I live in Okla and the casinos had a huge effect on pool, especially the action part of it. Soon after that they changed the smoking laws to where you had to have a full bar to smoke and that killed a lot of places too. Its not just one thing but a bunch of little things that killed big table pool.
Tougher tables did not help USA pros for 20 years
- Thread starter iusedtoberich
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The challenge as i see it is getting all the FR bar-table players to at least 'sniff' a big table. There's tons of players out there but most of them wouldn't get out of the electric chair to play on a 9ft. Making the pockets smaller-n-smaller is 180degrees opposite of what needs to be done to attract folks to the big box.
I've made the adjustment, but like you I much prefer the open tournaments. They have become
I'm talking about Pool players not the unfortunate side of the society that the general public is suffering through, and that still doesn't explain the superior play of the other nations that dominant Pool. Not every player from Philippines came from adject poverty, especially these new young guys that are already playing as good as any of the USA's best.
Pool in the 'pines is like baseball was in the US in the 50's-60's, its a cultural deal and everyone plays. Also they have no history of barboxes. Neither has Europe for that matter. If i was put on the spot and asked will big table pool make a big comeback in the US i'd have to say no.
I understand that the barbox might effect the ameture player, but all the pro's have 9' tables and thats what the practice on all day every day so I dont think barbox play is the reason for the decline of play in the pro ranks. Will big table play make a comeback...,
Many of the Philippines best players come from the "unfortunate" side.
The barbox IS the reason there's so few world-class big table players in the US. That's what i was saying. You don't become a pro overnite and if you don't start on big tables or at least fairly early on you are WAY behind players from countries that have big tables only. Bar tables dominate US pool and many players never get on 9fts, they have no reason too. They aren't set on being pros in the first place, pool is a hobby and they don't have the time/desire to play on 9ft tables. SVB and Sky made the move to big tables but they were dead-set on being pros early on. They are the exception to the norm here.
Alter your perception a moment. There’s a good number of European players that DON’T make their team, that are better players than Americans that make the USA team. If Tyler Styer is anywhere near your team, then it’s clear the talent available to pick from is slim. That is due to bar box culture, less players of a talent level to pick from that is needed to compete at that level.
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You can see this mindset well beyond a pool table and pool hall, but for this thread I concur.
Diamonds have been been most used table Finland too a long time. Tables are just so good...
Let’s hope that isn’t the highlight of culture or amusement. Of course, only my opinion. I stopped considering whether I can or can’t do something, but rather what do I need financially or time wise. The only other question is can I accomplish/acquire said thing myself or do I need to get another person involved. I own a table and I still occasionally go to the local hall, but the closest has plenty of 9 ft tables with poorly maintained cloth. Well, we always have a place to talk about could have, should have or still occasionally
.Almost like discipline is incorporated into the individuals growth from the day they are born.
The issue is more 7 ft vs 9 ft, in Indiana there may not be 30/40 surely less than 50 total 9 ft public/club tables in the entire state. Surely there were hundreds 25 - 30 years ago and there'd be 10+ rooms w 10+ 9 foot tables. In SW Indiana there were also a LOT of 8 foot tables but I don't know of any these days. The last 9 ft tourneys I recall statewide (minus derby) were in 2018 in a new pool hall that opened up locally but closed right before Covid started. There was a decent field bank pool tourney a few years back in Kokomo that was on 7 ft diamonds that drew some Chicago players.
Every pool hall here in SW Indiana I've been to usually has mostly 7-footers. And usually just one 9-footer. And most of the tables have cloth in very poor condition.
Why spend anything on a stick or even have to get to a hall to practice when you can head casino or to a card room and just buy in and go. Most people like the path of least resistance. In poker, for example, you can lose most of the time, but still get shine (based on the $ you are entering into tournaments or playing cash games with). In pool, after the internet, if you shined too bright, nobody’s going to play you for money, because that notoriety became a liability.
I used to watch people rack 8 ball on the billiard table at a place I used to play in. It was pretty funny. They would just give people a set of balls at the bar and turn them loose.
They'd do the same on the snooker table as well.
Since there was only one prodigy Finnish pool champion who transplanted to America where the pool hall he frequented was full of gold crowns, diamond tables obviously held all those Fins back.
not that long time
Back in the 1960's and 70's I played pool in every town and city in Indiana from Evansville in the south to South Bend in the north, to Richmond in the east and W. Lafayette in the west. They all had at least one of two poolrooms with mostly oversized 8' tables and the only bar tables were in bars. Brunswick Sport Kings, AMF and National Topline for the most part. All were very good tables. There were ready, willing and able players waiting to take you on everywhere you went. I cut my teeth there before heading East, west and south in my journey to nowhere. Ten years of fun and adventure before settling down to become a room owner.