S U.K. G NEW WORLD ORDER ASIAN AND EUROPEAN PLAYERS HAVE CAUGHT UP TO THE U.S. IN , WINNING THE VAST MAJORITY OF PRO TITLES AND PRIZE MONEY — AT HOME AND ABROAD. WHAT HAPPENED TO AMERICA? BY MASON KING

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S THE FIELD of 200 players and two of them were qualifi ers — not version of Phil Mickelson — an enor- at the ’s top-ranked pros or IPT members. mously talented and big-hearted guy who debut event of 2006 dwindled But that was just one event, you say. It frequently stalls before the fi nal push. to six, the event’s TV-savvy was a fl uke. (Ironically, all three play like gangbusters Aorganizers corralled the fi nal competitors Perhaps. But it was a fairly accurate against Europe at the annual Mosconi and positioned them around a table for a representation of how the U.S. now Cup team competition, but don’t always grim-faced video promo. stacks up in international competition. fare as well in mano-a-mano events.) A camera suspended over the table Which is to say, beginning to lag behind “It’s not that the Americans do not have slowly rotated 360 degrees to reveal the players from Asia and Europe. the talent,” said Tony Robles, the most menacing face of each competitor — the The country that invented pool is now recent American winner (in 2004) of the top six players in the world at that mo- perhaps its third-best practitioner. Ameri- Billiard Congress of America’s annual ment. , and cans on the whole are getting thumped in pro 9-ball championship, considered one newcomer represented straight-up competition at major interna- of pool’s “major” events. “It’s just that the ; red-hot tional tournaments, while players from the Europeans and the Asians and every- and fl ew the German Europe and Asia are strolling away with one else around the world are working fl ag; and plucky Russian Evgeny Stalev pro trophies on American soil. Not only that much harder on their games.” rounded out the group. that, they’re taking home a vast majority The evidence is plain in the tourna- But the truly intriguing development of the prize money. ment brackets and prize payouts of the wasn’t so much which players reached Meanwhile, America’s leading lights last 20 months. Billiards Digest culled the fi nal sextet, but rather who wasn’t are few and somewhat fallible. Johnny a list of 49 pro pool titles won between among the fi nalists. Archer has been carrying the load for the Jan. 1, 2005, and Aug. 31, 2006, and Although more than half the starting U.S., but blows hot and cold, and has re- found that Americans took home only fi eld of the IPT North American Open 8- cently performed best in mid-tier and in- 15 — or about 30 percent. Mind you, the Ball Championship hailed from the U.S. vitational events (see story on page 78). vast majority of those events were held in — 104 total — none were able to slip into is arguably America’s the U.S. Even more shocking, American the fi nal bracket. Of the richest tourna- most reliable cue in international com- players pocketed a miniscule portion of ment in history. On their home turf in Las petition, yet he’s just as likely to suffer a the available fi rst-place prize money — Vegas. In fact, in the previous round, only foul-mouthed meltdown as take home a about $174,000 of just under $1.5 million three Americans breached the fi nal 18, trophy. has become pool’s total, or 12 percent.

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UUS.inddS.indd 4747 99/12/06/12/06 10:17:0810:17:08 AMAM NEW WORLD ORDER HOW THE U.S. STACKS UP the history of the event. Pro Tournament Titles First-Place Prize Money Ortmann said at the time, “There are (Total: 49, since Jan. 1, 2005) (Total: $1,456,034, since Jan. 1, 2005) many good players in Europe, but we are CANADA: 2 CANADA all young, between 20 and 25 years old. (4%) $18,500 We still have much to learn, but I think 1% in fi ve years we will be even with the EUROPE: 14 Americans.” EUROPE U.S. (28.6%) $174,050 They learned quickly, along with some (Germany: 10) $546,000 37.5 % 11.9% fast-emerging Asian players. (Germany: $496,000) Created in 1990, the WPA’s World Pool U.S.: 15 Championship was dominated in its fi rst (30.6%) three years by Americans. Then, in 1993, steely Taiwanese ace Fong-Pang Chao, ASIA: 18 ASIA 26, sauntered off with the international 9- (36.7%) $717,484 (Philippines: 14) 49.3% ball title, followed in the next three years (Philippines: $572,484) by winners from Japan and Germany. The U.S. has claimed the title once since 2000. As Asians and Europeans continue to excel in international competition, what O gauge America’s performance matched the U.S. in title wins — has become painfully evident is that these Tversus the world’s other pool 14 to 15. new powerhouses of pool take player de- powerhouses, BD culled the winners • Asians and Europeans together velopment much more seriously than the of 49 pro pool events held between won a whopping 87 percent of the U.S., with extensive support systems for Jan. 1, 2005, and Aug. 31, 2006. available fi rst-place prize money billiards, and even assistance offered by Some surprising fi ndings: — more than $1.26 million. regional and national governments. The perfect example today is 17-year- • Although 82 percent of the events METHODOLOGY: Chosen events had old Chia-Ching Wu, current WPA world were held in the U.S. (40 of 49), a minimum of $6,000 in fi rst-place 8-ball and 9-ball champion and the prod- American players won less than a prize money, with the exception of uct of ’s national push for bil- third of the titles overall (15). the 2005 . Chosen liard excellence started by pool promoter • The Philippines, which has rough- events either took place in the U.S. Yung-Hui Tu. ly one-third of America’s population or had a representative sampling of In 1988, Tu founded the Chinese Tai- (88 million to 295 million), almost U.S. players. pei Billiards Association, which created a supporting infrastructure for all elements of the sport — setting rules, promoting The shift in the balance of power is real, renewed practice regimens. training, organizing pro and amateur and the international pool community has “We’ve always said for years that if ranks, and staging hundreds of tourna- taken notice. there were big money in pool, the level ments for all levels of play. “I would say that Europe as a whole is of play would go up,” said American The game’s popularity skyrocketed stronger than the U.S. as a whole, and I Charlie Williams. “You’re going to see with subsequent medal wins in the Asian don’t think either one of them is competi- the level of pro pool in the U.S. defi nitely Games, and again in 2000 when Chao tive to Asia,” said John Lewis, treasurer go up.” won his second world title. Schoolkids and board member of the World Pool- Of course, as seen at the IPT’s North suddenly had heroes. In the early 1990s, Billiard Association (WPA). American 8-Ball Open, the rest of the Taiwan’s National Sports Council accord- Several circumstances have contribut- world got the same memo. ed billiards the same status as high-school ed to America’s slip to pedestrian status. sports like basketball, soccer and ping- In the last 20 years, several nations have HE PHILIPPINES fi red the fi rst pong. As of late 2005, 20 high schools built pool support organizations and net- Tbig salvo in this international melee fi elded billiard teams, using school time works that are now churning out world when 30-year-old Efren Reyes dropped and resources to develop young talents champions. At the same time, promising into Red’s Open 9-Ball Championship in through professional coaching and regu- foreign players are now more likely to 1985 under an assumed name and blew lar competition. Wu emerged from such travel to pool hotspots like the U.S. and away the 108-player fi eld. But Reyes’ a program. earn valuable road experience. And many subsequent barnstorming tours of the Similarly, Europe has extensive infra- American players had become lackadaisi- U.S. at fi rst could have been considered structure for competition and player de- cal about practicing their craft, in the face an anomaly. velopment. The European Pocket Billiard of meager tournament purses that barely The fi rst real sign of a sea change came Federation, the continent’s governing averaged out to a living wage. in 1989, when 22-year-old German Oli- body for pool, counts 36 member coun- Money is a reliable motivator. The giant ver Ortmann shocked the fi eld at the BCA tries with separate governing bodies, prize funds now offered by the IPT have U.S. Open 14.1 Championships by beat- many of which sponsor juniors programs sparked a tsunami of optimism among ing , 200-186, for the title. and regional and national competitions. American players, who boast about their He was the fi rst non-American winner in The and Germany, in par-

48 BD • OCTOBER 2006

UUS.inddS.indd 4848 99/12/06/12/06 11:35:3011:35:30 AMAM ticular, have strong youth support pro- pines sharpening his skills, as has Fin- grams. And even national governments land’s . help develop players. Emerging German U.S. JUNIORS But, while Asian and European players players can join the Army’s sports sup- tend to seek out competition around the port program and practice pool daily SHUT OUT world, Americans tend to stay put. with top-notch instruction. Hohmann, “You don’t hear about Americans mov- the $350,000 winner of this year’s debut The WPA World Junior 9-Ball ing, like moving to the IPT event, was in such a program for fi ve Championships has been dominat- Philippines, or Rodney Morris moving years. ed by Asians and Europeans since to Taiwan,” Williams said. “That doesn’t The great exception to this model of its inception in 1992. (Women’s happen. That only happens in America. national organization is the Philippines, division added in 2004.) We still have the best events. America which has produced perhaps the strongest YEAR WINNER COUNTRY still has the most opportunity.” contingent of pool players in the world 1992 Hui-Kai Hsia Taiwan So, why aren’t Americans winning — led by national icon Reyes — almost 1993 Hui-Kai Hsia Taiwan more events? One theory is that the play- entirely through its hard-scrabble gam- 1994 Jorn Kjolaas Norway er development model in the U.S. basi- bling culture. 1995 Kung-Chang Huang Taiwan cally consists of getting a stakehorse or “Pool is intrinsically part of the culture 1996 Kung-Chang Huang Taiwan fat bankroll and hitting the road. in the Philippines,” said Luke Riches, me- 1997 Christian Goteman Germany “Our teaching is just to go out and get dia director for U.K.-based pool promoter 1998 Hui-Chan Lu Taiwan broke,” said Gabe Owen, winner of the , which will produce the 1999 Hui-Chan Lu Taiwan 2004 U.S. Open 9-Ball Championship, 2006 World Pool Championship in Ma- 2000 Dimitri Jungo Switzerland who cut his teeth on the road in action nila this November. “Reyes and [Francis- 2001 Brian Naithani Germany matches. “That’s the only way I’ve ever co] Bustamante and all that lot were just 2002 Ying-Chieh Chen Taiwan known.” 2003 Vilmos Foldes Hungary raised in pool from a young age.” 2004 Yu-Lan Wu (M) Taiwan Americans may learn how to deal with However, after a poor overall showing Meng-Meng Zhou (F) China the high-stakes pressure of gambling, but at the 2005 World Pool Championship, 2005 Yu-Lun Wu (M) Taiwan it’s not exactly the same pressure and en- the country’s pool czars decided to get (F) Austria vironment as a mainstream tournament, serious. They started organizing the sport said Jim Wych, pool promoter and TV with regional and global affi liations, a commentator. training academy, a national champion- But Filipinos aren’t the only pool tour- “The gambling mindset is different,” ship, and an offi cial ranking system. (See ists. Wych said. “It’s a mindset that Ameri- related story, page 59.) “Europeans have become very accli- cans probably do pretty well with, but “We are in danger of being left behind mated to playing in America; they come in tournaments there is no tomorrow. In in the sport,” said Yen Makabenta, new over here so much, it has become like a gambling, you can reassess things and chairman of the Billiard and second home,” said Williams, noting for come back tomorrow with a bigger bank- Congress of the Philippines. “We have to example that Hohmann has established roll.” develop our young talent, give them op- residency in Florida. Of course, part of the appeal of life portunities to achieve.” “They learned how to play in Europe, on the road is that there may be greater but they defi nitely honed their competi- potential to strike it rich. For example, RONICALLY, MANY of the best play- tiveness in America,” Williams said. 32-year-old Larry Nevel of the U.S. re- Iers from the world’s new pool super- Some European players like Hohmann corded his biggest payout as a pro at powers come to America to get the extra stick to the tournament circuit, while oth- the IPT’s North American 8-Ball Open seasoning required to succeed on the elite ers like Sweden’s and — $30,000 for a 17th-place fi nish. How- level — as well as to feed off the lower- Holland’s also hit the road ever, he already had reached that plateau hanging tournament prize funds. and gamble. Chamat, in fact, has also gambling. For example, Manalo of the Philippines spent a good deal of time in the Philip- “Apart from the IPT, there just isn’t challenged himself to travel to the States alone in May 2005 and hit several West Coast events. He snapped off the Sands U.S. VS. WORLD: 1-5 Regency Reno Open and Hard Time Jamboree within weeks. With giant fi elds from all over the planet, the annual World Pool Champion- “He needed to get away from the scene ship 9-ball event may be the most accurate gauge of national performance. here,” said Jaoquin Perez de Tagle, Here’s how the U.S. has fared since 2000, including Americans who reached founder of the BSCP. “Now I can see that the top 8. he has matured as a player. … He’s really YEAR WINNER U.S. IN TOP 8 mentally tough.” Little-known countryman Dennis Or- 2000 Fong-Pang Chao (Taiwan) 2 (Cory Deuel and Earl Strickland, T-3rd) 2001 Mika Immonen (Finland) 1 (Jeremy Jones, T-5th) collo made an almost identical journey 2002 Earl Strickland (USA) 2 (Strickland; Johnny Archer, T-5th) this year, also winning the Reno Open in 2003 Thorsten Hohmann (Germany) 1 (Earl Strickland, T-3rd) his fi rst trip to the U.S. Months later he 2004 (Philippines) 1 (Johnny Archer, T-5th) fi nished third at the IPT North American 2005 Chia-Ching Wu (Taiwan) 1 (Rodney Morris, T-3rd) 8-Ball Open, collecting $80,000.

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enough money in tournaments right won more than $50,000 in pro-tourna- Subsistence living as a pool player now,” Wych said. ment prize money, with only two crack- didn’t inspire great practice habits for It’s a cold fact of life in U.S. pro pool ing $100,000 (Filipinos Reyes and Alex many players, or extraordinary commit- circles that even the elite players strug- Pagulayan). That kind of money goes far ment to the game. Family men Robles gle to make a living at pool. Prior to the in Asia, but not in the U.S. and Morris, both winners of major events, creation of the IPT in 2005, the typical The money was so bad that some play- were considering leaving pool before the top prize for a pro tournament hovered ers at least temporarily quit pool and tried creation of the IPT. around $12,000 (apart from a few well- their luck on the poker circuit, including “I started to explore other avenues, endowed international and made-for-TV George San Souci. Promising pool pro but now we’ve got some money [in the invitational events). Nick Schulman, 21, won $2.1 million in game],” Morris said in late 2005. “We can In 2004, about a dozen male players a World Poker Tour event in 2005. make a living. It feels exciting again.” Several U.S. pros started hitting the practice table every day. “I haven’t done that in 15 years,” an enthusiastic Archer told BD in late 2005, in a telling admis- sion.

HE PROS are likely correct: The TIPT will ramp up everyone’s game. The tour’s mammoth payouts also will fl ush out several lesser-known U.S. tal- ents who have the potential to be world champs. For example, David Matlock, a former pro who essentially retired from the pro circuit, was the highest-fi nishing American at the North American 8-Ball Open, securing an impressive tenth-place fi nish as a qualifi er. But more could be done. Both Robles and Williams called for continued de- velopment of the BCA’s junior program, which principally organizes qualifi ers for its annual Junior National Champion- ships and produces the event. “Europe and Asia have strong junior programs,” Williams said. “They’re turn- ing out world-class players like they’re machines. We’re not.” For example, since the creation of the WPA’s World Junior 9-Ball Champion- ships in 1992, no American has won the event (see table on page 49). The task of junior development natural- ly falls to the BCA, which is the WPA’s member organization and governing body for pool in North America. How- ever, the BCA recently refi ned its mis- sion to further focus on its role as a trade association for the billiard industry, leav- ing the junior program a lower priority. The program accounted for 3 percent of the BCA’s total program expenses in its 2004-2005 fi scal year. “Youth pool in this country is not or- ganized,” said the WPA’s Lewis, former director of leagues and player programs for the BCA. “No one is taking a strong direction with this in the U.S. It’s really about the youth, and the fact that we’re not doing this is what’s going to turn us into a second-rate country very soon, if we in fact aren’t already.”

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