Protect and Swerve
Besides his work as a Bucks County police officer, Steve Markle entertains, teaches, and competes as a professional pool trick shot artist.
Steve Markle was 16 years old when he competed in the 2008 Comet Billiards Classic in Parsippany, New Jersey. The event, his first as a pool trick shot artist, didn’t go as well as he had hoped.
“I think I came in last,” he recalls. “I didn’t have the right shot book. I was just a sponge and took everything in. The experience taught me what I had to work on.”
Since then, Markle has become a rising star in the sport of artistic pool, with a pair of championships and various other accolades under his belt. He also has a razor-sharp nickname, “Blue Shark,” which references both his pool prowess and his background in law enforcement.
Since then, Markle has become a rising star in the sport of artistic pool, with a pair of championships and various other accolades under his belt. He also has a razor-sharp nickname, “Blue Shark,” which references both his pool prowess and his background in law enforcement.
Markle, who studied criminal justice at West Chester University, lives in Levittown and works as a police officer in Lower Makefield. His interest in pool stems back to playing on local tables with his father. He became hooked on the art of trick shots when a local player taught him how to sink four balls with a single shot. From that point forward, he was obsessed: spending hours perfecting his game, watching YouTube videos for tips, creating trick shots of his own.
Markle is gearing up for a busy season on the professional circuit. In June he will head to West Virginia for the 2026 U.S. Nationals, an event he won in 2023. He will also vie for the top spot in the World Pool Association’s World Artistic Pool Championship, to be held the first week of October at Bluegrass Billiards in Northeast Philadelphia.
Q&A
Let’s start by talking about what it takes to be a good pool trick shot player. Why are you so good at what you do?
It takes patience; you might do a shot 50 times before you get it right. Trick shots require a lot of trial and error. I started in 2008 and stopped in 2016 when I entered the police academy. At the time I was living in an apartment and didn’t have access to a pool table. I took a break from 2016 to 2022, and I’d say having a police career has helped my mental game. Before I took a break, my mental game wasn’t very strong. Now, if I miss a shot, it is what it is. My line is “even the greats lose sometimes.” I’m still going to miss some shots, and I’m OK with that.
Let’s start by talking about what it takes to be a good pool trick shot player. Why are you so good at what you do?
It takes patience; you might do a shot 50 times before you get it right. Trick shots require a lot of trial and error. I started in 2008 and stopped in 2016 when I entered the police academy. At the time I was living in an apartment and didn’t have access to a pool table. I took a break from 2016 to 2022, and I’d say having a police career has helped my mental game. Before I took a break, my mental game wasn’t very strong. Now, if I miss a shot, it is what it is. My line is “even the greats lose sometimes.” I’m still going to miss some shots, and I’m OK with that.
You have a stressful day job. Is doing trick shots a good way to de-stress?
It is. Police work is unpredictable. I’ll get home after a shift and practice for three to four hours. When I’m playing pool, I don’t think about anything else. Every shot you take, you have to dial in and keep the mind clear. My wife [Carolyn] loves it, and she’s very supportive; she even wants to shoot her own shots. Trick shots are universal. You don’t have to know a single thing about pool and still enjoy it. I’ve had a lot of cool opportunities because of it. One was the Lincoln commercial in which I got to work with Matthew McConaughey; my job was basically to make him look like a pool player. I’ve done a lot of traveling. I never know what opportunity is going to come my way. I never know who I’m going to meet. I do a lot of corporate parties and events where people hire me to teach them different trick shots. … So far I’ve been able to balance it all pretty well with my job. Tomorrow night I’ll be at an event at The Corner Pocket of Delran [New Jersey], from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m., then on my shift in a patrol car at 11 p.m.
It is. Police work is unpredictable. I’ll get home after a shift and practice for three to four hours. When I’m playing pool, I don’t think about anything else. Every shot you take, you have to dial in and keep the mind clear. My wife [Carolyn] loves it, and she’s very supportive; she even wants to shoot her own shots. Trick shots are universal. You don’t have to know a single thing about pool and still enjoy it. I’ve had a lot of cool opportunities because of it. One was the Lincoln commercial in which I got to work with Matthew McConaughey; my job was basically to make him look like a pool player. I’ve done a lot of traveling. I never know what opportunity is going to come my way. I never know who I’m going to meet. I do a lot of corporate parties and events where people hire me to teach them different trick shots. … So far I’ve been able to balance it all pretty well with my job. Tomorrow night I’ll be at an event at The Corner Pocket of Delran [New Jersey], from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m., then on my shift in a patrol car at 11 p.m.
What have been your proudest moments so far?
Winning my two titles. I’ve been very fortunate. I have a lot of friends all over the world because of this. My online presence has grown, and my videos have millions [of views], and that gets you more traffic and creates more gigs and opportunities. I have good sponsors. … Everything I wanted to do I’m starting to do. I’m living life to the fullest.
Winning my two titles. I’ve been very fortunate. I have a lot of friends all over the world because of this. My online presence has grown, and my videos have millions [of views], and that gets you more traffic and creates more gigs and opportunities. I have good sponsors. … Everything I wanted to do I’m starting to do. I’m living life to the fullest.
What are your goals going forward in regard to trick pool, life, etc.?
My next goal for pool is to win the [WPA World Artistic Pool Championship]. That’s the best title you can get, the title everyone’s after. … The top player, Florian “Venom” Kohler, is from France, and I beat him in the finals in the [2025] Masters [Artistic Pool Championship]. Tensions will be high, so I have to dial in and stay cool, calm, and collected. Like any sport, the mental game is just huge. If I beat [Kohler] it shows I’m heading in the right direction.
My next goal for pool is to win the [WPA World Artistic Pool Championship]. That’s the best title you can get, the title everyone’s after. … The top player, Florian “Venom” Kohler, is from France, and I beat him in the finals in the [2025] Masters [Artistic Pool Championship]. Tensions will be high, so I have to dial in and stay cool, calm, and collected. Like any sport, the mental game is just huge. If I beat [Kohler] it shows I’m heading in the right direction.
Photo courtesy of Steve Markle
Published (and copyrighted) in Suburban Life, April 2026
Published (and copyrighted) in Suburban Life, April 2026
