The PBA Tour is the world's richest professional carom league. Founded in 2019 in South Korea, it pioneered the set-based match format (best of 5, 15-point sets) instead of the traditional UMB single-game format. The result: shorter, more TV-friendly matches with higher tempo. The tour features Korean stars (Cho Jae-Ho, Lee Choong-bok), Belgian and Spanish imports (Caudron, Sánchez, Martinez), and offers prize pools 5× higher than UMB events.
At a glance
| Years | Founded 2019 |
|---|---|
| Governing body | PBA (Professional Billiards Association of Korea) |
| Format | Set system: best of 5, each set 15 points. Faster, broadcast-optimized. |
| Prize | Highest prize pool in carom history; ₩100M ($75K USD) first place per major event |
| Venue | Seoul (primary); Busan, Daegu rotating venues; broadcast on KBS / SBS |
| Recent results | 2025 PBA Championship: Frédéric Caudron over Cho Jae-Ho 4-2 sets. |
Why follow it?
PBA represents the future of professional carom: set system, sponsorship money, broadcast quality. Watch matches on the PBA YouTube channel to see how players adapt to the faster format — break-runs are shorter but defensive maneuvers become more decisive.