Exclusive: Snooker Star Gary Wilson Believes He Could Win a Pool Event with One Special Ingredient

Snooker star Gary Wilson believes he could win a tournament on Matchroom’s World Nineball Tour — but admits he would need lady luck on his side.

The three-time snooker ranking-event winner heads to Bosnia this week for the European Open, where there will be 256 players vying for the $200,000 prize pot, with the winner scooping $40,000. 

He is not the first snooker player to turn his hand to the game. Former world champion Stuart Bingham is also a regular on the circuit, whilst world No.1 Judd Trump played in the 2021 US Open. 

The Tyneside Terror’s first foray into the world of Nineball was when he made the last 16 of the UK Open in 2023.

And Wilson told SportsBoom.com: “I think I could win a competition."

“The more events I’ve been playing you do get that little bit of experience. It’s similar to snooker where you find yourself in situations and learn from those experiences.”

“You’d have to have a lot of luck and you’d have to have things go your way quite a lot.”

“At the end of the day I’m not a pool player. I don’t play enough at all. Generally you need to be practicing all the time, you need to be dedicated or you’ll keep falling short."

“I never really played it before. The only nine ball I really played would have been when you’re at your own local club there might be a table and you’d have a mess around. Even playing on the tables in the tournaments, they are totally different to any nine ball tables at a club."

“It’s probably similar in snooker. Your club tables and professional tables are completely different.”

“Pool’s accessible. It’s an easier game all round for anybody to come and play. To play to the highest standard is a different thing altogether.”

SNOOKER STILL NO.1

Despite turning his attention to the Nineball arena this week, Wilson stressed he is not taking his eye off his snooker career.

After failing to qualify for the Players Championship and Tour Championship, Wilson now has a month to prepare for his World Championship qualifying bid.

He added: “The interest sort of came in when Matchroom were taking it over and big things were being said about it being a proper tour with a lot more prize money.”

“The UK Open was the starting point for me. It was quite close to home. There was a gap in the calendar as it was after the World Championship so there was time to do it.”

“They’re great events and hopefully the game can keep pushing forward and it doesn’t stagnate. It would be great to have it up there with the scale of snooker and darts with the prize money.”

“First and foremost I’m still a snooker player. It will always be something if I can delve into here and there then I will.”

“You never know what might happen when it comes to the end of my snooker career. If nine ball’s doing really well then I might try that for a bit at the end of my career.”