CAMPUS AND AREA
University Daily Kansan, April 29, 1985
Page
Noble Lathrom, a Lawrence resident, studies the pattern of balls on a pool table during a tournament at the Time Out. 2408 Iowa St., before taking his turn. Lathrom placed second in the tournament last week.
awrence, according to most of its resident billards aficionados, is no place for serious pool players—more specifically pool hustlers.
This is a terrible pool players' town," Jon Blubaugh said last week. "There's no money to be made at it. Nobody really gambles, and I know of that, there aren't many good players.
But there is some gambling, and there are a few good players. And despite a lack of competition, opportunity and incentive, the most successful in Lawrence at least to some extent
Blihaugh, a 1983 KU graduate, won the regular Thursday night tournament last week at the Time Out, a tavern at 2408 St. On weeknights, area taverns take turns hosting the tournament. On Monday the action takes place at the local West Coast Saloon. On Tuesday the action takes place at 1031 Massachusetts St., and Wednesday at the Shenango Loune. 2007 W 6th St.
IN LAST THURSDAY'S competition, Blu
bought him $$$ but a bad return on his $$
17.25.
"It's not a lot of money," Blubaugh said.
"But it's better than nothing, and it's better than losing."
2 Another local pool player who wins more
Oman he loses, and enjoys it is Leon
Coyote
*Bresler* 1900 W.31st Street, is a yearly
beachfront luxury hotel and he is one of the
best in experience to offer
Bresler practices at J. Watson's at 9th and Iowa Streets. The upstairs of the building is on 18 tavern, and the downstairs is a private room with floors, the tables stretch from wall to wall.
- Every afternoon, Bresler spends his lunch bourn practicing pool alone on a table in the far corner of the bar, well away from students and others who are drinking beer and cutting classes. Sipping a Coke and chalking his cue, Bresler modestly declines any mention of his purported prowess on the pool tables.
"I TST AM a Hobby for me." Bresler said
And I have too many hobbies for a poor
"Actually it's ok now. I don't lose very
bitten more, and I make a little money.
But I spent far too much money learning
how."
Bresler moved to Lawrence 18 years ago from a small town in Southern Missouri. It then that he became really interested in pocket billiards.
I moved here and didn't have anything else to do." Bresler said. "But it was different then, there were some serious pool players in this town. And I learned a lot from
"But for a long time, there haven't been a lot of good players around. It's
generating more interest now, I think I try to encourage the young guys."
LAWRENCE HAS AN abundance of young guys – and young girls – who play lots of pool, drink lots of beer and do a fair amount of hustling besides.
Bob Barnes, Topeka sophomore, also plays pool at J. Watson's. He and Bohby Krueger, his female partner, make the rounds of the rooms playing doubles for a dollar a cick.
"The art of hustling is knowing who you can beat." Barnes said. "You don't necessarily need to be the best in the bar, just you need to be good enough going to get money off of the people you play."
Low stakes high pressure behind the eight ball
Money and billiards have almost always gone hand-in-hand, and the game has enjoyed a long and colorful history.
MARY QUEEN OF Scots enjoyed the game, and in 1687 her jailers ripped the cloth off of her personal billiards table and wrapped her beheaded body in it.
America was first introduced to the game in 1565 by the Spaniards in St. Augustine, Fla. By the time the Civil War broke out, the game was immensely popular. In 1859, a club chapel was played between a player on New York and a player from Detroit for a $15,000 prize.
But pool and pool halls took on a distasteful air soon after the Civil War ended. No longer a gentleman's game, pool was seen as a threat to civilians in New York for decent, upstanding people to patronize.
A lot of pool halls haven't changed much, and the game still fights a somewhat negative social stigma. But the game is growing in popularity and respectability.
TELEVISION HAS HAD a tremendous effect on the popularity of the game. ESPN broadcasts pool tournaments from places like Las Vegas and Atlantic City almost every weekend the tournaments feature big teams and often them talented and experienced performers.
But Lawrence's traveling tavern tournament is much more low-scale. For a cheap price, a pool player can get a chance at winning but pot against some fairly good competitors.
At Harbour Lites and West Coast, the entry fee is only $3, but those taverns pay only first and second place winners. The Snaego and Time Out charge a $3 entry fee, but they also pay third place finishers. At every tavern, 100 percent of the pot is paid out. The bars get nothing but an increase in customers and some good publicity.
Lathrom, a 40 year old Lawrence resilient, took second in Thursday's competition. The week before, he won the tournament at Harbour Lites.
"IT'S A PRETTY good deal," Noble Lathrom said. "Everyone's just here to have a lot of fun and play some good pool."
John Creighton, Canton, Ohio, sophomore, lines up a shot at the bar on Monday nights to participate in Lawrence's travel the West Coast Saloon, 2222 Iowa St. Pool players gather at tavern tournament.
Craig, Lindbom, a student at Ottawa University, follows through on a shot at J. Watson's, Ninth and 11th streets. Lind
blom was playing his friend Brian Mosby, Overland Park senior, at the pool hall Friday night.
Story by Lauretta Schultz
Photos by Jacki Kelly-