Mike Zuglan‘s Joss Northeast 9-Ball Tour and Turning Stone Resort Casino are proud to present The $25,000 Added “Turning Stone Classic XXXVI 9-Ball Open” on January 5-8, 2023. Turning Stone has once again invited us to compete in their beautiful and spacious Event Center which is most definitely one of the best arenas in the world. There is not a bad seat in the house and multiple matches can be viewed comfortably from everywhere. The intimate layout in this world class arena allows you to mingle with your favorite players and lets you feel like you are a part of the action as well. Turning Stone Resort Casino is a full service resort with everything needed for a relaxing, fun filled and enjoyable experience. Check them out at www.turningstone.com
This 36th Turning Stone Classic will once again have a full roster of 128 players competing for the title. The field will include a wide range of talent from our regular tour players to some of the best in the game. Currently, Jayson Shaw, Fedor Gorst, Mika Immonen, Skyler Woodward, Johnny Archer, Thorsten Hohmann, Darren Appleton, Johnny Morra, and Billy Thorpe are scheduled to compete. These are just a few to be in attendance along with many other notable and not so notable but great players nonetheless This promises to be yet another memorable event in our long running Turning Stone Classic series. If you would like to know if your favorite player will be here, please contact me directly at 518-356-7163.
Our $25,000 added “Turning Stone Classic XXXVII 9-Ball Open”, Season Finale is now being finalized and is scheduled for August 31-September 3, 2023. I will begin taking entries for that event in January at TS but not before. FYI, there is every reason to believe that the September 2023 Season Finale will fill to capacity many months prior to the event, so seriously interested players need to sign up early to avoid being shut out. Our complete schedule can be found at www.joss9balltour.com
Once again at Turning Stone there will be a second chance tournament on Sunday January 8th at 10AM. This is an event for those Non Pro level players (I will decide) eliminated from the main event. The event format will be as follows: $60 Entry Fee – 32 Player Max – same rules as main event – Single Elimination – Races to 4, best 2 of 3 sets, with the deciding set being a single game sudden death. This means that if each player wins a race to 4, there will be a lag for the break and a 1 game playoff to determine the match winner. Entries will be taken for this tournament as players are eliminated from the main event and will be treated as first paid – first in until the event is full.
The equipment for our world class event will once again be 16 Diamond Smart Tables covered with 860 Simonis (“The Cloth Of Champions”) tournament blue cloth. We be using the Aramith Tournament balls with the Diamond Tournament cue balls. Once again only the best equipment in the world will be used at our event!
As always, fans coming to Turning Stone for our event will be treated to Free Admission, Free collectible posters (while supplies last) and some of the best pool you will ever see. All of this is brought to you courtesy of Turning Stone Resort Casino and the Joss Northeast 9-Ball Tour!
Included in the Event Center at Turning Stone is a full service snack bar serving all of our favorite foods and adult beverages. There will be billiard product vendors and on site cue repairs available for all your needs. Mike Burton of www.josscues.com will have a wide range of Joss Cues and Joss Northeast 9-Ball Tour Shirts. Andrea Duvall of Utica Billiards on The Boulevard will have her extensive cue, case and billiard supplies display. Mark Rosner will be on hand doing expert on site cue repairs. Feng Zhao of www.lite-systems.com will be there with his custom LED billiard lighting and other billiard products. And Victor Conte will be on site promoting his new game 4T5 as well.
Dan, Debbie and Stephen Janes of Joss Cues, have once again upped the ante and provided us with two gorgeous, custom engraved Joss cues for raffle. These cues are valued at $1,900 Each and will be raffled off on Saturday just before the 8 PM matches, and the second will go on Sunday immediately prior to the final match at approximately 7 PM. Tickets for these beautiful cues will be on sale at TS throughout the event.
We invite everyone to come to Turning Stone Resort & Casino on January 5-8, 2023 for a great experience, and 4 full days of some of the best pool you will ever witness. If for some reason you are unable to make it, there will be free live scoring and a free live stream expertly provided by Alan Leon, aka Upstate Al and Mike Howerton at www.azbilliards.com , The Joss Northeast 9-Ball Tour and Turning Stone Resort Casino. Match times are as follows: Thursday at 4,6,8 & 10pm. Friday at 10am, noon, 2,4,6,8 & 10pm. Saturday at 10am, noon, 2,4,6,8 & 10pm. Sunday at 11am, 1,3,5 & the final match at 7pm. The second chance tournament on Sunday will begin at 10am and run continuously until completed.
I would like to ask all of you to please publicize our event through social media etc. so more people may be informed about this great and free event. And, as always, I remind all of you how important it is to please frequent your local billiard parlors and promote and utilize the fine products of our most generous sponsors listed below. They are the backbone of our sport!
I hope to see all of you at Turning Stone
Happy Holidays,
Mike Zuglan
The Joss Northeast 9-Ball Tour Is Proudly Sponsored By;
Mike Zuglan‘s Joss Northeast 9-Ball Tour and Turning Stone Resort Casino are proud to present our 2021/2022 Season Finale, The $25,000 Added “Turning Stone Classic XXXV 9-Ball Open” on September 1-4, 2022. Turning Stone has once again invited us to compete in their beautiful and spacious Event Center which is most definitely one of the best arenas in the world. There is not a bad seat in the house and multiple matches can be viewed comfortably from everywhere. The intimate layout in this world class arena allows you to mingle with your favorite players and lets you feel like you are a part of the action as well. Turning Stone Resort Casino is a full service resort with everything needed for a relaxing, fun filled and enjoyable experience. Check them out and look for our ad notice at www.turningstone.com
Our 35th Turning Stone Classic will once again have a full roster of 128 players competing for the title. The field will include a wide range of talent from our regular tour players to some of the best in the game. Some of the notable players signed up to play include Jayson Shaw, Shane Van Boening, Johnny Morra, Mika Immonen, and our own regulars Jeremy Sossei and Bucky Souvanthong. These are just a few to be in attendance along with many other notable and not so notable but great players nonetheless. The complete player will be posted later at www.joss9balltour.com . Until then anyone can contact me and I will be glad to tell you if your favorite player(s) is in. mzjosstour@aol.com This promises to be yet another memorable event in our long running Turning Stone Classic series. Our $25,000 added “Turning Stone Classic XXXVI 9-Ball Open” is scheduled for January 5-8, 2023 and could possibly be a Mosconi Cup qualifying event once again. I will begin taking entries for that event at the September 1-4, 2022 TS event but not before. FYI, there is every reason to believe that the event will fill to capacity many months prior to the event, so seriously interested players need to sign up early to avoid being shut out as I am not able to wait for anyone. Also, I am raising the future TS entry fees as follows: $200 for current season members or $250 for all others. This will allow me to raise first place to $10,000 as well as raising some of the other pay outs. Please keep in mind that I am no longer in a position to give “free” seasonal memberships to those that prepay for a TS event. The only way to become a seasonal Joss Northeast 9-Ball Tour member is to come and play in any pool room event and pay the $40 seasonal fee. Our complete schedule can be found at www.joss9balltour.com
Once again at Turning Stone there will be a second chance tournament on Sunday September 4th at 10AM. This is an event for those Non Pro level players (I will decide) eliminated from the main event. The event format will be as follows: $60 Entry Fee – 32 Player Max – same rules as main event – Single Elimination – Races to 4, best 2 of 3 sets, with the deciding set being a single game sudden death. This means that if each player wins a race to 4, there will be a lag for the break and a 1 game playoff to determine the match winner. Entries will be taken for this tournament as players are eliminated from the main event and will be treated as first paid – first in until the event is full.
The equipment for our world class event will once again be 16 Diamond Pro Tables covered with 860 Simonis (“The Cloth Of Champions”) tournament blue cloth and Aramith balls. Once again only the best equipment in the world will be used at our event!
As always, fans coming to Turning Stone for our event will be treated to Free Admission, Free collectible posters while supplies last, and some of the best pool you will ever see. All of this is brought to you courtesy of Turning Stone Resort Casino and the Joss Northeast 9-Ball Tour!
Included in the Event Center at Turning Stone is a full service snack bar serving all of our favorite foods and adult beverages. There will be billiard product vendors and on site cue repairs available for all your needs. Mike Burton of www.josscues.com will have a wide range of Joss Cues and Joss Northeast 9-Ball Tour Shirts. Andrea Duvall, owner of Utica Billiards on The Boulevard, will be here with an extensive cue, case and supplies display. Mark Rosner will be on hand with his cues and expert on site cue repairs. Feng Zhao of www.lite-systems.com will be there with his custom LED billiard lighting and other billiard products and Victor Conte will be on site promoting his new game as well. I will also have a collection of Phil Capelle’s books for sale at 20% off the cover prices.
Dan, Debbie and Stephen Janes of Joss Cues, have once again upped the ante and provided us with two gorgeous, custom engraved Joss cues for raffle. These cues are valued at $1,900 each and will be raffled off on Saturday just before the 8 PM matches, and the second will go on Sunday immediately prior to the final match at approximately 7 PM. Dan, Debbie and Steve can’t be thanked enough for everything they have, and continue to do for all of us!!
We invite everyone to come to Turning Stone Resort & Casino September 1-4, 2022 for a great experience, and 4 full days of some of the best pool you will ever witness. If for some reason you are unable to make it, there will be free live scoring and a free live stream expertly provided by Alan Leon, aka Upstate Al and Mike Howerton at www.azbilliards.com , the Joss Northeast 9-Ball Tour and Turning Stone Resort Casino. Match times are as follows: Thursday at 4,6,8 & 10pm. Friday at 10am, noon, 2,4,6,8 & 10pm. Saturday at 10am, noon, 2,4,6,8 & 10pm. Sunday at 11am, 1,3,5 & the final match at 7pm. The second chance tournament on Sunday will begin at 10am and run continuously until completed.
I would like to ask all of you to please publicize our event through social media etc. so more people may be informed about this great and free event. And, as always, I remind all of you how important it is to please frequent your local billiard parlors and promote and utilize the fine products of our most generous sponsors listed below. They are the backbone of our sport!
I hope to see all of you at Turning Stone
Mike Zuglan
The Joss Northeast 9-Ball Tour Is Proudly Sponsored By;
Mike Zuglan's Joss Northeast 9-Ball Tour and Turning Stone Resort Casino are proud to present our 2018-2019 Season Finale, The $25,000 Added, "Turning Stone Classic XXXII 9-Ball Open". This event will once again take place in Turning Stone's beautiful & spacious Event Center which has become known worldwide as one of the best venues ever. There are no bad seats. Our layout allows you to mingle with all of your favorite players and friends, giving you the feeling of being part of the action yourself. If you have never been to Turning Stone, located in Verona NY, you simply don't know what you are missing. Check them out at www.turningstone.com
For the 32nd time, we will have a full field of 128 players with no shortage of past, present and future Champions. Shane Van Boening, Jayson Shaw, Johnny Archer, Earl Strickland, Mika Immonen, Billy Thorpe, Thorsten Hohmann, Jennifer Barretta & LoreeJon Hasson are just a few of the legends signed up for this event. But let's not count out our Joss Tour regulars like Matt Tetreault, Bruce NagleRon Casanzio & this season's tour point champ Jeremy Sossei, who just to name a few, all have a legitimate chance of making history. So look for anything to happen when the smoke clears on Sunday night. I am pleased to also announce that once again this a BCA ranking event for US players looking for invitations to many world events. The complete player list is on our site www.joss9balltour.com
There will once again be a "Second Chance" tournament on Sunday August 25th at 10AM running continuously and concurrently with the main event until completed. This is an extra event for those Non Pro level players (I will decide) eliminated from the main event. The event format will be as follows: $60 Entry Fee – 32 Player Max – same rules as main event – Single Elimination – Races to 4, best 2 of 3 sets, with the deciding set being a single game sudden death. This means that if each player wins a race to 4, there will be a lag for the break and a 1 game playoff to determine the match winner. Entries will be taken for this tournament as players are eliminated from the main event and will be treated as first paid – first in until the event is full.
The equipment for our world class event will once again be 16, 9 foot Diamond Pro tables & lights covered with 860 Simonis ("The Cloth Of Champions") tournament blue cloth. We will be using the new Aramith Tournament TV Pro Cup balls. Thanks again to Ivan Lee for providing us with the world's best cloth and the world's best billiard balls! All of these items will be for sale in tournament used condition, and only seriously interested parties are urged to contact Mike Zuglan immediately at 518-356-7163 for info and pricing.
Being a spectator at Turning Stone is an experience you won't find anywhere else. We always offer fans, Free Admission, Free collectible posters (while supplies last) and once again Turning Stone will be giving away $10 free/match plays to all players and fans (1 per person while supplies last). So you get Free admission, Free posters and Free bets!! No one else does it like Turning Stone and the Joss Northeast 9-Ball Tour! Included in the Event Center at Turning Stone is a full service, moderately priced, snack bar serving all of our favorite foods and adult beverages. There will be billiard product vendors and on site cue repairs available for all your needs. Mike Burton of www.josscues.com will have a wide range of Joss Cues and Joss Northeast 9-Ball Tour Shirts. CJ and Peggi Wilkinson of www.baltimorecitycues.com will be here with their extensive cue, case and supplies display. Dan Dishaw, www.dishawcues.com will be on hand with his cues and expert on site cue repairs. Feng Zhao of www.lite-systems.com will be there with his custom LED billiard lighting and other billiard products. Victor Conte will be on hand promoting his new game as well. There is still time and room for new vendor or two at a mere fraction of what you would pay elsewhere. Interested parties should contact me at 518-356-7163 immediately.
We will once again be raffling off 2 gorgeous, custom, engraved Joss Cues on Saturday at 8pm and Sunday immediately prior to the final match and you Do Not have to be present to win. These cues have a retail value of $1,500 each and are generously provided by Danny Janes of Joss Cues Ltd. Thanks again to Danny, Debbie & Stephen Janes for all they do for us!! We will also choose a winning ticket to receive the Pro Cup cue ball used in the final match autographed by the winner.
So come to Turning Stone Resort Casino August 22-25 for a great experience and 4 full days of some of the best pool you will ever witness. If for some reason you are unable to make it, there will be a Free live stream and live scoring expertly provided by Mike Howerton, Jerry Forsyth & Upstate Al Leon of www.azbilliards.com & The Joss Northeast 9-Ball Tour and Turning Stone Resort Casino. Match times are Thursday 4, 6, 8, & 10 pm. Friday 10 am, noon, 2, 4, 6, 8, & 10 pm. Saturday 10 am, noon, 2, 4, 6, 8, & 10 pm. Sunday 11 am, 1, 3, 5, and the final match at 7 pm.
Our upcoming 2019-2020 season, complete with 15 regular billiard parlor plus 2 Turning Stone events, will begin on Sept 21 & 22 at TJ's Classic Billiards in Waterville ME. The new season will also include our 4th"Joss Junior 9-Ball Championship" on Jan. 25, 2020 at Sharp Shooters in Amsterdam NY. If you would like to donate items to be given to the future generation of our great sport, please contact me at 518-356-7163. Also be advised that our next Turning Stone Classic XXXIII 9-Ball Open is scheduled for January 9-12, 2020. I will begin taking entries for that event at this event in August. For more information and a complete schedule of events, go to www.joss9balltour.com
Mike Zuglan's Joss Northeast 9-Ball Tour and Turning Stone Resort Casino are proud to present The $25,000 Added "Turning Stone Classic XXXI 9-Ball Open" on January 10-13, 2019. Turning Stone has once again invited us to compete in their beautiful and spacious Event Center which is most definitely one of the best arenas in the world. There is not a bad seat in the house and multiple matches can be viewed comfortably from everywhere. The intimate layout in this world class arena allows you to mingle with your favorite players and lets you feel like you are a part of the action as well. Turning Stone Resort Casino is a full service resort with everything needed for a relaxing, fun filled and enjoyable experience. Check them out at www.turningstone.com
Our 31st Turning Stone Classic will once again have a full roster of 128 players competing for the title. The field will include a wide range of talent from our regular tour players to some of the best in the game. Previous winners, Shane Van Boening, Jayson Shaw, Johnny Archer, Mika Immonen, Billy Thorpe and Thorsten Hohmann will all be in attendance along with many other notable and not so notable but great players nonetheless. The complete player list can be found on our site, www.joss9balltour.com . This promises to be yet another memorable event in our long running Turning Stone Classic series. Our next event will be our 3rd Joss Junior 9-Ball Championship on Jan. 26 & 27 at Sharp Shooters Billiards & Sports Pub in Amsterdam NY. This year our junior event has teamed up with the BCA and BEF (Billiard Education Foundation) to make it a qualifier for the BEF Junior Nationals in Las Vegas July 23-27. Please call 518-356-7163 for more information. Sharp Shooters will also be the host of our next regular season event (stop # 8) on Feb. 16 & 17, and our regular season will continue on from there until June. Then our $25,000 added "Turning Stone Classic XXXII 9-Ball Open", Season Finale, will be August 22-25, 2019. I will begin taking entries for that event at this event in January and not before. FYI, there is every reason to believe that the August 2018 Season Finale will fill to capacity many months prior to the event, so seriously interested players need to sign up early to avoid being shut out. Our complete schedule can be found at www.joss9balltour.com
Once again at Turning Stone there will be a "second chance" tournament on Sunday January 13th at 10AM. This is an event for those Non Pro level players (I will decide) eliminated from the main event. The event format will be as follows: $60 Entry Fee – 32 Player Max – same rules as main event – Single Elimination – Races to 4, best 2 of 3 sets, with the deciding set being a single game sudden death. This means that if each player wins a race to 4, there will be a lag for the break and a 1 game playoff to determine the match winner. Entries will be taken for this tournament as players are eliminated from the main event and will be treated as first paid – first in until the event is full.
The equipment for our world class event will once again be 16 Diamond Pro tables covered with 860 Simonis ("The Cloth Of Champions") tournament blue cloth. We will again be using the Aramith TV Tournament balls with Pro Cup cue balls. And please thank Aramith and specifically Ivan Lee for generously providing us with the best balls on the planet! All items, including tables and balls, are for sale in tournament used condition, and only seriously interested parties are urged to contact Mike Zuglan immediately at 518-356-7163 for info and pricing.
As always, fans coming to Turning Stone for our event will be treated to Free Admission, Free collectible posters, (while supplies last & can be viewed now at www.joss9balltour.com and on Face Book at Mike Zuglan's Joss Northeast 9-Ball Tour page), $10 casino Free Plays to players and fans, and some of the best pool you will ever see. All of this is brought to you courtesy of Turning Stone Resort Casino and the Joss Northeast 9-Ball Tour!
Included in the Event Center at Turning Stone is a full service snack bar serving all of our favorite foods and adult beverages. There will be billiard product vendors and on site cue repairs available for all your needs. Mike Burton of www.josscues.com will have a wide range of Joss Cues and Joss Northeast 9-Ball Tour Shirts. CJ and Peggi Wilkinson of www.baltimorecitycues.com will be here with their extensive cue, case and supplies display. Dan Dishaw, www.dishawcues.com will be on hand with his cues and expert on site cue repairs. And Feng Zhao of www.lite-systems.com will be there with his custom LED billiard lighting and other billiard products. There is still time and room for new vendor or two at a mere fraction of what you would pay elsewhere. Interested parties should contact me at 518-356-7163 immediately.
Dan, Debbie and Stephen Janes of Joss Cues, have once again upped the ante and provided us with two gorgeous, custom engraved Joss cues for raffle. These cues are valued at $1,500 each and will be raffled off on Saturday just before the 8 PM matches, and the second will go on Sunday immediately prior to the final match at approximately 7 PM. These beautiful cues can be viewed here: https://josscues.com/joss-tour-2018-19-cue/
In addition to the cues, I will once again give away the Aramith Pro Cup cue ball used in the final match, autographed by the winner, to some lucky fan by combining all of the Saturday and Sunday cue raffle tickets and picking the winner from them.
We invite everyone to come to Turning Stone Resort & Casino January 10-13, 2019 for a great experience and 4 full days of some of the best pool you will ever witness. If for some reason you are unable to make it, there will be free live scoring and a free live stream expertly provided by Alan Leon, aka Upstate Al and Mike Howerton at www.azbilliards.com , The Joss Northeast 9-Ball Tour and Turning Stone Resort Casino. Match times are as follows: Thursday at 4,6,8 & 10pm. Friday at 10am, noon, 2,4,6,8 & 10pm. Saturday at 10am, noon, 2,4,6,8 & 10pm. Sunday at 11am, 1,3,5 & the final match at 7pm. The second chance tournament on Sunday will begin at 10am and run continuously until completed.
I would like to ask all of you to please publicize our event through social media etc. so more people may be informed about this great and free event. And, as always, I remind all of you how important it is to please frequent your local billiard parlors and promote and utilize the fine products of our most generous sponsors listed below. They are the backbone of our sport!
I hope to see all of you at Turning Stone
Happy Holidays,
Mike Zuglan
The Joss Northeast 9-Ball Tour Is Proudly Sponsored By;
(l to r): Mizuno Atsutoshi, Cesar Turcios, Jonathan Martinez & Jim Gutierrez
In the midst of what, according to our records, is Jim Gutierrez’ best earnings year to date, he came from the loss side during a stop on the Predator Pro Am Tour and battled hot seat occupant Mizuno Atsutoshi to double hill before prevailing to claim his first Predator Pro Am event title. The $1,000-added event, held this past weekend (Oct. 13-14), drew 72 entrants to Steinway Billiards in Astoria (Queens), NY.
Gutierrez advanced to the winners’ side semifinal and a match versus Ramilo Tanglao, as Atsutoshi squared off against Matthew Harricharan in the other one. By identical scores of 7-1, Gutierrez and Atsutoshi advanced to the hot seat match over Tanglao and Harricharan. As a D+ player on the Predator Pro Am (#2 in that player class), Gutierrez began the hot seat match with seven on the wire in a race to 11. Atsutoshi claimed the hot seat with an actual score of 11-1, and a handicap match score of 11-8.
On the loss side, Tanglao picked up Jonathan Martinez, who’d defeated Paul Carpenter 6-5 and Michael De Lara Iona 7-5 to reach him. Harricharan drew Cesar Turcios, who was sent to the loss side by Dave Shlemperis, and was in the midst of an eight-match, loss-side streak that included back-to-back double hill wins; in a successful re-match against Shlemperis (loss-side win #5) and over the tour’s #3-ranked female, Amy Yu (#6).
Martinez advanced to the quarterfinals 7-2 over Tanglao and was joined by Turcios, who’d eliminated Harricharan 7-5. Turcios chalked up what proved to be his final loss-side victory 9-4 over Martinez in those quarterfinals, and then had his bid for a spot in the finals halted by Gutierrez 10-8 in the semifinals.
With the same handicap matchup (seven on the wire for Gutierrez in a race to 11), Gutierrez and Atsutoshi battled to double hill in the finals. Gutierrez prevailed in the deciding rack to claim his first Predator Pro Am title.
A single-elimination Second Chance event drew 16 entrants. Michael De Lara Iona and Ron Bernardo battled to double hill in the finals, before Iona prevailed 7-6 to claim the Second Chance title. Dave Shlemperis and Feng Zhao shared third place in the event.
Tour director Tony Robles thanked Manny Stamatakis and his Steinway Billiards staff for their hospitality, as well as title sponsor Predator Cues, PoolOnTheNet.com, NAPL, Cappelle (BilliardsPress.com), Ozone Billiards, the DeVito Team, and his Predator Pro Am staff. The next stop on the Predator Tour, scheduled for Oct. 20-21, will be an Amateur event, hosted by The Spot in Nanuet, NY.
On Saturday, September 20, Amsterdam Billiards in Manhattan will host a Challenge Match between Tony Robles and Efren Reyes. Part of Efren Reyes’ Farewell Tour, it might well prove to be Reyes’ last trip to the Tri-State New York area. The match will be held from 6-9 p.m.
Joey Korsiak, Zion Zvi, Raphael DaBreo & Jimmy Rivera
It is a significant rite of passage; moving from the top ranks of Amateur status to the loftier competitive environment where the Open/Pro players do battle. On the weekend of March 3-4, at a $250-added Open/Pro event on the Predator Pro Am Tour, Raphael Dabreo took that step, winning his first-ever Open/Pro event, and according to tour director Tony Robles, was “super happy about it.”
“Like a kid in a candy store,” said Robles.
DaBreo, working as a B player, first showed up on the AZBilliards’ radar 10 years ago, when he won his first stop on the Tri-State Tour. A year later (2009), he won two more on that tour. He won his first stop on the Predator Pro Am in 2010. Over the next eight years, he chalked up a baker’s dozen (13) more on the two tours, as he climbed the rankings ladder. On average, we reported here last October, he’d won an average of one event per year on both tours, dating back to those initial victories.
In a concurrently-run, $750-added Amateur event over the weekend, Lukas Fracasso-Verner went undefeated through a field of 53 entrants to claim that title (more on this a little later in this report). Both events were hosted by The Spot in Nanuet, NY.
DaBreo had a crack at a Predator Open/Pro event about three weeks ago, (Feb. 10-11), when he made it to the semifinals (downing Robles on the loss side along the way), before being eliminated by the event’s winner, Kudlik Marek. His first Open/Pro victory followed the same script, with the significant difference of coming back from the loss side to win it. He advanced to a winners’ side semifinal versus Jimmy Rivera in this most recent event, while Joey Korsiak and Zion Zvi squared off in the other one.
Korsiak got by Zvi 7-4. DaBreo battled Rivera to a deciding game, before Rivera sent him to the loss side. Korsiak claimed the hot seat 7-4 over Rivera and waited on DaBreo’s return.
On the loss side, DaBreo picked up Robles (whom he’d met in the quarterfinals of the Feb. 10-11 event), who’d defeated Victor Nau 7-3 and Mike Salerno 7-2 to reach him this time. Zvi drew Jorge Teixeira, who’d gotten by Yesid Garibello 7-3 and Dave Shlemperis 7-1. DaBreo got by Robles again; this time, 7-4, as Zvi eliminated Teixeira 7-2.
DaBreo, apparently very motivated to collect his first Open/Pro title, chalked up two straight double hill wins to get a shot at Korsiak in the hot seat. He downed Zvi in the quarterfinals, and then, Rivera in the semifinals. A 9-5 win over Korsiak in those finals secured DaBreo’s first Open/Pro win.
[photo id=48780|align=right]Fracasso-Verner goes undefeated to take Amateur division
Last February, at the age of 15, Lukas Fracasso-Verner became the second-youngest player to ever win a stop on the Predator Pro Am Tour; the first, being Thomas Rice, who, at 14 won a stop on the tour in 2013. What was particularly significant about Fracasso-Verner’s victory at the time was that he’d won 13 loss-side matches to meet and defeat the hot seat occupant, Atif Khan.
At this most recent stop on the Predator Pro Am Tour, Fracasso-Verner, now 16, chalked up another victory, this time going undefeated through a field of 53. He advanced through the field to a winners’ side semifinal against Rhio Anne “Annie” Flores, while Adam Miller met up with Feng Zhao in the other winners’ side semifinal. Miller downed Zhao 7-3, while Fracasso-Verner and Flores locked up in a double hill battle that did eventually send Flores to the loss side. Fracasso-Verner then downed Miller 9-5 to claim the hot seat.
On the loss side, Zhao picked up Suzzie Wong, who’d gotten by Greg Matos 6-3 and won a double hill match against Matthias Gutzmann. Flores drew Mark Zamora, recent double hill winner over Ocheign Carlos and Max Watanabe 7-5. The ladies advanced to the quarterfinals; Wong, over Zhao 7-2, and Flores over Zamora 7-4.
The ladies then locked up in a double hill fight, won by Wong. Miller took the semifinal 6-3 over Wong. Fracasso-Verner completed his undefeated run with a double hill 9-8 win over Miller in the finals.
A Second Chance event drew eight entrants. It was won by Wax Watanabe, who defeated Rich Hourihan in a double hill final. Watanabe pocketed $100, while Hourihan took home $50.
Tour director Tony Robles thanked the ownership and staff at The Spot for their hospitality, as well as special thanks to title sponsor Predator Cues, NAPL, Ozone Billiards, The DeVito Team, PoolOnTheNet.com, BilliardsPress.com, AZBilliards, Billiards Digest and PoolMag.com. Robles also extended thanks to his entire Predator Staff, including his wife, Gail Robles, Mandy Wu, William Finnegan, Irene Kim, and Rob Omen. The next stop on the Predator Pro Am Tour, scheduled for the weekend of March 17-18, will be an A/B/C/D event hosted by Cue Bar in Bayside (Queens), NY.
Having chalked up a Tri-State victory in September at Cue Bar, Thomas Schreiber added another to his 2017-2108 title list with an undefeated run on the January 20-21 stop on the tour. His September victory involved three matches on the loss side, including a semifinal win over Lidio Ramirez (who’d sent him to the loss side) and Pashk Gjini in the finals. On this most recent stop, Gjini was his first opponent, and Ramirez would end up facing him in the hot seat match. The $1,500-added event drew 48 entrants to Steinway Billiards in Astoria (Queens), NY.
After downing Gjini in the opening round, Schreiber went on to defeat Feng Zhao, Abel Barriento, and Amy Yu, which set him up to face Debra Pritchett in one of the winners’ side semifinals. Ramirez, in the meantime, met up with Llija Trajceski in the other winners’ side semifinal. Schreiber got into the hot seat match with an 8-5 win over Pritchett, and was met by Ramirez, who’d sent Trajceski to the loss side 9-7. Schreiber and Ramirez locked up in a double hill fight that eventually sent Ramirez to the semifinals.
On the loss side, Pritchett picked up Yu, who, following her defeat by Schreiber, downed Philip Pearce 7-4 and Irene Kim 7-2. Trajceski drew Feng Zhao, who’d gotten by Erick Carrasco 6-3 and Duc Lam 9-4.
Trajceski and Zhao fought to double hill before Trajceski advanced to the quarterfinals. He was joined by Yu, who’d eliminated Pritchett 7-3. Trajceski chalked up his second straight double hill win, eliminating Yu in those quarterfinals.
Trajceski’s rematch against Ramirez went his way. He downed him 9-5 in the semifinals to earn a shot against Schreiber. Schreiber locked Trajceski up in his third double hill match and won it to claim the event title.
Tour representatives thanked the ownership and staff at Steinway Billiards, as well as sponsors Ozone Billiards, Sterling-Gaming, Kamui Tips, Phil Capelle, BlueBook Publishing, Human Kinetics, Pool & Billiards, Professor Q Ball, Bender Cues, and DIGICUE OB. The next stop on the Tri-State Tour, scheduled for Sunday, January 28, will be hosted by Clifton Billiards in Clifton, NJ.
Mike Zuglan's Joss Northeast 9-Ball Tour and Turning Stone Resort Casino are proud to present The $25,000 Added "Turning Stone Classic XXIX 9-Ball Open" on January 4-7, 2018. Turning Stone has once again most generously invited us to compete in their beautiful and spacious Event Center which is one of the best arenas in the world. There is not a bad seat in the house and multiple matches can be viewed comfortably from everywhere. The intimate layout in this world class arena allows you to mingle with your favorite players and lets you feel like you are a part of the action as well. Turning Stone Resort Casino is a full service resort with everything needed for a relaxing, fun filled and enjoyable experience. Check them out at www.turningstone.com
Our 29th Turning Stone Classic will once again be a full roster of 128 players competing for the title. The field will include a wide range of talent from our regular tour players to some of the best in the game. Previous winners like Jayson Shaw, Johnny Archer, Rodney Morris, Mika Immonen will all be in attendance along with many other notable and not so notable great players. The complete player list can be found on our site, www.joss9balltour.com . This promises to be yet another memorable event in our Turning Stone Classic series. Our next regular season event will be stop # 7 at the brand new Brickhouse Billiards in Syracuse NY on Jan 13 & 14, 2018, and our regular season will continue on from there until June. Then our $25,000 added "Turning Stone Classic XXX 9-Ball Open", Season Finale, will be August 23-26, 2018. I will begin taking entries for that event at this event in January and not before. FYI, there is every reason to believe that the August 2018 Season Finale will fill to capacity many months prior to the event, so seriously interested players need to sign up early to avoid being shut out.
Once again at Turning Stone there will be a "second chance" tournament on Sunday January 7th at 10AM. This is an event for those Non Pro level players (I will decide) eliminated from the main event. The event format will be as follows: $60 Entry Fee – 32 Player Max – same rules as main event – Single Elimination – Races to 4, best 2 of 3 sets, with the deciding set being a single game sudden death. This means that if each player wins a race to 4, there will be a lag for the break and a 1 game playoff to determine the match winner. Entries will be taken for this tournament as players are eliminated from the main event and will be treated as first paid – first in until the event is full.
The equipment for our world class event will once again be 16 Diamond Pro tables covered with 860 Simonis ("The Cloth Of Champions") tournament blue cloth. We will again be using the Aramith TV Tournament balls with Pro Cup cue balls. And please thank Aramith and specifically Ivan Lee for stepping in to most generously provide us with the best balls on the planet! All items, including tables and balls, are for sale in tournament used condition, and only seriously interested parties are urged to contact Mike Zuglan immediately at 518-356-7163 for info and pricing.
As always, fans coming to Turning Stone for our event will be treated to Free Admission, Free collectible posters, which have all the previous winners listed (while supplies last & can be viewed now at www.joss9balltour.com and on Face Book at Mike Zuglan's Joss Northeast 9-Ball Tour page), $10 casino Free Plays to players and fans, and some of the best pool you will ever see. All of this is brought to you courtesy of Turning Stone Resort Casino and the Joss Northeast 9-Ball Tour!
Included in the Event Center at Turning Stone is a full service snack bar serving all of our favorite foods and adult beverages. There will be billiard product vendors and on site cue repairs available for all your needs. Mike Burton of www.josscues.com will have a wide range of Joss Cues and Joss Northeast 9-Ball Tour Shirts. CJ and Peggi Wilkinson of www.baltimorecitycues.com will be here with their extensive cue, case and supplies display. Dan Dishaw, www.dishawcues.com will be on hand with his cues and expert on site cue repairs. And Feng Zhao of www.lite-systems.com will be there with his custom LED billiard lighting and other billiard products. There is still time and room for new vendor or two at a mere fraction of what you would pay elsewhere. Interested parties should contact me at 518-356-7163 immediately.
Dan, Debbie and Stephen Janes of Joss Cues, have once again upped the ante and provided us with two gorgeous, custom engraved Joss cues for raffle. The cues are valued at $1,200 each and will be raffled off on Saturday just before the 8 PM matches, and the second will go on Sunday immediately prior to the final match at approximately 7 PM. These beautiful cues can be viewed here: https://josscues.com/cues/custom/joss-custom-26/
In addition to the cues, I will once again give away the Aramith Pro Cup cue ball used in the final match, autographed by the winner, to some lucky fan by combining all of the Saturday and Sunday raffle tickets and picking the winner from them.
We invite everyone to come to Turning Stone Resort & Casino January 4-7, 2018 for a great experience and 4 full days of some of the best pool you will ever witness. If for some reason you are unable to make it, there will be free live scoring and a free live stream expertly provided by Alan Leon, aka Upstate Al and Mike Howerton at www.azbilliards.com , The Joss Northeast 9-Ball Tour and Turning Stone Resort Casino. Match times are as follows: Thursday at 4,6,8 & 10pm. Friday at 10am, noon, 2,4,6,8 & 10pm. Saturday at 10am, noon, 2,4,6,8 & 10pm. Sunday at 11am, 1,3,5 & the final match at 7pm. The second chance tournament on Sunday will begin at 10am and run continuously until completed.
I would like to ask all of you to please publicize our event through social media etc. so more people may be informed about this great and free event. And, as always, I remind all of you how important it is to please frequent your local billiard parlors and promote and utilize the fine products of our most generous sponsors listed below. They are the backbone of our sport!
I hope to see all of you at Turning Stone
Mike Zuglan
The Joss Northeast 9-Ball Tour Is Proudly Sponsored By;
Mike Zuglan‘s Joss Northeast 9-Ball Tour and Turning Stone Resort Casino are proud to present The $25,000 Added “Turning Stone Classic XXXVI 9-Ball Open” on January 5-8, 2023. Turning Stone has once again invited us to compete in their beautiful and spacious Event Center which is most definitely one of the best arenas in the world. There is not a bad seat in the house and multiple matches can be viewed comfortably from everywhere. The intimate layout in this world class arena allows you to mingle with your favorite players and lets you feel like you are a part of the action as well. Turning Stone Resort Casino is a full service resort with everything needed for a relaxing, fun filled and enjoyable experience. Check them out at www.turningstone.com
