US Amateur Championships - California Preliminary

I made it through undefeated. I am one of five finalists from California who will participate in a field of 128 players from all over North America to determine the US Amateur Championship.

For the full story on my participation in this event, click here.

City Champions

We (our 9 ball team) won the 2004 San Diego City Championships which pays each team member some cash and a free room at the Riveria Hotel and Casino in smoky downtown Las Vegas to play in the National Championships. That's what I did last week. It was a zoo.

My performance? Read the story "Agony and Ecstasy in Las Vegas".

We Are The Champions!

In the city championships this past weekend,
our team "Dead Weight" took home top honors
to win some cash, and an all expense paid trip to Las Vegas
to compete in the National Championships
of the American Poolplayers Association (APA).

It was only 6 months ago that I decided to get out of
my hermit's cave and test my skill.
I was lucky enough to learn of an opening on this newly formed team,
and somehow they accepted me sight-unseen
(and they never saw me shoot pool either!).

I had never shot pool in competition before,
and some of my matches were really stressful,
but they stuck with me and got me my required 10 matches
that would allow me to compete at the city/national level.
(and again, luckily, I got more than my share of wins)

So when I woke up this morning,
and my trophy was still there on the pool table,
I realized that it wasn't just a cruel joke of a dream...
I really will be shooting pool in the
American Poolplayers Association
National Championships in Las Vegas!

"Nothing Ventured, Nothing Gained"
Ain't Life just amazing?

Fast Mikie finishes In The Money!

In a 9-ball tournament today,
at Family Billiards in Oceanside,
attended by only the most die-hard no-life cueists,
(who else would be shooting pool on a sunny Memorial Day weekend afternoon?),
our hero, Fast Mikie himself, outlasted all but two others
in a dazzling display of mediocrity.
No one was more surprised than me.
It was the first money I ever won,
in a legitimate pool tournament.

It is my intention that there will be many more in-the-money finishes,
but I will not bore you with reporting them all here.
Instead, I will only report those wins in which the prize money
is increased with at least one more zero over the previously reported win,
or if there is some other extraordinary factor involved
(for example, see story "Fast Mikie Retires His Willie")

All pool winnings donated to charitable causes.

Loree Jon Jones, world 9 ball champion

Loree came to town for the WPBA tournament at Viejas casino. Olhausen, table manufacturer, is headquartered nearby, so they arranged for Loree to do an exhibition at the local Olhausen store, where I bought my table. And that's how I got to meet Loree Jon Jones, and beat her two out of 3 games of 9 ball before a room full of witnesses. It was good fun! For more details on this event, read the story "Fast Mikie Retires His Willie".