By Erin Shea

Students who believe they may be a hot shot at pool have an opportunity to show off their skills during nine-ball tournament at the Cat’s Den Tuesday night.

“It is a fun, entertaining thing to do on a Tuesday night. Most people know how to play pool, and nine-ball has basic rules so it’s easy to learn,” said Branden Armendt, special events coordinator for the Cat’s Den and foreign language and international economics senior. “People who know how to play can come out and show what they’re worth.”

Armendt said entering the tournament is free and there will definitely be prizes for those who finish first or second. The prizes have yet to be determined.

“This is a really good event to get involved and to meet other people that are also interested in playing pool,” said Abby Stich, one of the coordinators for the event and elementary education sophomore.

The tournament is a preliminary round for people who would possibly be interested in competing in regional and national nine-ball tournaments. Every year the Association of College Union International, ACUI, has national tournaments for games like nine-ball, table tennis, and Texas hold ‘em. As of now , the Cat’s Den’s nine-ball tournament is a one-time event, so people can come out and see what their competition looks like, Armendt said. This round does not count toward future tournaments and the preliminary rounds for nine-ball will take place in January, Stich said.

Armendt said there will probably be about 20 hardcore nine-ball players looking to defeat the competition that will show up. He also said there could be more people that show up because the Cat’s Den is always filled with groups playing pool at all hours. Stitch said there are approximately 20 people confirmed to attend the tournament on Facebook, and she expects a few more to show up. Even if students aren’t nine-ball experts, organizers encourage students to come out to learn the game and test the competition.

The nine-ball tournament will take place at 7 p.m. Tuesday at the Cat’s Den. Admission is free.