The arrival of Queenstown's only competition standard pool table has heightened the hopes of a group of Queenstown pool players ahead of a national tournament.
Ciaran Hays, who competed in last year's nationals and is to compete at this year's in New Plymouth in October, said competition tables had smaller balls and smaller pockets.
''Every time you go to a tournament the tables are like this and we haven't got one in town ... we were going up to the tournaments with a big disadvantage,'' Mr Hays said.
Frankton Ale House bar manager Ciaran O'Carolan said he and bar owner Paddy Sugrue decided ''just to facilitate the lads'' and order in a competition-worthy pool table ''so they have somewhere to practise for the competitions''.
Mr Hays said fellow competitor Simon Singleton, also living in Queenstown, will be playing six competitions in six weeks at locations throughout the country.
The new table will now be subjected to a pool competition.
Mr Hays said four groups with four to five players are to be set up and games will take place from Monday to Thursday nights.
