I played in a small weekly tournament a month ago. I won't name the place because I don't want to smear anyone. I am posting this because I am interested in the opinions of the forum members (even black-balled).
During a match with one of the employees, she played what I considered to be a weak safety. It was easily makeable and can be regarded by most of us as a "routine" jump shot.
I went to my case and began putting my Predator Air jump cue together.
She immediately came over and told me that jump shots are not allowed under any circumstances, then she directed me to the sign on the wall. You know the one. It states in no uncertain terms that Jump & massé shots are not allowed, food and drinks are not allowed on the tables, etc.
Well, I politely told her that I have been playing pool for 20+ years, and in my experience, those signs are usually meant for beginners who ruin the cloth by trying to scoop the ball, etc.
I also explained that I was interested in running a tournament there, and if they were that strict about it I needed to know because it would affect my decision.
She said that if they caught me making a jump shot, there would be no warning and I would have been escorted out. She felt that she was doing me a favor, and I suppose in her way she was. Good lookin' out, I guess.
I then had a conversation with one of the owners, and told him about my desire to run a tournament there. He was all for it, and told me to let him know when.
I then explained that I cannot have a tournament with a fifty-dollar entry fee, then tell the strong regional players that not only can they NOT jump, they can't massé either?
I don't know about you, but in today's world of nine-ball, these are essential aspects of the game, and to take them away can be crippling. Forcing everyone to kick in a tournament-setting seems unreasonable to me.
I tried explaining that people who play in my tournaments are very strong.
To put this into context, this place holds APA events very often, so their mindset is APA-based...whatever that means.
I take it to mean they are accustomed to dealing with pool shooters who can't play very well or don't know very much. I know there are thousands of super-strong players who also play APA, but the bulk of them are usually one or two notches above beginner-level, at least in my experiences. Add to that the fact the jump cues are NOT allowed in the APA, and the decision for the house is pretty clear-cut.
He told me that if he allowed people to make jump shots in my event, then he runs the risk of having some of his regulars see this and attempt to do it themselves, resulting in damaged felt, etc.
So, I have decided that if he won't budge on this issue I won't have an event there.
I also thought that "The Sign", which takes on many variations in many rooms (some include No Gambling, No Money on table, No Cussing) was usually meant for beginners.
So what do you all think?
I know it's their house and their rules, and they can do whatever they want, but do you think they are being reasonable?
Since they are fairly new (less than 5 years) and are mainly an APA house, perhaps they are not accustomed to higher-caliber players and their skill sets?
Truth be told, they may not even care to have an event like mine because they do great business anyway and have a steady stream of clients, so perhaps this is all moot.
Just curious...let me know.
