ST. LOUIS & INDY KICK OFF 2026 POP-A-SHOT SEASON

By Bryce Smith
Championship, Events
Oct 31, 2025
By Bryce Smith
Championship, Events
Oct 31, 2025

The race for the 2026 Pop-A-Shot National Championship is officially underway, and it’s already shaping up to be the most competitive season yet. With two qualifiers in the books (St. Louis and Indianapolis)  we’ve seen returning stars, fresh faces, and some of the highest scores in qualifier history!

September 17, 2025
St. Louis Qualifier

The season tipped off in downtown St. Louis at Paddy O’s Bar, just steps from Busch Stadium. As fans poured in after the Cardinals game, the energy was electric — and so were the shots. This event also marked the debut of our Jägermeister partnership, complete with ski shots, swag giveaways, and the fuel to keep the competition going!


The night featured several familiar names: MURPH, the 2025 Las Vegas qualifier and fan favorite; JAKEMONNIG, who narrowly missed qualifying last year; and BRETTKARZEN, runner-up from the 2024 Inaugural National Championship.


With the introduction of six balls per rack (up from five), scores soared throughout the night. MURPH led qualifying with a 169, followed by JAKEMONNIG at 158. But in bracket play, a newcomer — STRINGMUSIC — made waves, knocking off both JAKEMONNIG and BRETTKARZEN on his way to the finals. In the end, MURPH reclaimed his spotlight, sealing the victory with a 177-point performance and locking in the first ticket to the 2026 Pop-A-Shot National Championship.

October 23, 2025
Indianapolis Qualifier

Next up, the competition moved to The DugOut Bar in downtown Indianapolis — and this time, the action took center stage, literally. Two Pop-A-Shot Elites stood under bright lights, drawing a crowd of over 100 participants and a roaring bar atmosphere.


Familiar faces filled the bracket once again, including CAPUTO (2024 National Champion), BRETTKARZEN, STRINGMUSIC, and ISHAM, who had reached bracket play in the 2025 Chicago Qualifier. With an 8th-place cutoff of 127 and a high score of 170, the skill level was off the charts.

 

Bracket play began at 8 p.m., and the stage lived up to the hype. The final showdown came down to CAPUTO vs. ISHAM — a matchup of precision and momentum. ISHAM came out firing, taking Game 1 in dominant fashion, before CAPUTO responded with a massive 170-point round of his own. But ISHAM wasn’t backing down. He took the next two games to close out the series 3–1 and secure his spot as the second qualifier for the 2026 National Championship.

Next up, the competition moved to The DugOut Bar in downtown Indianapolis — and this time, the action took center stage, literally. Two Pop-A-Shot Elites stood under bright lights, drawing a crowd of over 100 participants and a roaring bar atmosphere.


Familiar faces filled the bracket once again, including CAPUTO (2024 National Champion), BRETTKARZEN, STRINGMUSIC, and ISHAM, who had reached bracket play in the 2025 Chicago Qualifier. With an 8th-place cutoff of 127 and a high score of 170, the skill level was off the charts.

 

Bracket play began at 8 p.m., and the stage lived up to the hype. The final showdown came down to CAPUTO vs. ISHAM — a matchup of precision and momentum. ISHAM came out firing, taking Game 1 in dominant fashion, before CAPUTO responded with a massive 170-point round of his own. But ISHAM wasn’t backing down. He took the next two games to close out the series 3–1 and secure his spot as the second qualifier for the 2026 National Championship.

Where Next?

With two tickets punched and two champions crowned, the 2026 season is just heating up. The next stop: Atlanta, Georgia, on November 20, where new competitors will take their shot at Pop-A-Shot glory — and their place on the road to Orlando.

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