After months of practice and regional success, Estevan's Break A Lag team is gearing up to compete against more than 700 teams from around the globe at the World Pool Championships in Las Vegas.
The local league plays every Monday night, with the season starting in September. Elyse Mantei, a player on the team, explained that during the season, players participate in five matches against different opponents each night. The scores are tallied, and at the end of January, the first-place team earns an automatic bye to Moose Jaw.
The next four teams compete in playoffs, with two of those teams also advancing to Moose Jaw. The process repeats during the second half of the season, with the top team and the two playoff winners also earning spots in Moose Jaw.
In May, Break A Lag played in the Southern Saskatchewan Canadian Pool Association (CPA) playoffs, losing just one of their five matches.
“Our final match came down to us needing just one point, and our opponents couldn’t catch us,” Mantei said.
Now, the team is representing the province in the World Pool Championship. “It feels kind of surreal. I’ve only been to Vegas once, and it was only for two days, so this will be an experience,” she said.
Over 700 teams are competing this weekend with high stakes. Mantei explained that losing two games results in automatic elimination. “They also have mini games during the tournament, so you can join singles or doubles tournaments during the eight-ball competitions,” she said.
Mantei is excited to play pool on a world stage. “I think it’ll be a really cool experience. The number of pool tables just to set up the venue is impressive. Getting away for eight days will be a little strange, but being there with my team will be fun.”
To prepare for the tournament, the team has been practicing a couple of nights a week for the last few months. “We’ve been practicing more and try to make it as fun as possible while learning new things. We also work on perfecting shots that have been troubling us,” Mantei said.
She added that the team is supportive and great at offering advice, which is helpful as she is one of the newest members.
With a $30,000 jackpot on the line, Mantei admitted she is nervous but focused on making the most of her trip.