More Than Pool Games: Big Rick’s Story of Family and Showing Up

“Being a good father is about showing up — not only for the big moments, but for all the small ones that become the memories your children carry.” — Rick (“Big Rick”), 8 Ball Strike Cup Finalist

Rick was 250 miles from home when he realized he might miss one of the biggest moments of his 8 Ball Strike journey. After weeks of making his way through the 8 Ball Strike Cup, he had reached the Championship, but an extended work trip meant the computer he planned to use was back home.

Instead of giving up, Rick found another way. He rushed through Spokane, Washington, bought a MacBook, and found a Starbucks with reliable Wi-Fi so he could be there when it was his turn to play.

He was nervous and excited, but most importantly, he showed up.

That moment says a lot about the man behind “Big Rick.” Whether he's enjoying pool games like 8 Ball Strike, spending time with his children, helping his community, or caring for his rescue animals, Rick has built much of his life around a simple idea: when something matters, you find a way to be there.

Long before Rick discovered 8 Ball Strike, a skill-based game from AviaGames, he already loved 8 ball pool. In his younger years, he and his friends would spend hours around a pool table in a friend's garage. What started as something fun slowly became a passion. Rick learned how to control the ball, practiced bank shots, played in leagues, and eventually helped organize monthly pool tournaments that grew into large events in the Portland metro area.

That love of pool eventually followed him onto his phone. Rick traveled often for his work as a consultant, which meant plenty of time spent waiting in airports and away from home. He started looking for a mobile pool game he could play wherever he went.

He tried game after game until he found 8 Ball Strike.

“When I got to 8 Ball Strike, I deleted all the other ones,” he recalled.

What started as a familiar way to enjoy pool while traveling would eventually lead him somewhere he never expected.

When the 8 Ball Strike Cup came along, Rick's competitive side quickly took over. During the preliminary stages, he didn't wait around to complete his rounds. He would play all five of them as soon as midnight arrived. Then came the much harder part: waiting for everyone else.

Sometimes Rick waited days to learn the result. At one point, the wait stretched close to two weeks. But every completed stage brought him another step forward. Eventually, the news arrived: Big Rick had made the Championship.

For Rick, what had started as everyday mobile play had grown into a much bigger experience. 8 Ball Strike also offers eligible players the option to enter competitions where they can win real cash, adding another way to put their pool skills to use.

Rick was “blown away” when he learned he had advanced. He told his friends, family, co-workers, and even his neighbors. For someone who describes himself as competitive not only with others but also with himself, reaching the Championship became another reminder of what can happen when you keep pushing toward the next goal.

At around 6'8", Rick's nickname makes plenty of sense. But there is much more behind the player people saw during the Championship.

Rick is a husband, a father of three, a consultant who frequently travels for work, an entrepreneur, and a lifelong sports fan. His oldest son serves in the Army, his older daughter is in college, and his youngest daughter is still at home and involved in multiple sports.

Rick has plenty of goals of his own, but when asked what motivates him to keep improving, his answer wasn't a trophy, a score, or a career milestone.

It was his family.

“I'm trying to set an example,” he said.

Rick grew up without much and credits hard work for where he is today. Now, he wants his children to understand that goals require effort and determination. More than simply telling them that, he wants them to see it in the way he lives.

For Rick, some of the moments that matter most are also the simplest.

Basketball has been part of his life since he was young, and today, he gets to share it with his youngest daughter. They shoot around together and work on the fundamentals, giving Rick an opportunity to enjoy the sport while spending time with his daughter.

Those moments carry even more meaning after a difficult period in Rick's life. Following treatment for bone cancer, Rick is now in remission. During that time, he wasn't able to do many of the things that had always been part of his life. Being able to pick up a basketball and play with his daughter again made him appreciate something that once felt ordinary.

“It's been amazing,” he said. “It's been a blast.”

There's another family project Rick is looking forward to: restoring a 1996 Impala with his son. The car belonged to Rick's late father, and Rick and his dad had once hoped to restore it together. They never got the opportunity to finish it.

Now Rick and his own son are bringing the car back piece by piece. What started as a project between one father and son has become a project for the next generation.

For Rick, it's “round two,” an opportunity to finish what his father once imagined.

Rick entered the 8 Ball Strike Cup ready to compete, but one of the things he remembers most is the people he met along the way.

As the competition progressed, the players began talking through Discord. They compared scores, talked about their games, and slowly got to know the people behind the usernames.

Rick stayed in contact with many of the players from the top 16, including eventual champion SHUVO0777. They came from different places and were at different stages of their lives, but the Cup gave them something in common.

What began as an individual competition became an experience they could share. As Rick put it, the camaraderie that developed was “really cool.”

For Rick, one of the biggest takeaways from the competition in this real-money game wasn't just what happened during the matches, but the people he met along the way.

Rick's caring side becomes even clearer when he talks about his animals. His family has three rescue dogs—Paris, Rome, and Hope—and two rescue cats—London and Teeny. Each came into his life under different circumstances, and several needed help at difficult moments.

Hope, for example, was alone outside a gas station on a cold and rainy night. Rick sat with her, shared his food, and eventually brought her home.

Today, all five are part of the family.

Rick may have given them a home, but he believes they have given him just as much in return.

“They saved me as much as I saved them,” he said.

That care doesn't stop at his front door. Rick also stays involved in his local community, particularly when it comes to children. He coached at the YMCA, supported school activities and silent auctions, and helped with community events such as movie nights and Christmas parades.

Whether it's his own children, an animal that needs a home, or someone in his community, showing up for others has become part of who he is.

The 8 Ball Strike Cup introduced people to Big Rick, the player, and ultimately crowned Shubham as the 8 Ball Strike Cup Champion. But for Rick, the experience became about much more than one Championship or where he finished.

There is still basketball to play with his daughter, a 1996 Impala waiting to be restored with his son, rescue animals waiting for him when he gets home, and new goals he hasn't reached yet.

Rick doesn't need to know exactly what the next chapter looks like. There can always be another competition, another family memory, another project, or another opportunity to help someone. What matters is continuing to move forward and being there when those moments arrive.

Because in the end, Rick's story isn't simply about how far he advanced in the 8 Ball Strike Cup or who took home the Championship title. It's about what he carries with him beyond the game: the drive to keep improving, the heart to care for others, and the determination to be there for the people who matter most.

Keep playing. Keep caring. Keep showing up.