Advice for road player

[Catalin]

A friend of mine from Europe is planning to travel in the US 3 months playing pool. He's a young guy who has improved a lot in the last 2-3 years and he's a decent money player but not a hustler.

Do you have any advice for him, best places, tactics etc.

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[garczar]

A friend of mine from Europe is planning to travel in the US 3 months playing pool. He's a young guy who has improved a lot in the last 2-3 years and he's a decent money player but not a hustler.

Do you have any advice for him, best places, tactics etc.

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Don't waste your time. He'll spend waaaaay more in gas/food/lodging than he'll scrape out playing pool. Vegas probably has best pool scene right now.

 

[bbb]

Don't waste your time. He'll spend waaaaay more in gas/food/lodging than he'll scrape out playing pool. Vegas probably has been pool scene right now.

I would add buffalos in new orleans for as much action and for as much he wants to play for

 

[xX-Wizard-Xx]

get a job

 

[garczar]

Houston's not bad either. Overall there's not much going on. Pick an area and just stay there. I wouldn't travel around chasing little pool action.

 

[PracticeChampion]

Find whatever state has the most action and stay there. Gas will cost about $20 hour to drive so gotta win to keep going. Columbus Ohio is full of action but damn there's tons of great players so hard to win consistently. 2 other European players tried recently.

 

[sjm]

If they are looking for big action, it will find them. If they are looking to play small action games ($20-$100), they might seek out the small field weekly tournaments found in poolrooms all over America as a means of meeting the kind of people who are always looking for action.

 

[ShootingArts]

A lot depends on his personality and how he presents himself. Usually just best to tell the counter person your skill level and what you want to play for. Assuming you offered them a drink, they will probably give you a pretty fair match. He will need to underrate himself a little, it is expected.

A fair chance he can play the "stranger in a strange land" role and get all the action he wants brought to him.

I don't know anything about the east coast but I would think he could travel from Florida to Houston Texas and find plenty of action along the entire gulf coast.

Hu

 

[measureman]

If your friend just wants to tour the U.S. and see a bunch of pool rooms that's great.
Making money now days at pool is almost impossible with expenses.
Hope he has deep pockets and can enjoy the experience.

 

[Black-Balled]

If your friend just wants to tour the U.S. and see a bunch of pool rooms that's great.
Making money now days at pool is almost impossible with expenses.
Hope he has deep pockets and can enjoy the experience.

Yeah.

I'd suggest east coast. NYC to NC.

Just driving is going to kill the travel budget though. Tough times to be a roadrunner.

 

[measureman]

Yeah.

I'd suggest east coast. NYC to NC.

Just driving is going to kill the travel budget though. Tough times to be a roadrunner.

I think Wile E. Coyote is retired.

 

[Black-Balled]

I think Wile E. Coyote is retired.

That's what he wants you to think.

Beep-beep.

 

[middleofnowhere]

He is about four decades too late. If he is not a hustler and just wants to play, just ask the desk man if someone would like to play. It is important to ask to play some cheap. That usually will classify you. The bet is what can get you quicker action. (It can always go up). If you right off say you want to play $100.00 or $200.00 sets or $50.00 a game that has eliminated like 90% of the possible players, even good ones.

Believe me, they will get on the phone and a world beater will show up. Not that you are afraid of their world beater, but once you start at the top all other action is over. Surprisingly, one pocket is a good game now a days. The reason is, many local one pocket players seem to overrate themselves. In many many cases they will step up and give you a try when a 9 ball player will not.

 

[Black-Balled]

He is about four decades too late. If he is not a hustler and just wants to play, just ask the desk man if someone would like to play. It is important to ask to play some cheap. That usually will classify you. The bet is what can get you quicker action. (It can always go up). If you right off say you want to play $100.00 or $200.00 sets or $50.00 a game that has eliminated like 90% of the possible players, even good ones.

Believe me, they will get on the phone and a world beater will show up. Not that you are afraid of their world beater, but once you start at the top all other action is over. Surprisingly, one pocket is a good game now a days. The reason is, many local one pocket players seem to overrate themselves. In many many cases they will step up and give you a try when a 9 ball player will not.

That's all truth.

 

[measureman]

He is about four decades too late. If he is not a hustler and just wants to play, just ask the desk man if someone would like to play. It is important to ask to play some cheap. That usually will classify you. The bet is what can get you quicker action. (It can always go up). If you right off say you want to play $100.00 or $200.00 sets or $50.00 a game that has eliminated like 90% of the possible players, even good ones.

Believe me, they will get on the phone and a world beater will show up. Not that you are afraid of their world beater, but once you start at the top all other action is over. Surprisingly, one pocket is a good game now a days. The reason is, many local one pocket players seem to overrate themselves. In many many cases they will step up and give you a try when a 9 ball player will not.

True,I don't bar anyone for $5 a game.
Maybe $10 if I'm feeling good and I get the breaks.

 

[Black-Balled]

True,I don't bar anyone for $5 a game.
Maybe $10 if I'm feeling good and I get the breaks.

That means nothing without info on how fast yer feet are!!

 

[u12armresl]

A friend of mine from Europe is planning to travel in the US 3 months playing pool. He's a young guy who has improved a lot in the last 2-3 years and he's a decent money player but not a hustler.

Do you have any advice for him, best places, tactics etc.

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Stay away from Vegas or New Orleans. Action blowed immediately. South East US, Georgia, Florida, Tenn, etc. IMHO if you aren't trying to make huge scores is much better action.

 

[phreaticus]

Man, some depressing advice here from some grumpy old men, who assume your friend is an idiot…

The great Americana roadtrip experience never dies, and shooting pool along the way, will be great fun! US gas prices, lodging & food are still cheaper than EU and of course in todays world, no one is going to make $, but he’ll have great fun. There is a scene to still be found virtually anywhere you go, if expectations aren’t too high.

Among other considerations, I’d make sure to ID spots that are fun to see outside of just pool, then wrap pool into the plan. I think ShootingArt & u12armrel’s advice is good; the Southeast and gulf coast would be my picks for most dense old school action. FL is great fun on all fronts and endless options everywhere you go. Vegas & Phoenix, AZ are the well known hotspots and must be sampled, but generally pretty crappy places to visit non pool wise. Roadtripping up the west coast from San Diego to Seattle is a must-do IMO, and plenty of spots to still get in trouble.

If you make it to Northern CA, PM me for contact info, he’s welcome to crash at my place and plenty of great life adventures & action around San Fran & Sacramento.

Coming from EU, he’s probably mostly a big table rotation player, so the US bar/barbox scene and poolhall 1p vibe will most likely be novelty “growth areas” for him.

You’d think/hope that given all the whingeing on AZB about the death of US pool - there would be a more welcoming roadplayer/couchsurfer community vibe for him, but don’t be discouraged!

 

[mikemosconi]

In today's day and age I think for a stranger from another continent it is all about safety. Sure there are cheap hotels in the U.S. - most of them are dangerous in all sorts of ways. Walking out of pool rooms at night with cash- from most of the rooms I see here in Fl., I would not do it without my concealed carry.

The guy will be a mark almost every place he goes, especially if he is walking out of rooms late at night loaded with cash and heading to local cheaper hotels. Many European tourists have been raped, mugged, and murdered in the U.S. over the past 25 years from Miami to NYC to L.A.

Make sure he hooks up with someone here in the U.S. to travel with him and someone who knows the true lay of the land here in 2022- I think that it could be a good experience- but he really does need a very savvy travel partner.

 

[Catalin]

Thank you for all the advice! He has a very good job and more in it for the experience, but he does like to win! He's willing to bet up to 1000 for race to X, depending on the conditions. But you're right, it's better to start small.

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