dirty balls

L

lorider

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
yesterday my gf and i played in a jack and jill vegas qualifier. the place is billed as a pool hall. i did not count how many pool tables it has but i guess it would be about 9 valley bar boxes and 1 9 footer. i never went and looked at the 9' but i could tell it was a cheap one, something like sears would sell.

they sell only beer, no byob allowed. no food just coke and snack vending machines. loud ass juke box that thankfully no one played very much.

i played in a tri cup at this place last year and it did not impress me any then. yesterday is my 2nd time there and and my opinion of the place is even worse than before.

the tables and balls look like they have not been cleaned at all since my last visit. several tables had dead rails and some had uneven slate. i had to hit harder than i usually do because if you hit soft the cue would drift one way or the other.

the balls were dirty and grimy , you could see a black film on them. every time my gf would rack she would go wash her hands because the balls were so sticky she said.

being an old country boy i have been in my share of low class bars and dives playing pool for a beer or a few bucks, but 90% of those places took better care of the tables than this place.

how the hell can it stay in bussiness like that?
 
Last edited:
lorider said:
yesterday my gf and i played in a jack and jill vegas qualifier. the place is billed as a pool hall. i did not count how many pool tables it has but i guess it would be about 9 valley bar boxes and 1 9 footer. i never went and looked at the 9' but i could tell it was a cheap one, something like sears would sell.

they sell only beer, no byob allowed. no food just coke and snack vending machines. loud ass juke box that thankfully no one played very much.

i played in a tri cup at this place last year and it did not impress me any then. yesterday is my 2nd time there and and my opinion of the place is even worse than before.

the tables and balls look like they have not been cleaned at all since my last visit. several tables had dead rails and some had uneven slate. i had to hit harder than i usually do because if you hit soft the cue would drift one way or the other.

the balls were dirty and grimy , you could see a black film on them. every time my gf would rack she would go wash her hands because the balls were so sticky she said.

being an old country boy i have been in my share of low class bars and dives playing pool for a beer or a few bucks, but 90% of those places took better care of the tables than this place.

how the hell can it stay in bussiness like that?
Click to expand...

I played at a room in Columbus Ohio in the late 70's.
It was the action place at that time but the only time the cloth was
clean was when it was changed.
I was gambling at 9-ball and playing safe on the break 'cause dry breaks
are expected on cloth that dirty.
So, while my opponent, the 'Piano Player', was shooting, I sat on the next
table..big move for me, I respect equipment usually.
The owner's wife walked over and said "You're a good player, you should
know better than to sit on a table."
I had had it with the conditions and didn't care if I was barred, even though I was doing pretty good financially.
I said "I'll give these tables some respect when you do."

she walked away
 
pt109 said:
I played at a room in Columbus Ohio in the late 70's.
It was the action place at that time but the only time the cloth was
clean was when it was changed.
I was gambling at 9-ball and playing safe on the break 'cause dry breaks
are expected on cloth that dirty.
So, while my opponent, the 'Piano Player', was shooting, I sat on the next
table..big move for me, I respect equipment usually.
The owner's wife walked over and said "You're a good player, you should
know better than to sit on a table."
I had had it with the conditions and didn't care if I was barred, even though I was doing pretty good financially.
I said "I'll give these tables some respect when you do."

she walked away
Click to expand...

lmao , thats a good comeback !
 
Probably Obama's fault with influence from the smoking ban and the elite liberal media.;)

The club management where I play has no interest in keeping the equipment nice. We, the players keep the tables clean. We make money from in house leagues and cue raffles that goes toward new balls, Centennials, and cloth, 860. Last time we put Penguin cushions on three tables!
 
When Earl ran the ten pack for a mill, he wiped each ball off before' every game due to the pocket liners on the Gold Crowns at CJ's were new and coming off on the balls likes erasers.
 
instead Alex and Shane didn't want the balls to be cleaned in their TAR match.
 
Slh said:
instead Alex and Shane didn't want the balls to be cleaned in their TAR match.
Click to expand...

Ah, here you have the opposite problem.
If the balls are brand new, they slip.
Cleaning with wax can have this problem also.

The old time English billiard players would not play a match with new
balls. They wanted balls with at least 3 weeks play so that the billiard
angles would be consistent.

I clean the balls with NO ball cleaning product...I just let them spin
until there is no chalk or grease left.

It's kind of like shafts....some push too much and some masse too much.
..you need something in between.
 
pt109 said:
Ah, here you have the opposite problem.
If the balls are brand new, they slip.
Cleaning with wax can have this problem also.

The old time English billiard players would not play a match with new
balls. They wanted balls with at least 3 weeks play so that the billiard
angles would be consistent.

I clean the balls with NO ball cleaning product...I just let them spin
until there is no chalk or grease left.

It's kind of like shafts....some push too much and some masse too much.
..you need something in between.
Click to expand...

Wish I'd read this before my cack-handed attempt at explaining skid on another thread!
 
Did your opponent play on the same table?

lorider said:
yesterday my gf and i played in a jack and jill vegas qualifier. the place is billed as a pool hall. i did not count how many pool tables it has but i guess it would be about 9 valley bar boxes and 1 9 footer. i never went and looked at the 9' but i could tell it was a cheap one, something like sears would sell.

they sell only beer, no byob allowed. no food just coke and snack vending machines. loud ass juke box that thankfully no one played very much.

i played in a tri cup at this place last year and it did not impress me any then. yesterday is my 2nd time there and and my opinion of the place is even worse than before.

the tables and balls look like they have not been cleaned at all since my last visit. several tables had dead rails and some had uneven slate. i had to hit harder than i usually do because if you hit soft the cue would drift one way or the other.

the balls were dirty and grimy , you could see a black film on them. every time my gf would rack she would go wash her hands because the balls were so sticky she said.

being an old country boy i have been in my share of low class bars and dives playing pool for a beer or a few bucks, but 90% of those places took better care of the tables than this place.

how the hell can it stay in bussiness like that?
Click to expand...
I always get a kick out of people who cry about table conditions.
Did the other guy played on the same table as you? My left palm is permanently green form dirty cloth. Adapt, Overcome, Conquer. And dont shoot where your not comfortable.
 
J-Flo said:
I always get a kick out of people who cry about table conditions.
Did the other guy played on the same table as you? My left palm is permanently green form dirty cloth. Adapt, Overcome, Conquer. And dont shoot where your not comfortable.
Click to expand...

On a muddy track, the race times will not be even close to what they
can run on a fast track.
And if the greens weren't mowed, the best golfer will still win, but the
results will be ugly.

I've played on bad conditions and have won, but if I only had bad conditions
to play on, I'd find another game.
..and if you give up the 8, on horrible conditions it feels more like the 6.

but I think the man in your sig line was amazing
 
J-Flo said:
I always get a kick out of people who cry about table conditions.
Did the other guy played on the same table as you? My left palm is permanently green form dirty cloth. Adapt, Overcome, Conquer. And dont shoot where your not comfortable.
Click to expand...

That's not really the point though, is it. I still wake up sweating about a table i once played on in vietnam, which, and I swear this is true, had a vortex in the middle of it. It scared me.

Tables have to be playable: whether it's the same for both parties or not is moot.
 
J-Flo said:
I always get a kick out of people who cry about table conditions.
Did the other guy played on the same table as you? My left palm is permanently green form dirty cloth. Adapt, Overcome, Conquer. And dont shoot where your not comfortable.
Click to expand...

hey man i grew up playing in some of the most out of the way hole in the wall bars in the southeast that you can imagine. places where guys routinely got in fights on whose quarter was up or would slice you to pieces over a 5.00 game. i have been accused of being a hustler and run out of more places than i can remember. thankfully i did not wind up like one guy i knew back then. he was found dead stuffed in a dumpster behind one of those bars in my hometown.

so i know all about adapting to various conditions.

in bars you kinda expect lousy playing conditions as pool is not their primary source of income.

pool halls are based on income from pool players , it would make sense to expect room owners to take care of the equipment their income is derived from wouldnt you agree ?
 
captive audience

Why are the conditions so bad at this hall. . . . .?
because they CAN BE :angry: . . . and y'all keep comin' back , for your qualifiers , your tri-cups , etc.
If there was a better location , I'm pretty sure y'all would push hard to get the events moved there ;)
Lack of competition can lead to some pretty lax maintenence.
Conversely , how long have you been going there ? Perhaps , just maybe , the proprietor USED to keep it up , and too few of the patrons showed respect for the equipment . As their interest in the condition of the equipment declined , so did the proprietors.
Just cuz you and I love clean felt and nice balls , doesn't mean everyone does .
There's a poolhall in the next town west of where I live , located right on the edge of a college campus. Dozen or so bar boxes , worst maintenence you've ever seen. But the college kids DON'T CARE (or don't know any better) and the owner makes a mint. Yep , he gets the league qualifiers there , too , and he's even hosted money cup and cities a few times , cuz our LO rotates the locations from year-to-year. Good players SHUDDER when they hear the events are there . . . but they've GOTTA play , so they show up and pay.
What's his INCENTIVE to change? It sure ain't money , cuz you can't GET a table most nights ! Pride in his establishment ? The kids would just slosh beer on his new felt . . .
He used to have a pool hall on the other side of town , nice clean tables , new balls ~ and you could ALWAYS get a table , cuz he was only ever half full. Then he moved next to the college , and he's always busy!
Which is the better BUSINESS PLAN ???

admittedly , he IS a capitalist . . . :cool:
 
Hey Man...

lorider said:
hey man i grew up playing in some of the most out of the way hole in the wall bars in the southeast that you can imagine. places where guys routinely got in fights on whose quarter was up or would slice you to pieces over a 5.00 game. i have been accused of being a hustler and run out of more places than i can remember. thankfully i did not wind up like one guy i knew back then. he was found dead stuffed in a dumpster behind one of those bars in my hometown.

so i know all about adapting to various conditions.

in bars you kinda expect lousy playing conditions as pool is not their primary source of income.

pool halls are based on income from pool players , it would make sense to expect room owners to take care of the equipment their income is derived from wouldnt you agree ?
Click to expand...
I grew up on the South side of Chicago, and at this point in my life, I only play at places that have clean bathrooms with hand towels and soap. If it doesn't have that, Im Out Of There, which was my point. DONT PLAY THEIR IF IT'S NOT ACCEPTABLE TO YOU!
 
J-Flo said:
I grew up on the South side of Chicago, and at this point in my life, I only play at places that have clean bathrooms with hand towels and soap. If it doesn't have that, Im Out Of There, which was my point. DONT PLAY THEIR IF IT'S NOT ACCEPTABLE TO YOU!
Click to expand...

you just made me think of something... his bathrooms were cleaner than his pool balls.

yea clean bathrooms and soap are nice ... the hand towels are not a necessity, i can live with paper towels:grin:

your last line is very good advice. none of the divisions i play in play at this place. our lo rotates where all the tournaments are held. hopefully i am retired from pool before another one is held there. if not i can always take your advice and sit that one out.:thumbup:

my money league team plays in several hole in the wall bars that are not exactly in the best part of town but they take better care of their tables than this pool hall does.
 
I hate dirty balls this is why i take showers everyday and thats all im going to say about that
 
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