Morning all, Reggie here.
Saturday is already loud. At Harrah’s Cherokee the richest league pool match on the books goes tonight for $112,000. In Nanjing, Kyren Wilson and John Higgins are trading punches in the International Championship final — Wilson 3–2 up and into frame six as this goes to press. And in Bolton, Britain’s blackball amateurs have broken off in their biggest weekend of the year.
CHEROKEE — $112,000 ON THE TABLE TONIGHT
Ultimate Pool USA’s National Grand Finals hit championship Saturday at Harrah’s Cherokee Casino Resort in North Carolina. The 8-Ball Teams bracket is down to the last four after Friday’s quarter-finals, with the semi-finals listed for 10:00 and 14:00 ET and the final locked in for 20:00 ET — late evening UK time.
The champions’ cheque is $112,000 from a $282,000 purse that pays through the last 32, billed by the league as the biggest top prize in league pool history. Runner-up takes $50,000; each semi-finalist $20,000. Brackets and live scores sit on DigitalPool; feature tables stream on Ultimate Pool USA’s YouTube channel, per Billiard News and the league boards.
Still running alongside the teams final:
- National Open — sold-out field of about 512, $20,000 to the winner, through Sunday.
- National Women’s Open — through Sunday, $5,000 first prize.
- Junior Open — Saturday–Sunday.
The invitational board is already settled: Margaret Fefilova-Styer (Women’s Shootout), Oscar Dominguez (National Shootout) and Joven Bustamante (National 10-Ball Showdown over Shane Van Boening) took the three trophies earlier in the week.
NANJING — WILSON 3–2 HIGGINS, BEST OF 19
The International Championship final is live at the SNC National Fitness Centre. Best of 19, and the early frames have been one-sided whenever someone got in.
Per the WST match centre and TNT Sports live boards as of this morning UK time:
- Wilson took the opener 88–1.
- Higgins levelled, then detonated a 141 clearance to lead 2–1.
- Wilson dragged it back to 2–2 before the mid-session interval.
- After the break he stole the fifth — a chance at a century ended when he potted the white — to lead 3–2.
- Frame six was under way with Higgins at the table as this roundup closed.
Stakes from last night still stand. Victory would make Higgins the oldest ranking-event winner in professional snooker history. Wilson is on an 11-match streak after the Northern Ireland Open and is chasing back-to-back majors. The winner’s cheque is £175,000. This is Higgins’ 61st ranking final.
Live in the UK on TNT Sports / HBO Max; elsewhere on WST Play and the usual regional feeds. Scores on the WST match centre and the public live boards.
BOLTON — IPA AMATEUR SERIES GRAND FINAL UNDER WAY
UK blackball’s amateur pathway opens its climax today. The IPA Amateur Series Grand Final runs 7–8 November at Royal Sports Lounge in Bolton, with first matches from 10:00 local and a field of 110 on CueScore.
Per IPA Pool, the Top 8 from each of 15 club series across Scotland, England and Wales are in. The prize pot is £11,000, including £4,000 for the winner and an invitation onto the IPA Professional Tour for 2027. Last season’s Grand Final winner, Jonathan Price, has already taken up that pro seat for 2026.
Race to 8, double-to-single elimination, no handicap. Scores on CueScore. The IPA Tour’s own professional Grand Final follows next weekend, 13–15 November at the Comis Hotel.
ALSO ON THE BOARD
- Arequipa — Pan American Heyball Open through Sunday at Coliseo Arequipa, Peru. Field of up to 128 (64 men, 53 women listed), combined prize fund USD 116,000, $10,000 to each champion. Live on WPALive, per the WPA.
- Indore — IBSF World Snooker Championships, 12–21 November at the Yeshwant Club. Pankaj Advani and Anupama Ramachandran lead a 22-strong Indian squad announced by the BSFI.
- Hefei — CBSA China Pool 9-Ball Tour fourth stop, 9–16 November, combined prize fund about RMB 1.12 million.
- Champion of Champions — Mattioli Arena, Leicester, 9–15 November. Mark Selby opens Monday against Alfie Burden; ITV in the UK.
- Warsaw — EPBF Parasport European Billiard Championships, 9–16 November at the BOSS Hotel; first matches 10 November.
That’s your Saturday morning card. I’ll be back at midday with the Nanjing afternoon scoreline and whatever Cherokee’s semis and Bolton’s opening round leave us. — Reggie
Feature image: “John Higgins Masters 2026 1” by BennyOnTheLoose, via Wikimedia Commons, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
