The premier special events in professional billiards will be hosted by ESPN Zone in Las Vegas on September 1 - 2. The Semifinal matches and the Championship match of both events will be telecast by ESPN beginning in November.
International Speed Pool Challenge will feature four top players from an international roster competing for a purse of winner-take-all $25,000. Luc Salvas, the 2009 and 2006 International Speed Pool Champion, will to defend his title. Bobby McGrath, also a two-time winner, captured the title International Speed Pool Champion in 2008 and 2007. Dave Pearson, the 2009 and 2008 International Speed Pool Runnerup holds a Guinness Book of World Records Speed Pool listing. Thorsten Hohmann, World Straight Pool Champion, secured a berth in the event through recent Speed Pool competition.
The winner will claim the title of International Speed Pool Champion on September 1. The game is all action and offense, with players competing against the clock to run racks in the fastest possible time. A match consists of two sets, the first set a variation of Straight Pool and the second set regulation 8-Ball. Players routinely run a rack of fifteen balls in one-minute-fifteen-seconds or less. Tied sets result in a blistering one rack Sudden Death.
Trick Shot Magic will present eight international stars of the sport contending for a purse of $30,000 on September 1 - 2. Andy Segal, the 2009 Trick Shot Magic Champion. Tom Rossman, the 2008 and 2002 Trick Shot Magic Champion. Stefano Pelinga, the 2007 and 2005 Trick Shot Magic Champion. Jamey Gray, the 2009 Ultimate Trick Shot Champion and 2008 World Champion. Nick Nikolaidis, the 2010 World Artistic Pool Masters Champion. Florian Kohler, the 2009 XTM Masters Trick Shots Champion. Dave Nangle, the 2010 Ultimate Trick Shot Challenge Champion. Gabi Visiou, the 2010 Artistic Pool Masse / Special Arts Champion.
The Trick Shot Magic winner will claim the crown on September 2. Format for the tournament consists of twenty artistic show shots in each match. Players will execute a challenge shot of their choice, and their opponents are required to duplicate the shot or lose a point. The players alternate shots in two-man head-to-head matches, performing intricate trick shots meant to stymie their opponents. A sudden death tiebreaker to decide a match will require an eight rail bank shot onto the face of a $100 bill. In the ten year history of the event, the Championship has been decided several times in sudden death.
ESPN will telecast three 1-hour programs each on Trick Shot Magic and International Speed Pool Challenge. ESPN Zone will make the events Admission Free for spectators. ESPN Zone is a 50,000-square-foot sports-themed dining and entertainment complex located at the New York - New York Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas (phone: 702-933-3776). The tournaments are sponsored by Fusion Billiards Tables, Aramith Tournament Balls, Simonis Cloth, Mueller Recreational Products, Executive Billiards Delta-13 Rack, AcCue Shot Training Device, and Silver Cup Chalk. The tournaments will be produced by Billiards International, Ltd.
Ample free parking is available at the New York - New York Hotel & Casino. The INTERNATIONAL SPEED POOL CHALLENGE Semifinals and Championship Finals will begin at 4 PM on September 1. The TRICK SHOT MAGIC Semifinals and Championship Finals will begin at 4 PM on September 2. Admission is free and those attending should plan to arrive early. For more information call: 860-379-8414.
