I’m taking a well-earned two-week holiday in Jamaica – and it’s just what I need. Myself and Angie are going with Mark Selby and his wife Vikki, and I doubt we’ll stray too far from our sun loungers! I’ll have a few cocktails and maybe the odd session in the gym, but it’s a chance to get away from it at all and enjoy total relaxation.

I’ve always said it’s really important to have a break, it gives you a new lease of life away from the table and means that, when you return, you’re raring to go again. Life on the tour can be hectic, travelling from one place to the next, match after match, then back to the club and practising all week. You’re living and breathing it, so it’s crucial that you allow yourself some time to switch off.

My last tournament was the second tour event, in Birmingham. I lost 7-5 to Adam Davis in the semi-finals and, although I had a decent run, I was disappointed to lose because I felt like I was playing well enough to win the title. I had some comfortable wins on the way to the semis, but I seemed to save all my misses for the match against Adam because I let two or three go that I really should have potted.

I didn’t have the ideal day schedule-wise because they held my first match back an hour and 45 minutes so they could put me on the TV table. So when I started it was pretty much roll on, roll off. But I’m not making excuses because that’s part and parcel of being a pro.

My next tour event is on June 8 with a couple of exhibitions beforehand. I’m really looking forward to getting back into action and gearing up for the pro world championship in October, but for now I’m looking forward to my holiday and spending some time with Angie. When I get back I’ll be refreshed and ready to kick on the second half of the season. And I could have some very exciting pool news to share with you…

The snooker World Championship is in full flow up in Sheffield, but there’s also some important pool business to take care of this weekend. It’s the second Pro Tour event which takes place in Birmingham from Friday to Sunday, and I’m going there with high expectations of doing very well.

The first event was new to us all, the format, the tables and the balls, but I’ve been practising with a set of the balls and putting the hours in, so I’ll go into this one with a better idea of what’s in store. I reached the quarter-finals in the first one in Gloucester, which hopefully will be shown on Sky some time soon, so I’m really confident and looking forward to this weekend.

I practise about four hours a day in the run-up to a tournament. I don’t want to overdo it because it can be a long weekend, so you have to be mentally just right going into it.

I’m going up to the Crucible on Wednesday night to watch Mark Selby in his second session against Barry Hawkins. I know I’m biased because we’re close friends, but I think Mark can go on and win the title this year. I would love it if he does, and I wish him good luck. He’s the world No.1 and he deserves it, he’s proven he is the most consistent player in the world and I don’t think there’s anyone out there now more equipped than him to do it. Myself and Angie go on holiday to Jamaicawith Mark and his wife Vicki in May, it would be fantastic if we go there with him as world champion.

I play quite a lot of snooker with Mark. It’s serious stuff, too, and I can play to a decent level – I’ve nicked the odd set off him over a best-of-nine and I can hit five or six centuries during a session. My highest break is stuck on 144 though. I’ve hit it a few times but, hopefully, that maximum is only around the corner! I really enjoy playing snooker, and it actually helps with my pool because we play on 8ft tables so it’s useful to play on the 12ft snooker tables.

I also play a lot with Jamie Cope and Liam Highfield – they’re both from Stoke and I’ve know them for years.It helps them to have a decent partner for regular practice and, like I said, it helps my pool game, too. It’s important not to over-play the snooker or under-play the pool though, but I think I find the right balance.

I probably play about two or three sessions of snooker a week, and I have thought about doing it full-time. Mark says I should go in for the qualifying school and try to get on the tour, but to become a pro you’ve got to give it 100 per cent. My pool gives me a good income and the expenses of being on the snooker tour are high, especially for lower-ranked players who are not regularly getting to the latter stages of tournaments.

It would clash with my pool commitments too and I just don’t have the time to devote six days a week to playing snooker. If I do something I don’t like to do it half-hearted, so I don’t think it’s ever going to happen. It’s too much of a risk and I don’t want to jeopardise my snooker career, so I think I’m better off sticking to the smaller tables!

It’s been all-change in the world of eight-ball pool lately and, in my opinion, a change for the better. There has been a lot going on behind the scenes, and that has resulted in a rival breakawaytour to the IPA, formed by the EPA. You’ll be pleased to hear that I’m still with the IPA, and I believe this is the way forward and that we’re in for some very exciting times in the next couple of years.

Under chairman Kevin Barton and vice-chairman Morray Dolan, things are looking very different on the IPA. They’ve done a fantastic job to keep the tour going, and they want to give it a new identity and stamp their mark on it. That has seen us play on different tables, with different-coloured cloths and with a new, premium set of balls. The balls are the same weight, but a different colour. I really like the changes and I know most of my fellow pros are happy with them, too.

We’ve also got Paul Mount involved. He runs the South West Snooker Academy in Gloucester and he is heavily involved with the IPA. He has a lot of good ideas and is striving to attract new sponsors to our sport, and that can only be good. There are also firm plans to hold a World Championship in Gloucester in October.

With new people running the IPA set-up, and with new ideas and lots of positive changes, plus some very high hopes of increasing our TV coverage, the future looks brighter than it has ever been, and certainly since I’ve been involved.

Of course, it is a massive shame that it’s come to this. The breakaway tour has put a massive divide in pool. With more than 300 professionals, wouldn’t it be great to have one tour? It would be huge, with big prize money and lots of TV coverage. But while that’s not to be, the way forward is definitely with the IPA. We have the best players, we have TV covering our events, like at the Professional Eight-ball Masters in Gloucester in March, and a great new arena down there in the south-west. The World Championships in Blackpool last year was, in my opinion, not the best. I think it’s been going downhill for a number of years now. The IPA is definitely the premium tour out there.

The Masters in Gloucester was an unbelievable event, very well run and, of course, it was great to be back on TV. As for my own display, well, that’s a bit of a sore subject! Against Lee Clough in the last 16, I was 7-6 up and feeling good. But Lee then produced one of the best clearances I have ever seen to make it 7-7, and then he went and cleared up off the break in the next. What happened in the next frame was truly ridiculous! He’d cleared up his balls, went for the black but missed – only for him to fluke it into the corner pocket! From being 7-6 up and thinking about victory, I never had another shot. Fair play to Lee, he went on to lift the title – keep an eye on Sky because it should be on TV soon.

Finally, a word of thanks to my sponsors Home Leisure Direct, who I continue to enjoy working with and who offer me fantastic support. These really are exciting times indeed.

Speak to you all soon.

Hi everyone, and welcome to my first blog entry. This is something I’ve been wanting to do for some time and, now that my website has been revamped and relaunched, it seemed the perfect opportunity. I think it’s important to keep you up to date with my progress so you can see how I’m getting on, not only at tournaments but away from the table too. I hope you enjoy reading it, and I look forward to any feedback you’ve got

Pool fans won’t need telling that the World Championship is under way in Blackpool this week. I love this tournament, it’s like no other out there, and I always seem to take my A game there. I thrive on it and I feel that I can go there and win my fourth world title.

My first match is on Thursday, but I don’t know yet who I’m playing. But whoever it is, they will know that I’m feeling really confident about my chances this year. I’ve been practising well, playing against some top partners. I always put the hard work in, but especially so for the World Championship. I’m a firm believer that you’ve got to work hard to be in a position to give it your very best chance.

The World Masters is also taking place and, although it is the second biggest tournament in terms of prize money, it can get brushed aside a bit. Mick Hill won both the World and Masters titles last year, which was a fantastic achievement and shows it can be done. I would love to win both in same year but, really, the Masters would be just be a bonus – I’m going there for one thing and one thing only, to win the World Championship.

The Master can be a bit of a hindrance because it’s played right in the middle of the Worlds. It piles on the matches and you can play too much and risk getting burned out. Two years ago, in 2009, I suffered from burn-out. I was defending my title and going for my third in a row. But what with playing matches in both singles tournaments, plus for England in the team event, it was too much. I lost to Adam Davis in the quarter-finals of the Worlds and lost in the semis of the Masters. Playing four or five matches a day, I was sick of the sight of the table.

I don’t want a repeat of that this year, I want to focus all my energy on the World Championship and concentrate on the singles, and make sure I feel fresh. That’s why I’m not playing for England in the team event. I know some people cannot understand my decision to do that but, for me, it’s the best thing for me to do pool-wise.

I’ve been playing really well lately and I’m happy with my game. I won the first two Pro Tour events and finished runner-up in the third, so I’m really pleased with that. I practise at my club, Players, in Newcastle-under-Lyme, and I try to play against someone with a similar ability because it’s a better gauge of where I’m at. So the likes of Adam Davis, Jimmy Croxton and Neil Raybone have all been popping in to help.

Practice usually starts at 12noon, playing sets of eight, until about 5pm. I also have a few sessions on my own when I try out different routines, like shots down the rails and long balls, just to get myself tuned in. We also play with the spotted cue ball at the Worlds, which is heavier, so it’s crucial to be as familiar with it as possible.

I also play bit of snooker as I find it helps sharpen my game. Stoke pro Jamie Cope has just started playing at my club so I have few sessions with him, as well as with Liam Highfield, who is definitely one to watch in the future.

Away from the table I go to the gym a lot. Keeping fit helps my game massively and it makes huge difference. There are lots of matches at the World Championship, you can play up to five in one day, so you need plenty of stamina. You need to be mentally strong as well, so it helps with that too.

During the run-up to the Worlds I go to the gym four or five times a week, doing mostly cardio sessions. I usually do weights, but not in run-up to the Worlds because I want to avoid any danger of pulling a muscle in my arm, and because it can feel a bit dead afterwards, which is no good when you pick up a cue. So I’m just doing plenty of running, 5k on treadmill, plus 5k on bike. A typical day can be practice at the club, go to the gym and do a 5k bike, then back to club for more practice. It’s hard graft, but the rewards can be more than worth it.

Needless to say, it’s all been about the pool lately. I did have a holiday in Mexico for Mark Selby’s wedding to Vikki, although I did have to cut it short to be back for the Pro Tour event in Daventry. After lying on a beach and not picking up a cue for 10 days, to reach the final there was really pleasing (I only just missed out, losing 8-7 to Ben Davies). I’ve had a few weekends off, but it’s really all about the practice and putting the hours in ahead of my first match on Thursday. I’ll be giving it my best shot and I feel in great shape.

Check back soon for my next blog entry. But until then, you can always follow my progress during the World Championship on Facebook and Twitter, links to which can be found on my website. Thanks for reading!

Having won the first tour event of 2011, Gareth managed to break Keith Brewers’ record of 11 UK Tour wins.  Gareth sits currently on 12 wins.  Perhaps Gareth’s next target is to break 20 and set an unprecedented level which may never been beaten.

Trent Trophies ‘A’ stuck gold at this years Inter-League Finals with consistent performances against all the opposition put infront of them.

Captain Gareth Potts lead the team to a record sixth winners title, thus confirming the greatest ever Inter-League team in England.

Staffordshire ‘A’ lost 23-21 to London, in a dramatic final frame which could have tied the match at 22-22 and forced a 3-man playoff.  Staffordshire ‘A’ including Gareth Potts made easy work of Lancashire 23-12 in the group stage and also beat London 23-17.

But as we all know when you reach the final it really is anyone’s to win.

Gareth Potts beats Lee Kendall 8-5 in the final to win the first Tour event of 2011