Novice Team Trophy

Novice Team Trophy – 2026 

The three-player Novice Team Trophy returns as part of BAPTO 2026 with an increased £15,000 prize fund, marking the final Part 3 Halloween weekend — our last chance to go all out on the Halloween décor!!

Now in it’s 49th year, BAPTO is the UK’s longest running and most iconic pool tournament weekend.

There are no big top prizes (to deter ringers) but instead a larger spread of smaller prizes taken from a generous pot, giving many more players a share of the cash! No players of exceptional ability are allowed to enter, to include County A players, international players, professional players from Ultimate Pool or IPA or any other professional player, past or present.  Past County A players are allowed to enter, but limited to 1 per team.

Our aim is to make this a pure novice event, to give the less skilful players a chance to play against more equally matched teams and enjoy competitive pool with a chance to win something. This is part of our drive to encourage more aspiring, grass root players to come and experience our amazing weekend pool tournaments, and enjoy competitive pool without being annihilated all weekend.

Amateur players from Ultimate Pool and IPA can now enter, providing that they have never ranked within the top 40 players of either organisation.

Novice teams will get to play a minimum 54 frames of pool before being knocked out, giving them plenty of pool to play and a chance to hone their tournament skills. It follows the same format as the original BAPTO event, with a double round robin played Friday and Saturday, then knockout stages on the Sunday.

Halloween Part 3

Saturday 31st October is fancy dress day – and marks the last Halloween that our event will fall on for the next few years. Players are welcome to take part, but it is optional and limited to Saturday.

Hainsworth Speed Pool Trophy – New for 2026

The Speed Pool competition returns with an increased prize fund and is now proudly sponsored by Hainsworth. We’re excited to have them backing the tournament with an official Hainsworth Speed Pool Trophy, adding further prestige to an already popular event. We have the fastest time qualifying table running on Thu, Fri and Sat with the top 16 fastest times going through to the knockout final. The head-to-head knockout on Saturday night is fast, high-pressure, and great to watch, consistently drawing a crowd. Played on Hainsworth Precision cloth — widely regarded as the fastest napped pool cloth in the world — it’s built for speed, precision, and big moments.

Important Update – Entry Fees

The cost of hosting the event at the Norbreck continues to increase due to enforced room hire charges from the Britannia Group. This is standard policy and outside our control. 2026 is the final year of the phased increase, and the team entry fee will increase from £150 to £195. For a 3-player team, this works out at just £15 extra per player. This allows us to keep the event at the Norbreck, which still remains the best venue for BAPTO. 

Event Summary

• Novice Three Player Team Event
• Open Singles Trophy
• Hainsworth Speed Pool Trophy
• Flyers and Practice Available
• £15,000 Prize Fund
• *195 Cash Prizes to be Won!
• Minimum 54 Frames of Pool per Team
• Minimum 18 Frames per Player (if only 3 players in team)
• £195 Team Entry Fee
• Limited to 160 Teams
• Played to Blackball Rules
• 42 Sam Atlantic Pool Tables
• Super Aramith Pro Balls
• Hainsworth Precision Cloth

We advise teams to register early as we expect this event to sell out quickly. Those that don’t get a place can apply to be put on the official waiting list.

*We paid 195 cash prizes in 2025 – amount can vary depending on entries.