The New England Pool & Billiard Hall of Fame is located at Snooker's Pool Room, 53 Ashburton St, Providence RI. The walls of the beautiful establishment are lined with articles and pictures dedicated to honoring some of the greatest players and promoters in and around the New England Area.

Tom McGonagle is the president of New England Pool and Billiards. He took the project over from the late Ray Desell who created the Hall of Fame in 1995. Each year a chosen group of players are inducted into the Hall of fame during a ceremony held in March.

This year I've been given the honor of being one of those players. I've been proud of my accomplishments in this sport but can't help but to be humbled by so many of the great names, past and present, who already darn the walls of Snooker's billiards. I've looked up to and admired many of them.

The ceremony will take place March 2nd at 6:30pm.

Joining me among this years inductees are Nelson Oliverira, Dave Hall, Mike Rinella, Joe Tucker, the late George Sansousi, Tony Robles, Billy Lanna, Liz Ford, Steve Taverniere, Matt Tetreault, Shane Cody, Jarrod Clowrey, The late Ed Gregory, Dennis Hatch, and Jeremy Soussi.

Thank you, Tom, for giving me such an honor.

Dr. Cue Artistic Cup V, Artistic Lag II, Cue-Dean-“E” III Make History!!

     The 2011 Dr. Cue Classic “Artistic” Cup V has etched its signature mark in billiard history once again.  25 of the world’s greatest Artistic Pool Playing Artists participated in this unique “Artistic Pool” Professional Challenge at the beautiful Pockets Billiards in Crestwood, IL on December 8, 9, 10, and 11.  Jamey “The Sharpshooter” Gray from CT raced to the “artistic” victory circle – taking home the first place guaranteed prize money, beautiful “Victory” Cup trophy, and title honors! 

     This special event of the Dr. Cue Classic Artistic Pool “Sport & Show” Tour showcased some of the greatest Artistic Pool players under the WPA / APTSA sport umbrella. In addition, top players from several league tour stops held in 2011 at respective National and / or International events of the BCAPL, VNEA, ACS, and APA, plus several “at large” entries participated.  The APTSA (Artistic Pool and Trick Shot Association) and WPA APD (World Pool Billiard Association – Artistic Pool Division) awarded applicable professional ranking points to players on respective North American and WPA World Ranking lists.  

     Competitors played side by side in special 3 person – player groupings with 7-foot tables and high percentage make rate shots creating an equalizer effect for all participants.  Over $6,000 in guaranteed payout values and a rather large player / audience prize fund produced player and fan friendly opportunities in a reunion style billiard atmosphere. 

     The APPA (Artistic Pool Playing Artists) crusader force showcased a “class” act of billiard skills from each of the 8 magnetic disciplines of “artistic pool” – 1) Trick / Fancy Shots, 2) Special Arts, 3) Draw Shots, 4) Follow Shots, 5) Bank / Kick Shots, 6) Stroke Shots, 7) Jump Shots, and Masse Shots.  When the challenge of 40 “classic” preliminary shots and 11 playoff shootout matches were over, a special awards ceremony honored the Overall event champion, 8 Discipline champions, and 2 Sportsmanship recipients. 

     In addition to the Cup V event, the Dr. Cue National “Artistic” Lag II Championship Finals took place after over 10,000 lags had been documented in junior, league, and other billiard venues since early 2011.  Dozens of players and fans alike took part in this simple, yet very challenging and final contest of consistency and mental focus.  A local room player and fan favorite, Matthew Forst from Alsip, IL displayed great focus and poise on his journey to becoming the event champion “title” holder, while winning a guaranteed $1000 and special plaque award in the process.

     A special feature accented the 3 days of festivities when a unique presentation was made to Jason “The Tiger / My Son” Kane from England as the 2011 Cue-Dean-“E” Honoree.  A large group of sport fans, room attendees, and fellow players witnessed the emotional moment, as Jason was presented with a beautiful McDermott “Table Trotter” Cue, plus a custom Cue-Dean-“E” III plaque.  These awards were given to signify his “E”ntertainment, “E”ducation, and “E”nergetic talents, plus his “E”nlightening “spirit gift” to the magnetic world of “artistic pool” and beyond.

Special Note:  Jason “The Michigan Kid” Lynch did a live stream for the events, presenting “artistic pool” at its finest and much more to Internet viewers around the world.  Thank you, Jason!!

A recap outline of all events and complete results/stats follow:

December 8 – Players Registration, Practice, Special “Open” Forum Training, & “Dr. Cue” Show

December 9 – Players Meeting, Draw, And First Round Of Competition

• Artistic Pool Playing Artists vie for the prestigious Dr Cue Classic Artistic Cup V title
• Player’s meeting special moments with Dr. Cue “Goodie Bag” gifts and raffles galore
• Defending Champion Florian “Venom” Kohler takes early lead (59 points and 8 – 1^st attempts)
• Mark “Dr. Popper” Dimick, perennial Cup player, in 2^nd with 57 points and 7 – 1^st attempts
• Andy “The Magic Man” Segal (Artistic Cup I Champion) in 3^rd with 56 points & 8 – 1^st attempts
• 8 players position themselves within 8 points of third place and 11 points of first place
• Andy Segal wins Trick / Fancy Shots Discipline with “perfect 30” score for bonus payout
• Florian “The Venom” Kohler wins Special Arts Discipline with “perfect 30” and bonus payout

December 9 – Second Round Of Competition

• Andy Segal playing brilliantly as he takes over the first place position with 114 points
• Masters Champion Mark Dimick holds onto 2^nd place with 110 points and 16 – 1^st attempts
• Curtis “The Cue Guy” Robertson enjoys 3^rd place with 108 points / 13 – 1^st att. / 5 – 2^nd att.
• Florian Kohler slips to 4^th place by posting a score of 108 points / 13 – 1^st att. / 4 – 2^nd att.
• Jason “The Michigan Kid” Lynch in the hunt – 5^th place (108 points and 9 – 1^st attempts) 
• 2008 WPA World Artistic Pool Champion Jamey Gray maintains 6^th after 2 rounds (107 pts) 
• Mark Dimick captures Draw Shots Discipline (2 years in a row) with “perfect 30” point score
• Andy Segal wins Follow Shots Discipline with “perfect 30” score and earns 2^nd Cup V medal

December 10 – Third Round Of Competition

• Fan Favorite “Spitball Charlie” Darling catapults from 7^th to 1^st (160 points / 19 – 1^st attempts)
• Jason Lynch leaps from 5^th to 2^nd with same score of 160 points but with 13 – 1^st attempts
• Andy Segal falls slightly to take residence in 3^rd place with 157 points and 23 – 1^st attempts
• Mark Dimick in super focus with score of 157 points and 21 – 1^st attempts, now in 4^th place 
• Jamey Gray moves up 1 place to 5^th – playing with a determination to win at 156 points
• Nick “Quick Nick” Nikolaidis getting in stride now in 6th place only 7 points behind the leader
• Dave “Triple Jump” Nangle earns a well deserved medal by winning the Bank/Kick Discipline
• Nick Nikolaidis garners Stroke Shots Discipline medal in tiebreaker fashion over Jason Kane
• Curtis “The Cue Guy” Robertson, Steve “Triple C” Markle, Jim “Coach” Barnard in “top 12”
• All 4 “position” banks made by Nick Nikolaidis, Dave Nangle, Rodney “Triple P” Fontaine, Tom “Too Kool” Kinzel, Bobby Amor, Rocky “Rocko” Haden, and Marty “Farmer” Carey

December 10 – Fourth Round Of Competition

• Jason Lynch surges into 1^st place with 216 points – the highest “Cup” score ever recorded
• Andy Segal takes back 2^nd place position with 213 points and wins Jump Shots Discipline
• Charles Darling maintains playoff bye place and finishes prelims in 3^rd place with 210 points 
• Mark Dimick in 4^th (205 points) and garners a 1^st round playoff bye in the Sunday match play
• Jason “The Tiger / My Son” Kane wins Masse Discipline in 4 way tiebreaker playoff against “Spitball Charlie”, “Dr. Popper”, and Jeremiah “Daddy – O” Owens (All 4 had perfect scores)
• Shootout Includes Jamey Gray – 5^th, Nick Nikolaidis – 6^th, Steve Markle – 7^th, Dan Taylor – 8^th, Curtis Robertson – 9^th, Dave Nangle – 10^th, Florian Kohler – 11^th, and Jeremiah Owens – 12^th

December 10 (7:00PM to 8:00PM) – Entertainment and Cue-Dean-“E” Search Honoree Presentation

• The Barber, Spitball Charlie, The Michigan Kid, Quick Nick, The Cue Guy, Too Kool, The Venom, Triple C, Dr. Popper, and The Steve entertain everyone with special “artistic” talents
• Special presentation in honor of David “Dean” Edwards (1950 – 2006), Dr. Cue best friend
• Jason “The Tiger / My Son” Kane from England recognized as 2011 Cue-Dean-“E” Honoree
• Dr. Cue / Ms. Cue present beautiful custom Cue-Dean-“E” III plaque to “The Tiger / My Son”
• A heartfelt appreciation expressed by Dr. Cue to Jason for his “E”ntertainment, “E”ducation, and “E”nergetic talents, plus his “E”nlightening spirit gift to artistic pool and beyond

December 10 (8:00PM to 10:00PM) – Dr. Cue Artistic Lag II Championship Finals

• Dr. Cue Artistic Lag II Championship event begins with prelim rounds for expert “lag” artists
• 26 finalists after qualifying round lags shoot it out for champion honors / large payout fund
• Fan and local player Matt Forst becomes 2011 Champion – wins $1000.00 with 87 / 51 score  
• Steve “Triple C” Markle finished a close second with an 87 / 48 score and earned $800.00
• Jamey “The Sharpshooter” Gray took 3^rd place ($600.00) for a recorded score of 84 / 51
• Florian “The Venom” Kohler won $400.00 for his 4^th place finish based on his 81 / 42 score
• Top 4 players received beautiful plaque awards and “lagging” rights for their special skills   

December 11 – RACK Room “Sunrise” Fellowship, Final Rounds, And Awards Ceremony

• RACK Room Fellowship – Rodney Fontaine (leader), Jason Lynch, Curtis Robertson, Dr. Cue
• Playoff – 8 players start at 10:00AM, 8 at 11:00AM, 4 at 1:00PM, and final 2 players at 2:00PM
• Shootout format works beautifully with 8 preselected shots and 2 picks per round match
• Lynch, Segal, Darling, and Dimick receive 1^st round bye by virtue of their preliminary scores
• Taylor, Gray, Kohler, Markle win in 1^st round over Robertson, Owens, Nikolaidis, and Nangle
• Lynch, Darling, Dimick, and Markle lose in 2^nd round to Taylor, Gray, Kohler, and Segal
• 3^rd round competition produces great matchups with Taylor / Gray and Kohler / Segal
• Gray wins by a score of 56 – 47; Segal registers a 3 point margin of victory (55 – 52) 
• Jamey wins prestigious Cup V title; Andy finishes in 2^nd place after 3-point deficit to Gray.
• Top 4 players receive beautiful “victory” cup trophies – Special Cup Cakes to places 5 – 25
• 8 discipline champions receive special award medals/ribbons and official title recognition
• Sportsmanship medals and special honors awarded to Steven “Triple C” Markle by vote of players and Rodney “Triple P” Fontaine by vote of directors / staff. 
• Large group of sport fans, room attendees, and fellow players witnessed another emotional moment as Jason “The Tiger / My Son” Kane (2011 Cue-Dean-“E” III Honoree) was presented with a custom Dr. Cue “Table Trotter” cue donated by McDermott. 
• Jason joins 2 other spirited Cue-Dean-“E” Honorees – Jason “The Michigan Kid” Lynch (Cue-Dean-”E” I for 2009) and Rick “The Barber” Hawkinson (Cue-Dean-“E” II for 2010).   
• Special moments to last a lifetime were shared by everyone in attendance as this highly successful event came to a close and special players with special hearts left for home

      I want to thank my wife, Marty (“Ms. Cue”) for everything she did prior to the event to make it happen, plus her dedication to assure that everything was in good order during the event schedule.  Marty and I want to express our sincere thanks to the numerous sponsors, players, fans, and staff volunteers that made “all” of the events / activities taking place during the Dr. Cue Classic Artistic Cup V a huge success and a resounding victory for the sport of Artistic Pool. 

DR. CUE CLASSIC ARTISTIC CUP V

(OVERALL POSITIONS OF FINISH)

   Place                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                Player / Nickname / Home Base                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  Points      Prize $ / Award

       1          Jamey “The Sharpshooter” Gray (CT)                205/26   $ 1300.00 + Cup

       2          Andy “The Magic Man” Segal (NY)                                     213/29          1050.00 + Cup

       3          Dan “Deadeye” Taylor (IL)                                    191/20         800.00 + Cup

       4          Florian “Venom” Kohler (France)                         188/22        600.00 + Cup

       5          Jason “The Michigan Kid” Lynch (MI)                 216/20         400.00

       6          Charles “Spitball Charlie” Darling (MO)               210/27        300.00

       7          Mark “Dr. Popper” Dimick (OK)                             205/29        200.00

       8          Steven “Triple C” Markle (PA)                               191/22         150.00

       9          Nick “Quick Nick” Nikolaidis (Quebec, CN)         200/24        100.00                 

      10         Curtis “Redneck Cue Guy” Robertson (TX)        190/23        100.00                    

      11         Dave “Triple Jump” Nangle (MD)                         190/19        100.00                 

      12         Jeremiah “Daddy-O” Owens (IL)                          183/21        100.00

      13         Jason “The Tiger / My Son” Kane (England)      181/20          50.00           

      14         Chris “Tricky Shot” Woodrum (VA)                                      174/22              50.00                                                                  

      15         Tom “Too Kool” Kinzel (PA)                                  172/24          50.00                    

      16         Peyton “Almost Famous” Thomas (NY)              164/17          50.00

      17         Jim “Coach” Barnard (CA)                                    162/16          50.00

      18         Rocky “Rocko” Haden (AR)                                  150/16          50.00

      19         Steve “The Steve” Murphy (Newfoundland, CN)               146/18              50.00

      20         Rick “The Barber” Hawkinson (IN)                                       135/14              50.00

      21         Bobby “TBD 123” Amor (MO)                               131/12          50.00

      22         Marty “Farmer” Carey (CA)                                   126/10          50.00

      23         David “Dave” Head, Jr. (IL)                                     89/7             50.00

      24         Rodney “Triple P” Fontaine (FL)                            84/6             50.00

      25         Mike “El Capitano” Davie (NY)                               74/8             50.00 

Note: Positions of finish are after match play was finished. Points listed are for preliminary rounds only. Event tiebreaker rules were used to break same scores in preliminary rounds and are shown in score postings above by number of 1^st attempts after “forward slash” line.

Playoff Shootout Matches On 12/11/11 (Following RACK Room Fellowship Service):

Round 1 – Dan Taylor, Jamey Gray, Florian Kohler, and Steve Markle defeated Curtis Robertson, Jeremiah Owens, Nick Nikolaidis, and Dave Nangle in respective matches.  Dan Taylor, Jamey Gray, Florian Kohler, and Andy Segal defeated Jason Lynch, Charles Darling, Mark Dimick, and Steve Markle in Round 2 matches.  Round 3 revealed Jamey Gray over Dan Taylor and Andy Segal over Florian Kohler.  Jamey Gray continued his winning way as he defeated Andy Segal in the final round – Round 4.

          DR. CUE CLASSIC “ARTISTIC” CUP V DISCIPLINE CHAMPIONS

       Trick / Fancy Shots                            Andy Segal                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  30 out of 30 points   

       Special Arts                                        Florian Kohler                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              30 out of 30 points

       Draw Shots                                         Mark Dimick                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  30 out of 30 points

       Follow Shots                                      Andy Segal                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  30 out of 30 points

       Bank / Kick Shots                               Dave Nangle                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                28 out of 30 points

       Stroke Shots                                       Nick Nikolaidis                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              28 out of 30 points

       Jump Shots                                        Andy Segal                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  28 out of 30 points

       Masse Shots                                      Jason Kane                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  30 out of 30 points

Note:  Discipline champions received $50 each, plus a special victory medal award.   Players with perfect discipline scores of 30 points that received $25 each were: Andy Segal (Trick / Fancy & Follow Shots); Florian Kohler (Special Arts); Mark Dimick (Draw Shots & Masse Shots); Charles Darling (Masse Shots); Jason Kane (Masse Shots); and Jeremiah Owens (Masse Shots)

CUP V SPORTSMANSHIP RECIPIENT AWARDS

By vote of players:                          Steven “Triple C” Markle

By vote of directors / staff:             Rodney “Triple P” Fontaine

Note:  Sportsmanship recipients each received special honors and a victory medal award.

Event Association: Dr. Cue Classic Artistic Cup II
Event Location: Big Shot Billiards and Bar, East Windsor, CT
Event Dates: November 14, 15, and 16, 2008 – Talent Night on 11/15/08

Event Highlights:

• Ten players and two fans audition for five minutes in unique billiard presentations
• Three judging panels award points to performers to determine top three finalists
• Dr. Cue and Ms. Cue do final judging with special “artistic” question for each finalist
• Jamey Gray, Jason Lynch, and Bill “Mynah Bird” Meima garner top positions of finish
• Steven “Triple C” Markle (youngest player in Artistic Cup II field) takes 4th place honors
• Special sponsor cues awarded to top four places with select prizes to rest of performers

Performer Information and Complete Scoring Details:

         Performing Artist                                 Presentation   Audience    Execution  Question  Total

Jamey “Sharpshooter” Gray (CT)                    30                    29                    29                19         107
Jason “The Michigan Kid” Lynch (MI)           30                    30                    29                18         107
Bill “Mynah Bird” Meima (NJ)                        30                    30                    27                16         103
Steven “Triple C” Markle (PA)                        28                    29                    27              ——           84
Florian “Venom” Kohler (France)                    28                    26                    27              ——           81
Jason “My Son” Kane (NY)                              25                    28                    26              ——           79
Deanna “Lady Bug” Laney (FL)                       26                    25                    26              ——           77
Dave “Triple Jump” Nangle (MD)                   26                    24                    25              ——           75
Abram “Too Tall” Diaz (CA)                             24                    22                    27              ——           73
Lloyd “Balled Eagle” Hobbs (NY)                    25                    24                    24              ——           73
Bill “High Voltage” Markle (PA)                      27                    22                    24              ——           73
Jamie “Bayou Bullet” Moody (TX)                   24                    21                    24              ——           69

Special Note:  A tiebreaker shot was used called the “artistic lag”.  Jamey and Jason each did 3 lags between 2 pieces of chalk (3 ball spacing) to see who would get closest to the end cushion.
Jamey landed closer and won the Open Table Talent Night competition and 1st place prize.

Questions Used for Top 3 Finalists:

#1 – What do you feel is the main reason artistic pool is growing so fast online & around the world?

#2 – What do you suggest to the youth of our sport for developing their interest in artistic pool?

#3 – What does “trick shots and so much more” mean to you or as referenced to artistic pool?

Select Cues / Prizes to Talent Performers With Approximate Value Listed:

1st – McDermott Vintage ($199); 2nd – Clark Custom ($150); 3rd – Valentine Break/Jump ($100); and
4th – Skip Custom ($50); 5th thru 12th – Received choice of select sponsor prizes at various values!!

Official Judging Panels and Scoring Rules:

Performers Presentation:

• Paul “Book-em” Danno – Cup II player and official “chair/hammer” gong official
• Donna Hobbs – Wife of Lloyd “Balled Eagle” Hobbs and “character” specialist
• Steve “Leapin” Lillis – Cup II player & President/Founder – Gospel Trick Shot Ministries

Note:  Paul was in charge of “hitting a chair with a hammer” as a “humorous” warning
      if performer, judge, or someone else created an “out of order” situation.  No one
      was “gonged” off the table.  Paul’s antics created great entertainment for all!

Performers were judged by how they “presented” their act – demeanor, image, and style were factors of scoring consideration by this illustrious panel of judges.

          Audience Response:

• Gary Lambert – Special fan visiting his Mother in area and wanting to join in the fun
• Linda Frier – Deanna Laney’s Mother agreeing to be part of this festive occasion
• Mustang Maggie Mullins – Cup II player and dynamic helper for overall event

Note: This panel of judges scored based on audience applause, laughter, and their own  
           personal feelings on how the performers entertained them.

Overall Routine Execution:

• Mark “Dr. Popper” Dimick – Cup II player and inventor of “Dr. Popper” Jump Cue
• Jim “Coach” Barnard – Cup II player and Artistic Pool teacher / mentor to many
• Tom “Dr. Cue” Rossman – Cup II director and Artistic Pool crusader / entertainer

Note:  The judging guidelines of this panel were to analyze the talent “execution” being
            presented.  This might include “dropping the ball”, so to speak, and making it look
like it was part of the act by vocal cover or some other spirited action.

Special Note:  Scoring was done by each panel judge by holding up a card with scores from 7 (lowest) to 10 (highest) on them.  The scores of the 3 judges on each panel were added together for the respective panel’s total score with 30 being the highest possible and 21 being the lowest.  The total scores of all 3 judging panels were added together for the overall total score prior to the final question scoring.   “Dr. Cue” and “Ms. Cue” presented the final scoring factor from answers to the questions above based on a total of 20 on the high end and 14 on the low end, using the same scoring card system numbers (7, 8, 9, and 10).   An “artistic lag” shootout would be used in the event of a tie among the top 3 finalists.  See special note under final results above.

            Results Tabulated and Verified by:   Tom “Dr. Cue” and Marty “Ms. Cue” Rossman
                                                                          Cup II Open Table Talent Night Event Directors
                        November 15, 2008  

     Dan “Deadeye” Taylor etched a special “champion” mark in billiard history on November 14, 15, and 16, 2008 at Big Shot Billiards and Bar in East Windsor, CT.  This tuned “amateur” displayed “professional” image and “professional” demeanor with burning focus and brilliant skill shot executions on his personal and challenging road to victory!!
     A determined group of 33 Artistic Pool Playing Artists came from every corner of the US, Canada, and France to participate in the “sport and show” arena of the Dr. Cue Classic “Artistic” Cup II.  This signature event of the Dr. Cue Classic Artistic Pool Tour showcased some of the greatest pro players under the APTSA (Artistic Pool and Trick Shot Association) umbrella, top amateur players from several league tour stops held in 2008 at respective National and / or International events of the BCAPL, VNEA, ACS, and APA, and other players by “open” entry that had always wanted to play in an “artistic pool” event.  
     Pros and amateurs played side by side in special 3 person – player groupings with 7 foot tables and high percentage make rate shots creating an equalizer effect for all competitors.  Over $20,000 in guaranteed payouts with each place receiving a monetary payback, raffle ticket drawings for select cues by McDermott and other sponsor prizes, special Dr. Cue “Goodie” Bags, attractive Classic “Artistic” Cup II trophy awards, and beautiful certificates of participation all produced player and fan friendly opportunities in a reunion style billiard atmosphere.
     The APPA (Artistic Pool Playing Artists) crusader force showcased a “class” act of billiard skills from each of the 8 magnetic disciplines of “artistic pool” – 1) Trick / Fancy Shots, 2) Prop,  Novelty, and Special Arts, 3) Draw Shots, 4) Follow Shots, 5) Bank / Kick Shots, 6) Stroke Shots, 7) Jump Shots, and Masse Shots.  When the challenge of 40 “classic” shots was over, there would be an Overall event champion, 8 Discipline champions, and 2 Sportsmanship recipients. 

A recap outline of the event follows:

November 13 – Players arrive for registration, practice, and special “open” forum training session

November 14 – Players meeting, draw, first round competition, and media/entertainment night

• 17 Professionals and 16 amateurs vie for the prestigious Dr Cue Classic Artistic Cup II title
• 2007 WPA World Champion Andy “Magic Man” Segal leads after 2 disciplines with 56 points
• 2008 Masters Champion Mark “Dr. Popper” Dimick close second with 54 points
• ACS National Champion Dan “Deadeye” Taylor in third with 53 points
• Jamie “Bayou Bullet” Moody (3rd place – Cup I) in the race at 50 points
• 4 players tied at 49 points with Paul “Book-em” Danno ahead by tiebreaker factors
• Andy Segal wins Trick/Fancy Shots discipline with perfect score of 30 points
• Chris “Juggler 314” Kelly wins Prop, Novelty, and Special Arts with 27 points
• Rick “The Barber” Hawkinson superb as MC for Media Night with 10 players performing

November 15 – Second round of competition

• Dan Taylor targets field by taking lead after 4 disciplines with 111 points
• Mark Dimick maintains second place position with 106 points
• Andy Segal falls to third place with 105 points
• Extreme Pool Champion Nick “Quick Nick” Nikolaidis moves to 4th place with 101 points
• Chris “Tricky Shot” Woodrum takes 5th place and Jamey “Sharpshooter” Gray in 6th place
• Jamey Gray wins Draw Shots in tiebreaker over Jason “Michigan Kid” Lynch (30 points each)
• GTS Founder and President Steve “Leapin” Lillis wins Follow Shots with perfect 30 score

November 15 – Third round of competition

• Dan Taylor increases lead with 159 points and wins Bank/Kick with 27 points
• 5 players make all 4 banks in Challenge #5 (Deanna “Lady Bug” Laney, Terry “T-bucket” Ford, Jason “My Son” Kane, Jason Lynch, and Andy Segal)
• Nick Nikolaidis moves into second place with 147 points
• Jamey Gray in third place and only 1 point behind “Quick Nick”
• Chris Woodrum takes over 4th place at 143 points and wins in Stroke Shots with 29 points
• Andy Segal and Mark Dimick fall to 5th and 6th positions respectively (138 / 137)

November 15 – Open Table Talent Night

• 10 players and 2 fans audition for 5 minutes in unique billiard presentations
• 3 judging panels award points to performers to determine top 3 finalists
• Steven “Triple C” Markle (youngest player in Cup II field) takes 4th place honors
• Jamey Gray, Jason Lynch, and Bill “Mynah Bird” Meima garner top positions of finish
• Dr. Cue and Ms. Cue do final judging with special “artistic” question for each finalist
• Bill Meima finishes 3rd while Jamey Gray wins talent contest over Jason Lynch by shooting “artistic lag” challenge after being tied from all judging score totals
• 4 special cues ($50 – $200) awarded to top 4 places with select prizes to rest of performers

November 16 – RACK Room service, final round of competition and awards ceremony

• RACK Room “sunrise” fellowship with Steve Lillis and “Dr. Cue”, plus free coffee/donuts
• 9 players start at 10:00AM, 18 players start at 12:00Noon, and final 6 players start at 2:00PM
• Dan Taylor becomes Cup II Champion in record fashion scoring new high of 208 points
• Dan Taylor garners another discipline medal in Jump Shots with 28 points
• Jamey Gray earns the Masse Shots title over Jamie Moody on tiebreaker (29 points each)
• Jamey Gray finishes in 2nd place with 194 points after some pressure shooting
• Nick Nikolaidis (3rd), Andy Segal (4th), Chris Kelly (5th), and Chris Woodrum (6th)
• Amateurs earn 3 of top 6 places, 4 of 8 discipline medals, and both sportsmanship awards
• Top 6 players receive beautiful “victory” cup trophies – “Reeses” cups to places 7 – 33
• 8 discipline champions receive special award medals/ribbons and title recognition
• Sportsmanship medals and select cues awarded to Florian “Venon” Kohler (France) by vote of players and Chris Woodrum by vote of directors
• Special moments to last a lifetime shared by everyone in attendance

      I want to thank my wife, Marty (“Ms. Cue”) for everything she did prior to the event to make it happen, plus her assuring everything was in order during the event schedule.  Marty and I want to express our sincere thanks to the numerous sponsors, players, fans, and volunteers that made the Dr. Cue Classic Artistic Cup II a huge success and a resounding victory for our sport.
  
                        

     Article written by…            Tom “Dr. Cue” Rossman               November 25, 2008

    DR. CUE CLASSIC ARTISTIC CUP II OVERALL POSITIONS OF FINISH
       
   Place         Player / Nickname / Home Base      Points   Prize Money / Award

1 Dan “Deadeye” Taylor (IL) 208 $ 5000.00 + Cup
2 Jamey “The Sharpshooter” Gray (CT) 194 3750.00 + Cup
3 Nick “Quick Nick” Nikolaidis (Quebec) 188 2500.00 + Cup
4 Andy “The Magic Man” Segal (NY) 185 1750.00 + Cup
5 Chris “Juggler 314” Kelly (NY) 178 1300.00 + Cup
6 Chris “Tricky Shot” Woodrum (VA) 177 1000.00 + Cup
7 Mark “Dr. Popper” Dimick (OK) 170 800.00
8 Jason “The Michigan Kid” Lynch (MI) 169 600.00
9 Dave “Triple Jump” Nangle (MD) 167 400.00
10 Mark “Special K” Kulungian (CT) 166 400.00
11 Jamie “The Bayou Bullet” Moody (TX) 164 400.00
12 Matt “No Fail” MacPhail (MA) 160 400.00
13 Bruce “The Big Guy” Barthelettte (MA) 158 250.00
14 Bill “Mynah Bird” Meima (NJ) 157 250.00
15 Jeremiah “Daddy-O” Owens (IL) 155 250.00
16 Abram “Too Tall” Diaz (CA) 155 250.00
17 Bob “Badhair” Stangby (TX) 154 250.00 18 Florian “Venom” Kohler (France) 152 250.00
19 Robert “TV Bob” Neal (NJ) 148 250.00
20 Jason “My Son” Kane (NY) 145 250.00
21 Paul “Book Em” Danno (NJ) 140 250.00
22 Joe “The Maine Man” Meuse (ME) 138 250.00
23 Gilbert “Train Wreck” Olsen (CT) 138 250.00
24 Steve “Leapin” Lillis (NJ) 138 250.00
25 Buddy “Stripes” Eick (OK) 133 150.00
26 Steven “Triple C” Markle (PA) 125 150.00
27 Pat “TBD #1” McMullan (IL) 124 150.00
28 Craig “The Chilly Kid” Harmel (WI) 123 150.00
29 Terry “T-Bucket” Ford (ME) 111 150.00
30 Jimmy “The General” Glanville (MA) 101 150.00
31 Jim “Coach” Barnard (CA) 96 150.00
32 Deanna “Lady Bug” Laney (FL) 83 150.00
33 Maggie “Mustang Maggie” Mullins (CT) 41 150.00

Tiebreaker Notes: Jeremiah Owens scored 18 – 1st attempt makes and 7 – 2nd attempt makes
versus Abram Diaz with 18 – 1st attempt makes and 6 – 2nd attempt makes.  Joe Meuse scored
19 – 1st attempt makes versus 16 – 1st attempt makes for Gilbert Olsen and Steve Lillis.  Gilbert
and Steve each scored 9 – 2nd attempt makes and 2 – 3rd attempt makes.  The 4th tiebreaker factor (1st attempt point values) was used with Gilbert scoring 86 points versus 84 points for Steve.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       
DR. CUE CLASSIC “ARTISTIC” CUP II DISCIPLINE CHAMPIONS

Trick and/or Fancy Shots              Andy Segal                            30 out of 30 points
Prop/Novelty/Special Arts              Chris Kelly                    27 out of 30 points
Draw Shots                                      Jamey Gray                 30 out of 30 points
Follow Shots                                   Steve Lillis                    30 out of 30 points
Bank/Kick Shots                             Dan Taylor                   27 out of 30 points
Stroke Shots                                   Chris Woodrum            29 out of 30 points
Jump Shots                                     Dan Taylor                   28 out of 30 points
Masse Shots                                   Jamey Gray                 29 out of 30 points

Notes: Jamey Gray won the Draw Shots discipline on the 1st tiebreaker shot / challenge with 6 points versus Jason Lynch (0 points).  Jamey Gray won the Masse Shots discipline on the 1st tiebreaker shot / challenge with 6 points versus Jamie Moody (0 points).

SPORTSMANSHIP RECIPIENT AWARDS

By vote of players:  Florian “Venom” Kohler

By vote of directors:  Chris “Tricky Shot” Woodrum

Note:  Sportsmanship recipients each received special victory medal award.  Florian awarded a Jeanette Lee Small Cue w/case ($50 value).  Chris awarded Stealth Jump Cue w/case ($125 value)

SPECIAL PRIZES

• Free raffle for total shots made – Jason Kane won Robin Dodson Signature Cue ($150 value)
• Free raffle for total shots made – Paul Danno & Bruce Barthelette won ScratchBall prizes
• Free drawing (places 25 to 33) – Pat McMullan won CueTec Graphite Cue w/caps ($300 value)
• APPA supporter raffle (1st) – Terry Ford won select McDermott Infinity Cue ($449 value)
• APPA supporter raffle (2nd) – Joe Meuse won Steve Mizerak Signature Cue ($300 value)
• Special sponsor product raffle – Mark Kulungian won TV Pro Cup Ball Set ($300 value)
• Special shot challenge raffle (1st) – Chris Woodrum won Stealth Jump Cue ($125 value)
• Special shot challenge raffle (2nd) – David Klezos won Dr. Popper Jump Cue ($125 value)
• Open table talent night (1st) – Jamey Gray won McDermott Vintage Cue ($199 value)
• Open table talent night (2nd) – Jason Lynch won Clark Custom Cue ($150 value)
• Open table talent night (3rd) – Bill Meima won Valentine Break/Jump Cue ($100 value)
• Open table talent night (4th) – Steven Markle won select Skip Cue ($50 value)
• Free drawing at players meeting – Steven Markle won 2007 WPA “Artistic Pool” WC Banner
• Free drawings at players meeting – Numerous players won choice of sponsored prizes
• Auction of Bob Stangby special wall poster of Cup I – Mark Kulungian won with $30 bid
• Auction of TV Pro Cup Ball Set – Mark Kulungian won with $150 bid

TOTAL PRIZE/AWARD FUND:  Dr. Cue Promotions added over $15,000 to the prize fund, furnished the discipline champion and sportsmanship recipient medals / ribbons, plus the 6 trophies for the overall positions of finish.   In addition, special “certificate of participation” awards were presented to all players and staff workers taking part in the event.   (See special sponsor note following for a complete list of all sponsors for this event and the “Dr. Cue” Classic Artistic Pool Tour)

SPONSOR NOTE:  Over 35 product and service sponsors contributed to the success of not only the Dr. Cue Classic “Artistic” Cup II event, but also the entire 2008 Dr. Cue Classic Artistic Pool Tour.   These include Big Shot Billiards and Bar, Diamond Billiard Products, Aramith/Saluc, Ivan Simonis, Tweeten Fibre, Professor Q – Ball’s National Pool & 3 – Cushion News (Paul Frankel), High Country Promotions, Brunswick Valley/Dynamo, Gospel Trick Shot Ministries (Steve Lillis), McDermott Cues, Dennis Dieckmann Custom Cues, Sterling Gaming, ScratchBall Billiards (David / Gary Fenske), D. Laney Photos (Deanna Laney), “Dr. Popper” Cues (Mark Dimick), Samm’s Side Pocket (Sammy Diep), Pool Table Magic (Mark Kulungian), Dawn and Allen Hopkins, Pool & Billiard Magazine (Shari J. Stauch), The Monk / Monk Billiard Academy (Tim Miller), Billiards Direct (Scott Long), the APTSA (Artistic Pool and Trick Shot Association), APPA (Artistic Pool Playing Artists), BCAPL (Billiard Congress of America Pool Leagues, VNEA (Valley National Eight Ball League Association), ACS (American CueSports Alliance), APA (American Poolplayers Association), Victor Conte, Executive Inn (Louisville), Riviera Hotel and Casino (Las Vegas), Select hotels near Big Shot Billiards & Bar, Nick’s Quick Tricks (Nick Nikolaidis), CT APA (Bruce Barthelette), Magic Man Web Services (Andy Segal), Bob and Terri Stangby, Trick Shot Productions (Al Relf), Steve Geller, Rick Hawkinson, select players contributing “entertainment” services during the event, plus all fan and player volunteers helping in the RACK Room and competition arena.  Special thanks to all of you!!

SPECIAL PLAYER AND SHOT STATS

Special Points and D.O.D. Shots Calculation:

There were 240 points possible in the 40 shot program.   240 points X 33 players produce an “event” point’s total of 7920 points possible.   The number of total points registered was 4841 points, which calculates to 61.124% of the maximum total being scored.

The maximum D.O.D. shots possible made was 38 times 33 players or 1254 shots.  The 4 wing shots worth 2 points each and the 4 banks worth 2 points each are recapped in the next section.  Out of the total D.O.D. shots possible 902 were made on at least one of the attempts, calculating
to a make percentage on D.O.D. shots for the overall program at 71.930% (Super!).   The audience saw shots being made…realizing that they might be able to make them and join us in future events.  

Special Challenge Shots Calculation:

The maximum number of wing shots that could be made was 4 per player and the same for the bank challenge.   This totals 132 wing shots possible made and 132 banks shots possible made. 

36 wing shots were made for a make percentage of 27.272% (Looks like we need to work on those)   No player made all 4 wing shots!!

78 bank shots were made for a make percentage of 59.091% (Pretty good!)  Andy Segal, Jason Kane, Jason Lynch, Terry Ford, and Deanna Laney made all 4 “to the left” or “to the right” banks in that special challenge – Congratulations on making those “tricky” banks!!! 

Final Special Stat:

Dan Taylor made 37 shots out of 40 possible.   3 wing shots made and 3 bank shots made were used to calculate this statistic.  Nick Nikolaidis and Jamey Gray each made 36 shots.  12 players out of 33 each made 30 or more shots.  25 players each made 25 or more shots.     

Results compiled / verified by…            Tom “Dr. Cue” and Marty “Ms. Cue” Rossman                    
       November 25, 2008                             Dr. Cue Classic Artistic Pool Tour / Event Directors

Artistic Pool Players put a
World Championship in their sites

24 players from around the world burst into living color as balls flew around the tables at “The Pool Room Sports Bar and Grill” in Duluth, Georgia, the host venue for the 2008 Artistic Pool World Championships. The current Trick Shot Magic Champion, Tom “Dr. Cue” Rossman and the defending World Artistic Pool Champion, Andy “The Magic Man” Segal were hoping to add to their titles as well as a host of other worthy professionals.

            The event was hosted by the World Pool Association and was run smoothly by the World Pool Association Artistic Pool Division President Nate “Okinawa Slim” Bryant, the Artistic Pool and Trick Shot Association Chairmen Mark Dimick and the staff of the Pool Room Sports Bar and Grill of Duluth, Georgia. The World Pool Association selected a 56 shot program that consisted of 40 preliminary round shots broken up into the 8 traditional disciplines. With 16 more shots added (2 per discipline) to spice up the playoffs. The disciplines are; Trick and Fancy Shots, Prop/Novelty/Special Arts Shots, Draw Shots, Follow Shots, Bank and/or Kick Shots, Stroke Shots, Jump shots and last but certainly not least are the Masse’ Shots.

            All 24 players were put into flights of 3 players with each flight consisting of experienced and newer players to allow a better showing for the crowds present. Throughout the preliminary rounds you could see the better players coming to the front as this difficult shot program claimed its victims.

The preliminary rounds saw some amazing play as the current World Artistic Pool Champion did not fail to disappoint as he won two of the World Discipline titles. Andy won the Trick and Fancy portion of the shot program as well as the Stroke portion of the program propelling him to first place with 232 points and a guaranteed bye in the playoffs, this total was only 18 points shy of his personal best of 250 points.

The other discipline medal winners were starting to be determined as the 2008 Trick Shot Magic third/fourth place finisher, Eric Yow, took the Prop/Novelty/Special Arts Discipline on his way to a 6th place finish in the preliminary rounds. David “Triple Jump” Nangle proved that jumps aren’t all he knows as his performance earned him the title, Masse’ World Champion. The play of Chi Ming Lin of Taiwan proved himself as a force in the Artistic Pool World with the winning of the World Draw Title.

The Romanian representative, Gabriel “Gabi” Visoiu found himself the proud owner of 3 discipline medals which included the Follow Shot World Title, the Bank / Kick title and part ownership of the World Jump Title with Jason “The Michigan Kid” Lynch. Part ownership? Let me explain that in the event of a tie between two players we try to break that tie in a number of ways including first attempt differences or differences in the difficulty of the shots made. In this instance it was impossible as “Gabi” scored a perfect Jump discipline and his American friend, Jason “The Michigan Kid” Lynch also scored a perfect Jump discipline. This is so rare that it has never happened at a World Championship, and we were allowed to see it happen twice!

Places after the preliminary rounds were:

            The playoffs were taking shape. The top 4 players from the preliminary rounds were awarded with a first round bye, while the other 8 players from the top 12 were set to battle it out in the preliminary playoff round.

The first match pitted Nick “Quick Nick” Nikolaidis against Chi-Ming Lin. Nick’s speed and accuracy proved too much for Chi-Ming as Nick won with a score of 112–91.

The next match pitted a veteran in the form of Bruce “The Big Guy” Barthelette rising to victory against Stefan “The Governor” Mendrick with a score of 76-68. The third match was a nail biter as it came down to the last shot for Eric “The Preacher” Yow as he faced Ralph “The Gladiator” Eckert. The score was so close that if Eric made the shot he advanced if not, then Ralph would have a shot at reaching the next round with a make on any of his three attempts. It was not in the cards for Ralph as Eric, with the composure that earned him a spot on this years ESPN Trick Shot Magic, made the shot securing a 98-91 win and the chance to meet Gabriel “Gabi” Visiou in the next round.

The last of the first round matches was one we are used to seeing by now as Dave “Triple Jump” Nangle met Charles “Spitball” Darling for the third time in tournament play. In the last two outings, Dave had gotten the better of Charles and was hoping for history to repeat itself. Charles wrote a new chapter as he defeated David by a score of 116-96.

            Fresh off his win in the preliminary rounds, Nick “Quick Nick” Nikolaidis carried his momentum into the Quarter-final match with tournament leader and defending World Champion, Andy Segal. Nick defeated Andy by a score of 102-80 to earn a spot in the Semi-finals. The second match of the Quarter-finals saw a man on a mission as Jamey “The Sharpshooter” Gray with the same look of intense concentration that earned him the bye in the first round, beat Bruce “The Big Guy” Barthelette 103-96. (Bruce actually introduced Jamey to this sport).
It was Eric “The Preacher” Yow, facing “Gabi” in the third of the Quarter-final matches. Eric emerged victorious with a score of 117-97. Tom “Dr.Cue” Rossman faced Charles “Spitball” Darling and also lived to continue the fight in the Semi-finals with a score of 113-95.

The Semi-finals saw the closest match in the tournament to that point as Jamey “The Sharpshooter” Gray defeated the veteran Nick ‘Quick Nick” Nikolaidis with a score of 111-109. It would seem that Jamey was destined to make the finals from the first stroke of his cue that weekend. Jamey had to wait on the second match of the Semi-finals. The other Semi-final was much like the first as a veteran took on a determined young gun in the form of Eric Yow. Tom “Dr.Cue” Rossman won in a close match over Eric “The Preacher” Yow 110-99.
 
            The final match was one you could not have scripted with the best writers in Hollywood. The audience seemed to be in awe as the players traded the lead throughout the match while giving each other a high five after every shot. To cheer for your opponent is so ingrained in Artistic Pool; to do anything else would seem unnatural. The match reached the final shot. Tom was behind and had to pick a shot that he could make with hopes that Jamey would not. Tom picked a difficult 5 rail kick to pocket a ball that was placed a diamond out of the corner pocket (see diagram). Tom hit the ball and as it banked around the table, he shouted his trademark “Look at this!” The ball split the pocket for 9 points, giving Tom a slight lead of 116-110. Jamey “The Sharpshooter” Gray took a few moments to compose himself, checked his notes on the shot and approached the table. With the calm, steady hand of a sniper, Jamey lived up to his name. He fired the cue ball 5 rails around the table and cut the 5 ball clean in the corner to win the World Championship by the score of 119-116.

Congratulations to Jamey “The Sharpshooter” Gray, the 2008 World Pool Association Artistic Pool Champion.

First, Second and Third received a medal from the WORLD POOL ASSOCIATION, a Trophy and a Cue from McDermott Cues. Chi-Ming Lin received the Sportsmanship medal with a vote from his peers as well as a McDermott Cue. Discipline awards winners received a medal from the WORLD POOL ASSOCIATION.

Final Results (with preliminary scores)