Greatest pool hall of all time

[Runner]

Yep, that was sure a great room... private room upstairs with four tables, there was another private room also... played in the few tournaments they held, Cotton holding court. Very upscale... the newer Hollywood Billiards tried to follow suit. Sure was a lot of buzz around that time, probably due to COM.

Used to play there, then go across the street to Cat & Fiddle and get a proper pint of Guinness and sit out on the patio with my running buddies... even the Cat got evicted from Sunset blvd. and had to relocate on Highland.

It's vacant at the moment, I think they do film shoots on occasion... Hollywood is just too high rent now for any pool hall to survive, upscale or not.
Even Hard Times is on the chopping block due to real estate development.
Just what we need, another Target and Starbuck's... meh.

 

[Runner]

Since we're going down memory lane, here's an old pic I saved of the OG Hollywood Billiards.

 

[overlord]

Yep, that was sure a great room... private room upstairs with four tables, there was another private room also... played in the few tournaments they held, Cotton holding court. Very upscale... the newer Hollywood Billiards tried to follow suit. Sure was a lot of buzz around that time, probably due to COM.

Used to play there, then go across the street to Cat & Fiddle and get a proper pint of Guinness and sit out on the patio with my running buddies... even the Cat got evicted from Sunset blvd. and had to relocate on Highland.

It's vacant at the moment, I think they do film shoots on occasion... Hollywood is just too high rent now for any pool hall to survive, upscale or not.
Even Hard Times is on the chopping block due to real estate development.
Just what we need, another Target and Starbuck's... meh.

When I first moved to LA the Cat & Fiddle was on Laurel Canyon.

 

[overlord]

Since we're going down memory lane, here's an old pic I saved of the OG Hollywood Billiards.

Down in the basement
Down in the hood
Smoke filled pool room Hollywood

Left up her children
And hit the road
Took up the needle
Lord that was cold

 

[Runner]

Down in the basement
Down in the hood
Smoke filled pool room Hollywood

You got that right!... down those stairs, you could smell the action.

Old school pool hall... I hope HT doesn't go away.

 

[JoeyInCali]

Jeff got rid of the snooker and three cushion tables later on. The New Hollywood Billiards was a really great pool hall too.

My Buddy who died Bruce played Efren three cushion upstairs. Bruce was a big dude who loved three cushion.

I didn't know Bruce passed away.
RIP.
Bruce was a gentleman . Never argued a close call on 3-c.

 

[overlord]

I didn't know Bruce passed away.
RIP.
Bruce was a gentleman . Never argued a close call on 3-c.

Its been years now. He expired from a heart attack after playing 3-C in Santa Monica on his way back home is what I heard.

I played a few times out at his house in the Valley and he had a 3-C table and a Gold Crown.

I am not a 3-Cushion player. He used to be my neighbor as both of us lived in the same building in the Hollywood Hills for years.

 

[jrctherake]

I’d been there several times. Way too pretentious for my taste. Hollywood Billiards was better.

For the era, nothing beats Hard Times of yore.

Agreed! Hard Times in it's peak years was something to behold. A constant stream of great players, exciting match-ups and every imaginable kind of action a poolroom can have.

I agree! Hollywood was way better for the "pool player".

In fact no. So many of the old hustlers came over to the HAC and they complained about all and sundry, like pool players always do, but they were there for the action smorgasbord.

They were incensed at the price of a cheeseburger but the action was easy pickins. Keep in mind the longer you play at one location the harder it is to get good action.

Hollywood Jack the original owner of Hollywood Billiards lived at the HAC.

Years later we became good friends but in those days he was all business at the HAC.

I understand what your saying but still, just like Jay and Corey said, Hollywood was in it's prime the better place to play.

Now, like you stated, if your game was not strong.....well, I can understand why you may not have liked it as a player.

Like you and many others, I played at both places. Not as often as most due to the distance I had to travel but I would have 10 to 1 took Hollywood. Just a whole different atmosphere for the (stronger) players.

At the end of the day though, compared to rooms today either one would be the nuts for sure.

Extremely nice places, in different ways for each.

Rake

 

[overlord]

I understand what your saying but still, just like Jay and Corey said, Hollywood was in it's prime the better place to play.

Now, like you stated, if your game was not strong.....well, I can understand why you may not have liked it as a player.

Like you and many others, I played at both places. Not as often as most due to the distance I had to travel but I would have 10 to 1 took Hollywood. Just a whole different atmosphere for the (stronger) players.

At the end of the day though, compared to rooms today either one would be the nuts for sure.

Extremely nice places, in different ways for each.

Rake

You may be mixing up Hard Times and Hollywood Billiards.

My experience is that pool players that take on professional players even with generous spots lose most of the time.

Hollywood Jack told me that back in the day he could play top players with the 8 and the breaks.

 

[jrctherake]

You may be mixing up Hard Times and Hollywood Billiards.

My experience is that pool players that take on professional players even with generous spots lose most of the time.

Hollywood Jack told me that back in the day he could play top players with the 8 and the breaks.

Yep, you are correct. Been a long time.:speechless:

You would think i would be use to being wrong by now. My wife, she has just about given up on training me. Then, at the last minute she proves me wrong again.

I'm starting to see a trend beer....lol....here.

I need a drink. I wish my meds allowed me to have one:angry:

Rake

 

[overlord]

Yep, you are correct. Been a long time.:speechless:

You would think i would be use to being wrong by now. My wife, she has just about given up on training me. Then, at the last minute she proves me wrong again.

I'm starting to see a trend beer....lol....here.

I need a drink. I wish my meds allowed me to have one:angry:

Rake

Ain’t no thing.