8 Ball Express Presents "Come Out & Play" 9-Ball Tournament

8 Ball Express Presents "Come Out & Play" 9-Ball Tournament
Chance to Come Out & Try 8 Ball Express’ 9-Ball Format, Have Fun & Win Prizes!

DATE: SATURDAY NOV. 7
REGISTRATION: 2:30PM
PLAY STARTS: 3:00PM

* Single Player Tournament
* Modified Single Elimination
* $10 Entry Fee
* 100 % Payout = 1st 70%, 2nd 30%
* Race to Best of 3 Games
* Handicapped - Play at:
- Current 9-Ball Handicap, if none then...
- Current 8-Ball Handicap, if none then...
- Will Handicap You Based on 1st Match
- Handicap = # Balls Must Be Made Before Shooting 9-ball
* Giveaways/Prizes For:
- 1st 8 Ball Express Member Out
- Last Female Standing
- And More!
* Will NOT Affect or Determine Handicaps In Regular League Play
* Play Both 8-ball & 9-ball league for chance at $20,000!
* Come out & have fun!

Location:
The Other Woman Sports Bar
7200 Albemarle Rd.
Charlotte, NC 28227
704.537.1487

FOR MORE INFO CONTACT:
DAWN REID, AREA MANAGER
CELL: 704.654.1522 OFFICE: 704.545.3599
DAWN@8BALLEXPRESS.COM

Click for flyer: http://staging.8ballexpress.com/national/uploads/9ballpromotourney.pdf

The Whole Enchilada

This weekend is the End of Session Championship for 8-Ball teams from the Summer 2009 Session & 9-Ball Teams from Winter/Summer 2009 Sessions.

Even if you are not playing in it, I always recommend members come and check it out to see what it's like, and to watch and support people you've played with and against. Also, when your team makes it, you'll know what to expect!

Friday-Sunday, Oct 2-4, 2009 @
Rack 'Em
1898 Windsor Square Dr
Matthews, NC 28105-4662
(704) 847-7665

The rounds will be played:
* 7:00 p.m. on Friday (1st Round)
* 12:00 p.m. on Saturday (1st Round)
* 5:00 p.m. on Saturday (2nd Round)
* 1:00 p.m. on Sunday (Semi-Finals)
* 5:00 p.m. on Sunday (Finals)

Playoffs, Playoffs, Playoffs

At this time, the Playoffs are in full swing.
Note to all 1st place teams, don't take the Wildcard team for granted. Wildcard teams, if you can, try to get the 1st place teams drunk. Seems to work... :)
Good luck to everyone playing this week and next and hope to see you at the next End of Session Championships! Oct. 2-4 at Rack 'Em in Matthews, NC.

Preparing Lower Skill Levels For Higher Competition

Think your team has a good chance of making it to the playoffs/End of Session Championship? Or do you want to get there in the Fall Session?


Have you got a 1/2/3 on your team that may to crack under pressure? Why wait until the playoffs to get them used to competition? Check out some of the weekly tournaments in the area and get them used to playing under the pressure. Don't wait until playoffs!


http://staging.8ballexpress.com/national/modules/news/article.php?storyid=71

Follow the Tournament Action Live! Twitter Updates Available

Check out http://www.8ballexpress.com/ for Twitter Updates Live from the Tournament this weekend.

Follow 8 Ball Express: http://twitter.com/8ballexpress

Come Out and See!

This weekend is the End of Session Championship for 8-Ball teams from the Winter 2009 Session. Even if you are not playing in it, I always recommend members come and check it out to see what it's like, and to watch and support people you've played with and against. Also, when your team makes it, you'll know what to expect!

Friday-Sunday, May 29-31, 2009 @
The Green Room
301 N. Polk St., Pineville, NC 28134
(704) 889-2582

The rounds will be played:
* 7:00 p.m. on Friday (1st Round)
* 12:00 p.m. on Saturday (1st Round)
* 5:00 p.m. on Saturday (2nd Round)
* 1:00 p.m. on Sunday (Semi-Finals)
* 5:00 p.m. on Sunday (Finals)

End Of Session Championship Team Rosters & Handicap Reports - Winter 2009 Teams Now Available Online

End Of Session Championship Team Rosters & Handicap Reports - Winter 2009 Teams Now Available Online:
http://staging.8ballexpress.com/national/modules/news/article.php?storyid=117
or here
http://staging.8ballexpress.com/national/modules/mydownloads/viewcat.php?cid=15

XX or Just X?

Ever double kiss a cue ball? Would you even know it if you did? Below are links to various clips around double kissing and a high speed video (play in slow motion from the options for the ultimate view) of what a double kiss ACTUALLY is. Also, double kissing the cue ball is a ball-in-hand foul in 8 Ball Express.
Speaking from experience, if you suspect a double hit is going to occur, call a neutral party to watch the hit BEFORE it happens to avoid an argument after the hit.

CLICK FOR VIDEO EXAMPLES:
Multiple Clips/Links: (Thanks Dr. Dave!) http://billiards.colostate.edu/threads/fouls.html#double

High Speed Video Showing Mechanics of Double Hit: http://billiards.colostate.edu/threads/fouls.html#double

Double Hits, Frozen Balls and Push Shots:


Double Hit Example (Not the best, but I just like to laugh at how he says"foul"):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GEAz588L1Es

Noding And Smiling Yet Again.

Actual conversation between myself and a player on a team last night (Week 11):

8BX Member: What kind of work do you do?
Dawn (ordering Corona): I work for the pool league, 8 Ball Express.
Member: Oh, I didn't realize there was a business side to it.
Dawn (smiling): Well, it'd be hard to imagine trusting volunteers to distribute $10,000 once a session I would think.
Member: $10,000!?!??! What do you mean $10,000?
Dawn: Well, ok, or awarding the team trip. Volunteers may not have the patience to book it.
Member: TEAM TRIP?!
Dawn: Yes, you know, if you win the End of Session tournament. The dates will be on the website soon.
Member: WEBSITE? 8 BALL EXPRESS HAS A WEBSITE!?!?!?!?!
Dawn: Uh-huh....
Member: I didn't realize you could win something for playing each week! I've been telling my wife I just go out and play pool with a bunch of drunks. I think I'm going to try harder now.
Dawn: That may be a good idea.
Member: I won a blue ribbon once in a chili cook-off, but $10,000 would be so much cooler.
Dawn: Can't argue with that...

Then, the rest of the night, whenever he would catch my eye he would just mouth the words "$10,000 dollars" and I would just nod and smile.:)

I "Heart" Widgets and Tweet 8 Ball Express!

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Woohooo!

It's over, it's finally over! The tournament is won, the teams have finished playing and my celebratory glass of wine has been drunk. Some more things I want to jot down:

• Paul Son from Raleigh is everyone's favorite pool player.
• Cornbread from Charlotte was a 1st place team that did not make it through the playoffs and was drawn to fill a bye in the tournament.
• Good Morning Sean!
• $10,000 is enough to make a grown man cry (both over winning and loosing).
• Evey Hodge was not nervous playing her hill match, but just got stuck with a cue ball on the rail shot she is not good at making. (Only person in the Finals I've ever heard say they were NOT nervous and I believed it.)
• I had to explain to Kim, Tina and Freddy what a "Jimmy Hat" was. (Talk about awkward...)
• Freddy is not allowed to walk by himself any more.
• Doc Chappell from Rock Hill helping Rhonda Hull's sick dog, a personal miracle for her.
• A Winston-Salem team made it to the semi-finals this tournament, the farthest they've ever made it! (Keep practicing, you are due soon!)
• Most diverse semi's I can remember. Teams from Dallas/Gastonia, Charlotte, Raleigh and Winston-Salem all played in the semi-final rounds.
• The closer you get to 1st, the harder it is to loose. (Shouldn't 1st round outs be the most upset, not 2nd place?!?!?!)
• Teams can loose and still be good sports.

All right Winter 2009 session teams, good luck, play smart and have fun so I can see you at the next tournament!

Make New Friends, But Keep the Old

I am heading off to bed after a long Sat. working the End of Session Championship, but before I do I thought I'd jot down some thoughts from what I've seen so far. Here goes...

• During a 9-Ball match Trey Ashcraft pocketed a ball and even his opponents had to shout out "Great Shot!" He then walked over, handed the woman he was playing the cue ball and said "No it wasn't, I double kissed it, ball in hand to you".
• There was a situation where a player had been marking his pocket and then changed and called the pocket for his 8-ball during the last game. One team called loss of game, the other said no. When consulted, the player who was not shooting the 8-ball could have said, "No, I didn't acknowledge the call." and won. She instead spoke honestly and said, "Yes, I acknowledge the pocket and he won".
• After loosing the first match of the first round, I saw a woman come over to the lady who beat her and give her a hug, telling her great game.
• Heard a man say "Money won is twice as sweet as money earned.", quoting Paul Newman from 'The Color of Money'.
• Two teams from the same location played each other. They team that did not win celebrated and congratulated the winners and made sure to get a photo of the entire group.
• The first guideline to winning the End of Championship tournament is make sure you have fun. The second guide is don't let your Captain (or whoever makes all the team decisions) get too sloshed. The third guideline should be if Captain (or said decision-maker) is three sheets to the wind, don't let him/her near the opposing team where they will inevitably tell them your team's strategy. This will not help your chances ANY!
• Said aloud by myself "You don't loose when you come the the End of Championship, you just finally stop winning." (This is why you get a trophy no matter what place you end up!)
• The winner of the cue raffle found out he had won by sheer luck. Something along these lines - Craig happens to walk by Tim's table. Craig: "Who won the cue raffle?" Tim: "Someone from Rock Hill." Craig: "Oh yeah? I'm from Rock Hill. Who was it?" Tim: Craig someone." Craig: "I'm Craig." Tim: "Craig ...Trovinger?" Craig: "YEAH!" Tim: "Let me see that ticket." (And it was him!)
• Heard from a Raleigh member "I love coming to Charlotte to play in the tournament! This is a great vacation for me. I just get a hotel room, play pool, drink all weekend and sleep in. I just wouldn't feel right about doing that in my own house."

Good times, good times!

Tournament Time!

Can't wait to see everyone out and about this weekend at the End of Session Championship! Things will be crazy, I'm sure, but don't forget I try to take photos of each team that comes to have fun! I've decided that it's best if I can get a photo of teams BEFORE they play for happier shots.
As soon as you have your entire team at Rack 'Em (or at least who you want in your photo) before your 1st round begins, let me know and I'll snap away! I will try my best to have them published to 8ballexpress.com as soon as I can for you to check out and share with others.
Let the fun begin!

End of Session Championship & Website

I've uploaded all of the End of Session Championship Tournament info (See it here: http://staging.8ballexpress.com/national/modules/news/article.php?storyid=101 ).

Is this enough info? Is there anything that, as maybe a team member or Captain that has played in the tournament, think that we may be missing?

Maybe it's something you know now, but wish you had known your 1st time playing in the tournament? If there is, please share! Or maybe it's something you think will help make the tournaments better in the future. Send me an email: dawn@8ballexpress.com or add a comment to this post. Your input is what will make the experience better for everyone!