Being that I am a bit older than the average poster here, I thought I might post on the way it was back in the day when I first started playing and how the game and the places it is played has changed.
Back in the '60s when I was first able to go to the Pool Room (in this case a little small wood dwelling in a place where i grew up in Amityville Long Island named "Brucie's" after the 70 year old owner Mr. Brewster! there were 3 ancient even for then tables! all 3 were Brunswicks and they were leather pocket with carved wood legs and sides kept immaculate by Brucie ! He racked each game for at the time 10 cent each rack and brushed the tables regularly the number 1 table (which was prohibited to us kids until we reached "Player" status) was brushed after each and every game !
On the 1st table there was the regulars! Guys named Jimmy the painter ! (he actually was a painter and always came in with his paint spattered white clothes) My uncle Cisero when he was in town! Big Preston, Lou also known as pretty boy Lou ! (at least until he was shot sneaking out of a married woman window!)
etcetera!
I thanks to my uncles tutelage (and probably our relationship) was allowed on table 2 ! this table was for the regular players and was always clean and level but never had the cache of table 1 ! To play on table 1 was everyones incentive to get better but until Brucie decide it was to be you were on table 2 or god forbid table 3 (the rag was never as clean or as new as the others I now realize there was a reason for this!) this table was for the kids and bangers! On slow days or early in the day like when we got out of school if the place was slow Brucie would offer advice to us at least the ones he thought deserved it and would help us with stroke and english issues ! it was like class after school Brucies was always hot in the summer but in the winter it was kept toasty warm and comfortable since I suppose this was prime time on cold long island for Brucie's since it always was busy in the winter, so much so that at times usually Friday late afternoons and evenings it was almost impossible to get on a table since even table 3 was in demand !
And Now.....
I play out of Mr. Cues here in Atlanta which has about 40+ tables and a bar and a good assortment of food....
(not like the ice cooler at Brucie's ! a little steel cased box that had an assortment of yoohoo sodas and nehi orange drinks etcetera! with a few bags of peanuts also available!
Mr. Cues now due to the Dekalb smoking ban "loopholes" no longer allows anyone under 18 to enter much less play so that smoking under Dekalb County laws still can be allowed!, a sad turn of events since now the kids have no organized place to play! Nor does it have the ever friendly and and instructive Mr. Brucie! What it does have is Air conditioning and heat in the winter that isn't dependent on the availability of cut wood for the heater with no thermostat other than Brucie piling on a fresh log when he decided it was needed ! Mr. Cues also has as house Pro Johnny Archer! as good and nice as Johnny is he will never be the same as Brucie!
We also have the APA which is great and does allow some of the comraderie ! but again it just isn't the same since the players are not from the same locales and only see each other on League night!
I love Mr Cues ! but I have to admit I really miss the close camaraderie, jokes and daily stories of the regulars of Brucies and the stern ever watchful eye and advice of Mr Brewster! Yes things have changed since then some for the better and some things not so better but any way this is my story of then and now!
Peace Phil AKA Mr Lucky
and may Mr Brewster always be remembered!
Back in the '60s when I was first able to go to the Pool Room (in this case a little small wood dwelling in a place where i grew up in Amityville Long Island named "Brucie's" after the 70 year old owner Mr. Brewster! there were 3 ancient even for then tables! all 3 were Brunswicks and they were leather pocket with carved wood legs and sides kept immaculate by Brucie ! He racked each game for at the time 10 cent each rack and brushed the tables regularly the number 1 table (which was prohibited to us kids until we reached "Player" status) was brushed after each and every game !
On the 1st table there was the regulars! Guys named Jimmy the painter ! (he actually was a painter and always came in with his paint spattered white clothes) My uncle Cisero when he was in town! Big Preston, Lou also known as pretty boy Lou ! (at least until he was shot sneaking out of a married woman window!)
etcetera!I thanks to my uncles tutelage (and probably our relationship) was allowed on table 2 ! this table was for the regular players and was always clean and level but never had the cache of table 1 ! To play on table 1 was everyones incentive to get better but until Brucie decide it was to be you were on table 2 or god forbid table 3 (the rag was never as clean or as new as the others I now realize there was a reason for this!) this table was for the kids and bangers! On slow days or early in the day like when we got out of school if the place was slow Brucie would offer advice to us at least the ones he thought deserved it and would help us with stroke and english issues ! it was like class after school Brucies was always hot in the summer but in the winter it was kept toasty warm and comfortable since I suppose this was prime time on cold long island for Brucie's since it always was busy in the winter, so much so that at times usually Friday late afternoons and evenings it was almost impossible to get on a table since even table 3 was in demand !
And Now.....
I play out of Mr. Cues here in Atlanta which has about 40+ tables and a bar and a good assortment of food....
(not like the ice cooler at Brucie's ! a little steel cased box that had an assortment of yoohoo sodas and nehi orange drinks etcetera! with a few bags of peanuts also available!
Mr. Cues now due to the Dekalb smoking ban "loopholes" no longer allows anyone under 18 to enter much less play so that smoking under Dekalb County laws still can be allowed!, a sad turn of events since now the kids have no organized place to play! Nor does it have the ever friendly and and instructive Mr. Brucie! What it does have is Air conditioning and heat in the winter that isn't dependent on the availability of cut wood for the heater with no thermostat other than Brucie piling on a fresh log when he decided it was needed ! Mr. Cues also has as house Pro Johnny Archer! as good and nice as Johnny is he will never be the same as Brucie!
We also have the APA which is great and does allow some of the comraderie ! but again it just isn't the same since the players are not from the same locales and only see each other on League night!
I love Mr Cues ! but I have to admit I really miss the close camaraderie, jokes and daily stories of the regulars of Brucies and the stern ever watchful eye and advice of Mr Brewster! Yes things have changed since then some for the better and some things not so better but any way this is my story of then and now!
Peace Phil AKA Mr Lucky
and may Mr Brewster always be remembered!
