Two South Jersey residents took home a cash prize after winning a doubles pool tournament in Las Vegas.
At the end of April, Joey Rivera and Jatin Bhakta of Somerdale competed in the 2026 American Poolplayers Association Poolplayer Championships. The tournament was held at Westgate Las Vegas on April 26-27.
As one of three annual APA tournaments, the Poolplayer Championships featured 15 divisions and more than 6,000 players.
The self-described “A-Team” of Rivera and Bhakta was one of 384 teams across the country to qualify for the APA 9-Ball Doubles Pool Championship division. “A-Team” regularly plays pool as part of the local APA league in South Jersey.
After two days of competition, the Camden County residents took home first place in their division, beating “Clutch of Latonia” from Kentucky in the final.
In total, Rivera and Bhakta won $5,000 with their victory.
Risha Inaganti writes about trending topics across South Jersey for the Courier-Post. If you have a story she should tell, email her at rinaganti@usatodayco.com. Subscribe to stay up to date on the news you need.
This article originally appeared on Cherry Hill Courier-Post: The ‘A-Team’ of Joey Rivera, Jatin Bhakta of NJ wins pool championship