A Middletown man returned home $10,000 richer after a successful stint in Las Vegas, not from the casino, but from the pool table. Christian Xavier, a member of Middletown’s local American Poolplayers Association (APA) League, clinched the 2024 APA 9-Ball Shootout Pool Championship earlier this month.
Xavier emerged victorious from a pool of nearly 6,000 North American players who vied for a spot in the prestigious tournament. Only 820 of these competitors advanced to the national finals, held at the Westgate Las Vegas Resort & Casino. Xavier competed in the Gray Tier, showcasing his skill against similarly ranked opponents.
His triumph in the 9-Ball Shootout awarded him a cash and prize package valued at $10,000, solidifying his status as one of the top amateur pool players in the nation. The event, held from May 3-5, was part of the larger APA Poolplayer Championships, which featured 12 divisions, over 3,400 players, and nearly $900,000 in prize money.
Xavier’s final match was live-streamed and can be viewed here: 2024 9-Ball Shootout Gray Tier (SL 6-7) Final.
The APA, headquartered in Lake Saint Louis, Missouri, is the world’s largest amateur pool league, boasting nearly 250,000 members across the United States and Canada. It sanctions weekly 8-Ball and 9-Ball League play, and is recognized as the governing body of amateur pool, having established the sport’s official rules, championships, and handicap systems.
The APA organizes four major annual tournaments: the APA World Pool Championships, the APA Poolplayer Championships, the APA Junior Championships, and the U.S. Amateur Championship. Together, these events distribute nearly $2 million in cash and prizes each year.
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