The pro billiards tour is a series that includes the world championships and major events. In its first year, it hosted the biggest billiards tournament ever. But, by 2006, the tour had fallen into serious financial trouble, and was forced to cease hosting major events. In 2007, the tour revived itself by staging the IPT Ultimate 8-Ball.
Stauch's involvement at billiards
Shari Stauch was a professional player of pool for over 20 years, before she retired in 2004. In addition to her playing career, Stauch helped develop the billiards industry by co-founding Pool & Billiard Magazine with Harold Simonsen. In 1995, Stauch was named Sportsperson Of The Year by Women's Professional Billiard Association. Five times she has been awarded the WPBA President's Award. She was inducted into WPBA Hall of Fame in 2007.
Billiards has an extensive history with players that range from royalty to commoners, hustlers or presidents. It originated in Northern Europe as a lawn game, and it evolved into the current style.
IPT Ultimate 8-Ball
The first event of the IPT Ultimate 8-Ball was held in Los Angeles in June of 2008. An original match was set up between Alex Pagulayan (Filipino player) and Karl Boyes (English player). Pagulayan’s manager reached out to the IPT for an alternate player. Tony Robles was invited as a replacement for Pagulayan. Robles accepted this invitation and flew from Chicago to L.A. on the evening. He won the match against Karl Boyes in a thrilling and close match. The prize money for each player was $5,000 and $1,000.
The IPT Ultimate 8-Ball pool tour is the largest in the world. It will take place in five cities in 2006. In 2006, the IPT will award more than $8,000,000 in prize money. The North American Open 8-Ball Championship's record-breaking prize fund will be $2 million. It will also offer a $350,000 first-place bonus.
Women's Professional Billiards Association
The Women's Professional Billiards Association is a professional pool tour for women. WPBA, which was originally the Women's Professional Billiard Alliance in 1976, features female pool players. Madelyn Whitlow and Palmer Byrd were its founders. Larry Miller is also a founding member.
WPBA started as a British billiards organization. It sponsored tournaments, both for amateurs or professionals. In the early years of its existence, the association organized junior competitions as well as amateur competitions. 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 at 197 in 1937 which is still an outstanding record for women's pool.
Jim Bakula's influence upon women's pro-billiards teams
Jim Bakula's influence over women in billiards dates back to 1980. While he was General Manager of Brunswick's Billiard Division, Bakula championed the inclusion of women's divisions in events. Later, Bakula was elected president to the Billiard Congress in America (BCA). In an appeal to them to provide grant funding for WPBA, he won. This led eventually to the creation the Women's Pro Billiard Tour.
Future of pro billiards tour
The future of pro billiard is uncertain. Don Mackey, a fringe professional sports, is working to ensure stability for the PBT. He recently filed a federal lawsuit against Camel cigarettes, who had sponsored the PBT's 1996 tour, and later split with it and started 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. The tour expanded its events to the Gulf Coast region, which required venues to have at least twenty tables. Unfortunately, many Texas-area venues were not eligible for the tour. The new tour proved to be a boon for both the game and the venues.