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What makes Monte Carlo a "World Championship"

Posted By: Jake Jacobs
Date: Friday, 7 August 2015, at 5:10 a.m.

In Response To: What makes Monte Carlo a "World Championship" (RobertFontaine)

It claimed the name.

In the late seventies they had years with more than 256 players. That said, Bill Robertie, a two-time World Champion, told me that he expected to be a 4 to 1 favorite over any opponent he drew before the round of 8.

Bill and Kent ran the closest thing to a world championship from the mid-eighties through 1998. The World Cup was held in Dallas biannually. Entry was $3500 plus $400 for registration. Among the forty to fifty entrants there might be as many as four or five dogs, wealthy players who didn't mind shelling out to play in an event they had almost no chance of winning. The rest were the Giants of the era.

The round of 64 was on Monday, best of 5, 11-point matches. Every seat was assigned, and every player had a nameplate with the flags of their country flying above it. Every match was clocked. The first round began in late morning, and the last match might start as late as 1 a.m.

Tuesday was the round of 32, and the start of the consolation, with 25-point matches. Wednesday was the round of 16.

Thursday was a day off, with lectures, a dinner and horse race auction of the final 8.

Friday saw the start of the US Open, which cost $400, but was free to those knocked out of the WC consolation. There were 76 players in 1996, the year I won it. The matches started at 17 points and were up to 25 by the final. There were also side events such as a $100 one-point match event called the Armadillo Chase, winner take all, which translated to a $12,800 prize. There was the Rifleman Shootout, $1000 entry bracket of 64. One year there was a chouette tournament. Looking at one table of four players whose names you would recognize Tino Lecich said to me: "Why couldn't my first table be an easy one like that?" He wasn't being funny when he said it, because his table was REALLY tough.

Sunday the final matches were screened, with commentary. The WC final was such a big deal that matches like the US Open final (which was a bigger, tougher event than today's US Open) drew no kibitzers.

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