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WPC Ups Prize Fund for 2004

The World Pool Championships have announced the prize breakdowns for this year’s event, to be held July 10-18 in Taipei, Taiwan. They have added $50,000 this year’s prize purse, bringing to total purse to $350,000 and pushing last year’s $65,000 first-place prize up to $75,000. Last year’s runner-up got $30,000; this year’s will take home $35,000. See the full payouts below, with indications of the changes made from last year’s amounts.

2004 World Pool Championship Prize Fund:

Winner: $75,000 (was $65K last year)

Runner-Up: $35,000 (was 30)

Semi-Finalists: $20,000 (was 17.5)

Qtr Finalists: $10,000 (was 8.5)

Last 16: $5,000 (was 4)

Last 32: $2,500 (was 2)

Last 64: $1,750 (was 1.5)

5th Place in Group: $1,000 (same)

6th Place in Group: $500 (same)

“Law & Order” Puts Pool in the Spotlight

Ewa Laurance enjoyed a moment with special guest Jerry Orbach at Laurance's Hall of Fame induction ceremony.
Ewa Laurance enjoyed a moment with special guest Jerry Orbach at Laurance’s Hall of Fame induction ceremony.
After speaking with actor Jerry Orbach, star of NBC’s Law & Order, Billiard Congress of America Executive Director Stephen Ducoff reports that Orbach’s character plays pool on tonight’s episode (Wednesday, April 14, 2004). He speaks about the sport, and even mentions professional players by name.

Mr. Orbach is an accomplished billiard player and recently was a special guest at the Billiard Congress of America (BCA) Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony (held April 1, 2004 at the Las Vegas Hilton) as the industry honored the 2004 inductees Ewa Mataya Laurance and George Balabuska.

Please check your local listings for time and channel.

Griffin Purchases BCA League System

Mark Griffin, a poolroom owner and partner in table manufacturer Diamond Billiard Products, has agreed to purchase the Billiard Congress of America’s 60,000-player amateur league system, despite the efforts of a group of regional league officials to form their own association in opposition to the sale.

The BCA’s board of directors agreed to the general terms of the deal during a meeting on March 31, the first day of the BCA’s annual industry trade show in Las Vegas. Griffin, a BCA board member who was recused from league-sale votes, made a substantial payment toward the total purchase on April 1.

Griffin was quick to quell fears that he would substantially alter the way the 26-year-old league system operates.

“Nothing will change,” said Griffin, 57, himself a master-level player in the league. “Not the entry fees, or the rules, the regulations, the sanctioning of the teams — there will be no changes.”

For at least the first couple years, the league would maintain the “BCA” name in its moniker, Griffin said. He expected to hire a new administrative staff for the league, the headquarters of which likely would move from Colorado Springs, Colo., to Las Vegas.

[Griffin has created a Web site for those interested in more information on his plans: www.bcapoolleague.com]

The BCA had received multiple offers for the league system, according to John Stransky, chair of the BCA’s league sale committee. Griffin’s bid was considered the strongest overall, in part because “he was very much in favor of keeping things intact,” Stransky said. “BCA players could continue to play under his ownership and expect things to be greatly the same.”

Griffin’s agreement with the BCA came less than a week after news that a group of BCA league operators and state association presidents had decided to form a new association in opposition to the pending sale.

By forming its own league, dubbed the American Cuesports Alliance, the group sought to preserve the BCA system’s not-for-profit modus operandi. Alliance members expected to have the support of a majority of BCA league operators and players, and announced their intention to hold their own national championship in 2005.

[The Web site for the American Cuesports Alliance can be found at www.americancuesports.org]

W.C. Dixon, president of the BCA league’s Texas state association and vice-president of the Alliance, told BD on April 1 that Griffin’s purchase of the league system would have no bearing on the Alliance’s plans.

It all pointed to a war for the hearts and minds of the rank-and-file players at the 2004 BCA National 8-Ball Championships, to be held in mid-May in Las Vegas. Stransky said the BCA would make overtures to players and operators at the event supporting Griffin’s leadership.

For in-depth coverage of the BCA league sale and its ramifications for players, see the May issue of Billiards Digest, mailed to subscribers in mid-April.

Archer Takes Players Championship

Johnny Archer won the Brunswick Men’s Professional Players Championship, held March 25-28 at the Super Billiards Expo in Valley Forge, Pa.

Archer took a surprise second-round loss to Frankie Hernandez, 10-2, and then charged through 10 straight matches in the left bracket for the win. Notable victories included a hill victory over Charlie Williams, plus wins over Mika Immonen and Ralf Souquet.

In the final against Jose Parica, Archer dominated, 10-4, collecting $10,000 for the title. Parica took home $5,000 while Souquet and Jose Garcia took home $3,500 and $2,500 for third and fourth places, respectively.