JAM's Picture Page from Vegas

JAM

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Here's the IPT tote bag with the player's name printed on them. Inside there was a player's packet of information, a North American Championship coffee mug, baseball cap, and shirt, and four DVDs consisting of the KOTH Invitational Shootout of Reyes vs. Sigel, the Sigel vs. Jones match in Vegas, Mike Sigel's "Perfect Pool" 3 DVD set, and Sigel's "How to Make Trick Shots."

Each of the player's name tags had their picture on them. I purchased my two passes for the main tournament and finals on the Internet before we got there. However, the players were each afforded up to 10 complimentary tickets for their "entourage."

JAM
 

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JAM

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Quite a few pool folk traveled to Vegas to see the big show. I was pleasantly surprised to see native Virginian Freddie Boggs, an old friend of mine, who moved to Vegas several years ago. He was impressed with the IPT event and came every day to see the matches.

Keith has many friends in Vegas himself, having lived there for a spell. The gentleman in the middle is named Louie, who's an old friend and pool comrade, and the gentleman on the right is Dick Renke a/k/a "Bomber" who went to elementary school with Keith back in California. Bomber said he won a BCA amateur event a year or two ago in Vegas. Keith said that his break is awesome!

JAM
 

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JAM

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Jimmy Wetch came to Vegas with his lady and performed excellent on a field of green. He always dresses first class at any event I've seen him competing in, though he was MIA a few years ago on the tournament trail.

I think the IPT has lit a spark in Jimmy, and I have a feeling we'll all be reading about his accomplishments and triumphs on the IPT tournament trail in the very near future.

JAM
 

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pooladdict

no doubt about it
Silver Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by JAM
I had thought Sandor was from Hungary, but according to the IPT website, he hails from Croatia.
JAM

Skyline said:
He indeed is from Hungary...

Actually, Sandor Tot is from Serbia and now represents that country, but he used to represent Hungary for quite a few years when he stayed there.
I think he lives in Italy now, but is still Serbian (paging Tom..)

To make the confusion complete, there is also a player from Hungary called Sandor Toth, playing on the Eurotour. He is not an IPT player though
 

JAM

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
pooladdict said:
Actually, Sandor Tot is from Serbia and now represents that country, but he used to represent Hungary for quite a few years when he stayed there.
I think he lives in Italy now, but is still Serbian (paging Tom..)

To make the confusion complete, there is also a player from Hungary called Sandor Toth, playing on the Eurotour. He is not an IPT player though

I got a chance to chat with Sandor over the course of the tournament on several occasions. He told me that the time difference from Vegas and Europe really took a toll on him, and that next time, he'll be arriving a week early so that he will be well rested.

Sandor also said that the long days with no breaks in between was another difficulty he experienced. He said the IPT tournament format is one that all players must get used to if they are going to excel, and he will be working on his endurance for upcoming events. I'm sure he'll be ready for Reno, having this tournament under his belt, and raring to go!


Here's a pic of Keith and Sandor taken at the conclusion of one of the tournament days enjoying a cold beverage. :p

JAM
 

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jingle

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Thanks!!!!

JAM, thanks for posting the great pix and sharing your road trip & IPT experience for all of us to enjoy....next best thing to being there!
 

JAM

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
jingle said:
JAM, thanks for posting the great pix and sharing your road trip & IPT experience for all of us to enjoy....next best thing to being there!

Thanks for the kind words, Jingle. I see you hail from the State of Iowa. I really did enjoy driving through and meeting the Iowa folks. We ended up staying there one night across the street from a horse track and casino. The scenery was beautiful throughout Iowa, with its pristine corn fields landscaped in perfect harmony with the hills and valleys, and then there's those endless blue skies.

Here's a shot of Keith taken across the street from Prairie Downs Casino in Iowa holding his Jack Madden cue. Poor fellow had to pose quite a bit for me when we were on the road! The people we met in Iowa were genuinely nice and friendly. I love that State! :)

JAM
 

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Snapshot9

son of 3 leg 1 eye dog ..
Silver Member
Thanks ...

Jam for sharing your experience with us and the pictures. It helps make it a living experience for all of us 'at home' ...
 

JAM

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Snapshot9 said:
Jam for sharing your experience with us and the pictures. It helps make it a living experience for all of us 'at home' ...

It was my pleasure. I enjoy networking with my friends at AzBilliards. When I'm stuck home, I get all the info I need right here on this forum.

One of my favorite IPT snapshots I took was of Keith and Scotty Townsend. Knowing the bumpy road these two traveled on the American tournament trail over the past several decades, it warmed my heart to see them decked out in their Sunday's best beaming with pride to be recognized as a professional. And it would have never happened if it weren't for Kevin Trudeau's vision of an International Pool Tour. :)

JAM
 

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ScottR

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
memikey said:
Everyone I know really appreciates all your photos Jam,it certainly has been great to see all those shots of the folks at the event etc.

Just one teensy thing.......fully realise you were genuinely impressed but I can't get too gaga over the apparent quality of hotel facilities in general and certainly not over the pictured 'suite'.It looks like a fairly routine room for most parts of the world,certainly round these parts it wouldn't qualify as a suite and if for US$ 179/- I got anything less than what is pictured,especially when a bulk package rate has been negotiated,frankly I'd be more than a little bit annoyed:)
Given the affluence and growth of where you live, I think you may be a little jaded.
 

JAM

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
ScottR said:
Given the affluence and growth of where you live, I think you may be a little jaded.

From reading the few posts written by "memikey," I don't think he lives there on a permanent basis.

It's a shame my pictures aren't able to capture the luxury we experienced. Sometimes it's fun to rain on other people's parades in forum land, looking for something, anything at all, to provide blessed opinion(s) and/or commentary, sometimes in the form of taking an opposite stance.

A picture is worth a thousand words, as they say. So here is a link to the suites at the Venetian: http://www.venetian.com/accommodations/index.cfm

I am certainly no globe trotter, but I've managed to get around in my 52 years on this earth. Believe me, this place was nothing but first class with a capital "C, and it also enjoys a five-star rating by the pollsters, whatever that's worth. :p

Unless "memikey" lives in Buckingham Palace on a permanent basis, I believe he'd be hard-pressed to find a facility more elegant and luxurious in these United States, IMHO.

JAM
 

rackmsuckr

Linda Carter - The QUEEN!
Silver Member
Those rooms really are nice...you deserved to be pampered like a princess after all that driving. :p

I vowed I was going to take a jacuzzi in our bathtubs at our condo, but I never did, or play tennis, or swim, or work out or go on the putting green. Every day I was in the pool room, morning til night. :p
 

JAM

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
rackmsuckr said:
Those rooms really are nice...you deserved to be pampered like a princess after all that driving. :p

I vowed I was going to take a jacuzzi in our bathtubs at our condo, but I never did, or play tennis, or swim, or work out or go on the putting green. Every day I was in the pool room, morning til night. :p

I know. The tournament schedule was tight, leaving little room for play. Because the matches began at 10:00 a.m., we turned in early each night and woke up at 6:00 a.m., trying to loosen up a bit. We were the first ones in the door of the tournament room which opened each morning at 8:00 a.m. :eek:

In Vegas, I did check out Rio (big poker tournament) several times, Caesars Palace (the shops), and the Cue Club. The Cue Club is the first place we went to when we arrived in Vegas, before we checked in at the Venetian. By day, it was a very nice place to practice, friendly staff, quick service, and quite comfortable. However, by nightfall, a metamorphism occurred to the quiet and comfortable Cue Club. The music was so loud that I had to cover my ears at times, and the place was PACKED, with every single table going and a waiting list. Then there were those 3-foot-high water pipes which patrons were smoking high-grade tobacco. Never seen that before. There were quite a few ladies with rings in their noses, ears, and eyebrows, and pretty colorful tatoos. :cool:

The first night, Earl jumps out of a cab as we're departing, and he had me in stitches. I was laughing so hard, I didn't want to leave. Then he said to me, "I can't believe you and Keith drove all the way here. I've been there, done that, and will NEVER do it again." I asked him how he knew I drove out, and the answer was obvious. He is an AzBilliards lurker (Hi, Earl! :D).

At the tournament, I met MANY, MANY, MANY AzBilliards readers, the majority of which state that they only lurk and don't post. ;)

The Cue Club gave the IPT players a 50-percent discount on table time to practice, which I thought was nice. :)

JAM
 

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JAM

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Here's a shot of Keith sitting in front of the Forum Shops at Ceasars. Everybody kept saying that these shops were the BEST in Vegas, and so I just had to go there and check it out. They were only 2 blocks from the Venetian, and so we elected to walk. Big mistake. :eek:

Halfway there in the 110-degree heat, Keith and I were sweating and panting like two dogs who just went for a run. When I asked him if I could take this picture, he complied, but he was one unhappy camper out there in that heat. His mood darkened too when he had to follow me around as I explored the Forum Shops. :D

After a 20-minute exploratory of the Forum Shops, we ventured on over to the Poker Room at Ceasars. Ceasars is beautiful inside and out, BTW. Allen Hopkins had told us there was a $120-entry-fee poker tournament which paid $18,000 the night before. We saw Allen there standing in line and we were going to get in it, but remembered that Keith had to be back at the Venetian by 9:00 p.m. because of a commitment to do a brief commentary photo shoot.

So we were going to hail a taxi, but was quite disappointed to see a LONG line waiting for taxis at Ceasars. So we elected to walk back the two blocks, sweating, panting, and dragging our feet. When in Vegas, especially in July, take a taxi. Walking, even if it's only 2 blocks, is brutal. On every block, there are HUGE fans spraying water on passersby, which I had never seen before, because of the brutal heat.

JAM
 

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Skess

Another sidearmer...
Silver Member
JAM said:
...Halfway there in the 110-degree heat, Keith and I were sweating and panting like two dogs who just went for a run. When I asked him if I could take this picture, he complied, but he was one unhappy camper out there in that heat. His mood darkened too when he had to follow me around as I explored the Forum Shops. :D

...So we were going to hail a taxi, but was quite disappointed to see a LONG line waiting for taxis at Ceasars. So we elected to walk back the two blocks, sweating, panting, and dragging our feet. When in Vegas, especially in July, take a taxi. Walking, even if it's only 2 blocks, is brutal. On every block, there are HUGE fans spraying water on passersby, which I had never seen before, because of the brutal heat.

I couldn't agree more about the taxi's. We were there in Aug 2001 and the temps were 110+ everyday. My wife and I thought we'd start our walking tour early am to beat the heat. It didn't help. We ended up walking through the casinos/shops, in one end and out the other, to stay in the air conditioning. By the time we got to the other end, we were beat. Like you, we found a long line at the taxi stands, but waited anyway. I was tired of my shoes sticking to the sidewalk.:D

On the other hand, by not taking the taxi, you may have saved your own life. We got a guy from Germany that did 50 mph through every back alley and parking lot on the way back to our hotel. It was nice to get back to the hotel, but it took me another 10 minutes to catch my breath.
 

ironman

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
JAM said:
It was my pleasure. I enjoy networking with my friends at AzBilliards. When I'm stuck home, I get all the info I need right here on this forum.

One of my favorite IPT snapshots I took was of Keith and Scotty Townsend. Knowing the bumpy road these two traveled on the American tournament trail over the past several decades, it warmed my heart to see them decked out in their Sunday's best beaming with pride to be recognized as a professional. And it would have never happened if it weren't for Kevin Trudeau's vision of an International Pool Tour. :)


JAM

Scotty is just incredible and can tell some stories that swill keep your sides hurting for days.
 

rackmsuckr

Linda Carter - The QUEEN!
Silver Member
JAM said:
Here's a shot of Keith sitting in front of the Forum Shops at Ceasars. Everybody kept saying that these shops were the BEST in Vegas, and so I just had to go there and check it out. They were only 2 blocks from the Venetian, and so we elected to walk. Big mistake. :eek:

Halfway there in the 110-degree heat, Keith and I were sweating and panting like two dogs who just went for a run. When I asked him if I could take this picture, he complied, but he was one unhappy camper out there in that heat. His mood darkened too when he had to follow me around as I explored the Forum Shops. :D

After a 20-minute exploratory of the Forum Shops, we ventured on over to the Poker Room at Ceasars. Ceasars is beautiful inside and out, BTW. Allen Hopkins had told us there was a $120-entry-fee poker tournament which paid $18,000 the night before. We saw Allen there standing in line and we were going to get in it, but remembered that Keith had to be back at the Venetian by 9:00 p.m. because of a commitment to do a brief commentary photo shoot.

So we were going to hail a taxi, but was quite disappointed to see a LONG line waiting for taxis at Ceasars. So we elected to walk back the two blocks, sweating, panting, and dragging our feet. When in Vegas, especially in July, take a taxi. Walking, even if it's only 2 blocks, is brutal. On every block, there are HUGE fans spraying water on passersby, which I had never seen before, because of the brutal heat.

JAM

Heat was rough, even for me who is usually cold. I wish more of the pictures had you in it as well. You should have had some tourist snap pictures of both of you. Keith reminds me of that guy I saw on the internet that has his picture taken with every famous person, lol. :p (Not exactly the same, since Keith is famous already in his own right.) Mike would never let me pose him for very long. :( After about the 3rd picture, he would be SO not cooperating <sigh> - you are lucky!
 

Eydie Romano

Finally Retired!
Silver Member
Great pictures JAM! Glad that you got one of AZB Mike.. Did you happen to get one of him and his wonderful better half Holly?
 

JAM

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Eydie Romano said:
Great pictures JAM! Glad that you got one of AZB Mike.. Did you happen to get one of him and his wonderful better half Holly?

I didn't have my camera with me at all times, Eydie, and I missed MANY "Kodak moments," unfortunately. Next time, you can best believe I'm going to be carrying it with me at all times. I know Holly from the East Coast, and it's always a pleasure running into her. She's moved to Arizona and loves it there.

BTW, the IPT will be coming to Chicago, Eydie, and I hope to see you there. Last time I saw you, you really looked beautiful. You and Bob were working on being healthy, eating good foods, exercising, doing all the right things.

One thing about these tournaments, especially casino ones, it seems that you must walk 5 to 10 miles every day, up and down the endless hallways from hotel room to the tournament room and back. It seems that I get more exercise when I travel than I do when I am at home!

Comfortable feet is a wonderful thing when going to these pool tournaments. I've always been a shoe hound and seek to buy the BEST so that my feet are comfy. When we were out West, everybody was wearing these strange-looking, brightly colored shoes with holes in them, men, women, and children. I thought they were odd; that is, until I put them on my feet. I ended up buying me a pair in turquoise and Keith a pair in black. They're called "Crocks," and they are the absolute nuts :D

JAM
 

memikey

Never Has Been
Silver Member
JAM-quote

From reading the few posts written by "memikey," I don't think he lives there on a permanent basis.

I have in fact lived 'there' for nearly 20 years plus for the last 29 years,mainly in connection with my work but also leisure, other travel has taken me on very short duration stays to dozens of other countries,mostly in hotels

Sometimes it's fun to rain on other people's parades in forum land, looking for something, anything at all, to provide blessed opinion(s) and/or commentary, sometimes in the form of taking an opposite stance.

That's an unfair shot and a tad over-defensive,no slight was intended.I do have better things to do than trawl the internet simply looking for unecessary fights to pick:)

The main purpose of my post was to thank you for the wonderful selection of photos you provided and to inform you that everyone I know connected with pool had thouroughly enjoyed them......and I very clearly said so in the very first paragraph.


I am certainly no globe trotter, but I've managed to get around in my 52 years on this earth. Believe me, this place was nothing but first class with a capital "C, and it also enjoys a five-star rating by the pollsters, whatever that's worth. :p

It's hardly my fault if you haven't personally experienced that similar standard facilities and rooms are readily available worldwide for that price.I'm certainly not making it up.I wasn't comparing the hotel or the room to anything previously experienced at pool tournament venues,which would be foolish, I was simply comparing hotel to hotel,first class to first class and in that respect it appears normal,no more,no less.By the way wouldn't "First Class" normally have a capital "F"?:)

Unless "memikey" lives in Buckingham Palace on a permanent basis, I believe he'd be hard-pressed to find a facility more elegant and luxurious in these United States, IMHO.

If you are going to lower the tone of discussion to jibes,the link between the two things in that sentence is a very poor effort as it makes absolutely no sense......why on earth would the standard of accommodation that somebody permanently lives in affect in any way his or her ability to compare one hotel facility to another? If the task is to find a facility more elegant and luxurious than The Venetian all he or she needs to do in order to be in a position to compare it with other hotels in a fair and reasonable basis is to know the facilities available at The Venetian and know the facilities available elsewhere.To accomplish that task it matters not a jot whether he or she permanently lives in a palace or a refugee tent.

JAM[/QUOTE]

Lighten up,don't take things so personal.If I'm ever "trying to rain on your parade" believe me you would probably know about it:D
 
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