Every year, thousands of pool players travel from all over the country to Southern Indiana for the Derby City Classic. There are many competitions at this annual event, including One-Pocket, 9-Ball Banks and BIGFOOT 10-ball.
1998 was the year that the Derby City Classic began. Greg Sullivan, who created the tournament, was a lifetime fan of Johnston City Hustlers Jamboree. Sullivan partnered with the Pantone Company in order to find the perfect color for poolcloth. The Pantone Company's testing led to Tournament Blue becoming the predominant color in professional tournaments.
2003 was the second year of the event. The World Pool Alliance sponsored the tournament and it featured some of the best players. The tournament began with nine ball banks. After that, the one pocket and then the BIGFOOT-10-ball challenge followed. The tournament took place at the Caesars Southern Indiana Casino, Elizabeth, Indiana. The event included a number of vendors, ring games, and cash games. The tournament was played on 53 9-foot Diamond Tables.
A number of players were there for their first Derby City Classic appearance. In addition to the tournament, the event featured special events like the Diamond Ten Foot challenge, which was a limited field 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's 10-ball challenge was the first event in the Derby City Classic. It is a small field with professionals competing for the title BIGFOOT champion.
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 Dennis Grabe and Lee Vann were all successful in the one-pocket event and 9-ball banks. 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. Many players were in the tournament for their first Derby City Classic event. Corey Deuel (Darren Appleton), and Lee Vann were all successful in their first Derby City Classic. Joshua Filler and Darren Appleton did well enough in the one-pocket to finish third. Efren Reyes and Mika joined them, as well as Shane VanBoening.
The Derby City Classic is an annual pool competition that takes place at Caesars Southern Indiana Casino in Elizabeth. The tournament features nine-ball banks, one pocket, and the BIGFOOT 10 ball challenge. The event is held in January. Tickets are available from January 20th. Tickets may be purchased at Derby City Classic's office located at Caesars Southern Indiana casino and hotel. To purchase tickets, you must have a valid photo identification.