Player Profile Series: Carlo Biado, the WPA World 9-Ball Champion

Carlo "THE BLACK TIGER" Biado is a Filipino professional pool player. His highest-profile wins include the World Nine-ball Championship and the World Ten-ball Championship in 2017 and 2024.

He started playing pool at age 13 and worked as a caddie at the Villamor Air Base golf course while still a student.

Biado became a professional pool player in 2004 but failed to win any major world title in his first ten years.

In 2015, he reached the final of the WPA World Ten-ball Championship, defeating David Alcaide and Nikos Ekonomopoulos in the knockout rounds.

In 2017, Biado defeated Jayson Shaw of the UK, 11–7, to win the men's 9-ball event at the World Games. In 2019, he also reached the final of the WPA Players Championship, narrowly losing to Kevin Cheng, 12–11.

In 2021, Biado defeated Aloysius Yapp, 13–8, to win the U.S. Open Pool Championship. With the win, he joined Alex Pagulayan and Efren Reyes as one of the few Filipino players to have won the prestigious tournament.

He went on to defeat fellow Filipino cue artist Johann Chua, 9–3, to win the men's Ten-ball singles gold medal at the 31st Southeast Asian Games held at the Ha Dong Gymnasium in Vietnam.

In 2022, the trio of Johann Chua, Carlo Biado, and Rubilen Amit triumphed in the WPA World Teams Championship, sweeping Great Britain—composed of Jayson Shaw, Kelly Fisher, and Darren Appleton—3–0 in the final held in Klagenfurt, Austria.

With the win, they delivered the Philippines its first world team ten-ball title after runner-up finishes in 2010 and 2014, the last time the tournament was held before being revived in 2022.

In 2023, Biado got off to a strong start by capturing his first World Nineball Tour ranking event title of the year, defeating young star Bernie Regalario, 13–7, to win the 2nd Universal Chinese Taipei Open in an all-Filipino final held at the Hulks Billiard Hall in Taipei City, Taiwan. Despite losing his first match, Biado clawed his way back from the losers’ bracket to go 8–1 in the 96-player field. He also defeated Naoyuki Ōi of Japan, 4–1, 3–4, 4–2, 4–1, to win the WPA World Ten-ball Championship in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Biado then captured the inaugural Ho Chi Minh City Open Championship at the Ho Xuan Huong Gymnasium in Vietnam on September 29, 2024, defeating Mario He of Austria, 13–8.

On October 18, 2024, Team Asia ruled the inaugural Reyes Cup held at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium in Manila, Philippines. The team—composed of Johann Chua, Carlo Biado, Aloysius Yapp, Duong Quoc Hoang, and Ko Pin Yi—was coached by the tournament’s namesake and greatest of all time, Efren Reyes.

Team Asia had a night to remember on the second day of the Reyes Cup, pulling off a mesmerizing 4–0 sweep of its matches against the favored Team Europe, moving within four wins of clinching the overall title.

Carlo Biado delivered a sizzling performance, defeating Mickey Krause, 5–3, in a tightly contested singles match to close out Day 2 of the Reyes Cup.

Biado started strong, taking an early lead at 1–0. However, Krause quickly responded, leveling the score at 1–1 and showcasing his resilience.

The match then saw both players exchanging points, with Krause striking first to take a 2–1 lead, demonstrating his ability to pressure Biado and capitalize on mistakes.

As the tension mounted, Biado found his rhythm, tying the match at 2–2 before regaining the lead in the next rack. Krause answered back to level the score at 3–3, underscoring the tight competition between the two skilled players.

With the match hanging in the balance, Biado—whose highlight this year was the 10-ball world championship in March—showcased his experience and composure to reclaim the lead at 4–3.

In the final moments, Biado’s sharp focus and precise shot-making allowed him to close out the game with a decisive 5–3 victory.