Pool Tournaments
"Tournament of Champions" Series
Each year in April, the Michigan Union Billiards Room hosts the University of Michigan Campus Tournament of Champions (TOC). University of Michigan students can qualify for the TOC through a series of regular tournaments starting in September. Qualifying tournaments are held roughly once every two weeks throughout the academic year. The winners of the 16 qualifying tournaments win an invitation to the TOC and also receive $20 in Munchie Money. Tournament Director may choose to invite up to three additional players (based primarily on attendance) to fill out a field of 16. The season-ending TOC winner receives a substantial prize ($100 or more), a commemorative medal, and his/her name on the "University of Michigan Pool Champion" plaque on the wall in the Billiards & Games Room.
2013 TOC Format
- Free practice at 12:00; players' meeting at 12:30.
- Double elimination, race to 5. True double elimination bracket.
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Lag for first choice.
- Winner of lag chooses the game (8-ball or 9-ball) and chooses whether to break first.
- Alternate breaks after the first one.
- The first two games will be the same (8-ball or 9-ball), then the next two games will be the other game. (This prevents the same player from breaking every 9-ball game or every 8-ball game).
- The TOC will be partially seeded. Multiple tournament winners will be seeded in opposite quadrants of the chart. Others will be randomly drawn.
2013 TOC Final Standings and Prizes
- 1st place Curtis Sawdon $125 Munchie Money, 1st place medal, Michigan Billiards hoodie, & name on TOC plaque
- 2nd place Bohan Li $75 Munchie Money, 2nd place medal, Michigan Billiards t-shirt
- 3rd place Winstone Seow $50 Munchie Money, 3rd place medal, Michigan Billiards t-shirt
- 4th place Kevin Hsiao $25 Munchie Money, 4th place medal, Michigan Billiards t-shirt
- 5th-6th place Shenglin Zhang $5 Munchie Money, Michigan Billiards t-shirt
- 5th-6th place Zane Cacace $5 Munchie Money, Michigan Billiards t-shirt
- 7th-8th place Shan He $5 Munchie Money, Michigan Billiards t-shirt
- 7th-8th place Biruk Mammo $5 Munchie Money, Michigan Billiards t-shirt
2012-2013 TOC Qualifier Schedule and Results:
| Date | Qual # | Day | # players | Game | Munchie $ Winner | ACUI spot | TOC spot |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10/4 | 1 of 16 | Thu | 10 | 9-ball | Winstone S. | Winstone S. | Winstone S. |
| 10/9 | 2 of 16 | Tue | 10 | 8-ball | Shan H. | Shan H. | Shan H. |
| 10/25 | 3 of 16 | Thu | 14 | 9-ball | Shan H. | Paul M. | Paul M. |
| 10/30 | 4 of 16 | Tue | 11 | 8-ball | Bohan L. | Bohan L. | Bohan L. |
| 11/8 | 5 of 16 | Thu | 10 | 9-ball | Shenglin | Shenglin | Shenglin |
| 11/13 | 6 of 16 | Tue | 12 | 8-ball | Paul M. | Zane | Zane C. |
| 11/29 | 7 of 16 | Thu | 8 | 9-ball | Shan H. | Andrew L. | Andrew L. |
| 12/4 | 8 of 16 | Tue | 12 | 8-ball | Shenglin Z. | Zhao H. | Zhao H. |
| 1/15 | 9 of 16 | Tue | 10 | 8-ball | Zane C. | Austin L. | Austin L. |
| 1/24 | 10 of 16 | Thu | 9 | 9-ball | Zane C. | Kevin H. | Kevin H. |
| 1/26 | special | Saturday |
2nd Annual Intramural Pool Championships Congrats Justin R (Recreational 8-ball and 9-ball), Shan H (Competitive 8-ball), and Winstone S (Competitive 9-ball) |
||||
| 1/29 | 11 of 16 | Tue | 10 | 8-ball | Curtis S. | Curtis S. | Curtis S. |
| 2/12 | 12 of 16 | Tue | 10 | 8-ball | Kevin H. | Biruk M. | Biruk M. |
| 2/21 | 13 of 16 | Thu | 6 | 9-ball | Winstone S. | x | x |
| 3/14 | 14 of 16 | Thu | 8 | 9-ball | Bohan L. | x | Mani K. |
| 3/19 | 15 of 16 | Tue | 9 | 8-ball | Winstone S. | x | Christoph |
| 3/28 | 16 of 16 | Thu | 9 | 9-ball | Shan | x | Dennis |
| 4/7 | CHAMPIONSHIP | 2013 University of Michigan Tournament of Champions | |||||
2013 TOC results:
- 1st place Curtis Sawdon
- 2nd place Bohan Li
- 3rd place Winstone Seow
- 4th place Kevin Hsiao
- 5th-6th place Shenglin Zhang, Zane Cacace
- 7th-8th place Biruk Mammo, Shan He
- 9th-12th place Dennis Xue, Andrew Liu, Zhao Huang, Paul Min
- 13th-15th place Austin Leske, Mani Kashanianfard, Christoph Baker
- Number of players: 15
2012 TOC results:
- 1st place Curtis Sawdon $100 Munchie Money, Michigan cue case (retail value $149.99), medal, Michigan Billiards t-shirt (short sleeve), & name on TOC plaque
- 2nd place Zane Cacace $75 Munchie Money, Michigan Billiards t-shirt (short sleeve), medal
- 3rd place Winstone Seow $50 Munchie Money, Michigan Billiards t-shirt (short sleeve), medal
- 4th place Shan He $25 Munchie Money, Michigan Billiards t-shirt (short sleeve), medal
- Number of players:11?
2011 TOC results:
- 1st place Jim Christian
- 2nd place Ryan Lawrence
- 3rd place Curtis Sawdon
- 4th place Winstone Seow
- Number of players:9
2010 TOC results:
- 1st place Jamie Kilgore
- 2nd place Hongliang Xin
- 3rd place Jim Christian
- 4th place Curtis Sawdon
- Number of players: 10
2009 TOC results:
- 1st place Chris Takahashi
- 2nd place Quentin Weir
- 3rd place Curtis Sawdon
- 4th place Bret Kabacinski
2008 TOC results:
- 1st place Casey Claflin
- 2nd place Jim Christian
- 3rd place Bret Kabacinski
- 4th place Jamie Kilgore
TOC Qualifier Tournament Format:
-
Generally two tournaments per month, alternating between 8-ball and 9-ball.
- 9-ball tournaments are on Thursdays.
- 8-ball tournaments are on Tuesdays.
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Single elimination. Loser breaks. BCA rules.
- 9-ball is at least Race to 3
- 8-ball is at least Race to 2
- Fewer players = higher races
- Start time is 7:00 p.m. Eligible players may practice for free starting at 6:30.
- At least 6 players must be present and ready to play at start time, or the tournament will be canceled.
- Registration is free. When eliminated, you may rent a table at the regular hourly rate.
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If you win a tournament, you receive:
- $20 Munchie Money (2nd place finishers receive a "Free Hour" card)
- Paid entry fee for the ACUI Region 7 9-ball Tournament (travel expenses are on your own).
- A spot in the Tournament of Champions in April 2011.
- If you win two tournaments, you incur a one-game handicap. Win three tournaments, a two-game handicap. And so on. Everyone gets a clean slate at the start of each new semester. Everyone will be on a level playing ground for the TOC. May the best player win!
- If the winner has already won an ACUI spot and a TOC spot, he/she will win the Munchie Money, but the ACUI and TOC spots will be awarded to the 2nd place finisher, or whoever finished highest but has not won a spot yet.
- Tournaments are open only to University of Michigan students who are currently registered for classes.
- Since the Region 7 ACUI tournament takes place in February, there is no ACUI spot for the February, March, or April campus tournaments. Winners of these tournaments will earn invitations to the 2010 University of Michigan Tournament of Champions.
