Every year, thousands travel to Southern Indiana to play in the Derby City Classic. The Derby City Classic features a variety of competitions including One-Pocket and 9-Ball Banks.
In 1998, the Derby City Classic's first event was held. Greg Sullivan was a long-time fan of the Johnston City Hustlers Jamboree in the 1960s and created the tournament. 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 this tournament which featured several top players. The tournament began with nine-ball banks, followed by the one-pocket and then the BIGFOOT 10-ball challenge. The tournament was held in the Caesars Southern Indiana Casino in Elizabeth, Indiana. The event had a number vendors and ring games. There was also cash game. The tournament took places on 53 9-foot Diamond table.
Many players made their Derby City Classic debuts at the tournament. 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. Its winner receives $16,000, while the winner of the nine-ball bank and one-pocket contests each receives $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.
2006 was the third year of the event. Many players were returning to the field from their first Derby City Classic event. 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. He used his algorithm well to earn a third-place finish in the Derby Cup.
The 2015 edition of this event was held. The tournament featured many players who were playing in their first Derby City event. 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. Efren Reyes and Mika joined them, as well as Shane VanBoening.
The Derby City Classic is an annually held pool tournament at Caesars Southern Indiana Casino Elizabeth. It offers a variety of competitions including nine-ball banking, one-pocket and the BIGFOOT-10-ball challenge. The event is held in January. Tickets are available from January 20th. Tickets can be purchased at the Derby City Classic Office located at Caesars Southern Indiana Hotel and Casino. You must be able to provide a valid photo ID to purchase a ticket.