It’s hard to ignore – the sport of 8ball pool is proving very popular throughout the World in recent years with bigger and better social media and television coverage, possibly because of the availability (most pubs and bars have at least one table), the low starting costs (borrow a pub cue and put a pound in the table), or because a game can be over in minutes – or get tactical and go on that little bit longer.
The concept is simple enough – pot all the balls of your colour set (reds or yellows) followed by the black to win the frame – and although there are various rules played around the globe, Blackball is the official rule set played by the vast majority.
This week (31st January to 5th February) we have the IPA World Championships, and being hosted and organised by the official professional body for the sport, this should be good!
The IPA Tour features the best players each year as you would expect, but the Worlds is an entry to all event, so you never really know what will happen. Each and every year a seeded player gets knocked out by someone most of us have never heard of (which is part of the fun of pool – even I can play it), which no doubt gets some nerves jangling, with the top players starting with an advantage of not joining until the later stages – though by then the newbies have a feel for the tables and have had plenty of practice, so you decide who has the better of that argument?
Add in a landmark deal with Channel 4 that sees the Worlds on their sport YouTube channel for all six days, and the players will be exhibiting their skills (and experience) in front of what should be the biggest 8ball pool audience of all time, and we are in for plenty of drama without a doubt – as well as a whopping £15,000 to the winner – so it didn’t come as a huge surprise to me that the IPA had to move from their original venue, to the Coventry Hilton to accommodate the numbers of players who wanted a piece of the action.
The Americans are coming
Not a lot of people know just how fast blackball pool is growing stateside, but we have the evidence here with BCA Hall Of Famers Mike Massey and Tom Rossman along with US Blackball President Steve Lillis all heading over the Pond for their first visit to the IPA World Championships. They certainly got the bug for the ruleset in Morocco where they competed in the Seniors and the Masters, and are looking forward to taking a big step forward here as they get to grips with a new discipline, which they are enthusiastically promoting in America to their many fans.
Massey and Rossman are World Champions in their own rights as Artistic Pool players while Lillis was a highly ranked 9-ball player for decades, and it will be interest to see how they adapt to the smaller pockets here. Sponsored by the likes of Gospel Trick Shot Ministries Inc, McDermott, and Meucci Cues, they have been persuaded to give us a little exhibition on the last day, which is something worth watching out for. We are all looking forward to welcoming them to Coventry and will be watching how they get on with great interest – their enthusiasm for Blackball is contagious, and the IPA look forward to working with them whenever possible over the months and years ahead.
On to the likelier winners, and despite a fantastic supporting cast of Seniors, Masters, Mixed Doubles, and Doubles, the Open and the Ladies highlight the week, and below is my idea of the contenders for those two “main events”.
The IPA Open World Championships – all prices here
Marc Farnsworth (3/1f) – there is not a lot new to say about former World Champion Marc whose consistency is legendary in the sport. His patterns when in amongst the balls are a joy to watch, with clearance after clearance on the cards, and if his break is working for him then he seems sure to be there or thereabouts when they come to the final of this prestigious event.
Ben Davies (11/1) – I’ll confess, Ben is one of the players I enjoy watching the most, with his laid-back attitude as he almost nonchalantly strokes seeming impossible shots in to the heart of the pocket. If he gets a few easy games early on then he could be a force to reckon with once again, and I for one won’t be too surprised if he has a good run here.
Mark Boyle (7/2)– One of the nicest guys you could ever hope to meet, but don’t let his friendliness fool you – he is granite when at the top of the game and none of the other players will be wanting to meet him until they have no choice. His recent matches have suggested he is fully focussed on his pool once again, and Scotland’s finest arrives with every chance if he gets the run of the balls.
Ross Fernie (10/1) – Fellow Scot Fernie has risen to number two in the rankings almost unnoticed, but underestimate his skills at your peril. Some felt self-confidence was an issue earlier in his career, but he has won and gone close on many occasions this year and appear to have got that particular monkey off his back.
The IPA Ladies World Championship
Deb Burchell – A former Champion, Deb loves the sport and we can all guarantee she will have put the hours in on the practice table as she looks to regain her crown. Anyone who plays her at any stage will know they have been in a battle, and the format here may yet suit her better than most.
Danielle Randle – One of the up and coming players on the tour with all the ability needed to win this if she gets the run of the balls, and not one to comfortably overlook. Her consistency has been on the up and up over the last couple of seasons as the Ladies game takes off big time on the IPA tour, and you underestimate her abilities at your peril.
Bec Sweeney – Yet another on the Ladies tour who is improving all the time and with Cory Rees to practice with, that comes as no surprise. A bit of an outsider here it seems fair to say she will need to take another step forward if she wants to win this, but that is anything but an impossibility and she could surprise a few and make it through to the semis at least with the luck of the draw.
Conclusion:
Six days of non-stop pool to look forward to and all of it live on the Channel4 YouTube Channel to a massive worldwide watching audience. It will be loud, it will be fast, and it will be furious, so why not tune in and watch the excitement that is Blackball pool you can even set yourself a remind here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wkBvNuFY_Ak
