Kerry McCluskey & Happy Alainga
Northern News Services

Iqaluit (June 24/02) - All is right with the world when there's a pool stick in Paul Gordon's hand and a felt table in front of him. Honing his skills for the last over a decade, he's earned the reputation of being one of Iqaluit's sharpest shooters.

Paul Gordon picked up his first pool cue nearly 15 years ago. Since then, he's developed his skills and more than holds his own against the best shooters in Iqaluit. - Kerry McCluskey/NNSL photo

News/North: When did you first pick up a pool cue?

Paul Gordon: I was 13 years old. I'm 27 now.

N/N: What prompted you to start?

PG: My mother worked at the old residence. I would go to see her after school and hang out until she got off work. She would find things for me to do. One day she showed me a pool table and said why don't you try this. Ever since then, I've been hooked.

N/N: So, are you good?

PG: Yes, I guess. I won the last three out of four tournaments in Iqaluit. I'm an average player. There's a lot of good players out there in the world. Those are the people I would like to run into.

N/N: Have you played much pool down south?

PG: When I travel, I play. I didn't find what I wanted, but it was good to play somewhere else.

N/N: What do you mean you didn't find what you were looking for?

PG: I was hoping to run into really good players or a tournament. But I just went to local clubs. I tried to run into good players there, but no luck. Here in Iqaluit there are a lot of good players. If I had a chance to go to a tournament, there are quite a few good players here that I would take with me -- Norman Nowdlak, Johnny Kilabuk.

N/N: When you do play in the South, are your skills equal to the competition you meet?

PG: I would say pretty equal to everyone there. But I don't know where the really good players hang out.

N/N: What does it take to be a good shot?

PG: You have to be dedicated to playing pool. Pool is a lot like chess. You have to learn to make your moves and what you control. You have to learn how to control the white ball. If you know how to do that, you're a pretty good pool player in my books.

N/N: Is it a matter of where you hit the white ball?

PG: Yes. A lot of the players here, it took us a while to get where we're at. We've played for many, many years. To this day, we're still learning -- even from people who don't know how to play pool. If you watch those people, you'll learn too. That's the fun part. You're always learning something about pool.

N/N: Who taught you the most about your pool game?

PG: I got good advice from Johnny Kilabuk. I grew up watching him at the pool hall. He noticed me as someone who wanted to learn and someone who really liked pool. He knew I put effort into listening. That's the key. There is always someone who is better than you. They're not trying to cheat you -- they're trying to teach you what they know.

N/N: Are Iqalungmiut more into pool now than they were 10 years ago?

PG: It's hard to say. There are a lot of pool players. Back then, the competition was there. Now, it's not. I don't find it as strong as it was when I was growing up. Everybody played then. There are players still out there, but they're more separated now. There's the arcade, there's the legion, the bar.

N/N: What's your favourite table to play on?

PG: It's definitely not the legion or the bar. It's a friend's house -- Denis Cote. I like that table. He maintains his pool table and cleans it and takes care of it. A lot of tables here are voluntarily taken care of. There's not a lot of people who can fix a table and maintain it. If you do that, it will last forever.

N/N: Why don't you have your own pool table?

PG: I have to have a house first.

N/N: Do you have your own cue?

PG: About eight or nine of them.

N/N: What's your favourite one?

PG: The one I purchased last year is the one I'm using.

N/N: What do you look for in a pool cue?

PG: The brand, the price, the quality. The more expensive they are, the better the quality. In some catalogues, pool sticks get pretty damn expensive. I have one catalogue that has an $8,000 pool stick. I'm not that serious. I don't see myself spending more than $500 on a cue.

N/N: Until you get on the pro circuit?

PG: Probably. The stick I've got right now is about $400 or $500.

N/N: Would you like to get onto a pro circuit?

PG: I would love to try that. But these guys you see on TV, they're playing eight or nine hours a day. They've got time for it. Once I go South and have my first experience, that's when I'll say OK, this is what I've got to do to be as good as them.

N/N: Is that one of your goals?

PG: Big time. My goal is to go out there, but not to finish first. I just want to try and hopefully the next time, I'll do better.

N/N: What kind of money is available in those big tournaments?

PG: The further you go, the more money you can make. But you can't just live off pool.

N/N: What's your favourite game?

PG: Eight ball, high and low. I like snooker, too. I hate nine ball. It's such a fluky sport.

N/N: Is there a lot of gambling on pool here?

PG: There is. Not like there was before. When I was around 19, I made some coins here and there.

N/N: What's the most you've ever won?

PG: In one night? $500 altogether playing one guy. In one night during a tournament, I got $1,000.

N/N: What do you do when you're not shooting pool?

PG: I work at NTCL (Northern Transportation Company Ltd.) and the Legion.

N/N: How do you fit pool in between two jobs?

PG: I only work two times a week at the Legion so when I have time, I shoot pool. I don't put in as much time at the table as I would like to. Maybe 20 hours a week. I wish it could be full-time.

N/N: Who's the best player in Iqaluit?

PG: It's hard to tell. There's a lot of good players out there. Everybody has their ups and downs. I'd say me, Norman and Johnny are the recognized names in Iqaluit. There are many, many good players. There's times when you're shooting hot and times when you're not so hot.

N/N: What if you're in a slump and having a night when you just can't hit anything?

PG: That's something I've been working on in the last year. There are so many ways to slow things down. If I'm in a slump and you're shooting hot, I'll use the washroom or do something to hold you up and make you sit there and wait for me. There's a lot I notice that people don't catch. I try to take advantage of that. If someone is on fire and giving it to me all night, I'll find ways to slow them down.

N/N: Is it a psychological game?

PG: I think so.

It's a great sport and I think everyone should get into it. Malaya Kango is going to be really good. She's good now and she's still learning and she's still asking questions. Once you do that, you're bound to be a good player. You just have to ask questions and you'll get the answer. Nobody is hiding any secrets up their sleeves.

N/N: Why do you like playing?

PG: I don't know how to explain it. It just happened to be there and I started to like it. It feels right. But I don't feel as good as before. When I was between 19-24, I loved it. I loved having a pool stick.

If I saw you on the street with a better pool stick, I wanted it. It's not like that anymore. I'm a little more easy-going and relaxed. I don't know why. I wonder where you lose interest and where you gain interest. Is it because you play the same people everyday? It catches up once in a while. I need something new.