Pool Billiard News: Everything from the Sport of Pool & Billiards

This was the Pool Billiard News website for a number of years. The content below is from the site's 2007 archived content.

Selected 2007 Featured Pool and Billiard Articles

Duel Undefeated in Seminole Florida Pro Tour Opener

Author: Pool Billiard News
Website: /www.insidepoolmag.com
Added: Mon, 12 Mar 2007
Seminole Florida Pro Tour / Melbourne, FL
by Rick Davis

The 2007 season of the Seminole Florida Pro Tour got off to a rolling start over the April 14-15 weekend when Corey “The Prince of Pool” Deuel went undefeated to claim the title amidst a very interesting event. Held at Players Billiards in Melbourne, FL, the schedule called for a two-day event, and because the event began with a 93-player field, rounds took place 24 hours a day until the winner was crowned past midnight on Sunday.

After Saturday’s action cleared up and the majority of the players had been eliminated, the final four on the winners’ side appeared with Deuel facing Robb Saez, the 2006 Florida Tour Championship champion, and Mike Destafano up against Dave Broxson. Deuel pushed past Saez 8-5, and Broxson went down to wire before finally taking his match double-hill. Next, in the hot seat match, Deuel kept control once again, sending Broxson west and waiting to see who would emerge from the one-loss side.

With the event going around the clock, those on the winners’ side enjoyed some lengthy breaks between rounds, although those on the one-loss side played nearly continuously for the better part of 24 hours. On the one-loss side Adam Wheeler and Donnie Mills matched up after each had taken a loss in the previous round. Also, Tony “The Sniper” Crosby faced Mike Dechaine, an 18-year-old player who knocked Earl Strickland out of the event in the previous round. Both matches went double-hill, and after the dust settled Wheeler and Crosby were still standing. Inching their way to the finish line, Wheeler knocked out another competitor, Destefano, while the incoming Saez showed Crosby to the door, both matches going 8-6.

With the quarterfinals on hand, Wheeler faced Saez, and the match ended up at the most common score for the day on the one-loss side, 8-6 in favor of Saez. Saez finally met his match in the semifinals as Broxson ousted him by the expected 8-6 score and quickly returned for a rematch against Deuel. In the finals, the single race to 9 tipped quickly in favor of Deuel, who took the match after a two-hour battle, finishing with a 9-5 score and claiming the lion’s share of the prize fund after a grueling two days of play.

The Florida Tour will continue April 21-22 at Strokers in Palm Harbor, FL

Results:

1st Corey Deuel $5000

2nd David Broxson $2500

3rd Robb Saez $1700

4th Adam Wheeler $1300

5th Tony Crosby $1000

Mike Destafano

7th Donnie Mills $800

Mike Dechaine

9th Wayne Catledge $600

Luis Veria

Steve Moore

Earl Strickland

13th Shawn Ohman $400

Trevor Braymore

Curtis Kelly

Luc DeDierne

I’ve worked on a lot of sites over the years, but PoolBilliardNews.com will always stand out because of the rollercoaster it put me through. Everything looked great on the surface — clean structure, solid legacy content from the old billiard community, and a respectable backlink history from InsidePoolMag and the BCA era. Then one morning I checked analytics and saw a massive drop. Traffic had fallen off a cliff, and rankings that had been steady for months were suddenly gone.

At first, I thought maybe there’d been an algorithm tweak, or some indexing hiccup. But after combing through everything — crawl data, coverage reports, and page-speed metrics — nothing explained the collapse. It wasn’t until I dove into the link profile that the real story emerged: thousands of shady backlinks pointing in from bizarre foreign domains and spun content sites I’d never seen before. Someone had launched a textbook negative SEO attack.

I reached out to the folks at Google-Penalty.com for a second opinion, and they confirmed what I was seeing. They advised me to manually vet every link, document everything, and build a disavow file for submission through Search Console. I spent days categorizing garbage links, checking referring domains, and finally uploaded the disavow list. Then came the worst part — waiting. For almost three weeks, nothing changed. Rankings didn’t budge. No notifications. No recovery.

And then, as quietly as it had fallen, the site began to rise again. Search visibility started to return, pages reappeared in SERPs, and by the end of that month, we were back. I still don’t know what motivated the attack — maybe a jealous competitor or some automated link farm running wild — but it was a harsh reminder of how fragile online reputations can be.

If there’s one takeaway, it’s that vigilance never ends. Always monitor your link profile. Keep backups of clean link data. And never assume that ranking losses are always your fault — sometimes, as Pool Billiard News taught me, the threat comes from outside. Darcy Roh

Dedicated Billiard Victory for Hjorliefson

Author: Pool Billiard News
Website:\www.definitiversynergy.com
Added: Mon, 12 Mar 2007
Category: April 2007
Canadian 30K Tour / Newmarket, ONT
by Willy Hermoza and Tony Butera

Willy Hermoza and Tony Butera Quick

Frequent winner Erik Hjorliefson went undefeated at the April 14-15 stop of the Canadian 30K Tour. Hosted by Bigwig Billiards in Newmarket, ONT, this event attracted 40 players vying for the first-place prize.

On Sunday, Hjorliefson steamrolled over Dennis Rhodes, defeating him 10-2 and sending him to the one-loss side grind. On the bottom half of the winners’-side bracket, 14-year-old Jeff Robson bested Rob Brandenburg 5-8 in an exciting double-hill match. The battle for the hot seat was a one-man show, as Hjorliefson took over and defeated Robson 10-1.

On the top of the one-loss side, Dennis Rhodes bested Brian McDougal in another double-hill match 7-7. Also, Jason Klatt made quick work of Brandenburg 9-3 to win the bottom bracket of the one-loss side. Never letting up, Klatt trounced Rhodes 10-2 and stampeded Robson 10-1.

The stage was set for the final scene. Hjorleifson started out slow but then kicked it into high gear, never really letting Klatt into the action. Erik won the match 9-4, dedicating this win to his grandmother, who recently passed away.

Results:
1st Erik Hjorliefson<
2nd Jason Klatt
3rd Jeff Robson<
4th Dennis Rhodes
5th Brian McDougall
Rob Brandenburg

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Action Abounds on the Viking Cue 9 Ball Tour

Author: Pool Billiard News
Website: www.insidepoolmag.com
Added: Mon, 12 Mar 2007
Viking Cue 9-Ball Tour / Marietta, GA
by Rick Davis

The April 14-15 weekend brought a frenzy of action to The Pool Room in Marietta, GA, where the Viking Cue 9-Ball Tour drew in a total of 88 players between their open, amateur, and junior divisions.

In the open division, the 35-player field quickly wound down as Leil Gay and Sam Tush met in the hot seat match. After a strong 9-5 win Gay headed to the finals while Tush headed west. On the one-loss side Mike Newsome drilled Joe Murphy 7-2 to reach the quarterfinals while David Treft kept pace by eliminating John Salter 7-4. Treft was firmly in gear and proceeded to knock out Newsome 7-2 in the quarterfinals and then Tush 7-5 in the semifinals. Treft reached the finals after an impressive one-loss side comeback and, after getting out to a 3-0, lead he was looking good. Gay, though, had something to say about that and quickly tied the set at 3-all then powered his way to a 9-5 finish, defeating Treft and claiming the top spot.

On the other half of The Pool Room, the amateur event was taking shape as action wound down to the last handful of rounds. On the winners’ side Adam Powery skipped past Mike Kearns 6-4 in the hot seat match to reach the finals. On the one-loss side Bernardo Steven slipped past Casey Joyner double-hill while Todd Rousey eliminated Bob Buckley 5-2. With Rousey and Steven advancing to the quarterfinals, all eyes were on the see-saw battle as neither player gave up an inch. Finally, at double-hill, Rousey slipped past to advance and face Kearns next as he came from the winners’ side. Nearly as close as the previous round, the semifinals reached 5-3 before Kearns eliminated Rousey and got another crack at Powery. With his newfound momentum, Kearns drilled Powery 6-2 in the first set, but Powery quickly regrouped and turned the tables to defeat Kearns 5-2 in the second set to win the match and claim the event.

Along with these two events, the junior participants played out in a private VIP room that The Pool Room offered. In the 14- through 19-year-old division, Robert West defeated Matt Stafford double-hill in the hot seat match while Joseph Cole eliminated Mike Rudd 4-2 in the quarterfinals on the one-loss side. Cole advanced to face the incoming Stafford but didn’t get far, as Stafford knocked him out 4-2. In the finals, Stafford managed the claim the first set double-hill but was shut out in the second by Left 4-0.

The other junior division, 14 years and under, wrapped up quickly with some very strong play. Josh Newman blew through Benjamin Thompson 4-1 in the hot seat match while Dylan Vall did the same to Josh Miller in the quarterfinal round. Thompson slipped past Vall in the semifinals double-hill but after returning to face Newman for the second time had no better luck as Newman drilled him 4-1 again, this time to end the event and walk away with the title.

Across the junior events, the top player in each division, along with the top female, Breana Curry, received an entry into the nationals, while West and Newman also received a Viking cue for their hard work.

Throughout the weekend The Pool Room was packed with spectators, players, and friends as the 40-table room was filled throughout the weekend. In addition, everyone was treated to a trick shot exhibition by Okinawa Slim that was sponsored by The Pool Room.

Open Results:
1st Leil Gay
2nd David Treft
3rd Sam Tush
4th Mike Newsome
5th John Salter
Joe Murphy

Amateur Results:
1st Adam Powery
2nd Mike Kearns
3rd Todd Rousey
4th Bernardo Steven
5th Casey Joyner
Bob Buckley

Junior 14 and Under Results:
1st Josh Newman
2nd Benjamin Thompson
3rd Dylan Vall
4th Josh Miller

Junior 14 to 19 Results:
1st Robert West
2nd Matt Stafford
3rd Joseph Cole
4th Mike Rudd The Viking Tour would also like to notify players that their next event has been rescheduled. The April 21-22 trio of events that was scheduled to take place at Sportys in North Carolina will now take place at Play to Win Billiards in Raleigh, NC.

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Author: Pool Billiard News

Directory: April 2007

2007 Challenge the Stars

Play the Pros, Step Up to the Challenge Scheduled for May 15 in Las Vegas

The Billiard Education Foundation (BEF) will host the annual Challenge the Stars benefit will be in conjunction with the BCA National 8- Ball Championships and the EnjoyPool.com 9-Ball Championships in Las Vegas, on Tuesday, May 15, 2007.

This benefit gives all players and spectators an opportunity to enjoy and compete with the top pros and BCA Hall of Famers while supporting youth programs. The festivities will take place in the Grande Ballroom of the Riviera Hotel & Casino, at 8:30 pm, immediately following the BCA Hall of Fame Banquet at www.bca-pool.com.

With BCA Hall of Famers and 128 of the world’s top pros, including Allison Fisher, Karen Corr Jeanette Lee, Vivian Villarreal, Loree Jon Jones, Tony Robles, Mike Massey at hand, willing challengers can select 3 options of play: the BEF Challenge, $10 donation, challenger plays one game of 9-ball with designated pro, the Pro Challenge, $40 donation, shoot one game of 9-ball with one of your three top choices, based on availability, or the Ultimate Challenge,

$100 donation, play three games of 9-ball with one of your three top choices, based on availability. All challengers will receive an autographed certificate and a souvenir photo taken with their pro.

Spectators and players can also participate in the raffles and auction to bid on their favorite prizes. Whether you challenge a pro, participate in the raffle or make a donation, you can make a difference in our youth programs, step up to the challenge. Admission is free.

All proceeds benefit the BEF. For more information about the BEF, visit www.BilliardEducation.org.

The Billiard Education Foundation is a 501 (c) (3) non-profit charitable organization committed to furthering the standard of excellence and leadership within the billiard community by engaging in activities related to the education and cultural advancement of tomorrow’s leaders.

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Published: Fri, 06 Apr 2007 00:13:00 -0400)

NYC Defends Against Team Korea in Predator Challenge Match

Team NY with Tony Robles, Jennifer Barretta, and Caroline Pao came together in the end to win in a very close match up against Korea's Yu Ram CHa, Charlie Williams, and Bo Ram Cha. The event was held at Amsterdam Billiards in Manhattan, NY.

Yu Ram Cha, who hours earlier won the Womens Amateur Championship event in Valley Forge, took on Barretta in a race to 7 match. Fatigue from playing early in the day and adjustment to the big table again seem to throw Cha off while Barretta played her normal steady game. Barretta controlled the match to win 7-4.

"I feel like I'm swimming!" exclaimed Cha at the size of the regulation 9 ft table after coming off the 7 ft tables.

At the same time, Pao and Bo Ram Cha were battling it out on the opposite table. Pao had the lead early until Cha tie the match at 5-5. Then Cha took over and won 7-5 decision.

It was now 1-1 NYC and Korea.

Robles would take on Williams next in a race to 9. Williams broke out to an early lead and Robles had problems making balls on break. Williams played fast and solid and built a insurmountable lead of 7-2 before winning the final score of 9-4.

Korea 2-1 against NYC

Doubles were next with Cha and Williams against Robles and Barretta. Williams and Cha made some elementary errors while Robles and Barretta played in perfect sync to win 6-4.

The tie breaker would be a 3-on-3 match with all 3 players on both teams playing alternate shot. NYC just seemed to be unstoppable as Robles coached his ladies perfectly to win the match 5-2.

Final score, NYC 3 wins to Team Korea's 2 wins.

Simonis Cloth, Stu Mattana, Harold Siegel, Greg Hunt and Predator Cues were the main sponsors of the event. Thanks to William Fuentes for the great photographs.

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Pool Cues, Billiard Cue, Pool Sticks

Ask any great player and they'll tell you that the most import piece of equipment that a pool player can own would is a pool cue. The modern two-piece pool cue has been around for over a century. The pool cue actually started as a "mace", which was an instrument that had a club-like end and the player would simply scoot, shove or hit the cueball with as they desired. The one-piece cue as we know it today when a leather tip was added at one end so to decrease miscues. Pool cue chalk soon followed aftwerwards and the evolution of english and spin took over the imagination of the players. Players soon decided to travel with their own pool sticks, since they noticed that they played better with a familiar instrument, and the two-piece cuestick became an overnight necessity. About that time, cuemakers invented methods to secure the two pieces of the pool cue. This spawned the invention of several modern-day joints that pool cues use today. Several advancements have been made to enhance the pool cue and it's playing characteristics, but for the most part all cues have the same elements of construction; butt, shaft, joint, tip and ferrule.

Pool Cue Tips, Leather Pool Stick Tips

How important is a pool cue tip? It's the only part of the pool stick that touches the cue ball. Yuo can spend thousands of dollars on a pool cue, but without a leather tip, it's worthless. Choosing a good pool cue tip is critical. Good tips to choose from include Moori Tips, Le Pro (le Professional tips), Elk Master tips, Water Buffalo tips, Triangle, Chandivert, French Champion, and many layered pig skin tips.

Pool Tables, Billiard Table

It’s a dream that a lot of people have had. Of course, it’s a daydream, but nonetheless, it’s a good daydream. Whether you live in a college dorm, have a loft of your own, or finally have saved enough to buy a home, you have always wanted that killer game room, that zenith of social status and good times rolled into one, with one magnificent centerpiece ruling over it—a pool table. Pool table buying can be treacherous. If you should take your billiard tAble dream to the next level and go searching, beware. For even the savviest billiard buyer, the search for most dream tables turns into a nightmare. The first problem is that most dreamers believe that there’s a pool table with their name on it waiting in the cellar of some little old lady who would be thrilled if they would give her $50 for her 70-year-old pristine Gold Crown and get it out of her way. They just need to knock on a few doors, ask a few friends, and, if all else fails, look in the classifieds of their local newspaper. Try us here first.

Pool Table Cloth, Billiard Table Felt

Pool table cloth, or pool table felt, has been around for centuries. The basics of having a cloth surface on a pool table started because the table looked more appealing, the balls rolled true, the wear and tear on the table itself was reduced and the sounds were muffled. Many refer to pool table cloth as pool table felt because most of the early pool table cloth was very “nappy” or fuzzy. This is the difference in the two styles of pool table cloth that exist. The two styles are directional (close up pictured to right) and non-directional. Directional cloth is very fuzzy where non-directional pool table cloth is not. Directional pool table felt gets its name because of the way it plays and the way it’s cleaned. With directional pool table felt, the fuzz or “nap” is designed to lay in one direction. It will actually cause balls to roll slightly off and even make the table appear not to be level because the nap can raise the playing surface up a few thousandths of an inch, which will redirect a slow rolling ball ever so slightly.

Pool Cue Cases, Pool Stick Case

Protect your investment pool cue . The easiest and least expensive way to protect your pool cue investment is to purchase a good cue case. We have tons of pool cue cases listed below. When looking for a good pool cue case, look for sturdy construction, light weight, and good construction materials. Obviously, cloth and sponge won't provide maximum protection against damage or dings. Leather and PVC tubes offer good protection and good looks, but the weight can become overbearing after only a short distance. The choice for a good pool cue case is yours of course, but keep in mind that it has to protect and offer some mobility.

Pool Balls, Billiard Balls

When it comes right down to it, pool balls are what you play the game of pool with. Without a good set of balls, the game can change shot to shot because the balls doen't act consistently. Good pool and billiard balls have a little weight to them. Most balls are perfectly spherical within a few thousandths of an inch. The weight of a billiard ball keeps it on line. Good names to for are Aramith and Vigma.

Pool Ball Racks, Pool Cue Racks, Wall Cue Racks, Floor Cue Racks

There's two different types of racks on pool and billiards. There's pool ball racks and pool cue racks. Good billiard ball racks are the Sardo Tight Rack and the RST2 Chameleon Rack. As far as pool cue racks, there's no real front runner in the name brand department. When shopping for a good rack, wall or floor, look for solid wood construction and weight of the product. Most pool cue racks will hold between 8 and 12 pool cues. Determine which is the best option for your gameroom before buying.

More Background On PoolBilliardNews.com

PoolBilliardNews.com emerged during a period when cue sports were experiencing renewed international interest and the internet was rapidly becoming the preferred source for sports news. During the early and mid-2000s, dedicated websites began replacing traditional print magazines as the fastest way for players and fans to follow tournaments, read instructional articles, discover new equipment, and keep up with professional rankings.

Unlike broad sports websites that only occasionally covered billiards, PoolBilliardNews.com focused exclusively on cue sports. Its mission was straightforward: provide a central online destination for news, tournament reports, player features, equipment information, and educational articles relating to pool and billiards.

Archived versions of the website show that by 2007 it had developed into a substantial resource featuring professional tournament coverage, instructional material, product information, and announcements from organizations throughout the billiards industry. Rather than concentrating on a single tour or sanctioning body, the site attempted to cover the sport from multiple perspectives, making it useful for both competitive players and recreational enthusiasts.

The website reflected an era before social media became the dominant channel for sports reporting. Tournament results were often published within hours of completion, giving readers around the world access to information that previously might have taken weeks to appear in magazines.

Purpose and Editorial Mission

PoolBilliardNews.com served several important functions within the billiards community.

Its primary goal was to keep players informed about professional competition while also helping casual players improve their understanding of the sport. This dual approach distinguished the site from publications that focused exclusively on professional events.

Visitors could find coverage of:

Professional pool tournaments
Regional tours
Junior competitions
Women's events
International championships
Charity tournaments
Equipment reviews
Buying guides
Pool cue technology
Table maintenance
Instructional articles
Industry announcements

The site attempted to become a one-stop destination for virtually everything associated with cue sports. This broad editorial strategy reflected the growing diversity of the billiards community during the 2000s, when amateur leagues, youth programs, and regional tours were expanding rapidly.

Instead of emphasizing sensational headlines or player controversies, most articles concentrated on match results, tournament summaries, player achievements, and technical aspects of the game.

Coverage of Professional Tournament Play

One of PoolBilliardNews.com's greatest strengths was its extensive tournament reporting.

Archived material demonstrates coverage of numerous respected professional and regional tours throughout North America.

Examples included:

Seminole Florida Pro Tour
Viking Cue 9-Ball Tour
Canadian 30K Tour
Predator Challenge Matches
BCA National events
Junior Championships
Women's competitions

Tournament reports typically followed a consistent format.

Readers received:

tournament location
participating professionals
progression through the brackets
semifinal and final match summaries
prize distributions
complete finishing positions
notable performances
upcoming tour schedules

For serious fans, this level of detail provided considerably more information than mainstream sports outlets, which rarely covered cue sports in depth.

For example, coverage of the Seminole Florida Pro Tour described Corey Deuel's undefeated run through a ninety-three-player field in Melbourne, Florida. Rather than merely announcing the winner, the article detailed individual matches, the demanding around-the-clock tournament schedule, performances from Dave Broxson, Robb Saez, Adam Wheeler, Tony Crosby, Mike Dechaine, and Earl Strickland, before concluding with complete prize payouts and information about the next event.

This comprehensive reporting style gave readers a genuine sense of following the tournament from beginning to end rather than simply reading the final scores.

Supporting Regional Tours

Another notable aspect of PoolBilliardNews.com was its willingness to cover regional events alongside nationally recognized tournaments.

Many sports websites focus exclusively on elite competition, but PoolBilliardNews.com devoted significant attention to tours that helped develop future professional players.

Examples included:

Florida regional events
Georgia tournaments
Canadian tours
local amateur championships
youth tournaments

These competitions often featured future professional stars before they became internationally recognized.

Coverage of these events also benefited tournament promoters, sponsors, and local billiard rooms by increasing visibility beyond their immediate geographic regions.

For smaller tours operating with limited promotional budgets, websites such as PoolBilliardNews.com became valuable marketing partners simply by documenting results and publishing player accomplishments.

The reporting also preserved an important historical record that otherwise might have disappeared after individual events concluded.

Equipment Guides and Consumer Information

In addition to tournament coverage, PoolBilliardNews.com devoted considerable attention to helping players understand the equipment that influences every aspect of the game. Archived versions of the site reveal numerous informational articles covering cues, cue tips, cases, balls, racks, tables, and cloth. These articles were written for players shopping for their first quality equipment as well as experienced competitors interested in improving performance.

Rather than functioning as simple product advertisements, many of the articles explained why specific pieces of equipment mattered and how different choices affected play. This educational approach reflected the growing sophistication of billiards consumers during the early 2000s, when players increasingly researched products online before making purchasing decisions.

Topics included:

Pool cues
Cue construction
Leather cue tips
Cue chalk
Pool tables
Table cloth
Cue cases
Pool balls
Ball racks
Cue racks
Game room equipment

Many pages also introduced readers to respected manufacturers that had earned strong reputations within the billiards industry.

Explaining Pool Cue Technology

One recurring educational topic involved the evolution of the modern pool cue.

The website described how the earliest cueing devices resembled mace-like implements before gradually evolving into the familiar one-piece cue and eventually the modern two-piece design.

Articles explained the purpose of important cue components including:

butt
shaft
ferrule
tip
joint

Readers also learned why players began traveling with their own cues rather than relying on house equipment.

As competitive standards improved, consistency became increasingly important. Personal cues allowed players to become accustomed to a familiar balance, taper, weight, and feel. Improvements in joint technology also made transporting cues significantly easier, contributing to the widespread adoption of two-piece cue designs.

The website further discussed how leather cue tips transformed the sport by allowing players to generate spin, draw, follow, and English with much greater precision than earlier equipment.

These articles helped explain not only what modern equipment looked like but also why it had evolved.

Helping Players Choose Equipment

PoolBilliardNews.com frequently offered practical purchasing advice.

Instead of recommending only the most expensive products, articles encouraged buyers to understand what characteristics actually influenced performance.

For example, discussions about cue tips compared several respected brands, including Moori, Le Pro, Elk Master, Triangle, Water Buffalo, French Champion, and layered pigskin designs. Readers learned that although cues themselves receive considerable attention, the tip is the only part of the cue that contacts the cue ball directly, making proper tip selection extremely important.

Similarly, articles discussing cue cases emphasized protection over appearance.

Readers were advised to evaluate:

construction quality
interior protection
portability
weight
durability
materials

Leather and rigid tube cases were presented as offering better protection than soft cloth cases, while also noting the tradeoff in additional weight.

This balanced approach made the articles useful for players across different budgets.

Understanding Pool Tables

One of the site's longest educational features focused on purchasing pool tables.

Rather than encouraging impulse purchases, PoolBilliardNews.com warned prospective buyers about common misconceptions surrounding used tables.

One humorous observation noted that many buyers imagine discovering an inexpensive tournament-quality table hidden in someone's basement, only to discover that such opportunities are exceedingly rare.

Instead, the site encouraged consumers to evaluate factors including:

construction
slate quality
rail condition
frame stability
installation
room dimensions

Articles also discussed the emotional appeal of owning a home table while reminding readers that buying quality equipment required careful research.

For newcomers planning their first game room, these guides provided realistic expectations that contrasted with overly optimistic advertisements.

Pool Table Cloth and Playing Conditions

The website also published surprisingly detailed explanations about pool table cloth.

Many casual players refer to every table covering as "felt," but PoolBilliardNews.com explained that different cloth types produce noticeably different playing characteristics.

Readers learned about:

directional cloth
non-directional cloth
nap
ball roll
table speed
maintenance
cleaning methods

The articles described how directional cloth contains fibers that lie predominantly in one direction, subtly affecting slow-moving balls. Non-directional worsted cloth, by comparison, offers faster and more consistent play, making it the preferred choice for professional competition.

Although highly technical, these discussions reflected the site's broader mission of educating readers rather than merely reporting scores.

Coverage Beyond Professional Competition

PoolBilliardNews.com demonstrated an appreciation for every level of the sport.

Its tournament coverage routinely included:

junior championships
amateur divisions
women's events
charity competitions
educational programs

One notable example involved extensive reporting on the Viking Cue 9-Ball Tour, where separate divisions were held for professionals, amateurs, and junior competitors.

Rather than limiting coverage to the open division, the website summarized every bracket, recognized individual winners, and highlighted young players earning invitations to national championships.

This editorial decision reflected an understanding that today's junior champions often become tomorrow's touring professionals.

The site also acknowledged the contributions of tournament sponsors, local pool rooms, volunteers, and organizers, illustrating the collaborative nature of the billiards community.

Promoting Youth Development

Another recurring theme involved support for junior players and youth organizations.

Archived articles promoted initiatives organized by the Billiard Education Foundation (BEF), a nonprofit organization dedicated to encouraging participation among younger players while promoting sportsmanship and education.

One feature announced the annual "Challenge the Stars" fundraising event held during the BCA National Championships in Las Vegas.

Participants could play games against some of the world's best professionals while supporting youth programs. Depending on donation level, fans could challenge legendary competitors such as:

Allison Fisher
Jeanette Lee
Karen Corr
Vivian Villarreal
Loree Jon Jones
Tony Robles
Mike Massey

The event also included raffles, auctions, photographs, and autographed certificates, making it both a fundraising effort and a memorable fan experience.

By publishing these announcements, PoolBilliardNews.com helped promote initiatives designed to strengthen the future of the sport rather than focusing solely on professional competition.

Relationship with InsidePOOL Magazine and Industry Media

One of the defining characteristics of PoolBilliardNews.com was its close association with the broader billiards journalism community. Many archived tournament reports credited respected writers whose work also appeared in InsidePOOL Magazine, one of the most influential billiards publications of the early 2000s.

Contributors such as Rick Davis, Willy Hermoza, and Tony Butera authored reports that appeared across multiple cue-sports publications, creating a collaborative ecosystem in which tournament coverage reached both print readers and online audiences.

This relationship benefited everyone involved.

Tournament promoters received broader publicity, professional players gained increased visibility, sponsors enjoyed additional exposure, and readers had access to timely reports that complemented magazine features.

Rather than competing directly with traditional billiards magazines, PoolBilliardNews.com functioned as an extension of the industry's growing online presence.

Its publication schedule allowed tournament summaries to appear much faster than monthly magazines could typically provide.

International Perspective

Although much of the site's content centered on American tournaments, PoolBilliardNews.com regularly featured international competition.

Archived articles highlighted events in:

Canada
South Korea
various U.S. regions
international professional tours

Coverage frequently included international competitors competing in North America, reflecting the increasingly global nature of professional pool.

For example, reports covering exhibition matches between New York players and Team Korea illustrated how international competition was becoming more common during this period.

The website documented matches involving players such as:

Tony Robles
Jennifer Barretta
Caroline Pao
Charlie Williams
Yu Ram Cha
Bo Ram Cha

These events showcased not only competitive play but also growing international friendships and rivalries that helped expand the popularity of cue sports.

Audience

PoolBilliardNews.com appealed to a remarkably broad audience.

Its readership likely included:

Professional players
Touring professionals
Amateur competitors
League players
Junior competitors
Tournament directors
Pool room owners
Cue makers
Equipment retailers
Fans of professional billiards
Coaches
Collectors

The diversity of its editorial content made the website valuable regardless of experience level.

Beginners could learn about equipment and terminology.

Intermediate players could follow regional tours and instructional articles.

Advanced competitors could study tournament results and keep track of emerging professionals.

Industry businesses also benefited from exposure through event coverage and equipment discussions.

Importance Before Social Media

It is easy to underestimate how valuable websites like PoolBilliardNews.com were before Facebook, Instagram, X (formerly Twitter), and YouTube became dominant information sources.

In the mid-2000s:

tournament livestreams were rare
social media coverage was minimal
smartphones were still emerging
live scoring platforms were uncommon

As a result, websites dedicated to specific sports played an essential role in keeping enthusiasts informed.

Players often visited these sites daily to discover:

tournament winners
upcoming schedules
rankings
industry announcements
equipment innovations
exhibition matches
charitable events

For many fans, PoolBilliardNews.com served as a digital newspaper devoted entirely to cue sports.

Educational Value

Beyond reporting news, the website functioned as an educational resource.

Many articles explained topics that newer players often misunderstood, including:

cue maintenance
table maintenance
cloth selection
equipment terminology
buying considerations
ball construction
cue tip materials

Rather than assuming readers already possessed technical knowledge, articles introduced concepts in straightforward language while gradually increasing detail.

This educational philosophy helped lower barriers to entry for newcomers while still offering useful information to experienced players.

Influence on the Billiards Community

Although PoolBilliardNews.com may never have reached the mainstream recognition enjoyed by major sports websites, it occupied an important niche within cue sports.

Its influence came from consistently documenting competitions that otherwise received little national attention.

Every published tournament report became part of the historical record.

Players who later achieved national prominence often appeared in these early reports during formative stages of their careers.

Regional tours that lacked television coverage nevertheless gained permanent documentation through websites like PoolBilliardNews.com.

Today, historians researching professional pool during the 2000s frequently rely on archived web pages because many tournament records exist nowhere else.

In that respect, PoolBilliardNews.com contributed to preserving the competitive history of modern billiards.

Search Visibility and Long-Term Digital Legacy

Like many specialty websites launched during the early internet era, PoolBilliardNews.com eventually became largely inactive, but its archived pages continue to provide insight into the state of competitive billiards during the mid-2000s.

Internet Archive snapshots preserve tournament reports, equipment guides, and event announcements that might otherwise have disappeared completely.

Because many original news releases were distributed only online, these archived pages remain valuable historical resources.

The site's continued appearance in search results for older tournaments demonstrates how specialized sports journalism can retain long-term relevance even after active publication has ceased.

Researchers looking for historical tournament brackets, player finishes, or event summaries often encounter archived PoolBilliardNews.com pages years after publication.

Reputation and Search Challenges

Like many long-established websites, PoolBilliardNews.com was not immune to the challenges of maintaining search visibility in an increasingly competitive online environment.

Sites with extensive archives often face issues such as outdated backlinks, changing search engine algorithms, and domain authority fluctuations. In some cases, websites that have been online for many years become targets for spammy or malicious backlinks generated by unrelated third parties. These attacks, commonly referred to as negative SEO, can temporarily affect search rankings even when the site's own content remains unchanged.

Recovering from such issues generally involves careful monitoring of backlink profiles, identifying suspicious referring domains, documenting harmful links, and, where appropriate, submitting disavow files through Google Search Console. Although search engines have become increasingly effective at ignoring manipulative links, maintaining a healthy backlink profile remains an important part of preserving long-term visibility for any established website.

For legacy sites such as PoolBilliardNews.com, the experience illustrates a broader lesson about digital publishing: producing high-quality content is only one aspect of maintaining an online presence. Continuous technical maintenance, monitoring, and search engine optimization are equally important for protecting years of accumulated authority and ensuring that valuable historical content remains discoverable.

Lasting Legacy of PoolBilliardNews.com

Although PoolBilliardNews.com is no longer updated as an active news publication, its historical value has grown over time. Archived pages preserve an important snapshot of professional and amateur billiards during the mid-2000s, documenting tournaments, players, equipment trends, and industry events that might otherwise have been forgotten.

Unlike many modern sports websites that focus heavily on opinion pieces, rankings, or social media engagement, PoolBilliardNews.com concentrated on factual reporting. Tournament summaries, complete finishing orders, prize distributions, and event schedules created a reliable historical record that continues to benefit researchers, journalists, and longtime fans of cue sports.

The website also reflected an important transition in sports journalism. During the early 2000s, many niche publications were moving away from print-only distribution toward online publishing. PoolBilliardNews.com demonstrated how specialized websites could provide timely coverage of tournaments occurring across North America while reaching readers worldwide almost immediately after events concluded.

For players who competed during that era, the site now serves as a digital archive of accomplishments that may no longer exist elsewhere. Numerous regional tournaments were never televised and received little or no mainstream newspaper coverage. In many cases, PoolBilliardNews.com preserved the only readily accessible account of those competitions.

Contribution to the Growth of Cue Sports

Beyond reporting scores and tournament results, PoolBilliardNews.com helped promote the broader culture of billiards.

Its content encouraged participation at every level by highlighting:

Professional tours
Amateur competitions
Junior championships
Women's events
Charity exhibitions
Educational organizations
Equipment manufacturers
Local billiard rooms

This balanced editorial approach reinforced the idea that the sport depends not only on elite professionals but also on league players, instructors, room owners, volunteers, sponsors, and youth organizations.

The site's promotion of events such as the Billiard Education Foundation's "Challenge the Stars" fundraiser illustrated a commitment to supporting the future of the game through youth development and education. Likewise, coverage of junior tournaments recognized emerging talent and gave young competitors valuable exposure.

Equipment articles further strengthened the sport by helping readers make informed purchasing decisions. Rather than simply advertising products, the site explained the function of cues, tips, cloth, balls, and accessories, making the technical side of billiards more accessible to newcomers.

Overall Assessment

PoolBilliardNews.com represented the type of specialized sports journalism that flourished during the early years of the internet. It successfully combined tournament reporting, educational content, equipment guides, and industry announcements into a single destination dedicated entirely to cue sports.

Although larger websites and social media platforms eventually transformed how billiards news is distributed, the site's archived content remains an important historical resource. It captures a period when professional tours were expanding, regional competitions were thriving, and online publishing was becoming the fastest way to connect players and fans across geographic boundaries.

For historians of the sport, the website provides valuable documentation of tournaments, player performances, and industry developments. For longtime enthusiasts, it offers a nostalgic look back at an era that featured legendary players such as Corey Deuel, Earl Strickland, Jeanette Lee, Allison Fisher, Tony Robles, Karen Corr, Charlie Williams, and many others who helped shape modern professional pool.

Perhaps the greatest contribution of PoolBilliardNews.com lies in its preservation of billiards history. Through archived tournament reports, equipment features, and organizational announcements, the website captured the day-to-day evolution of the sport during a formative period for online sports journalism. Even years after active publication ceased, those records continue to inform researchers, celebrate player achievements, and remind readers of the vibrant community that surrounded professional and amateur billiards in the 2000s.

PoolBilliardNews.com