The Biggest Billiards Competitions

What if we told you that billiards wasn’t always played on a table? Before the sport evolved into a table game, it resembled croquet in its early days during the 15th century. These early origins are the reason why the table is covered in a green felt cloth—to simulate the grass it was once played on.

The game slowly developed into how we know it today, with cues instead of maces and fixed table dimensions instead of relaxed standards. Billiard championships have been held annually since the late 1800s and even received more coverage than news about wars—similar to how popular bonuses with no wagering requirements are now. It became an internationally renowned sport because of emigration and settlers, and big-name players adopted celebrity status on cigarette cards.

It wasn’t always smooth sailing, however, as the events of World War II made it difficult for billiards to bounce back. In the 1960s, it experienced a revival thanks to Paul Newman movies and the emergence of various forms of billiards, including pool and snooker. Today, we’ve got pool halls and pool tables at bars and establishments all over the world, but these major tournaments are a true testament to the undying popularity of billiards, which we’ll be looking at in this article.

WPA World Nine-ball Championship (World Pool Championship)

Officially known as the WPA World Nine-ball Championship, this annual championship is arguably the most prestigious in the world, albeit not the oldest. The yearly event is sponsored and organized by Matchroom Sport, a UK-based sports event promotions company run by Barry and Eddie Hearn.

Although most renowned for its involvement in boxing, Matchroom is also associated with pool, fishing, golf, and poker, among other sports. Although the first-ever championship was held in 1990, it wasn’t until 1999 that it became the first professional nine-ball championship aired on TV. Slowly but surely, there was an increase in the number of competitors as well as in the prize pool amounts. The event has men’s, women’s, and wheelchair divisions.

The World Cup of Pool

Any “World Cup” event is typically seen as one featuring the best of the best—and that’s why the World Cup of Pool is up on this list. It’s another tournament hosted by Matchroom Sport’s Matchroom Pool, which speaks to the event’s excellence. This tournament brings together 32 participating teams representing 31 countries, with the host nation getting two representative teams. It follows a single-elimination structure for doubles teams, using standardized rules for nine-ball pool. Since its inauguration in 2006, the World Cup of Pool has been hosted in Wales, the Netherlands, the Philippines, Spain, China, and in a variety of locations in England.

In the 2023 edition, winners could compete for the first-place prize of $60,000. Although the tournament is titled the _World_ Cup of Pool, we are yet to see participants and host countries from South America, Africa, and Oceania.

Mosconi Cup

While the first two championships featured every man for himself, the Mosconi Cup switches up the format with teams of five members, competing in singles, doubles, and one team match to achieve victory. The tournament was initially held to pay homage to legendary American pool player [Willie Mosconi](https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/local/1993/09/19/pool-champion-willie-mosconi-dies-at-80/9d5db004-0b67-421b-a589-44176ea1ec17/) and to increase awareness of the sport in the UK, but it evolved past its exhibition nature into a professional tournament over time.

The Cup has teams representing either Europe or the United States in Team Europe and Team USA. While it used to alternate host destinations between England and Las Vegas, Nevada, it’s since expanded to other locations. For the 2024 cup, each member of the winning side is set to receive $40,000—a lucrative pot.

U.S. Open Pool Championship

The U.S. Open Pool Championship is often said to be one of the longest-running pool championships ever, having begun in its current form in 1976. Similarly to the World Pool Championship, winning is a respectable feat, as it’s one of the most sought-after titles in the sport. Winning the tournament earns you a desirable green blazer, along with free entry to all future U.S. Open tournaments. Now, that’s a sweet deal.

The event stays true to the ‘open’ aspect of the tournament, allowing men, women, and wheelchair users to participate so long as they pay the entry fee. From 1976 to 2017, it was exclusively held in the state of Virginia. Winners between 2019 and 2024 were awarded a $50,000 prize, with the first-place prize doubling to $100,000 in 2025.

World Snooker Championship

While there are some significant prize pots in these pool championships, it seems like snooker is where the money is at. Snooker has historically had a more sophisticated reputation than pool, with a more challenging game and international governance to propel its prestige even further. In professional snooker, one tournament reigns supreme above them all—the World Snooker Championship. Established in 1927, this event is the longest-running and most distinguished snooker tournament there is, with a grand prize of £500,000 in 2023.

In the first two decades of the tournament, professional billiards player Joe Davis remained champion until he decided to retire from the World Snooker Championship and move on to other tournaments. That move made way for other talent to shine—for a little while, anyway. Soon enough, snooker greats like Fred Davis and John Pulman held onto the crown consecutively for quite some time.

The Biggest Billiards Competitions

Title: The Biggest Billiards Competitions
Author: billiardsforum (Billiards Forum)
Published: 9/14/2024 7:31:36 AM
Last Updated: 9/14/2024 7:34:09 AM
Last Updated By: billiardsforum

The Biggest Billiards Competitions

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