Nov 21, 2016
The Western New York Billiard Show had people thinking about pool almost around the clock.
Players of all ages and talents made their way to the Days Inn in Batavia to compete, participate and watch some of the best players in the area. The show ran from Friday until Sunday and had over 100 professional billiards players lined up to compete in several tournaments over the course of the weekend.
"Players come in from all over Western New York," organizer Jeff Van Buren said, adding that players came from as far as Buffalo, Rochester and the Southern Tier.
Most of the contests occurred during the day, but much of the playing continued into the wee hours of the morning — Van Buren said 2-3 a.m. Part of the reason for this was because the event took place in a hotel whereas other times the players have to drive between the event and the hotel.
Other in attendance were impressed with the turnout, too.
"It looks pretty good; pretty decent turnout," Adam Solveson, of Buffalo, said.
Solveson has been competing for the last 4-5 years and enjoys the game because "it's very relaxing."
He added: "literally, every day you play you can learn something."
"Surprising turnout here," Bill Dominiak said, who has been making pool cues for over 25 years in Stafford and shipping them out worldwide.
He added that he was optimistic about the event because billiards sometimes gets seen as a sport for 'bad guys.'
"I think it's a good thing, a good thing for the industry," he said of the event.
