Are More Players Going To The ar Box?

Johnnyt · Sep 4, 2012

With the trend of poolrooms with mostly 9' tables closing fast and most new rooms having 7' tables, if you had to drive too far for a 9' would you play on the 7' or maybe english 8 ball tables? Or would you just not play anymore?

With 9' tables going to be harder to find in the future I believe the BB need to be made much tougher for the 9' crowd to start playing on them. Johnnyt

cueandcushion · Sep 4, 2012

Rent is too high to have a lot of 9 foot tables since most people who play pool prefer the smaller ones. Its not just a fad, its the future of pool for the masses. 9 foots will probably be as rare as 12 foot snooker tables in 10 years. 7 foots are better than dart boards? right?

okinawa77 · Sep 4, 2012

With smaller tables, you can put more tables within a given space. The more customers you can get in your pool hall, the higher probability of increased liquor sales. You gotta make money to be a successful business, and the alcohol is the bulk of the profit.

bender_lu · Sep 4, 2012

im happy that 7" are not allowed for competition here (league etc)

if the trend over here would go to 7" id stop, its not the same game. maybe change to english black pool...

DallasHopps · Sep 4, 2012

I prefer, and have more fun on, 9' tables. Playing on a 7' table takes some getting used to, and different strategy. At the 2 places I consistently play in tournaments, it's done on bar boxes with big pockets. I don't mind, but it can be frustrating playing against somebody who wins without getting anywhere close to hitting center pocket. Regardless of the table size, I'd like for a moderate standard to apply. Diamond bar boxes with 4.5" pockets and deep shelves at least force shots to be better than "general area" to go in.

I'd rather go from a 9' table to a 7' table all day long, rather than the other way.

CreeDo · Sep 4, 2012

If my choices are drive 50 miles for 9 foot or play on a bar box, I drive 50 miles. I'm already used to doing 30. I won't quit pool but I'd play a lot less I imagine.

The idea of "tougher bar boxes" is not realistic. Nobody makes a truly tough one and nobody's gonna start, there are about 4 guys on the planet who want such a thing. You'd have to make the pockets 3.5" to make it halfway difficult, try selling that one to the bangers.

As for trends...I haven't noticed any. 9 foot players won't go to bar box unless forced to. Bar box players stick to bar boxes until they decide they want to move on to something tougher.

Donny Lutz · Sep 4, 2012

Sadly, I agree...

Johnnyt said:
With the trend of poolrooms with mostly 9' tables closing fast and most new rooms having 7' tables, if you had to drive too far for a 9' would you play on the 7' or maybe english 8 ball tables? Or would you just not play anymore?

With 9' tables going to be harder to find in the future I believe the BB need to be made much tougher for the 9' crowd to start playing on them. Johnnyt

I have to agree.

Personally, I prefer 9-footers, but I'll play on any size table in decent condition.

A compromise for owners will be to go to 8-footers, which generally are acceptable to most 9 or 7-foot table players. I still think there will always be a demand for full size tables, though they won't be as available.

As I'm debating on another thread, I believe the days are over when mediocre billiard centers make money. But I still believe that a properly run business will, in most circumstances.

Donny L
PBIA/ACS Instructor

cardiac kid · Sep 4, 2012

This thread allows me to repeat an old theme. Take your girlfriend to a pool room with 9 footers to show off? Bad idea. Take her to a room with bar boxes? Great idea. No different than the bowling alleys who discovered the inflatable tubes to line the gutters so kids can have fun. Anyone remember bowling as a kid. Twenty gutter balls for me. Oh the joy of actually knocking some pins down. If pool is really now about recreation, bar boxes (or small Diamonds) are the answer. Not what I really want but if it keeps the doors open, so be it!

Lyn

Cdryden · Sep 4, 2012

I remember when the original owner of the pool hall I go to bought his first Bar box. He was a old school room operator and said he didn't want any coin ops.

I was there the day they brought it in, he said "I hate to do it. Coin op tables are the walmarts of good pool halls. I just cant afford not to do it though. Someday this is all you will see."

That was over 20 years ago.

WardS · Sep 4, 2012

Bar Boxes

I have a Diamond Pro-Am 7ft table at home and I love it. The best streams I see are on bar boxes. 60K player auctions at Emeralds, lot of top players. Get used to it I think that is where it headed..

jmho

RRfireblade · Sep 4, 2012

Plenty of 8'ers here , not going anywhere so not worried.

Actually some talk of adding some more 9s in one room where another just swapped out for some more 8s.

If 7' was the only option then no, I would not go out to play on those.

nzjase · Sep 4, 2012

I am not a great player but being in NZ my table is an 8 by 4 with 3 inch pockets (snooker cut) and 2 inch balls resulting in a ratio of 1.5 to 1

I don't see how this would be that much of an easier table than a 9 footer with 4.5 inch pockets and 2 1/8 inch balls.

Even if the ball to pocket rations are the same it is still a bit easier (or at least feels that way) throwing a basket ball into a hoop vs throwing a golf ball into an empty jar.

Cornerman · Sep 4, 2012

Johnnyt said:
With the trend of poolrooms with mostly 9' tables closing fast and most new rooms having 7' tables, if you had to drive too far for a 9' would you play on the 7' or maybe english 8 ball tables? Or would you just not play anymore?

With 9' tables going to be harder to find in the future I believe the BB need to be made much tougher for the 9' crowd to start playing on them. Johnnyt

Do you actually see this trend in your area of Florida? I'm not seeing it St Pete.

It's an odd question if you've never traveled throughout the US where there many area that only have had bar tables in their pool rooms, some for decades.

Freddie

RRfireblade · Sep 4, 2012

Cornerman said:
Do you actually see this trend in your area of Florida? I'm not seeing it St Pete.

It's an odd question if you've never traveled throughout the US where there many area that only have had bar tables in their pool rooms, some for decades.

Freddie

Speaking of CFL, I have not seen it as an overall trend. Like I stated, I've seen certain rooms tweak a little one or the other based on current customer need, not much more than that. All still have 8's & 9's too btw.

rrich1 · Sep 4, 2012

8ft diamonds here. only the smaller "hick" bars have 7fters.

Majic · Sep 4, 2012

7 footers are for the masses.

I have seen pool rooms with 7 footers have (1-2) 9 footers to appease the players.

They definitely get more tables in the room and sell lots of alcohol too.

ludwigman · Sep 4, 2012

If an owner did have all 7' coin opp. tables they definitely wouldn't want to make them tougher to drop a ball.

Faster games = more quarters

Playing by the hour might be different unless the average player like me gets fed up with not being able to make a shot and quits

chevybob20 · Sep 4, 2012

Majic said:
7 footers are for the masses.

I have seen pool rooms with 7 footers have (1-2) 9 footers to appease the players.

They definitely get more tables in the room and sell lots of alcohol too.

This is the norm here. I like 9ft tables.

porper-sig · Sep 4, 2012

Johnnyt said:
With the trend of poolrooms with mostly 9' tables closing fast and most new rooms having 7' tables, if you had to drive too far for a 9' would you play on the 7' or maybe english 8 ball tables? Or would you just not play anymore?

With 9' tables going to be harder to find in the future I believe the BB need to be made much tougher for the 9' crowd to start playing on them. Johnnyt

I drive an hour to play on DIAMOND 9's. Sadly johnny, the amusement outfits would hate you'r proper set up valley.

joe76195 · Sep 4, 2012

A bar box is not a pool table.

Are More Players Going To The ar Box?

Burn all jump cues

Cue & Cushion_STL_MO

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