The game can also simply be played recreationally for points instead of money.įouls: If a player does not hit the object ball it is considered a push. The loser pays the winner a previously agreed upon amount multiplied by the difference in money balls between the two players (i.e., if Player A makes five money balls and Player B makes one then Player B owes Player A four times the amount of the wager.) Once all balls are pocketed the players will 'settle up' based on the amount of money balls they made during the game. A score is kept as to how many money balls are made by each player.

A player continues his turn as long as a ball is pocketed. These six balls are racked to the front of the rack with the 1 ball at the head of the rack. The money balls are the 1, 5, 8, 10, 13 and 15. Īnother variation of Chicago is played in a similar fashion to nine-ball and rotation, where balls must be played in order starting with the 1 ball. July 14: A new book combs through the local archives to document the life of an American literary lion, Ernest Hemingway.'Chicago' often refers to a variation of rotation pool in which the balls are initially placed in positions against the rails of the table. Oak Park Collections Reveal ‘Hidden Hemingway’ at Oak Park Billiards, 1019 South Boulevard in Oak Park “Walking by those tables now feels like walking back in time.” “It was very peaceful and respectful and everyone knew one another,” said Andrews. He remembers the business as being family friendly but also as a place where pros would bet thousands of dollars on games. The simplicity is incredible.”Īndrews looks back fondly on the days when he would bring in a permission slip from his parents that allowed him to play pool at Oak Park Billiards as a teenager. “It takes less than an hour to take it apart. “They are gorgeous and they have these great facades, but the way they come apart and how they were constructed is just so genius,” said Andrews. Most of the tables, when refurbished, can sell for $15,000, according to Andrews. The sale has already attracted Oak Park residents interested in owning a piece of local history, as well as regional collectors, or “table flippers” as Andrews calls them, looking to restore them. Weighing in at 2,800 pounds, the massive and highly ornate tables range in price depending on their quality: $500 for those with smoke or water damage $2,500 for those that need less restoration. The tables date back to the 1920s, when Brunswick was the leading brand for such equipment. (Courtesy of Karen Mcmillin)įor Andrews, who collects antique billiard artifacts, the vintage Brunswick pool tables are the highlight of the sale. Many of the regulars who had left their cues there had to call the owners to retrieve them. When Oak Park Billiards suddenly closed 10 years ago, all of the equipment was left inside. “It still has the look and smell of an old pool hall. “It looks like the owners just left one day and never came back,” said Karen Mcmillan, a UTUUC member who is managing the sale. This weekend, the church is selling the items to clear out space and raise money for renovations.Īmong the hundreds of dusty items left over from the pool hall’s heyday are cues, balls, racks, light fixtures, vintage furniture, statues, arts, books, DVDs, signs and posters. Finding the room to accommodate this growth has been part of our planning for the past several years.”Īs part of the deal, the building was sold with all of the old billiards tables inside it, along with other equipment and memorabilia. Despite space constraints, our congregation is growing and so are our programs. “We’re especially grateful for the location and the timing. “When the opportunity to buy Oak Park Billiards came up, our leadership jumped, made an offer and the congregation enthusiastically signed on,” said Rev. They plan to renovate the facility and create classrooms, staff offices and a community center that will seat 100 people. Instead, the Unity Temple Unitarian Universalist Congregation, which operates out of a Frank Lloyd Wright-designed church in the neighborhood, purchased the building in August in an effort to expand their services. Andrews tried to put in a bid for the space–he wanted to maintain the facility as a pool hall–but wasn’t able to afford the asking price of $575,000. It then sat vacant for a decade before going up for sale earlier this year. When Oak Park Billiards suddenly closed 10 years ago, the 32 vintage Brunswick pool tables Andrews remembers so fondly remained in the 8,500 square-foot building. “It was a very deep building so you felt like you were walking into a tunnel of billiards tables.” “It was always very dark with just enough light to light the tables,” Andrews recalls.

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