Reyes and Fisher Named Billiard Players of the Decade

Reyes and Fisher Name Billiard Players of the Decade

Efren Reyes, who amassed nearly $1.7 million in prize money, and Allison Fisher, who won 27 Women’s Professional Billiard Association Classic Tour titles, were named Player of the Decade by the United States Billiard Media Association, the USBMA announced today.

Reyes, the 55-year-old Filipino sensation, won more than 20 major men’s professional pool titles during the decade, starting with his $30,000 Camel Pro 8-Ball Championship win in 2000. Of his 22 major victories, the versatile Reyes won four one-pocket crowns, four 8-ball titles and 14 9-ball titles. He also won the Derby City All- Around title three times.

But it was during the short-lived International Pool Tour that Reyes scored his biggest wins. In three multi-million dollar events, Reyes won two titles (2005 IPT King of the Hill and 2006 IPT North American Open) and pocketed $765,000.

Reyes and Fisher captured the top honors in the Player of the Decade voting held by the USBMA.

Fisher, meanwhile, continued her dominance over women’s pool for a second straight decade. After winning 26 Classic Tour titles during the ’90s, the former snooker champion added 27 more from 2000-2010. In addition to her WPBA Classic Tour titles, Fisher, 41, earned the gold medal at the 2009 World Games, was the 2000 BCA U.S. Open 14.1
champion and won the Tournament of Champions five times. She earned $637,000 over the 10-year span.

Additionally, both Reyes and Fisher were elected into the Billiard Congress of America Hall of Fame during the decade, with Reyes being inducted in 2003 and Fisher in 2009.
In Player of the Decade voting, Reyes out-pointed Johnny Archer, Mika Immonen and Ralf Souquet. Fisher was named woman player of the decade on all but two ballots, with Karen Corr and Jasmin Ouschan each receiving one vote.

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.

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.

“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.

Women Billiard Players Take a Shot

Loraine and Delrosario Take Underdog Shot while Taiwan Dangerous at JBETpoker.net Women’s World 10-Ball Championship

By Sally Lee

Manila, Philippines – Heavyweight champions and underdog favorites foil each other at the JBETpoker.net Women’s World 10-Ball Championship. Taiwan will be sending a lethal force of femme fatales that include reigning World 9-Ball Champion Yuan Chun Lin. Meanwhile, Guam’s beautiful Shanelle Loraine and amateur newbie Zarah Delrosario of Philippines will lead the underdog bets. The JBETpoker.net sponsored and Dragon Promotions produced event will be broadcasted to more countries and viewers than any other women’s event in the history of billiards. ABS-CBN and ESPN Star Sports conglomerate will combine 20 hours of live coverage and 20 hours of taped matches. The event takes place in Manila, Philippines at the SM Mall North Edsa June 2-6,2009. 48 top women pros from around the world will vie for gold to become the Women’s World 10-Ball Champion. The historic event is supported by JBETpoker.net, ABS-CBN, SM Mall North Edsa, Magic 89.9, Predator Cues, Min Billiard Cloth, Puyat Sports, Philippines Star, Bugsy Promotions and recognized by the BMPAP and BSCP.

Taiwan has been long standing as the most organized billiard country, and has produced numerous junior, women, and men’s world champions. In the modern times, more than any other country. Five Taiwanese women will vie for the title, with the two notable names Yuan Chun Lin who won the last World 9-Ball, and Chieh-Yu Chou who recently won the Amway Cup.

The vastly popular up and coming Shanelle Loraine will be taking her first World title shot. The vastly improved Loraine recently finished 2nd in JBETpoker.net’s Women’s World qualifier and last week defeated Allison Fisher in a televised 3cushion match in Korea. Following beside her is amateur Filipina Zarah Delrosario, who is sponsored into the event by Pressure Billiards in Chicago where she has been religiously practicing daily and with the help of US Pro Charlie Williams and esteemed Billiards Digest writer George Fels.

Fil-Am Zarah Delrosario wants to help change the image of women's billiards in the Philippines.

“I’m really excited and of course very nervous. This is a kind of thing as a newbie that you can never be prepared for 100%, even if you had three years. You just have to go out there and do it and get that experience”, said Delrosario. Delrosario won the Predator Pro Pool School Tournament and finished 3rd at the Poison Women’s Orlando Open earning herself a Poison Cue and case as well as a spot into the World Championship.

“The sponsors and local partners in the Philippines wanted to give a rising Filipina up and comer a chance to get experience. Their hope is that one she’ll become a champion. Zarah has the potential to help women’s pool over there”, said Cindy Lee of Dragon Promotions.

The web site www.WomensWorld10Ball.com will feature the latest news and results of the Women’s World 10-Ball Championship. It will also feature interviews, pictures, and all the info of complete player roster,prize money and match-ups.

The historic event is considered to be the biggest women’s sporting event of the year for the Philippines, and one of the biggest in Asia as it draws massive media attention with 40 hours of match coverage going to over 40 countries with 20 hours live on ESPN and equally in its local partner ABS-CBN, the leading TV channel of the Philippines. 48 women from around the globe will attend the event vying for $20,000 (1M) 1st place prize out of the $75,000 (3.75M) purse available. SM Mall North Edsa, Magic 89.9, Philippines Star, Crowne Plaza Galleria Manila, Predator Cues, and JBETPOKER.net are some of the primary sponsors of the event.
“Billiards, the sport of the Philippines. The sport of the people.”
For more info email womensworld10ball@gmail.com

Ozone Billiards Sponsors ACUI 2009 National Collegiate 9-Ball Championship

Ozone Billiards has been committed to supporting the billiards industry and youth education, regardless of the economic climate.  Ozone Billiards has recently committed to becoming the presenting sponsor for the Association of College Unions International’s 2009 National Colligate 9-Ball Championship.

By sponsoring this event, Ozone Billiards is helping billiard players from more than 600 colleges and universities participate in regional and national tournaments. Students will have a chance to become tournament champions and possibly to receive one the five different scholarships that will be awarded as a result of this sponsorship. 

Ozone Billiards will be sponsoring the 2009 ACUI National Collegiate Championships.

 ”Once we heard that ACUI needed a sponsor, we felt it was our responsibility to support them as one of the leaders in the billiards industry,” Ozone Billiards President Shawn Gargano stated. “We believe that these young adults are not only the future for billiards, but also the future of our country.  Through our sponsorship, we are able to foster in them a passion for billiards while helping them to continue their education.”

During the last two weekends in February, ACUI will hold regional recreation tournaments featuring 9-ball billiards in 14 locations throughout the United States. Participants in the national tournament must first compete in these qualifying events. Specific dates and details about eligibility and registration can be found at www.acui.org/programs/student

13 Billiard Players Added for NCS 8-Ball Championship Title

The National Championship Series (NCS) 8-Ball qualifiers around the U.S are heating up as it gets closer to the February 13-15 NCS 8-Ball Championship at the Golden Nugget in Las Vegas.

Thirteen players qualified January 10-11 at the following host rooms: Hawaiian Brian’s in Honolulu, HI; Butera’s in Moorpark, CA; Pool Sharks in Las Vegas, NV; Casper Billiards outside of Houston in San Leon, TX, and Champion Billiards Sport Café in Arlington, VA.

Oscar Dominquez secured his spot this week as the National Championship Series (NCS) 8-Ball qualifiers around the U.S are heating up as it gets closer to the February 13-15 NCS 8-Ball Championship at the Golden Nugget in Las Vegas.

The players who qualified are:

Brian Deska
Kurt Kobayasji
Duy Ho
Ernesto Bayaua
Jui Lung Chen
Lanny Herrin
Walter Glass
Oscar Dominguez (pictured right)
Mark Haddad
Dan Schneider
Sal Butera
Randy Howell

There are 6 NCS 8-Ball qualifiers scheduled this coming weekend, January 17-18 at the following rooms and locations: World Cup Billiards in Greenville, SC for information contact Keith Rampey (864) 905-4530; Bullshooters in Phoenix, AZ where OnTheRailTV will be streaming that qualifier live. For more information about the Phoenix qualifier contact Jerry Stuckart at (602) 332-4499; Rack ‘Em Billiards, Aurora, CO (303) 755-7675; Hard Times Billiards, Sacramento, CA (916) 332-8793; Golden Fleece Billiards, Kenmore, WA (425) 908-7332; and Red Shoes Billiards, Alsip, IL (708) 388-3700.

CueSports International wishes to thank the host room management, staff and independent tournament directors and promoters who made their qualifiers a success. By hosting an NCS qualifier and promoting their tournament and notifying the players, they directly help to open up a unique opportunity to the players who support their room.

For more information about CueSports International or the NCS please visit their website at Playcsipool.com or call (702) 719-7665.