Each year thousands of pool-players travel to Southern Indiana each year for the Derby City Classic. This annual event offers a variety competitions such as 9-Ball Banks, One Pocketet and the BIGFOOT 10 ball challenge.
1998 was the year that the Derby City Classic began. The tournament's creator, Greg Sullivan, was a lifelong fan of the Johnston City Hustler's Jamboree of the 1960s. Sullivan contracted the Pantone Company for research on the ideal color for pool cloth. After testing, Tournament Blue became the dominant color in professional tournaments.
2003 saw the second event. The World Pool Alliance sponsored the tournament, which featured many top 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 in Elizabeth, Indiana at Caesars Southern Indiana Casino. The event featured a variety of vendors, ring and cash games, as well. The tournament was held on 53 9-foot Diamond tables.
The tournament featured a number of players who were in the field for their first Derby City Classic appearance. Aside from the tournament, the event also featured a number of special events, including the Diamond Ten-Foot challenge, a small field of pros. The challenge is played on five-foot-by-ten-foot tables. The winner is awarded $16,000 and the winners of the nine-ball banking and one-pocket contests each get $8,000. BIGFOOT 10-ball challenges was also the inaugural event of Derby City Classic. There are a few professionals in this field who are competing to win the title BIGFOOT champion.
The third event was held in 2006. Many players were returning to the field from their first Derby City Classic event. Corey Deuel (Denn Grabe), and Lee Vann performed well in both the 9-ball banking and one-pocket 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 also did well with his algorithm in the Derby Cup and earned a third-place finish.
The last 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 were able to place third in the one-pocket. Efren Reyes and Mika joined them, as well as Shane VanBoening.
The Derby City Classic is an annual pool tournament that is held at the Caesars Southern Indiana Casino in Elizabeth, IN. There are many competitions, including one-pocket, nine-ball banks and the BIGFOOT 10-ball challenge. The event is held in January. Tickets are available from January 20th. Tickets can also be purchased at Derby City Classic, located at Caesars Southern Indiana Casino & Hotel. For tickets to be purchased, you must show a valid picture ID.