The International Speed Pool Challenge is a

pool Pool may refer to: Bodies of water * Swimming pool, usually an artificial structure containing a large body of water intended for swimming * Reflecting pool, a shallow pool designed to reflect a structure and its surroundings * Tide pool, a roc ...

(pocket billiards) tournament held in the United States from 2006 to 2010. It is the most notable

speed pool Speed pool (also called speedball), is a pool game, in which a player s all the balls on the table as quickly as possible. It can be played competitively with the aid of a stopwatch. Rules *The must not be in motion when shooting :*s still be ...

event, as well as being the richest in prize money for that discipline. Luc Salvas won the 2010 championship, defeating Bobby McGrath in the finals. Four players participate in the event, which is in

single-elimination A single-elimination knockout, or sudden-death tournament is a type of elimination tournament where the loser of a match-up is immediately eliminated from the tournament. Each winner will play another in the next round, until the final match-up, w ...

format. As of 2010, a winner-take-all prize of

US$ The United States dollar (Currency symbol, symbol: Dollar sign, $; ISO 4217, currency code: USD) is the official currency of the United States and International use of the U.S. dollar, several other countries. The Coinage Act of 1792 introdu ...

25,000 (previously $40,000) is offered. Each match consists of two sets of twelve racks (six for each player) where one of the contestants has to win them both (a short third extra set takes place if there's a split). A set is won should a player completes all his/her racks with a shorter total time (the sum for every single rack he/she plays) than the opponent. Players can pocket balls that are still in motion but as long as the cue ball is steady. A penalty of 10 seconds is added to a player's total time in a particular set for every foul made. A bonus, by contrast, removes 10 seconds (see below). Straight pool is the game played for the first set. It is also played for the third deciding set but only in two racks (one for each player). Here, players can strike and pocket any object ball on the table. However, the last one has to be "called" before being pocketed lest it would be a foul. A bonus is awarded to a player who pockets all balls without misses after the break.

Eight ball Eight-ball (also spelled 8-ball or eightball, and sometimes called solids and stripes, spots and stripes, bigs and smalls, big ones and little ones, or rarely highs and lows) is a discipline of pool played on a billiard table with six pockets, ...

, which is a slightly more difficult game, is played in the second set. After the break, the player must choose which group of balls (1-7 or 9-15) he/she should pocket first and that the other group will be next. After both groups are pocketed, the eight ball is targeted which must also be "called." Pocketing the eight ball in the break is a bonus.

Tournament Champions

References

{{Cue sports nav Pool competitions Recurring events disestablished in 2010