WATERVILLE — Mike Dechaine is preparing for the biggest thrill of his professional billiards-playing career.

“It’s the biggest thrill of any pool player’s career,” Dechaine, 24, said.

A Winslow native, Dechaine will play for Team USA in the Mosconi Cup tournament next month in Las Vegas. The Mosconi Cup is an annual tournament featuring the top billiards players from the United States against their counterparts from Europe. The tournament will be Dec. 8-11 at the MGM Grand Casino. Europe won the Mosconi Cup last year 11-8 in London.

Dechaine is the only first-time member of Team USA’s five-man squad, and said he’ll follow the lead of team captain Charlie Williams.

“Whatever (Williams) says, goes,” Dechaine said. “I’m very close to everybody on my team. I’ve been playing against them for the last six or seven years. I’m excited.”

Dechaine found out he’d made the team after the U.S. Open, held in mid-October in Chesapeake, Va. Despite finishing in 49th place at the U.S. Open, Dechaine was able to hold on to his third-place ranking in the Mosconi Cup standings. Players earn points throughout the season by competing in tournaments.

“I didn’t have a great showing. It’s the toughest tournament of the year, for sure. I didn’t have the greatest bracket ever, but I maintained, and made it into the Cup,” Dechaine said.

All Mosconi Cup matches are 9-Ball, but the tournament is divided into singles, doubles and team play matches.

“We all get up and take our turn,” Dechaine said. “We all get a chance to play with another teammate.”

Team Europe is led by Darren Appleton, of Britain, who recently won the U.S. Open for the second consecutive year.

“It’s going to be tough, but it should be fun,” Dechaine said.

Playing in the Mosconi Cup tournament is the highlight of what’s been a strong year for Dechaine. In April, he won the Ultimate 10-Ball Championships in Frisco, Texas, beating a field of 96 players to claim the top prize, $16,000.

Earlier this fall, Dechaine represented the United States at the World Cup of Pool in Manilla, the capital of the Philippines. Dechaine spent much of the year as the top ranked American player, and that earned him a spot at the World Cup, which was televised by ESPN.

“There’s a lot of people watching, the camera’s rolling. They stop you in the middle of the match to do whatever they’ve got to do,” Dechaine said.

Following the Mosconi Cup, Dechaine will play in a tournament at the Turning Stone Casino in New York. After a few weeks off for Christmas, he’ll head to Elizabeth, Ind. for the Derby City Classic.

Dechaine currently divides his time between Waterville and Providence, R.I., but when it was time to choose a place to prepare for the Mosconi Cup, Dechaine said it had to be Waterville.

“I came up here to Waterville, because I wanted to practice at T.J.’s. I hired a physical trainer up here. That’s my goal. I just want to get in shape, practice a little more, and take it more as a job,” Dechaine said.

Throughout the Mosconi Cup, Dechaine will blog on his website, mikedechaine.com. Although the tournament will not be on live television in the United States, fans can watch the tournament at T.J.’s Classic Billiards in Waterville, or at azbilliards.com.

Travis Lazarczyk — 861-9242

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