| Tournament Name: | 1978 Pot Black |
| Dates: | Recorded late December 1977 (broadcast) |
| Venue: | Pebble Mill Studios |
| Location: | Birmingham |
| Country: | England |
| Format: | Non-ranking event |
| Winners Share: | £1000 |
| Highest Break: | Doug Mountjoy (101) |
| Winner: | Doug Mountjoy |
| Runner Up: | Graham Miles |
| Score: | 2–1 |
| Previous: | 1977 |
| Next: | 1979 |
The 1978 Pot Black was a professional invitational snooker tournament, which was held in the Pebble Mill Studios in Birmingham, and this year, the tournament returned to 8 players competing in 2 four player groups. All matches were one-frame shoot-outs but the final this year was played in the best of 3 frames on a one-hour programme.
Broadcasts were on BBC2 and started at 21:00 on Friday 6 January 1978 [1] Alan Weeks presented the programme with Ted Lowe as commentator and Sydney Lee as referee.
The previous year's finalist Doug Mountjoy beat twice Pot Black Champion Graham Miles in the first final to have a best of 3 frames format 2–1.[2] [3]
The draw for the group stages was made by comedian Eric Morecambe and shown before the first match.
| Player 1 | Score | Player 2 | Broadcast Date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Doug Mountjoy | 1–0 | Alex Higgins | 6 January 1978 | |
| Ray Reardon | 1–0 | Dennis Taylor | 20 January 1978 | |
| Ray Reardon | 1–0 | Doug Mountjoy | 3 February 1978 | |
| Alex Higgins | 0–1 | Dennis Taylor | 17 February 1978 | |
| Ray Reardon | 0–1 | Alex Higgins | 3 March 1978 | |
| Dennis Taylor | 0–1 | Doug Mountjoy | 17 March 1978 |
| Player 1 | Score | Player 2 | Broadcast Date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| John Spencer | 0–1 |  Eddie Charlton | 13 January 1978 | |
 Cliff Thorburn | 0–1 | Graham Miles | 27 January 1978 | |
| John Spencer | 0–1 | Graham Miles | 10 February 1978 | |
| Eddie Charlton | 1–0 | Cliff Thorburn | 24 February 1978 | |
| John Spencer | 1–0 | Cliff Thorburn | 10 March 1978 | |
| Graham Miles | 1–0 | Eddie Charlton | 24 March 1978 |