Spade said:
what are the top places and how much money or benefits?
Last i heard,..maybe NYC?
NYC is a great place to visit for me, but the expenses attending pool events there can be a financial drain. A few years ago, we attended the Big Apple tournament at Master's, and we enjoyed a player's rate at the hotel for $149 plus a huge tax. The hotel was horrible. We were greeted every day and night by the scantily dressed hookers in the lobby who begged like starving dogs, and I was afraid to take my socks off and walk barefoot in our hotel room because the rug was moist. Of course, I could have stayed at a 5-star hotel somewhere closeby in the Big Apple, but it would have cost at least 300 or more per night. Top places for pool tournaments for me are places where the expenses aren't so high.
I like all tournaments in Virginia and North Carolina and Tennessee and South Carolina -- actually, anywhere in Dixie. The expenses are not as high as up north.
Having said that, though, the Joss Northeast 9-Ball tour provides some well-run tournaments, and the majority of the events are up there in Yankee Country. Mike Zuglan the TD never shows favoritism to any player. Sometimes players in other tours will compete for free while all others have to pay an entry fee. Things are different on the Joss Tour. Everyone must show up on time or you get forfeited. Thus, there is a level playing field where all players are treated equal.
Also, the Joss tourneys pay out 25 percent of the field, which sure does make it worthwhile if you happen to be lucky enough to come in the money. Some tournaments pay out 38 or 40 percent of the field, and after the expenses for running the event are taken out, it is imperative that a player at least win the event and/or place and/or show in order to break even for the expenses. Hotels, entry fees, and miscellaneous expenses being on the road do add up.
There are some fantastic independently run events which do not occur weekly or monthly, but they're still worth consideration if one desires to compete in a pool tournament. I miss the Glass City Open in Toledo, Ohio, because it was truly a fun event, and the money payouts were definitely great, speaking from a player's point of view. The tournament staff is what makes this event different from all the rest. They actually welcome pool players with open arms and make sure they have everything they need. This is a pool player's tournament, and I really miss it.
Of course, the Viking Tour keeps pool alive and well in the South. I haven't had the privilege of attending a Viking tourney in recent times, but Mike Janis, being a player himself, knows how to make things happen in a good way for the players. I would highly recommend the Viking Tour.
The Great Southern Billiard Tour run by Marge and her assistant, Shannon Daulton -- [

just joking, Marge] -- is one tour which I must get myself to soon. Every single tournament is packed with some of the best pool players in this country. Being that Shannon is a player himself, he is aware of what pool players want in a tournament, and he makes that happen.
The Blaze Tour offers a unique opportunity that the others do not, and that is that the tournaments are always one-day-only events. The region which Blaze covers is mostly Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and New York. However, the expenses are not heavy, being that the event begins and ends on a Sunday. This is great for working stiffs who would like to be a weekend warrior on the tournament trail.
The Tiger Planet Pool Tour has been growing by leaps and bounds, thanks to the tournament director and staff. It is generally in the D.C. metro area, with events held in Maryland and Virginia. The website is informative, providing everything you need in the way of logistics, getting the address of the venue site, hotel info, et cetera, and that's a bonus in these times.
Well, just off the top of my head, those are some that come to mind in the wee hours of this morning. I've said it before and I'll say it again, the weekend tournaments provide the best bang for the buck. These events do accommodate worker bees as well as pool players who don't want to be stuck $1,000 or more in expenses before they hit the first ball.
This is the scene on the East Coast. I'm sure there are others on this forum who can provide a West Coast and Midwest review.
Here's how they do it in Beautiful Dixie. Pool players are treated to a complimentary ambrosial buffet, Southern cuisine and hospitality at its finest. There ain't nothing finer than a tournament in the Carolinas!
JAM