Predator Pro Billiard Series Festival in Ho Chi Minh City: $500,000 in prize money and a figure that needs verification

Three international billiards events will take place in Ho Chi Minh City over eight days from September 19 to 26, 2026. The Predator Pro Billiard Series announcement claims a total prize fund of $490,000, but the three separate announced prize amounts add up to $500,000. Before players make travel decisions, this discrepancy should be clarified. The centerpiece is the 2026 Iwan Simonis WPA Men’s 10-Ball World Championship, scheduled for September 19–26, with $300,000 in prize money. The women’s event is the 2026 Poison Saigon Women’s 9-Ball Open, worth $90,000. The mixed doubles event is the 2026 Box Billiards Mixed Doubles Open, worth $110,000. No player has been named so far. No match format has been disclosed. No qualification details are available. This story is about event architecture and market expansion, not about individual technique. Ten-ball is tactically more demanding than nine-ball because players must call every shot. Nine-ball is faster and allows run-outs that swing momentum. A single week containing men’s 10-ball, women’s 9-ball and mixed doubles will force players to switch rhythm while dealing with Ho Chi Minh City’s hot, humid September climate. The biggest risk is not the skill level of the field, but the schedule design and the unexplained $10,000 gap between $490,000 and $500,000. The festival is a commercial bet. Vietnam is described as one of Asia’s most passionate billiards destinations, and WPA sanctioning would give the men’s title real meaning. But a beautiful schedule on paper is not the same as a well-run event under bright lights. The genuine test is whether the organizer will release full formatting details and correct the prize-fund discrepancy before the first break shot. Only then can Ho Chi Minh City truly claim to be the global capital of professional pool for eight days.