Dates Changed for U.S. Open Billiards Qualifier

Dates Changed for Virginia U.S. Open 10-Ball Championship Qualifier

Due to a scheduling conflict with other events in the Mid-Atlantic region, the qualifier being held at First Break Café in Sterling, Virginia for the 2010 U.S. Open 10-Ball Championship is being moved from March 27-28 to April 10-11.

CSI, First Break Cafe room owner, and tournament director believe it is in the best interest of the players, the sport and for all rooms and venues involved to rearranged the dates in order to ensure each is successful and the players can maximize their competitive playing opportunities.

The winner of the $1000 added qualifier being held at First Break Café will receive their entry to the 2010 U.S. Open 10-Ball Championship.

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

The U.S. Open 10-Ball Championship will be held at the Riviera Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada immediately following the World Pool Masters and in conjunction with the 34th Annual BCAPL National 8-Ball Championships. It is also a recognized BCA point event and will feature the top men and women players from the U.S. and around the world.

In addition to the qualifier at First Break Café, participating regional tours and a select group of other independent host rooms will each send one player to the $25,000 added national 10-Ball event. To play in a qualifier spot hosted by a regional tour, participants must be a member of that tour or meet the tour’s membership requirements. The following tours are involved with the U.S. Open 10-Ball Championship qualifier program: The Desert Classic Tour of Arizona, The Great Southern Billiards Tour and the Ozone Billiards Predator Tour.

The Desert Classic Tour and the Great Southern Billiards Tour will include their U.S Open 10-Ball Championship qualifier spot at one of their regularly scheduled tour stops this spring.

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.

The remaining qualifier spots can be won at qualifier tournaments in the following host rooms: Butera’s in Moorpark, CA; The Wynkoop in Denver, CO; Pool Sharks in Las Vegas, NV; The Golden Fleece, Kenmore, WA; as part of the Virginia State 10-Ball Championship being held at First Break Café in Sterling, VA; and Toronto, Canada (date / location TBA).

Qualifier Dates and Locations:

February 6-7, 2010
Arizona (Desert Classic Tour Stop)
Bullshooters
3337 W. Peoria Ave
Phoenix, AZ
(602) 441-2447
$1000 Added
Open: 10 am
Start: 12 Noon
Entry: Handicapped scale
$70(A+), $50 (A), $35 (B), $25 (C)
Contact: Dennis Orender
info@desertclassictour.com
www.desertclassictour.com

February 20, 2010
*Special 1 day 16 player limited field
California
Butera’s
476 West Los Angeles Ave.
Moorpark, CA
(805) 523-3088
Entry: $75 pre-register
$100 day of if available
Open: 10 am
Start: 12 Noon
Contact: Sal Butera
www.buterasbilliards.com

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

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

*TBA: Great Southern Billiard Tour Date / Location

www.greatsouthernbilliardstour.com

*TBA: Toronto Metropolitan Area Date / Location

CSI wishes to thank all the host rooms and tours for their participation and support. The U.S. Open 10-Ball Championship is sponsored and additionally supported by Diamond Billiard Products, Aramith, Simonis, The Action Report (TAR), BreakRAK and Bad Boys Billiard Productions. For more information about the U.S. Open 10-Ball Championship please contact CSI at (702) 719-7665 or email holly@playcsipool.com.

CueSports International (CSI) 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.

World Pool Masters Expands to 64 Billiard Players

2010 Masters Details Announced

Line Up Expands from 16 to 64

Matchroom Sport are delighted to announce that the 2010 PartyPoker.net World Pool Masters will take place from Wednesday 12th to Sunday 16th May at the Riviera Hotel and Casino, Las Vegas, Nevada.

And following 17 years as a 16 player invitational event, this year will see major changes to one of the longest established tournaments in pool. The field will expand to 64 players and the tournament will take place over five days instead of the traditional three.

Working in conjunction with Cuesports International, the Masters takes place during the annual BCA National 8-Ball Championships, which sees thousands of players and fans flock to the Riviera for a lengthy festival of pool.

The 64 player line up will comprise 32 international stars of the game from around the world and they will be joined 32 qualifiers who will have won through events across the globe in the run up to the main event in May.

‘The Race to Vegas’ will be getting underway with the first qualifier in Paris on Sunday 14th February and then events come thick, with tournaments scheduled from as far afield as Australia, Japan, USA, Canada as well as most of the major European countries.

Commented Matchroom Sport Chairman Barry Hearn, “I am very excited about the future of the Masters. It did very well and was very prestigious as a 16 player invitational but now is the time to take the event to another level and then beyond.

“We’ve increased the field to 64 with the aim of having qualifying tournaments all over the world and that is the model the Masters will follow now and in years to come.

“It gives every aspirational pool player in the world the chance to play in Vegas in one of the game’s biggest competitions and compete against the superstars of pool.

“It is my every intention to build the World Pool Masters up into an event comparable to the World Championship when Matchroom Sport promoted it from 1999 to 2007.”

The first two days of the event feature double elimination play on a multi-table set-up as the field reduces from 64 down to 32.

The event then goes to single elimination and the last 16 is played out in a single table arena setting in front of the TV cameras, culminating in the final on the evening of Sunday 16th May.

Television is produced by Matchroom Sport and will be seen as 15 x one hour programmes in 14 countries around the world with more to be added to the list.

The prize fund is set at a guaranteed $100,000 with $20,000 going to the eventual champion.

Luke Riches, Matchroom Sport: luke.riches@matchroom.com, +44 7785 395688

www.matchroompool.com

Notes: Matchroom Sport are one of the world’s leading producers of televised sport and are responsible for over 1,100 hours of original programming across a range of nine sports. Based in the UK and chaired by charismatic founder Barry Hearn, the World Pool Masters is one of a stable of pool events that include the World Cup of Pool and the Mosconi Cup.

The 2010 World Pool Masters is sponsored by PartyPoker.net. Tables are supplied by Brunswick Billiards, cloth by Iwan Simonis, Super Aramith balls by Saluc and the Official Cue is Predator.

Qualifiers Scheduled for U.S. Open 10-Ball Championship

Qualifiers Scheduled for U.S. Open 10-Ball Championship

In preparation for the U.S. Open 10-Ball Championship scheduled May 17-22, 2010, CueSports International (CSI) would like to announce nine qualifiers for the event will take place in the U.S and Canada.

The U.S. Open 10-Ball Championship will be held at the Riviera Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada immediately following the World Pool Masters and in conjunction with the 34th Annual BCAPL National 8-Ball Championships. It is also a recognized BCA point event and will feature the top men and women players from the U.S. and around the world.

Participating regional tours and a select group of independent host rooms will each send one player to the $25,000 added national 10-Ball event. To play in a qualifier spot hosted by a regional tour, participants must be a member of that tour or meet the tour’s membership requirements. The following tours are involved with the U.S. Open 10-Ball Championship qualifier program: The Desert Classic Tour of Arizona, The Great Southern Billiards Tour and the Ozone Billiards Predator Tour.

The Desert Classic Tour and the Great Southern Billiards Tour will include their U.S Open 10-Ball Championship qualifier spot at one of their regularly scheduled tour stops this spring.

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.

The remaining qualifier spots can be won at qualifier tournaments in the following host rooms: Butera’s in Moorpark, CA; The Wynkoop in Denver, CO; Pool Sharks in Las Vegas, NV; The Golden Fleece, Kenmore, WA; as part of the Virginia State 10-Ball Championship being held at First Break Café in Sterling, VA; and Toronto, Canada (date / location TBA).

Qualifier Dates and Locations:

February 6-7, 2010

Arizona (Desert Classic Tour Stop)

Bullshooters

3337 W. Peoria Ave

Phoenix, AZ

(602) 441-2447

$1000 Added

Open: 10 am

Start: 12 Noon

Entry: Handicapped scale

$70(A+), $50 (A), $35 (B), $25 (C)

Contact: Dennis Orender

info@desertclassictour.com

www.desertclassictour.com

February 20, 2010

*Special 1 day 16 player limited field

California

Butera’s

476 West Los Angeles Ave.

Moorpark, CA

(805) 523-3088

Entry: $75 pre-register

$100 day of if available

Open: 10 am

Start: 12 Noon

Contact: Sal Butera

www.buterasbilliards.com

March 27-28, 2010

Virginia State 10-Ball Championship

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 3-4, 2010

Nevada

Pool Sharks

3650 S. Decatur

Las Vegas, Nevada

(702) 222-1011

$300 Added

Entry: $55

Open: 10 am

Start: 12 noon

Contact: John Kutcher

www.poolsharks.net

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

*TBA: Great Southern Billiard Tour Date / Location

www.greatsouthernbilliardstour.com

*TBA: Toronto Metropolitan Area Date / Location

CSI wishes to thank all the host rooms and tours for their participation and support. The U.S. Open 10-Ball Championship is sponsored and additionally supported by Diamond Billiard Products, Aramith, Simonis, The Action Report (TAR), BreakRAK and Bad Boys Billiard Productions. For more information about the U.S. Open 10-Ball Championship please contact CSI at (702) 719-7665 or email holly@playcsipool.com.

CueSports International (CSI) 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.

Visa Troubles Force Billiard Star to be Replaced

Martel out, Edey in

MATCHROOM SPORT can announce that Canadian veteran Alain Martel has withdrawn from the 16 player starting line-up of the 2009 PartyPoker.net World Pool Masters, following difficulties in obtaining the necessary visa.

He will be replaced by fellow Canadian 29 year-old Tyler Edey who will be playing in his second World Pool Masters.

Edey is the current No.2 ranked player in Canada and with a string of promising results behind him, he will be looking to make the breakthrough to the highest level.

“I’m delighted to get this opportunity and I’m really looking forward to the event and seeing everyone again,” he said.

Edey will face the daunting task of Dennis Orcollo in his first round match on Saturday evening in front of a packed crowd.

“They’re all tough players in this event so it doesn’t really matter who I play. This is an unexpected chance and I plan to make the most of it,” he added.

First Three Matches Complete at World Pool Masters

First Three Matches Complete at World Pool Masters

World Pool Masters / Las Vegas, NV
by InsidePOOL Staff
The PartyPoker.Net World Pool Masters, presented by Matchroom Sport and sponsored by Brunswick, Aramith, Iwan Simonis, and Predator Products, kicked off the afternoon of May 9 with its first three matches. This international event brings a top field of 16 players from around the world to vie for the first-place prize of $20,000 and is hosted by the Riviera Hotel Casino in Las Vegas, NV.
In the first match, defending champion Thomas “The Lean Machine” Engert was matched up with Rodney Morris, currently of Houston, TX. The score seesawed to 2-all before Morris made his move, breaking and running out two of the next three racks to surge ahead 5-2. A couple of odd misses by Engert gave Morris the hill, and then the German made a move toward a comeback, taking the next rack after an empty break by Morris. But it was too little, too late for Engert, for when he missed a routine 8 ball in the final rack, “Rocket” won 8-3.
Former world champ Alex Pagulayan squeaked past snooker champion Mark Gray in the second match. “The Lion” took the first three racks with ease but did not reckon on his opponent putting up a fight, for Gray took advantage of several missed shots by Pagulayan to take control and win the next five racks in a row to make it 5-3 in his favor. They traded the next several racks, and then a foul by Gray made the score 6-all. A missed 6-9 combo by Gray gave Pagulayan the hill, but when Pagulayan fouled in the subsequent rack, brushing the 7 ball en route to the 4, Gray made it a double-hill nail-biter. Attempting to kick out of a safety on the 2 ball in the last rack, Gray fouled, giving Pagulayan ball in hand and the match.
View the 2008 World Pool Masters image gallery (/gallery2/v/Pool+Tournaments/world-pool-master-2008/)
Italian champion Bruno Muratore didn’t get much time at the table in the third match of the afternoon. His opponent, Francisco “Django” Bustamante, took the first game with a 3-9 carom and raced toward the finish line from there. One missed 9 ball and one foul by Muratore, in addition to two break and runs by Bustamante, made the score 5-0. In the seventh rack, Muratore managed to put a game under his belt when Bustamante fouled on the 1 ball, leaving Muratore with ball in hand for the 1-9 combo. But that was as far as Muratore got—he came up empty on his next break and Bustamante ran out, and another foul in the final rack handed Bustamante the match 8-1.
Saturday’s afternoon matches will be Shane Van Boening versus Imran Majid, Ralf Souquet versus Ko Pin-yi, and Tony Drago versus Niels Feijen.
Tonight, instead of more World Pool Masters matches, the World Pool Masters Trickshot event will take place, featuring Mark Dimick, Alex Pagulayan, Daryl Peach, Stefano Pelinga, Ralf Souquet, and Bogdan Wolkowski. Visit InsidePOOL for the latest news in the sport of billiards and pool.