Cuenique Billiards is gone.....
- Thread starter kap
- Start date
I went by there in 1980 when Jerry Briesath was the owner. It was a quality pool hall.kap said:
Why did it close?
Was that the place right downtown near the UW campus, on the second floor ?..........Also, where will the better players in town play now ?
Wow. I just woke up, and this is really sad news. I almost feel a little sick, and that's not a joke. Yes, 1PG, that's the right location.
I graduated from Madison in December 2005. I'd only been back there maybe one or two times since graduation. Cuenique was like my home in college. Yes, I spent more time there than in the library. I even spent more time there than at work (somewhat impressive as I had a fairly demanding--for a full time student--20 hour-a-week job in the engineering depaprtment).
I lived on Mifflin Street (500 block for those who know the city) for one year, which was great. I'd walk over there almost every day. I'd even study there. I'd work for an hour and then let myself play a few games.
I remember when I first found the place I was so excited. I started playing pool in college. To my knowledge at that time, the nearest good pool hall was The Green Room (now moved out of Madison), which was way across town on the bus (though later I played the straight pool league there for a season). I didn't like playing at the Unions, especially Union South was bad.
When I first went there Larry Nevel was still playing there a lot. I used to sit and watch him play as much as I could. Cuenique had a great rail to watch from. I learned how to really get extreme draw from watching Larrry. "Oh, so that's how you do it," I thought. I still remember that moment. I was sorry when he moved away.
Unfortunately I think Cuenique was already sort of in a decline around the time I started going there. When I first found the place there was a weekly 8 ball tournament on Sundays. But those died out after not too long. I don't know how long they held them before that. Towards the end of my college career, after Madison's smoking ban, I think the Thursday 9 ball tournament started having a hard time getting players too. Poker tournaments were pretty popular (I never played in any), but I think after the smoking ban attendance dropped on those as well.
I was really disappointed last time I had a chance to go there. They weren't opening at noon anymore. I was looking forward to going and playing all day while my friend was in class. I was hoping to see Bernie, this older guy who taught me how to play 9 ball banks. I learned a lot from him (and if he's reading thanks for that and for making me gamble!). Actually, funny story about Bernie. He used to tell me "It doesn't matter if it's just $2 a game, but you've gotta gamble!" So, this one time I was playing One Pocket with this old guy. Can't remember his name, but everyone from Cuenique knows him, he always smoked a pipe. Bernie is sitting watching and says to me "I'll stake you to play him $20 a game one pocket." And at the time I had never gambled for more than $5 in my whole life. I was so surprised, and so freaked out at the idea of playing for $20 (!!!!!) that I wouldn't do it. Not even on someone else's money! And I was so rattled by the idea that I couldn't make a ball afterwards. I really look back on that moment with great disappointment in myself. :'(
Sahm (not spelled right, but that's the sound), Matt, Tuoy, Tom, Emily, Bernie, Danny. I hope you guys are all well. Hopefully I will see you all around again someday! But I guess not in the place I had planned on.
I graduated from Madison in December 2005. I'd only been back there maybe one or two times since graduation. Cuenique was like my home in college. Yes, I spent more time there than in the library. I even spent more time there than at work (somewhat impressive as I had a fairly demanding--for a full time student--20 hour-a-week job in the engineering depaprtment).
I lived on Mifflin Street (500 block for those who know the city) for one year, which was great. I'd walk over there almost every day. I'd even study there. I'd work for an hour and then let myself play a few games.
I remember when I first found the place I was so excited. I started playing pool in college. To my knowledge at that time, the nearest good pool hall was The Green Room (now moved out of Madison), which was way across town on the bus (though later I played the straight pool league there for a season). I didn't like playing at the Unions, especially Union South was bad.
When I first went there Larry Nevel was still playing there a lot. I used to sit and watch him play as much as I could. Cuenique had a great rail to watch from. I learned how to really get extreme draw from watching Larrry. "Oh, so that's how you do it," I thought. I still remember that moment. I was sorry when he moved away.
Unfortunately I think Cuenique was already sort of in a decline around the time I started going there. When I first found the place there was a weekly 8 ball tournament on Sundays. But those died out after not too long. I don't know how long they held them before that. Towards the end of my college career, after Madison's smoking ban, I think the Thursday 9 ball tournament started having a hard time getting players too. Poker tournaments were pretty popular (I never played in any), but I think after the smoking ban attendance dropped on those as well.
I was really disappointed last time I had a chance to go there. They weren't opening at noon anymore. I was looking forward to going and playing all day while my friend was in class. I was hoping to see Bernie, this older guy who taught me how to play 9 ball banks. I learned a lot from him (and if he's reading thanks for that and for making me gamble!). Actually, funny story about Bernie. He used to tell me "It doesn't matter if it's just $2 a game, but you've gotta gamble!" So, this one time I was playing One Pocket with this old guy. Can't remember his name, but everyone from Cuenique knows him, he always smoked a pipe. Bernie is sitting watching and says to me "I'll stake you to play him $20 a game one pocket." And at the time I had never gambled for more than $5 in my whole life. I was so surprised, and so freaked out at the idea of playing for $20 (!!!!!) that I wouldn't do it. Not even on someone else's money! And I was so rattled by the idea that I couldn't make a ball afterwards. I really look back on that moment with great disappointment in myself. :'(
Sahm (not spelled right, but that's the sound), Matt, Tuoy, Tom, Emily, Bernie, Danny. I hope you guys are all well. Hopefully I will see you all around again someday! But I guess not in the place I had planned on.
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This is bad news. I stopped in there every time I was in Madison, but it's been years. They did a really nice rail to watch from. They also had this great countertop with pictures and pool stuff at all depths in a really thick slab of Urethane. I hope someone kept that intact.
I've seen pictures of what you're talking about, but it was gone before I started going there (maybe 2002, a guess.). It looked pretty neat though. When it changed ownership (one time, I don't claim to know everytime) I saw an article that said they rebuilt the bar.longhair said:
Some of their tables (GC1's and 2's) are heading my way thanks to John Scalissi of Midwest Billiards. He bought them at the auction for me. They all have new rails and rubber, and have been in the same location forever.
I just happen to like the old Gold Crowns. John will be delivering sixteen Gold Crowns to me in Vegas. I have no idea what I'm going to do with them. I will have 40 tables in storage over there, counting the GC4's and the Global bar tables.
I may sell some and keep the rest.
Hey I have an idea! I could open a poolroom! NAH!
I just happen to like the old Gold Crowns. John will be delivering sixteen Gold Crowns to me in Vegas. I have no idea what I'm going to do with them. I will have 40 tables in storage over there, counting the GC4's and the Global bar tables.
I may sell some and keep the rest.
Hey I have an idea! I could open a poolroom! NAH!
Pool Room
Why not open a pool room, looks like Vegas would be perfect?
jay helfert said:Some of their tables (GC1's and 2's) are heading my way thanks to John Scalissi of Midwest Billiards. He bought them at the auction for me. They all have new rails and rubber, and have been in the same location forever.
I just happen to like the old Gold Crowns. John will be delivering sixteen Gold Crowns to me in Vegas. I have no idea what I'm going to do with them. I will have 40 tables in storage over there, counting the GC4's and the Global bar tables.
I may sell some and keep the rest.
Hey I have an idea! I could open a poolroom! NAH!
Why not open a pool room, looks like Vegas would be perfect?
In 1999 I started playing, after taking about 40 yrs off, and I drove 5 hours to Madison on 4 occasions to take lessons from Jeff Carter, at Cuenique.
Great place. Sign of the times I guess as there probably aren't many of the old second floor rooms left. Very sad.
Great place. Sign of the times I guess as there probably aren't many of the old second floor rooms left. Very sad.
Sad news indeed! I spent the first 30 years of my life in WI and went to Cuenique many times for BCW tournaments. It was a great room and I had the pleasure of taking a lesson from Jerry back in the 80's.
Jay - you got some nice GC's coming your way! Those are nice tables they had in there!
Jay - you got some nice GC's coming your way! Those are nice tables they had in there!
I was at the auction. It was actually kind of awkward because some of the items were very personal to Jerry B., signed pictures and things like that. Especially unique was the 4' x 8' piece of plywood covered with old cloth that had signitures to Jerry from all the greats who had passed through there at some time. Mosconi, Crane, Mizerak, Fats, Bustamante, Jimmy Mataya, and more had signed it. It was pretty cool and I bid on until I realized that I had no where to put something like that. I think it went for like $30. The tables went really cheap as well, I stayed away because I don't have room for a 9' table but it was very hard.
Pretty sad, but an upstairs pool room in a non-smoking town is going to have a rough time making it.
Pretty sad, but an upstairs pool room in a non-smoking town is going to have a rough time making it.
cue locker
I should probably tell you about the cue locker. At the end of the bar, in a corner, was a huge cue locker about 10' long and went all the way to the ceiling. It was old and made from solid hardwood, it had to have been built inside the place. I don't know how you could move it out of there without destroying at least part of it. It went for $5....
One funny thing was this big, old, nasty looking, rotary dial telephone. I was standing right next to it, it was at the end of the line of a row of items. Nobody wanted it. The auctioneer calls for a buck, some old timer bids on it and gets it. A couple minutes later he comes back to the auctioneer and says: "Listen to that, (it goes ching-ching-ching as he shakes it) IT'S FULL OF MONEY!!! hee-hee-hee!!! We all got a good laugh at that one!
I should probably tell you about the cue locker. At the end of the bar, in a corner, was a huge cue locker about 10' long and went all the way to the ceiling. It was old and made from solid hardwood, it had to have been built inside the place. I don't know how you could move it out of there without destroying at least part of it. It went for $5....
One funny thing was this big, old, nasty looking, rotary dial telephone. I was standing right next to it, it was at the end of the line of a row of items. Nobody wanted it. The auctioneer calls for a buck, some old timer bids on it and gets it. A couple minutes later he comes back to the auctioneer and says: "Listen to that, (it goes ching-ching-ching as he shakes it) IT'S FULL OF MONEY!!! hee-hee-hee!!! We all got a good laugh at that one!
favre and Que-nique gone in the same week
Hello everyone, it is truly a sad day in wisconsin! We lost the best pool hall in the state . For those of you who didn't know que -nique hadn't been very good for about 3-4 years. It was the pool hall I cut my teeth in . I'll miss walking up those steps on thursday night and seeing Piggy(R.I.P. buddy) Scalissi ,Fitz, duncan, Lamar,Ryser,Cox, West,Van ess, Jeglum,Venzke,Mchenry , Duey and everybody else that decided to just pop in on their way through Madison. That poolroom always felt like home to me even after I moved to Chicago. I always enjoyed coming home just so I could see old friends and familiar faces. I hope someday It can be reopened but until then I will always hold a special place for that pool room .
Hello everyone, it is truly a sad day in wisconsin! We lost the best pool hall in the state . For those of you who didn't know que -nique hadn't been very good for about 3-4 years. It was the pool hall I cut my teeth in . I'll miss walking up those steps on thursday night and seeing Piggy(R.I.P. buddy) Scalissi ,Fitz, duncan, Lamar,Ryser,Cox, West,Van ess, Jeglum,Venzke,Mchenry , Duey and everybody else that decided to just pop in on their way through Madison. That poolroom always felt like home to me even after I moved to Chicago. I always enjoyed coming home just so I could see old friends and familiar faces. I hope someday It can be reopened but until then I will always hold a special place for that pool room .
Hi Everyone,
I was at the auction and won't lie that I got choked up seeing everything getting sold. I got some good deals on items that I needed for my poolroom but I was also able to get some cuenique memorabilia. For $10 I got a book titled "Cuenique Scrapbook" It had pics of most everyone, Fred Ryser, Touey, Matt Fair, Tom Cox , myself (Jeremy), Tom McCluskey, Fitz, Matt Mccabe, Larry Walsh, Bruce Venzke, Larry Nevel, Jeff Carter, Brad Noltemeyer, Luke McHenry, Jamie Denman, Emily, Tom Moreland, Robin Miner, Kara, Nam Cho, Richard, Stephan Johnson, Nate Dogg, Dave Katz, Cory, Brad Jeglum, Tom Kesselhon. It has some great pics of Phil Penn aka "Piggy" or "The Pig". I loved that guy, RIP buddy.
Everything went really cheap at the auction and a lot of that was due to everything not being kept up over the last 4 years.
I will always remember walking up the stairs the first time that I went to Cuenique. The jukebox was pumping James Brown?s song ?The Payback?. This was in 1995 before it was featured in Pool Hall Junkies.
Memories:
Playing $20 pot limit poker after the Thursday night 9 ball tournament.
Meeting Piggy for the first time and threatening to beat his old ass outside (I was playing $50 sets against Jerry Curry and pig was drunk and asking me to side bet after every shot!) .
Running the Cuenique Classic 9 Ball tournament
Nam Cho getting ?drunken? and singing Michael Jackson over the microphone.
Hanging at Cuenique while walking up and down State St. on Halloween.
Constantly snapping McCluskey off in just about every form of gambling, especially $2 hold-em.
Doing Goldschlager shots with BV, Matt, Cox, Jamie, Eifler and the Pig yelling ?Hoist?em *****es!?
Too many good memories???????????????.
I was at the auction and won't lie that I got choked up seeing everything getting sold. I got some good deals on items that I needed for my poolroom but I was also able to get some cuenique memorabilia. For $10 I got a book titled "Cuenique Scrapbook" It had pics of most everyone, Fred Ryser, Touey, Matt Fair, Tom Cox , myself (Jeremy), Tom McCluskey, Fitz, Matt Mccabe, Larry Walsh, Bruce Venzke, Larry Nevel, Jeff Carter, Brad Noltemeyer, Luke McHenry, Jamie Denman, Emily, Tom Moreland, Robin Miner, Kara, Nam Cho, Richard, Stephan Johnson, Nate Dogg, Dave Katz, Cory, Brad Jeglum, Tom Kesselhon. It has some great pics of Phil Penn aka "Piggy" or "The Pig". I loved that guy, RIP buddy.
Everything went really cheap at the auction and a lot of that was due to everything not being kept up over the last 4 years.
I will always remember walking up the stairs the first time that I went to Cuenique. The jukebox was pumping James Brown?s song ?The Payback?. This was in 1995 before it was featured in Pool Hall Junkies.
Memories:
Playing $20 pot limit poker after the Thursday night 9 ball tournament.
Meeting Piggy for the first time and threatening to beat his old ass outside (I was playing $50 sets against Jerry Curry and pig was drunk and asking me to side bet after every shot!) .
Running the Cuenique Classic 9 Ball tournament
Nam Cho getting ?drunken? and singing Michael Jackson over the microphone.
Hanging at Cuenique while walking up and down State St. on Halloween.
Constantly snapping McCluskey off in just about every form of gambling, especially $2 hold-em.
Doing Goldschlager shots with BV, Matt, Cox, Jamie, Eifler and the Pig yelling ?Hoist?em *****es!?
Too many good memories???????????????.
How was Cuenique in PHJ? To my knowledge, Cuenique was not featured in PHJ. All poolroom locations were shot in Salt Lake City.
I made it to Cuenique many times over many years, while Jerry owned it. It was a classic poolroom, and Jerry went out of his way to make it feel like home to poolplayers. He also was rigorous about keeping up the quality of the tables. When he told me he was selling out I was sad. He did, however, open another fine room on the other side of town (The Green Room), which he ran for a few more years. Then he sold that room to Ron Dobosenski (sp?), and retired from the poolroom biz. Over the years EVERYONE came to Cuenique, who passed through Wisconsin.
Scott Lee
www.poolknowledge.com
I made it to Cuenique many times over many years, while Jerry owned it. It was a classic poolroom, and Jerry went out of his way to make it feel like home to poolplayers. He also was rigorous about keeping up the quality of the tables. When he told me he was selling out I was sad. He did, however, open another fine room on the other side of town (The Green Room), which he ran for a few more years. Then he sold that room to Ron Dobosenski (sp?), and retired from the poolroom biz. Over the years EVERYONE came to Cuenique, who passed through Wisconsin.
Scott Lee
www.poolknowledge.com
westjer said:
Scott,
He was referring to the "Payback" song. It was featured in the soundtrack of PHJ..
Russ
He was referring to the "Payback" song. It was featured in the soundtrack of PHJ..
Russ
jay helfert said:Some of their tables (GC1's and 2's) are heading my way thanks to John Scalissi of Midwest Billiards. He bought them at the auction for me. They all have new rails and rubber, and have been in the same location forever.
I just happen to like the old Gold Crowns. John will be delivering sixteen Gold Crowns to me in Vegas. I have no idea what I'm going to do with them. I will have 40 tables in storage over there, counting the GC4's and the Global bar tables.
I may sell some and keep the rest.
Hey I have an idea! I could open a poolroom! NAH!
i'll take a piece of that action.
Fatboy said:
Okay then, we'll be partners! Hey I'm just glad to hear from you. I was getting worried. Who else can I beat up playing Banks and Eight Ball?