Johnny Archer's New Room

Positively Ralf said:
I think people need to quit whining about this 7 foot table nonsense. Whether you like it or not, those league players help the places stay open more so than the aspiring pro player/shortstop/A level player.

Besides, if the place has 3 9 footers, whats the problem? If the days of 9 footers is really dead an all everyone wants to play on is 7 footers, then you should have no problem getting on the 9 footer to practice or play your friends.
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Nobody whining here- I said up front that it was an observation about the demise of nine footers- I have no problems with the guys who love to play on the bar box- just not really my cup of tea, if you will. I don't know how old you are, but if you never experienced pool post 1962 up to the early 70s then you would not relate to my post- perfectly understandable - but man, you would have no idea what you missed out on either!
 
mikemosconi said:
Nobody whining here- I said up front that it was an observation about the demise of nine footers- I have no problems with the guys who love to play on the bar box- just not really my cup of tea, if you will. I don't know how old you are, but if you never experienced pool post 1962 up to the early 70s then you would not relate to my post- perfectly understandable - but man, you would have no idea what you missed out on either!
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My apologies.

I'm only 38 but have been going to the same dump for years where i live. It's an old school hall with tables that are not upkept and they just recently added a bar table on a suggestion and you'd be surprised how much more leagues showed up to play.

The 9 footers are mainly used by the hookah crowd. :(
 
mikemosconi said:
Agreed- I would love to play 3 cushion - none around anymore.
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SOMEDAY SOON I'll introduce my 3-Cushion game for pocket tables.
Game is played very similar but the special rules makes it more challenging and entertaining. I showed it to one of Ray Ceuleman's sons a decade ago, he said it wasn't pure to Caroms. I looked at him and said, 'There's always new ways to play anything. One never know if it it'll catch on. Besides, this game can introduce more players to 3 Cushion Billiards'. He just turned & walked away to talked to Ray Schuler. But his buddy Ivan loved it.

I also have another game called (currently) ''Red Neck 8-Ball''. Again played similar but a couple rules makes it much more challenging than regular 8-Ball. It's one game that can be played singles, partners even Scotch Doubles. This one I dreamed up way back in the early 1970s but since regular game rules ruled no one wanted to play it.

EH... someday.
 
In Chicago on the north side there was this bar that squeezed in a pool table.
We brought our sticks but soon found near impossible to use'm.
The table was 2.5 x 5 ft. and still used regular size balls.
Talk about tight . . . she said.
 
There are 3 9' tables, 1 in each of the places I normally play. I like 9' tables, but they just are not available anymore.
 
I just spoke to Johnny it was 930pm

Every pool table is going, the 24 seat bar is packed, kitchen doing well, karaoke is going super strong(2nd time they did that).

I said “your gonna need more tables” he replied “asap”

Been open a just under 2 weeks and is full blast. That’s amazing by any measure for a new room, I’ve seen room relocate and do well fast. But for a new room wow 😳.

They will get it all figured out and the tap beer isn’t up yet. They booked a winner.

Nice to see some good news,
Fatboy 😀
 
mikemosconi said:
Boy has the state of pool changed - new rooms opening with only 3 nine footers. I get it, I understand it, and I wish all the new room owners all the best in their businesses. This is just an observation, a room here in SW Florida just took out all the larger tables and installed Diamond 7 footers as well. Nine foot pool in the U.S. is dying a slow death, maybe it is almost dead, I don't know - but, to me, it is sad.

There was always something magical as a teen when you approached the bottom or top of a stairwell and heard the click of the balls and then after a few more quicker steps looked out to a room full of those 9 foot Gold Crown I tables - then that unmistakable smell of a pool room! There really was no music, no bar, no food, and almost never a woman in the rooms that I frequented as a kid - it really was just pool Mister - and there were no shorty tables in sight for sure!

I think that the scarcity of 14.1 play since the COM movie and ESPN's need for a fast game to replace 14.1 were the first warning shots fired in the direction of 9 footers in the U.S. Then, the internet and video games grabbed attention spans of our youth and shortened their mind's vision of what is needed to master the large table.

When even a pro player needs to affix his name to a room now dominated by shorties, we know where pool has gone here in America - again, I say, to me, this is very sad . I wish Johnny "All the Best" - sincerely, but sadly.
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Nine foot pool is booming in my basement.
 
When you literally grow up as a teenage player with nothing but 10’ and 9’ and billiard tables,
that becomes the standard in your mind for what a pool table is. The first time I played on a12’
snooker table, I struggled but after a few weeks, I got a lot better at snooker. And when I started
playing more on the 9’ tables again, it seemed so much easier, especially bank shots and long
straight in shots. The first time I ever saw a 7’ table was a coin operated box in a tavern and it
looked a doll house to me. I couldn’t imagine ever using a bridge and the pockets seemed huge.

Fifteen years ago I played a couple of seasons with APA & didn’t care for it. First of all, it was 8
ball and 9 ball. Well, 8 ball isn’t my favorite game to start with but on a 7’ box, it’s even less so.
And the pockets…..OMG…run a ball down the rail was like using a gutter right into the pocket.

Side pocket bank shots seemed way too easy and the smaller tables turned weaker opponents
into luckier opponents and I hate losing to another player’s slop. Luck shouldn’t become a factor
which why I favor 10 ball and 14.1 but on 9’ tables & of course, with tight pockets whenever possible.

Everyone should play the game the way they prefer. I’m a big table guy and I like tight pockets to
make the table play hard. The harder, the better because I have confidence in my skills and do not
resent it if a table humbles me. When it happens, it just makes me more determined to conquer it.

I can never get the same feeling of satisfaction making a difficult backwards cut shot on a 7’ table
like on a big table. Bottomline is 7’ tables are just easier than 9’ tables and that’s not what I want.

p.s. OP got it right.
 
Personally, I like the pool rooms with 9-foot tables, billiard tables, and a couple 7-footers that serve NO ALCOHOL. Just good food and strong coffee. That's a real pool room as far as I'm concerned, a place where I could sit for hours and hours while sweating a one-pocket action game or an ahead game in rotation pool. The people who frequent pool rooms like this are real pool enthusiasts, not somebody going to a bar to watch sports games, listen to loud music, and drink alcohol. The days of the pool I described above are now gone. Those cool pool rooms don't exist anymore. Pool isn't a money-making business. Bars aren't really ideal either, but they have a better shot at making money than a real pool room does.

To be successful, the owner(s) should be going out of their way to advertise. I posted an article three times on Johnny's Sports Bar Facebook page that was written by Jerry Forsyth on AzBilliards Main News page, and three times, the article never appeared. I finally contacted Rodney and let him know about the article and that I could not post the link to the bar's Facebook page. He said the Facebook page had been hacked by a disgruntled employee. I think if Johnny and Rodney want to be a success, they need somebody to help them on social media and maybe advertising at local universities and colleges. The "build it and they will come" theory doesn't always work. Word of mouth might work out for them, but if it were me and my invested money, I'd be exploring other avenues as well.

I wish them the best on their new endeavor, of course. Oh, here's the article written by Jerry Forsyth, who must have come out of retirement to write it, that I was unable to share on Johnny's bar's Facebook page. https://www.azbilliards.com/johnny-archer-opens-new-room-in-georgia/
 
mikemosconi said:
Agreed- I would love to play 3 cushion - none around anymore.
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You know how when you are in a poolroom and practicing by yourself and you realize you are just
bored now and banging balls around?
Well sometimes I"ll just throw two object balls and the cue ball on the table and play 3 cushion
because I miss it.
The side pockets are a problem though.
 
mikemosconi said:
Nobody whining here- I said up front that it was an observation about the demise of nine footers- I have no problems with the guys who love to play on the bar box- just not really my cup of tea, if you will. I don't know how old you are, but if you never experienced pool post 1962 up to the early 70s then you would not relate to my post- perfectly understandable - but man, you would have no idea what you missed out on either!
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Agreed, your post was well presented. I feel the same way and am not 100 years old. While I'm fortunate enough to house a GC1, I only have one because I HAD TO in order to get 9' playing time. Our local place also has 3 9 footers and about 14 7' Diamonds. The 9's are ALWAYS tied up. I'm not one to pack-up, drive over, wait who-knows-how-long, and ask a shooting buddy to also.

Neither do I begrudge the 7' crowd and the money is in small tournaments and leagues but I don't think the "balance" is quite right for the best mix, considering all dedicated players. By dedicated I mean regular players not bar patrons.

If I move I am probably screwed on table space, most retirement homes are smaller not larger. ;)
 
alstl said:
Nine foot pool is booming in my basement.
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Its booming in your basement and I think it will be booming again in the future too. I played my first 10years on a 7 footer in a basement. You can do more on a 9 and it’s more fun once you are good. If all the 7 footers are getting people started they’ll be wanting bigger tables soon enough. Maybe so, maybe not. But here’s to hoping🍻
 
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JAM said:
Personally, I like the pool rooms with 9-foot tables, billiard tables, and a couple 7-footers that serve NO ALCOHOL. Just good food and strong coffee. That's a real pool room as far as I'm concerned, a place where I could sit for hours and hours while sweating a one-pocket action game or an ahead game in rotation pool. The people who frequent pool rooms like this are real pool enthusiasts, not somebody going to a bar to watch sports games, listen to loud music, and drink alcohol. The days of the pool I described above are now gone. Those cool pool rooms don't exist anymore. Pool isn't a money-making business. Bars aren't really ideal either, but they have a better shot at making money than a real pool room does.

To be successful, the owner(s) should be going out of their way to advertise. I posted an article three times on Johnny's Sports Bar Facebook page that was written by Jerry Forsyth on AzBilliards Main News page, and three times, the article never appeared. I finally contacted Rodney and let him know about the article and that I could not post the link to the bar's Facebook page. He said the Facebook page had been hacked by a disgruntled employee. I think if Johnny and Rodney want to be a success, they need somebody to help them on social media and maybe advertising at local universities and colleges. The "build it and they will come" theory doesn't always work. Word of mouth might work out for them, but if it were me and my invested money, I'd be exploring other avenues as well.

I wish them the best on their new endeavor, of course. Oh, here's the article written by Jerry Forsyth, who must have come out of retirement to write it, that I was unable to share on Johnny's bar's Facebook page. https://www.azbilliards.com/johnny-archer-opens-new-room-in-georgia/
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The answer to what you are saying is, for a real pool room to survive it needs added revenues, it can't really make it on pool alone. Nothing wrong with that, it makes sense. In fact it has almost always been the case.

It would seem now though in many cases the original concept of the pool room has been abandoned.
They have thrown on the towel. That is the sad part.
 
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