Your Favorite Rooms to Visit

lfigueroa

lfigueroa

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
OK, so over in another thread I mentioned that I have been lucky enough, over the years, to play in pool rooms all over the country. Rooms in the areas of New Jersey, Boston, Lexington, Miami, Atlanta, Gulfport, New Orleans, Louisville, Dayton, Chicago, Kalamazoo, Kansas City, Phoenix, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Seattle, Tampa, Indianapolis, Memphis, Dallas, Sacramento, San Francisco, and probably a few others.

My question is: to those of you that travel -- what are or have been your favorite rooms to visit and play in and why?

Here’s three of my favorites.

Res Shoes, Chicago

Why? It’s a beautiful room with immaculately kept equipment. Owner John Lavin is a gracious host, player, instructor, and a gamblin’ man. If you can’t get into action there any time of the day you need to hang it up and it doesn’t matter what your game is. There are even up and coming teenagers there that will play and no, you don’t need to ask. They’ll come right up and ask to play.

Airway, Dayton

When my wife's Mom was alive, Gail and I would travel to Ohio to visit on a regular basis and I got to play at Airways many times. It's a big room that had a long running, well attended, quick-fire tournament every week. Also a room where you could, literally, go from one match up to another -- all kinds of guys willing to play during the afternoon or night. And I believe that had a lot to do with Steve Cook, Gary Spaeth, and George Roode being around for many years and teaching and mentoring players how to behave.

Comet, Parsippany, NJ

Gone now, but a big, beautiful room, great equipment, decorated with historical posters of the players of yesteryear along all the walls. I don’t know about other games, but you could always get a 1pocket game on their very tight table set off in the corner. And owner Bill Haley hosted some great 14.1 events there.

So what are your favorite rooms to visit when you are on the road?

Lou Figueroa
 
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lfigueroa said:
OK, so over in another thread I mentioned that I have been lucky enough, over the years, to play in pool rooms all over the country. Rooms in the areas of New Jersey, Boston, Lexington, Miami, Atlanta, Gulfport, New Orleans, Louisville, Dayton, Chicago, Kalamazoo, Kansas City, Phoenix, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Seattle, Tampa, Indianapolis, Memphis, Dallas, Sacramento, San Francisco, and probably a few others.

My question is: to those of you that travel -- what are or have been your favorite rooms to visit and play in and why?

Here’s three of my favorites.

Res Shoes, Chicago

Why? It’s a beautiful room with immaculately kept equipment. Owner John Lavin is a gracious host, player, instructor, and a gamblin’ man. If you can’t get into action there any time of the day you need to hang it up and it doesn’t matter what your game is. There are even up and coming teenagers there that will play and no, you don’t need to ask. They’ll come right up and ask to play.

Airway, Dayton

When my wife's Mom was alive, Gail and I would travel to Ohio to visit on a regular basis and I got to play at Airways many times. It's a big room that had a long running, well attended, quick-fire tournament every week. Also a room where you could, literally, go from one match up to another -- all kinds of guys willing to play during the afternoon or night. And I believe that had a lot to do with Steve Cook and George Roode being around for many years and teaching and mentoring players how to behave.

Comet, Parsippany, NJ

Gone now, but a big, beautiful room, great equipment, decorated with historical posters of the players of yesteryear along all the walls. I don’t know about other games, but you could always get a 1pocket game on their very tight table set off in the corner. And owner Bill Haley hosted some great 14.1 events there.

So what are your favorite rooms to visit when you are on the road?

Lou Figueroa
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Lou -

I lived in Cincy, and only went to Airway once. It was rough and I had heard a lot of stories about the place....all bad...so I never went back.

I played at Micheal's and it was a great pool room.

Funny there were only the two bigger rooms and IMO, you picked the wrong one.


Lots of great rooms.

I like Highpockets here in Memphis, the Chattanoga Billiard room, JOB's, BankShot in Louisville.

I too, have heard great things about Red Shoes, and will make an effort to get up there sometime.

Ken
 
Ken_4fun said:
Lou -

I lived in Cincy, and only went to Airway once. It was rough and I had heard a lot of stories about the place....all bad...so I never went back.

I played at Micheal's and it was a great pool room.

Funny there were only the two bigger rooms and IMO, you picked the wrong one.


Lots of great rooms.

I like Highpockets here in Memphis, the Chattanoga Billiard room, JOB's, BankShot in Louisville.

I too, have heard great things about Red Shoes, and will make an effort to get up there sometime.

Ken
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How could you have possibly had a bad time at Airway!!!!! How can you knock a room like that?!!! (lol, just kidding, Ken. If you've read the LA thread, you'll get it.)

I've been to JOB's and Bank Shot. Got played in both and at the BS the guy I beat out of $80 gave me his phone number to call the next time I was in town. Both, very nice rooms.

Lou Figueroa
 
Shooters...

Shooters in Olathe, Kansas.

Hands down best "player friendly" room I've ever been in, and I've been in a lot. They have all the best equipment. Gold crowns, Diamonds, 3 cushion tables, Valley bar box, diamond bar boxes, various pocket sized depending on what the player prefers. A great staff, good bar, good food, and ACTION.

Currently they have a tournament going on with 138 players.

Dan Tull is the owner and one of the nicest people I've ever met. He loves pool and the action. He personally measures the pool balls with a micrometer and has it figured to a science when it's time for new balls, cloth, rails, etc. He personally inspects all the equipment and makes sure it is playing up to par.

I could go on forever about this place. It's the nuts.
 
1on1pooltournys said:
Shooters in Olathe, Kansas.

Hands down best "player friendly" room I've ever been in, and I've been in a lot. They have all the best equipment. Gold crowns, Diamonds, 3 cushion tables, Valley bar box, diamond bar boxes, various pocket sized depending on what the player prefers. A great staff, good bar, good food, and ACTION.

Currently they have a tournament going on with 138 players.

Dan Tull is the owner and one of the nicest people I've ever met. He loves pool and the action. He personally measures the pool balls with a micrometer and has it figured to a science when it's time for new balls, cloth, rails, etc. He personally inspects all the equipment and makes sure it is playing up to par.

I could go on forever about this place. It's the nuts.
Click to expand...


Very friendly room. Got to play Keith "Earthquake" McCready there once.

Lou Figueroa
 
Q Masters. Most tables in a hall in the US. There's just something about attending The Open, watching the best, and then going to Q and being granted admission to the back room, where you'll likely find some monsters playing for $$$, awesome memorobilia on the paneled walls, great tables (and some young sexy attendants).
 
1on1pooltournys said:
Shooters in Olathe, Kansas.

Hands down best "player friendly" room I've ever been in, and I've been in a lot. They have all the best equipment. Gold crowns, Diamonds, 3 cushion tables, Valley bar box, diamond bar boxes, various pocket sized depending on what the player prefers. A great staff, good bar, good food, and ACTION.

Currently they have a tournament going on with 138 players.

Dan Tull is the owner and one of the nicest people I've ever met. He loves pool and the action. He personally measures the pool balls with a micrometer and has it figured to a science when it's time for new balls, cloth, rails, etc. He personally inspects all the equipment and makes sure it is playing up to par.

I could go on forever about this place. It's the nuts.
Click to expand...

+1 on Shooters.......

Ken
 
My favorite rooms are all closed up except Carom Cafe
Hmmmmmmmm Maybe its me?

Edit. Shooters and Raytown. Still in business and great places to play.
 
KoolKat9Lives said:
I saw Kansas once. In the rearview mirror. Maybe I shoulda stopped?
Click to expand...

I guarantee you if you are a player and get a chance to go to Shooters you'd better stop in. You will most likely be greeted at the ball counter by Dave Matlock.

They also have some of the greatest pool memorabilia and pictures on the walls I've seen.

Like I said earlier I can't say enough about it...it's a pool mecca. :thumbup:
 
For memorabilia it's hard to beat Chris's in Chicago...even though it's mostly passe' as a players room. I like Amsterdam in NYC, both Hard Times (Bellflower and Sacramento), Black Diamond in Spokane WA, Snookers in Providence RI, and many more. I've been to most of the rooms mentioned already.

Scott Lee
http://poolknowledge.com

1on1pooltournys said:
They also have some of the greatest pool memorabilia and pictures on the walls I've seen.
Click to expand...
 
Scott Lee said:
For memorabilia it's hard to beat Chris's in Chicago...even though it's mostly passe' as a players room. I like Amsterdam in NYC, both Hard Times (Bellflower and Sacramento), Black Diamond in Spokane WA, Snookers in Providence RI, and many more. I've been to most of the rooms mentioned already.

Scott Lee
http://poolknowledge.com
Click to expand...

I have to disagree about Chris's. The new owners are working hard to get things back, last night there was quite a few players all looking for some action. One pocket seemed to be the ticket last night.. Lots of work being done, painting etc plus lots of tables recovered and restored. They have a long way to go but seem to be working hard at it. JMO Scott, perhaps you have not been to Chris's recently..
 
Favorite pool room

Well, I have been to quite a few 'halls' in the past 25 years. So I am probably biased (no I am) about an "old school hall" (and now long closed) in Phoenix, AZ called The GOLDEN EIGHT BALL in early late 1980s-1990s. I'm talking about the hall on Indian School Road, across from the Wendy's.

Smoke-filled, tons of bar tables, and 9-footers—even had a 12-foot snooker table. Large raised bar, arcade games, full snack shop, and tons of hot women. This place was packed with both pool and non-pool players on the weekends. Tournaments every week. Action galore. Road players would often stop by, e.g. The Earthquake, The Hatchet Man, C.J., just to name a few of the dozens I saw when I was in there.

The reason why I LOVED this place was because there was one 9-footer in a sunken area called 'The Pit.' It was THE table to play on at "The EIGHT BALL." Beautiful table, straight and fast as lightning. If you were seen playing "down there" in 'The Pit" either you were in the finals of a tourney or you had some serious action.

I was once saw Ronnie Allen and "Beanie Weanie" (on separate occasions) gamble some one pocket. Man, I'm telling you, I saw some awesome moves. I learned a lot.

So, yes, I am from Phoenix and for those of you in the know you would have to say this was one HELL of a room. Although I don't miss the thick smoke (you could cut it with your hands), I sure do miss playing in 'The Pit.'
 
I'm sure many of you have been to this English room ... it remains my favorite. :thumbup:

396_001.jpg
 
Dan...That's nice to hear, and while I haven't been in Chris's in over a year, it will never be room it was when Chris Crisman owned it for decades. Hopefully it still has that great memorabilia in every room. Glad to hear the new owners are fixing it up! :thumbup:

Scott Lee
http://poolknowledge.com

Quesports said:
I have to disagree about Chris's. The new owners are working hard to get things back, last night there was quite a few players all looking for some action. One pocket seemed to be the ticket last night.. Lots of work being done, painting etc plus lots of tables recovered and restored. They have a long way to go but seem to be working hard at it. JMO Scott, perhaps you have not been to Chris's recently..
Click to expand...
 
lfigueroa said:
How could you have possibly had a bad time at Airway!!!!! How can you knock a room like that?!!! (lol, just kidding, Ken. If you've read the LA thread, you'll get it.)

I've been to JOB's and Bank Shot. Got played in both and at the BS the guy I beat out of $80 gave me his phone number to call the next time I was in town. Both, very nice rooms.

Lou Figueroa
Click to expand...

Have to go back in time Lou, but I think you'll agree...In its prime there never was, nor has there been since, a room
like Cochran's in San Francisco...Simply the best ever !

SJD
 
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I sure was impressed in 1968 walkin' in to Congress billiards in Miami, and seeing Diliberto and others and 12' ft. pool tables, yikes. I've seen so many good rooms, don't know where to start. Janscos, the pit, with the two Gandys. Wichita, Shooters, the barbers chair for the ring bar table game. Or the snooker action at Jim Mcdermotts old room that also had a 3 cush table. The original hard times in costa mesa when Ether cut his teeth, had a couch and a fireplace. Then there's that bus stop bar in San Franciso, that had a Perfect 4X8 Valley bar table with the heavy cue ball and anyone can get beat there. And all the great below ground rooms, and the open door pool rooms in New Orleans, wow.


Romines in Milwaukee is cool.
 
KoolKat9Lives said:
Q Masters. Most tables in a hall in the US. There's just something about attending The Open, watching the best, and then going to Q and being granted admission to the back room, where you'll likely find some monsters playing for $$$, awesome memorobilia on the paneled walls, great tables (and some young sexy attendants).
Click to expand...


I have never been. I sorta have it on my pool Bucket List.

Lou Figueroa
 
3kushn said:
My favorite rooms are all closed up except Carom Cafe
Hmmmmmmmm Maybe its me?

Edit. Shooters and Raytown. Still in business and great places to play.
Click to expand...


Been to NYC many times, but never gotten the chance to go to CC. It looks pretty cool from the 3C events.

Lou Figueroa
 
Scott Lee said:
For memorabilia it's hard to beat Chris's in Chicago...even though it's mostly passe' as a players room. I like Amsterdam in NYC, both Hard Times (Bellflower and Sacramento), Black Diamond in Spokane WA, Snookers in Providence RI, and many more. I've been to most of the rooms mentioned already.

Scott Lee
http://poolknowledge.com
Click to expand...


Chris's is one of the last great "walk up" rooms. Like going back in time.

I've been to Amsterdam, but in a previous incarnation, so I don't know what the current room looks like. I like HT in LA, but have not been to the Sacramento one. Never made it to Spokane or RI.

Man, you do get around, Scott.

Lou Figueroa
 
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