by InsidePOOL Staff

Bill Duggan managed an undefeated run through the field at the January 14 stop of the Lucasi Hybrid Cues All-American Tour, eking out a 5-4 hill-hill thriller in the finals over Eric Moore. The stop was hosted by Inland Reef in Virginia Beach, VA, where the $1,000-added 9-ball scratch tournament on 7-foot Valley bar boxes drew 26 players.

On the A-side, Duggan bested Bill Mason 5-3, while Moore defeated Dave Perry. Duggan then took the hot seat with a 5-1 effort over Moore.

(L-R) Joey Glover (3rd), Bill Duggan (1st) and Eric Moore (2nd)

On the B-side, both Joe Hughes and Vern Steinke were relegated to seventh place by Ray Reyna 5-2 and Joey Glover 5-2, respectively. Reyna and Mason were eliminated in the next round by Dave Perry 5-4 and Glover 5-4, respectively. Glover then ousted Perry at fourth place by a score of 5-4, but Glover settled at third place in the next round with a loss to Moore in the B-side finals. The tournament finals almost went two sets, but Duggan hung on to victory by a 5-4 margin over Moore in the first set for the title.

Results:
1st Bill Duggan $400
2nd Eric Moore $300
3rd Joey Glover $175
4th Dave Perry $75
5th Bill Mason $50
Ray Reyna
7th Joe Hughes $40
Vern Steinke

Jennifer Barretta Hits Inside POOL Magazine Cover

The October 2011 online issue of Inside POOL Magazine, featuring Jennifer Barretta on the front cover, has been released at InsidePOOLmag.com. This month the download features Jennifer in her New York photo shoot, news from the top billiards events from around the world, pool lessons from top instructors, and tons of great new technology in online billiards magazine viewing such as enhanced clarity, Bonus Content, loads of full-screen videos of professional matches, links to favorite web sites, flipping pages, zooming, emailing, sharing, and printing.

Jenifer Barretta graces our front cover with a feature from her New York photo shoot. Shane Van Boening and Rodney Morris score Seminole Pro Tour wins. Ralf Souquet make World Pool Masters history. Thorsten Hohmann claims the World 14.1 Tournament title. Get all of the coverage from the APA National Team Championships. Get the latest professional billiard instruction and new from around the world.

Two versions of the download are available, Premium and Freemium. The Freemium version includes all of the same features of the Premium version, but the Premium version includes 100% of the print version, plus a few extra features.

"Barretta graces our cover for October 2011.

View October 2011 for FREE

Access to the Premium version is available by subscribing to the eSubscription to the Member Area at InsidePOOLmag.com.

Inside POOL Magazine publishes both print and online versions of each issue. The online version is made available for FREE (without a membership, but abbreviated) and Premium viewing and downloading around the first day of each month.

Want the real thing? If you would like to receive the print version of Inside POOL Magazine, please visit InsidePOOLmag.com to subscribe.

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.

And then there was one. Final day of the Steve Mizerak Championship and after all the chalk dust settled, it was who was crowned the new Seminole Pro Tour champion.

The day stared with a thrilling match between Alex Pagulayan and Donny Mills. Both players played cautious, as to not make a costly mistake that would put their opponent any advantageous position on the table. The score reached hill hill and it was Mills would send Pagulayan to a fourth place finish and a $6,000 prize.

Up next was the hot seat match between Shane Van Boening and Hunter Lombardo. Both players had been playing superbly all weekend. Shane Van Boening got up 2-0 early. Lombardo tied it up at 2 games a piece. After that it was all Shane Van Boening, as he didn’t let his foot off of the accelerator and took the rest of the racks to win the hot seat by a score of 8-2.

Mills, Van Boening and Lombardo

Hunter Lombardo would go on to face Mills in the third place match. This would be yet another match for the ages. Mills would go up by 2 then Lombardo tied the score and went up by 1 himself. Mills would then tied it back up and go up again. Mills would reach the hill first to Lombardo’s 6. Of course, Lombardo would tie it up hill hill and set up one final rack to advance to the finals. Mills got a bad roll after sinking the 8 ball and left himself a very difficult shot on the none ball. Mills’ only option was a tough 9-10 combination in the corner pocket. The crowd held their breath as Mills lined up the shot and cheered loudly when he nailed the shot and sank the 10 ball to win and advance to the finals. Lombardo would finish in third place and claim the $9,000 prize.This would set up the final between Shane Van Boening and Donny Mills.

Shane Van Boening would strike first and go up 2-0. Mills, not wanted to let it get too far out of reach tied it up at 2. Shane Van Boening then went up 8-3. Mills stormed back to win the next two racks to make the score 8-5. Shane Van Boening seemed like he was going to go up 9-5, but rattled the 7 and allowed Mills to get one step closer at 8-6. Mills then broke and ran the next rack to make it 8-7 and win the following rack too to finally make it square at 8. The finals would come down to a race to 3 for the crown and the $17,000 first place finish.

View the Steve Mizerak Championship tournament brackets

Shane Van Boening finally got an open shot on the next rack. He would make the most of it by sinking a sick 1-10 combo to go up 9-8. Shane Van Boening would win the next rack to go on the hill and be on the brink of the championship. The next rack would seal the deal for Shane Van Boening and he would win the 2011 Seminole Pro Tour Steve Mizerak Championship. Donny Mills would get second place and the $12,000 prize.

The Seminole Pro Tour would like to thank everyone for their support throughout the season.

by InsidePOOL Staff

It was an epic battle between two Southern super powers at the August 13-14 stop of the Great Southern Billiard Tour when B.J. Ussery and Sam Monday went head to head in the finals, with Ussery taking the win 11-8. The $1,500-added, 9-ball event was held at Brown’s Billiards in Raleigh, NC, where a field of 58 amateurs came out to play.

Monday and Ussery first collided in the winners’ side final, after Monday had sent Norris Brady to the one-loss side 11-6 and Ussery had routed Mike Fuller 11-1. Monday and Ussery struggled to hill-hill before Ussery claimed the final game and the hot seat 11-10.

It was an epic battle between two Southern super powers at the August 13-14 stop of the Great Southern Billiard Tour when Ussery and Monday went head to head in the finals, with Ussery taking the win 11-8.

Mike Fuller and George Crawford, meanwhile, were making their move on the west side of the chart. Fuller eliminated Tommy Cook at fifth place 11-4, while Crawford ended Brady’s event in the same spot with a 9-8 win. In the quarterfinal match, Crawford was the one to advance by virtue of a 9-10 victory over Fuller in the handicapped match.

Monday awaited Crawford in the semifinals, and it was a hill-hill battle, with Monday eking out an 11-8 score to try for revenge in the finals against Ussery. But Ussery was determined to take home the title, and he did so by besting Monday 11-8.

Results:
1st B.J. Ussery $1,000
2nd Sam Monday $650
3rd George Crawford $450
4th Mike Fuller $275
5th Tommy Cook $145
Norris Brady
7th Ian Holt $95
Dylan Letchworth

by Suzanne Smith

Liz Cole took control of the field at the July 9-10 stop of the Northwest Women’s Pool Association, dominating Mona Remedios in the finals to take the title. The tour’s fourth stop of the season was hosted by Black Diamond Billiards and Eatery in Spokane, WA, where a field of 23 ladies came out to play.

Liz Cole took control of the field at the July 9-10 stop of the Northwest Women’s Pool Association, dominating Mona Remedios in the finals to take the title.

Six ladies returned for Sunday’s matches, and right off the bat Jane Montour sent Kimberly Kirk home in fifth place 7-4, while Sheila Moss eliminated Deby Welfringer 7-6 in the same place. Montour and Moss matched up in the quarterfinal match, and Montour ousted Moss 7-4 to earn her spot in the semifinals.

In the battle for the hot seat, Remedios and Cole matched up for the first time, and Remedios defeated Cole 7-5 and delivered her to the one-loss side of the chart. There Cole faced off against Montour and bested her 7-4, sending her home in third place and earning a second shot at Remedios.

The single race-to-9 finals saw Cole jump out to a 3-0 lead before Remedios got on board. They exchanged racks to bring the score to 4-2 Cole, and then Cole turned things up a notch and won the next four racks to reach the hill first. Remedios rallied to win the next couple of games to bring the score to 8-4, but Cole won the final game to resume position on top of the NWPA standings, leaving Remedios in a close second.

Seven ladies came to play in a $100-added second chance tournament Sunday. After a first-round bye, Jessica Orth lost a hill-hill match up against NWPA tour president Tamre Rogers. Rogers then defeated bested Makus for the hot seat. Orth battled through three hill-hill matches to earn her spot in the final against Rogers, which was one race to 4. Orth defeated Rogers 4-2 to earn the top prize of $52.

Results:
1st Liz Cole $365
2nd Mona Remedios $250
3rd Jana Montour $155
4th Sheila Moss $115
5 Deby Welfringer $74
Kimberly Kirk
7 Phyllis Fernandez $54
Adrianne Beach

Huidji See began our first semi-final match with a 4-2 lead over Yukio Akakariyama in the race to 9 games. A behind-the-back shot on the 9 ball left him a bit rough on the 10 in the next rack but he was able to put it away in the corner pocket to go 5-2. See missed a cut on the 1 ball in the next rack but Akakariyama could not capitalize on the opportunity as he missed the shot he had to bring See back into play. But See also missed the 1 and Akakariyama played a safe that left only a bank into the corner. See jawed it and Akakariyama had the chance he needed to get going and gain some confidence and poise. But he fell out of line on the 2 ball and again a safety was in order. He failed to snooker See but left only a bank or a safety opportunity. See chose the safety and Akakariyama missed his jump shot. See looked to clean up but scratched on the 6 ball and left Akakariyama a road map out. He would not falter from here and brought the score closer at 5-3 as the nerves began to show in the arena.

Akakariyama broke and ran the next rack and our margin was down to a single game. He played a great safe on the 1 ball in the next rack that gained him ball-in-hand and, with that, he sailed through the rack that tied us at 5 games apiece. Now it was a short race to four games to determine who would gain entry to the finals. Akakariyama made his first shot in the next rack but was snookered from the 2 ball by the 3. He made a good hit but See was able to put an in-jail safety on him. Akakariyama fouled his shot with no hit and See had the opportunity he needed. He went through the rack easily to lead 6-5. See them made three balls on the next snap and faced an open table that he managed cleanly to lead 7-5. See again made three balls on the break and things began to look impossible for Akakariyama as he was just not getting to the table at all. In moments the score was 8-5. He did get to the table n the next rack but not with any golden opportunities. He played a safe on the 2 ball trying to create one but See jumped, made the hit, and left him tough. Akakariyama made a very thin cut on the 2 ball to get going and knew that to win from here he would have to keep See in his chair. But he had no decent chance at the 3 ball and had to play safe. See returned the favor and Akakariyama pocketed the 3 in the wrong pocket to give See the option of shooting or returning him to the table. See gave the table back. A brief exchange of safeties ensued that left Akakariyama with the first opportunity to find a pocket. But the 8 ball was snuggled up next to the 9 and could not be massaged away. Akakariyama had no choice but to play safe with only three balls left on the table. See missed the shot on the 8 with which he was left but left only a bank into the side that Akakariyama could not convert. See should have been out from there but missed an elementary shot on the 10 ball for the win. Akakariyama made it and had new life at 8-6 and owning the break in the next rack.

See was distraught in his chair. He could not believe that he had blown that shot. But at this stage the pockets become thimbles. He had to recompose himself if he was to win. Things began to deteriorate even more when he missed the 8 ball. But Akakariyama, who should have been out easily, scratched on the 9 ball and conceded the victory to Huidji See.

See is the new World Ten Ball Champion.

The second semi-final match found Jianbo Fu facing Carlo Biado. Biado seemed to be off to a fine start when he ran down to the 10 ball but he hung it in the corner to gift Fu with the first bead. Fu also took the next rack but then missed a 2 ball into the side in the third rack to bring Biado up to shoot. Biado made two tough bank shots to complete the rack and get on the board at 2-1. Neither player appeared comfortable at the table. They were missing shots that earlier in the week had been automatic for them. Their arms were clumsy from the tension. Both of them knew that the first one to get in stroke would take the win and so they concentrated on not giving up opportunities instead of on destroying racks. Fu capitalized on a missed 6 ball by Biado to claim his third rack and lead 3-1. It got uglier as both players became plagued with doubt and the balls refused to fall for either of them. The next rack was a miss-fest claimed by Fu to lead 4-1. Another missed shot on the 8 ball by Biado gave the next rack to Fu as well. Neither player was actually winning racks. They were losing them to one another.

When Fu took the next rack the world became a very dark place for Carlo Biado. He needed to win eight racks while holding Fu to only two. And Fu was beginning to get comfortable at the table. The lead he enjoyed was oiling his arm. Fu took the next rack to lead 7-1 and Biado looked as if he knew his run was Read more ...]]> http://www.cuesandpool.com/billiard-news/see-the-new-world-ten-ball-champion.html/feed 0 http://www.cuesandpool.com/billiard-news/fisher-and-dechaine-ultimate-10-ball-champions.html http://www.cuesandpool.com/billiard-news/fisher-and-dechaine-ultimate-10-ball-champions.html#comments Mon, 25 Apr 2011 06:48:44 +0000 Pool and Billiards News http://www.insidepoolmag.com/?p=15661 Fisher and Dechaine Ultimate 10-Ball Champions
Ultimate 10-Ball Championships / Frisco, TX

by InsidePOOL Staff

The three-day Ultimate 10-Ball Championships have ended, with Allison Fisher and Mike Dechaine crowned the new champions in their respective divisions. Fisher came through a 54-player ladies’ field to best Kelly Fisher in the finals, while Dechaine bested Jeremy Jones in the 93-player men’s field.

In the women’s hot seat match, there was no contest. Allison Fisher blew past Angelina Paglia to a 5-1 lead and only allowed her opponent one more game before winning 7-2.

Darren Appleton left the stage after another brutal match, this time against Charlie Williams. The players split the first two racks, but after that it was all Williams, who capitalized on every mistake made by Appleton. When Williams was up 5-1, Appleton was at the table but scratched and conceded the remaining four balls. He received a warning, as it is against the rules to concede racks, and they kept playing. Williams reached the hill in the next game, and when he fouled in the next rack on a jump shot, Appleton took a point, but when Appleton scratched on the break in the next, Williams cleared the table to win 8-2. Mike Dechaine made quick work of Jeremy Sossei in the other match 8-4.

The three-day Ultimate 10-Ball Championships have ended, with Fisher and Dechaine crowned the new champions in their respective divisions.

In a slow-moving hot seat match between Jeremy Jones and Jason Klatt, the score seesawed to 7-6 in Jones’ favor. A defensive battle over the 1 ball ended with Jones playing a rather weak safe that led to a double-hill match. Another safety bout on the 2 ball in the final rack gave way when Jones saw an opening and took it, running out to win 8-7.

View the Ultimate 10-Ball Men’s tournament brackets (updated continuously)

View the Ultimate 10-Ball Women’s tournament brackets (updated continuously)

Paglia continued to struggle in the women’s semifinals, as Kelly Fisher was primed and ready to earn a rematch with A. Fisher, who had bested her hill-hill in the winners’ side final four. K. Fisher surged ahead and only allowed Paglia two games to her credit before winning 8-2.

Dechaine continued on his rampage in the quarterfinals, facing off against Williams and shooting into the lead. Reaching the hill 7-3, Dechaine took his turn at the table when Williams came up dry on his break. It turned into a defensive maneuver, with numerous innings traded before Williams fouled, giving his opponent ball in hand. “The Fireball” blazed through the last rack and advanced to the semifinals 8-3.

The men’s semifinals and the women’s finals, both races to 10, started and ended at the exact same time. Dechaine held an early lead, but Klatt drew within a game at 3-2; meanwhile, the Fishers’ score was knotted at 2 each. Fisher was struggling with her game and missing uncharacteristic shots, while Dechaine and Klatt were into defensive maneuvering in their match. Klatt took the lead for the first time in the match at 5-4, while A. Fisher missed the 10 ball at 3 apiece and K. Fisher took the lead 4-3.

It was about this time that the referees introduced the shot clock to both matches. Klatt got another step closer when Dechaine fouled and he got ball in hand, but “The Fireball” won the next two racks after a foul by Klatt to make it 6-all. Meanwhile, K. Fisher had inched ahead to 7-4. A. Fisher dug deep and settled in to win the next three racks. A break and run by A. Fisher put her in the lead 8-7 with two to go. K. Fisher fouled Read more ...]]> http://www.cuesandpool.com/billiard-news/fisher-and-dechaine-ultimate-10-ball-champions.html/feed 0 http://www.cuesandpool.com/billiard-news/archer-wins-showdown-with-strickland.html http://www.cuesandpool.com/billiard-news/archer-wins-showdown-with-strickland.html#comments Sat, 23 Apr 2011 20:20:17 +0000 Pool and Billiards News http://www.insidepoolmag.com/?p=15649 Archer Wins Showdown with Strickland
Ultimate 10-Ball Championships / Frisco, TX

by InsidePOOL Staff

The early rounds continued at the Ultimate 10-Ball Championships, held this week at the Embassy Suites Hotel in Frisco, TX, and the featured match-up of the day so far occurred between Johnny Archer and Earl Strickland.

The early rounds continued at the Ultimate 10-Ball Championships, held this week at the Embassy Suites Hotel in Frisco, TX, and the featured match-up of the day so far occurred between Archer and Strickland.

Archer lept out to an early lead—his break was working very well and his stroke was fluid. However, at 4-0 up he scratched on the break, and Strickland got on the board by clearing the table. Strickland then broke and ran out the next to get within two racks. The players traded the next two racks with break and runs, and then Strickland was faced with a tricky shot on the 6 ball that he left on the bottom rail for Archer to make the score 6-3. Strickland opted to push out on the 1 ball after his next break, and Archer pocketed the 1 but left the 3 ball in the jaws of the corner pocket. Strickland caught some extreme english and missed his breakout shot on the 4-9 cluster. Forced to kick at the 4, Strickland hit it but left an easy out for Archer, who took the hill. Strickland had an inning at the table in the last rack but only for a kick shot at the 1 ball, and Archer had an easy time clearing the final table to win 8-3.

View the Ultimate 10-Ball Men’s tournament brackets (updated continuously)

View the Ultimate 10-Ball Women’s tournament brackets (updated continuously)

A lot of the matches on the winners’ side went hill-hill or were won by narrow margins. Former U.S. Open champion Alex Pagulayan was defeated by John Gabriel double-hill before Gabriel moved ahead 8-7. Brian Brekke defeated CJ Wiley 8-7, Raj Hundal won 8-7 over Niels Feijen, and Darren “Dynamite” Appleton defeated Rodney Morris 8-7. Also, Ralf Souquet bested Shane Van Boening 8-6, Sylver Ochoa defeated Gabe Owen 8-6.

Watch the Free Live Stream

It was the opposite for the women’s division, where lopsided scores were the norm. Amy Chen routed Orietta Strickland 7-1, Line Kjorsvik bested Ming Ng 7-1, Allison Fisher won 7-1 over Cristina De La Garza, and Kelly Fisher defeated Monica Webb 7-1. Eight players remain undefeated in the women’s bracket, with the elimination rounds set going on all day.

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

by InsidePOOL Staff

Raul Reyes and Harry Lau opted to split first place at the April 10 installment of the Tri-State Tour. The $1,250-added event attracted a field of 46 players to Gotham City Billiards in Brooklyn, NY.

Raul Reyes and Harry Lau opted to split first place at the April 10 installment of the Tri-State Tour.

Reyes and Lau met in the hot seat match after recording wins over Trevor Heal and Carl Yusaf Khan, respectively, both hill-hill. When they ran into each other in the following round, it was Lau who came away with the win 7-5.

Heal, once on the one-loss side, fell quickly to Dave Shlemperis, who whitewashed him 7-0. It was also the same for Khan, who put up more of a struggle but still succumbed to Christian Smith 7-5. In the quarterfinal match, Smith came out ahead of Shlemperis, winning by the lopsided score of 7-2.

Awaiting Smith in the semifinals was Reyes, and though it was a close match, Reyes pulled ahead to win it 7-5. In the final match, Lau and Reyes decided to split first place.

Results:
1st Raul Reyes $655
Harry Lau
3rd Christian Smith $320
4th Dave Shlemperis $210
5th Carl Yusaf Khan $130
Trevor Heal
7th Basdeo Sookhai $100
John Stiles
9th Keith Diaz $75
Ed Culhane
Tony Eglesias
Raphael DaBreo

by InsidePOOL Staff

Tour director Tommy Kennedy took first place at the March 26-27 installment of the Tiger Southeast Open 9-Ball Tour, besting Rod Rentz in the final match for the title. The $1,000-added event was hosted by Park Avenue Billiards in Jacksonville, FL, and drew a field of 43.

Kennedy took first place at the March 26-27 installment of the Tiger Southeast Open 9-Ball Tour, besting Rod Rentz in the final match for the title.

Kennedy went unchecked through the winners’ side bracket until he reached the hot seat match, where he faced off against Dave Grossman. The two went neck and neck until the score was double-hill, at which point Kennedy was able to eke out the 9-8 win.

On the one-loss side, Rentz was fighting his way through, eliminating Butch Croft in fourth place after a hill-hill match went his way 9-8. He went on to face Grossman in the semifinals, but Grossman folded at 9-5, allowing Rentz to advance to the finals. Rentz gave Kennedy a good fight in the race-to-11 match, but it was Kennedy who prevailed in the end, eking out an 11-9 win.

Results:
1st Tommy Kennedy $800
2nd Rod Rentz $435
3rd Dave Grossman $335
4th Butch Croft $250
5th Ron Park $150
Larry Jackson