The Feature 8-Ball Match :: Karl Boyes vs. Tony Robles

Watch Boyes vs. Robles

The International Pool Tour announced that Alex Pagulayan would not be playing against Karl Boyes in the most recent IPT Ultimate 8-Ball Challenge Match. Pagulayan's management informed the IPT today that he lost his passport. In a statement released by management at Puyat Sports, Pagulayn said "I am very sorry but I will not be able to make to the exhibition match this coming Tuesday, June 24th. I lost my passport in a car mishap last week. I have applied for a replacement of his passport with the Canadian embassy and the foreign affairs department here in Manila." The International Pool Tour wished Pagulayan good luck in resolving his passport issue.

Replacing Pagulayan is professional pool player Tony Robles facing off against the U.K.’s Karl Boyes. Mr. Robles contacted the IPT several days before the match about taking part in a future broadcast. When the IPT was informed of Pagulayan's inability to participate, "Robles seemed like the natural choice" said Deno Andrews, Director of the International Pool Tour. Andrews also said that "we are delighted that Mr. Robles flew across the country on hours notice to participate. Tony is a true champion and one of the game's nicest people." The IPT thanks Mr. Robles for his participation.

The match aired live at www.internationalpooltour.com Tuesday, June 24th, at 8pm (eastern). The match was free for all viewers and will continue to stream for free until the end of the month.

The feature match in the IPT Ultimate 8-Ball match will be under the grueling IPT conditions of tight pockets (courtesy of Diamond Billiard Products) and slow-nap cloth made by Gorina. Of course, the balls will be perfectly racked every time because we will be using the Sardo M-5000.

The Under-Card 14.1 Straight Pool Match :: Mike Sigel vs. John Schmidt

Watch Sigel vs. Schmidt

Straight Pool is the game that virtually started it all for pocket billiards! This game is commonly thought of in billiards circles as the “players game.” Straight pool’s popularity in the last 30 years has declined steadily despite it being one of pool’s greatest game. The game is still played by the sport’s best players and the straight pool match that the IPT has organized for June 24th is a world-class match up. The two players were ten-time World Champion Mike Sigel (USA) and "Mr. 400" John Schmidt (USA), a straight pool specialist who is known for his remarkable high runs in the game, hence his nickname. Schmidt is also the winner of the April 29th match against Oliver Ortmann. Now he gets to try his game against who even he considers one of the best of all time. The match is going to played on the traditional slow-nap cloth that was popular when players like Willie Mosconi and Ralph Greenleaf dominated the sport. Both Sigel and Schmidt are looking forward to the challenge of playing straight pool on the traditional slow-nap cloth, which is made by Gorina for the International Pool Tour. Click play on the video to see this classic game.

Special thanks to the sponsors of this IPT Challenge Match. Please keep in mind these generous companies when making your billiard-related purchases:

Sardo M-5000 Rack The Sardo M-5000 Rack is made of durable, carbonite plastic which makes the unit extremely durable and sturdy. The side wings and base are all one piece. There are numerous advantages and reasons to use the Sardo M-5000 Rack. Some of these advantages are that the Sardo M-5000 is only 4 inches from the surface of the table (compared to 7 inches for the M-3000). The new Sardo M-5000 Rack weighs only 1 and one-half pounds (compared to 3 and one-half pounds for the M-3000). The balls are visible by looking directly through a maze of pressure pins which eliminates any possibility of glare off any plastic shield. The crystal-looking surface of the Sardo M-5000 Rack makes it beautiful as well as sturdy. The Sardo M-5000 Rack comes with a specially designed rack holder that can be easily mounted to any pool table for easy accessibility. There is no charge for the rack holder. www.DiamondBilliardProducts.com Diamond is the official table of the IPT. They make the finest and most innovative tables you can buy. Visit their web site to learn about what makes Diamond Tables the best available for commercial or home use.