Triad APA Tournaments
Did you know that Triad APA members have at least 10 different ways to get to Vegas each year AND we send multiple players/teams in many of those formats? In addition to Vegas qualifiers, we also provide many other tournaments & social events for our members throughout the league year. Don’t forget that events with a pre-registration option can save you money on entry fees!
Division Play-Offs: The top teams in your division at the end of the session will face off in a single or double tiered play-off schedule (depending on the size of the division). Teams who previously won a Preliminary tournament may play in future division play-offs to earn trophies and a chance at a BYE in Finals for repeat qualifying. Play-off winners advance to the Triad APA Championship Preliminary tournament that takes place several weeks into the next session. Regular team fees are due during Play-Offs.
Prelims: Division play-off winners, 1st place teams in large divisions, and Big Dawg winners qualify for the Triad APA Championship Preliminary tournament which is the first Higher Level Tournament along the road to Vegas! Others may also advance if they meet an already qualified team during the play-offs. These teams compete for a spot in the Triad APA Championship Finals! There are 3 chances (sessions) to qualify per year and 3 corresponding “Prelim” events. Winners of this weekend long event advance to the Triad APA Championship Finals held in mid June each year. No entry fees.
Finals: Does a trip to Las Vegas and a chance to play in the World’s Largest Amateur Billiards tournament (Guinness Book of World Records) sound like the opportunity of a lifetime to you? 5 teams will go to Vegas with $8,000 each to cover travel expenses. Ladies and Masters may also qualify for a Finals tournament & the trip to Vegas, but travel money depends on the number of teams/divisions that participated during the league year (approx. $4,000 in previous years). This tournament is another intense, weekend long event, so buckle your seatbelts & let the good times roll! No entry fees.
Cash & Carry: Sixteen 8-person teams will each represent one of 6 Triad APA geographic areas as they compete for the right to carry home the cash & add their names to “the Stanley Cup of pool trophies” at the end of this 2-3 day event. Winners also get to choose the temporary home of the trophy as well as the area & location of the next C & C event in that format. Entry slots are awarded on a first come, first served basis during the pre-registration window each session. This event fills up fast so keep your eyes on the Triad APA calendar at TriadAPA.com for registration instructions, due dates, & eligibility information. The Cash & Carry event alternates between 8 & 9-ball formats each session & is run using HLT rules. You must have at least 10 current scores, be on a team in the current session’s format, & play in the area your team represents in order to be eligible for this prestigious cash event. Entry fees are $150 per team including greens fees.
MiniMania: If you like to choose your own, this is the event for you! Mini tournaments are open to all Triad APA members with at least 10 scores who are on a current team. Table games are open to any Triad APA member on a current team, regardless of the number of scores. This one day only event allows players from all Triad APA areas to choose from a variety of available mini tournaments & table games throughout the day. It’s a perfect way to have some fun, meet other Triad APA members, & maybe even win some money while enjoying your favorite past-time…playing pool! “Minis” are generally small boards of 4-8 players. Entry fees generally range from $2-15 per board & there’s no set registration time. All boards are first come, first served for the duration of this event.
Captain/Co-Captain Appreciation: Captains and Co-Captains on current rosters may compete individually to earn the title of Triad APA’s reigning Poolionaire! This is a modified single elimination event in which you will play a combination of 8 and 9 ball. Each contestant will receive 3 life lines which may be used in any order during the tournament: Ask a friend (coach), use a friend (to shoot the shot), and pass (pass the turn without giving up ball in hand). Triad APA adds money to the pot as well as providing raffles, door prizes, and various other goodies as our way of saying, “Thanks!” to our Captains & Co-Captains once per session. Be sure to pre-register for this event since we send Captain’s patches, pins and/or individual appreciation gifts to those who let us know ahead of time that they plan to attend. Participants & staff are asked to bring a covered dish to share. Entry fees are generally $15.
8 & 9-Ball Doubles: These tournaments qualify 2 players/partners straight to the Doubles events in Vegas which are held in conjunction with the National Team Championships each fall. Teams must qualify with a total combined handicap of 10 or less & each player must be a paid member on an active team in the correct format. Players must also have 20 scores in the correct format within the last 2 years & must stay active on a team in the correct format to remain eligible. Entry fees are generally $50 per team unless you participate in a weekly Doubles division. Doubles teams may be made up of players from anywhere in the Triad APA area, so grab a friend from league, find a partner on the forum at TriadAPA.com, or show up at the event to find other Triad APA singles looking for a partner & make some new friends!
Jack & Jill Doubles: This event is similar to the Doubles Qualifier above, with a few exceptions. The format is 8-Ball only, alternating shots, & teams must be made up of male/female pairs. 2 players/partners qualify straight to the national Jack & Jill Doubles events in Vegas which are held in conjunction with the National Singles Championships each spring. Teams must still qualify with a total combined handicap of 10 or less & each player must be a paid member on an active team in the correct format. Players must also have 20 scores in 8-ball within the last 2 years & must stay active on an 8-ball team to remain eligible. Entry fees are generally $50 per team unless you participate in a weekly Doubles division. Just like the Doubles events above, Jack & Jill Doubles teams may be made up of players from anywhere in the Triad APA area, so grab a friend from league, find a partner on the online message boards, or show up at the event to find other Triad APA singles looking for a partner & make some new friends!
8 & 9-Ball Singles: New to the APA, lack tournament experience, or just don’t want to wait for your team to qualify? No problem! APA members with at least 10 scores in either 8 or 9-ball are eligible to take advantage of our singles program. Just ask your Division Rep about local Singles Board opportunities in your area to get started. Singles boards may include members of any skill level from any Triad APA area, & entry fees for this 4-8 person mini tournament are determined by the cost of the board divided by the number of players…just $15/player with 8 players! Win a local qualifier board & you’re off to one of the semi-annual Regional events. You will only play other APA members in your skill level tier, no entry fee is required for this leg of the tournament, & regional locations are an easy 1-4 hour drive away! Win the Regional board & you’re going to Vegas with up to $300 in travel reimbursement, a free hotel room during the event (based on double occupancy), $100 guaranteed last place prize money, a free APA National Singles Qualifier commemorative jacket, & a chance to compete for $10-15,000 in cash & prizes at the APA National Singles Championship in Las Vegas! Only the APA can offer you that much bang for $15 bucks! You must be on an active team & have 10 scores in the correct format within the past 2 years to take advantage of this fantastic opportunity.
8 & 9-Ball Top Gun: This is one of the most popular tournaments Triad APA has to offer individual members each session! Every time you play a regular weekly league match, your Top Gun points are automatically calculated as follows: For every win, you receive the opponent’s skill level in points (i.e. Beat a 5, get 5 Top Gun points). For every loss, 1 Top Gun point is deducted from your total. After the end of the regular session (not counting playoffs), all points are totaled and the 3 players with the most points in each skill level tier, by division, are invited to this prestigious event. Invite tiers for 8-Ball are 2, 3, 4-5, & 6-7. Invite tiers for 9-Ball are 1, 2-3, 4-5, 6-7, & 8-9. Entry fees are $25 per player unless you take advantage of the pre-registration discount. Because the tournament takes place well into the next session, skill levels may change. On the day of the tournament, everyone will play with their current skill level in one of several skill level tiers which are based on participation at the event. Tournament tiers in 8-Ball are typically 2-3, 4-5, & 6-7. Tournament tiers in 9-Ball are typically: 1-3, 4-5, & 6-9. Winners in each tier receive a nice jacket in their choice of style & color with their name & event info embroidered on the front. The number of places paid out at the end of the tournament is determined by the Tournament Director based on participation & player input on site.
