Quick Facts
| Tournament | US Open Pool Championship 2019 |
| Sport | 9-Ball Pool (American Pool) |
| Venue | Chesapeake Convention Center, Norfolk, Virginia |
| Format | Single elimination, race to 11 (double elimination in early rounds) |
The US Open Pool Championship is one of the most prestigious titles in American pool, run as a 9-ball event and drawing the world’s top professionals to compete for a title that has been contested since 1976. This page covers the 2019 edition of that cue sports tournament, held in Norfolk, Virginia. It has no connection to any tennis or golf event of a similar name.
Tournament Recap
The 2019 US Open Pool Championship returned to the Chesapeake Convention Center in Norfolk, Virginia, a venue that had become something of a home for the event and that pool fans had come to associate with the tournament’s particular atmosphere. The field, as always, mixed seasoned American professionals with international challengers, and the week-long grind of double-elimination qualifying followed by single-elimination knockout rounds provided exactly the kind of dramatic swings and sudden exits that make this format compelling to watch.
The early rounds lived up to expectations. Several high seeds were pushed hard or bounced in the loss side faster than anticipated, which is a feature rather than a bug of the US Open format. The double-elimination structure in the preliminary rounds gives players one safety net, but the moment you drop two sets, your tournament is over, and that pressure produces some of the most urgent pool played anywhere on the calendar. Crowds at the Chesapeake Convention Center tend to be knowledgeable and vocal, and the 2019 edition was no different in that regard.
Regarding the specific finalist matchup, winner, and final score for the 2019 edition: I do not have sufficient confidence in the precise details of this year’s result to state them here. The US Open attracts a rotating cast of elite players, including perennial contenders from the United States, the Philippines, and Europe, and results from this specific 2019 running are not something I can confirm with the certainty required to publish them responsibly. Rather than guess at a champion or manufacture a scoreline, those details are best verified through the official tournament records or established pool media coverage from October 2019.
What can be said without hesitation is that the 2019 edition maintained the event’s reputation as one of the hardest weeks in professional pool. The prize fund, the strength of the field, and the history attached to the title mean that whoever lifted the trophy in Norfolk earned it through five or more days of relentless competition across the double-elimination bracket before surviving the pressure of the final table. The US Open does not hand out easy wins, and 2019 was no exception to that rule.
Format and Structure
The US Open uses a format that demands consistency across an entire week rather than just a hot day or two. Players enter a double-elimination phase, meaning a single loss does not end the run but forces a detour through the one-loss bracket where every subsequent match becomes an instant knockout. The main draw eventually collapses into a single-elimination final stage, and reaching that point from the one-loss side requires winning significantly more matches than someone who stayed undefeated throughout. That structural imbalance is intentional. Staying clean is rewarded. The races in the later rounds are long enough, typically to 11 or more balls, that luck levels out and the better player on the day tends to advance. It is a format serious pool fans respect even when their favourite exits early.
Equipment matters at an event of this scale. The tables and cloths are prepared to exacting standards, and players at this level are acutely sensitive to how a specific table rolls. For anyone curious about what professionals look for in their tools of the trade, our pool cues buyer guide covers the key considerations from tip hardness to shaft taper in practical detail.
Why the US Open Matters
There are bigger prize funds in pool now than there were a decade ago, and the global calendar has grown. Despite that, the US Open retains a status that goes beyond prize money. It is the oldest major open pool championship still running in the United States, and its history threads through every era of the modern game. Past champions read like a who’s who of the sport, including Efren Reyes, Earl Strickland, Ralf Souquet, Shane Van Boening, and others who defined their respective generations at the table. Winning here places a player in genuinely historic company, which is not something you can say about most events on the calendar. For American pool, this is the benchmark.
Frequently Asked Questions
What game is played at the US Open Pool Championship?
The US Open Pool Championship is contested in 9-ball, the fast-paced pocket billiards discipline where players must pocket balls in numerical order from 1 through 9, with the 9-ball being the winning shot. It is an American pool event and is entirely separate from any tennis or golf competition sharing a similar name.
Where was the 2019 US Open Pool Championship held?
The 2019 edition was held at the Chesapeake Convention Center in Norfolk, Virginia, a familiar venue for the tournament that provides a dedicated and knowledgeable spectator environment for the week-long competition.
How does the US Open Pool Championship format work?
The tournament uses a double-elimination structure in the early rounds, meaning players must lose twice before they are eliminated, before the field consolidates into a single-elimination final stage. Races in the later rounds are typically played to 11 or more, rewarding consistency and execution under sustained pressure.
Who are some of the most decorated past champions of the US Open Pool Championship?
The event’s history includes multiple titles for legends such as Earl Strickland, Efren Reyes, and Shane Van Boening, among others. The roll of past winners represents a strong cross-section of the greatest 9-ball players across several decades of professional pool.
How can I find confirmed results for the 2019 US Open Pool Championship?
The most reliable sources for bracket results, final scores, and prize payouts from the 2019 edition are the Accu-Stats or Matchroom Sport official records, the Billiard Congress of America, and archived coverage from pool media outlets that reported on the event in October 2019. Cross-referencing two or more of those sources is the safest approach.