It has been said over and over again that Pool is the great equalizer. I'd agree. Therefore the game is going to attract people from all walks of life. Most of the nick names I recall from my Pool world show folks from all walks of life, mostly by their job or the place from where they hail: Glen the bartender, Bobby the lawyer, Tim the accountant (not surprisingly, mostly a Billiards player), Billy the painter, White Plains Charlie, Mount Vernon Tommy, New Rochelle Johnny, George the Greek, Rick the hick, Steve the therapist, Brewster Barry, Glenn OPP (one pair of pants. Glen always had the same pair of pants on...always), Mikey the Lyte (local numbers, sports betting booker & arranger of personal loans), Paulie Cutman (a B player at best, but he could consistently make insane cut shots even pros would not attempt), Chic (pronounced chick, another pinky ring wearing gentleman who would book your wagering of choice and arrange personal loans if need be). Some guys had degrees up the ying-yang, some didn't finish high school. Some guys made a 6 figure salary, some didn't have 2 nickels to rub together on any given day. Some had been to prison, others didn't...and some of them should've, lol. Some had received mental health treatment and were on meds, some weren't, and some of them should be. Finally, some could play the game lights out, most just aspired to. But for the most part, we all pretty much respected one another and got along.
Like Basketball, Pool does not require a major investment in equipment to play it. Most places that have a Pool table come fully equipped with all you need to play.
Pool tables show up at many places which do not discriminate about the income of who comes in, such as bars, pool halls, recreation departments, game rooms, hotels, motels, etc., as opposed to country clubs and gold courses.
Many Pool rooms, regardless of how "upscale" they are, will attract folks who "deal in ca$h"...some from the legal, lawful world, others...not so much. Many from the not so much world didn't choose that life/world, it's more like there were very few options for them to begin with. That accounts for a lot of the more "colorful" folks we see.
As I've shared previously, I'm a Psychotherapist. I've worked for 4 Psychiatric Hospitals during my career. All 3 of the 4 had Pool tables in them. In every case, the units that had them, the Pool table was the center of the patients social activity. Truth be told, while I loved pool from the time I was 5, I didn't become addicted until I started working in the Psych Hospitals. Many Psych Hospital & Residential Treatment centers have Pool tables.
I managed a Pool hall in White Plains, NY. One of the largest Psych Hospitals in the country is in White Plains (New York Presbyterian). As such, few cities in the US have better out-patient services for those with severe behavioral health issues than White Plains, NY. As such, White Plains, NY is a very desirable city to live in if you're coping on a daily basis with severe mental illness. Many of these folks live a pretty normal life as long as they stay on their medication and off alcohol & drugs. Many you couldn't spot in a crowd, but there are some you can. A great many can't work, are unemployed or underemployed. The Pool hall, which is free to enter, is fun and economically viable place to socialize. Given some of the other characters that a Pool halls attracts, those with behavioral health issues don't stick out as much, and I'm proud to say, are accepted regardless.
The average Pool hall is very much like the TV bar "Cheers", as long as you're not a completely obnoxious douche, you're accepted and at least some of the people there will be glad to see you when you come in to celebrate the game you love. I haven't invited all of the folks I mentioned into my home, but there have been more than a few I have on occasion and some of them are friends to this day. For me, if any 2 of us are too much the same, then 1 of us becomes unnecessary. Dealing with folks from such different (not better or worse, different) walks of life has been a great blessing and a $#!+load o fun. I think it's one of the truly best things about this game we love. YMMV. -Z- .
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