Seattle Area Pool Scene

Check out www.onthebreaknews.com tournament section.  Also, On the Wire does not keep up their website, however, their paper is more west coast and they have competing tournaments, so it's best to compare both before making travel arrangements.  They will both tell you about the weekly bar tournaments too, where you can win $60-$100/night.

North Seattle:

Shotze's - in Everett.  This place has great $1000 added tournaments with a mix of 8 and 9 footers.  We are about the only place in the country where bar box means 8 footers.  There are only a couple places with 7 footers - City Lights being the most notable.  Ford and Rose run a tight ship during tournaments.  It can become a meat market after 9 when minors leave and on the weekends.  Good food, with tournament specials and friendly waitstaff, especially Dave!

"Dynamite 9-ball tourney on Monday nights (limited to 40 and often filled a week in advance). Full bar and good food. One of the best places around."

Note - this was a review.  Shotze's now runs an in-house league on Monday nights.

Shotze's Rack & Roll

9602 Evergreen Way

(425) 355-5766

Great American Casino - Everett - They have 4 tables and used to be called Big Al's.  They also used to hold some good tournaments.

12715 4th Avenue W

Everett, WA 98204

Phone: (425) 347-1669

http://www.greatamericancasino.com/Everett/ev_amenities.htm

Uncle Jack's Lounge and Billiards - Lynnwood - very nicely remodeled and new owner.  Their house pro is Randy Camantigue who let's say, has variable mood swings, but will gamble with you.  9 ball and one-pocket.  They have a monthly 2 in 1 tournament: 8 ball on the 8 footers and 9 ball on the 9 footers.  My husband won both of them so he had to sit out this month's.

Harry Platis plays here.  I think he just played Corey Deuel there.

5800 198th St SW

Lynnwood, WA 98036

(425) 640-5474

Here is a review of their food:  http://www.northwestcyclenews.com/2006/06/

Dr. Cues - Lake City Way.  Owners Matt and Jeff take care of their customers.  Good pro shop, web camera, limited food selections.  This is the place to go if you want to gamble with the locals in the north end.  Their Tuesday night tournament fills with some of the best players around - JD and Todd Marsh for sure.  Sometimes Dan Louie.

15 Brunswick 9-footers. 

Dr. Cue Billiards

14713 Bothell Way NE

(206) 365-1187

http://www.drcuebilliards.com/

Central Seattle

Jillian's - Lake Union - 21 Gold Crowns and a snooker table.  It's got the bangers there, but the new ex-house pro (I was the first female house pro there), Tiffany, has worked hard to get some bigger tournaments there and they have a good Wed. night tournament.

"This 24,000-square-foot, two floor complex houses a wide variety of entertainment possibilities, including pool, video games, darts, karaoke, dancing, and ping pong. Sports fans especially relish the 27 TVs (nine of them are 60-inchers), which make Jillian's a fun spot to catch the game with friends. In addition, two restaurants and a fifty-foot bar ensure that you're bound to find something to suit your appetite, even if it's just a burger and a beer."

Jillian's Billiard Club

731 Westlake Ave N.

(206) 223-0300

http://www.jilliansbilliards.com/club_detail_E.asp?club_id=7

Belltown Restaurant & Billiards - Belltown - Another packed yuppie meat market with SRO.  You will be rubbing bellies with everyone on their tiny dance floor, just trying to make it to the back or the front door.  About 10 GC's.

"Belltown Billiards is located in the heart of Seattle's historic Belltown district.

Upscale, yet affordable they offer a unique combination of professional quality billiards accompanied by an excellent menu, and one of the largest bars in town. Enjoy their 100" hi-def projection television, and 7 days a week our dance floor is the "place to be" in Belltown! They now have a live DJ and dancing every night of the week!"

Belltown Restaurant & Billiards

90 Blanchard St.

(206) 448-6779

http://www.belltownbilliards.net/belltownbilliards.html

Temple Billiards - Pioneer Square.  Smaller and no tournaments, but they have one of the best websites around.  7 tables.

"Serious billiards bar that doesn't forget the extras: generous happy hours, live DJs and free Wi-Fi."

126 S. Jackson St. (Cross Street: Occidental Avenue S)

Seattle, WA 98104

(206) 682-3242

http://www.templebilliards.com/temple.html

You can look at an art print for sale here: http://www.art.com/asp/sp-asp/_/pd--11980928/Playing_Billiards_at_Temple_Billiards_in_Pioneer_Square_Seattle_Washington_USA.html

The Garage - Broadway - Pool room and bowling alley - upscale grunge.

"This isn't old-school--table rental is expensive, the restaurant serves what it calls "international-homestyle" cuisine and pool sharks don't exactly haunt the place. Add to that the cachet of celebrity partners (Pearl Jam guitarist Mike McCready) and patrons (local sports figures and musicians), plus a friendly ambience, and you've got a scene-oriented pool hall and bowling alley. Cocktails and shooting stick are the main attractions, but don't bypass the food, especially the thin-crust pizzas. "

1130 Broadway Ave

Seattle, WA 98122

206-322-2296

http://www.garagebilliards.com/home.htm

Westside

Corner Pocket - West Seattle - 4 tables.  Dan Louie's restaurant used to be right near there, so I would find him, Joe Chun, and Roger Pettit there.  Nice people work there too.

"The best way I could describe this place is a dive bar, only with cool people.  It's got the casual atmosphere, dim lighting, and abundance of pool tables and dart boards that's so appealing about a dive bar-- but everyone there was youngish, fun and laid back.  I've never seen a single dirty old man or scary wannabe-milf there."

"Located underneath Easy Street Records in West Seattle's Alaska Junction, this basement-level billiard parlor has everything you'd expect of a subterranean pool hall. To wit: four well-maintained tables available for $8 an hour, a selection of tap beers that includes local favorites (Fat Tire, Mac & Jack) and national institutions (Pabst Blue Ribbon), a menu of pub grub that we've yet to sample (we can't eat and shoot pool at the same time) and a smoky vibe that'll make any hustler feel right at home.

That being said, Corner Pocket isn't a tank for pool sharks, but one of the friendliest pool halls you're likely to find in this town. It's usually frequented by low-key West Seattle locals, not the boisterous college-age brats who make shooting a game of pool in the U-District or Pioneer Square an exercise in patience and Zen-like focus. Here, there's no chaos to tune out. All that exists is your drink, your friends and the space between the cue ball and the 8-ball."

4302 SW Alaska St (Lower floor)

Seattle, WA 98116

(206) 933-0320

Classic Billiards - Bremerton - Tables played tough as I remember, because of the way the pockets are cut.  The service guys play here a lot.

"17 tables (Palidin & Montana), with smoking and non smoking sections. Beer, wine, and small food menu."

2817 Wheaton Way #106

(360) 377-8507

Classic Billiards

Eastside

The Parlor - Bellevue - 42 tables, $4.5 Million dollars, martini bar with chill strips, light switches to summon a server, need I say more?

"This place just opened up on 15 Dec 05, so it begs a regrade once it's been battered around long enough. There's a great selection of tables and cues, and the staff has done a good job of keeping the place pretty and clean. This is also not hard to do when you primarily serve the 30 to 45 demographic and not the drunk college kids who populate the Jillians franchises I've visited in Seattle, SF and Boston.

There is food in the house if you absolutely must eat. Our group shared a shrimp pizza, bbq chicken quesadilla, and some buffalo wings. All were spectacularly adequate.

Also, if you believe our waitress, and the oodles of security guards roaming the hall, the Prince of Saudi Arabia (cf Fahrenheit 9/11) was in the house. And apparently he doesn't mind scantily-clad women here as much as he probably would in his own country. Because there sure were a lot of them filing in and out of that private room.

Come to think of it, I don't mind scantily-clad women, either. I guess there are certain things that unite us all, the world over. I feel a song coming on..."

THIRD FLOOR OF LINCOLN SQUARE

700 Bellevue Way NE. Suite 300,

Bellevue WA 98004

PH: 425.289.7000

http://www.parlorbilliards.com/

Southend

Harvey's - Renton - This is Mike's and my home room, if we have one.  The owner, Bert is a good friend of ours.  9 GC's kept in great condition and one with 4" pockets to gamble on.  Limited food.

Harvey's Billiards

4100 Valley Highway

425-251-9851

Cue Lounge - Renton - Mostly a teen hangout.  Has 12 nice Diamond tables in it, but nice cheap prices.

19611 84th Ave S

Kent, WA 98032

(253) 872-3477

http://www.onthebreaknews.com/CueLounge.htm

Java Billiards - Auburn - I went there once, but don't remember very much.  The owners were Christian and very nice.

"Caters to all ages. Non-smoking and no alcohol... but the best coffee in Auburn. Has 4 9-foot pool tables, air hockey, darts, pinball, Miss Pacman, foosball and cool music. Friday and Saturday night the place is packed but the rest of the time it's fairly open with a friendly staff and shooters."

Java Shoppe

2808 Auburn Way N # B

(253) 939-6690

http://www.onthebreaknews.com/JavaBilliards.htm

PJ Pockets - Federal Way - This is actually a casino.  Tables are tight for maneuvering, but they are reasonable and run a lot of leagues through there.  Occasionally, they have sprung for bigger tournaments in the past.

7 big tables and good food.

1320 S 324th St

(206) 839-9922

http://www.pjpockets.com/

Vintage Billiards - Federal Way - The owner Terry, is very nice and keeps everything immaculate.  Limited food.

"Clean room, good tables and polished balls."

34507 Pacific Hwy S #1

(253) 835-1468

City Lights Billiards - Tacoma - This is the gambler's room in the southend.  Lots of good players go to the Wed. night tournament, but I believe Dr. Cues' is better now.  They serve alcohol here.  No kids allowed.

"Nice room with 10 Gold Crown II's (760 Simonis), 1 twelve-foot Snooker table, and 7 7-foot Valley bar boxes (760 Championship Mercury). If you want to watch some of the best players in the Northwest, be here on Wednesday's at 7 o'clock. They have the best weekly 9-ball tournament in the state."

City Lights Billiards & Cafe

445 Tacoma Ave S

Tacoma , WA 98402

Phone: (253) 383-3301
 

Full Splice Billiards - Lakewood - The owner, Craig is a great guy and posts as Manwon on AZ Billiards.  There is a very detailed article and review on his room included below.

Full Splice Billiards

9324 S Tacoma Way

Lakewood, WA 98499

(253) 512-6898

http://www.onthebreaknews.com/FullSplice.htm

In addition, there are pubs and taverns with quite a few tables or that support pool, like Goodtime Ernie's in Burien (9 tables), Latitude 84 in Tacoma, Dante's in the U-District, The Grove in Everett, Mike's Place in Renton, McCorry's in Woodinville, Eastlake Zoo Tavern (has a snooker table), Legends Sports Bar in W. Seattle, Mustard Seeds I and II in Bellevue, Poppa's Pub in Kent, Royal Bear in Algona, and Frankie's in Olympia.

There are also some teen hangouts like Game Breakerz in Kent, and a ton of asian poolrooms, but I think you might want to be Vietnamese or Filipino to go in, lol.  There are also quite a few casinos with 9 foot Diamonds or bar boxes in the area.

If you go farther south, there are 2 noteworthy places, McMeniman's -cool place with a theatre in Centralia.

"Registered historic site... the ambiance is wonderful, like stepping back in time. Has 7 regular tables and 1 snooker table, most of the tables are over 100 years old. The huge building is heated by a large wood stove with very old authentic Indian rugs on the warped wooden floors. They serve decent food, too. Definitely a must-see/must-do type of place."

McMenamin's Olympic Club

112 N Tower Ave

(360) 736-5164

http://www.mcmenamins.com/index.php?loc=58&id=92

and Cadillac Island Casino in Longview which holds $1000 added tournaments every month on bar boxes. 

Cadillac Island Casino

1125 Commerce Ave

Longview, WA 98632

For Pool Information:

Mike Jensen:

(360) 957-0065

or Jeff Jackson:

(360) 957-4173

http://www.islandcasinos.net/POOL.htm

There is another location in Kennewick and they also hold $1000 added tournaments there.

In Spokane, there is McQ's Billiards & Sports Bar

"Without a shadow of a doubt the best pool hall in Spokane. 16 pool tables and 1 snooker table. All the best players play there."

9614 E Sprague Ave

(509) 891-8357

Reporting Back From the Venetian IPT Tournament!

Well, it has been awhile since I last talked here.  Mike and I have one IPT event under our belts now so we know what to expect.  But first, I need to report that on July 14 and 15, Jillian's in Seattle held an IPT qualifier for the World Open event to be held in Reno in September.  Glenn Atwell and Brady Gollan won the spots and are assured of a $5,000 payday!  Congratulations to these 2 great players.

The event at the Venetian in Las Vegas was held July 22-30.  150 members plus 50 players that qualified through the qualifier system battled it out in a round robin format.  The draw was done about a week prior to the tournament.  The first round consisted of 40 groups of 5 players each.

In Mike's group were Warren Kiamco, a great Filipino player, Brian Saleh, the #3 player in the UK, and legendary players, Keith McCready and Cliff Joyner.  In the clamor following the posting of the draw, a UK online betting firm (since closed to US bettors) had everyone betting heavily on their favorites.  Before it closed down, the consensus was that Mike would not be one of the 3 players in his group to advance. Well, Mike not only made it out of his group, but he was NUMBER ONE out of his group!  More about that later.

I was drawn into Mike 'The Mouth' Sigel's group.  Also in our group were Philip Harrison from England who has won 5 international titles, James Roberts (not much known about him) and David Broxson, a qualifier.  Any time a player qualifies, you have to assume they can play pretty sporty to have been able to win a tough qualifying tournament, and David was no exception.  In fact, he just won another one for Reno.

Mike and I flew in on Saturday and the player's meeting was at 5 pm.  Everyone was urged to show up early and check in, so we did and the hall was filled with champions.  We received another sports bag, this time in a different color with our names monogrammed on the tops and the IPT logo on the side.  It was filled with all the DVD's that are available on the IPT website, plus shirts, hats, and mugs.  It also had our playing schedules and other info.  Everything was so well-organized!

I was relieved to see that Mike would be playing on Sunday and my matches were to be played on Monday, so that we could sweat each other's matches.  It also made for a grueling 2 days, because matches were scheduled at 10 am, 12:30, 3:00, 5:30 and 8 pm, which meant we were in the Venetian from 9am to sometimes 11pm.  In the first rounds, there was one round that we got to rest, but otherwise, it was grueling.

The Venetian was a majestic place to hold the tournament, with its frescoes, statuary, fountains and paintings.  But it was a long haul to get food or to get outside!  As mentioned before, we did not stay onsite, but had great accommodations in a 5-star resort.

 I cannot tell you how awe-inspiring it is to walk into the Venetian and have 199 other players there (all dressed up!) and at least 180 of them play jam up!  All your idols are there under one roof.  I videotaped the player's meeting and went up and down the aisles zooming in on each row.  OK, I'm a huckleberry, but who cares?  I also have a shirt that I am trying to get every autograph on. 

Deno Andrews was unable to make it to the tournament, as his first child chose to be born that weekend.  Kevin Trudeau spoke for an hour about rules and plans for the future, which are big!  Everyone adjourned for the provided dinner and some practice on the tables.  I played with Santos and went 5-5 with him before he won the last game.

There were about 60 9-foot Diamond Pro tables there.  As you entered down the red carpet with laser graphics and huge posters of old legends and tournaments around you, on the left were 8 tables and behind that was the Mother Ship…the 2 TV tables.  On the right side of the aisle were 50 more tables and in the foyer were 4 more practice tables.  Also provided was internet access on 5 or 6 computers, and a few vendors rounded out the foyer.

A few things changed from what we expected.  Because of room constraints, the first couple rounds got no cornermen, there were strict time limits on the matches, not all matches were filmed, and there weren't enough refs.  Our own Mark Avlon was there to ref and he did a great job. 

The balls were the new IPT balls which threw a lot of players.  They were very light and it was tough to make anything on the break, due to lighter, different trajectories, and also to the tight pockets and slow cloth.  They will be leaving the cloth on for Reno's tournament, so it will be extra slow then.  We just got our own table shimmed super tight, because those pockets were about 4 ¼", not the expected 4 ½".   

In Mike's first bracket, he played Keith McCready first round. Mike came out of the gate shooting great!  He had Keith with a 7-3 lead, but about 5 Filipinos were lined up in the aisle watching him and he got a little nervous and missed 2 game-winning 8's in a row, which made it 7-5 in a race to 8.  Keith finally missed and left Mike straight in on the rail on the 8 and I know his heart was pounding on that shot.  With those conditions, he didn't have to make the ball, but he nailed it. 

Mike was relentless against Brian and Warren as well, winning 8-2 and 8-4 respectively.  Cliff Joyner was the last match of the day and Mike pulled ahead to a 7-3 lead, but then the wheels fell off the bus as he could just not put Cliff away and lost 7-8.  The score sheet was foreign to everyone and I know a lot of his break and runs were not recorded, which may show up at some point, as it is a method of breaking ties.

The next day, I played.  First up was Mike Sigel.  It was filmed and broadcast live in Europe.  When it was 2-2, The Mouth started his thing.  It didn't really bother me, but it was pretty poor sportsmanship.  Not only that, but he clearly fouled by moving my last ball with a ref standing right beside the table.  When I called it, the ref said he didn't see anything!  Sigel is sponsored by Sardo and they came up afterwards and apologized.  That made the score 7-3 with him breaking instead of 6-4 and me breaking.  Chances are I would not have won anyway, but putting him on the hill really put a damper on the whole thing.

I sort of took that loss and that call in with me the rest of my matches.  When you play back-to back-to back, it's hard to shake it off.  I played Phil next.  Phil is deaf and he just turns his hearing aid off and plays so well.  I had a few chances, but really not many.  He played awesome. 

The next player, James Roberts, I figured I would have some kind of chance, but he was big and had a huge break.  He made 3-4 balls every break and spread them so that everything looked easy from there.  Again, I had chances, but not very many. 

So my last match is with David Broxson, another tall player.  He ran out good, but had trouble on the 8's.  When he was on the hill, the score was 7-3 and I took a break.  I mentally regrouped and started playing like I know I can.  He broke dry, I ran out.  Then I ran 2 more racks from the break.  I broke dry and he made a few balls.  By now, there is quite a crowd watching.  I made a fantastic runout that had John Schmidt cheering!  Ok, now it's hill-hill.  I break and come up dry.  I watch him run down to the 8 for the game winner and he pops it and jaws it!  I leap out of my chair.  It was a fairly easy runout, but I thought too much without really deciding and I shot the first ball right into the rail!  Oops, the 8 is hanging for David, but at least I felt better about my playing; 4 runouts in a row was pretty good.

The next day, Mike played in round 2 against Brian Groce, a qualifier, then Shawn Putnam, and Howard Vickery before facing 2 Filipinos, Rodolfo Luat and Antonio Lining.  First round was against Brian Groce and Mike realized that he would need to do well against the first 3 to have a good chance against the Filipinos whom he would be facing in his last 2 rounds.  When it was 4-3, Brian, Mike potted the 8 to tie it up, then rolled the balls to the end for Brian to rack and Brian called a foul on Mike because all the balls had not finished rolling their final inch, so the ref gave the game to Brian, making it 5-3!!!  This was devastating to Mike and he still brought it to hill-hill, had a tough cut on his last stripe and over spun it and Brian ran out.  This seemed to take all the stuffing out of Mike.  Mike's next scores were 4 against Shawn who played lights out, then 3 against Howard, Luat and Lining.  We later found out that it should have only been a warning.

What we both learned is not to take anything bad from your last match into the next one.  You don't have the luxury of re-grouping, you just have to totally drop whatever is bothering you.  You also have to grind for every game, because each one is so important.  You cannot rest on your laurels from how well you did the last game, match or bracket, because you can go down in the standings so easily in the next one. 

Mike finished 101^st.  Since the top 100 money earners make it to the 2007 tour with a guaranteed $100,000, he knows he needs to cinch it up a notch.  He automatically moved up 20 spots, because 20 players were qualifiers that did not re-qualify for Reno and will not be playing again this year in the IPT, so he still has a great chance.

I finished 187^th, just under Ewa Laurance, Jimmy White, and Grady Mathews, and above Wade Crane and Tammie Jones, so I don't feel too bad for the first one, considering I don't play pool for a living.

There were some awesome matches and I got to tape quite a bit.  I even bought a monopod for steadier pics for the Reno World Open event in September.  Coverage can be reviewed on the IPT website at www.internationalpooltour.com. 

We were pretty disappointed that the final was just one race to 8, instead of best 2 out of 3, but it was done for TV.  Thorsten Hohmann won against Marlon Manolo in a hill-hill match.  Both players are the epitome of all that is good about this game and make great ambassadors for the game.  And in case you were wondering, Santos placed high enough to secure his spot for next year's tour.

Qualifiers are starting soon for your place to play in the BIG yearend Tour Card Tournament at the Wynn Hotel in Las Vegas, Dec. 12-17 for a 2007 tour card.  It will be held in conjunction with the King of the Hill tournament, so all the stars will be there as well.  That tour card is worth a guaranteed $100k in income to those players.  These 100 qualifiers are being held all over the world.  The closest one here will be at Jillian's in Seattle, September 22-25.  Entry is $2000.  $2000 to win $100,000 is a pretty good bet.  Top 2 players will get the opportunity to compete in Vegas.  Good luck to all of you that enter!

I would like to announce my newest sponsor, Play Pool billiard clothing company.  They have fantastic stuff which you can find at http://www.play-pool.eu/.  A new line of women's clothing and US order page is coming soon.

I may have mentioned a deal with a sports agent that wanted to sign us.  Mike and I decided not to go with the sponsorship package offered that would give us a guaranteed income, as we thought it would be better to go on our own.

I am working on my travel business a lot more.  Visit at http://lcarter.wholesaletravelnow.com to save big on all your travel and for lots of bonus vacations.  It's a $15,000 package for only $1295 which gives you a LIFETIME membership of savings on everything from airfare, dining, accommodations, tours, skiing, golf, and camping to rental cars, cruises, theme parks, etc.  It is so much better than a timeshare.  The neat thing is that you get an unlimited lifetime supply of free bonus vacations and cruises that you can give to your employees, friends, family, customers, charities and auctions, or use as prizes.  I have given a cruise with airfare to the NWPA for their yearend banquet and also to the Derby City Classic to raffle off.

The Viking tour has appointed me as their NW Regional Tour Director, so if your room wants to hold a Viking tournament, just let me know.  Call 253-852-0965.  You get a lot of bang for the buck and they are affiliated with a lot of the top names in pool products.

I would just like give a big shout out to our continuing sponsors: Viking Cues, Talisman Billiards, Harvey's Billiards, Limb Saver, Slip-Stic, Dr. Mike from PA, King Cobra Billiards, Coastal Synergy Group, Dave Jones, and On the Wire.

And I also want to thank the locals who came to sweat the tournament, Terry Gregory and Mary Hanover, Ed Hobbs and John Brewer, Vince Frayne and Lila Klem, Scott Thurston, and Ed Wallace.

Next stop is the World Open in Reno at the Grand Sierra Resort and Casino (formerly the Hilton), September 2-10.  As of this writing, the draw has not been posted yet, but no matter who we draw, we know we are in for a tough battle.  I know a lot more people will be attending this event, so we hope to see you all there!

IPT King of the Hill Tournament

I can't even tell you what the atmosphere here is like.  The electricity is sparking off of everyone.  Allison has beaten Allen Hopkins and Niels Feijen so far!!!  Karen just wiped Parica.  I am so loving it.  In the audience?  Vivian and CJ Wiley, among others.  On the good side for Vivian – she was just reunited with her daughter after 8 years.

But I'm getting ahead of myself.  Let's back up to how this tournament started for us.  Our plane was an hour late, which made making our connection pretty hectic.  We were instructed to be at the Orange County Convention Center by 4pm to make sure we made it to the player's meeting by 5, because they were going to lock the doors at 5.  Of course, Stan Tourangeau and Mike Zimmerman were primping and playing with their ties while I was ready to leave at 3:30!  We bought a week's trolley pass, but had to sweat all the stops it was making and we got there at about 4:45.  Whew!  It was drizzling, but the atmosphere inside was brilliant.  Everywhere you looked there were stars that we all know by first names, Allison, Karen, Gerda, Earl, Nick, Kim, Dallas, Thorsten, Grady, Corey, Helena, Marlon, Ralf, Gabe, Allen, Raj, Keith, Jose, Buddy, Ewa, Efren, Robin, and Johnny.  Every player was dressed to the nines and looked spectacular.

The player's meeting was just awesome!  When Kevin Trudeau (KT) walked in, there was a standing ovation.  First Deno Andrews, the IPT Tour Director spoke, then John Denny, who works with talent like Arthur Smith, a TV producer of 'The Swan'. Then Lee Storms, of Convention Planning, Inc., told of KT's plan a year ago to hold huge pool events.  Lee turned him down then, but after the Mike Sigel-Loree Jon Jones match, interest was piqued and the King of the Hill Tournament was signed.  When KT took the podium, it was to another thundering standing O.  He was funny, self-deprecating and full of enthusiasm for the game.  He openly admits to past mistakes and hopes he is a better man for it, to the point where ethics is stressed in all his dealings and is expected from the players.

The airing of the MS/LJJ match surpassed all expectations from both KT and Fox Sports Network, gaining a 25% increase in viewers.  Now, networks all over the world are asking for exclusive coverage of IPT events.  Announcements will be made after the first of the year, but what KT would like to see is 6-7 straight weeks of primetime pool coverage from every IPT tournament and then a final.  That would mean major network coverage EVERY WEEK for pool during primetime for an hour.  KT gave us the example of 'Seinfeld' and 'Friends'- how the networks hated them at first, and then became hits for 9-10 years.  Kevin is a media genius.  He has spent over 100 million media dollars since 1989 and knows how to get coverage even without the networks.  All matches, while a competition, will be shot from a TV production standpoint.  Because of the TV success of the MS/LJJ match, KT predicts that the US and World finals may be live next year.  The IPT will film EVERY match at all tournaments!  DVD sales will be available next year with major distribution at Blockbusters and Wal-Mart.  How cool is that to be able to buy DVDs off the shelf of your favorite players?  

PR – we talked about the IPT securing the William Morris agency.  The IPT has signed on Pitch PR in the UK.  They also have the Gem Group and Celebrity Outreach.  The PR is unprecedented for pool and KT has made a long-term commitment to its success.

In 2006, some of the tournament dates will be changed for TV broadcasting purposes and better venues are available.  In 2006, KT has committed $8M minimum, in 2007, $18M, and in 2008, $26 million!  Exciting years for pool players lie ahead!

In 2007, the IPT will hold Open Championships in the US, Canada, UK, Australia, Korea, Taiwan, Philippines, China and Japan, each with  25 qualifying tournaments.  The qualifiers will be double elimination with a $1000 entry fee (to eliminate those with no chance) and no prize money, just the spots.  The top 2 winners from each qualifier will win a spot into those Championships, filling up the field to 200.

If you are lucky enough to be a touring pro in 2007 or 2008, you will automatically be guaranteed a minimum of $100,000.  This will be derived not only from winnings, but referrals to qualifiers, licensing business (IPT pool tables, cloth, chalk, balls, cues, racks, bags, hats, shirts, Xbox games, instructional DVDs, match DVDs, etc., where a percentage goes back to the players as profit sharing), and with the power of TV exposure, gain corporate sponsorship through a division created to handle sponsorship, appearances, movies, etc., negotiating $25,000-$40,000 for player's appearance fees.  KT himself receives 7 figures for his personal appearances.

For 2006, even if we don't win a match, we are guaranteed $2,000 in the US $2M Open and $5,000 in the $3M World's.  Each.  And of course, every bracket will get larger and larger.  One interesting payout is the difference between 1^st and 2^nd.  In the $2M tourney, 1^st is $350,000 and 2^nd is $99,000.  At the $3M tourney, 1^st is $500,000 and 2^nd is $$150,000.  I think it is safe to assume there will be some tension in those matches!  

We took a break and were treated to a dinner of all organic natural foods and drinks that were scrumptious.  There is a green room provided at every tournament for all players still in the tournament.  This green room will provide internet access, plush recliners for watching TV, massage, showers, newspapers, breakfast, lunch AND dinner.  How many tournaments have you been to with these extras?  KT realizes that the players will be playing long grueling races all day and sometimes need to just wind down and regain stamina.  Nothing has been overlooked with this tour; it's first class all the way.  Like he says, "Real pool, real rules and real money".

Miscellaneous items were addressed, such as the player's code of ethics, score cards during the match, 1099's and taxes, VIP seating, autograph booth that we are required to man everyday with a set schedule, and a player's hotline number to call.  We were given bright blue duffel bags embroidered in 2 places, filled with autographed copies of Kevin's 'Natural Cures' book, 'Natural Cures' CD set, a weight loss CD, an IPT travel mug, IPT embroidered baseball hat, and a beautiful glossy program for the King of the Hill tournament.  We also have lifetime free use of his website.

We were given a tour of the stage for the Finals (similar to the MS/LJJ set) and then we were seated in one section for a group photo.  Wow, sitting right behind us were Mike Sigel, Jim Rempe, Kim Davenport, Johnny Archer, and Nick Varner. Then, while the participants in the KOH tourney were photographed in a different section, it was announced that the replacement for Ronnie O'Sullivan would be filled by a randomly-drawn player.  (Ronnie was committed to playing in a snooker championship.) The player then had to bank a ball at least 3 rails (started out to be a 3-railer, but the cloth took the shot extremely long, so after about 10 failures, KT said anything over 3 rails would be acceptable) to replace Ronnie.  Everyone was hoping that their name would be called.  Three Mike's were called and none of them were Zimmerman.  This was for an automatic payday of $6200!  One guy almost made it and fell on the floor when it didn't drop.  Earl Strickland said the table was playing backwards.  After about 15 players had tried, Larry Schwartz flucked (cross between fluked and lucked) it in 4 rails into the side. 

We stood in a long line for individual portraits, plus photos of our cases and cues and whatever was in the case for the IPT website, internationalpooltour.com.  Dianna Hoppe was on hand taking photos of everyone as well.  I asked Monica Webb how the WPBA was releasing their players and she said a lawyer was looking over the contract right now, to see if there was a conflict in media rights.

We closed out the day by going to the Crab House with Stan, Mike, Ike Runnels, and our gracious driver, Tammy Wesley Jones.  Stan set our alarm clock and bragged that in 8 years it had never failed him, but guess what, it did not get us up at 8.  It is actually 3 hours occurring before Pacific time, so it was lucky that I got up on my own at 8:30.

Since I had to be in the autograph booth at 10:30 and matches started at 10, we started out early.  The weather was nice and sunny. I made a special IPT logo polo shirt and had all the players sign it.  People ask if it is going on eBay and I say, "No way!"  There is a huge booth with IPT merchandise and of course I had to buy a couple shirts, a pin, and some posters.  There are a couple vendors, and Guido Orlandi is here for cue repair.  There is also an internet station with about 6 computers for anyone wanting to go online.  As you go into the arena, it is inspires reverence – a billiard chapel, if you will.  Posters of 'The Hustler', 'Color of Money' and different legends of the game are blown up and posted.  "The main tournament room is outfitted with 14 Diamond Pro Am tables arranged in two rows of seven. Towering paneled (dramatic, lighted) wooden columns through the center of the room define the space and lend the feeling of a swanky club. Sepia toned photos of billiards legends are blown up to epic sizes and ring the room.  Plasma screens suspended from the ceiling display a live overhead feed of the action on each table along with box scores for each round robin group, so the rows of spectators never have to leave their seats. Next door in the room they're calling The Mother Ship, a 15th table is center stage, ringed by crucible seating and lit for television. It's a stage worthy of any Vegas prize fight." (IPT website)  I was smart and brought binoculars, which enabled me to see far down the room.  There is a good 15-20 feet between each table!

"The IPT King of the Hill Invitational 8-Ball Tournament may well be the most completely filmed pool tournament in history. The elegantly appointed tournament room is crawling with men and women in black; camera operators, sound technicians, producers and lighting technicians who are capturing every moment and every angle of the action. The production company has 16 cameras covering the action on the tables, plus another three taping behind-the-scenes activity, and three electronic news gathering teams doing just that: gathering news on site from player interviews to fan reactions. About 50 technicians are making sure the event is captured on tape from start to finish. In addition, still photographers are capturing the action to send to local and national news outlets along with scores and other news items." (IPT website)  The cameramen zoom in on you when you miss a shot and your face is beet red.  I can't wait to have that look exposed for all to see.  Actually, I can't wait for Mike to have that look, LOL, especially since everyone is wired for sound too.  Just think of all the production ahead in editing all that footage!

There are referees at every 2 tables, I believe.  Our own Mark Avlon is one of them.  The play is exciting.  A twist on the rules is that they are implementing the 3-foul rule in 8-ball.  Also, if you foul on the break, it is ball-in-hand ANYWHERE on the table.  Open after the break, call pocket, break out of the box, 8 on break is win, 8 and scratch is loss.  One interesting rule is that you are allowed to have a "cornerman" or a coach at the table throughout your match.  In fact, there are chairs beside each player's chair for the cornerman.  Karen Corr was the only one I observed utilizing this rule; Julie Kelly was beside her, rooting her on.  Marcus Chamat volunteered to be mine.

Break and runs are not as common as many thought; it's only about 25%. To anyone that thought Karen and Allison wouldn't finish in the top 100, guess again.  Karen dusted Parica 8-4, and Allison won both her matches so far, 8-2 against Allen Hopkins and 8-5 against Niels Feijen.  And Gerda and Helena are staying close in most of their matches.  Scores are being updated live on their website, and I will do a recap next month.  Personal highlights for me has been meeting and talking with all the other players from around the world and hearing stories from the Hall of Famers.

"Boston Red Sox center fielder Johnny Damon stopped by the IPT King of the Hill Invitational 8-Ball Shootout to play a few sets with Hall of Famer and reigning King of the Hill Mike Sigel.  More celebrities are expected later in the week; one rumor has it that boxing champion Oscar de la Hoya may stop by to check out the action." (IPT website)

To conclude, here are a few comments overheard: "I knew I was gonna have trouble playing a girl."  (John Schmidt after going 6-6 with Gerda and finally pulling out the win 8-6.)  "Kevin already has DVD deals with Wal-Mart, Circuit City and Blockbuster."  (Mike Sigel)  "I love this tour!" (Dallas West)

On Our Way to The Venetian!

The countdown has begun.  Things are sure heating up in the Zimmerman/Carter house in preparation for our first IPT event where we actually play! 

That event is at The Venetian in Las Vegas, July 22-30.  150 members and another 50 players that qualified through an expensive, grueling system will battle it out in a round robin format.  First round will be 40 groups of 5 players each.

The player's meeting will be at 5 pm on the 22^nd.  It will be interesting if they will hold a blind draw in front of everyone.  Can you imagine if Efren, Bustamante, Parica, Orcullo and Pagulayan all drew into the same first round together?!

Buddy Hall dropped out of the Venetian tournament (the North American Open) due to health reasons.  Vilmos Foldes was invited to replace him which was a great choice.  Vilmos was always the bridesmaid, never the bride in his quest for a tour card, coming in third in the first 2 qualifiers.

As far as the tournament, the game is 8 ball, races to 8, break out of the box, 3 foul rule in effect, ball in hand anywhere on the table after the break on a foul, winner breaks, no shot clock, phenolic tips or jump cues, and you are allowed a 'cornerman' to talk you through.  I would like to be able to use Mike as mine, but I'm not sure I want to fade looking at his face when I mess up, LOL.

Word is that every match is going to be filmed and possibly available on DVD.  So since the camera adds another 10 pounds, I am on my first diet since high school.  Yuk!  I figure if I lose a pound a day until then, I will be pretty skinny and then will need a whole new wardrobe!  J Mike is so mean and came up with a plate of brownies last night. L But I was good and resisted.

We got the new napped IPT tournament cloth installed, along with new rails on our Diamond table.  We also got an Aramith cueball that should play exactly like the new IPT balls in Vegas.  What a difference all these changes have made!  Where it used to be sheer drudgery to go practice because everything was so sluggish and slow, now the rails are lively, the pockets are more forgiving and balls go 4 rails now off the break, instead of only 2.  Mike has been putting in serious practice time and is hitting the ball well.

Through my online travel business, I was able to secure a 5 star condo for a week with 2 bedrooms, a kitchen plus a kitchenette in one of the bedrooms, with Jacuzzi tubs, lighted tennis court, putting green, and a shuttle that leaves every half hour and stops right across the street at the Mirage, for a fantastic price.  Mary and Terry Gregory, Ed Hobbs and his friend John, and fellow IPTer from Shanghai, Colin Colenso will be staying with us.  We are so thankful that these friends are making the trip to sweat our matches.  And Mary has promised to put a little hurt on me on the tennis court!

I've been trying to get out to more big-table weekly tournaments.  You might find this thread from the AZ Billiards forum quite humorous where I rib all the fellow AZBers I have been taking down.  Just good-natured woofing, you understand!  Rackmsuckr is the Queen: http://forums.azbilliards.com/showthread.php?t=34324

All the qualifiers for the Venetian tournament are finished; the one at Jillian's was fantastic.  Players came from around the globe to play in it.  Santos Sambajon showed up late for his first match and started out with a forfeit.  If you remember Santos's plight, he was originally a member of the IPT but was back in the Philippines celebrating his $71,000 Skins win.  He neglected to return his documents back to the IPT in time and was dropped.  Ever since then, he has been flying everywhere trying to qualify, first for membership, and now to play at The Venetian, so this was just another step backwards for him.  He did eventually win a qualifier for this one tournament only. 

Our sponsored players, Glen Atwell and JD did not fare well either in the qualifier, but we are rooting for them in the next one.  Mike Vidas from Canada and Gandy Valle displayed strong 8ball skills, winning the top 2 spots and will also be playing at The Venetian.  Gandy, nicknamed Yang Yang (pronounced Yung Yung) should have been a lock since he was named after 2 pool tables!  Just kidding.

Now there are 25 more qualifiers set for the World Open which will be September 2-10 at the Reno Hilton with a 3 million dollar purse (last place is guaranteed $5000)!  The qualifiers start in July with entry fees of $1500. 

Again, we will be holding a mini-qualifier for a $150 entry fee, on July 8 at Dr. Cues Billiards at 10 am.  They will be races to 10, with IPT rules and dress code.

The IPT qualifier will be held on July 14-16.  I urge all of you to come down to Jillian's and watch the best local and regional talent come to play.  You can be sure that if they are paying $1500 for an entry fee that they are serious pool players!  I have heard that Ramil Gallegos from the Philippines is already here to take it down.  He may be the last native Filipino trying to qualify that hasn't made it in yet.

TV coverage is unprecedented for this event.  Eurosport struck a deal with the IPT to televise the North American Open LIVE from The Venetian all over Europe!!!  Along with coverage anticipated for this event on OLN, this is the most pool exposure for a tour in the history of billiards. 

I hope you have your TIVO set to catch all the current King of the Hill broadcasts.  The IPT scheduled programming of the King of the Hill event airs in 6 consecutive Sundays on primetime on the Outdoor Life Network (OLN, soon to be called Versus), with the first show which premiered at 7pm ET (4pm Pacific) on Sunday, June 4, and a 2-hour finale on Sunday, July 9.  Most cable packages broadcast OLN.  Here, it is on Comcast channel number 34.  They are re-running all the broadcasts, so you should still be able to catch them in their entirety.

As with any new venture, rumors abound regarding the IPT.  One that you may hear is that Kevin Trudeau sold a share of the IPT for $65M-$70M to an Asian company.  This could mean an infusion of money that will pump up the purses even higher.  It could also mean that much of the tour next year will be in Asia.  I am sure that all these rumors will be put to rest or verified at the player's meeting.   If it is true, how strong is that, to be able to sell a portion for that much money when a real tournament has not even been played yet?!!

In closing, I would just like to say that we are blessed with the best sponsors in the world: Viking Cues, Talisman Billiards, Harvey's Billiards, Limb Saver, Slip-Stic, Dr. Mike from PA, King Cobra Billiards, Parlor Billiards, Dave Jones, and On the Wire.  Thank you from the bottom of our hearts!  See y'all in Vegas!

IPT QUALIFIERS AND OTHER NEWS

Greetings!  We find ourselves another month closer to the first IPT tournament in Vegas at the Venetian to be held in July, to include 50 players who are not IPT members.  One of the 25 qualifying tournaments for those 50 spots will be held June 2-4 at Jillian's in Seattle with a $1,000 entry fee. 

We held mini-qualifiers for this qualifier for a $100 entry fee, and Glenn Atwell and John Doherty won the 2 mini-qualifiers.  Congratulations to both champions and we will all be rooting for them to come in 1-2 at Jillian's.  Also, thanks to Mike Zimmerman for spearheading and running these tourneys.  He will be running several mini-qualifiers for the World Championship qualifiers in July, possibly even June.

At the qualifier at Jillian's, the top 2 finishers will earn the right to play in the IPT Vegas tournament with a guaranteed $2,000 payback and the chance to win $200,000.  The next 4 finishers in the qualifier will win a free $1,000 spot into another qualifier.  And the remaining players will have their names put into a hat for a chance to play the designated IPT pro.  Four names will be drawn.   Mike was selected to be the IPT pro to play at Jillian's for those challenge matches.  If Mike wins the challenge match, he wins $1,000 for each match won.  If the challenger wins, they will receive a free entry into another qualifier.

As of this writing, there has already been one weekend of IPT qualifiers held all over the country.  From Ohio, Floyd Barger and Tomoki Mekari won, Steve Moore and Sam Monday won spots in NC, Greg Hogue and Jim Weast won spots in OK, Mark Tademy (Tad) and Dave Matlock won spots in Vegas, and Larry Nevel and Marco Marquez won spots in IL. 

We will see these great players at The Venetian, along with 40 more that will be qualifying in the next 4 weeks.  Along with the Seattle Q, the IPT is holding Q's in Boardman, OH, Frederick, MD, Prattein, Switzerland, and Toronto, Canada this coming weekend.

The IPT is holding a press conference on May 31^st at the Hard Rock Café in London. It is already being called the biggest press conference in the history of pool, with dozens of representatives of major UK and European newspapers, magazines and TV networks expected to attend.  European IPT pros Ronnie O'Sullivan, Raj Hundal, Neils Feijin, Nick Van Den Berg, Vincent Facquet, Gerda Hofsttter, and others will be in attendance. The purpose of the press conference is to make some major announcements regarding global television deals signed to broadcast IPT tournaments.  They will announce their contracts detailing unprecedented LIVE television coverage of the entire 2006 IPT tour!  They have also promised an announcement that will rock the billiard world.

 The IPT has already scheduled programming of the King of the Hill event in 6 consecutive Sundays on primetime shows on the Outdoor Life Network (OLN, soon to be called Versus), with the first show set to premiere at 7pm ET on Sunday, June 4, and a 2-hour finale on Sunday, June 9.  Most cable packages broadcast OLN.  Here, it is on Comcast channel number 34.

In other pool endeavors, I went to BCA Nationals in Vegas, where the highlight was not pool for me, but getting to go see Celine Dion in concert.  I was in the 2^nd row and inches away from her.  What a magnificent concert! 

James Davee and I placed 7^th/8^th in Masters Scotch Doubles, and our women's team took 4^th in the Open.  We actually beat the Portland team 2^nd round, but they came around and defeated the Canadian team that put us in the loser's bracket, then beat us with a narrow 10-8 margin.  I was very proud of our team that consisted of Cindy Sliva, Jo Woodward, Kim Sijer, and Jessi from Beads and Billiards.  They are no longer Beads and Billiards, but Billiards 9-1-1, and they have a nice new catalog out.  Thanks also to our regular season teammate, Melissa Bowers.

OK, I really sucked in the Singles competition.  I actually played well, running out at every opportunity and not missing balls, but I have never scratched or hooked myself on so many 8 balls!  It was very frustrating to do all the heavy lifting and then let my opponents do the cleanup.

I was scheduled to play all the time, except for one day which we went shopping and sight-seeing.  Saw Chris Angel and Robin Leach filming a television special.  I did not get a chance to watch the pros, but did have dinner with Hsin Huang who caught me up on all the gossip. 

And I did not even have time to qualify for either the speed pool or the artistic pool, both of which I took 2^nd place in last year.  I did get a chance to talk to Tom Rossman, (Dr. Cue), who is working on getting a tour of artistic pool challenge stops put together.

Back at home, I have ordered the new IPT cloth which should arrive anytime.  I have also noticed that the IPT has new balls out with their logo on them.  I did a little more traveling when I took my daughter to Victoria BC to a bed and breakfast where we shopped, ate, visited a castle, the Lieutenant Governor's house, and the famous Butchart Gardens.  I fly down to Newport Beach, CA for 3 days tomorrow for work, so it has been a busy month. 

Mike has been practicing his break, his sighting and working on his bridging.  I feel his game is getting stronger than ever.  Next month, we will chronicle the countdown before our first official event.

Thanks to our sponsors who help make it all happen: Viking Cues, Talisman Billiards, Harvey's Billiards, Limb Saver, Slip-Stic, Dr. Mike from PA, King Cobra Billiards, Parlor Billiards, Dave Jones, and On the Wire.

IPT QUALIFIER COMES TO JILLIAN'S IN SEATTLE

Hello!  This month finds us finally getting excited, as the IPT is starting to be a reality for us.  We got our beautiful 9' Diamond table and Diamond light…a nice birthday present for Mike…and we have been hitting balls as much as possible.  The official IPT slow nap cloth has come out, and we are waiting for the official IPT balls (cueball not known yet) to order everything.  The cloth we have right now is REALLY slow.  Hopefully, the IPT cloth will not be as slow.

Mike also got a sweet break cue with a cork wrap from Dave Jones.  It hits like a sledgehammer! 

I did a cue survey for AZ Billiards and emailed all 150 IPT members.  So far, we have gotten the results back on 107 players.  The survey was quite interesting.  Surprisingly, Predator shafts were predominant, next to original shafts.

Everyone is making preparations for the first IPT tournament in Vegas at the Venetian.  Flight plans, lodging, and practice are underway for everyone.  The first tournament is billed as the North American Championships.  As it says on the IPT website (www.internationalpooltour.com), "The most universally anticipated moment in pocket billiards has finally arrived!  The pool world is itching to find out how to win a chance to challenge the elite players of the 2006 IPT for a stab at their share of an unprecedented $2,000,000 prize fund, including a $350,000 first prize at the world class Venetian in Las Vegas."  (Last place receives $2,000!)

This tournament will include 50 players who are not IPT members.  There are 25 qualifiers being held over 4 weekends in June in various locations all over the world for those 50 spots.  Entries to those qualifiers will be $1000.

One will be held June 2-4 at our own Jillian's in Seattle.  To help deserving players from the NW with that entry fee, we are running TWO pre-qualifiers for only a $100 entry fee plus a $10 green fee.  Now is your chance to play in the IPT for only $110!

The first one will be held at City Lights in Tacoma on May 13-14.  Doors open at 9am.  Players meeting at 9:45 and matches start at 10. 

The second one will be held at Harvey's Billiards in Renton on May 20-21.  Doors will open at 8:30.  Please call Mike Zimmerman at ____ to sign up for one or both so he can get an idea of how many players to expect for each one.  Pay your entry at the door and please have your cash only ready.

For every $1000 collected, we will send a player to the qualifier at Jillian's.  The top players will win their $1000 entry fees, depending on the amount of entries. If there are less than 10 entries, 1^st place will receive a partial entry fee. 

Leftover payouts will go to the next place down to be used as a partial entry or not.  100% of the entries will be paid back to the players.

These qualifiers will be held like you would be playing at the IPT.  Therefore, please dress to impress.  The dress code will be enforced.  The tournament format will be 8-ball, races to 8 both sides, double elimination.  Generally, IPT rules are: break out of the box, it's open after the break, a scratch or foul on the break is ball-in-hand ANYWHERE on the table, winner breaks or has option, and call pocket.

Exceptions to IPT rules will be that phenolic tips will be OK for break cues, and there will be a 90-second time limit – no slow play.  For the Harvey's tournament only, no jumping allowed at all.  At City Lights, jumping is OK with your full-size cue only.

We look forward to accommodating as many players as possible at the pre-qualifiers.  I will be in Vegas at BCA Nationals, so please take it easy on Mike, LOL.  I encourage everyone to come out and sweat some of the best players on the planet at the qualifier at Jillian's.

Again, I would like to recognize our sponsors, Viking Cues, Talisman Billiards, Harvey's Billiards, Limb Saver, Slip-Stic, Dr. Mike from PA, King Cobra Billiards, Parlor Billiards, Dave Jones, and On the Wire.

March/April

This month has brought us a little closer to the first tournament.  The IPT will still have to hold qualifiers for the extra 50 players in the first two events.  The schedule has been announced:

As you can see, premium sites are hosting the tour.  I am excited because my daughter will probably be going to school in London next fall and I will be able to see her when we go to the U.K. in October.

Mike and I did a bit of traveling this past month.  Mike knew he needed some exposure at bigger tournaments, even if they were on bar boxes.  He traveled to Oroville for a big tournament there and finished just into the money in singles. 

He put together a team which included Don Wirtaman, John Plunkett and JJ from NV.  There was a huge bizarre incident that overshadowed the event, where they were forced to replay the last 2 games which they had already won while in the presence of a referee!  Of course they lost both of those games and Mike was not a happy camper.  That match was for 3^rd place.

Meanwhile, I was in Atlanta on business.  The week before, I had been in MT on business.  I flew from Atlanta to Reno and joined Mike for the 9 ball portion of the US Bar Table Championships.  I drew Ismael Morrow Paez first round and it was actually 5-4 at one point, but he took the next 2 games for the win.  My last match, I lost hill-hill.  Again, Mike got into the low money.  We were filmed briefly for the new InDemand reality TV show.

I flew on to Portland, where my teammate, Kim Sijer picked me up at the airport and we drove to BCA Regionals in Lincoln City, OR.  My team (Sijer, Jo Woodward, Cindy Sliva, and Melissa) did not do so well in the Masters event, and while I was there, Mike was still in Reno fending off Vivian Villareal in an 8ball match that was televised.  He won and they interviewed her.

Mike took a break from working at Harvey's, but will work again for a couple months and then quit for good in June, to put in some solid hours at the table, practicing for the IPT.  No, we STILL do not have our table, but we should by the next writing.

The only other event of note is that I did win the first NWPA tournament of the season, a double qualifier at Parlor Billiards.  I lost the 3^rd round to Kerry Impson.  I was up 5-2 and lost 5-7; I just let it slip away.  I then managed to eke out another 9 wins to win the whole thing.  Mike laughed when I told him – he couldn't believe it.  Other than a scotch doubles tournament with James Davee the weekend before where we took 3^rd, and our regular bar box tournament the Friday before, I had not picked up my cue once for this qualifier, and no practice on big tables except for Shotzes. 

I had to give up my spot though, because I cannot take any more time off work.  Mona Remedios was very happy about that, as it made her trip from Toronto and her loss worthwhile.  There were players from all over Canada, as well as a couple semi-pros from Florida.

In addition to my longtime sponsors, Viking Cues, Talisman Billiards, Harvey's Billiards, Limb Saver and Slip-Stic, I also would like to thank a few more – Dr. Mike from PA, King Cobra Billiards, Parlor Billiards, and of course, On the Wire.  Thanks for reading and I will visit again next month.

IPT News

I have gotten so many nice comments from people who have read my article and I wanted to take this opportunity to thank you for reading and supporting On the Wire.  To those that expressed concern for Mike's sister, she was laid to rest right before the New Year. 

This month has been a little slow regarding our participation with the IPT.  Early in January, Kevin Trudeau came out with two new audio recordings on the website at www.internationalpooltour.com.  I encourage everyone to listen to this man's vision of what is going to happen in the world of pool, because of his contributions.  The payouts for last place changed so that they are paid another $6,000, making at least $13,000 that we will walk away with, even if we don't win a match.  Combine that with referrals and profit sharing, and that is going to be a sweet windfall for just showing up.

One thing that didn't happen is that we did not get our table.  All that cleaning and painting for nothing, lol.  We are still due to get it, but it just hasn't arrived yet.  King Cobra Billiards actually went back east and picked up some almost-new Diamond tables that were used at the Derby City Classic tourney.

Another thing of note is that two people lost their spots with the IPT, and Santos Sambajon was one of them.  He is now trying to regain his spot by shooting in qualifiers.  The reason he lost his spot is because he never got his player agreement returned in time, from the Philippines.  Another eight lost their spots when they didn't show up at the player's meeting.  Five of them were from Malaysia.  Speculation has it that the Asian governing body for billiards prevented them from showing up.

Therefore, there were 5 qualifiers set up to fill those spots.  Entry fees were $2,000 and had to be paid up front and online.  As of this writing, two events have unfolded.  The winners of the first qualifier held at the Derby City Classic are Jason Miller (undefeated) and Alex Pagulayan. Jeanette Lee also participated. 

The second qualifier was held at The Pool Room in Marietta, GA.  Julie Kelly was the lone female entrant. Brian Groce went undefeated and Shane Van Boening, both of the U.S., won their spots.  Poor Vilmos Foldes, he has been a bridesmaid at BOTH qualifiers. 

Kevin brought Mike Sigel in to take on challengers two at a time for extra cash and the chance to win free entries into the remaining qualifiers.  He also gave $5000 out for running a 6 pack.  Incredibly, 3 players accomplished this. 

Additionally, KT has also offered the top 4 eliminated players to play free in the remaining 3 qualifiers. There will be two more in the US and one in Europe.  You can read all about the qualifiers on the website. 

To assist local players with the $2000 entry fee into the Bellflower Hard Times qualifier being held Feb. 17-19, Mike and I, along with Harvey's Billiards in Renton, were going to hold a mini-qualifier on Jan. 29^th.  The entry fee was going to be $250, so that with 8 players, one person would have their entry paid 100%.  If there were any extra funds left over from having more than 8 players, they were going to go to 2^nd place, to go toward their entry fee or just to pocket.  Unfortunately, the mini-Q was canceled due to a poor turnout.  We only got 4 committed players.   Even so, we would have had the tournament with only 2 more players, because between Harvey's and us, we were going to kick in the rest. 

We called every player of renown from Canada, WA, OR and MT.  We were just frustrated that we were handing these guys a way to fulfill their pool dreams and then they couldn't come through.  Some are under the mistaken impression that they can just hand over $1000 at another IPT qualifier and get in a tournament and thus, on the tour, and they are dead wrong.

On another note, the local IPTers swept the last Cadillac Island Casino tournament.  Stan 'The Man' Tourangeau and Mike took 1^st and 2^nd, and I took 13^th, out of 78 players, even after I lost my first match!  The downside was that High Woman got more than I did, but it is great to feel like a player, plus it gave the other 4 women something to play off for.

Travel is consuming a large part of my life.  I just returned from Scottsdale, and am leaving tomorrow for Anaheim on business.  A bunch of friends from the AZBilliards forum are meeting up with me to play in Danny K's tournament, then we are playing at the Hard Times Bellflower tournament the next night.  I also just started a part-time travel business, and I already donated a cruise to the Bahamas to raffle off.

Talisman Billiards just made 2 new cases for Mike and me.  They are both smaller and lighter than my old one, yet they carry 3 butts/5 shafts.  They both have our name embossed on the back.  We love our new cases!  I would like to recognize and thank all our sponsors – Viking Cues, Talisman Billiards, Harvey's Billiards, and King Cobra Billiards.

KT activated our lifetime membership to his Natural Cures website.  It has a lot of helpful, healthful, and interesting information up there.  The site is www.naturalcures.com.  If you go to the IPT website, he is hiring for various positions, all with tremendous pay.  Things are just starting with the IPT and it's really heating up!

The downside is that we still don't have a firm date for our first real tournament.  They rearranged the schedule so that the 2 open tournaments are first, instead of the 2 members-only tourneys.  This means that they need to run another 25 qualifiers to get the 50 extra players needed for the first event.  We are forecasting the first event to commence in late April to as far away as June.

Meanwhile, we have a full tournament schedule here in the NW until April, so I am not complaining.  It will give us more time to practice and possibly get the new blended IPT slow cloth that they tried out in Marietta.  So Mike and I will see you on the tournament trail and until then, take care and God bless.