The pro billiard tour is a series of tournaments, including the world championships and major events. In its inaugural year, the tour held the largest billiards tournament. However, by 2006, the tour was in serious financial trouble and had to stop holding major events. The IPT Ultimate 8 Ball was organized in 2007, and the tour resurrected itself.
Stauch's participation at billiards
Shari Stauch, a professional pool player for twenty years, retired in 2004. Stauch was a professional pool player for 20 years before retiring in 2004. She also co-founded Pool & Billiard Magazine, which she edited with Harold Simonsen. 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. In 2007, she was inducted into the WPBA Hall of Fame.
Billiards has an extensive history with players that range from royalty to commoners, hustlers or presidents. The game was originally played on a northern European lawn in the 15th century. It evolved into the modern style that we know today.
IPT Ultimate 8-Ball
In Los Angeles, the IPT Ultimate 8-Ball held its first event in June 2008. An original match was set up between Alex Pagulayan (Filipino player) and Karl Boyes (English player). Pagulayan was contacted by his manager to request a substitute player. Tony Robles was therefore invited to step in for Pagulayan. Robles accepted the invitation and flew to L.A. during the night. He beat Karl Boyes in an exciting and close match. The prize money for each player was $5,000 and $1,000.
The IPT Ultimate 8-Ball, the world's largest pool tour, will be held across five cities in 2006. The IPT will give away more than $8 million in prize money in 2006. The North American Open 8-Ball Championship boasts a record-breaking prize pot of $2,000,000 and a staggering first-place reward of $350,000.
Women's Professional Billiards Association
Women's Professional Billiards Association (WPBA) is a professional pool tour that caters to women. Founded in 1976 as the Women's Professional Billiard Alliance, the WPBA features competitive women's pool players. Madelyn Whitlow (founder), Palmer Byrd (founder), and Larry Miller are its members.
WPBA was founded in Britain as a billiards club. It sponsored tournaments open to amateurs as well as professionals. In the early years, the association ran amateur competitions and junior competitions. Its members included Joyce Gardner, Thelma Carpenter and Ruth Harrison. Gardner won seven tournaments out of fourteen, while Carpenter and Harrison took home three and four, respectively. Harrison broke the record of 197 in 1937, which remains a record for women's billiards.
Jim Bakula has a significant influence on women who play pro billiards
Jim Bakula's influence on women in billiards goes back to the 1980s. Bakula, the General Manager of Brunswick’s Billiard Division was a strong advocate for including women’s divisions in events. Later, Bakula was elected president to the Billiard Congress in America (BCA). In an appeal to them to provide grant funding for WPBA, he won. The Women's Pro Billiard Tour was eventually created.
Future of pro billiards tour
The future of professional billiard touring is in doubt. Don Mackey, an amateur fringe sport in billiards, is helping to stabilize the PBT. Camel cigarettes, which sponsored the PBT's 1996 touring, was sued by Mackey. It later split with Mackey and started its own tour.
The first event, the Gulf Coast Women's Regional Billiard Tour - which paid out $12,330 worth of prizes - took place ten years ago. Since then, the tour has added events to the Gulf Coast. Venues must have at minimum twenty tables. Many Texas-area rooms were left out of contention. However, this new tour was a great addition to the game and venues.