Lewisport resident advances to 9-ball world event

Crystal Flake of Lewisport has earned a place in a major international amateur pool championship in Las Vegas after a string of impressive wins earlier this year. She competes in an American Poolplayers Association 9-ball league in Owensboro and won a singles 9-ball qualifier, which sent her to a regional singles tournament held March 8 in Evansville, Indiana.

At regionals in Evansville, Crystal faced players from Louisville, Bowling Green and Tennessee and emerged as the regional champion. The regional victory secured her spot in the APA 9-Ball Shootout at the APA Poolplayer Championships at Westgate Las Vegas, scheduled for April 30 through May 2.

“It’s a very rewarding feeling,” she said.

The March 8 regional brought together many local APA league players chasing a single ticket to the 9-Ball Shootout field in Las Vegas. The tournament was held in Evansville this year but is usually held in Louisville or Nashville, she said.

Tournament officials drew a bracket similar to the NCAA basketball tournament, she noted, with players separated into groups by APA skill level.

“I lost my first match and went to the loser’s side,” Crystal said. “I then played on the loser’s side and kept winning my matches. Before I even realized it, I was battling in the semifinals and won, advancing to the final match for the win. I was nervous but overjoyed at getting to play against players that I didn’t know. I wasn’t sure what to expect from the other players because I wasn’t familiar with how they play. I knew I had to slow down a bit and decide if I needed to play an offensive shot or a defensive shot. I ended up playing a defense shot, which made my opponent give me ball in hand, and I made the last two balls that I needed for the win.”

Crystal said she has been playing pool for about nine years.

“I was looking for a hobby or some kind of sport to get involved in,” she said. “I was a bartender and we had pool leagues almost every night so I joined knowing that came with many rewards. I am very competitive.”

She moved to Evansville for a few years and played league pool there, then moved back home to Lewisport three years ago and started playing pool in Owensboro. The league she plays in is run by the same American Poolplayers Association league operator in Evansville and Owensboro.

Crystal plays on a coed team called “Bill’s Bunch” in the Owensboro APA league. Her trip to the world event comes from her performance in singles play, as she competed in the regional bracket and won the singles title, claiming the lone Las Vegas spot.

She said playing in the Owensboro pool league gives competitors regular practice and helps them get ready for larger events.

“The league is great and fun,” she said. “You get to hang out with friends on your team. Being active on a team allows you to play in the local tournaments that are held on weekends. The pool community is like a second family. When a player is in need of something, everyone comes together, and depending on the player’s need, we host a benefit tournament for that person.”

She has positive expectations for the APA 9-Ball Shootout in Las Vegas and is looking forward to the trip. The event uses APA’s tiered skill-level system and draws hundreds of league players from across the United States and Canada, with champions in each 9-ball skill tier receiving cash and prizes.

“It’s an uplifting feeling,” she said. “It’s going to be exciting and kind of tense knowing that everyone there is going to be trying to do the same thing I’ll be doing. Not only making lifelong memories but representing my league and where I’m from. It’s held at the Westgate and there are pool tables as far as you can see. It’s a huge room.”

Crystal is from Cloverport and moved to Lewisport in 1995. Her mother, Loretta Henderson, also lives in Lewisport.

“Joining the pool league was one of the greatest things I’ve done,” she said.

The league has helped her meet people and build friendships, she said, while also giving her chances to travel and compete.

Crystal said if you love playing pool you should consider joining a league, and that anyone interested can contact league operators Eric Canary or Chuck and Tina Austin at 812-604-6198.