New Billiards Magazine Download Released

Posted by admin as Billiard News, Mosconi Cup, Pool Lessons, WPBA Tour

January 2012 Issue of Inside POOL Magazine Released

Niels Fiejen Celebrates Mosconi Victory for Team Europe

Inside POOL Magazine has released the January 2012 online issue. The January 2012 online issue of Inside POOL Magazine, featuring Niels Fiejen on the front cover, has been released at InsidePOOLmag.com. This month the download features Niels Fiejen celebrating Team Europe’s victory at the Mosconi Cup, news from the top billiards events from around the world, pool lessons from top instructors, and tons of great new technology in online billiards magazine viewing such as enhanced clarity, Bonus Content, loads of full-screen videos of professional matches, links to favorite web sites, flipping pages, zooming, emailing, sharing, and printing.

January 2012 Inside POOL Magazine features Niels Fiejen celebrating a victory for Team Europe at the Mosconi Cup. Ga Young Kim defeats Allison Fisher in the finals of the WPBA Tour Championship. Learn how to feel your stick with Tom Sinmpson. Also, get a “Shot from the Cannon” by Shannon “The Cannon” Daulton. Get to know professional pool player Mike Dechaine. Catch up with all of the regional action from around the world.

Kamui Tips is offering a FREE Kamui Tip, valued at $19.95, online subscribers to a one-year Premium Membership for only $9.95.

Two versions of the download are available, Premium and Freemium. The Freemium version includes all of the same features of the Premium version, but the Premium version includes 100% of the print version, plus a few extra features.

View January 2012 Freemium issue.

Access to the Premium version is available by subscribing to the eSubscription to the Member Area at InsidePOOLmag.com.

Inside POOL Magazine publishes both print and online versions of each issue. The online version is made available for FREE (without a membership, but abbreviated) and Premium viewing and downloading around the first day of each month.

Want the real thing? Kamui Tips is offering a FREE KAMUI TIP with one-year U.S. Subscriptions and specially priced two-year U.S. Subscriptions to Inside POOL Magazine.

If you would like to receive the print version of Inside POOL Magazine, please visit InsidePOOLmag.com to subscribe and receive a FREE Kamui Tip.

About Inside POOL Magazine
Inside POOL Magazine launched in 2001 and, with pool player-based content and high impact photography, quickly became the largest magazine in the world for the sport of billiards. The official web site, InsidePOOLmag.com, followed shortly after and became one of the largest web sites in billiards. The web site features videos, image galleries, pool lessons, custom pool cue makers, online games, player profiles, tournament brackets, live streaming video, rules, product reviews, and the latest billiard news from around the world.

Read more ...

Van Boening Takes Turning Stone Billiards Title

Posted by admin as Billiard News, Joss Northeast 9 Ball Tour, Mosconi Cup, Tournament Brackets

Van Boening Takes Turning Stone Billiards Title
Turning Stone Classic XVIII / Verona, NY

by InsidePOOL Staff

After a hill-hill, fourth-round loss to Shawn Putnam, Shane Van Boening came back through the one-loss side to take the Turning Stone Classic title over Raj Hundal in the finals. The $25,000-added tournament, held twice a year at the Turning Stone Resort and Casino in Verona, NY, drew a packed field of 128.

At the start of Sunday’s matches, only four players remained undefeated. Mike “The Fireball” Dechaine suffered his first loss to Rodney Morris, both recently returned from the Mosconi Cup, 9-5, while Ralf Souquet, a Mosconi Cup veteran, was sent to the west side by Raj Hundal 9-5. Hundal went on to best Morris 9-4 and await a finals opponent.

On the left bracket, Darren Appleton, who suffered a third-round, hill-hill loss to Joss Northeast 9-Ball Tour threat Dennis Hatch, won six matches in a row to reach Mosconi Cup teammate Souquet and fell 9-3 in fifth place. Tying with him was Dechaine, who came out on the short end of a hill-hill match against Van Boening.

Once on the west side of the chart, Van Boening disposed of top-notch players such as Larry Nevel 9-5, Bucky Souvanthong 9-6, Earl Strickland 9-4, and Dennis Hatch 9-2 to reach the quarterfinals. After disposing of Dechaine, he then had to face the determined Souquet, a past champion of the Turning Stone event. He made quick work of the German, moving on to the semifinals with a 9-3 win.

View the Turning Stone tournament brackets (updated continuously)

Defending champion Morris awaited Van Boening, but there was no repeat performance for the Hawaiian as “The South Dakota Kid” allowed him 5 racks in the race to 9. In the extended race-to-13 final match, Van Boening allowed Hundal a few chances, but when all was said and done, Van Boening took the final match and the title 13-9.

Read more ...

Strickland Reaches Final 8 Undefeated at Turning Stone

Posted by admin as Billiard News, Joss Northeast 9 Ball Tour, Mosconi Cup, Tournament Brackets

Strickland Reaches Final 8 Undefeated at Turning Stone
Turning Stone Classic XVIII / Verona, NY

by InsidePOOL Staff

Earl Strickland is on a tear at the Turning Stone Classic XVIII—he earlier whitewashed Johnny Archer 9-0, followed that up with a 9-4 win over “Iron Mike” Davis, and most recently trounced Shane Winters 9-3 to reach the final 8 on the winners’ side. In the next round he faces fellow Hall of Famer Ralf Souquet of Germany, who just sent Stevie Moore to the one-loss side 9-4.

India’s Raj Hundal is also unscathed as yet, having won both of his last two matches 9-3 over Brian Brekke and Chris Lynch. Hundal’s next challenge will come from Dustin Morris, recently the victor over Danny Thompson 9-3.

“The Fireball” burned down Dennis Hatch, who can still take the title but from the west side. Their match saw Mike Dechaine advance 9-6 to next play Brandon Shuff, who recently bested Johnathan “Hennessee” Pinegar 9-7.

Two Mosconi Cup teammates matched up when Shane Van Boening and Shawn Putnam went head to head, but only one went on to remain undefeated. It was the closest of matches, but Putnam was the one to win it 9-8, while Van Boening must trudge through the left side if he is to make a try for the title.

View the Turning Stone tournament brackets (updated continuously)

Another Mosconi Cup member, Rodney Morris, also had a hill-hill match but eked out a 9-8 victory over Bucky Souvanthong. Morris and Putnam will play each other in the following round.

Visit InsidePOOL for the latest news in the sport of billiards and pool.

Read more ...

Turning Stone XVII Begins

Posted by admin as Billiard News, Mosconi Cup, Tournament Brackets

Turning Stone XVIII Begins

by Inside POOL

The Turning Stone Classic XVIII has begun, once again boasting a full field of 128 of top players from all over the world. The Turning Stone Resort and Casino in Verona, NY, is hosting the $25,000-added event, put on twice a year by Mike Zuglan of the Joss Northeast 9-Ball Tour.

Flying directly from Las Vegas, the entire American Mosconi Cup team is present, including defending champion “Rocket” Rodney Morris, who lambasted Mike Selig 9-1 in his first-round match. The rest of his teammates won their matches as well: Mosconi rookie Mike Dechaine bested trick shot artist Steve Lillis 9-1, Shane Van Boening defeated Alex Platonov 9-2, Shawn “Big Bubba” Putnam won 9-6 over Greg Antonakos, and Johnny Archer defeated Gregg McAndrews 9-5. Archer’s first-round win lines him up to face off with Earl Strickland in the second round, which is sure to be a crowd-pleaser.

From the victorious Team Europe, Darren Appleton, current U.S. Open 9-Ball champ the last two years, won his first match over Steve Way 9-0. Recent Hall of Fame inductee Ralf Souquet won his first match as well, besting 9-4. His next challenger will be young gun Jesse Engel, who made such a splash at the 2010 U.S. Open with his back-to-back victories over Strickland and Mike Sigel.

Brittany Bryant, Kathryn Fairchild, and Dawn Fox join New Yorker Jennifer “9MM” Barretta as the four female participants of the event. Barretta won her first match in fine style with a 9-7 win over Randy Labonte, while Bryant one-upped her with a 9-1 rout over Jesse Janovsky.

View the Turning Stone tournament brackets (updated continuously)

Father and son team Ernesto and Oscar Dominguez both won their first matches, defeating John Babravich 9-2 and Dave Ascolese 9-6, respectively. Ernesto next faces Canada’s Eric Hjorliefson, and Oscar’s next match will be against Putnam.

Friday will see the beginning of the elimination rounds, as the field whittles down from its original 128 players. Visit InsidePOOL for the latest news in the sport of billiards and pool.

Read more ...

Feijen brings it home for Europe

Posted by admin as Billiard News, Mosconi Cup

Feijen brings it home for Europe

Europe wins Mosconi Cup 11– 7 over USA

Nick Van Den Berg 2-6 Shane Van Boening

Darren Appleton 3-6 Johnny Archer

Niels Feijen 6-3 Rodney Morris

EUROPE has successfully defended the PartyPoker.net Mosconi Cup following a convincing 11-7 victory over the USA at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. It was Holland’s Niels Feijen, in his seventh Mosconi Cup, who downed the winning 9 ball which sparked mayhem as his team mates flooded the arena.

It also delivered Feijen the Most Valuable Player award, achieved for two singles and two doubles wins: “It got a bit shaky but they went in,” he said of his 6-3 victory over Rodney Morris to seal the Mosconi Cup.

“I just want to thank the crowd, the British and Europeans and you need them to make it. There were some immense moments and thanks to the coach for doing a super job. He gave us speeches every morning and kept us sharp.”

The Americans, who had trailed 10-5 at the start of the day, won the opening two games to leave the Europeans looking a little edgy.

“Even this morning, there was pressure on us and we knew they would come out strongly. There was some heat to get over the finish line but these guys are just so good,” continued Feijen.

“Being the Most Valuable Player is something I’ve been dreaming about this for seven years, every year I’ve played in it.”

Johnny Archer, playing in his 15th Mosconi Cup was stoical in defeat; “We lost a couple of matches we should’ve won and they blitzed us in a few matches. We all gave it our best and will do it again next time. Hats off to their team, they hung in there when things didn’t look good.”

The opening match of the day saw Shane Van Boening put in an excellent performance to keep US hopes alive as he comfortably beat Nick Van Den Berg 6-2. The South Dakota Kid kept his team in the competition on Saturday night when he beat the same opponent in a close match but this time he pulled away from 2-2 to take the victory.

Still fighting, a dogged display from veteran Johnny Archer kept USA fires alight as he put paid to Darren Appleton’s hopes of a repeat MVP trophy.

The Scorpion took the opening two racks before he missed a 4 ball in the third to give Appleton a great opportunity which he accepted to take his first rack of the night. However, a loose safety gave Archer the opportunity in the next which he converted to move into a 3-1 lead. That soon became 4-1 as the 4 ball kicked the 9 ball into the centre pocket for the second golden break of the tournament.

A poor break shot from Appleton gave Archer every chance in the sixth game but he missed a bank shot on the 5 ball and Appleton made it 2-4.

He took the seventh but Appleton missed a cut on the 2 ball in the next though and Archer held his nerve to reach the hill. He completed a break and run to seal the victory and reduce the deficit to three.

It was left to Niels Feijen to bring home the bacon for Team Europe as he faced off against Rodney Morris. The Hawaiian had not been at his best this week but had showed flashes of his best form at times.

A poor safety from Morris gave Feijen an opportunity in the opener but he scratched, drawi Read more ...

Europe one away from Mosconi Cup Glory

Posted by admin as Billiard News, Mosconi Cup

Europe one away from Mosconi Cup Glory

Europe 10– 5 USA

Appleton / Feijen 6-3 Putnam / Dechaine
Darren Appleton 6-2 Shawn Putnam
Feijen / Souquet 6-2 Archer / Morris
Nick Van Den Berg 5-6 Shane Van Boening
Chris Melling 6-2 Mike Dechaine

TEAM EUROPE is now one match away from retaining the PartyPoker.net Mosconi Cup after a one-sided blitz on the American team in front of a standing room only crowd at the MGM Grand, Las Vegas.

After getting the better of things yesterday, the Americans entered the day with high hopes but were battered from start to finish with only Shane Van Boening contributing some red to the score board.

Needing a great start to the day, the USA lost an exciting opener as Appleton and Feijen got the better of Dechaine and Putnam by 6-3. That restored the Europeans three point lead that they held at the start of day one, but the final rack of the match was one of the best safety battles in Mosconi history as all four players took turns to leave the cue ball tucked up.

It was Feijen who broke the deadlock as he made a table length bank on the blue 2 and from there the Europeans ran out to take the match.

“Yesterday we lost the first doubles match 6-5 but Niels and Nick had played well. You need a bit of luck at the right time and we had a couple of rolls there,” said Appleton.
“But we played well at the end and had a lot of fire inside us – Niels is a fantastic player to play with,” he added.
There was more misery for Putnam in the next as he was easily beaten by a fired-up Darren Appleton as Europe moved into an 8-4 lead. The tone was set in the opening rack as Putnam looked to be heading for a run out but missed a howler of a 9 ball to hand the rack to Europe. The big man never really recovered from that and further errors sealed his fate.

The third match featured Johnny Archer and Rodney Morris against Niels Feijen and Ralf Souquet and for the American side it was desperate stuff. 8-4 soon became 9-4 as the lacklustre American pair failed to make any sort of dent in the confident Europeans’ armour.

“When we had a training camp we played with each other and figured out what teams were working out and Johan then picked the pairings,” said Souquet.
“It’s not over until the fat lady sings and we want to win the next two and finish it off. We have quite a comfortable lead but it’s still a long road.”
Feijen added “When everyone is scoring points in front of you it takes the pressure off. We’ve clicked really well and have a great team spirit and a great team.”
It was Shane Van Boening who finally stopped the rot and ensured a final day of play as he endured a torrid match against Nick Van Den Berg that went all the way to a decider. Van Boening had led 5-2 at one stage but the plucky Dutchman fought back to level it at 5-5 and breaking in the final rack he found himself favourite.

A dry break got the American back to the table and he played a superb slow roll on the 1 ball to set up a difficult run out which Van Boening completed to keep his side in the competition.

Finally it was left to Chris Melling to turn the screw and put his side on the hill as he beat Mike Dechaine 6-2 in a clash of the rookies.

[caption id="attachment_16589" align="alignleft" width="504" caption="Finally it was left to Melling to turn the screw and put hi Read more ...

Team USA Pulls Within Two

Posted by admin as Billiard News, Mosconi Cup

USA right back in it

Europe 6– 4 USA

TEAM USA recovered from a first day hammering at the PartyPoker.net Mosconi Cup as they put themselves right back into contention, winning three matches to Europe’s two at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

Stellar performances from the Americans saw them level the match at 4-4, before the Europeans derailed their momentum to take the final two games and move into the fourth day with a two point lead.

There was plenty of Mosconi Cup drama as debutant Mike Dechaine overcame Ralf Souquet 6-1 and Rodney Morris had an outburst that he will be happy to forget in a hurry. However, coming into the day three points down, Team USA will be happy to have reduced the deficit.

The opening match of day two was a must-win situation for the Americans and win it they did as Johnny Archer and Shane Van Boening edged past the Dutch duo of Feijen and Van den Berg. With the racking changed from the opening day – a regular rack was used instead of the Magic Rack – the balls were spreading nicely and both pairs took advantage with succession of break and runs.

With the USA having won the lag, they reached the hill first and had a great chance to win 6-4 but Van Boening left Archer in the lurch with just the 8 and 9 balls left on the table and the Dutchmen eventually took the rack to make it hill hill.

Archer dropped four balls into the pockets from his break shot and himself and Van Boening went on to claim a nerve calming win.

“We’re not doing anything different. Our execution yesterday meant we over ran a few shots and we’ve just tightened it up. We had chances to win matches yesterday,” said Archer.

There was more USA joy in the second match as Mike Dechaine – a heavy underdog – put in a perfect performance to overturn Ralf Souquet by 6-1 and reduce the European lead to just one point.

The 24 year-old Dechaine looked a bundle of nerves and adrenaline prior to the match but he made it all work in his favour as he ran through his racks with precision and cashed in on a couple of errors from Souquet.

“This is definitely one of the best moments of my life. I’m having a great time and everyone has a positive attitude, even though we were 4-1 down after the first day,” said a delighted Dechaine.

“We had a couple of unfortunate events yesterday but today we’ve put up a good line-up and it’s going to be a great day.”

There was plenty of drama and controversy in the next match as Team USA drew level, winning their third consecutive match of the day as Rodney Morris and Shawn Putnam beat the English pair of Melling and Appleton.

6-5 was the score line as the US stole it at the last when Appleton left Melling a tough pink 4 ball and he overcut it to give the table and subsequently the match to the Americans.

The real drama came at the start of the sixth rack when Morris’s temper boiled over and he used some regrettable language. Some of the rowdier elements got to him and he told Darren Appleton, in no uncertain terms, to tell them to be quiet. It then escalated as Morris then audibly offered the Englishman to step outside.

Things calmed down as the Americans went on to take the match and afterwards Morris was highly embarrassed by his outburst as well as apologetic.

In the fourth match of the day, Nick Van Den Berg put in a superb performance to beat Johnny Archer 6-1 and rest Read more ...

Europe Leads 4-1 at Mosconi Cup

Posted by admin as Billiard News, Mosconi Cup

Europe enjoy superb opening day at Mosconi Cup

Europe 4 – 1 USA

After the first day’s play at the 2011 PartyPoker.net Mosconi Cup, considered by many to be the best billiards event of the season, Team Europe holds a commanding 4-1 lead as they cashed in on some tentative play from the Americans at the MGM Grand.

Aside from Archer and Putnam’s solid show in the first doubles match of the tournament, none of the Americans were firing on all cylinders and captain Charlie Williams will have a job to do for tomorrow.

Europe by contrast looked like thoroughbreds with big names like Souquet and Feijen looking the part and rookie Chris Melling pulling off a stunning win in the last game of the day.

Watched by his father, who was celebrating his 60th birthday, the 32 year-old Melling looked superb as he came from 3-0 down to steal the final match of the day from Shane Van Boening with a hill-hill win.

It was a bitter pill for the Americans to swallow as the difference between 3-2 and 4-1 is immense, and they will need to dig deep tomorrow if they are to reverse their fortunes.

Earlier, the Europeans drew first blood as they took the opening team match which featured all ten players. The format differed from previous years, in that each rack was contested by just two players rather than the alternate shot method involving all five.

It was Chris Melling who took the deciding rack against Mike Dechaine for the point but the Americans looked a little nervous throughout.

2010 MVP Darren Appleton was delighted with the win; “I’m really happy with the start. The format had changed a bit and it adds more pressure. You’re a bit cold and have no help from your friends. I played the first rack and was shaking really badly.

“Chris didn’t get a shot in the first game but he managed to win the rack that won us the point and I think he will go on and play very well.

“We don’t have to gel as we just come together and are a lot more relaxed than ever before. We’re playing really good, feel calm in ourselves and pretty sure we’re going to win.”

The American pair of Johnny Archer and Shawn Putnam – close friends off the table – dug their heels in to overturn a 3-1 deficit and beat the Euro duo of Chris Melling and Nick Van Den Berg.

It was a big point for the Americans as Archer and Putnam grew in confidence as the match went on and they came with the critical shots in the closing stages. The communication between the pair was excellent as they kicked on for victory.

“Representing your country is the most pressure you will feel,” said Putnam.

Match summary
Europe 6-4 USA

Melling / Van den Berg 3-6 Archer / Putnam

Niels Feijen 6-0 Rodney Morris

Appleton / Souquet 6-4 Van Boening / Dechaine

Chris Melling 6-5 Shane Van Boening

“Everyone is used to playing for yourselves but when you play for your country the nerves are about ten times more and your friends on the team are looking for you to come through.

Archer added “It’s early but any match can turn anything around. We were 3-1 down and the momentum was in their favour but a bad break gave us a bit of a lifeline and we started creeping back.”

Rodney Morris, for so long a stalwart of the US Mosconi Cup side, looked a forlorn figure as he slumped to a 6-0 defeat at the hands of Niels Feijen. The Dutchman looked clinical throughout as he capitalised on Morris’s lacklustre display.

“That match was great,” said a delighted Feijen.

“In the first team match it was the most nerve-racking match I’ve played in so it was nice to settle down in th Read more ...

Mosconi Cup set for four day live stream

Posted by admin as Billiard News, Mosconi Cup, World Cup of Pool, World Pool Masters

Mosconi Cup set for four day live stream

2011 PartyPoker.net Mosconi Cup

FOR POOL fans unlucky enough not to live in Great Britain, Ireland, Australia, and parts of the Middle East, where the event is live on TV, the entire PartyPoker.net Mosconi Cup will be available throughout as a live stream through Livesport.tv.

Part of the ever-expanding Perform Group, Livesport.tv will be streaming every ball of every rack when the USA v Europe clash gets underway at 11am local time on Thursday 8th December.

Priced at a competitive $4.99 per day or $14.99 for the entire event, Livesport will be taking the Sky Sports feed complete with graphics and commentary.

Click on either of the two links below to take you straight to where the Mosconi Cup action is.

Livesport.tv

Matchroom Sport

For fans in Las Vegas, there are still tickets available and they are priced at $35 per day or $120 for the four day season passes and booking charges will apply.

Currently the Mosconi Cup is sold through Ticketmaster (1-800-745-3000) or MGM Resorts Contact Center (1-866-740-7711) and also available at Ticketmaster and MGM Resorts Ticketing Outlets.

For online purchases please refer to Ticketmaster.com and search Mosconi Cup.

Luke Riches, Matchroom Sport: luke.riches@matchroom.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 sports. Based in the UK and chaired by charismatic founder Barry Hearn, the Mosconi Cup is one of a stable of pool events that include the World Cup of Pool and the World Pool Masters.

Mosconi Cup tables are supplied by Diamond Billiard Products, the cloth is by Simonis, balls are provided by Aramith and the Official Cue is Predator.

Read more ...

Jeanette Lee and Johnny Archer Lead USA Teams

Posted by admin as Billiard News, Mosconi Cup

Jeanette Lee & Johnny Archer Lead USA Teams

Hangzhou, China – Johnny Archer and Jeanette Lee will be teaming up for the very first time to go against the world’s best man/women teams at the Taobao World Mixed Doubles. The two legendary players will be USA’s top bet to secure the title, but will have support from American players in the event Jennifer Barretta, Hunter Lombardo, Max Eberle, and Shanelle Loraine. The three USA teams will be up against three teams from China, Philippines, England, and other teams from Asia and Europe. All the players will be joining on November 30th to December 2,2011 at Jiebai Mall in Hangzhou,China. Chamberlain Tables joins Taobao.com, one of the world’s top 20 most visited internet sites, as one of the top sponsors of the event. The combination of Taobao, Chamberlain Tables, 9-Club Entertainment, and Dragon Promotions will make this one of the hottest billiards events ever in China!

Jeanette Lee is known as one of the most famous players in the world, and she is still playing well today. The Black Widow, as she is known, just recently finished 3rd at the recent WPBA event in America. And her partner, Johnny Archer, still remains ranked in the top 5 in the USA for over 20 years, many of those years being ranked #1.
” It is my first time playing with a female partner. I accepted the invitation because I really enjoy playing team events, and I am excited to play as a team with Jeanette”, said Archer. Johnny will, coincidentally, be flying straight from China to Las Vegas after the event to play for Team USA again in the Mosconi Cup. It will be his 15th year on the USA Team.

Jennifer Barretta and Hunter Lombardo will also be teaming up for the first time. Both players are ranked in the top 10 in the USA and could be a surprise hit in the event.
I accepted my invite to this event because I’ve never been to China, and I love playing doubles. I’ve played mixed doubles as an amateur in smaller events, but not at the pro level. Hunter and I will be a good team because whenever I’m around my partner we always laugh and have a good time. It’s so important to be compatible”, said Jennifer.

The final USA hopefuls will be the exotic match-up of Shanelle Loraine and Max Eberle.

“It has been a longtime dream of mine to visit China and to play pool here, as well as witness the pool craze in China which I hear is pretty phenomenal. I was the MC match announcer for the very first Dragon Promotions event ever which was held in Orlando, Florida over 10 years ago… so it is great to see the success that Dragon Promotions has created, and an honor to be playing in DP’s first ever event in China!” said Eberle. Max is a former 2 times USA National College Champion and former USA Junior Champion. As a professional, he has a bronze medal at the World Straight Pool Championship.

Shanelle added, “I am absolutely honored to be invited to this world class event. It has always been a dream of mine to visit China! There’s no way I could turn down this amazing opportunity to compete in Dragon Promotions first event ever in China.” Loraine has improved alot over the years as a semi-pro player and finished an impressive 3rd place last time at the World Mixed Doubles with wins o Read more ...