| Break Room Billiards opened their doors to the public on May 1, 2005, bringing a true pool room back to the Cedar Valley for the first time since the mid-eighties when the Pocket, on University Ave. in Waterloo, closed. The Break Room was opened by Dave and Denise Wagner, (who are originally from the Cedar Valley), and their three children Joe, Sami, and John along with the help of many good friends and family. Before opening the Break Room, Dave and Denise were in partnership in Jimmy's Pro Billiards in Minneapolis. Their partner, touring professional pool player Jimmy Wetch, was then ranked fifth in the world in 9-ball in the Camel Pro Series. The Break Room features 16 pool tables with eight, 9' Brunswick pool tables and eight Valley pool tables which can be rented by the game or by the hour. The Break Room also serves pizza and sandwiches along with beer and soft drinks. The Break Room has a complete pro shop with cues and supplies from production suppliers to very expensive highly collectable cues made by the most experienced cue makers in the world. Dave and Denise’s goal in opening the Break Room was to create an environment where players of all skill levels and all ages could meet their friends and play pool in a clean, safe and friendly atmosphere. The Break Room has weekly tournaments and sanctioned pool and dart leagues where players of all skill levels and ages compete weekly. Dave is a long time pool player who regularly travels to spectate and compete in pool tournaments and is also a long time VNEA and BCA sanctioned pool league player. Dave's favorite tournament to spectate and play in is the Derby City Classic in Louisville, Kentucky. The Derby City Classic is a tournament in which the best players from all around the world travel to compete in 9-ball, 9-ball bank pool and one pocket. The tournament is played on 9’ Diamond pool tables with 4” pockets (1/2” smaller then regulation). There is rarely a pro player or road player that does not attempt fate at either the pool tournament or the 24 non stop gambling action throughout the tournament. It has become very common to watch several $10,000 plus gambling matches throughout the tournament with an occasional $40,000 match being played by Efren Reyes, Cory Duel, Cliff Joyner or one of other many other high stakes pool players. There is also several high end cue dealers that bring cues to buy, sell and trade with the many collectors and players that are also in attendance. Scott Murphy from Houston Texas along with a couple of his associates at Cue Addicts display upwards of one million dollars in cues each year to sell to other collectors and players that are in attendance each year. The Break Room has become the local player’s choice for league play and sponsors over fifty teams a year. It also runs well nearly 100 8 and 9-ball tournaments annually for beginning through advanced players. |
