CSI News

Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino to Undergo Multi Hundred Million Dollar Renovation

12/9/2020

We have some exciting news about the future of the Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino, host venue for the CueSports International Expo, which currently includes the BCA Pool League World Championships, USA Pool League National Championships, Diamond Las Vegas Open and Predator World 10-Ball Championship.

There have been many rumors about the future of the Rio over the last few years. Many of our members have contacted us to say they heard Caesars closed the Rio and our events were moving, or the Rio is being demolished and a Major League Baseball stadium will be built in its place, or the COVID-19 pandemic has closed the Rio for good, and many others.

The truth is that the Rio had been for sale for several years. In December of 2019, Dreamscape Companies purchased the Rio from Caesars. Under the terms of the sale, Caesars will continue to operate the property until 2022, at which time Dreamscape will take over all operations. According to Dreamscape's Director of Group Sales for the Rio, after its takeover, "the Rio will commence a top to bottom multi hundred million dollar renovation and will return to its founding philosophy of a fun and energetic vibe. The renovated hotel suites will be luxurious yet approachable."

"The Rio will commence a top to bottom multi hundred million dollar renovation and will return to its founding philosophy of a fun and energetic vibe. The renovated suites will be luxurious yet approachable."

- Dreamscape Companies

The property will continue to operate during the renovations with minimal disruption to our events. The CueSports International Expo is contracted with the Rio through 2025 and likely beyond. We are thrilled that its home will become one of the most updated properties in Las Vegas.

CueSports International (CSI) is an international pool league and event leader and is currently comprised of three divisions: CSI Leagues, CSI Events and CSI Media. CSI Leagues manages the BCA Pool League and USA Pool League, CSI Events produces numerous amateur and professional events around the globe and CSI Media creates live streaming and digital content. Through its vision and strategic alliances, CSI is “shaping the future of pool.” For more information about CSI or any of its divisions, visit www.playcsipool.com or find CueSports International on Facebook, YouTube, Instagram and Twitter.

2021 CueSports International Expo Rescheduled to Sept 1-11

12/4/2020

The 2021 CueSports International Expo, previously scheduled for March 3-13 is being rescheduled to September 1-11.

The event is a global pool spectacle that consists of the BCA Pool League World Championships, USA Pool League National Championships, Diamond Las Vegas Open, Predator World 10-Ball Championship, industry exhibitors, meetings, seminars and more. The entire Rio Convention Center, which includes more than 160,000 square feet of floor space, is taken over by the event.

The safety of our members and staff remains our top priority. The rise of COVID-19 cases and tighter restrictions being implemented around the world has created the need to reschedule the event. The new dates of September 1-11 will help ensure everyone’s safety.

BCA Pool League World Championships (Sept 1-11)
The new dates also provide the added benefit of allowing everyone the opportunity to become eligible.

No requirements have been changed for 2020 members. 2020 BCA Pool League members who play at least four (4) weeks in a single division session during the 2020 calendar year are eligible.

In addition, 2021 BCA Pool League members who play at least four (4) weeks in a single division session between January 1 and the registration deadline of August 2, 2021 will also be eligible. In fact, 2021 members can become eligible for the 2021 & 2022 BCA Pool League World Championships simultaneously!

Click here for all event info.

USA Pool League National Championships (Sept 1-11)
No requirements have been changed for 2020 members. USA Pool League members who play at least four (4) weeks in a single division session during the 2020 calendar year are eligible.

In addition, USA Pool League members who play at least four (4) weeks in a single division session between January 1 and the registration deadline of August 2, 2021 will also be eligible. In fact, USA Pool League members can become eligible for the 2021 & 2022 USA Pool League National Championships simultaneously!

Click here for all event info.

Diamond Las Vegas Open (Sept 1-4)
This event is played on 9-foot Diamond tables and is limited to the first 128 players with $25,000 added money. More information on this event is coming soon.

Predator World 10-Ball Championship (Sept 6-10)
This is the only true World Championship event on U.S. soil. It is limited to 64 of the top players in the world and invitations are based on WPA rankings. More information on this event is coming soon.

Tournament Registrations
For those of you who have already registered, your tournament registration is still in place and no action is required.

Hotel Reservations
If you have already reserved your room at the Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino based on the March dates, you must contact the hotel to cancel that reservation. You will then need to rebook your room based on the new dates by Aug 18 using the link on the official event webpages. Using the link ensures that you receive the special group discount.

We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause. However, this is a necessary change to ensure the safety of all members and staff.

We look forward to seeing everyone in beautiful Las Vegas in September!

New FargoRate App Available Now!

10/14/2020

We are excited to announce that FargoRate has released its brand new app which is now available in the Apple App Store and Google Play Store. We are even more excited to announce that BCA Pool League, USA Pool League and CSI members get the advanced mode for free ($12.99 per year for non-members).

Free mode

Anyone can download the FargoRate app and use the following basic features for free.

View your rating
Search for individual players
Save favorites
Find fair races, match odds and race charts
Upcoming events
Top player lists

Advanced Mode

Advanced mode contains much more, including everything listed in free mode plus...

See your entire FargoRate match history
Summarized history against particular opponents
Rating change over time
Advanced search capability - search by city, state, country, minimum rating, maximum rating, established or unestablished or any combination of criteria.
League stats & schedule
CSI digital membership card

Again, enabling the advanced features normally requires an annual subscription (currently $12.99 per year). However, it is free for all BCA Pool League, USA Pool League and CSI members.

Below is a brief tutorial on how to navigate and use this powerful tool.

Claiming Your Record

FargoRate has made it easier than ever to claim your record and setup your account.

Find your FargoRate record by searching your name in the search field. If your name displays and you're confident that it's you (i.e. the correct name, city & state), select it.
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If you already have an app account setup in FargoRate, it will display your record with your truncated email address and ask you to enter your password. If you don't remember your password, click "FORGOT PASSWORD."
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If you have a FargoRate record but your app account is not yet setup, it will display your record with no email address and ask you to enter your email address & password.
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If you can't locate your record, it may be that you don't have a FargoRate record at all. Contact them at support@fargorate.com.
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Menu Options

Below is an overview of the menu options.

Once you login, you are taken to your personal profile which shows some of your personal rating stats. Click the "menu icon" to reveal more options.
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Within the menu, view your membership card, top players lists, settings & more.
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If you select "Player Card," you will see your personal membership card with your membership number. This digital card can be used at CSI events for faster service.
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This is an example of one of the Top Player Lists. More lists will be available in the future.
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Match History

View your entire FargoRate match history.

There are several options across the bottom. Select the "people icon" to see your complete match history.
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Scroll through your match history or search for particular opponents. Click on an opponent to reveal the "view matches against" button. Click it to see a summary of your matches against that person.
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The resulting summary will show some summary stats against that particular person.
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League Integration

View your league stats and schedule right from the app. This is an integration with the Fargorate League Management System (LMS) which we provide for free to all BCA Pool Leagues & USA Pool Leagues.

Click the "fire icon" to view your league stats and schedule if your league uses LMS (which we provide for free).
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The league stats screen shows a summary of your performance in league, team standings, player standings and more.
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Click "Schedule" to see a list of your team's upcoming league matches. Select a match to get more info on that match.
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The resulting screen shows both teams with its rosters, player ratings and rating robustness.
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Upcoming Events

Stay up to date on upcoming events powered by Fargorate.

Click the "notes icon" to see a list of upcoming events.
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Click on an event to be directed to the official webpage for that event for more info or to register.
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Player Search

Search for players, access the race calulator and more.

At any time, click the "search icon" to search for players.
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The "Player Search" screen appears.
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Search for a specific person in the search field. Once the person is found, several option may appear. In this example, we will add the player to a race.
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Search for another player and add him or her to the race as well. Both players' ratings are now entered in the rating fields. Click the "Find Race" button.
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The "Races" screen displays the set of recommended hot, medium & mild races. Use the two players you searched for earlier or click in the rating fields to type in specific ratings.
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Click on "Odds" to display the Odds screen. This shows the statistic probaby of each player winning given the race for each player.
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Click on "Charts" to display the Race Charts screen. Select the desired R chart to see the recommended races (displayed in orange) if handicapping is used.
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Advanced Search & Filtering

This is where searching gets serious. Want a list of the top players in your city? Want a list of everyone in your state under a certain rating? No problem.

Click the "Filter" menu to perform an advanced search.
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Here you can search in many different ways. In this example, we are searching for all established players rated 350-720 in Columbus, Ohio.
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The resulting list display alphabetically by last name. Click the "Sort" menu to change how the list is displayed.
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In the "Sort" menu, we select "Rating: Highest first" as an example.
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Here is our sorted list of all established players in Columbus, Ohio rated 350-720 sorted by rating.
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At any time, click the "heart icon" of a player to save him or her to your favorites list. To see your favorite players, click the "heart icon" at the top of the screen.
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Your favorite players are displayed. Click the "heart icon" again to remove a person from your favorites.
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Want advanced mode for free?

Advanced mode (value of $12.99/year) is free for all BCA Pool League, USA Pool League and CSI members. To join, select one of the options below or call us at 800-USA-POOL.

JOIN THE BCA POOL LEAGUE
JOIN THE USA POOL LEAGUE

Predator One Pool 10x4 Exhibition to be Streamed on the CSI YouTube Channel

9/10/2020

CueSports International (CSI), Predator and One Pool Sports TV are excited to announce that the Predator One Pool 10x4 Exhibition match will be streamed for free on the CSI YouTube channel Saturday, September 12 at 2pm ET / 11am PT.

The match will feature Joshua Filler, Albin Ouschan, Francisco Sanchez-Ruiz and Tyler Styer competing against each other in a race to 60 points (explained below).

One Pool was created as a means to allow players to compete remotely while avoiding travel restrictions and safety concerns. The players will be in separate locations with cameras covering their respective tables and alternate racks until one player reaches 60 points.

Make sure to SUBSCRIBE to the CSI YouTube channel and CLICK THE BELL ICON to turn on notifications to be alerted when the event begins or when other free content is added to the channel.

Rules Summary

The game is 10-ball.
The player breaks the rack and has the option to take ball in hand after the break.
- For a break to be valid, at least one ball must be pocketed.
Balls must be shot in succession and the WPA rules of 10-ball apply with the exception that the 10-ball may be pocketed early for a win.
The player is awarded one point per ball pocketed. However...
- If the player takes ball in hand after the break and legally pockets the 10-ball without a miss, he is awarded 10 points.
- If the player does not take ball in hand after the break and legally pockets the 10-ball without a miss, he is awarded 15 points.
All players shoot the same number of racks.
The first player to earn 60 points stops shooting. If any other players reach 60 points within the same number of racks, it is a tie. The players who have tied play an additional rack. The player with the highest score wins.

WATCH HERE

Predator Arcos II by Aramith Becomes the Official Balls of CueSports International, BCA Pool League and USA Pool League

8/25/2020

CueSports International (CSI), parent company of the BCA Pool League and USA Pool League, is excited to announce a new partnership that makes Predator Arcos II by Aramith the official balls of CSI, the BCA Pool League and the USA Pool League. Predator Arcos II will now be used in all CSI, BCA Pool League and USA Pool League events including the CueSports International Expo which showcases the BCA Pool League World Championships, USA Pool League National Championships, Diamond Las Vegas Open and the Predator World 10-Ball Championship.

Predator, the world's most innovative and trusted cue manufacturer, has teamed up with legendary ball maker Aramith to unleash the all-new, highly accurate and durable Predator Arcos II billiard balls. By applying the signature Predator style to Aramith’s flawless technology and production, they’ve created balls like no other. The higher phenolic resin composition and meticulous curing and inspection processes make Predator Arcos II more accurate, more responsive, more consistent and more durable. To learn more about Predator Arcos II, click here.

Ozzy Reynolds, CueSports International CEO, explains that "CSI is thrilled about this new partnership. We have always put an emphasis on quality and using balls designed and manufactured by industry titans like Predator and Aramith is definitely in line with our 'quality first' philosophy. We are confident that our league members and event participants will agree."

Predator Group sees this as a natural evolution of their partnership with CueSports International to bring amateur and professional pool together and grow the sport.

"Improving the game's performance and inspiring new fans to play has always been our passion" said Karim Belhaj, CEO of Predator Group. "Being the official ball of the CSI leagues is another way to improve the playing experience of pool fans, and we hope it will also help us re-invest in professional pool so we can inspire more fans to join and take our sport to the next level."

Yves Bilquin, COO of Saluc S.A., who is also supporting the initiative said "We share Predator's vision and commitment of increasing billiards equipment quality and performance to bring higher value to the players. This is exactly what we have done with the new Predator Arcos II ball set."

CueSports International (CSI) is an international pool league and event leader and is currently comprised of three divisions: CSI Leagues, CSI Events and CSI Media. CSI Leagues manages the BCA Pool League and USA Pool League, CSI Events produces numerous amateur and professional events around the globe and CSI Media creates live streaming and digital content. Through its vision and strategic alliances, CSI is “shaping the future of pool.” For more information about CSI or any of its divisions, visit www.playcsipool.com or find CueSports International on Facebook, YouTube, Instagram and Twitter.

Predator Group’s mission is to inspire billiard fans by providing innovative experiences and products that deliver high-performance, with unsurpassed class and style. Predator, Poison and Uni-Loc are Predator Group brands that focus on performance pool cues, billiard accessories and precision components. For more information regarding Predator Group’s products, visit www.predatorcues.com, www.poisoncues.com and www.uni-loc.com.

REFUNDS TO BE ISSUED FOR 2020 BCA POOL LEAGUE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS

3/21/2020

CueSports International (CSI)
March 21, 2020

On Sunday, March 15 we made the unfortunate announcement that the final four days of the BCA Pool League World Championships, scheduled for March 11-21, would be canceled due to the growing COVID-19 pandemic. This eliminated the teams portion of the event and left many asking if they would receive entry fee refunds. The answer is yes, of course.

Entry fees typically consist of three parts - prize fund, admin fees and green fees. Admin fees help cover the administrative cost of processing entries and green fees help cover the cost of the pool tables, lights, staff and other setup needs. Although hundreds of hours were spent processing entries and verifying ratings and eligibility (i.e. admin fees) and 150,000 square feet of the Rio Convention Center was setup with over 300 Diamond pool tables and lights (i.e. green fees), many of our members ultimately did not get to play. Therefore, CueSports International will issue full refunds upon request for divisions that were canceled.

We are also taking this a step further. The event was already underway when the World Health Organization (WHO) officially declared COVID-19 a pandemic on March 11. After that announcement, some people whose travel plans were scheduled after March 11 chose to not make the trip. Therefore, CueSports International will also issue full refunds upon request to those registrants who did not participate in the 8-Ball Singles divisions which began on Saturday, March 14.

To request a refund, please visit www.playcsipool.com/refunds and complete the Refund Request Form by May 25, 2020.

The COVID-19 pandemic is wreaking havoc across the world and many people have suddenly found themselves without work or income. Although this has also been a massive blow to CueSports International, we will process refunds as quickly as possible in the hope that it will help ease the burdens on our members in some small way.

We hope everyone stays safe and healthy in this unprecedented time.

UPDATE

The May 25, 2020 deadline has passed and refund requests can no longer be considered. Unfortunately, we are unable to make any exceptions for those who may not have requested a refund during the refund window. Thank you.

A message to our members about COVID-19

3/12/2020

With the news being dominated by COVID-19, many people have asked if the current situation will impact the CueSports International Expo currently underway in Las Vegas which includes the BCA Pool League World Championships, USA Pool League National Championships, Diamond Las Vegas Open & Predator World 10-Ball Championship.

The event began as scheduled on Wednesday, March 11, our members are enjoying the competition and there are no plans to cancel anything. CSI and the Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino have no reason to believe anyone at the venue is at risk and the only U.S. travel restrictions currently in place are those from China, Iran, South Korea and Europe.

The safety and well-being of our customers and staff are our priority and we have been coordinating closely with the Rio and Caesars Entertainment. Although the threat in the U.S. remains extremely low, out of an abundance of caution, the following precautionary measures have been taking place since the start of the event to help prevent the spread of any illnesses.

PRECAUTIONARY MEASURES

Hand sanitizing stations have been placed throughout the Rio Conference Center.
Hard surfaces are being cleaned with antibacterial/antiviral sprays at end of each conference day.
Pool tables are being cleaned frequently.
The concession stands and registration desks are being cleaned with antibacterial/antiviral sprays every hour.
Serving utensils such as ladles, tongs, and spatulas are being changed frequently.
Public and employee restrooms are being continuously inspected for cleanliness, that all soap dispensers are full and working properly and that all faucets have hot and cold water.
Portable hand-washing and sanitizer stations have been placed at all bars.
Unwrapped utensils are no longer being used and have been replaced with wrapped cutlery kits.
Condiment pumps have been replaced with individual condiment packets (i.e. ketchup, mustard, etc.).
Coffee creamer canisters have been replaced with individual coffee creamer cups.
Fruits in which the edible parts must be handled, such as apples, have been removed from the whole fruit selection.
All attendees are encouraged to practice good hygiene, frequent hand-washing and liberal use of hand sanitizer.
Participants are encouraged to not be offended if an opponent prefers to not shake hands. It should not be viewed as poor sportsmanship given the current concerns.
All employees are being reminded during pre-shift meetings about the requirement to wash their hands frequently and for a minimum of 20 seconds under hot water.
Employees who feel ill are required to stay home until they are free of illness.
We are closely monitoring the guidance of the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Center for Disease Control (CDC) to ensure we do our part to keep everyone safe.

We understand that many are concerned about COVID-19 and we encourage everyone do what they believe is best for them. However, the CueSports International Expo will continue as planned and we are confident that you will have a safe and enjoyable event. We look forward to seeing you in beautiful Las Vegas for The Greatest Pool Experience in the World.

Sincerely,
CueSports International

CueSports International Expo | Thursday, March 12

New Spot on Calendar Not the Only Change at Diamond Las Vegas Open

3/11/2020

Ozzy Reynolds and the staff at CueSports International didn’t exactly have an abundance of time when planning this year’s Diamond Las Vegas Open. With CSI moving the CueSports International Expo from late July in 2019 to mid-March this year, the planning and scheduling began almost immediately after last year’s edition completed.

The good news, according to Reynolds, is that there wasn’t much that needed to be changed for this year’s version of the four-day tournament that is scheduled to get under way today at the Rio Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas. “The good news is that we did a lot right last year,” said Reynolds. “The Schedule was right on target. It was just a matter of fine tuning.”

Live coverage begins at 10 a.m. local time with Darren Appleton taking on defending World 10-Ball champion Ko Ping-Chung. Immediately following this contest, reigning Mosconi Cup Most Valuable Player Skyler Woodward will face former World 9-Ball champion Carlo Biado, with the match tentatively scheduled to begin at 11:30 a.m. The afternoon sessions will kick off with Billiards Congress of America Hall of Famer Francisco Bustamante matching up against five-time US Open 9-Ball champion Shane Van Boening. Competition will continue with 2016 World 9-Ball champion Albin Ouschan of Austria meeting the reigning champion, Russia’s Fedor Gorst.

Other notable Wednesday matches include former World 10-Ball champion Ko Pin-Yi playing Poland’s Mieszko Fortunski, who finished second at last year’s Diamond Las Vegas Open. Later in the day, former Aramith Masters champion Eklent Kaci of Albania faces Masato Yoshioka of Japan, a final eight finisher in last year’s World 10-Ball Championship.

The biggest change which players and fans alike will notice in this year’s version of the Diamond Las Vegas Open is the switch to 10-ball from 9-ball, a move that was made in order to better align the double-elimination tournament with next week’s World 10-Ball Championship as well as eliminate some of the rules and formatting issues that come with 9-ball. “Nine-ball is somewhat problematic on the pro level,” said Reynolds “The change also stays consistent with the Predator World 10-Ball Championship and the other things that we plan to build in the future.”

This consistency also allows tournament organizers to use the event as the final qualifier for next week’s 10-ball championship. Initially, the top two finishers in the Diamond Las Vegas Open who weren’t already entered in the championship were guaranteed bids into the event. However, with a handful of regional qualifiers unable to be held worldwide for a variety of reasons – most notably, restrictions in different countries due to the coronavirus precautions – Reynolds said that at least three at-large spots will be up for grabs this week at the Rio.

Those vying for the remaining entries as well as a $17,000 top prize will be facing a bracket that features some of professional pool’s best, with 39 of the top 50 players in the World Pool and Billiard Association’s rankings matching up in Las Vegas this week. The only two players ranked in the top 20 not competing in this 128-player, double-elimination event are China’s Jiaqing Wu and Haitao Liu, both of whom were prohibited to travel due to coronavirus monitoring.

One player who will be back at the table this week is returning champion Niels Feijen. The former World 9-ball champion used a pair of break and runs coupled with some unforced errors by opponent Fortunski to claw back from a 7-5 deficit and win, 9-8, in the inaugural event last year. The Dutchman, who opens play against Mickey Krause at 7 p.m. local time, posted an undefeated record in last year’s 9-ball formatted, 106-player tournament.

Another change made to this year’s event was the addition of a 30-second shot clock on the main arena table. “We felt like that was necessary to pick up the pace of play and not bore the fans,” Reynolds said.

The Diamond Las Vegas Open is a presentation of CueSports International and Predator and title-sponsored by Diamond Billiard Products, an industry leader in pocket billiard table manufacturing. Co-sponsors are Omega Billiards and Kamui. The event is being hosted by the Rio All-Suite Hotel and Casino and will be broadcast live on YouTube by CSI Media, a division of CueSports International. For more information, visit www.world10ball.com.

CueSports International (CSI) is an international billiards organization which produces amateur and professional events around the world. CSI, which also operates amateur pool leagues, has three divisions: CSI Leagues, CSI Events and CSI Media. CSI Leagues manages the BCA Pool League and USA Pool League, CSI Events produces numerous amateur and professional events and CSI Media division creates live video billiards content. For more information about CSI, visit www.playcsipool.com or find CueSports International on Facebook, YouTube, Instagram and Twitter.

Keith Paradise
CSI Media Staff Writer

The WPA Players Championship Returns April 7-11 in Las Vegas

12/23/2019

The World Pool-Billiard Association (WPA) and CueSports International (CSI) are excited to announce that the WPA Players Championship will once again be held at Griff’s Billiards in Las Vegas April 7-11, 2020. The event will be staged at Griff’s Billiards just ahead of the US Open 9-Ball Championship, which will be held April 13-18 at Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino in Las Vegas. This WPA Category 3 Ranking event, with $53,000 added prize money, will provide players, especially those competing in the US Open 9-Ball Championship, even more opportunity in Las Vegas.

WPA President, Ian Anderson said, “The WPA is delighted to hold its own ranking event once again. It helps make a solid month of pool events in Las Vegas which includes the Predator World 10-Ball Championship and US Open 9-Ball Championship. We have also added a couple of great bonus incentives for players who enter the qualifiers.”

The event is comprised of two stages – the Stage 1 Qualifiers and Stage 2 Main Event. The Stage 1 Main Event, April 9-11, is limited to 64 players in a single elimination format with a 32-player consolation tournament for those eliminated in the first round. 48 of the 64 players will be chosen by the WPA rankings and WPA member federations. A single $275 entry fee will cover the main event and the consolation tournament. The main event will be a race to seven with the semi-final and final being a race to nine. The consolation tournament will be a race to five with the semi-final and final being a race to seven.

The remaining 16 spots in the main event will be filled by two Stage 1 Qualifier tournaments, one per day, held April 7-8. The top eight finishers from each qualifier will receive a paid spot in the Stage 2 Main Event. A single $275 entry fee allows players to compete in both qualifiers and will also gain free entry into the main event for those who qualify. Alternatively, a daily entry of $175 is also an option. Qualifiers will be single elimination, race to five and open to anyone not already entered in the main event.

There are two additional bonuses for those who compete in the Stage 1 Qualifiers. Two of the 16 players who qualify from Stage 1 will also win paid entries into the 2020 US Open 9-Ball Championship (April 13-18 in Las Vegas). The highest placing player in Stage 2 from the eight players who qualify on April 7, and the highest placing player in Stage 2 from the eight players who qualified on April 8, who are not already entered in the US Open 9-Ball Championship, will win a paid entry. In addition, two of the 16 players who qualify from Stage 1 will also win paid entries into the 2020 International 9-Ball Open (Oct 25-31 in Norfolk, VA). The highest placing U.S. player in Stage 2 from the eight players who qualify on April 7, and the highest placing U.S. player in Stage 2 from the eight players who qualified on April 8, and did not win the other bonus, will win a paid entry. Neither bonus can be sold or transferred to another player

Anyone may register for Stage 1 now at www.playcsipool.com/2020-wpa-players-championship.

“We are honored to once again assist the WPA in producing this event,” said CSI CEO, Ozzy Reynolds. ”The inaugural 2019 event was a huge success and we are excited to build upon that and make 2020 even better."

Prize funds are guaranteed by the WPA, and the payouts for the main event and consolation tournament will be as follows.

Main Event Payouts
1 - $10,000
2 - $7,000
3/4 - $5,000 ea.
5/8 - $3,000 ea.
9/16 - $1,500 ea.
17/32 - $400 ea.

Consolation Tournament Payouts
1 - $1,500
2 - $1,000
3/4 - $500 ea.
5/8 - $250 ea.
9/16 - $150 ea.

As noted, the WPA Players Championship does help solidify a great series of events in Las Vegas in the Mark-April timeframe as shown below. Players are highly encouraged to participate in each of these great events.

EVENT	DATES	LOCATION	LINKS
Diamond Las Vegas Open	March 11-14	Rio Hotel & Casino	www.playcsipool.com/2020-lv-open
Predator World 10-Ball Championship	March 16-20	Rio Hotel & Casino	www.world10ball.com
WPA Players Championship	April 7-11	Griff's Billiards	www.playcsipool.com/2020-wpa-players-championship
US Open 9-Ball Championship	April 13-18	Mandalay Bay	www.matchroompool.com/usopen9ball

The World Pool-Billiard Association (WPA) is the international governing body for pocket billiards and is comprised of six member federations representing North America, South America, Europe, Asia, Africa and Australia. The WPA is the world-recognized body for sanctioning World Championship events. It is also one of the three member organizations of the World Confederation of Billiards Sports (WCBS), representing the billiard disciplines of pool, snooker and carom. For more information about the WPA, visit www.wpapool.com.

CueSports International (CSI) is an international pool league and event leader and is currently comprised of three divisions: CSI leagues, CSI events and CSI media. CSI leagues manages the BCA Pool League and USA Pool League, CSI events produces numerous amateur and professional events around the globe and CSI media creates live streaming and digital content. Through its vision and strategic alliances, CSI is “shaping the future of pool.” For more information about CSI or any of its divisions, visit www.playcsipool.com or find CueSports International on Facebook, YouTube, Instagram and Twitter.

2019 US Open Bank Pool Championship Matches Released on YouTube

12/10/2019

CueSports International (CSI) is pleased to announce that recorded matches from the 2019 US Open Bank Pool Championship have been released on the CSI YouTube Channel. Thirteen (13) matches featuring some of the world's best bank pool players such as Shane Van Boening, John Morra, Billy Thorpe, Warren Kiamco and more can be viewed in their entirety – absolutely free!

The event was held May 24-26 at Griff's Billiards in Las Vegas. The format was double elimination with each match being a race to four (4) except the final match which was a race to five (5).

RECORDED MATCHES

Match 1: John Morra (Canada) vs John Philips (USA)
Match 2: Billy Thorpe (USA) vs Mitch Ellerman (USA)
Match 3: Ian Costello (USA) vs Bill Thompson (USA)
Match 4: Warren Kiamco (Philippines) vs Marc Vidal Claramunt (USA)
Match 5: Chris Adams (USA) vs Michael Dunn (USA)
Match 6: John Morra (Canada) vs Warren Kiamco (Philippines)
Match 7: Shane Van Boening (USA) vs Billy Thorpe (USA)
Match 8: Mitch Ellerman (USA) vs John Philips (USA)
Match 9: Marc Vidal Claramunt (USA) vs Gary Lutman (USA)
Match 10 HOT SEAT: Billy Thorpe (USA) vs John Morra (Canada)
Match 11: Shane Van Boening (USA) vs Warren Kiamco (Philippines)
Match 12 SEMI-FINAL: Shane Van Boening (USA) vs John Morra (Canada)
Match 13 FINAL: Shane Van Boening (USA) vs Billy Thorpe (USA)

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