Keith O’Dell Jr. of Johnstown was invited to perform at the American Pool Association’s championship competition in Las Vegas last month, and he’s booked to show his skills on the Rachael Ray show in July.

The wiz kid learned the game on a child size table, but recently switched to regulation size. He reaches the balls by standing on a chair.

It all started a few weeks before Christmas when the boy’s parents, Keith Sr. and Courtney O’Dell, were in a discount store and saw a miniature pool table.

Keith Sr., an avid player, thought his son was too young to enjoy it, but bought the table anyway. Keith Jr. opened it Christmas morning and surprised his parents when he started shooting on his own.

The O’Dells have no explanation for their son’s success, but say he learned by watching his dad shoot 200 racks every night.

His parents say the boy’s learning hasn’t been limited to billiard games – pool is also teaching their son colors and how to count.

Watch Video

Two-year-old billiards prodigy Keith O’Dell Jr. dazzling crowds with pool prowess

In the final Souquet defeated England’s two-time ET winner Imran Majid 8-4 to claim the €5000 first prize. Majid received €3300 for second place.

Souquet defeated countryman and defending champion Thomas Engert 8-3 in the semifinals. Majid edged surprise man Michal Czarnecki (Poland) 8-6.

This was the first ever 10-ball event on the Euro Tour and what could be more fitting than the all-time leader taking the title. This was his 16th win from 26 finals. Fellow German Oliver Ortmann is second on the list with 13 wins.

The German legend is on an amazing run. His last six finishes on the Tour is 5th, 1st, 1st, 5th, 3rd, 2nd and 1st.

Souquet extends his already massive lead in the Euro Tour Ranking. Majid improves from seventh to fourth. The Dutch pair of Niels Feijen and Nick Van Den Berg hold on to second and third place respectively.

The tournament was played 21-23 May at Billiard Cafe Die Drei, Sindelfingen, Germany. It was the third event of seven on the 2009 Euro Tour. Next up is the Patricks Austria Open which runs from August 20-22 2009. It will be the 100th event on the Euro Tour.

Souquet wins German Open

Raya Sports, organizer of the tournament, presented some of the top foreign and Filipino participants during a press conference held at the press center of SM Megamall, the venue for the tournament.

Ralf Souquet of Germany, currently ranked No. 1 by the World Pool-Billiard Association (WPA), is seeded first in the tournament.

The other top seeds are: Darren Appleton, UK (2), Mika Immonen, Finland (3), Pin-Yi Ko, Chinese Taipei (4), Shane Van Boening, USA (5), Fu Che-Wei, Chinese Taipei (6), Marcus Chamat, Sweden (7), and Jerico Banares, Philippines (8), Corey Deuel, USA (9), and Antonio Gabica, Phil (10).

Karen Corr of Ireland is the highest seeded female player at No. 15.

Raya Chairman Yen Makabenta told the media that the Philippine Open is a key event of the World Ranking Tour of the World Pool-Billiards Association (WPA). “It will be an annual event in international pool calendar,” he said.

The other events in the World Tour are: China Open (June 8-14), Qatar Open (June 29 to July 7), World Ten Ball Championship (October 5-11), and US Open (October 18-24).
Three reigning world champions are competing in the Philippine Open. They are Souquet (2008 world 8-ball champion), Appleton (2008 world 10-ball champion), and Ko Pin-Yi (2007 and 2008 world junior 9-ball champion).

Souquet recently won the German Open in Stuttgard, Germany, the first international 10-ball tournament in Europe. He said that he considers the game as better than 9-ball, and he was pleased that the WPA adopted the call-shot rule for the discipline.

Among the national champions competing in the tournament are:
Ricky Yang of Indonesia, Amir Ibrahim of Malaysia, Jian-Bo Fu of China, Satoshi Kawabata of Japan, Ernesto Dominguez of Mexico, Jeong Young Hwa of Korea, and Marlon Manalo of the Philippines.

The other women players in the tournament are: Jasmin Ouschan  (Austria), Kelly Fischer (UK), Melissa Little (USA), Sarah Rousey (USA) and Julie Kelly (Ireland).

The Philippine Open is double elimination up to the Final Four. All matches are race to 9, winners break, except for the final which will be a race to 11.

Philippine Open Unveils Stellar Field

The South Korean women have taken the sport of women’s billiards by storm the past few years. Currently, the top two players from South Korea are Yu Ram Cha and Ga Young Kim. Kim is a veteran pro player with titles including the US Open and the World 9-Ball Championship. Cha on the other hand has only played one year as a professional but made an astounding impact in 2008 going unranked to the top 20 in rankings in less than a year. Cha, known as the “Little Lightning”, won Billiards Digest Breakthrough Player of the Year and also the Women’s Pro Tour Most Improved Player. But perhaps her greatest accomplishment happened last week in Las Vegas when she defeated USA Men’s #1 and US Open Champion Shane Van Boening in a stunning comeback from behind upset during the Predator International 10-Ball Championship. Both Kim and Cha are ranked #2 and #5 respectively in the world.

“I feel 10-Ball is a better game for me because it suits my abilities. I have a strong break and good cueball control. I’m more comfortable playing 10-Ball against this field”,said Cha.

“As objectively as I can say, I’d pick her as one of the top five favorites to win the event. 9-Ball is quickly fading because 10-Ball takes more skill and power, which favors Yu Ram’s talented all around game. She is definitely the hot hand out of the women right now”,said US Pro Charlie Williams, who also coaches and mentors Cha.

The Korean contingent also have a great supporting cast including Yun Mi Lim who finished 5th at the World 9-Ball Championship, Eun Ji Park Korea Rookie of the Year, and Ji Won Hyun who has been a professional in Taiwan for years.

Jeanette Lee will be the biggest threat out of the USA team to win gold during the event. Ironically, Jeanette Lee is Korean American, born in New York but from South Korean parents. Lee is a former #1 on the women’s pro tour (current ranking #3 in the world) and Gold Medalist at the World Games. Known as the Black Widow, Lee is considered to be the most famous billiards player in the world. She is known in the Philippines by her match against Efren “Bata” Reyes years ago (which she lost in a respectable score). This is her first appearance in the Philippines in 8 years.

Other top names from the US will be former USA Junior Champion and now top pro Sarah Rousey, Melissa Little, Angel Paglia, Tina Meraglio, Jeannie Seaver, and Kim Jones.

The historic event is considered to be the biggest women’s sporting event of the year for the Philippines, and one of the biggest in Asia as it draws massive media attention with 40 hours of match coverage going to over 40 countries with 20 hours live on ESPN and equally in its local partner ABS-CBN, the leading TV channel of the Philippines. 48 women from around the globe will attend the event vying for $20,000 (1M) 1st place prize out of the $75,000 (3.75M) purse available. SM Mall North Edsa, Magic 89.9, Philippines Star, Crowne Plaza Galleria Manila, Predator Cues, and JBETPOKER.net are some of the primary sponsors of the event.

Open qualifiers for the event will be held May 31 and June 1 at Paeng’s Skybowl on 4th Floor at Robinsons Galleria Mall connected to the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Manila. The winners will join the main event at SM Mall North Edsa June 2-6, 2009. All players are welcomed to join to try to qualify for the event. There will be three qualifiers over the two days with six winners entered into the main 48 women field.

Billiards Stars Lead Women to Compete