PREMIER ISSUE MAGAZINE ISSUE#1 - JANUARY 2021 In loving memory of Sam Ramirez Oct. 6, 1965 - Dec. 12, 2020 FOR LOVE OF THE GAME INSIDE • What is Straight In loving memory Pool? of Sandy Schuman • Dancing with Fatty Sept. 13, 1951 - Nov. 28, 2020 • Money Pool • Cue Care • A Matter of Focus • The Spectrum of Force 1 Editors Corner Content Contributors Hello and Welcome to Mary Kenniston - World & National “On the Snap” billiards Champion Pool Player, and one of magazine! The idea for this the founders of the WPBA (Women’s magazine came from my love Pro Billiard Association). Mary was for the game of pool and the inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2020 desire to teach more people about it. Philip Capelle - A Nationally The magazine will grow and change as I learn more recognized expert on playing pool. about various parts of the industry and hope that I can He has spent the last 30 years playing, honor my two friends that grace the cover of this first studying and teaching pool and he is issue. They both loved the game so much. Sometimes one of the instructors to be certified by it seems that is all they would talk about :) the Billiard Congress of America. On the Snap is going to have a regional focus on Ohio, Michigan, Kentucky & West Virgina. I will always have a history page in the magazine and will Randy Dininger has been doing feature some of the players from where it all began. cue repair for twelve years, along with playing, buying and selling This being the first issue, I am looking for suggestions pool cues for about twenty years. and articles to run in the magazine, so if you have any ideas, please let me know by email at [email protected]. Anthony Beeler is the 2011-2020 Billiards Instructor of the Decade and is a former BCAPL National Champion. He has numerous top 25 national finishes and is one of only 8 ACS Master Instructors in the world. Denny Stewart - PBIA Master Instructor - Professional Pocket Billiard Instructor - 36 years Experience - Founder of Ohio Pool School in Toledo, Ohio www.facebook.com/denny.stewart On the Snap is sponsored by: Buckeye Billiards 8-7’ Diamond Tables 5 Electronic Dart 2-9’ Diamond Tables Boards 2-7’ Valley Smart Great Food & Drink Tables Plenty of Seating! 950 Ashland Rd. • Mansfield, OH An Independently Owned Billiards Publication 419-989-3914 2 In loving memory of Sam Ramirez Oct. 6, 1965 - Dec. 12, 2020 Sam. Everyone that knew Sam loved him. He just had that type of personality and a way with people. Sam would go out of his way to help someone in need because he had such a big heart. I met Sam Ramirez when I moved back home from Texas to Mansfield. He was the manager at the Cracker Barrell where I went to work. He was a good manager, if we got slammed, he was the first to come out and start helping to bus the tables and clean up. Years later, when I started playing pool, Sam would often discuss shots with me and help me learn. I am not always an easy student and he knew that. Sam LOVED to play pool - the photo to the right is of us hanging out at Ohio Coin Machine Association State VNEA Tournaments. Sam and his teams always did well in competition. Sam passed away Sat. Dec. 12, 2020 at the age of 55 from Covid19 complications. Sam worked for Alpha & Omega Real Estate as a realtor, part-time at Big Lots, co-owner of Buckeye Thrift and he was also the owner of Sami’s Bar. He had a special love for kids and always bought a lot of toys to give away at Christmas time and for school supplies. Sam was one of my two best friends and will be greatly missed by me and many people in the Mansfield, OH area. 3 Money Pool In November of 2007, the Clarion Hotel and Conference Center in Louisville, Kentucky played host to the $20,000 added CSI Qlympics. A star studded field gathered to compete in the BCA, U.S. Open Bank Pool Championship, U.S. Open One-Pocket Championship, U.S. Open 14.1 Championship, and the ever prestigious U.S. Open 10-Ball Championship. Early on Saturday morning I decided to drive north to Louisville and watch some of the world’s greatest players. My intention was to watch the featured Action Report match pitting Earl Strickland against Shane Van Boening. However, when I arrived on the scene, my good friend Samantha Patton and convinced me to enter both the 8-Ball and 9-Ball mini-tournaments. She said it would be a great way to test my skills against some of the world’s greatest players. The 9-Ball mini was single elimination, race to 5. I started out strong winning several matches by significant margins. After winning the final match of the 9-Ball tournament against “Detroit Tom” by a score of 5-2, I found myself in the semi-finals of the 8-Ball event pitted against top ranked touring professional, Louis Ulrich. Louis had just won the BCAPL Men’s Master Big Table Singles Division and had just finished 2nd in the U.S. Open 10-Ball Championship. The match was close and it was only a race to 3. I was on the hill by a score of 2-1 and Louis had just missed an opportunity at a difficult run out. I came to the table with a crucial decision to make.As you can see below, I had the solids and Louis had only the 8-ball left. It was clear that I had to play safe. The problem was how do you defend against the firepower of a world-class player? As I studied the layout my first instinct was to do something simple. I wanted to graze the 6-ball rolling up behind it and the 5, leaving the cue ball at position “A”. However, as I continued to study the layout of balls, I came to the realization that it was the incorrect shot. I kept telling myself, “You can’t let him have a clear kick shot to pocket the 8.” So I surveyed the table for other options. 4 After carefully surveying the table, I noticed that my 2 and 3 ball were positioned near the 8, and could be potentially used as blockers for executing a different type of safety. My new plan was to shoot thinly into the left side of the 6-ball and position the cue-ball two rails onto the other side of the table, leaving it at position “B”. This plan cuts off the upper cushion, which takes the easier to pocket 1-rail kick out of the equation. I would rather have my opponent kick to the short side of the ball with a lower percentage of making it, rather than letting him kick to the long side, which has a higher probability of the ball being pocketed. After I executed the safety, Louis came to the table and kicked to the short side. The 8-ball rebounded off the cushion and broke loose my 2 and 3. This was the only opportunity that I needed to run the remaining balls and win the match. Looking back, I now realize how important that it is to look for various safety options and to weigh the probabilities of each shot. If I had elected to go with my first instinct and had attempted to play the simpler safety, I very well may have watched Louis kick in the 8-ball and win the game. The movie Money Ball talks about how the Oakland Athletics general manager, Billy Beane, uses percentages over the long haul to win at baseball. Pool is no different. It’s important to weigh all of your options and to always play the percentage. Any time you can gain even a 1 or 2 percent advantage it is important to exercise that option. Even small percentages add up over the course of time. Anthony Beeler is the 2011-2020 Billiards Instructor of the Decade and is a former BCAPL National Champion. He has numerous top 25 national finishes and is one of only 8ACS Master Instructors in the world. He is the primary author of the ACS National Billiards Instructors Manual and 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. 5 What is Straight pool (14.1) According to Wikipedia - Straight pool (also The idea of straight pool is derived from an earlier known as 14.1 continuous or 14.1 rack), is a game game called continuous pool. In continuous pool, that features two players competing on a 9 foot points are earned for every ball that is pocketed. billiard table attempting to pocket as many balls When all balls are pocketed, a new rack begins, as possible without committing a foul - one point with the player who pocketed the final ball playing is scored for each object ball pocketed where no the break. As players became skilled in scoring foul is made. many points in a single turn, they would often employ defensive shots on the break to avoid their Straight pool was the primary version of pool in opponent running the 15 balls on the table.