The EPBF announced today that OB Cues & DigiCue will be part of the EPBF/IBPF 2017 pool season, featuring at all of their events. Texas based OB Cues, renowned for their excellent performance and craftsmanship in the cue industry since 2005 have come up with a new electronic training device for all cue sports, the “DigiCue”
“A small device that simply fits on to the butt of any cue and warns the player of fundamental mistakes that they are making with a discreet electronic vibration” said OB Cues President Shane Sinnott. “It has three levels, beginner, intermediate & advanced (pro) so you can choose to suit your own standard. It’s like having your own personal coach with you at the table, reminding you to keep down, follow through etc”
Shane added “you should set a goal of playing a rack or frame without the DigiCue vibrating once you achieve this then you can move to the next level, a challenge which will help improve everyone’s game, can you beat the DigiCue?” Shane asks.
The EPBF/IBPF are pleased to have such a reputable company as OB Cues and their innovative training product associated with their events and look forward to its release later this month in Europe. “Europe is a continent where pool players take their sport seriously and are always looking for ways of improving their game” said IBPF president David Morris. “With Christmas coming up, it is an ideal present for any cueist, even if it’s only to beat their best friend once” David Morris continued.
Plano, Texas – Hall of Fame player Allison Fisher and cutting edge Texas based billiard manufacturer OB Cues proudly announce the signing of Allison to the OB Pro Team of Players.
“As a fan of pool, I have always admired Allison’s game but how she conducts herself away from the table is equally as impressive” said Royce Bunnell, President of OB.
“I am proud to have accomplished what I have so far in both snooker and pool but I am not done yet! I love my OB equipment and truly believe that the consistency and accuracy of my equipment will play a big part in my future success on the table” said Allison Fisher.
“Allison is quite simply a living legend in the world of pool. Her tournament success is unequaled and she has a fan base that is unmatched. Having Allison join our team and trust her game to OB products is a great honor” said Shane Sinnott, Director of Sales and Marketing for OB.
Allison can be seen competing on ESPN and on International television networks on a regular basis. She also has been known to stop by the OB booth to sign autographs, take pictures and play challenge games with fans and will continue to do so whenever possible.
OB is headquartered in Plano, Texas and is a leading manufacturer of high performance pool cues and pool cue shafts made 100% in the USA since 2005. For more information on OB Cues or OB shafts or to become an authorized dealer, please visit www.obcues.com and for all the latest OB news you can like OB on Facebook at www.facebook.com/obcues
Allison Fisher was inducted into the BCA Hall of Fame in 2009. She has won over 80 national titles and 11 world titles in Snooker and in Pool she has an unequaled record, winning 50 WPBA titles, which includes 4 World 9-Ball championships. Despite her busy schedule, Allison still manages to offer private lessons, group lessons, public appearances, keynote & public speaking. For more information on Allison visit her website at www.allisonfisher.com and don’t forget to like Allison on Facebook at www.facebook.com/AFathlete
OB Cues kicks off third annual Juniors Pool Month at the APA National Team Championships by enlisting the help of “Duchess of Doom” Allison Fisher. The Hall-of-famer volunteered her time for three days of signing autographs, posing for photos, and taking challenge matches at $20 per person to raise funds for the Billiard Education Foundation (BEF).
100% of all money raised is being donated to the BEF. In total, $1,420 was raised thanks to the 71 fans that challenged Fisher to support the organization.
“We are proud to say that Allison plays and breaks with OB Cues but even prouder to host a living legend who wanted to spend 3 days in our booth raising money for a great cause,” said Shane Sinnott, Director of Sales & Marketing for OB Cues.
“The BEF truly appreciates and counts on initiatives like this throughout the industry to stay alive. Huge Thanks & Kudos to OB Cues, Allison Fisher, and all the challengers for your support! We are ever so grateful,” said Samm Diep-Vidal, Executive Director of the BEF.
Pictured L to R: David ‘Doc’ Reyes, Raymond Linares, Allison Fisher and Shane Sinnott
August 20, 2014 (Englewood, CO): If you’re attending this year’s APA National Team Championships, or if you simply live in Las Vegas, you can support the Billiard Education Foundation (BEF) this week while challenging legendary “The Dutchess of Doom” Allison Fisher. OB Cues graciously welcomes the Hall-of-Famer these next three days in their booth for challenge matches open to everyone.
“The challenge games are $20 per person and 100% of all of the money raised will be donated to the Billiard Education Foundation. Allison will be appearing at the following times: 11am to 1pm & 2pm to 5pm on Tuesday August 19th, Wednesday August 20th and Thursday August 21st,” said Shane Sinnott, Director of Sales & Marketing for OB Cues.
The billiard manufacturer is already a quarter of the way to reaching their $2,000 goal for the week.
“The BEF truly appreciates and counts on initiatives like this throughout the industry to stay alive. Way to kick off September’s Juniors Pool Month! Huge Thanks & Kudos to OB Cues, Allison Fisher, and all the challengers for your support! We are ever so grateful,” said Samm Diep-Vidal, Executive Director for the Billiard Education Foundation.
Headquartered in Plano, Texas, OB is a leading manufacturer of High Performance Pool Cues and Pool Cue Shafts made 100% in the USA since 2005. For more information on OB Cues or OB shafts or to become an authorized dealer, pleasevisitwww.obcues.com or the OB Facebook page at www.facebook.com/obcues.
The Billiard Education Foundation (BEF) was formed in 1993 as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit charity committed to promoting a lifelong love of pool and building the next generation of players through youth programs and academic scholarships. Visit billiardeducation.org or call (303) 926-1039 to learn more about junior billiard programs in your area.
Here are the results of the 2014 World Tournament of 14.1,Red Shoes Billiards Qualifier that was held a few weeks back. It was a small field but there were many quality contenders, including Michael Verkruyse, Tom Karabatsos, Ronald Dobosenski, Bob Cozzolino, Richard Michalec Sr., Jim Colling, Rich Klein, and Dean Markoshan, one of Chicago's finest, just back from a straight pool lesson with Dallas West.
OB Cues has also joined as the Official Cue of the ANDY CLOTH World Tournament which takes place on August 4th-9th, 2014. Sponsored by Andy Cloth, Kamui Brands, OB Cues, Amsterdam Billiard Club, Realrealcool.com, Pool & Billiard Magazine , Aramith Balls, and George Beckman Kinetic Sculptures. Official patron 14.1 aficionados are Stu Mattana, Tom Gleich, Harold Siegel, and Dr. Greg Diehl Plastic Surgery. Each qualifier winner will be guaranteed a minimal of 5 round robin matches in the finale main event. The main event will take place once more in New York City. Dragon Promotions and Dr. Michael Fedak are pleased to bring the 74th production of the oldest billiard event in the world on August 4th-9th, 2014. A star studded field is expected this year at Steinway Billiards Cafe, who is once more hosting the world's grandest straight pool championship.
“OB Cues are now the official cues of one of the oldest, longest running tournaments in billiards: The 74th World Tournament of 14.1. This event has a rich history connecting us with legends like Mosconi, Greenleaf, Lassiter, Mizerak, Crane and so many more. OB is proud to be associated with such names in the game they mastered and we look forward to seeing many of the champion players of today competing in this event to try and best the records of some of the great legends of yesteryear." , said Shane Sinnott , Director of Sales and Marketing for OB Cues. Headquartered in Plano, Texas, OB is a leading manufacturer of High Performance Pool Cues and Pool Cue Shafts made 100% in the USA since 2005.
Bob Cozzolino, who has qualified twice before had a tough opening round match with Tom Karabatsos. Bob beat Tom last year on the loser's side of the qualifier and beat Tom in a league match at Red Shoes Billiards just a week earlier. Tom had come in second in the league out of 32 players and has qualified numerous times, so he is always dangerous. Bob got off to an 60-20 lead but Tom came back hard and bested him 100-80. In the other first round match in that bracket, Ron Dobosenski ran a 41 and a 38 and out on Jim Colling who had come down from Texas to play in the qualifier while visiting relatives. Jim is a somewhat recent convert to straight pool that boasts a high run of 70. Ron is a student of Frank "Sailor" Stellman, noted cue maker and 14.1 teacher from Racine Wisconsin. Ron boasts a high run of 211 and Sailor had made the trip down to Chicago to watch his former student and to sweat some straight pool matches. Ron had just finished up one session of Red Shoes Straight Pool league, driving down from Madison, Wisconsin twice a month to play the game he loves.
The next round found Tom Karabatsos matched up with Ron Dobosenski and the straight pool heavyweights, who have played each other many times in the last 30 years, traded punches with Tom coming out on top. On the other side of the bracket, Rich Klein, one of the league directors at Red Shoes Billiards and one of the sponsors of the Derby City Classic Straight Pool Challenge every year, matched up with Dean Markoshan, a member of the Red Shoes Straight Pool league and an officer with the Chicago Police Department. Dean is relatively new to straight pool, but gave it everything he had. It was not enough to best the steady Rich Klein. On the other side of that bracket, Rick Michalec, Sr., a veteran of the Illinois Billiards Club Straight Pool League and the Red Shoes league was going up against a new face at Red Shoes in Michael Verkruyse. Rick has a high run of 70 and has won one of the straight pool qualifiers before and is always a threat. The two of them went back and forth with no big runs, and eventually, Michael landed the last punch, winning 100-77. That matched him up with Rich Klein and he was able to get off to a 75-19 lead. A couple of unforced errors on Mike's part were enough to give Rich an opportunity and he was able to get within striking distance, but Mike closed out the game and finished it 100-55. Richard referred to Mike as "Madman MIke, he of the fabulous fundamentals and perfect stroke", Mike is a student of Mark Wilson's and I imagine that might be where he honed his fundamentals. He also has spent some time with Nick Varner, so who knows.
I will use the words of Mike to describe the final match on the winners side between him and Tom Karabatos:
"I had been watching him play all day and knew I had my hands full. The opening break was the first time I had to break all day and I managed to hit a good clean safe leaving him long and tough on the 9-ball. Tom played safe and left me a small glimpse of a shot, I thought to myself if I make it I spread the rack wide open, if I miss it I will spread the rack wide open for my opponent. Well in for a penny in for a pound. I got down and stroked the 4 ball home into the corner pocket and was off and running. I don’t recall much of the middle of the match, only that I had a big lead of like 75-20 something, then tom went on a tear and caught me and passed me with a great run. The score was now closed in tight at 90(me) to 89(tom). A small safety battle ensued and tom took a chance at a ball in the stack and it missed leaving me a wide open table. I made one ball after another, steadily getting out of line lol. I now needed 2 balls for the win and a chance to go to New York. I had a long straight shot on the 15 ball, as soon as I pulled the trigger my heart fell into my stomach as I watched it go slightly wide of the pocket and rattle. Tom cleaned up the rest and was all set to make the break ball and put the nails in my coffin when something happened I did not expect, he missed the break ball! I gathered myself and pocketed the last two balls."
In the meantime, over on the other side, Bob Cozzolino had taken down Jim Colling and Rick Michalec had besTed Dean Markoshan. Bob Cozzolino had qualified from the loser's side before, last year having to beat Jeffrey Mohl, Ed Latimer and Tom Karabatsos to qualify. This year it was not to be as perennial giant killer Rich Klein took him down. At the same time, Rick Michalec who has been there before was beating Dean Markoshan. Ron Dobosenski beat Rick Michalec and then beat Rich Klein, leading to a rematch with Tom Karabatsos for the second spot. Ron has only been back playing pool for about a year and perhaps it showed, but Tom is always a threat and sent Ron back to Wisconsin.
Tom Karabatsos was taught by Dallas West and you can see that in his smooth stroke. He is a perennial high finisher in all Chicago area pool events, especially straight pool. He also had a nice showing at the Maryland Straight Pool Tournament last year, besting Dave Daya and Shaun Wilkie, among others. Michael Verkruyse is 32 years old from Mahomet, Illinois and is currently the House Pro at Jupiter’s Pizzeria & Billiards in Champaign, Illinois. His sponsors are Durbin Custom Cues (www.durbincues.com) out of Sullivan, Illinois, Nick Varner Cues & Cases (www.nickvarner.com),
Fast Action Cues Clothing and Jupiter's Pizzeria and Billiards.
We are pleased to announce that Mike ‘Fireball’ Dechaine has joined the OB Pro Team of players. Mike was born in Waterville, Maine and now resides in Providence, Rhode Island where he plays out of Snookers Sports Bar & Grill (who also sponsor him) . At the young age of 26, Mike has already been playing Pro for the last 7 years and has won several large events which include the Ultimate 10 Ball Championship in 2011 and the Turning Stone Casino Classic XIX in 2012. Mike has also proudly represented the USA twice in the prestigious Mosconi Cup both in 2011 and 2012. In the last 2 years Mike has proven to be one of the most consistent American players competing today with a string of high finishes in almost every event he competes in.
Mike had this to say about the move to OB “Switching to OB has been one of the best decisions in my professional career. OB focuses on two of the main ingredients when perfecting their low deflection shafts, consistency and quality. I am looking forward to this successful relationship.” Shane Sinnott (Director of Sales & Marketing for OB) said this about their newest team member “Mike is a very exciting player to watch and has a very large following of fans, especially in the North East. He has what many people consider to be one of the hardest breaks in Pool today and it will be exciting for us and for his fans to see how this next chapter in his pool career unfolds now that he is using OB products as the tools of his trade”
OB is headquartered in Plano, Texas and is a leading manufacturer of high performance Pool Cues and Pool Cue Shafts made 100% in the USA since 2005. For more information on OB Cues or OB shafts or to become an authorized dealer, please visit www.obcues.com or like OB on Facebook atwww.facebook.com/obcues
Edison, New Jersey- Some of New Jersey’s top female players along with others from surrounding states came out to Sandcastle Billiards in Edison, NJ to compete for an incredible opportunity of an invitation and paid entry into Yalin Billiards prestigious event, the Women’s World 10 Ball Championships being held in Manila, Philippines . Dragon Promotions is pleased to announce the fifth installment of the greatest women's tournament in the world, the 2013 Yalin Women's World 10-Ball Championship. This year's edition will take place October 28th – November 4th,2013 to luxurious Resorts World Manila, an upscale hotel and casino adding onto the dynamic atmosphere of the coveted championship. Final Stage 1 Qualifiers will be held at Star Billiards Manila on October 28-29th and the pre-event press conference on October 30th. An elite 48 world class lady pros, the best of the best from 20 countries, will attend the event to decide who is the World Champion. This year's event is again title sponsored by Yalin Tables, one of the premier billiard table manufacturers of the world with #1 all American made OB Cues joining as the Official Cue of the World Championship.
Amongst the first round victories were Dawn Fox over Pam Ogarek with a score of 6-1, Sandra Stevens 6-4 over Alex Calabrese, and Jenn Bogan 3 games over Judie Wilson. Denise Reeve also advanced to round two on the winners’ side and went on to send Jenn Bogan over with a loss after a tight battle that ended 6-4.On the west wing of the charts, Pam Ogarek had two very commanding wins over Alex and Jenn, only giving up a single rack in each set against those two worthy competitors.
Back on the winners’ side, Sandra Stevens made a fierce showing in her first competition in over 7 years, tearing through the field with a 6-2 win over Dawn Fox sending her over to the one-loss side, and an intense hill-hill victory over Denise Reeve for the hot seat! Denise went west to await her next match as it was Dawn Fox who showed great tenacity and focus on the table as she ripped through the one-loss brackets defeating Judie Wilson 5-1, Pam Ogarek 5-2 and then the ever ready, Denise Reeve hill-hill to make it back over to the finals.
The “Hot Seat” proved to be more like “The Chiller” as a cold, Sandra Stevens fell victim to a dead punch, Dawn Fox, 6 to 1. The second set in this true double-elimination format was a see-saw battle at first as Sandra was just starting to get back in stroke and exchanged racks with Dawn who was still on fire and reached the hill first. The inferno continued to burn in the final rack of this qualifier ending the set 5-3, Dawn Fox taking the scenic route and victorious over Sandra Stevens twice in the finals.
This qualifier wound up being the break of a new Dawn, granting her the opportunity of a lifetime to compete in one of the most prestigious and publicized women’s pool events in the world! Look for Dawn Fox as she represents the USA in the 2013 Yalin Women’s World 10 Ball Tournament this October 31st – November 4th in Manila, Philippines!
"OB Cues is excited to be the Official Cue of the Women's World Championship. The coverage of this tournament is incredible and we know that the anticipation of this event with the fans and players is tremendous, so we look forward to adding to the excitement. Having the hands down best female players in the world at the most elite women's title in pool is exactly the kind of fit for OB Cues", says Shane Sinnott, Director of Sales and Marketing for OB Cues.
The Yalin World Championships will be live streamed on www.insidepool.tv and sponsored by www.JBET.com , Official Table YALIN, Official Cue OB Cues, Official Balls by Aramith, Official Cloth Championship, Official Chalk Master by Tweeten Fibre, Official Magazine Pool & Billiard Magazine, Star Paper Corporation, www.SabongKing.com, and www.BaseGameph.com .
The Women's World Championship is produced by Dragon Promotions and filmed by ABS-CBN Sports airing on BALLS, Studio 23, and a dozen other networks in countries worldwide. With massive media and global networks covering the Yalin Women's World 10-Ball Championship, it will continue as still the biggest and most watched women's billiard event in the world.
Players from around the world will join the event. The reigning World Champion Ga Young Kim of South Korea will be defending her title against all comers. The comers will be hailing from countries such as Russia, Iran, China, Germany, Japan, Netherlands, Korea, Belgium, Australia, Taiwan, France, Philippines, Singapore, Poland, the United States and many more.
OB Cues first introduced the revolutionary Low Deflection OB-1 Shaft in 2005. Headquartered in Plano, Texas, OB Cues now has a High Performance shaft line that consists of four different Playing Shafts and a Break Shaft to fit all styles of Players. In 2008 they introduced the J-Line Cues and then in March of 2012 launched the New 2012 OB Cue Line manufactured exclusively in the OB factory in Texas. With an ongoing effort to constantly improve the performance and feel of their products, OB Cues is now recognized as an industry leader in High Performance Billiard products. OB Cues encourages Pool Players to Get serious about their game by experiencing the OB Technology that will help Pool Players to be more consistent and more accurate when using OB products. For more information on OB Cues and OB Shafts, visit obcues.com or contact your local billiard retailer. Follow OB Cues at https://www.facebook.com/obcues
Chicago, Illinois – South Korea’s Ga Young Kim has been selected as the Captain of Team Asia at the inaugural Queens Cup. The East vs West team showdown between the world’s greatest lady professional billiards players will take place November 5th-7th,2013. The event is produced by Dragon Promotions which has signed on OB Cues as the Official Cue of the Queens Cup.
"I really envied the guys because they have their own yearly team event, so I was really happy to hear about the Queens Cup. I'm very excited for all the women because we have our own annual rivalry now. I think this a really important event for women's billiards to help encourage more players and grow pool further", said Ga Young Kim, the current reigning Yalin Women's World 10-Ball Champion. She adds, "Now we have alot of young people in Asia that are coming out now to play. There's more skill in the game, and that's why I'm happy we are playing 10-Ball in Queens Cup. There is less luck especially on the break, so everyone will have to play good to win. This will help determine who's better in the East or West."
The Queens Cup creator and producer Charlie Williams of Dragon Promotions explains the captain selection. “When it came to select the Captain of Team Asia, there really wasn’t much question on who the pick would be. Ga Young Kim is the most decorated Asian women’s player in history. She is one of the very few Asian women who has won major championships on both sides of the pond. A 2x US Open champion and 3x World Champion with being the only Asian woman to hold the World Championship in both 9-Ball and 10-Ball. So it’s a statistical fact she is the absolute best Asian women’s player by far in the history of pool. And she’s only 30!”
The Queens Cup will showcase the rivalry between the Asians and their western counterparts in Europe and USA, much similar to the Ryder Cup in golf or Davis Cup in tennis. The absolute best ladies from their respective countries and continents will be selected for the teams. The event will last 3 days in a 10-Ball format that will race to the first team reaching 10 matches for the win. Style of play will include singles, doubles, triples, and 4-on-4. Captains will be put to the test to best strategize partnerships and chemistry of match-ups.
"It was only a matter of time that an internationally televised women’s team event would happen and Dragon Promotions are finally making this a reality. With OB Cues as the official cues of the Queens Cup, we are proud to be involved with what will surely become as popular as the Mosconi Cup and watched by millions of pool fans around the world. The idea of East versus West insures that the players competing will be the very best in the world and is sure to bring excitement and drama as the rivalry officially begins!", says Shane Sinnott, Director of Sales & Marketing for OB. Based in Plano, Texas, OB has been supporting pool on many levels since the inception of the company in 2005, from smaller local events to internationally televised events like the Women’s World 10 Ball Championships. Shane adds, "We will continue to support the game in every way that we can. We take pride in manufacturing high performance pool cues and pool cue shafts in the USA and we look forward to being a part of the Queens Cup's high performance drama for many years to come."
“We are happy to have OB Cues continue their great relationship with us as the #1 Made in the USA technology cue", says Cindy Lee, CEO of Dragon Promotions.
Location of the Queens Cup will be announced shortly.
Sponsors may now contact Dragon Promotions at support@dragonpromotions.com or 1-407-782-4978 . More official equipment sponsors will be announced shortly.
OB Cues is delighted to announce that they have signed an agreement with Alex “The Lion” Pagulayan as a player representative for OB Cues. This agreement will undoubtedly help both Alex and OB Cues immensely as they move forward together.
Shane Sinnott, Director of Sales and Marketing for OB Cues said “Alex has a magnetic personality and is arguably one of the best all-around Pool Players playing the game right now, we couldn’t be happier to have Alex onboard with us and we look forward to seeing him win many more tournaments using OB Cues.”
“I believe this arrangement is ideal for Alex as it allows him to focus on his career and it lays a foundation for a world class player to now be paired with a world class cue manufacturer,” notes Jim Wych, Pagulayan’s agent. “I can tell you that Alex is extremely happy and excited to be involved with OB Cues and he can’t wait to get back to the pool table with his new cues in hand.”
OB Cues, headquartered in Plano, Texas is a leading manufacturer of High Performance Pool Cues and Pool Cue Shafts made 100% in the USA since 2005. For more information on OB Cues or OB shafts or to become an authorized dealer, please visit www.obcues.com For more information on Alex Pagulayan you will be able to check out his new website which he and OB Cues will announce in the next few days.
Manila, Philippines– OB Cues has become the Official Cue of the WPA 2012 Yalin Women’s World 10-Ball Championship! The all-American made cue company will join Asia table giant Yalin Billiards, Aramith Balls, and TV network broadcasters ABS-CBN and ESPN Star Sports. This year’s edition will take place August 20th-24th once again at Robinson’s Galleria Mall, which has now become synonymous for creating the dynamic atmosphere of the coveted championship. Robinson’s Galleria is connected to the host hotel Crowne Plaza Galleria. An elite 48 world class pros and international women superstars will attend the event to fight it out. With the one goal in mind: to become the World Champion of 10-Ball.
“We are very pleased to be working with OB Cues for the very first time. In just a few years they have already developed an outstanding reputation as a solid company with fantastic products. We look forward to expanding their growth into the Asia and international markets”, said Cindy Lee, CEO of Dragon Promotions.
“We’ve worked hard to build an accurate cue with the highest performance and feel possible. Up to now we have primarily focused on the American market, but now being a sponsor of the Yalin Women’s World 10-Ball Championship and joining Dragon Promotions will bring more international attention to our American built products. OB Cues engineering is something we want to share with the whole world”, said Royce Bunnell, President and Co-owner of OB Cues.
Players from around the world will join the event. The reigning World Champion Kelly Fisher of the United Kingdom will be defending her title against all comers. The comers will be hailing from countries such as Netherlands, China, Iran, Germany, Japan, Belgium, Korea, Australia, Taiwan, France, Philippines, the United States and many more. The best of the best female talents from over 20 countries will be represented at the World Championship.
“OB Cues is excited to be the Official Cue of the Women’s World Championship. The coverage of this tournament is incredible and we know that the anticipation of this event with the fans and players is tremendous, so we look forward to adding to the excitement. Having the hands down best female players in the world at the most elite women’s title in pool is exactly the kind of fit for OB Cues”, says Shane Sinnott, Director of Sales and Marketing for OB Cues.
“Kelly Fisher, Jasmin Ouschan, Ga Young Kim, Allison Fisher and so many top talented players will be at this event. It’s a super elite field and one that OB Cues is pleased to be involved with and we hope to do more to support the sport on the worldwide level in the near future”, said Don Owen, Co-owner and Co-founder of OB Cues.
