Ralph Greenleaf, an avid billiards player, started only a few short years ago. He has been to three different cushion billiards tournaments. He also placed in the top 10 of the Illinois 3-cushion Billiards Tournament last month. He has been regularly visiting the Twin Cities billiards club each month.
Nguyen Queyet Nguyen is the Vietnamese player who is ranked second and third in billiards. Both of these are ranked in the world's top ten. Both players are currently in the top eight with Tran Qyet Chien at number seven. Both players are defending champions in the tournament. Ngo Dinh Nai is ranked number 29, Jeremy Bury from France is ranked number 18.
The next tournament to be held in Vietnam will be the 3-Cushion Carom Billiards Continental Cup on December 20-22 in Seoul. The tournament will see eight of the best Vietnamese players compete. The total prize money will be about 160,000 USD. The tournament will not be the only event. There will also be other events throughout each year.
The United States Billiard Association or USBA is the official governing authority for carom pool in the United States. The National Championship is one of the many events held each year by the USBA. The USA will be represented by the two top players at the Pan-American Championship.
The three cushion billiards competitions held at Madison 3-Cushion were intensely competitive and hotly contested. The tournament saw two flights with six players each. The tournament was handicapped. Only the top five players in each flight progressed to the semis. $7,400 will be awarded to the top 12 players. Bruce Venzke was the tournament director and was sponsored by First Business Bank of Madison. He is a legend in cue games.
The tournament was sponsored by the UMB (Union of Billiards and Carom Billiards), which is the official governing body for 3-cushion billiards in the world. UMB also hosts recurring tournaments throughout the year. On the UMB Turnier Schedule, you will find information about upcoming events.
This tournament was held in the south province of Binh Duong and featured eight teams that battled over three nights. The top two teams progress to the semi-finals while the third and forth teams move on to the quarterfinals. The final round will consist of single elimination. The Las Vegas World Cup 3-cushion pool billiards tournament winner will receive a $20,000. cash prize. This is the first time the Vietnamese have sent a representative to the semi-finals.
Although the 3-Cushion Billiards Tournament may be a new game, it has gained popularity in many countries. It is also featured in the animated Disney short film Donald from Mathmagic. It was also featured the 2007 Goya Award-winning Spanish Film Seven Billiard Tables.