Billiard Buzz November 2025

TUNNEL VISION

Volume 8, Issue #92

5115 N Dysart Rd #202-123

Litchfield Park, Az 85392

Ph: 678-919-7665

info@azbilliards.com

Brought to you by the team at AzBilliards.com

CONTRIBUTORS:

Skip Maloney

Erwin Dionisio

Phil Capelle

Anthony Beeler

Mary Kenniston

Jack Mitchell - Matchroom Multi Sport

Predator Pro Billiard Series

Kim Davenport

Paula Paterniti WPBA

Pool Action TV

COVER PHOTO:

Taka Wu - Matchroom Multi Sport

GRAPHICS AND LAYOUT:

Natasha Dolovacki

Nebojsa Dolovacki

© 2017-2022, The Billiards Buzz is an online only monthly publication. It is published on or around the 30th of each month. All opinions & information expressed herein are exclusively those of the writers or advertisers and do not necessarily reflect those of the AzBilliards. All persons interested in submitting articles and material of interest are invited to do so. Submission of such articles constitutes permission for AzBilliards to use these articles in this publication or online on AzBilliards. com. Article submission or advertisers queries can be sent to us at info@azbilliards.com

A message from the Editor

FROM THE Head Rail

MIKE HOWERTON

Tunnel vision can be a very valuable skill for a professional pool player. Just ask David Alcaide, who returned to the winners circle in a big way with his win at the Philippines Open last month.

In addition to our great cover shot of El Matador this month, you will find a number of other photos from the huge slate of Matchroom events that took place in October. As pool fans, we are blessed with some of the great photographers who cover the game for us.

With October behind us, it’s time to head to St. Augustine Florida for Pat Fleming’s International Open. The International Open will also be the host to Carlo Biado’s induction into the BCA Hall of Fame. It is sure to be another great event (has Pat ever ran one that wasn’t great?).

Until December, Mike

18 David Alcaide Win Philippines Open

22 Team Asia Conquers

6 Art & Science of Pool Phil Capelle

10 The Neutral Grip Is Dead Anthony Beeler

12 Chalkin’ Up The Memories

Mary Kenniston

26 Pijus Labutis Wins First Matchroom Title

Jack Mitchell - Matchroom Multi Sport / Photo by Taka Wu - Matchroom Multi Sport

30 Albin Ouschan Nets World 8-Ball Championship

Article and photo courtesy Predator Pro Billiard Series

32 Centeno Wins in Bali

Article and photo courtesy Predator Pro Billiard Series

34 Chinese Taipei Crowned Doubles World Champions

Article and photo courtesy Predator Pro Billiard Series

36 Veronique Menard Wins WPBA Semi-Pro Event

Skip Maloney - AzB Staff / Photos courtesy WPBA

40 California Kim Wins Senior One Pocket Classic

Mary Kenniston / Photos by Pool Action TV and Kim Davenport

42 Shaw and Woodward Return As Mosconi Cup Captains

Jack Mitchell - Matchroom Multi Sport / Photo by Taka Wu - Matchroom Multi Sport

44 Billie Billing Inducted to WPBA Hall of Fame

Article by WPBA / Photo courtesy Paula Paterniti

46 Cuetec Teams With World Nineball Tour

48 Billiard TV Joins Prime Video UK 50 Tournament Results

56 Upcoming Events

57 AzBilliards Money List

THE ART AND SCIENCE OF POOL

Yes, you can mix art and science in playing pool, and you must do so if you want to take your game anywhere close to the highest levels.

In his book, Proust Was a Neuroscientist, Jonah Lehrer posed the science and art question like this:

We now know enough about the brain to realize that its mystery will always remain. Like a work of art, we exceed our materials. Science needs art to frame the mystery, but art needs science so that not everything is a mystery. Neither truth alone is our solution, for our reality exists in plural.

So, science can take us very far in answering some of the toughest questions. Science is what enables us to construct skyscrapers and send people into space, and back. And science gave us CRISPR – gene editing – thank

you Jennifer Doudna and Emmanuelle Charpentier for providing the perfect analogy to fixing flaws in our technique and to improving our games.

SCIENCE HITS ROADBLOCKS

BUT, science can only take us so far and then it hits a roadblock – and there is no place that keeps science from the empirical answers it craves than the inner workings of our mind. Who is this self who runs the show? There is no little motor or computer in the brain where the thinking is done in a highly scientific manner. Instead, our thinking is produced by a 100 billion neurons acting in an impossibly complex manner, one that can never be known. Why is that so? Because, how we solve the exact same problem we faced before will, this time around, involve millions and possibly billions of new neurons.

SCIENCE POOL ART

Our brain is not built to produce perfect answers over and over again like a computer does. It can’t, and that is why science cannot nail down it’s processes , why it can’t label and/or number a billion neurons and tell you to use exactly which ones to produce a super pool shot, for example.

Our brain is not built to produce perfect answers over and over again.

As a result, my process for playing complete shot, which I named The Shot Cycle, is far from being a perfectly orchestrated, 100% science based, system for playing pool. Yes, there is science to it. It incorporates the skillful use of our working memory, it mixes in short and long term memories, and fast and slow thinking.

And the results we seek – a cue moving at a certain speed down a precise direction that produces a specific acceleration pattern and spin – things that we CAN talk about in terms that a physicist revels in, and is a master at working those equations, the kind that the mere thought of having to solve them, gives most of us a severe headache.

So, we have all of this science that goes into each pool shot. And some-

how the non-poolplaying public has bought into this notion that “Pool is all math,” or “Pool is geometry,” or some other simplification that places science at the center of the experts’ world of play when it is only a small part of the equation.

What these observers are missing along with so many scientists in other fields, the ones who think science has all of the answers, is that there most definitely is another side to the equation – and that side’s name is A-R-T!

So, playing pool is both science AND art. And the sooner a prospective player embraces that notion, the quicker they can them place part of their attention on the elements that are best handled, and in many cases can only be handled, by an art-centered approach.

OPERATIONS DURING THE SHOT CYCLE

Let’s look at a few of the critical operations that take place during The Shot Cycle. Each one of them takes place during the planning, the executing, and the learning phases of the cycle.

Planning involves some complex and high level decision making on nearly every shot, despite the fact that pros so often make it look so easy. Now, they can do that because they are so well trained, have massive skills, and think pool like an expert is expected to think.

Planning involves some complex and high level decision making on nearly every shot.

If you have the same series of shots that a pro so superbly executes in a typical runout and you let an amateur take on the same position, the odds are that they will be back in their seat following a shot, or two, or three. Why? Because the game IS very difficult, and all of the decisions that make up even a single shot are not so easy to make.

Even if an amateur player does choose the correct shot, then they have to move their brain and body though countless steps on their way to moving their cue at just the right speed into the precise spot on the cue ball to make the shot - and this all assumes that they know the final line-of-aim! Yes, I can make playing pool sound exceptionally challenging, and it is –otherwise those millions of amateur players would play much closer to the pro level.

Returning to the business of pool being a game of math and geometry, I think that by stereotyping the game as a science, and only a science, might discourage so many would be players from taking it up and from playing it seriously.

I KNOW VERY LITTLE ABOUT MATH AND GEOMETRY

Myself, I am arguably the one of the world’s leading authorities on how great pool is played, and yet I know close to nothing about those complex equations, and I only have a beginner’s level of geometry.

But I will say that I love angles and triangles and quadrilaterals and lines – but luckily for us, these are among the handful of science terms that you must master.

Add to the laws regarding the transfer of energy, RMS, and a few more items, and you have a command of what you need to know to play pool like a scientist.

THE ART OF POOL

How do we know what aspects of pool are performed by art, and that must be approached like an artist? If you have to SEE something, chances are that it is ART. If you FEEL something, that is art! If you must decide, based on your intuition, that you are making the right choice or choices, that is art.

As for painters, I am fascinated by their knowing when a painting is done. I mean, they could always add another brushstroke or a another dab here or there. Add a little more red. Block part of a collar. Whatever. But, at some point their painting must be done, just like us pool players, who play each shot, each match, and then move on to the next one.

Pool players have a much shorter time frame when it comes to deciding on a shot, but at some point they must say to themselves “this is it.” They must commit to their plan. And they must do so with a degree of commitment that is absent from so many of the decisions that most of us make on most matters. Indeed, pool takes great precision, and the least bit of doubt can lead to a flawed motion into contact with the cue ball – and a miss.

CREATING THEIR GAME –LIKE AN ARTIST

Another place where a pool player can be more like a painter is in the construction of their game. While there could be a big competition looming on the horizon that requires a certain kind of preparation, most of the time a

Phil Capelle

player can fiddle with their technique for days, weeks, months, or even longer as they search for their version of the ideal way to play. However, if they are not careful, their game may come to resemble the Winchester House, that famous dwelling in San Jose that was supposedly never finished – but I guess it was because it is now set at 160 rooms with 24,000 square feet.

THE ELEMENTS OF YOUR SHOT

The elements of that make up each shot are an exquisite mix of art and science. They include:

• The way you approach the ball and set up for each shot

• The feel in your arm as you take your WUS

• The feeling you arrive at that tells you that you are pointing your cue down a nearly perfect LOA

• Your acceleration pattern to contact with the cue ball

ART AND SCIENCE, BUT IN WHAT PROPORTIONS?

Let’s consider the proportion of science and art that goes into your game.

One big question concerns aiming, the most hotly debated topic in pool, and one that has no shortage offbeat methods on the science of it all that promise to make so easy when it is anything but.

So, a big question is: When does science crossover into art? Well, I suppose that you could measure the cut angle of your shots. And maybe it would help in some cases to know that a cut is, let’s say, 34.4° degrees and not 39.7°.

In golf they have tools that measure distance to the pin, and for viewers of PGA Tour events, they measure the distance to the hole and the slope in the green. TV Lasers can tell if a putt is 31’, 5”, for example. The player can pace them off their putts and come up 10x3=30’ plus about half a step. In fact, in my golfing days, I used to pace off my putts, and this helped me to become very skilled at lagging the ball close to the hole.

In the not too distant future there could be pool playing accessories that can provide a player with Shot Specs – the pocket to OB, the OB to CB, and the cut angle. For now, however, players must eyeball the angles, which is more art than science. Indeed, a fine player intuitively knows the spectrum from a dead straight in shot to super thin cut of 60°-70°. And good players know the impact that various distances have on a shot.

Players must eyeball the cut angle of each shot, which is more art than science.

ALL of these calculations are scientific in nature, and if we had to deal with these kinds of variables to launch a rocket ship, they would be calculated to far beyond the decimal point. But such is not the case in pool as we can leave our slide rules and software at home.

So, how does a pool player make these calculations? I can say with complete confidence that they do NOT come up with precise number based answers. For example, they do not know that the cut is 28.742 degrees and that the speed that the cue ball leaves their tip should be 5.293 MPH.

Instead, pro players just look at the shot and somehow compute the answers in terms of a FEELING – not in numbers. The shot feels a certain way and it looks like a specific shot that they’ve played thousands of times before. So, does that sound like art or science to you? Myself, I am going with art.

ASSIGNING THE IDENTIFIERS

It helps us in streamlining the planning phase if we can identify most shots by employing science and art. So, even though we can explain things in scientific terms, the doing of those same things is best left to our artistic sensibilities, so much so that we should swing decidedly into the artist mode as we prepare to land and go through the WUS portion of The Shot Cycle, and the final stroke as well. To sum up the pool playing process:

• EXPLAIN POOL LIKE A SCIENTIST.

• EXECUTE LIKE AN ARITST.

• CREATE AN OVERAP OF ART AND SCIENCE AS NEEDED.

ABOUT PHIL CAPELLE

Beginning in 1968, Capelle spent 27 years competing in money games, leagues, and tournaments. In late 1994 he founded Billiards Press, and has since written 12 instructional books on pool. Over the last eight years he has conducted extensive research in preparation for his upcoming book, Pool Is The Answer. For a detailed profile of Phil Capelle, see his interview with Melinda Bailey in the April 2019 issue of the Billiards Buzz.

Anthony Beeler

THE NEUTRAL GRIP IS DEAD!

ANTHONY BEELER

For decades, pool players were taught to hold the cue with a “neutral” grip — the hand positioned so that the thumb points toward the player’s body and the knuckles align roughly at the three o’clock position on the cue. This concept, popularized in the 1980s, was built on the belief that a neutral hand position created balance, control, and reduced tension during the stroke. But time, technology, and a better understanding of human mechanics have exposed its flaws. Today’s top professionals have moved far beyond neutral. To achieve a truly efficient and repeatable stroke, modern players must rethink their fundamentals. The neutral grip is dead.

The old neutral position inherently promotes what many instructors now call the “chicken-wing” stroke. When the thumb points toward the body and the knuckles rest at three o’clock, the elbow tends to flare outward, forcing the forearm to move slightly across the player’s body. This lateral movement prevents the cue from traveling perfectly straight. The result is a stroke that may look balanced but contains small, uncontrolled deviations that

cause off-center hits and inconsistent cue-ball contact. The neutral grip adds unnecessary complexity to what should be a simple, vertical pendulum motion. Modern professionals have corrected this by rotating their hand — moving the knuckles above the traditional three o’clock position. This rotation allows the thumb to point almost straight toward the floor rather than back at the body. The change seems minor, but it’s biomechanically significant: it realigns the wrist and forearm so the cue moves naturally through the shot in a straight line. The forearm now swings like a pendulum, free of side torque, and the player gains accuracy.

It’s important to note that these clockface references apply to right-handed players. A left-handed player would see the exact opposite relationship, where their neutral knuckles would point to nine o’clock instead of three. Regardless of handedness, the same principle holds true — rotating the hand forward from neutral aligns the wrist and forearm along the same vertical plane.

A critical part of this rotation comes from cocking the wrist. Almost all

elite players use some degree of wrist cocking to set their grip and stabilize the delivery of the cue. Some, like C.J. Wiley and Shane Van Boening, cock their wrists backward with their fingers forward. Others, such as Shannon Murphy and Fedor Gorst, angle the wrist outward to the side (knuckles above the three o’clock position). Though each style is unique, they share one defining characteristic — every wrist is cocked. This rotation locks the wrist into a more stable orientation, creating fewer moving parts, which allows for a straighter, smoother follow-through.

Personally, I favor the outward-cocked wrist because it naturally aligns the thumb and inner forearm in a straight line. The thumb’s downward orientation and the cocked wrist keep the cue perfectly in line, eliminating the inward collapse of the wrist that causes the chicken-wing motion. The result is a more fluid delivery with consistent tip placement, improved speed control, and better accuracy. The stroke becomes more solid and infinitely more repeatable.

You can see this approach clearly in the grips of Shannon Murphy and the legendary Ralph Greenleaf (far ahead of his time). Both employ a relaxed, vertical hand orientation with the knuckles significantly above the three o’clock position. Their success proves

Anthony Beeler

that the evolution in grip mechanics leads to superior precision, consistency, and power.

Ultimately, billiards instruction must move forward instead of clinging to outdated mechanics from the 1980s. Teaching the neutral grip today is like telling golfers to keep using wooden clubs — it ignores decades of biomechanical progress. The correct modern grip — with the thumb pointing toward the floor and the wrist cocked into roughly the two o’clock position — harmonizes the player’s anatomy with the cue’s motion. It removes unnecessary movement, reduces tension, and produces a true, linear stroke.

In short, the neutral grip is a relic of an outdated era and must be laid to rest. The next generation of players should adopt the modern, cocked-wrist technique that delivers freedom of motion, pinpoint accuracy, and superior control. The game has evolved — the neutral grip is dead, and pool is stronger, cleaner, and more precise because of it.

Anthony Beeler is the current Billiards Instructor of the Decade and is a former BCAPL National Champion. He has numerous “Top 25” national finishes and is the primary author of the ACS National Billiards Instructor’s Manual. He has also authored the book Unstoppable! Positive Thinking for Pool Players. Anthony currently has the highest established Fargo Rating of any Master Instructor. He has won over 300 tournaments and has defeated numerous professional players in tournament competition.

Mary Kenniston

CHALKIN’ UP THE MEMORIES…

Worn out from the nonstop action at Carousel Billiards for the last couple weeks, I finally slept the sleep of the dead.

The pool room was back to empty again and I was bored to death. I called Bucktooth and he told me to come over at noon on Monday when the store was closed and he’d show me around the store and begin to teach me the ropes of the jewelry business.

It had been pouring rain for the last couple of days and I thought I heard some whimpering. I walked over to the front door and there was this dog –huddled up inside the doorway - filthy and soaking wet.

I unlocked the door and let him in. With his tail tucked between his legs,

he slinked past me but wouldn’t let me come near him. I think he was just happy to be in a warm place out of the rain.

It took two days before he’d come to me for a treat, then grab it and run to the corner where I’d put down some blankets for him. He’d cower and shrink away whenever I tried to pet him. On the third day, he let me try to run my fingers through his matted fur.

The following day, he let me put him in the bathtub and I gave him a good scrubbing. He was so filthy I had to empty the dirty water out of the tub twice and refill it. Finally, the water

ran clear – he was clean. We were both more than ready for him to get out of the tub.

I toweled him off and he stood there patiently while I brushed and blow dried his fur. I think he was as happy to be clean as I was to have something to do!

And what a beautiful dog he was! Weighing about forty pounds, he had lush golden fur and his tail curled up like that of a bichon frise or a husky. Too exhausted to be clever, I named him Rusty.

Rusty became my shadow. Everywhere we went, he rode shotgun. He refused to stay home and whenever he heard the rattle of my keys, he was ready to go.

Itching for Monday to arrive, it finally came and I drove over to Alameda with Rusty at my side. Alameda was an island – you had to go over a short drawbridge to get there. I haven’t been there in years but at that time – a little over forty years ago – when you came off the bridge, there were a few streets of a gritty industrial area with businesses like bait shops, a boatyard, car repair and auto body shops and some small rundown wooden houses. I later discovered it had a very vibrant downtown area and was a middle class bedroom community for those who worked in or wanted to be near Oakland and San Francisco. At that

time, Naval Air Station Alameda was also located there and several different aircraft carriers used it as their homeport. It closed a few years later.

After parking in the back, I walked around to the front and waited to be buzzed in. The building was like a fortress – two story stucco with bars on the windows and doors. Once I was buzzed in, I entered a small vestibule and waited for that door a to also be released. The whole time, Heidi, the German Shepherd that Tooth had guarding the place was going crazy –leaping up behind the counter while growling and barking her head off! To say I was a little shaken was an understatement…

Tooth hollered at the dog and she sat down and was quiet although she still watched me warily.

There were nine showcases arranged in a horseshoe – all filled with jewelry. The ones on the left were filled with a couple hundred charms. Charms were mostly worn on necklaces although the smaller ones could also be used on bracelets. Each was pinned to a black velvet square with a number on the back. If a customer wanted to see one of them, the velvet square could be removed out of the display piece. On the back of each was a number. If the customer wanted to buy it, you’d reach down under the showcase and find the individually numbered Ziploc bag filled with that same item.

On the wall behind these showcases were hundreds of chains of different styles in various lengths all hanging on cheap metal shower hooks. All the gold was sold by the gram. There was a scale in the corner, a chart for the various items and a calculator to determine the price.

In the showcases on the right were hundreds of rings – wedding rings and bands, assorted rings and a few high end watches such as Rolexes.

In the center showcases were other assorted pieces – bangles and heavy bracelets, some encrusted with diamonds. There were also earrings and diamond studs, however, only half of each pair was displayed. If you wanted to see the matching piece, you’d look on the back and reach underneath the counter and grab the numbered bag –just like the charms. If you wanted diamond studs, you’d talk to Tooth & he’d go in the back and bring out several bags of the size you wanted sorted by the quality of the stones.

And all merchandise was sold at a much lower price than you could get even when stores had sales for the holidays.

The place was incredible! I was expecting an ordinary jewelry store – nothing like this!

Tooth told me that between Thanksgiving and Christmas they only let about eight or so people into the store at a time so there was always a line of a hundred or more people standing in the rain or cold waiting to be admitted!

Driving home later that night, I was both stunned and excited. Hard to believe but I couldn’t wait to go to work the next day!

Since it was after the holidays, the store had a steady stream of people who had received money for Christmas or in a few cases, wanted to exchange what they’d gotten for something different. The day blew by and by late afternoon, I didn’t have to ask Tooth or his wife questions as to how to handle things. I had it pretty much dialed in.

The craziest thing I discovered about the place was that there was no cash register. In one of the drawers were four empty checkbook boxes – for ones, fives, tens and twenties. Everything was sold at a flat price – no need for coins to make change. Just put

the money in the appropriate box. If you were handed hundred dollar bills, you’d bring them back to Tooth’s office.

The other thing I found that was unlike any other sales jobs I had in the past, whether retail or otherwise, was that they were happy customers! They were happy because they were buying for themselves, someone they loved, a friend or could trade in what they had gotten as a gift for something that they wanted. As far as I was concerned, Tooth’s store could give Disneyland the seven for being the happiest place on earth!

As I knew very few people in the Bay Area, one of things that Tooth told me to do was to have some business cards printed up with my name and other pertinent information on them to hand out to everyone I met. And so I did – everyone I met got a card with a short spiel about jewelry at near wholesale prices and when they visited the store, just show my card whether I was there or not. Every time someone came in with one of my cards, I’d get the difference between Tooth’s price and the sales price.

I handed out hundreds of cards – gave one to the waitress at the coffee shop, the kid behind the counter, the guy at the hardware store or the gas station. Days passed until one day a couple months later, someone came in, showed one of my cards and I made

Mary Kenniston

$33 on the sale! Not so much money today but in the early ‘80s, it was pretty healthy!

I soon realized something else – I had always been a nailbiter and now I had to show jewelry with my raggedy looking hands. Tooth’s wife took me to a large salon and spa nearby and I got acrylic fingernails. My hands looked beautiful – not being a girly girl, I didn’t even know that they were a thing!

So, I started going to the salon every week to get the nails filled and by this time everyone there knew I sold jewelry as I’d passed out a hundred cards. One day the owner approached me and asked if I’d be interested in doing a jewelry show at the salon. Not even knowing what that entailed, I agreed and we picked out a Saturday later that month.

I went back to the store and told Tooth that I was asked to do a jewelry show. He loved the idea and told me that I just had to bring a lot of jewelry to sell. He selected an assortment of charms, chains, bracelets and earrings to take with me. The following day we took a ride to San Francisco where we bought an assortment of display pieces like the ones he had in his store and then stopped at K-Mart on the way home to buy a diaper bag. That’s right – a diaper bag.

He picked out a big light purple one that could hold all the large display cards we had previously bought. We

took everything back to the store and he handed me the K-Mart bag. He told me to grab a handful of dirt and throw it in the bag. I gave him a look but did what he asked.

We walked into the store and went back to his office. He told me to get a small styrofoam cup and fill it halfway with water. I did what he asked and he dumped it in the bag, shook it up, smashed and twisted it! By now, I’m thinking he’s crazy until he pulled the bag out and wiped it off with a paper towel. The bag looked like it was old and beat up with the dirt in the creases – perfect, he said. No one would ever expect a diaper bag to be filled with gold!

The day for the jewelry show at the salon came the following Saturday. I had been told that it would be heavily advertised but I was skeptical. Who would go to a beauty salon to buy jewelry? Well, it took me almost a half hour to find a spot in the huge strip mall parking lot!

I walked into the salon & the place was packed! I threaded my way through the crowd to get to the rear where I was to set up. The owner of the salon had just finished setting the table up so she helped me get everything out of the bag and laid out on the table. I saw her eyeing the diaper bag so I told her it was brand new a few days ago & how Tooth had dirtied it up! She loved the story and when she suggested that she stay at the table with me to help or

just keep an eye on the gold, I happily agreed.

We had customers nonstop throughout the day – almost all of her customers bought something plus there was a good amount of people that she’d never seen before. When the day was over & the shop locked up for the night, I had hardly any inventory left. I counted up the money – it came to a little over $1900! We had agreed on 10% for the house so I handed her $200 and called it a day! It was such a success that she suggested we do another one around the beginning of December!

As I drove home, I mentally calculated how much I had made after taking out the cut for the salon owner and Tooth. I had to do it three times because I couldn’t believe I’d cleared almost $600! That wasn’t counting the requests for other items I’d gotten throughout the day. Not bad for a day’s work – in the early ‘80s!

So that started me on setting up shows in people’s homes or buying booth space at the various conventions that came to the Oakland Coliseum or other spaces – all the while handing out my cards. No one ever turned it down – who would for a chance to buy jewelry at near wholesale prices! I even flew down to Burbank to do a show at Ronnie Allen’s house. He and his wife, Faye, filled the house with customers for me! When I left, he handed me his copy of Robert Byrne’s book, “McGoorty,” telling me that I’d love it.

So, in addition to people starting to come into the store with my card plus doing shows, I started to develop a pretty good business. I began to keep index cards on customers who bought for themselves, their families or friends detailing what they purchased with their phone numbers, anniversary dates or birthdays. Soon, I was going to office buildings with that dirty old diaper bag to sell that man the matching bracelet to the gold chain he had bought for his wife last time.

Invariably when I called to see if I could get an appointment, they’d say, “Damn, I forgot all about her birthday! Get over here!”

I also hadn’t forgotten about pool. Tooth had taken me around to the various pool rooms – the Palace in San Francisco, California Billiards in San Jose and Executive Billiards in Redwood City among others.

While closing the store one night, Tooth asked me if I wanted check out a pool room in Oakland – Chino’s. Well, of course I did, so we hopped in his car and pulled up in front of a small room in an edgy part of town. Through the plate glass windows, I could see about ten tables and the room was packed with black men of various ages. I was just going to tell Tooth I was a little nervous about going in there but he was already out of the car and pulling the door open. Not wanting to stay in the car alone, I hurried after him and got into the place just in time to hear him say, “Which one of you @$^*) eight balls want to play some nine ball?”

You could have heard a pin drop in the place. I thought I was dead. A couple seconds later, the room erupted with guys cheering, laughing and hollering.

“Tooth!!!”

“Tooey.”

“Oh, man, WTF!”

“Damn, Tooth!”

Guys came over to shake his hand, slap him on the back and talk to him. He knew everyone’s names and loved the attention.

Tooth dragged me around the room introducing me to Rushout Red, Mark Showalter, Herbie and a bunch of other guys. We ended up at the front desk where he introduced me to the owner, an older man named Chino. He and a few guys were playing Tonk. One of the guys gave up his seat for Tooth & I had to decide which table I was going to play on since everyone in the play wanted to play me.

I had a blast and became a regular. I’d call Chino to tell him I was coming over and he’d have one of the guys move his car out of the space in front and put a red cone in its place to save it for me. Of course, as usual, I couldn’t get out of the house without Rusty so I left him in the car with the windows rolled down a couple inches. Every time I looked out the window to see if he was OK, we’d make eye contact and he’d wag his tail furiously and I’d laugh. Chino saw me looking out the window laughing and then saw Rusty in the car.

He came over to me and said in his broken English, “Why dog in car? Bring him in. It’s OK.”

And so I did. We’d park in front and Rusty’d beat me to the door – furiously wagging his tail. He couldn’t wait to get the treats that Chino had waiting for him! After he had his fill, he’d make the rounds getting head scratches and pets from everyone and then he’d go under whatever table I was on and fall sleep. When I was done, everyone would watch as I’d try to break down my cue without Rusty jumping up and wagging his tail – ready to go! No matter how quiet I tried to be in that very noisy place, there was no getting over on him!

I’d make the rounds – on Monday nights, I’d drive over to Redwood City to play Evelyn Dal Porto a game of straight pool and then when she and Sax went home for the night, Dee Hulse would match me up playing nine ball with the locals.

Once or twice a week, I’d go to the Palace. As in other cities, I found the young Gypsy men to be easy pickings but believe it or not, we all became friends. They’d all play for something, constantly talking and teasing my opponents. I have to admit I would be disappointed if they weren’t there – it would usually turn into a rather boring night.

Remember the movie, “King Of The Gypsies?” Well, although it was filmed in New York City, it was based upon the San Francisco clan and one night the King came down to see this young woman that was beating all his boys. The others told me who he was and introduced me to him.

He sat there for a couple hours watching me beat one after another. When it was over for the night, he invited me to go to Chinatown with him and the others. The boys wouldn’t take no for an answer. Once there, he insisted I sit next to his right – I was later told that

was the place of honor. He plied me with questions and I told him about the Gypsy boys that I used to beat every night at the Congress Bowl in Miami. They all loved it, knew many there and the King told me that if I was a Gypsy woman, I’d be worth a lot of money because I was a good earner!

Occasionally when he heard that I was back in town beating his boys again, he’d come down to watch – teasing them mercilessly the whole time. And then we’d all go to Chinatown.

Over the summer, I put together a small nine ball tour for the Bay Area women so almost every Sunday, I’d put a little money in my pocket from those events. My favorite room was Star Billiards in Santa Rosa. It was a beautiful pool room with gleaming Gold Crowns with a wall of plate glass separating it from an ice skating rink.

Before I knew it, fall had arrived and Richie Florence’s Caesars Tahoe Billiards Classic was coming up. Tooth and I had traveled to the Jointed Cue in Sacramento for Terry Stonier’s Father’s Day tournament and we’d been to a couple events but this was the big one. Everyone was going to be there and I couldn’t wait.

It took us several hours to get to Tahoe but it was a beautiful drive as the mountains had some snow on them but the roads were clear.

We finally arrived at Caesars, checked into our rooms and hurried down to the tournament arena. As soon as we walked in, there were shouts of “Tooth’s here!”

This year was a lot different for me than the previous year because of the massive action Tooth had created at Carousel Billiards a year before. Plus, I knew almost everyone from back east and a couple years on the road through the South, Tulsa, Houston, Colorado Springs, Las Vegas and Los Angeles.

The week was filled with great matches, great stories and great after hours action matches. All week long, everyone was woofing at Tooth trying to turn their toothpicks into lumberyards. Waiting until the night before the finals, Tooth matched up with Billy Ray Suden – he’d get the seven.

I knew Billy Ray from California Billiards and I told Tooth I didn’t think he could win. Billy was just playing too good and even though Tooth had set up a Gold Crown in one of the stalls in his four car garage that no one knew about except us, Tooth struggled to beat me. I didn’t think I could beat Billy Ray with the seven.

Didn’t matter – Tooth had decided to play him. Everybody got their side bets down – I was in charge of keeping track of who was betting against Tooth and to handle the money. Billy Ray won the flip and strapped a few racks on him.

In the fourth or fifth game, Tooth finally got a shot but didn’t get out. Billy Ray won that one and put a few more on him. This went on for hours until Tooth was finally empty.

His nose was wide open. He walked over to me and barked at me to call his wife, tell her to go to the safe and stuff as many hundred dollar bills into a suitcase as would fit, hop on a plane and get her ass to Tahoe.

I didn’t want to tell her anything and tried to get out of it by telling him that it was late and there probably weren’t any flights anyway. I didn’t want to call her and told him so - he just glared at me. Said if I still wanted a job when we got back, I’d better do it and don’t let her give you any BS - tell her to charter a plane if she had to.

Reluctantly, I found the pay phones in the hallway and dialed the number. I woke her up - she had been asleep when I called. I told her what Tooth had said and she told me to tell him

Mary Kenniston

what he could do to himself before she hung up on me.

I walked back to the tournament room and over to Tooth and told him what she said. He stalked over to the phones in the hall and called her himself. I don’t know what he told her but although we couldn’t make out the words, we could hear him hollering. A little over three hours later, she walked in the door, threw the suitcase at him and walked right back out.

He didn’t even acknowledge her or miss a beat. He emptied the entire suitcase on the table next to the one they were playing on. I don’t know how much was there but there was a mountain of thick stacks of hundred dollar bills.

Pointing at the cash, Tooth told him Billy Ray to get his ass back up therethat he could win it all.

Well, I’m sure you can figure out what happened. Billy Ray’s long fluid stroke tightened up and Bucktooth’s loosened up. Within a few hours, Tooth had won back the tens of thousands that he had lost and then some until Billy Ray’s stakehorse shut it down.

Tooth chirped, chortled and crowed all the way home – said he knew Billy Ray’s cheeks would tighten up as soon as he saw all that cash.

I didn’t know about that but what I did know is that I’d never seen that much cash in my life or since then. All I knew that it would’ve been a very long ride home and a much different story if he’d lost all that money!

Known in the pool world as "Nightmare," Mary is a former world & national champion, a WPBA Hall of Famer & owned Cue-Topia in Las Vegas, NV. She has thousands of billiard-related photos in her Facebook Wall of Fame.

DAVID ALCAIDE

CROWNED INAUGURAL LIVESB.IO PHILIPPINES OPEN CHAMPION

Article by Jack Mitchell - Photos courtesy Matchroom Multi Sport

David Alcaide produced a masterclass performance in Quezon City to defeat Finland’s rising star Arseni Sevastyanov 13–3 and be crowned the first-ever Philippines Open champion in front of a packed and electric crowd at Gateway Mall.

The Spaniard, who last lifted a Matchroom Major more than two years ago, delivered one of his most commanding finals to date — proving once again that experience, composure, and class never fade. At 46, Alcaide reaffirmed his place among the world’s elite, adding yet another accolade to a storied career.

Reflecting on his victory, Alcaide shared: “What a week. What an experience. I’ve worked so hard for this moment, and I’m incredibly proud that it’s paid off. Arseni played amazing this week — he’s a great young talent and definitely one of the future stars of this sport. Today was my day, but he pushed me all the way.”

“I also want to thank my family, friends, and fans both here and back home. The atmosphere this week has been unbelievable — it felt like playing in the Mosconi Cup every day! The pressure was there in every match, but that’s when I feel most alive. To win here, in such a special event, means everything.”

Final Result

David Alcaide 13–3 Arseni Sevastyanov

Alcaide wasted no time asserting his dominance in the final, taking the opening rack and quickly building a commanding lead. Sevastyanov levelled briefly at 1–1, but a failed safety in rack three allowed Alcaide to seize

control — stringing together a series of precise run-outs to surge ahead 5–1.

The young Finn fought to stay in contention, capitalising on a foul from Alcaide to reduce the deficit to 6–2, but the veteran’s tactical precision and table management proved too much to overcome. Alcaide’s experience shone through, extending his advantage to 8–2 before closing out rack after rack with ruthless efficiency.

A rare scratch from Alcaide gifted Sevastyanov one final rack, but it only delayed the inevitable. The Spaniard quickly regrouped, sweeping the final racks in trademark style to reach the hill and seal his first Matchroom Major title since 2023 — a dominant 13–3 victory that showcased both his technical brilliance and mental fortitude.

Moments after his triumph, Alcaide was surprised on stage by Mosconi Cup captain Jayson Shaw, who announced the Spaniard as his final captain’s pick for Team Europe this December. The news sent the Manila crowd into raptures, capping off an unforgettable week for the veteran.

With one of the most convincing performances of his career, David Alcaide has not only written his name into the history books as the inaugural Philippines Open champion but also sent a clear message to the world — El Matador is back at his best.

The 2025 LiveSB.io Philippines Open Pool Championship — the newest Matchroom Major on the World Nineball Tour — took place at Gateway Mall, Quezon City, showcasing five days of drama and elite Nineball action from 21–25 October.

TEAM ASIA CONQUER THE WORLD TO COMPLETE HISTORIC REYES CUP

Article by Jack Mitchell - Photos courtesy Matchroom Multi Sport

TITLE DEFENSE

Team Asia were crowned Reyes Cup champions for the second year in a row, completing a dominant title defence over Team Rest of the World in front of a roaring Manila crowd.

Final Score: Team Asia 11 – 3 Team Rest of the World

Despite a spirited showing from Team Rest of the World on the final day, there was no stopping the defending champions, whose teamwork and relentless spirit carried them to a commanding back-to-back victory.

AJ ‘Starboy’ Manas capped off a dream debut by being named this year’s MVP, cementing his place as one of Asia’s brightest rising stars.

Manas reflected on his fairytale debut: “Being crowned MVP feels unreal — it’s honestly a dream come true. I’m so proud to have helped Team

Asia defend the Reyes Cup. None of this would’ve been possible without my teammates and Captain Django believing in me. I just wanted to prove I belong here and that I can compete with the best. This week, I did that.”

World Champion Carlo Biado, who potted the winning nineball to seal

Asia’s triumph, shared his emotions after the final rack: “That final nineball felt special — it was the moment we’d worked for all week. I’m proud of every single one of my teammates, especially AJ. He played like a veteran out there. We came to defend our title, and now Asia has conquered the world again.”

Last year’s MVP Aloysius Yapp also reflected on the team’s success: “It’s been an incredible week. Everyone brought their A-game, and the team chemistry was unbelievable. Last year we made history; this year, we proved it wasn’t a fluke. The future of Team Asia looks stronger than ever.”

Team Captain Francisco ‘Django’ Bustamante was full of pride after leading his side to another Reyes Cup crown: “I couldn’t be prouder of this team. Every player gave their heart, and AJ proved he was the right choice — the kid is something special. We showed the world that Asia can’t be stopped. Carrying on Efren’s legacy with another win here in Manila means everything to me and the team.”

Match Eleven: Aloysius Yapp 5 – 1 Jayson Shaw. The day opened with

a clash between last year’s Reyes Cup MVP and the reigning Mosconi Cup MVP. Yapp punished Shaw’s early errors to race into a 4–0 lead. Shaw pulled one back after a foul from Yapp, but another mistake in the following rack allowed the Singaporean to close out a decisive 5–1 victory.

Match Twelve: Jayson Shaw & Skyler Woodward 5 – 2 Aloysius Yapp & Duong Quoc Hoang. Team Rest of the World finally found rhythm as Shaw and Woodward combined for a sol-

id doubles win, capitalising on Asian mistakes and showing strong table chemistry for the first time to secure their second point of the event.

Match Thirteen: Francisco Sanchez Ruiz 5 – 3 Johann Chua. Chua stormed to a 3–0 lead, but Ruiz clawed back, taking control through strong safety play to reach the hill. A self-inflicted hook from Chua in the final rack handed the Spaniard redemption and another point for Team Rest of the World.

Match Fourteen: Carlo Biado & AJ Manas 5 – 2 Fedor Gorst & Moritz Neuhausen. With the trophy within reach, Biado and Manas produced a composed and clinical performance. The Filipino pair dominated the table, combining Biado’s experience with Manas’s fearless precision to close out the event — sealing Team Asia’s historic title defence in front of their home fans.

The 2025 LiveSB.io Reyes Cup ignited the Ninoy Aquino Stadium in Manila from October 16–19, as Team Asia completed their remarkable title defence in an event staged in partnership with Puyat Sports and broadcast globally via Sky Sports, OneSport, and WNT TV.

PIJUS LABUTIS MAKES HISTORY WITH MAIDEN MATCHROOM MAJOR TRIUMPH IN HANOI

Article and photos courtesy Jack Mitchell - Matchroom Multi Sport

Pijus Labutis wrote his name into Nineball history, defeating Moritz Neuhausen 13–7 in a thrilling final to capture his maiden Matchroom Major title at the 2025 Hanoi Open Pool Championship.

For Labutis, the victory represents the culmination of years of perseverance and near misses on the World Nineball Tour, as he finally broke through to join the sport’s elite in front of a packed and passionate Hanoi crowd.

Reflecting on his victory, Labutis said: “I’m shaking — I can’t even describe how this feels. I’ve dreamed about this moment for so long, and to finally be here holding this trophy feels unreal. I played my heart out today, and I’m so proud of how I handled the pressure.”

“I’ve fallen short in a few semi-finals before, and it was hard to keep believing at times. But I told myself that if I kept working, my time would come — and today it did. My break was work-

ing, my confidence was high, and everything just came together. To win my first title here in Hanoi, in front of such an amazing crowd, makes it even more special.”

“I know I can compete with the best. I’ve always believed that. This victory proves it — and it’s just the beginning.”

Final Result

Pijus Labutis 13–7 Moritz Neuhausen

The final began with Labutis taking control early after winning the lag, but Neuhausen responded swiftly, capitalising on a rare error to string together three consecutive racks and take the lead. Both players exchanged tactical blows in the opening stages, with the score finely poised at 4–3 for Neuhausen after a tense safety battle in the seventh.

From there, Labutis found another gear. A daring escape in the eighth

the deficit to 10–7, but a failed safety in the next proved costly. Labutis seized the opportunity, clearing the table and breaking and running his way to the hill.

Delivering one final textbook break, Labutis laid out the perfect roadmap to victory, dispatching the remaining balls to seal his long-awaited triumph.

After reaching semi-finals at the 2023 Spanish Open, 2024 UK Open, and 2025 European Open, Labutis’ breakthrough in Hanoi marked the moment his persistence paid off — a defining milestone in his rise on the world stage.

rack turned the momentum in his favour as he levelled the match before embarking on a blistering run of form. With ruthless composure, the Lithuanian strung together seven racks on the spin to storm ahead 10–4, leaving Neuhausen chasing shadows.

The German clawed back a few racks following a foul by Labutis, narrowing

The 2025 Hanoi Open Pool Championship — the third edition of this prestigious Matchroom Major on the World Nineball Tour — took place at the Vietnam National Sports Complex in Hanoi, Vietnam, showcasing five days of elite Nineball action from 8–12 October.

Cue brands typically on the site: Mottey, James White, Southwest, Joss West, Manzino, Scruggs, Runde, Szamboti, TAD, Schick, Gina, Cohen

Authorized Dealer of: Shelby Williams, Larry Vigus, Mike Bender, Josh Treadway, Pete Tonkin, Jim Pierce, Ariel Carmelli in addition to Predator, Pechauer, Viking, Meucci, and Jacoby.

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ALBIN OUSCHAN

CROWNED 2025 YALIN WPA MEN’S 8-BALL WORLD CHAMPION AS A WEEK OF WORLD TITLES CONCLUDES IN BALI

Article and photo courtesy Predator Pro Billiard Series

Austria’s Albin Ouschan has claimed the title of 2025 Yalin WPA Men’s 8-Ball World Champion, concluding an extraordinary week of world-class billiards in Bali, Indonesia.

The Austrian standout delivered a masterful performance throughout the tournament, closing out the event with a hardfought victory over World No. 1 Alex Kazakis of Greece in a gripping final. Known for his precision, patience, and calm under pressure, Ouschan once again proved why he remains among the most respected and consistent players in professional pool.

With this triumph, Ouschan adds yet another major accolade to his already impressive résumé, which includes two World 9-Ball titles. His 8-Ball victory in Bali marks a new milestone in a

career defined by excellence and dedication to the craft.

The 8-Ball World Championship capped off an unforgettable stretch of competition that included three major WPA events: the 2025 Predator WPA Women’s 10-Ball World Championship presented by VenBilliards, won by Chezka Centeno of the Philippines; and the inaugural 2025 PBC WPA Men’s Doubles 10-Ball World Championship presented by Isak Billiards, which brought energy, ex-

citement, and teamwork to the world stage.

Together, these events showcased the best of international cue sports, uniting champions, rising stars, and fans from around the world in celebration of skill, sportsmanship, and the global billiards community.

The Pro Billiard Series extends its sincere gratitude to the World Pool Association (WPA), Predator Group, Yalin, Isak Billiards, VenBilliards, and all event partners and sponsors whose continued support made this historic week in Bali possible.

CHEZKA CENTENO IS BACK ON TOP

Article and photo courtesy Predator Pro Billiard Series

The 2025 Predator WPA Women’s 10-Ball World Championship presented by VenBilliards came to a thrilling conclusion in Bali, Indonesia, as Chezka Centeno of the Philippines claimed her second World 10-Ball title at just 26 years old.

Centeno, known for her calm composure and effortless precision under pressure, defeated fellow Filipino star Rubilen Amit in a highstakes final that captivated fans around the world. The all-Filipino showdown highlighted the Philippines’ continued dominance on the international stage, as both players demonstrated extraordinary skill, sportsmanship, and mutual respect throughout the match.

In the semifinals, Margarita Fefilova and Shasha Liu delivered strong performances, each falling just short of a

spot in the championship match after an impressive run through a fiercely competitive field.

Centeno’s victory marks her second world title in the discipline, cementing her legacy as one of the premier talents in women’s pool. Her humility after the win—summed up by her words, “I’m just lucky”—captured the hearts of fans and showcased the quiet confidence that defines her game.

The week-long championship brought together the world’s best women’s

10-ball players for an unforgettable event filled with intensity, emotion, and world-class performances—all set against the stunning backdrop of Bali, Indonesia.

The Predator Pro Billiard Series extends its deepest gratitude to all partners, sponsors, and supporters who helped make this world championship a success. Their continued commitment to growing the sport and creating opportunities for athletes around the globe remains vital to events like these.

TEAM CHINESE TAIPEI CROWNED INAUGURAL CHAMPIONS

AT THE 2025 PBC WPA MEN’S DOUBLES 10-BALL WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP

Article and photo courtesy Predator Pro Billiard Series

The first-ever PBC WPA Men’s Doubles 10-Ball World Championship presented by Isak Billiards has concluded, with Wu Kun Lin & Hsieh Chia Chen (Chinese Taipei) crowned as the inaugural champions.

In an outstanding final performance, the dynamic duo overcame Alex Pagulayan & John Morra (Canada) to claim this historic title.

Team Chinese Taipei displayed seamless teamwork throughout the event, as both players exemplified worldclass talent, precise shot-making, and exceptional composure under pressure. Their victory marks a milestone in international competition, with the debut of the doubles 10-ball format at the world championship level—signaling the beginning of a new era for the sport.

Team Canada delivered a powerful and resilient performance, earning the runner-up position in what was a highly competitive and hard-fought tournament. Their run to the final was marked by sharp execution and determination, further solidifying their status among the world’s elite.

Also making deep runs were Team Peru and Team Poland, both of whom reached the semi-finals. Their performances earned admiration from fans and competitors alike, and showcased the growing strength and global reach of talent in professional 10-ball.

The 2025 championship not only highlighted elite-level play, but also underscored the excitement and potential of a team-based doubles format on the world stage. Organizers, players, and fans alike will remember this edition as a successful launch— and all eyes now turn to what the next year may bring.

The Pro Billiard Series and its partners extend warm congratulations to Wu Kun Lin and Hsieh Chia Chen on their historic triumph, and offer sincere respect to all participating teams for their competitive spirit and contributions to a memorable event.

MENARD WINS FIRST WPBA SEMIPRO EVENT,

HOSTED BY JANET ATWELL’S BORDERLINE BRUNSWICK ARENA

Article by Skip Maloney - AzB Staff / Photos courtesy WPBA

The main, and really only question that had to be answered before the WPBA opted to sanction a ‘SemiPro’ event, hosted by Janet Atwell at her Borderline Brunswick Arena facility in Bristol, TN this past weekend (Oct. 10-12) was:

“Where do we draw the line?”

Given that the “P” in WPBA is about Professional, the organization is governed by rules regarding the types of events at which its contracted, pool-playing members can compete. It is, after all, a ‘brand’ and like all ‘brands,’ it comes with rules to protect it. Atwell, a WPBA competitor herself, began the effort in 2024, eventually wrote a proposal for a ‘SemiPro’ event and submitted it to the WPBA’s Board of Directors for approval. The ‘line’ in question related to the FargoRates at or below a certain number that would be allowed for WPBA players to compete in the proposed ‘SemiPro’ event. Early discussions considered FargoRates between 620 and 675, narrowed to 640-650 and landed on 650. The Board of Directors approved the plan and the lights down the road to this past weekend went ‘all green.’

According to Atwell, the endeavor was not without its occasional bump in the road through all those green lights, but her generalized assessment of the pre-show and performance itself suggests that it won’t be the last of the WPBA’s SemiPro events.

“It went very smoothly,” said Atwell. “No issues, really.”

We’ll discuss further nuances related to the ideas behind and plans for this first (though not last) WPBA SemiPro event, when we take up ‘what’s next?’ a little later in the report, but it’s time to get down to the details of this

$10,000-added event, which drew 89 entrants to Janet Atwell’s Borderline Brunswick Arena.

It was, like other WPBA events, conducted in two stages; a Stage 1,

Women's Professional Billiards Association

double-elimination bracket with 59 competitors, and a Stage 2, double-elimination bracket with 48, 16 of which emerged from Stage 1; 8 from each side of the Stage 1 bracket. Canada’s Veronique Menard, one of the 32 players that were ‘pre-seeded’ into Stage 2, came from the loss side of the Stage 2 bracket to claim this first WPBA SemiPro title. The woman who sent her to the loss side, Ashley Benoit, advanced to claim the hot seat over Rachel Walters. Menard returned from the semifinals against Walters and won the rematch versus Benoit.

Of the 16 competitors, who made it out of the original, 59 Stage 1 entrants to advance to Stage 2, only three – Renita Ritchie, Casey Cork and Tracy Hardie – made it to the first ‘money’ round (17th/24th). Ritchie’s run stopped there, Casey Cork made it to the next round. Hardie, who was sponsored in the tournament by the Q City 9-Ball Tour on which she competes regularly, made it to the 5th/6th matches, which you’ll hear about shortly.

In races to 7, Benoit’s trip to the hot seat match began with victories over Renita Ritchie (1), Ashley Rice (5), and Nicole Keeney (3), after which she

drew Menard in one of the winners’ side semifinals. Menard had started her campaign with a 7-4 win over Hayleigh Marion and then, ran into a double-hill challenge from Tracy Hardie. Menard advanced to defeat Kindra Prestegard 7-4 in one of the winners’ side quarterfinals to draw Benoit.

From the other end of the bracket, bound for the hot seat match, Rachel Walters got by Susan Mello (3), Lonnie Fox-Raymond (4) and Caroline Pao (1) to draw Christy Norris in the other winners’ side semifinal.

Walters defeated Norris 7-5 and was joined in the hot seat match by Benoit, who’d defeated Menard 7-4. Benoit claimed the hot seat 7-2.

On the loss side (races to 6), where, by the time Norris and Menard joined, a lot of the potential challengers for

the title had already been eliminated. Among them, though certainly not limited to them, were Janet Atwell, Emily Duddy, Bethany Sykes and Caroline Pao. Hardie had eliminated two of them. She’d followed her loss to Menard with victories over Karen Lincoln (1), and two straight, double-hill wins over Rachel Lang and Sykes. Pao had eliminated Janet Atwell to draw Hardie, who defeated her 6-4 to draw a rematch against Menard.

Norris picked up Nicole Keeney, who’d followed her loss to Benoit with a victory over Giovanna Napolitano (4) and the elimination of Duddy 6-3.

Menard ended Tracy Hardie’s somewhat surprising run with a 6-1 victory that put her into the quarterfinals. Norris joined her after a 6-4 win over Keeney. Menard advanced to defeat Norris in those quarterfinals and Rachel Walters in the semifinals, both 6-4.

The anticipated final rematch between Benoit and Menard didn’t quite match up to the normal expectations of a double-hill battle. It did though, prove to be a race to 8 that played out through 13, back-and-forth games. It was Menard who edged out in front near the end to claim the title with an 8-5 win.

It should be noted that while Menard made her first appearance in our AZBilliards database back in 2002, when she finished 9th and 3rd at stops on the J. Pechauer Northeast Women’s Tour, and went on to cash in 24 WPBA events over the next 23 years, this marks her first (recorded with

VERONIQUE MENARD’S FIRST (RECORDED) WPBA

VICTORY, ALONG WITH THIS FIRST SEMIPRO EVENT DRAWING 89 ENTRANTS, VALIDATES ONE OF THE IDEAS THAT PROMPTED THE WPBA’S DECISION TO HOST THEM.

Women's Professional Billiards Association

us) WPBA victory. The SemiPro event marks her third cash finish of this year, having finished 5th in the WPBA Iron City Invitational in January and 17th at the WPBA Olhausen Raxx Mezz Invitational.

Decision to create a WPBA SemiPro Tour was a matter of dollars and sense

In a way, Veronique Menard’s first (recorded) WPBA victory, along with this first SemiPro event drawing 89 entrants, validates one of the ideas that prompted the WPBA’s decision to host them. As the money-added to WPBA events has grown over the years (from $10k to $25k and up, as an example), the designated 64-entrant fields have had a way of filling up rapidly with domestic and international competitors. Though Menard is currently listed at #20 in the WPBA rankings list and Benoit is #19, this is reflective of the number of times that these two have competed in a WPBA event over the past year (the point totals are cumulative).

The number of players on the WPBA ranking list can vary widely and is currently at 162. The names residing in the lower portion of the list may actually be strong, international players who don’t travel to the US to attend every WPBA event, but can be attracted by the higher prize funds. The top 32 players on the WPBA list are automatically invited to WPBA events, though with higher prize funds, they may be joined by higher-ranked international competitors that can make it less of a level playing field.

Recently, the WPBA hooked up with the World Pool Association (WPA) to hold the first-ever WPA-sanctioned Women’s 8-Ball World Championships anywhere. The $125,000-added event was held and hosted by the WPBA in Green Bay, WI this past July. The arrangement was a three-year deal for the WPBA to produce the WPA’s Women’s 8-Ball Championships, with competitors earning WPA points. That

relationship might well be extended beyond its current two-year deal.

“The WPBA’s $25k-added (or more) events meant that the top-rated women were filling the 64-player spots,” said WPBA Tour Director Jerry Stuckart, “and the lower-ranked players were not getting invited to compete.”

“That was what tipped the scales with the Board of Directors to initiate the SemiPro events,” he added.

There are other provisions in the plan that preclude any of the four, planned events from coinciding with the WPBA’s main events, which has a way of narrowing the field of possible dates. The next is tentatively scheduled for May 14-17 of ’26. The SemiPro events will be acting as a ‘feeder system’ to the main events, in much the same way that regional tours have done and will continue to do, only with much less added-money.

Wrapping up the WPBA’s first SemiPro event, representatives thanked Janet Atwell and her Brunswick Borderline Arena staff for their hospitality. Atwell,

in turn, added thanks for Pattie and Walter Harper on her staff, tournament director Dean Roeseler and sponsors Brunswick, J. Pechauer Custom Cues, Championship Cloth, Blue Emu, Kingsway Pharmaceuticals, Harper Entertainment, Dr. Riggins Waterproofing, Kingsport Wellness, Made of Wood, Hawkins Heating and Air, digitalpool. com, BFCC for apparel, JIP Streaming (“Green” – Kevin Greenzweig, “for coming in early to add extra cabling for high quality streaming”) and LFR (Lonnie Fox-Raymond) Streaming for additional streaming services. She also thanked local restaurants, Stateline and 620, for “support and great food,” as well as Kim Jordan for assistance in taking entries, player badges and hands-on player info

The next event on the WPBA calendar, scheduled for Nov. 12-16, will be its annual Dr. Pool Tour Championships, during which, this year, will include an Awards Ceremony to induct Billie Billing into the WPBA Hall of Fame. The $35-$40k-added event will be hosted by the Central Convention and Expo Center in Rothschild, WI.

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WINS SENIORS ONE POCKET CLASSIC

Article by Mary Kenniston - Photos courtesy Kim Davenport and Pool Action TV

The first-ever PBC WPA Men’s Doubles 10-Ball World Championship presented by Isak Billiards has concluded, with Wu Kun Lin & Hsieh Chia Chen (Chinese Taipei) crowned as the inaugural champions. In an outstanding final performance, the dynamic duo overcame Alex Pagulayan & John Morra (Canada) to claim this historic title.

Team Chinese Taipei displayed seamless teamwork throughout the event, as both players exemplified world-class talent, precise shot-making, and exceptional composure under pressure. Their victory marks a milestone in international competition, with the debut of the doubles 10-ball format at the world championship level—signaling the beginning of a new era for the sport.

Team Canada delivered a powerful and resilient performance, earning the runner-up position in what was a highly competitive and hard-fought tournament. Their run to the final was marked by sharp execution and deter-

mination, further solidifying their status among the world’s elite.

Also making deep runs were Team Peru and Team Poland, both of whom reached the semi-finals. Their performances earned admiration from fans and competitors alike, and showcased the growing strength and global reach of talent in professional 10-ball.

The 2025 championship not only highlighted elite-level play, but also underscored the excitement and potential of a team-based doubles format on the world stage. Organizers, players, and fans alike will remember this edition as a successful launch—

Seniors One Pocket Classic

and all eyes now turn to what the next year may bring.

The Pro Billiard Series and its partners extend warm congratulations to Wu Kun Lin and Hsieh Chia Chen on their historic triumph, and offer sincere respect to all participating teams for their competitive spirit and contributions to a memorable event.

Mosconi Cup

JAYSON SHAW AND SKYLER WOODWARD RETURN AS PLAYING CAPTAINS FOR 2025 MOSCONI CUP

World Nineball Tour is thrilled to announce that Jayson Shaw and Skyler Woodward will return as playing captains for the 2025 Mosconi Cup, taking place 3–6 December 2025 at the iconic Alexandra Palace, London — live on Sky Sports in the UK & Ireland and on WNT TV in the USA.

The announcement follows their victory together in the pairs doubles match at the 2025 Reyes Cup, where the pair showcased their natural chemistry on the table for the first time.

Working together now, but soon to become rivals once more, Shaw and Woodward’s performance offered a tantalising glimpse of the fierce competition that awaits when they go head-to-head as captains at the 2025 Mosconi Cup.

Jayson Shaw, Team Europe Captain, said: “Captaining Team Europe at the Mosconi Cup is always a huge honour. The energy, the pressure, and the pride that come with representing Europe at Alexandra Palace are second to none. We’ve built something special over the past few years, and defending the Cup on home soil will be another unforgettable moment. Team USA will come hard at us, but we’ll be ready for whatever they bring.”

Skyler Woodward, Team USA Captain, said: “It’s always special to lead Team USA. We’re more motivated than ever to bring the Cup back home, and I know we have what it takes. The Ally Pally crowd is going to be loud, but that’s the beauty of the Mosconi Cup — it’s high pressure, high emotion, and the biggest stage in pool.”

Following their win in Manila, Matchroom Multi Sport CEO Emily Frazer

confirmed that Shaw will once again lead Team Europe, while Woodward will continue as Team USA captain, as the sport’s fiercest rivalry returns to the biggest stage in cue sports.

Emily Frazer said: “Having Jayson and Skyler return as playing captains adds an extra layer of excitement to this legendary rivalry. Both are worldclass players and natural leaders who understand exactly what the Mosconi Cup means to fans on both sides of the Atlantic. The 2025 edition at Alexandra Palace is shaping up to be our biggest yet — more fans, more drama, and more passion than ever before.”

With Team Europe hunting a sixth consecutive title on home soil and Team USA determined to reclaim the crown, fans can expect fireworks under the iconic roof of Alexandra Palace.

The Mosconi Cup — widely regarded as the pinnacle of global team nineball pool — unites the very best players from Europe and the USA for four days of high-pressure action, intense rivalry, and unforgettable drama.

Set inside one of the world’s most historic sporting venues, this year’s event promises a world-class atmosphere as fans witness two powerhouses of cue sports battle for one of the most prestigious trophies in the game.

Event Dates: 3–6 December 2025 Broadcast: Live on Sky Sports (UK & Ireland) and WNT TV (USA)

For all the latest updates, follow Matchroom Pool on Facebook, Instagram, X, TikTok, and YouTube

CONGRATULATIONS TO BILLIE BILLING, THE WPBA’S NEWEST HALL OF FAMER

Article by WPBA / Photo courtesy Paula Paterniti

The Women’s Professional Billiard Association (WPBA) is proud to announce the induction of Billie Billing into the Hall of Fame.

The presentation will be held on November 13, 2025, at the DR Pool Jacoby Tour Championships in Rothschild, Wisconsin. As the WPBA approaches its 50th anniversary, Billing’s induction brings the organization’s origins full circle.

During her tenure as the first president from 1977-1981, Billing was a founding member, fundraiser, promoter, and organizer, and she remains a long time player in the world of women’s pocket billiards. Through her hard work and dedication, she helped the fledgling organization take flight in the 1970s. She also brokered successful deals that established the first women’s divisions in major pool tournaments, such as the Professional Pool Players World Open. Billing transformed the WPBA to become the premier pool tour for the best women players in the country.

During her term, Billing proved her worth as a fierce competitor. From 1978-1981, she was the number two ranked player in the WPBA. Over her pool career, Billing has won more than 67 titles, including 10 grand slam events and a Billiard Congress of America U.S. Open title. For her many accomplishments, she was honored with the WPBA 2016 Lifetime Achievement Award.

To this day, Billie continues to

compete, maintaining a ranked status on the tour.

Off the pool table, Billing is a successful author, writer, photographer, and pocket billiard instructor. She enjoys sharing her knowledge about the game and the history of its people.

Congratulations, Billie Billing! The WPBA is thrilled to celebrate your many contributions to women’s pocket billiards.

CUETEC AND THE WORLD NINEBALL TOUR UNITE FOR FIRST-EVER CUE COLLABORATION:

INTRODUCING THE CUETEC NINEBALL SERIES

Power

meets precision. Legacy meets innovation.

After a year in development, Cuetec and Matchroom’s World Nineball Tour proudly present the Cuetec: Nineball Series — the first-ever official cue collaboration with the World Nineball Tour.

FIND

OUT MORE ABOUT THE CUETEC NINEBALL SERIES HERE

Available now in the Philippines, Vietnam, and Europe, and soon to be available in North America and South America from 18/11/25

The Nineball Series represents a shared vision between two trailblazing brands committed to elevating the sport of pool. It unites Cuetec’s reputation for precision engineering and innovation — creators of the renowned Cynergy carbon fiber shaft — with Matchroom’s unparalleled production of global events such as the Mosconi Cup, Reyes Cup, US Open, and World Pool Championship.

Meticulously crafted for the modern player, the Nineball Series embodies the balance, power, and control demanded by today’s top professionals on the World Nineball Tour.

Johann Chua, Former Hanoi Open Champion and leading pool player for Cuetec said: “I’ve trusted Cuetec for years, and this new Nineball Series feels incredible. The balance and response are perfect for the way we play on tour today. It’s great to see Cuetec and the World Nineball Tour working together to create something that truly represents the next level.”

Jeremy Jones, Former US Open Champion and Cuetec Player

“What’s special about this cue is that it’s made for the modern game — fast, precise, and built for competition at the highest level. The partnership between Cuetec and Matchroom shows how far the sport has come, and how much further it can go.”

Brett Garson, Global Brand Manager of Cuetec

“There’s nothing like the electricity of the Matchroom arena — the lights, the pressure, the roar of the crowd. It’s the ultimate proving ground, and it’s taught us what a cue truly needs at the highest level. The Nineball Series Cue is a collaboration born to embody that intensity. Over the years we’ve combined our composite technology with our players’ real-time experience under the sport’s brightest spotlight to create cues built to stand up to the pressure and deliver when the moment demands everything.”

Emily Frazer, CEO of Matchroom Multi Sport

“We’re thrilled to partner with Cuetec — a brand that shares our drive to innovate and push the sport forward. The Nineball Series marks the first official cue collaboration for the World Nineball Tour, and it’s a perfect reflection of our shared vision: professional, aspirational, and built for champions. Together, we’re setting new standards for players and fans alike.”

The Cuetec Nineball Series is available now in the Philippines, Vietnam, and Europe, and soon to be available in North America and South America from the 18th November 2025. For more information visit: www.Cuetec.com

ABOUT CUETEC

Cuetec burst onto the billiard scene in 1989, developing the first composite cue. Today, Cuetec prides itself in offering the most technologically advanced high-performance playing equipment. From Cuetec’s AVID line to the it’s World Championship winning carbon fiber Cynergy line, every product is designed and engineered to give competitors the ultimate in performance and value. For more information, please visit www.cuetec.com.

Follow us on Facebook: https://www. facebook.com/CuetecUSA

BILLIARD TV FAST CHANNEL

IS NOW AVAILABLE ON PRIME VIDEO UK

Billiard TV, a 24/7 television network with programming dedicated exclusively to cue sports, is now available as a free ad-supported television (FAST) channel on Prime Video UK.

Billiard TV previously announced its launch on Prime Video in the U.S. earlier this year.

Billiard TV is in the midst of its most successful year yet on the strength of a new partnership with Matchroom to air highlights and full-event footage from the past 10 years of the Mosconi Cup, the most prestigious international nine-ball pool tournament in the world, in addition to 150 days of live event programming throughout 2025.

“It was a big deal for us to announce Billiard TV’s launch on Prime Video in the U.S. earlier this year, and we’re equally thrilled about the channel now being accessible on Prime Video UK,” says Brendan Canning, co-founder and chief commercial officer of Triple B Media, which operates Billiard TV. “The real winners, of course, are the fans and viewers of cue sports, who are among the most loyal groups of fans out there. Billiard TV aims to superserve a fan base that has been underserved for too long.”

Since launching in 2021, Billiard TV has amassed key partnerships throughout the sport including with the Pro Billiard Series, Euro Tour, Matchroom Sport, Women’s Professional Billiard Association, International Pool Association, American Poolplayers Association, Accu-Stats, and more. By the end of 2025, Billiard TV will have streamed more than 50 multi-day professional events totaling more than 1,000 hours of live programming. Billiard TV racked up more than 65 mil-

lion viewers in 2024 with an average watch time of 80 minutes per session.

In addition to Prime Video UK, Billiard TV is accessible on a wide range of television platforms, including Prime Video, DIRECTV, Samsung TV Plus, The Roku Channel, Pluto TV, LG Channels, DAZN, YouTube TV, Fubo, Sling TV, Xfinity Stream, Xumo Play, Rogers Stream, Google Freeplay, Plex, Distro TV, Local Now, Tivo, Free Live Sports, TCL, sports.tv, Freecast, Stremium, Channel Box and Vidaa. (Availability of Billiard TV on a given platform may

vary by country.) Billiard TV is also available to stream via its own Roku app.

About Triple B Media

Triple B Media is a full-service content company, specializing in the operation of television networks and content distribution throughout the world. Triple B Media owns or operates television networks including Billiard TV, Bark TV, PowerSports World, ACL Cornhole TV and mo

Monthly Results

Tourney Results

Oct 01 - Oct 05

Tenth Annual Seniors One Pocket Classic

Bogies Billiards & Games East

Houston, TX

1 Kim Davenport $4,000

2 Ronnie Wiseman $2,000

3 Barry Strickland $1,300

4 Ronn Rutan $1,000

5 John Ditoro $650

5 Sammy Jones $650

7 Jake Jacobsen $400

7 Mark Dimick $400

Oct 01 - Oct 04

2025 Peri 9-Ball Open Vietnam

1 Moritz Neuhausen $40,000

2 Ping-Chung Ko $20,000

3 Kun Lin Wu $10,000

3 Pin-Yi Ko $10,000

5 Billy Thorpe $6,000

5 Eklent Kaci $6,000

5 Robbie Capito $6,000

5 Skyler Woodward $6,000

9 Aivhan Maluti $3,000

9 Aleksa Pecelj $3,000

9 Edward Koyongian $3,000

9 Francisco Sanchez-Ruiz $3,000

9 Hui-chan Lu $3,000

9 Mario He $3,000

9 Sanjin Pehlivanovic $3,000

9 Wiktor Zielinski $3,000

17 Albin Ouschan $1,500

17 Alex Pagulayan $1,500

17 Aloysius Yapp $1,500

17 Carlo Biado $1,500

17 David Alcaide $1,500

17 Fedor Gorst $1,500

17 Jeffrey De Luna $1,500

17 Lee Vann Corteza $1,500

17 Michael Baoanan $1,500

17 Niels Feijen $1,500

17 Oliver Szolnoki $1,500

17 Oliver Villafuerte $1,500

17 Pijus Labutis $1,500

17 Po Cheng Kuo $1,500

17 Quoc Hoang Duong $1,500

17 Ri Teng Liu $1,500

33 Alexandros Kazakis $1,000

33 Alvin Anggito $1,000

33 Amil Andre Gangflot $1,000

33 Andri Januarta $1,000

33 Anthony Raga $1,000

33 Arseny Sevastyanov $1,000

33 Chen Hsin Ting $1,000

33 Chia-Chen Hsieh $1,000

33 Chien Hung Liu $1,000

33 Cong Thanh Nguyen $1,000

33 Fitim Haradinaj $1,000

33 George Antonakis $1,000

33 Hai Long Le $1,000

33 Harry Vergara $1,000

33 Ivica Putnik $1,000

33 Jayson Shaw $1,000

33 Jeffrey Ignacio $1,000

33 Jeffrey Prieto $1,000

33 Jefrey Consigna Roda $1,000

33 Johann Chua $1,000

33 Jonas Magpantay $1,000

33 Lo Van Xuan $1,000

33 Mark Magi $1,000

33 Naoyuki Oi $1,000

33 Niklas Dohr $1,000

33 Petri Makkonen $1,000

33 Pham Phuong Nam $1,000

33 Raymund Faraon $1,000

33 Rio Pandu Jatmiko $1,000

33 Wang Hung Hsiang $1,000

33 Xi He Zhu $1,000

33 Yannick Pongers $1,000

65 AJ Manas $500

65 Bautista Escalera $500

65 Bui Truong An $500

65 Cheng-Chieh Liu $500

65 Ching Ting Tang $500

65 Dang Thanh Kien $500

65 Denis Grabe $500

65 Elliott Sanderson $500

65 Felix Vogel $500

65 Georgi Georgiev $500

65 Gerado Hernandez Gutierrez

$500

65 Gerson Martinez $500

65 Hiroshi Takenaka $500

65 Jesson Marabi $500

65 JJ Faul $500

65 Jose Alberto Delgado $500

65 Khalid Alghamdi $500

65 Le Quang Trung $500

65 Lukas Fracasso-Verner $500

65 Luong Duc Thien $500

65 Marco Teutscher $500

65 Michael Feliciano $500

65 Mickey Krause $500

65 Mustafa Alnar $500

65 Nhat Thanh Nguyen $500

65 Paolo Gallito $500

65 Ping Han Ko $500

65 Ta Li Lin $500

65 Van Dang Nguyen $500

65 Walter Laikre $500

65 Yi Chang $500

65 Yu-Lung Chang $500

Oct 04 - Oct 05

Joss Tour 2025-2026 Stop 4

Winnie Bar and Billiards Laconia, NH

1 Jeremy Sossei $1,000

2 Tsephel Tenzin $700

3 DJ Hopkins $500

4 Paul Cormier $350

5 Jason Manos $250

5 Pierre Jubinville $250

7 Bill Longmore $150

7 Jeff Dunn $150

Oct 04 - Oct 05

Joss Tour 2025-2026 Stop 4

Second Chance

Winnie Bar and Billiards Laconia, NH

1 Jeff Dunn $300

2 Chris Crawford $200

3 Mike Chandronnait $130

4 Rebecca Teese $130

Oct 04 - Oct 04

TOP Tour Stop

Borderline Billiards

Bristol, TN

1 DJ Brads $380

2 Matt Shaw $230

3 Keith Maranville $150

4 Rick Chitwood $55

Oct 04 - Oct 04

Mezz Cues LA 9-Ball Series Stop

Good Timez Billiards

Huntsville, Alabama

1 Ken Chim $900

2 Daniel Martinez $540

3 Nico Scalise $320

4 Mark Barba $200

5 Isaac Pineda $140

5 Keegan Badour $140

7 Johnathan Monroy $90

7 Nick Cacchione $90

Oct 07 - Oct 12

2025 Yalin WPA Women World 10-Ball Championship

Indonesia

1 Chezka Centeno $50,000

2 Rubilen Amit $25,000

3 Marharyta Fefilava $16,000

3 Sha Sha Liu $16,000

5 Chia Chou $9,000

5 Chieh-Yu Chou $9,000

5 Jasmin Ouschan $9,000

5 Wan-Ling Wang $9,000

9 Charlene Chai $4,000

9 Chihiro Kawahara $4,000

9 Kelly Fisher $4,000

9 Kristina Tkach $4,000

9 Kristina Zlateva $4,000

9 Meng-Hsia Hung $4,000

9 Pia Filler $4,000

9 Seo Seoa $4,000

Oct 07 - Oct 12

Hanoi Open Pool Championship 2025 Vietnam

1 Pijus Labutis $40,000

Monthly Results

2 Moritz Neuhausen $16,000

3 Harry Vergara $10,000

3 Robbie Capito $10,000

5 Carlo Biado $7,000

5 Jonas Souto Comino $7,000

5 Maximilian Lechner $7,000

5 Roberto Gomez $7,000

9 Aloysius Yapp $4,000

9 David Alcaide $4,000

9 Dinh Chan Kiet $4,000

9 Fraser Patrick $4,000

9 Jayson Shaw $4,000

9 Raymund Faraon $4,000

9 Roland Garcia $4,000

9 Tristan Deocareza $4,000

17 Ang Tuan Nguyen $2,000

17 Arseny Sevastyanov $2,000

17 Bernie Regaliaria $2,000

17 Bui Truong An $2,000

17 Dang Thanh Kien $2,000

17 George Antonakis $2,000

17 Hui-chan Lu $2,000

17 Jefrey Consigna Roda $2,000

17 Jundel Mazon $2,000

17 Maksim Dudanets $2,000

17 Michael Feliciano $2,000

17 Nguyen Huong Phong $2,000

17 Nguyen The Hien $2,000

17 Nguyen Van Huynh $2,000

17 Quoc Hoang Duong $2,000

17 Yu-Lung Chang $2,000

33 Amil Andre Gangflot $1,000

33 Anthony Raga $1,000

33 Billy Thorpe $1,000

33 Boris Ivanovski $1,000

33 Cheng Hsiung Liu $1,000

33 Cristian Gariando $1,000

33 Damian Massey $1,000

33 Fedor Gorst $1,000

33 Francesco Candela $1,000

33 Francisco Sanchez-Ruiz $1,000

33 Georgi Georgiev $1,000

33 James Aranas $1,000

33 Johann Chua $1,000

33 Lukas Fracasso-Verner $1,000

33 Luo Qiu Hong $1,000

33 Luong Duc Thien $1,000

33 Marvin Asis $1,000

33 Mickey Krause $1,000

33 Mustafa Alnar $1,000

33 Nancy Henkhaus $1,000

33 Ngo Quang Trung $1,000

33 Nguyen Dang Tuyen $1,000

33 Nguyen Thanh Nam $1,000

33 Nicholas Tan $1,000

33 Oliver Szolnoki $1,000

33 Patric Gonzales $1,000

33 Paul John Ortega $1,000

33 Skyler Woodward $1,000

33 Tat Duy Kien $1,000

33 Tobias Bongers $1,000

33 Walter Laikre $1,000

33 Wang Hung Hsiang $1,000

Oct 07 - Oct 09

WPA Men’s Doubles 10-Ball World Championship

Indonesia

1 Chia-Chen Hsieh $35,000

1 Kun Lin Wu $35,000

2 Alex Pagulayan $20,000

2 John Morra $20,000

3 Christopher Tevez $10,000

3 Daniel Maciol $10,000

3 Gerson Martinez $10,000

3 Wojciech Szewczyk $10,000

5 Alexandros Kazakis $5,000

5 David Zalman $5,000

5 Dimitris Loukatos $5,000

5 Eklent Kaci $5,000

5 Hoan Fu $5,000

5 Kin-Ling Yip $5,000

5 Kledio Kaci $5,000

5 Roman Hybler $5,000

Oct 09 - Oct 13

WPA Yalin World 8-Ball Championship 2025

Indonesia

1 Albin Ouschan $70,000

2 Alexandros Kazakis $40,000

3 Bryant Saguiped $17,500

3 Hayato Hijikata $17,500

5 Bader Al Awadi $8,750

5 Daniel Maciol $8,750

5 Eklent Kaci $8,750

5 Kledio Kaci $8,750

9 Denis Grabe $4,375

9 Genesis Ouano $4,375

9 Jui An Hsu $4,375

9 Mario He $4,375

9 Mieszko Fortunski $4,375

9 Petri Makkonen $4,375

9 Radoslaw Babica $4,375

9 Shane Van Boening $4,375

17 Abdullah Elenzi $2,188

17 Alex Pagulayan $2,188

17 Ameer Ali $2,188

17 Chia-Chen Hsieh $2,188

17 Felix Vogel $2,188

17 Hamza Saeed Ali $2,188

17 Jefry Zen Mantra $2,188

17 Joshua Filler $2,188

17 Julian Serradilla $2,188

17 Konrad Juszczyszyn $2,188

17 Kun Lin Wu $2,188

17 Luca Menn $2,188

17 Oliver Villafuerte $2,188

17 Roman Hybler $2,188

17 Sean Mark Malayan $2,188

17 Szymon Kural $2,188

Oct 10 - Oct 12

2025 WPBA Semi Pro Event

Borderline Billiards Bristol, TN

1 Veronique Menard $3,500

2 Ashley Benoit $2,900

3 Rachel Walters $2,400

4 Christy Norris $2,000

5 Nicole Keeney $1,500

5 Tracy Hardie $1,500

7 Caroline Pao $1,000

7 Emily Duddy $1,000

9 Bethany Sykes $500

9 Giovanna Napolitano $500

9 Janet Atwell $500

9 Kindra Prestegard $500

13 Amy Theriault $250

13 Casey Cork $250

13 Kim Housman $250

13 Rachel Lang $250

17 Ashley Rice $150

17 Jaye Succo $150

17 Karen Lincoln $150

17 Kathy Friend $150

17 Kia Burwell $150

17 Lonnie Fox-Raymond $150

17 Renita Ritchie $150

17 Tracy Cantrell $150

Oct 11 - Oct 12

Northeast 9-Ball Open XXXVII

Utica Billiards On The Boulevard

Utica, New York

1 Ron Casanzio $1,100

2 Bucky Souvanthong $800

3 Brad Guthrie $600

Monthly Results

4 Ken Donald $500

5 Jake Jackson $325

5 Tommy Cayer $325

7 Barry Hetherington $225

7 Bob Mendenjian $225

9 Ed Saur $100

9 Hunter Sullivan $100

9 Omar Ashiq $100

9 Zach Robbins $100

Oct 11 - Oct 12

Northeast 9-Ball Open XXXVII Second Chance

Utica Billiards On The Boulevard

Utica, New York

1 Frank Wolak $340

2 Bruce Carroll $220

3 Hendrik Drost $160

4 Jordan Turner $100

Oct 11 - Oct 12

2025 Maryland State Bar Table 8-Ball Championships

Brews & Cues on the Boulevard

Glen Burnie, Maryland

1 Shaun Wilkie $700

2 Dylan Spohr $350

3 Brandon Shuff $250

4 Roland Freolo $200

5 Eric Lyons $160

5 Joe Healy $160

7 Max Schlothauer $100

7 Steve Fleming $100

Oct 16 - Oct 19

2025 Reyes Cup

Manila Philippines

1 AJ Manas $20,000

1 Aloysius Yapp $20,000

1 Carlo Biado $20,000

1 Johann Chua $20,000

1 Quoc Hoang Duong $20,000

2 Fedor Gorst $10,000

2 Francisco Sanchez-Ruiz $10,000

2 Jayson Shaw $10,000

2 Moritz Neuhausen $10,000

2 Skyler Woodward $10,000

Oct 18 - Oct 18

17th Annual "Cues for the Cure" Breast Cancer Fundraiser

Corner Pocket

Largo, FL

1 Sofia Mast $1,500

2 Stephanie Mitchell $960

3 Helene Caukin $500

3 Kaylee McIntosh $500

5 Danielle Fee $200

5 Gianna Fiore $200

5 Jeannie Seaver $200

5 Nicolle Cuellar $200

Oct 18 - Oct 19

Joss Tour 2025-2026 Stop 6

Brickhouse Billiards

N. Syracuse, New York

1 Jeremy Sossei $1,000

2 Bucky Souvanthong $750

3 Willie Oney $550

4 Brad Guthrie $400

5 Dwight Dixon $250

5 Nate Marshall $250

7 Aaron Greenwood $150

7 Doug Masiero $150

Oct 18 - Oct 19

Joss Tour 2025-2026 Stop 6

Second Chance

Brickhouse Billiards

N. Syracuse, New York

1 Chrstine Cockrell $340

2 Frank Wolak $220

3 Tyler Arnold $160

4 Dave Copperwheat $100

Oct 18 - Oct 18

Q City 9-Ball Tour Stop

Stixx And Stones Billiards

Lewisville, Texas

1 Jon Jon Newman $360

2 Onyx Stinson $220

3 Javier Oliu $220

Oct 18 - Oct 19

2025 DFW 9-Ball Tour Stop #10

Stixx And Stones Billiards

Lewisville, Texas

1 Payton Bernard $1,320

2 Muhammad Gohar $770

3 Eric Ferre $620

4 Gavin Mathew $360

5 Charlie Smith $290

5 Sammy Downs $290

7 Brandon Sisemore $170

7 Gus Briseno $170

Oct 18 - Oct 19

The Clubhouse Royal Weekend King of the Mountain

The Clubhouse

Lynchburg, Virginia

1 Mike Davis $1,100

2 Eddie Vonderau $700

3 Nathan Childress $400

4 Scott Roberts $250

5 Amory Capers $75

5 Collin Hall $75

7 Bob Andrews $50

7 Jimmy Bird $50

Oct 18 - Oct 19

The Clubhouse Royal Weekend Queen of the Mountain

The Clubhouse

Lynchburg, Virginia

1 Liz Taylor $800

2 Katie Bischoff $500

3 Reagan Wallace $300

4 Sheri Bruner $100

Oct 18 - Oct 19

The Clubhouse Royal Weekend Team of the Mountain

The Clubhouse

Lynchburg, Virginia

1 Katie Bischoff $175

1 Mike Davis $175

2 Collin Hall $100

2 Jordyn Worley $100

3 Greg Taylor $63

3 Jennifer Altieri $63

4 Daniel Adams $25

4 Jadyn Bird $25

4 Jimmy Bird $25

4 Kaitlyn Giddens $25

Oct 21 - Oct 26

Philippines Open Pool Championship

Manila Philippines

1 David Alcaide $30,000

2 Arseny Sevastyanov $12,000

3 Jayson Shaw $7,000

Monthly Results

3 Robbie Capito $7,000

5 AJ Manas $4,250

5 Bernie Regaliaria $4,250

5 Jeffrey Ignacio $4,250

5 Roland Garcia $4,250

9 Amil Andre Gangflot $2,500

9 Eric Navarrete $2,500

9 Harry Vergara $2,500

9 Jefrey Consigna Roda $2,500

9 Michael Baoanan $2,500

9 Paolo Gallito $2,500

9 Patric Gonzales $2,500

9 Pijus Labutis $2,500

17 Anthony Raga $1,000

17 Carlo Biado $1,000

17 Che-Wei Fu $1,000

17 Deanmark Castroneuvo $1,000

17 Francisco Bustamante $1,000

17 Francisco Sanchez-Ruiz $1,000

17 Jerwin Capili Samia $1,000

17 John Morra $1,000

17 Jonas Souto Comino $1,000

17 JV Vicedo $1,000

17 Lukas Fracasso-Verner $1,000

17 Mario He $1,000

17 Mark Jerick Leyva $1,000

17 Mickey Krause $1,000

17 Naoyuki Oi $1,000

17 Paul John Ladao $1,000

33 Abdullah Saeed O Alshammari

$500

33 Albert Espinola $500

33 Alexis Ferrer $500

33 Angelo Ariola $500

33 Baseth Mocaibat $500

33 Bryant Saguiped $500

33 Efren Reyes $500

33 Elliott Sanderson $500

33 Emmanuel Delgado $500

33 Fahad Aldhayan $500

33 Fedor Gorst $500

33 James Aranas $500

33 Jaybee Sucal $500

33 Jaycee Cordova Garcia $500

33 Jeffrey De Luna $500

33 Jericho Banares $500

33 Jerson Cumayas $500

33 Jordan Legaspi $500

33 Joshua Santino Arevalo $500

33 Khalid Alghamdi $500

33 Kunihiko Takahashi $500

33 Marvin Asis $500

33 Michael Feliciano $500

33 Mohammed Baabad $500

33 Moritz Neuhausen $500

33 Pierfrancesco Garzia $500

33 Ralf Souquet $500

33 Ronen Nalaunan $500

33 Thorsten Hohmann $500

33 Tom Peralta $500

33 Tristan Deocareza $500

33 Yves Cabrito $500

Oct 23 - Nov 02

Qatar World Cup 10-Ball 2025 Qatar,

1 Jonas Magpantay $100,000

2 Szymon Kural $40,000

3 Moritz Neuhausen $15,000

3 Naoyuki Oi $15,000

5 Bader Al Awadi $8,000

5 Jerico Bonus $8,000

5 Niels Feijen $8,000

5 Tobias Bongers $8,000

9 Albin Ouschan $5,000

9 Francisco Sanchez-Ruiz $5,000

9 Fu Huan $5,000

9 Johann Chua $5,000

9 Jonas Souto Comino $5,000

9 Mohammad Soufi $5,000

9 Ugar Turku $5,000

9 Wojciech Szewczyk $5,000

17 Carlo Biado $4,000

17 Felix Vogel $4,000

17 Jin-Hu Dang $4,000

17 Joshua Filler $4,000

17 Jui An Hsu $4,000

17 Kledio Kaci $4,000

17 Kun Lin Wu $4,000

17 Lo Ho Sum $4,000

17 Mateusz Sniegocki $4,000

17 Mohammad Azziza $4,000

17 Robbie Capito $4,000

17 Roman Hybler $4,000

17 Shane Van Boening $4,000

17 Stefan Casper $4,000

17 Wiktor Zielinski $4,000

17 Yannick Pongers $4,000

Oct 25 - Oct 26

NWPA Tour 2025 Stop 6

Ox Billiards

Seattle, Washington

1 Regene Lane $855

2 Iris Wang $604

3 Marissa Du $420

4 Kathie MacDonald $285

5 Angele Silveira $180

5 Ashley Julian $180

7 Cindy Sliva $115

7 Melissa Rushton $115

9 Emily Ostrem $80

9 Marion Poole $80

9 Maryann McConnell $80

9 Sophia Tran $80

Oct 25 - Oct 26

Joss Tour 2025-2026 Stop 7

Forest City Billiards Portland, ME

1 Jeremy Sossei $1,100

2 Eric Hamel $800

3 Bob Mendenjian $600

4 Dennis Patenaude $450

5 Cody Francis $325

5 David Holloway $325

7 Chad Bazinet $200

7 Jim Hayden $200

9 Brandon Butler $100

Monthly Results

9 Cody Porter $100

9 Gary Bryant $100

9 Samoth Sam $100

Oct 25 - Oct 26

Joss Tour 2026-2026 Stop 7 Second Chance

Forest City Billiards Portland, ME

1 Samoth Sam $300

2 Vinnie Semeta $300

3 Cody Porter $140

4 Brandon Butler $100

Oct 25 - Oct 25

Q City 9-Ball Tour Stop

Breaktime Billiards & Sports Bar

Clemmons, NC

1 Jas Makhani $540

2 Tim Nelson $300

3 Thomas Sansone $250

4 Onyx Stinson $115

Oct 25 - Oct 26

3rd Annual Pennsylvania State Women's 9-Ball Championship

Bluegrass Billiards Philadelphia, Pa

1 Sofia Mast $2,100

2 Ashley Benoit $1,500

3 Briana Miller $1,050

4 Rachel Walters $825

5 JoAnn Mason Parker $600

5 Tina Pawloski Malm $600

7 Billie Billing $600

7 Jane Im $600

9 Christy Norris $240

9 Dani Casper $240

9 Kaley Sullivan $240

9 Michelle Jiang $240

13 Giovanna Napolitano $120

13 Melissa Jenkins $120

13 Reagan Wallace $120

13 Thea Niemiec $120

Upcoming Tournaments

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER

Joss Tour 2025-2026 Stop 8

Nov 01 - Nov 02

The Golden Cue Billiard Lounge Albany, NY

Joss Tour 2026-2026 Stop 8 Second Chance

Nov 01 - Nov 02

The Golden Cue Billiard Lounge Albany, NY

2nd Savannah Easton Invitational 9-Ball Open

Nov 01 - Nov 02

Aloha Family Billiards Buena Park, Ca

2025 WPBA Aramith / Dr Pool Classic

Nov 12 - Nov 16

Central Wisconsin Convention and Expo Center

Rothschild, Wisconsin

Ultimate Pool USA National Open

Nov 13 - Nov 15

Harrah's Cherokee Casino Resort Cherokee, NC

2025 International 9-Ball Open

Nov 14 - Nov 23

World Golf Village Renaissance St. Augustine, FL

Each month looks ahead at the events on our calendar to give both players and fans the information they may use to plan their activities.

West Coast Women's Tour 2025 Stop 7

Nov 15 - Nov 15

Hard Times Billiards - Sacramento Sacramento, CA

JPNEWT Tour 2025 Stop #7

Nov 15 - Nov 16

Racks Billiards & Bar

Vernon, Connecticut

Arizona Women's Billiards Tour 2025 Stop 8

Nov 22 - Nov 23

Bullshooters

Phoenix, AZ

Mosconi Cup XXXII

Dec 03 - Dec 06

Alexandra Palace London

JPNEWT 2025 Season Finale

Dec 06 - Dec 07

Bluegrass Billiards Philadelphia, Pa

NWPA Tour 2025 Stop 7

Dec 06 - Dec 07

Scratch Pizza and Billiards Fife, Washington

AZB MONEY LIST