A pool tournament in Charlottetown this weekend offering a chance to play in a tournament with pros in Halifax is open to everyone, except the province's best players.

"This weekend, we're kicking the best players out," said Andrew Sprague, chair of the Charlottetown 8-ball League.

"The 25 or so best players on the Island, based on the ratings that we have in our league, are not allowed to play."

The prize is $100 plus an entry pass to play in the East Coast Canadian 9-Ball Open in Halifax in November. The tournament has signed up the best players in the world, and because it's an open, anyone can step up to the table and try their hands against the biggest names in pool.

"We wanted to give the lower-skilled players an opportunity to go over and play with the pros in Halifax," said Sprague.

The league has already held an open tournament for one pass to the championship.

Sprague said his league is trying to drum up some new players or maybe draw some players out of their basements and into the league.

"We're trying to use this opportunity to reignite interest in this game," he said.

This weekend's tournament is at Dooley's in Charlottetown on Saturday, with registration in the morning, and play through the afternoon and evening.