JOHN KIM is the 2008 USBA TOUR "B" Champion

John Kim

Thirty-Six players came to Flushing, NY for the chance to be crowned the USBA Tour "B" Champion. The average for a “B” player ranges anywhere between .501 and .800. The total prize fund came to $ 11,100.00 which included the entry fees, $ 3,005.00 in added money, $ 1,175.00 from auctions and $ 800.00 from a lottery.

The format was as follows: Six flights of 6 players each, round robin, 25 point matches. In all, there were 16 players who advanced to the next round. That included the top 2 finishers from each group, the best 3rd place finisher, two auctions and one lottery. Those positions were earned and the players were seeded into the next round based on wins/losses, total points, head-to-head and points-against.

Four players finished their brackets undefeated and were the top-seeded players: Jim Shovak, Jose Restrepo, Robert Raiford and Jose Costa. The next-seeded players (5-8) were John Kim, Ernesto Davila, Christian Portilla and Edwar Gomez, all finishing 4-1. The next-seeded players (9-12) were Jake Zymeck, Mercedes Gonzales, Joe DeAmato and Francisco Loaiza, all with 3-2 records. Rudy Legler was seeded # 13, who was the best 3rd place finisher in the preliminaries (3-2 record). Ira Lee won an auction bid and was seeded # 14. Nayiv Ramirez won the lottery and was seeded # 15. Dan Kolacz won the other auction bid and was seeded # 16.

In the first round of the Single Elimination format, 3 of the top 4 players were defeated, ending their chances of winning the tournament. Dan Kolacz took down # 1 seed Jim Shovak, 30-28. Nayiv Ramirez defeated # 2 seed Jose Restrepo 30-27. Rudy Legler defeated # 4 seed Jose Costa, 30-27. Robert Raiford, # 3 seed, just barely got by Ira Lee, 30-28. Apparently, Ira Lee scored what would have been his 29th point of the game and may have won the match, but he fouled the shot. Nobody except Ira Lee even had a clue that it was a foul. I have to commend Ira for his sportsmanship and honor. It is a tribute to the spirit of the game: a GENTLEMAN’S game. You have my respect, Ira.

In the other matches, Edwar Gomez (2007 USBA Junior Champion) defeated Jake Zymeck, 30-18. John Kim defeated Francisco Loaiza, 30-22. Ernesto Davila defeated Joe DeAmato, 30-18. Christian Portilla defeated Mercedes Gonzalez, 30-28.

In the Quarter-Finals, Edwar Gomez defeated Dan Kolacz, 30-15. John Kim defeated Rudy Legler, 30-27. Robert Raiford defeated Ernesto Davila, 30-28. Christian Portilla defeated Nayiv Ramirez 30-20.

In the Semi-Finals, John Kim easily defeated Edwar Gomez, 30-19, averaging 1.250. Robert Raiford narrowly beat Christian Portilla, 30-27, in a very tense match.

In the Finals, it was John Kim against Robert Raiford. One game. 35 points. Winner-take-all. Jim Shovak was the referee for the match. John Kim took an early lead running a 5 and then a 7. Raiford fought back, closing the gap and playing strong defense. Both players played very carefully, trying to score, but trying not to leave the other player an opening. The score at one point was John Kim 30, Robert Raiford 28. Then, it was Kim 32, Raiford 30. Kim scored # 33 and then missed. Raiford missed. Then Kim ran 2 and out, to win the match and the Championship, 35-30.

Edwar Gomez defeated Christian Portilla, 25-22, to earn the 3rd place position.

To see charts of all matches, CLICK HERE to view a PDF file (15 pages altogether).

Edwar Gomez (3rd), Robert Raiford (2nd), John Kim (1st) and Christian Portilla (4th)

Congratulations to John Kim, who is officially the 2008 USBA Tour “B” Champion!!!

Prizes:

We would like to thank the following:

-Carom Café owner, Mike Kang for holding the event and adding money.
-Charles Brown and Min Jae Pak for running the event flawlessly, as usual.
-Billy Kim for helping to run things when necessary.
-Schuler Cues for donating the cue for the raffle.
-Financial Sponsors: Bob Jewett, Jim Shovak, David Levine, Paul Frankel, Robert Byrne and Andrew Janquitto.

The USBA Tour “C” Championship is this coming weekend, also at Carom Café. We will soon have a first-time “C” Champion!

Additional Hotel Option:
Wingate Hotel
13707 Northern Boulevard, Flushing, NY 11354
Walking distance from Carom Cafe
$ 165.00 per night includes breakfast. Double or single same price.
Regular rate is $ 259.00. Beautiful hotel. 718-445-3300 .
Mention Carom Cafe's Billiard Tournaments.

2008 USBA TOUR “B” and “C” Player Championships

Held at Carom Café in Flushing, NY on back-to-back weekends.

September 12-14: “B” Player Championship: Estimated $ 12,000.00 Prize Fund!

September 19-21: “C” Player Championship: Estimated $ 6,000.00 Prize Fund!
CLICK HERE FOR "C" TOURNAMENT INFORMATION

“B” Player Championship Format: $ 3,000.00 added

$ 175.00 Entry Fee. Maximum 49 Players. First 42 paid Players guaranteed entry.
7 Groups of 7 players. 20 Point Matches. Top 2 from each group plus
1 Lottery and 1 Auction = 16 Players advance to finals.

Players Meeting: Thursday, September 11 at 8:00pm

Finals: Single Elimination. First 3 rounds to 25 Points. Final Round to 30 Points.
FORMAL ATTIRE FOR ALL FINALISTS

Estimated Payouts (Based on 49 Players and $ 670.00 from auction & lottery):

1) $ 2,500.00
2) $ 1,800.00
3) $ 1,400.00
4) $ 1,000.00

5th through 8th = $ 700.00 each
9th through 12th = $ 400.00 each
13th through 16th = $ 175.00 each

Hi-Run in Finals = $ 100.00
Best Game in Finals = $ 100.00
Averages will be kept by all players.
All players must be or become USBA Members.
$ 5.00 per player USBA sanction fee already included in entry fee.

Send entry fees to:
Carom Café
34-02 Linden Pl
Flushing NY 11354
718-358-8585
Contact: Min Jae Pak, Charles Brown or Michael Kang

Dress Code:

Prelims: No T-Shirts, No sneakers, No hats.

Single Elimination Finals: All players will be required to wear a dress shirt of any color, black slacks, black shoes, formal-wear tie and vest. Black sneakers that can pass for shoes are OK.

Hotel Info:

The USBA has a contract with Choice Hotels International. If you would like to receive at least a 15% discount at Choice Hotel locations, please refer to your Membership Package for details. To become a USBA Member, click "Join" at the top or the upper left side of this page and follow the instructions to pay by credit/debit card through PayPal. You do NOT need a PayPal account to use PayPal. You can also mail in payment by check.

USBA Members also receive between 5-10% discount from the following car rental companies, if they service the area:

Be advised that we have not reserved a block of rooms anywhere, and so availability is not guaranteed. Our aim has been to offer a wide range of choice with regard to type of room, exact location and price. Since availability is not guaranteed, we recommend that you make your reservation as soon as you know the dates you will be attending the Tournament. You may want to inquire if your hotel will offer a small discount if paid in cash upon your arrival (these policies may differ with each hotel).

Comfort Inn
133-43 37th Avenue
Flushing, NY 11354
Tel: 718-939-5000 Fax: 718-939-4000
Web: http://www.comfortinn.com/flushing (then type “Flushing” in the “City” field)
A 10-minute walk from Carom Café, this hotel is a slight upgrade compared to the Imperial. Continental breakfast is included in the price and the hotel offers free Wi-Fi connections. 17 of 50 rooms have two beds.
15% USBA DISCOUNT AVAILABLE. SEE YOUR MEMBERSHIP PACKAGE.

Farrington Hotel
3353 Farrington Street
Flushing, NY 11354
718-939-1212
Right around the corner from Carom Cafe.
Most rooms have one queen bed.
About $ 70.00/night for a single.
Small rooms w/Ethernet Port/TV.

Wingate Hotel
13707 Northern Boulevard, Flushing, NY 11354
Walking distance from Carom Cafe
Includes breakfast. Double or single same price.
Beautiful hotel. 718-445-3300
A 5 minute walk from Carom Cafe & a nice hotel.

Flushing International Hotel
134-32 35th Avenue
Flushing, NY 11354
Tel: 718-358-4515
A 3-minute walk from Carom Café, this hotel is the closest and least expensive option. However, it also has the fewest amenities. There is no food service of any kind in the hotel – it doesn’t even have vending machines. 12 of the 50 rooms have two beds.

Howard Johnson Hotel
135-33 38th Avenue
Flushing, NY 11354
Tel: 718-461-3888 Fax: 718-461-5879
Web: http://www.imperialhotelny.com
A 10-minute walk from Carom Café, the hotel is nicer than both the Flushing Inter-national (above) and the Flushing Grand (below). There is complimentary coffee, tea, cake and cookies in the morning. However, only 4 of the 32 rooms have two beds and, thus, room availability will be limited except for couples and singles.

Flushing Grand Hotel
36-38 Main Street
Flushing, NY 11354
Tel: 718-888-8668 Fax: 718-888-8768
Web: http://flushinggrand.com/
A 5-minute walk from Carom Café, this hotel represents an upgrade compared to the Flushing International. The accommodations are a bit nicer and complimentary doughnuts and coffee in the morning is included in the price. 17 of 46 rooms have two beds.

Extended Stay America
18-30 Whitestone Expressway
Whitestone, NY 11357
Tel: 718-357-3661 Fax: 718-357-3644
Web: http://www.extendedstayamerica.com/
Located 1.3 miles from Carom Café, the walk takes about 25 minutes and will be too long for most people, but the drive is very short. This hotel is ideal for those who have cars and wish to stay in a place where they can prepare their own food. The rooms are large and have kitchen appliances and a small dining area. Also, there is a shopping mall adjacent to the hotel.

Best Western Queens Court
133-51 39th Avenue
Flushing, NY 11354
Tel: 718-888-1900
Web: http://book.bestwestern.com/bestwestern/productInfo.do?propertyCode=33111
A 12-minute walk from Carom Café, the rooms are quite nice and 37 of 59 rooms have two beds. However, the hotel has few amenities. For example, it has a fitness room but no food service. One would expect more from a hotel in this price range.

Sheraton Hotel La Guardia East
135-20 39th Avenue
Flushing, NY 11354
Tel: 718-460-6666 Fax: 718-445-2655
Web: www.sheratonlaguardia.com
A 10-minute walk from Carom Café, this is the best hotel in the area and 116 of 173 rooms have two beds. There is a restaurant and bar, a fitness center, the rooms are spacious, etc. It is located near many stores and restaurants and a 1-minute walk from the #7 train to Manhattan. The hotel was not willing to offer special rates (and there are no weekly rates) but told us that the best rates are generally available online. They recommended their own website – i.e., www.starwoodhotels.com (type in “Flushing” in the city field and “New York” in the state field). However, we have sometimes been able to find better rates at the major online services like Orbitz, Expedia or Travelocity. So, hunt around before reserving.

Wingate Inn & Suites at LaGuardia Airport
137-07 Northern Boulevard
Flushing, NY 11354 US
Tel: 718-445-3300
Web: http://www.wingateinns.com/Wingate/control/home

All players must make their own hotel reservation

Taxes

If you are planning to enter the tournament you need only read the sections below that apply to you:

• For U.S. residents – only sections 1 and 5 apply;

• Most foreign residents need only read sections 2 and 5;

• However, if you live outside the United States but you have received or can obtain an Individual Tax Identification Number (ITIN) from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) you may be able to avoid withholding taxes. To learn more, read sections 3 and 4 (as well as 2 and 5).

Forms referred to below may be viewed/downloaded at http://www.irs.gov/formspubs

Section 1 – United States Residents

You can avoid withholding taxes on your prize money by filling out Form W-9. This tells us your name, address and Social Security number. (Form W-9 will be made available at the Tournament.) After the Tournament, Carom Café will report your winnings to the IRS, to New York State and to you, using Form 1099-MISC. (If you do not fill out Form W-9, we will be required to withhold 30% of your prize money!)

Section 2 – Foreign Residents: Most Will Be Subject to Withholding Taxes

For most (and, perhaps, all) foreign participants, the process is very simple: (1) You will be subject to 30% withholding taxes on your prize money; (2) at the Tournament, prize winners will have to supply their name and address; and (3) we will then provide the IRS with this information on Form 1042-S, two copies of which will be mailed to you. When it comes time for you to pay taxes in your own country, you will not only have a record of your winnings, but you will have documents that show that you paid substantial taxes to the U.S. Government. In many cases you will be able to get a tax credit for these payments. Be sure to check with your tax advisor in your home country.

Section 3 – Foreign Residents: A Few May Be Able to Avoid Withholding Taxes

For some non-U.S. residents, withholding taxes may be avoided provided (a) your country has a tax treaty with the United States, (b) you have an “Individual Taxpayer Identification Number” (ITIN) from the IRS and (c) your prize money does not exceed the maximum amount that is exempt from withholding under the treaty.

If you do not have an ITIN, we regret to inform you that rule changes in recent years have made them much more difficult to get. We will be unable to assist you in obtaining an ITIN but a tax adviser in your own country might be able to help you. However, if you received an ITIN at any time in the past, it is still valid.

In any event, if you have an ITIN and there is a tax treaty between your country and the United States and your prize does not exceed the amount allowed under the treaty you will be able to avoid withholding taxes by filling out Form 8233. We will be able to help you do this at the tournament.

One more thing: If you are eligible for zero withholding, we will have to temporarily withhold 100% of your prize money until 10 days after Form 8233 is mailed to the IRS. We expect to mail such Forms one or two days after the end of the tournament. The 10-day period is required by the IRS to give them time to verify your eligibility for avoiding withholding. Assuming there is no objection from the IRS (and there shouldn’t be as long as your ITIN is valid), we will mail you a check for the full amount of your prize approximately 12 days after the Tournament ends.

Section 4 – Foreign Residents: Information on Individual Countries

The table below summarizes the treaty situation for residents from 28 countries. We list the maximum dollar amount that you may earn without becoming subject to tax withholding. We also list the treaty article number that will have to be put on Form 8233. None of this is relevant to you unless you have or can obtain an ITIN. If there is no treaty with your country you will be subject to withholding even if you have an ITIN.

Argentina No treaty
Aruba No treaty
Austria $20,000 17
Belgium $ 3,000 14(2)(c)
Canada $15,000 16
Colombia No treaty
Czech Rep. $20,000 18
Denmark $20,000 17
Ecuador No treaty
Egypt $ 400/ day 17
France $10,000 17
Germany $20,000 17
Greece $10,000 X
Hungary No limit 13
Italy $12,000 17(1)
Japan $ 3,000 17
Korea $ 3,000 18
Luxembourg $10,000 18
Mexico $ 3,000 18
Netherlands $10,000 18
Peru No treaty
Portugal $10,000 19
Russia No limit
Spain $10,000 19
Sweden $ 6,000 18
Switzerland $10,000 17
Turkey $ 3,000 17
Vietnam No treaty

Section 5 – Two Additional Notes About Taxes

If you do not win a prize we will not need to collect any personal information from you. For U.S. residents, this means you will not have to fill out a W-9. For foreign residents, it means that neither will you have to fill out an 8233, nor will you have to provide us with the information we would need to fill out a 1042-S.