Frequently Asked Questions

Who created The Action Pool Tour? The Action Pool Tour is the brainchild of Ozzy Reynolds. Ozzy has been playing pool competitively for about 30 years (although not continuously). He is a graduate of Old Dominion University and earned an MBA from The College of William & Mary. Above all however, he is a husband, father, and a life-long pool player. After Ozzy left Virginia to become the CEO of CueSports International (CSI), Tiger Baker and Kris Wylie took over as owners of The Action Pool Tour.
Why was The Action Pool Tour created? During the 1999-2001 time period, Ozzy Reynolds was a regular participant on another pool tour when he stopped to focus on other important life priorities: college, marriage, career, and children. Early in 2011, he felt that the time was right to re-enter the competitive arena and he began to once again compete in regional events. Although he was excited to be back in action, he was looking for more than what these events had to offer. Rather than simply complain, he decided to do something about it. Thus...The Action Pool Tour was born!
Is there added money in Action Pool Tour events? Yes...there is added money in every Action Pool Tour event.
Why does The Action Pool Tour not advertise added money like other tours and tournaments? The Action Pool Tour normally does not advertise added money for two very important reasons: (1) added money advertising is a "shell game" and (2) added money may be different for each event and is determined by various factors. First, have you ever seen someone shuffle three cups on a table upside down while a ball is quickly moved from one cup to another and you have to guess which cup it's in when the shuffling stops? This is called a "shell game" and it's a good analogy for added money promotions. Many pool tours will advertise added money ($1,000 for example) to make the players believe that they will receive significantly more than what they collectively submit in entry fees. The reality is that a tour must cover its expenses, so it retains a portion of the total prize fund which is usually very close to the amount that was advertised as added money. The end result is that there is usually little or no added money. The Action Pool Tour chooses to not engage in this type of deception. Secondly, The Action Pool Tour negotiates added money based on the specific circumstances of the event. Factors such as the time of year, the location of the pool room, the willingness of the pool room owner, the anticipated turnout, and many other issues come into play. Trying to communicate these things to a broad audience would simply add confusion. We choose to let the payouts speak for themselves.
What percentage of the entry fees is kept by the Action Pool Tour? Zero. The Action Pool Tour has paid and will continue to pay out more than it receives in entry fees.
Why is there a membership fee to play in an Action Pool Tour event? Like any organization, The Action Pool Tour must cover it's expenses. Running these events properly requires a minimum of two people, multiple computers, large paper brackets, a portable PA system, cameras, tripods, USB and ethernet cables, travel costs, website costs, and numerous miscellaneous supplies. We also add money to the Break & Run Contest and we provide prizes for the top players at the end of each session. The membership fees help pay for these and other expenses.
Why should I pay a membership fee to play with The Action Pool Tour when I am already a member of another tour? The Action Pool Tour is committed to being the very best regional pool tour...period! Our goal is to have larger turnouts, the best payouts, and be the most preferred pool tour in The Unites States. We are not in this for money and we do not depend on APT revenues to earn a living...we do this because we love the game!
Does my yearly membership fee expire at the end of the current session? No. Your yearly Action Pool Tour membership is valid for one year from the time you purchase it regardless of when the current session ends.
How many events will be held in a session? Our goal is to hold 10-12 events per year.
When do The Action Pool Tour sessions begin and end? Each new session begins on January 1 and ends on December 31 of each year.
Are Action Pool Tour matches handicapped? No. We firmly believe that handicapping matches does not advance the game. Allowing someone to win a match that they could not win evenly is ultimately not in the best interest of the winner or the loser. We believe that lower-skilled players genuinely want to test their ability against better players and increase their own abilities over time. We firmly believe that the person who plays the best in a given match should win. However, we also recognize that the highly-skilled players (particularly professionals) have a much better chance of winning an event. Therefore, they are required to "have more skin in the game" by paying a significantly higher entry fee.
How are players ranked to determine their entry fee? The Tournament Director will rank a player based on personal knowledge of their skill level or the opinion of fellow players. If the player is completely unknown, the Tournament Director will explain the rankings to the player and trust that he or she will be honest. After all, if the player is dishonest, it will not affect the outcome of any match - only what the person paid to play (which will be quickly adjusted for subsequent events).
Does The Action Pool Tour have a women's event? No. Unfortunately, there hasn't yet been a large enough demand from the female players to justify a separate women's event. However, women are encouraged to play in our events by receiving the lowest possible entry fee and a female player bonus whereby the top placing female player receives a cash prize.
What are the future plans for The Action Pool Tour? Growth, growth, and growth! Unfortunately, pool is currently stuck in a vicious cycle: the players want larger payouts (which can only come with larger sponsorships) and the sponsors want larger turnouts (which typically come with larger payouts). So which one comes first? This is a difficult cycle to break. However, we believe that by holding action-packed events that players genuinely enjoy, they will continue to come and the turnouts will continually get larger. As this happens, the sponsors will line up and get behind us, resulting in larger payouts and larger turnouts...a perfect recipe for growth!
How can I help The Action Pool Tour? There are many ways you can help The Action Pool Tour achieve its goals. The very best way is to come out and do what you love to do - compete in our events! However, there are many other ways to show your support:

Come out and compete in our events! Larger turnouts lead to larger payouts and more sponsorships.
Spread the word to anyone and everyone about The Action Pool Tour.
"Like" The Action Pool Tour on Facebook and "Follow" us on Twitter.
Join our mailing list on the "Contact" page to get tour news and updates.
Voluntary contributions can be made to the APT or directly to the players' prize fund for any event on the "Live Streaming" page..
If you enjoy the free live streams, make a voluntary contribution on the "Live Streaming" page.