How to make the best of this...

Formula7

Formula7

The Guerilla
Silver Member
I am without a car right now, so I have to ride on the whims of others. There are quite a few perfectly good pool halls around town. Sharky's Jointed Cue, Hot Shots, Hard Times, etc. My problem is this.

My buddy likes to drink. A bit too much. He's my normal shooting friend. Unfortunately, because of this, I have to resort on shooting on dinky ass bar tables, faced with over sized cue balls and super loose pockets. Not to mention the tables aren't level and the cloth is terrible. This is where he likes to play. He is an avid player, but not as avid as I am to care about the difference. Don't get me wrong. I love that bar, but the playing conditions are horrid.

Frankly, I'm tired of it. I want to shoot on a 9'. I'm sick of these 7's. I'm tired of damaged, inaccurate balls, and not to mention having to deal with bangers all night... drunk bangers at that. I really want to practice. I'm almost saved up for a car, but right now I have to deal with this.

Not to mention the fact that he makes double my hourly and is still always too broke to shoot at the pool hall. Even with a split tab (probably from all the spending on the drinking). How do I make the most of it before I start cutting throats?
 
Last edited:
Well, if you learn how to play good on a bar box, you can start the life of hustling at bars and make some money. I don't know about you, but money is a big motivator for me :D

As for your friend, I wouldn't worry about him too much, just have a good time and worry about shooting pool some other time. Just use this bar box time to perfect your game on a bar box. The game is a lot different on a bar box comparing to a 9ft. I can shoot 3-4 balls on a 9ft on a good run, but I cannot even make a decent 2-3 ball run on a barbox and I was thinking to myself, I would murder people on the small bar box since everything is so close together and I don't have to make any long shots. Maybe it is just me, but the pockets on a bar box seems very different than the pockets on a GC... someone enlighten me.

But have fun bud, don't let anything destroy to pleasure of playing with your sticks and balls LMAO :D

Happy shooting! :)

Chino
 
USE THE FORCE OF INFLUENCE YODA! Drop your friend at the bar and borrow his car to go to the "real" poolhall. Tell him you'll stop back by after your done to pick his drunk butt up. BE THE DESIGNATED DRIVER YODA!

Terry:grin: <hey there's your little green brother.
 
chin0 said:
Well, if you learn how to play good on a bar box, you can start the life of hustling at bars and make some money. I don't know about you, but money is a big motivator for me :D

As for your friend, I wouldn't worry about him too much, just have a good time and worry about shooting pool some other time. Just use this bar box time to perfect your game on a bar box. The game is a lot different on a bar box comparing to a 9ft. I can shoot 3-4 balls on a 9ft on a good run, but I cannot even make a decent 2-3 ball run on a barbox and I was thinking to myself, I would murder people on the small bar box since everything is so close together and I don't have to make any long shots. Maybe it is just me, but the pockets on a bar box seems very different than the pockets on a GC... someone enlighten me.

But have fun bud, don't let anything destroy to pleasure of playing with your sticks and balls LMAO :D

Happy shooting! :)

Chino
Click to expand...

I totally see where you are coming from but I guess I'm different a bit. Ever since I started to step up my game with lessons, more practice time, etc, it's just not the same. Lately I've been going on fatty runs and winning most of my games. I understand all that stuff about tougher shape and things like that on a bar box, not to mention the mental toughness achieved from playing bar conditions, but all the talking drunks and terrible music is now just white noise. I want the 9'. The 9' frustrated the hell out of me. It forced me to concentrate. It makes me shape up or ship out. Sure I'm no A player, far from it. Maybe a high C... mid B when I'm on fire, and my game could use work on any table.

I dunno. Maybe I'm just tired of waiting my turn. We write out names up on boards and play winner. When your turn finally comes around, your arm is cold and you shoot like trash. If the bar is empty it's not so bad... but it's saturday. Maybe I'm a total square, but I hate bars on weekends. :angry:

Not to mention I'm gonna be holding the "oh, sh**!" handles on the way home because he's not gonna possess enough self control and let the atmosphere take him away...

Bar Pool on weekends w/o a car = livin' on a prayer. Lol.
 
Tbeaux said:
USE THE FORCE OF INFLUENCE YODA! Drop your friend at the bar and borrow his car to go to the "real" poolhall. Tell him you'll stop back by after your done to pick his drunk butt up. BE THE DESIGNATED DRIVER YODA!

Terry:grin: <hey there's your little green brother.
Click to expand...

Hahahahaha! :grin: If it were so easy this post wouldn't be here in the first place.
 
chin0 said:
Well, if you learn how to play good on a bar box, you can start the life of hustling at bars and make some money. I don't know about you, but money is a big motivator for me :D

As for your friend, I wouldn't worry about him too much, just have a good time and worry about shooting pool some other time. Just use this bar box time to perfect your game on a bar box. The game is a lot different on a bar box comparing to a 9ft. I can shoot 3-4 balls on a 9ft on a good run, but I cannot even make a decent 2-3 ball run on a barbox and I was thinking to myself, I would murder people on the small bar box since everything is so close together and I don't have to make any long shots. Maybe it is just me, but the pockets on a bar box seems very different than the pockets on a GC... someone enlighten me.

But have fun bud, don't let anything destroy to pleasure of playing with your sticks and balls LMAO :D

Happy shooting! :)

Chino
Click to expand...

you average 3-4 balls on the big tables and 2-3 on the barbox and money's a motivating factor for you to be playing?

We need to play some. pool on the barbox is easy compared to 9 foot tables. if anything it favors the weaker player

the difference in the barbox pockets and gold crown pockets you're noticing is that the slate isn't as deep in the pockets.
 
Formula7 said:
I am without a car right now, so I have to ride on the whims of others. There are quite a few perfectly good pool halls around town. Sharky's Jointed Cue, Hot Shots, Hard Times, etc. My problem is this.

My buddy likes to drink. A bit too much. He's my normal shooting friend. Unfortunately, because of this, I have to resort on shooting on dinky ass bar tables, faced with over sized cue balls and super loose pockets. Not to mention the tables aren't level and the cloth is terrible. This is where he likes to play. He is an avid player, but not as avid as I am to care about the difference. Don't get me wrong. I love that bar, but the playing conditions are horrid.

Frankly, I'm tired of it. I want to shoot on a 9'. I'm sick of these 7's. I'm tired of damaged, inaccurate balls, and not to mention having to deal with bangers all night... drunk bangers at that. I really want to practice. I'm almost saved up for a car, but right now I have to deal with this.

Not to mention the fact that he makes double my hourly and is still always too broke to shoot at the pool hall. Even with a split tab (probably from all the spending on the drinking). How do I make the most of it before I start cutting throats?
Click to expand...
i was stuck playing on bar boxes for like 4 months. it'll destroy your stroke.

your best bet it to try to make some money playing the bar players. just use a house cue and try not to show too much. if that doesn't work you'll have to take up drinking and quit pool till you can get to a real pool hall
 
poolplayer2093 said:
i was stuck playing on bar boxes for like 4 months. it'll destroy your stroke.

your best bet it to try to make some money playing the bar players. just use a house cue and try not to show too much. if that doesn't work you'll have to take up drinking and quit pool till you can get to a real pool hall
Click to expand...

Playing on a barbox is harder for me than on a 9 footer. Probably because I started out playing on a GC3. I also find the bar tables near me to be too fast, they for some reason have 760 instead of 860HR or 860. I scratch a bit more on bar tables because theyre smaller and I sometimes forget to adjust my speed control. Also, the rails play a bit different too, so my kicks are off.
All in all, I'd MUCH rather be playing for money on a 9 footer than a 7/8 footer. Not to mention the GC3 I play on has 5" pockets, while the 8 foot diamond bar tables have less than 4.5". I'm pretty sure theyre not 4.5" because they look quite a bit smaller- this of course could be because theyre improperly shimmed.
 
jcommie said:
Playing on a barbox is harder for me than on a 9 footer. Probably because I started out playing on a GC3. I also find the bar tables near me to be too fast, they for some reason have 760 instead of 860HR or 860. I scratch a bit more on bar tables because theyre smaller and I sometimes forget to adjust my speed control. Also, the rails play a bit different too, so my kicks are off.
All in all, I'd MUCH rather be playing for money on a 9 footer than a 7/8 footer. Not to mention the GC3 I play on has 5" pockets, while the 8 foot diamond bar tables have less than 4.5". I'm pretty sure theyre not 4.5" because they look quite a bit smaller- this of course could be because theyre improperly shimmed.
Click to expand...

Those diamond bar boxes are real good tables! i don't think they're shimmed. i think they just made the cushions longer.

i started playing on a gold crown myself. i'd been playing for a year and a half before i even saw a bar box. i didn't even know they made tables that small. the trick to barbox (regular not diamond) tables is to hit the balls a little harder. the shelf doesn't go as deep so you don't even have to be real accurate when you shoot.

i don't mean to sound like a jerk but if you're playing on a table with 5" pockets then you might as well be playing on a big bar box. i wouldn't bet a dime playing on a table with 5" pockets.

it sounds like you went from playing on slightly below average equipment (GC 5" pockets) to decent equipment (diamond barbox)
 
poolplayer2093 said:
you average 3-4 balls on the big tables and 2-3 on the barbox and money's a motivating factor for you to be playing?

We need to play some. pool on the barbox is easy compared to 9 foot tables. if anything it favors the weaker player

the difference in the barbox pockets and gold crown pockets you're noticing is that the slate isn't as deep in the pockets.
Click to expand...

LMAO Are you trying to hustle me bro? I thought you were suppose to help me with my game rather than trying to take candy from a baby. It wouldn't even be a fair game if you played me, I'm not even good. I don't know, maybe it is a mental thing while I play on a barbox, but shots just seem so hard to make on it. My eyes seem like they are seeing everything different on a barbox. Money is a motivator for me, but as for gambling and playing for money, I don't think I am good enough for that yet. Trying to put your hands in my pocket huh poolplayer2093? :grin:

Chino
 
chin0 said:
LMAO Are you trying to hustle me bro? I thought you were suppose to help me with my game rather than trying to take candy from a baby. It wouldn't even be a fair game if you played me, I'm not even good. I don't know, maybe it is a mental thing while I play on a barbox, but shots just seem so hard to make on it. My eyes seem like they are seeing everything different on a barbox. Money is a motivator for me, but as for gambling and playing for money, I don't think I am good enough for that yet. Trying to put your hands in my pocket huh poolplayer2093? :grin:

Chino
Click to expand...

I'm just teasing you man. i think the biggest hump to get over in barbox pool is learning to break up clusters.

i bet if you started playing more 14.1 your barbox game would go up a lot as you got comfortable pocketing fairly simple shots (close together) and controlling the cueball.
 
Maybe you should worry less about the tables and more about your well being. I wouldn't want to ride in a car with a drunk driver.
 
poolplayer2093 said:
I'm just teasing you man. i think the biggest hump to get over in barbox pool is learning to break up clusters.

i bet if you started playing more 14.1 your barbox game would go up a lot as you got comfortable pocketing fairly simple shots (close together) and controlling the cueball.
Click to expand...


Got your PM bud, thanks :thumbup:
 
Last edited:
My thought would be to suggest going to the JC or HardTimes first and perhaps offer to pay the time if an inducement is needed. Shoot pool for a couple of hours and then hit the banger bar for a while if he still wants to go there.

Or next time you are at the saloon you can put a friendly wager on the set: Winner picks the location of the next match. :wink:

And also offer to do the driving home, assuming your not drinking too.
 
Last edited:
Thanks for all the replies, guys. Glad to see fellow players lookin' out.

I have decided that I officially hate playing bar tables... especially on Saturday nights. Tons of people passing through, bumping you, getting in the way of your shot, walls too close to the tables, etc. Sheesh. I played like trash tonight... probably because I didn't want to be there. I was under the impression that I was gonna shoot at Sharky's tonight, then I get that terrible text. Blah. I love the bar, love the people that regular there that I know, love the bartenders... but I play those tables only as a crack whore. There is no other choice and I gotta get my fix. Not to mention all the pissed off bikers who slam the rack and the balls when they lose as they rack again for the next game. Yikes. Even if I could have beat a couple of them I turned on my wannabe hustler acting skills and missed my shots. Dirty looks from a bunch of bikers is convincing enough to make me voluntarily lose a game. Eh, it's only 50 cents. Haha.

Tomorrow I'm going to Sharky's or JC, I swear it. Even if I have to take the damn bus.
 
To be honest if it means that much to you go call a cab to take you to the pool hall of your choice. Chances are you will find someone to take you home once you get there.
 
DogsPlayingPool said:
And also offer to do the driving home, assuming your not drinking too.
Click to expand...

You know, I totally would. I don't drink much at all, except he's one of those, "No, dude, I'm toshtalllllllyyy fine-uh... I kin drive home."

Called him out on it the other day. Hoping he can control it. But this has been a long time... er... habit(?) for him.

Anyone want to donate to the "Sean is a good, responsible, sober driver who needs his own car so he doesn't have to ride with speeding drinkers" Fund? :o
 
Bussin' it.

Formula7 said:
Tomorrow I'm going to Sharky's or JC, I swear it. Even if I have to take the damn bus.
Click to expand...

I've bussed it lots of times to the Sacramento pool halls back when I did all my traveling around the area on a bicycle. Hard Times (Great American back then) is right on the 1 line and the 61 stops right in front of the Jointed Cue. It's probably even easier now with the Light Rail stop only a block and a half from JC.

I also spent plenty of quarters with the drunks on the bar tables at "Round Corner", "Press Club" and "The Old Tavern" since they were close and easy to get to.

JonnyB
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top