Casualties in Northern Virginia

Flex

Flex

Banger
Silver Member
What kind of casualties? Pool hall casualties...

First, Fast Eddies in Fairfax no longer has their "buy $8 of food and drinks" for free pool from 11 AM to 5 PM everyday. Now it's only Monday through Saturday. Where's the casualty? Why, on Sunday, of course. Now they have a $20 for pool from opening til closing. It's true that you can have several players on that one table for a flat fee of $20, but heck, that's a sawbuck even if you stay for just a short time. They oughta give us an option, either the $8 special, or the flat $20. So... no more Sunday's there, at least for me. Thus, strike Fast Eddies off my Sunday list.

Second, the Shark Club on Lee Highway in or near Merryfield bit the dust. Turns out that happened about 6 months ago. I found out the hard way when I traipsed over there this afternoon after shoving it at Fast Eddies in Fairfax.

What's a guy to do when he only has 3 hours or so and wants to shoot some pool? Sheesh....

Flex
 
Flex said:
What kind of casualties? Pool hall casualties...

First, Fast Eddies in Fairfax no longer has their "buy $8 of food and drinks" for free pool from 11 AM to 5 PM everyday. Now it's only Monday through Saturday. Where's the casualty? Why, on Sunday, of course. Now they have a $20 for pool from opening til closing. It's true that you can have several players on that one table for a flat fee of $20, but heck, that's a sawbuck even if you stay for just a short time. They oughta give us an option, either the $8 special, or the flat $20. So... no more Sunday's there, at least for me. Thus, strike Fast Eddies off my Sunday list.

Second, the Shark Club on Lee Highway in or near Merryfield bit the dust. Turns out that happened about 6 months ago. I found out the hard way when I traipsed over there this afternoon after shoving it at Fast Eddies in Fairfax.

What's a guy to do when he only has 3 hours or so and wants to shoot some pool? Sheesh....

Flex
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Bungalows in Northern VA still is another option. Do not play much on Sundays but hit the felt every Saturday from noon to about 4 or 5. Fortunate enough that the lunch purchase still gives me the table time for free.
You may have to try them out.

Good information on the Shark Club.
Have not been there in such a long time.
Myron
 
Flex said:
What kind of casualties? Pool hall casualties...

First, Fast Eddies in Fairfax no longer has their "buy $8 of food and drinks" for free pool from 11 AM to 5 PM everyday. Now it's only Monday through Saturday. Where's the casualty? Why, on Sunday, of course. Now they have a $20 for pool from opening til closing. It's true that you can have several players on that one table for a flat fee of $20, but heck, that's a sawbuck even if you stay for just a short time. They oughta give us an option, either the $8 special, or the flat $20. So... no more Sunday's there, at least for me. Thus, strike Fast Eddies off my Sunday list.

Second, the Shark Club on Lee Highway in or near Merryfield bit the dust. Turns out that happened about 6 months ago. I found out the hard way when I traipsed over there this afternoon after shoving it at Fast Eddies in Fairfax.

What's a guy to do when he only has 3 hours or so and wants to shoot some pool? Sheesh....

Flex
Click to expand...


You've got to be kidding me?!? Pay the money and play. Sheeesh.

THIS is why pool halls are failing - pool players are cheap.

Support your local pool hall. Pay the table rates without complaint and tip your servers well.

MM
 
MikeM said:
You've got to be kidding me?!? Pay the money and play. Sheeesh.

THIS is why pool halls are failing - pool players are cheap.

Support your local pool hall. Pay the table rates without complaint and tip your servers well.

MM
Click to expand...

Oh, I pay money and play alright.

However, as you well know, we are not a captive audience, and Fast Eddies doesn't have a monopoly.

First Break Cafe in Sterling is way better, in any case, and they know how to set things up to get pool players back in the room.

If pool halls are closing, don't think it's primarily due to the players. It's also a marketing and management issue.

When the pool hall makes you feel wanted and has appropriate enticements to ensure you patronize them, they do well. When they don't care how the customers feel, well, they're probably not going to last too long.

Flex
 
I hear what you're saying...

...but, your complaint was about pricing not how they treat you. If they're treating you well and they need to raise prices, pay the new price. If they're not treating you well that's a different story.

I agree First Break is better than Fast Eddies. But I don't believe they're cheap. I play at Breakers in Herndon, pretty nice, GCIIIs, but it's $8/hour (and too damn loud).

I didn't mean to come off harsh in my first post, but I can't stand it when people complain about the lack of pool halls and then others complain about how expensive table time is. With the rents these places have to pay around here they've got to charge more $ for the tables. And pool players are infamous for not spending too much money on drinks and food at the pool hall.

Let's get together and hit a few some Sunday. First round's on me.

MM
 
Pool player and doctors are known to be cheap. Pool players play $100 sets and act like their stabbed in the heart if made to pay for table time. I don't know of a cheaper bunch. Johnnyt
 
Flex said:
What kind of casualties? Pool hall casualties...

First, Fast Eddies in Fairfax no longer has their "buy $8 of food and drinks" for free pool from 11 AM to 5 PM everyday. Now it's only Monday through Saturday. Where's the casualty? Why, on Sunday, of course. Now they have a $20 for pool from opening til closing. It's true that you can have several players on that one table for a flat fee of $20, but heck, that's a sawbuck even if you stay for just a short time. They oughta give us an option, either the $8 special, or the flat $20. So... no more Sunday's there, at least for me. Thus, strike Fast Eddies off my Sunday list.

Second, the Shark Club on Lee Highway in or near Merryfield bit the dust. Turns out that happened about 6 months ago. I found out the hard way when I traipsed over there this afternoon after shoving it at Fast Eddies in Fairfax.

What's a guy to do when he only has 3 hours or so and wants to shoot some pool? Sheesh....

Flex
Click to expand...

No hourly options?
 
Champions in Shirlington does a flat $5.00 till 6:00 on Sundays (and I think Saturdays as well).
 
*tap tap tap*

MikeM said:
You've got to be kidding me?!? Pay the money and play. Sheeesh.

THIS is why pool halls are failing - pool players are cheap.

Support your local pool hall. Pay the table rates without complaint and tip your servers well.

MM
Click to expand...
 
MikeM said:
...but, your complaint was about pricing not how they treat you. If they're treating you well and they need to raise prices, pay the new price. If they're not treating you well that's a different story.

I agree First Break is better than Fast Eddies. But I don't believe they're cheap. I play at Breakers in Herndon, pretty nice, GCIIIs, but it's $8/hour (and too damn loud).

I didn't mean to come off harsh in my first post, but I can't stand it when people complain about the lack of pool halls and then others complain about how expensive table time is. With the rents these places have to pay around here they've got to charge more $ for the tables. And pool players are infamous for not spending too much money on drinks and food at the pool hall.

Let's get together and hit a few some Sunday. First round's on me.

MM
Click to expand...

Well.... actually, my complaint was specifically about their really jacking up the price on Sunday. It was a deal breaker for me. If they had the same deal for say, $10, or even $15, on another day it would be ok. But $20 sounds to me like they are testing the waters, testing the market with a big rate hike. I asked them if they had the $8 deal with food any more, and the answer was no. So I told them I'd go someplace else to play pool, and to please tell the managers (in essence) that it was too much money.

As for First Break, every day of the week they have the $8 special for ordering food and drinks totaling $8 and pool is free, not just from 11 to 5, but from 11 to 7PM. Way better deal. Plus they have other specials later on during several evenings for flat rate pool, much more fun to play there in any case, just a bit farther away for me.

And also, First Break has some top players, which always makes things interesting.

As for the treatment at Fast Eddies, at times it's barely tolerable... Most of the time it's alright.

Out in Chicago, at Chris's II in Des Plaines, their daily special, not including Fridays and Saturdays, is you play all you want for $10 flat; they open at 4PM and close at 4AM...

Chicago Billiard Cafe: daily from noon to 5 PM for a flat $5, from 3PM to 8 PM for a flat $7, on weekdays. Weekends, noon to 6PM for flat $10.

There are a TON of places to play.

The Shark Club did their best to screw patrons out of money, IMHO, during the Sunday specials... go 5 minutes over 5 hours, and pay another $5 no matter what. No wonder they folded... There were some real jerks working there.

Treat the customers right, with fair rates and pool specials, and they come back. Treat 'em poorly, and they'll go elsewhere.

Happy to shoot some pool with you sometime. What days besides Sundays do you play?

Flex
 
Da Poet said:
No hourly options?
Click to expand...

If they had hourly options, they didn't mention it. But if memory serves, some time ago anyway, pool in the evening after the specials are over ran something like $5.50 or $6 an hour.

The problem is that they said it was $20...

There was exactly one player in there at about 12:30PM on a Sunday afternoon. Many other times when I'd go there at that time on a Sunday there would easily be 10 or more people shooting pool.

If this $20 stuff doesn't work for them, they'll switch... And I hope to have encouraged them to rethink their unreasonable rate hike.

Flex
 
MikeM said:
You've got to be kidding me?!? Pay the money and play. Sheeesh.

THIS is why pool halls are failing - pool players are cheap.

Support your local pool hall. Pay the table rates without complaint and tip your servers well.

MM
Click to expand...
Right on brother!
 
blackeee said:
Right on brother!
Click to expand...

Perhaps you own a pool hall in an area where there are few options. In that case, you can probably set your rates as high as you like, for there are those who don't care what it costs to play.

However, move to an area where players have a choice, and other factors kick in. Factors such as location, hours, kind of tables, how well they are maintained, food options, hourly rates, specials, if players frequent your hall, if you run tournaments or leagues, and so on.

The Fast Eddies in Fairfax is basically a bar and restaurant with a bunch of pool tables. They used to have tournaments, but no more. Maybe they still have leagues.

During the week and on Saturdays its an alright place to practice and play a little.

But $20 on Sundays ??? Gimme a break. They basically laid their cards down and waited to see if I'd call their bluff, or hoof it. I voted with my feet.

Flex
 
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Cory in DC said:
Champions in Shirlington does a flat $5.00 till 6:00 on Sundays (and I think Saturdays as well).
Click to expand...

Champions Shirlington
Weds. after 6pm $5 till close.
Sun. $5 open till 6pm & $5 6pm till close
Sat. $5 open till 6pm. Not sure how much after 6pm.

Hardtimes Springfield
Mon-Sun I think $8 purchase free pool till 5pm

Hardtimes Woodbridge
Mon-Sun I think $8 purchase free pool till 5pm
Sun-Thurs $11 flat rate 5pm till close. I dont know how long this is gonna last, They've had it for awhile.
 
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Buy The Table

I purchased a table in 1999 and it has paid for itself time and time again.

I give lessons and do cue repair at the senior center here in town. They pay $10 every 6 months. :eek: Their meals are free or they can donate a dollar or two. The bus picks them up at home and takes them back.

I paid $90 to shoot for 3 hours and have lunch with my wife in Winchester a couple weeks ago. $20 for all day on Sunday doesn't sound to bad to me.

I had a hell of a time getting the 1/2 inch splinter out from under my fingernail just taking the balls out of the return on the old tables at First Break!
Purdman :)
 
Northern Virginia pool rooms have been infested with the sports bar mentality. First Break is about as close as you can get to what I would consider a player's pool room. The rest of them seem more like bars where singles go to meet the opposite sex, or sometimes on weekends, groups get together to watch sports events on the big-screen TVs in the sports bars. Good pool playing is like an afterthought, if at all, in these places.

Southern Virginia, however, still has some great pool rooms. Of course, everything down South is better to my eye -- the people, the food, the climate. Even I-95 doesn't charge the expensive tolls going down South like they do when you travel up North.

JAM
 
If you can get it for less then $20.00 is alot. But, in truth if you play for 4 hours then your only paying $5.00 per hour. If there are a number of people in the joint and you get some challenge matches their playing on your dime so have them share an equal amount of the table time it's already paid so ask for what you think is fair from them. The key is not going in and playing alone, if you go in with friends then your complaint is even less sensible, I never been out to FS is Fairfax, do frequent the one in Alex. everyother month on the Tourstop wouldn't go then if I didn't have too. Side Pockets in Laurel has $10.00 all day til 7pm on Sat. and Sun. Have a great one.

Black Cat :cool:
 
FE in Fairfax is the only place around here I know of where you can find shimmed tables (4.5" pockets). Only on three tables, though. Still, I think that's the best place around here for serious practice. Hard Times...well, too smoky and their equipment isn't as well maintained, in general.

Northern VA really is the home of enormous pockets. I'll try that special in Shirlington's Champions, though.
 
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