Ralph Greenleaf is a passionate billiards player who started playing just a few years back. He has already taken part in some three cushion billiards tournaments and has placed in the top 10 at the national 3-cushion billiards tournament in Illinois last month. He also regularly visits the Twin Cities' local billiards clubs every month.
Nguyen Quyet Nguyen and Tran Quyetchien are two of Vietnam's most highly-ranked billiards players. These two players are among the top ten in the world. Both players are currently ranked within the top eight. Tran Quyetchien is ranked number seven. Both players are the tournament's defending champions. Ngo Dinh Nai is ranked number 29, Jeremy Bury, France is ranked 18.
The next tournament that will be held in Vietnam is the 3-Cushion Carom Billiards Continental Cup which will be held December 20-22 at Seoul. The tournament will feature eight top Vietnamese players. The prize money total will amount to approximately 160,000 USD. There will be many other events throughout the year, in addition to the tournament.
The United States Billiard Association, (USBA), is the official governing organization for carom and billiards. Each year, the National Championship is held by the USBA. The USA will be represented by the two top players at the Pan-American Championship.
The three tournaments of cushion billiards at Madison 3-Cushion Billiards club were highly competitive and closely contested. The tournament had two flights, each with six players. The tournament was handicapped. Only the top five players in each flight progressed to the semis. The top 12 players in each flight will receive $7,000. Bruce Venzke, a cue game legend, was the tournament director.
UMB (Union of Billiards and Carom Billiards), is the official governing body of 3-cushion pool billiards worldwide, sponsored the tournament. UMB also organizes regular tournaments each year. You can find a list of upcoming events on the UMB Turnier Schedule.
This tournament was held in the south province of Binh Duong and featured eight teams that battled over three nights. The semi-finals will be decided by the top two teams, and the quarterfinals will be decided by the fourth and fifth teams. The final round will consist of single elimination. The winner of the Las Vegas World Cup 3-cushion billiards tournament will win a cash prize of $20,000. This is the first appearance of a Vietnamese representative in 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 as a character in Seven Billiard Tables 2007, a Spanish film that won the Goya Award.