Best Weekly/monthly Tournament in the World?

Spade

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
what are the top places and how much money or benefits?

Last i heard,..maybe NYC?
 
Weekly Tourney

There is a great weekly 9-ball tourney in Des Moines, IA. A lot of good players there and that travel to it at least once a month. Only $15 entry but the pool hall adds $5 a head. They take out 10% each week for a year end tourney that you must play 12 weeks throughout the year to qualify for. They keep a point total for every player on how you finish each time you play and an average, then the year end tourney is seeded by the point total. I think last year the year en had an added $4000....not bad for a $15 entry fee for those who qualified. Usually get at least 32 to 40 players a week and pays out pretty deep...with Calcutta the winner can usually walk away with about $250.
 
I'm not sure how much the prize fund is, but Hall of Fame in Warren,Mi has a Saturday tournament ( usta be thursday ) which gets a bunch of world beaters who show up. I believe its still a 20$ entry.

Hall of Fame, also has some weekly handicap tournaments too.

The pool hall i frequent has a Sunday handicap tournament and first place w/ calcutta is always around 1000$ and the tournament generally pulls in atleast 32players, with a 20$ entry fee. ( q-stick cafe ) holland, michigan
 
Capones in spring Hill Fl did have a Monday Night 10 ball tournament with a $15 entry fee and they added $1000!! I haven't been there in a while. I wonder if they still have it? Rodney Morris,Rob Saez,Richie Orem,Riche Rich,Tony Crosby and a bunch of other tough players always came. I was the best weekly tournament I have ever seen.
 
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 -- [:D 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. :p

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
 

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StormHotRod300 said:
I'm not sure how much the prize fund is, but Hall of Fame in Warren,Mi has a Saturday tournament ( usta be thursday ) which gets a bunch of world beaters who show up. I believe its still a 20$ entry.

Hall of Fame, also has some weekly handicap tournaments too.

The pool hall i frequent has a Sunday handicap tournament and first place w/ calcutta is always around 1000$ and the tournament generally pulls in atleast 32players, with a 20$ entry fee. ( q-stick cafe ) holland, michigan

I was up there last year and played the Thursday Tournament and it was a good one {as far as weekely events go}.
 
Capone's

kevin s said:
Capones in spring Hill Fl did have a Monday Night 10 ball tournament with a $15 entry fee and they added $1000!! I haven't been there in a while. I wonder if they still have it? Rodney Morris,Rob Saez,Richie Orem,Riche Rich,Tony Crosby and a bunch of other tough players always came. I was the best weekly tournament I have ever seen.

This is still probably one of the toughest in the country....and it happens every week! And if you want action.......It's not hard to find at any level. Rodney, Robb, Tony, and often many other of the pros from all over FL are there when they aren't in a big tournament. And many times thay make sure they're back after a big one if possible, just to play in it. And there are some good local players that can advance with the right draw.

I try to get in once in awhile when most of them are gone! LOL Myt best is 3rd.
 
Good stuff, thanks for the posts. Nothing worse than living in a town where the best tournament is $3 entry fee. That was Gainesville in the early 90s. You could play til 1am to win $50. That still bought alot of Ramen but wtf sooooo lame.

The best tournament in South Florida is the run Margie runs at Hollywood Billiards on Tuesday nights. Handicapped, $15 entry, first prize usually is about $300 or so. $1000 added tournament every 4 months, with calcutta usually pays out 2-3k.
 
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