On behalf of the Atlantic 9 Ball Tour and its founder Mr. Thomas “TJ” Martin, I’m pleased to announce the details of the 1st ever East Coast Canadian 9 Ball Open to be held in Halifax, Nova Scotia from November 7th to 13th of 2017. The Atlantic 9 Ball Tour is in its second season and has arguably been one of the most successful tours in Canada thus far. Due to this fact, Mr. Martin decided to come up with this special event to give something back to the local players who have given their unconditional support to this tour.
This event will have a total of $35,000 added! There will be $25,000 added to the main tournament and $10,000 added to the 3 separate Second Chance events. There will be $3,500 added to the “A” player Second Chance event, $3,500 added to the “B” player Second Chance event and $3000 added to the “C” player Second chance event. There will be a $40 entry fee for all Second Chance events.
The field has been set to 256 players and as of 7 December 2016 there are already 160 spots paid for by Atlantic Canadian players and 10 from players outside of the area. To have 170 spots already paid for this far in advance is a huge feat in itself. Some of the top professionals already confirmed are Shane Van Boening, Rodney Morris, John Morra, Corey Deuel, Oscar Dominguez and Mike Dechaine. There are only 86 spots remaining and I can almost guarantee that the field will be full well in advance. If you want to participate in this event contact Mr. Martin as soon as possible.
To guarantee your spot please email your payment to: eccopayment@atlantic9balltour.com
The format is a double knockout event, alternate break with a race to 11 on both sides and the final will be one race to 17.
Entry fees are staggered at $500 for a “Pro” player, $350 for an "A" player, $250 for a "B" player and $150 for a “C” player. The different player classes will be determined by our tournament director, Mr. Steve Cooper. There will be a dress code in effect for the entire event consisting of dress shoes, dress pants, a collared shirt and no hats.
The host hotel for this event is the Atlantica Hotel Halifax. There are only 100 rooms available for this event. Mention “East Coast Canadian 9 Ball Open” to receive the special rate of $105 per night based on single or double occupancy. Guests will receive free secure underground parking (a $20 per night value) and if you book prior to 31 March 2017 you will also receive full hot breakfast for two daily!
Special thanks to the current sponsors of the Atlantic 9 Ball Tour! The event host and sponsor, Almon Billiards (owner Mr. Dick Barker and all of his staff) as well as all of the other sponsors: Denis Boudreau of The Billiard Shop, J. Pechauer Custom Cues, Bargain Auto Parts, Kyle Richard-PBIA Instructor, Shauna Boyle-Remax Realty, Lahey Glass, Verities IT Solutions, Ultimate Roofing Systems, O’Brian’s Mobile Wash and the Atlantica Hotel Halifax.
Amateur Men’s 8-Ball Winner and Runner up, Aldei Doucet and Matt Crawford
For the second year in a row, Fairville Shooters in Saint John New Brunswick hosted the 2015 CBSA Canadian Amateur Pool Championships from 24-28 June. Amateur pool players from across the country showed up to compete for the 5 different Championship titles up for grabs. The events being held were Amateur Men’s 8 Ball, Amateur Men’s 9 Ball, Amateur Women’s 8 Ball, Amateur Women’s 9 Ball and a Junior 9 Ball Division. Players came from the following Provinces: Newfoundland and Labrador, Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Quebec, Ontario and as far away as Saskatchewan.
The hosts Rob and Monique Connolly did a great job and they also added $4500 in total to this event. All of these events went very smoothly and had hardly any time issues thanks to the help of the Tournament Director (and former CBSA President) Steve Cooper.
Amateur Men’s 8 Ball Championship:
There were a total of 53 players who showed up to vie for the title. The field was very tough and had every different type of player in it right from a few young guns to players seasoned with age and experience. They played for $10,400 in total cash and prizes and as the event unfolded the seasoned players proved to be up to the challenge. This event had $1000 in added money from the host as well. Aldei went undefeated in this event including a tough final match with Matt Crawford where he won 9-7 to claim the title.
Following is a breakdown of the prize money:
Winner: Aldei Doucet $1300 + trophy + Canadian Amateur 8 Ball Championship ring valued at $500 + entry and hotel to attend the 2016 Open 8 Ball Championships valued at $550 (Total $2350)
Runner-Up: Matt Crawford $1100 + trophy (Total $1100)
3rd Place: Chris Ross $900 + trophy (Total $900)
4th Place: Jean Guy Belliveau (Total $700)
5th/6th: Paul Gordon ($500) Serge Therrien ($500) (Total $1000)
7th/8th: Jim Taylor ($450) Rick Garant ($450) (Total $900)
9th-12th: Ryan Kendall ($350) Yvon Robichaud ($350) Terry Gulliver ($350) Jon Leblanc ($350)
A talented field of 19 women took part in this event. These focused competitors played for a total purse of $4275 with $3975 of it being prize money as well as a beautiful gold watch valued at $300 donated by some of the Fairville Shooter’s sponsors W.H. Smith, Scholten’s and Clintar. This event had $1000 in added money from the host also. The final match was close for about 3/4 of the battle but eventually Cathy Horgan was able to secure the 9-6 victory over Monique Connolly for the title. Also important to note, Tina Ellis played some of her best 8 Ball ever to claim the 3rd place spot.
This event was a phenomenal success with the first full field of 64 players in recent memory at a CBSA event. There was $11,070 in total cash and prizes up for grabs during this event. This event also had $1000 in added money from the host. After a long and gruelling 3 days of play, Kevin McGee was able to come away with a 9-5 victory over Stuart MacTaggart in the B side finals and then he used that momentum to edge, the newly crowned Amateur 8 Ball Champion, Aldei Doucet in the finals 11-8. The last two matches were recorded live by Rogers TV.
Following is a breakdown of the prize money:
Winner: Kevin McGee $1400 + trophy + Canadian Amateur 9 Ball Championship ring valued at $500 + entry and hotel to attend the 2016 Open 9 Ball Championships valued at $550 (Total $2450)
There were 15 determined women who took part in this event. These competitors were searching for the lion’s share of the $3350 in prize money as well as a beautiful gold watch valued at $300 donated by some of the Fairville Shooter’s sponsors W.H. Smith, Scholten’s and Clintar. This event had $1000 in added money from the host. The final match was a close affair but eventually Lisa Savoy was able to secure the 11-7 victory over Sarah MacQueen for the title and handed Sarah her only loss during this event.
Following is a breakdown of the prize money:
Winner: Lisa Savoy $1100 + trophy + gold watch valued at $300 (Total $1400)
Runner-Up: Sarah MacQueen $850 + trophy (Total $850)
There were only 4 players in this event but that didn’t mean it would be easy. This event had $500 in added money and the CBSA also donated a $750 cue to the Junior player cause to help them generate even more expense money. These 4 junior players played for the estimated $3000 in expense money with heart and determination. Stuart MacTaggart played nearly flawless pool with wins over Daniel Martin 9-2, Nicholas Ridley 9-2 and again versus Nicholas Ridley in the final 11-2 to earn the title of Canadian Junior 9 Ball Champion. Stuart MacTaggart and possibly Nicholas Ridley will be representing Canada at the World Junior 9 Ball Championships in Shanghai, China later in the year. I would also like to mention that Stuart also finished in 3rd place in the Amateur 9 Ball division and this shows how strong his game is becoming.
The CBSA was asked to make a decision to allow a young man, by the name of Daniel Martin from New Glasgow Nova Scotia, to participate in this event. It is not very often that such a simple decision to let someone play a sport could have such a lasting and profound effect on so many people. I absolutely think that by us saying yes and giving this fine young man the opportunity to play has done just that. Daniel, who has autism, needs a little instruction from his parents (Billy and Tammy Martin) in order to help him stay on track and maintain some of the etiquette required during play. The CBSA spoke with Daniel’s parents and determined it would be a non-issue in this case.
After a small explanation to everyone in attendance it was extremely nice to hear the huge round of applause that Daniel received before his first match began. Daniel lost that match 9-2 to the eventual tournament winner Stuart MacTaggart but it was clearly evident that he loved the game right from when he began to practice. After that match he headed to the B side to face Griffin Higgins. In this match Daniel trailed 7-2 but fought back to a 7-6 score line before Griffin was able to seal the deal with a 9-6 win. The joy that Daniel has for the sport is immediately shown as soon as he picks up his cue and heads to the table.
His mother passed on to me a story that shows what this means to Daniel. The only time he wasn’t brimming with happiness was when he stopped the cue ball once with his cue stick because it was going to scratch. He handed the cue ball to his opponent but afterwards his father explained the etiquette to him. He told Daniel that he must not touch it with his cue and he has let it stop rolling on its own or let it go into the pocket before he picks it up or touches it. For a brief moment, he became angry with himself because he tries so hard to play by all of the rules and be respectful to everyone. To his credit though, as soon as it was his turn next he went right back to business as usual, smiling and giving his 100% effort.
There were times when the crowd applauded for people making difficult shots on nearby tables and he wasn’t quite sure what to do, until it was explained to him, at which point he enthusiastically joined in. The first time the crowd applauded one of his shots he was kind of shocked until someone in the crowd hollered “the applause is for you Daniel!” What a moment! His smile had enough energy to light up the entire room for days. Daniel received another great round of applause for his efforts after his match, a CBSA certificate and he took some pictures with the other junior players. Well done Daniel, it was a pleasure to have you and we hope to see you again!
I would also like to mention that all of the junior players showed great sportsmanship and etiquette, they performed well beyond their years in this respect, during all of their matches. Great work Stuart, Nicholas, Griffin and Daniel!
Following is a breakdown of the prize money:
Winner: Stuart MacTaggart $500 in expense money to travel to World Junior 9 Ball Championships + trophy + certificate + estimated profit from cue donation $1000 (Total $1500)
Runner-Up: Nicholas Ridley $500 in expense money to travel to World Junior 9 Ball Championships + trophy + certificate + estimated profit from cue donation $1000 (Total $1500)
To highlight the positive and upward trend of the CBSA please note: For the entire 2015 season of events the CBSA has handed out over $77,000 in cash and prizes and our website traffic is up 153% so far this year and there are still 5 months left to go!
The CBSA would like to mention that over $32,000 in cash and prizes were handed out at this fantastic event! There were a total of 155 participants in all 5 divisions. For the first time in a number of years we had a full field of 64 players for the Men’s Amateur 9 Ball Championships.
The CBSA also had some excellent exposure at this event. There were over 600 spectators during the week of the event. The CBSA live stream had nearly 13,500 views. The CBSA website had 12,000 views and the CBSA Facebook page had a total reach of 3,500. We also had multiple newspaper articles in the Saint John Telegraph Journal. Also Rogers TV live recorded the final 2 matches of the Men’s Amateur 9 Ball Championships to be shown over the next year!
The CBSA also sold raffle tickets for a $900 cue and a set of Aramith balls signed by three Canadian Champions John Morra, Jason Klatt and Erik Hjorliefson and those winners will be announced at a later time. There was over $850 raised for the CBSA with this raffle. Thanks to everyone who purchased tickets and became a “Friend of the CBSA”!
The CBSA would like to send out a huge “THANK YOU” to all of these people for making this great event happen!
All of the participants and spectators!
Rob and Monique Connolly!
The Fairville Shooter's staff!
Steve Cooper Tournament Director!
All of the Fairville Shooter’s sponsors including their major sponsors Moosehead, Hyundai and Snow Fox Vodka!
2015 Canadian Amateur Championships Event Facebook page!
Ron Barry of the Telegraph Journal
Rogers TV for live recording the event!
Bob Hargrove and Ideal Amusements for the trophy donation!
Rob Galbraith, Wilson Galbraith as well as Stanley James for the live streaming coverage!
Mike Henderson, Shannon Brake and Candace Campbell for commentating with Rogers TV!
The 2015 CBSA Canadian Professional Pool Championships ran from March 30 to April 4 at the Hilton in Mississauga, Ontario. This event was held in conjunction with the Amateur CCS Nationals. This is the second year that the CBSA and CCS have joined forces to put together this combined Canadian Championships. Players from across the country entered these events with the hopes of being titled the next Canadian Champion.
VenueThe venue was equipped with 8 Diamond tables which allowed for the timely scheduling of matches. The entire event was streamed live via Randall Morrison from Calgary, Alberta. There were always plenty of spectators throughout the week which created a fitting environment for a national event.
In the Women’s events, Naomi Williams reached the 10-ball finals with victories over Hanna Kwon (7-3), Joanne Ashton (7-2) and Brittany Bryant (7-5). In the B-side finals Brittany Bryant earned a rematch with Naomi after she eliminated Joanne Ashton. In the finals, Brittany managed to stay ahead for most of the match. With a chance to go up 9-7, Bryant missed a difficult cut shot on the 10-Ball. Naomi seized the opportunity and tied the match at 8. They traded the next two racks before Naomi sealed the deal in the case game with a 10-9 win. This is Naomi’s fourth 10-Ball title in 5 years.
In the Women’s 9-Ball event, Brittany Bryant was eager to defend her title once again. In the finals, Brittney trailed Kayla Jones early in the match (4-1). As the match went on, it looked like Canada would have a new champion. However, a few opportunities slipped away from Kayla and experience prevailed. A reputable second place finish for Kayla and another feather in the hat for Brittany with her 11-8 win.
In the Men’s Open events, some fresh faces decided to test their skills competing in this national event. Dan Lewis proved that he was more than “just a hack”. Dan finished in the top 8 of the 8-ball division and looked very sharp doing so. Unfortunately, there were no prizes for the best dressed player. Another player getting a lot of attention was Sumon Sarker. The part time singer has recently been playing plenty of challenge matches all throughout southern Ontario. He is known as a fierce competitor with a strong desire to improve. Sumon finished in the top 6 of the 9-ball division with wins over some of the top players in the country.
“I learnt a lot from this tournament, I will be playing better as soon as I employ them and get my errors minimized”, said Sumon.
It was John Morra who certainly stole the show this week. John became the first player in Canadian history to capture all three titles (8-Ball, 9-Ball, and 10-Ball). John’s only loss happened in the 8-Ball event against Erik Hjorleifson. John came back strong to avenge his loss, winning 11-4 in the finals. Erik also had a great week finishing second in two events
In the 10-Ball event, John dominated Adrian Fragoso and Jesse Piercy by the same score (10-2). John’s next encounter was against his father Mario Morra. This thrilling match went right down to the wire. In the last game, Mario executed a perfect break only to witness the cue ball getting kicked into the pocket. John promptly ran the table and went on to beat Tom Theriault (10-5) and Erik Hjorleifson (13-8) for the title.
The last event was the 9-Ball event which drew the highest number of entries at 33. Shannon Ducharme, the 28 year old from Winnipeg, Manitoba added plenty of excitement to this event with his aggressive style. Shannon was sent to the B-Side after a heartbreaking 11-10 loss to Jason Klatt in the fourth round. Shannon held his composure and played great to recover as he had wins over Jason Kisheyinew (11-10), Tom Theriault (11-2), Sumon Sarkar (11-5), Andy Aupin (11-4) and Mario Morra (11-8). The finals were now set against John Morra.
The contrasting styles between Morra and Ducharme set the stage for an electrifying match. After a week of competition, both players were well adjusted to the conditions as they were making plenty of balls off the break. John held the lead for most of the match while Shannon kept it close with his banking skills and fine cut shots. In the end, a break and run in the 27th rack for John Morra ended Shannon`s run. It was truly a great performance by both players.
Steve Cooper, president of the CBSA, added the following, “I understand that there are some hurdles to improve on for future years, such as lighting and low entries, especially in the 10-ball, but I feel that the positives of these championships did out way the negatives. Our stream was very well received by most. CBSA Vice President, Kyle Richard has put a lot of effort into the sponsorship committee this year, & his work is starting to show results. A very special thanks to our major sponsors for the event, CCS, Diamond Billiards Products, Simonis Cloth & Tiger Cues.”
