The ACS Midwest 8-Ball Championships will once again be feld in Hubertus, WI.

The ACS Midwest 8-Ball Championships returns for a third year in Hubertus, Wisconsin (near Milwaukee), at the Richfield Chalet, November 14-16! The event will feature singles and 3-person team divisions for ACS and CCS-sanctioned league players with four weeks of play since June 1, 2008.

Any pool league can sanction or dual-sanction with the ACS simply by paying a $10/player sanction fee. Entry forms and flyers may be downloaded from the ACS website at Americancuesports.org. ACS league members are qualified to compete in twelve (12) ACS state championships within their respective states, four (4) CCS Canadian regional and national championships and the 2008 ACS National Championships to be conducted May 31 – June 6 at the Riviera Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada. The ACS also offers both certified referee and instructor/coach programs, and the highest-placing ACS member wins a free entry into the ACS Nationals at each Pechauer All American Tour stop – open to any amateur player. ACS presents the 2008/2009 installment of the Pechauer All American Tour in October, 2008.

The ACS is a non-profit, national organization dedicated to heightening the interest and awareness of cue sports through the support and sanctioning of organized competition throughout the United States and North America.

American Pool Deluxe Racks up on Wii™

The Ultimate Pool & Billiard Simulation Coming This Fall

The American Pool Deluxe pool and billiard video games will be available for Wii™ this Fall.

“The most realistic pool game on the market to date!”
Eric “The Preacher” Yow, WPA Massé World Champion

“The only game that can actually make you a better pool player on the real felt!” 
Jennifer Barretta, Women’s Professional Billiards Association

Austin, TX – September 9, 2008 – Coming this fall, American Pool Deluxe offers your favorite pool and billiards games for Wii™. American Pool Deluxe makes use of Wii remote’s accelerometer technology for the most realistic experience possible.

American Pool Deluxe pool and billiards video games.

From 8-ball to 9-ball to snooker, American Pool Deluxe features head-to-head and two person multiplayer, trick-shot challenges, as well as a complete tournament mode. Players in a tournament can face off against other pool champions from around the world. Three professional commentators analyze the action as players walk around the table and plan their shots from any angle.

“With superior graphics and incomparable gameplay, American Pool Deluxe is as authentic as they come,” said Eric “The Preacher” Yow, World Pool-Billiard Association Massé World Champion. “For years the gaming industry has attempted to duplicate the complex physics and geometry of cue sports into a lifelike rendition for families to enjoy. Finally, a game captures the beauty of the sport and allows you to perfect your skills! Run a rack without ever leaving your chair!”

American Pool Deluxe is the first game to come out of Upshot Games, the casual games division of Gone Off Deep Inc., whose other brands include video game publishing company Gamecock Media Group.

For more information please visit www.AmericanPoolDeluxe.com. American Pool Deluxe will be released on Wii this November for $49.99. 

About Upshot Games
Upshot Games is the casual games label of Gone Off Deep LLC, who also operates as Gamecock Media Group. Upshot seeks opportunities to reach mainstream audiences with quality offerings on all gaming platforms worldwide.
Wii and Nintendo DS are trademarks of Nintendo. © 2006 Nintendo.

Contact:
Shaun Norton
Sandbox Strategies
212-213-2451 x 226
shaun@sandboxstrat.com

Lanuto Logs Tri-State Billiards Win
Tri-State Tour / Edison, NJ

by Skip Maloney

Sal Lanuto fended off the field to capture the Tri-State billiards tour stop title at Sandcastle Billiards in Edison, NJ.

Sal Lanuto went undefeated to take first place in the Tri-State Tour stop September 27. The $500-added, B,D-handicapped event drew 30 entrants to Sandcastle Billiards in Edison, NJ.

Positioned among the winners’ side final four, Lanuto first sent Gary Murgia to the one-loss side with a 7-2 victory before taking on Amy Triolo in the hot seat match. Triolo, who’d defeated Jason Egeln 7-5, followed him over on the heels of a 7-3 Lanuto victory.

On the one-loss side, Phil Carr, positioned among the final eight there, defeated Angelo Fiorino 7-2 and Ted Lubis 7-5 before facing Egeln. Carr dropped Egeln 7-5 into a tie for fifth place with George Osipovich, who’d fallen 7-2 to Murgia. In the early going of the quarterfinal match that followed, Carr was building on his momentum and took a 4-0 lead against Murgia.  Murgia rallied to tie it and then surged ahead by two games to reach the hill first. Carr responded to go double-hill before Murgia finished it 7-6 and turned to face Triolo in the semifinals.

In the handicapped format, Triolo entered the semifinals with a 4-0 lead. Murgia allowed her to win only two actual games, closing it out at 9-6 and preparing for his second match-up against Lanuto.

Like Triolo in the semifinals, Lanuto started the final match with two games in hand against the higher handicapped Murgia. Murgia erased that lead to tie it at 2-2 right away but missed opportunities to open and widen a gap as the match progressed. The two battled to a 5-5 tie, before Lanuto took advantage of successive opportunities and finished it 7-5.

Results:
1st Sal Lanuto
2nd Gary Murgia
3rd Amy Triolo
4th Phil Carr
5/6th George Osipovich
5/6th Jason Egeln
7/8th Teddy Lubis
7/8th Ben Sadowski
9/12th Randy Mackin
9/12th Angelo Fiorino
9/12th James DeGiosafatto
9/12th Michael Seas

Ranola Wins Arizona Women’s Billiard Tour Event
Arizona Women’s Billiard Tour / Tempe, AZ

by Skip Maloney

Iris Ranola snapped off her second straight Arizona Women's Billiard Tour event at Corner Pocket Billiards in Tempe, AZ.

Iris Ranola fought off a strong challenge by Susan Mello from the one-loss side and captured her second straight win on the Arizona Women’s Billiards Tour the weekend of September 27-28. Ranola, who’d won the stop in Tucson late in August, joined a field of 23 women for the $500-added event, hosted by Kolby’s Korner Pocket Billiards in Tempe, AZ.

Among the winners’ side final four, Ranola shut out Nina Tagley to face Nicole Keeney in the hot seat match. Keeney, who’d sent Kathleen Wallace west with a 7-3 victory, followed her over with a 7-4 defeat at the hands of Ranola.

On the one-loss side, Mello and Susan Williams emerged from among the final 12, dropping Sara Miller and Angel Paglia, respectively, into a tie for seventh and then facing Wallace and Tagley over from the winners’ side. The two Susans dropped Wallace and Tagley into a tie for fifth and then battled through a double-hill match in the quarterfinals that sent Mello to meet Keeney in the semifinals. Mello followed her hill-hill victory over Williams with a solid 7-1 defeat of Keeney that moved her into the finals against Ranola.

Mello’s momentum in the semifinals helped to define a give and take struggle in the finals. Ranola, however, was not to be denied and closed it out at 7-5 to secure her second straight win on the tour.

Results:
1st Iris Ranola
2nd Susan Mello
3rd Nicole Keeney
4th Susan Williams
5/6th Nina Tagley
5/6th Kathleen Wallace
7/8th Sara Miller
7/8th Angelina Paglia
9/12th Ashea Erdahl
9/12th Liz Bernreuter
9/12th Krystal Edmondson
9/12th Trinh Lu

photo courtesy of Rixx Images

Powers Holds off Laney to winat Diamond Billiards Club
The Great Southern Billiard Tour / Chattanooga, TN

by Skip Maloney

Rock Powers held off Mike Laney in the finals of the Great Southern Billiard Tour stop at Diamonds Billiard Club in Chattanooga, TN.

Rick Powers withstood a strong challenge from the one-loss side by Mike Laney to take first place in the Great Southern Billiard Tour’s amateur stop the weekend of September 27-28. The $2,000-added event drew 52 amateur pool players to Diamonds Billiard Club in Chattanooga.

Early Sunday, Powers and Daniel McKenney, on the winners’ side, sent Kendall Frazier and Josh O’Neal over to battle for fifth place and faced each other in the hot seat match. They battled to double-hill before Powers prevailed, sending McKenney to the semifinals.

Laney, in the meantime, was working from among the one-loss side’s final eight, defeating Darrell Stites and Gabe Appolos before facing O’Neal in the battle that determined fifth place. Dave Crockett was at work as well, moving past Jared McGee and Jarrett McPherson for his fifth-place struggle against Frazier. Crockett and Laney faced each other in the quarterfinals, won by Laney 8-4.

Laney completed his trip to the finals with an 8-6 victory over McKenney, only to be defeated by the same score in the finals against Powers.

Results:
1st Rick Powers
2nd Mike Laney
3rd Daniel McKenney
4th Dave Crockett
5/6th Josh O’Neal
5/6th Kendall Frazier
7/8th Jarret McPherson
7/8th Gabe Appolos
9/12th Jared McGee
9/12th Darrell Stites
9/12th Jeff Tabet
9/12th Jamey Hickman