Mika's new pool room

[Tablemechanic]

Here are some photos of Mika's pool room. The name is Play Billiards, it use to be Hollywood Billiards in Oxnard. They bought the room a few months ago and are doing a lot of changes. Mika has two partners and they look like they are going to be doing some great things with the place. The over all size of the place is around 21,000 sq. feet. Mika said he is not moving here yet.

They have 15 9' tables and 2 billiard tables right now. They have one tight Gold Crown and in a few weeks should be up to 4 or 5. The other 9' tables are Hollywood 9' tables that they are going to start to replace.

If you are in the area stop in and visit.

Play Billiards
658 South A Street
Oxnard, Ca.
(805) 240-9300

 

[JAM]

Mika is sure the entrepreneur. He has had a pool room in Philippines, and I remember another one near Valley Forge we went to in Pennsylvania one year.

The Valley Forge one was on the second floor. It was a marvelous pool room actually, but something happened with the lease. Mika was a partner in that one. He had large pictures of players on the walls, and there was a glass class displaying his WPC trophy, as I recall.

Wishing Mika the very best in his new pool room. It looks quite nice. I am sure by now, he has quite a bit of pool room ownership experience, which is a plus. This should boost the pool action in that part of California for sure.

I love the blue velvet, comfy-looking chairs. He knows how to make the railbirds feel welcome.

JAM

 

[JoeyInCali]

Nice room.
Jam, Mika's place in the Philippines was not a pool room. It was just a bar.
This might be Mika's first pool room .

 

[JAM]

Nice room.
Jam, Mika's place in the Philippines was not a pool room. It was just a bar.
This might be Mika's first pool room .

I did not know that about the Philippines, but the pool room he had in Pennsylvania, he was a partner, from what I was told.

This is one of the pictures that was taken inside the Pennsylvania pool room, though it is hard to see the room in the background. It was a really cool pool room. Nice tight table in the front for action, and then in the middle, there were some very nice Gold Crowns.

All the way in the back was a room that that was lit up with black lights and day-glow pool balls. I had never seen that before. I think the young kids like it.

Mika and Keith at the pool room in PA in March 2004, with Jose Parica screwing his stick in the background.

JAM

 

[Tablemechanic]

I think his partner from Philly is the same guy for this one, his name is Steve Choy. He said he move from the Philly area.

Steve

 

[JAM]

I think his partner from Philly is the same guy for this one, his name is Steve Choy. He said he move from the Philly area.

Steve

Wow. Do you happen to know if Steve's cousin (I think it is) named Bobby went out there as well? He shoots with a Hunter cue, Bobby does.

JAM

 

[StevenPWaldon]

The same Steve Choy who I think had a place in the Chicago area?

I think his partner from Philly is the same guy for this one, his name is Steve Choy. He said he move from the Philly area.

Steve

 

[JAM]

The same Steve Choy who I think had a place in the Chicago area?

Yikes, that Steve Choy guy gets around!

Very enterprising. Hope California is the magic spot!

JAM

 

[Derek]

For pool room layouts, I've never liked tables stuck in the middle without some form of seating near one of the long rails. From a business standpoint, you got to make due with what you got and try and squeeze in with the space provided. My dream room would avoid crowding issues but I'm sure that's not economical, especially in these times. Good luck to Mika (one of my fav players).

 

[Josh Palmer]

Steve, come out to pick me up in Fontana!~ I'm stuck out here bored off my a$$ lol

 

[JoeyInCali]

Steve, come out to pick me up in Fontana!~ I'm stuck out here bored off my a$$ lol

Josh, you been to Alex's Stix place in Rancho yet?
Check it out if you can.

 

[Josh Palmer]

Josh, you been to Alex's Stix place in Rancho yet?
Check it out if you can.

Yeah, we play one hole when I'm there, actually gambled again last night, but I need to get tuned up and play some 9-10 ball somewhere. Work sucks, so I'm stuck here for the weekend. Got Fach's number?

 

[Justlovecues]

I wish Mika the best. Tony Robles introduced me to him at Raxx's at the first stop of the Predator Tour. I am a great fan of Mika so it was great. He was nice enough to talk a little and give some advise. It was awesome.

 

[JimS]

I couldn't play where I couldn't sit down. Too many tables and not enough creature comforts for my taste. I'd check it out and leave.

 

[JAM]

I couldn't play where I couldn't sit down. Too many tables and not enough creature comforts for my taste. I'd check it out and leave.

This is a very important point, and I agree.

I can't tell you how many tournaments I have been to where I have to keep roaming the perimeter of the pool room like a refugee.

My feet cannot take standing on them for 6, 7, and 8 hours.

There are some tournaments that I will not return to because of this very reason. It is ridiculous to think spectators are going to enjoy watching pool for hours on end while on their feet.

JAM

 

[mikepage]

Interesting thing is the OP said he thought the place was 21,000 sf. The second picture shows basically all the tables in a space of about 6000 sf. Maybe they're not showing the bowling lanes on the other side...

This is a very important point, and I agree.

I can't tell you how many tournaments I have been to where I have to keep roaming the perimeter of the pool room like a refugee.

My feet cannot take standing on them for 6, 7, and 8 hours.

There are some tournaments that I will not return to because of this very reason. It is ridiculous to think spectators are going to enjoy watching pool for hours on end while on their feet.

JAM

 

[Williebetmore]

I couldn't play where I couldn't sit down. Too many tables and not enough creature comforts for my taste. I'd check it out and leave.

Jim,
Where the hell is your dedication????

Suck it up, sneak out of work early and get a table on the edge of the room.

If you are afraid to lie to the boss (or to the wife); then just get there late and take a table in the middle, then begin loudly talking to yourself as you play, start drooling and twitching, start bumping into the players on the edge table every time they shoot; and voila, you will free up one of the edge tables. Have you given this no thought at all??????

 

[jay helfert]

This is a major design error that I've seen before. You MUST have seating for your players. Otherwise they will not play for very long, maybe an hour at the most. With a comfortable table and chairs, they will order drinks and food and make an evening of it. I've owned four rooms, so I know of what I speak.

I could help Steve and Mika here, they just have to tweak the layout a little. They may "lose" a table or two, that's all.

 

[tpdtom]

I've never owned a poolroom, but I'm very particular about where I play and hang. At a minimum, I have to have a place to put my water or coffee, and sit occasionally. I'm sure there is no smoking there, so you don't need ash trays. Most poolrooms now can't make it without food and drinks, but I can live without that, but again, I need a place for my water and coffee, and to be able to sit. Mika would draw me in for lessons or whatever, but I would only play on the outer perimeter...Tom

 

[gulfportdoc]

This is a major design error that I've seen before. You MUST have seating for your players. Otherwise they will not play for very long, maybe an hour at the most. With a comfortable table and chairs, they will order drinks and food and make an evening of it. I've owned four rooms, so I know of what I speak.

I could help Steve and Mika here, they just have to tweak the layout a little. They may "lose" a table or two, that's all.

It looks like there is minimal seating available along at least one side of each table. However the space between tables is too narrow. When most of the tables are occupied, there's going to be a lot of bumping going on... I think you're right, Jay. They're going to have to pluck a couple of tables out of their layout.

Doc