Each year thousands of pool players come to Southern Indiana to participate in the Derby City Classic. This annual event offers a variety competitions such as 9-Ball Banks, One Pocketet and the BIGFOOT 10 ball challenge.
The Derby City Classic first took place in 1998. The tournament's creator, Greg Sullivan, was a lifelong fan of the Johnston City Hustler's Jamboree of the 1960s. Sullivan worked with the Pantone Company on a research project to determine the best color for pool cloth. The results of the testing by the Pantone Company led to Tournament Blue being the most popular color in professional tournaments.
The second event took place in 2003. The World Pool Alliance sponsored the tournament and it featured some of the best players. The tournament started off with nine-ball bank, then it moved on to the one-pocket and finally the BIGFOOT 10ball challenge. The tournament was held at Caesars Southern Indiana Casino Elizabeth, Indiana. There were many vendors at the event, as well as ring games and cash games. The tournament took place at 53 9-foot Diamond tables.
A few players were making their Derby City Classic debuts in the tournament. Apart from the tournament itself, there were a few special events. One of these was the Diamond Ten Foot Challenge. This challenge is for a small group of pros. The challenge is played on five-foot-by-ten-foot tables. The winner gets $16,000. The winner of the one-pocket and nine-ball bank contests receive $8,000. BIGFOOT 10ball Challenge was also the first Derby City Classic event. The winner of that contest receives $16,000, while the winner of the nine-ball bank and one-pocket contests each receive $8,000.
The third event was held on June 6, 2006. A number of players from the first Derby City Classic event were present at this tournament. Corey Deuel and Dennis Grabe performed well in the one-pocket and 9-ball bank events. The other players were not quite as successful. In the One-Pocket, Darren Appleton played well enough to earn a third place finish. Appleton was also able to use his algorithm well in Derby Cup, where he earned a third place finish.
Last year's event was held in 2015. There were many players who had never played in a Derby City Classic event before. Corey Deuel was a good player, as were Darren Appleton and Lee Vann. In the one-pocket, Darren Appleton and Joshua Filler played well enough to earn a third place finishing. They were joined by the likes of Efren Reyes, Mika, and Shane VanBoening.
The Derby City Classic is an annual pool tournament that is held at the Caesars Southern Indiana Casino in Elizabeth, IN. It features a number of disciplines of competition, including nine-ball banks, one-pocket, and the BIGFOOT 10-ball challenge. The event is scheduled for January. Tickets will go on sale January 20th. Tickets can also be purchased at Derby City Classic, located at Caesars Southern Indiana Casino & Hotel. You must be able to provide a valid photo ID to purchase a ticket.