The pro-billiard tour includes a series of tournaments including the world championships or major events. The tour's first year saw it stage the largest billiards tournament in history. The tour became financially troubled in 2006 and stopped holding major events. The IPT Ultimate 8 Ball was organized in 2007, and the tour resurrected itself.
Stauch's involvement with billiards
Shari Stauch was a professional pool player for 20 years before retiring in 2004. Stauch also played professionally for 20 years, before she retired in 2004. With Harold Simonsen, Stauch founded Pool & Billiard Magazine. In 1995, she was named Sportsperson-of-the Year by Women's Professional Billiard Association. She is also a five time winner of the WPBA President's Award. She was inducted into WPBA Hall of Fame in 2007.
Billiards has a long and rich history. There have been many players, from royals to commoners to hustlers to presidents. It originated in Northern Europe as a lawn game, and it evolved into the current style.
IPT Ultimate 8 - Ball
The IPT Ultimate 8-Ball first event took place in Los Angeles in June 2008. The original plan was to have a match between Alex Pagulayan of the Philippines and Karl Boyes of England. Pagulayan’s manager called the IPT management to seek out an alternative player. Tony Robles was then invited to replace Pagulayan. Robles accepted the invite and flew to L.A. in the middle of the night. He won the match against Karl Boyes in a thrilling and close match. The prize money for each player was $5,000 and $1,000.
The IPT Ultimate 8-Ball Pool Tour is the largest pool tour anywhere in the world. It will be held in five different cities in 2006. In 2006, the IPT will award more than $8,000,000 in prize money. The North American Open 8-Ball Championship's record-breaking prize fund will be $2 million. It will also offer a $350,000 first-place bonus.
Women's Professional Billiards Association
Women's Professional Billiards Association hosts a professional pool competition for women. Founded in 1976 as the Women's Professional Billiard Alliance, the WPBA features competitive women's pool players. Madelyn Willow, Palmer Byrd, and Larry Miller were the founders of this organization.
The WPBA was originally a British billiards association. It sponsored tournaments open to amateurs as well as professionals. In the early years of its existence, the association organized junior competitions as well as amateur competitions. Joyce Gardner, Thelma Carter and Ruth Harrison were its members. Gardner won seven tournaments out of fourteen, while Carpenter and Harrison took home three and four, respectively. Harrison broke Harrison's 1937 record of 193, which remains a record in women’s billiards.
Jim Bakula and women's pro billiards
Jim Bakula's influence over women in billiards dates back to 1980. Bakula, the General Manager of Brunswick’s Billiard Division was a strong advocate for including women’s divisions in events. Bakula was later elected president of The Billiard Congress of American (BCA). He appealed for grant funding to the WPBA. The Women's Pro Billiard Tour was created as a result.
Future of the pro billiards tour
The future prospects of the professional billiard tour are uncertain. Don Mackey is one of those trying to help the fringe professional sport, PBT, find stability. Camel cigarettes, which sponsored the PBT's 1996 touring, was sued by Mackey. It later split with Mackey and started its own tour.
It's been ten year since the inaugural event, the Gulf Coast Women's Regional Billiard Tour. The prize pool was $12,330. During this time, the tour added more events to the Gulf Coast area, requiring venues with at least twenty tables. Many Texas-area rooms were left out of contention. The new tour proved to be a boon for both the game and the venues.