The pro billiard tour consists of a series tournaments that include the world championships as well as major events. The tour hosted the first ever billiards tournament. But, by 2006, the tour had fallen into serious financial trouble, and was forced to cease hosting major events. The IPT Ultimate 8 Ball was organized in 2007, and the tour resurrected itself.
Stauch's involvement with billiards
Shari Stauch was a professional player of pool for over 20 years, before she retired in 2004. Stauch, along with Harold Simonsen, helped to develop the billiards market by co-founding Pool & Billiard Magazine. She was the Women's Professional Billiard Association's Sportspersons of the Year in 1995. In addition, she is a five-time winner of the WPBA President's Award. In 2007, she was inducted in the WPBA Hall of Fame.
Billiards has an extensive history with players that range from royalty to commoners, hustlers or presidents. It was first played as a lawn game in Northern Europe in the 15th century and evolved into the style we know today.
IPT Ultimate 8-Ball
In Los Angeles, the IPT Ultimate 8-Ball held its first event in June 2008. The original plan was to have a match between Alex Pagulayan of the Philippines and Karl Boyes of England. Pagulayan was contacted by his manager to request a substitute player. As a result, Tony Robles was invited to fill in for Pagulayan. Robles accepted the invitation and flew to L.A. during the night. In thrilling and close matches, he defeated Karl Boyes. The prize money for the two players was $5,000 and $1,000, plus expenses.
The IPT Ultimate 8-Ball is the largest pool tour in the world and will be held in five cities in 2006. In 2006, IPT will be giving away more that $8 million in prize money. The North American Open 8-Ball Championship will boast a record-breaking prize pool of $2 Million and a first-place award of $350,000.
Women's Professional Billiards Association
The Women's Professional Billiards Association is a professional pool tour for women. WPBA was started in 1976 as Women's Professional Billiard Alliance. This association features competitive women's pool players. Madelyn Whitlow (founder), Palmer Byrd (founder), and Larry Miller are its members.
WPBA began as a British billiards society. It sponsored tournaments for both amateurs and professionals. The association hosted amateur and junior competitions in the beginning. Its members included Joyce Gardner, Thelma Carpenter and Ruth Harrison. Gardner won seven of the 14 tournaments that she entered, while Carpenter, Harrison, and Harrison won three each. Harrison broke the record of 197 in 1937, which remains a record for women's billiards.
Jim Bakula and women's pro billiards
Jim Bakula's influence over women in billiards dates back to 1980. Bakula was the General Manager of Brunswick's Billiard Division and advocated for women's sections in events. Bakula became president of the Billiard Council of America (BCA), and appealed to them for funding the WPBA through grant funding. The Women's Pro Billiard Tour was eventually created.
The future of the pro-billiards tour
Pro billiard tours are in flux. Don Mackey, an amateur fringe sport in billiards, is helping to stabilize the PBT. Camel cigarettes sponsored the PBT's 1996 tour. After that, Mackey filed a federal suit against them. Later, it split and began its own tour.
It has been ten years since the first event, the Gulf Coast Women's Regional Billiard Tour, paid out $12,330 in prizes. During this time, the tour added more events to the Gulf Coast area, requiring venues with at least twenty tables. Many Texas-area rooms were left out of contention. However, the new tour's presence was good for the game and for the venues.