17–20 June 2027 ● Norbreck Castle Hotel, Blackpool
The Pro-Am
Series
Welcome to the ‘Pro-Am Series’ tournament. Any team that meets the entry criteria can enter. There are no qualifiers and no requirement to be a member of any pool association. We are totally independent.
18–21 June 2026
● Norbreck Castle Hotel, Blackpool
The Pro-Am
Series
Welcome to the ‘Pro-Am Series’ tournament. Any team that meets the entry criteria can enter. There are no qualifiers and no requirement to be a member of any pool association. We are totally independent.
144
Team places
£305
Entry per team
£26,000
Cash & trophies
42
Sam Atlantic tables
Known as ‘The Prestigious Blackball Weekend’, the Pro-Am is the flagship event of the Golden 8 Ball Festival of Pool.
From its humble beginnings in 2011, this unique event has grown into a firm favourite on the pool calendar, attracting teams from across the UK and further afield to enjoy the unrivalled atmosphere, competition and sense of occasion that only the Golden 8 Ball can deliver.
With places selling out within hours of launch, the event has earned a legendary reputation and become a true highlight of the season — a weekend players want to experience, be part of and return to year after year.
Across four action-packed days, players compete in Team, Men's Singles, Ladies Singles and Mixed Doubles events, all played to Blackball rules on SAM Atlantic tables, covered with Hainsworth Precision cloth and using Super Aramith Pro balls — providing first-class tournament conditions enjoyed by amateurs and professionals alike.
The weekend also features live internet streaming and dedicated live scores and results through LivePoolScores.com.
We are continuing to give players the option to book 4 nights and arrive on Wednesday 16th June. Arena will be opening from 11am on the Wednesday, for practice and flyers. Start the party early!
ℹ️ Important announcement
Norbreck arena costs & new accommodation system
Read why the arena now costs more to hire, and how all hotel bookings are handled from now on.
Places are limited
144 TEAMS ONLY. GET IN EARLY.
Known as ‘The Prestigious Blackball Weekend’, the Pro-Am is the flagship of our festival of pool. Team, singles, ladies and mixed doubles events packed into four days, played to Blackball rules on Super Aramith Pro balls, with live internet streaming and dedicated live results at livepoolscores.com.
We are continuing to give players the option to book 4 nights and arrive on Wednesday 17th June. Arena will be opening from 11am on the Wednesday, for practice and flyers.
Places are limited
Team places are limited to the first 144 that register and pay.
ℹ️ Important announcement
Norbreck arena costs & new accommodation system
Read why the arena now costs more to hire, and how all hotel bookings are handled from now on.
The Pro-Am weekend
● Bring your team. Bring your game
● singles and mixed doubles EVENTS
● Super Aramith Pro balls
What TO EXPECT
GOLDEN 8 BALL PRO-AM EXPERIENcE
FOUR DAYS OF POOL 🎱 ONE UNFORGETTABLE WEEKEND
01 ● The rules
Played to Blackball rules
02 ● The balls
Super Aramith Pro
03 ● The cloth
Hainsworth Precision
04 ● The arena
42 Sam Atlantic tables
05 ● The guarantee
Min 50 frames in the team stage
06 ● The TEAM
MIN 4 to MAX 8 players per team
07 ● The coverage
Live internet streaming
08 ● The results
livepoolscores.com live results, schedule & draw
09 ● The prize fund
£ 26,000+
Guaranteed in cash & trophies
Wristband on. Weekend sorted
Wristbands & spectators
Everyone in the arena must wear a wristband — players and spectators alike — and it must stay on at all times, including when playing in flyers.
Every spectator wristband helps raise money for charity.
● Player ● Player ● Player ●
Player
£80
Pro-Am weekend
- Arena access for the full weekend
- Covers every event you enter
- Required to play, worn at all times
● Both weekends ● Both weekends ●
● Both weekends ● Both weekends ●
Both weekends
£140
player upgrade
- One band for both Novice and Pro-Am weekends
- The pick for teams entering both series
- New band issued for each event
● Spectator ● Spectator ●
Spectator
£20
whole festival
- Covers both weekends, or £10 for a day band
- Evening sessions and presentations
- All spectator money goes to our nominated charity
ℹ️ Book the Golden 8 Ball Accommodation Package at the Norbreck and the relevant wristbands are included free.
No wristband. No entry. No play.
Players attempting to play in any main event without the appropriate wristband risk being disqualified from the tournament. Both players and spectators require wristbands to gain entry to the event on Friday and Saturday.
Supporting ladies pool
Lady spectators can play the side events
£ 20
Spectator
wristband
To help support the continued growth of ladies pool, female spectators can enter the Ladies Singles and Mixed Doubles using a £20 spectator wristband, provided they are staying at the hotel and attending with a team.
Normal event entry fees still apply, but this gives ladies who do not want to play in the main team event a more affordable way to enjoy the weekend and take part in the side events.
Another great benefit for ladies playing in the Novice Series — you can come back for the Pro-Am Weekend and enter the Ladies Singles and Mixed Doubles using your Novice Series player wristband.
Offer is only applicable to the Ladies side events and does not include the team event. Players must be attending the event with a team and have booked the pool accommodation package with the hotel.
For a good cause
Every spectator wristband is donated
All money raised from spectator wristbands is donated to our nominated small charity or good cause. Details of this will be published in the event programme.
Supporting ladies pool
Lady spectators can play the side events
£ 20
Spectator
wristband
To support the growth of Ladies pool, we will continue to allow ‘lady spectators’ to enter the Ladies or Mixed Doubles events, with a spectator’s wristband but they must be with a team and staying in the hotel. These are only £20. Entry fees for the events will still apply. This will allow ladies who don’t want to participate in the team event to come and join the Ladies side events at a more affordable rate.
Ladies who attend the Novice series can also enter the Ladies Singles and Mixed Doubles at the Pro-Am weekend, using their Novice series player wristband.
Offer is only applicable to the Ladies side events and does not include the team event.
For a good cause
Every spectator wristband is donated
All money raised from spectator wristbands is donated to our nominated small charity or good cause. Details of this will be published in the event programme.
Guaranteed cash & trophies
Prize fund
Over £26,000 in cash and trophies across the team, singles, ladies and mixed doubles events. For security, all prizes over £150 are paid by bank transfer.
Tap an event for the breakdown
Gold 8 Ball
Team
£12,400
Paid down to the last 16
Team ● Last 16
Gold 8 Ball
£12,400
Pro-Am Champions
£4,000 + trophies
Runners up
£2,000 + trophies
Semi finalists
£1,000 each
Last 8
£500 each
Last 16
£300 each
Silver 8 Ball
Team
£2,320
Paid down to the last 8
Team ● Last 8
Silver 8 Ball
£2,320
Winners
£800 + trophies
Runners up
£400 + trophies
Semi finalists
£240 each
Last 8
£160 each
Bronze 8 Ball
Team
£1,700
Paid down to the last 8
Team ● Last 8
Bronze 8 Ball
£1,700
Winners
£600 + trophies
Runners up
£300 + trophies
Semi finalists
£160 each
Last 8
£120 each
Wooden Spoon
Team
£700
Paid down to the semi-finals
Team ● Semi-finals
Wooden Spoon
£700
Winners
£300 + trophies
Runners up
£160 + trophies
Semi finalists
£120 each
Men’s Singles
Singles
£5,210
Paid down to the last 32
Singles ● Last 32
Men’s Singles
£5,210
Champion
£1,500 + trophy
Runner up
£750 + trophy
Semi finalists
£300 each
Last 8
£150 each
Last 16
£100 each
Last 32
£60 each
Ladies Singles
Singles
£1,040
Paid down to the last 8
Singles ● Last 8
Ladies Singles
£1,040
Champion
£400 + trophy
Runner up
£200 + trophy
Semi finalists
£100 each
Last 8
£60 each
Mixed Doubles
Per pair
£1,040
Paid down to the last 8
Per pair ● Last 8
Mixed Doubles
£1,040
Champions
£400 + trophies
Runners up
£200 + trophies
Semi finalists
£100 each
Last 8
£60 each
ℹ️ Payout
Main prize payout commences at 11:00am on Sunday. Lower singles and doubles prizes are paid on Saturday evening. Unclaimed prizes are donated to the nominated charity of the weekend.
Order of play
Schedule
Arena opens Wednesday 16 June at 11am for practice and flyers. Schedule is subject to change; any changes will be announced during the tournament.
Wednesday 16 June
Wednesday 16 June
Morning
11am - Arena opens for practice
Afternoon
4pm - Flyers start if in demand
Evening
10pm - Bar shuts
11pm - Arena shuts
Thursday 17 June
Thursday 17 June
Morning
9am - Arena opens for practice
Afternoon
2pm - Team registration opens
3pm - Men's singles qualifiers start
Evening
7pm - Flyers
8pm - Ladies singles qualifiers start
1am - Bar shuts
2am - Arena shuts
Friday 18 June
Friday 18 June
Morning
8am - Arena doors open
8.15am - Opening ceremony
8.30am - Round robin (groups 1 - 18)
Afternoon
2.30pm - Round robin (groups 19-36)
Evening
9pm - Men's Singles
9pm - Ladies Singles
1am - Bar shuts
2am - Arena closes
Saturday 19 June
Saturday 19 June
Morning
8.15am - Arena doors open
8.30am - Bronze playoff
10.30am - Gold playoff
Afternoon
12.30pm - Prelim knockout - all trophies
1.30pm - Bronze and Spoon last 32 KO
3.30pm - Gold and Silver last 32 KO
Evening
5.30pm - Mixed Doubles
5.30pm - Men's Singles - to play if not playing in mixed, otherwise played after first round of mixed
7pm - Flyers
8pm - Mixed Doubles continued
1am - Bar shuts
2am - Arena closes
Sunday 20 June
Sunday 20 June
Morning
8.45am - arena opens
9am - last 16 knockout (all team trophies)
11am - Prize payout
Afternoon
4pm - Closing ceremony and trophies
Who makes it happen
Official sponsors
Headline partner ● Everything snooker & pool
Cue + Case
Trade stand in the arena all weekend, with cues, cases, tips and everything else you need for the tables.
Junior Series
Cue maker
Smart Rack
Official cloth
Official balls
Official tables
Who makes it happen
Official sponsors
Headline partner ● Everything snooker & pool
Cue + Case
Trade stand in the arena all weekend, with cues, cases, tips and everything else you need for the tables.
Junior Series
Cue maker
Smart Rack
Official cloth
Official balls
Official tables
Register today
This event is popular folks – please register early to avoid disappointment. Team places are limited to the first 144 that register and pay.