BEF | An Interview With Jordan Helfery

Junior Champion JORDAN HELFERY Is A Rising Star On The Billiards National Stage

By Jamie Lynch

At 13 years of age, Jordan Helfery is already making a big name for herself in the billiard world. After securing a championship victory in the 2025 Ultimate Pool USA Arizona Mixed Pairs Shootout, alongside partner and mentor Dave Matlock, Helfery has no plans to slow down.

A career in pool was never thought to be in the cards for Helfery. It wasn’t until a house flood in 2020 forced her family to move in with her grandmother when she discovered a love of the game.

“We ended up moving to my grandma’s basement. And since all my stuff flooded, there was a pool table down there,” Helfery says. “While they were rebuilding the house, I just started playing on that. And that’s really how I started.”

While the circumstances were unfortunate, Helfery’s mother describes the flood as a “blessing in disguise.” After Helfery picked up that first cue, she never looked back.

It wasn’t until recently when Helfery decided to take her talents to the next level, enrolling in competitions across the country. She recalls one of her first tournaments in which she was the only junior among a field of 48 adults. Despite her youth and relative inexperience, Helfery emerged victorious.

“They had to kick me out from playing as a four because I was too good when I just started,” she says. “That was really my first tournament I ever played in. I just started out small and slowly got bigger as time went on.”

Since then, Helfery has amassed multiple titles in the sport, including two Junior National Championships. In 2024, she snagged the title in both 14.1 and 9-ball. She also boasts a VNEA International championship win in the 15U girls division, and a gold medal in the 19U 2024 Junior American Series.

Though Helfery continues to rack up hardware, she takes nothing for granted and relishes every opportunity she gets to play among the best in the sport. Going to the WPBA and observing and learning from professionals has been incredibly rewarding for Helfery, as she sees competing with these players an accomplishment unto itself.

Most recently, Helfery participated in the 2025 Ultimate Pool USA Mixed Pairs tournament in Mesa, Arizona. Alongside partner and billiard legend Matlock, Helfery earned a firstplace finish. The duo took down defending champions Justin Bergman and Tina Larsen in the final to capture the title.

Though finding much success, Helfery once again remained humble, soaking in the opportunity to compete at the national level rather than basking in the spotlight.

“I was just excited to be there, going through some really good teams,” she says. “I was worried about doing my best and just giving it all I’d got. That’s really what it’s all about, just having fun while playing.”

Though Helfery was a large contributor to the success of the pair, she acknowledges the major impact Matlock had and attributes much of her success to his experience and skill.

“He’s really a legend of the game,” she says. “He’s so good, he has so much knowledge, and it’s really a privilege to be able to play with him.”

Helfery is never intimidated by the age gap she may face between herself and her teammates or competitors. Notwithstanding the 58-year difference between her and Matlock, Helfery views the generational divide as a challenge.

“It causes you to learn and get more experience,” she says. “With the WPBA, for instance, you get experience playing with these top pros. It’s important for a future in pool, and I really enjoy it.”

Aside from Matlock, Helfery has derived a lot of technical skills and enhanced her love of pool through watching Shane Van Boening. The WPA World 9-ball champion and five-time U.S. Open 9-ball champion has served as an inspiration for her, as she has found success in mimicking certain aspects of his game.

LIFE OUTSIDE OF POOL

When away from the table, Helfery finds herself juggling schoolwork with practice. She transitioned to remote learning for seventh grade in order to accommodate her busy schedule and help promote success in both billiards and her education. The state of Missouri, where Helfery resides, offers a schooling program called Launch that allows her to balance the two.

Helfery has always been a competitive person. And though her life now revolves around pool, it was actually basketball that sparked her athletic career. At six years old, her mother would often marvel at her dribbling abilities. Describing her daughter as a “perfectionist,” Helfery’s mother notes that her daughter’s passion for shooting hoops was strong until she discovered pool. Whether it be on the court or at the table, two things that have remained constant are Helfery's strong work ethic and will to succeed.

THE ROAD AHEAD

As Helfery’s young career continues to evolve, the best is yet to come for the rising star. At the time of writing, she was set to compete in the WPBA Olhausen Raxx Mezz New York Invitational in Hempstead. Though it will be another tournament that spans multiple age groups, Helfery didn’t diminish the impact junior pool has had on her and the importance it serves in growing the game.

“Juniors is definitely the future of pool,” she says. “It’s always good to have tournaments for us, to be able to get out there and get our names out. It’s important for all of us.”

Since Helfery made her debut in pool some five years ago, she has gone by the nickname “Dead Shot.” After a local dubbed her the moniker at one of Helfery’s tournaments, she has certainly lived up to it. As a premier sharpshooter in the billiards realm, Helfery hopes to keep improving with each competition she partakes in.

Helfery thanks her sponsors – Olhausen PoolTables, J. Pechauer Custom Cues, Eric Nelson with Team Straight Pool Eye, JamUp Apparel, Ultimate Pool USA, and Level Up Junior Billiards –for their continued support along her journey.

“I’m just trying to keep doing my best,” she says. “I try to keep winning as many titles as I can and try to get a higher ranking in the WPBA, and just keep hitting those milestones. It’s really fun. It’s a challenge. I just fell in love with it ever since I first started playing.”

By Jamie Lynch