by InsidePOOL Staff

Daniel Dagotdot scored his second title of the Tri-State Tour’s 2011-2012 season with his September 24 split with Alan Chan in the finals. He went undefeated through the 49-player field that gathered at Gotham City Billiards in Brooklyn, NY, to vie for their share of the $1,500-added prize purse.

A win by the smallest 7-6 margin over Gary Murgia in the winners’ side final four put Dagotdot in the hot seat match, where he faced Chan, who had just bested Michael Aro 6-5, for the first time. Chan put up a good fight, but Dagotdot prevailed 8-5 to await a finals competitor.

Murgia was quickly ousted at fifth place by Alex Gilvarg 7-5, while Aro followed him after a 6-4 loss to Tony Ignomirello. After a first-round loss, Ignomirello was on a roll, winning his ninth match in a row in the quarterfinals over Gilvarg 9-6.

Owner/Operator Kevin Buckley; 3rd place - Tony Ignomirello; 1st place - Daniel Dagotdot; right 2nd place - Alan Chan

Ignomirello’s run was stopped in the semifinals by Chan, who sent him home in third place with a 6-2 win. In the finals, Chan and Dagotdot decided to split, with Dagotdot taking the title.

Results:
1st Daniel Dagotdot $920
2nd Alan Chan $650
3rd Tony Ignomirello $400
4th Alex Gilvarg $260
5th Michael Aro $160
Gary Murgia
7th Pat DiBuono $120
Chris Peralta
9th Joe Landi $90
Carl Yusef Khan
Ron Mason
Sam Smuke

Billiards Stars Named as New Inductees to Hall of Fame

New Brunswick, New Jersey – Three time World 14.1 Champion Ray “Cool Cat” Martin and 14.1 Continuous inventor Jerome Keogh will be the very first inductees into the 1st Annual Straight Pool Hall of Fame. The ceremony will take place August 31,2011 at 5pm during a dinner banquet at the Hyatt Regency Hotel during the 71st World Tournament of 14.1. Keogh will be inducted posthumously while Martin will be there live to accept his award and speak. Even better than that, Martin will participate in the World Tournament as a competitor at age 76.

“Its a great honor to be inducted. Its nice that people still alive will be inducted as well in the future . That’s really the way it should be. Get them in before they die! Let them enjoy it!” said Martin. Ray won the World Tournament in 1971, 1974, and 1978. Martin also won numerous 9-Ball titles as well and was the author of the famed 99 Critical Shots instructional pool book.

Three time World 14.1 Champion Ray "Cool Cat" Martin and 14.1 Continuous inventor Jerome Keogh will be the very first inductees into the 1st Annual Straight Pool Hall of Fame.

“There were many factors on why we decided to start this inaugural Straight Pool Hall of Fame. We wanted to honor not only obvious choices, but to remember great players that are still alive and remind them that they are not forgotten. They are living treasures of the sport. Also, we wanted to recognize those who may not receive recognition elsewhere, but were huge parts of 14.1 history. In the future we plan on inducting several people at once. But this year having Ray Martin and Jerome Keogh will be a great start”, said Charlie Williams, Founder of Dragon Promotions.

Jerome Keogh invented 14.1 in 1910. Previous to that, players would break the balls open but sometimes nothing went in, which many felt was too big a luck factor. Keogh decided the game should be played with the final ball remaining out. Thus 14 balls plus 1, which became known as 14.1 . The very first World 14.1 Tournament was held in 1911 and won by Alfredo DeOro. Keogh had prior to that won multiple World Championships, but despite inventing the game that changed the sport, he would never win the World 14.1 title. But today, a hundred years later, the Straight Pool Hall of Fame honors him fittingly as the founder of the game.

“Over the last six years, the fans, players, and sponsors have really made us feel like the caretakers of straight pool. I’m not a pool player, but I’ve learned to really come to enjoy and respect this elegant game. We want to continue keeping this game alive and make it prosper. Honoring the people who did it before us is a big part of that,” explains Cindy Lee, CEO of Dragon Promotions.

Guest speakers at the dinner banquet on August 31 will include former World Champions and veteran peers of Ray’s such as Allen Hopkins, Mike Sigel, and Earl Herring. The 14.1 Hall of Fame events will also include video presentations by NYCGrind.com’s Jerry Tarantola and funded by Dr.Louis Pannullo. Charlie Williams will MC the evening’s festivities. Inside Pool Magazine will also be covering the events live on site.

Jerome Keough

Tickets must be purchased by August 27th and can be done live at the event or at Amsterdam Billiards in NYC or Sandcastle Billiards in NJ. Week passes to the World Tournament include one banquet ticket. Online purchases for the dinner and also tickets can be purchased at www.DragonPromotions.com . Get the event special 40% discounted room at the Hyatt Regency by calling 732-873-1234 ask for “US Pool Players” Group and receive the tournament rate of $105 per night.

The 2011 World Tournament is proudly co-sponsored by Olhausen Tables, Amsterdam Billiards, Inside Pool Magazine, Andy Cloth, Aramith Balls, Kamui, Pool & Billiard Magazine, Sandcastle Billiards and straight pool aficionados Bill Austin of UT, Dr.Louis Pannullo of NY, Ralph Rubin of MD. Co-contributors Dennis Walsh, Dr.James Heller, Charles Eames, Mark Snodgrass, and Bill Marapolous. For more information on player registration, sp Read more ...]]> http://www.cuesandpool.com/billiard-news/ray-martin-and-jerome-keogh-inducted-into-the-straight-pool-hall-of-fame.html/feed 0 http://www.cuesandpool.com/billiards/saunders-and-kennedy-come-out-on-top-of-kf-cue-tour.html http://www.cuesandpool.com/billiards/saunders-and-kennedy-come-out-on-top-of-kf-cue-tour.html#comments Wed, 13 Jan 2010 20:11:54 +0000 admin http://www.insidepoolmag.com/?p=8248 Saunders and Kennedy Come Out on Top of KF Cue Tour
KF Cue Tour / Spring Hill, FL

by Lea Andrews

Though they chose different routes to get there, George Saunders and Tommy Kennedy both ended up in the same place the weekend of January 9-10: the KF Cue Tour winner’s circle at Capone’s Billiards in Spring Hill, FL. While Saunders went undefeated to top the $1,000-added, 40-entrant amateur event on Saturday, Kennedy rebounded from an early loss to Mike Davis in Sunday’s $1,000-added open event to capture his second KF Cue Tour victory this season.

Saunders got past Josh Lewis to reach the hot seat match, where he faced Dan Dennis, who was coming off a win over Joe Scarborough. A hard-fought 7-6 win left Saunders the sole undefeated competitor, and Dennis moved to the left side to look for the rematch.

To get there, though, he’d have to get past Derek Greenwood, who’d been moving through the west side after taking a hit from Saunders, marking up strong wins over Louis Altes, Bill Dunsmore, Scarborough, and Lewis to reach the semifinals. The finals would be a rematch no matter what, but it was Dennis who earned it, and when he reached the single race-to-9 final match, he made a strong case for himself, pushing the score to 8-8. But it was Saunders who topped the safety battle in the final rack, pocketing the final 9 to notch his first-ever KF Cue Tour win.

Dan Dennis and George Saunders

On Sunday, as Kennedy was moving steadily through the elimination rounds to reach the finals, Justin Hall was making his way through the right side, posting a 7-5 win over Davis to reach the hot seat match against Louis Altes, who’d just shut out Wesley White. Against Hall, though, Altes had no such luck, moving to the other side 7-4.

On the one-loss side, Kennedy, who’d run through Elvis Rodriguez 6-3, Derek Greenwood 6-0, and Lewis 6-2, faced Davis once again, allowing him only one game in a race to 6 and planting Davis in fifth. After a 6-3 quarterfinal win over Richie Richeson, who’d just ousted White, it was semifinal time for Kennedy, who allowed Altes to reach the hill but took the final rack for himself.

In the single race-to-7 final match, Kennedy went ahead and let Hall reach the hill, too, but when Hall broke open the final rack and left all the balls on the table, Kennedy took over, making the 1 and the 2 to set up a 3-9 combination, which he nailed for his second win this season.

Kennedy and Rocky McElroy

Amateur Results:
1st George Saunders $550
2nd Dan Dennis $400
3rd Derek Greenwood $300
4th Josh Lewis $200
5th Joe Scarborough $100
Louie Smith
7th Bill Dunsmore $75
Bill Delisle
9th Coot Highsmith $50
Bill Stoll
Louis Altes
Wesley White $50

Open Results:
1st Tommy Kennedy $500
2nd Justin Hall $400
3rd Louis Altes $300
4th Richie Richeson $200
5th Wesley White $100
Mike Davis

by Anne Craig

Kelly Fisher, the 2008 Player of the Year, and Xiaoting Pan, the number-two-ranked player on the WPBA Tour for 2009, were both looking for their first win of this season. With the cameras rolling and the crowd rooting on their favorite player, the second semifinals began with the lag for the break. Fisher won the lag and pocketed a ball to get things rolling. She missed the 2 ball but left a tough cut for Pan, who chose to play a safety. Fisher’s poor return safety resulted in a potential 2-9 combination, although it wasn’t an easy one for Pan, who lined up the shot carefully. Without batting an eye, she made it dead center and took the first game of the match.

Pan broke in game two but was forced to push out, leaving Fisher a long cut on the 1. She made it perfectly, but the shape she was forced to take on the 2 was less than ideal, so she played a safe, starting a safety battle between the two competitors. Fisher found herself with a tough long shot but snookered herself on the 3 ball and missed the one rail kick shot, giving Pan ball in hand. Pan ran out to take the 2-0 lead.

Fisher broke in game three but was forced to play a safe. Pan kicked the 1 ball in, banked the 2 ball, and ran out to the 7 ball but rattled the ball, allowing Fisher to finish the rack and the score was now 2-1 with Pan breaking. The 95-pound competitor “stuck the landing” on the Cue ball and made two balls on the break. She pocketed the 1 but missed the 2 ball, but she left Fisher snookered behind the 4. Fisher was forced to kick at the 2 two rails—hitting the bottom rail then the side rail just above the side pocket, the Cue ball struck the 2 just right and went into the corner pocket as the crowd cheered, but those cheers turned to groans as the Cue ball headed right for the other corner pocket and scratched. Fisher just shook her head as she sat down, and Pan took ball in hand to run out and retake the two-game lead up 3-1.

Fisher went into game five with the break, looking to the pool gods to cut her some slack. She pocketed a ball, and the only real trouble on the table was shape from the 1 to the 2 ball. The 6 ball had rolled up ahead of the 2 and blocked open shape to the corner pocket. She had no problem navigating the issue and ran out to get back within one game, down 3-2.

WPBA Tour Championship Tournament Brackets

Pan, the number-two-ranked player on the WPBA Tour for 2009, is looking for their first win of this season.

Pan had the break in game six and after pocketing a ball ran out for a 2-9 combination to take a two-game lead, up 4-2. Fisher failed to pocket a ball on her break in game seven, but Pan was forced to start a safety exchange on the 2 ball. After Fisher was forced to jump, she left Pan a long straight in shot, which she made and continued through the rack. With her characteristic no-nonsense style, Pan ran out and took a three-game lead, up 5-2. Pan also had the break advantage but failed to make anything, and the crowd clapped, encouraging Fisher to stay in this match and run out. Fisher actually slowed down her game play, playing to the 6-9 combination, which she pocketed to add another game to the score. She did have the break in game nine and made the 7 into the side pocket. She had no shape for an open shot on the 1 and played safe, but she left the barest of windows for Pan to not only see the 1 but to make it. She continued through the layout and ran out to reach the hill up 6-3. Pan broke in game 10 but failed to make a ball, and again the crowd called out, “Come on, Kelly!” Fisher ran out to the 3 and made the ball but missed shape badly on the 4 and missed the two-rail kick, giving Pan ball in hand to reach her first finals of the 2009 season. Xiaoting ran out and won 7-3. Fisher finished tied for third with Jeanette Lee.

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

by Lea Andrews

After a grueling day of play, a 31-player field was whittled down to two men who agreed to skip the final set. Mike Aro and Joe Fego split first- and second-place money at the $500-added B-D Tri-State Tour event June 13, hosted by Comet Billiards in Parsippany, NJ.

Aro and Fego went as far as they could go in the winners’ bracket before first meeting up —they played the match for the hot seat, Aro having sent Allen Wong west with a score of 7-5, and Fego having done the same to Teddy Lubis 8-6.

On the one-loss side, Emily Duddy was making a splash, taking down Ben Sadowski 7-3 and Mike Crispino 7-2 before she and Gary Murgia, who’d just put Dave Shlemperis in seventh with a score of 7-4, met up with Wong and Lubis. Duddy was on a roll and she put Wong in fifth with a score of 7-4, while Murgia fell to Lubis 7-5. Lubis, always a very tough competitor in the Tri-State events, was another notch in Duddy’s belt on that day, and he finished in fourth with a score of 7-5.

The one-loss side semi-final would be a different story for Duddy, though. The hot seat match had seen Fego fall to Aro 7-2, and Fego was fighting to get back to where he’d been all day: the winners’ side. Duddy was in his way, but not for long, and he put her in third with a score of 7-4.

Fego was back on the winners’ side, where normally a single-race final set would decide first and second. Not this time, though—the exhausted men opted to split, saving their rematch for perhaps the next event.

After a grueling day of play, a 31-player field was whittled down to two men who agreed to skip the final set.

Results:
1st Mike Aro $430
Joe Fego $430
3rd Emily Duddy $240
4th Teddy Lubis $140
5th Allen Wong $65
Gary Murgia

by Skip Maloney

Dan Taylor scored 208 out of 240 possible points in the Dr. Cue Classic Artistic Cup II.

Dan Taylor not only won the overall championship of the Dr. Cue Classic Artistic Cup II, but in so doing, tallied a record 208 total points out of a possible 240 and won two of the individual disciplines in the tournament as well. His closest competitor and overall second-place finisher, Jamey Gray, scored 194 points and won two of the eight disciplines, both by winning tie-breakers. In all, 33 competitors were on hand to compete in the $15,000-added event, hosted by Big Shot Billiards and Bar in East Windsor, CT, the weekend of November 15-16.

According to Rossman, the Artistic Cup is formatted in a fashion somewhat similar to a golf tournament, in which a group of opponents (in this case, 11 groups of 3) square off to play a series of “holes” (eight specific disciplines in the overall category of artistic pool), recording their scores along the way. As the tournament progresses, the groups and individuals switch disciplines and continue to tally scores, leading ultimately to a player with the highest overall score, as well as individual winners in each of the eight disciplines: Trick and/or Fancy Shots, Prop/Novelty and Special Arts, Draw Shots, Follow Shots, Bank/Kick, Stroke, Jump and Massé Shots.

In addition to his overall victory, Taylor won both the Jump and Bank/Kick disciplines. Gray won the Massé and Draw Shot disciplines, accomplishing two tie-breaking wins to do so. The tie-breaker in all events is a shot set-up in which competitors must drive a cue ball into five rails, ending with it hitting a cue ball perched on a piece of chalk; points are awarded based on the final distance separating the driven cue ball away from the chalk-perched cue ball. Points are cumulative over three attempts. Third place overall was awarded to Nick “Quick Nick” Nikolaidis, who, though failing to win any of the eight disciplines, showed strong in the Trick and/or Fancy Shot, Draw, Stroke, and Follow categories, scoring 26 points out of possible 30 in each.

It was Andy “The Magic Man” Segal who finished fourth overall and won the Trick and/or Fancy Shot discipline. Chris Kelly and Chris Woodrum, the remaining two amateurs in the tournament, placed fifth and sixth and won the Prop/Novelty and Special Arts and Stroke disciplines, respectively. The final individual specialty event, the Follow discipline, was won by Steve Lillis, who ended up in a tie for thirteenth place.

Results:
1st Dan Taylor $5,000 + $200 as Jump and Bank Kick winner
2nd Jamey Gray $3,750 + $200 as Massé and Draw Shot winner
3rd Nick Nikolaidis $2,500
4th Andy Segal $1,750 + $100 as Trick and/or Fancy Shot winner
5th Chris Kelly $1,300 + $100 as Prop/Novelty and Special Arts winner
6th Chris Woodrum $1,000 + $100 as Stroke winner (Sportsmanship Award)
7th Mark Dimick $800
8th Jason Lynch $600
9th Dave Nangle $400
Mark Kulungian
Jamie Moody
Matt MacPhail

The International Pool Tour has announced the IPT Pro-Am tournament with a $50,000 prize fund with $8000 for first and a $6,000 bonus for being on the same team as the winner.

The International Pool Tour (IPT) has anounced the IPT Pro-Am Tournament.  Sixteen of the best players in the world will compete with an open field of players in a new and unique format November 8-9, 2008. 

The Pro-Am Tournament is open to any competitor who places in the top six of a qualification tournament. There are sixteen qualifier events- each corresponds with a top professional player. The top six finishers in each qualifier get teamed up with their pro for the main event. Although players compete as individuals, if they or anyone on their team wins the main event, they each win $6,000; the actual individual winner of the tournament wins $8,000. The total prize purse is $50,000.

Qualification events will be held throughout Chicagoland starting September 13th. The full schedule of qualification events is available online at www.internationalpooltour.com. Entry fees are $85 in person, which includes a $5 greens fee for the host room. Members of the military, female players, children, anyone presenting their league membership card, or any online entrants pay only $75.
Extensive online coverage, including match stats, pictures, and streaming video of the main event, will be available at Internationalpooltour.com.

Tournament Details:
Main Event: Palace Billiards
160 W. Roosevelt Road
Villa Park, IL 60181
(630) 941-3500
Qualifier Locations: Internationalpooltour.com
Pro Players: Internationalpooltour.com
Event Inquiries: Lindsay Erazo
Assistant Director, IPT
lerazo@internationalpooltour.com
Sponsorship &
Advertising: advertising@internationalpooltour.com

by Rick Davis
Shane Van Boening is the new Reno Open champion after coming out on top of the final four in the final day of play. After taking a loss to Johnny Archer earlier in the event Van Boening found himself in the quarterfinals against Edwin Montal, while Archer and Mark Tadd duked it out in the hot seat match.
Archer and Tadd started slow but with the score tied at 3-all Archer stepped on the gas and took the match home 9-3. At the same time on the one-loss side Van Boening was having a tough time with Montal, then with the score at 7-all Montal scratched, allowing Van Boening to run the rack and break and the run the next to take the match 9-7. In the semifinals Van Boening was in high gear not giving Tadd a chance to get started, and in no time it was 9-4 and Van Boening was off to the finals.
Since Archer had sent Van Boening west in the first place, it was bound to be an interesting match, but it was all uphill for Van Boening, who needed to defeat Archer twice. As the score climbed to 7-all Van Boening played an expert safety, leading to a run-out and a break and run in the next rack to give him the opening set.
In the final set, the anticipation was high, and in short order it was the Van Boening show. Rocketing up 3-1 Van Boening quickly extended that to 6-3 before closing out the set 9-3 to take the title away from the only competitor to defeat him during the event.
Results:
1st Shane Van Boening $15,000
2nd Johnny Archer $7,500
3rd Mark Tadd $4,225
4th Edwin Montal $3,000

by Paul Berg, InsidePOOL Magazine Staff
In dramatic contests with a certain déjà vu quality compared to their victories last night, Huidji See and Shannon Murphy have continued undefeated runs to the penultimate step to the top of a Qlympics podium. Both escaped 11-10 tonight in U.S. Open 10-Ball play at the Clarion Conference Center in Louisville, and can focus on their bids for straight pool supremacy until the winners’ bracket final on Thursday. For the young all-around threat from Cincinatti, OH, it would take another comeback against a veteran, while See would have to hold on to a second lead against a dangerous foe.
Rafael Martinez-Chavez is a consummate professional with champion-level skills in all games, the type that Murphy aspires to be. Having upended another touring regular and in-state competitor in Columbus’ Chris Bartram from a 7-2 lead last night, Murphy started working back down 6-3 against Martinez and the alternate break. He was only able to momentarily close the gap to 6-5, as Martinez escaped spinning cue bumps of other balls for position repeatedly on his way to a 10-7 edge.
Murphy showed resolve, clearing at any opportunity as Martinez’s break faltered, and then capitalizing when Martinez took one chance too many, bumping the 10ball with only one other left on the table and getting hooked for position. Murphy cleaned up, and then ran out from Martinez’s empty break for a tie at ten games each. His own break pocketed the 4 and 6balls, and Murphy executed two slices down the rail in succession with opposite spins to get to the 3ball. There, the 21 year-old checked the 5-10 combination in the side, and rolled from the 3ball to it, knocking it off for the 11-10 victory. Martinez was stuck in the chair for the last two racks the same way Bartram had been, and will have to work his way back from the loss after playing straight pool tomorrow.
Holland import See jumped on Atlanta resident Louis Ulrich 4-1 at the outset of their match, and like the lead he managed to maintain against John Schmidt the night before, See would stay in control until the climax. Ulrich took four straight from that initial advantage, tying the match at four with a well executed three foul and breaking and running for a brief 5-4 lead. Utilizing strong defense and a few fortunate rolls, crucially kissing into a shape for a razor thin 2-10 carom to go up 9-5, See seemed to be in control. Occasional spurts of trouble with the cue ball on the break kept him from ever running away however, and like the night before, See watched a top player rally only to fall short. Ulrich brought the score to hill-hill, but after a sequence of safeties for every ball in the case game, See got a suitable look at the three to run out from, and claimed an 11-10 ticket to the winners’ bracket final with Murphy.
There is a European on the one-loss side also, as Finland’s Joonas Ohtonen continues to stay in the mix he followed to the Great Southern Classic II in Atlanta after extending his trip to the states beyond the U.S. Open 9-Ball Championships. Ohtonen has notched victories over Tony Mougey and Jason Miller. The lanky Finn will have Dee Adkins, who came through an all-Ohio hill-hill comeback win over Bartram, the second one the reigning Derby City St. Louis Louis award winner suffered in two nights. In a match that will deal the loser a cashless finish and a 7th/8th place tie, the winner of Ohtonen and Adkins can look forward to Ulrich.
Bartram’s road partner lost to him in the first round, but Jason Klatt will play for a shot at the cash after wins over weeklong after-hours nemesis Adam Behnke and David Dlugach. Klatt’s opposition will come from Gabe Owen, who is fortunate to have so many different colors and styles of Mueller embroidered shirts to sweat through, because the charts are keeping him the busiest. With an 11-9 victory over Schmidt that was tight throughout, Owen kept his hopes in 10-Ball alive to go along with his unbeaten run in the U.S. Open 14.1 Straight Pool Championship thus far and his second place finish in the One Pocket last week. Rafael Martinez awaits the winner of Klatt and Owen, another strong contender in the all-around race.
In daytime straight pool action tomorrow, Owen and See will clash alongside Martinez and Miller in the final four of the winners’ bracket. A ring game is also in the offing, as the boys from TheActionReport.com are at it again. Currently, it stands at a six man affair with a $250 stake each, with $500 added by the promoters for a $2,000 winner take all race to thirteen games. Murphy, Adkins, Ohtonen, Behnke, Bartram and Ulrich are slated to be the competitors. Stay tuned to InsidePOOLmag.com for inevitable adjustments to that humdinger and all the latest from the Qlympics in the home of bank pool.
Correspondent’s note: Your IP correspondent would like to thank fellow site scribe Tom Fryer, inimitable local railbird Stan “Candyman” Mutt and tournament director Ken Shuman for contributing information to these reports. Hit ’em where you want to guys, and again, thanks for the extra eyes, ears and melons.

Jim Cherry, a friend of mine and a tough match player, says he uses a humorous approach. He doesn’t confront his opponent directly but turns the tables on them with remarks such as “What’s the matter? Did you forget to take your medication today?” His tactic is to acknowledge the shark move and let his opponent know it wasn’t going to work on him. Cornbread Red once told me a similar response. After the opponent made his move, Red would say to him, “That ain’t gonna help you none.”

Another friend and experienced competitor, Cass Marchinowski, is more likely to take a confrontational approach. Like several others I talked with, he’ll ask the offending player nicely, one time, to settle down and play fair. “Then I let him know, in no uncertain terms, that this is not going to continue.” I never did ask Cass what would happen if it continued, but I imagine one of his options was to involve the tournament director. That can work sometimes, at least in professional events. Tournament director Scott Smith told me, “All you have to do is come and get me. If your opponent is intentionally trying to distract you, I will tell him to stop. If he continues, I can even call a forfeit on his match.” He went on to caution me, though, that all perceived sharking isn’t real. “One time,” he said, “I got all upset because I thought my opponent was trying to shark me, but it turned out he just had a nervous condition. He wasn’t moving on me intentionally.”
Grady Mathews, in his instructional video “Killer One-Pocket,” said that when your opponent is moving on you or “pouncing out of his chair” when it’s your inning, you must make him stop. Otherwise, he will destroy your tempo and concentration. In a recent conversation with him, I realized I was focused on the wrong thing in these situations. I was focusing on what I wanted to stop, not on what I wanted to have. Grady shared two words with me that made a difference. One was “still,” and the other was “behave.” He told me he walks over to the guy and asks politely, “Will you please be still while I’m shooting?” If it’s a gambling match and the player refuses to compete fairly, he’d find the room owner and ask if he can get the player to behave. “Most of the time, the owner of a place will make a player either play fair or quit.”

Anyhow, all of this reminds me of the basic premise I mentioned last month: You are not mentally weak if you can be sharked. You are not a wimp if you can be distracted by an opponent who will stoop to sharking to get his way. In the next column, I’ll wrap this subject up with some of your e-mails and also a few things I learned from Jose Parica and Danny Diliberto. Danny’s life story, by the way, is featured in the new book Road Player, which could practically be a text book on this subject matter. If fact, consider it required reading for Shark Attack 202!
Good luck good shootin’!