Having only started a couple of years ago, billiards enthusiast Ralph Greenleaf has already become one of the country's best players. He has participated in three cushion billiards tournaments, and he was in the top 10 at the Illinois 3-cushion tournament. He has been regularly visiting the Twin Cities billiards club each month.
Two of the most highly ranked billiards players in Vietnam are Tran Quyet Chien and Nguyen Quyet Nguyen. Both are among the top ten players in the world. Both players are currently ranked in the top eight, with Tran Quyet Chien ranked number seven. Both players are defending champions in the tournament. Ngo Dinh Nai is ranked number 29, Jeremy Bury of France is ranked number 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. Eight top Vietnamese players will compete in the tournament. The total prize pool will be approximately 160,000 US dollars. There will be many other events throughout the year, in addition to the tournament.
The official governing body of carom billiards is the United States Billiard Association (USBA). The USBA conducts a number of events each year, culminating in the National Championship. The USA will be represented by the two top players at the Pan-American Championship.
The three cushion billiards tournaments held at the Madison 3-Cushion Billiards Club were very competitive and well-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. The top 12 players will each receive $7,400. Bruce Venzke - a cue games legend - was the tournament director.
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 organizes regular tournaments each year. A number of upcoming events will be displayed on the UMB Turnier Schedule.
This tournament was held on the southern province of Binh Duong. The tournament featured eight teams that battled over three days. 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 is single elimination. The cash prize for the Las Vegas World Cup 3-cushion Billiards Tournament is $20,000. This is the first time the Vietnamese have sent a representative to the semi-finals.
3-Cushion Billiards Tournament, although a relatively new game has seen great popularity all over the world. It was also featured on the animated Disney short film Donald, Mathmagic land. It was also featured the 2007 Goya Award-winning Spanish Film Seven Billiard Tables.