While the better players generally prefer Diamond to Valley, the reality is most bar room pool players don't fit into that category. I own a bar in Birmingham and we have 9 7' Valleys. We own 2, a local entertainment company owns 7 for a 50/50 split on revenue. Eventually, I plan to own them all.
At least in our case, the Valleys are in good condition and have Simonis cloth on them. When we bought the bar, my Son and I discussed Valley vs. Diamond. We both wanted Diamond. However, the business model for the bar is to attract multiple APA Teams 4 or 5 nights per week. There are very few Diamond bar boxes in Birmingham. At one local bar where there are Diamonds, the APA players ***** and moan about them. Pockets too tight, tables too fast, blah, blah. So we opted for the Valleys for pragmatic business reasons even though our personal preference would have been Diamonds. Like it or not, APA and many leagues are dominated by casual pool players, not serious passionate pool players.
There's no question, the Valleys play easier. Which means a game is finished faster. More games per hour. This is desirable when the players are paying by the game, not by the hour.
Who knows, perhaps as time goes on and if the game of pool continues to evolve to a bar based past tiem, more people will prefer the superior Diamond tables. If that becomes the case, I would switch in a heart beat. Until then, you have to go with what pays the bills.
He just prefers the "good" stuff when it is all said and done !!!
