The International Speed Pool Challenge is a pool (pocket billiards) tournament held in the United States since 2006. It is the most notable speed pool

Speed pool

Speed pool is a solitary pool game. As its name suggests, one all the pool balls on the table as quickly as possible. It can played be competitively with the aid of a stopwatch.-Rules:...

 event, as well as being the richest in prize money for that discipline. Luc Salvas

Luc Salvas

Luc Salvas is a Canadian professional pool player. His quick-paced speed pool play earned him the nickname "Machine Gun". In 2006, he won the first International Speed Pool Challenge and the US$50,000 winner-take-all purse by defeating Great Britain's Dave Pearson...

 won the 2010 championship, defeating Bobby McGrath

Bobby McGrath

Bobby McGrath is an American professional pool player from Washington, Illinois, nicknamed "the Kid" for being one of the youngest professional pool players....

 in the finals.

Four players participate in the event which is in single-elimination

Single-elimination tournament

A single-elimination tournament, also called a knockout, cup or sudden death tournament, is a type of elimination tournament where the loser of each match or bracket is immediately eliminated from winning the championship or first prize in the event...

 format. As of 2010, a winner-take-all prize of US$

United States dollar

The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....

25,000 (previously $40,000) is offered. Each match consists of two sets of twelve racks (six for each player) where one of the contestants has to win them both (a short third extra set tooks place if there's a split). A set is won should a player completes all his/her racks with a shorter total time (the sum for every single rack he/she plays) than the opponent. Players can pocket balls that are still in motion but as long as the cue ball is steady.

A penalty of 10 seconds is added to a player's total time in a particular set for every foul made. A bonus, by contrast, removes 10 seconds (see below).

Straight pool is the game played for the first set. It is also played for the third deciding set but only in two racks (one for each player). Here, players can strike and pocket any object ball on the table. However, the last one has to be "called" before being pocketed lest it would be a foul. A bonus is awarded to a player who pockets all balls without misses after the break.

Eight ball, which is a slightly more difficult game, is played in the second set. After the break, the player must choose which group of balls (1-7 or 9-15) he/she should pocket first and that the other group will be next. After both groups are pocketed, the eight ball is targeted which must also be "called." Pocketing the eight ball in the break is a bonus.

Tournament Champions

Year	Winner	Runner Up	Location
2006	Luc Salvas Luc Salvas Luc Salvas is a Canadian professional pool player. His quick-paced speed pool play earned him the nickname "Machine Gun". In 2006, he won the first International Speed Pool Challenge and the US$50,000 winner-take-all purse by defeating Great Britain's Dave Pearson...	Dave Pearson Dave Pearson (pool player) Dave Pearson is a British professional pool player.Pearson was the runner-up in the International Speed Pool Challenge four years in a row, losing to Luc Salvas in the 2006 and 2009 finals, and to Bobby McGrath in the 2007-2008 finals.-References:...	Las Vegas, Nevada Las Vegas, Nevada Las Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and is also the county seat of Clark County, Nevada. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and fine dining. The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous...
2007	Bobby McGrath Bobby McGrath Bobby McGrath is an American professional pool player from Washington, Illinois, nicknamed "the Kid" for being one of the youngest professional pool players....	Dave Pearson Dave Pearson (pool player) Dave Pearson is a British professional pool player.Pearson was the runner-up in the International Speed Pool Challenge four years in a row, losing to Luc Salvas in the 2006 and 2009 finals, and to Bobby McGrath in the 2007-2008 finals.-References:...	Las Vegas, Nevada Las Vegas, Nevada Las Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and is also the county seat of Clark County, Nevada. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and fine dining. The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous...
2008	Bobby McGrath Bobby McGrath Bobby McGrath is an American professional pool player from Washington, Illinois, nicknamed "the Kid" for being one of the youngest professional pool players....	Dave Pearson Dave Pearson (pool player) Dave Pearson is a British professional pool player.Pearson was the runner-up in the International Speed Pool Challenge four years in a row, losing to Luc Salvas in the 2006 and 2009 finals, and to Bobby McGrath in the 2007-2008 finals.-References:...	Las Vegas, Nevada Las Vegas, Nevada Las Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and is also the county seat of Clark County, Nevada. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and fine dining. The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous...
2009	Luc Salvas Luc Salvas Luc Salvas is a Canadian professional pool player. His quick-paced speed pool play earned him the nickname "Machine Gun". In 2006, he won the first International Speed Pool Challenge and the US$50,000 winner-take-all purse by defeating Great Britain's Dave Pearson...	Dave Pearson Dave Pearson (pool player) Dave Pearson is a British professional pool player.Pearson was the runner-up in the International Speed Pool Challenge four years in a row, losing to Luc Salvas in the 2006 and 2009 finals, and to Bobby McGrath in the 2007-2008 finals.-References:...	Las Vegas, Nevada Las Vegas, Nevada Las Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and is also the county seat of Clark County, Nevada. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and fine dining. The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous...
2010	Luc Salvas Luc Salvas Luc Salvas is a Canadian professional pool player. His quick-paced speed pool play earned him the nickname "Machine Gun". In 2006, he won the first International Speed Pool Challenge and the US$50,000 winner-take-all purse by defeating Great Britain's Dave Pearson...	Bobby McGrath Bobby McGrath Bobby McGrath is an American professional pool player from Washington, Illinois, nicknamed "the Kid" for being one of the youngest professional pool players....	Las Vegas, Nevada Las Vegas, Nevada Las Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and is also the county seat of Clark County, Nevada. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and fine dining. The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous...