Viking Cues Photo Caption Winner for April
Congratulations to Terry Chrtt of IL for submitting the winning entry in the Viking pool Cues Photo Caption Contest for the month of April.

Terry has won a Viking pool cue that has a retail value of $300-400 and a one year subscription to Inside pool Magazine.
The winning caption was, Along with other new products, The pool table Tanning System was a big hit at a recent event.
Inside pool Magazine and InsidePOOLmag.com host the Viking Cues Photo Caption Contest every issue.
The winners are announced on InsidePOOLmag.com at the beginning of the month and in the photo caption section of Inside pool Magazine.
This month features a photo of a WPBA Touring Pro Kelly Fisher surveying the table after a shot at the Super billiards Expo in Valley Forge. Visitors can submit entries via email by going to the Photo Caption Contest Entry Page.
You can enter every day, one time per day.
Photo Caption Entry Form
See the past winner of the Viking Cues Photo Caption Contest

BCA Resumes Control of Men’s Rankings and Communications
The billiard Congress of America (BCA) today announced it will manage the men’s professional rankings system and player communications duties in its role as the North American representative to the World pool-billiard Association (WPA). Most recently these duties were handled by the U.S. Professional Poolplayers Association.
“The tremendous international expansion of men’s events in recent years has made it clear that the BCA needs to take steps to solidify the men’s professional ranking system,” said BCA Board President Ivan Lee. “We have grown from a single World 9-ball Championship to WPA World Championships in 8-ball, 9-ball, 10-ball and 14.1, and it is imperative that we maintain a ranking system that consistently allows us to send the best players North America has to offer to compete and represent our continent in these events.”
This decision was made after the BCA learned that an American pro event was conducted in direct conflict with the World 8-ball Championship. The conflict resulted in players being required to choose between competing in the World 8-ball event and losing ranking points or competing in the American event and sacrificing their opportunity at a world title.
“The BCA believes that the task of communicating with and assigning professional players to compete in international events is now so critical that they must have direct control of the process in order to take responsibility for it,” further stated Lee. The BCA has requested that AZBilliards, a leading source in pool and billiard news and information, assist with creating and maintaining the new ranking system. “AZBilliards, in partnership with the BCA, is helping to create a thorough, carefully planned player ranking process that will allow the BCA to provide the best possible representation from North America to the World Championship events,” concluded Lee. A follow-up announcement detailing the new ranking system will be released in the near future.
About billiard Congress of America
Founded in 1948, the billiard Congress of America is a non-profit trade organization dedicated to growing a united, prosperous and highly regarded billiard industry through BCA leadership. The BCA seeks to enhance the success of its members and promote the game of billiards though educational, marketing and promotional efforts, annual industry trade shows, tournaments and other programs designed to encourage billiards as a lifestyle and make pool everybody’s game. For more information, visit bca-pool.com or call 866.852.0999.

Top Pro Robles to Hold billiard Seminar
pool Sharks to host pool School
World renowned instructor Tony Robles will be hosting a pool school at pool Sharks in Las Vegas on May 10-11. A 2003 2004 Mosconi Cup Team Champion and the 2004 BCA Open 9-ball Champion, Tony has been teaching for almost 20 years and is one of the most sought after instructors in the country. Now he is taking his teachings to the Las Vegas area prior to his play in the Predator World 10-ball Championship.
Currently ranked #4 in the UPA, Tony is also one of four instructors that will be teaching at the Predator Pro School with Efren Reyes, Francisco Bustamente and Thorsten Hohmann at Top Hat billiards in Jacksonville, Florida on May 21-22, 2008, but Las Vegas attendees can have a major opportunity to attend Tony Robles’ Deadly pool Workshop at pool Sharks in Vegas.
The cost will be $350.00 for 6 hours of instruction over 2 days. If you sign up and pay in full by May 8th, you will get a $50.00 discount. That’s $300.00 dollars total for both days! Spots are going fast so sign up soon.
For more information, please contact John Kutcher at 702-339-1554 or by e-mail at johnkutcher[at]hotmail.com.

Plowman Takes Unusual billiards Event

Arizona Women’s billiard Tour / Phoenix, AZ
by Skip Maloney
There was some confusion about when exactly the tournament finals were to be played, but there was no confusion about who won it. Bonnie Plowman traveled from Colorado to Phoenix, AZ, for the Arizona Women’s billiard Tour’s May 3-4 stop and took home first prize. The $500-added 8-ball event drew 18 entrants to Alexander’s Bar and Grill.
Played under the auspices of an Arizona rating system, the women played handicapped matches, equal to their Arizona rating, minus three. Under this format, Plowman, with an Arizona rating of 9, played Sara Miller, with a rating of 7, for the hot seat, forcing Plowman to win 6 before Miller won 4. They battled to a 3-2, early lead for Miller, which put her on the hill, before Bowman responded, winning the next four to assure her place in the finals.
Miller moved over to the one-loss side of the bracket, where she met Bernie Store, rated as an 8, in the semifinals. Store dropped Miller into third place with a 5-2 victory and moved on to face Colman in the finals.
While originally scheduled for Sunday morning, the final match actually took place on Saturday night, when some confusion reigned over whether the venue would be available in the morning. As it turned out, it was going to be available, but before that determination was made, Store and Plowman had moved to a table and started their match.
In the true double-elimination format, Plowman needed to win 6 games before Store won 5. Plowman made it a single-set victory, defeating Store 6-3 to capture the first-place prize.
Results:
1st Bonnie Plowman
2nd Bernie Store
3rd Sara Miller
4th Susan Williams
5th Kathleen Wallace
Holly Sholes
7th Holly Ryan
Marney Teague

Van Boening Vows to Defend USA at the Predator International 10-ball Championship
USA has mobilized a wealth of its best billiards talent to halt the hordes of foreign stars attending the 8th Annual Predator 10-ball Championship . Roughly twenty top pros will take on the task of countering their international adversaries. Leading the forefront will be USA’s hottest professional Shane Van Boening and veteran mega star Johnny Archer.
The biggest outside threat will be the strong Filipino contingent led by Efren Reyes, Francisco Bustamante, and Alex Pagulayan. USA has strong hopes within their own ranks as players like Van Boening have halted Pinoys such as Ronnie Alcano from winning the US Open and battling back and forth with lion hearted Alex Pagulayan. Other top hopefuls such as John Schmidt, who zoomed past Filipino legend Rodulpho Luat to win the US Open and long time force Johnny Archer, who’s Scorpion sting has stung many champions from the eastern hemisphere such as Reyes and Bustamante for years.
I won the title for the USA last year, and I am confident we can keep the title this year. I know what we can do and what kind of firepower they will be facing when they play against me, Johnny, and the rest of the US crew. said a confident Van Boening. Shane has put his money where his mouth is with wins at last year’s Predator World 10-ball Championship and US Open 9-ball Championship, leaving a trail of Asian and European victims to the wayside.
If there is one player the Filipinos are intimidated by right now, it has to be Shane. He is so focused and smooth, nothing seems to phase him. No excuses, he is the real deal. says Mike Davis, currently #3 in the USA rankings.
The USA’s talented regiment will also include US Open Champions Rodney Morris, Gabe Owen, and Jeremy Jones. BCA Open Champions Charlie Williams and Tony Robles, along with experienced pros Dennis Hatch, Shawn Putnam, Tony Crosby, and hard nosed competitors Mike Davis, Charlie Bryant and Stevie Moore. New hot guns Shaun Wilkie, Mike Dechaine, and Louis Ulrich. Last year’s runner up Cliff Joyner will be back as well as veteran and now Hall of Famer Allen Hopkins.
Skybox Seats available for the first time at Predator International 10-ball Championship. Watch the pros play in style up high in the elite Skybox area seating. In the past, these seats were exclusive only to pro players,special guests and sponsors. This year the Skybox seating will host the pro players and sponsors as well as elite VIP ticket holders who specifically purchase tickets just for the skybox areas. Any remaining tickets can be purchased on site at the tickets sales counter near the pro arena. Buy now in advance at Playbca.com.

The 8th Annual Predator International 10-ball Championship is produced by Dragon Promotions. The event is hosted by the BCA pool Leagues at the Riviera Hotel Casino and sponsored by The Predator Group, Seyberts.com, Diamond billiard Products, Simonis cloth, Aramith Balls, Delta-13 Rack, and Extreme Focus Sports Drink. The event matches will be covered daily by Kozoom.com and InsidePOOLmag.com.

More info on the event can be found at Dragonpromotions.com