The PBA Tour Finals featured an elite field of the top eight players in combined PBA earnings from the 2016, 2017 and first four months of 2018. Competition consisted of four games of total pinfall positioning round competition on four different lane conditions, followed by a semifinal stepladder round for each four-man group.
Belmonte won Group 1 over Anthony Simonsen, Dom Barrett and Sean Rash while Tackett topped Group 2, topping Jesper Svensson, Marshall Kent and Tommy Jones.
As the high average leader heading into the title match, Belmonte got to select the lane conditioning pattern out of the four patterns used in the event: Johnny Petraglia 36, Mark Roth 42, Don Carter 39 or Dick Weber 45 (the numerical distinction behind each pattern name refers to the distance in feet oil is applied to the lanes). Coincidentally, Tackett also favored the Weber pattern.
Another drama semi final match is between Anthony Simonsen vs Jason Belmonte.