#1 Best selling author Steven H. Gifford afforded me the opportunity to interview him today. He has a lot to say about pool and has been a driving motivator and leader throughout his life, writer, pool player, Marine, and USA patriot. I have just downloaded Gifford’s book entitled, ‘Final Expense Boot Camp: Earn Your Stripes Today,’ and have gleaned some insight into the man behind ‘Top Shots,’ and so many other upcoming books on the game of pocket billiards & pool. The first

Billiards is a game of skill. Pocket billiards the game of choice for so many in the US and worldwide. Players invest in nice cues that sometimes cost thousands of dollars. Some types of tip chalk costs twenty-plus dollars a piece. Sure, it’s great to have nice things, but ultimately pool is about how well one plays the game. Respect is earned by a players skill, ability to run out, make shots, win — not by how much his or her pool cue cost. Some say, “the game is the teac

The name Willie Mosconi is or should be familiar to anyone who follows professional billiards on television – the annual Mosconi 9-ball US vs. EU tournament is named after him. You can read more about him on Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Willie_Mosconi The name Jimmy Caras is not as familiar, though as a contemporary of Mosconi’s, he was equally legendary in his time. You can read a brief biography of Caras on this BCA Hall Of Fame page: http://bca-pool.com/?page=3

FACBOOK POSTS & BILLIARDS OUTAKES, Volume 1.87: WE ARE THE CHAMPIONS — TEAM PEP TALK (The Tallahassee Squirrel always talking shit {and backing it up}): We have been on a winning streak for a while now, and also, I’ve been personally doing better on an individual level, which gives our team a boost. It’s been fun most of all, being a part of a team with some cool peeps. Andrew, Lee, Ricardo, D Boy, Phil, (Sam, maybe if he ever comes out…lol), and Lee — and we have won now for

Tyler ‘Airborne’ Styer The 2018 Mosconi Cup, held this year in London, England in the Alexandra Palace December 4th through the 7th, was a clash of the Titans billiards battle for the ages — USA winning it ultimately 11-9 — team Europe making a comeback the final day from a 9-6 deficit. Woodward won the first match that final day vs former world number one, Albin Ouschan, and SVB (Shane Van Boening) came through against Alexander Kazakis of Greece, the combination US-duo pr

Jake is about to play his first-round match. His preparation on the practice table has been exceptional. He has remained focused and confident. His timing and delivery of the cue are admired by many of the established players who attend the same club. However, as Jake sits and waits for his opportunity to display his current form on the all-important match table he begins to experience those familiar doubts in his mind coupled with the physical feelings of anxiety. This is in

“I’ve paid my dues Time after time. I’ve done my sentence But committed no crime. And bad mistakes‒ I’ve made a few. I’ve had my share of sand kicked in my face But I’ve come through… We are the champions, my friends. And we’ll keep on fighting ’til the end. We are the champions. We are the champions. No time for losers ‘Cause we are the champions of the world.” –MERCURY, FREDERICK. The Mosconi Cup 2018 between Europe, and 13 other countries and the US just concluded

Dominic Esposito became a Professional Pool Player at 19 years old, after 5 years of lessons with Straight Pool Champion, Thomas P. Parker, in Cleveland, Ohio. He married at age 21, but, his wife didn’t want to be married to a professional pool player. With that, he agreed to stop playing pool altogether. Some 25 years later, after the loss of his first wife, he married Linda. On the way home from a visit to his daughter’s college union hall, Linda commented about his having

Just yesterday, I started rummaging through some old documents that I pulled out of storage while cleaning house, and ran across a single printout that contained a heading and eleven sentences underneath it that I made as a reminder for my own game way back in 1999, a year before my first ever trip to Asia to compete in the huge Tokyo 9-Ball event. What a great tournament that was… I think it’s a pretty cool sheet of paper with some sound tips, and I’ve decided to share it wi

Turn the butt on the lathe using the butt taper bar. (figure 1) Figure 1 The points in the butt sleeve are looking good. (figure 2) (figure 2) The points in the forearm also look good. (figure 3) (figure 3) The butt of the cue will need a weight bolt and a rubber bumper. Drill the butt in about 6 inches with a long 5/16 drill. (figure 4) . (figure 4) Tap the weight bolt hole with a 3/8-16 long tap. (figure 5) (figure 5) Using a boring bar we bore a recess for the rubber bu