US Open 10 Ball Championship !

The month of May is my favorite time of the year. Why do you ask, It's Riviera time in Las Vegas. This is the pool lovers dream. I really look forward to the US Open 10 Ball Championship, May 16th to the 21st.. One of the players I want to see is Johnny Archer, Johnny was player of the year I don't know how many times,and also player of the decade. His game never seizes to amaze me. He is known as the Scorpion and you can go to his web site to learn more about him.

 He hasn't been playing as much lately, because he went partners with Kim Davenport in their own billiard room in Marietta Ga. The name of their billiard room is the Marietta Billiard Club.
Anyway back to the US Open, Click on this link Playcsipool to get a list of all the players this year and prices for seating at the daily matches. They will also have a One Pocket Tournament going May 12th thur the 15th. There are alot of players that enjoy watching one pocket, I find it interesting but for me it's like watching grass grow. I have some fellow Bloggers that I want to meet this year at the Riviera and look forward to nothing but pool,pool, pool.

One of my Favorite people in Las Vegas !!!!

One of my favorite people in Las Vegas is Amy Encinias. I feel that Amy has done more for pool in Vegas than anyone else I can think of.  She has a web site called the vegas billiard buzz and continues to keep it updated on a regular bases. It has all the information you need to know in regards to pool in Vegas.

Every time  I turn around Amy is playing in some tournament or league around town.

Amy just came back from the Arizona Women’s Billiards Tour Stop @ Bullshooters http://www.awbt.net and this is what she had to say.

Pam, Sondra and I didn’t get too far in the main tournament on Saturday. But that qualified us to play in the 2^nd Chance Tournament on Sunday. Sondra and I drew each other in the first round and she beat me 4-0. She went on all the way to the hot seat and I came back from the one-loss side and defeated her in the finals. And Rebecca Wagner, our fourth travel buddy won the main tournament…so us Vegas Girls did very well overall!

I asked Amy some questions to satisfy my curiosities and this is what she had to say.

1) Where are you from ? I was born in Las Vegas and have lived here my entire life.

2) What got you started in pool? Regardless of my being too shy, my boyfriend Rob didn’t give me much choice and added me to his APA roster in September 2005 where I began as a skill level 2.

3) I remember when you couldn't make a ball, and now you play with some of the best in town. What do you contribute this to?. Initially, Rob taught me a lot to where I went up 2 skill levels in APA league. He also encouraged us to play frequently in Mark Estes’ Diamond Tour Stops in 2007 to learn tournament pressure. Around that time I became good friends with Greg Kuhl while Rob and I played in Greg’s Cue Club In-House BCAPL league. I contribute most of my improvement to Greg. I’ve learned a lot on my own and get in as many practice hours as my life allows. I’m fortunate to be surrounded by many great players that give helpful tips as well. I’m now an APA skill level 6 in 8-ball and 7 in 9-ball. Greg says I’ve improved quickly with all the knowledge that I’ve obtained, now I just have to let my physical and mental experience catch up!

4) I see you playing in almost everything around town, what is your most memorable match? I competed in the ACS Nationals Women’s Standard 8-Ball Singles Division in 2009 at the Riviera. It was the last match of the night (on the first day) about 1:00 am, there were approximately 3 other people in the entire tournament room, one being a referee cleaning a nearby table. I was all by myself (Rob went home hours earlier to feed dogs). This was one of my first big tournaments, I was tired from playing all day and my opponent was up 3-0 in a race to 4. I remember beginning to just focus on the music that was still playing overhead. I really don’t remember any specific shots after that, but I won the match 4-3. That was truly one of the best lessons I’ve learned, it’s not over till it’s over. I won a couple more matches the next day and took 1^st place in that tournament. 

5) I know you won big at the APA nationals how does it feel to win such a major tournament? Well I didn’t win the tournament, but I did win big. 2010 APA Singles Nationals 8-Ball at the Riviera – Skill Level 5 bracket. I took 2^nd place for $9,000.00. It still feels wonderful (not quite as wonderful as placing 1^st), but I’m proud of how far I made it considering I lost my very first match in the single-modified elimination format. It taught me a lot for future tournaments and a lot about myself. There was one shot I made in the quarter-finals: hill-hill, my opponent played defense, I kicked at my ball and hit it, then the cue ball rolled behind one of the only other balls on the table snookering him (I was a 5, didn’t do that on purpose). Had that not happened, I wouldn’t have moved on. It taught me how much luck plays a part too.

6) What is your favorite game to play? I only play 8-ball, 9-ball and 10-ball currently and I don’t prefer any one over the other. It’s all the same to me. I do want to play more games like One-Pocket, Billiards and Straight Pool to learn more shots.

7) What is your playing cue, and break cue, and also what type of case do you use. Rob bought me a Schon Ltd. for our 1^st anniversary in 2006 and I have no desire to play with anything else, however, I’ve seen some gorgeous Ariel Carmeli cues! I break with a Predator BK2. I’ve had a 2x4 J&J hard case with wheels for a couple of years. It can be so heavy at times! I’d like to get a lightweight soft case.

8) Who do you look up to as a player here in Vegas? Oh my goodness, there is no way I can name any one. The list is too long, and I’d hate to leave anyone out. I look up to players above my skill level as much as below. Any player that enjoys playing the game, contributing to the game, striving to improve by playing in leagues and tournaments and plays with integrity and good sportsmanship. I also appreciate road players and gamblers….wow….so intriguing.

9) Who are some of your favorite Pro Players? Shane is hot.

10) What would be your advice for new players starting out? Don’t try to skip ahead and learn too fast, fundamentals are key.

11) Now for the question about the one thing that has changed the way people find out about what's going on in Vegas when it comes to pool. How did you come up with the idea to start Vegas Billiards Buzz? In 2006, there was no APA website and that was the only league we played in then. I would email my friends info on tournament dates and what not. I kept adding email addresses to my database and began calling it the Pocket Billards Buzz. Within a year, I had over 200 email addresses from people that wanted to be on my list. Having a background in web design & development, I decided to create a website anyone could visit at any time for local league info, tournaments, photos, tournament results, etc. as well as still receive a weekly e-newsletter of what’s happening in Vegas. I asked Nicole Civetz to be my partner and we launched www.vegasbilliardsbuzz.com . With Nicole’s event planning background, we make a fantastic team. We also began the Vegas Billiards Tour in Jan. 2010 which has been a huge success. We have over 500 email subscribers, are marketing managers for most leagues and many pool taverns and we are averaging 52 players at Tour Stops. We have so many more ideas and are anxious to implement them in the near future!

12) You also own and operate Solar Screens & More here in town, my question is where do you find time to do all this? In July 2006, Rob and I started our business that offers energy saving solar screens for windows & doors, screened patio enclosures, drop shades and much more. The website I developed www.solarscreensandmore.com generates 1^st page Google results. We are both very proud of what we’ve accomplished. Is there enough time for everything? NO WAY! I’m not exactly sure how I manage it. I take one day at a time and have exceptional help from everyone I work with.

It’s challenging to still love playing pool just for me and balance it with what’s become of Vegas Billiards Buzz. I’ve played on many different teams with sensational teammates, many scotch doubles partners and I’ve played (and will always mix it up) TAP League, S.N.9.B.T.O.A., USAPL, many in-house leagues and am a new member of Arizona Women’s Billiard Tour. I will continue to do everything I can to promote pool and try to get more players to enjoy it as much as I do. My goals for the future? Generate more time for playing pool and less time for day jobs. ;-)

I want to Thank Amy for her time and wish her the best of luck in the future.  Anyone that goes to Amy's web site appreciates  what she is doing. Amy keeps so many of us motivated and wanting to do better with not only are pool game but with our lives as well.
 

 

Billiard Eyeglasses

One of the problems with getting older is your eye sight begins to go. I kept telling myself I don't need glasses even when the balls became fuzzy. I know for a fact I was guessing at the long shots and even though I made a majority of them I still missed when I needed it the most. There has been times when I was playing in Tournaments and my eyes would become tired and I would see 3 balls and end up shooting the middle one. 
I finally broke down and got some glasses. The only problem with the glasses I got was I wasn't able to see over the rims. Bummer. I did some research and found a company up in Canada. You can go to Billiard eyeglasses.com and see what Dr Harrison has to offer.
 These are NOT ordinary eyeglasses but are specially designed to allow you to follow your line of sight, along the pool cue and to the target, and still be able to look clearly through the lens that rise above your eye brows.
I sent Dr. Harrison my prescription and received my glasses within 10 days. I have to tell ya, I can see the balls so clear and was really excited about playing again . I needed to adjust on my long shots, but it is so nice to be able to see the table layout again.
I have had several people ask me were I got my glasses,so I know their is more of you that has considered on getting a pair. Don't hesitate go to Billiard eyeglasses.com. You won't regret it.


       This is what they look like. Very light weight and they come with there own case.

 

Player Profile James Murphy!

I had the chance on League night to seat down and talk with Murphy. Everyone knows Murphy but really don't know anything about him. He started running a 9 Ball Tournament on Friday nights at Dealer's Choice.
His Tournament has been very successful with an average of 14 players per week and the bar adding money.
I meet Murphy in 2005 when we played on the same team that took Neveda State Runner up only losing 1st place by 1 game.
Where did you grow up and start playing pool?  I grew up in Virginia Beach, When I was around 14, I would mess around at the local  Rec. Center. I started playing at  Q-Masters Billiards. when I got older and took some lessons from the house pro Dave Bollman, and then I was hooked.

What is your Favorite game to play?  I would say 9 Ball is my favorite.
Who would you say is your favorite Pro player? Tony Robles, and Steve Moore. I used to practice with Tommy Kennedy who was the youngest player to ever win the US Open.
What is your playing cue? I currently play with a Nitti Custom Cue which I have up for sale.

Nitti Custom Cue

Nitti Custom Cue

Nitti Custom Cue

Nitti Custom Cue

                                                                                                        

                                                                                                                                                                                                              

I just purchased a Joss West that I look forward to playing with.

Joss West

Joss West

Joss West

What type of Break cue do you use ? I have a Steve Lomax Break-Jump cue.

I notice you have a case with your name on it. Yes I do , it is a custom case I had made by John Barton.

What advise do you have for the newer players ? I would have to say concentrate on your fundamentals and get lessons from a  much better player than yourself. It doesn't matter how good you get, you need to always work on your fundamentals.
Tell us a story of something that you remember from your past ?  I remember when I was much younger I went to North Carolina with a friend. My friend was playing a money match with one of the guys from the pool hall. I was pitching quarters into a jar and won $300 and my friend won about $800. We decided to leave before we got into trouble. As we were leaving the bar tender called us over and gave us each a baseball cap. Not only that but the guy my friend beat out of $800 invited us to his house to hang out.

I want to Thank Murphy for giving me the time to do an interview with him. If you happen to see Murphy around go say hi, I'm sure he would like to hear from you.

Efren Reyes

Everyone in the pool world knows the name Efren Reyes. I was reading an article from Untold Stories: Billiards History,about Efren not playing in the Derby City Classic this year. He is even thinking of retiring from pool. What a loss this would be to all of us in the pool world. Efren stated to the Manila Bulletin that his back was bothering him and he won't be playing in the Derby City Classic.
I don't know about you guys but the Billiard world without Efren would be the biggest loss in years. He still wins his share of Tournaments all over the world.

Busy working on my game!

I have been playing a lot of pool lately and decided to join several leagues during the week, and play in some kind of tournament on the weekend. You can go to the Vegas billiard buzz for more info as to whats coming up if your looking for a league or tournament. I would like to play in the TV4U Putters tournament coming up on January 21st but I need a partner. I already have a partner for the Vegas billiard buzz's first tournament of the year coming up Jan, 29th. Both tournament are scotch doubles.
I have been going to Michael Reddicks Blog and using some of his practice routines. These routines are simple  and I feel they have helped me. Mike has a great Blog with a lot of information, check it out. Anyway I'll  let you know how I did in both Tournaments.

LOU BUTERA !

Those of you that don't know it I have a 9 Ball collection. I have around 60 balls. Each one is signed by a Pro Player. In the beginning it was easy to get Pro's to sign, but as I collected more and more it became harder to find someone that hasn't already signed one of my 9 Ball's. I decided to start a collection of Hall of Famers and one of my favorite is Lou Butera. I was able to get him to sign a ball for me last year at the Riviera.
Those of you  pool players that have lived long enough in Vegas knew Lou when he owned Pool Sharks.
 Lou was born in Pittston, Pennsylvania in 1937. His nickname " Machine Gun Lou" derived from stunning the crowd and fellow competitors by running 150 and out in straight pool in 21 minutes against Allen Hopkins in 1973. He was referred to as the man who may be the fastest pool player the game has ever known.
Lou also appeared in several movies as an actor and technical advisor. He had a cameo appearance as himself in the movie Baltimore Bullet, and as a pool player in Police Academy 6. He was also the technical advisor on the 1984 film Racing to the Moon.
 Lou has had a wonderful career, and is someone I will always look up to. If you ever get the chance to meet or talk to Lou take it. He is a down to earth guy that has influenced my life.

Player profile of Ronnie Allen

Amy, who is a good friend of mine owns and operates the Vegas Billiard Buzz, This site covers all aspects of Billiards in Vegas. She runs a great site and keeps it up to date constantly. She started having a player of the month, asking questions and letting us know about some of our players around town.  I found this to be very exciting. I don't want to try and compete with her but I took an interest in this.
Last Tuesday night I was playing at the Cue Club and began talking with Ronnie Allen. This isn't the old Ronnie Allen who is in the Hall of Fame . Most people who play pool in Vegas know the Ronnie that I'm talking about. No relation to the older Ronnie.
I started asking some questions and began thinking that this would make for a good article on my blog.

Where did you grow up and start playing pool? I grew up in Northern California in a town called Antioch Ca.
 I was 15 years old and worked in a pool hall called ARC pool hall, 2 days a week. 

How long have you been playing pool ? I have been playing around 35 years, but I took a 5 year break.

Growing up who do you look up to?  I had a lot of people that I looked up to growing up, so there isn't anyone person. I learned by watching the better players.
What is your playing cue?  I play with a Schon 19 3/4 ozs.

What is your Favorite game to play?  I really enjoy 9 Ball. I play all games but 9 Ball is my favorite.

Who would you say is your favorite Pro player?  Efren Reyes is my all time favorite, but I grew up enjoying Nick Varner, Buddy Hall, and  Kim Davenport.

What is your most memorable money match ?  I have a lot of interesting money matches but my recent was at the cue club. I was playing a guy 9 ball in a race to 9. I was down in the first set 6 to 2 and came back to win that set 9 to 6. The second set I won 9 to 2. We were playing for cash, jewelry and a pick up truck. When I went to get the truck they had already sold it and we ended up in court which I lost the case.

I remember watching you play in the Cujoroho at the Riviera . That was a great match.There was 487 entries and I never lost a match. I was playing really well and felt good all weekend. The next tournament was going to be for $1,000,000 dollars but never happened.

Advise for newbies wanting to get better?  Don't be negative about your game. Look for what your doing right. Practice new things, don't practice what you already know. Keep a positive mindset and enjoy yourself.

I really enjoyed talking with Ronnie and wish I had more time. I find him to be a down to earth guy and I want to hear more about some of the matches he has played against some of the Pro's.

MOSCONI CUP UPDATE

 The Mosconi Cup started today. Keep up with the results and go to Matchroom sports and read about some of the best pool in the world.This is my favorite tournament . USA has a tough nut to crack, the Europeans have the home crowd to cheer them on. Wish the USA the best of luck.

This years Mosconi Cup at York Hall

This years Mosconi Cup will be held at York Hall In  Bethnal Green, east London, England. I copied a couple articles from Matchroom Sports website. I enjoy this event every year and go to it whenever it comes to the MGM.

USA Mosconi Cup side announced 29 Oct 2010

THE LINE UP is now complete and Matchroom Sport can announce that Rodney Morris, Shane Van Boening and Corey Deuel will take the final three berths on the American side to contest this year's PartyCasino.com Mosconi Cup which takes place at the York Hall, London from 9-12 December.

They will be joining Johnny Archer, Dennis Hatch and non-playing captain Nick Varner in what is a very strong looking side. With no debutant's this year, it is a highly experienced outfit who have won a total of 17 Mosconi Cups between them.

Corey Deuel, who was part of the winning side at the famous East London venue in 2000 and 2001, could not contain his excitement; "It's going to be great to get back to the York Hall as I have great memories there and I was MVP for the US team twice.

"It's such an honor to be a part of such a great event at this historic venue. I'm sure the fans will root for me to miss but it's all in good fun so I love them anyway!"

Deuel will be playing in his seventh Mosconi Cup and will be looking to improve on his 16 wins from 27 matches. Also making his seventh outing in a Team USA shirt is popular Hawaiian Rodney Morris.

"I am very excited to be playing in my seventh Mosconi Cup. Also, this is my first time playing at the York Hall so I'm interested to see if I can handle the pressure. I've heard the crowd is tough there but I love the UK so it will be a blast I'm sure," said Morris.

The final spot goes to Shane Van Boening, a man who last year joined the small but illustrious club of players who have knocked in the winning 9 ball in the competition.

"I am honored to be playing in the event this year event and I'm looking forward to see who is going to take home the famous Cup," said the South Dakota Kid

Taking place at East London's famous York Hall, following an eight year absence, the PartyCasino.com Mosconi Cup features two five man teams representing Europe and the USA competing over four days from Thursday 9th to Sunday 12th December.

All tickets for the 2010 PartyCasino.com Mosconi Cup are available exclusively from www.seetickets.com/mosconicup

 Van Den Berg completes strong Europe side
 28 Oct 2010
Nick van den Berg becomes the first man through into the semi-finals

HOLLAND'S Nick Van den Berg, a recent winner of the Finnish Open on the Euro Tour, is the fifth and final member of the team to represent Europe at December's PartyCasino.com Mosconi Cup.

Taking place at the historic York Hall, East London from 9-12 December, the event will signal Van den Berg's fourth appearance in the competition following a win in 2002, a defeat in 2003 and a draw in 2006.

"I'm over the moon about this, it's so good to be back in the team," said a thrilled Van den Berg.

The 30-year-old from Amsterdam received a Mosconi baptism of fire as a 22 year-old in 2002 when he was part of that magnificent team that triumphed for the first time since 1995.

"I never thought it would be that big and me teaming up with the Nugget, Steve Davis was unbelievable. I remember the fans singing songs with my name in it during the time outs - that was crazy!

"The York Hall arena was something else. You could still smell the blood and tears that the boxers and pool players had spilled over the years and the atmosphere was just unbelievable. "

Van den Berg won three points from five matches in '02 but was part of the European side that flopped in Las Vegas the following year.

He returned in 2006 in Rotterdam when the match was tied for the first and only time; "2006 was great and horrible at the same time. 12-12 never felt like losing the Cup, but there were the Americans holding the trophy."

Van den Berg is on a good run of form currently; he has played in the last two Euro Tour finals, winning the last one in Finland and has a chance to take the No.1 spot on the rankings when the Portuguese Open concludes this weekend.

The Dutchman is confident that the York Hall crowd will be an extra weapon in the European arsenal.

"The European team has a very big and loud fan squad and I know for sure it will be even louder this year. It gives us players that little extra we need and will be like a sixth man on the team.

"The Americans are nice guys but during the Mosconi Cup we don't have much to do with them. The only thing we want is to beat them because the Mosconi Cup is coming home!" he added.

Team Europe
Ralf Souquet (Germany)
Mika Immonen (Finland)
Nick Van den Berg (Holland)
Darren Appleton (England)
Karl Boyes (England)
Captain: Johan Ruijsink (Holland)

Taking place at East London's famous York Hall, following an eight year absence, the PartyCasino.com Mosconi Cup features two five man teams representing Europe and the USA competing over four days from Thursday 9th to Sunday 12th December.

  

Mickey's 6th Annual 9-Ball Tournament

One of the things I love about living in Las Vegas is it seems like every weekend there's a pool tournament going on. This past weekend Mickey's held it's 6th annual 9 ball tournament. There was 36 players, and this being an open tournament some of the best players showed up. It was a race to 8, winner breaks and we played on the 9 foot Diamonds. The owner Shawn Gresser provided food for everyone, the service was great, and Shawn ran an excellent tournament. I started off with a buy, then my opponent didn't show for my next match. I'm thinking how lucky is this. After watching other people play I couldn't wait to get started. When I did start  my match I won the first two games. I missed the 4 ball and watched my opponent run out. I was either kicking at shots or trying to play safe but never really got a good shot, and watched as my opponent win the next 8 games. As I started my next match on the loser side I found myself down 5 to 0. I remembered how much I hate 9 ball and started thinking about how much I missed bowling. I got in to a groove and won the next 4 games. Thinking I might be able to pull this off  I had a brain fart and never won another game. I got into this tournament because I wanted to play some of the best, but at this rate how much torment can one person take. Anyway I had a great weekend and enjoyed watching some good pool. I need to play in some tournament more my speed and take baby steps before entering these open tournaments.
I wanted to take more pictures but got so involved in watching I didn't do what I intended to do .
The vegasbilliardbuzz has a picture of the first and second place winners.

The Greater Midwest Poolplayers Association

The Greater Midwest Pool players Association held it's second annual Tournament at Bullshooters in Phoenix on Nov.4,5,6 and 7. Cecil Messer who owns and operates the GMPA ran an excellent event. The tournament started on Thursday and ended on Sunday evening. Non stop pool for four day's. This was my first time at Bull shooters and they made me feel at home.What a great pool hall.
Six of us left Las Vegas on Thursday  and arrived at Bull shooters around 1:pm, as soon as we walked through the doors they were calling Jimmy Moore to play his match on the losers side. No one realized that Jimmy was suppose to play earlier. Anyway Jimmy started his match and was doing very well until after several hour he got tired and wore out. He was the one that drove us there and he was tired, hungry, and never had time to catch his breath. All of us eat and checked into are rooms to get ready for our 10:am matches the next day.
The match that Jimmy played in the day before was won by Freddie Boggs from Las Vegas. The guys that I went with were Jimmy Moore, Greg Kuhls, Ronnie Allen, Chris Akey, Dick Pickle and myself.
The GMPA had a lot of tournaments and Vegas won most of them. Freddie, Jimmy, Greg, Chris and Ronnie all placed in the money and took top honors in several brackets. The tournament was set up in two brackets the Gold, and Platinum. Chris started in the Gold and was playing so good that Cecil moved him up to the Platinum bracket the next day.
My favorite match was on the last day with the Lucasi 8 ball open division. Greg Kuhls took first place and Chris took 3rd and Ronnie 4th.  Greg was in the hot seat and played the best I have ever seen him play. The match went hill hill and Greg broke. He ran down to the 8 and had a tough cut on the 8. The way he was playing this should not have been a problem, but his opponent  came over to look at the shot just as he was about to shoot ( I think this is called sharking) and Greg missed the shot. His opponent was left with nothing to shoot at even with all 7 balls on the table. He decided to play safe. The 8 ball was on the rail by the first diamond from the pocket and the cue ball was behind several balls at the other end of the table. Greg called the corner pocket kicked at the eight and hit it prefect to win the match. I had the best time of my life hanging out with these guys and was so proud to be with a bunch of winners.
The vegas billiard buzz is sponsoring the LV OPEN at the Rum Runner  on Nov. 13 and 14th and I think I'll go watch and enjoy myself. A lot of my friends are playing in this and I will enjoy watching them even though I wasn't able to get in.

Chris kicking butt

Greg winning again

Dick getting pointers

Dick warming up

GMPA

Jimmy warming up

Ronnie warming up

Cecil Messer

Bull shooters

Bull Shooters