Trick Shot Magic and Speed Pool Challenge October 1-2 at ESPN Zone in Vegas

The premier special events in professional billiards will be hosted by ESPN Zone in Las Vegas on October 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 $40,000. Bobby McGrath, the 2007 International Speed Pool Champion, will return to defend his title. Dave Pearson, the 2007 International Speed Pool Runnerup holds a Guinness Book of World Records Speed Pool listing. Nick Nikolaidis, one of the sport's top Speed Pool shooters, also holds a Guinness Book of World Records Speed Pool listing. Tan Chin Seng, winner of the 2008 Asian Speed Pool Tournament, will compete in America for the first time.

The winner will claim the title of International Speed Pool Champion on October 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 $40,000 on October 1-2. Stefano Pelinga, the 2007 Trick Shot Magic Champion. Tom Rossman, the 2006 World Artistic Pool Champion. Andy Segal, the 2007 Masters Artistic Pool Champion. Mike Massey, the 2006 Trick Shot Magic Champion. Luke Szywala, the 2007 World Cup of Trick Shots Champion. Sebastian Giumelli, the 2008 South American Trick Shot Champion. Mark Dimick, the 2008 World Artistic Pool Ranked #3. Eric Yow, the 2008 World Artistic Pool Ranked #4.

The Trick  Shot Magic winner will claim the crown on October 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 eight year history of the event, the Championship has twice been decided by a sudden death tiebreaker.

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 Aramith Super Pro Balls, Simonis Cloth, L.E.A.N.I. Slate, Original Italian Slate, AcCue Shot Training Device, Executive Billiards Delta 13 Rack 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 October 1. The TRICK SHOT MAGIC Semifinals and Championship Finals will begin at 4 PM on October 2. Admission is free and those attending should plan to arrive early. For more information call: 860-379-8414.