More and more tournaments are being cancelled or postponed with recent announcements by the Joss NE 9-Ball Tour, Tri-State Tour and Western BCA Pool Players Association.
The Joss NE 9-Ball Tour’s Kevin Ketz 9-Ball Open, originally scheduled for this weekend, has been postponed by tour director Mike Zuglan. Zuglan’s announcement indicated he would announce replacement date information as it became available.
The Tri-State Tour went a step further and cancelled their events scheduled for the rest of March. Their announcement online noted that “As much as everyone would like to continue business as usual, the presence of the novel coronavirus COVID-19 in the NY-NJ area calls for different action”.
The 25th Annual Western BCA 8-Ball Championships, scheduled to take place at the Chinook Winds Casino Resort in Lincoln City Oregon on April 4th – 12th, has officially been cancelled by the Western BCA Pool Players Association.
In addition to tournament’s being affected, pool rooms across the country are expected to be forced to close. One of the first rooms to announce their temporary closing was Snookers in Providence, RI. Owners Steve and Regina Goulding announced the closure on March 15th, noting that they will reopen “when the appropriate time comes, based on the recommendation of health and government authorities”.
Congratulations to Stop # 9 winners, Rodney Morris ($1,450 & 11th New England Pool & Billiard Hall Of Fame 9-Ball Open Champion), Cleiton Rocha ($310 second chance), John Beaver ($1,600 Joss cue raffle winner). Also congratulations to Jeremy Sossei (entry into the Super Billiards Expo pro event generously provided by Allen Hopkins for being our 2018/2019 Tour Point Champion) & all of this years New England Pool & Billiard Hall Of Fame Inductees!
On March 21 & 22, stop # 10 of The Joss Northeast 9-Ball Tour, the "Kevin Ketz 9-Ball Open" will be at Trick Shot Billiards & Sports Pub in Clifton Park (near Albany) NY. Our hosts Tim & Julie Berlin deserve many thanks from all of us for their continuing support and having already hosted 3 events this season at their other room, Sharp Shooters Billiards & Sports Pub!!! Thanks again Tim & Julie!! Trick Shot is a full service room with everything needed for a great time of pool and fun anytime. It is complete with a delicious full food menu and a separate full service bar where you can watch all of your favorite teams in action. Trick Shot has also become one our areas premier places for bands and entertainment with a recently completed major addition allowing for outside as well as inside gatherings. So come on over to Trick Shot Billiards & Sports Pub to play in or just watch yet another of our great events. While there, you could even win a gorgeous, custom, engraved, Joss Cue valued at $1,600 by participating in Trick Shot's cue raffle. Anyone can participate and you don't have to be present to win! The drawing will be just prior to the final match of the main event on Sunday. This amazing cue that will be given away at Trick Shot can be viewed here: https://josscues.com/product/joss-northeast-9-ball-tour-cue-model-2019-20/
For more info about Trick Shot Billiards & Sports Pub, or to get directions and nearby motel info, please call them directly at 518-383-8771. Or visit their site at www.trickshotbilliardsny.com
This event at Trick Shot will consist of a $1500 added Saturday and Sunday Main Event (entry Fee $120 for pro level or $70 for non pro level) and a $500 added second chance event on Sunday ($20 Entry Fee) for those non pro level players eliminated from the main event on Saturday.
For those of you coming to play, you must arrive on Saturday March 21, BEFORE 11:30 AM, and in proper dress please. Yes, jeans and sneakers are permitted in our billiard parlor events. But please, NO T-shirts, tanks, shorts or sweats. Complete tour info can be found on our site www.joss9balltour.com
Lastly, I can't stress enough how important it is for all of you to please frequent your local billiard parlors and utilize the services of our most generous sponsors who are the backbone of our sport. These are the ones who keep our sport alive. So get out and play!
Jeremy Sossei, Trick Shot Billiards Owner Tim Berlin and Danny Hewitt
The Joss NE 9-Ball Tour’s Kevin Ketz Memorial on March 9th and 10th at Trick Shot Billiards in Clifton Park, NY came down to Canadian Danny Hewitt and Jeremy Sossei, two players very familiar with what it takes to get to the Joss Tour winners circle.
Both players went through Saturday play undefeated and were joined on the winners side on Sunday by Bucky Souvanthong and Dave Grau. Hewitt sent Grau to the left side of the board 9-1, while Sossei had a much tougher time with Souvanthong, beating him 9-8. This led to the showdown for the hot-seat, where Hewitt won 9-4.
After wins over Mark Creamer and Greg Antonakos on the one loss side, Souvanthong was ready for the rematch with Sossei. This match didn’t go much better for Souvanthong though, losing 7-5 to leave him in third place.
Sossei came out on fire in the first set of the finals against Hewitt, and raced to a dominating 9-0 win to force a second set. Hewitt turned the tables in the second set of the finals though and quickly took a 5-0 lead. Sossei fought back and was able to tie the score at hill-hill, but that was when Hewitt put the tournament away with the 7-6 win.
Sunday’s second chance tournament saw Tom Acciavatti go undefeated with wins over Spencer Auigbelle for the hot-seat and again in the first set of the finals.
The Joss NE 9-Ball Tour now takes the weekend of March 16th – 17th off, but will be back in action at Union Station Billiards in Portland Maine for a rare handicapped Joss Tour stop.
Congratulations to Stop # 10 winners, Raphael Dabreo ($1,450 & 10th New England Pool & Billiard Hall Of Fame 9-Ball Open Champion), Ben Werblow ($300 second chance), Samoth Sam ($1,500 Joss cue raffle winner), Bruce Nagle (entry into the Super Billiards Expo pro event provided by Allen Hopkins for being our 2017/2018 Tour Point Champion) & all of this years New England Pool & Billiard Hall Of Fame Inductees!
On March 9 & 10, stop # 11 of The Joss Northeast 9-Ball Tour, the "Kevin Ketz Memorial Open" will be at Trick Shot Billiards & Sports Pub in Clifton Park (near Albany) NY. Our hosts Tim & Julie Berlin deserve many thanks from all of us for their continuing support and having already hosted 3 events this season at their other room, Sharp Shooters Billiards & Sports Pub!!! Thanks again Tim & Julie!! Trick Shot is a full service room with everything needed for a great time of pool and fun anytime. It is complete with a delicious full food menu and a separate full service bar where you can watch all of your favorite teams in action. Trick Shot has also become one our areas premier places for bands and entertainment with a recently completed major addition allowing for outside as well as inside gatherings. So come on over to Trick Shot Billiards & Sports Pub to play in or just watch yet another of our great events. While there, you could even win a gorgeous, custom, engraved, Joss Cue valued at $1,500 by participating in Trick Shot's cue raffle. Anyone can participate and you don't have to be present to win! The drawing will be just prior to the final match of the main event on Sunday. This amazing cue that will be given away at Trick Shot can be viewed here: https://josscues.com/joss-tour-2018-19-cue/
For more info about Trick Shot Billiards & Sports Pub, or to get directions and nearby motel info, please call them directly at 518-383-8771. Or visit their site at www.trickshotbilliardsny.com
This event at Trick Shot will consist of a $1500 added Saturday and Sunday Main Event (entry Fee $120 for pro level or $70 for non pro level) and a $500 added second chance event on Sunday ($20 Entry Fee) for those non pro level players eliminated from the main event on Saturday.
For those of you coming to play, you must arrive on Saturday March 9, BEFORE 11:30 AM, and in proper dress please. Yes, jeans and sneakers are permitted in our billiard parlor events. But please, NO T-shirts, tanks, shorts or sweats. Complete tour info can be found on our site www.joss9balltour.com
Lastly, I can't stress enough how important it is for all of you to please frequent your local billiard parlors and utilize the services of our most generous sponsors who are the backbone of our sport. These are the ones who keep our sport alive. So get out and play!
Bruce Nagle, Andrea Duvall (room owner) and Bucky Souvanthong
One day shy of exactly one year since his last Joss NE 9-Ball Tour win, Bruce Nagle came out on top of another Joss NE 9-Ball Tour stop. That wasn’t where the similarities ended though.
Last year on the weekend of March 18th – 19th, Nagle went undefeated at King Smiley’s Billiards and defeated Bucky Souvanthong in the finals. This year, on the weekend of March 17th – 18th at Hippos House of Billiards (who came through and hosted the event when King Smiley’s wasn’t able to), Nagle went through the winner’s side undefeated and beat Bucky Souvanthong in the finals.
This year’s stop saw Nagle and Souvanthong battle it out for the hot-seat, which Nagle won 9-3. It was Nagle’s second hot-seat in as many weeks as he was in the hot-seat at last weekend’s Kevin Ketz Memorial.
Souvanthong won a quick 7-2 match against Ron Casanzio on the one loss side and was looking to keep Nagle from the winner’s circle for the second straight week as Nagle lost to Joey Cicero last week.
Souvanthong’s plans were looking good after one set, as he scored a 9-6 win to force a second set. Nagle wasn’t going to get double-dipped twice in a row though and scored a 7-4 win in the second set for first place.
Sunday’s second chance tournament looked a lot like the main event with Joe Mayo taking the hot-seat with a 3-0 win over Bruce Carroll, but losing the first set of the finals (to John McConnell 3-1) before coming back and winning the second set 3-1.
The Joss NE 9-Ball Tour will now take a break until April 7th – 8th, when they are back in action at Union Station Billiards in Portland, Maine for another $1,500 added main event and $500 added second chance tournament.
Players who are interested in competing in August’s Turning Stone Classic XXX are urged to contact Mike Zuglan soon, as the event is now “well over half full”.
Bruce Nagle, Trick Shots Owner Julie Berlin and Joey Cicero
Joey Cicero went undefeated and beat Bruce Nagle twice to win the Joss NE 9-Ball Tour’s “Kevin Ketz Memorial Open” over the March 10th-11th weekend at Trick Shot Billiards in Clifton Park, NY.
Cicero’s path to the final four on the winner’s side included wins over Bruce Carroll, Nick Coppola and Dave Grau. Cicero was joined on the winner’s side Sunday morning by Jorge Teixeira, Matt Tetreault and Bruce Nagle. Cicero then defeated Teixeira while Nagle sent Tetreault to the one loss side.
On the one loss side, both Teixeira and Tetreault kept their tournament hopes alive with wins over Yesid Garibello and Bucky Souvanthong respectively. They then met up to determine 4th place, with Teixeira scoring the hill-hill win. Teixeira quickly joined Tetreault in the seats after a 7-4 loss to Nagle in the semi-final match.
The finals only went one set, and although Nagle gave Cicero his toughest test of the weekend, he still lost 9-7 to finish in second place.
The 19 player second chance tournament on Sunday saw Tom Acciavatti recover from his hot-seat loss to Mark Creamer, only to come back and defeat Creamer twice in the finals.
Tour players are reminded that the March 17th – 18th event that was originally scheduled at King Smiley Billiards is now being held at Hippo’s House of Billiards in Utica, NY.
Players are also reminded that the Turning Stone Classic XXX on August 23rd – 26th is over halfway full. This event always fills up, with a waiting list of players who missed out on signing up. Contact Mike Zuglan to assure your spot in the event.
Congratulations to Stop # 10 winners, Joe Dupuis ($1,400 main event), Mike Minichello ($300 second chance event), Mike Demarco ($1,200 Joss cue raffle winner), Nelson Oliveira (entry into the Super Billiards Expo pro event provided by Allen Hopkins for being our 2016/2017 Tour Point Champion) & all of this years New England Pool & Billiard Hall Of Fame Inductees.
On March 10 & 11, stop # 11 of The Joss Northeast 9-Ball Tour, the "Kevin Ketz Memorial Open" will be at Trick Shot Billiards & Sports Pub in Clifton Park (near Albany) NY. Our hosts Tim & Julie Berlin deserve many thanks from all of us for their continuing support and having already hosted 2 events this season at their other room, Sharp Shooters Billiards & Sports Pub!!! Thanks again Tim & Julie!! Trick Shot is a full service room with everything needed for a great time of pool and fun anytime. It is complete with a delicious full food menu and a separate full service bar where you can watch all of your favorite teams in action. Trick Shot has also become one our areas premier places for bands and entertainment with a recently completed major addition allowing for outside as well as inside gatherings. So come on over to Trick Shot Billiards & Sports Pub to play in or just watch yet another of our great events. While there, you could even win a gorgeous, custom, engraved, Joss Cue valued at $1,200 by participating in Trick Shot's cue raffle. Anyone can participate and you don't have to be present to win! The drawing will be just prior to the final match of the main event on Sunday. This amazing cue that will be given away at Trick Shot can be viewed here: https://josscues.com/cues/custom/joss-custom-26/
For more info about Trick Shot Billiards & Sports Pub, or to get directions and nearby motel info, please call them directly at 518-383-8771. Or visit their site at www.trickshotbilliardsny.com
This event at Trick Shot will consist of a $1500 added Saturday and Sunday Main Event (entry Fee $120 for pro level or $70 for non pro level) and a $500 added second chance event on Sunday ($20 Entry Fee) for those non pro level players eliminated from the main event on Saturday.
For those of you coming to play, you must arrive on Saturday March 10, BEFORE 11:30 AM, and in proper dress please. Yes, jeans and sneakers are permitted in our billiard parlor events. But please, NO T-shirts, tanks, shorts or sweats. Complete tour info can be found on our site www.joss9balltour.com
SCHEDULE UPDATE: Stop # 12 that was previously scheduled at King Smiley Billiards, HAS BEEN MOVED TO Hippos The House Of Billiards (Utica NY) and will be held on the original date of March 17 & 18. Please spread the word to avoid any confusion.
Our season finale, the $25,000 Added Turning Stone Classic XXX 9-Ball Open, is scheduled for August 23 – 26, 2018. I am currently accepting entries and strongly suggest that you pay your entry early to avoid being shut out. Entry fee for this great event is only $150 for Current tour members and only $200 for all others. As you can see, membership has its privileges! If you would like to enter, please contact Mike Zuglan at 518-356-7163 or see me at any of our Joss Northeast 9-Ball Tour regular season events before it is full. Currently I am about 1/2 full.
Lastly, I can't stress enough how important it is for all of you to please frequent your local billiard parlors and utilize the services of our most generous sponsors who are the backbone of our sport. These are the ones who keep our sport alive. So get out and play!
The Joss Northeast 9-Ball Tour Is Proudly Sponsored By;
l to r: Joe Dupuis, Steve Goulding (owner of Snooker’s) and Tim Perry
Last year at the 8th Annual New England Pool & Billiard Hall of Fame Open 9-Ball tournament, Joe Dupuis advanced to the hot seat, only to be double-dipped by Zion Zvi in the finals. This year, Dupuis opted for the loss-side route at the 9th annual event and achieved better results. Sent to the loss side by the man he’d later (much later) face in the finals, Tim Perry, Dupuis won seven on the loss side to earn the re-match, win both sets of the double elimination final and claim the title he’d last won in 2014. The $2,500-added event drew 48 entrants to its regular venue, Snooker’s in Providence, RI.
Dupuis and Perry met first in the third round of play. They locked up in a double hill fight, that eventually sent Dupuis to the loss side. Perry advanced to a winners’ side quarterfinal against Ivaylo Petrov, which he won 9-6, moving him into a winners’ side semifinal against the Joss NE Tour’s current #4-ranked player, Bruce Nagle. Kyle Pepin and Jason Michas, in the meantime, squared off in the other winners’ side semifinal.
Perry downed Nagle 9-4, and in the hot seat match, faced Michas, who’d sent Pepin west 9-5. Perry got into the hot seat 9-5 over Michas, and waited on Dupuis’ return.
On the loss side, Dupuis’ trip back to the finals began against the Joss NE 9-Ball Tour’s #1-ranked player, and all-around tough draw, Jeremy Sossei. Sossei had been awarded a bye in the event’s opening round, and dropped his first match to Mark Ransom. On the loss side, he’d gotten by Bill Cote and Chuck Sampson before running into Dupuis, who ended his weekend with a 7-5 win. Things didn’t get any easier, either. Mike Minichello put up a double hill fight against Dupuis in the next loss-side round. Dupuis eliminated him and moved into the first money round.
Dupuis then defeated Mike Demarco 7-3 and in another double hill battle, Frank Hernandez, to draw Nagle, coming off his defeat in a winners’ side semifinal. Pepin, in the meantime, picked up Petrov, who, after his defeat at the hands of Perry in the winners’ side quarterfinal, had downed Clyde Matta 7-1 and Francisco Cabral 7-5.
Pepin advanced to the quarterfinals 7-5 over Petrov and was joined by Dupuis, who’d defeated Nagle 7-2. Dupuis got by Pepin 7-5 and then denied Michas a second shot at Perry in the hot seat with a 7-4 win in the semifinals.
Dupuis took the opening set of the double elimination final against Perry 9-6. Racing to 7 in the second set, Dupuis and Perry battled to 6-6, forcing a deciding game. Dupuis won it to claim his second New England Pool & Billiard Hall of Fame title.
A $500-added Second Chance event that drew 11 entrants saw another competitor, Mike Minichello, come from deep on the loss side to double dip the hot seat occupant, Mike Pettit. Minichello won four on the loss side, and was denied an opportunity to face the opponent who’d sent him there, Mark Ransom, when Ransom was defeated in the quarterfinals by Kevin Bauccio. Minichello went on to defeat Bauccio in the quarterfinals, Ranulf Tamba in the semifinals, and Mike Pettit, twice, in the finals; 3-1, 3-2.
Joss NE 9-Ball Tour director Mike Zuglan thanked Steve Goulding and his Snooker's staff for their hospitality, as well as sponsors Joss Cues, Simonis, Aramith, PoolOnTheNet.com, Heidrich Custom Cues, AZBilliards, Billiards Press, and Turning Stone Resort and Casino. The next stop on the Joss Northeast 9-Ball Tour, scheduled for March 10-11, will be the $1,500-added Kevin Ketz Memorial ($500-added to Second Chance event), hosted by Trick Shot Billiards & Sports Club in Clifton Park, NY. Players are reminded that the following week’s event (March 17-18), originally scheduled to be hosted by King Smiley, will now be held at Hippo’s House of Billiards, in Yorkville, NY.
Ron Casanzio, Trick Shots Billiards owner Tim Berlin and Nelson Oliveira
After 15 years of competing on the Joss Northeast Open 9-Ball Tour, Nelson Oliveira had his two best (recorded) earnings years in 2015/2016. He chalked up a Joss Tour victory in 2015, and finished among the top five in six of the seven events in which he competed. In 2016, he chalked up two Joss Tour victories and finished among the top five in seven of nine events. On the weekend of March 11-12, at a $1,500-added stop (#12) on the Joss Tour (aka The Northeast 9-Ball Open XIX, and the 1st Annual Kevin Ketz Memorial), Oliveira claimed his first event title of the year, working his way through a field of 42 at Trick Shot Billiards Sports Bar & Club in Clifton Park, NY.
A $500-added Second Chance event drew 24 entrants, and saw Jeff Smolen take home the top prize. Frank Sorriento shut Smolen out in the first set of a true double elimination final. The second set went double hill, before Smolen closed it out to claim the Second Chance title.
Oliveira came within a match of going undefeated in the main event, and it was fellow Joss Tour veteran, Ron Casanzio, who challenged him in the hot seat match and finals for the title. It was a quartet of Joss Tour veterans who squared off against each other in the two winners' side semifinals. After four rounds of play, Oliveira came up against Dave Grau in one, as Casanzio met up with Bucky Souvanthong in the other. Oliveira sent Grau to the loss side 9-5, while Casanzio sent Souvanthong packing 9-6. Oliveira took the first of three against Casanzio 9-6 and waited in the hot seat for him to return from the semifinals.
Over on the loss side, Grau and Souvanthong ran into Spencer Auigbelle and Bruce Nagle, respectively. Auigbelle had survived a double hill battle against Tom Acciavatti, and eliminated John Babravich 9-4 to draw Grau. Nagle had gotten by Mark Creamer 9-3 and Steve Lillis 9-4 to draw Souvanthong. Auigbelle and Nagle handed Grau and Souvanthong their second straight loss; Auigbelle 9-5 over Grau and Nagle 9-4 over Souvanthong.
Auigbelle downed Nagle 9-4 in the quarterfinals, but had his four-match, loss-side winning streak ended by the man who'd defeated him earlier, Ron Casanzio. Casanzio took the semifinal match over Auigbelle 9-6 for a shot at Oliveira in the hot seat.
Casanzio took the opening set of the true double elimination final 9-7. Oliveira, though, rallied in the second set to take it 9-6 and claim his first 2016 title.
In addition to the prize winners in both events, Melissa Tour was the raffle winner of a $1,500 Joss Cue. The next stop on the Joss Tour (#13), a $1,500-added event ($500-added Second Chance), scheduled for this weekend (March 18-19), will be hosted by King Smiley Billiards in Fort Edward, NY. Players are reminded that the site for Stop #14 on the tour, scheduled for April 8-9, has been changed from Salt City Billiards in Syracuse to Hippo's House of Billiards in Utica. Salt City Billiards was destroyed in an early morning fire last month (Feb. 8). No one was injured in the blaze, and though owners are optimistic about rebuilding, no final decisions have been made.
Joss Tour director Mike Zuglan is continuing to remind players that entries for Turning Stone XXVIII, scheduled for Aug. 31- Sept 3 are filling up fast, with, as of this weekend, nearly three-quarters of the field already registered. Visit the Turning Stone Web site (http://www.turningstone.com), or contact Zuglan, for further information.
Congratulations to Stop # 11 winners, Zion Zvi ($1,700 main event), Al McGuane ($360 second chance event), Seamus Sweeney ($1,500 Joss cue raffle winner), Jeremy Sossei (entry into the Super Billiards Expo pro event provided by Allen Hopkins for being our 2015/2016 Tour Point Champion) & all of this years New England Pool & Billiard Hall Of Fame Inductees.
Congratulations as well to Stephen Janes of Joss Cues for being named "Cue Maker Of The Year" by the American Cue Makers Association!!!
On March 11 & 12, stop # 12 of The Joss Northeast 9-Ball Tour, the "Northeast 9-Ball Open XXIX" will be at Trick Shot Billiards & Sports Pub in Clifton Park (near Albany) NY. This event will also serve as a memorial and is dedicated to the memory of our recently departed friend Kevin Ketz, who passed away suddenly last December at the very young age of 53. He is missed already.
Our hosts Tim & Julie Berlin deserve many thanks from all of us for their continuing support and having already hosted 2 events this season at their other room, Sharp Shooters Billiards & Sports Pub!!! Thanks again Tim & Julie!! Tim has even arranged to have all of the tables recovered in 860 Simonis (The Cloth Of Champions) just in time for our event! Trick Shot is a full service room with everything needed for a great time of pool and fun anytime. It is complete with a delicious full food menu and a separate full service bar where you can watch all of your favorite teams in action. You could even win a gorgeous, custom, engraved, Joss Cue valued at $1,500 by participating in Trick Shot's cue raffle. Anyone can participate and you don't have to be present to win! The drawing will be just prior to the final match of the main event on Sunday. This amazing cue that will be given away at Trick Shot can be viewed here: https://josscues.com/joss-northeast-9-ball-tour-2016-17/
For more info about Trick Shot, or to get directions and nearby motel info, please call them directly at 518-383-8771. Or visit their site at www.trickshotbilliardsny.com
This event at Trick Shot will consist of a $1500 added Saturday and Sunday Main Event (entry Fee $120 for pro level or $70 for non pro level) and a $500 added consolation event on Sunday ($20 Entry Fee) for those non pro level players eliminated from the main event on Saturday.
For those of you coming to play, please arrive on Saturday March 11, BEFORE 11:30 AM, and in proper dress please. Yes, jeans and sneakers are permitted in our billiard parlor events. But please, no T-shirts, tanks, shorts or sweats. Complete tour info can be found on our site www.joss9balltour.com
A reminder that stop # 14 will now be at Hippo's The House Of Billiards on April 8 & 9, 2017, due to the fire at Salt City Billiards.
Our season finale, the $25,000 Added Turning Stone Classic XXVIII 9-Ball Open, is scheduled for August 31 – September 3, 2017. I am currently accepting entries and strongly suggest that you pay your entry early to avoid being shut out. Entry fee for this prestigious WPA, BCA and Mosconi Cup ranking event is only $150 for Current tour members and only $200 for all others. As you can see, membership has its privileges! If you would like to enter, please contact Mike Zuglan at 518-356-7163 or see me at any of our Joss Northeast 9-Ball Tour regular season events before it is full. Currently we are already about 2/3 full and it is still only March!
Finally, I can't stress enough how important it is for all of you to please frequent your local billiard parlors and utilize the services and products of our most generous sponsors who are the backbone of our sport. These are the ones who keep our sport alive. So get out and play!
More and more tournaments are being cancelled or postponed with recent announcements by the Joss NE 9-Ball Tour, Tri-State Tour and Western BCA Pool Players Association.
