First Time in Pool Room with a Cue
- Thread starter akaTrigger
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I played quite a bit from the age of 12 thru about 16. A local bowling alley had 4 barboxes, and the room was always filled with kids (say 7th graders thru highschoolers), but especially so on Friday nites and all day and nite Saturday (kids had to do something while mom and dad bowled). Some of the kids spent ALOT of time there and got pretty skilled. It was always funny to see one of the dad's come in there to shoot a game and get smoked by a 13 year old (usually nachos and a coke were on the line - lol).
First cue I bought was a nice but plain Mali (birdseye w/wrap) when I was 14. No problem at all taking it in there - there were McDermotts, Meuccis, Hueblers, a Palmer, a Cobra (remember those?) etc... being wielded (at least) weekly by teens in this place. Anyone who was halfway decent had their own cue. It was like a preschool kinda poolhall - new kid comes in, we all glancingly check him out for awhile, and then ask him to play (haha). Funny thing, you guys mention cases....I don't remember a single one there - that was for OLD guys. lol
lil sidenote - my mom worked at the bowling alley, and I could practice for free anytime it wasn't very busy
- not that big of a deal though, was a quarter a game. Both of my parents were/are very good bowlers, so I had to spend alot of time there. Remember it like it was yesterday (over 20 years ago - WOW).
As far as poolhalls go, didn't go into many at a young age (grandpa had a 9 footer in his basement). So, if I did walk into a poolhall with a cue (when I was a little older), I thought nothing of it at all (after the bowling alley days I figured everyone had their own cue).
First cue I bought was a nice but plain Mali (birdseye w/wrap) when I was 14. No problem at all taking it in there - there were McDermotts, Meuccis, Hueblers, a Palmer, a Cobra (remember those?) etc... being wielded (at least) weekly by teens in this place. Anyone who was halfway decent had their own cue. It was like a preschool kinda poolhall - new kid comes in, we all glancingly check him out for awhile, and then ask him to play (haha). Funny thing, you guys mention cases....I don't remember a single one there - that was for OLD guys. lol
lil sidenote - my mom worked at the bowling alley, and I could practice for free anytime it wasn't very busy
- not that big of a deal though, was a quarter a game. Both of my parents were/are very good bowlers, so I had to spend alot of time there. Remember it like it was yesterday (over 20 years ago - WOW).As far as poolhalls go, didn't go into many at a young age (grandpa had a 9 footer in his basement). So, if I did walk into a poolhall with a cue (when I was a little older), I thought nothing of it at all (after the bowling alley days I figured everyone had their own cue).
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coryjeb said:
That happens in my HOUSE! None of my friends are serious players, and while I'm seriously trying to study the game and improve my stroke, I can't call myself a serious player either. That said, I'm a lot better than just about any casual player and it shows when friends come over to play.
After a few racks they all want to shoot with my cue as if there's something magic about it. It's a production Viking, so the only real difference between it and the Players cues that are on the wall is that my shaft doesn't have dings.
I swap cues with them and continue to win. Lesson taught...
Tom
Obviously there is nothing usual about bringing your own cue into a bar for pool leagues.
But I always did feel a little funny bringing in my own stick to a bar when not playing leagues. Therefore, I bought a Lucasi sneaky pete so that it wasn't too obvious.
Well one day I'm playing in a bar that I don't normally go to....and a rather large guy that was a regular there was playing on the other table. After we each played a few games on our respective tables....the guy walks up to me and grabs my stick and gives it a looking-over. Before I could even say that it was my own personal stick, he gave it back to me.
To this day, I'm not sure if he knew it was my own stick or not....or if it happened to be a stick with the right weight for him, if he was planning on just taking it from me. ha!
But I always did feel a little funny bringing in my own stick to a bar when not playing leagues. Therefore, I bought a Lucasi sneaky pete so that it wasn't too obvious.
Well one day I'm playing in a bar that I don't normally go to....and a rather large guy that was a regular there was playing on the other table. After we each played a few games on our respective tables....the guy walks up to me and grabs my stick and gives it a looking-over. Before I could even say that it was my own personal stick, he gave it back to me.
To this day, I'm not sure if he knew it was my own stick or not....or if it happened to be a stick with the right weight for him, if he was planning on just taking it from me. ha!
My first cue was a Dufferin Zodiac cue I got from Walmart. $19.99 I was nervous thinking someone would think I could play. I didn't know anything about cues. Back then most of the players had McDermotts and Moochies. My next cue was a Meucci HOF-1 that I bought from a friend that was a Meucci dealer. I really liked that cue, too bad it was stolen.
Been there
My first cue I had been playing at a room with a lot of serious players.The way I felt was that I might not be good enough to have my own cue.The only remarks I got from others was that I should have spent $125.00 on a Meuchi rather then $85.00 on my cool looking black graphite stick.
The first time I brought the Meuchi into a single table bar in a cheap 4x2 case,I felt foolish because everyone else there used house cues.I remember wishing I had left it in the car...
My first cue I had been playing at a room with a lot of serious players.The way I felt was that I might not be good enough to have my own cue.The only remarks I got from others was that I should have spent $125.00 on a Meuchi rather then $85.00 on my cool looking black graphite stick.
The first time I brought the Meuchi into a single table bar in a cheap 4x2 case,I felt foolish because everyone else there used house cues.I remember wishing I had left it in the car...
Big Perm said:Felt the same way as the OP.....very nervous first time I walked in with a cue....felt like everyone was looking at me.....and in truth, a few were, but I think most were just trying to size me up....since I had a shiny metal case, I'm sure I did look like a chump
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I was not the least bit nervous the first time I carried a cue into a room, primarily because I was CLUELESS! I was definitely a banger in those days (15 years ago) and my buddy and I actually spent a great deal of time in a couple of rooms around town, which I now know had a lot of "players" around. We got to be okay shot makers, but knew nothing about shape and had never heard of safeties.
At that time I had no idea that there was "action" going on around me. Heck, I didn't even know what the word meant. I seriously doubt that anyone really noticed me anyway, with my soft case and production cue and NO STROKE! Haha! I'm a little embarrassed to recall that one time I just went in to practice by myself and the only open table was one of the nine-footers at the front. After 20 minutes a guy comes up to the table. He must have known I was a newb because the way he asked me "Do you play this game for money", kind of like he was trying not to frighten me! Obviously I said "NO" so we played for "fun" for an hour or so. I was too intimidated to ask him to kick in for the time, so I guess he came out on top.
Tom
I have sort of the opposite story. A couple years ago, I was not bringing my cue to work and I wasn't playing very much, so when I would stop by the pool hall, I would find a nice house cue and use that for the night. I found one I really liked and kept it in the pro shop for about a year, using it only about 20 times. I starting dating this girl who got me wanting to play pool again, so I frequented the pool hall more and more, and got very comfortable with that cue.
I decided to start playing FL tour events again, but I had a dilemma as I hadn't used my own cue for a year and a half, just this one-piece Helmsteder. I decided to bring the one piece cue with me to the first event, and of course I cannot hide the thing in the parking lot. As a matter of fact, Richie Richardson saw me pulling the cue from my back seat and blurted out something in the order of "nice cue", sarcastically. As mere coincidence, I draw Richie 2nd round and run a seven pack on him with my house cue. He didn't laugh then. I think i finished 4th in that particular event. I kept using the cue and bringing it to all my events for almost a year, until I bought the cue which I shoot with today.
What's funny is I still have that cue, and a twin, and they hit better than any cue I have ever played with.
Adam
I decided to start playing FL tour events again, but I had a dilemma as I hadn't used my own cue for a year and a half, just this one-piece Helmsteder. I decided to bring the one piece cue with me to the first event, and of course I cannot hide the thing in the parking lot. As a matter of fact, Richie Richardson saw me pulling the cue from my back seat and blurted out something in the order of "nice cue", sarcastically. As mere coincidence, I draw Richie 2nd round and run a seven pack on him with my house cue. He didn't laugh then. I think i finished 4th in that particular event. I kept using the cue and bringing it to all my events for almost a year, until I bought the cue which I shoot with today.
What's funny is I still have that cue, and a twin, and they hit better than any cue I have ever played with.
Adam
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Wybrook said:
I've seen guys bring in 1 piece cues, and would NEVER call out, "NICE CUE!" to them for this exact reason. lol good story
I played a lot as a kid (from like 12-16) but stopped and started again around 20. I bought a friends cue, it was a "Players" cue and it worked great for me. I still have but don't use it.
I was never nervous going into the pool hall but I was nervous for my whole first APA session during my matches. :grin:
I was never nervous going into the pool hall but I was nervous for my whole first APA session during my matches. :grin:
I was actually quite excited about bringing my cue to the pool room. However by that point I knew the owner and the bar tenders and all were avid shooters.
Although a buddy of mine got his cue before me, and he was always a little embarrassed about it since we were both bangers at the time and so were all of our friends.
Although a buddy of mine got his cue before me, and he was always a little embarrassed about it since we were both bangers at the time and so were all of our friends.
Different
How is this different from everytime you go to a tournament
See ya soon
On a serious note.
I won my first tournament at the age of 17. Went out and bought a Viking for $70. Still have that cue and now it's worth about $600
akaTrigger said:
How is this different from everytime you go to a tournament
See ya soon
On a serious note.
I won my first tournament at the age of 17. Went out and bought a Viking for $70. Still have that cue and now it's worth about $600
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I hadn't thought about this in years...
When I first started playing, I was 20 years old, in college, and working as a pin-chaser in the local bowling alley. There were two eight footers in the place, and business was nonexistent.
After a couple of weeks of playing constantly, I bought a Players cue with a dragon design.
The first time I brought it in, I was practicing by myself as always. Some nasty old woman came in with her husband to bowl, and noticed my admittedly horrible skills.
I will always remember her nudging her husband, and saying, "Can you believe this guy carries his own cue?" Oddly enough, that was my motivation for getting better for a long time. I didn't want to look like a fool.
Shortly after that, I bought a few pool books, a few hundred Accu-Stat tapes, and started playing at the pool hall.
And, here I am. (I can run three balls now, sometimes four!):wink:
When I first started playing, I was 20 years old, in college, and working as a pin-chaser in the local bowling alley. There were two eight footers in the place, and business was nonexistent.
After a couple of weeks of playing constantly, I bought a Players cue with a dragon design.
The first time I brought it in, I was practicing by myself as always. Some nasty old woman came in with her husband to bowl, and noticed my admittedly horrible skills.
I will always remember her nudging her husband, and saying, "Can you believe this guy carries his own cue?" Oddly enough, that was my motivation for getting better for a long time. I didn't want to look like a fool.
Shortly after that, I bought a few pool books, a few hundred Accu-Stat tapes, and started playing at the pool hall.
And, here I am. (I can run three balls now, sometimes four!):wink:
Tom M said:I was not the least bit nervous the first time I carried a cue into a room, primarily because I was CLUELESS! I was definitely a banger in those days (15 years ago) and my buddy and I actually spent a great deal of time in a couple of rooms around town, which I now know had a lot of "players" around. We got to be okay shot makers, but knew nothing about shape and had never heard of safeties.
At that time I had no idea that there was "action" going on around me. Heck, I didn't even know what the word meant. I seriously doubt that anyone really noticed me anyway, with my soft case and production cue and NO STROKE! Haha! I'm a little embarrassed to recall that one time I just went in to practice by myself and the only open table was one of the nine-footers at the front. After 20 minutes a guy comes up to the table. He must have known I was a newb because the way he asked me "Do you play this game for money", kind of like he was trying not to frighten me! Obviously I said "NO" so we played for "fun" for an hour or so. I was too intimidated to ask him to kick in for the time, so I guess he came out on top.
Tom
I think I first played around 7 years old at the boys club or something....then, TCOM came out when I was around 11 or something....that's how I learned about action....started gambling with friends shortly thereafter, just small stuff like a dollar, but it was always at someones house....bought my first pool table and cue when I turned 16, before I even got a car (bedroom above the garage, so I had room, it was the best).....got to know a few pool players at the bowling alley shortly thereafter, which is where I found out about some tourneys....well, he snuck me in (only 16) to a local tourney, first time I took my cue out of the house.....I was intimidated as hell....but it was fun....
By the time I turned 23, I decided to grow up, get a job, and rarely played unless it was social....now I wanna play again but I am just a banger
....oh, and sold my table years ago right around divorce time
I know the self-conscious feeling well.
When I was 16 or so I went to Keefe and Hamer in downtown Chicago and ordered a cue made by Rambow. He worked for them in the back room making cues. He was pretty old then - this would have been about 1964. It cost $50 with two shafts and had my name on it - something like "Rich Klein, Made by Rambow", written in his famous script. When I picked it up Rambow was in the store alone and he took me back to his workroom, and we had a long one-way conversation - he loved to talk. I appreciated even then that I was in the presence of a legend.
But the feeling I had when I was playing with it was that I imagined everybody thinking "Look at that Rambow cue - this kid must really think he's a star or something." It made me very self-conscious.
I stopped playing at about 19 and sold it - for $40, if you can believe that - and didn't play again for many years. I've wonder if some collector has a Rambow cue with my name on it. Probably not - the guy I sold it to likely beat it to sh*t.
When I was 16 or so I went to Keefe and Hamer in downtown Chicago and ordered a cue made by Rambow. He worked for them in the back room making cues. He was pretty old then - this would have been about 1964. It cost $50 with two shafts and had my name on it - something like "Rich Klein, Made by Rambow", written in his famous script. When I picked it up Rambow was in the store alone and he took me back to his workroom, and we had a long one-way conversation - he loved to talk. I appreciated even then that I was in the presence of a legend.
But the feeling I had when I was playing with it was that I imagined everybody thinking "Look at that Rambow cue - this kid must really think he's a star or something." It made me very self-conscious.
I stopped playing at about 19 and sold it - for $40, if you can believe that - and didn't play again for many years. I've wonder if some collector has a Rambow cue with my name on it. Probably not - the guy I sold it to likely beat it to sh*t.
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Rich, I noticed you are from Chicago and play a Schuler...did you play tourneys throughout the 80's? I posted in the Schuler thread the story about my dad and his Schuler. Just wondered if you had met/played my pops??? Last name BAUER....