Area billiards enthusiasts will have a number of local players to cheer for in professionals Vicki Paski (Grand Ledge, MI), Alice Rim (Warren, MI), and Maureen Soto (Toronto, Canada).  The tournament has a special significance for Paski, the o­nly charter member of the WPBA still playing o­n the tour.  “To have this tournament so close to the Association’s birthplace is not o­nly thrilling, but the culmination of a dream come true”, says Paski.  Paski, along with a number of other women players, met at Mitch Housey’s Restaurant/Lounge in Livonia, MI, o­n Memorial Day weekend in 1976 and with that meeting gave birth to the Women’s Professional Billiard Alliance, the precursor to the WPBA.  Since that first meeting, the WPBA has given rise to a number of outstanding currently touring female professionals, such as Eva (Mataya) Laurance, Jeanette Lee, Vivian Villarreal, and Loree Jon Jones.  More recently, the WPBA has attracted a number of top European and Asian professionals (Allison Fisher, Karen Corr, Helena Tornfeldt, Gerda Hofstatter, Ga Young Kim, and Jennifer Chen, amongst a host of others).  All will be present for this WPBA Canadian debut. 

 Session times for the tournament are: Thursday, Friday and Saturday, October 16 – 18; Day – 1l:00 am to 4:30pm; Evening – 5:30pm to 11:30 pm; Sunday, October 19th: Semi-final #1: 1:00pm; Semi-final #2: 3:00pm; Championship: 5:00pm. Ticket prices are $8 General Admission and $15 VIP Seating for each of the Thursday, Friday, and Saturday “day” or “evening” sessions.  An “all day” session pass is $12 General Admission and $45 VIP Seating for the semi-finals and championship rounds.  “All Tournament” passes are available for $45 General Admission and $100 VIP Seating.  Tickets can be purchased in advance by phone by calling PL Promotions at (615) 822-3779 or at the door at Casino Windsor beginning o­n October 16th.  For more information o­n dates, times, and particulars of the event and Casino Windsor please contact Holly Ward, Special Events Coordinator, at (800) 991-7777 or e-mail to: ward@casinowindsor.com.

To schedule interviews with tournament personnel or any of the WPBA touring professionals please contact Bob Arguelles, Media Dynamics, 866-881-8255 or e-mail: bobarguelles@cs.com or mediadynamicsllc@cs.com.

Visit InsidePOOL for the latest from the sport of billiards and pool.