I had a strange dream where I followed a player into a building that looked abandoned

A

animatedvmaker

Banned
I had a strange dream where I followed a pool player into an unmarked building that looked like it was abandoned, and was very surprised to walk into a really cool old school looking pool room, with all Brunswick Gold Grown tables inside.

Then I seen Alex Pagulayan playing One Pocket on the 1st table that I seen.

It was like my own personal version of walking into heaven, lol.

I wonder if The Rack, in Detroit was like that. An unmarked private club, that only serious players in the know would ever know about and visit.

I wonder if there were any other pool rooms that the average person would not even notice, while driving by, that were actually really great old school pool rooms, where only serious pool players or gamblers / stake horses would go to.
 
Black-Balled

Black-Balled

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Vell now.

You haf come to zee realization zat zee pool is ah dying game zat haas not lost its beauty, eh?

And does zis make you feel?
 
G

garczar

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
animatedvmaker said:
I had a strange dream where I followed a pool player into an unmarked building that looked like it was abandoned, and was very surprised to walk into a really cool old school looking pool room, with all Brunswick Gold Grown tables inside.

Then I seen Alex Pagulayan playing One Pocket on the 1st table that I seen.

It was like my own personal version of walking into heaven, lol.

I wonder if The Rack, in Detroit was like that. An unmarked private club, that only serious players in the know would ever know about and visit.

I wonder if there were any other pool rooms that the average person would not even notice, while driving by, that were actually really great old school pool rooms, where only serious pool players or gamblers / stake horses would go to.
Click to expand...
There used to be a place in Tulsa, Boulder Billiard, that was a walk-down basement joint. AWESOME spot but up above all you saw was a glass door and some steps going down. It was a magical place for a kid just starting the game. Still miss it.
 
pwd72s

pwd72s

recreational banger
Silver Member
If only...souns like an enjoyable dream during a time of nightmares. Keep it up!
 
book collector

book collector

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
animatedvmaker said:
Has anyone been to Bill's Recreation in Detroit?

I imagine is might be a really cool old school pool room, with some very nice tables.

Looks like a real dive from the outside though.

https://www.google.com/maps/@42.344...4!1sUsNZx9ZizCFukjTX3VSIGg!2e0!7i16384!8i8192
Click to expand...

I went to a place in Valdosta Georgia called Major Lynns barber shop and pool room.
It was kinda sketchy and I had my wife with me the night I discovered it , so I came back early the next morning ,like 7am on a sunday totake a picture, there were still people inside talking. lol
 
C

ChrisinNC

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
animatedvmaker said:
I had a strange dream where I followed a pool player into an unmarked building that looked like it was abandoned, and was very surprised to walk into a really cool old school looking pool room, with all Brunswick Gold Grown tables inside.

Then I seen Alex Pagulayan playing One Pocket on the 1st table that I seen.

It was like my own personal version of walking into heaven, lol.

I wonder if The Rack, in Detroit was like that. An unmarked private club, that only serious players in the know would ever know about and visit.

I wonder if there were any other pool rooms that the average person would not even notice, while driving by, that were actually really great old school pool rooms, where only serious pool players or gamblers / stake horses would go to.
Click to expand...
Myself and a few of our regulars (pool players as well as Atlanta Braves fans) would make the trip from NC to Atlanta about once a year to catch a few Braves games and spend one night. Our trip always included a stop at The Pool Room (yes, that’s the name) in nearby Marietta, either before or after the ballgame, or sometimes both. No longer open, this was one of my very favorite rooms. A spacious place with about 30 tables, mostly Gold Crown’s, placed what seemed like was 10 feet between tables.

I’ll never forget one trip likely close to 20 years ago. It was around noon that we got to The Poolroom to beat around balls for a few hours before heading back to NC. We were among the first there - they must have just opened. The attendant gave us tray of balls and a table but never mentioned anything else. Over the next hour, we realized we were gradually being invaded by a who’s who of top pro players practicing on tables surrounding us. Turns out they were having a big tournament starting later that afternoon, which unfortunately we wouldn’t be able to stay for. Nonetheless, it was quite a thrill playing on a table right next to some of the top name pro players - far more exciting than any baseball game!
 
A

animatedvmaker

Banned
ChrisinNC said:
Myself and a few of our regulars (pool players as well as Atlanta Braves fans) would make the trip from NC to Atlanta about once a year to catch a few Braves games and spend one night. Our trip always included a stop at The Pool Room (yes, that’s the name) in nearby Marietta, either before or after the ballgame, or sometimes both. No longer open, this was one of my very favorite rooms. A spacious place with about 30 tables, mostly Gold Crown’s, placed what seemed like was 10 feet between tables.

I’ll never forget one trip likely close to 20 years ago. It was around noon that we got to The Poolroom to beat around balls for a few hours before heading back to NC. We were among the first there - they must have just opened. The attendant gave us tray of balls and a table but never mentioned anything else. Over the next hour, we realized we were gradually being invaded by a who’s who of top pro players practicing on tables surrounding us. Turns out they were having a big tournament starting later that afternoon, which unfortunately we wouldn’t be able to stay for. Nonetheless, it was quite a thrill playing on a table right next to some of the top name pro players - far more exciting than any baseball game!
Click to expand...

That is a really cool story. It is too bad that you were unable to stick around to see all of the action.
 
WildWing

WildWing

Super Gun Mod
Silver Member
I think we all have pool dreams, and most of them are screwed up. In my dreams, my cue is all messed up, the wrap is coming apart, the handle is square, and I can't get the joint together.

Recently, my pool dream was that I was playing Jim Rempe in a tournament. The cloth was a bit soft and wavy, and Jim was bad mouthing me when I was shooting. That would never happen, but that's how dreams and pool go. They're all screwed up.

Don't even get me going about golf dreams.

All the best,
WW
 
jay helfert

jay helfert

Shoot Pool, not people
Gold Member
Silver Member
animatedvmaker said:
I had a strange dream where I followed a pool player into an unmarked building that looked like it was abandoned, and was very surprised to walk into a really cool old school looking pool room, with all Brunswick Gold Grown tables inside.

Then I seen Alex Pagulayan playing One Pocket on the 1st table that I seen.

It was like my own personal version of walking into heaven, lol.

I wonder if The Rack, in Detroit was like that. An unmarked private club, that only serious players in the know would ever know about and visit.

I wonder if there were any other pool rooms that the average person would not even notice, while driving by, that were actually really great old school pool rooms, where only serious pool players or gamblers / stake horses would go to.
Click to expand...

I must have been in over 100 places like that in my life, mostly when I was a young lad. I would drive into a town and just cruise the streets looking for the sign that said "pool" or "billiards." Every town had a place like that and it drew me like a magnet. I was never a hustler. I would go in and ask if there was anyone who wanted to play. A lot of times the house man would ask me if I was a good player and my stock answer was that I play okay. Most of the time they would find me a game and I would play whatever the guy wanted to play and what he wanted to bet (within reason of course). Sometimes it might be dollar on the five and two dollars on the nine and other times it was five dollar 9-Ball or ten dollar One Pocket. I didn't care. I just wanted to play. I guess you could say I was addicted and you would be right. I never spent much time laying around scoping out the speed of all the players. I knew by the time I was 23 that I played good enough to protect myself. I could usually tell within a few games if I could beat a guy.

Fortunately I played good enough to survive out there. This was at a time where if you made twenty dollars it was a good day. I rarely ever had a problem playing in places like that. The locals would gather around to watch the game. I never caused any problems, just played pool the best I could. More often then not if I won, I made a few friends in there. Even if I lost (which was also rare but it did happen) I was a good sport about it and would hang out for awhile before leaving. I have a lot of good memories about that time in my life. I learned a lot about people and how to get along. Also when I needed to be careful. Some places gave me a bad vibe when I walked in. I might just use the restroom and get out of there.

You can't go back though. Those days are long over and by the 1980's we had moved on and the old poolrooms were almost all gone. There must have been a dozen old rooms like that in L.A. alone when I first moved out here in the late 60's.
 
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pt109

pt109

WO double hemlock
Silver Member
Parts of New York State and Pennsylvania seem like magical places to me.....
....I can see why Sleepy Hollow and Headless Horsemen stories arise there.

So I drive down this steep hill into a small town...looked like a postcard.
...just wanted a meal....and they were always good in these places.
Walking back to the truck on the main street I hear the clicking of pool balls.
...they came from a second floor...but I couldn’t see any sign or entrance...
...walked around the corner...couple unmarked doorways..
...second one I tried was unlocked....went upstairs...opened onto a pool hall...dozen tables.
Fairly busy, but unlike many pool halls, nobody woofing for action and being obnoxious.
I asked for some cheap 9-ball...got a few offers....everybody was cool and polite...
..won less than $200...some of them hoped I’d come back...they enjoyed seeing a different
way of playing some shots.

I think about that town sometimes...it was 50 years ago...kinda town it would be nice to
retire to...but I wouldn’t know how to get back there....maybe it was just another legend.
 
pt109

pt109

WO double hemlock
Silver Member
btw

E9101FC1-8DDA-4632-8BD0-1699036D7E5D.jpeg

:):):)
 
P

pvc lou

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
A couple of nights ago I had a dream that I was a teepee.
Last night, I dreamed that I was I wigwam.

I guess I'm just two tents.
 
mikemosconi

mikemosconi

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
animatedvmaker said:
I had a strange dream where I followed a pool player into an unmarked building that looked like it was abandoned, and was very surprised to walk into a really cool old school looking pool room, with all Brunswick Gold Grown tables inside.

Then I seen Alex Pagulayan playing One Pocket on the 1st table that I seen.

It was like my own personal version of walking into heaven, lol.

I wonder if The Rack, in Detroit was like that. An unmarked private club, that only serious players in the know would ever know about and visit.

I wonder if there were any other pool rooms that the average person would not even notice, while driving by, that were actually really great old school pool rooms, where only serious pool players or gamblers / stake horses would go to.
Click to expand...

HA HA - you must be fairly young! In the 50s and into the early 60s Many pool rooms were located down or up- basement or second story. Rents were cheaper for larger commercial square foot ares in basements or second floors of buildings. also, owners wanted to keep a lower profile as to the "bad" name pool had for the corruption youth and all of the sordid goings on such as gambling, cursing, and lurid discussions about women!

THAT was the lure of the pool room for most of us back then- where a young boy could enter a man's world - many pool rooms also had an illegal numbers racket attached to them, so the less conspicuous the better. Usually just a small neon sign that said "Billiards" - only turned on after dark. If you had older brothers, like I did- you knew where to go to find that man cave. It wasn't until Brunswick attempted to add the word "Family" to the idea of playing pool for recreation after the Hustler movie craze that one started to see largeer, brighter, well advertised, main floor rooms in much greater proliferation. That "craze" lasted about five years. By 66/67 many young men who were not in college went marching off to war in Vietnam- college billiards was still very much alive though at that time. Many of the pros around were doing college exhibitions into the 70s.
 
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