Are you ready to be a millionaire? That is what the ads for the Players Tournament I ask? That is just the first question regarding this event though. The questions being asked by the fans are numerous. We got a chance to get some answers from Rick Breeden, the man behind this event, while he was promoting the event this week at the Midwest Billiard Expo.
The first thing most people want to know is if this event is really going to happen. Breeden assured us that he is ready to hold the event. The determining factor behind whether it will happen or not is the number of players who enter the event. Breeden says he currently has approximately 50 players signed up with another 100 or so who have expressed interest in entering. The magic number is 215 players. That is the number that is needed for the event to happen.
We asked Breeden about how the prize fund would be affected if there were less than the 512 players that they are shooting for. Breeden responded that if the event happens, first place will be one million dollars. Any adjustments will be made to the prizes for second place and below. Breeden expressed his feeling that the million dollar prize was important. "We are trying to elevate the sport to a new level. Something like this has the chance to draw major exposure to the game and get the attention of big sponsors. When that happens, we all win."
With entry fees of $10,000 per player, there will be a lot of money floating around in the prize fund. Breeden explained that there will a third party appointed to oversee the fund. This will be someone in the industry who is established and respected. Breeden said that they have a couple candidates for that position now, but nothing has been decided offically.
Breeden went on to talk about the specifics of the event; "This event is an open event. All players are welcome. There will be no seeding of players and if you win two matches, you will make your money back. We expect to release a list of players on November 15th."
More information on the event is available at http://www.rightactionmanagement.com/
Photo courtesy of Diana Hoppe - Pool Pics by Hoppe
