IPT QUALIFIER COMES TO JILLIAN'S IN SEATTLE
Hello! This month finds us finally getting excited, as the IPT is starting to be a reality for us. We got our beautiful 9' Diamond table and Diamond light…a nice birthday present for Mike…and we have been hitting balls as much as possible. The official IPT slow nap cloth has come out, and we are waiting for the official IPT balls (cueball not known yet) to order everything. The cloth we have right now is REALLY slow. Hopefully, the IPT cloth will not be as slow.
Mike also got a sweet break cue with a cork wrap from Dave Jones. It hits like a sledgehammer!
I did a cue survey for AZ Billiards and emailed all 150 IPT members. So far, we have gotten the results back on 107 players. The survey was quite interesting. Surprisingly, Predator shafts were predominant, next to original shafts.
Everyone is making preparations for the first IPT tournament in Vegas at the Venetian. Flight plans, lodging, and practice are underway for everyone. The first tournament is billed as the North American Championships. As it says on the IPT website (www.internationalpooltour.com), "The most universally anticipated moment in pocket billiards has finally arrived! The pool world is itching to find out how to win a chance to challenge the elite players of the 2006 IPT for a stab at their share of an unprecedented $2,000,000 prize fund, including a $350,000 first prize at the world class Venetian in Las Vegas." (Last place receives $2,000!)
This tournament will include 50 players who are not IPT members. There are 25 qualifiers being held over 4 weekends in June in various locations all over the world for those 50 spots. Entries to those qualifiers will be $1000.
One will be held June 2-4 at our own Jillian's in Seattle. To help deserving players from the NW with that entry fee, we are running TWO pre-qualifiers for only a $100 entry fee plus a $10 green fee. Now is your chance to play in the IPT for only $110!
The first one will be held at City Lights in Tacoma on May 13-14. Doors open at 9am. Players meeting at 9:45 and matches start at 10.
The second one will be held at Harvey's Billiards in Renton on May 20-21. Doors will open at 8:30. Please call Mike Zimmerman at ____ to sign up for one or both so he can get an idea of how many players to expect for each one. Pay your entry at the door and please have your cash only ready.
For every $1000 collected, we will send a player to the qualifier at Jillian's. The top players will win their $1000 entry fees, depending on the amount of entries. If there are less than 10 entries, 1st place will receive a partial entry fee.
Leftover payouts will go to the next place down to be used as a partial entry or not. 100% of the entries will be paid back to the players.
These qualifiers will be held like you would be playing at the IPT. Therefore, please dress to impress. The dress code will be enforced. The tournament format will be 8-ball, races to 8 both sides, double elimination. Generally, IPT rules are: break out of the box, it's open after the break, a scratch or foul on the break is ball-in-hand ANYWHERE on the table, winner breaks or has option, and call pocket.
Exceptions to IPT rules will be that phenolic tips will be OK for break cues, and there will be a 90-second time limit – no slow play. For the Harvey's tournament only, no jumping allowed at all. At City Lights, jumping is OK with your full-size cue only.
We look forward to accommodating as many players as possible at the pre-qualifiers. I will be in Vegas at BCA Nationals, so please take it easy on Mike, LOL. I encourage everyone to come out and sweat some of the best players on the planet at the qualifier at Jillian's.
Again, I would like to recognize our sponsors, Viking Cues, Talisman Billiards, Harvey's Billiards, Limb Saver, Slip-Stic, Dr. Mike from PA, King Cobra Billiards, Parlor Billiards, Dave Jones, and On the Wire.