$1

Brain71

Brain71

Railbird
Silver Member
If you scroll down on the main page it shows that the most peolple on AZ at one time was over 2800 viewers. That means at any given time there are at least 2000 people on AZ. Just a guess anyway. What if once a month we all pledge $1 to help pool rooms around the country? My idea is to Paypal it to a AZ member, (I nominate Marcus -FAST_N_LOOSE-), let him decide where to send it. They can use it for tournaments, help with anything they need. I'm just tired of rooms closing. Here in Columbia we have had 2 good rooms close in the past 2 years. We're down to 1 pool room, Gradys. It's doing well. They are cleaning up the place and have graet turnouts for tournaments and league. But it's a shame. How many of you out there miss your regular room due to closings? Just a thought. I don't think $1 is too much to ask.
 
Our local poolroom wouldn't give you a free cup of coffee, unless you played the part of a group of 4 human forklifts muscling something from the parking lot to the inside for the owner.
 
You have a point

Why are the pool halls full of guys that want free this and that..., dont want to spend any money i the pool hall and then wonder why the place has become a dump?

Your not spending any money in the place so why should the owner spend any money on the place?
 
I think it's a great idea, but not for pool rooms or any other business. I can envision a sort of scholarship fund being created to help young rising stars get to tournaments or provide a room for them there or whatever.

The funds would be dispersed by a small and knowledgable committee of 3-5 individuals who were carefully chosen for their long-term knowledge of the players and the tournament scene in general (I'm thinking folks like Jay Helfert). If AZ administrators set something up like this I would gladly pledge more than a buck a month. I'm not sure how much more, that would depend on a lot of variables.
 
i think the nature of pool halls lends itself to being able to play for free. being that the tables are always "open" even though you have to pay table time. if I were to open up a room, I would put in diamond smart tables with coin ops set up for time. that way the thought of "free" pool wouldn't even enter a person's mind.

to the point of the OP, pool halls aren't charities, they are a business that usually survives or fails on the decisions and business plans of the owners. if they are failing, adapt or close up shop. its not up to us to go to the pool hall, its up to the owners to make us want to spend our money on their product and services.
 
Brain71 said:
If you scroll down on the main page it shows that the most peolple on AZ at one time was over 2800 viewers. That means at any given time there are at least 2000 people on AZ. Just a guess anyway. What if once a month we all pledge $1 to help pool rooms around the country? My idea is to Paypal it to a AZ member, (I nominate Marcus -FAST_N_LOOSE-), let him decide where to send it. They can use it for tournaments, help with anything they need. I'm just tired of rooms closing. Here in Columbia we have had 2 good rooms close in the past 2 years. We're down to 1 pool room, Gradys. It's doing well. They are cleaning up the place and have graet turnouts for tournaments and league. But it's a shame. How many of you out there miss your regular room due to closings? Just a thought. I don't think $1 is too much to ask.
Click to expand...

I like your idea, and some of the other ideas that other people have mentioned.
I wouldn't be against using money collected to sponsor a tournament once in awhile at different rooms across the country, but if this gets off the ground lets not just use it for that.

We could use it to help a young poolplayer going to college buy books, pay lab fees, or buy their meal plan for a semester or even an year.

The money could also be used to help families in need in the pool community. We all hear about people that due to no fault of their own are down on their luck. We have had members that have had a fire and now have nothing. We could buy that family in need a gift card for their local food store or for a local cothing store.
We have had members have children get sick and the medical bills are coming in faster than they can keep up with. We could pay a bill for them or something like that.

I also think it should be a group of members than decide where the money goes. I have a few people I think should handle the money but don't want to put their names out there until I talk to them first.
I would rather keep the money in the pool world somehow but thats not to say we can't donate it outside the pool community.

These are just some ideas and I would love to be a part of this and help make this happen.

Count me in to donate and be on the committee this is a great idea and can be a great thing for years to come.
 
King T said:
Why are the pool halls full of guys that want free this and that..., dont want to spend any money i the pool hall and then wonder why the place has become a dump?

Your not spending any money in the place so why should the owner spend any money on the place?
Click to expand...
There is actually an answer. Pool rooms are unique in that their regular customers come is often 7 days a week, several times a day sometimes. There is a limit to what people can spend. Many come in to see what is going on maybe practice a little but they do have to keep an eye on what they are spending when they are there so much. Truth be told though, if you clock their spending over a months time they spend a lot more then it may appear. A pool room is just a different type of business. You can't make them spend but in reality it is impossible for them to not spend. It adds up over time. Unless they are causing trouble, every customer is valuable regardless what they spend.

They make the place a happening thing. You want activity going on. The customer you think spends nothing may be a popular person who has friends who come in for no more reason then he is there and spend like crazy. I used to see this all the time in my rooms. Players attract other players, customers attract other customers. No one wants to hang around an empty room. I remember years ago going in a place looking to play. I was there in the afternoon and the place was empty, not one person even sitting there. As I was leaving I discovered why. Over the door was a sign, It said,

"If you have nothing to do, don't do it here"

You wonder why some people even go into the pool room business.
 
:happydance: Pool room fairy bring me some money...:happydance:


I got you a dollar..
:wave:
Oooh :nono: you almost got it
:poke:
You gotta be quicker than that....:lol:

:cool:
 
It's a well intentioned idea, even if a bit hokey.


The best we can all do is just go play and bring friends.





.
 
Brain71 said:
If you scroll down on the main page it shows that the most peolple on AZ at one time was over 2800 viewers. That means at any given time there are at least 2000 people on AZ. Just a guess anyway. What if once a month we all pledge $1 to help pool rooms around the country? My idea is to Paypal it to a AZ member, (I nominate Marcus -FAST_N_LOOSE-), let him decide where to send it. They can use it for tournaments, help with anything they need. I'm just tired of rooms closing. Here in Columbia we have had 2 good rooms close in the past 2 years. We're down to 1 pool room, Gradys. It's doing well. They are cleaning up the place and have graet turnouts for tournaments and league. But it's a shame. How many of you out there miss your regular room due to closings? Just a thought. I don't think $1 is too much to ask.
Click to expand...

I hope your thread is intended for those who frequent the poolhalls regularly yet rarely spend a dime. I've seen 'em a hundred times. They come in, get their free rack of balls (because they're league players playing out of that poolhall), and ask the waitress for a glass of water. They never drop one single penny during their three or four hour stay there.

Me, I'm in there twice a week and buy food AND drinks. I also tip the wait staff about 30%. I average spending around $25 dollars a night, $35-$40 on the night my wife is with me. I'm doing MY part to keep the place open so I really find it kind of insulting that someone would think I need to pay more.

Maniac (helps keep pool/billiard suppliers in business too!!!)
 
Charity

If you want to do something for charity put on a charity tournament. Ask for donations for the prizes and hold it at one of these pool rooms. It will promote the business, the game, and raise money for charity. There are a couple of these per year in my town and they do very well
 
Chopdoc said:
It's a well intentioned idea, even if a bit hokey.
Click to expand...

What's hokey about it? Our local woodworkers' association has a memorial fund that has been giving out tens of thousands of dollars a year in grants that go to aspiring woodworkers. It is one of the things Northeastern Woodworkers is proudest of, and the Fiske Fund has been around for a long time. They pay 50% of the costs for tuition up to $1000. In fact, if I can find a willing cue maker who provides instruction in the craft at a reasonable price, I intend to apply for a Fiske grant myself.
 
I see a lot of different views on this so this is mine.Pool is recreation
to most,something most people do while hammered at a nite-club,
trying to pick up women or visa-versa.
I know people that have a pool table in there house as a accessory and
don't even play the game.
Pool generates certain people and certain amounts of business that
comes and goes week by week,month by month.
Some poolhalls are run right, and some not so much.Either way you
need people willing to spend money.
The way I look at it,most people will spend money on things that really
don't matter everyday,myself included.
What I find odd is on a pool-site,there are many people that love the
game,buy PPV matches and that take the time to talk about the sport
like it has meaning to them.
But the moment somebody speaks about doing a random act of kindness,
most seem to dig into a bag of negatives to come out with a reason
not to do it.
We always here people saying we need to get sponsorships from big
company's to help rise the game of pool.How would we expect to get
money out of big company's who could really care less about pool,if we
can't get the people who actually play the game to support it.
Pool is pool and will always be pool ,but only people can change and thats
where it starts.
To find all these reasons not to help,speaks volumes to where we are.
To me,the most genuine act of kindness is to expect nothing back in
return.
I like the good-will of the OP,to want to help somebody,maybe anybody
to better there life without expecting his to change.
Goodluck and great thread!!!Scott
 
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Maniac said:
I hope your thread is intended for those who frequent the poolhalls regularly yet rarely spend a dime. I've seen 'em a hundred times. They come in, get their free rack of balls (because they're league players playing out of that poolhall), and ask the waitress for a glass of water. They never drop one single penny during their three or four hour stay there.

Me, I'm in there twice a week and buy food AND drinks. I also tip the wait staff about 30%. I average spending around $25 dollars a night, $35-$40 on the night my wife is with me. I'm doing MY part to keep the place open so I really find it kind of insulting that someone would think I need to pay more.

Maniac (helps keep pool/billiard suppliers in business too!!!)
Click to expand...

What Maniac said! I see this all the time. I ALWAYS spend money at pool halls. If we don't, they will die. I want a place to play......
 
Pool rooms are just like any other business. The owner must keep his place clean and looking nice, promote his business in a positive way, provide the goods and services his customers want, and be friendly. If he does all this, the business owner MIGHT stay in business.

Here are sure-fire ways not to stay in business:
- be an asshole to your customers.
- complain how your customers don't spend money.
- let your business fall into disrepair.

The business owner is the first person responsible for a business failing. Period.
 
Let me clarify something: whenever and wherever I play pool, I spend money. If I'm having a good time, I spend LOTS of money. If I'm not having a good time, I'll still have a few drinks and happily pay for my table time, but I most likely will not frequent that place again.
 
Just the other day I was sitting beside table ten, watching a game of One Pocket, when I looked around the room and remarked to the guy sitting next to me how empty the place looked. He just stared into space without saying a word.
He'd died three years ago sitting there wondering how empty the place looked.
You have it backwards. They should pay us (in the form of incentives, and promotions) to come and play. It's a bidness, for crissakes. :)
 
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