Diamond Pro-Am

The Diamond Pro-Am, created by Diamond Billiard Products under the leadership of company founder Greg Sullivan, has been selected as the Best Pool Table in American History, honoring a table that transformed tournament equipment and became a defining standard of modern American competitive pool.

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Diamond Billiard Products was established with the goal of creating a professional-quality table designed by players for players. Sullivan and his team sought advice from leading professionals, tournament directors, mechanics, and room owners, continually refining the table’s rails, pockets, cushions, slate, leveling system, and overall construction.

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The result was the Diamond Pro-Am—a table engineered to provide consistent, demanding, and predictable playing conditions. Manufactured in the United States, the Pro-Am combines the durability required by commercial poolrooms and major tournaments with the precision expected by professional players.

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The Pro-Am is known for its solid construction, accurate rebound angles, responsive cushions, level playing surface, quiet ball-return system, and precisely designed pockets. Its deeper pocket shelf and demanding pocket geometry reward accurate shot-making while exposing errors in speed, alignment, and cue-ball control.

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Unlike many furniture-style tables created primarily for appearance, the Diamond Pro-Am was designed first and foremost as a performance instrument. Every major component serves the way the table plays. Its sturdy frame and leveling system help maintain consistency, while its rail and pocket specifications create a challenging but dependable test of skill.

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One of the table’s greatest contributions has been the standardization of playing conditions in American pool. For generations, competitors frequently encountered major differences in pocket sizes, rail response, table speed, and construction from one event to another. Diamond helped establish a recognizable tournament standard that players could practice on and expect to encounter at important competitions.

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The Pro-Am has been used at many of the nation’s most prestigious tournaments, including the U.S. Open 9-Ball Championship, the Derby City Classic, national amateur championships, professional tours, regional events, and major action matches. It has hosted competition involving countless world champions and Hall of Fame players.

Diamond tables are especially important to the Derby City Classic, where large fields compete in bank pool, one-pocket, and nine-ball. These disciplines test nearly every aspect of a table’s performance, including banking accuracy, rail response, pocket acceptance, speed, cue-ball movement, and durability under continuous tournament use.

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The Pro-Am is available in multiple sizes, allowing players to experience Diamond playing conditions in professional tournaments, commercial poolrooms, training academies, and private homes. The smaller seven-foot model has become particularly influential in American league and bar-table competition, while the nine-foot version remains a respected test for advanced and professional players.

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The table’s reputation has also made it a preferred choice for serious practice. Players who train on a Diamond Pro-Am learn that poorly struck balls, inaccurate banks, careless position routes, and excessive speed are less likely to be rewarded. At the same time, properly executed shots react consistently, giving players confidence that the table will respond according to the quality of their performance.

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Diamond’s commitment to improvement has continued throughout the Pro-Am’s history. Feedback from top players has contributed to adjustments in cushion profiles, pocket angles, pocket sizes, rail construction, and other specifications. This willingness to listen to competitors helped Diamond build a table that reflects the needs of the people who play the game at its highest level.

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Greg Sullivan’s influence extends beyond table manufacturing. Through Diamond Billiard Products and the Derby City Classic, he has supported professional competition, preserved traditional American games such as bank pool and one-pocket, and helped create opportunities for amateurs to compete alongside world champions. His contributions as an innovator and promoter earned him induction into the Billiard Congress of America Hall of Fame in 2019.

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The Diamond Pro-Am has become more than a successful pool table. It has changed what players, promoters, and room owners expect from tournament equipment. Its demanding pockets, consistent rails, durable construction, and unmistakable playing characteristics have helped shape an entire generation of American pool.

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For its influence on tournament standards, its American craftsmanship, its performance under championship conditions, and its widespread acceptance among serious players, the Diamond Pro-Am is recognized as the Best Pool Table of America’s first 250 years.