Who Spends the Most at the Pool Hall?

A few years ago, our league team had 3 good drinkers and the rest of us drink normally, too. We also brought wives and friends almost everytime. We spend a ton of money and tip well.

We got first place, too, crushing our competition. Perfect team for a bar owner, eh?

No, the owner quit us because "you guys don't drink enough to make it worthwhile."

Now we don't ever spend money there. Unbelievable.


Jeff Livingston
 
hang-the-9 said:
This is probably a bit skewed as to what a "pool player" is. Many on AZB are buying $2,000 cues and own $50,000 cars, and may of the "pool players" at the bars are coming out of them with $100-200 drink tabs. While some people that say they are "pool players" play 2 games a night at some bar that actually do make 30k a year, but are they "pool players" or just "a guy that holds a cue stick every so often because they are bored".
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Here’s the link to that graphic: https://www.visualcapitalist.com/americans-spend-time-income/
The article has links to the original data and info on how the data were collected.

One thing that’s interesting about the survey is they asked people to say what they were doing yesterday. So whatever day they got the survey (I couldn’t tell whether it was phone or written or something else), they said what they were doing on the previous day. They weren’t asked “are you a pool player?”

I have a question about spending money on cues, cars, and drinks - do you think only higher-income people spend money on stuff like that? From what I’ve seen, it almost seems like people with lower incomes spend as much money on stupid shit like that as people with much higher incomes.
 
BRussell said:
Here’s the link to that graphic: https://www.visualcapitalist.com/americans-spend-time-income/
The article has links to the original data and info on how the data were collected.

One thing that’s interesting about the survey is they asked people to say what they were doing yesterday. So whatever day they got the survey (I couldn’t tell whether it was phone or written or something else), they said what they were doing on the previous day. They weren’t asked “are you a pool player?”

I have a question about spending money on cues, cars, and drinks - do you think only higher-income people spend money on stuff like that? From what I’ve seen, it almost seems like people with lower incomes spend as much money on stupid shit like that as people with much higher incomes.
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Eh, drinks, yes I see people not "rich" spend a lot on that. For pool equipment, not so much. Usually if I see someone with a $200 case and a $1,000 cue they have a good job. Although a few hustlers that don't have a steady income do end up with decent cues, either winning them, for a gift or someone selling cheap to them as a favor. Most of the regular joes I see in league are using the lower end McDermotts, Vikings or something, about the $300 range, although the carbon fiber stuff is getting to be really popular.
 
chefjeff said:
A few years ago, our league team had 3 good drinkers and the rest of us drink normally, too. We also brought wives and friends almost everytime. We spend a ton of money and tip well.

We got first place, too, crushing our competition. Perfect team for a bar owner, eh?

No, the owner quit us because "you guys don't drink enough to make it worthwhile."

Now we don't ever spend money there. Unbelievable.


Jeff Livingston
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I had this Bar Owner cry about me not drink Alcohol, my drink if choice was Ice Tea that made in a jar, from Lipton bad. Price was $4.00, and you got a refill. I said you making a killing off me, plus you have no liability associated with over serving.

Plus in sunny AZ if you get a DUI, or DWI the cost to the arrested is like 10K, plus a mandatory blow ignition device. I do not drink & drive, as the cost is way too high.
 
The bars here, BC, before covid, had a one free drink for the players benefit, but now they quit that.

I don't blame them and as far as I know, no players are complaining about it.


Jeff Livingston
 
CocoboloCowboy said:
I had this Bar Owner cry about me not drink Alcohol, my drink if choice was Ice Tea that made in a jar, from Lipton bad. Price was $4.00, and you got a refill. I said you making a killing off me, plus you have no liability associated with over serving.

Plus in sunny AZ if you get a DUI, or DWI the cost to the arrested is like 10K, plus a mandatory blow ignition device. I do not drink & drive, as the cost is way too high.
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You shouldn't drink and type either.
 
hang-the-9 said:
This is probably a bit skewed as to what a "pool player" is. Many on AZB are buying $2,000 cues and own $50,000 cars, and may of the "pool players" at the bars are coming out of them with $100-200 drink tabs. While some people that say they are "pool players" play 2 games a night at some bar that actually do make 30k a year, but are they "pool players" or just "a guy that holds a cue stick every so often because they are bored".
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Bars love people with more money than brains to spend on booze. Those folk dropping $100.00 or more a day are the people who keeps doors open.

Recall years ago looking for pay phone, one was found across from bar with sign that said.

Happy Hour begins daily at 6am, I wonder across street. Walked in it was maybe 715am, place was packed with interesting people.
HNTFSH said:
You shouldn't drink and type either.
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Actually if you lived in Valley of Sun in summer, you would get drinking water v/s alcohol, as Lets saw we get s**t kicked out from extreme heat. Hydrate or die, Alchhol dehydrates.
 
hang-the-9 said:
This is probably a bit skewed as to what a "pool player" is. Many on AZB are buying $2,000 cues and own $50,000 cars, and may of the "pool players" at the bars are coming out of them with $100-200 drink tabs. While some people that say they are "pool players" play 2 games a night at some bar that actually do make 30k a year, but are they "pool players" or just "a guy that holds a cue stick every so often because they are bored".
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A good pool team is one where everyone drinks more than they do every other night of the week other than Friday or Saturday, everyone plays their heart out and is improving as a player, and their background, income and spending on booze is irrelevant. They have a special bond that is made by playing together on pool nights, and the bar loves them because they add character. Their average spend is healthy, regardless of whether one spends $200 and another spends $5. Most important things is they aren't d1ckheads. If they add character they will be welcomed every other night of the week whether they spend a fortune or spend nothing. A good bar recognises this.
 
I dont drink often but during league my wife comes along so we drink soft drinks and tip about the same as the cost of the soft drinks at every purchase. We also get a pizza and tip with that too. We also dont get a free drink (and dont expect one) because we are not drinking alcohol, I gotta believe at the end of the league that our tab is about the same as the guy who comes alone and drinks. I fail to see the difference.
 
chefjeff said:
A few years ago, our league team had 3 good drinkers and the rest of us drink normally, too. We also brought wives and friends almost everytime. We spend a ton of money and tip well.

We got first place, too, crushing our competition. Perfect team for a bar owner, eh?

No, the owner quit us because "you guys don't drink enough to make it worthwhile."

Now we don't ever spend money there. Unbelievable.


Jeff Livingston
Click to expand...
Working people have always spent the most, regulars.
 
Well...bars probably hate me. I rarely spend any money during tournaments and I don't play league. I don't drink alcohol. I won't eat at an establishment if it doesn't look clean or if all they serve is the run of the mill bar food (frozen pizzas, wings, burges from frozen patties, etc). On occasion, I buy a water or an energy drink. That being said, I do play in tournaments and love to play the game no matter the fact that my odds in cashing are slim to none. Not spending money in the bar is not because I am cheap or don't have the funds...it is just not what I spend my money on. I don't eat processed foods at home and I don't go out to eat at fast food joints. I strictly go to play pool when I go to a tournament or if I do go to a pool hall to practice when I am traveling for work which I have not done in over a year now.
 
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