How far do you drive

I have been trying to play at Magoos more (100 miles round trip).

There is a much nicer pool hall in Muskogee (14 miles round trip), the 9' tables are really nice, but they are not even remotely level, and the most level table has 1 pocket thats tight as hell, and the other 5 pockets are diff sizes with 1 of them being a huge bucket. So I dont go to that room now unless I have to.

I dont think I am well known at Magoos though, other than SK Custom Cues, and Duane Remick here on AZ.

Our house is finally finished and my table is set up and I am playing on it as much as I can.......it sucks though, because I am playing myself and STILL getting beat and losing money, THATS how bad I am
 
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The four rooms that we use in our league are all within 10 minutes of my house. I play regularly in one, and would play in one of the others if ours is closed. The other two, not so much other than League night.

I work 45 minutes from home, and there is a nice room across the street from my place of work, so I occassionally take my lunch breaks there, when I can coordinate the timing. (They don't open very early in the day most of the year.) Mike Massey did a show there a couple of months ago, I made sure to leave work on time that night!

I'm still pretty new to this whole thing, so I'm casually known in the place I play League out of, and in the room near work the owners and a few regulars know me. I occassionally run into other league players in the other league rooms, but other than that, I'm pretty anonymous.

I might drive a couple of hours to see a pro show, if the timing were good on the family end of things. I'm quite envious of you folks who say that you play for hours a day, multiple days a week. If I can get an hour or two a couple of days other than League night, I'm lucky. Oh well, my kids will be grown and gone before I know it (or am ready for it) so I'll have time eventually.
 
the three rooms i'll normally play at are 30 min to an hour away. ireally do wish i had somewhwere closer. bbut will make a 2 - 2.5 hr ride to a nice room if i get the rare opportunity to spend a whole day playing.
 
Big Perm said:
I get 10mpg, so I don't drive very far :grin:

To see the right person, I'll make a trip....

I'm just a banger....only reason anyone knows me is I am typically the only person who is called to the table as "Big Perm"......one night we actually had a guy playing who had a huge perm, that was interesting :grin:
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Seriously....Big Perm, we will meet one day! And if you dont have huge hair rollers in your hair I am gonna be dissapointed :scratchhead:.....and somewhat pissed :angry: Because you will have ruined this image I have of you in my head :eek:
 
ftgokie said:
Seriously....Big Perm, we will meet one day! And if you dont have huge hair rollers in your hair I am gonna be dissapointed :scratchhead:.....and somewhat pissed :angry: Because you will have ruined this image I have of you in my head :eek:
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Believe me, when I first met Big Perm he looked nothing like I imagined! lol...
 
As far as playing - local poolhall is 10 to 15 minutes away depending on traffic (or like today - SNOW may be a factor, lol). But, I like to drop in at a place 45 minutes away occasionally, and I hit two spots in the Quad Cities if I'm near there for any reason.

For watching - I drove to Des Moines to see SVB and Frost play (had to be at least 4 hours to get there). I'll drive to the DCC (6ish hours??). I might go to Chicago or StL for a tourney (2 1/2 to 3 hours - to either one).

I've driven much further for golf related things, so really, nothing major compared to that. I won a gaff prize for longest drive at a golf outing once in AL (RTJ golf trail - Birmingham). Had nothing to do with hitting the ball far, just how far everyone drove to get there....lol. BTW, I did win the REAL longest drive in the event as well. :grin:

Someone mentioned BIG PERM...one day I'll drive to Dallas to play him in both, though he is asking for WAY too many strokes!! :rolleyes: :wink:
 
I travel to The Jointed Cue in Sac-Town 4-5 times per week.
It's a tough 75 miles round trip, but worth the drive to play
(and associate) with people you really like.

I gave up 8-Ball League in 2009 ... Far too many bums,
drunks, bangers, wanna-be's, downright "nasty" women,
and drug dealers in close proximity.

I drive to Reno (250 miles round trip) and also to Las Vegas
(1100 miles round trip) for major tournaments.
 
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3RAILKICK said:
to get to your favorite pool room? How far will you drive for a evening weekday tournament? Or $500/1000 added weekend tournament? Will you drive an hour to go see a big name play some sets on their way thru to a big tournament?

And a related question-how many rooms are you known in? As a casual player. Or as player.

Is the drive to and/or back a consideration or is it all based on why you're going there?


3railkick
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the pool room is about 16 miles from my door, in atlanta rush hour traffic it has taken me up to an hour and half to get there (and only about 20 minutes to get home at one in the morning). mr. cues is about the same distance and drive, it all depends on the traffic. on the weekends i sometimes go play in a tournament at a place called cues (formerly sidepockets) that is about 30 miles away and can take about 45 miutes to an hour to get to. for the right player i would drive an hour maybe a little more. and i know more than a few poeple in each of those rooms. i would say i was known as a casual player but in the past few months that has been changing into more of a player. i have been putting a fair amount of effort into the game.
 
I play BCA at a pool hall that is about a 10 minute drive in town, but that's only once a week (and I called in tonight).

Other than that, except for travelling short distances for APA away games, I play at the bar right down the street. Good drinks at good prices, but I'm left to play by myself half the time now or so it seems. A few of the players(read - mostly bangers) around town know who I am, but not too many, which is the way I want it. Finally strung my first 3 racks together twice last month and damn near a third time.

I'm too lazy and cheap to drive all over hell and back to play in tournaments. Besides, rushing home after work, grabbing my stuff and rushing right back out the door to spend until midnight or later to play a tournament isn't my idea of fun any more. I like going to Lincoln City, OR, though, but that's only a few times a year and for a few days after a 2 hour drive or something.
 
A long ways................

3RAILKICK said:
to get to your favorite pool room? How far will you drive for a evening weekday tournament? Or $500/1000 added weekend tournament? Will you drive an hour to go see a big name play some sets on their way thru to a big tournament?

And a related question-how many rooms are you known in? As a casual player. Or as player.

Is the drive to and/or back a consideration or is it all based on why you're going there?


3railkick
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Hi there,

I live in Wisconsin. Eau Claire. There is no pool room within 100 miles. I drive 2 hours to go to Shooters in Burnsville, Mn to play in the Monday nite race to 5, 13.00 entry big table tournament. On wed I travel there to play in the handicap tourny. Tough tournament. I have to spot an A player 6,7,8 wild and 2 games on the wire in a race to 5. Great practice. It turns everyone into a monster.

I also go to CR's and Two Stooges and play in their weekly bar table tournaments.

It's 2 hours there and 2 hours back.

There are poolhalls in Wisconsin. La Crosse and Wausau that are about 1 1/2 hours away but they have smoking.

Eau Claire where I live did a city thing where the city limit bars can't have smoking but the bars that I play pool league have smoking because they are kind of a suburb that allows smoking.

I play in these bar leagues just enough to get my weeks in. Can't wait until July 3rd 2010. The whole state will be non-smoking after that.

For bigger tournaments I might go just about anywhere.

If I'm at a tournament or just playing pool and someone asks me how's it going. My response is. GREAT. I'm playing pool. It don't get any better than that.

Unless there's a good football game on at the same time. What a bonus. Double Great...........
 
We spend a lot of time at our favorite pool hall in Tulsa ( Q-Spot Billiards ). Pretty much everyone knows us, there. We also run a little fun league on Thursday nights. The whole idea is to help newbies and returning players learn the BCA rules and some new stuff called "strategy" that a lot of folks didn't use 20-30 years back. We are trying to encourage new competition in our area. So far, so good.

Friday or Saturday nights, one or both of us will head down there for the 8 ball or 9 ball tournament, if we're feeling lucky, or we just want to play for a while.

The pool hall is about 10.5 miles from our house, so it's a 21 mile round trip for us. That's about 20 minutes each way.

We will go to Magoo's if we absolutely must, but it's real hard for us, due to the smoke, so we normally stay away. Very few folks know us there.

We used to stop in at another pool hall in another town on Sunday afternoons. The folks behind the counter knew us, but not a lot of customers came in on Sunday afternoons.

There is a little back roads bar in a nearby town that's maybe about 15-20 miles from here. There are only 2 tables there, but the competition is good and the folks are nice, although they aren't quite used to taking orders for Mountain Dew and Diet Mountain Dew, or just plain old Water. They sometimes have a Friday night tournament we will go to, if Gene can get off work early enough to go, which isn't real often.

When we travel to the southeastern states, like Florida or Georgia, we like to stop in a little place in Meridian, MS called Sneaky Pete's. The folks are some of the best and they take pride in the few tables they have. Can't beat the atmosphere. They know us when we come in, even though we only get there a time or two each year.

We now have a place we like to stop and play pool in MI and WV, when we go out in those directions. And, there's Rusty's in Fort Worth, TX, if we're ever down there.

If one of my favs was playing in Oklahoma or a nearby state, I just might hop in a car to go see them play, especially if we were sponsoring the event in any way. If I couldn't go, I would sure be hoping it was going to be on a live stream, so I could still watch!
 
3RAILKICK said:
to get to your favorite pool room? How far will you drive for a evening weekday tournament? Or $500/1000 added weekend tournament? Will you drive an hour to go see a big name play some sets on their way thru to a big tournament?

And a related question-how many rooms are you known in? As a casual player. Or as player.

Is the drive to and/or back a consideration or is it all based on why you're going there?


3railkick
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I drive about 20 minutes to one, half hour to another and about 45 minutes to the last one. For a tourney I would drive an hour....not much more if it were more than one day. To see an open tournament where I know pros will be I wouldn't mind driving two hours for a one, or two day affair. If I had the time and it was a big tournament I would make a longer drive and stay.
 
1. 3 and 1/2 miles.
2. We don't have weekly tournaments.
3. The only way I would drive for an hour would be to attend a dance. Preferrably one that involed a pole.
 
I can't drive and so it's a 1/2 mile walk to the train station, 10 mile train ride to Belfast, then a 2 mile walk from that train station to the pool hall, so about a 25 mile round trip, which really sucks.

I have travelled to different places throughout Ireland and the UK to compete in tournaments and after a break from competeing, I'm back at it again and so it just depends on where the tournament is as to how far I gotta travel.

Willie

P.S. I have been considering on travelling to the US though and possibly to immigrate at a later time, but obviously that's a long way off yet.
 
My favorite Pool Room is 1.3 Mile Walk for me, and most of the time I drive. The worst part of walk is the incline in the last 1/4 mile. Most People would not find this a big heal, but I have some extra metal on each knee!
X2K.gif
For Two BUM KNEES!!!!!
 
Bigtruck said:
Until I hit water! LOL :D

Ray
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lol....since I'm basically already there ray, I basically have to drive till there is no water in sight lol

Never really thought much of most of the pool halls in louisiana besides Jamie's place in Kenner (corner pocket) but after stopping into Emeralds Billiards in New Iberia this weekend I have to say its probably the nicest pool hall within about 500 miles of where I live in my opinion.

It reminded me of the big rec room in atlantic city on the color of money, very high ceilings, some beautiful goldcrowns, and some fine playing barboxes. Next time I'm going to have to try the food, i heard its pretty darn good.

will drive as far as I have to,
-Grey Ghost-
 
I have many to chose from within a 15-20 minute drive, several just a couple miles down the road.

I don't know what is about this area, but we have alot of supportive pool players. The majority of them are bangers/recreational players, but we have quite a few action players and all of them support a large number of local pool halls.
 
1.5 miles from my drive way. Not my favorite place to play but it's close. Got those great 8 ft. rattlehausens..
 
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