The tourney I was running just died...(rant)

Rackemep

Rackemep

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Well I was on a mission to revive the pool scene in my area here in kingman AZ...Took over a weekly tournament at a little dive bar with two tables. Thursdays were the deadest night of the week for them so thats when we agreed to have it, well after a couple months of me running the tourney more and more players were showing up and in turn more and more people were stopping in to see what was going on...Thursdays became a pretty good night at the bar...

The agreement was that at 6:30 pm we could have both tables as long as we had over 8 people in the tourney...Last week there was a couple drunks playing on one of the tables and the bar staff would not let us have the table because there were people paying to play on it (we had 15 people in the tournament)...We improvised and shortened the races but the tournament players were pissed. Tonight I go in to run the tourney and the same two drunk's playing on the table...The bar owner said as long as they are playing and drinking we couldn't have the table...Half my players walked...once they left it was like chain reaction and everyone bailed. I dont understand how a bar owner could choose two drunks that are milking a picture of beer and paying 50 cents a game (average was 15 minutes a game) over 13 pool players that will show up every week!....

The bad part is I just invested in a cue to raffle off at the tournament that im now stuck with most likely. (at least its a cheap cue)...

Back to square one (no pool scene)...that was the only place with decent tables in our town...grrr..guess I'll just have to drive the hour+ to go play out of town...Rant over..lol
 
Find another place for the tournament.........

Rackemep said:
Well I was on a mission to revive the pool scene in my area here in kingman AZ...Took over a weekly tournament at a little dive bar with two tables. Thursdays were the deadest night of the week for them so thats when we agreed to have it, well after a couple months of me running the tourney more and more players were showing up and in turn more and more people were stopping in to see what was going on...Thursdays became a pretty good night at the bar...

The agreement was that at 6:30 pm we could have both tables as long as we had over 8 people in the tourney...Last week there was a couple drunks playing on one of the tables and the bar staff would not let us have the table because there were people paying to play on it (we had 15 people in the tournament)...We improvised and shortened the races but the tournament players were pissed. Tonight I go in to run the tourney and the same two drunk's playing on the table...The bar owner said as long as they are playing and drinking we couldn't have the table...Half my players walked...once they left it was like chain reaction and everyone bailed. I dont understand how a bar owner could choose two drunks that are milking a picture of beer and paying 50 cents a game (average was 15 minutes a game) over 13 pool players that will show up every week!....

The bad part is I just invested in a cue to raffle off at the tournament that im now stuck with most likely. (at least its a cheap cue)...

Back to square one (no pool scene)...that was the only place with decent tables in our town...grrr..guess I'll just have to drive the hour+ to go play out of town...Rant over..lol
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Sorry to see the owner is not behind what you are trying to do. Just do it better and bigger somewhere else. Playing on bad tables and being able to play is better than not playing. You might find a vendor that will make sure you have good equipment if he knows what you are doing at a different location.

Good Luck.........
 
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How much money were the players spending at the bar? Cuz around here, they don't spend a dime! They go out to there cars and drink what they brought. You know why they do that? Because there cheap, low life, losers that cry about everything! That is the typical pool player. And we wonder why this sport is going to hell?!?! Because nobody supports it!

I don't mean 100% of everyone, so please don't start the "your wrong, I spend oodles of money for the sport!" Your 1 in 100! Get used to that %

Ok, my rant is done too:)
 
:banghead: yeah now I have to find a way to get another bar owner somewhere in town to recover their tables...I've never seen a pool scene so dead as the one in kingman...
 
liakos said:
How much money were the players spending at the bar? Cuz around here, they don't spend a dime! They go out to there cars and drink what they brought. You know why they do that? Because there cheap, low life, losers that cry about everything! That is the typical pool player. And we wonder why this sport is going to hell?!?! Because nobody supports it!

I don't mean 100% of everyone, so please don't start the "your wrong, I spend oodles of money for the sport!" Your 1 in 100! Get used to that %

Ok, my rant is done too:)
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you're absolutely right...a lot of my guys would just drink a soda or two but a good portion of them were buying drinks and taking care of the bartender. I was dropping 20-30 a night in whiskey and coke...hell at $2.50 a pop it was economical drinking as far as I'm concerned...

My prediction is that thursdays will go back to being dead as a doornail in a couple of weeks...
 
Unbelievable. In the in-house bar league I helped organize for 18 months, the manager and head bartender were in the league and would kick off random dudes at the drop of a hat if we needed a table. It helped that there were 4 tables and we often only needed 3.

Your experience sounds more like the weekly tournament a bunch of us formed a few years back at the local Main Event. It formed spontaneously, with no knowledge of management. But the bartenders knew and played sometimes, if off shift. We had a dozen or so players after 3 months, when the manager found out and was shocked, shocked, that a money tournament was happening in his family establishment. He basically ran us out, and our bar tabs with us.
 
Rackemep said:
Well I was on a mission to revive the pool scene in my area here in kingman AZ...Took over a weekly tournament at a little dive bar with two tables. Thursdays were the deadest night of the week for them so thats when we agreed to have it, well after a couple months of me running the tourney more and more players were showing up and in turn more and more people were stopping in to see what was going on...Thursdays became a pretty good night at the bar...

The agreement was that at 6:30 pm we could have both tables as long as we had over 8 people in the tourney...Last week there was a couple drunks playing on one of the tables and the bar staff would not let us have the table because there were people paying to play on it (we had 15 people in the tournament)...We improvised and shortened the races but the tournament players were pissed. Tonight I go in to run the tourney and the same two drunk's playing on the table...The bar owner said as long as they are playing and drinking we couldn't have the table...Half my players walked...once they left it was like chain reaction and everyone bailed. I dont understand how a bar owner could choose two drunks that are milking a picture of beer and paying 50 cents a game (average was 15 minutes a game) over 13 pool players that will show up every week!....

The bad part is I just invested in a cue to raffle off at the tournament that im now stuck with most likely. (at least its a cheap cue)...

Back to square one (no pool scene)...that was the only place with decent tables in our town...grrr..guess I'll just have to drive the hour+ to go play out of town...Rant over..lol
Click to expand...

:smile:

Guess you should of had everyone put money up on the table to challenge the winner to get them off....:grin:
 
poolguy4u said:
:smile:

Guess you should of had everyone put money up on the table to challenge the winner to get them off....:grin:
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We did lol...they went and complained to the bar owner and we were told that table isn't for tournament players
 
Sorry to hear this Shaun. It was looking like you were starting to do well.

I can't believe a bar owners mentality. 2 drunks, one pitcher of beer and 50 cent racks as opposed to 15 players drinking and playing for the night.

Well, if that is his level of business management, no wonder it is a Dive bar.

To see 16 people walk out of your establishment with money in their pockets that they were willing to part with. Amazing!

Do you have any options? A small place to lease that you could put in a couple of bar tables perhaps.

Maybe a membership deal with the players. Everyone chip in 25 a month for cheap lease or something.

If you were closer to Canada, I could get you a couple of 8 footers just cause the LO wants them out of his shop.

Come up for a weekend of ice fishing and bring a truck.
 
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Blue Hog ridr said:
Sorry to hear this Shaun. It was looking like you were starting to do well.

I can't believe a bar owners mentality. 2 drunks, one pitcher of beer and 50 cent racks as opposed to 15 players drinking and playing for the night.

Well, if that is his level of business management, no wonder it is a Dive bar.

To see 16 people walk out of your establishment with money in their pockets that they were willing to part with. Amazing!

Do you have any options? A small place to lease that you could put in a couple of bar tables perhaps.

Maybe a membership deal with the players. Everyone chip in 25 a month for cheap lease or something.

If you were closer to Canada, I could get you a couple of 8 footers just cause the LO wants them out of his shop.

Come up for a weekend of ice fishing and bring a truck.
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Terry you're a hell of a guy...as much as I wish I could take you up on your offer both to come up and go ice fishing and on the tables its just not in the cards for me. I'd give just about anything to open up my own little bar/eatery with a handful of tables for the pool players out here I'm just not far enough ahead in life to make it work...maybe one day though...

I'm going to try talking to a couple of the bar owners out here again and see if I can find a place that will let us run a tournament ...pool just doesn't seem important to the bars here
 
Tell them to reserve the table

At 6pm the table is yours and it will be clearly posted on signage. If they wont give it up then they'll be made to leave. Whats wrong with people? This country has lost all civility.
 
All I have to say is WOW. Hard to believe that. Is the bar owner that you made the agreement with the same guy that told you he wouldn't kick those two guys off the table? I could understand if he simply asked you to wait until the finished their game. I'm certain you wouldn't have had a problem with that but to 15 potential future customers on a weekly basis for two guys is not good business. Even if they were bar regulars. Thats crazy. I hope you are able to find some new diggs to get the tournament back up and running. Good luck.
 
typical/liquor/bar tables

I look at your efforts as a first step. Either you'll quit (don't go there) or press on and find another place, and also ask the tough questions next time so this won't happen. While running/creating the BCA All American Tour over ten yrs ago, I had one BCA room member that received all the cues and equipment and banners etc. for their event. Owner never had it and pocketed all the dollars from the supplies/cues that I sent. You might consider talking to a few Sign companies in your area and find out if any new businesses/bars with pool tables, will be opening in the near future and try your luck there, just get on the phone and make some calls.
Good luck
 
liakos said:
How much money were the players spending at the bar? Cuz around here, they don't spend a dime! They go out to there cars and drink what they brought. You know why they do that? Because there cheap, low life, losers that cry about everything! That is the typical pool player. And we wonder why this sport is going to hell?!?! Because nobody supports it!

I don't mean 100% of everyone, so please don't start the "your wrong, I spend oodles of money for the sport!" Your 1 in 100! Get used to that %

Ok, my rant is done too:)
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unfortunately you are pretty much right. A bar owner can easily look around and feel it isn't worth it. I have had the same experience and wondered if it was worth it since for the most part it went unappreciated. They come in your place, take over, complain about everything and spend nothing. The only thing worse then pool players are senior citizens. Seniors come in, want to play for half price, never buy anything ask why the coffee isn't free and complain about the other paying customers.
 
Rackemep said:
I dont understand how a bar owner could choose two drunks that are milking a picture of beer and paying 50 cents a game (average was 15 minutes a game) over 13 pool players that will show up every week!....
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Just to play devils advocate, two guys like that that come in regular can way outspend spend your group that come in once a week and never show up at any other times. The owner seemed to have a sort of loyalty to them so he puts some kind of value on them. Why is your first reaction and reference to them as "A couple of drunks")?

In fact your whole description of them with the milking a pitcher of beer sounds pretty bias because you can't have what you want. Owners tend to have more loyalty to regulars they depend on, then customers that are here today and gone tomorrow. I am sure he didn't want to offend them or he would have chased them off the table.

Again, Just to play devils advocate you possibly are not being very objective or see any of this from the owners point of view.
 
Island Drive said:
I look at your efforts as a first step. Either you'll quit (don't go there) or press on and find another place, and also ask the tough questions next time so this won't happen. While running/creating the BCA All American Tour over ten yrs ago, I had one BCA room member that received all the cues and equipment and banners etc. for their event. Owner never had it and pocketed all the dollars from the supplies/cues that I sent. You might consider talking to a few Sign companies in your area and find out if any new businesses/bars with pool tables, will be opening in the near future and try your luck there, just get on the phone and make some calls.
Good luck
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He really doesn't need another place, just come to some understanding with the owner to resolve this, very small problem and start again. Like someone else said, a sign advertising the tournament would do the trick. Then you just tell whoever is on the table, "The tournament is about to start, if you would like to play we would be happy to have you".
 
macguy said:
He really doesn't need another place, just come to some understanding with the owner to resolve this, very small problem and start again. Like someone else said, a sign advertising the tournament would do the trick. Then you just tell whoever is on the table, "The tournament is about to start, if you would like to play we would be happy to have you".
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I agree with this comment. Perhaps you should have offered to let the guys on the table in for half price as a way of getting them interested in playing. If they play like most drunks they would have lost quickly and gone about the more important task of drinking!
 
Great idea about the sign, but shouldn't the owner take that initiative?

FWIU, the OP has done all of the legwork so far...established the tourney, advertised it (even if just word of mouth), grew it into something worthwhile, and even ran the d@mn things.

The owner has freely reaped what the OP sowed...assuming the bar doesn't contribute $ to the tourney or something else.

metallicane is correct...forest for the trees.
 
In a group of 15 people, there's bound to be a few who will get used to coming to that bar. Tournaments get people in the doors... maybe 10 of them pay entry only and drink water with a net of zero gain for the bar. The other 5 might not spend big every time, but the bar will be a default go-to place when they want to maybe grab a drink with a coworker. Particularly if the bar isn't adding money, and is just a location... it makes sense to keep a crowd in the bar.
 
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