pool hall specials...

Quesports said:
The specials at the place I have to play in are. The tables all suck, the cloth is awful, a Corona is $4.75 each, the owners are unfriendly and could care less about the customers. I'm currently considering the 1 hour drive to another place to play LOL....
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Hey Dan, at Red Shoes the tables are great, the Simonis is new, the owners are friendly and I don't know what a Corona sells for but it's for sure cheaper than 4.75. Also great bank pool and one pocket on display, as well as some fine gentleman straight pool players.
 
Coronas normally sell for $3.50...but I have them on "Special" on Sundays for $3.00. Domestic beer (Miller/Bud etc..) normally $2.75 but on "Special" Sunday and Monday $2.00. I don't want to brag but....We have the best Burgers and Polish Sausages in the Chicago area.
 
lol I havent seen any complaining yet in this thread, but if you guys ever come to the UK you are in for a MASSIVE shock. Riley's clubs (big UK company) charge £8 an hour minimum in Leicester where I play. I'm not sure how conversion works out but it's probably $13-$14 an hour to play on dead tables with worn coca-cola cloth and balls with chunks taken out of them!

Where I play is called the rack n roll, and they do £10 play all day from 12pm-11pm but as its a per person basis you can get it for £5 an hour I think. Got some good tables in there too, got 3 Murray tables, a Dynamic II, Brunswick Metro copy which plays nice, 2 SCY tables one which has 4" pockets and a SAM K-Steel. All kept to a decent condition by people who care about pool and serious players.

:)
 
Rich93 said:
Hey Dan, at Red Shoes the tables are great, the Simonis is new, the owners are friendly and I don't know what a Corona sells for but it's for sure cheaper than 4.75. Also great bank pool and one pocket on display, as well as some fine gentleman straight pool players.
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Hi Rich, Yep I agree with what you & John have said. I just have to find all the shortcus and best times to drive there... Cannot wait for the next bank pool tourney in December. I learned a LOT just watching the last one. Truly amazing pace of the bank shots and the fact that the pockets didn't spit the balls out. They were really banking with some impressive speed! The burgers and fries are worth the trip alone!!!
 
That's a deal!

mikeridethe9 said:
I own a place in Port Huron MI called The Billiard Loft. 30 bucks a month gets you unlimited table time, also pop and water is a buck!!!
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That's a smokin deal. Hats off to you sir. Jamaica Joes, Midwest City, Ok. special is LUNCH ( burger fries and soda) and all day table time till 6 pm. $11 . ELEVEN DOLLARS!!! 3 nine ft. diamonds, about 10 Diamond bb, 1 GC and 1 valley. Burgers are great. Can't stay and play till six? Burger and 1 hr. Table time $8. I say he's taking care of players! Oh almost forgot, they are nice and friendly and I think one of the girls likes me!!
 
That is one of the problems in the pool room "business". As stated from "book collector" about pool time in Columbus. Pool rooms can not raise their rates every time their costs go up. In any other business when operating cost go up...they are passed on to the customer proportionally. You can't do that in the pool room business. You might be able to raise your rates for "pool time" every 4 or 5 years (and trust me...your customers will be *****ing up a storm...which is what pool players do anyway). That box of cereal you paid $1.99 for in 2000 is now $4.29 at the grocery store. Every time product costs go up, it is passed on to the consumer. I would love to charge for pool time what I did in 1995 (when I opened) but...I would need my rent, electric, gas, insurance, maintenance supplies, taxes, payroll etc...to be where it was when I opened. Utilizing the standard formula for product/service increases my pool time SHOULD be around $16-$18 an hour. In the pool room business you do not have the luxury of 2009 rates, 2010 rates and 2011 rates etc...as in most other operations. So yes I still agree "Specials" are a great thing for "customers", but if your wondering "why" many pool rooms are closing around the country... it is NOT too hard to understand.
 
Q-Masters Billiards in Virginia has a "FREE pool on Tuesdays for all Military and dependents, Fire Department and Police from 10AM until Midnight". That is an amazing offer when you consider how many military bases are in this area. 1 Air Force, 2 Coast Guard, 3 Army, and 10 Navy installations.

It's the best billiard room that I've ever been to. The equipment is very well kept, they got 75 tables! A specific tournament room with I believe 14 Diamond Pro-Ams for all the good and serious shooters, great food specials and the waitresses are GORGEOUS! The place is constantly packed! You can't beat that!

Oh yeah, and they have FREE TAP WATER!! lol
 
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Brozif said:
Q-Masters Billiards in Virginia has a "FREE pool on Tuesdays for all Military and dependents, Fire Department and Police from 10AM until Midnight". That is an amazing offer when you consider how many military bases are in this area. 1 Air Force, 2 Coast Guard, 3 Army, and 10 Navy installations.

It's the best billiard room that I've ever been to. The equipment is very well kept, they got 75 tables! A specific tournament room with I believe 14 Diamond Pro-Ams for all the good and serious shooters, great food specials and the waitresses are GORGEOUS! The place is constantly packed! You can't beat that!

Oh yeah, and they have FREE TAP WATER!! lol
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I just goes to show that if you have properly maintained equipment, good marketing/advertising, and pricing that isn't totally overboard customers will come to your establishment. Good to hear that there are such places left in the pool world!
 
pvc lou said:
Fast Eddies, I-45 south, Houston, TX

Monday -- $3 cover charge -- Free pool open till close
Tuesday -- Free pool if you wear your Fast Eddies t-shirt or hat
Wednesday -- Free pool open till close
Thursday -- $3 cover charge -- Free pool open till close
Friday -- $5 cover charge -- Free pool open till close
Saturday -- same as Friday
Sunday -- same as Saturday

PVC Lou...
over and out
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To elaborate on this, since this guy doesnt drink, I will include what those cover charges get you as well.

Monday - $3 cover gets you half off your entire tab. Food and drink
Thursday - $3 cover gets your 1.50 call drinks all day long. (Bacardi, Jack, Jim Beam, etc.)
Sunday - $5 cover gets you $2 call drinks open to close.

If you like to drink the way I do, these specials can become very benificial.
 
Red Shoes said:
That is one of the problems in the pool room "business". As stated from "book collector" about pool time in Columbus. Pool rooms can not raise their rates every time their costs go up. In any other business when operating cost go up...they are passed on to the customer proportionally. You can't do that in the pool room business. You might be able to raise your rates for "pool time" every 4 or 5 years (and trust me...your customers will be *****ing up a storm...which is what pool players do anyway). That box of cereal you paid $1.99 for in 2000 is now $4.29 at the grocery store. Every time product costs go up, it is passed on to the consumer. I would love to charge for pool time what I did in 1995 (when I opened) but...I would need my rent, electric, gas, insurance, maintenance supplies, taxes, payroll etc...to be where it was when I opened. Utilizing the standard formula for product/service increases my pool time SHOULD be around $16-$18 an hour. In the pool room business you do not have the luxury of 2009 rates, 2010 rates and 2011 rates etc...as in most other operations. So yes I still agree "Specials" are a great thing for "customers", but if your wondering "why" many pool rooms are closing around the country... it is NOT too hard to understand.
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We first went to $3.60/ hour in 1993. Today our prices are $3.60/ hour. Still hear the same complaining today as 18 years ago. How many people would stay at a job if they never got a raise in 18 years? This is the main reason rooms go under. Not smoking laws, not gambling boats, not George W. Bush, and not video games. You have to supplement the pool player crowd with income derived from others like drinkers or people who purchase retail. Each year that gets harder to do.
 
One of the overlooked aspects of the situation is that the middle class blue collar worker has been clobbered economically. When room owners say that they are charging the same as they were years ago I do not doubt them. Part of the reason for that may be that the customers themselves may be earning less than they were 20 years ago. I spent over 35 years honing my skills in many trades and now many people expect me to work for $10.00 an hour! In 1968 I got $8.00 an hour to paint houses in New England as a kid. No matter which side your on owner/customer we are all being squeezed to death by the rising costs of everyday expenses. To me pool has always been the working mans outlet for some cold beers, fun with some buddies and a good time, sadly I'm afraid it may be gone before too long..JMO
 
Shore Thing Billiards does half priced pool on Sundays(4-7pm every other day) on the 7 foot Diamonds, which is $.50 a game and $5 an hour on the 9FT Diamond all the time.

Breaktime in Wilmington NC does a great special, every weekday, 11pm-6pm, $6 all you can play on their nice Diamonds and Brunswick tables. All 9 fter's.
 
Red Shoes said:
Craig (Cueandcushion)....Just out of curiosity. is that $3.60 an hour per table or player??
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John, please keep in mind the your room is immaculate. Not every room is Mecca.

Your tables are perfectly set up (by Bobby Hunter, if I recall). Bathrooms -- spotless. Upgrades to carpet and furniture. Full bar and grill. Pool history on the walls. Knowledgable owners who are players themselves and get into action. In-house instruction. Regular money tournaments. And a general melieu that makes it the premier action room in the Midwest.

There may be other rooms that charge far less, but.. their tables are a mishmash of manufacturers and condition; they are poorly setup; they have nasty bathrooms where the bathroom gnats have gnats; they offer dirty pool balls that virtually never get cleaned; they never hold money tournaments; they have no food or drink but a couple of poorly stocked vending machines; there's a dearth of action except three guys who pass the same $100 bill back and forth; and they have clueless non-playing no-bet owners.

It's not even close.

Lou Figueroa
 
lfigueroa said:
John, please keep in mind the your room is immaculate. Not every room is Mecca.

Your tables are perfectly set up (by Bobby Hunter, if I recall). Bathrooms -- spotless. Upgrades to carpet and furniture. Full bar and grill. Pool history on the walls. Knowledgable owners who are players themselves and get into action. In-house instruction. Regular money tournaments. And a general melieu that makes it the premier action room in the Midwest.

There may be other rooms that charge far less, but.. their tables are a mishmash of manufacturers and condition; they are poorly setup; they have nasty bathrooms where the bathroom gnats have gnats; they offer dirty pool balls that virtually never get cleaned; they never hold money tournaments; they have no food or drink but a couple of poorly stocked vending machines; there's a dearth of action except three guys who pass the same $100 bill back and forth; and they have clueless non-playing no-bet owners.

It's not even close.

Lou Figueroa
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The joys of the internet.
 
Thurs Thanksgiving...Clicks of Austin, Opens at 3:00 free pool all day/night till 2:00am
 
Downlo in Chico, CA

10 9' Diamond Professionals, 3 "Pro-Cut", and 1 "Pro-Cut" shimmed to 4"

$4 an hour Monday - Friday 2pm til 6pm. $8 an hour any other time.
1 free hour of pool for every $8 spent on food/drinks on Sundays.
Unlimited pool for $50 a month.
I pay $30 a month for unlimited pool, being that I'm on the league team sponsored by the pool room.
 
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RackemBilliards said:
Free BOTTLED water? Wow, Measureman's not going to be happy about that. In our place, 7.95 gets you lunch and free pool from 11:00 am to 2:00pm. For $75/mo you can play up to 4 hours a day anytime day or night. For $125/mo you can play unlimited pool anytime.
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what is the hours at this place cause that sounds like a pretty good deal.
there is a place around where i live thats open 24/7/365 and you can get a practice table (just playing by yourself) $20 2 weeks all you can play or $40 for 4 weeks and the hourly rate isn"t to bad either (I cant remember what it is right now... ooopsy)
 
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