$20 9-ball sets?

mikepage

mikepage

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Suppose a stranger walked into the room you usually play in and rented a table. Suppose as he got the balls, he said to the attendant that he was just there overnight for work and was wondering if anybody there might like to play some cheap 9-ball, just $20 sets or something. There are many possible reactions--what would it be in your room?

possibilities:

1. The person renting the table doesn't know the players and has no clue.

2. The person assumes you are some sorta road hustler and is not helpful.

3. People whisper for a while and somebody pulls out a cell phone in the toilet stall and wakes up the local shortstop across town because there hasn't been action there since 1972.

4. The attendant says.."I don't know. You might try Joey --that guy over on 42" but doesn't introduce you to him.

5. The attendant asks where you're from, maybe asks how you play, introduces you to some people . You play some people and have a good time.

6. The attendant sends you to someone who wants to do $50 sets.

So seriously, how "visitor friendly" is your room?

mike page
fargo
 
Getting a road player or visitor a game?

IMHO that is the last thing I want my employees to worry about.

And, I venture to say, not many billiard room bar & grilles concern themselves with this.

There is probably a game for you in the room. Look for it yourself.

I have no problem if you engage the employee in conversation from which they get you a game.

I do have a problem with you deciding on the "visitor friendliness" of a room based on this factor.

Although it may be your goal to gamble, and I have no problem with that, it is not our goal to provide a haven for you.

BTW, I'll play you whenever you come to my place.
 
Last edited:
mikepage said:
Suppose a stranger walked into the room you usually play in and rented a table. Suppose as he got the balls, he said to the attendant that he was just there overnight for work and was wondering if anybody there might like to play some cheap 9-ball, just $20 sets or something. There are many possible reactions--what would it be in your room?

possibilities:

1. The person renting the table doesn't know the players and has no clue.

2. The person assumes you are some sorta road hustler and is not helpful.

3. People whisper for a while and somebody pulls out a cell phone in the toilet stall and wakes up the local shortstop across town because there hasn't been action there since 1972.

4. The attendant says.."I don't know. You might try Joey --that guy over on 42" but doesn't introduce you to him.

5. The attendant asks where you're from, maybe asks how you play, introduces you to some people . You play some people and have a good time.

6. The attendant sends you to someone who wants to do $50 sets.

So seriously, how "visitor friendly" is your room?

mike page
fargo
Click to expand...


The person would get played. Not everyone who asks to play is some high powered road player and so what if he is then he will win a little money, but someone should give him some action. That's pretty cheap by the way, good players often ask to play very cheap at first, it puts them in a certain class right away in most peoples minds and even an average player may get up and play. Ask to play for $2.00 and even the chumps will try to high-roll you and you will be in action. If he is a good hustler he will work his way up to the better players maybe giving weight after a short while. Players spend all day practicing and when they get a chance to test themselves don't want to play because they might lose. They are cheating themselves of some valuable experience, and they don't necessarily have to lose.
 
I can't tell you how many times I've had lemonaid.......

There has been many times over the years that a new player showed up in a poolroom that I was hanging in and asked to play cheap. Because I have been on the other end of this tactic many times, I knew what he was trying to do. He just wanted to set en example of how he plays to everyone watching. THE MONEY HE LOSES IS CALLED LEMONAID.
Now if a new player comes in wanting to play $200 sets or more- there is usually no lemonaid to be had - Unless it's J.C.
But what I have done a couple of times is - Take the lemonaid and still play at only about 85% - Later on - He thinks he knows how I play and it cost him dearly.
One time this backfired on me in Bloomington, IN.
I was there to hustle Artey Clemons (aka, MountianMan) and was laying it down real good. Artey was smart enough to take all the lemonaid I would offer but when I asked to play $300 sets - he said - SURE, WITH THE 8 & BREAK.
It seems that the first day there I got knocked by Nick Varner who is a close friend of Artey's. I saw Nick on his way out that day but didn't think he even noticed me.
BOY, WAS I WRONG.
We all have had a good laugh about this since.
FYI - About 3 weeks later I sent California Bob into a local bar and sure enough here comes Artey - He went empty.

TY & GL
 
mikepage said:
... what would it be in your room? ...
4. The attendant says.."I don't know. You might try Joey --that guy over on 42" but doesn't introduce you to him.
...
Click to expand...
Probably this one, although the player would probably be on a front, tight table. You forgot:

17. The house man grabs his stick and jumps over the counter to play you.

One time I was in the Palace in SF and sort of let Jimmy Lee know that I was interested in playing some nine ball. He introduced me to Joe, an older fellow, who allowed as to how nine ball was a young man's game, but he would try me some at one pocket or straight pool, not too expensive. Joe happened to be Joe Procita, who still holds the record for highest tournament run at 14.1 -- 182 in 1951 against Willie Mosconi.
 
Nit said:
Getting a road player or visitor a game?

IMHO that is the last thing I want my employees to worry about.

And, I venture to say, not many billiard room bar & grilles concern themselves with this.

There is probably a game for you in the room. Look for it yourself.

I have no problem if you engage the employee in conversation from which they get you a game.

I do have a problem with you deciding on the "visitor friendliness" of a room based on this factor.

Although it may be your goal to gamble, and I have no problem with that, it is not our goal to provide a haven for you.

BTW, I'll play you whenever you come to my place.
Click to expand...


Sounds like a real player friendly action room you got there? :confused: ....Every room I worked in, or seemed to stay in business longer than it took people to forget the Color of Money, liked it when "new players" "Road agents" whatever you like , came to town. I guess the exception is the type of rooms where "action" is looked down upon....Gerry
 
Mike, To answer your question, when someone new came to town, I used to play them if the room was'nt real busy, ( Sorry Houseman:) ) or if they were too much for me, I had any number of guys to call if they wanted to steam it up. We had a real player/action friendly room......Gerry
 
Gerry said:
Sounds like a real player friendly action room you got there? :confused: ....Every room I worked in, or seemed to stay in business longer than it took people to forget the Color of Money, liked it when "new players" "Road agents" whatever you like , came to town. I guess the exception is the type of rooms where "action" is looked down upon....Gerry
Click to expand...

Been in business for 16 years. How about you?
 
I was just in a room recently in central florida playing with my wife.It was the 1st time we were there.In comes 2 young guys and they are at the table next to me and they are just praciicing kicks and a few shots.It was there 1st time at this room also.I immediatly knew they were far better then me by just the way they were fooling around.We get to talking about where you from and there from Pa. my wifes from right near where there from so its like old buds week.They then ask us who the best in the room was.Turns out they are a couple of road players looking for action.We left shortly after but i believe they got what they were looking for.I think at the right times there is action at any room in the country if thats what you are looking for.
 
Nit said:
Been in business for 16 years. How about you?
Click to expand...


Easy Nit, What I'm saying is your post sounded as if you looked down on someone looking to find some cheap action. Except if the action was from you. Congrats on 16 years, the pool room biz is'nt easy.....Gerry
 
bobroberts said:
I was just in a room recently in central florida playing with my wife.It was the 1st time we were there.In comes 2 young guys and they are at the table next to me and they are just praciicing kicks and a few shots.It was there 1st time at this room also.I immediatly knew they were far better then me by just the way they were fooling around.We get to talking about where you from and there from Pa. my wifes from right near where there from so its like old buds week.They then ask us who the best in the room was.Turns out they are a couple of road players looking for action.We left shortly after but i believe they got what they were looking for.I think at the right times there is action at any room in the country if thats what you are looking for.
Click to expand...

What part of Pa. Bob?..........I'm from the Devon area origionally...Gerry
 
mikepage said:
Suppose a stranger walked into the room you usually play in and rented a table. Suppose as he got the balls, he said to the attendant that he was just there overnight for work and was wondering if anybody there might like to play some cheap 9-ball, just $20 sets or something. There are many possible reactions--what would it be in your room?

possibilities:

1. The person renting the table doesn't know the players and has no clue.

2. The person assumes you are some sorta road hustler and is not helpful.

3. People whisper for a while and somebody pulls out a cell phone in the toilet stall and wakes up the local shortstop across town because there hasn't been action there since 1972.

4. The attendant says.."I don't know. You might try Joey --that guy over on 42" but doesn't introduce you to him.

5. The attendant asks where you're from, maybe asks how you play, introduces you to some people . You play some people and have a good time.

6. The attendant sends you to someone who wants to do $50 sets.

So seriously, how "visitor friendly" is your room?

mike page
fargo
Click to expand...

In the rooms I play in, the whole gamut is possible.

I have found that asking straight up is the best way. The answer you get also varies with who is there at the time.

The best place I went to recently was Herman and Ann's Dothan, Alabama. The counterman was about 160, kept everyone's time on a notepad and had a good line on everybody in the room.

John
 
Gerry said:
Easy Nit, What I'm saying is your post sounded as if you looked down on someone looking to find some cheap action. Except if the action was from you. Congrats on 16 years, the pool room biz is'nt easy.....Gerry
Click to expand...

I suggest you work on your reading comprehension.
 
Nit said:
Getting a road player or visitor a game?

IMHO that is the last thing I want my employees to worry about.

And, I venture to say, not many billiard room bar & grilles concern themselves with this.
Click to expand...

It turns out that I *do* have a sense of how many establishments might concern themselves with this. Even though I'm not much of a player, I've travelled around quite a bit for work. I usually try to find the players room in the area and I usually try to get a cheap game--not because I want to Gamble with a capital G but just because I enjoy the competition and meeting other players.

Nit said:
There is probably a game for you in the room. Look for it yourself.

I have no problem if you engage the employee in conversation from which they get you a game.

I do have a problem with you deciding on the "visitor friendliness" of a room based on this factor.

Although it may be your goal to gamble, and I have no problem with that, it is not our goal to provide a haven for you.

BTW, I'll play you whenever you come to my place.
Click to expand...

"Visitor Friendliness" is my term. I should be able to define it however I like, don't you think?

I've more than once been to a place where I won some small amount of money, and then the people I played won't let me pay for my time and my drinks--they too like meeting another player and are eager to make a good pool-playing impression of their room or their town.

I once played in a weekly tournament that had two top pros in it. The fellow about to knock me out of the tournament (it was hill-hill) purposefully drove the easy nine ball into the rail as I was trying to concede it. He said "Hell, I get to play in this thing every week" and he gave me--the visitor from North Dakota the chance to move on.

I've got lots of good stories about my kind of being on the road.

mike page
fargo
 
I think it should be the duty of a poolroom owner to educate his/her employees about the different types of players so that they can help to bring together like-minded people.

I can't tell you how often I go to poolrooms where it seems as though no one knows or cares anything about pool. This starts with dirty balls, tables, close-quarters around the tables, crappy house cues, poor service and so on...

It is my opinion that whoever works in a pool room should understand pool etiquette, know what the weekly tournaments are in their room and in other local rooms, know about leagues and know about equipment. I firmly believe that this country suffers from a chronic lack of proper training. From consumer stores, to restaurants to poolrooms, the apathy is overwhelming.

That is why any place with a even a modicum of decent, qualified service is like winning the lottery.

All you pool room owners on the board take note: Friendly, knowledgable service MAKES MORE MONEY. And before you go off about what do I know - I owned a pool room in Germany AND my family has owned numerous restaurants.

John - poolroom consultant :-))
 
mikepage said:
Suppose a stranger walked into the room you usually play in and rented a table. Suppose as he got the balls, he said to the attendant that he was just there overnight for work and was wondering if anybody there might like to play some cheap 9-ball, just $20 sets or something. There are many possible reactions--what would it be in your room?

possibilities:

1. The person renting the table doesn't know the players and has no clue.

2. The person assumes you are some sorta road hustler and is not helpful.

3. People whisper for a while and somebody pulls out a cell phone in the toilet stall and wakes up the local shortstop across town because there hasn't been action there since 1972.

4. The attendant says.."I don't know. You might try Joey --that guy over on 42" but doesn't introduce you to him.

5. The attendant asks where you're from, maybe asks how you play, introduces you to some people . You play some people and have a good time.

6. The attendant sends you to someone who wants to do $50 sets.

So seriously, how "visitor friendly" is your room?

mike page
fargo
Click to expand...


In Phoenix the reply would be #7... "What are you rated??"

If the reply was "what is a rating" or something similar...There would probably be at least a few 9 or 10 rated players that would play...

I doubt any 8 or below rated player would play a road player "straight up" ...for one of two reasons....either they are not good enough to handle a road player....or they don't want to draw potential scrutiny to thier 8 or below rating if they happen to win.............(usually #1 is the actual reason)
 
At our room, you will get played, because we get excited- and it also costs us $100 in gas to get to the next poolroom to get played anyhow. So it's like a convenience for us.
 
My place you have to go in at the right time there is only about 7 of us that would actually play someone off the road. The rest that gamble usually only play in $1-$2 games. But when there is nothing else to do we play the 1's and 2's.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top