The Swift Current Legion Branch 56 will play host to the Provincial 8-ball Playoffs beginning this evening.

Six teams, one from Rosetown, two from Swift Current, and three from Estevan, will take to the tables tonight and tomorrow at the Legion vying for a chance to represent the province at the Dominion Championship on May 24-27 in Happy Valley-Goose Bay, Nfld.

Dick Lee, the tournament director and one of the 24 participants, said action will start at 7 p.m. tonight and play will commence again on Saturday at around 9:15 a.m.

"I think the youngest guy here is 45, so we've been playing pool most of our life," he said. "Swift Current's a hotbed of pool, whether you're playing 8-ball or snooker. There's lots of real good pool players in Swift Current."

Swift Current's team of Dick Lee, Bill Lee, Wayne Westbury, and Ward Schultz won the provincial tournament in 2018 the last time it was held locally. They then moved on to Nationals in Fredericton, N.B. representing Saskatchewan. 

Bernie Gerlach, Dave Hart, Ralph Schmiess, and Jerry Biese form the second team from Swift Current.

Sixty games will be played during the two days to decide the provincial champion.

"There's six teams with four guys on a team," Lee said while describing the tournament format. "You make four divisions and you put six guys in there, one off each of those teams. You play in your division and then the winner that comes out of that division dictates the champion."