U.S. snooker

I would love to see this.

Only been a few exhibitions there, with the professionals.

But, market has to be tested and it requires good media support and sponsorship.

From what I know though, Snooker tables in the US are super rare.
There has been a downturn in rooms keeping 9ft pool tables, downsizing to 8ft or 7ft to make more money with space on hand.
A 12ft Snooker table is a real luxury item.

I vote for New York city as a location for a professional tournament on the tour.
It has some established Snooker already.
But, more so for the marketing and the players to be drawn to it.
This is important, that the players want to come.

I remember we had the Goldfields Open in Australia and I was part of the first one in 2011.
Bendigo, nice town.. but not a Melbourne or Sydney.
The event is gone now, part of the issue was the location.
So you have to get that right.
 
The market for snooker in the US is about the membership of the azb forums. I run into pool halls with snooker tables every so often, the number of players on that table or waiting to play on one is about a 60-1 ratio of pool players.
 
hang-the-9 said:
The market for snooker in the US is about the membership of the azb forums. I run into pool halls with snooker tables every so often, the number of players on that table or waiting to play on one is about a 60-1 ratio of pool players.
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When Efren comes to town I see Filipino's coming out of the woodwork. Many with cues in hand. I go anywhere there is a table and never seen these people in my life. Closet snooker fans hiding in the basements?
 
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Be nice to see a Snooker US Open or invitational Masters event.

I don’t see it happening as I don’t believe Snooker has much of a following in the US.

I would really like to see Snooker back in Canada as they produced some fabulous players in the past, but again I think the world has moved on.

Still you never know I would love to be wrong.
 
Have there been any snooker tournaments held in the U.S in previous years, I believe there was a Michigan State Snooker Championship in the 60s and the US Amateur Snooker Championship that been going since the early 90s. Any other snooker tournaments in the U.S?
 
raphcleary said:
Have there been any snooker tournaments held in the U.S in previous years, I believe there was a Michigan State Snooker Championship in the 60s and the US Amateur Snooker Championship that been going since the early 90s. Any other snooker tournaments in the U.S?
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There have been local leagues that had tournaments, but I have not heard of any regional or national tournament other than those organized by the USSA in the past 20 years. Before the pandemic there was a tour of sorts that was the pool equivalent of state-level tournaments. You can probably see results on the USSA website: https://www.snookerusa.com/

I think there were some US snooker tournaments last millennium -- try looking in the old NBN issues in the Goldmine.
 
Bob Jewett said:
There have been local leagues that had tournaments, but I have not heard of any regional or national tournament other than those organized by the USSA in the past 20 years. Before the pandemic there was a tour of sorts that was the pool equivalent of state-level tournaments. You can probably see results on the USSA website: https://www.snookerusa.com/

I think there were some US snooker tournaments last millennium -- try looking in the old NBN issues in the Goldmine.
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At the start of 2023, Ahmed Aly Elsayed will become the first American player to turn professional since Jim Rempe retired in 1991.

www.snookerusa.com

The United States joins the professional World Snooker Tour!

An American player has qualified to compete as a professional on the World Snooker Tour, as New York City's Ahmed Aly Elsayed has won the Open Event of the 2022 Pan American Snooker Championships at The Corner Bank in Toronto, Canada
www.snookerusa.com www.snookerusa.com
 
couldnthinkof01 said:
Since matchroom sport is all in with pool, could they bring some snooker over the pond?
Like the NFL does.
Is there an audience for this?
I love snooker and seeing it in person would be awesome.
Come on Barry, let us have a taste!
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The whole reason (or perhaps 99% of it) Judd Trump played in the US 9-Ball Open last year was to try and generate some interest and test the water for snooker. I think the WST have been desperate for a US event for a while, but they aren't yet convinced there is a market for it. That said if Hong Kong can sell out a 9,000+ seater stadium for snooker you'd assume there must be enough interest if they were find a venue in say Vegas for maybe 1,000 - 2,000 people (which isn't a bad crowd for snooker).

It probably will happen eventually, but it may be a few years away yet.
 
Selling pool to the masses has been tough enough. Snooker has zero chance of taking off here.
 
Astrolabus said:
I would really like to see Snooker back in Canada as they produced some fabulous players in the past, but again I think the world has moved on.

Still you never know I would love to be wrong.
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I've been making more of an effort to drive down to Toronto (60mins) and offer up my dead money in deeper end pool tourneys. I was pleasantly surprised to see a large amount of snooker play. It's all but extinct locally for me. Only local table I think is in a legion hall.

Don't mean to suggest snooker will make a comeback, but it's definitely not dead in Southern Ontario at least.
 
garczar said:
Selling pool to the masses has been tough enough. Snooker has zero chance of taking off here.
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I have to agree. You will just not a get the pro level of player in the US to truly compete. Aly is a decent player, but the snooker pro tour is a different level. I have friends who have made several 147's and they are just very good club players. Aly is a long way from their standard. That being said I hope he does well.
 
vjmehra said:
The whole reason (or perhaps 99% of it) Judd Trump played in the US 9-Ball Open last year was to try and generate some interest and test the water for snooker. I think the WST have been desperate for a US event for a while, but they aren't yet convinced there is a market for it. That said if Hong Kong can sell out a 9,000+ seater stadium for snooker you'd assume there must be enough interest if they were find a venue in say Vegas for maybe 1,000 - 2,000 people (which isn't a bad crowd for snooker).

It probably will happen eventually, but it may be a few years away yet.
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Of course it wasn't. There is no interest in that boring game here. Judd was in it to help drum up interest in 9-Ball for snooker fans in Matchroom's UK tv audience.
 
Ox Billiards in Seattle is holding several regional and national events in snooker. They held the US Women's Snooker Open this past August. They are doing great things and trying to build up Snooker in the US.

www.womenssnooker.com

Hunter Wins First Ranking Title in Seattle - World Women's Snooker

Jamie Hunter has defeated Rebecca Kenna 4-1 to lift her first world ranking event title at the US Women’s Snooker Open at Ox Billiards, Seattle. [...]
www.womenssnooker.com www.womenssnooker.com

www.oxbilliards.com

OX BILLIARDS

OX BILLIARDS is setting a new standard for Seattle cue sports. OX is an all-ages establishment that is locally owned by die-hard pool and snooker enthusiasts wanting a great place to learn, practice, play, and compete. All skill levels welcome.
www.oxbilliards.com www.oxbilliards.com
 
raphcleary said:
Have any American players done well in snooker?
I read a story about Harold Worst in 1965 went to England and won a "Snooker Championship" on a 6x12 table although I have found nothing about the specific Snooker tournament on record.
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no, 1965 would have been pulman or davis. the only non-british champions have been canadian, australian or irish.
 
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