High Stakes “All-In Showdown” to Kick Off PBA World Series of Bowling
Barnes, Warren are first entries as BowlersDeals.com sweetens pot for live Xtra Frame contest
SEATTLE (Oct. 12, 2011) – As if two weeks of high-tension competition for eight Professional Bowlers Association titles and nearly $1 million in prize money isn’t enough, the third annual PBA World Series of Bowling has announced it will get underway with an additional high-stakes winner-take-all test of nerves.
The BowlersDeals.com All-In Showdown invites a maximum of eight players to slap down $5,000 each and bowl for a maximum prize of $45,000, including a $5,000 bonus added by BowlersDeals.com. The contest is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. ET (3:30 p.m. PT) on Friday, Nov. 4, and will be webcast live, exclusively on pba.com’s Xtra Frame video streaming service.
The All-In Showdown concept was unveiled during the inaugural PBA World Series of Bowling in 2009 in Allen Park, Mich., but was cancelled when PBA star Chris Barnes was the only player to enter. That’s not going to be the case this time.
“I’m in,” said six-time PBA Tour title winner Chris Warren of Grants Pass, Ore., who grew up bowling “action” in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. “Five grand, winner take all? It’s just a big pot game. I’ve bowled for more than that. I’m good to go.
“I like bowling action. I like bowling head-to-head,” Warren added. “If Chris Barnes wants to bowl me for $5,000, I’m good with that. I’ll up the stakes, too, if he wants to.
“I heard they (the PBA) were capping the event at eight players, so I wanted to make sure I’m in,” Warren continued. “I’m not sure what conditions we’re bowling on, but as far as I’m concerned, let’s either take all the oil off the lane, or run the oil until the headpin falls over and we’ll see what happens. But whatever they decided, I’m in.”
Barnes also is ready to go, and he’s glad Warren has jumped in.
“I’m committed,” Barnes said. “I like 60-game formats, too, but this format takes me back to my roots. I started doing some action bowling as a college freshman in Las Vegas and when we traveled to Dallas. I bowled against guys like Chris back then. It didn’t cost me a ton of money at that time, but I learned very quickly I had to get better if I was going to keep doing it. That led to bigger matches at Super Hoinke and High Rollers.
“By and large, bowling action is the thrill of putting your own money on the line versus bowling when your sponsor pays your entry,” Barnes added. “That’s what makes all the practice and hours of preparation worth it. It’s the adrenaline rush. That’s what I’m chasing as much as anything.”
The format for the All-In Shootout involves two-game elimination rounds using two pairs of lanes, all on the PBA’s Tournament of Champions lane conditioning pattern. Assuming a field of eight players, four players will bowl one game on one pair and the other four players will bowl their game on another pair. The two groups will then switch pairs for game two, and the field will be cut to the top four based on two-game pinfall totals.
The same format will follow for rounds two and three: two players bowl one game on one pair, two players on a second pair of lanes. After one game, the players will switch lanes for the second game and the field will be cut in half based on two-game pinfall totals.
Modifications will apply if there are fewer than six entries, but in all cases, rounds will consist of two games bowled on two pairs of lanes.
If Barnes and Warren wind up being the only two players, they’ll bowl two games, one each on different pairs, for a total pot of $15,000.
Any player, PBA member or not, who wants to enter the All-In Showdown needs to call Barb Wilt at the PBA office in Seattle (206-332-9688). Entries will be accepted on a first-come basis.
"This high stakes action will get the WSOB started with a shot of pure adrenaline,” said PBA COO and Deputy Commissioner Tom Clark.
"We are really excited about making the All-In Showdown a great event," said Joel Ricketts, BowlersDeals.com owner. "We look forward to our partnership with the PBA to do what we can to make bowling exciting again."
In addition to sponsoring the All-In Showdown, BowlersDeals.com will also sponsor a daily feature during every live Xtra Frame webcast during the 2011-12 PBA Tour season. The BowlersDeals.com "Deal of the Day" will give Xtra Frame subscribers information on exclusive deals available on bowling equipment and accessories.
The third annual PBA World Series of Bowling will run from Nov. 4 through Nov. 20 at South Point Casino, Hotel and Bowling Center in Las Vegas, awarding eight PBA Tour titles and resulting in 14 Sunday afternoon telecasts on ESPN, starting Sunday, Dec. 4. In addition, more than 100 hours of live online coverage of World Series preliminary rounds will be provided on pba.com’s exclusive Xtra Frame video streaming service.
For WSOB details and Xtra Frame subscription information, visit pba.com.
About the PBA
The Professional Bowlers Association (PBA) is an organization of more than 3,800 of the best bowlers from 13 countries who compete in Lumber Liquidators PBA Tour, Regional and Senior Tour events. Nearly one million ESPN viewers watch PBA Tour on Sundays during the tour season and thousands watch PBA activities online by using PBA’s video streaming service, Xtra Frame. PBA sponsors include Bayer, Brunswick, Budweiser, GEICO, Lumber Liquidators, One A Day Men’s 50+ Multivitamin, Pepsi-Cola and the United States Bowling Congress, among others. For more information, log on to www.pba.com.
