, Roy Robinson, Lisa Marr, and Ming Ng)

by InsidePOOL Staff

The WPBA San Diego Classic kicked off March 11 at the Viejas Casino in Alpine, CA, with a full field of 64 of the top women players. The winners’ bracket is down to 32, while the other half of the field is making the uphill battle through the one-loss side.

The tour’s number-one-ranked player, Ga Young Kim, is at the top of the bracket and has won her first two matches. Her first victim was Stacy Novack, and her second was recent U.S. Open Bar Table Championship winner Melissa Little. Kim’s next match will be against Line Kjorsvik. The tour’s number-two player, Jasmin Ouschan, is also undefeated, having bested first Jennifer Chen and then Julie Kelly to face Helena Thornfeldt in the next round.

The WPBA San Diego Classic kicked off March 11 at the Viejas Casino in Alpine, CA, with a full field of 64 of the top women players.

Number three on the tour, Xiaoting Pan is set for her third-round match against Tracie Hines, having bested Kim Benson and then Morgan Steinman. Hines was responsible for sending Veronique Menard and Erin McManus to the left side of the chart. The tour’s fourth-ranked player, Karen Corr, will play Sarah Rousey in the third round of this event. Corr earlier bested Cristina De La Garza and Shu-Han Chang, while Rousey defeated Dana Aft and Lisa Marr.

A featured third-round match will be between recent Hall of Fame addition Allison Fisher and Jeanette “The Black Widow” Lee, who just won the St. Louis Louie Award at the Derby City Classic. In the first two rounds Fisher sent Mary Rakin and Jennifer Barretta to the west side of the chart, while Lee defeated Amy Chen and Nicole Keeney.

Visit InsidePOOL for the latest news in the sport of billiards and pool.

Inside POOL Magazine is pleased to announce an agreement with McDermott Cue Mfg., LLC, to sponsor the free live stream of Allen Hopkins’ Super Billiards Expo, which takes place March 18-21, 2010. Widely considered the most successful billiards event, the Super Billiards Expo will feature thousands of professional and amateur pool players, vendors, spectators, and attendees.

The free live stream will be available at the Inside POOL Magazine Ustream channels and at InsidePOOLmag.com. The stream will mainly consist of two events, the Diamond Open 10-Ball Professional Players Championship and the Artistic Pool Masters Championship. The finals of the 14.1 Straight Pool Challenge are also scheduled to be streamed, time permitting.

Throughout the stream, segments showing action from around the Super Billiards Expo will be aired to inform and give the stream viewers a feel of the action at the event.

“After 40 years in business, we remain excited to participate in opportunities to promote billiards. This groundbreaking event encompasses a truly promising vision that can revolutionize and expand billiards, and we are happy to be involved.” said, Jayme Cernicka of McDermott Cue.

Inside POOL Magazine is pleased to announce an agreement with McDermott Cue Mfg., LLC, to sponsor the free live stream of Allen Hopkins’ Super Billiards Expo, which takes place March 18-21, 2010.

The Super Billiards Expo is one of the most exciting events in the billiard industry every year. Started back in 1993, Allen Hopkins’ vision for the ultimate billiard experience has been growing year after year. Thousands of players and fans look forward to this event every year. The Super Billiards Expo has become the largest consumer-oriented show in the industry.

If you miss the stream, check out the May/June issue of Inside POOL Magazine for information on viewing the videos created during the event.

About McDermott Cue Mfg, LLC
McDermott Cue Mfg is headquartered in Menomonee Falls, WI and produces and markets under the brands of McDermott Cue, Star Cue, Lucky Cue, Intimidator Shafts, G-Core Shafts, Big Boy Shafts, Sledgehammer Cues, Stinger Jump/Break Cues and Elephant Balls. For decades, McDermott Cue has consistently raised the performance standards for what billiard players expect from a high performance cue. McDermott builds billiard equipment for people who view playing pool as an end in itself, drawing on cutting-edge technology and tasteful yet aggressive design. McDermott equipment is rooted in performance, using the latest technology in a state-of-the-art facility and utilizing the finest materials available.

About Inside POOL Magazine
Inside POOL Magazine started in 2001 and quickly became the largest print billiard magazine by circulation by portraying the action of pool and billiards like no other magazine had done before. Since the first issue, Inside POOL Magazine has published online. The online version of the magazine has evolved to include flipping pages, zooming, clickable links, email sharing, and full-screen videos that can includes hours of full unedited matches. The current online version receives 450,000 readers per month.

The Women’s Professional Billiard Association (WPBA) is pleased to welcome back the longest running sponsor of the WPBA Classic Tour, Cuetec Cues. Through Imperial International, Cuetec will partner with the WPBA as the Official Cue of the 2010 Classic Tour. “We have been proud sponsors of the WPBA for the past 15 years. Part of our company’s mission is to support the industry and one of the ways we meet this goal is through our support of industry associations,” Stuart Helfgott, Imperial USA.

American Poolplayers Association, The World’s Largest Amateur Pool League, is another returning sponsor for the WPBA Classic Tour. “The APA is proud to once again support the ladies of the WPBA. This marks our 10th year sponsoring the Classic Tour, and we wish them the best of luck on another great season,” Jason Bowman, APA Marketing and PR Manager.

Iwan Simonis, The Cloth of Champions also returns to sponsor in 2010. “We look forward to continuing our long-standing relationship with the WPBA” stated Ivan Lee, President of Iwan Simonis Incorporated, “Our commitment to the professional women pool players remains strong even through these challenging times that we face as an industry.”

Aramith, the Belgian Billiard Balls also continues their partnership with the WPBA Classic Tour. Yves Bilquin, COO of SALUC SA /Aramith states, “We are proud to provide the official ball sets for the WPBA. With the San Diego event and other high end tournaments to come, Aramith is happy to contribute to their quality and success.” Aramith is introducing a new line of jewelry which can be viewed at www.aramith2wear.com.

A new supporter of the Classic Tour for 2010 is Delta-13, The True Triangle, by Executive Billiards. “The WPBA played an integral role in helping us design the ball rack that has now become their official rack. Naturally, we are thrilled to be working as a partner, helping to grow the sport and fan base. It’s an honor to be associated with such an outstanding organization filled with exemplary members,” says Terry A. Taggart, Executive Billiards President. He continues, “This partnership has, as its foundation, many shared values and one of those is giving back to the communities.” Delta-13 is introducing a special “hot pink” Delta-13 Elite rack with 10% of all WPBA Official Rack sales benefiting the National Breast Cancer Foundation. Taggart notes, “When players purchase the special “hot pink” Delta-13 Elite, they’ll know they are helping to save lives.”

Diamond Billiard Products will also join the WPBA team as the Official Table of the 2010 Classic Tour. “DIAMOND is proud to have been selected as the Official Table of the WPBA. We recognize the WPBA as one of the leaders in bringing professional pool to the masses and we look forward to building the DIAMOND brand in conjunction with the WPBA,” says Chad D. Scharlow, Vice President Diamond Billiard Products, Inc. “DIAMOND recognizes the commitment and hard work that the WPBA puts into their tour and hopes that this is only the beginning of a much broader relationship.”

The WPBA would also like to thank PoolDawg and Mueller Recreational Products for their support.

The WPBA will also partner with The Action Report to provide the live internet stream for the WPBA San Diego Classic March 10-13. Justin Collett of The Action Report invites fans to tune in, “Join us for some great matches featuring the finest women players in the world. The Live Coverage will feature interactive player interviews and commentary.” Live tournament coverage begins Thursday at 11 A.M. daily and can be found at WPBA.com. A special WPBA Pro-Am featuring some of the organizations biggest stars, local VIP’s and media personalities will also be streamed on Wednesday evening and fans are invited to watch online.

ESPN and the WPBA have joined forces for another three years and will continue to broadcast world-class events and female players all over the globe. Here’s a look at the 2010 ESPN/2 schedule:

The WPBA is proud to welcome back and include new sponsors for the 2010 season.

ORIGINALS:

2010 San Diego Classic – Semis & Final – Saturday, April 10, 12-3pm on ESPN2.

2009 Pacific Coast Classic – Quarterfinals – Saturday, May 1, 12-4pm on ESPN2.

2010 US Open – Quarterfinals: Sunday, Sept. 26, 1-5pm on ESPN2, Semis and Final: Sunday, Oct 3, 2–5pm on ESPN2.

RE-AIRS:

2009 Great Lakes Classic – Semis & Final: Sunday, May 9, 1-3pm on ESPN2.

2009 WPBA Tour Championship – Semis & Final: Sunday, May 16, 3-6pm on ESPN2.

WPBA President John Rousseau expresses gratitude to all WPBA supporters, “Thank you very much for your support of the greatest female pool players in the world, the Women’s Professional Billiard Association. Personally this support provides me with some time, early in my term, to learn the past strategies and review each as candidates for improvement, redesign and prioritization. Thanks to the current members of the board, past members, players and friends of the tour, I am prepared to do what is necessary to grow our tour. That begins with working closer with our sponsors to develop strategies that enhance the fiscal benefit of sponsoring the WPBA. Thank you very much and your support will be rewarded.”

2010 will mark the 18th year of the Classic Tour and the WPBA is pleased to announce the new and returning sponsors and supporters:

APA – Official Amateur League www.poolisfun.com

SalucSA/Aramith – Official Ball Sponsor www.aramith.com

Cuetec – Official Cue Sponsor www.cuetec.com

Delta 13 – Official Rack Sponsor www.delta-13.com

Diamond – Official Table Sponsor www.DiamondBilliards.com

Simonis – Official Cloth Sponsor www.simoniscloth.com

Mueller Recreational Products – Advertiser www.muellerrecreationalproducts.com

PoolDawg – Advertiser www.PoolDawg.com

The Action Report – Live Stream Provider for San Diego Classic www.TheActionReport.com

For more information about the WPBA please visit WPBA.com.

by Jose Burgos

Adam “The Stealer” Kielar took down the Mezz Pro-Am Tour March 7, winning the title over Eddie Abraham in the finals. The $1,000-added stop was hosted by Main Line Billiards in Frazer, PA, and enticed a field of 41 out to play.

Kielar went through the top half of the bracket, winning over Lou Patrikios 7-1, Sharon O’Hanlon 7-2, Ray Lee 7-4, Josh Brothers 7-4, and Gregg McAndrews 7-3 . Leading the bottom half of the bracket was Shaun Wilkie, who scored over Tom Bow 7-1, Michael Praseutsy 7-0, Dan Zetts 7-1, VJ Mcglone 7-3, and Joe Hong 7-2.

Kielar and Wilkie collided in the hot seat match, which went hill-hill before Kielar advanced 7-6. Now on the one-loss side, Wilkie was faced with Abraham in the semifinals. Abraham was primed and ready to go, running away with the match 6-2 to reach the finals.

In the double-elimination finals, Abraham had to best Kielar twice for the title. But that was not necessary, for Kielar easily won the first set of the finals 7-3, taking his first Mezz Tour title.

Adam “The Stealer” Kielar (pictured right) took down the Mezz Pro-Am Tour March 7, winning the title over Eddie Abraham in the finals.

by Jerry Tarantola, NYCGrind.com

Kevin Guimond won the inaugural Empire State Amateur Championship event, the first-ever amateur 9-ball title in New York, over Duane “Wu-Tang” Toney the weekend of March 6-7. Hosted by Raxx Pool Room, Bar and Grill in West Hempstead, NY, this $2,500-added tournament was put on by the Ozone Billiards Predator 9-Ball Tour and brought in a full 128-player field.

Guimond’s road to the finals included wins over Dinko Busanich 7-2, Mike Panzarella 7-2, John Trobiano 7-2, Peter Ziemak 7-2, Tom Seminaro 7-6, Thomas Wan 7-6, and Toney 7-4 in the hot seat match.

Toney’s road to the finals included wins over Rob Slayback 7-6, Arturo Reyes 7-5, Brian Russell 7-6, Albert Estevez 7-5, Niko Berdzenishvili, and Bob Schlott before his meeting with Guimond. On the one-loss side, Toney overcame the hot Schlott, who just came off of a huge 7-5 win over the favored Justin Muller, earning Toney a shot in the finals.

The final match was between the strongest “A” and “C” players of the day, resulting in a two-game handicap, which Toney took advantage of out of the gate. Toney captured the first two games and took control of the set early on. But once Toney reached a 5-0 lead, Guimond caught a gear. Guimond battled back to even the score at 7-all and had the break in the final game. He broke and ran out, claiming the first-ever Empire State Amateur Championship.

Kevin Guimond won the inaugural Empire State Amateur Championship event, the first-ever amateur 9-ball title in New York, over Duane “Wu-Tang” Toney the weekend of March 6-7.

photo courtesy of NYCGrind.com

by InsidePOOL Staff

Two hard-working poolroom owners, each playing with only two hours of sleep, squared off in the finals of the Flamingo Billiards Tour stop March 6 at Ultimate Billiards in Fort Pierce, FL. Margie Soash of Hollywood Billiards in Hollywood, FL, outlasted Stephanie Mitchell, owner of The Corner Pocket in Largo, FL, after a long, safety-dominated slugfest.

It was the first Flamingo Billiards Tour event for Soash and five other new members, all of whom made a big impression at the tour’s 2010 kick-off event. Soash went undefeated for the day, squeaking by Mimi McAndrews 7-6 and Christie Cloke 7-5.

Mitchell started the day with a loss 7-3 to new member JoAnn Mason Parker, the 1990 WPBA U.S. Open champ who has returned in excellent form after a long hiatus. Mitchell then caught a bye before blanking Kelly Cavanaugh 7-0.

After the modified double-elimination redraw, Mitchell avenged her early loss to Parker 7-4, Jessica Barnes defeated Kim Caso 7-2, Jeannie Seaver swept Helene Caukin 7-0, and Soash went 7-5 against Melissa Durkin, another impressive new member.

In the semifinals, Seaver fought back from a 6-2 deficit but eventually lost to Soash 7-5. Meanwhile, Mitchell ran the final table on Barnes for a 7-3 victory.

The first game of the finals was a precursor of things to come, with each player notching six innings at the table. Smart play, tight pockets, and tired eyes led to a true test of focus and endurance. After Soash took the first rack, Mitchell went on a five-game streak before jawing the 9 ball in the seventh game. Soash brought it to double-hill, and the last rack saw Mitchell jaw the 9 ball again, leaving Soash the game and match.

Two hard-working poolroom owners, each playing with only two hours of sleep, squared off in the finals of the Flamingo Billiards Tour stop March 6 at Ultimate Billiards in Fort Pierce, FL.

by Lea Andrews

Though Josh Newman’s first encounter with Mark Parlier didn’t go his way, the 17-year-old made up for it in the next two sets to earn his first win as an A-player on the Great Southern Billiard Tour. Newman topped the mega-sized field of 81 that arrived for the $1,500-added A-B amateur event, held March 6-7 at Raisin’ Cain’s in Inman, SC.

Newman faced A-ranked Parlier for the first time on the winners’ side final four, and Parlier earned a spot in the hot seat match 9-7. Earning the other spot was B-ranked Dusty Gosnell, who’d sent A-ranked Paul Mullens west 7-5. Gosnell came up one game shy of his goal of seven games against Parlier, and he moved over to the semifinals for a shot at the rematch.

On the one-loss side, A-ranked Chase Smith blew through B-ranked Randy Henderson 9-1 to meet up with B-ranked Marvin Reed, who’d gone hill-hill with A-ranked Marty Free 7-8. Another hill-hill match was waiting for Reed against Smith, but he was on the wrong end of this one, and he landed in seventh 9-6. Meanwhile, AA-ranked recent winner Jared McGee took care of B-ranked Trey Melton 11-4 to face B-ranked Michael Walker, who’d ousted A-ranked Barry Medlock 7-5. Holding Walker to five games, McGee moved on to Newman, who pushed his way past 9-7 to reach the quarterfinals. There he faced Smith, who’d edged out Mullins 9-8. Another 9-7 victory for Newman put him up against Gosnell in the semifinals, where they were both fighting for another chance with Parlier. It was well into the early hours of Monday at this point, and Newman outlasted Gosnell to claim his spot in the finals 9-5.

The first set of the true double-elimination match went hill-hill, and in the final rack, it seemed like it would be the only set. An unlikely late miss by Parlier brought Newman back to the table, though, and he finished off the rack to push the second set 9-8. Though neither showed it, fatigue had to have been wearing on both players, but Newman’s stamina served him well, allowing him to finish off his win 9-7 at just after 6 a.m. Monday morning.

Though Josh Newman’s first encounter with Mark Parlier didn’t go his way, the 17-year-old made up for it in the next two sets to earn his first win as an A-player on the Great Southern Billiard Tour.

by InsidePOOL Staff

Geoffrey Bauer took down the competition at the March 6 installment of the Tri-State Tour, defeating Sam Li in the final match. The $500-added B-D event was hosted by Eastside Billiards in New York City, NY.

Bauer went undefeated through the event, besting Tony Eglesias 7-5 in the winners’ side final four to advance to the hot seat match. Meeting him there was Alan Chan, who squeaked past Li in a hill-hill match 6-5. The hot seat match also went double-hill, with Bauer moving on to the finals while Chan was sent to try his luck on the west side of the chart.

Geoffrey Bauer took down the competition at the March 6 installment of the Tri-State Tour, defeating Sam Li in the final match.

Results:
1st Geoffrey Bauer $440
2nd Sam Li $220
3rd Alan Chan $105