Good Matches Coming Up

[bud green]

Some nice match-ups coming up.

Vegas: Jesse Bowman vs Dave Hemmah. Anyone see the Bowman/Lining match? Antonio Lining is supposed to be a monster for the cash but lost 10-8 to Jesse. I'm hoping Victor Ignacio pulls it out somehow and gets a spot.

Tulsa: CJ Wiley vs Rafael Martinez. I'd love to see this one. Too awesome players battling for a spot. I bet both of them wish they had just applied for the full card earlier- how could you say no to these guys if you were on the selection committee?

Akron: If Beckley and Wiseman meet up after their next match, it should be a good one. Poor Jeff B. missed out by one game last time and Ronnie had to forfeit out because he got lost last event.

London: bunch of bums. Just kidding; I have no idea who any of these guys are except Drago. Paging "theOne"....

Florida: Saez and Richeson are the only ones I've heard anything about so I guess they're my picks. Any Floridians out there who can chime in?

 

[jjinfla]

Well, Richeson has to go through Grossman before he gets to Robb and I think Richeson and Grossman play pretty even and that is just slightly under the top ranked pros.

Richard Broumpton is right there at their speed too.

But I would place Frankie Hernandez as the favorite along with Robb Saez.

But then that is all based on 9-ball and there are a lot of names that I don't know.

Jake

 

[JAM]

But I would place Frankie Hernandez as the favorite along with Robb Saez.

The two of them know each other, and knowledge of an opponent's skills sets is an advantage.

Frankie is known as a power-breaker, but his 9-ball breaking capabilities aren't as much of an asset in 8-ball, IMHO. I'd like to see him win, as much as Robb Saez. Robb, however, has been frequenting the tournament trail more often than Frankie in recent times.

Picture taken at last year's U.S. Open, Tony Robles on the left, unknown guy in the middle, and Frankie Hernandez on the right.

JAM

 

[JAM]

The two of them know each other, and knowledge of an opponent's skills sets is an advantage....

When I pulled the above-depicted picture in my 2005 U.S. Open file, I found this one as well and had forgotten about it. After the players meeting at the U.S. Open last year, the competitors all grab a table and practice, getting in stroke for the main event up ahead.

Keith was practicing on the below-depicted table after the players meeting, and during his practice session with South Carolinan Jerry Bentos, Frankie Hernadez arrived and was in the house, brandishing a rhinestone-encrusted New York Yankees baseball cap, muscles flexed, gold jewelry, and looking mighty dapper.

Keith laid his cue stick tableside and went outside to smoke a cigarette. When he returned, Frankie was racking the balls. Whenever Keith and Frankie get together, they have a love/hate-fest. One minute they're barking at each other, and the next, they're outside passing the football to each other like father and son.

Here's Keith barking at Frankie for taking over his practice table! I wish I had recorded their colloquy exchange because it was funny! Check out Frankie's Chetshire Cat grin as Keith is enraged.

JAM

 

[JAM]

Tulsa: CJ Wiley vs Rafael Martinez. I'd love to see this one. Too awesome players battling for a spot. I bet both of them wish they had just applied for the full card earlier- how could you say no to these guys if you were on the selection committee?....

I don't recall seeing C.J. Wiley's name on any of the other IPT qualifiers' player rosters. Subject to check, this may be his first crack at playing in one. He's definitely one of Texas' legendary players.

C.J. did make the trek to the IPT King of the Hill in Orlando and enjoyed the festivities, as depicted below on the left.

Rafael Martinez is a pitbull on a field of green and should do well, IMHO.

JAM

 

[JAM]

...Akron: If Beckley and Wiseman meet up after their next match, it should be a good one. Poor Jeff B. missed out by one game last time and Ronnie had to forfeit out because he got lost last event....

Poor Ronnie Wiseman!

He gets forfeited last IPT qualifier because he got lost en route to his 10:00 a.m. match, even though he woke up well ahead of time. Ditching his car and hopping in a cab, even the cab driver, a local native, got lost getting Ronnie to the pool room.

This weekend at the IPT qualifier in Akron, the TD wanted to begin the matches at 8:00 a.m., but decided to let the games begin at 10:00 a.m. Ronnie Wisemen arrives at 9:00 a.m., but was told his match has been postponed until noon.

It seems a player by the name of Kari Paloheimo was en route to the venue site via airplane. So the TD decided to hold up the chart and let Kari Paloheimo play his first match to catch up with the rest of the players on the chart.

BTW, Kari Paloheimo knocked Japanese Champion Takenaka Hiroshi to the losers' side and advanced.

Here's where it gets good! Though they have an American flag by Kari Paloheimo's name on the IPT website, the word on the street is that he is Mika Immonen's brother!

Ronnie Wiseman is a veteran tournament player, and hopefully, his momentum will not diminish by having to stand around and wait several hours before his first match, even though he arrived well ahead of time for his 10:00 a.m. match that never took place. Hey, at least he didn't get lost, and he can hit balls and get in dead punch.

At the time of this writing, he hasn't played his match yet.

Go Ronnie, go! We're pulling for you big time here in D.C.!

JAM

 

[JAM]

...London: bunch of bums. Just kidding; I have no idea who any of these guys are except Drago. Paging "theOne"....

Over on the other side of the pond, the only names I know are Tony Drago who is currently on the B side of the charts and Imran Majid who is one match away from winning the IPT qualifier on the winners' side of the chart. He's playing a chap named Goran Mladenovic, whose name doesn't ring a bell on this side of the pond!

What time is it in England right now, anyway?

JAM

 

[JAM]

Imrad Majid is one match away from winning the qualifier on the A side of the charts.

Imran got knocked to the B side, one match away from the qualifier and is currently awaiting the winner of Tony Drago's match for the second qualifier win.

IPT Member Raj Hundal won all four of his challenge table matches!

Right now, the pride of the Midwest, James Walden, is playing Mexican Champion Rafael Martinez in Tulsa, OK. I'll bet that's going to be a hard-fought battle to the finish!

JAM

 

[JAM]

Imrad Majid Wins In London!

Imran Majid won his qualifier in London, defeating Tony Drago on the B side of the charts. The other qualifier winner is Goran Mladenovich. IPT Qualifier No. 24 is now concluded.

Ronnie Wiseman just lost a hill-hill on the A side of the chart in Akron, Ohio, to Michael Stephenson. I hear he's from the same neck of the woods as Roadster Eric Durbin, and plays just as strong as Durbin, if not better.

Ronnie is still in this tournament, though, and needs to win three matches to get the qualifier. Go Ronnie, go!

Mika Immonen's twin brother Kari Paloheimo is also on the B side of the charts in Akron, having gotten beat on the hil-hill by German Player Michael Schmidt.

JAM

 

[DanielM]

Go Imran! He played in most of the tour card qualifiers, and he deserves a place in this IPT open.

 

[Ktown D]

Ronnie Wiseman just lost a hill-hill on the A side of the chart in Akron, Ohio, to Michael Stephenson. I hear he's from the same neck of the woods as Roadster Eric Durbin, and plays just as strong as Durbin, if not better.


JAM

That is Tommy Stephenson (aka Middletown Whitey's boy), not Michael. And yes he does play very well. I think Keith knows him and his father.

 

[WINTHEDAY14]

I was watching Lee Heuwagen play at the orland park qualifier this guy is the real deal, he will be on the IPT soon!

 

[JAM]

Some nice match-ups coming up.

Vegas: Jesse Bowman vs Dave Hemmah. Anyone see the Bowman/Lining match? Antonio Lining is supposed to be a monster for the cash but lost 10-8 to Jesse. I'm hoping Victor Ignacio pulls it out somehow and gets a spot....

Young Gun Jesse Bowman faces Secret Agent Man Mark Trainer today in Vegas on the winners' side of the chart, as Calfornia's Tang Hoa battles it out with Filipino Ronnie Alcano who is on a mission.

JAM

 

[JAM]

That is Tommy Stephenson (aka Middletown Whitey's boy), not Michael. And yes he does play very well. I think Keith knows him and his father.

I asked Keith, but he can't place who he is. However, this young man is one match away from winning the qualifier. Good luck to him!

JAM

 

[JAM]

That is Tommy Stephenson (aka Middletown Whitey's boy), not Michael. And yes he does play very well. I think Keith knows him and his father.

Tommy Stephenson is playing German Michael Schmidt for the winner's side qualifier. I don't know much about Schmidt, but I did find a picture of him on AzBilliards pictures: http://www.azbilliards.com/thepros/2000showplayer2005.cfm?playernum=722

I also found this link to an Accu-Stats tape when Tommy Stephenson was playing Mika Immonen. The pictures keep changing from Mika, Corey Deuel, Jose Parica, and then Tommy: http://marketplace.azbilliards.com/...e-Parica-889-AND-Mika-Immonen-94-p-16916.html

JAM

 

[Ktown D]

Gold star for you.





JAM <~~~ Always doing her homework.

 

[JAM]

Gold star for you.





JAM <~~~ Always doing her homework.

LOL. It's a dirty job, but somebody's gotta do it!

I'll tell you one thing for sure. This match between Tommy and the German player Michael Schimidt either is the longest match in the history of the 8-ball, or somebody forgot to call in the results! Who ever wins gets the qualifier. It is pretty exciting for both players, I'd imagine!

EDIT: I posted too soon because this just came in. Just heard that the German Michael Schimdt won the qualifier, and Tommy goes to the B side and awaits his turn. They said Tommy didn't play well and that Schmidt was hitting 'em with authority.

Also, each table at this joint has different cue balls, red dots, red circles, no circles, blue circles, black circles. None of them are the same on the tables.

Ronnie Wiseman won his match against Michael Enters on the B side, and I'm happy about that! Ronnie plays for Jeff Beckley and Hiroshi to get done. Currently, it's 9-8 Beckley. Then Ronnie plays the winner of this match.

JAM

 

[Keith Buck]

Was Schmidt one of the players who had a match shortened to a race to eight in one of the qualifiers because it was taking too long? I seem to remember one of the players being German.

 

[JAM]

Was Schmidt one of the players who had a match shortened to a race to eight in one of the qualifiers because it was taking too long? I seem to remember one of the players being German.

I can't remember who it was, but the German Michael Schmidt just won the first qualifier in Akron, Ohio. They said he was playing excellent.

JAM

 

[pooladdict]

Was Schmidt one of the players who had a match shortened to a race to eight in one of the qualifiers because it was taking too long? I seem to remember one of the players being German.

That is correct.It was him. Michael Schmidt is a very methodical player.

The player who qualified in London, Goran M, is also proving that 8 ball and 9 ball are two different games. He is certainly a strong player, but have never made any headlines at the 9ball Eurotour. In 8 ball though, he seems to perform strongly, he has more high finishes there. I think he quite often uses the soft break. A funny story about that:

In the last European Championship, you could bet not only on the outcome of the match, but also other things in each game such as whether the player will make a ball on the break or not. The tables were breaking pretty good, and the odds were in favour of balls going in. A friend of mine, who is at the venue, calls me and tells me that Goran M has been soft / safe breaking all the way, so in his next match against Alex Lely in 8-ball I should bet everything I have that no balls will go in when Goran breaks.

I follow his advice ofcourse, and bets a decent amount. What does the big guy do? He blasts the balls harder than Wu! Luckily for me, the white ball finds a pocket - which counts as a foul and "no balls in" - and I win the bet, 2,5 times the money.