Best places to play in the USA

jason

jason

Unprofessional everything
Silver Member
What is the best state, city and/or pool rooms to play in?

Give your reasons such as most pool halls, best players, best leagues, most gamblers, most fish, most tour stops, most bar tournaments, best service, best, hottest waitress (attach photos), etc.

I'm sure this will be somewhat biased, but I think you get the picture.
 
well, it's not here in new york! new york pool rooms stink! the eqiupment is so-so, and the prices are sky high! and the music is too damn loud! i'm gonna pick texas, even though i was never there, i was told it's $2 an hour, and for my money, that sounds sweet enough to me!!!!
 
Jason,

Of all the rooms I've visited in the twenty or so years on the tournament trail, I choose Country Club USA, outside Boston. The food was great. Nice people. Excellent playing conditions. Rates were OK. Best viewing of a game of pool I've seen. Bleachers set way up high. Overhead cameras.

The lowest playing rates were in Vegas at "Pool Sharks". Eight bucks per player between 8 AM to 6 PM. 80 cents per hour? Wow. Tables were just OK though. Great bar maid / counter person! The bar tables were 25 cents per game! The highest? I played in Connecticut on a Friday evening at a $12 per rate. For two players, it was $16 per!

Several of the "pro" players who came through Rochester told me that Classic Billiards West is first rate for players. After playing there for twelve or so years, I guess I'm jaded. $4 per Noon to Six. $6 per till closing. The best looking players and bar people? Has to be "The Klassy Kat" here in Rochester. Some of the guys convinced one of the strip clubs to put a bar table in. I remember being disappointed when my team was not scheduled to play there one year.
 
jason said:
What is the best state, city and/or pool rooms to play in?

Give your reasons such as most pool halls, best players, best leagues, most gamblers, most fish, most tour stops, most bar tournaments, best service, best, hottest waitress (attach photos), etc.

I'm sure this will be somewhat biased, but I think you get the picture.
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Howdy,
(1) Billiard Palace,Tulsa,OK
(2) Tacony`s in Phylly,PA
(3) Billiards Palace,Tulsa,OK
(4) Tacony`s in Phylly,PA
These are the only places I am infatuated with.Pool Halls in New orleans,LA suck big time.
Vagabond
 
vagabond said:
Howdy,
(1) Billiard Palace,Tulsa,OK
(2) Tacony`s in Phylly,PA
(3) Billiards Palace,Tulsa,OK
(4) Tacony`s in Phylly,PA
These are the only places I am infatuated with.Pool Halls in New orleans,LA suck big time.
Vagabond
Click to expand...

If there is a single source of experienced travels across the USA and seeing all the pool rooms first hand... Vagabond's word is good enough for me.

I might add, that, of all the pool rooms I've been in:

High Pockets in Memphis TN
Hard Times Billiards in Sacramento CA
Q-Masters in Virginia Beach VA
and California Billiards in Mountain View CA
are the top rooms on my list.

High Pockets has very tall A frame, very well air-conditioned and some great tables. I haven't played there in about 3 years, I sure hope it's been kept in good condition.

Hard Times Billiards has the Best tournament room (separate from rest of the Hall) I have ever been in, with spectator seating for about 100 people.

Q-Masters has a BIG selection of tables and a separate tournament room full of GC's. Viewing seating for about 30 people.

California Billiards is full of great tables, Tight'N'Tough 8 tournament tables. Great food and drink selections.
 
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Hi Tom,

I agree on both Hardtimes & California Billiards. I must say that the tournament room at Hardtimes was severely in need of recovering when I was there last, last year. Too many nine ball breaks. The trail to the head ball was badly pock marked. The cloth was almost worn through. California Billiards front tables were some of the best I've played on. My game would certainly come up a level if I played there regularly. The guys here are complaining about 4.75" pockets. One day at either of your choices would drive them nuts! We have a back room at Classic that is similar to Hardtimes. Bleachers along one wall. Six GC 3's. I've only stopped by Vagabond's suggestion of Tacony's in Philly. It is a gamblers paradise from what I understand.
 
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Tom In Cincy said:
If there is a single source of experienced travels across the USA and seeing all the pool rooms first hand... Vagabond's word is good enough for me.

I might add, that, of all the pool rooms I've been in:

High Pockets in Memphis TN
Hard Times Billiards in Sacramento CA
Q-Masters in Virginia Beach VA
and California Billiards in Mountain View CA
are the top rooms on my list.

High Pockets has very tall A frame, very well air-conditioned and some great tables. I haven't played there in about 3 years, I sure hope it's been kept in good condition.




Hard Times Billiards has the Best tournament room (separate from rest of the Hall) I have ever been in, with spectator seating for about 100 people.

Q-Masters has a BIG selection of tables and a separate tournament room full of GC's. Viewing seating for about 30 people.

California Billiards is full of great tables, Tight'N'Tough 8 tournament tables. Great food and drink selections.
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Howdy Tom,
Thank u for your kind words.I might reluctantly add Hard Time Billiards in Los angeles to the list.This is a very good place to hang around or for action.I was little prejudicial/Biased to this place .It is because the snooker Table has weird pockets.But there is lots of action on this table.The snooker table there still bothers me and hence I am relunctant to include it in my favorite places. Cheers
Vagabond
 
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Chris's in Chicago is loaded with tough competition, but the facility is a little worn.

I enjoyed Drexeline outside of Philly (not far from Valley Forge, right?)

In the Boston area, although Country Club is an excellent room for hosting tournaments, they lack players on a day-to-day basis. I prefer Brighton Billiards for One Pocket. World Class in Peabody is the room for Three Cushion around here. Maybe Renaisance in Quincy for 9-Ball?

Further north, Spot Shot in Portland Maine always seems to have players and well-cared for equipment.

In NH, it's the Private Social Clubs scattered around Manchester.
 
Hey Vagabond Buddy
Why not New Orleans? I was thinking of heading off this weekend to Corner Pockets for the Ring game down there since I got a free passs on southwest that I gotta use. Tell me.
 
cardiac kid said:
Jason,

Of all the rooms I've visited in the twenty or so years on the tournament trail, I choose Country Club USA, outside Boston. The food was great. Nice people. Excellent playing conditions. Rates were OK. Best viewing of a game of pool I've seen. Bleachers set way up high. Overhead cameras.
....
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That would be in Chelmsford, MA. Too bad they pulled out of Joss tour.
 
catscradle said:
Too many tables squeezed into too little space. Otherwise a nice room.
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I've never understood why room owners would ruin a room by doing that -- often by designing a room just right, then getting greedy by trying to sneak just one extra table in, thus squeezing all the other tables too close together!

I know it seems tight during the Joss events, but I thought that was just all the extra people...
 
best places to play

minneapolis and its suburbs have outstanding equipment, Shooters billiards located in the southern suburb of Burnsville is extra nice - 50 plus gold crowns with 860 on all of them. the cloth and tables are kept in great condition at all times. service is good and the food is above average. also in the rest of the rooms around the Twin cities the tables are kept in very good condition. the problem with the minneapolis area is as follows - if you do not want to play jimmy wetch, there is zero action. I REPEAT ZERO (MEANING NONE). JMB
 
1) Tacony-Palmyra (Philadelphia, PA)
2) Master Billiards (Queens, NY)
3) Bogie's (Houston, TX)
4) Drexeline Billiards (Philadelphia, PA)

the best rooms I've been to
 
Brighton Billiards? Yeah, it is a great place, IF IT IS OPEN!!!!. The last time I went there it was in the middle of the day (after the are to open) and they were closed. The Last three times I called there no even bothered to pick up the phone...that is junk.

Can you tell me where this Country Club place is? Can I get there on the T?

kollegedave

1pocket said:
Chris's in Chicago is loaded with tough competition, but the facility is a little worn.

I enjoyed Drexeline outside of Philly (not far from Valley Forge, right?)

In the Boston area, although Country Club is an excellent room for hosting tournaments, they lack players on a day-to-day basis. I prefer Brighton Billiards for One Pocket. World Class in Peabody is the room for Three Cushion around here. Maybe Renaisance in Quincy for 9-Ball?

Further north, Spot Shot in Portland Maine always seems to have players and well-cared for equipment.

In NH, it's the Private Social Clubs scattered around Manchester.
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Rooms that I've been to and loved:
1) Tacony-Palmyra (Philly,PA)
2) Drexeline (just right outside of Philly)
3) Spin City (Queens, NY....I think)
4) The Green Room (Maple Shade, NJ)<---a "plug" for my home room ;) .

Sorry about not having pics.
 
kollegedave said:
Brighton Billiards? Yeah, it is a great place, IF IT IS OPEN!!!!. The last time I went there it was in the middle of the day (after the are to open) and they were closed. The Last three times I called there no even bothered to pick up the phone...that is junk.

Can you tell me where this Country Club place is? Can I get there on the T?

kollegedave
Click to expand...

No way you can get there on the 'T'. It is in Chelmsford which is borders Lowell, almost into NH. You could take the 'T' to North Station, take the commuter rail to Lowell, and take a cab to Chelmsford. Hardly worth it though I think. :D
 
yobagua said:
Hey Vagabond Buddy
Why not New Orleans? I was thinking of heading off this weekend to Corner Pockets for the Ring game down there since I got a free passs on southwest that I gotta use. Tell me.
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Howdy yobagua,
I do not like the rest room in that place.u will enjoy the ring game but not the rest room.cheers
Vagabond
 
yobagua said:
Hey Vagabond Buddy
Why not New Orleans? I was thinking of heading off this weekend to Corner Pockets for the Ring game down there since I got a free passs on southwest that I gotta use. Tell me.
Click to expand...



Howdy,
Their rest room sucks but u will enjoy the ring game.Cheers
Vagabond
 
yobagua said:
Hey Vagabond Buddy
Why not New Orleans? I was thinking of heading off this weekend to Corner Pockets for the Ring game down there since I got a free passs on southwest that I gotta use. Tell me.
Click to expand...




howdy,
Their rest room sucks.cheers
vagabond
 
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