Having only started a couple of years ago, billiards enthusiast Ralph Greenleaf has already become one of the country's best players. He has taken part in at least three tournaments of cushion billiards and was a top-10 player in the Illinois 3-cushion billiards tourney last month. He has been attending a local club for billiards in the Twin Cities each month.
Nguyen Queyet Nguyen is the Vietnamese player who is ranked second and third in billiards. Both of them are ranked among the top 10 in the world. Both players currently rank in the top 8, with Tran Quyetchien at number 7. Both players are the tournament's defending champions. Ngo Dinh Nai is ranked no 29. Jeremy Bury from France ranks 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. 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 body for carom billiards in the United States. The National Championship is one of the many events held each year by the USBA. The USA will be represented by the two top players at the Pan-American Championship.
The three Madison 3-Cushion Cushion Billiards Club tournaments were extremely competitive and highly contested. The tournament saw two flights with six players each. The tournament was handicapped so only the top five players from each flight reached the semi-finals. The top 12 players will each receive $7,400. 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. The UMB Turnier Schedule lists a variety of events.
This tournament was held in the south province of Binh Duong and featured eight teams that battled over three nights. The top two teams progress to the semi-finals while the third and forth teams move on to the quarterfinals. The final round of the tournament will be single elimination. The Las Vegas World Cup 3-cushion-billiards tournament's winner will be awarded a cash prize worth $20,000. This is the first time the Vietnamese have sent a representative to 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 on the 2007 Goya Award-winning Spanish film Seven Billiard Tables.