Meet the Pros
December 2011 Cover Player:
Ga-young Kim (winner of the 2011 WPBA Tour Championship Crown) was born January 13, 1983 in Seoul, South Korea is nicknamed "Little Devil Girl". Her father began teaching her to play 3-cushion billiards when she was about twelve years old and after playing three-cushion for about three years, she started playing 9-Ball and turned pro at the 2003 BCA (Billiard Congress of America) Open. Other titles include: the U.S. Open 9-Ball Championship (2004, 2009, 2010); 2004 World Championship; 2007 Carolina Women's Classic; 2009 Hong Kong East Asian Games Women's 9-Ball; and the runner-up in the 2010 Yalin Women's World 10-Ball Championship.
(Hundreds of Pool & Billiard Magazine's file photos are shared by professional player Mary Kenniston in her Facebook 'Wall of Fame' albums.)
2011 Highlights
Bi Zhu Qing Wins Women's World 9-Ball
by Ted Lerner, Photo by MY147.com
(Shenyang, China, Sep. 25) Bi
Zhu Qing stands no more than 4’11”. But Sunday night in Shenyang, this
tiny woman became a giant of women’s pool and a sporting hero in the
most populace nation on earth. This after the relatively unknown from
Beijing defeated world number 2 and heavy favorite Chen Siming 9-7 to
capture the 2011 Women’s World 9-ball Championship.
Bi’s title win capped an incredible day for the 23 year old. Up
until Sunday, she was mostly unknown beyond her professional peers in
China, where the women’s game is wildly popular and its top players are
legitimate stars. She is ranked number 7 in China and 81st worldwide and had never won any pool tournaments of note.
Hohmann & Souquet: World Cup Champs
(Sep. 12, 2011) Germany
became the first ever European winners of the PartyCasino.net World Cup
of Pool as they made light work of Thailand to record a superb 10-4
victory and claim the gold medals, trophy, $60,000 and more importantly
the title at the SM Mall North in Manila, Philippines.
Thorsten Hohmann and Ralf Souquet put on a perfect performance to run away with the final match.
Ralf Souquet Claims Masters Crown
(Sep. 5, 2011) Germany's Ralf Souquet claimed his sixth PartyPoker.net World Pool Masters title
when he defeated the Philippines’ Dennis Orcollo in front of a packed
house at the SM Mall North in Quezon City, Manila. The jubilant ‘Kaiser’
screamed with joy as he downed the final 9 ball, banishing a succession
of heart-breaking defeats in the Philippines capital city.
Thorsten Hohmann, Straight Pool Champ
Pictured left to right: Dr. Louis Pannullo (co-sponsor), Charlie Williams (Bronze), Mike Davis
(Silver), Thorsten Hohmann (Gold), Alex Pagulayan (Bronze) & patron
sponsor Dr. Michael Fedak during the closing ceremonies
(Sep.4, 2011) Germany once again reigns supreme in straight pool as Thorsten
Hohmann dominated the 71st World Tournament of 14.1. USA's Mike Davis
had no answer for Hohmann's precision game and knowledge of 14.1. Both
players played their very first match of the event against each other,
and met once again in the very end.
Souquet & DiLiberto, BCA Hall of Fame.jpg)
2011 Billiard Congress of America Hall of Fame inductees Ralf
Souquet (right) and Danny DiLiberto (left),
earned election into pool’s hallowed
halls in voting conducted by the United States Billiard Media
Association. Souquet, 42, and DiLiberto, 76, will be formally inducted
into Greatest Player wing of the BCA Hall of Fame on Oct. 20 during
ceremonies at the Chesapeake Marriott in Chesapeake, VA.
Martin & Keogh, 14.1 Hall of Fame
Three time World 14.1 Champion Ray "Cool Cat"
Martin (below) and 14.1 Continuous inventor Jerome Keogh (right) are the first
inductees into the new Straight Pool Hall of Fame. The ceremony (August, 2011) was at the Hyatt Regency Hotel (New Brunswick, NJ) Keogh was inducted posthumously. Martin was there to accept his award at age 76.
Akagariyama, World 9-Ball Champion
Photo by Ted Lerner
Yukio
Akagariyama of
Japan won the 2011 World 9-ball title by defeating the Philippines
Ronnie Alcano in a tense and scintillating finals match in early July. Akagariyama won by a score of 13-11 before a crowd of close to 1500 people at the Al Sadd Sports Club in Doha, Qatar.
Allison Fisher, WPBA US Open 9-Ball Champ
Allison Fisher took the title from two-time US Open Champion Ga
Young Kim by a score of 7-4 in the ESPN taped finals in June, 2011. The week-long event was hosted by the River Spirit Casino in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
FORUM: Your Views!
Instructional Videos
Read
Back Issues
Play 99: Rules
1-Pocket Ring Game
