Sally Timko

Van Boening Captures 9-Ball U.S. Bar Table Title
U.S. Open Bar Table Championship / Reno, NV

by InsidePOOL Staff

Shane Van Boening has had a busy week so far, and it’s not over yet. Not content with winning the 10-ball bar table division at the U.S. Open Bar Table Championship, he has also taken the 9-ball crown and is making a run at the 8-ball division as well. The week-long event is being hosted by the Sands Regency Hotel and Casino in Reno, NV.

After defeating Jose Parica in the finals of the 10-ball division, Van Boening went right into the 9-ball event, which began with 136 men. Van Boening bested Phil Kerns 9-2, Duane Jones 9-6, Chris Melling 9-1, Dan Louie 9-2, and Oscar Dominguez 9-5. He then came up against former world 9-ball champion Thorsten Hohmann, and though the German is not very familiar with bar-table pool, Hohmann was able to send Van Boening to the one-loss side 9-5.

Hohmann had whizzed through his first few matches, winning over Joe Gonzales 9-1, Richard Cook 9-2, and Arturo Hernandez 9-1. Things got a little tougher at that point, but still Hohmann sent to the left side Tommy Tokoph 9-7, Jeff Heath 9-7, and Sylver Ochoa 9-7. After dealing Van Boening his first—and so far his only—loss this week, Hohmann then matched up with Scott “The Freezer” Frost and sent him to the west side 9-5.

On the left side Van Boening was faced with Steve Moore, whom he eliminated 9-2 to advance to the quarterfinals, where his second meeting with Dominguez resulted in Van Boening moving on 9-6. Frost formed Van Boening’s next challenge, but Van Boening was determined to earn a rematch with Hohmann and sent Frost home in third place with a convincing 9-1 score. In the true-double elimination final match, Van Boening double-dipped Hohmann for the title, winning both sets by the score of 9-5.

This year was the first time the ladies were granted their own division, and 24 came out to vie for the title. Melissa “The Viper” Little went undefeated through the event, besting Melinda Bailey 7-4, Edwidge Cavanna 7-2, Tina Pawloski 7-2, and Bonnie Plowman 7-5 to reach the hot seat match. Meeting her there was Amanda Lampert, who had scored victories over Shawn Modelo 7-1, Tara Vreeland 7-3, Heather Pulford 7-5, and Andrea Wilson 7-5.

The hot seat match was a lopsided affair that saw Little advance to the finals 7-1, while Lampert went west. There she faced Pawloski, who had just sent Plowman home in fourth place 7-3. Pawloski wasn’t ready to join Plowman, though, and she eked out a hill-hill win over Lampert to earn a rematch with Little, who had been the one responsible for Pawloski’s earlier loss, in the finals. But it ended there, as Little surged ahead to claim the crown in the first and only set 7-1.

In the 8-ball event, which kicked off Friday, 183 men and 38 ladies began play. To date, no one has ever won all three divisions of the U.S. Open Bar Table Championship, but Van Boening could always be the first. Visit InsidePOOL for the latest news in the sport of billiards and pool.

Open Results:
1st Shane Van Boening $5,300
2nd Thorsten Hohmann $3,400
3rd Scott Frost $1,700
4th Oscar Dominguez $1,100
5th Rob Phillips $750
Steve Moore
7th Sylver Ochoa $500
Jose Parica
9th Chris Melling $300
Earl Strickland
Beau Runningen
Jaynard Orque
13th Tyler Edey $150
Tommy Tokoph
Max Eberle
Dan Louie
17th Brendan Crockett $125
Brandon Shuff
Charles Bryant
Justin Whitehead
Jeff Heath
Johnathan Pinegar
Glenn Atwell
Dan Olson

Ladies’ Results:
1st Melissa Little $1,000
2nd Tina Pawloski $675
3rd Amanda Lampert $400
4th Bonnie Plowman $225
5th Sunny Griffin $150
Andrea Wilson
7th Kimberly Benson $100
Tara Vreeland

McDermott Gambler Pro Tour Announced
Popular American Pool Cue Maker and Billiards Tour Combine Forces

Gambler Pro Tour goes green! McDermott, a leader in cue manufacturing for decades, has announced it will team up with Gambler Pro Tour as the official cue sponsor of the new McDermott Gambler Pro Tour.

Dan Dennis, founder of the GPT, said, “This will be a great opportunity for McDermott to showcase their products throughout the southeastern U.S. region. I am glad to have McDermott as the official cue sponsor. They produce solid, well-handcrafted cues, and I am glad to be promoting such a cue line with the new tour. Their award-winning cues have been in the forefront of billiards for decades. It’s a name well known and trusted in the billiards industry.”

The McDermott Gambler Pro Tour, or McDermott GPT, is set to kick off this spring in poolrooms throughout the southeastern U.S. region. These weekend tour stops will play host to a pro/open 9-ball event, a semi-pro/amateur 9-ball event, and a ladies’ 9-ball event at each stop. If the poolroom has enough tables and the response is good enough, the McDermott GPT will also play host to a one-pocket event and 10-ball ring games.

For more information on McDermott Cues, please visit McDermottCue.com. Also, for a complete list of events, formats, tour schedule, player rankings, handicaps, and more, please log onto GamblerProTour.com. The McDermott Gambler Pro Tour would also like to thank the following sponsors: McDermott Cues, Gambler Clothing, Team Gambler, BilliardScoop.com, X-treme Vision Studios, Inside POOL Magazine, and AZBilliards.

February 2010 Issue of Inside POOL Magazine Available for Free Download

Dennis Hatch Powers USA Team to Mosconi Cup Glory

The February issue of Inside POOL Magazine, which again features Dennis Hatch on the cover as Team USA wins the Mosconi Cup at the MGM Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, NV, 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, full-screen full length videos, links to favorite web sites, flipping pages, zooming, emailing, sharing, and printing.

Mosconi Cup MVP Dennis Hatch celebrates on our front cover as he and the American team dominate the Mosconi Cup. Efren Reyes and Rubilen Amit bag the Mixed Doubles Classic event in Quezon City, Manilla, Philippines. Mika Immonen and Jasmin Ouschan are named as the winners of the Inside POOL Magazine Player of the Year titles. Johnny Archer wins the Turning Stone Classic XIV. Visit custom cue maker Mike Bender and see some of his creations. Learn Some random pool shots from Grady Mathews. Get a spin lesson from Tom Simpson. Bob Henning gives pool players a lesson on muscle memory. Learn ten head and eye secrets from Matt Sherman. The Billiard Education Foundation announces scholarship opportunities for high school students. Get the latest billiard news from pool tournaments around the U.S. and internationally.

Download the February 2010 issue of Inside POOL Magazine for Free

Want the real thing? Order this issue online today!

Inside POOL Magazine publishes both print and online versions of each issue. The online version is usually made available for FREE (without a membership) viewing and downloading around the middle of each month. If you would like to receive the print version of this wonderful 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.

McDermott Cue MFG, LLC is the new exclusive distributor of popular Elephant Ball

MENOMONEE FALLS, WI – McDermott Cue Mfg., LLC is a leading manufacturer and world-wide distributor of Pool Cues, performance shafts, and billiard accessories. McDermott is proud to announce an agreement with Elephant Balls LTD to be the exclusive distributor of Elephant Balls branded products which include billiard balls, training aids and other billiard accessories.

Elephant Balls LTD is a global leader in billiard balls that is known for their innovative designs and premium quality.

In the agreement, McDermott Cue will be involved in product development, marketing, sales and world-wide distribution of Elephant Balls branded products. Current available products for distribution are the Elephant Beautiful Ball Set, Elephant Traditional Ball Set, Elephant Practice Balls and Elephant EZ Shot Cueball. McDermott will also be distributing and stocking Elephant Lunar Rocks and the Ghostball Aim trainer. These items are currently in production and will be in-stock in the next couple of months.

“We are excited about the agreement as it provides McDermott customers a premier quality name-brand billiard ball line while giving Elephant Balls the customer service, marketing and sales support needed to thrive in today’s billiard industry.” said Larry Liebl, McDermott Executive Vice President.

Commenting on the agreement, McDermott Owner Greg Knight says, “Elephant balls has a great name and a strong reputation for making top quality products with unique designs. We look forward to offering this great product line along with our proven customer service.”

McDermott Cue Mfg is headquartered in Menomonee Falls, WI and produces ands 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 more information about this press release contact Marketing Director, Michael Slowik at mslowik@mcdermottcue.com or call 1-800-666-2283. More information can be found at www.mcdermottcue.com.

Van Boening Crowned 10-Ball Champ in Reno
U.S. Bar Table Championship, 10-Ball Division / Reno, NV

by InsidePOOL Staff

Shane Van Boening went undefeated through the 115-player field at the 10-ball division of the U.S. Bar Table Championship to take the title and the $5,000 first-place prize. The event was the first of three this week held at the Sands Regency Hotel and Casino in Reno, NV.

Van Boening met Jose “Amang” Parica in the finals. He and Parica first met in the hot seat match, where Van Boening easily handled the Filipino 7-1, sending him to the west side of the chart.

On the one-loss side, defending all-around champion Glenn Atwell fought through former world 9-ball champ Thorsten Hohmann 7-4 to reach the quarterfinal match. Meeting him there was Sal Butera, fresh off a 7-2 victory over Larry Wilson. This was a close contest, but Atwell prevailed 7-5. However, in the following semifinal match, Atwell was sent home in third place by Parica 7-5.

Parica advanced to the final match against Van Boening to try again to best “The South Dakota Kid,” but it was not to be. Van Boening shut down Parica with a 7-1 victory to claim first place.

In the 9-ball division that began Wednesday, 136 men entered. Van Boening is untouched as yet, having won over Phil Kerns 7-2 and Duane Jones 7-6. His next match will be against Chris Melling of the U.K. Other favorites on the winners’ side include Steve Moore, Oscar Dominguez, Parica, Hohmann, Scott Frost, and Atwell.

There are also 24 women participating in their own 9-ball division. In the women’s division, Amanda Lampert, Andrea Wilson, Melissa Little, and Bonnie Plowman remain on the winners’ side, while Susan Williams, Tina Pawloski, and Heather Pulford are still alive on the west side of the chart.

Results:
1st $5,000
2nd $3,200
3rd Glenn Atwell $1,600
4th Sal Butera $1,000
5th Thorsten Hohmann $750
Larry Wilson
7th Scott Frost $500
Brian Butler
9th Oscar Dominguez $300
Tommy D’Alfonso
Earl Strickland
Brendan Crockett
13th Bernardo Chavez $200
Scott Tollefson
Steve Moore
Josh O’Neal

Harada Halts Harper for U.S. Open 10-Ball Qualifier Spot

A special one day qualifier for the 2010 U.S. Open 10-Ball was held Saturday, March 20 at Butera’s Billiards in Moorpark, California. The unique single elimination qualifier was highly competitive as it attracted several top players traveling from the Southern California region towards Reno, Nevada for the U.S. Bar Table Championships.

In the finals, Redondo Beach player Greg Harada, who recently finished 5th-6th at the 14th Jay Swanson Memorial, narrowly beat out pro player Corey Harper to win the paid spot to the $25,000 added U.S. Open 10-Ball Championship. The Butera’s qualifier is the second in a limited number of qualifiers being held across the U.S. for the inaugural U.S. Open 10-Ball event. The first qualifier, held at Bullshooters in Phoenix, Arizona as part of the Desert Classic Tour where Gus Briseno won the paid spot.

U.S. Open 10-Ball Championship Qualifiers:

April 3-4, 2010
Nevada
Pool Sharks
3650 S. Decatur
Las Vegas, NV
(702) 222-1011
$300 Added
Entry: $55
Open: 10 am
Start: 12 noon
Contact: John Kutcher
www.poolsharks.net

April 10-11, 2010
Northern Virginia
First Break Café
46970 Community Plaza #200
Sterling, VA
(703) 444-2551
$1000 Added
Entry: $65
Open: 10 am
Start: 12 Noon
Contact: Anthony Luong

April 10-11, 2010
Washington
The Golden Fleece
7804 NE Bothell Way
Kenmore,WA
(425) 908-7332
$1000 Added (based on 64 field)
Entry: $50
Open: 9 am
Start: 11 am
Contact: Askar or Sam
www.goldenfleecebilliards.net

April 17-18, 2010
Colorado
The Wynkoop
(303) 297-2700
1634 18th Street
Denver, CO
Entry: $50
Open: 10 am
Start: 12 Noon
Contact: Melissa Little
www.wynkoop.com

Additionally, the Ozone Billiards Predator 9-Ball Tour will award their U.S. Open 10-Ball spot to the tour point leader at the conclusion of its 6th stop of the 2010 season. Visit their website for the tour 2010 schedule at www.predator9balltour.com or contact tour organizer Tony Robles at (917) 202-2750.

For more information about the U.S. Open 10-Ball Championship call CueSports International (CSI) at 702-719-7665 or email holly@playcsipool.com.

CueSports International is dedicated to creating more choices for all players. CSI is the parent company of the BCA Pool League, the National Championship Series (NCS), and the USA Pool League. CSI also produces independent events such as the U.S. Bar Table Championships, the Jay Swanson Memorial and the U.S. Open 10-Ball Championship. Visit www.playcsipool.com, www.playbca.com and www.playusapool.com for more information about CSI and its divisions.

Van Boening in Reno 10-Ball Hot Seat
U.S. Bar Table Championship, 10-Ball Division / Reno, NV

by InsidePOOL Staff

The 10-ball division of the U.S. Bar Table Championship is in the homestretch at the Sands Regency Hotel and Casino in Reno, NV. From the original field of 115 players, only four remain standing, with Shane Van Boening sitting pretty in the hot seat.

The format mostly remains the same as last year’s event, with a couple of changes. It is still a race to 7, alternating break, rack your own, true double elimination. However, unlike last year, neither the 9 ball nor the 10 ball will count on the break, no matter what pocket it drops into.

Also, there is a separate division for the ladies this year. In the 9-ball division, which begins today at 1 p.m., there are 24 women, and in the 8-ball event, 36 women signed up. There is no separate division for the ladies in the 10-ball event. Some early favorites include Tina Pawloski, Amanda Lampert, Melissa Little, and Andrea Wilson of Canada.

Defending 10-ball champion Darren Appleton delivered a donut to Melissa Little in the first round and won 7-2 over Linn Petty in the second, but he was stopped in the third round by Manny Chau in a hill-hill affair. From there Appleton ousted Vince Tedesco 7-2 and Tommy Tokoph 7-6 but was on the wrong end of another hill-hill match, this time against Bernardo “King Kong” Chavez.

Earl Strickland made his first appearance at the event and did quite well. He lost his second-round match to Kings Santy 7-4 and fought his way back through the one-loss side. His meeting with Steve Moore in the eighth round was the match of the event. Moore jumped out to a 4-0 lead, but slowly and surely Strickland chipped away at Moore’s lead. Strickland managed to tie the score at double-hill and then prevail for the win. He was eliminated in the next round by Sal Butera 7-5, ending up in ninth place.

Van Boening enjoyed an uncomplicated run to the hot seat. He has notched wins over Billy Palmer 7-3, Barry Boney 7-4, PJ Massicotte 7-3, Billy Lee Bailey 7-5, and Sal Butera 7-6. In the hot seat match, he completely dominated Jose Parica, sending “Amang” to the west side of the chart 7-1 to await a finals opponent.

Parica, who recently won the Jay Swanson Memorial Tournament at Hollywood Billiards in Hollywood, CA, escaped a hill-hill first-round match against Arturo Rivera and then went on to best Matt Clatterbuck 7-4, Shane Winters 7-4, Butler 7-3, Dominguez 7-5, and Larry Wilson 7-1 before his meeting with Van Boening.

Defending all-around champion Glenn Atwell has had a rather tough road, being sent to the left side 7-4 by Billy Lee Bailey in the third round. From there he had to win seven matches in a row to make it to the quarterfinals against Butera. Butera made it to the fifth round before he was sent to the west side by Van Boening and then ousted Strickland, Brian Butler 7-4, and Larry Wilson 7-2 before meeting Atwell.

The 9-ball division begins at 1 p.m. Wednesday with 136 men and 24 women. Visit InsidePOOL for the latest news in the sport of billiards and pool.

Immonen Captures Mezz Billiards Victory
Mezz Pro-Am Tour / Egg Harbor, NJ

by Jose Burgos

Mika Immonen, recently crowned Player of the Year for 2009, took off the Mezz Pro-Am Tour’s February 21 stop, defeating Eddie Abraham in the finals. The $1,000-added stop was hosted by Atlantic City Billiard Club in Egg Harbor, NJ, and drew a field of 50.

Abraham led the top half of the bracket, besting Mike Conway 7-3 and Rob Palm 7-2 before going double-hill with Immonen. He squeaked past the Finn 7-6 and went on to defeat Phil Wines 7-5 and Joey Testa 7-5. Leading the bottom half of the bracket was Victor Nau, who notched victories over Jerry Russo 7-3, Tom Bow 7-6, Shaun Wilkie 7-4, Caroline Pao 7-3, and Liz Ford 7-6.

Abraham and Nau collided in the hot seat match, and Abraham took control right from the start. He handled Nau easily, winning 7-3 to advance to the finals. Waiting for Nau on the west side of the chart was Immonen. Another lopsided match ensued, but with Immonen advancing this time 7-3.

In the true double-elimination final match, Immonen had to best Abraham twice to win. Abraham took an early 4-1 lead in the first set, but Immonen turned the tables and came back to win 7-5. The players traded the lead in the second set, but it was Immonen who pulled away late to win the match 7-4.

Results:
1st Mika Immonen $1,425
2nd Eddie Abraham $750
3rd Victor Nau $540
4th Phil Wines $250
5th Joey Testa $130
Liz Ford
7th Robert Pole $100
Joe Frady
9th Shaun Wilkie $50
Matt Krah
Caroline Pao
Matt Douglas

Orange Outlasts Great Southern Billiards Field
Great Southern Billiards Tour / Duluth, GA

by Lea Andrews

After a weekend of play that ran over into the early hours of Monday, Tim Orange remained undefeated, taking care of John Maikke twice on the way to his first-place finish on the Great Southern Billiards Tour. The $1,500-added A/B amateur event drew a field of 52 to The Pool Room in Duluth, GA, February 20-21.

AA-ranked Orange rode a strong 11-2 win over B-ranked Bob Lea to face Maikke in the hot seat match. A-ranked Maikke had just sent B-ranked Paul Mullins west 9-5, but he couldn’t mark up the games against Orange, and he moved over to the semifinals 11-4.

On the one-loss side, one of Orange’s earlier victims, AA-ranked Mike Laney, was making a run for a rematch, ousting fellow AA player Billy Young 11-6 to face recent winner Robert South, who’d breezed past B-ranked Felipe Flores 9-2. Another 11-6 victory pitted Laney against Mullins, who landed in fifth after managing to mark up just five games. Meanwhile, B-ranked Richard Andrews was making his way through B-ranked Jeremy Sane 7-2 to meet up with B-ranked Jason Caldwell, who’d won 7-6 over A-ranked Jason Steman. Edging out Caldwell 7-6, Andrews moved on to Lea, but made it no further. Lea put him in fifth 7-3 to advance to the quarterfinals against Laney, whom he held to 8 games in the weighted race to face Maikke in the semifinals. The finals would be a rematch for either man, but Maikke earned the right by a decisive 9-2 score.

The alternate-break, true double-elimination final match didn’t even begin until after two a.m., so fatigue was an issue from the very start. The two traded off games for the first racks, and though Orange managed to open up his lead a little bit, Maikke didn’t let go, reaching his hill of 8 games first after Orange scratched on a tough shot on the 6 ball with the bridge. In what could have been the rack that would push the second set, Maikke got a chance at the table after Orange missed the 3 ball in the side, but Maikke’s shot missed its mark, as well, allowing Orange to finish it off and make it hill-hill 10-8. It was Orange’s turn to break in the final rack, and though he pocketed a ball, he was left without a shot on the 1 ball, and he chose to push. With the cue ball nearly frozen to the foot cushion, Maikke accepted, attempting a long cross-bank, and when it went wide, it left Orange wide open for a run to the winning 5-9 combination.

Results:
1st Tim Orange $1,000
2nd John Maikke $500
3rd Bob Lea $300
4th Mike Laney $200
5th Richard Andrews $125
Paul Mullins
7th Jason Caldwell $75
Robert South
9th Jeremy Sane $50
Jason Steman
Billy Young
Felipe Flores

Bowman, Jones and Rousey Outshoot the Shooters Field
Midwest 9-Ball Tour / Olathe, KS

by Lea Andrews

Though James Barracks tried twice to take him down, Jesse Bowman turned out to be invincible in the 9-ball division of the February 18-21 Midwest 9-Ball Tour stop. The $5,000-added event, which also featured a 45-player one-pocket division and a 21-entrant ladies’ division, drew 100 9-ball contenders to Shooters in Olathe, KS.

After getting past Jeremy “Double J” Jones 9-4, Bowman met up with Barracks for the first time in the hot seat match. Barracks was coming off a smooth 9-2 win over Jon Kucharo, but he couldn’t manage to mark up the final game against Bowman, who claimed the hot seat 9-8.

On the one-loss side, Jason Klatt was making a run for the finals, ousting Sean Turner 9-6 to face Will Freeman, who’d notched his own 9-6 victory over Dustin Gunia. Holding Freeman to five games, Klatt moved on to Kucharo. Meanwhile, Dan Olson got past Darryl Smith 9-6 to meet up with Shane McMinn, who’d taken care of Taylor Anderson 9-3. A 9-6 victory pitted Olson against Jones, who pushed his way 9-7 into the quarterfinals, where he met up with Klatt. Fresh off a 9-6 win over Kucharo, Klatt rode the momentum into his match with Jones, whom he held to just three games. That score got flipped on him in the semifinals, though, as Barracks fought for his rematch with Bowman.

The true double-elimination final match featured two players for whom break and runs are the norm, but Bowman took advantage of a few of Barracks’ dry breaks to take his victory in one set 9-6.

In the one-pocket division, Jeremy Jones took the hot seat with a 3-1 victory over Joe Gray. On the left side of the bracket, Jesse Bowman made his way past Dale Pence and Mike Banks Jr. to face Gray in the semifinals, but Gray put him in third 3-2 to get another crack at Jones in the true double-elimination final match, but he didn’t fare any better the second time around, as Jones took care of him 3-1 once again.

In the ladies’ division, Sarah Rousey was the one to beat, and though Rhonda Pierce came closest in the hot seat match, she couldn’t take the final game, and Rousey took the set 7-6. On the one-loss side, Jeannie Vogelsang, who’d taken a first-round loss to Apryl McGill, made her way steadily through the field, finishing up with wins over Cindy Wessling 7-2 and Michelle McDermott 7-5 to reach the semifinals, where she breezed through Pierce 7-3. Rousey proved to be quite a different story, though, marking up game after game in the true-double elimination final match to earn her victory in one decisive 7-0 set.

One-Pocket Results:
1st Jeremy Jones
2nd Joe Gray
3rd Jesse Bowman
4th Mike Banks, Jr.
5th Dale Pence
Gary Lutman
7th Danny Harriman
K.C. Massey
9th Jerry Reardon
Randy Cole
Mickey Brandt
Chip Compton

9-Ball Results:
1st Jesse Bowman
2nd James Barracks
3rd Jason Klatt
4th Jeremy Jones
5th Dan Olson
Jon Kucharo
7th Shane McMinn
Will Freeman
9th Darryl Smith
Taylor Anderson
Dustin Gunia
Sean Turner
13th Chase Rudder
Jody McLaughlin
Chad Bilmont
Gary Lutman
17th Jeff Trent
John Gabriel
Jerry Reardon
Lloyd Moreland
Daniel Herring
Kevin Condreay
David Matlock
Jordan Davis

Ladies’ Results:
1st Sarah Rousey
2nd Jeannie Vogelsang
3rd Rhonda Pierce
4th Michelle McDermott
5th Cindy Wessling
Apryl McGill