'Hanks" pool room Wheatridge Co. closing

measureman

measureman

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
This has been talked about for awhile here but now sounds like its a done deal.
Hanks is closing because the land has been sold. Not because of no free water.
This building has been a pool room under several names since the 1960's.

Any old timers on here have any stories?

I guess Chuck the homeless guy that hangs out there will be moving.
 
measureman said:
This has been talked about for awhile here but now sounds like its a done deal.
Hanks is closing because the land has been sold. Not because of no free water.
This building has been a pool room under several names since the 1960's.

Any old timers on here have any stories?

I guess Chuck the homeless guy that hangs out there will be moving.
Click to expand...

Although I don't end up at Hank's often I hate to hear of its closing. Played there maybe twenty times before, I even made my first 3 cushion billiard shot there about ten years ago.
 
measureman said:
This has been talked about for awhile here but now sounds like its a done deal.
Hanks is closing because the land has been sold. Not because of no free water.
This building has been a pool room under several names since the 1960's.

Any old timers on here have any stories?

I guess Chuck the homeless guy that hangs out there will be moving.
Click to expand...


Won't someone think of Chuck! :confused:
 
Sorry to hear it's closing. I've only played there a few times, but I know the place has some history. I guess Felt and Mile High are the only two decent rooms left around Denver.
 
What was it called before Hanks? I think I played there for a few days about 11 years ago. I liked Table Stakes too--some of the best pool room food I've had.
 
measureman said:
This has been talked about for awhile here but now sounds like its a done deal.
Hanks is closing because the land has been sold. Not because of no free water.
This building has been a pool room under several names since the 1960's.

Any old timers on here have any stories?

I guess Chuck the homeless guy that hangs out there will be moving.
Click to expand...

That sucks, I'm honestly not one bit surprised.....But here is a story and a memory or two;
Story, I was in there many times just to warm up for leagues, as many locals will recall what an amazing tournament paradise used to have on Thursday night. I was playing on table #1 tight plus plus when a gentleman I didn't know said to me that he was in the tournament and was hoping to warm up and said if I would play some he would cover a couple drinks and my table time.
As we were playing someone name depleted said to me" Do you know who that is?" I truly had no idea so I simply said nope. Well he was favored for the tourney evidently,y but when I won my sixth game in a row he packed up his cues and said "If I can't beat you I'm out here fuk this" The locals remember those tourneys. I used to love hanging out on Thursday nights back when. Not to many of the old timers are still around .. Burt Kellerman was my favorite guy to bump into but there were a lot of other's
Memories; Ernie Martines had his shop in the back I would nock on the door and have a hey bud how ya doing moment then drop off some work for him and go watch the world go by as my old buddy John Marino and the guys would play golf on the snooker table. I could watch them play so precise and carefully placing the ball just where they need it to be that it just mesmerized me. I have to say on a lighter note, the men's room as as gross as any on this planet. Yuck!
 
jayman said:
That sucks, I'm honestly not one bit surprised.....But here is a story and a memory or two;
Story, I was in there many times just to warm up for leagues, as many locals will recall what an amazing tournament paradise used to have on Thursday night. I was playing on table #1 tight plus plus when a gentleman I didn't know said to me that he was in the tournament and was hoping to warm up and said if I would play some he would cover a couple drinks and my table time.
As we were playing someone name depleted said to me" Do you know who that is?" I truly had no idea so I simply said nope. Well he was favored for the tourney evidently,y but when I won my sixth game in a row he packed up his cues and said "If I can't beat you I'm out here fuk this" The locals remember those tourneys. I used to love hanging out on Thursday nights back when. Not to many of the old timers are still around .. Burt Kellerman was my favorite guy to bump into but there were a lot of other's
Memories; Ernie Martines had his shop in the back I would nock on the door and have a hey bud how ya doing moment then drop off some work for him and go watch the world go by as my old buddy John Marino and the guys would play golf on the snooker table. I could watch them play so precise and carefully placing the ball just where they need it to be that it just mesmerized me. I have to say on a lighter note, the men's room as as gross as any on this planet. Yuck!
Click to expand...

Nice recap of what Hanks was all about. The golf game was a hoot to watch as were the old timers playing it. I could of done without the bathroom memory:wink:.
 
jayman said:
That sucks, I'm honestly not one bit surprised.....But here is a story and a memory or two;
Story, I was in there many times just to warm up for leagues, as many locals will recall what an amazing tournament paradise used to have on Thursday night. I was playing on table #1 tight plus plus when a gentleman I didn't know said to me that he was in the tournament and was hoping to warm up and said if I would play some he would cover a couple drinks and my table time.
As we were playing someone name depleted said to me" Do you know who that is?" I truly had no idea so I simply said nope. Well he was favored for the tourney evidently,y but when I won my sixth game in a row he packed up his cues and said "If I can't beat you I'm out here fuk this" The locals remember those tourneys. I used to love hanging out on Thursday nights back when. Not to many of the old timers are still around .. Burt Kellerman was my favorite guy to bump into but there were a lot of other's
Memories; Ernie Martines had his shop in the back I would nock on the door and have a hey bud how ya doing moment then drop off some work for him and go watch the world go by as my old buddy John Marino and the guys would play golf on the snooker table. I could watch them play so precise and carefully placing the ball just where they need it to be that it just mesmerized me. I have to say on a lighter note, the men's room as as gross as any on this planet. Yuck!
Click to expand...

Yep. That Thursday tournament was special. Winning that was one of my greatest pool achievements. Super tough tournament. Night I won were two pro players and a BCA national champion. And someone that was neither played a perfect set against me.

Funny story. One time I was talking to Terry McFadden at the score table for a big tournament and a local player asked Terry to put him in the tournament. The guy was a favorite so he put him in. The guy didn't have his cue so Terry loaned him his cue. I think it was his Bill Stroud.

Later, we're sitting at the Tournament table and Terry is gong crazy because he hears a ticking noise. He is looking high and low for it. Finally he sees the player he put in, stoned out of his mind, vacantly holding his cue in the air where it's hitting the ceiling fan...lol.
 
Yes, I too have heard the rumors that Hanks was closing. I guess it's rumor no more.

When I moved to Fort Collins in 2001 I began to play in many of the Thurs night tournaments as it was my favorite of all the weekly tourneys in the greater Denver/Fort Collins area. Tough as nails w/the whole cast of characters from that area playing regularly. Staff was always friendly and the Tourney ran smoothly for the most part. After 2003/4 I was unable to attend that tourney on a work day, but it was great while it lasted for me.

Although Hank's was a little ragged, it still held fond memories for me and I was able to visit it once in a while to see some old friends. That poolroom will be missed.

Agree that the men's room could use a good cleaning!!!!!!!!

Dave
 
Last edited:
I went into Hanks few weeks ago to buy a cue from Frank and talked to him for a while he seemed to be in a good mood, the place didn't look like it was doing well.
Ironically Hank ended the Thursday night tournament after he bought the pool hall from Terry McFadden.
 
I used to play in there in the sixties when I was 15 years old when we called it the fun center.
In fact T Archer called me the other day to see if I was interested in cue he's trying to sell he got my name from Frank
 
Great fond memories of the family fun center, and then Paradise billiards. Never went into Hanks but maybe once or twice. The Family fun center, although a good players room, was always 2nd to Table Steaks in terms of action, in my opinion. Although, since they were down the road from each other, you would literally bounce back and forth between the two looking for a game. Back in the late 80's early 90's there was tons of cheap action $100 to $500 you could find day and night. Good players to. It was non stop action and it totally hooked me on the game. Medina, Piazza, Chuey, the Chan brothers, and tons of other guys I have not seen in years.

Table Steaks used to be open 24x7 and I remember being awake for days playing. Can't remember if Family Fun Cent was 24x7.

Fondest memory: Getting busted play Corey Deuel and Troy Frank at Table Steaks, before anybody knew who they were. They followed me down to Family Fun Center, where they called in Dave Gomez to play Corey, and Troy played Bill Skinner. Corey and Troy beat everybody and I won what I lost on side bets. Those were great days. Had Ernie Martinez make several cues for me, and for 5 blissful years, did nothing but drown myself in pool.

I don't go to Denver much anymore, but with the demise of Table Steaks, Colfax Billiards, and now Hanks, the golden age of pool in Denver is now but a dream.
 
Last edited:
Funny that many remember the men's bathroom.
If there was paper towels, soap and the floor under the urinal was dry it was like hitting a trifecta. Hot water was a bonus.
And if you haven't been there for years or decades it still looks about the same.
The filthy carpet must be 20 or 30 years old.
But the place has old pool room run down charm.
 
Damn that sucks. I went there a few times while I was on vacation over the past several years. Best of luck to everyone.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top