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Michael Phelan, ([[]],[[]] - [[]],[[]]) known as the Father of American Billiards, was a professional billiard player, billiard industry inventor, technique innovator, promotor, billiard parlor owner, writer...

Michael Phelan the father the founder and the nestor of American billiards, was, by all odds the noblest Roman of them all. He had demonstrated his superiority over the players of the world in many an exciting and hard fought game, and had finished his professional billiard carerr in 1859 by a match for the largest stake ever played for up that date, with John Seereiter of Detroit, the sum being originallt fixed at $5,000 a side, and increased to $7,500 on the night of the match, which was played at Firemen's Hall, in Detroit on April 12, 1859. It is believed that more hard money exchanged hands on this game than was ever before or since staked on a match game of billiards, the sporting men of the West backing Seereiter to the extent of thousands of dollars, and the New York contingent grabbing every offer in sight. The game was four balls, 2,000 points up, 2⅜ balls, on a 6x12 table, push and crotch allowed. The referee was Judge Strong of the Detroit supreme court, and the score was as follows: Phelan 2,000; Seereiter, 1,904. Phelan's average 12 32-164. Seereiter's average 11 111-163. Highest runs: Phelan, 129, 101, 96 and 91; Seereiter, 157, 150, 60 and 59. These games, with several other of a smiliar nature, stimulated the rivalry then existing among the professional players of the Eats and West, and the excitement and jealousy thus aroused culminated in the bringing together of representative players of the two sections in the tournament of 1863 for the championship of America at four ball billiards. It was organized and managed by Michael Phelan and took place in Irving Hall, New York, lasting from June 1 to June 9. The prizes were a gold mounted cue and a billiard table then valued at $750 for the first, and $250 cash for the second; carom game, 500 points up, 2⅜ balls on a 6x12 four pocket table; push and crotch allowed. Dudley Kavanagh, who took first prize, defeated every man in the tournament except John Deery. Brooklyn Daily Eagle. Aaron Vanderwerker. Old Billiard Champions. May 9, 1897. Digitized version available through the Brooklynpubliclibrary.org. Retrieved on ____.