Shane Van Boening

Shane Van Boening is an American professional pool player from Rapid City, South Dakota. Van Boening is considered one of the best players of all time. Van Boening has won the WPA World Nine-ball Championship and has won the US Open Nine-ball Championship on 5 occasions, along with over 100 other professional titles.
Van Boening has a hearing impairment and uses a hearing aid, but it does not affect his pool ability. He has received praise for his attitude towards the sport, particularly for his behavior during matches, and for avoiding alcohol.

Professional career

Van Boening has a family background in pool. His grandfather, Gary Bloomberg, was a trick-shot artist; his grandmother, Jeanne Bloomberg, a VNEA national champion; his mother, Timi Bloomberg, a BCA national champion; and his aunt, Gari Jo Bloomberg, a three-time VNEA national champion.
Van Boening defeated Hungarian Vilmos Földes at the International Pool Tour qualifier in 2006, and was one of several players to earn a bonus of US$5,000 for breaking and running six consecutive racks in tournament play. He was one of 10 players to earn their IPT tour card by finishing in the top two spots of one of five qualifiers, and won the second spot held at the Pool Room in Atlanta, Georgia. He has been ranked number one in the world by AZBilliards.com. He practices at Lucky Billiards in Sioux Falls, where he is the house pro and co-owner.
Van Boening is a three-time VNEA national amateur eight-ball champion. In 2007, he reached the final of the BCA Open Nine-ball Championship, losing to Dennis Orcollo. A few days later, he won the Predator International Ten-ball Championship.
In 2007, Van Boening was tipped by Inside POOL Magazine as a possible future best pool player in the US. Van Boening captured the hot seat in the World Summit of Pool on June 16, 2007, beating 2004 WPA Men's World Nine-ball Champion Alex Pagulayan 11-4. On the last day, all matches were shortened to best of 13 as they were being recorded by ESPN. Pagulayan beat Francisco Bustamante and Warren Kiamco to face Van Boening in the final. Van Boening came back from 4–1 behind to tie the score 5–5, before Pagulayan won the next two games win, 7–5.
Mark Griffin, owner of the Billiard Congress of America Pool League, began sponsoring Van Boening in 2007. On October 20, 2007, Van Boening won the 32nd US Open Nine-ball Championship, defeating Filipino champion Ronato Alcano in the finals by 13-10. Van Boening remained undefeated in the double-elimination format of the championship, held in Chesapeake, Virginia. At the Reno Open Nine-ball Championship on December 9, 2007, Van Boening and Johnny Archer were in the double-elimination finals. Archer was undefeated until then, and Van Boening had to beat him twice; Van Boening won the first set, and 83 minutes later, claimed the championship.
He has been named "Player of the Year" by the Billiards Digest Magazine and "AZBilliards" in 2007, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014 and 2018. In 2020, he was named "Player of the Decade" for the 2010s by the Billiards Digest Magazine.
In April 2022, Van Boening won the 2022 WPA World Nine-ball Championship.
As of 2023, He holds the record for the AZBilliards Money List at over $2 million in earnings since 2005. The AZBilliards Money List has recorded tournament results of players, primarily in the United States, since the early 2000s. In 2023, Van Boening was featured on 60 Minutes.

Career titles and achievements

2026 Derby City Classic One Pocket
2025 Texas Open Nine-ball Championship
2025 Midwest Billiards and Cue Expo 9-Ball
2025 Midwest Billiards and Cue Expo One Pocket
2025 Big Tyme Classic One Pocket
2025 Ultimate Pool Iowa Shootout 8-Ball
2025 U.S. Open Eight-ball pool championship
2025 U.S. Open Ten-ball Championship
2024 International Bigfoot Ten-ball Open
2024 Battle of the Bull One Pocket
2024 Texas Open One Pocket Championship
2024 Predator Big Easy Classic Nine-ball
2024 Predator Big Easy Classic One Pocket
2024 Weir Memorial Nine-ball
2024 Billiard Congress of America Hall of Fame
2024 Premier League Pool
2024 CSI U.S. Open One-pocket Championship
2024 CSI U.S. Open Bank Pool Championship
2024 CSI U.S. Open Ten-ball Championship
2024 Bayou State Classic Nine-ball
2024 Skinny Bob's One-pocket
2023 International Bigfoot Ten-ball Challenge
2023 WPA World Eight-ball Championship
2023 Weir Memorial Nine-ball
2023 Midwest Billiards and Cue Expo 9-Ball
2023 Derby City Classic Bigfoot Ten-ball Challenge
2022 Hex.com Pro-Am Eight-ball
2022 WPA World Nine-ball Championship
2021 Texas Open Nine-ball Championship
2021 Michael Montgomery Memorial
2021 Jay Swanson Memorial Nine-ball
2021 Midwest Billiards Expo One-pocket
2020 Turning Stone Classic
2020 Billiards Digest Player of the Decade – 2010s
2019 Mosconi Cup
2019 ABN Dream Challenge Team USA vs. Russia
2019 Dragon 14.1 Tournament
2019 Turning Stone Classic
2019 Midwest Billiards Expo One-pocket
2019 CSI U.S. Open Straight Pool Championship
2019 CSI U.S. Open Bank Pool Championship
2018 AZBilliards Player of the Year
2018 Mosconi Cup
2018 ABN Dream Challenge Team USA vs. Russia
2018 Euro Tour Leende Open
2018 Turning Stone Classic
2018 CSI U.S. Open Eight-ball Championship
2018 U.S. Open Ten-ball Championship
2018 4-Bears Eight-ball Classic
2018 CSI U.S. Open One-pocket Championship
2018 CSI U.S. Open Bank Pool Championship
2017 ABN Dream Challenge Team USA vs. Russia
2017 CSI US Bar Table All-Around Title
2017 CSI US Bar Table Nine-ball Championship
2017 CSI US Bar Table Eight-ball Championship
2017 Turning Stone Classic
2017 CSI U.S. Open Ten-ball Championship
2017 Pac-West Invitational
2017 Accu-Stats One-pocket Invitational
2017 Super Billiards Expo Players Championship
2017 Chinook Winds Late Night Ten-ball
2016 US Open Nine-ball Championship
2016 Tornado Open Tne-ball Championship
2016 CSI US Bar Table Eight-ball Championship
2016 CSI U.S. Open Eight-ball Championship
2016 CSI U.S. Open Ten-ball Championship
2016 Derby City Classic Nine-ball
2015 Accu-Stats Ten-ball Invitational
2015 Kings Cup Ten-ball Team East vs. West
2015 International Challenge of Champions
2015 World Pool Masters
2015 CSI US Bar Table Nine-ball Championship
2015 Derby City Classic Bigfoot Ten-ball Challenge
2014 Billiards Digest Player of the Year
2014 World Pool Masters
2014 US Open Nine-ball Championship
2014 Carom Room Classic Mini Tournament
2014 Andy Mercer Memorial Nine-ball
2014 Super Billiards Expo Players Championship
2014 CSI US Bar Table All-around Title
2014 CSI US Bar Table Nine-ball Championship
2014 CSI US Bar Table Ten-ball Championship
2014 Derby City Classic Nine-ball
2014 Derby City Classic Bigfoot Ten-ball Challenge
2013 Billiards Digest Player of the Year
2013 US Open Nine-ball Championship
2013 Steinway Classic Ten-ball
2013 CSI U.S. Open Eight-ball Championship
2013 Accu-Stats Bigfoot One-Pocket Invitational
2013 Super Billiards Expo Players Championship
2013 Andy Mercer Memorial Nine-ball
2013 CSI US Bar Table Nine-ball Championship
2013 Turning Stone Classic
2012 Billiards Digest Player of the Year
2012 US Open Nine-ball Championship
2012 Andy Mercer Memorial Nine-ball
2012 CSI U.S. Open One-pocket Championship
2012 Super Billiards Expo Players Championship
2012 CSI US Bar Table Nine-ball Championship
2012 Derby City Classic Master of the Table
2012 Derby City Classic Nine-ball
2012 Derby City Classic One-pocket
2011 Billiards Digest Player of the Year
2011 Turning Stone Classic
2011 Steve Mizerak Ten-ball Championship
2011 Seminole Florida Pro Tour Stop
2011 Pool Ocho Open
2011 CSI U.S. Open Ten-ball Championship
2011 Runrunner Open Barbox Event
2011 Derby City Classic Master of the Table
2011 Derby City Classic One-pocket
2010 Gem City Classic
2010 Ultimate Ten-ball Championship
2010 Super Billiards Expo Players Championship
2010 CSI US Bar Table All-Around Title
2010 CSI US Bar Table Ten-ball Championship
2010 CSI US Bar Table Nine-ball Championship
2009 Mosconi Cup
2009 Andy Mercer Memorial Nine-ball
2009 Derby City Classic Nine-ball
2008 World Cup of Pool - with
2008 Texas Open Nine-ball Championship
2008 Four Bears Eight-ball Classic
2008 Super Billiards Expo Players Championship
2008 CSI US Bar Table All-Around Title
2008 CSI US Bar Table Ten-ball Championship
2008 Derby City Classic Ten-ball Ring Game
2008 Derby City Classic Louie Roberts Award
2007 Billiards Digest Player of the Year
2007 Sands Regency Nine-ball Open
2007 US Open Nine-ball Championship
2007 Predator International Ten-ball Championship