Livestreaming: Bar tables • 9 foot tables

JoeyA

JoeyA

Efren's Mini-Tourn BACKER
Silver Member
I took part in an interesting converstation the other day about LiveStreaming.

As most of you know, I do some pool commentary from time to time and enjoy the LiveStreams and like listening to other commentators as well as watching pool matches.

The conversation revolved around the popularity of bar table lives streams versus big table live streams and the comments were interesting to say the least.

It seems that our local pool room Buffalo Billiards prefers BAR TABLE livestreams over BIG TABLE livestreams and some of the reasons are:

BAR TABLE matches don't last as long and people don't get bored as much. Patrons know many of the BAR TABLE players personally and like to make wagers on the matches, while sitting at the bar watching the livestreams. With the matches getting over with faster, more bets can be made and more players can be watched in a shorter priod of time.

When a livestream comes on that involves 10 ball and the players are playing safety after safety and the match goes on for more than an hour, the live stream spectators get bored and discontinue watching some the matches.

I'm curious as to your own local perspective and how it may be the same or different than ours.

I've even heard a complaint from some other pool room owners, that they
"Don't want their customers watching someone playing pool." They want their customers playing pool. I think that is pretty short-sighted but it is what it is. I'm more interested in how other locations view live streaming.

Does your local pool room purchase PPV matches?

Do they broadcast any Livestream pool matches?

As individuals, at home we may have different perspectives but this is about local, pool room perspectives, not individual perspectives.

Thanks for your input.
 
Joey:

A *good* part of all this, is the area of the country (or the world) where one is from. For example, here in the Northeast -- big-table country -- bar tables are usually thought of as either corner-of-the-barroom "entertainment" or for APA league use. (Remember, when you come to the Northeast, one of the first things you'll see that any non-poolroom place that has a table, has only one or two at the maximum, and that's it. We don't have very many of those places like you see in the Midwest / heartland where you have this huge expanse of strictly bar tables. In fact, there's only one in CT that I know about, and that's Big Shot Billiards in East Windsor, CT -- where the APA Eastern Regionals are held.)

A lot of viewers' preferences may also center around what their favorite game is. Here in the Northeast, on big tables, it's straight pool country for the most part. 8-ball is played on the barboxes here. Contrast this with the Midwest / heartland, and the South, where it's primarily 9-ball on the barbox.

So the popularity of watching live stream 9-ball on a barbox may be due to the greater critical mass of people from the Midwest, heartland, South, and other areas of the country where that game is king. And I think it's valid point about the "revolving door" concept -- the matches are over quicker, and in the consumer capitalistic spirit, room owners *WANT* quick turnover so as to avoid the fear of "boring" the audience. Viewers *WANT* quick turnover, in the "oh-boy-oh-boy-oh-boy, what's next? Who's next?" spirit. It feeds itself, and is a cycle.

Personally, 9-ball, the game, does nothing for me. The feeling is exacerbated when it's played on the barbox -- it does nothing for me. But when you consider my roots (i.e. the games I do play), and the part of the country I'm from, is it any wonder? So I'm probably in the minority here.

Hope this is helpful,
-Sean
 
sfleinen said:
Joey:

A *good* part of all this, is the area of the country (or the world) where one is from. For example, here in the Northeast -- big-table country -- bar tables are usually thought of as either corner-of-the-barroom "entertainment" or for APA league use. (Remember, when you come to the Northeast, one of the first things you'll see that any non-poolroom place that has a table, has only one or two at the maximum, and that's it. We don't have very many of those places like you see in the Midwest / heartland where you have this huge expanse of strictly bar tables. In fact, there's only one in CT that I know about, and that's Big Shot Billiards in East Windsor, CT -- where the APA Eastern Regionals are held.)

A lot of viewers' preferences may also center around what their favorite game is. Here in the Northeast, on big tables, it's straight pool country for the most part. 8-ball is played on the barboxes here. Contrast this with the Midwest / heartland, and the South, where it's primarily 9-ball on the barbox.

So the popularity of watching live stream 9-ball on a barbox may be due to the greater critical mass of people from the Midwest, heartland, South, and other areas of the country where that game is king. And I think it's valid point about the "revolving door" concept -- the matches are over quicker, and in the consumer capitalistic spirit, room owners *WANT* quick turnover so as to avoid the fear of "boring" the audience. Viewers *WANT* quick turnover, in the "oh-boy-oh-boy-oh-boy, what's next? Who's next?" spirit. It feeds itself, and is a cycle.

Personally, 9-ball, the game, does nothing for me. The feeling is exacerbated when it's played on the barbox -- it does nothing for me. But when you consider my roots (i.e. the games I do play), and the part of the country I'm from, is it any wonder? So I'm probably in the minority here.

Hope this is helpful,
-Sean
Click to expand...

Your post makes a lot of sense.

I'm not much on the 9 ball game either or the bar table for that matter but i will give them a shot this weekend on the livestreamed Cajun Classic event down in Thibodaux, LA. When I'm at the pool room watching another livestream event I will be there sweating with the rest of them.

I like the fact that you posted that you were from the northeast (I knew that but hope others will post where they are from as well.)
Thanks,
 
I'm mainly an 8 ball player from San Antonio. I like to watch all kinds of streams but prefer watching the bigger tables. Since I am nothing close to being a good shooter it helps me tremendously when I can see where the people hit the cue ball what kind of english etc. When I see something I like I cue it up on my 8 footer at home and try it. Seems you can see more of the mechanics of people shooting on the bigger tables for some reason than the bar boxes but I do like to watch them both. I will be tuned in for the Cajun Classic, good luck !
 
streaming

Personally i like the bar table streams for 9 ball because anybody can win a barbox 9 ball set, but prefer watching big table one pocket over everything else. I don't watch 10 ball at all and very seldom watch big table 9 ball any more. i'd rather watch paint dry than to watch a 14-1 game. Just my personal preferences, no offense to the 14-1 players out there...
 
9 ft tables

Not a fan of bar tables or bar table streams. Some have been enjoyable to watch but I way prefer 9 ft tables for any game ,stream ,or reason.
 
I prefer 9' table streams to bar box unless it is a compelling match up on the bar box.

A couple construtive criticisms I see in live streams are the commentators talking about a match other than the one being streamed. So and so just hit a great shot on some other table for example.

Another thing I see is commentators ceasing to discuss the game and position of balls on the table and drifting into other topics. In a boring one pocket match I understand the need to fill but I see some great runouts and safety battles in rotation games which are completely missed by the commentators. Perhaps giving yourself a break and bringing in guest announcers when you are feeling burned out would be a good idea.

I posted this "what would you do here" thread a while ago from a match between Archer and Sigel where Sigel has ball in hand and completes an excellent runout. Two world champions at the table, an interesting position, and the commentator was talking about something completely unrelated.

http://forums.azbilliards.com/showthread.php?t=244748
 
JoeyA said:
I took part in an interesting converstation the other day about LiveStreaming.

As most of you know, I do some pool commentary from time to time and enjoy the LiveStreams and like listening to other commentators as well as watching pool matches.

The conversation revolved around the popularity of bar table lives streams versus big table live streams and the comments were interesting to say the least.

It seems that our local pool room Buffalo Billiards prefers BAR TABLE livestreams over BIG TABLE livestreams and some of the reasons are:

BAR TABLE matches don't last as long and people don't get bored as much. Patrons know many of the BAR TABLE players personally and like to make wagers on the matches, while sitting at the bar watching the livestreams. With the matches getting over with faster, more bets can be made and more players can be watched in a shorter priod of time.

When a livestream comes on that involves 10 ball and the players are playing safety after safety and the match goes on for more than an hour, the live stream spectators get bored and discontinue watching some the matches.

I'm curious as to your own local perspective and how it may be the same or different than ours.

I've even heard a complaint from some other pool room owners, that they
"Don't want their customers watching someone playing pool." They want their customers playing pool. I think that is pretty short-sighted but it is what it is. I'm more interested in how other locations view live streaming.

Does your local pool room purchase PPV matches?

Do they broadcast any Livestream pool matches?

As individuals, at home we may have different perspectives but this is about local, pool room perspectives, not individual perspectives.

Thanks for your input.
Click to expand...

I would enjoy it more if they had an overhead camera. Being a smaller table it would be easier to see ball colors/layout and a clearer picture of the table.
 
I like 9 foot tables, JoeyA.

JoeyA said:
I took part in an interesting converstation the other day about LiveStreaming.

As most of you know, I do some pool commentary from time to time and enjoy the LiveStreams and like listening to other commentators as well as watching pool matches.

The conversation revolved around the popularity of bar table lives streams versus big table live streams and the comments were interesting to say the least.

It seems that our local pool room Buffalo Billiards prefers BAR TABLE livestreams over BIG TABLE livestreams and some of the reasons are:

BAR TABLE matches don't last as long and people don't get bored as much. Patrons know many of the BAR TABLE players personally and like to make wagers on the matches, while sitting at the bar watching the livestreams. With the matches getting over with faster, more bets can be made and more players can be watched in a shorter priod of time.

When a livestream comes on that involves 10 ball and the players are playing safety after safety and the match goes on for more than an hour, the live stream spectators get bored and discontinue watching some the matches.

I'm curious as to your own local perspective and how it may be the same or different than ours.

I've even heard a complaint from some other pool room owners, that they
"Don't want their customers watching someone playing pool." They want their customers playing pool. I think that is pretty short-sighted but it is what it is. I'm more interested in how other locations view live streaming.

Does your local pool room purchase PPV matches?

Do they broadcast any Livestream pool matches?

As individuals, at home we may have different perspectives but this is about local, pool room perspectives, not individual perspectives.

Thanks for your input.
Click to expand...

And 9 ft tables on PPV, and streams. My local pool hall is Buffalo's Billiards, the Worlds Pool Hall! Buffalo does pay for the live stream! Nice thread, JoeyA.
Regards,
Lock N Load.
 
I like to watch 8 9 or 10ball on 9' tables. Don't care at all about watching anything on a 7' table... It would be fun to see local tournaments with people I know on free streaming, even if it were just on the myriad of tv's at the event so you can see more of what your opponents or friends are up to.

Bars or pool halls should be happy to just have people there period these days, as long as they're there, there's a chance to make money on them.

I won't watch incredibly slow types of games and I try to avoid watching incredibly slow players. Even people like Souquet who are just extra methodical and look at every shot from both angles before shooting drive me nuts. He is at a level where it seems criminal to me that he has to look from both angles, it's the same shot from both angles and he should know better. Every once in a while on a tight shot that's one thing, but on every damn shot, shot after shot... No, just kill me. I don't mind playing people like that, they're usually at the level where they need to take that time, and that's fine, but not a pro.

As far as playing I enjoy them all, playing keeps my interest in games that watching just wouldn't.

My location is pretty obvious... And here you'll find 9' tables in pool halls and 7's and 8's in bars. I go to bars that have 8's, most here seem to have 8's and I try to avoid the 7's, but my favorite local place just switched from valley 8's to diamond 7's and I like that crowd enough to go back, so I just have to suck up my disgust for 7' tables and live with it.

7's look like toys for children to me and when you stick really good players on them it's like watching adults race in go carts or motorcycle racers riding bicycles or something, it's just like somethings not right. But is has been fun to race go carts as an adult so doing is more fun than watching.
 
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Island Drive said:
I would enjoy it more if they had an overhead camera. Being a smaller table it would be easier to see ball colors/layout and a clearer picture of the table.
Click to expand...

I posed that question to BigTruck tonight and he said that some locations just don't have high enough ceilings and special cameras with lenses designed for that would be great too. He occasionally does an overhead camera when the location has high enough ceilings. I think Jackson, MS GReen Room has high enough ceilings. Has a stream coming up in December there. Maybe you'll see some overhead camera shots there.

Just got finished playing in a bar table tournament down in Thibodaux,LA Plenty of big name players made their way down there. Cliff Joyner, Kevin Guimond, Benny Conway Jr, Rodney S (houston) Little D, Ken Berthelot, Rob Saez to name a few. It was fun. (I'm still in.) :D Play Rob at 1:00 pm tomorrow. Now I've got to get some sleep. Well, after I catch up reading my subscribe threads......
 
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