Not a poll: best pool magazine?

predator

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
My clubmates and I are thinking about subscribing to one of pool mags. But what to choose? Inside pool? Billiards digest? What would you recommend?

And, is AZ Billiards ever going to be in printed form?
 

PoolSleuth

Banned
predator said:
My clubmates and I are thinking about subscribing to one of pool mags. But what to choose? Inside pool? Billiards digest? What would you recommend?

Inside pool? Billiards digest?

Personally I think both need more Meat, and less Advertising, as everytime I gt one of the above I ask myself is there too much advertising.
 

Snapshot9

son of 3 leg 1 eye dog ..
Silver Member
Magazines

predator said:
My clubmates and I are thinking about subscribing to one of pool mags. But what to choose? Inside pool? Billiards digest? What would you recommend?

And, is AZ Billiards ever going to be in printed form?

I had a subscription to Billiards Digest for 4 years, and never had a problem
with them. I have heard that Inside Pool was suppose to be better, but
many horror stories of getting them and mixups occuring when communicating with them.

Last I knew, you can get a 3 year subscription of Billiards Digest for $55.00.
 

TX Poolnut

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Hands down Billiard Digest is the best of the "Big 3." Pool and Billiard magazine has some good content but is kinda thin. I like their website though. Inside Pool has better content, but I feel like they could do better. Billiard Digest has the best writing. BD comes every month like it's suppose to, unlike Inside Pool. You can research the probs subscribers have had with IP here on this forum.
 

Rich R.

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Billiards Digest, InsidePool and Pool and Billiard magazines are all good. They all have both strong and week points. Although they all cover the same events, and their will be some repitition, each will report on an event with a little different twist.

As others have noted, InsidePool has had some distribution problems.

Since you seem to be getting the magazines for a club, may I suggest you have everyone chip in and get one years subscriptions to each. Pass all of the issues around to club members and, at the end of the subscription, have the club decide which to renew.

If you can attend the Super Billiards Expo, at Valley Forge, you can usually pick up a supply of free back issues of each, to examine. :D
 

scottycoyote

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
a few years ago i thought inside pool was the best, but then i had subscription problems. There at the end of the scrip is seemed their content got a little weaker, if nothings changed id say it was a tie between inside pool and billiards digest.
 

Cornerman

Cue Author...Sometimes
Gold Member
Silver Member
predator said:
My clubmates and I are thinking about subscribing to one of pool mags. But what to choose? Inside pool? Billiards digest? What would you recommend?

And, is AZ Billiards ever going to be in printed form?
One of the reasons I think InsidePOOL is the best is because its content includes a lot of amateur player coverage. It also has Keith McCready's articles, which for many of us is worth the entire subscription. But, the amateur content, and the McCready articles are geared toward American readers, IMO. So, those might be reasons for InsidePOOL as your club magazine.

Billiards Digest has great writing with George Fels and company. So, although I think BD is a little dry for the amateur players, overall it is probably the best choice for your club.

Fred
 

Cornerman

Cue Author...Sometimes
Gold Member
Silver Member
PoolSleuth said:
Inside pool? Billiards digest?

Personally I think both need more Meat, and less Advertising, as everytime I gt one of the above I ask myself is there too much advertising.
Although I believe that neither has too much advertising, without advertising there would be no billiard magazines.

Fred
 

Ktown D

Neverwuzzz
Silver Member
Cornerman said:
One of the reasons I think InsidePOOL is the best is because its content includes a lot of amateur player coverage. It also has Keith McCready's articles, which for many of us is worth the entire subscription. But, the amateur content, and the McCready articles are geared toward American readers, IMO. So, those might be reasons for InsidePOOL as your club magazine.

Billiards Digest has great writing with George Fels and company. So, although I think BD is a little dry for the amateur players, overall it is probably the best choice for your club.

Fred
Plus the cuemaker's corner articles alone are worth the price of the subscription. :cool:

Just a little plug for our resident cue detective.
 

Rich R.

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Cornerman said:
One of the reasons I think InsidePOOL is the best is because its content includes .........

....... the column titled, "Cue Maker's Corner".
I love reading about the background of the different cue makers and how they got involved in making cues.

I just wish I had some of those cues in my case. :D


BTW, I will buy InsidePool magazine as long as Keath McCready continues to do his column. It is definitely one of the best columns in all of the pool magazines.
 

Hal

Beer Player
Silver Member
I haven't subscribed to a pool mag in over 15 years. I figured what the hell. I just now bought a 3yr subscription to BD.
 

bells

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I only like BD because of goeorge fels articles in the back..........
 
T

Timberly

Guest
whitewolf said:
Also, a guy by the name of Fred Agnir writes excellent articles for Billiards Digest on Cue Makers.
Fred writes for InsidePOOL ;)


One last note - I have received every Inside Pool magazine with no delivery problems. I suspect that the delivery problems have been solved as I remember them years ago addressing the problem due to management changes.
Not everyone that has a subscription had problems.

TX Poolnut said:
Billiard Digest has the best writing. BD comes every month like it's suppose to, unlike Inside Pool. You can research the probs subscribers have had with IP here on this forum.
I think if the number of people that had problems were compared to the number of people that didn't have problems, people would find that those with problems are in the minority. People fail to realize that when a handful of people out of thousands get on the internet and badmouth something. (I'm not saying that those folks didn't have a valid complaint, I'm just saying that when someone does complain, esp on an internet forum, it gets blown out of proportion.... )

I do not work for InsidePOOL so I don't know what their numbers are but I would be willing to bet that those with problems would total somewhere in the hundred(s) range and those without would be in the thousands. I think it's only fair to try to put it in perspective. ;)

FWIW, I like both Billiards Digest and InsidePOOL. Pool & Billiards bores me... InsidePOOL has great coverage of the regional tours & events.... Like Rich said, pool your money together, get a couple of them for one yr and then see which ones you liked best. Not only can you get back issues at VF and some other events but they also tend to give deals & discounts on subscriptions at larger tourney's like the US Open & the DCC.
 
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Cornerman

Cue Author...Sometimes
Gold Member
Silver Member
whitewolf said:
Ditto.

Also, a guy by the name of Fred Agnir writes excellent articles for Billiards Digest on Cue Makers.
:D ?

Thank you, Ray. But, I write for InsidePOOL. I'm sure you knew that.

Fred
 
O

onepocketchump

Guest
Timberly said:
Not everyone that has a subscription had problems.


I think if the number of people that had problems were compared to the number of people that didn't have problems, people would find that those with problems are in the minority. People fail to realize that when a handful of people out of thousands get on the internet and badmouth something. (I'm not saying that those folks didn't have a valid complaint, I'm just saying that when someone does complain, esp on an internet forum, it gets blown out of proportion.... )

I do not work for InsidePOOL so I don't know what their numbers are but I would be willing to bet that those with problems would total somewhere in the hundred(s) range and those without would be in the thousands. I think it's only fair to try to put it in perspective. ;)

FWIW, I like both Billiards Digest and InsidePOOL. Pool & Billiards bores me... InsidePOOL has great coverage of the regional tours & events.... Like Rich said, pool your money together, get a couple of them for one yr and then see which ones you liked best. Not only can you get back issues at VF and some other events but they also tend to give deals & discounts on subscriptions at larger tourney's like the US Open & the DCC.


I would stay away from Inside Pool. Subscribe to their online version and just print it out to guarantee delivery. Maybe Timberly is right that everyone who has a sub to IP has not had a problem but I would bet HUGE AMOUNTS of money that more people have had a problem with IP than have not.

Billiards Digest has always been very consistent in both style, content, and delivery. If I had to choose just one magazine to go with then it would be BD.

Pool and Billiard Magazine is also consistent just not quite as much depth in their content in my opinion. My take is that if P&B would just rip off Inside Pool's philosphy of more tournament and action coverage coupled with the look then they could be the number one pool magazine.

John Barton - (reporting with inside access to Inside Pool)
 

Jack Madden

John Madden Cues
Silver Member
Cornerman said:
One of the reasons I think InsidePOOL is the best is because its content includes a lot of amateur player coverage. It also has Keith McCready's articles, which for many of us is worth the entire subscription. But, the amateur content, and the McCready articles are geared toward American readers, IMO. So, those might be reasons for InsidePOOL as your club magazine.

Billiards Digest has great writing with George Fels and company. So, although I think BD is a little dry for the amateur players, overall it is probably the best choice for your club.

Fred

Fred
And we like your writing - first thing that is read, next is Keith's stories - hope we will get a good story about his IPT adventure in Vegas (with a win of course).
Jack
www.johnmaddencues.com
 

PoolSleuth

Banned
Cornerman said:
Although I believe that neither has too much advertising, without advertising there would be no billiard magazines.

Fred

Sadly but many Magazine are so much advertising, and so little Editorial content..

Also where I live you just can not find ANY POOL Magazines on the new Stands, or book Store that have a Great Magazine Section.

The Pool Magazine need to get out to the News Stands, and Book Stores IMO...:)
 

Scott Lee

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
PoolSleuth said:
The Pool Magazine need to get out to the News Stands, and Book Stores IMO...:)

Never going to happen. BD is available in SOME Barnes & Noble stores in a few major cities. They have the largest paid circulation of any of the top three...and it's only 20,000. If you want to read...SUBSCRIBE.

Scott Lee
www.poolknowledge.com
 
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