Ronnie O'Sullivan set for competitive heyball debut with over half-a-million pounds first prize on offer

O'Sullivan - who earlier this month won the World Seniors Snooker Championship at the Crucible and the inaugural Global Snooker 900 Championship titles in back-to-back weekends - is taking part in the 2026 Huacai Billiards World Open in Deqing County, Huzhou.

The 12-day 'World Finals' tournament - running between May 28 to June 8 - is one of the biggest and most lucrative events on the global heyball circuit, with a first prize in excess of £500,000 (5 million Chinese Yuan).

Heyball pool is essentially a hybrid cuesport, bringing together elements from several different baize disciplines. It is played on a small-sized snooker table with a napped cloth, and with 'American Pool' balls (which are bigger and heavier than snooker balls) consisting of spots and stripes. The pockets and its sizes are cut similar to what you associate with professional matchplay snooker.

There are nuances to the rules, but in simple terms, the aim of the game is for a player to pot all the balls in their set (either spots or stripes) and then the black 8-ball to win the frame.

In recent times, O'Sullivan - who has not won a title on the professional snooker circuit in over two years - has expressed his desire to play on the heyball (sometimes also referred to as Chinese 8-ball pool) scene in the future. Last December, the 50-year-old was involved in a big exhibition event in Hangzhou where he defeated two of the sport’s biggest stars, although those results should be taken with a pinch of salt given the non-competitive nature.

But this latest heyball outing for O'Sullivan is the real deal, as he competes alongside top exponents from across the globe.

The competition is split into different stages with O’Sullivan reportedly not entering the fray until June 3rd. However, ‘The Rocket’ was present in the Far East on Friday night for the opening ceremony that also featured newly-minted world snooker champion Wu Yize receiving a special prize from the sponsors.

Following some glitzy entertainment in the arena and an ‘Olympic-style’ introduction of participants from each nation, O’Sullivan teamed up with one of heyball’s star names, Zheng Yubo, to take part in an exhibition.

The Huacai World Open also features women players who receive a 'one-ball handicap' when facing a male opponent, meaning they can remove their last stripe/solid ball from the table before playing the 8-ball.

Speaking online several weeks ago about his venture into top tier heyball for the first time, O’Sullivan seemed excited about the prospect, but remained grounded about his chances.

"I think it's a bit unrealistic to think about winning the title but if I can win a few matches, I'd be happy with that” said O’Sullivan, who in the 1990s played for Team Europe in the Mosconi Cup - one of 9-ball pool’s flagship events.

“I'm just going to enjoy playing against the best players in China and watching and learning. Just to watch them play and pick up some tips.

“I know there's no expectation on me. I think everyone really knows that you can't just go from snooker to pool, or pool to snooker - you have to really practice one to get good at it.

“I don't think there's any pressure on me in that sense. I think everybody will expect me to be not that good.”

There is a truly international feel to the 2026 Huacai Billiards World Open with representation from such countries as the USA, Mongolia, South Africa, Spain, and the Philippines, although a player from the host nation China is expected to win the title.