Each year thousands of pool players come to Southern Indiana to participate in the Derby City Classic. This annual event features different disciplines of competition, including 9-Ball Banks, One-Pocket, and the BIGFOOT 10-ball challenge.
The Derby City Classic's inaugural event took place in 1998. Greg Sullivan, who created the tournament, was a lifetime fan of Johnston City Hustlers Jamboree. Sullivan contracted with the Pantone Company to research the optimum color for pool cloth, and the Pantone Company's testing resulted in Tournament Blue becoming the prevalent color in professional tournaments today.
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 started off with nine-ball bank, then it moved on to the one-pocket and finally the BIGFOOT 10ball challenge. The tournament took place at the Caesars Southern Indiana Casino, Elizabeth, Indiana. The event featured a variety of vendors, ring and cash games, as well. The tournament took place on 53 9-foot Diamond tables.
Many players made their Derby City Classic debuts at 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 will receive $16,000 while the winner in the nine-ball bank or one-pocket contests will each 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 and Dennis Grabe performed well in the one-pocket and 9-ball bank events. However, the other players were less successful. In the One-Pocket, Darren Appleton played well enough to earn a third place finish. He also utilized his algorithm well for the Derby Cup, earning him a third position 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 was able to secure a third-place finish in the onepocket. Efren Reyes and Mika joined them, as well as Shane VanBoening.
The annual pool tournament, the Derby City Classic, is held at Caesars Southern Indiana Casino Elizabeth, IN. There are many disciplines to the competition, including nine-ball bank, one-pocket and BIGFOOT 10-ball. The event is scheduled for January. Tickets will be available beginning January 20th. Tickets can be purchased at the Derby City Classic Office located at Caesars Southern Indiana Hotel and Casino. To purchase a ticket you must present a valid ID.