The Devil Was Born
At the end of the 1980s, a group of young amateur billiard players met regularly at the "Club Rusticana" in Neu-Anspach playing pool together. Little by little, the idea of starting a billiards club matured. On December 6, 1989, the time had come: 15 billiard enthusiasts founded the club on St. Nicholas Eve. In addition to the election of the first leadership team, the naming was also on the agenda of the founding meeting: In the end, the proposal Pool Devils prevailed over other appealing ideas such as Pool Lions or Pool Tigers.
The First Year
The official name of the club was initially Rusti's Pool Devils, based on the club's local at that time. Billiards became very popular in Neu-Anspach and the club grew steadily. In 1990, the first club championship and the first open tournament took place, which the club hosted at the "Club Rusticana". This allowed the young club to attract attention in the Hessian billiards scene and establish initial contacts for the future.
The Adventure Begins
In the 1991/1992 season, a Pool Devils team competed in the leagues of the Hessian Pool-Billiard-Association (HPBV) for the first time. With the line-up of Carsten Bletz, Jochen Maurer, Michael Oeverdieck, Andreas Reinhardt, Angelika Wodicka and Stefan Wodicka, the team managed to improve its performance throughout the season after a bumpy start. The Pool Devils finished the season in fourth place at fifth division and were promoted directly to the next higher division.
Clean Sweep To Third Division
After the promotion to the fourth division and steadily growing number of members, a second team was started in the following season. While the first team managed a clean sweep to the third division, the second team finished the season in the middle of the table. The club had around 30 members in these days and the Pool Devils youth section quickly grew up to nine athletes. In the state league, the youth team finished second in the 1992/1993 season.
Clubhouse At Button Factory
The Pool Devils searched for a suitable building for their own clubhouse for two years before the Neu-Anspach pastor, of all people, arranged for them the premises of the old button factory in Langgasse during a visit to the "Club Rusticana." In less than two months, thanks to the active support of the members, around 200 square meters of carpeting were laid and billiard tables were set up, so that the current season continued in the club's own clubhouse from December 1993. The Pool Devils teams finished the season in the middle of their leagues.
Taunus District Championship
After the first Taunus district championship the previous year had already been a great success, the district championship in the discipline 9-Ball was staged in March 1994 in the clubhouse of the Pool Devils. Once again, 32 participants from the five clubs in the district competed, and in the end, our later member Thomas Rabe, then still playing for PBV Obermörlen, secured the district championship title. At the end of the 1993/1994 season, the Pool Devils' first team finished second in the third division, and the third team, led by captain Andreas Acker, also achieved promotion to the fourth division.
Legendary BMW-Open
In order to cover the running charges of association, clubhouse and playing equipment, the first BMW-Open was hosted in April 1996. With the tireless efforts of all members, the support of the "Böhmer & Schmidt" car dealership and other sponsors, the club succeeded in overcoming what was arguably its greatest challenge to date and hosting one of the largest billiards tournaments of its time. The four-day major tournament was so well received by billiard players that there were three more editions of the BMW-Open from 1997 to 1999.
Fox And Devil Unite
The billiards boom of the 1980s gradually ebbed and many of the established clubs were forced to take new paths. In 2000, Pool Devils and Usinger Effet-Füchse moved into the shared clubhouse in Neu-Anspach, and both clubs fielded a total of seven teams in the 2000/2001 season. The official fusion took place in the summer of 2001, and the resulting team in the Hessian top league became the flagship of the Pool Devils in the following years. In the 2001/2002 season, the club's new leadership managed to establish six teams in the Hessian billiard leagues.
Biggest Success
The greatest success in the club’s history to date was recorded in the 2002/2003 season. In their third season in the Hessian top league, the Pool Devils' first squad consisting of Martin Figgemeier, Nico Friedrich, Jochen Maurer and Dylan Morgan finished at third place. However, the Pool Devils were unable to build on this success. The team, newly formed in the following season around captain Jochen Maurer, was completed with three teams in the lower leagues.
Moving To Usingen
After the premises in Neu-Anspach were sold, the club's leadership team had to find a new solution quickly. At about the same time, Joachim Hidalgo, a well-known person in the regional billiards scene, opened the billiards and music bar "Casa Blanca" with ten pool tables in Usingen. The good relationship between former president Heinz Schmidt and his long-time companion quickly led to productive dialogue and the Pool Devils moved to the neighboring town of Usingen. This step proved to be a fortunate one, as the club enjoyed a large popularity at the "Casa Blanca" and was able to field six teams in its first season in Usingen.
Snooker National Championship
With a third place at the Hessian Snooker Championship, the Pool Devils-squad Sebastian Duchatsch, Patrick Hummel and Sebastian Pätzold qualified for the German Championship. The following year, the team was able to defend third place, before Duchatsch and Pätzold, along with Daniel Haese, won the Hessian Championship in 2012.
Back To The Clubhouse
In May 2014, the owner of the billiards bar in Usingen, now renamed “Point,” decided to open his establishment only on weekends. The loss of the training and playing venue threatened the club with closure and the club board had to find a solution again. Within a few days, the former guest rooms of the "Boller" in Wehrheim were inspected, necessary formalities were clarified with the renter and the new clubhouse was voted on at a general meeting. In September 2014, the new clubhouse, which was to be the club's home for the next ten years, was presented to the public.
Out Of The Box
In 2023, the Pool Devils once again left their familiar sporting terrain: From now on, the athletes will also represent the club in carom billiards and 5-pins. Since the 2024/2025 season, the Hessian Billiards-Association (HBLV) has reinstated the championships for two-person teams into its sports program, and the Pool Devils also entered a team in Hessians top three-cushion league on 7ft billiard tables. The team consisting of Jonas Büchsenschütz, Patrick Hummel and Achim Lingner finished the season in fourth place.
The Devils Are Back In Town
The increase in members in recent years has given the Pool Devils the opportunity to expand their clubhouse. After more than 20 years, the club returned to its hometown of Neu-Anspach in August. 2025. The renovation work took about eight weeks before the new clubhouse in the Feldberg Center could be opened in time for the start of the season. 140 square meters now offer space for five pool tables in the bright and modern clubhouse and a cooperation with schools within walking distance brings young billiard enthusiasts closer to the sport. The club also celebrated promotion to the second division of the HPBV.