Starting in May 2005 the new Pontin's International Open Series (PIOS), in conjunction with World Snooker brought a brand new series of high quality open events to Pontin's.
Open to all players, from anywhere in the world, not on the Professional Main Tour, the PIOS is not only a series of high quality events, but also provides a direct path to professional qualification, with the eight leading players gaining promotion to the 2009-10 Main Tour.
