Who are the people that claim pool is on the down hill slide?

[realkingcobra]

King Cobra wanna play King Gypsy some One Pocket and or 9Ball ? Hell let's bring action back since you are all worried bout pool and cash ...... let's get in on I'll travel so no excuses!!!!

I haven't played competitively or gambled playing pool since Jan 1990, which is when I made the choice to become a dedicated pool table mechanic, and started working on a plan to take over pool on a professional basis in the future at some point in time. I fully understand the need to gamble as a way of making some money to live on, and as a way of finding out who the better player is, but today, that measuring stick is hurting the American Professional pool players. Placing gambling as a higher priority than training to play in tournaments has made American Pro's to slow out the gate, but great down the long stretch, problem is, the race is over before they even get warmed up. There are a couple of exceptions to the rule, but even SVB would improve if he focused more on his short game, and become a better out the gate starter. Shorter races are SVB"s kryptonite, and that in part also the fault of this sport, having changed the races, changed the rules, changed the format....all so the amateurs could still have a chance to win over a Pro in events, or they wouldn't contribute their entry fees to play, and without that dead money, there wouldn't be any tournaments. THAT has to change!

 

[Nostroke]

Who are the people?-The ones who keep saying they can fix it!

 

[Runner]

You have to go into the rooms and spend serious time to see the effects. Times have changed. Without alcohol sales you will he left with bars with bar tables.

The bar box game is what keeps it alive. Look at Hard Times Bellflower. Icon. Hanging on by the teeth. They don’t want to recover the tables because they may not be there long. That is a player hall. Some of the best players in the country if not the world frequent that place. If you can’t find a game there then you don’t play pool. It won’t be with us long and it is without a doubt the best setup on the planet. So yes....it has changed. You need a different attitude to keep a pool hall open these days. Don’t bet he buggy whip. Progress or go out of business. It’s that simple.

Agreed... I started a thread about Hard Times a while ago. The tournament
side's tables are in bad shape.. all the break spots are worn through, that
Andy cloth is like playing on bare slate, just baby every shot, whitey just
rolls, and rolls, and rolls...

League and bar box pool will be OK.. that's like bowling night for the guys, a few beers, have some laughs, see some friends. There's nothing wrong with that at all.. it's just not
serious pool.

In places like L.A.. real estate values and the cost of doing business are so
high now, you'd have to be loaded and own your own building to do a serious
pool hall.

All the serious players I know say pool ain't what it was for a long time.

$.02

 

[realkingcobra]

Who are the people?-The ones who keep saying they can fix it!

Pool in my opinion is not broken, it's just not organized to be productive and profitable on a Pro player level, and that needs to change.

 

[Z-Nole]

Pool needs new glue...…….. then all will be well with the world.

Damn Hustler! You beat me to it. What really matters is glue. And the glue that holds the glue together. That's the glue that matters. It's binds us all together. Like glue. And trust me, I know glue.

 

[garczar]

Agreed... I started a thread about Hard Times a while ago. The tournament
side's tables are in bad shape.. all the break spots are worn through, that
Andy cloth is like playing on bare slate, just baby every shot, whitey just
rolls, and rolls, and rolls...

League and bar box pool will be OK.. that's like bowling night for the guys, a few beers, have some laughs, see some friends. There's nothing wrong with that at all.. it's just not
serious pool.

In places like L.A.. real estate values and the cost of doing business are so
high now, you'd have to be loaded and own your own building to do a serious
pool hall.

All the serious players I know say pool ain't what it was for a long time.

$.02

Since RKC is gonna have this big multi-table event center he might as well just build it in L.A. That way when tournaments aren't going on he could run it as a poolroom.

 

[strmanglr scott]

We used to have two large pool halls where I live, both are gone.

A few years back we had a bar in town that offered free pool 6 days a week 11-5, 3 bb. Had a small crowd of league players in the beginning, after a couple years I would walk in and there was zero people playing.

Another bar/restaurant had 6 Diamond tables. On Sunday nights they ran a special, $2.00 an hour for the table. Not per player, for the table. Would go in there and play, maybe one or two tables were being used.

I know of another bar/restaurant that has free pool through the weekdays. 4 tables, can always find an open table there too.

The interest just isn't there. I believe most of the more serious league players have their own table. People don't go out too much looking for action, they just go to tournaments. It's a fairly tight pool community around here and most of the more serious players know the hierarchy of those that play.

The one place I know of to get action is a private biker club. If you can get in, be on your toes cause anything goes in there.

 

[Ken_4fun]

I usually try to avoid KC threads but.

Obviously, pool is in decline, the number of pool rooms that are closing are a great way to measure.

Is it pools fault? This is the point that I think KC is missing. It isn't organization or management, while I do agree that both could improve.

It is competition. There are just tons more stuff to do, at less cost and frankly less effort.

I enjoy pinball and I have taken kids (and young adults) to play pinball for the first time. The first time they play it they light up like they discovered electricity. They are used to the video games that are played on the internet and in homes are cheaper and easier than trying to find a pinball machine. IMO, that is what is killing pinball. The same can be said for pool.

I still think the best thing that could help pool is getting youth involved. This is the future, but the problem is you have to work a generation of time to see results. Most folks aren't that patient, IMO.

Ken

 

[Z-Nole]

The glue will stop the slide.

 

[alstl]

Pool is down from the glory days but I believe it has leveled off. It does seem to be much bigger in Asia and Europe than the USA.

By continent I would say

1. Asia
2. Europe
3. North America
4. South America, Africa, Antarctica, Australia tied for last with no apparent interest.

 

[hang-the-9]

My town once had 5 legitmate size poolrooms , now 0.

That is a good measure of pool, even the rooms that are open have had issues with getting real players in. A few places where booming with action, tournaments, now are mostly left with league players that are in once a week, play their match and run off.

I can name easily 6 rooms within 30 miles of me that shut down since the boom of the 80s through early 2000s passed and another few that lost all good play.

 

[vjmehra]

I haven't played competitively or gambled playing pool since Jan 1990, which is when I made the choice to become a dedicated pool table mechanic, and started working on a plan to take over pool on a professional basis in the future at some point in time. I fully understand the need to gamble as a way of making some money to live on, and as a way of finding out who the better player is, but today, that measuring stick is hurting the American Professional pool players. Placing gambling as a higher priority than training to play in tournaments has made American Pro's to slow out the gate, but great down the long stretch, problem is, the race is over before they even get warmed up. There are a couple of exceptions to the rule, but even SVB would improve if he focused more on his short game, and become a better out the gate starter. Shorter races are SVB"s kryptonite, and that in part also the fault of this sport, having changed the races, changed the rules, changed the format....all so the amateurs could still have a chance to win over a Pro in events, or they wouldn't contribute their entry fees to play, and without that dead money, there wouldn't be any tournaments. THAT has to change!

Shorter races and the favourite not winning are better for TV (note that snooker now often has best of 7's / race to 4 in many events).

Its not great for the purists, but it creates upsets and short sharp matches. It won't appeal to all, but pool needs to find a new fan base to expand and longer races where the favourite always wins aren't great for a minority sport (it can work once established and people have their own favourite players they always want to win).

 

[Taxi]

Here is the 2017 WPC final (nine ball)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WB_A4bPoBCo

Here is the 2003 WPC final (nineball)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B2jd_X7vZc4

Your point is well taken, although on the 2003 overhead shots the balls all look alike. :grin:

 

[Z-Nole]

Down here poker has taken a good bit of the action out of the pool room. Less action means, well, less action.

 

[realkingcobra]

Shorter races and the favourite not winning are better for TV (note that snooker now often has best of 7's / race to 4 in many events).

Its not great for the purists, but it creates upsets and short sharp matches. It won't appeal to all, but pool needs to find a new fan base to expand and longer races where the favourite always wins aren't great for a minority sport (it can work once established and people have their own favourite players they always want to win).

I have to dissagree with this, the problem is not with the fan base not showing up as much to watch live events, the problem is people don't really like leaving home much anymore. Shopping malls are dying because the shoppers are shopping online more now than ever, no need to go out to xi as much shopping anymore, and it's declining more and more every year. You have to solve the problem of getting the snooker/pool events in front of that stay at home viewer now, and as advertisers are declining to support the free TV viewing, instead turning to internet advertising, free TV isn't so cheap by the hour for snooker/pool events anymore, so THAT is why matches are being shortened up, it's not for the good of the viewers.

 

[JoeyInCali]

ESPN.
When was the last time you saw a new tournament shown on ESPN ?

The WPBA people aren't saying pool is on the down side because they no longer exist afaik.


When Hard Times closes here in 2019, the pool scene in LA is really going to take a major blow .

 

[JoeyInCali]

Down here poker has taken a good bit of the action out of the pool room. Less action means, well, less action.

And if the kids aren't starting to learn pool, there will be no players in the next generation.

What Brunswick needs to do is to do whatever they did with Mosconi .
Pay SVB or somebody to promote pool all over US.

 

[realkingcobra]

Pool is down from the glory days but I believe it has leveled off. It does seem to be much bigger in Asia and Europe than the USA.

By continent I would say

1. Asia
2. Europe
3. North America
4. South America, Africa, Antarctica, Australia tied for last with no apparent interest.

I've lived in Germany and Italy and can safely say Europe is no where near close to the US when it comes to player participation. We've lost more bars and pool rooms in this country than they've opened in the last 20 years.

 

[garczar]

ESPN.
When was the last time you saw a new tournament shown on ESPN ?

The WPBA people aren't saying pool is on the down side because they no longer exist afaik.


When Hard Times closes here in 2019, the pool scene in LA is really going to take a major blow .

So HT's is closing? Any idea when?

 

[Taxi]

That is a good measure of pool, even the rooms that are open have had issues with getting real players in. A few places where booming with action, tournaments, now are mostly left with league players that are in once a week, play their match and run off.

I can name easily 6 rooms within 30 miles of me that shut down since the boom of the 80s through early 2000s passed and another few that lost all good play.

Hell, just off the top of my head, here are some of the pool rooms in the Metro DC area I can remember from the 60's and 70's, and I'm sure this list isn't complete:

DC
14th & Irving (Brunswick)
14th & Park Road (Baggy's)
14th & Decatur (bus barn)
14th & W
14th & T (Lowe's or Louie's)
14th & Swann (Wordy's)
14th & H (above the Casino Royale)
14th & G (below the barber shop)
1200 block of U (Lincoln)
9th & U/Florida
600 block of T (Golden Q and Stage Door)
7th Street below Florida
Georgia Ave. just south of Missouri Avenue (Louie's)
100 block of G St NW (next to the GPO building)
1200 block New York Avenue (next to the Town theater)
11th St just north of Pennsylvania Avenue
200 block of Pennsylvania Ave SE
Benning Road near Spingarn High School, next to the Miles Long Sandwich Shop
Several along H St NE near 8th St.

Maryland
Guys & Dolls (best action room before Beanie's opened in '68)
Coral Hills
Bladensburg Golden Cue
Thayer Ave. Silver Spring
Flower Ave. Silver Spring (Roman's, another great action room)
House of Lords, Wheaton
Glenmont Cue Club
Rockville Pike near the auto dealership
Bethesda Billiards on Old Georgetown Road
Some Old School place on U.S. 1 north of the DC line
Langley Park (Joey Spaeth ran it for awhile while Gary was learning his trade)

Northern Virginia
Jack & Jill (Beanie's) (best action room in practically the entire country)
Top's (just off U.S. 1 South, across from Crystal City)
Westmont (Columbia Pike & Glebe Road)
Some place on Lee Highway before Falls Church

And as I said, that's just a partial list drawn from an imperfect memory. I'm sure I missed quite a few, especially in the suburbs.