Support your local pool room?

What is it you want them to do?

If they play in a bar, then they support the bar.

I think that most people just can't afford the table time and the gas.

Tournaments usually just payout to the top 3 or 4 who usually are the same people all the time.

Tournaments start late and if you win a few games then you get home late and that is not good for the people who have to go to work in the morning. Besides that the cops are staking out the pool rooms around here and writing a lot DUI's. Several pool players here no longer have driver's licenses.

Jake

I think you can begin by helping to change the image of pool players. Get out there and treat people with dignity and respect! Conduct yourself in a dignified manner. Put on some charity events to help needy kids in your town. Get some positive press for the event. Get the hell out there and earn the respect and praise you get when you let them know you give a chit about somebody besides yourself. This in itself will make the local pool room more apealing to the general public. They will want to see "Da Man" who is giving it his best shot to be a decent person. Like Nike says, "Just Do It"!
Purdman

Tammie, I wasn't directing my opinion at you. The truth be known, the action players are broke a lot of the time. People who play the game for a living are notorously cheep. For that matter, most league players are cheep. How many times have you seen them ask for a glass of water? I don't want to put everybody in this catorgory, some are not. Most of what I post is just my honest opinion and is not shared by all the people on the planet. I support my local pool hall, pro players, cue makers and this wonderful sport that I love. If I was in your area, I would beeating and drinking in your place. I would be banging my balls all over your place having a grand time. Good luck and I hope things change for the better!
Purdman

Tammie,

I know what you mean. I am not even referring to my local pool room here. When I read your description of what's happening, I thought you were describing my local American Legion post. We do lots of things in the community as well but its usually the same 10-12 people doing it. We have roughly 300 members who pay their dues but never support the place anymore.

I am not sure if a different marketing approach would work or not, but maybe worth a try. Maybe ask other local business owners (not pool rooms) what they are doing to market their place. Maybe you can come up with something new and different.

Good Luck,
Craig

Eieio59 said:

I guess I'm not getting my question across correctly.... BTW, we do have "charity" events. We have junior development leagues. We host league play. We host ABC type tournaments as well as "open" regional type events. I treat players with respect as do the others in the room. They don't get "woofed" at when they come in. If they want practice, they get practice. If they want action, they get action. We aim to please. We try to have decent tables and equipment available. We have cues/accessories available. We have beer/wine/food available.

I also don't mind them supporting the bars. It's just that I don't understand what it is that makes them not want to support us and my questions were actually regarding whether or not this is happening everywhere or is it just us??????

Like I said, where I originally come from, even if you didn't "hang" in the poolroom all of the time, you at least came in on special occasions or to practice or something!!!

Don't get me wrong, we have a good clientele and are busy. It's just I can't figure out why these players avoid the poolroom or if it is like that everywhere......

Tammie

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I think allot of people nowadays want quick and fast stimulus without much effort. It seems like the people who just kill time in there lifes personal time would rather do it with much less effort than years gone by. It feels like a social issue of the times. Each generation has the same layers up and down of its demographics, and each generation has their own thought process. I kinda saw and example of what I'm trying to say in a large sporting goods store recently. The name changed, and inside the inventory did too, it was strange, they took out allot of the actual sports equipment and substituted it with hats and logos and things that "represented" sports yet their inventory of sports products was 50% less than before, it struck me as odd.

I do know what you are saying Tammie. I love this sport and always wanted my dream pool room. I have tried several small rooms in a rural area. The winters were pretty good, but once warm weather arrived my business took a dive. Even a good size city like Lexington seems to go through the summer doldrums and there really isn't even much in the way of a decent room.
**
Using another business that I had, as an example, I had a aftermarket motorcyle/ATV shop. Motorcycles/ATV are red hot right now. My business started out blazing and then fizzeled out. People would rather buy off the Internet (and then come in and tell me about it!) and save a few bucks, even though I would lower my price and offer full satisfaction guarantees or they could swap parts back. I would sponser benefit rides/poker runs. I had free BBQ cookouts with door prizes. There was no loyalty. IMO therein lies much of the problem. Big brand stores come in and the small local family business goes out. Maybe its just a sign of the times. I agree 100% with Island Drive's post also.

INT. AMES POOL HALL - DAY

It is twelve-thirty when Eddie Felson and Charlie Burns first enter
into Ames. Only one table is in use; the hall is empty. In Eddie's hand
is his leather cue case. They stand before the swinging doors and look
around.

CHARLIE
It's quiet.

EDDIE
Yeah, like a church. Church of the Good Hustler.

But it ain't a church. You don't have to tithe, and you don't go to Hell for attending a different church whenever you wish.

That said, there are two pool halls in Denver that I patronize religiously. I'll rearrange my schedule quite a bit to attend a tournament at either. I sing their praises to everyone I know. I drag wayward youth off the street into them and onto the Four-Bank Path to Enlightenment and Correct Thinking.

I do these things because these are fun places. Perhaps your pool room needs more fun?

The local pool room has hundreds of people come in every Friday and Saturday. That is when he turns it into a dance club. The young crowd come in droves from all over and don't mind paying an admission charge or $4.00 beer or $4.50 a shot for hard stuff. Top shelf is more.

The pool scene has died out here too. Maybe it is just because it was summer and now that fall is here it will pick up again. But then it is always summer in Florida.

APA is still big in the pool hall and he treats them nice. Sells cues at a discount. Replaces tips cheap. Supports his teams with shirts and if they win a trip to Vegas he gives the team $500.

We really don't have any top players around here, and none come to visit. If they do come then all they want is free stuff and to play some money games. They win the money and leave with it and none of it gets spent in the pool room.

Are you looking for a pro to come and play in your room? Do you own the room? In my opinion it would cost you more to keep him there than he would produce in revenue for the room. He would most likely want free table time on your best table, free food and drinks, and you to back him if he finds a money game. The bottom line is that most people would not know who he is, nor care.

Jake

Eieio59 said:

I guess I'm not getting my question across correctly.... BTW, we do have "charity" events. We have junior development leagues. We host league play. We host ABC type tournaments as well as "open" regional type events. I treat players with respect as do the others in the room. They don't get "woofed" at when they come in.

Click to expand...

What is, "woofed at," please?

Don't get me wrong, we have a good clientele and are busy. It's just I can't figure out why these players avoid the poolroom or if it is like that everywhere......

Click to expand...

I dont' "get" you at all, Tammie. If players avoid the poolroom, of whom does your good clientele consist and what keeps you busy?

WTF, exactly, are you complaining about?

I know I don't play much because there is no decent place for me to play without driving 45 or so minutes. I've been down to your place and enjoyed it, one of the better places to play in all of indiana. I know ball state used to have a good amount of pool players, heck there were pool tables in every dorm. I'm guessing they are not there now. (using bsu as a example) Pool just isn't played by the masses anymore which is a shame.

Hoping to come down next wednesday and hit some for awhile.

Eieio59 said:

I'm just at a loss to explain this lack of support - from the better players. As I said in another reply, we have business, just not from the players who you would think would support us.... I have found if you don't guarantee them something, then they just avoid you like the plaque.

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OK, now I think I see what you're complaining about.

Tammie: "Mr. Local Legend, I want you to be in my pool hall during hours that I specify and do what I want you to do."

Mr. L: "Sounds like a job, Tammie. What's it pay?"

Tammie: "You expect a guarantee?! Where I originally came from... Louisiana , it was just expected that players would support the local pool room... even if you didn't 'hang' in the poolroom all of the time, you at least came in on special occassions or to practice or something!!!"

Mr. L: "Sure, Tammie, I will. I promise! (I think I'll avoid this person like the plague.)"

simple really

I have been in business many years and the answer to your question is simple. The better players aren't there because there is somewhere else they would rather be, even if it is home.

The solution is to give the good players exactly what they want. However that will most likely put you out of business because what the "better players" want and what your customers that are paying the bills want are likely to be completely different.

I patronize my local pool halls, but only during quiet times. I don't care for lots of cigarette smoke, or noise, or crowds of often annoying people around me. I often practice alone. I no longer drink so the profit to the pool hall is the cheap daily special, maybe a couple of soda's and the comparatively generous tips that keep the workers happy to see me. A pool hall geared to please me and people like me all the time couldn't pay the light bill, much less other expenses and then I suspect you would like to make a dollar for all of your work and investment.

Few of my businesses worked out exactly the way I planned them. I had to let the paying customers show me what they wanted. You do too if you want to have a successful business. Could just the "better players" provide you enough income to keep you happy? If not I suggest not rocking the boat if you have a successful business now. If you are doing so well that you can set up a separate room for better players that might get them in.

Hu

jjinfla said:

Are you looking for a pro to come and play in your room?
Jake

Click to expand...

Tammie is a pro.

Eieio59 said:

There is only one other player here that does not come in to our room that can come close to laying claim to a title like "local legend".

Tammie Jones

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Awe shucks Tammie, you do remember me!

I find ...

that Pool room owners go through phases also. Rumors just caters to inhouse league players, only hold small tournaments for them only, hold lots of Holdem tournaments, karoake, and little 'action' going on. It used to be the action place, and there were at least 2 big tournaemnts there a year.

Shooters is dropping off. The popular weekly tournaments have dropped off, inhouse leagues are still strong, and this is where most of the action is now, when it happens. The owner doesn't come in often, at night anyway, unless there is a tournament with a calcutta. He has cut down on money added for tournaments to 25% from 50%, except for $5 entry tournaments which don't pay nothing. Holdem tournaments go on in the back room every week, but not near as much as Rumors. Last night, bet there weren't 20 people in the whiole place. I played some cheap sets in a Scotch Doubles format, and when we got done, there were 12-14 people watching us because we were the ONLY MONEY GAME going on in the place. Bangers come and go, tear up tables, but the 10-18 guys that come in rain or shine, those who love the sport, and can play a little, draw people down there because people love to see good action on the table. Even though they might be trying to roll up their money, they still are an attraction for a Pool room owner. Pool room owners sometimes forget that or dismiss that too easily.

SidePockets, our big place, 9 full size, 24 bar tables, is becoming more popular. They hold a good tournament every Saturday, but their handicapping system is the pits. More gambling is starting to happen there, and more players are starting to go in there more often. It is an upscale place, and their drinks and food are a little higher than most would want. They hold a good Midwest 9 ball tour event there every June. There are noticeable adjustments on the tables there though from playing at Rumors or Shooters. They have the Black Valley tables.

It seems hard for Room owners to run a good tournament with good participation on a regular basis. We all know they make most of their money on food and drinks, not Pool. If room owners though, don't support the hardcore players, they will find the players won't support them.