The first Shore Senior Pool League Doubles Tournament is happening on December 19, 2025.

The post Doubles Tournament first appeared on Shore Senior Pool League.

Another great tournament for the record books.

Everyone played their best, and we have a few new faces in the winners’ circle. Don’t forget to thank Tom Howard and the stats team for their great work this time around.

Group 1

Donna Barone from the Billiard Buddies

Group 2

Paul Claypoole from the Manginis.

Group 3

Rick Selby from Dagsboro Dogs

Group 4

Joe Thomas from ChixnStix

Group 5

Mike McMillian from Billiard Buddies.

The post Summer 2025 Tournament first appeared on Shore Senior Pool League.

Bruce’s Corner is an attempt to offer our friends and neighbors a way to improve their game with the advice of someone they know and play with regularly.

Bruce Bagley is a long-time, dedicated, and respected member of SSPL. He has offered to share his experience and knowledge of the game with our members, with the idea that sharing will benefit all of us and bring our game to the highest level possible.

Neither Bruce nor I claim to be an expert in what we do. I have been searching for someone to participate in this project for a long time. Bruce has volunteered to give his time and energy to help create a benefit for our group. We welcome your input and questions; however, be kind.

Bruce’s Corner will present a series of video tutorials about various aspects of the game. This is an ongoing project, and the videos will be released periodically in what we hope is a logical order, starting with the basics. Please comment if you want a specific subject covered, and we will attempt to fulfill your wishes.

Here is a short preview of what is to come:

Join Bruce and me in Bruce’s Corner here.

The post Bruce’s Corner first appeared on Shore Senior Pool League.

Another great session ends with a fun, successful tournament. Give our Winners a hearty Congratulations. Don’t forget to give Tom Howard, (the gentleman in the red shirt in the photos below), a pat on the back for a job well done.

Group 1 Winner Ray Roach

Ray is on the Dagsboro Dogs team. Pat Deangelatonio captain.

Group 2 Winner Bruce Rohner

Bruce is on the Old Crabs team. He is also the captain of the team. I suppose that makes him the Head Crab. He is shown with teammate, John Hough.

Group 3 Winner Albert Brassert

Albert is on the Millsboro team. He is shown with the co-captain of the team, Harry King.

Group 4 Winner Bob Ward

Bob is on the Good Guys team and is displaying his normal enthusiastic pose. He is shown with Ed Bishop of Millsboro South.

The post Summer 2024 Tournament Winners first appeared on Shore Senior Pool League.

The Spring session tournament was held on June 28. 2024. Another great day at Delmarva Billiards.

Winners of the tournament were:

• Group 1: John Marcus – Good Guys
• Group 2: Don Whiting – Old Crabs (first winner from the team)
• Group 3: Rick Kellogg – Henlopen
• Group 4: Ken Denham – Good Guys

League Champions based on points are, yet again, the MsCues.

Best record went to Henlopen with an 8 -3 record. The guys from Henlopen also proved to have more balls (3,585) than any other team.

The post Spring 2024 Tournament first appeared on Shore Senior Pool League.

We all know it is important to clean your balls on a regular basis. Dirty balls can lead to misplaced shots or even the occasional miscue. Manufactured ball cleaners are expensive for the average player. Hand cleaning and polishing is a time-consuming process. Discussions in online forums will sometimes have someone suggesting using your dishwashing machine as an inexpensive alternative.

Jasmin Ouschan, one of the world’s top professional players recently posted a video exploring the use of a dishwasher. Take a look and tell us your thoughts.

The post Are your balls clean? first appeared on Shore Senior Pool League.

Billiards or Pool?

The origin of billiards and pool is intertwined, but they have distinct characteristics.

Billiards:

• Origin: Billiards evolved from an outdoor game similar to croquet in the 15th century. When it moved indoors, green tables were used to simulate grass. Originally, players used a mace with a large tip to drive the balls instead of a stick. The game expanded over time to include pocketed tables and shot-calling for points, gaining popularity in America during the 1920s. 
• Etymology: The term “billiards” comes from the French words “billart” (meaning “wooden stick”) and “bille” (meaning “ball”). 
• Definition: Billiards can refer to any tabletop game played with a cue stick and cue ball. It encompasses various forms, including English Billiards (played with three balls and no pockets) in the UK. 
• Association with Betting: Billiards tables were commonly found in gambling parlors, where horse racing wagers or other bets were placed. The term “pool” became associated with pocket billiards due to the collection of wagers.

Pool:

• Origin: Pool developed from billiards and is played on a table with six pockets. 
• Characteristics: Pool tables have pockets, and players aim to sink balls into these pockets using a cue stick and cue ball. 
• Distinction: While billiards can refer to any tabletop game with a cue stick, pool specifically implies a game with pockets. 
• Variations: In the UK, “billiards” may refer to English Billiards, which uses only three balls and lacks pockets. 
• Snooker: Snooker, although technically billiards, has a specific rule set involving 22 balls and a larger table than conventional pool. 

In summary, if you’re challenged to a game of “billiards,” it’s likely to be pool, unless you’re in the UK where it could mean the pocket-less version. And if someone challenges you to a game of snooker, be prepared for a lengthy explanation of the rules!

If you would like a more in-depth explanation of the origin of our sport, check out this article at AZBilliards.com

The post Billiards or Pool first appeared on Shore Senior Pool League.

I have played many games with Gus over the past several years. I learned his story one day while shooting at Indian River Senior Center. In October 1962, the world was on the brink of nuclear war. The Soviet Union was transporting missiles to be installed in Cuba, just 90 miles from the white beaches of Florida. U. S. Navy ships were ordered to stop those Soviet ships by any means necessary. President John F. Kennedy spoke directly to those young sailors, stressing the urgency of preventing the ships from reaching Cuba. Several of President Kennedy’s cabinet members later admitted they never expected to see another sunrise. One of those young sailors was Gus Gustafson.

During the last week of February 2024, I sat with Gus and asked him to recount his experience in one of the most frightening and important confrontations of the 20th century. Gus was a kind, gentle man and a warrior. Listen to his story.

The post Heros walk among us. first appeared on Shore Senior Pool League.

The blog is short for weblog. This website section is for the league members to discuss pool-related topics. Maybe you want to write about a new trend, product, or match. Anything related to the Shore Senior Pool League or the game will be published without editing.

The only rule is no profanity or bullying. Soon, there will be a specific link to submit your writing. In the meantime, contact me here: Contribute

Please include the topic you wish to write about and your contact information.

The post What do you think? first appeared on Shore Senior Pool League.

In January 2016, Cape, Henlopen Senior Center, Indian River Senior Center, and Millsboro formed the Shore Senior Pool League to make playing Friday pool for old guys and gals more enjoyable. The participants would play 7 matches of 5 games per week; anyone who came would get to play at least 2 games. Handicap rules allow matches to go to the full 5 games. An active board of the Captains delegated administrative responsibilities and published our By-Laws and Rules of Play.  Our By-Laws were adopted in January 2016 and have been amended as needed as the operation of the League has changed. Our Rules date back to 2017 and have been amended many times, reflecting changes Captains have wanted. By the Summer of 2016, the SSPL was up to 5 teams, adding Millsboro S while 16 Mile joined with Indian River. Play was conducted at Georgetown Billiards and Cape Henlopen Senior Center. It was interesting to contrast the relaxed atmosphere of our league with its player-friendly rules to the more tense atmosphere of the other area leagues. SSPL quickly became a 7-team league, adding Good Guys and Underdogs.

SSPL, as it exists today, is a friendly, relaxed, social setting for seniors who love to shoot Pool and meet and mingle with others in Sussex County who share their love of the game.

The post Welcome to the Shore Senior Pool League first appeared on Shore Senior Pool League.