Hey I'm going to Cuba next month as usual I will be looking for places to play. Has anyone been there? Or know of any rooms I should visit while I'm there. We will be going to Havana, Santiago De Cuba and Barracoa.
Going to Cuba
- Thread starter RoadHustler
- Start date
That's a bummer... The ghost of Alfredo De Oro must be appeased!
I was in a town once with a friend....we were there for business.
He thought I was the best player in the galaxy at the time so he went to the pool hall that
night and woofed up a game for me....so i came over.
They had called the best player in town...but he would only play snooker for $2.....
....so I threw $2 in the pocket (that's the way we did it in the action days).....
...he dropped the greasiest dollar bill I ever saw...and four quarters on top of it.
I lost 5 games in a row, paid the table time, and bought him a drink.
....told him he was a fine player.
My buddy, back at the motel, said "How could you lose to that guy?"
I said "Why would you ever want to beat a poor man for his last $2?"
I've never been to Cuba.....but I know many who have.....
...IF you can find a table, I think it would be shameful to beat a local for any money.....
....hustle another tourist.
He thought I was the best player in the galaxy at the time so he went to the pool hall that
night and woofed up a game for me....so i came over.
They had called the best player in town...but he would only play snooker for $2.....
....so I threw $2 in the pocket (that's the way we did it in the action days).....
...he dropped the greasiest dollar bill I ever saw...and four quarters on top of it.
I lost 5 games in a row, paid the table time, and bought him a drink.
....told him he was a fine player.
My buddy, back at the motel, said "How could you lose to that guy?"
I said "Why would you ever want to beat a poor man for his last $2?"
I've never been to Cuba.....but I know many who have.....
...IF you can find a table, I think it would be shameful to beat a local for any money.....
....hustle another tourist.
GoldenFlash
Banned
Your concern should be getting out with the money if you win.
Just sayin'
robbing poor folks
Totally agree... gambling with a favorable exchange rate on your side and poverty against them is just gross. I hear they are short of imported goods so I am thinking of bringing master chalk (now the flag is a feature lol) and gloves to give away.
Totally agree... gambling with a favorable exchange rate on your side and poverty against them is just gross. I hear they are short of imported goods so I am thinking of bringing master chalk (now the flag is a feature lol) and gloves to give away.
Go bass fishing !!!
John Disque
Banned
I believe Fidel Castro actually outlawed billiards - saying the sport promoted delinquency and gambling.
I don't know how you're getting in. I'm was being told you still need special clearance and tourism won't cut it, but maybe that has changed since Castro checked out?
It's a very unique culture that evolved to a point and was stopped in time... somewhere around our 1950s. That - ultra conservative, control-freak suppression. And when you have pool tables you have gambling. When you have gambling you have 1 guy getting rich and everyone else going broke. Castro was fine with the ones going broke but didn't like the idea of one getting rich. -- It's too hard for the government to keep track of the money and every cent that's in circulation is accounted-for.
The result is/was: the people are not frivolous with their money and material possessions are not their priority.
Anyway -- I want to go with you!
I don't know how you're getting in. I'm was being told you still need special clearance and tourism won't cut it, but maybe that has changed since Castro checked out?
It's a very unique culture that evolved to a point and was stopped in time... somewhere around our 1950s. That - ultra conservative, control-freak suppression. And when you have pool tables you have gambling. When you have gambling you have 1 guy getting rich and everyone else going broke. Castro was fine with the ones going broke but didn't like the idea of one getting rich. -- It's too hard for the government to keep track of the money and every cent that's in circulation is accounted-for.
The result is/was: the people are not frivolous with their money and material possessions are not their priority.
Anyway -- I want to go with you!
Passport to folk art
The tour is organized by the International Folk Art Market here in Santa Fe ( https://www.folkartalliance.org ) . They have been running tours to cuba as part of their market for over 20 years using a cultural exchange visa. Should be pretty cool we get to hang with the artists but lots of free time too.
The tour is organized by the International Folk Art Market here in Santa Fe ( https://www.folkartalliance.org ) . They have been running tours to cuba as part of their market for over 20 years using a cultural exchange visa. Should be pretty cool we get to hang with the artists but lots of free time too.
The people there are awesome, and I don't think there's is much pool if any going in that country
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
I have but it won't be any help to you. lol...
I've been to GTMO as a military intelligence operative, no decent places to play there, I just hit the golf range and the bowling alley while I was there, well and joined the AZ forums so I could at least talk about pool. Sorry haven't been to Cuba proper so couldn't suggest anything for you.
Jaden
I've been to GTMO as a military intelligence operative, no decent places to play there, I just hit the golf range and the bowling alley while I was there, well and joined the AZ forums so I could at least talk about pool. Sorry haven't been to Cuba proper so couldn't suggest anything for you.
Jaden
Think of it as a well deserved break from the table. Some sun and rum, fresh fish,
experience the island and the culture, sounds like pool isn't a part of it
experience the island and the culture, sounds like pool isn't a part of it
Totally!
I agree regardless of weather I find a place to play it will be allot of fun.
This year so far has been filled with travel. I went to the USBTC, A singles qualifier in Colorado, China, now Cuba.
But my favorite part so far was teaching this old Chinese guy in shanghai who spoke zero English how to draw. We were both pretty psyched about it in a totally incomprehensible way. He still couldn't hit a ball but now he can draw pretty well. lol
With luck I will find more adventure.
I agree regardless of weather I find a place to play it will be allot of fun.
This year so far has been filled with travel. I went to the USBTC, A singles qualifier in Colorado, China, now Cuba.
But my favorite part so far was teaching this old Chinese guy in shanghai who spoke zero English how to draw. We were both pretty psyched about it in a totally incomprehensible way. He still couldn't hit a ball but now he can draw pretty well. lol
With luck I will find more adventure.
There are a number of good cuban players that have emigrated to South Florida. They definitely play pool down there in Cuba and recently too. One of them told me that before they came to Miami, they spent all day, every day gambling down there. The where, what for and when to go I do not know though. Good luck down there, and please report back in after you go with how it went.
You will be wasting valuable time looking Buddy. As Nick B mentioned.
I have an old pool playing Friend from Wales. He owned a hotel in Wales before moving to Canada. His wife and him used to spend a considerable amount of time in Cuba to escape the harsh Canuck Winters.
I asked him about it one time. He said, "The best that he had ever seen was a wrecked up bar box table at some restaurant.
Altho, it would be nice to find an Old School Pool Hall in Old Havana of course.
You would be much better off hopping on a Charter Fishing boat for one day and having a blast instead of searching.
I have an old pool playing Friend from Wales. He owned a hotel in Wales before moving to Canada. His wife and him used to spend a considerable amount of time in Cuba to escape the harsh Canuck Winters.
I asked him about it one time. He said, "The best that he had ever seen was a wrecked up bar box table at some restaurant.
Altho, it would be nice to find an Old School Pool Hall in Old Havana of course.
You would be much better off hopping on a Charter Fishing boat for one day and having a blast instead of searching.
What Paul mentioned is the best way to think about it Buddy.
If you really want to be a hit. Buy a couple of boxes of Wriggley Gum and pass them out to the children on the street.
I doubt that the kids get many treats like that.
And have a pocket full of Pesos or American dimes or quarters. What will cost you almost nothing, is a World of difference to those that don't have much.
And then, find yourself a person that can get you a decent deal on Cigars.
I have had a 65 dollar Cuban once, and many of the type of cigars that the average person can afford to smoke. Both were most excellent.
All you have to do is to ask the right person, and they can direct you to many that sell
Cubans on the Black market, so to speak.
Last edited:
Cuba Update
They really really don't play pool in cuba. I asked several people in nearly every town I visited. There are occasional (rare) tables for tourists in hotels but not a thing in cuba at large.
Everyone I spoke with was super exited to hear about their cuban champion Alfredo De Oro several times people even grabbed friends and had me repeat what I had said. I had taken a photo on my phone of his entry in the hall of fame they all wanted to look at it though most probably couldn't read english. Often they responded with "I don't know why Fidel got rid of pool?" lol
But even without pool cuba was amazing beautiful and friendly.
They really really don't play pool in cuba. I asked several people in nearly every town I visited. There are occasional (rare) tables for tourists in hotels but not a thing in cuba at large.
Everyone I spoke with was super exited to hear about their cuban champion Alfredo De Oro several times people even grabbed friends and had me repeat what I had said. I had taken a photo on my phone of his entry in the hall of fame they all wanted to look at it though most probably couldn't read english. Often they responded with "I don't know why Fidel got rid of pool?" lol
But even without pool cuba was amazing beautiful and friendly.