The Color of Money Brings Fortune to Chicago's GingerMan Tavern

Photo from www.movie-locations.com

Reader Don Patterson sent in this story in a few months back. It's about his friend  Dan Schnitta, owner of the GingerMan Tavern in Chicago and the GingerMan Raceway in southwest Michigan. 

The year is 1986 and Dan was at work behind the bar at his GingerMan Tavern. He is staring at a stack of unpaid bills and a empty bar.  He is trying to decide whether to pull the plug and call it quits or try to keep the doors open, when two gentleman in suits walk in and order a couple drinks.  Dan goes about his business as the two gentleman walk around the bar pointing and talking.  The two men then approach Dan after their drinks and tell Dan they have a proposition for him.  The proposition is that they'll pay him a large sum of money and completely remodel his bar if he closes for a month or so, while they shoot scenes for a movie.  Dan has little reason to ask many questions other then where do I sign.  

Tom Cruise and Paul Newman

Dan watches as his bar is remodeled and transformed into a movie set.  The day comes when they're ready for shooting the scenes and much to Dan's surprise, he shows up to find Paul Newman and Tom Cruise on the set.  Production comes to an end and Dan now has a newly remodeled bar that was used as a movie set.  He reopens to a new clientele and business is good, the bills are paid and the bar is making money.  Dan is thinking life could get no better.

Several months later, his manger calls him all excited and asks Dan what should he do, he has arrived to find hundreds of people standing in line all the way down the block and waiting for the bar to open.  "The Color of Money" has just opened in theaters and the GingerMan Tavern is now one of Chicago's main attractions.  Dan is quick to recognize the opportunity and applies a cover charge and takes it one step further, the table that Newman and Cruise played on is roped off and a significant addition charge is applied to playing on "The Table".  The moral of the story can best be summed up as: Even in your darkest hour, one never knows when financial good fortune will walk through your door, but when it does,  you had better have a good understanding of "The Color of Money".

Dan got to know Paul Newman quite well during the filming and that both men discovered a common love for fast cars and racing.  When Dan opened his track in Michigan, Paul was a regular patron and made several visit, testing various cars. You can find the GingerMan Tavern at 3740 N. Clark Street, in Chicago. And if you're a racing fan, here's the link to Schnitta's GingerMan Raceway.

Thanks to Don Patterson for the great story.

Chang Jun Lin Takes World 8-Ball Title

Chang 11-6 over Fu Che Wei in all-Taiwan Final

Story and photos courtesy Ted Lerner and World Pool and Billiard Association

(Fujairah, UAE) — Call it a case of the student surpassing the master.

Taiwan’s Chang Jun Lin, who for the last ten years has been a pupil of fellow countryman Fu Chei Wei, did his pool teacher proud by winning the 2012 World 8-ball Championship, convincingly beating Fu Friday in an all-Taiwan finals in Fujairah, 11—6. 

2012 World 8-Ball Champion Chang Jun Lin

Chang’s performance,  which started with a gritty 9-7 semi-finals win over England’s Chris Melling, vaulted him atop the pool playing world and deservedly so.  Chang’s ability to read patterns, his even-keel demeanor, and his dead-eye potting skills, were all on display throughout the week in Fujairah and carried him through world class competition all the way to his first world championship.

The fact that Chang has learned much about pool and life at the feet of the 38-year-old Fu, added a fascinating twist to what had become an all-Taiwan 8-ball party in Fujairah.  The 26-year-old Chang began studying the game from Fu at the age of 16. Despite traveling the world in the last few years, the two had never played each other in an international event.

As is the case in most pro tournaments, the tournament was constantly in a state of flux, with a single small roll of a ball determining outcomes of matches and careers. But by the time the finals rolled around, it was clear that the two hottest players this week had made it.  Like Chang, Fu was playing red hot pool the last few days and had never come close to defeat.  His 9-3 beat down of China’s Liu Haitao in today’s semi-final was just the latest in a string of powerful performances. 

Both players were playing at about the same high level so it was difficult to predict who would come out on top in the final.  But one thing was perfectly clear in this tournament; dry breaks and only one missed ball invariably lead to instant punishment from  the other player.  And that’s exactly how this match played out.

Fu won the lag but missed an early ball which Chang pounded on for the clear and a 1-0 lead.  Chang then coolly broke and ran the next rack for a 2-0 lead. Fu broke dry in rack three and when Chang couldn’t convert a long pot, Fu also missed and paid the price for a three rack deficit.

The deliberate Chang doesn’t normally let big leads like this get away, but Fu decided it was time to make a match of it. Fu finally got on track when he broke serve in the next rack after Chang scratched on the break.  He broke and ran rack 5, then broke serve in rack 6, and broke and ran rack seven for a 4-3 lead. That, however, was the last lead Fu would see in the match.

From there Chang stepped on the gas and took the next four frames, which included two break and runs, one clear off a dry break, and a cleared table from a Fu miss, all for a 7-4 lead and a vice grip on the match.

At this point Fu’s energy level seemed to wilt, while the tall and burly Chang just kept motoring along.  Fu got one back, but Chang kept on going, punishing a single mistake by Fu, and breaking and running when he had the break. Chang made Fu pay for a mistake to go up 8-5. Then broke and cleared for a 9-5 lead. Fu got one consolation rack before Chang closed out his first world championship in style; a break and run, and clear off a Fu miss.

Afterward  Chang was understandably highly emotional not just about his amazing accomplishment, but about the man who had helped him get to the top of the mountain, who happened to be the same man he had just beaten to get there.

“It’s like a dream,” Chang said through an interpreter. “To be a world champion. It’s something I dreamed about for a long time. I didn’t feel any pressure playing him.  He taught me more than just how to play pool. He taught me how to be a man in real life, how to carry myself, how to behave and lead your life, don’t criticize and get down on yourself too much. Lead with you actions not your words. He is not just a teacher but a big brother to me, and a good friend.”

For Fu, the result brought on mixed emotions as his long cherished journey to his first world title ended in a losing battle with his very own pupil. 

“I played bad in the final,” Fu said, still able to laugh and joke . “I felt like I ran out of energy. I’m very happy for  him. I’m proud. But I think I would have preferred to have played a player from another country.” 

For winning the World 8-ball Championship, Chang won $20,000, while Fu takes home $15,000

All-Taiwan Final in World 8-ball

FU CHE WEI AND CHANG JUN LIN WILL PLAY FOR $35,000

Story and photos courtesy Ted Lerner and World Pool and Billiard Association

(Fujairah, UAE)--World 8-ball supremacy, along with $35,000 in cash, is assured of a home in Taiwan for the next year, as Fu Che We and Chang Jun Lin both won their semi-final matches this afternoon at the Fujairah Tennis and Country Club.

The all-Taiwan  final between Fu and Chang will begin later today at 5pm local time(GMT +). The match will be a race to 11, alternate break.

Fu Che We, promoter Ahmed Ibrahim, and Chang Jun Lin

Fu completely dominated China’s Liu Haitao winning easily 9-3. Fu has been playing red hot 8-ball in the last few days, breaking well and barely missing any balls. It’s a recipe for success in professional 8-ball and has brought the veteran campaigner into his first world championship final.

Chang’s semi-final match vs. Chris Melling was much closer but the 26 year old from Taipei put in a brilliant performance in overcoming the confident Englishman. Melling raced out to a 2-0 but then saw Chang, with his deliberate style, crawl back in the match.

Chang took the lead at 4-3 and never looked back.  Melling had trouble all afternoon with the break, consistently coming up dry. Chang took advantage and built up a 6-3 lead. Melling battled back to 6-5, but Chang broke and ran for a 7-5 lead. Melling again broke dry in rack 13 and Chang pushed the lead up to 3.  Melling had one last fight back, moving the score to 8-7. But Chang held his nerve in rack 16 to get over the finish line first.

The winner of the World 8-ball Championship will receive $20,000, while the runner up will receive $15,000. 

The WPA will be providing up to the minute coverage of the   finals on its website, www.wpa-pool.com, including live scoring of the match , as well as blow by blow coverage  via the WPA’s Twitter page, @poolwpa.

Big Names Fall in World 8-ball

Defending champ Orcullo upset in UAE
Story and photos courtesy Ted Lerner and World Pool and Billiard Association

Fujairah, UAE — The World 8-ball Championship turned into a wide open race on Wednesday in Fujairah, United Arab Emirates, as some of the game's biggest names, including defending champion Dennis Orcullo, last year’s runner up Niels Feijen, and semi-finalist Darren Appleton all were sent packing barely after the knockout stages had gotten going. 

Other big names, like former champions Ralf Souquet and Karl Boyes were also handed their walking papers. In all it amounted to a proverbial one-day bloodletting in one of the sport’s biggest championships.

Team Poland

The biggest upset of the day was easily Orcullo, who went down hard to upstart Karol Skowerski of Poland.  Both Orcullo and Skowerski had won their round of 64 matches earlier in the day, and came up against each other in the first of the round of 32 matches later in the evening.  When the defending champion sent the cue off the table on the opening break it must have been a terrible omen for the Filipino, who was certainly expecting to go far in the event he won last year.

Indeed things continued downhill even faster for Orcullo as he fell behind 5-0 in the race to 9, alternate break contest.  The 28-year-old Skowerski, who’s ranked number 4 in Poland, took advantage of several errors from the defending champion, and played surprisingly confident pool throughout.  The Kielce native showed superb potting skills and was never intimidated even when Orcullo began a fight back.  In fact it was the Filipino who seemed to fold as Skowerski won the match going away, 9-3, for the biggest win of his career.

“I played well and I really concentrated well the whole match,” an obviously delighted Skowerski said after the match as he was congratulated by teammates Radislaw Babica and Tomasz Kaplan, both of whom were eliminated earlier in the day.  “I wasn’t scared and I wasn’t nervous.”

At about the same time, Feijen, who’s been runner up here two years running, found himself in a difficult match against the very talented Ko Pin Yi of Taiwan in a round of 32 contest. Everyone expected this one to go the distance but it wasn’t even close. Ko, who over the last year has been making it clear he intends to be one of the world’s best players, blew Feijen out of the building, taking the match 9-2. 

American Max Eberle Still in the Hunt

Le He Wen, above, Beats Appleton

One of the more interesting matchups of the early sessions in the round of 64 was perennial favorite Souquet taking on the USA’s Max Eberle.  Eberle is the last American standing in this year’s championship, and over the last 24 hours he’s been openly relishing carrying the mantle for the USA, the ancestral home 8-ball.  

Indeed “Mad Max” started his match like a man possessed as he jumped out to a 4-0 lead. As expected the Kaiser methodically crawled his way back into the match and looked to be squeezing the air out of the American.  Eberle, though, stood  his ground and wouldn’t let the German great catch him as he held on for a gritty 9-7 win.

“I came out strong and I think that set him back a bit,” Eberle said afterward. “Ralf was tight today. He usually plays cleaner but he kept giving me opportunities.”

Brit star Appleton falls to Li of China

Darren Appleton came into this year’s championship supremely confident of his chances to take the title, even admitting early in the week that for him to lose, an opposing player would have to shoot lights out pool.

“You really have to beat me,” the powerhouse Brit said. Those words came back to haunt Appleton tonight as China’s talented Li He Wen beat him senseless in the round of 64. The 31 year old Li, who hails from Shenyang in northeastern China and is China’s number one ranked player, steamrolled Appleton 9-3 to move into the round of 32 on Thursday.

“I played very good today,” Li said afterward through an interpreter. “He didn’t break good and he gave me too many chances.”

Several times today in Fujairah it was proved that players from  the Middle East  have made great strides in recent years and are no longer just filler for tournament fields. Salah Al-Rimawi, 23, of the UAE brought some noise to the Fujairah Tennis Club as he upended fancied Brit Daryl Peach, 9 – 5.  Al-Rimawi, who is the UAE’s number one player and made it all the way to the final 16 last year here,  played solid pool throughout and jumped out to a 7-1 lead over the former World 9-ball champion, who had seemed out of sorts the entire tournament. Peach fought back but Al-Rimawi showed true grit by bearing down and crossing the finish line in style. 

Earlier, 20 year old Ahmad Jallad, who showed fine form last June in Qatar for the World 9-ball championship, showed he can play serious 8-ball as he put in a gutsy performance  against favored Filipino Joven Alba.  Alba, who coaches the national team of the UAE, went up 6-2 only to commit some glaring errors that allowed the youngster to gain some momentum. Jallad clawed his way back to go up 7-6, then held off the Filipino for a narrow win, 9-8.

It was not the best of days for the Philippine contingent as six Pinoys went down to defeat. Still three big names are still in the championship; Lee Van Corteza, Roberto Gomez, and Carlo Biado. 

Thursday is sure to provide plenty of drama and tension as the field will be reduced to four players by the end of the day.  Thursday play begins at 2pm in Fujairah(GMT +4). 

The 2012 World 8-ball Championship concludes on Friday with the semis and finals. The winner will receive $20,000 while the runner up will get $15,000.  The tournament has a $156,000 prize fund. 

The WPA will be providing up to the minute coverage of all the happenings on its website, www.wpa-pool.com, including live scoring of all matches, in depth articles on the goings on posted several times a day, as well as blow by blow coverage of big matches via the WPA’s Twitter page, @poolwpa. 

For Live scoring, CLICK HERE

For Updated Brackets and complete Final 64 draw, CLICK HERE

For Photo Gallery, CLICK HERE

*The World Pool and Billiard Association(WPA) is the world governing body of the sport of pool. The WPA is also the member organization for pool of the World Confederation of Billiard Sports (WCBS), the international umbrella organization encompassing all the major cue sports.

Eberle Last American in World 8-Ball

Saving the Day for the USA 

Story and photos courtesy Ted Lerner and World Pool and Billiard Association

(Fujairah, UAE) -- Facing elimination, and bearing the burden of having to carry the hopes of the United States squarely on his shoulders, Max Eberle proved his mettle tonight at the Fujairah Tennis and Country club, pulling out a hard fought come from behind 7-4 win over Singapore’s Kwang Chan Ken to advance to the round of 64 knockout stage at the 2012 World 8-ball Championship.

Max Eberle

Eberle, who originally hails from Ohio but now resides in Las Vegas, is now the sole American left in this year’s World 8-ball Championship. The single elimination knockout stage begins on Wednesday at 2 pm (GMT +4). All matches will be race to 9, alternate break. 

Eberle went into his do or die late night match already knowing he had to carry the flag for the red, white and blue. Moments earlier, Brandon Shuff, the only other American in this year’s competition, blew a golden opportunity to take down the Netherland’s Nick Van den Berg on the TV table. Shuff was clearing the table with the score tied at 5 and played poor position with just three balls left on the table, leading to a scratch. Van den Berg went up 6-5, then broke and ran for the 7-5 win.

“I dogged it,” a gutted Shuff said afterward.  Things were looking dire for Eberle as well before he decided enough was enough. Leading 3-0, Eberle suffered several dry breaks and soon found himself down 4-3. Then the fight back began.  “Mad Max” won four straight racks for the win.

“It was a gritty win,” a delighted Eberle said afterward. “I had to bear down and pull out some good run outs. I really fought hard and it feels good. America still has hope. I have to pull it out for the USA.”

It won’t be easy, though. Eberle has drawn none other than Hall of Famer Ralf Souquet in his first match in the round of 64. That match is scheduled for 4 pm Fujairah time.(GMT +4)

Earlier, there were some tense moments out on the playing floor for former World 9-ball Champion Daryl Peach. Peach found himself at deaths door while facing 13 year old (yes that’s right: 13 year old) Mohammed Saed Saed of Qatar.

Mohammed Saed Saed of Qatar

The youngster was playing lights out pool in that fearless way that only a juvenile can do, while Peach played horribly all match. Tied at 5 all, Peach had only the 8 ball left to go up by one, only to scratch after potting the black pearl. This put the kid on the hill with the break, but he broke dry and Peach cleared.  Peach nearly gave it away in the decider, but fear and nerves finally caught up with Saed Saed and he blew a certain win with awful position, leaving Peach an easy run out. 

“That was the worst match of pool I’ve ever played,” a somewhat stunned Peach said afterward.

The unique World Championship-style pressure seemed to infect many of the tables in the evening session.  Aoki Ryoji from Japan and  Jayson Shaw of Great Britain went down to the wire, with Ryoji pulling out a 7-6 squeaker.  Hamzah Ali, the first and only pro pool player to come out of the African country of Eritrea came from 6-3 down to take Spain’s Carlos Cabello to a one game decider. Hamzah got down to the 8-ball but missed a golden opportunity for pool glory when he missed, leaving a clear and win for the Spaniard.

The remaining three days of this year’s World 8-ball Championship promise plenty of nerves, tension and fireworks as most of pool’s big names made it through. It’s almost assured to see a Filipino in the final four at least as all nine Filipino players entered into the tournament qualified for the final 64. These include defending champion Dennis Orcullo, Lee Van Corteza, Roberto Gomez, Carlo Biado, Joven Alba, Elmer Haya, Ramund Faoron, Demosthenes Pulpul, and Elvis Calasang.

Fans around the world can follow all the action from 2012 World 8-ball Championship in Fujairah on the WPA website  www.wpa-pool.com. The WPA will be providing  live scoring of all matches, in depth articles on the goings-on posted several times a day, as well as blow by blow coverage of big matches via the WPA’s Twitter page, @poolwpa. 

For Live scoring, CLICK HERE

For Updated Brackets and complete Final 64 draw, CLICK HERE

For Photo Gallery, CLICK HERE

*The World Pool and Billiard Association (WPA) is the world governing body of the sport of pool. The WPA is also the member organization for pool of the World Confederation of Billiard Sports (WCBS), the international umbrella organization encompassing all the major cue sports.