I have attended the last ten Super Billiards Expos. I really enjoy going. The booths, great matches, both amature and pros. Everything about it is exciting. Alan runs a great tournament.
I was wondering, if I go to the US open this year what should I expect. Is it similar in cost for entrance, hotels, etc. Is there as much excitement at the SBE
I have heard the DCC is a great convention, but it is too far to drive.
Two different animals. The SBE is a pool mecca of industry booths, league competitions, tournaments for junior, seniors, and pros, as well as a wee bit of action from time to time.
The U.S. Open is one big week-long professional tournament with vendor booths on site, but there are nowhere near as many vendor booths here as there are at the SBE.
I like both events and can't pick a favorite. They each offer something different for me. The hotels by SBE are about the same in cost as those close to the U.S. Open. The SBE is only four days long, but the U.S. Open is a week in length. If you attended the full U.S. Open, you would incur more expenses.
I don't like to stay in cheap joints to save money, but I don't necessarily have to stay at the Ritz either. It costs us between two and three dimes to attend the week-long U.S. Open, and there's two of us when it comes to expenses for food, et cetera. To attend the SBE, it costs us about one dime in total.
We usually leave the SBE with cash in our pockets because there are more opportunities to make money in pool.
About the DCC, I love the Derby City Classic, and I consider Greg Sullivan and his wife friends of mine. I wish it was closer to where I live, too. I don't fly and it takes us 11 hours to drive there, as long as the weather is good. Those icy roads in the West Virginia mountains en route to and from Louisville are brutal, and it's so cold in January. The DCC offers more happenings than the SBE and U.S. Open as far as opportunities to compete, socialize, purchase cool pool stuff, and all the rest.
If I didn't have to work for a living, I'd attend all three each and every year. It's sometimes tough to take off work when you need to keep a business up and running as chief cook and bottle washer. :thumbup:
