Alcano Wins World 8-Ball Championship

Ronato "Volcano" Alcano won his second World Title in four months! He won the World Pool Championships 9-Ball and now has added the World 8-Ball Championship to his trophy case.

Interestingly he is already preparing to take part in the 10-ball championships coming soon. When and if he does take 1st place in that tournament it would be one of the greatest performances for this most improved player.

Ronato Alcano for Guiness Beer

World Pool champion Ronato Alcano is the new endorser for Guiness Beer and the Guiness 9 Ball Tour.

Check out http://www.guinness9balltour.com/ for more information

Thorsten Hohmann wins IPT North American Open 8-Ball Championship

Thorsten Hohmann Wins Pool's Biggest Prize - The most historic event in pool history has just concluded with Thorsten "The Hitman" Hohmann winning $350,000 for his double-hill victory over "Marvelous Marlon" Manalo.

Bata loses to kid

Bata rolls over to Taiwan's kid sensation in China

The Magician Efren "Bata" Reyes has lost to the reigning World 9-ball player Wu Chia Ching, 5 - 9, in the Finals of the exhibition leg of the 2006 Asian 9-Ball Tour at Guangdong TV Studio late Sunday evening in Guangzhou, China.

Although the game was an exhibition, another top player, Francisco Bustamante could not defeat the teen. For fun or not, this Chiang kid is beating those Filipinos up.

World Cup of Pool

MATCHROOM Sport is announcing the first ever PartyPoker.com World Cup of Pool, which will be held at the Newport Centre, Newport, Wales, from Tuesday, August 22 to Sunday, August 27.

The event features 32 two-man teams from around the world and includes some of the sport's greatest players.

Former 9-ball World Champions and longtime rivals Earl Strickland (USA) and Efren Reyes (Philippines) are in the fold. While snooker stars Steve Davis, Tony Drago and Ronnie O'Sullivan will also be joining.

Efren Reyes in Las Vegas

Billiards masters Efren 'Bata' Reyes, Francisco 'Django' Bustamante and Marlon 'Marvelous' Manalo will spearheadthe assault of a strong Philippine team as the 2006 International Pool Tour (IPT) grand finale fires off on July 23-30, 2006 at the Venetian Hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Philippines will host World Pool Championships

The World Pool Championships are coming to the Philippines. This years event will be the biggest ever, and players from all over the world are expected to give their best; even snooker pros are going to try their luck against the likes of Filipino legends, Efren Reyes and Francisco Bustamante.

Who is your favorite player?

The very best pool players on the planet compete each year for fame and fortune. Some are passionately loud about the game yet some are silent assasins. Some are trickshot artists who use jump cues while others prefer to bank, kick or masse. Some are entertaining to watch while others are plain old boring.

Who are you favorite players in the following categories:
Mine are in parentheses

1. Break shot
(Francisco Bustamante)

2. Bank or Kick shot
(Efren Reyes)

3. Jump shot
(Fong Pang Chao)

4. Safety play
(Efren Reyes)

5. Personality
(Earl Strickland)

6. Entertainment
(Steve Davis)

7. Overall
(Efren Reyes)

Who is your favorite player and why?

Use a gently stroke to prevent your balls from rattling out

Do most of your balls rattle out when you try to pocket them?

Maybe you are stroking too hard, when a ball hits the edge of a pocket at high speed, it tends to bounce around and rattle out instead of dropping in. Practice using a soft stroke when pocketing balls and letting gravity suck the ball into the pocket. Sometimes it's best to use the least amount of force when shooting, it gives you more control, "feel" and you will also learn to follow through on your shot.

Here are some tips on how to improve your pocketing:

1. Set up a straight shot into the pocket, but use the least amount of energy to pocket it. Next try a 45 degree angled shot and use the same technique as above. And lastly try a 90 degree cut shot using minimal strength.

Notice how the balls roll and react to your nudges, and make sure to follow through on each and every stroke.

Now you can roll a ball in instead of cannoning it into a pocket, by minimizing on misses due to rattled shots, you will greatly increase your accuracy and also eliminate overhitting or overpowering shots.

Bustamante wins at Turning Stone Casino

Bustamante wins at Turning Stone
Francisco Bustamante won the 2005 Joss Tour Season Finale in Verona, NY.

Bustamante earned $10,000 for his win, while Hatch and Reyes came out 2nd and 3rd respectively.

Cue tips

Hey guys, here's a tip for removing all those dings and scratches from your cue shaft.

If you've dropped your cue or bumped it on things, you've noticed some damage on the shaft, these are barely noticeable when you play, but what do you do about those deep indentations that affect your stroke?

To raise the indentation, you have to wet the wood. That's right, soak up the area with a little water. The wood will absorb the water and sure enough the wood will expand a bit. After letting the shaft dry up, just sand the raised area and then polish your cue with your favorite wax or sealant.

There you have it, a great and easy way to fix your stick!

What's your cue?

What kind of cue stick do you have? Is it branded or customized? Do you have a break stick too? I'd like to hear about your choice of sticks, and why you chose them.

I use a custom made cue stick that is a little bit longer than a standard cue by about an inch and a half. It's great for those table length shots that need a bridge.

World Pool Masters

The World Pool Masters are coming soon. Aside from the defending champion, Germany's Thomas Engert, who is your favorite to win it all?

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