The World Trick Shot Championship is a world championship of trick shot billiards. The first edition of the competition took place in 1991 on snooker table. It was organized by Matchroom Sport. Players were judged based on technical merit and presentation style. The competition was held at Celtic Manor in 2005.
In the 1970s, trick shots were popular among professional billiards players around the world. These players were given prizes, such as the World Championship of Artistic Pool or the International Challenge Cup. Today, trick shot is a form of pool that is a sanctioned sport by the World Pool-Billiard Association. Aside from playing in tournaments, trick shot artists also teach others the sport.
Mike Massey, a trick-shot artist from the UK, has been a household name since the late 1970s. Massey has shared many games with athletes like Jason Gedrick or Paul Sorvino. Massey has been an important figure in the sport both as an instructor, and as a fundraiser. His performances at the Waste Management Pheonix Open and the Volvo PGA at Wentworth have garnered him a significant level of visibility.
Mike Massey has been instructing professionals in the sport such as Scott Baiin and Dean Cain. He has been a member and winner of several professional international competitions. The team also performed at the HSBC Championships Abu Dhabi and the Commercial Bank Qatar Masters.
Jim Sommer is another talented trick shot artist. He has played in many international Trick-shot turnering events and has also traveled to the United States to compete in the US Nationals. He won the US Nationals Artistic Pool Championship.
The World Trick Shot Artists Association, (WTSAA), is an association of trick shot artists around the world. The association is organized by world champion Paul Gerni. The WTSAA books contains 160 tricks. Some of these tricks are the machine gun shot (kick), quick-fire shot, and other trick shots. Other trick shots include the "pro" shot, the "extreme" cut shot, and the "prop" shot.
Tim "The Dragon", Chin, was the 2022 US Nationals Artistic Pool Champion. He defeated Jason "The Michigan Kid," Lynch to take the prestigious title. Both Chin and Lynch are WPA World Ranked. Lynch, on the other hand, is a professional with experience, while Chin is still at Ohio State.
October 9-10 will see the next Trick Shot Magic event. This event will feature eight international stars. They will compete for a prize of $40,000. Each player will be able to choose six to ten pre-defined shots. After choosing their favorites, each player will be given three chances to complete the shot. Each player who makes a successful shot earns a point.
For many years, the best trick shot artist in the world was Geoff McIlroy. Noel Hunt inspired him and he began to practice trick shots. He has been on ladders, met people he didn't expect to meet and has fallen off them all but he has not stopped trying.