Ten professionals entered including most of the leading billiards players.[2] The draw was made at the start of the season and the players made their own arrangements about the dates and venue for the matches, although it was decided in advance that the semi-finals and final would be in Birmingham. Matches were over fifteen frames with the semi-finals over twenty-three frames and final over thirty-one frames. The first match played was between Melbourne Inman and Tom Newman at Thurston's Hall, Leicester Square in London.