Budget Friendly Pool Halls For Practicing - Southern California

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AvidCynergy

Member
Hello Everyone,

Just wanted to share some pool halls that I have found over my time that are very budget friendly if you just want to practice and not spend a lot of money. Please keep in mind that this is just my understanding of their promos at the time I wrote this post and you should always call them first to confirm if these prices are still valid.

1. Good Time Billiards (Lakewood, Ca). $12 per person unlimited all you can play from 8am-5pm, 7 days a week. Selection of 9ft and 7ft tables. 9ft tables are slightly worn but they have 7ft Diamond Tables with relatively new cloth (Replaced ~3 months ago). Cash and card accepted.

2. Fantasia Billiards (Burbank, Ca). $7 per hour for up to 2 players from 11:30am - 6:00pm, 7 days a week. All 9 ft tables in good condition. Cash and card accepted.

3. Embassy Billiards Club (San Gabriel, Ca). $450 unlimited all you can play pool per month per person (American Style Pool Tables). They have a mixture of snooker tables, American style pool tables, and Chinese style pool tables. They are all kept in relatively good condition. This one is expensive up front but if you want to put alot of hours in it breaks down to be very cheap per hour. For example if you put in 3 hours a day for an entire month it is roughly $5 per hour. Cash and card accepted.

Feel free to chime in if you have other spots.
 
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AvidCynergy said:
Hello Everyone,

Just wanted to share some pool halls that I have found over my time that are very budget friendly if you just want to practice and not spend a lot of money. Please keep in mind that this is just my understanding of their promos at the time I wrote this post and you should always call them first to confirm if these prices are still valid.

1. Good Time Billiards (Lakewood, Ca). $12 per person unlimited all you can play from 8am-5pm, 7 days a week. Selection of 9ft and 7ft tables. 9ft tables are slightly worn but they have 7ft Diamond Tables with relatively new cloth (Replaced ~3 months ago). Cash and card accepted.

2. Fantasia Billiards (Burbank, Ca). $7 per hour for up to 2 players from 11:30am - 6:00pm, 7 days a week. All 9 ft tables in good condition. Cash and card accepted.

3. Embassy Billiards Club (San Gabriel, Ca). $450 unlimited all you can play pool per month per person (American Style Pool Tables). They have a mixture of snooker tables, American style pool tables, and Chinese style pool tables. They are all kept in relatively good condition. This one is expensive up front but if you want to put alot of hours in it breaks down to be very cheap per hour. For example if you put in 3 hours a day for an entire month it is roughly $5 per hour. Cash and card accepted.

Feel free to chime in if you have other spots.
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how many are going to play 90hrs a month?? 450/mo is fkng high.
 
garczar said:
how many are going to play 90hrs a month?? 450/mo is fkng high.
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I’ve met a couple of retired folks or people who are training for tournaments who are taking advantage of the monthly plan.

Also to be fair I’ve been to places in LA where they are charging up to $28/hour for playing. When I heard the rate I ended up walking out. Some places in LA charge a ridiculous amount.
 
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I remember when pool was for poor people. That’s why I played, it was the cheapest thing to do socially. And then after a bit of time I could make $ which was what hooked me 100%. That’s not really possible anymore, everything changes…..
 
Several rooms in Northern California have monthly deals of various kinds. Some are valid for any time they're not full. I'm on a 3 to 7PM deal for $50/month, so if I only get there twice a week it's still a good deal.
 
Many rooms that are open in the afternoon times have a $10 to $15 al afternoon rate up to 5 or 6 pm.
However, going back 5 years ago, a famous NYC room was charging $15 per hour per person on a table during daytime hours- cost me $90 to
Play just 2 hours with my two sons during a holiday visit by me back to NY!
 
Oscar D. up in Sactown only charges around 120/mo for membership. the OP makes it sound like there a quite a few that play anywhere close to 90hrs a month. Hell, i know some pros that don't practice that much. I guess i got the stone nuts: ten nice GC4's for 4bux/hr daytime rate. I'd never pay 15+/hr to play pool. Hell, fkng golf is cheaper at those hi-jack rates.
 
In a lot of places 100/mo daytime and 150/anytime is about right. California is another planet and i honestly don't include it in a lot (most/all?) of pricing considerations. ridiculous what shit costs there. i guess NYC is just as bad. don't want to go either place to be honest.
 
garczar said:
In a lot of places 100/mo daytime and 150/anytime is about right. California is another planet and i honestly don't include it in a lot (most/all?) of pricing considerations. ridiculous what shit costs there. i guess NYC is just as bad. don't want to go either place to be honest.
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The wife and I went to a poolhall/bar a couple Fridays ago to check it out. It was a disgusting dump, filthy and the tables should've been put in a dumpster. We played 3 games of 9-ball and it was $11 CDN, a bottle of water $3.50 and a draft beer $6.50 . This was before 5:00 pm and the prices go up after that.
 
My poolhall is a business first, last, and always, so I want customers who can afford to pay enough for me and mine to live and thrive.

It always seemed to me that making pool super-cheap during the day meant that you would never see those customers when you were charging enough to make your business a success. It devalues your product in everyone’s eyes. If your place is nice, then even low-budget folks will find they can afford it some, if not all day.

When I opened as a poolhall forty years ago, the best players in town mostly didn’t have jobs. Three of them showed up the second morning and bought a coffee. Stood & talked & went outside for cigarettes for two hours. Finally a fish came by and one of them got him to play for the time. The third morning I told them “A cup of coffee over three hours doesn't make you a customer. Pay for some table time or go away.” They went away.

Now I charge $18/hr for two players 11am-7pm. That is Canadian so think 70% or about $12.60 usd. Four players Friday and Saturday nights pay $26cdn = $18.20usd. City rates, I have real rent.

We have a wait-list for our 25 pool tables for 5-6 hours on Fri & Sat nights and for some amount of time on other nights. But Peacock Billiards is, objectively speaking, very nice and the general public pays gladly.
 

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For any who are not aware and are eligible to join--Local VFW Posts (Veteran of Foreign Wars) may have tables. There are 3 close to me (NW Atlanta area), but I have no idea of SoCal. I've been a guest at 2 of them, and both had 9-foot tables and no cost...might have allowed smoking though, if that is a consideration.

There is also a Senior Center near me (not quite *there* yet, but close, and they may allow guests) which has tables. I have a bar acquaintance that has been to a local one, although I don't recall the table size there. No cost mentioned. Again, no idea if this is an option anywhere in SoCal.
 
Pierre Shakes said:
My poolhall is a business first, last, and always, so I want customers who can afford to pay enough for me and mine to live and thrive.

It always seemed to me that making pool super-cheap during the day meant that you would never see those customers when you were charging enough to make your business a success. It devalues your product in everyone’s eyes. If your place is nice, then even low-budget folks will find they can afford it some, if not all day.

When I opened as a poolhall forty years ago, the best players in town mostly didn’t have jobs. Three of them showed up the second morning and bought a coffee. Stood & talked & went outside for cigarettes for two hours. Finally a fish came by and one of them got him to play for the time. The third morning I told them “A cup of coffee over three hours doesn't make you a customer. Pay for some table time or go away.” They went away.

Now I charge $18/hr for two players 11am-7pm. That is Canadian so think 70% or about $12.60 usd. Four players Friday and Saturday nights pay $26cdn = $18.20usd. City rates, I have real rent.

We have a wait-list for our 25 pool tables for 5-6 hours on Fri & Sat nights and for some amount of time on other nights. But Peacock Billiards is, objectively speaking, very nice and the general public pays gladly.
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Great post. I wonder how people think pool hall owners are supposed to make a living charging $100 a month for unlimited play.
 
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