| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Nickname | The Golden Boy |
| Born | 30 June 1983 Stoke-on-Trent, England, UK |
| Website | http://www.HomeLeisureDirect.com/gareth_potts/ |
| Pool career | |
| Country | |
Turned pro | 2000–present |
| Pool games |
|
| Tournament wins | |
| Major | 3-time C8B masters champion |
| Minor | 2-time B8B junior world champion |
| World Champion | 4-time B8B world champion |
Gareth David Potts (born 30 June 1983) is an English pool player, nicknamed "the Golden Boy". He is a two-time amateur and four-time professional world champion in British-style eightball/blackball, a co-champion in that discipline's pairs (doubles) event, and a three-time champion of the Chinese 8 Ball Masters.
Turning professional in 2000, he won the 2000 and 2001 Junior World Pool Championships.[clarification needed]
He won the WEPF World Eightball Championship three times, in 2005, 2007 and 2008, and was IPA World Blackball Professional Champion in 2014.
Potts won the Chinese 8 Ball Masters in 2013, beating Chris Melling 17–9 in the best-of-33 final. He successfully defended the Chinese 8 Ball Masters in 2014 by beating Shi Hanqing 15–6 in a match lasting 2 hours and 10 minutes. As of 2015, Potts has concentrated his career on Chinese eight-ball pool.
In 2021, Potts joined the Ultimate Pool circuit, a professional tour in the UK, in which his first win was Pro Series 7 (3–4 December 2021). In that tournament, he defeated Rob Wharne 7–4, Karl Sutton 7–6, Greg Batten 7–4, Chris Melling 7–5, and Shaun Storry 9–4.[permanent dead link] In 2022, Potts and Mark Selby took the Ultimate Pool Pairs Cup Championship.
Potts first signed a contract with Joy Billiard, to sponsor him in the Chinese 8 Ball Masters tournament.[citation needed] He is also sponsored by the Finnish chalk, glove, and tip company TAOM Billiards.[citation needed]
Since 2010, pool table retailer Home Leisure Direct has sponsored Potts; through them, he offers coaching services, as well as instructional videos.