When I first walked into Mafia Mike’s pool hall, a semi-circle layout of tables, evenly measured out in a big open space, thriving with light and vigor a pool Oasis — the place was alive and thriving with people playing pool. It was like coming home. I felt at ease — at one with the game. The pool arena exudes pool, and opens up into a room awash with green. Mafia Mike’s pool hall is rated 4.5 out of 5 stars on Google — but I rate it a 5. It’s a small place, but has a big

A cold breeze and the drizzle of rain marked a cold November afternoon back in 1997. Shadowman’s Billiard Parlor in Campbellsville, Kentucky, was the setting for the area’s monthly 9-ball tournament. The field was star studded. Players like David Rice, Mike Blevins, and John Brumback, were all regulars in quest for the monthly title. As the tournament progressed, David Rice and I were pitted against one another in the finals. David was an incredibly difficult player to beat a