CueSport TV - The Blog

The last two weekends I have made the trip to Club 147 in Leicester. Probably the best pool club in the country with a management team fit for promoting pool and with it their own business.

Both weekends featured live broadcasts, the first on Cuesport TV and the second on new channel American Pool TV.

On both occassions I was on hand, with my wife, to broadcast two different challenge match evenings. This is something we have been banging on about in the UK for some time. We have, without doubt, got the best pool players in the world at this time. It was great to see both Darkside Promotions and Tonic Promotions creating these nights of entertainment.

There was a lot of similarity between the two promotions, the undercard matches were 9-ball featuring players from the lower ranks in the UK and the feature matches were both 10-ball.

I think the real success here in my eyes is that finally we produced a stream of quality, as ever there is work to do to improve, but the response from viewers has been excellent.

10-ball does seem to drag on a bit though, 3am and 5am finishes, I kid you not.

There needs to be more of these events but we as a company need to further promote the events long in advance. I would also say that there is a call to shorten the races.

The matches from both of the events mentioned will all be available on the channel shortly so keep checking back.

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On Saturday 15th August American Pool TV will be providing live pay-per-view coverage of the hottest money match in the UK this year.

£10,000 is at stake as four of Britains best pool players with multiple International titles go head-to-head.

Karl Boyes, world bronze medallist, is partnering twice WEPF World 8-ball Champion, Chris Melling, as they take on World Number 1 and World 10 Ball Champion Darren Appleton and his partner, Nations Cup winner, Imran Majid.

The action will be live from 5pm with an undercard match between Scott Higgins and Alan Millership, a nice warm-up for the main event.

To watch this match you have two options, buy a PPV ticket in advance for just £4.99 or purchase on the day of the match for £7.49

PPV tickets go on sale on Saturday 8th August so do not miss out.

The main event is played to WPA Ten Ball rules and will be a race-to-35 racks. Expect some awesome shot making, an intense atmosphere and a very tense and thrilling result.

Do not miss out, PPV tickets on sale now.

Further Information:

American Pool TV is a new sister channel of Cuesport TV that will be offering standalone PPV tournaments and challenge matches in addition to Freeview content.

You can find the channel here: http://americanpool.cuesport.tv

If you wish to contact the channel please use enquiries@cuesport.tv

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Over the next two weekends (August 8th and August 15th/16th) Cuesport TV are involved in live streaming three separate big money match ups.

Burford vs Gray - Saturday 8th August, 5pm (UK Time) - Cuesport TV

The first on August 8th features, European Junior 9-ball Champion, Phil Burford and former European number 1, Mark Gray. These two stalwarts of the British 9-ball scene go head-to-head for £1000 per man. The game is 9-ball and it will be a race-to-30, winner breaks.

The action for this event will be live over at Cuesport TV to paid up subscribers, something you can do for as little as £2.95. The action starts at 5pm with an undercard match between Andy Appleton (brother of World Number 1 Darren Appleton) and young up-and-coming player Louis Clarke. They are playing for £500 per man race-to-21 I believe and will be live also in advance of the main event.

£10,000 Scotch Doubles Challenge - Saturday 15th August, 5pm (UK time) American Pool TV

Another evening of entertainment that starts with a tasty undercard match, UK Pro players Scott Higgins and Alan Millership match up for £500-per-man. Race-to-15 9 Ball action. A good precursor for what is to come at around about 7pm.

The big match up on the cards on this particular night is an interesting one. Rarely do we see scotch doubles matches outside of the Mosconi Cup so this will be a treat.

Karl Boyes & Chris Melling take on World number 1 Darren Appleton & Imran Majid.

The Prize?

A killer £10,000 winner-take-all pot. The match is 10 ball with a race-to-35 in operation, I expect a very close match, Boyes/Melling have a 5 rack start to make it even more interesting.

This live event will be the first one shown on American Pool TV where you can buy the match in advance for £4.99 or on the night for £7.49 make sure you buy it, amazing match up.

Simon Ward v Craig Reynold’s - Sunday August 16th, 3pm (UK Time) Cuesport TV

Another match for Cuesport TV subscribers.

Simon Ward, one of the most consistent players of the 2008 season plays renowned money player and IPA professional Craig Reynol’ds for a £6,000 pot.

Played to WEPF World Rules this one will appeal to the small-ball fans throughout the UK and Europe, possibly further afield.

To watch this one a subscription is required.

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June 20th 2009 will see the very much anticipated £1000 per-man 10 ball challenge between Raj ‘Hitman’ Hundal and Ricardo ‘Indiana’ Jones.

Raj Hundal, the 2005 World Pool Masters Champion and regular on the International tournament scene, is rarely seen playing in one-on-one challenge matches. A player that is flamboyant and exciting and believes in hitting the break hard will come up against a UK based player he has known for over 10 years.

Ricardo ‘Indiana’ Jones is the house-pro at top Cambridge pool venue Mickey Flynn’s and is regularly seen playing challenge matches against some of Europe’s top players. Most recently Ricardo lost a very tight match against Dutchman Alex Lely. This particular money match went hill-hill. Jones, who has also represented the UK in the World Pool Championships in the past is probably regarded as the underdog on paper.

Jones recently commented “…alot of practice is required because I know I’m gonna have to produce a near fautless display to win…I, like him [Raj Hundal] consider myself part of the old-skool, the way American Pool used to be played with powerful breaks and great shot making.”

It is going to be an absolutely cracking match and Ricardo Jones is not a player to be underestimated and Raj will have to work hard if he is to win the match. There is due to be a return match and this is already pencilled in for Hounslow, the home of Raj Hundal, but lets get this one out of the way first.

The match is being played for £1000-per-man and starts at 7pm (UK time) it is a race-to-25 that is expected to go close to the wire - the match is being shown live on pay-per-view by WebTV channel Cuesport TV. You can purchase the match from just £2.95 ($4.75) which will allow you 24 hour access to the channels subscription service.

Visit: Cuesport TV for further information.

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Majid beat fellow Brit Phil Burford

We went into this morning with no less than nine British cueists still remaining in the German Open event. After this morning’s round we had seven players progress to the last 16 stage.

The players to fall were youngster Phil Burford who lost 8-5 to fellow Brit, Imran Majid and Daryl Peach who was beaten 8-6 by German star Thomas Engert.

Many of the last 16 matches have already been completed which means I can already tell you that Ralf Souquet will play Mark Gray in the quarter finals. Also, Craig Osborne and Karl Boyes have already reached the last 8.

As I write Darren Appleton is locked at 6-6 with Engert and Majid is leading Shaverdi 6-4. Ricardo Jones and Chris Melling have been beaten so the Brits are starting to thin out a little bit!

More news later.

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We are continuing, as a nation, to make a massive impact on the Internetional pool scene. The German Open concludes tomorrow with nine of our original 16 entrants still standing in the last 32 knockout stage.

Those players include past Eurotour winners and two world champions. Daryl Peach, Darren Appleton, Karl Boyes, Imran Majid, Craig Osborne, Ricardo Jones, Phil Burford, Mark Gray and Chris Melling. These true brits are joined by an honorary Brit in Tony Drago as well.

On the plus side only Imran Majid and Phil Burford have drawn each other so we have a chance of getting 8 players through to the last 16, this would have been unimaginable 5 years ago, but through hardwork and dtermination I would say that we have the best players in Europe at the moment, if not the world.

Updates throughout the day tomorrow complete draw here: http://www.eurotouronline.eu/

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Dennis Orcullo Wins Predator 10-ball Title

Dennis Orcullo capped off a great weekend for the Filipino contingent out in Vegas by lifting the Predator International 10-ball title.

In the semi finals Orcullo was joined by compatriats Warren Kiamco and Alex Pagulayan. Orcullo himself beat Kiamco 7-4, whilst the only European left in the field, Ralf Souquet, beat Pagulayan 7-1.

In the final Orcullo breezed past Souquet with an 8-3 victory to lift yet another title.

It is an interesting result for Orcullo as we head into the first WPA Ranking event the Philippine Open next week - an event that is also 10-ball.

As a Brit I must also mention the strength that we showed as a nation as both Karl Boyes and Imran Majid both made the quarter finals. It bodes well for the British players as we move to the new World Ranking system.

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The 9th Annual Predator International 10-ball Pool championships, being held at the Riviera Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, is well underway.

The event won by Tony Drago in 2008 is a favourite amongst pool players and has once again attracted a very high quality field of international pool playing stars.

The tournament is split into two sections the double elimination concluded last night and play will resume today from the Last 32 single elimination stage. The defending champion is through on the winners side and is joined by a whole host of British players, including Darren Appleton, recent winner of the World Pool Masters.

The last 32 Draw is as follows (British players in Bold):

• Gomez (PHI) v Williams (USA)
• Schmidt (USA) v Alcaide (SPA)
• Drago (MAL) v Orcollo (PHI)
• Folan (GBR) v Luat (PHI)
• Deuel (USA) v Peach (GBR)
• Majid (GBR) v Hohmann (GER)
• Van den Berg (HOL) v Morris (USA)
• Kiamco (PHI) v Takenaka (JAP)
• Immonen (FIN) v Ortmann (GER)
• Moore (USA) v Souquet (GER)
• Putnam (USA) v A. Fisher (GBR)
• Gama (POR) v Archer (USA)
• Boyes (GBR) v Ouschan (AUT)
• Robles (USA) v Cha (KOR)
• Appleton (GBR) v Dominguez (USA)
• Pagaluyan (PHI) v Facquet (FRA)

One interesting point to make is that three female players have made it through on the losers side to qualify for the knockout stages. Britain’s Alison Fisher, Austria’s Jasmin Ouschan and Korea’s Yu Ram Cha.

Updates over the weekend.

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It was great news the other day when there was the announcement of the Women’s World 10-ball Championships to be held in the Philippines.

But, it seemed, no sooner had the announcement come that the World Pool Association are denouncing it as an un-sanctioned event.

Why? I hear you ask, well WPA rules state that two sanctioned events cannot take place in the same country at the same time and as the Philippine Open is the same dates it was in contravention of that rule.

The Philippine Open is open to all players male and female which is why it courses the problem with the sanctioning. However, I would beg the question as to how many female players would be playing in the Philippine Open anyway, you could probably count them on one hand and may even be zero.

Although there are some very talented female players, that have had success in predominantly male events (Jasmin Ouschan is the standout name in this department) there is still no female player to have won a male title.

As this is fact why stop the women from having a World Championship event at the same time as the Philippine Open? It seems ludicrous to me, yet another bad decision from the WPA, who seem to hinder the growth of the sport time and time again.

Events for males or females or both, should be accepted with open arms and allow the players to choose this is the only way to stimulate competition and growth in the sport.

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I haven’t played in a tournament since the Bournemouth Open 9-ball event back in November 2008. However, this weekend I ma off to Mickey Flynn’s in Cambridge (weather permitting) and will be competing in their first open 10-ball event of the season.

On this occasion I am able to mix leisure with work as I will also be getting some news content and video interviews with some of the players taking part.

The field, as ever at Mickey Flynn’s, is going to be a tough one. Raj Hundal, Imran Majid, Rico Diks and Tony Drago are all competing along with a lot of other talented players including Matt Ford, Ricardo Jones, Mickey Lambert (clubs owner) and Anthony Ginn.

The tournamnt at Mickey Flynn’s are legendary and the club is one of the finest in the UK, not the largest on any accounts, but well maintained tables and a good bar.

I am not sure whether I will be able to play all of the tournament this year but we will see, CueSport TV are hoping to broadcast live from the club later in the year, the problem at the present time is a lack of space so it means we are back to news clips only.

I don’t hold my breath in terms of my performance but with a double-eliminator at least I get two matches for my money! I think my target is to win at least one match, after that would be a bonus, this of course can depend on my draw and my ability to break, which has been lacking recently.

Watch out for the news item on CueSport TV next week. I have Raj Hundal down to win this one!

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