- November 5, 2024
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The Flagler County Billiards Congress of America league currently has 11 teams.
On Tuesday nights, 11 teams totaling anywhere from 70 to 100 players can be found huddled around billiards tables at various venues in Flagler County.
These players aren’t just there to have some fun — although that is a large part of it.
This is the Flagler County Billiards Congress of America league, and it’s been playing at various sports bars around town for approximately 16 years. It’s one of 21 BCA-sanctioned leagues in Florida.
The league is run by Ken Dunlop, league operator for the last five years. Dunlop has been playing pool for about 13 years.
The league plays year-round, and each session consists of about 11 weeks, but that depends on the number of teams. Each team has a home venue — which is divided among five bars throughout Flagler County, including McCharater’s, the Ice House, the Beer House, Poor Walt and Flagler Bar, which is the oldest venue.
With five members per team, teams play each other every Tuesday night. Each player on a team plays every player on another team, for a total of 25 games in one night between two teams.
A point system determines the winning team. A point is given for each ball that goes into a pocket and two points if the player can sink the eight-ball. A perfect game for a player would be a 10-point game, which would require knocking in all seven balls and the eight-ball for the win.
Dunlop said more players in the Flagler league are seven- or eight-point players. A strong player averages nine points per game. There are no “10s” in the league, he said.
And contrary to popular belief among amateur pool players, there’s more to the sport than jabbing a stick (properly referred to as a pool cue) at a white ball made of ceramic.
Bill Noey has been playing pool for about 50 years. He’s a member of a team and averages eights. There is offense and defense to pool, Noey said.
“There is a philosophy to it that if you have a good percentage shot and can make it most of the time, you go ahead and shoot it,” Noey said. “If it’s a low percentage shot, your goal is to leave the following player with a really bad shot.”
Noey’s wife, Kim, is a team captain. When she began, most of her games were about four-point games. She’s improved her game, however, and now shoots in the sixes or sevens. She said it’s a great night out with her husband and she loves playing defense. Defense wins championships, after all.
Three winning teams from the sessions travel to Las Vegas during the summer to compete in the yearly Billiards Congress of America tournament.
The league is currently in a break between sessions. The next session is scheduled to begin Tuesday, July 31.
Players interested in joining the league, or for more information, should contact Ken Dunlop at 569-1003.
