IPT Qualifier No. 8 in Progress

[JAM]

This is the first time that I had ever been to Champion Billiards Sports Cafe, located in Frederick, Maryland, even though I live less than an hour away, and I will definitely be back. Gary Allen, the host and manager, welcomed 13 players to IPT Qualifier No. 8, and the playing conditions couldn't have been any better. Gary's father, Richard Allen, is a familiar name in the Metropolitan D.C. Area. He is the founder of the original Champion Billiards, and soon there were many more to follow.

Rudolfo Luat just few in from Vegas to attend this qualifier, and he's still in the tournament. During the race-to-10 on the losers' side, Luat had Cliff Joyner stuck 5-zip, but Cliff never gave up and managed to pass Luat with a resounding 6-5 lead, but as happens with champion-caliber players, Luat dug in his heels and never looked back, defeating the one-pocket champion. Cliff, however, got his name pulled out of the hat to play on the challenge table, hoping to take another shot at going to Vegas. His only stop sign to winning a free entry fee to an upcoming qualifier is IPT Member Keith McCready. The two of them will battle it out tomorrow.

Another very exciting match-up on the winners' side was between two good friends of mine, 22-year-old Brandon Shuff from Sterling, Virginia, and Larry Kressel from Richmond, Virginia. Larry had Brandon 5 to 2. Brandon is in dead stroke, having hit balls every single day in preparation for this event, and he pulled ahead 8 to 5, leaving Larry benched for a spell. Soon, though, came the infamous hill-hill, and Brandon ran out for the win. Brandon will play David Broxson tomorrow, and whoever wins is guaranteed the qualifier for Vegas.

One of the competitors was the organizer for the Bay State Invitational professional pocket billiards tour, and I enjoyed chatting with him. He also competed in an IPT qualifier in Chelmsford, Massachusetts, and though he didn't win, he got picked to play the IPT member who was on the challenge table that weekend, none other than Mike Sigel. AND he beat him! He told me that he's going to give it another shot and play at the next IPT qualifier in Pasadena, California, next week (I think).

Mike Wilson from Silver Spring, Maryland, was truly looking forward to today's qualifier, and he gave it his all. He was accompanied by his dad who brought along his collection of photographs he's accumulated over the last 30-plus years of well-known players. Everybody enjoyed seeing them, and it really complemented the atmosphere.

Cliff propositioned Keith to play a little one-hole after the tournament, and Keith said he might take him up on his fine offer to play tomorrow, after the IPT qualifier ends. Last time they matched up, Cliff spotted Keith 10 to 7. The end result was that they broke even.

Here's a picture of Brandon Shuff and Cliff Joyner, taken before the tournament began.

JAM

 

[JAM]

Here's a shot of Dave Broxson on the left, still on the winners' side, and Matt Krah of Delaware.

Matt is a frequent traveler on the tournament trail. Last year's Blaze Tour, he accumulated the highest points, and he will be competing in the next Allen Hopkins' Skin Billiards Championship for his fine showing. That Blaze Tour has some mighty nice prizes at the year end for the point leaders.

I was saddened to hear from Matt that he paid 150 bucks to a tour recently which promised high payouts and health benefits. They had a website which I think was posted on this forum, but I can't remember the name. At any rate, the tour must have sunk before it got started, keeping Matt's 150 bucks. When you go to the pool tour's website, now it's a pornographic operation. Young Matt is still enthusiastic about pool, though, he hasn't let it hold him back and continues to follow his pool dreams. He said he really wants to win one of the IPT qualifiers, and though he got knocked out of this one tonight by Luat, he's definitely got game and will be back.

Matt, shown here on the right, got his name also picked out of the hat and will take a shot at winning one of the free qualifiers tomorrow by stepping up to the plate on the challenge table.

JAM

 

[JAM]

Here's a shot of Larry Kressel from Richmond, Virginia, Keith McCready, and Keith Bennett from Wilmington, North Carolina.

Larry lost a heartbreaker to Brandon Shuff and will return tomorrow, hoping to stay in this battle. However, he's currently fourth place in the points on the Tiger/Planet Pool Tour, which is holding an event this weekend just down the street in Rockville, Maryland.

So many tournaments and not enough time. Pool does seem to be on the rise as of late, with players picking and choosing which event to attend.

Check out the IPT banner at the top of the snapshot. The IPT tour is nothing but first class all the way.

JAM

 

[JAM]

Rudolfo Luat is a warrior and is no stranger to tough competition. Small in stature, he's a mighty giant on a field of green. Plus, he's Filipino which definitely can put a little fear in an opponent.

David Broxson from Massachusetts (I think) knocked Luat on the B side of the charts. Tomorrow Rudolfo faces a very determined Larry Kressel.

JAM

 

[JAM]

Father and son, Richard and Gary Allen, the hosts for IPT Qualifier No. 8. Gary's expertise really shined tonight. The tournament ran smooth as silk. Champion Billiards Sports Cafe was rocking and rolling when we departed tonight. There was a FREE buffet full of treats for all to enjoy, and the place was jam-packed.

I knew when we arrived that I was going to really like this place. Starbucks is a couple stores away, within walking distance, and then my FAVORITE place to shop, Chico's, is right in front of the pool room.

A big round of thanks go out to the Allens for hosting this event. Gary said that he is looking forward to having more IPT qualifiers in the future.

JAM

 

[kidrock]

Nice pics and stories...

Nice pics and stories Jam.... keep them coming... Good luck to Keith tomorrow...

 

[JAM]

On the road to Frederick

We're leaving for Frederick. I can't wait to find out who's going to win the two qualifiers, AND though I know each of the four challenge table players are aiming to win a free entry fee for any upcoming IPT qualifier, I'm hoping to see Keith barbecue his opponents.

Keith will be shooting today on the challenge table with a brand-new cue, custom made by Jack Madden.

We just received the cue stick, along with a beautifully crafted jump cue and break cue several days ago. We knew it would be arriving on Thursday of this week, and Keith was pacing back and forth at the front door, waiting for the UPS man to arrive. He couldn't wait to get his hands on it, and when he opened the package, he was grinning from ear to ear.

This will be the first time Keith will be playing with his new masterpiece, engraved with his name on it. He said it feels like a Balabushka in his hands, and he's hoping to put a hurting on his competitors today at the challenge table. The shooting cue stick was made to Keith's specs by Jack Madden, which has a skinny butt, a whole lot of forward balance, and THREE shafts with hard Moori tips, nickel-shaped. The shafts all weigh in at 4.0 ounces.

It's hard to not pull for one player over the other at the IPT qualifier, but I've gotta say that I really want Young Gun Brandon Shuff to win. He really wants to win too. Today, there will be two very happy players in Frederick. Go get 'em, Brandon!

Photo courtesy of Diana Hoppe of Poopics by Hoppe, taken a few years ago at the Carolinas Open in Goldsboro, North Carolina.
JAM

 

[billlaur]

Am I reading right only 13 players in this qualifier? With all the press the IPT is getting you would think the line would ba back to Starbucks..

 

[rackmsuckr]

Go get 'em, Keither!!! Hey, did you know the IPT pro has to play the challengers 2 at a time? Should be an interesting day...

 

[TannerPruess]

Keither whooped up on Cliff Joyner for the challenge table.
10-2 Keith pockets $1000 for winning.

 

[TannerPruess]

First Match - Cliff Joyner - 2 | Keith McCready - 10

Second Match - Keith Bennett - 3 | Keith McCready - 10

Third Match - Matt Krah - 3| Keith McCready - 10

Keith is making a fortune for a shooting down these great players. Keep up the good work!

 

[sniper]

That is why everybody loves your posts Jennie! Thanks for the pics and the write up, looks like Keith likes his new cue

 

[jjinfla]

It must be the new cue.

 

[JAM]

Am I reading right only 13 players in this qualifier? With all the press the IPT is getting you would think the line would ba back to Starbucks..

I was actually pleased to see 13 competitors this weekend at the IPT Qualifier No. 8.

Occurring at the same time locally was the Tiger/Planet Pool 9-Ball Tour in Rockville, MD, Dragon Productions 14.1 World Pool Championship, Bushwhacker's $4,000-added Pennsylvania State Championship, and the other IPT qualifier in Ohio.

AND speaking of Starbucks, this particular Starbucks in Frederick, MD, located where Champion Billiards Sporst Cafe is, has a drive-through, and when we arrived this morning at 9:30 a.m., there were 12 cars in line.

The $1,000 entry fee is a tough nut to come up with, but the aspiring players who want to compete for multi-million-dollar purses are the ones who are taking the qualifying process seriously.

JAM

 

[JAM]

First Match - Cliff Joyner - 2 | Keith McCready - 10

Second Match - Keith Bennett - 3 | Keith McCready - 10

Third Match - Matt Krah - 3| Keith McCready - 10

Keith is making a fortune for a shooting down these great players. Keep up the good work!

Keith loves his new Jack Madden cue stick. He just received it just 2 days ago, and today was the first time he shot with it, on the Challenge Table at the qualifier.

First up to bat, Cliff Joyner.

I'm sweating bullets, knowing Keith hadn't even hit a ball with the new cue. Cliff wins the lag, breaks, and fumbles. Keith runs a 6-pack from jump street. Cliff didn't get to shoot much during the set, as Keith dominated him, 10 to 2. He played very well and won $4,000 today, winning all four matches.

JAM

 

[JAM]

That is why everybody loves your posts Jennie! Thanks for the pics and the write up, looks like Keith likes his new cue

I was pleased with the way the qualifier went this weekend. We started this morning, the second day, at 10:00 a.m., not 12:00 noon as the IPT website stated, and the players were in the room practicing at 9:00 a.m.

Brandon Shuff lost a heartbreaker on the winners' side, 10 to 8, his first match with David Broxson. Then the kid faced a determined Rudolfo Luat, who ran a 6-pack on him. Brandon ended up third and gets a free entry fee to a second-chance qualifier of his choice. Though he was bummed out to the max when the dust settled, he's still going to play in another qualifier and said he'll win it. He's playing great, and I know I'll be seeing him in Vegas next month.

That Madden cue is a dream come true for Keith. He called it his "wand" and was showing it off to everybody. Each player who held it in their hands agreed that this cue stick is special.

When Keith Bennett and Cliff Joyner got knocked out of the IPT qualifier, we told them about the Tiger/Planet Pool 9-Ball event which was to start at 12:00 noon, a 20-minute drive away, in Rockville, MD.

The TD at the Tiger tournament was called to let them know that a couple of IPT qualifier players were coming, hoping to shoot in the Tiger event.

We ended up heading down there after the IPT qualifier ended, and there were some heavy hitters in Rockville: Cliff Joyner and Keith Bennett, of course, B.J. Ussery of North Carolina, Pookie, Kevin West of Delaware, Larry Kressel, who also played in the IPT qualifier and remains on the winners' side at the Tiger event, Jerry Slivka, Josh Brothers, Spanish Rob, and Ron Parks of North Carolina. Pamela Treadway will be competing in the ladies' tournament tomorrow morning, beginning at 10:00 a.m.

At the conclusion of the first day of the Tiger tournament, Keith and Cliff began to woof at each other. After an exchange of various propositions, some of them quite funny, the two of them decided to play 10-7 on Cliff's break and 9-7 on Keith's break for a chunk of change per game. Keith was on a roll today with his new stick and again played well. Cliff unscrewed his stick after Keith hit the 7-game mark.

I can't wait to read the Main Forum to find out about who's left in the 14.1 tournament in New Jersey, and then I'm interested in what's happening in Indiana, PA at the Pennsylvania State 9-Ball Championship.

So many tournaments and not enough time!

JAM

 

[bud green]

Great to see Keith hitting them like he used to. Sounds like Madden will be getting a few orders for cues...

I love it when old timers jump up and show why they are legends. Puts to rest any BS he's taken on this site about being over the hill, for sure.

Wish someone would tape him playing Joyner 1-P - especially if you can hear them talking to each other.

Keith keeps hitting them like that and who knows how far he can go in the big tourney coming up.

** Is Keith using a low deflection shaft on his Madden, or a regular one?

 

[Brian in VA]

When the Earthquake is in stroke.....

...Nobody is safe!

Congratulations to Keith for putting on such a great show winning that cash JAM! I know that will make the trip to Vegas next month easier. Too bad they limited it to four players or you guys would be flying first class!

My bud Larry Kressel couldn't get past Luat and I don't know how he played. Did you see him in action? I won't see him til next week as I'm traveling on business this week.

Take care JAM and best of luck to Keith!

Brian in VA

 

[JAM]

Great to see Keith hitting them like he used to. Sounds like Madden will be getting a few orders for cues...

It sure is GREAT. When the IPT came to the fore, Keith got a new sense of enthusiasm about pool, as did many a player. Now with this new custom-made Madden cue stick, he said that he's a dangerous man in a field of green.

Every single player who held Keith's stick couldn't get over the "hit." Ron Parks of North Carolina took down our phone number because he wants to get in contact with Jack Madden to see if he can get one made for him.

Keith said the Madden cue feels like a Balabushka or Szamboti in his hands, only BETTER, and that he could tell that Jack Madden had put a lot of work into the construction. Rodney Morris told me one time that he has been shooting with the same cue, a Szamboti, since 1994. Good players can bring their BEST game to the table when they are shooting with a cue that responds to their liking.

The shafts weigh in at 4.0 ounces, but I'll have to ask Keith about whether there is low deflection or no deflection. The only thing I can tell about a cue is whether it weighs in at 17 ounces or 21 ounces.

Here's a picture of Keith's new Jack Madden cue. The players who held this cue yesterday and the day before were impressed with the joint as well as the balance.

JAM

 

[JAM]

...My bud Larry Kressel couldn't get past Luat and I don't know how he played. Did you see him in action? I won't see him til next week as I'm traveling on business this week.

Thanks so much for the good wishes, Brian in VA! We will be in Vegas for the IPT tournament during the time when TD Josh Dickerson will be holding the third Virginia State 9-Ball Championship in July, and I'm going to miss coming to The Playing Field. I really love that tournament, especially the people in Richmond. We always have such a good time. Todd Elkins, Josh, the staff at The Playing Field, and the regulars are the BEST.

When Larry Kressel was eliminated from the IPT qualifier, he immediately headed down to Rockville, MD to compete in the Tiger/Planet Pool 9-Ball tournament, which will start up again today at Winston's in Rockville. We saw him last night, and he was definitely trying to get himself in action, but had no takers. Larry still remains on the winners' side of the charts today and is hoping to do well. He's currently in fourth place for the points on this tour and wouldn't miss one of the Tiger tournaments for anything. He did get himself a free entry fee to any second-chance IPT qualifier, which I'm sure he'll be taking advantage of within the next few weeks, as will Brandon Shuff and several others who made the trek to Frederick.

The main show last night was Cliff Joyner versus Keith McCready, and the cell phones were definitely busy as pool folk gathered from around the region, wanting to catch a glimpse of the one-pocket champion in action. It was a real treat for the railbirds in the metro D.C. area. The two of them had a couple funny exchanges during the night. Stevie Wonder songs were playing, and Keith was dancing and lip-syncing the words. What a sight! Cliff and he have battled many times in the past, and Cliff had a few funny lines himself, which kept the spectators entertained.

Even though Cliff pulled up 7 games stuck, he still wants to play him some more. Joyner played well, but he couldn't seem to string a couple of games in a row last evening. Keith's banking game last night was on, and no matter what trap he was given, he managed to kick, bank, and shoot his way to victory. This new Madden cue has really lit a spark in Keith's game, like nothing I've ever seen since we have been together.

Keith wanted to give Cliff a "gapper" or "jelly roll" for Cliff's hard work last night on a field of green, as some old-school action players are wont to do when they beat each other, but then Cliff started to woof and bark at him, stating he wanted Keith to come to Atlanta to play for 20 dimes where Cliff has plenty of backers.

Keith may take him up on his fine offer, but wants the game to occur in Mobile instead of Atlanta. So stay tuned because the two of them are heading for a bloody war sine die.

JAM