JasonATX said:

For some bars, sure. Especially if there isn't a pool hall nearby. There are a few bars around the Austin area that have several bar boxes and hold tournaments and such. Table quality varies but none have Diamonds as far as I am aware.

Hell, I won a chip tournament at an American Legion a couple months ago.

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JPB2 said:

I am not quite old enough, but…. When I started playing in the ‘80’s a transplant from New York was the last holdout for push out rules; he’d only gamble with those rules. He talked about Mc Girr’s some. So the New York guys played with the old rules back when. I never played with them but did play 1 foul that wasn’t Texas Express.

Anyway, the safety and kicking game was less important. So when you see threads criticizing the old players for deficiencies in those areas you have to remember that many grew up with different rules. Texas Express with 1 foul ball in hand made a good safety really valuable. Top players can run out all the time with ball in hand, so the penalty for fouling is huge and the benefits of getting out of the safe are significant. Now the modern players are better, I get it, but there is a whole new incentive to work on safeties, kicking, and jumping. It’s much more important. Two way shots somewhat less important. I’m not the biggest expert tho.

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Positively Ralf said:

Someone remind me of something, what exactly did the 2 pushout rules for 9 ball do to the game? Did it make it were the players had to use their brains more before taking the shot?

the only rules, which would be considered old school by today's standard, that I played with growing up in upper Manhattan was basically ball behind the kitchen if it scratches and that any ball that went down when the foul was committed had to be brought back up. I do not remember being able to pushout after a scratch.

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