Tournaments with the largest first place prizes in the 1980s

I’m calling Mike S tomorrow, my phone is broken today. I’ll get the years and wins verified. Mike sure won lots back then
 
Bob Jewett said:
Most of these events can probably be found in the Goldmine that's on the AZB homepage.

Here's a link in case you can't find the homepage:
www.azbilliards.com

Goldmine - AZBILLIARDS.COM

The A to Z of Pool and Billiards Online
www.azbilliards.com www.azbilliards.com
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Correct me if I am wrong. Weren't some of these prize funds not paid out as advertised? It was understood that it was based on the success of the tournaments. In other words, it looked good to announce a big prize fund to attract attention knowing it was phoney.
 
AtLarge said:
Thanks, Bob. I just read about that 1986 Resorts International event. Sometimes we have a few occurrences or "oddities" to discuss with current-day events, but how about this for that 1986 event:

• First prize was $40,000, but second prize was only $6,258. How's that for top heavy? Many pros threatened to not enter, but only a couple did so. And the final match was a race to just 7 (for ESPN taping).​
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• Play was so slow that a shot clock was introduced, but not until they were "Right in the middle of the final six playoffs ...".​
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• During the match where the loser would finish 5th/6th, a 200-pound ESPN camera fell and pinned the cameraman under it. He was just bruised, but this ended the matches until the next day.​
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• In attempting to silk screen a sponsor logo onto the bed cloth provided for the finals, the cloth was ruined. So they substituted some heavy, nappy cloth normally used for crap tables. Then, because that cloth played so slow, they ironed it -- apparently in the middle of the final match.​
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• During the finals, the ref called a foul on Sigel (playing Varner). He was masséing around the 7-ball to hit the 6, and the ref said he hit the 7. Sigel protested, and TV replays did not show any movement of the 7-ball. But the ref (who, according to the article's writer, was way out of position to tell whether the hit was good) held his ground.​
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I found a video of the final match between Sigel and Varner. Sigel won 9-5, so it was not a race to 7. And, when Sigel was called for the disputed foul, he was kicking at the 5-ball (which he hit but did not pocket), not the 6-ball (the article said he cut the 6-ball in the corner). So much for accurate reporting.
 
raphcleary said:
I don't think so.
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I do think there was. I think Rempe got like $12,000 of an advertised first prize of $25,000. Another had a huge prize fund advertised. The entry was $1,000. It was a fake prize fund. They gave you $600.00 when you arrived making last place $600.00. In other words, the entry was really $400.00 but the extra money made it look like a giant prize fund for the media. Some advertised big first place prize money that was most of the total prize fund. Players just cut it up. In fact as many as the first 3 or 4 agreed to split regardless who came in where. First three places was almost the whole prize fund. There was a reason those tournaments did not continue.
 
middleofnowhere said:
I do think there was. I think Rempe got like $12,000 of an advertised first prize of $25,000. Another had a huge prize fund advertised. The entry was $1,000. It was a fake prize fund. They gave you $600.00 when you arrived making last place $600.00. In other words, the entry was really $400.00 but the extra money made it look like a giant prize fund for the media. Some advertised big first place prize money that was most of the total prize fund. Players just cut it up. In fact as many as the first 3 or 4 agreed to split regardless who came in where. First three places was almost the whole prize fund. There was a reason those tournaments did not continue.
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You're talking about the first Caesars Tahoe event in 1981 that Mike Sigel won. The "entry" fee was $1,500, but all players got back $1,000 upon arrival. It was a way to make sure they had gambling money with them after they arrived. Sigel did win 30 grand though! That much is correct. Ronnie Allen finished second for 15K, but lost most of it (at least half) betting on himself in the finals. Rempe got the whole 35K when he won at Resorts, every last dollar. And he and Sally got out of town quick to beat the bite. He didn't want to give up a dime to anyone. ;)
 
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raphcleary said:
1. 1988 World Pro Tournament- $41,000 (won by Jose Parica)
2. 1986 Resorts International 9-Ball Championship- $40,000 + Trip to Bahamas (won by Mike Sigel)
3. 1982 Caesars Tahoe Billiard Classic- $35,000 (won by Buddy Hall)
3. 1986 Resorts International 9-Ball Championship- $35,000 (won by Jim Rempe)
5. 1981 Caesars Tahoe Billiard Classic- $30,000 (won by Mike Sigel)
5. 1985 Resorts International 9-Ball Championship- $30,000 (won by Wade Crane)
6. 1983 Caesars Tahoe Billiard Classic- $25,000 + $10,000 Car (won by Earl Strickland)
7. 1984 Resorts International 9-Ball Championship- $25,000 (won by Jay Swanson)
7. 1984 Caesars Palace Billiard Classic- $25,000 (won by Earl Strickland)
7. 1985 B.C. Open 9-Ball Championship- $25,000 (won by Keith McCready)
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Without inflation changes, a new car in the 80s was on average about $10,000

The average new car in the 2010s was in the $25,00 range, and is now over $40,000 going up like crazy since 2020.

Pool tournaments are a bit behind the times as they are same or less than they were 20+ years ago.
 
mikemosconi said:
Interesting that Mizerak, as great as he was at 14.1, and I will add Ray Martin, never won any of the top 10 prize money events throughout the 1980s. Did they not compete in most of these events, or, perhaps, they had already been surpassed in rotation games due to the shot making and rotation safety play skills of some younger pros in the 80s.
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In the '86 tournament (video is on youtube), I saw the Miz sitting out in the audience, I think next to U.J. Puckett. He was eliminated lol. You had many great players at these tournaments, some of them over 300+ contenders. They mentioned Sigel had played over 20 hours straight one day of said tournament, which he won.
 
raphcleary said:
What was the tournament called? if it was one of the miller lite tournament's held in the 80s for amateurs, the pay out was never more that $25,000.
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Can’t remember many details. Edgar told me it was the highest first prize at that time.
 
Interesting comparison to golf prize money in this time period:

Masters winner's share in 1980: 55k
1981: 60k
1982: 64k
1983: 90k
1984: 108k
1985: 126k
1986: 144k
1987: 162k
1988: 183k

They were within shouting distance of each other until 1983 and then it was off to the races.
 
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pt109 said:
Edgar White. better known as Shake and Bake, won a 30G tournament in the early 80s.
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That was the year after Monk beat Sigel at the Tropicana for $25,000 first prize (around 1979). The next year they played on bar tables again (once again a 9' table in the finals) and Edgar "Shake and Bake" White beat Al Romero in the finals. $15,000 for first and Al got $7,500 for second.
 
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