JAM's Picture Page from Vegas

rackmsuckr

Linda Carter - The QUEEN!
Silver Member
JAM said:
Another players' meeting night photo of IPT Member Linda Carter practicing with Mary Kenniston. That's Ismael Paez to her left. Mary told me that she's been living in Las Vegas for many years, but that at the end of this tournament, she and her family will be leaving for Florida where she intends to hang her hat for a spell.

JAM

Thanks for posting the pic of my best side. :p That was right before Santos came over and challenged me. We went 5-5!

Pots and Pans was usually in costume, but some days he went incognito. One day, he was wearing a jacket that said, "Honest, I need the last two." And days when he wasn't dressed up, he wore his money bucket around his neck for donations. Thanks for the story on him...I was wondering.
 

ironman

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
JAM said:
There were quite a few Californians and West Coast folk who traveled to the convenient location in Vegas of the North American 8-Ball Championship.

I had always heard many extraordinary tales about the adventures of "Bucktooth." I couldn't even tell you his real name as I only know of him as "Bucktooth," a man who enjoys games of stake and isn't afraid to bet it up. :cool:

I got a chuckle when I overheard Keith and Bucktooth chatting. Bucktooth apparently thought Keith sent Young Gun Pooky of Virginia out to play him some in California a few years ago, a back-and-forth which left poor Bucktooth a few sandbags lighter. But actually, Keith only heard about the game after the fact, upon Pooky's return back to the East Coast. I forget what the spot was, but the way I heard it, Pooky had the best of it. :eek:

Speaking of robberies (LOL), There's a feature on one of the crime shows on A&E cable when Bucktooth was actually robbed at a jewelry store he owned. However, after listening to him a spell, I think he's a shrewd businessman who knows how to make things happen, resulting in quite a comfortable lifestyle during the autumn of his life! :)

JAM
Good pic of Bucktooth. !st time I ever saw him without having to listen to him.
 

Buckster_uk

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Just to let you know JAM, on your picture site, the player next to Imran Majid is Rico Diks of The Netherlands.
 
T

Timberly

Guest
ironman said:
Good pic of Bucktooth. !st time I ever saw him without having to listen to him.
Sure was nice, wasn't it?!?! Silence is not in his vocabulary. LOL, if he's so well to do, I can't help but wonder how many people have paid him to shut up. :p
 

oncue4u

14.1 to life
Thank you

:) Thank you JAM for the pictorial. Put a big smile on me. I really wanted to go watch the 1st event but could not. Nice to see that the IPT did not forget many of the "old timers". Will definately go to the Reno event w/my new digital camera :)

Eric H.
 

JAM

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
rackmsuckr said:
Thanks for posting the pic of my best side. :p That was right before Santos came over and challenged me. We went 5-5!

When I came home, I couldn't believe that I hadn't gotten a snapshot of you and Mike, Linda. I didn't bring my camera with me each day, and it seems like the days I left it in the room is when I should have had it with me.

However, I did manage to get one of IPT Member Mike Zimmerman out in the front hallway! :)

JAM
 

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JAM

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Here's a shot of Keith with the beautiful commentator, Rebecca. She's drop-dead gorgeous and, as I learned at this event, she's been a commentator on several sports programs on TV. One I remember being mentioned that she is a commentator on is The Best Damned Sports Show [or a name something like that]. :eek:

JAM
 

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JAM

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
When we find ourselves in pool rooms where there are youngsters who show an interest in pool, they seem to always tug at Keith's heart. He really enjoys children very much. When we stopped off in Denver on our way to Vegas, there was a family from Kentucky visiting some relatives in Denver. They recognized Keith and brought in a video camera, wanting to get some video clips with him and family members. Keith gave their son Jason some instructions, and he was cute as a button posing for me and my camera.

JAM
 

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sixpack

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
JAM said:
Paradise Billiards in Denver, Colorado, has been around since the '60s, and it's been a stopping place for many a player in times gone by. Before I began this trip, AzBilliard's "Regas" advised that we stop at Paradise along the way and, if Melody was working, to get me a paddy melt.

Well, they were out of paddy melts the night we stopped by, but Melody was still working there. She said she hadn't seen Regas in 20-plus years, but wanted me to send this picture his way, right here on this forum.

When I showed Melody the post on AzBilliards of Regas mentioning her, her face lit up like a Christmas tree. So for you, Regas, here's an Internet kiss from Melody of Paradise Billiards in Denver! :p

JAM

:)

Thanks JAM!

And Thanks to Melody too! Although it's only been a few years since I've seen her. We have known each other for 20+ years though. Love 'ya too dollface baby!

RC
 

JAM

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
JAM said:
I'll bet Walden and Wiseman will both win another qualifier in the coming month for the Reno World Open, beginning September 2nd.
Well, I was right on half my prediction. James Walden won an IPT World Open qualifier in Corpus Christi, TX this past weekend. Rafael Martinez came in second, Dave Matlock third. BTW, for those who haven't seen Rafael in recent times, he is playing GREAT.

Congratulations to James of Oklahoma City! Picture taken at 2005 U.S. Open of James and Keith!

JAM
 

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JAM

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I'm still impressed with the amount of detail the IPT put into this tournament. Photos of players were all over the place, on the escalators, in the hallways, and all over the ballroom.

One thing I missed, though, was the overhead lights on each table, as it was at the King of the Hill in Orlando. Maybe in this ballroom at The Venetian, it was not possible due to there being so many pool tables for the 200-in-total competitors, but I like overhead lamps much better than bright lights from the ceiling.

Here's a snapshot of when you first walk into the ballroom. There's a beautiful welcoming red carpet in the entranceway, with lights shining on the carpet depicting the IPT logo. If you look hard at this snapshot, you can see Howard Vickery walking into the room, and on the right is Jose of the Blaze Tour standing with Mike Davis' lady alongside him, both watching me take this picture!:p

I like the lights on the red carpet which read: "Welcome IPT Athletes."

JAM
 

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JAM

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Joe Blackburn was on site providing cue maintenance and repair, and there were two IPT tables selling IPT items, hats, shirts, coffee mugs, cloth, DVDs, programs, posters, just to name a few. The only non-IPT vendor on site was Hustlin USA Clothing, always a big hit with the fans. Check out the lights above the Hustlin vendor booth and poster on the right of Bustamante and Efren. Again, the detail that went into this event was top notch and the BEST I've ever seen! It's hard to capture all of the minute detail in a mere picture, but I wanted to share some of my observations for those who weren't able to attend.

Check out the lighting on the wall which reads: "Pool is now a sport."

JAM
 

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JAM

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Our suite at The Venetian was the BEST hotel room I'd ever been in. It was set up like a split level, with a large living room area. There were two TVs, one in the bedroom and one in the living room. As is customary in most high-quality resort hotels, this one had a refrigerator full of goodies for the late-night munchies. The bathroom had a tub and separate shower stall. The toilet was in a small room all by itself in the huge bathroom. The white towels were thick and plush, and there were two sinks as well as a small table with a complimentary magnified make-up mirror and hair dryer. Between the hand-milled soap, spa-quality shampoo and conditioner, I felt like Queen for a Day each time I stepped into that bathroom. :D

Behind me in this snapshot, there was a desk with a printer and fax machine available, and the view of the city at night from the 17th floor was breath-taking. That's Keith's foot on the right, who's sitting on the sofa. :p

JAM
 

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JAM

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
This picture didn't come out too good due to lighting and my lack of knowledge of digital cameras, but it gives you a view of the living room area. There's the fax machine and printer on the right. We were across the street from Treasure Island, and each night there was an erupting volcano and fireworks there which was beautiful to look at from the 17th floor.

There were many players who stayed at the Venetian, as we did, but there were also some who stayed elsewhere close by due to cost. I'm glad we stayed at the Venetian. The experience for me was one I'll never forget. I really felt pampered and special. The Phantom of the Opera was playing there at the Venetian, as well as the Blue Men. Music of Phantom of the Opera was in the background throughout the casino, and there was also a fragrance of lillies that I learned from hotel staff was pumped out into the ventilation system. At first it reminded me of a funeral home, but I soon got used to it.

There were also FIVE coffee shops on site, which made me a very happy camper. Each morning, I got me a triple-shot grande latte with a very tall cup full of fresh-cut strawberry slices. YUMMIE!

JAM
 

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JAM

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Another pic of the Starship which is where the TV table games were played. Again, the attention to detail was like nothing I've ever seen on the American tournament trail. It was a sight to behold!

JAM
 

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memikey

Never Has Been
Silver Member
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:)
 

JAM

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
On the first night of the players meeting, the 200 competitors gathered on the lower level to register. Only the pool players themselves were allowed in the meeting room, which was a disappointment to those of us significant others and wives who had to wait outside for 1-1/2 hours for the meeting to take place. I waited out front with Mike Davis' girlfriend and Ginky's wife and enjoyed chatting with both of them. Everybody was full of hope and couldn't wait for the tournament to get started.

Here's a shot of the first night with Keith, Gerry Watson, and Jose Parica. Jose told me that he and his wife just bought a house in Vegas. Jose is really enjoying Vegas. That's Miyuki Sakai on the background with the white pants. Each player, BTW, was given a North American 8-Ball Championship tote bag full of goodies, and it had their name printed on it. What a nice touch of class and a gift that was very much appreciated!

JAM
 

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JAM

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.

Thanks for the kind words.:)

memikey said:
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:)

In the past 5 years since I have traveled the American tournament trail, I have frequented MANY casino facilities. It's hard to capture in a picture everything the Venetian offered, but in my experience, it was nothing but luxury all the way. Compared to the Rio, as an example, the Venetian could give it the slop 7, 8, and 9, IMHO.

We elected to stay at the Venetian instead of saving bucks by lodging somewhere close by. Believe me, we could have been comped at another casino and stayed for FREE. However, I thought it would help Keith perform better if we didn't have to worry about shuffling back and forth. The traffic in Vegas sometimes came to a halt, GRIDLOCK parking lot on the main strip. It took 15 and 20 minutes to traverse 2 blocks during certain parts of the day. If I had to do it again, I'd stay at the Venetian. My experience was wonderful and one I'll remember for a very long time. :)

JAM
 
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