Welcome to 3-Cushion Billiards
The illustrious list of winners of the title of 3-cushion billiards world champion has been enriched by a completely new name. Phuong Vinh Bao, until recently a totally unknown billiard player from Vietnam, grabbed the 2023 world three cushion billiard title at the tournament held in Ankara, Turkey.
Read more: Phuong Vinh Bao Wins the 2023 World Championship Title
In a demonstration of skill and class, Tayfun Tasdemir has won the 2022 UMB 3-cushion world title. In Donghae City, South-Korea, he defeated Ruben Legazpi in a one-sided final: 50-14 in 15/14 innings. For Turkiye, it had been a nineteen-year wait since Semih Sayginer was world champion in 2003.
Read more: Tayfun Tasdemir is the 2022 UMB Three Cushion World Champion
Pedro Piedrabuena defeated long-time rival and former champion Miguel Torres to win his 11th USBA 3-Cushion National Championship title.
His play throughout the event was nearly perfect and included an incredible come-from-behind victory against Kang Lee in the penultimate Semi-final round.
Read more: Pedro Piedrabuena Wins 11th USBA 3-Cushion National Championship!
At the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo (the 2021 Olympics, in reality), several new sports were added to the line-up for the Games. It’s always the case with each new Olympic Games that some sports will be removed from the roster, with new additions added to take their place. The process is complicated, involving input from the host city, lobbying from different sports bodies and the whims of the big-wigs on the IOC. Among those to be added to the Tokyo Olympics was skateboarding. And the question begs: if skateboarding can be an Olympic sport, why not 3-cushion billiards?
If you talk to the majority of professional billiards players about earnings, they will promptly inform you that it’s tough to earn a living. Generally speaking, prize money has risen significantly in recent years, thanks in part to the rise of the PBA, but it is still something of a slog when you are not at the very top of the sport. Dick Jaspers might make a comfortable living from 3-cushion billiards, but many others do not.
Five-time National Three-Cushion Champion Allen Gilbert was a colorful character, and a good friend and mentor as I learned the game. He told me dozens of anecdotes from his billiard travels around the world, but this one is my favorite.
According to financial experts, there are only two ways a person can get rich quickly. One of these ways is through inheritance and the other one happens when you win a huge bet. While we cannot all have the luxury of rich parents, everybody can place a bet and get lucky.
The world billiard star from Cambodia Sruong Pheavy decided to continue her career in PBA competition. The world number two will start playing in the women’s league of the Korean professional association, the LPBA next week.
Felipe Razon Leon, a mainstay of the Chicago 3-C scene, died suddenly on December 3, 2020, a month short of his 56th birthday.
Jim Watson, a long-time American player of both pocket and carom games, died in the first week of September, 2020. Details are still emerging, but it appears he died of a heart attack. Jim had had heart problems for a number of years and had open heart surgery two years ago.
The 2019 Verhoeven Open in New York ended in a day of mighty triumph for Belgian Eddy Merckx. The defending champion in the event – having beaten Germany's Martin Horn in the 2018 final – was literally unstoppable in his repeat run for the trophy. Merckx finished the event unbeaten in 12 games and capped his win in the final match against Torbjorn Blomdahl with a majestic run of 18. Simply breathtaking.
Ji-eun Han emerged as a new star on the International women's billiard scene with an epic undefeated performance to win the 2019 Verhoeven Women's Open Tournament at Carom Cafe in New York.
At US Bida in Houston, Texas, Hugo Patiño won his fourth USBA three-cushion national title, defeating defending champion Miguel Torres, 40-32, in the finals. Multiple-time champion Pedro Piedrabuena finished third, and local player John Park finished fourth. But the story of the tournament was Patiño’s majestic run of 18 from the break in the finals. Patiño’s streak tied the USBA record set by Mazin Shooni in Miami in 2006 for the longest run in a national championship. For his victory, Patiño won $3250 and another $100 for the high run. (Pictured above L to R: Patrick Tran, owner of US Bida and Hugo Patino)
If you are a carom billiards player, you cherish a five-minute scene in the middle of the 1961 movie, The Hustler. Fast Eddie Felson’s manager, Bert Gordon, has set up a high stakes game at a Louisville mansion owned by Findley. Anxious to start the match, Fast Eddie removes the table cover and is confused by the absence of pockets. “Thought we came here to play pool?” Felson says. "I don’t play pool, Mr. Felson,” Findley says. He sips from his drink, a cigarette wedged between his middle and ring fingers. “I play billiards. My house, my game. You don’t have to play if you don’t want to.”
Martin van Rhee is a talented master of Artistic Billiards from the Netherlands. His use of extreme force follow, draw and masse make his cue ball spin and fly wildly around the table - and he still makes the billiard! Here is a compilation by Martin of some of his most amazing shots.
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Even though he just missed in the finals of the 2016 UMB World Championship, Haeng-Jik Kim (or Kim Haeng-Jik as is preferred in the Asian press) is still recognized as the leading player from Korea. Here is a wonderful article that appeared in the online news site Korea JoongAng Daily about his life and his future in billiards.
If you talk to the majority of professional billiards players about earnings, they will promptly inform you that it’s tough to earn a living. Generally speaking, prize money has risen significantly in recent years, thanks in part to the rise of the PBA, but it is still something of a slog when you are not at the very top of the sport. Dick Jaspers might make a comfortable living from 3-cushion billiards, but many others do not.
Read more: Professionals Vs. Amateurs on the Table: The Big Question Raised in 2021
It is with deep sadness that we report the passing of Dennis Dieckman on July 27, 2018. Dennis was a friend and revered member of the international three-cushion billiard community. In life his presence was felt around the world. His loss will now be equally felt by all.
Read more: Dennis Dieckman - January 27, 1947 - July 27, 2018