Which major tournament would you choose if you could only attend one per year?

F

FordSVTCobra

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
If you were deciding between the following in no particular order, which would you choose and why? All things considered from top to bottom including venue, location, logistics, food, action, safety, etc.

Turning Stone Classic - Verona, NY
Derby City Classic - Elizabeth, IN
US Open 9 Ball - Harrah's NJ
US Open 10 Ball - Griff's Las Vegas March
US Open 1Pocket - Griff's Las Vegas Nov
The International Open - VA
 
Rusty in Montana

Rusty in Montana

Well-known member
I'd enjoy going to the Turning Stone Classic in hopes of running into Earl Strickland and Shane Van Boening again for a visit and maybe even shoot a rack or two with them for old times sake .
 
justnum

justnum

Billiards Improvement Research Projects Associate
Silver Member
Best Value
Turning Stone for being affordable and great play.

Best Experience
US Open 9ball for the MR room experience.
 
sjm

sjm

Older and Wiser
Silver Member
Based on your list, it's a very close choice between the Derby City Classic and the US Open 9-ball.

What makes Derby City one of a kind is that four disciplines are contested (bank pool, one pocket, nine ball, ten ball) and there's action all day and all night. If you like the fringe games and enjoy sweating the action matches, you'll do very well to attend the Derby, which offers great fields but not as strong as what you'll find at the US Open 9ball.

If you want to watch the giants of the game duking it out for one of the titles of which every player dreams, the US Open 9ball is your best choice. Attending any Matchroom produced event is a unique treat, as no event producer sets up the playing arena with greater skill.
 
R

rharm

Registered
sjm said:
Based on your list, it's a very close choice between the Derby City Classic and the US Open 9-ball.

What makes Derby City one of a kind is that four disciplines are contested (bank pool, one pocket, nine ball, ten ball) and there's action all day and all night. If you like the fringe games and enjoy sweating the action matches, you'll do very well to attend the Derby, which offers great fields but not as strong as what you'll find at the US Open 9ball.

If you want to watch the giants of the game duking it out for one of the titles of which every player dreams, the US Open 9ball is your best choice. Attending any Matchroom produced event is a unique treat, as no event producer sets up the playing arena with greater skill.
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I'm attending Derby for the first time in January. Really looking forward to it. Can't wait to watch all the action matches.
 
F

FordSVTCobra

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
bbb said:
its not on the list but i would choose Buffalo's onepocket tourney in may
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Good suggestion. Thank you.
sjm said:
Based on your list, it's a very close choice between the Derby City Classic and the US Open 9-ball.

What makes Derby City one of a kind is that four disciplines are contested (bank pool, one pocket, nine ball, ten ball) and there's action all day and all night. If you like the fringe games and enjoy sweating the action matches, you'll do very well to attend the Derby, which offers great fields but not as strong as what you'll find at the US Open 9ball.

If you want to watch the giants of the game duking it out for one of the titles of which every player dreams, the US Open 9ball is your best choice. Attending any Matchroom produced event is a unique treat, as no event producer sets up the playing arena with greater skill.
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Thank you. The Derby certainly sounds like it has the most to offer but my concerns are the current facility, its isolated location, lack of food options and most recently the poor scheduling, I won't be attending this year but if they get some of the logistics sorted I might be interested for next year.
 
C

ChrisinNC

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
FordSVTCobra said:
If you were deciding between the following in no particular order, which would you choose and why? All things considered from top to bottom including venue, location, logistics, food, action, safety, etc.

Turning Stone Classic - Verona, NY
Derby City Classic - Elizabeth, IN
US Open 9 Ball - Harrah's NJ
US Open 10 Ball - Griff's Las Vegas March
US Open 1Pocket - Griff's Las Vegas Nov
The International Open - VA
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It would have to be Derby City, for the entire experience, despite food and lodging being potentially challenging.
 
Kentucky Rack Man

Kentucky Rack Man

AzB Gold Member
Gold Member
I have attended the Derby from days of the Executive as I live only 2 hours away which makes it more desirable for me. Just went to my first US Open Atlantic City. I have to agree with Stu and his remarks with these two. Hope to go to others in next few years and then re-activate this thread.
 
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sjm

sjm

Older and Wiser
Silver Member
rharm said:
I'm attending Derby for the first time in January. Really looking forward to it. Can't wait to watch all the action matches.
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There's always action, but the premium matchups can occur at a moment's notice. You'll need to get in the information loop to learn what's coming up and when. There's an art to it.

Personally, I think the premier event at Derby City is the one pocket tourney. By the time you get a few rounds deep, it's almost certain that two of the top players in the event will draw each other in every remaining round. The races to three keep the tension pretty high in these matches.

The climax of the Derby was always the 9ball on Saturday until the most recent Derby in which extreme mismanagement of the schedule ensured that almost nobody got to watch the last rounds.

I hope you'll take the trouble to introduce yourself. That's me in my avatar.
 
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JusticeNJ

JusticeNJ

Four Points/Steel Joints
Silver Member
FordSVTCobra said:
If you were deciding between the following in no particular order, which would you choose and why? All things considered from top to bottom including venue, location, logistics, food, action, safety, etc.

Turning Stone Classic - Verona, NY
Derby City Classic - Elizabeth, IN
US Open 9 Ball - Harrah's NJ
US Open 10 Ball - Griff's Las Vegas March
US Open 1Pocket - Griff's Las Vegas Nov
The International Open - VA
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US Open. I really only put this first because I can relax and stay in Cape May, the Wildwoods, or Ventnor and pop by AC to watch the matches.

Derby City. If I didn't live in NJ, this would be #1.

International. Pat keeping tradition alive.

Tie for 10B/1P. I'd rather be in Vegas than Verona.

Turning Stone. See above.
 
Bob Jewett

Bob Jewett

AZB Osmium Member
Staff member
Gold Member
Silver Member
If you want 24/7 immersion in pool and don't much care about lodging/food/sights, Derby City.

If you want to be in an interesting place with reasonable food and lodging and have things to do other than watch pool, the International. Also, if you want to play some while you're there, Q-Master has 70-some tables. No casino that I know of if that's important. You do have 10-ball, 9-ball, Juniors, and maybe 14.1 if you arrive early. No one pocket any more.

Personally, no interest in Atlantic City or Las Vegas at this point. For one pocket, consider one of the tournaments in the South.
 
F

FordSVTCobra

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Kentucky Rack Man said:
I have attended the Derby from days of the Executive as I live only 2 hours away which makes it more desirable for me. Just went to my first US Open Atlantic City. I have to agree with Stu and his remarks with these two. Hope to go to others in next few years and then re-activate this thread.
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Please do share your future experiences
sjm said:
There's always action, but the premium matchups can occur at a moment's notice. You'll need to get in the information loop to learn what's coming up and when. There's an art to it.

Personally, I think the premier event at Derby City is the one pocket tourney. By the time you get a few rounds deep, it's almost certain that two of the top players in the event will draw each other. The races to three keep the tension pretty high in these matches.

The climax of the Derby was always the 9ball on Saturday until the most recent Derby in which extreme mismanagement of the schedule ensured that almost nobody got to watch the last rounds.
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Hopefully the scheduling problems from last year get addressed for this year's event.
Shannon.spronk said:
A good friend of mine and I are planning to attend one big event each year starting next year. We are planning on going to Buffalos for the 1P.
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Added this one to my list of potential trips. Sounds like a great event
Bob Jewett said:
If you want 24/7 immersion in pool and don't much care about lodging/food/sights, Derby City.

If you want to be in an interesting place with reasonable food and lodging and have things to do other than watch pool, the International. Also, if you want to play some while you're there, Q-Master has 70-some tables. No casino that I know of if that's important. You do have 10-ball, 9-ball, Juniors, and maybe 14.1 if you arrive early. No one pocket any more.

Personally, no interest in Atlantic City or Las Vegas at this point. For one pocket, consider one of the tournaments in the South.
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Thank you. Like you, the casinos hold no interest to me so having other things to do is important.

As much as I love the allure of the Derby, I can't see myself attending for more than 3-4 days max given the location, venue and time of year.
 
Z

Z-Nole

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Good question. I’ve been to buffalo's so it would have to be the Derby. It’s on the bucket list, but so is a bunch of fishing trips. It’s considerably easier to find people to go fishing in exotic locations than go to IN in the dead of winter.

Maybe they can move the Derby to the Turks and Caicos.
 
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