--- title: "Florian Kohler Makes History With Philadelphia Double" url: https://cueculture.wiki/florian-kohler-makes-history-with-philadelphia-double published: 2026-10-27T05:16:40Z updated: 2026-10-27T05:16:40Z summary: "Florian Kohler wins his third straight WPA Artistic Pool world title and the inaugural Freestyle crown in a historic Philadelphia double." author: "Cue Culture Editorial Team" categories: ["Artistic Pool", "Pool News"] tags: ["Artistic Pool", "Florian Kohler", "Freestyle Pool", "Philadelphia", "Venom Trick Shots", "WPA"] lang: en --- # Florian Kohler Makes History With Philadelphia Double *Venom swept both headline championships in Philadelphia, pairing a third straight Artistic Pool crown with the first WPA Freestyle world title.* Florian "Venom" Kohler made history in Philadelphia by winning his third consecutive WPA Artistic Pool World Championship and the inaugural WPA Freestyle World Championship, completing a sweep of the event's two headline titles. The 2026 WPA Artistic Pool & Freestyle World Championships ran from October 1-4 at Bluegrass Billiards in Philadelphia. Competitors from six continents tested both the precision of established artistic-pool disciplines and the creativity of a new freestyle format. ## What did Florian Kohler win in Philadelphia? Kohler left Philadelphia with two world championships. The French trick-shot specialist first defended the overall Artistic Pool crown for a third straight year, then defeated American Tim "The Dragon" Chin to become the first WPA Freestyle world champion. The double mattered for two different reasons. His Artistic Pool victory extended an era of sustained excellence, while the Freestyle title placed his name first in a brand-new championship record book. ![The 2026 Artistic Pool discipline medal winners pose after the Book Event](media:2e98c5161a69c968) ## How did the Artistic Pool Book Event work? The traditional Book Event brought together 22 players. Each competitor attempted 40 selected shots from an established 120-shot program, with difficulty values determining the available points. The program covered eight distinct disciplines: Trick & Fancy, Special Arts, Draw, Follow, Bank & Kick, Stroke, Jump and Masse. The highest scorer in each discipline received a world title for that category, making the opening phase a championship contest of its own as well as a route into the overall bracket. ## Who won each of the eight Artistic Pool disciplines? Kohler captured two discipline titles, scoring 39 of 40 in Trick & Fancy and a perfect 40 of 40 in Stroke. Wayne Smith also produced a flawless 40-point performance to take the Draw title. | Discipline | World champion | Score | |---|---|---:| | Trick & Fancy | Florian Kohler | 39/40 | | Special Arts | Gaston Tomadoni | 39/40 | | Draw | Wayne Smith | 40/40 | | Follow | Jamie Moody | 38/40 | | Bank & Kick | Steve Markle | 38/40 | | Stroke | Florian Kohler | 40/40 | | Jump | Gaston Tomadoni | 39/40 | | Masse | Steve Markle | 39/40 | ## How did Kohler secure a third straight Artistic Pool world title? The top 16 players advanced from the preliminary stage into a seeded knockout bracket. Kohler's semifinal against South Africa's Wayne "The Cue Coach" Parker remained tied until the final shot, when the defending champion converted under maximum pressure. Steve "Blue Shark" Markle defeated Brian "Superman" Pauly in the other semifinal, earning a title match in front of home-state support. Kohler stopped Markle's pursuit of a first overall crown and completed a rare three-year championship run. ![Florian Kohler, Steve Markle, Wayne Parker and Brian Pauly with their Artistic Pool medals](media:bb9ecb03f4de6741) | Artistic Pool finish | Player | Country | |---|---|---| | Gold | Florian Kohler | France | | Silver | Steve Markle | United States | | Bronze | Wayne Parker | South Africa | | Bronze | Brian Pauly | United States | ## What made the first Freestyle World Championship different? The inaugural Freestyle World Championship rewarded invention as well as execution. Players submitted two shots of their own design, which were combined with preselected challenges to form the official program. Competition then moved into a head-to-head, double-elimination playoff. That structure forced athletes to balance originality with repeatable technique, because a visually ambitious shot still had to survive the pressure of a direct opponent. ![The top four finishers in the inaugural WPA Freestyle World Championship](media:cfd6a7582e506b5b) Kohler met Chin in a tense championship match and prevailed to finish the week unbeaten across the two main titles. Abram Diaz and Jamie Moody claimed the bronze positions. | Freestyle finish | Player | Country | |---|---|---| | Gold | Florian Kohler | France | | Silver | Tim Chin | United States | | Bronze | Abram Diaz | United States | | Bronze | Jamie Moody | United States | ## Which competitors received the event's special awards? Recognition extended beyond the main scoreboards. Jerry Chen received the Rising Star Award based on player scores, while competitors selected Dillon Pitchford for the Sportsmanship Award. ![Jerry Chen receives the Rising Star Award from Wayne Parker](media:82ff1d9560a308af) ![Dillon Pitchford receives the player-voted Sportsmanship Award](media:c54c77324ce2da34) The new Inspiration Award asked the overall champion to autograph a medal and present it to someone personally meaningful. Kohler chose Artistic Pool finalist Steve Markle, turning a championship keepsake into a public gesture of respect between rivals. ![Florian Kohler presents his signed Inspiration Award medal to Steve Markle](media:7525cc7e68cd3fb6) ## Who earned the creative-shot and freestyle honors? Eight discipline-based creative-shot awards highlighted ideas that stood out independently of the standard scoring race. | Creative-shot discipline | Recipient | Country | |---|---|---| | Trick & Fancy | Wayne Parker | South Africa | | Special Arts | Andrew Sozio | United States | | Draw | Wayne Smith | North Wales | | Follow | No entry awarded | - | | Bank & Kick | Jamie Moody | United States | | Stroke | Jimmy Glanville | United States | | Jump | Steve Markle | United States | | Masse | Dillon Pitchford | Australia | Freestyle's signature awards went to Kaori Ebe for the Mike Massey Most Creative Shot, Wayne Parker for the Tom Rossman Showmanship Award and Wayne Smith for Curtis Robertson Sportsmanship. Smith also received a custom masse cue connected to that honor. ![Wayne Parker, Kaori Ebe and Wayne Smith display the Freestyle signature awards](media:ea76a25400e587a1) ## Why is Kohler's Philadelphia double significant for artistic pool? Kohler's sweep links two eras of competitive trick-shot pool. He mastered the codified Book Event, where execution can be measured across a long-established shot library, and also won a Freestyle championship designed to elevate player-created ideas. That combination makes the Philadelphia result larger than another tournament victory. Kohler became a three-time defending Artistic Pool world champion and the first name attached to the WPA Freestyle world title, giving him a distinctive place in the sport's competitive history. ![Players from six continents gather at the 2026 WPA Artistic Pool and Freestyle World Championships](media:0d9d0310f4a08a62) :::faq ### Who won the 2026 WPA Artistic Pool World Championship? Florian "Venom" Kohler of France won the overall title, securing his third consecutive Artistic Pool world championship. ### Who became the first WPA Freestyle world champion? Florian Kohler won the inaugural WPA Freestyle World Championship after defeating Tim Chin in the final. ### Where were the 2026 championships held? The event took place at Bluegrass Billiards in Philadelphia from October 1-4, 2026. ### How many players competed in the Artistic Pool Book Event? The Book Event featured 22 competitors, each attempting 40 selected shots from a 120-shot program. ### Which players earned perfect discipline scores? Florian Kohler scored 40/40 in Stroke, while Wayne Smith scored 40/40 in Draw. :::