What's hurt pool since I've been working in and around it for the last 34yrs.

ceebee

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I agree with A - B- C

I would like to know your reasons behind items D - I

J) Cell phones.. >>>> ?
K) The internet more coverage.. >>>>
L) Tournament promoters >>>>> But they do the work..?
M) Tighter pockets >>>> Bigger Pockets, better play..?
N) Constantly changing rules for play >>>> This is a NO-NO
O) Alternating breaks. Brings the Break Shot into play, even for weaker players, doesn't ruin Pool.
JMHO....
 

realkingcobra

Well-known member
Silver Member
P) Pool room owners.

It use to be that room owners never labeled or separated their customers by if they could play or not, not like today's room owners do. Because back then, rooms didn't have to much to offer in ways of making extra money as "pool" was the main draw and income, therefore rooms back years ago took better care of ALL the pool tables in their room, instead of just a few for the gamblers. Todays room owners complain about the gamblers constantly, they don't spend any money, they drink water, they tame my customers money....who needs them! But then, the SAME room owners today treat the "ball bangers" worst than the gamblers....AND THEY'RE SPENDING MONEY! They look down on them as less tban worthy of playing on the same equipment the GAMBLERS play on, so they assign them to the beat, worn out pool tables to play on...and CHARGE them just like the equipment was new!! THEN....AGAIN complain about the BETTER players NOT spending a dime????
In todays world, pool time one won't meep the doors open, so room owners have had to adapt, put in food to sell, beer and wine, hard liquor, and if that isn't enough, live music, or karaoke....to try and draw some of the bar crowd already going to the bars....into coming into a pool hall for the same reason as going to the bars....to have fun....and spend $$$$$ Then what you end up with is 2 scenarios, the room owner that don't want the hassel of doing any more than collecting table time....OUT OF BUSINESS! Or, the room owner that does the math and figures spending $5,000 on 10 pool tables to get them up to par as to keep the attraction of coming there to play pool....OR investing $5,000 in booze to retail it to the customers.....6 months to recoup the pool table money....or maybe ater this weekend I'll have my booze money back and turned a profit....such a delima. But then, spends the money on the booze and justifies not spending it on the pool tables by saying....i ain't got nothing but ball bangers showing up anyway....and they'll RENT the tables no matter what condition they're in.

UNTIL ONE DAY WHEN THERES A NEW PLACE TO GO PLAY....THEN YOUR ASS IS OUT OF BUSINESS CUZ YOUR DIDN'T GIVE A SHIT ABOUT THE REAL PLAYING CUSTOMERS!!! Then everyone cries about pool going down hill. We.just lost another pool room people!!!

My saying pool room owners is not calling out ALL pool room owners, there are a few really good owners that DO understand a customer with money....IS a customer needed, and should feel wanted, and therefore is treated as so. Not shoved off on pool tables no one that CAN play would touch...like they have a disease, and the only way to deal with them is to take their money, smile...and tell yourself, they're just a bunch of dumb "bangers" who cares anyway!

I haven't been to Griffs yet, but i know Mark well, ALL customers are treated like gold to him. I haven't been to Scott's new place yet, but i will say he's off to an impressive start and shoud do well as long as he makes everyone feel important, and he wants them there. Haven't been to Mike's place, Fargo Billiards yet, but to keep a room open with 50+ tables in a small city when pool rooms with the same amount of tables, and way less, with twice the population base are dropping like dead flies....he must be doing something right!
 

realkingcobra

Well-known member
Silver Member
My advice to mingles in Moscow Idaho with 12 9fts and 1 bar table as well as Black Diamond Billiards in Spokane Washington with 9 9fts and 6 bar tables, is for both locations to get rid of all your pool tables and put out more seating for your restaurants, as both locations serve great food and drinks, get a couple of newer bar tables each, that'll take care of the few customers that still want come in and play pool....because the days of either of these locations being a pool room....have long since left the building!
 

dchan320

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Nothing has hurt pool in the last 40 ears -
Modern entertainment has consumed the new game players -
Playin good pool is not as easy as pushin a button -
Plenty button pushers out there now -

bill

You have my vote... modern entertainment.

The choices for me back then was either go to the arcade, bowling alley, or pool hall on any given night. We'd put our names on the list for a table and wait while playing space invaders.
 

Ekojasiloop

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
A) Worsted woolen cloths, ie; Simonis, Championship and all the rest.
B) Racking aids.
C) Jump cues.
D) Double elimination tournaments.
E) Shorter races.
F) No Pro player division.
G) No Semi Pro division.
H) Pool table manufactures.
I) Aramith pool ball manufacturing.
J) Cell phones.
K) The internet.
L) Tournament promoters.
M) Tighter pockets.
N) Constantly changing rules for play.
O) Alternating breaks.

I could go on and on, but i think I've listed enough to get some good conversations started and to bring in the trolls as well.

P) the players who have been playing for 34 years and over

Seriously, I think the players, especially the old timers, are their own worst enemy. Biting the hand that feeds at any opportunity they get.
 

efirkey

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I think all the whales have washed up in pool. There needs to be an ecosystem in the pool hall and the whale feeds it. I don't know where they have gone or maybe no one has that kind of money to waste anymore...maybe they have migrated to the poker rooms and casinos.
 

9andout

Gunnin' for a 3 pack!!
Silver Member
I used to think this too for years. But in the past 3 or 4 years, everyone seems to have a digital wallet of some type on their phone. I've yet to see in person gambling paid that way, but I wonder if it will switch at some point. You could make the argument now that people have easier access to money, and access to a greater amount of money, at any given time, since they always have their phone with them.
Might be hard to....... "put it on the light"?

For the sake of argument, maybe Soccer is hurting pool.

John McEnroe has a new book out and I listened to the NPR interview of him. He said Soccer in schools hurts Tennis in schools. The reason? If you put in a soccer field you can have 20 kids running around, thinking they are doing something, with just a few coaches. But Tennis courts are more expensive to build, the game is more complex, requiring more expensive 1on1 interaction. And it's easier to find someone qualified to teach Soccer than Tennis.

All that seems to apply to Pool too.

That, and bar boxes.
Soccer sucks.
 

realkingcobra

Well-known member
Silver Member
I think all the whales have washed up in pool. There needs to be an ecosystem in the pool hall and the whale feeds it. I don't know where they have gone or maybe no one has that kind of money to waste anymore...maybe they have migrated to the poker rooms and casinos.

Gambling has never supported pool in the first place, its always supported the gamblers. At Harry P. Cues where Harry Plattis use to come and gamble all the time, it was nothing to see 10-15 gamblers just sitting around all day long, drinking water or coffee waiting to see if Harry was going to come in or not. As soon as someone verified Harry had gone home after work....everyone of them left only to come back the next day and repeat the process of the waiting game....until Harry would finally show up. Only 1, maybe 2 of them got action.
 

mchnhed

I Came, I Shot, I Choked
Silver Member
Billiards in the late 1800's was a gentleman's game.
When did hustlers and pool become synonymous?
Maybe around the time gangsters were popular in the Roaring 20's?

I think all the whales have washed up in pool. There needs to be an ecosystem in the pool hall and the whale feeds it. I don't know where they have gone or maybe no one has that kind of money to waste anymore...maybe they have migrated to the poker rooms and casinos.

Gambling has never supported pool in the first place, its always supported the gamblers. At Harry P. Cues where Harry Plattis use to come and gamble all the time, it was nothing to see 10-15 gamblers just sitting around all day long, drinking water or coffee waiting to see if Harry was going to come in or not. As soon as someone verified Harry had gone home after work....everyone of them left only to come back the next day and repeat the process of the waiting game....until Harry would finally show up. Only 1, maybe 2 of them got action.
 

Bobkitty

I said: "Here kitty, kitty". Got this frown.
Gold Member
Silver Member
I wonder what Arimith balls have to do with it?
 

Nick B

This is gonna hurt
Silver Member
I wonder what Arimith balls have to do with it?



That was the one I couldn't wrap my head around. The rest I can do some reasoning about (even if I don't 100% agree) but Arimith??? Is a head scratcher.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
 

Cornerman

Cue Author...Sometimes
Gold Member
Silver Member
A) Worsted woolen cloths, ie; Simonis, Championship and all the rest. Been using Simonis since 1971--so if Simonis hurt pool over the last 34 years, its been hurting for a lot longer than that.
thats impressive. What Simonis worsted cloth were you using in 1971?
 

realkingcobra

Well-known member
Silver Member
I) Aramith pool ball manufacturing.

When Hyatt created the formula for pool balls made from phenolic resin and that formula was used in the production of the Brunswick Centennial balls, they were the best made balls there was, with 86% phenolic resin. They have successfully deluded that original formula down to what is now 56% phenolic resin and have continued to raise the price based on the original reputation of the balls. Then, they as a marketing scheme they came out with the Super Aramith Pro balls, bought 18 sets for my first pool room back in 1989 instead of buying the Aramith premiere ball sets because the Pro's were suppose to be better. Well, after about 3 month's i knew then there was no way of keeping them playing like new because no matter how many times i ran them through my ball polisher they just wouldn't hold a shine, and i could tell the friction off them was wearing out the cloth on my pool tables to soon, so i sold off all the sets and bought the Brunswick Centennial balls for replacements. It's all about the bottom line and not the game of pool.

Why else would Cyclop be manufacturing ball sets today with the Hyatt original formula that Hyatts grandson sold to the Cyclop company?
 
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one stroke

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
A) Worsted woolen cloths, ie; Simonis, Championship and all the rest.
B) Racking aids.
C) Jump cues.
D) Double elimination tournaments.
E) Shorter races.
F) No Pro player division.
G) No Semi Pro division.
H) Pool table manufactures.
I) Aramith pool ball manufacturing.
J) Cell phones.
K) The internet.
L) Tournament promoters.
M) Tighter pockets.
N) Constantly changing rules for play.
O) Alternating breaks.

I could go on and on, but i think I've listed enough to get some good conversations started and to bring in the trolls as well.

A - Fast Greens , turned the game into a putting contest
B- Golf Tee , makes the opening shot far easier
C- rescue clubs , the get out of jail card like the jump cue
D-Dont like double elimination however that favors the better plays equals out short race variances
E-Same as above
F- well they had one they ruined it for them selves
G- They have no Pro turneys
H- zero to do with anything
I - feather ball to pro v 1 what's the point many sports have changed the ball
J, what for hustling
K read above
L- Well that's something to be conciderd but the players might have had a hand in thier own demise
M- it's a good argument however things above you point out makes this a head scratcher
N - Lots of sports have changed thier rules pool no different
O- I agree and disagree, some like big packages, some like closer matches more info neeed to the effect to pool on the whole

But really none of these things made any real difference, because here in the USA we chase dreams as a kids those dreams simply don't include pool tables ,, that's what we do for fun after we played our sports as a way to relax and have a little fun , when TV time comes we simply don't watch pool we watch real sports

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hogie583

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Xbox and playstations. Is what hurt pool and among other things in our lives. Kids live on these things. I remember when they first came out. Asteroids and Space Invaders. Then all of a sudden the technology became better. The graphics phenomenal these kids are getting hooked on these violent games and even little stupid ones. And that's all the kids did play goddamn games. And then we got our freaking cell phones social media selfies it's out of control and mom and dad let it happen. And then the price of it all the new game every month . new release had to have it.no one's going to save up for a pool cue upgrade to the newest system. I believe technology has hurt a lot more than just pool. Granted it has its place technology that is.
 

one stroke

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Xbox and playstations. Is what hurt pool and among other things in our lives. Kids live on these things. I remember when they first came out. Asteroids and Space Invaders. Then all of a sudden the technology became better. The graphics phenomenal these kids are getting hooked on these violent games and even little stupid ones. And that's all the kids did play goddamn games. And then we got our freaking cell phones social media selfies it's out of control and mom and dad let it happen. And then the price of it all the new game every month . new release had to have it.no one's going to save up for a pool cue upgrade to the newest system. I believe technology has hurt a lot more than just pool. Granted it has its place technology that is.
Its hurt pool because it's a extra curricular activity aside from the big sports now there is many things that kids who can't cut the mustard can do that's competitive, gaming , x games and such the list is long and pool simply is far down the list

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