The Cue Club and Best Billiards -- A Brief Tale of Two Las Vegas Pool Rooms

[vagabond]

It’s a big room and on the last day I was there I played on a table near a sign that said something to the effect: Day time special, play from X to X hours for $8.

As I leave I say, “I guess I’ll just have to find another pool hall to practice at and she finally says something: “Suit yourself” and I replied, “I will.”

Lou Figueroa

It was good seeing u in Cue Club on 5/9/2012. Just for your information: During the BCA Jamboree, the special day rates at Cue club were NOT effective. Day rate Specials will resume today or tomorrow.

I am one of those diehards that like to hang out at Cue club. In another 3 hours I will be heading there. Take care Lou.

 

[vagabond]

I like the neighborhood of Cue club. Next door on the right hand side you have a El Salvadorian restaurant that serves great PAPUSSA s. Next to it is a gay bath house and those customers don`t cause any problems to any. On to the left you have the world famous Thai restaurant which is visited by many tourists. You have a Indian restaurant also next door. On the east side of the square you have the world famous GREEN DOOR which is an Orgy place for swingers. we have mexican,japanese, Korean retsurants also in the square. We have a Mexican dance club. On the south side of the square you have some clothing & tuxedo rental places. You have one and only night club for Trans sexuals. In that square you have whatever you want. I like that neighborhood for food and pool. Lots of good players hang out at cue club.

By the way, the home less people that bother u in the parking lot are from Ohio.:thumbup::thumbup:

 

[lfigueroa]

I lived out in Vegas for 2 years and I learned that a lot of people out there hate it there!! They are backstabbing, lying, cheating and fake ass people out there in that dry desert. People that only give a crap about themselves and people that use other people. Not a nice place to live tbh. I haven't had the pleasure of playing at Best Billiards but next time im in town you can count on it.

Watch out Eberle!! I'll be gunning for ya

Vegas is a tough town, no doubt, RunoutJJ. And yes, Best Billiards is the place to go.

Lou Figueroa

 

[lfigueroa]

Lou

I don't get it. If you were there between the hours of the special rate how is it you didn't qualify for the special rates? You have to ask? You have to let them know? Huh ? Its their rates if that's what they charge between those hours how can they charge you more?

Thanks

Kevin

Kevin, a lot of places that I've been to you have to ask (or be told) about the special rate. Sometimes you have to prepay it, sometimes you don't. I guess if you don't say you want the special rate you dan't get it.

Lou Figueroa

 

[lfigueroa]

No way to compare Cue Club and Best Billiards, Best wins hands down, friendly staff, great food, great equipment they always let you know the best way to pay.

I agree poolfikids -- it's no contest, Best Billiards is the place to go and they do the right thing too.

Lou Figueroa

 

[lfigueroa]

When I went to Vegas the first time, I looked up places to play before I got there. The pics of the Cue Club looked fine.

The first time I went to the washroom, there was a trail of puke on the carpet leading into the toilette. All the urinals but one were plugged and I think 2 or three toilettes were also plugged. It smelled like a fire hydrant in a dog pound.

You couldn't complain about the service because there was none. I just stacked the beer cans up on the table. I had quite a nice little pyramid going.

If and when I ever go back, with all thats been posted about Best Billiards, I will most likely go there. Besides, I love Italian food.

I tell ya, the internet pic and the actual place are not quite the same.

lol, I guess I lucked out and missed the bathrooms, BHR.

Lou Figueroa

 

[lfigueroa]

I'm not sure what was the deal there, But I worked at Country club Billiards for 20 years and the way it worked there was it you wanted to take the special you had to say that when you started to play. When the computer was started at the begining to track your time if you took the special we would just start the timmer and stop it right away just so the system would show that that table was taken, If you did not take the special and just went on an hourly rate then the time was started and stopped when you returned the balls and you paid what ever the amount was at that time. We had to do it that way just because thats just how the system worked there but we always went out of our way to tell all our customers about the daily special
weather they played for 10 min or 10 hours, Thats just good business.

I understand and you're right, cue repair. But I was surprised at how it went anyway. Every other room I've ever been to that has a special the houseman has always said something like: if you're going to play for more than an hour or two you might want to just pay the daytime special rate.

Lou Figueroa

 

[ShootingArts]

every once in awhile

Kevin, a lot of places that I've been to you have to ask (or be told) about the special rate. Sometimes you have to prepay it, sometimes you don't. I guess if you don't say you want the special rate you dan't get it.

Lou Figueroa

Every once in awhile a new counter person or jerk doesn't give me the special rate. Not a problem, I just don't give them a tip for awhile either! I typically tip 33 to 50% of the special rate so it doesn't take long to catch up. :thumbup:

Hu

 

[lfigueroa]

Not that it should matter,but that women probably never seen Lou before so she knows hes not a regular customer n figures he ll never be back again so she takes advantage of Lou(which is wrong n total bullshit)n probably pocketed some of the money that he was charged extra,but that comment she made i hope bites her in the ass,Lou is well knowed around the pool scene n on azbilliards,so Lous word of what they did to him,will cost them alot more money then what they made off of charging Lou more then he should of paid!

Riche, you're right. Clearly she must have know I has not a regular and she did ask for me to leave an ID at the desk. I've left behind too many IDs before so gave here $50 bill instead and told her my first name was Ulysses (Just kidding, I gave her the 50, but told her my name was Lou.)

IMO, it was a scam insofar as she was taking advantage of an out-of-towner. So they got an extra $30 or so out me, which in and of itself is no big deal, but I think it was baloney and that it will cost them more than the 30 in the long run.

Lou Figueroa

 

[lfigueroa]

Did you watch to see what she rang up for the time? In the bar and poolroom business som much of the business is cash and it's not unusual for the staff to go into business for themselves. I had a friend who sold 15 gallons of tea one day in one glass before he improved the inventory system.

No, spktur, I'd didn't look at the register, so I have no idea if she was shorting it.

Lou Figueroa

 

[lfigueroa]

Dear Louis....Sorry you had a bad experience in Vegas. Even though the pool room business is pretty tough now (as always), the counter girl should of flagged you about the *Special*. When new (unaware) patrons come into my room, I will give them the *Special* rate even if they don't ask for it, if it will save them money. Some rooms insist to qualify for the *Special*, it must be pre-paid. Maybe that was part of the problem (maybe not). Most room managers will have a certain amount of leeway with hourly rates for PR purposes (even if rates are calculated on a computer). At Red Shoes we calculate the rates the old fashioned way (by hand). I could get a computer to do the rate calculation...but then I would miss all the stories and excuses by the customers along the line of "we only played 2 games". "YES you might of only played 2 games BUT....they were games of One Pocket and you guys pushed all the balls up table immediately after the break and had a 15 ball "wedge" going up table after a million shots a piece". As a side note I don't tell them about the part about them being COMPLETELY HELPLESS when it comes to One Pocket (or any other pool game). I keep that as my little secret though so I get some entertainment when I am behind the counter (it is also BAD PR and they might not come back for "tomorrows wedge" and the story that goes with it....as I said "business is tough"). By the way....how is the lovely Gail?? Please give her my regards. John L.

Yo, Monsignor! Gail is doing great -- just had the year follow up a few weeks ago and she is, as we used to say in the missile business "Clean and green." I will pass on a hug from you.

Of course you do it right at Red Shoes and flagging a special rate, even for new comers, it what should happen and has been my experience at every other room I've been to over the years, that's why I was so taken aback at what happen.

Give BJ a hug for me.

Lou Figueroa

 

[lfigueroa]

I think any place i have ever played in that had a special you had to ask for the special or pay up front. If you were a regular they would put you on the special automatically. First time in a room nobody told me either.

The special is a double edged sword for rooms, they might make some up on volume, but they certainly lose money over normal rates, especially since your regulars don't spend much money on anything beside pool and drink your free coffee

Kiss, my experience has been that the vast majority of places will tell you about the special. You have to figure that sooner or later a customer is going to figure it out or be told after the fact and that just is bad PR and pisses people off and costs the room money in the long run.

Lou Figueroa

 

[lfigueroa]

It is no contest, CUE CLUB is a dump in a shitty part of town. BEST BILLIARDS is in a good part of town, the service is amazing, and the food, well the food is some of the best Italian you will ever have. By the way you could eat of the rail of the table or the floor the place is so clean, and NO SMOKE.

Best Billiards gets my vote, spanky. I'll have to try he food next time.

Lou Figueroa

 

[lfigueroa]

I'd also post up a review on Yelp.com as well as send a written letter to the owner. Maybe they don't know they have an employee who may be skimming from them.

cyrex -- I have no clue as whether skimming was involved. It just thought it was a bit of a scam and a poor business practice. They made about an extra $30 off me. I know it's no big deal to them, but I go to Vegas a couple of times a year, and just in the out years they've lost way more than that from my lost business. In fact, I might not have ever gone over and checked out Best Billiards if it hadn't been for them, so I guess I should actually be thanking them

Hopefully, Best Billiards is around for years to come -- I heard a rumor they were considering expanding into the vacant gym space next door.

Lou Figueroa

 

[lfigueroa]

Normally a special is paid in advance and if you dont, you go on hourly. The counter person should explain your options when you get the balls. Some player rooms just charge 'whichever is lowest' but that means they pay no attention to what the computer says should be in the drawer, which to me, is a bad idea.

Exactly, no stroke. They should explain wassup. Most rooms do that.

Lou Figueroa

 

[lfigueroa]

I went to all three of the action rooms while in Vegas for ten days - Best Billiards, Cue Club and Pool Sharks. I did spend quite a bit more time at Best because that is where the action is. In recent years wherever the pool playing card players are hanging around is where most of the action will be.

Best is a unique pool room with great food and equipment. The Cue Club has seen better days but you can't blame the owner for the deteriorating neighborhood. If the action gravitated back there, so would the crowd, as it has done many times over the years.

Pool Sharks had the action and the people the last couple of years because that where most of the big money games were played. Remember Dippy Dave? This time it was pretty dead when I checked in.

I feel just as comfortable in the Cue Club or Pool Sharks. Like most old-timers, I spent my younger pool playing days in joints like these.

John, generally speaking, I agree with you -- I came up playing in rooms like the CC and dicey neighborhoods, so that was no biggie.

Lou Figueroa

 

[lfigueroa]

It was good seeing u in Cue Club on 5/9/2012. Just for your information: During the BCA Jamboree, the special day rates at Cue club were NOT effective. Day rate Specials will resume today or tomorrow.

I am one of those diehards that like to hang out at Cue club. In another 3 hours I will be heading there. Take care Lou.

Vagabond, it was good seeing you too.

However: I am not buying your explanation about the special and the reason is that I brought up the special daytime rate to her the last day I was there paying up. Clearly I caught her off guard and rather than say, "Oh, it's not in effect when big tournaments are in town" *she said nothing.* Not a word.

I asked her a second time, point blank, "Why didn't you tell about it (the $8 daytime special rate)?" and again, *she said nothing.*

Now maybe this is a nice, little, neat explanation, and maybe they'll even implement it in the future. But she had a chance to tell me why, was caught flat-footed, and couldn't come up with anything. So I'm not buying it.

Lou Figueroa

 

[risky biz]

As many of you know, I travel around a fair bit and have played pool at rooms all across the country. And in my experience, sometimes rooms offer daytime specials, typically offering a flat rate of $8-10 to play from opening to sometime in the afternoon. Others stipulate that if you buy lunch you get to play free until 3 or 4pm. *Not once* at any other room I’ve played at anywhere in the country has the houseman ever failed to tell me about a daily special, either before or after I’ve played.

Lou Figueroa

Makes me wonder why you didn't ask before you started.

At Cue Club, as Vagabond already mentioned, the daily rate is usually off during the tournaments. But I think it's true that most of the housepersons at Cue Club are more oriented toward serving the drinks than managing the tables.

At Pool Sharks the day rate is displayed on a big sign but new patrons still don't notice it unless directed to look at it. They have computerized timekeeping and if you don't pay the day rate up front you automatically go on the hourly rate. When there are numerous housepersons you can't always expect them to know that someone isn't a regular who usually comes in on someone else's shift.

P.S. Best Billiards has the 10' Hermellin table and, I think, five new, blue logo
9' Diamonds plus two three cushion tables. Also some smaller tables.

Pool Sharks has six 9' Diamonds, two with 4" corner pockets, several Brunswick GC's, one a Tournament Edition, and lots of 9' Globals, one with tight pockets, and bar boxes, too.

Mickey's has five 9' red logo Diamonds, lots of Brunswicks, and smaller tables.

Cue Club had lots of older Brunswicks with tightened up pockets, two snooker tables, one three cushion table, but I haven't been in there in quite a while. Pool Sharks was closer and Cue Club wasn't keeping their tables clean enough to suit me.

 

[lfigueroa]

Every once in awhile a new counter person or jerk doesn't give me the special rate. Not a problem, I just don't give them a tip for awhile either! I typically tip 33 to 50% of the special rate so it doesn't take long to catch up. :thumbup:

Hu

Hu, the woman at the CC has been there for a long time, I remember her from a previous trip. And I did tip the very nice woman at the counter at Best Billiards. I usually tip the guys at my regular room too.

Lou Figueroa

 

[lfigueroa]

Makes me wonder why you didn't ask before you started.

At Cue Club, as Vagabond already mentioned, the daily rate is usually off during the tournaments. But I think it's true that most of the housepersons at Cue Club are more oriented toward serving the drinks than managing the tables.

At Pool Sharks the day rate is displayed on a big sign but new patrons still don't notice it unless directed to look at it. They have computerized timekeeping and if you don't pay the day rate up front you automatically go on the hourly rate. When there are numerous housepersons you can't always expect them to know that someone isn't a regular who usually comes in on someone else's shift.

P.S. Best Billiards has the 10' Hermellin table and, I think, five new, blue logo
9' Diamonds plus two three cushion tables. Also some smaller tables.

Pool Sharks has six 9' Diamonds, two with 4" corner pockets, several Brunswick GC's, one a Tournament Edition, and lots of 9' Globals, one with tight pockets, and bar boxes, too.

Mickey's has five 9' red logo Diamonds, lots of Brunswicks, and smaller tables.

Cue Club had lots of older Brunswicks with tightened up pockets, two snooker tables, one three cushion table, but I haven't been in there in quite a while. Pool Sharks was closer and Cue Club wasn't keeping their tables clean enough to suit me.

RB, if you read the sentence after the one you highlighted you'll understand why I didn't ask. Anywhos, it's kind of weird to go into a strange pool room and ask right off if they have a special -- kinda gives the wrong impression right off, if you're looking for a game, if you know what I mean

Lou Figueroa