Arndt takes home title of state pool champion

By DAWN SLADE
Mille Lacs County Times
Posted 2/14/03

Most people think pool is a mental game, but Gregg Arndt of Milaca would beg to differ with you on that.

Arndt says, "You have to eliminate the mental and just perform physically."

And he should know. On Friday, Jan. 31 Arndt won the top slot in the state.

He won first place in the menís singles masters at the 23rd Annual State Pool Tournament held Jan. 30 - Feb. 2 at the St. Cloud Civic Center.

Sponsored by the Minnesota Operators of Music and Amusements, this yearís annual tournament brought in 849 singles players for A, AA and masters and 359 four-person teams with nearly $90,000 in payouts.

On Thursday morning, Arndt began his run in the eight-ball singles tournament. At times, he was waiting around for hours to play the next game, the next opponent. After two days of double elimination, Arndt came away the victor. But he didnít stop there.

He then went on to play with his Albertville team (from the 152 Club), which started two hours after the singles tournament finished and continued through the early hours of Saturday morning.

Though the team didnít fair so well, Arndt said of his singles victory, " It was great when I won. Iíve been wanting to do that for a long time.

"To be in the finals and then get the opportunity to win - it was pretty intense."

Prior to his masters win a couple weeks ago, the best Arndt had done in the singles tournament was fifth place.

He picked up the stick

Arndt began playing pool in fifth grade in his hometown of Lamberton, Minn.

After delivering newspapers, the youngster would stop at the local pool hall, pick up a stick and play eight ball.

In his 20s, Arndt began to get more serious about the game.

In 1989, Arndt moved to the Milaca area where he started a gun dog training business for English setters and German shorthairs.

He took a seven-year hiatus from pool to train the dogs, and then in 1996 picked up the stick once again.

Though many serious pool players practice 12 months of the year, Arndt takes summers off from his passion.

He also owns a septic installation business, so tournaments in the winter work out well for him.

"I wouldnít take a job, probably, if I had to work 12 months out of the year," Arndt says with a chuckle.

But from January through April, Arndt practices roughly two to three hours a day on the pool table that sits center stage in his home.

He also plays on four separate team leagues, including the Blue Moon Saloon in Milaca, the 152 Club in Albertville, the Lamberton Legion and Skinners Pub in Brookings, S.D.

But, he only plays on the Dakota team in the fall as the leagueís season coincides with pheasant and deer hunting seasons.

Apparently thatís plenty of time for the team to practice, as they have gone on to the nationals tournament in Las Vegas several times. And the five-man team also took second place in South Dakotaís state tournament last year.

So whatís the key to his success? With a twinkle in his eye and a mischievous grin on his face, it appears Arndt is going to give away his secret.

But he will say that focus and concentration are a necessity.

"You have to ignore everything else," he adds.

During the tournament, 170 games are being played at a time, with plenty of background noise.

But, when it comes down to the final game for the championship, there are no other games being played. And everyone is watching.

Itís like a golf tournament when the player bends down and readies for the shot - all is silent.

"Thatís when youíve got to pay attention - youíve got to focus," Arndt says.

He generously shares some advice on playing the game, like how to draw the cue ball back.

"The key is cue ball control," Arndt said of the game.

Playing defense is just as important as offense in pool. If youíve "hooked" your opponent, youíve likely played it safe, not taking a difficult shot on your own ball but rather leaving the opposition without a shot.

And there are fouls in the game of pool. You have to hit at least one ball on the table or you foul the ball and your opponent gets to place the cue ball wherever they desire.

If you hit a ball, but it doesnít go in one of the six pockets, the ball has to at least hit one of the banks - or itís another foul.

Arndt admits it takes a while to get warmed up, so sitting around for two to three hours during tournaments can be brutal.

Playing in sanctioned leagues and tournaments is not the same as playing pool in the local bar.

There are components to the game, like trajectory and rhythm, that players have to be aware of at all times.

Arndt says if you donít put a ball in on the break, your opponent has the opportunity to run the table.

And unlike a bar, thereís no chatting with friends and drinking during a game. Thereís only concentration.

Concentrating on the shot at hand, setting up for the next shot, being aware of the opponentís potential shot, keeping your pool stick steady, staying focused and relaxed are all part of pool.

Arndt says of the game, "Every shot you make you have to pay attention - otherwise, youíre just wasting your time."