Best pool Rooms and why so!!

fish on

fish on

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Drexeline is #1.

Bob Maidhof's pool room is tops 'what makes yours second?Play on(new) simonis cloth ,16 gold crowns , 2 heated 5x10 billiard tables, 2 4x8 gold crowns. 50 cent fresh brewed coffee , a no alcohol room , Beautiful new carpeted, clean rest rooms, the best employees, reasonable rates, 1.00 for a hot dog on a toasted bun , he instructs his employees to make sandwiches as they would like them to be..Made piled high With fresh homemade first quality salads , lunch meats and condiments Etc. the food and cleanliness has non pool people coming. His room is the winner of BD Best renovated room last year and this encouraged the renewing to continue on. The walls are now lined, with rarely seen memorabilia, some recently donated by his friend Dan Janes. He has installed Beautiful Brunswick lights but he had custom made cue rack holders located on light. Yes Bob Maidhof is a pro Player doing something he enjoys but gives back to the sport he loves . He always has time to to give a tip or drill . Don't discount this ,as his Mentor was 5 time World Champion Jimmy Caras . There is great parking as well and the friendly environment makes families welcomed . There is a lot more but let the others that have played here (pros as well as Bangers) point out how Drexeline is.
 
I prefer old Rooms, with nasty wood grain panels on the wall, old stanky tabaco smell in the air, bunch of old timers playing Golf on the Snooker table............wait I just described Bakers in Tampa, one of the oldest free standing Pool Hall's in the U.S. :D

I love playing in places like that, The Flamingo has been in business since 1969 and not much has changed in our room. We did get a new/used Gold Crown about a 15 years ago that was used in the World championships.:)

The Fancier the Room, the higher the price to play.
 
I'll agree with the previous poster. Most of the fancier places I've been to either have bangers or chumps shooting around. The smoky and less attractive pool halls where they practically give pool away($4 dollars all day) is where most of the true players and gamblers are found. In Dallas, Hawley's Billiards would be that pool hall.
 
Does Drexeline have alot of action?

A pool room without action is not my kind of place, although the description of Drexeline sure is nice.

Bakers still have those funky rail bouncing tables? Last time I was there in the early 90s the conditions were really wet in that room and the tables were very tough to the point of being almost phoney baloney.

The Flamingo table is located in Websters Dictionary under "Trap Table". Im sure Dale likes it that way and has no intention of changing a thing.
 
I like Kendrick's in Bellingham, WA. www.kbilliards.com
I've been there three times while I was in the area, considering moving there after my enlistment is up. They clean the tables often (I went there three days in a row, each day the tables had been cleaned and looked brand new) and have some excellent refreshments. Environment is friendly and clean as well. Not to mention Bellingham is incredible.
 
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The way you described Drexeline is similar to a room down here in Miami called Doral billards. A room full of new Brunswicks, 4 heated billiard tables and the room owner is Abel from NYC who has a long history of interest and support of pool (esp 3 cushion).

Unfortunately Doral billiards has no players, time is like $10 an hr during lunch time, and none of the good players in Miami call that place their home room.

Meanwhile, in a blighted shopping mall 30 miles north of there is the best pool room in South Florida. Hollywood billiards is a smoke filled room, full liquor, tables that vary considerably from one table to the next, and has a room packed full of players and action.
 
uwate said:
Does Drexeline have alot of action?

A pool room without action is not my kind of place, although the description of Drexeline sure is nice.

Bakers still have those funky rail bouncing tables? Last time I was there in the early 90s the conditions were really wet in that room and the tables were very tough to the point of being almost phoney baloney.

The Flamingo table is located in Websters Dictionary under "Trap Table". Im sure Dale likes it that way and has no intention of changing a thing.
Click to expand...

The rails are pretty dead now LOL. Here is a pic of Bakers and some background for those who never heard of it.

And the Trap Table is our Secret, please edit your post. ROFLMAO.

tables.jpg


Estalished in 1942, Bakers is one of the oldest, if not the oldest, continuously operated pool halls in the United States. Believe it or not, Mr. Angus Baker originally opened this business as a Barber Shop. It was quite successful but the one problem he had was keeping the good barbers. Not really knowing what to do, he decided to put in a pool table. Ironically enough, the barbers stayed around longer as they really liked playing pool. Even more interesting were the men that would come by and play, whether they were there to get a haircut or to just pass the time. Well, that meant that the little corner Barber Shop with the fellow named Shine that would shine your shoes just had to expand just a bit....and it did. Mr. Baker decided that maybe he should also provide all of these folks with some food and drinks, and sure enough that was a hit too.

As a matter of a fact, this Fine Establishment was such a success that tournaments began taking place at Bakers. Next thing you know, Mr. Baker had tournaments going that attracted players such as Steve Mizerak, Willie Mosconi, Steve Cook, Buddy Hall, New York Blackie, Mike Sigel, Earl Strickland, Keith McKready, and too many others to count.

:D
 
Bakers reminded me alot of the Happy Hour room in Gainesville that was right downtown. Looks like its a room right out of the movie the Hustler. Even had those folding down wooden seat on the side of the room.

The funny thing about the Flamingo is that its not the trap table you have to worry about, its the trap games that get setup in there that are more problematic. Too many stone killers in and around Tampa. Guys like Will and Trevor and Justin and George(from the UK).
 
uwate said:
Bakers reminded me alot of the Happy Hour room in Gainesville that was right downtown. Looks like its a room right out of the movie the Hustler. Even had those folding down wooden seat on the side of the room.

The funny thing about the Flamingo is that its not the trap table you have to worry about, its the trap games that get setup in there that are more problematic. Too many stone killers in and around Tampa. Guys like Will and Trevor and Justin and George(from the UK).
Click to expand...

True. It has always been a great place for Pool Action.
I grew up around here and playing at Bakers with "WD" Bill Stigall and Steve Cook. WD helped me organize my very first tournament back in 1975 at the apartment complex my Mom was managing at the time.
Funny thing was, he showed me some trick shots one of them was the "Jump Shot". Little did I know back then what an important part of 9 Ball it would become.

Between Bakers and the Flamingo I was very lucky to have seen what I have seen over the years. Very Lucky.:rolleyes:
 
MrQ's in Atlanta is my room of choose.Mostly Kim Steel tables 8 and 9 and a few Gold Crowns and a 6 by 12 snooker.Plus you never know who's going to be there.Archer is the house pro.Last night Archer was giving free lessons to anyone that approached the table.There must have been at least 150 people in the building and only a dozen of us joined him to take in some of his advise.I think I pretty lucky to live in a city where I get to see Champion pool player's just about anytime I go to Q's.
 
CaptainHook said:
I prefer old Rooms, with nasty wood grain panels on the wall, old stanky tabaco smell in the air, bunch of old timers playing Golf on the Snooker table............wait I just described Bakers in Tampa, one of the oldest free standing Pool Hall's in the U.S. :D

I love playing in places like that, The Flamingo has been in business since 1969 and not much has changed in our room. We did get a new/used Gold Crown about a 15 years ago that was used in the World championships.:)

The Fancier the Room, the higher the price to play.
Click to expand...


The food has gotten better at Bakers.
The 'beer & a bump' at the Flamingo for $1.50 was great.
Planet 9-Ball, while semi-fancy has a $7 all day rate and the food, drinks, atmosphere, employees and TD are GREAT..... imo
I started going to the Flamingo in '89 and a friend of mine beat Dale on the front table, with me side betting....
Doug
 
personally i cant stand going into a room that stinks of tobacco and has smoke wavering about under the lights, horrible lol.

btw, does Bakers still do a haircut? :D
 
True

worriedbeef said:
personally i cant stand going into a room that stinks of tobacco and has smoke wavering about under the lights, horrible lol.

btw, does Bakers still do a haircut? :D
Click to expand...


I've been 'trimmed' there a few times.
Doug
 
fish on said:
Drexeline is #1.

Bob Maidhof's pool room is tops 'what makes yours second?Play on(new) simonis cloth ,16 gold crowns , 2 heated 5x10 billiard tables, 2 4x8 gold crowns. 50 cent fresh brewed coffee , a no alcohol room , Beautiful new carpeted, clean rest rooms, the best employees, reasonable rates, 1.00 for a hot dog on a toasted bun , he instructs his employees to make sandwiches as they would like them to be..Made piled high With fresh homemade first quality salads , lunch meats and condiments Etc. the food and cleanliness has non pool people coming. His room is the winner of BD Best renovated room last year and this encouraged the renewing to continue on. The walls are now lined, with rarely seen memorabilia, some recently donated by his friend Dan Janes. He has installed Beautiful Brunswick lights but he had custom made cue rack holders located on light. Yes Bob Maidhof is a pro Player doing something he enjoys but gives back to the sport he loves . He always has time to to give a tip or drill . Don't discount this ,as his Mentor was 5 time World Champion Jimmy Caras . There is great parking as well and the friendly environment makes families welcomed . There is a lot more but let the others that have played here (pros as well as Bangers) point out how Drexeline is.
Click to expand...

Fish --- Sounds great!......Where is Drexeline?
 
Smorgass Bored said:
The food has gotten better at Bakers.
The 'beer & a bump' at the Flamingo for $1.50 was great.
Planet 9-Ball, while semi-fancy has a $7 all day rate and the food, drinks, atmosphere, employees and TD are GREAT..... imo
I started going to the Flamingo in '89 and a friend of mine beat Dale on the front table, with me side betting....
Doug
Click to expand...

Dang, Beatin Dale on his Gold Crown is tough to do, the guy you were on the road with must have been very strong. Unless Dale dumped, hoping you guys would come back with a larger bet.
 
CaptainHook said:
Dang, Beatin Dale on his Gold Crown is tough to do, the guy you were on the road with must have been very strong. Unless Dale dumped, hoping you guys would come back with a larger bet.
Click to expand...


He was retired Air Force and didn't play in leagues or tournaments. We just went from bar to bar playing pool for drinks and money. They (Dale or someone) called up a young skinny kid to take over and they broke even and the kid quit.
Doug
( did you see my reply to you in the other (older) thread ? )
 
Speaking of Shine at Bakers, we had a few ladies florida tour events there in the late 90's and my business partner brought in several pairs of shoes, and a fellow shined them while we ran the tournament.
My poolroom in Melbourne was probably fashioned after Bakers, we have similar dark paneling, I imagine the origninal owners were copying bakers.
We might be the second oldest poolroom in Florida, I'm told it opened at it's present location in 1958. Though my husband has owned it since 1974.
At any rate I'm used to old run down smokey poolrooms, tho I could do without the smoke. It's where I learned to play in 1977. Funny thing I lived in Tampa in 75 and 76, but had not discovered the joy of pool yet. Too bad, I could have started learning at Bakers!
 
worriedbeef said:
personally i cant stand going into a room that stinks of tobacco and has smoke wavering about under the lights, horrible lol.

btw, does Bakers still do a haircut? :D
Click to expand...

No, the Barber shop was gone when I started playing, that was around 1974, my Mom would drop me off almost every day in the summer, and I would Play all day and eat lunch. Sometimes I would go across the street to Robertsons Billiard supply and hang out with George McCorkandale and he would let me look at all the expensive Cues, a few times I got to go
into the Machine shop and watch Ricco make cues.
 
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