Pool is NOT Declining!

[Fast Lenny]

I hear all this talk all of the time about pool being dead. It is more popular now then ever by the numbers of amateur/recreational players playing it. Leagues seem to be okay. The only part of pool that has declined is with the pro players. There are more pros and wannabe pro players then ever before so the money is spread out thin and prize money has dropped or not saw an increase. Pro pool needs some help but the amateur side is doing awesome. Carry on now.

 

[mchnhed]

Pool is Not Declining.

It's Reclining.

 

[Shotcy]

Pool in Newfoundland is more popular then ever. Probably has something to do with two of the best players here buying a pool hall and getting all brand new tables for it and throwing off multiple different tournaments a week. Dont know anout the rest of the world.

 

[trob]

Seriously how many times must we start the same thread...

 

[JAM]

I hear all this talk all of the time about pool being dead. It is more popular now then ever by the numbers of amateur/recreational players playing it. Leagues seem to be okay. The only part of pool that has declined is with the pro players. There are more pros and wannabe pro players then ever before so the money is spread out thin and prize money has dropped or not saw an increase. Pro pool needs some help but the amateur side is doing awesome. Carry on now.

In Arizona, pool is quite popular, thanks to social shooters and the leagues.

Here in my neck of the woods, pool is dead as a door nail. That's why we're moving to Vegas when I retire.

 

[mchnhed]

Until People Get It.

Seriously how many times must we start the same thread...

Dead here in LA LA Land.
Rent, utilities are are too high to run a large square footage business.
Most retail spaces and cities are unreceptive to a Billiards Room.

Dart Leagues, Foosball Leagues, Bowling Leagues are also dead.

The weather is too nice here in SoCal. (Arizona works because it's so hot. yes I know...... it's a dry heat.)

People don't commit to a long term endeavors here.

In reality LA is not much of a sports town. Yes, I know we are finally getting two football teams, again, soon and a modern stadium, again, soon. Why has it taken so long? Fair weather fans?

Rant Over.

 

[mchnhed]

Pool is quite popular, thanks to social shooters and the leagues. Here in my neck of the woods, pool is dead as a door nail.

Heard the same thing about bowling as it was dying.
Cosmic bowling and short 8 week leagues will keep us going.

Maybe only in America are Billiard Sports declining?

 

[kollegedave]

Lenny,

I sure hope you are right. However, my impression of the way things are in the St. Louis area is that there is not a whole lot of "new blood" coming into the pool community. That is to say, it does not seem as though there are all that many newer players.

Lindenwood is great for pool here, but those players come and then they go, but I am happy there are here for the time that they are.

I am not much of a league player, so maybe the "new" players are there, but if they are, they don't seem to have made it into the community of pool that cares about professional pool.

I wonder if it helps pool in your community to have Scott Frost as such a steady presence--from the outside, it has looks as if Scott is in the local pool halls fairly regularly mixing it up with the locals. We are fortunate to have Justin Bergman here, but he travels a lot, and not surprisingly, he has a hard time finding opponents when he comes out to the local joints.

kollegedave

I hear all this talk all of the time about pool being dead. It is more popular now then ever by the numbers of amateur/recreational players playing it. Leagues seem to be okay. The only part of pool that has declined is with the pro players. There are more pros and wannabe pro players then ever before so the money is spread out thin and prize money has dropped or not saw an increase. Pro pool needs some help but the amateur side is doing awesome. Carry on now.

 

[cleary]

Amateur pool in NYC is alive and well. With the right tournament formats, pool can do very well.

 

[mchnhed]

With the right tournament formats, pool can do very well.

We are in need of some good competitions.
Please, what are these formats that you speak of?

 

[336Robin]

It takes effort

I'm in NC. It takes effort here to get league players to spend any money at the Pool Room. All the leagues want to play free.

 

[Tin Man]

Dead end

Pool isn't dead. There is just a dead end for those that travel too far down the road.

 

[336Robin]

The Diminishing Return

Pool isn't dead. There is just a dead end for those that travel too far down the road.

The diminishing return in Pool.

 

[strmanglr scott]

Not dead but not what it was.

 

[jay helfert]

I've seen Pool go through several cycles in my lifetime. It runs good for a few years and then there is a decline. In the 60's (after The Hustler) Pool was huge in this country with thousands of new rooms opening up. That continued into the early 70's and then we hit a declining period. After the Color of Money came out in the 80's there was another surge in new upscale poolrooms. It lasted well into the 90's. We are currently in a downswing again, but the interesting thing is how popular pool became in China and some of the Middle Eastern countries.

There may be more poolrooms and people playing Pool in China then in the rest of the world combined. Last estimate I heard was well over 100 million players and tens of thousands of poolrooms all over China. The pendulum swings back and forth in the pool world, so no telling where we'll be ten years from now. I do know one thing. Pool is not going away! It's too great a game to disappear. Even in this electronic era people want to socialize and engage in physical activity. That's my take on things.

 

[mchnhed]

There may be more poolrooms in China then in the rest of the world combined.
Last estimate I heard was tens of thousands of poolrooms all over China.

Poolrooms in China?

Pool? Yes.
Rooms? Not so much.

Yes, I know. In the cities.........
Most do not have the resources to build and have pool halls.
They do play and I think most do it without a $800 cue.
Probably enjoy it more than us in the US.

 

[hang-the-9]

With how popular Florian's videos are getting on YouTube I think that he alone may have gotten several thousand new players into the game.

I think it just takes some people teaching people how to play and real rules to get them to stay. Many people I talk to in tournaments and showed them some things have become regulars not just in the weekly tournaments but also joined leagues. They just need to be shown that making a ball is not just an accident but you can actually aim at the shot and even, wonder of wonders!, be able to plan for a second and then third shot.

 

[measureman]

Poolrooms in China?

Pool? Yes.
Rooms? Not so much.

Yes, I know. In the cities.........
Most do not have the resources to build and have pool halls.
They do play and I think most do it without a $800 cue.
Probably enjoy it more than us in the US.

the last photo of the guy pushing the pool table is the ultimate road player.

 

[Ranmar]

I've seen Pool go through several cycles in my lifetime. It runs good for a few years and then there is a decline. In the 60's (after The Hustler) Pool was huge in this country with thousands of new rooms opening up. That continued into the early 70's and then we hit a declining period. After the Color of Money came out in the 80's there was another surge in new upscale poolrooms. It lasted well into the 90's. We are currently in a downswing again, but the interesting thing is how popular pool became in China and some of the Middle Eastern countries.

There may be more poolrooms and people playing Pool in China then in the rest of the world combined. Last estimate I heard was well over 100 million players and tens of thousands of poolrooms all over China. The pendulum swings back and forth in the pool world, so no telling where we'll be ten years from now. I do know one thing. Pool is not going away! It's too great a game to disappear. Even in this electronic era people want to socialize and engage in physical activity. That's my take on things.

Demographics are changing and the pendulum is always swinging. Boomers and Millennials are about to transition into the next phase of life. Retirees might discover one pocket (and hopefully straight pool) in their new free time. Millennials might discover that superhero movies were cool at 16 but guys like Paul Newman are cooler at 30.

Lots of strip mall space is about to open too. The retail apocalypse that is gutting that sector of the economy is going to lower rents and maybe more rooms will be able to come back.

Tournaments are key too. More cool tournaments for us wannabe shortstops.

 

[mchnhed]

I think it just takes some people teaching people how to play and real rules to get them to stay.
They just need to be shown that making a ball is not just an accident but you can actually aim at the shot and even, wonder of wonders!, be able to plan for a second and then third shot.

Bingo!

Free lessons for beginners.
Special classes for young players.
Free table time for those under 14/16? Outside of school hours. Until 9pm.
Half off table rate when Adult is accompanied by a Minor.

Exposure to the non-playing populace is important.
Trick Shot Exhibition in a shopping mall with Venom doing the tricks.
"Dr. Billiards Traveling Trick Shot Show" coming to a mall near you.

Support youth pool in your community. Boys/Girls Clubs, YMCA, Community Centers.
BTW - Matching Donations to BEF, now until the end of June.
http://forums.azbilliards.com/showthread.php?t=453147