Closest snooker table to Boston?
- Thread starter McChen
- Start date
gulliver
Registered
Billiards Cafe - 6x12 Snooker Table
I spent 4 hours at the Billiards Cafe last night. Played about 3 of them on the very nice 6x12 snooker table. The cloth is brand new, and the rails and pockets are nice. I had a quick chat with both the owner and the manager of the place -- they're very proud of their new addition and would like to reach out to more snooker fans/players (and the word to be spread). It does not seem like the table is very busy (but in all fairness summer time might not be the best time of the year to hang out in pool halls).
In any event....I had a good time and enjoyed my first snooker frames in probably 15 years. I grew up in Canada and most pool halls in my home town had a handful of 6x12 tables. My high school also had one. So I'm used to it. I liked it enough to go back once in a while (despite the 1 hour drive from Boston) and probably get a snooker cue.
++++++
Rethunk: any updates re: other snooker tables in Massachusetts?? I can't believe this is the only 6x12 table you can play on around here. Snooker on anything smaller than a 6x12 just isn't snooker to me. With all the international folks in Boston -- lots of Asians, Canadians & Brits -- there must be a higher demand than that. When I asked some staff at Jilllian's and other places around Boston most of them did not even know what snooker was. Does anybody know what happened to other tables that used to be in Fenway's Boston Billiards Club or Jillian's?
I spent 4 hours at the Billiards Cafe last night. Played about 3 of them on the very nice 6x12 snooker table. The cloth is brand new, and the rails and pockets are nice. I had a quick chat with both the owner and the manager of the place -- they're very proud of their new addition and would like to reach out to more snooker fans/players (and the word to be spread). It does not seem like the table is very busy (but in all fairness summer time might not be the best time of the year to hang out in pool halls).
In any event....I had a good time and enjoyed my first snooker frames in probably 15 years. I grew up in Canada and most pool halls in my home town had a handful of 6x12 tables. My high school also had one. So I'm used to it. I liked it enough to go back once in a while (despite the 1 hour drive from Boston) and probably get a snooker cue.
++++++
Rethunk: any updates re: other snooker tables in Massachusetts?? I can't believe this is the only 6x12 table you can play on around here. Snooker on anything smaller than a 6x12 just isn't snooker to me. With all the international folks in Boston -- lots of Asians, Canadians & Brits -- there must be a higher demand than that. When I asked some staff at Jilllian's and other places around Boston most of them did not even know what snooker was. Does anybody know what happened to other tables that used to be in Fenway's Boston Billiards Club or Jillian's?
Please do! You're more than welcome to join us on Tuesday night.
I start practicing at about the time the Tuesday night tournament starts. (The tournament alternates between 8-ball one week and 9-ball the next.) About an hour after I arrive some friends join me, and depending on whether there are two, three, or four of us we'll play doubles or singles. Not everyone can make it every week.
Although I'll continue to play snooker on Tuesdays, I don't mind taking a break to let someone else play a frame or two or more. I wouldn't mind playing in the Tuesday night tournament now and then.
At least one person in the area owns a table, and I suspect there are several others. I've heard and read little about snooker tables in private homes. If I were to make a guesstimate based on hearsay, I'd say there are probably three to six 12' tables in eastern Massachusetts at most, including tables in storage. I can't substantiate that; it's just a guess.
The table in Ayer is the only public 12' table I know about. I've certainly looked, called, posted, emailed, bothered acquaintances, scanned old blog posts, etc., looking for more tables. I've yet to find so much as a 10' table in Maine or Vermont.
The 10' table in Portsmouth, N.H. needs some love from a table mechanic. I haven't had a chance to visit the 10' table in Springfield.
That's been my guess, too, but I haven't run into too many people who know how to play the game. Some people who know how to play snooker are happy playing in their weekly pool leagues elsewhere.
One of these days I'll have to advertise by walking through Chinatown wearing one of my FindSnooker.com shirts. Even if no one approached me, somebody might see the shirt, go to the website, and plan a trip to Ayer. My wife would probably fall ill from embarrassment if I wore that shirt in public next to her, so I'd have to brave the streets alone (with a milk tea in hand).
I'm not sure.
In Quincy there was a 12' table at Renaissance Billiards, which closed several years ago. A while ago McChen saw the table still inside. I've never visited the building, as I'm rarely ever that far south.
I sent you a short private message; check your AzB inbox.
Last edited:
Go to the billiard cafe and ask for Roy Pastor. Tell him Marcus sent you. He will be glad you came. Roy does the Jr. pool program there.
Two of my goals in life are to make a trip to the Billiard Cafe and Fargo Billiards in North Dakota.
Take care,
Marcus
Interesting news: it would appear that there's another snooker table in the Boston area. The table is located at Breakaway Billiards in Clinton, MA, which is a little farther from Boston than Ayer.
This was first reported in the Main Forum:
http://forums.azbilliards.com/showthread.php?p=2726684&posted=1#post2726684
And here's a link from that thread to an image of the table. The photo was uploaded a little over a week ago.
http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/7FRtuJEOWmTp6I3WusCG7Q?feat=directlink
I'll post again once I've paid a visit.
This was first reported in the Main Forum:
http://forums.azbilliards.com/showthread.php?p=2726684&posted=1#post2726684
And here's a link from that thread to an image of the table. The photo was uploaded a little over a week ago.
http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/7FRtuJEOWmTp6I3WusCG7Q?feat=directlink
I'll post again once I've paid a visit.
Last edited:
I was wondering about that, too. I'm not sure how tall that dude in the photo is. The table seems a little small to be a 12-footer, but then I'm usually standing right next to the table rather than looking at it from a distance.
I'm hoping to pop by there in the next week or two. I'll give a full report unless someone else heads there first.
gulliver
Registered
Stopped by tonight and played for about an hour. I can confirm that this is a 12x6. Nice table (unclear what it is though, looks like an oak Riley but could not see any brand on it), nice cloth, awkward location (separate from other pool tables, in a room that can barely fit the table). Aramith premier ball set, several cues that look very nice but haven't tried any of them.
I would have liked to chat with the staff about it but there was a concert tonight and it was very, very noisy.
gulliver
Registered
Yes, it did for two reasons:
1- The table is not perfectly centered in the room so, as I said before, because the room is barely large enough to fit the table the yellow pocket side (the left end side from the deceiving picture) lacks a couple of inches when the cue ball is right against the rail. At least it did with my cue (58").
2- The room/table is adjacent to the bar. In particular the right end side black pocket (bottom, right end side of the same set of pictures) is right against a couple of stools. No big deal if there's no one sitting there but last night it was really crowded and these seats were occupied -- other people were hanging out and drinking around there. As a result I was trying to avoid shots played around that corner or rush them when I really had too which I am sure you'll agree made the experience far less pleasant.
Still.....I think we could have fun playing there on a more quiet night...
Snooker Players around Springfield MA area
Great to hear about the 12 foot snooker table in Clinton and Ayer. Are there any snooker players out there around the Springfield, MA area? I love the FindSnooker.com web site and think it would be great if it had snooker players listed as well since those are hard to find in many areas. Does anyone know if there is a registry or listing of snooker players in the US? It would be very helpful for setting up a match.
Great to hear about the 12 foot snooker table in Clinton and Ayer. Are there any snooker players out there around the Springfield, MA area? I love the FindSnooker.com web site and think it would be great if it had snooker players listed as well since those are hard to find in many areas. Does anyone know if there is a registry or listing of snooker players in the US? It would be very helpful for setting up a match.
gulliver
Registered
I doubt that there is a public registry of snooker players in the US (rethunk would have found it!). The alternative for you is probably the snooker ladder in Ayer (see http://forums.azbilliards.com/showthread.php?t=206427) -- we're about 25 players now.
We'll be looking forward to your trip Marcus.
We've got a big tournament Jan 21-23 ($500 added 9-ball and $2500 added 8-ball - all on diamond 7' tables)
and...
We're setting up a GC I 6X12 snooker table this week...
Maybe we should start a separate thread that lists snooker players available throughout the country. Anyone want to start that? Whoever posts first can always edit the first post and list a summary of players by state.
A list of players may need to be updated more frequently than I can manage to update FindSnooker.com.
Mike, will you have a chance to post pictures of the table?