Bad bar tables make me want to quit pool

cluelesscuer

New member
Has anyone felt the same? Feel like the tables, with too small playing area, terrible cloth, bad rails, dirty balls, walls in the way, and 7 or 6 ft size where the bad player is able to win 50% of the time...just disgusted with it, and don't want to play pool anymore?
 

Maniac

2manyQ's
Silver Member
Has anyone felt the same? Feel like the tables, with too small playing area, terrible cloth, bad rails, dirty balls, walls in the way, and 7 or 6 ft size where the bad player is able to win 50% of the time...just disgusted with it, and don't want to play pool anymore?

Sounds like you've been in some of the same bars as I have :frown:.

FWIW, it was the PEOPLE playing on the bad bar tables that ultimately made me quit pool (leagues).

Maniac
 

3andstop

Focus
Silver Member
As much as I love pool, I have absolutely no desire to play on bar tables. If I went to a restaurant or a bar that had a small table, I wouldn't look twice at it.

Not that I'm too stuck up or too good for them, I just wouldn't want to play on them any more than I'd like to play checkers instead of chess. Two different games IMO.
 

dr9ball

"Lock Doctor"
Silver Member
Has anyone felt the same? Feel like the tables, with too small playing area, terrible cloth, bad rails, dirty balls, walls in the way, and 7 or 6 ft size where the bad player is able to win 50% of the time...just disgusted with it, and don't want to play pool anymore?

Old pool hall saying:

Hmm if the "bad" player is winning 50% of the time, the person that thinks they are the "good" player is fooling themselves.
 

Mickey Qualls

You study the watch......
Silver Member
Has anyone felt the same? Feel like the tables, with too small playing area, terrible cloth, bad rails, dirty balls, walls in the way, and 7 or 6 ft size where the bad player is able to win 50% of the time...just disgusted with it, and don't want to play pool anymore?

The bold is what pisses me off the most...

You can 'adjust' to the cloth, rails, and balls. But that damn wall ain't goin' anywhere...

It got to the point when I was playing in a traveling league where I ended up making a shorter, 16" shaft for my break cue, to switch in certain situations. It was a uniloc pin, so it swapped out pretty easily/quickly. And it had a garden variety leather tip on it.
So when we'd get to a bar with one of those walls, our team would have something to 'counteract' that wall with a short cue that actually had some playability to it (versus that short cue in the corner of the bar with a flat tip).

Yeah, it kinda sucked to have to create something specifically for that application (and it really can't be used for anything else)...

But, man, it came in handy more than a few times.

And the looks on the other teams faces when one of us would break that thing out, after they'd play a safety that put the cueball in a position that the wall came into play...

My guy: "Lemme see that short shaft you got."

(Screws shaft onto break cue. Makes shot, AND gets position) :eek:

Their guy:


pissed-off-o.gif


Priceless :)
 

CocoboloCowboy

Cowboys are my hero's
Silver Member
Has anyone felt the same? Feel like the tables, with too small playing area, terrible cloth, bad rails, dirty balls, walls in the way, and 7 or 6 ft size where the bad player is able to win 50% of the time...just disgusted with it, and don't want to play pool anymore?

Sounds like you local Pool Bar is a DUMP, change Bar not your game.
 

cluelesscuer

New member
The problem is this is where the pool world is headed. Actually, this is where bars are headed.

The pool world is headed nowhere, thus nice full size tables are getting harder and harder to find. So it's gotten that bar tables (with all the shortcomings) is the way now

I too, feel that its two different games and I'm just not interested in the bar table bs, just like I don't want to play nerf pool :cool:


...So the thought of just quitting crosses my mind.
 

wineslob

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I played plenty of bar tables in the past. Holes in the cloth big enough to make a ball bounce. Seams in the slate (ya, NOT 1 piece) doing the same. Playing guys who knew the "tilt" of the table and used it. Being accused of "cheating" because I used English, etc, etc..

I'll still play on one because I still love the game.
 

kntbeach

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
It makes it a challenge for sure, but playing on all kinds of tables with different balls and felts will test your ability to make changes in your game. Some places have tourneys that you have to play in different tavs. and some have 7 foot, some have 8 foot and some even have 9 foot. It makes it a lot of fun. IMO
 

PaulieB

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I'm sorry, but I don't agree with the original title of your post. Blaming bar boxes on your poor performance isn't the answer. If you want to talk about dead rails, cloth with divots, tables positioned too near a wall ... well those are all acceptable complaints. Saying any of those complaints have anything to do with the size of the table being a bar box size is ridiculous. You could have a 10 foot table with dead rails, divots in the cloth, and positioned too near a wall, couldn't you?

I'm guessing you don't like the bar box size because you can't handle the congestion, don't know how to break out clusters, and can't adjust your game to the smaller table size. Hence, you base your complaints on "bar box size" being crappy.
 

PocketSpeed11

AzB Long Member
Silver Member
I draw a line somewhere. The felt doesn't have to be Simonis, the balls don't have to be well-polished, etc., but to earn my hard-earned money these bar owners need to to actually put a little bit of care into the equipment. I refuse to play on a table where I can't get into a proper stance on one side because of a wall or table. The game needs to be respected.
 

bobforest

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
It makes it a challenge for sure, but playing on all kinds of tables with different balls and felts will test your ability to make changes in your game. Some places have tourneys that you have to play in different tavs. and some have 7 foot, some have 8 foot and some even have 9 foot. It makes it a lot of fun. IMO

Agreed... I play in a league which means traveling to other bars and having to deal with crappy tables.... and the walls!

It can be frustrating, but on the positive side, it should sharpen your skill set.

My worst experience was in a bar where the table was too close to a wall on one side and the other side had a stage with live metal band playing with the volume set at 11. Trying to play a competitive match there was miserable...
 

CocoboloCowboy

Cowboys are my hero's
Silver Member
The problem is this is where the pool world is headed. Actually, this is where bars are headed.

The pool world is headed nowhere, thus nice full size tables are getting harder and harder to find. So it's gotten that bar tables (with all the shortcomings) is the way now

I too, feel that its two different games and I'm just not interested in the bar table bs, just like I don't want to play nerf pool :cool:


...So the thought of just quitting crosses my mind.



Well if people started boycott hell hole Bar the Owner might or would wake up and make changes.

I stopped going to Bars to play in weekly tournaments about 4 years ago, over the same problems you mention above.

You know what I don't miss the hell hole bars, or people in em.
 

DirtyJersey

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
This whole thread seems like ppl are saying " I choose to play in the mud, dammit why am I so dirty?". There are none of these problems in my local pool hall. Can't find a pool hall within a 20 mile radius? Well your opponent is playing on the same shitty table with the same conditions so if he can figure out the table so can you...something to think about.:wink:
 
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irock

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I grew up playing on big tables but now I mainly play on bar tables. They do make you play a different game, I have seen SVB and other top pros get eliminated in Bar table tourneys by good local bar table players, I doubt that would happen on bigger tables, and beating some great players has to be good for pool. I do agree that crappy tables, especially the ones that are not level, always benefit the lesser player, and all the time you have spent on learning position skills can just be pi$$ed away.But look at the size and prize money of some of these Bar table tournaments, definitely good for pool.
 

irock

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Break a rack of rotation open on a nine or ten footer and try to run them out, playing the ghost, then try it on a bar table.
 
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