Pick your partner

The night starts with 12 cards on the green felt of the pool table. Each participant picks a card. Glances shoot back and forth. Men shake hands and introductions are swapped. Some are happy with their partner. Others, like the long-haired guy in cut-off shorts and a green T-shirt, are visibly disappointed. Partners must be drawn — it’s the only way to make sure everything is fair.

The setting is Mickey’s Irish Pub in Campustown and the event is the weekly Monday night foosball tournament. Mike Hart, senior in history, is the tournament’s organizer. Participants pay $5 each to enter and then Mickey’s matches the total entry.

Although only 12 players are at the bar by the tournament’s scheduled 8 p.m. start, Hart says that usually at least 16 players show up to battle it out on the Tornado foosball table located right by the front door.

Within a half-hour more players show up, raising the tally to Hart’s predicted 16. The other players are unhappy with the tardiness of the newcomers, but happy that more money can now be won. The additional players means total prize money is $160 — not a bad catch.

Hart says the tournament pays enough to lure entrants from Des Moines, Newton and even Algona. The competition is open to the public and all skill levels are welcome, but there are few novices here tonight.

Hart doesn’t just run the tournament. He also participates and is one of the standout players. Hart often walks out of Mickey’s on Monday night with prize money in his pocket.

“It’s how I pay for groceries every week,” he says with a laugh.

Doug Monahan is one of the first to compete tonight. He and his partner easily defeat their opponents, who happen to be the grumpy, green T-shirted player and his unwanted partner. Monahan is one of those players who make the trip from Des Moines to participate in Hart’s tournament. He is also one of the prominent players in the bunch, and with good reason — he is a ranked player in Iowa. Rankings? Foosball? This thing is bigger than you can imagine, baby.

According to Monahan there are five play levels: beginner, rookie, semi-pro, pro and pro master. He is ranked as a rookie, which is a scary thought because he seems to score at will against many of the players.

To put what many may consider a silly game in perspective, Monahan knows a ranked player who makes $15,000 to $20,000 a year playing foosball — not a bad supplemental income. It gets better though. The highest paid player in the world made $62,000 last year.

Monahan also plays at the Elbow Room in Ankeny on Wednesdays and Saturdays. There he squares off against some of the best in the state and even some nationally ranked players.

“You have some good players here,” Monahan says about the Mickey’s tournament. “But there, every single player is really good.”

So why make the trip to Ames? First and foremost is the payoff. Almost everyone participating agrees that the prize money from Hart’s tournament is among the best.

Monahan also says it is a nice change of pace to play at this tournament where everyone has fun, as opposed to the fiery competitiveness of places such as the Elbow Room. No one dares drink there in fear of what it might do to his game. This isn’t the case at this foosball gathering.

Two for one ’til 10, ladies night ’til close

Gursewak Singh, junior in computer engineering, doesn’t seem to be nearly as interested in winning the foosball tournament as he is when he’s drinking. Monday night at Mickey’s gives bar patrons the chance to get two well drinks for the price of one.

Many of the tournament players take advantage of it, especially Singh. Don’t let yourself be fooled though, Singh may lull you into thinking he’s only there to get drunk, but the man can hang on the foosball table.

Singh talks with a couple of spectators: one shorter fellow with long, shaggy hair and a navy Hurley T-shirt and his friend who is much taller and wears a Chicago Bears shirt. Singh converses with them by first asking if they have ever tried an “Irish Car Bomb.” Later he approaches the pair again and asks if they have ever tried a vodka sour.

Singh plays some foosball, but his team loses its first two games. It’s a double elimination tournament — Singh is done playing for the night, but not he’s not done pounding beers.

“It’s not about foosball. It’s all about drinking,” Singh jokes.

Plus, there’s free popcorn to eat and Singh takes advantage of it, as does the spectator in the Bears shirt. After all, Singh informs him, “The more you eat, the fresher they make it.” He soon starts drinking pints of Guinness at $3.25 a glass — a steep price for someone going home with no winnings.

At 10, the two-for-one deal ends, but ladies night begins, luring in an abundance of scantily clad college females. Hart refers to this as “eye candy.”

The distractions of women and liquor doesn’t seem to affect the more seasoned foosball veterans like Eric Wilson, junior in journalism and mass communication, who is known for his “aerial” shot.

“I play better when I’m drunk,” Wilson explains. “You reach a period when you are drunk and play at your maximum. It only lasts about 30 seconds, though.”

It is Mark Gilloon’s third trip to the tournament. He finds the temptations of alcohol too much to handle when playing.

“The hardest thing is not to get drunk during the time between your games,” he says.

Another week, another tournament

This is how Hart’s foosball tournament works. For some, it’s the thrill of competition and winning some prize money. For others, it’s the opportunity to go out and get drunk on Monday night.

Things are supposed to wrap up at 11 p.m. but tonight the playing continues until well after midnight. Hart and his partner eventually go on to beat Wilson and Monahan for the prize.

Next week things will be the same, yet different. Prize will be different, teams will change. Some of tonight’s players won’t show up. Singh will be there though. After all, the popcorn will still be free and he can still buy two vodka sours for the price of one.