Matchroom Pool will have 30 ranking events in 2023

Wonderful news. Matchroom just keeps on delivering.
This sure is.

Barry Hearn said so, and it’s great. I really hope this holds up. New audiences and expanded markets. Exciting times.

And yes I just have to continue to complain about the ball colors.

Otherwise MR is great-Fatboy Approved*

Best
Fatboy

*Ball colors not Approved!

Happy Holiday's Stu🎄
 
I have a question, though, about the tour chart. What is "T3C"? When I tried to look it up on Google, the only T3C I found was a cancer tumor stage 3. Of course, I know that's not it, but by my own admission, I'm not as advanced on internet abbreviations as others. <--- UPDATE: I found out the T3C is really TBC and means "to be continued."

In this particular instance it stands for "to be confirmed".
 
Good news for pool. I'm glad MR is inviting all current promoters to join forces. I'm actually surprised Zuglan joined. He's been his own bird forever. That's a strong show of support that he joined.

I'm also ok with overlapping events. This schedule is worldwide. There is zero chance any USA players will go to Europe or Asia except for the "major" events, and even those events might get only 3 USA players.

The other reason that's perfectly ok is many of these events are regional weekend type events that joined forces with MR. Its certainly nice to make them points events. But as MR stated 2 years ago, the "points" are cash won. So a player like Shane will skip all the little events and only play the big ones. The little events will be filled with regional players, who most likely won't play in the bigger events.

MR vs Predator/CSI: the chips will fall where they may. The Predator events on their own have not proven that popular, even before MR came around. The only thing I would be vehemently opposed to is any entity barring a player because they played in another entity's event. That is absolute garbage. The WPBA did it to Jasmin. The 3 Cushion tour did it to their top player. If MR or Predator or CSI does that, we should all harass them until the end of time, IMO.
 
Mama, do let your babies grow up and be pool players! :cool:

Finally, a legitimate tour is in the making for professional-caliber and aspiring pro players.

Interesting to see the Capital City Classic tournament in September 2023. Strawberry Brooks was the founder, and then the Wilson family took the reins and held several of these events, one in Lanham, MD and the other in Philly.

On the one hand, traveling overseas for the American pool player, as has been mentioned many times on this forum, will be a financial challenge if they do not have the backing of the North American governing body of professional pool and/or a sponsor who pays their way with cash and not product. On the other hand, a legitimate tour such as this just may be attract new American aspiring pros to take pool as a career seriously.

I have a question, though, about the tour chart. What is "T3C"? When I tried to look it up on Google, the only T3C I found was a cancer tumor stage 3. Of course, I know that's not it, but by my own admission, I'm not as advanced on internet abbreviations as others. <--- UPDATE: I found out the T3C is really TBC and means "to be continued."


View attachment 677089
"To Be Confirmed" :)
 
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...snip...

Interesting to see the Capital City Classic tournament in September 2023. Strawberry Brooks was the founder, and then the Wilson family took the reins and held several of these events, one in Lanham, MD and the other in Philly.

...snip...

It's a blur but I think I was at that event in Philly as a spectator. If it's the one I'm thinking of, I think CW was involved in some way and was on a megaphone at the start asking/demanding the players to join his club at $100 per head. Did Keith and *edit: Ryan McCreash xx (for the life of me his name escapes me, but I can picture him) partner up agains Parica, getting 11-7 for $100 a game? I remember keith went for a 2 rail hard kick into the stack shot to move a bunch of balls near his hole, but it backfired. The partners ended up losing 2 games, and I vaguely recall one of them said something like "we got off easy, it only cost us 200 to play Parica". Was that also the event with the Italian player's incident? Sorry for the vagueness, I honestly forgot all the names, ha ha.
 
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I think more important than whether specific added events draw the players out of the woodwork is the impression Matchroom is creating by forming these partnerships and adding new events that this a big formal tour that fits together and logically progresses to major events. That is what will draw larger sponsors. Larger sponsors will draw players out of the woodwork. A very positive next step for Matchroom and pool!
Yes, completely agree. Several of these events already existed. Now they are a part of something bigger and cohesive.
 
It's a blur but I think I was at that event in Philly as a spectator. If it's the one I'm thinking of, I think CW was involved in some way and was on a megaphone at the start asking/demanding the players to join his club at $100 per head. Did Keith and *edit: Ryan McCreash xx (for the life of me his name escapes me, but I can picture him) partner up agains Parica, getting 11-7 for $100 a game? I remember keith went for a 2 rail hard kick into the stack shot to move a bunch of balls near his hole, but it backfired. The partners ended up losing 2 games, and I vaguely recall one of them said something like "we got off easy, it only cost us 200 to play Parica". Was that also the event with the Italian player's incident? Sorry for the vagueness, I honestly forgot all the names, ha ha.

That's the event. The Wilson family in D.C. area had/has been promoting and housing this event in the past. To see if back up again is curious. I'm going to contact Dennis Wilson and find out more, I guess. It used to be in Maryland, not Philly, though.

Yes, that is definitely the same venue in Philly. Charlie Williams and the UPA said the only players who were exempt from competing in this event were local D.C. residents. He carded Keith because Keith because he would not accept Keith's word that he lived in D.C. Keith was one of five players who refused to join the UPA due to their legally binding contract which put restrictions on where a UPA member could compete.

That game was so funny with Ryan McCreesh and Keith vs. Jose Parica. It was late in the evening, and I couldn't wait for the action to end because I wanted to go to sleep. At one point in the one-pocket game, Keith shot his ball in Jose's hole. Jose jumped out of his chair and said, "Keith, you shot that ball in my hole." Keith had the deer-in-headlights look and sat back down. Jose chuckled and went to the table to shoot because it was his turn since Keith fouled. Then Jose shot his ball in Keith and Ryan's hole. Keith and Ryan jumped up. Then Jose looked dazed and said, "I think it's time go to bed." It was the funniest thng to see two experienced and veterans players shoot the wrong balls in their hole consecutively.
 
Unless he rents out a convention space, It's nothing but a nineball event just like the one he held in his room when it first opened. There is not going to be anything special about it.

As for this announcement, I do not know if this will make more players come out of the woodwork to want to pursue pool as a career, but at least it's a start.
The first break event is in a tiny room, does not seem in line with the other events...though I do see there are a few event types.
 
The first break event is in a tiny room, does not seem in line with the other events...though I do see there are a few event types.
Yeah, they are just local events. Like last year one from Ed's room in NJ was on the list. I personally think it's great to group all the events together. To an outsider, it's cohesive. A likely downside I see is they will be all over the map as far as how well they are run, playing conditions, media coverage, etc. If an event goes like garbage, it could dilute the MR brand.

*edit: could you imagine if a director runs off with the dough!? Will MR step in and pay the players? Not that far fetched as we've all seen this happen with our own eyes.
 
Hopefully some of the US pros will come out of retirement/hiatus considering there are more opportunities now- like Bergman, Dechaine, Archer, Morris, Hatch, etc
 
Hopefully some of the US pros will come out of retirement/hiatus considering there are more opportunities now- like Bergman, Dechaine, Archer, Morris, Hatch, etc
These events are still gonna be filled with the Euros, those guys will be lucky to cash let alone win.
 
Unless he rents out a convention space, It's nothing but a nineball event just like the one he held in his room when it first opened. There is not going to be anything special about it.

As for this announcement, I do not know if this will make more players come out of the woodwork to want to pursue pool as a career, but at least it's a start.
I spoke with Jayson this past Thursday and he confirmed it would be at his room and a ranking event. Matchroom approached him about making it a ranking event and he agreed. As a result, big changes will be happening at US1. I am not at liberty to speak of them at the moment but it will be HUGE for him, his business, and pool in our area!
 
Any changes to the rules at Turning Stone?
Elsewhere it was reported that Mike Zuglan was surprised about being a ranking event.

Anyway, here is an interesting article about Matchroom and their pool push.

 
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What's needed is a large event in the Heartland KS/OK area.
They have ALWAYS had thee best turnouts because most all large cities are within 500 miles in all directions.
A one day drive.... they gamble allot in that neck of the woods.
 
What's needed is a large event in the Heartland KS/OK area.
They have ALWAYS had thee best turnouts because most all large cities are within 500 miles in all directions.
A one day drive.... they gamble allot in that neck of the woods.
Would Dallas be OK? I think the chance that Matchroom will organize an event there themselves is zero. Where is CJ when you need him?
 
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