Nicknamed, the Scorpion, Johnny Archer was the first American player to join the WPBL professional league. He played the game in the past and he can see how good this game can be for the future.

Archer is a two-time WPA World Nine-ball Champion, winning in both 1992 when he defeated Bobby Hunter, and later again in 1997 after beating Lee Kun-fang of Chinese Taipei (Taiwan). He was also a runner-up the following year, losing in the final to Takahashi Kunihiko of Japan. He was the 1999 US Open champion, and has won over 60 professional tournaments throughout his career.

He has also been a regular on the successful US Mosconi Cup team. He has captained the American side since 2004, retaining the Cup on each occasion until 2007. He also held the Mosconi Cup up high in 2009 when they reclaimed the cup from team Europe. A team with heart, a team full of WPBL players!

A tremendous shot maker, excellent ability to analyze the table, Johnny Archer will be one of the favorites in our first event. He has played the game and he has a step up on his fellow players.

Nicknamed "Django", Francisco Bustamante is one of the best players to come out of the Philippines. When you think of great players of the world, Francisco Bustamante comes to mind. Fresh off of winning the Japan Open this year, Bustamante will be a confident player. He'll be well rested too.

Bustamante is a complete player that has kind of a home away from home advantage. Many of the fans at the premier event are of Filipino descent. Winnipeg has a huge Filipino population that may give Bustamante an extra boost. It certainly can't hurt.

Perhaps his experience and overall billiard skills could be
enough for him to quickly be a force. Nobody can bank shoots better than Bustamante. This will be a huge advantage for Francisco. Bonus Ball forces players to bank the balls a lot.

He has won over 30 major events and is a threat every time he picks up his cue to play. Don't be surprised if Francisco is still playing Sunday after the round robin. He'll be a fan favorite, that's for sure.

Cory Deuel has the nickname, "The Prince of Pool". Corey has been playing professionally for over ten years and won the 2001 US Nine Ball Open at the beginning of his career. Always ranked near the top of the BCA rankings, Corey has played on many Mosconi Cup American teams.

Corey Deuel is always considered a contender. He will have his work cut out though. Switching to the new game of Bonus Ball should suit his style of play, but will he have enough time to learn all the strategies this game will throw at him.

Besides his huge 2001 US Nine Ball Open, Cory has many other titles including 1999 Camel / ESPN / Open Time Warner Cable, the 2001 Reno Open 9-Ball Championship, the Open Pro 2002 in Atlanta and 2002 IBC Tour Stop 1

Besides being a CSI team member – Grand American Masters, a player representative for the Seminole Tribe of Florida and Diamond Billiard Products.

Corey Deuel is known for his impeccable mechanics of the game of billiards. If anybody can quickly master the game of Bonus Ball, it just may be Corey Deuel.

Recently nicked name "Big Red", Erik Hjorleifson is a former Aactive league player and Winnipeg-er. Erik was quickly on the band wagon when he was first approached about helping to launch the new game of Bonus Ball. A real student of the game, Erik may be the lessor known of all the other professional, but he is well respected. In January, right in Winnipeg, Erik served notice that he has the skills to compete. He won a race to three exhibition with Johnny Archer in Bonus Ball, three games to one.

Erik was picked to represent Canada in the WPBL. We were so impressed with his representation of Bonus Ball at the US Nine Ball Open, we felt he deserved a place with the other professional players.

Erik most recently played in the US Nine Ball Open and did get into the money brackets. He also was a member of Team Canada this year at the World's Team Event. Erik again, played very well. Now he has a chance to make a name for himself, playing Bonus Ball, a game he loves!

There is a good reason for the nickname, "Mr.400". John Schmidt is one of the very best players in the world at playing Straight Pool. Running 200 balls in a row is something, but 400 balls, twice! That's really something!

It is no wonder that John Schmidt took a liking to Bonus Ball immediately. It incorporates some of the game of straight pool into it, using the re-rack at some point of the game. John finds that even though he was the 2006 US Nine Ball Open winner, he admits that you need tons of luck to make it to the top. That is not what he envisions with Bonus Ball. This game is strategy. Strategy eliminates a lot of the luck factor.

John showed us so much enthusiasm about Bonus Ball, he was one of the first players that we asked to join. He didn't take long to give us an answer!!!

John Schmidt already finished third this year in the Derby City Straight Pool tournament and looks like he's going to be someone to watch in the WPBL.

Shane Van Boening may have a few fans from his home town coming to Winnipeg to watch him. His home is Sioux Falls, South Dakota. That's just a hop, skip and a jump from Winnipeg. Shane can be found in downtown Sioux Falls at Lucky Billiards, where he is the house pro and co-owner.

For those Amateur players in Winnipeg, they might want to follow in Van Boenings foot steps. Van Boening is a three-time VNEA national eight-ball champion. All top Aactive players in Winnipeg fight hard each year play in the VNEA National play-offs in Las Vegas.

In 2007, he made it to the final of the BCA Open Nine-ball Championship but lost to Dennis Orcollo. Days later, he dominated the inaugural World Ten Ball Championship to become the first-ever world champion in that discipline of pool.

He also won the 2007 US Nine Ball Open and he is still a red hot player, besting the professional field of nine ball players at the Super Billiard Expo this year. He is well liked, mild mannered but ferocious at the table. Don't be surprised to see Shane in the Sunday finals as well.

Nick Varner picked up his first pool cue at age five when his father, Nicholas, bought a small pool room in Grandview, Indiana. The young farm boy soon became a familiar sight in the pool room pulling a coke case around the table so that he could reach the shots on the table. By the time he graduated from high school, Varner had become a top local player.

1989 was a dream year for Nick. He won everything in sight, including 11 Pro Tour Events out of 22. This record is one that may never be equaled. Two of his Championships in 1989 included the World Championship and the US Open 9-Ball Championship.

Nick Varner has established himself as one of the all-time greats of the game. His skill, strategy and and cue ball control are legendary. Since 1980, Nick Varner has racked up over 80 tournament championships, including 8 World Championships. In 1992, he was ranked number one All-Around Player and number one 9-Ball Player by his peers in the Men's Professional Billiards Association. In July 1992, he was inducted into the Billiards Congress of America Hall of Fame.

We are proud to have Nick join the WPBL and bring his talents to Winnipeg. Who knows, maybe he can add Bonus Ball to his long list of career accomplishments!