cueball2010 said:

What are you saying? Write out what?

The area that I play in is pretty small and country. Not a big city by any means. It has 16 tables. The only other poolhall even remotely close is like an hr away.

Lot's of people claiming you have to do "everything" and "work 24/7" and make peanuts for income. But I am guessing they are doing much better than that because they have been open for over 14+ years. and.... . .

• I rarely ever see the owner.
• They open doors in the after noon, 7 days a week for 8-12hrs a day.
• Host TAP, APA, and BCA - Like 5 nights a week.
• Host 50 man tournaments 2x month.
• Serve good food & drinks.

While I enjoyed everyone's responses here in my thread. I feel like the loudest voices would naturally be warnings of failure. Isn't that the way it always goes with anything? People that are sad, mad, or upset will let you know, but people that are happy & successful speak up a lot less because of fear.

I think a big city would be a great place to get started if you have the capital. If not then maybe a small town like mine. But I don't think all small towns will work. I just know that in mine, there is really shit around to do except play pool.

I don't have a lot of capital atm. Maybe enough to buy 5 Diamond tables and cover operation costs for 3 months in a space with no kitchen & bar, in a rented building.

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maha said:

that is a far cry from a concession. i would rule in his favor. don't be so quick to move any balls in a tournament.

a tournament is a game of rules and using the rules to your advantage is part of tournament play even if it is not your cup of tea. so beware.

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SeniorTom said:

Where I play, all the elite players just go and sit down at a particular chair and don't say a peep in between their own shots. They have some class, they have learned, the sharking is for players who aren't that good or have a lot of respect for the game. We have a well-known sharker in our pool hall that just can't keep his mouth shut in between turns, yapping continuously and with intentions to disturb his opponent. People don't respect that, and shy away from him in open play and even in friendship possibilities, because he is such a shorker. In other words he is disrespected.

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maha said:

boy, some of you wouldn't last a minute in the pool rooms i used to go to. people sat all around you when playing and talked and made comments and side bets.
put their cigs on the rail and even left them when your turn sometimes. chalk was never put any way but where it landed.

holding the rack when he were about to get out wasn't considered anything but in a hurry to lose another game.

rarely did you sit down when he was shooting you stood close by.

and no one lost their money because it bothered them. people in pool rooms had to have a thick skin.

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jjohnson said:

Well, Howdy! I can't believe it.
I saw you with Cole in Fremont around 1968-69.

Here are a couple of old posts where I talk about you here on AZB forum.
I'm just thrilled to be able to communicate with you after all these years.
Here they are:

Let me add, Keith came in 2nd in one pocket and first in 9 ball. this gave him the all around. I saw Keith once, Cole Dickson came in off the road in Fremont California. He arrived in an old faded VW beetle. It had a large dent in the front right fender. Said they hit a deer somewhere between Houston and Fremont. Yep. Cole was with Keith. I figure Cole was a couple of years older than Keith. So that would have made Keith about 17. this would have been around 1970. Cole had shoulder length straight blond hair and Keith had shoulder length straight brown hair. I Cole was just running balls like they were sitting ducks. He finally cleared the table. Keith was leaning back against the next table behind the foot of the table Cole had been on. His cue was propped up against the table next to him. Cole grabbed the cue ball and set it up against the middle of the rail at the head of the table then grabbed the 8 ball and placed it against the middle of the rail at the foot of the table. Cole says, "Squirrel, make this shot." Keith pushed himself off the table and in one motion swung his arm out and grabbed his cue and again what seemed like one continuous motion proceeded to the head of the table. All very smooth. no hesitation. Graceful. Keith comes around the table and gets down on the rail. He strokes up once and I watched the cue pass over the cue ball on the center of the head rail. then he shout. Mind you this was all one motion from the moment he pushed himself off the pool table he had been leaning on. Smoother than silk the 8 ball on the middle of the foot rail crawled across right along the rail and into the right corner pocket. The cue ball remained on the table. I only saw Keith Thompson shoot that one shot in my entire life. I have a few more things to recall but my laptop battery is going out. Can't even edit this post.
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Come to think about it I can see it now, the dent was in the front left fender. I never forgot that shot but I never knew Keith's name except for Cole calling him "Squirrel." I would ask everyone I met who it might be. They all knew THE Squirrel but this was a kid Cole called Squirrel. Then in Hard Times. Bellflower, I forget exactly how it came down or who told me but finally I found out. Can you believe that at the time I thought about it and added up the years and I had been trying to find out who this Squirrel was: it had been 34 years. That shot to me was so fantastic, not just the shot but the way he attacked it. So smooth confident one-stroke up and in it went. I forget who told me but I remember thanking him repeatedly. What a sensational relief.

There was a tournament at Hard Times and the aluminum bleachers were set up on the raised area where tables and chairs are usually placed for eats and drinks and for watching the big screen TV. I was sitting on a middle step and below me was Jose Parica. He was telling me how to correctly pronounce Dennis Ocollo's name. (I think its spelling has changed over time.) I mentioned Keith's shot. And right away one of the the Filipinos nearby blurted out, "A Filipino can make that shot!"

Let me call this to your attention: when I saw Cole with Keith I was a kid, too. Probably 16 years old. Maybe even the same age as Keith.

I only met one person who claimed to know of Keith Thompson's whereabouts and that was many years ago. I didn't question his veracity but he told me Keith became a preacher.

I've got access to a pool book and there is a picture of Keith. He looks like the seasoned road hustler. Nothing like who I once saw. Mature and grungy and hungry and he is even wearing that brown leather coat. I'll get it and try to post it here.
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In the photo of Keith it says it was taken in 1970. I can see that he had definitely matured since when I saw him. I'm sure being very young and on the road can do that to someone. So I would guess that it was 1969 or even possibly 1968 when I saw Cole and Keith at Fremont Family Billiards. And believe me, Cole was at the very top of his game even then. How old would Cole have been at that time? 19? Or 18?!

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SSDiver2112 said:

Just got mine today. Thanks Chris. Also got a compound cross slide to help make collets plus needed for some other situations ( don’t have a 3D printer). Probably going to need a new base for it as I now realize how much of a pain it will be to use it on my current one.

Also have the larger wheel and upgraded handle on the smaller wheel. Much needed improvement.

I upgraded the lock down screws in the headstock, tailstock, and steady rests to knobs a while back. Those were great but these new ones are even better.

Funnny how little things like these can make the experience even better.

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kling&allen said:

I bought one of yours and it’s great. I print my own collets for the most part as they do get chewed up. I get good results with your tool. It’s one of the better taig accessories I have (and I have a ton!)

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