Out of interest.

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ricky9ball

Member
Can anyone tell me what the biggest payout win was for a pool match in American history, and who played and won?. Also the biggest private game too maybe?
Lastly what would be the largest pool hall in American, with how many tables, and is any city known as a pool playing city?

I'm trying to learn a little about the history, players, matches, and pool in general. Thanks all.
 
loggerhead12

loggerhead12

AzB Gold Member
Gold Member
Founded in 1971, Q-Master Billiards has grown to be the largest billiards room in America with 25,000 sf. 70 pool tables all maintained perfectly and covered with the very best cloth money can buy, Simonis 860.

33 9ft. Tables (a mix of Diamonds and Gold Crowns)

35 7ft. Tables (a mix of Diamonds and Valleys)

1-5x10 ft. Diamond Big Foot Table

1-5x10 3 Cushion Billiard Table
 
Zerksies

Zerksies

Well-known member
I think the biggest known payout was $1 million won buy Earl Strickland. The TD was a scumbag and didn't pay. I think they settled for a few hundred thousand
 
G

garczar

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
ricky9ball said:
Can anyone tell me what the biggest payout win was for a pool match in American history, and who played and won?. Also the biggest private game too maybe?
Lastly what would be the largest pool hall in American, with how many tables, and is any city known as a pool playing city?

I'm trying to learn a little about the history, players, matches, and pool in general. Thanks all.
Click to expand...
How would anyone know what the biggest 'private game' was? Are you writing a book? How long have you been playing? Just curious
 
R

ricky9ball

Member
Hearsay, I guess? No, and why so defensive, it just a casual question I'm simply asking out of curiosity Gasczar. Not a writer, a complete novice when it comes to pool. I'd also guess the one mentioned above, was not a regulated game, but a private challenge. But maybe you will correct me?
 
R

ricky9ball

Member
loggerhead12 said:
Founded in 1971, Q-Master Billiards has grown to be the largest billiards room in America with 25,000 sf. 70 pool tables all maintained perfectly and covered with the very best cloth money can buy, Simonis 860.

33 9ft. Tables (a mix of Diamonds and Gold Crowns)

35 7ft. Tables (a mix of Diamonds and Valleys)

1-5x10 ft. Diamond Big Foot Table

1-5x10 3 Cushion Billiard Table
Click to expand...

That must be a sight to see for anyone, let alone a novice like myself. By chance have you seen the place?
 
pt109

pt109

WO double hemlock
Silver Member
ricky9ball said:
That must be a sight to see for anyone, let alone a novice like myself. By chance have you seen the place?
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I’ve been there several times….it’s like three pool halls …a player’s section, a general section, and a league section.

0423EE0B-381B-4A54-9DCA-DD085EF86654.jpeg
 
iusedtoberich

iusedtoberich

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
The largest tournament payouts on USA soil were the IPT events in 2005/6. The biggest of the 2-4 events (I forgot the exact number) they had was 500k USD for first place, won by Efren. Thorsten won another one that was 350k for first place. There were some problems with the money, but the players eventually were paid.

The 1MM referenced above was not a tournament win. It was a bonus if any player could break and run 10 consecutive racks. Earl did it. The money was from an insurance company, that refused to pay at first. Eventually they settled and paid approx half.
 
Cornerman

Cornerman

Cue Author...Sometimes
Gold Member
Silver Member
iusedtoberich

iusedtoberich

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
It's funny, I've never heard of a "tournament" 10 pack before Earl's feat, or since. It did seem a good bet for the insurance company. I wonder if they are still around, and know it never happened again.
 
hang-the-9

hang-the-9

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I am not sure if that run of 10 (11 actually) by Earl counts a a prize in a tournament since it was a bit of a publicity stunt not the prize money. I am not sure if it would be counted as the largest prize in a tournament (or match) or just simply the most amount of money won for any reason. To me there is a distinction there, organized official prize vs a side bet.

IPT has had the largest prize money in any pool event, with possibly a few of the World 9 Ball titles being second that reached $100,000 or more. I think one year the prize was $120,000 going by memory.

I am pretty sure those two events are the top two (in the modern era at least).

en.wikipedia.org

International Pool Tour - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org en.wikipedia.org

WPA World Nine-ball Championship - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org en.wikipedia.org

Private gambling, probably when several pros were playing a poker player for several 100,000 a match over a period of a few months. At least one of those pros ended up with a house/motorcycle and funding for a new pool room from that, but that is 2nd hand info.

There was an "official" $100,000 match between Earl and Efren that a bar owner put on a few decades ago, that is the largest non-gambling non-tournament prize I know of.
 
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R

rharm

Registered
loggerhead12 said:
Founded in 1971, Q-Master Billiards has grown to be the largest billiards room in America with 25,000 sf. 70 pool tables all maintained perfectly and covered with the very best cloth money can buy, Simonis 860.

33 9ft. Tables (a mix of Diamonds and Gold Crowns)

35 7ft. Tables (a mix of Diamonds and Valleys)

1-5x10 ft. Diamond Big Foot Table

1-5x10 3 Cushion Billiard Table
Click to expand...
Shooter's Billiards in MN is very close in size to this. They recently removed all their 8' tables and replaced them with more 7'. I think they now have about 35 9' tables and 35 7' tables.
 
J

Jack Fate

Active member
there was a story of Johnny Archer vs Bustamante ? Money game , as the first part of the story goes Archer ran 13 in a race to 13. ( Toledo,Ohio?) story has been around a long time
 
hang-the-9

hang-the-9

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Jack Fate said:
there was a story of Johnny Archer vs Bustamante ? Money game , as the first part of the story goes Archer ran 13 in a race to 13. ( Toledo,Ohio?) story has been around a long time
Click to expand...

Yes but that is not highest payout. I heard from Archer that he actually ran 15, he broke and ran the first two in the second set they played, that he ended up losing for a higher amount. I have no heard what the bet was for their match, just the high run.
 
J

Jack Fate

Active member
hang-the-9 said:
Yes but that is not highest payout. I heard from Archer that he actually ran 15, he broke and ran the first two in the second set they played, that he ended up losing for a higher amount. I have no heard what the bet was for their match, just the high run.
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Story as I’ve heard for 20 years from different sources. Was Archer ran 13 opening set . Busty then ask if Archer wanted to double the bet . Archer said keep it the same. Busty won the next two sets. 2k was the per set wager that I heard. I did see the diamond table signed 13 & out Archer.
Other than seeing the signed table I don’t know if it’s true or not but it is a cool story.
I only brought it up do to someone posting about long continuous runs.
Never let the truth get in the way of a good story!
 
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