BEHIND THE EIGHT BALL: POOL BANKS ON NEW POPULARITY TO SHED HUSTLER IMAGE

Bryan Lambuth has been playing around pool tables since he was 4 years old, but he didn't begin playing the game of pool competitively until a few years ago.

Lambuth now plays weekly as part of the "Wizards" team in the SEMO Recreational Leagues.

Pool, once known as a "hustler's" bar sport, is now one of the most popular sports in America. About 5,000 people in Southeast Missouri and Southern Illinois play on teams in the recreational leagues, said Rick Brown, who coordinates the SEMO leagues.

Some 42 teams play in area bars and pool halls during the week. Ladies-only teams play each Tuesday in Cape Girardeau.

"We're teaching the art not just of making the ball, but we're teaching them how to play smart pool," Brown said of league participants.

Pool originally began as a game of strategy. "It was set up like chess, where you outmaneuvered the opponent," Brown said. "We teach them how to be a good defensive and good offensive player."

But learning how to play with strategy takes time and practice. Pool isn't won by just hitting pools into a pocket.

Loren Schuette has been playing pool for more than 50 years and is one of the best players in Cape Girardeau, although he credits friend Jerry Priest with being the best.

Schuette won the 1994 national championship in Las Vegas and was runner-up for the title in 1996.

Now he helps coach the Wizards team each Wednesday. "I love the game and the competition," Schuette said. "I love the challenge and love to improve."

There aren't hundreds of fans, and few chants or cheers from the crowd because pool is a sport with few spectators. "Right now there is probably more participation in this sport than any other," Schuette said.

During recent league night play at Ed's Bar in Cape Girardeau, there were fewer than 15 people in the bar and the majority were playing pool.

But pool isn't just a bar sport anymore. "It's a big money making game," Lambuth said. "If you look at ESPN and see 8-ball on ESPN, you realize it's not a bar sport."

Players who advance to tournaments and championship rounds can make anywhere from a couple hundred to several thousand dollars. The national championship purse could net a team $25,000 during play in Las Vegas.

And the game doesn't cost much to play. Schuette didn't own his own cue stick for many years. League dues cost $20 a year and $25 for team players.

Each player is ranked according to a skill level. Schuette is ranked as a 7, the highest level.

But he'll help any player who asks for advice. "I'll help anybody," he said. "But sometimes it can come back to haunt you. There's a lot of strategy to it."

Moments later a player walks the length of the pool table studying the spread of the balls before coming to Schuette for advice.

Player rankings are based on criteria set by the American Poolplayers Association, based in Lake St. Louis. APA rules govern league play in Southeast Missouri.

Like any other sport, the more league players practice, the better they become at the game. And the better their team becomes.

"What you have to have to be a success is not an individual; you have to be a team player," Schuette said.

Team players are sort of like a family, he said. They spend so much time together they even begin to act like a family.

Players can joke and laugh with their opponents despite the competitive nature of the game, said Linda Shrum. "We have a lot of fun with the people we play with and play against."

Lambuth and Shrum love to tease Schuette by calling him "the old man" on the team.

But both acknowledge the dedication and skill he brings to the game. "Loren's really put Cape Girardeau on the map," Lambuth said.