Anyone who wondered whether pool was an up-and-coming sport or not only needs to look at the entries for the 2017 IPA European Open this weekend to answer their own question – with 240 players this is the largest ever IPA event in its distinguished history, proving to everyone that the blackball rule set is the one the players want, and with its fast, aggressive style, it seems the one the spectators prefer as well.
The Double Tree Hilton in Coventry is the venue from Friday 11th through to Sunday the 13th where the best players will battle it out for both prize money and pool prestige, and with the familiar red/yellow balls that we all know so well, this is the game we have all played at one time or another, so one we can all understand.
Three tournaments will keep the Tournament Director and the players busy enough with one for the Amateurs, one for the professionals, and the Open itself (for both), so everyone has two bites at the cherry, though be warned, the standard can be frightening if educational for us mere “pub players”.
Rileys Sports Bars sponsor this event for the first time with Marketing Manager Ben Pearce saying “We are honoured to be working with the IPA. Everyone at Rileys has worked hard over the last 2 years investing in our core values, our tables, and our customers” and as they have shelled out over £200,000, they clearly see the potential of our sport.
They are even fitting the new Simonis 861 cloth in their Coventry site to up the standards one more notch, and it seems likely there will be a few well-known professionals who will be popping in for that bit of extra table time.
As for this weekend, spectators are more than welcome to turn up to watch the live matches free of charge (we don’t stand on ceremony at the IPA), though we do understand not everyone can make it in person, which is why we have the industry leading HD livestream available via the website (www.ipapool.com) as well as either our Youtube channel or live on Facebook (to be decided but updates will be given).
On to the players, and the consistent tour number one Marc Farnsworth is perhaps the most likely winner of both the Open and the Pro event, though Scottish cueman mark Boyle will push him all the way in the Open and looks the one to be with for the Amateurs while he remains in top form, though trust me, with the rub of the green and playing at their peak, any of about a dozen could take any of these events when playing at their best which makes it all the more intriguing, so why not join your fellow cue sport fans and either pop down or just tune in – free in both cases, and you can’t get better value than that! Bookmaking partners Coral and Ladbrokes are both betting on the event if that’s your thing, and will be doing so throughout the tournament, once again showing how the IPA and Blackball lead the way.
The IPA (International Professional Pool Players Association) is the premier pool tour in the UK and possibly the World for pool. They can be contacted for further information, including applications for next year’s tour or World Championships via the website (www.ipapool.com) Twitter (@ipapool), or on Facebook and other social media channels. The European Open and other tournaments are scheduled to start at 10.00am on Friday the 11th August and will be played to conclusion on the evening of Sunday 13th August.
