blah blah
Shoebat
hometown is sacto.
my home poolroom was the still-thriving Jointed Cue Billiards in Sacramento. I worked there for a year when I turned 21, and all my personal "growing up" and "hard knocks" come from there. It was owned by Terry Stonier, and now by his son David. They work on cues, terry used to make them, and they are dedicated to the player. they try to make players out of ballbangers, encourage the kids, and had (have?) free lessons in the carefully guarded back room. Terry or Ted would lecture on throw, aim, stance, whatever for an hour, and then you were inspired and on fire to practice for the week til the next free lecture. Grady even came and gave a lecture. They always did and still do take care of their gold crowns, clean their cloth and balls, and make regular (hourly) cleaning rounds. several billiard tables are always popular, and there are no coin ops or anything smaller than 9'.
Back in the day, it was rough and full of gangs and drugs and gambling and excitement (my first day of work i saw a guy who lost just $300 break his cue on the side of the table, throw open the back door, and slam the broken cue against the dumpster until he was panting and surrounded by cue shards). Now, it's safe and calm, full of people who look like they'd never be caught in the same room together, but who nonetheless know each other like family. There's an almost tribal closeness between jc players and staff, and they'll share info with each other on all outsiders. And it's still an action room. many times i've heard b players from other rooms complain about the jc because they can't walk in the front doors without being asked to play. They have a b tourney on Mon and a tough A tourney on Tues.
Now I play at Hard Times in Sac. Lots of amazingly good players who can put me in a coma without even trying, many tourneys (wed, thurs, sat and sun), a spacious backroom, an air conditioner that encourages cardigans (this is what made me switch years ago), and a way freakier clientele. I keep telling myself that the day I start thinking the people in the smoking area outside are normal, I'll go back to the Jointed Cue... Actually, I've finally decided i don't really need to fit in at hard times so much that i need the piercings, tattoos, and a drug addiction, but those things were all on my to do list when i changed rooms a few years ago.
my home poolroom was the still-thriving Jointed Cue Billiards in Sacramento. I worked there for a year when I turned 21, and all my personal "growing up" and "hard knocks" come from there. It was owned by Terry Stonier, and now by his son David. They work on cues, terry used to make them, and they are dedicated to the player. they try to make players out of ballbangers, encourage the kids, and had (have?) free lessons in the carefully guarded back room. Terry or Ted would lecture on throw, aim, stance, whatever for an hour, and then you were inspired and on fire to practice for the week til the next free lecture. Grady even came and gave a lecture. They always did and still do take care of their gold crowns, clean their cloth and balls, and make regular (hourly) cleaning rounds. several billiard tables are always popular, and there are no coin ops or anything smaller than 9'.
Back in the day, it was rough and full of gangs and drugs and gambling and excitement (my first day of work i saw a guy who lost just $300 break his cue on the side of the table, throw open the back door, and slam the broken cue against the dumpster until he was panting and surrounded by cue shards). Now, it's safe and calm, full of people who look like they'd never be caught in the same room together, but who nonetheless know each other like family. There's an almost tribal closeness between jc players and staff, and they'll share info with each other on all outsiders. And it's still an action room. many times i've heard b players from other rooms complain about the jc because they can't walk in the front doors without being asked to play. They have a b tourney on Mon and a tough A tourney on Tues.
Now I play at Hard Times in Sac. Lots of amazingly good players who can put me in a coma without even trying, many tourneys (wed, thurs, sat and sun), a spacious backroom, an air conditioner that encourages cardigans (this is what made me switch years ago), and a way freakier clientele. I keep telling myself that the day I start thinking the people in the smoking area outside are normal, I'll go back to the Jointed Cue... Actually, I've finally decided i don't really need to fit in at hard times so much that i need the piercings, tattoos, and a drug addiction, but those things were all on my to do list when i changed rooms a few years ago.
