Making yourself useful at the pool hall

BillPorter

BillPorter

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
As an older retired guy, the daily trip to the local pool hall is an important part of my day. It's my main recreation and my time to socialize with old croneys. It's nice to have a place "where everybody knows your name" and you are generally welcomed night or day. I do a few things that help insure I will continue to be a welcome guest there and thought it might be useful to post these things and invite you to add to the list.

1. I subscribe to a couple of pool mags and when I finish reading them I take them to the pool hall for others to look through.
2. Since I am fairly computer savvy, I have helped guys buy/sell cues on AZ and eBay. Also post stuff on AZ for the owner when he wants to announce a big match or something going on at the pool hall.
3. I patronize the pool hall "kitchen" by buying food and beverages at the pool hall.
4. I'm careful with the equipment.
5. I make an effort to establish and maintain friendly relationships with everyone who works there.

I'm sure many of you can add a few things to my list.
 
All the things above except the computer one. I addition I have helped many owner take apart and recover tables, jumped behind the counter when the owner had to go somewhere or had a little action. My pool time a week was next to nothing, as most of the time he wouldn't take my money. My bar tab averaged about $50 a night. Johnnyt
 
The little stuff

Good topic Bill. I'm sure Owners appreciate it!

My area has quite a few choices of halls. There's so much free table time offered and many patrons follow the free pass.

I encourage people to go to my "home" hall by calling around. When I ever have an action match lined up, or I hear of an action match, I can usually get a few people to come sweat it and that pumps up the bar a bit.

I try to offer valuable feedback to the owners.

I try to offer some tips to spongey minds to further plant the pool addictive bug.

I'll buy some pizza or bring Starbucks to share.

I'll encourage B-day celebrations there for reg's.

I'll clean my table and balls.

I tip well.

Just little stuff for sure, but I think it helps.
 
Black-Balled said:
I only pee on the floor in the men's bathroom.

Joking! My pool room is at home!
Click to expand...
When I read your age in your public profile (98), I had to give you credit for even making it to the bathroom to pee. Many at your age would use the floor or Depends!:grin: :grin: :grin:
 
I bus the glasses, as there is no waitress there.

Cyrex and I put on the WCCS at my pool hall, Crown Billiards.

I also bring my Billiards digest copies there when I am done with them.

My rock band plays there every eight weeks or so and they make lots of $ when we do.

I tip the bartenders really well, even when I order water.

I play in two leagues and can run them if the owners are out of town.

It is great to have a nice pool hall!!
 
I help promote tournaments for Buffalo Billiards and try to draw in a road hog every now and then. I can't afford to play too many of them in one week. :p

I typeset all of his flyers and signs for the pool room and of course I am on his one yard line when he orders supplies for the pool room, making sure I get in my order with his. :)

He's a good guy and treats everyone well and I like to see people like that do well.

I built one of those John Schmidt ball cleaning machines but when I told him it was free he wouldn't have any part of that but I finally agreed to let him pay for the parts. Every now and then I will clean and polish all of the balls in the pool room.

I also provide his custom printed matches for the pool room (my promotional product business).

Oh yeah, and I aggravate the doo-doo out of him with all of the SAGE advice I get from AZ Billiards. :D

I like seeing the things that other people do for their pool room.

Good thread Mr. Porter.

JoeyA
 
DJ, you are really "paying your dues" at your local pool hall. When you think about how much enjoyment you get there, it seems only fair to put something back into it.
 
I play at my friends poolroom it is a 30x30 building on his property and since there is no fee or employees I vacume, polish the balls, clean up, throw 10 or 15 bucks in the jar every couple of days for maintanance, bring sodas and food for everyone, and keep at least one table occupied 6 nights a week. There are a few of us that come very regularly and we try to make it so all he has to do is come over and play or watch his TV because ultimatly he is footing the bill.
 
Cuaba said:
I lose money to all the regulars.
Click to expand...
This may be the most valuable service a person can offer!:thumbup:

Every pool hall can use several gentlemen such as yourself.
 
BillPorter said:
When I read your age in your public profile (98), I had to give you credit for even making it to the bathroom to pee. Many at your age would use the floor or Depends!:grin: :grin: :grin:
Click to expand...
Whippersnapper!
 
Great thread Bill, Bill is one of my best friends in pool-I really admire him.

i dont go to the pool room much-in Vegas or LA. But when I do I tip everyone out a $20 or more. In hollywood thats alot like over $100 cause there are alot of people. If I go everynight for a few days then I dont but when I havent been in in along time I do and the first night for sure in Hollywood. In Vegas I'm good for a $20 everynight to the house man,


I hope i'm awalys holding good enough to be that way I like it. I believe in taking care of the people who work in pool rooms.
 
Rep for another valuable post

BillPorter said:
As an older retired guy, the daily trip to the local pool hall is an important part of my day. It's my main recreation and my time to socialize with old croneys. It's nice to have a place "where everybody knows your name" and you are generally welcomed night or day. I do a few things that help insure I will continue to be a welcome guest there and thought it might be useful to post these things and invite you to add to the list.

1. I subscribe to a couple of pool mags and when I finish reading them I take them to the pool hall for others to look through.
2. Since I am fairly computer savvy, I have helped guys buy/sell cues on AZ and eBay. Also post stuff on AZ for the owner when he wants to announce a big match or something going on at the pool hall.
3. I patronize the pool hall "kitchen" by buying food and beverages at the pool hall.
4. I'm careful with the equipment.
5. I make an effort to establish and maintain friendly relationships with everyone who works there.

I'm sure many of you can add a few things to my list.
Click to expand...


Bill

Great post.

If we had more people and or players that followed this code of ethics in the poolroom I think we would have more succesfull poolrooms through out this great country of ours.

I follow numbers 2 thru 5 very closely.

I don't follow number 1. The reasons being. First I like to keep the magazines for my collection in order to look back at over the years. I subscribe to all three major magazines. Billiards Digest, Pool and Billiards and Inside Pool. Second I think that anyone even remotely interested in pool should subscribe to at least one of the major publications. Without subscribers the magazines at some point will cease to exist. I typically renew my subcriptions in 5 year incriments.

Thanks

Kevin
 
BillPorter said:
As an older retired guy, the daily trip to the local pool hall is an important part of my day. It's my main recreation and my time to socialize with old croneys. It's nice to have a place "where everybody knows your name" and you are generally welcomed night or day. I do a few things that help insure I will continue to be a welcome guest there and thought it might be useful to post these things and invite you to add to the list.

1. I subscribe to a couple of pool mags and when I finish reading them I take them to the pool hall for others to look through.
2. Since I am fairly computer savvy, I have helped guys buy/sell cues on AZ and eBay. Also post stuff on AZ for the owner when he wants to announce a big match or something going on at the pool hall.
3. I patronize the pool hall "kitchen" by buying food and beverages at the pool hall.
4. I'm careful with the equipment.
5. I make an effort to establish and maintain friendly relationships with everyone who works there.

I'm sure many of you can add a few things to my list.
Click to expand...



Thank you for knowing the meaning of the word "courtesy" - you sir are a true gentleman!! - Jackson:clapping:
 
Sorry I Missed You

trustyrusty said:
I was at your room on Wed., and all the regulars were a little short and wondering where the heck you were...lol
Click to expand...

I was losing money somewhere else.
 
Newby's

Black-Balled said:
I only pee on the floor in the men's bathroom.

Joking! My pool room is at home!
Click to expand...


In the 1960s, Earl Newby (founder of the Billiard News) had a room in Philadelphia. Jimmy Caras had owned it previously.

In the men's room there was a rather large brightly-lit frosted glass sign over the urinal that read:

IF YOU PISS ON THE FLOOR AT HOME, PLEASE PISS ON THE FLOOR HERE. I WANT YOU TO FEEL AT HOME.
 
BillPorter said:
DJ, you are really "paying your dues" at your local pool hall. When you think about how much enjoyment you get there, it seems only fair to put something back into it.
Click to expand...

I agree completely. I am lucky to have such a great environment.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top