Name a pool hall you wish was still open today

Kob

King of Billiards - King of Billiards - King of Billiards, I hope the owner reconsiders and opens again while the customer base is still intact.
 
jay helfert said:
My first poolroom was The Cue Ball Recreation in Bakersfield, CA. Bought it in 1972 and sold it in 1978. I played every living human that walked through the doors and won some and lost some. It was absolutely the busiest poolroom on the entire West Coast at the time, all 22 tables packed every night of the week, with a long waiting list on Friday and Saturday nights. I didn't have liquor and must have poured a million cokes and sold 60,000 pizzas (or more) in my time there. I pulled nearly a million dollars out of that room in six years (and spent most of it) and walked away with 100K and thought I was the richest man in the world, lol.
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I remember the room. The first thing I noticed when I walked in the room were the bullet holes in the trash receptacle. You played everyone who walked through the door except for me. You were not around. Probably better for me.
 
Bob Jewett said:
They were within a couple of blocks of each other when I knew them. They both had windows to Market Street, but Cochran's entrance was on Golden Gate.

Cochran's was taken over by Tony Annigoni and partners after they had taken over and then closed Palace Billiards. I believe Cochran's was rechristened "The Cue Club" and may have turned into Hollywood Billiards later. It now seems to have been turned into residential space, judging from Street View.
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Cochrane's had been closed for a decade or two by the time Annigoni and his partners, including Paul Brienza, opened the Q Club. Somehow Annigoni secured many of the ancient Brunswicks from the Palace, including 2 billiards tables and a 5x10, and a tough Snooker table, rounded out with some decent Rebcos. The room was stylishly adorned by two of the giant oil paintings spirited out of the Palace, along with a couple dozen large format Belle Epoque advertising posters. The lighting in the room was subdued, mostly provided by the 3 lights over each table. It remained the Q Club for only a couple of years before the partnership fell apart (lots of stories there) and it was sold to Jeff Bey, of LA's Hollywood Billiards, and he owned it for the next 4-5 years until he sold it to somebody who really wanted to own a nightclub, not a pool hall, and that was that.


For my money, it was the perfect pool room. For a few years, there was action almost every night, sometimes big action. Filipino Gene, when he wasn't 86'd temporarily, was there every night so there was always something going on. Keith McCready made it his ground zero for a year or so, and everybody from all over the country came by. All the Filipinos, including Luat, Efren, Santos, Jose and Andam came to gamble. Bucktooth. Cole Dickson was there a lot. Billy Cress. Shannon Daulton came through before anyone knew who he was. Ronnie Allen and Jim Mataya came to see Cole a few times. Mike Zimmerman. Dave Piona hung out. Billy Palmer was a regular. Hahn Chung and Delbert Wong came in often. Chris MacDonald put in his time there. Nine Ball Paul was still pushing the balls around. Rusty Jones was still ready and willing to bet it up with anyone. Eddie the Mexican billiards player with the sweetest stroke I've ever seen. Other old timers like Trees, Go Away Kid (Jesse), Youngblood. And dozens of short stops who had the chance if they had the courage and bankroll to get down with the stars. The place stayed open all night, and you might find 10 tables humming at 4 in the morning. If you stayed that late, the exotic dancers and their friends from the strip club downstairs would come up to chill out. Fantastic juke box, thanks to Tony A, filled with blues and jazz and no metal or country or top-40, and never too loud. For a moment in time, it was the best room in the world.
 
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Frank’s Billiards, in Detroit. They had 8-footers, 9-Footers, and two 10-Footers. All Great Brunswick Tables. Many great Players came through there to gamble, over the years, and always some action going on, but pretty safe. There was another poolroom nearby, in Dearborn,Michigan. On West Warren, near Schaefer. I saw Cornbread Red, when he was older, get beat unmercifully by a Young Alex P. And Corey Deuel, when they were traveling on the Road. There was a Player named Miami, who used to gamble pretty Sporty, and he would offer to play you One-Handed, and could even Bank One-handed. I even saw Miami play One-Pocket One-handed. Bugs and John McHenry used to come through these two Rooms, too. However, nothing could touch The Rack. I believe that more money was won and lost in there, with more Big Games, than any Poolroom ever, according to the Guys that we’re Regulars, and travelers!
 
Country Club USA Chelmsford MA
World Class Billiards Peabody MA
Country Cue Peabody MA
 
tobermory2 said:
Cochrane's had been closed for a decade or two by the time Annigoni and his partners, including Paul Brienza, opened the Q Club. Somehow Annigoni secured many of the ancient Brunswicks from the Palace, including 2 billiards tables and a 5x10, and a tough Snooker table, rounded out with some decent Rebcos. The room was stylishly adorned by two of the giant oil paintings spirited out of the Palace, along with a couple dozen large format Belle Epoque advertising posters. The lighting in the room was subdued, mostly provided by the 3 lights over each table. It remained the Q Club for only a couple of years before the partnership fell apart (lots of stories there) and it was sold to Jeff Bey, of LA's Hollywood Billiards, and he owned it for the next 4-5 years until he sold it to somebody who really wanted to own a nightclub, not a pool hall, and that was that.


For my money, it was the perfect pool room. For a few years, there was action almost every night, sometimes big action. Filipino Gene, when he wasn't 86'd temporarily, was there every night so there was always something going on. Keith McCready made it his ground zero for a year or so, and everybody from all over the country came by. All the Filipinos, including Luat, Efren, Santos, Jose and Andam came to gamble. Bucktooth. Cole Dickson was there a lot. Billy Cress. Shannon Daulton came through before anyone knew who he was. Ronnie Allen and Jim Mataya came to see Cole a few times. Mike Zimmerman. Dave Piona hung out. Billy Palmer was a regular. Hahn Chung and Delbert Wong came in often. Chris MacDonald put in his time there. Nine Ball Paul was still pushing the balls around. Rusty Jones was still ready and willing to bet it up with anyone. Eddie the Mexican billiards player with the sweetest stroke I've ever seen. Other old timers like Trees, Go Away Kid (Jesse), Youngblood. And dozens of short stops who had the chance if they had the courage and bankroll to get down with the stars. The place stayed open all night, and you might find 10 tables humming at 4 in the morning. If you stayed that late, the exotic dancers and their friends from the strip club downstairs would come up to chill out. Fantastic juke box, thanks to Tony A, filled with blues and jazz and no metal or country or top-40, and never too loud. For a moment in time, it was the best room in the world.
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Does Billy Palmer still play? I've got a great video of him beating Efren at DCC from about 12yrs ago. Smart, patient player.
 
Candyland

Candyland, Cohoes NY. Past owner Ralph Passeretti. 60's-70's, Peak of pool halls attendance. Pool, ping pong, darts, food. Weekends packed. Book most sports. Sports pools. AC. In City, on bus line every 20 min.
 
The biggest gamblin room on the east coast ( except for the rack in Detroit ).
The Jack & Jill cue club ( the original one off of 4 mile run ). Owned by
Bill 'weenie beenie' Staton. We just called it 'Beenies' !
24/7 365. Never closed. Don't think there was a lock on the front door.lol
Opened in 67' I believe ( didn't go there until 69' ) , closed in 1980.
What a place
The 'golden age of pool' !
If I hit the lottery , I'm Bring it back !
 
The Cotton Bowling Palace in Dallas

This was the best pool room I ever saw
There was action ,there were characters
There were gangsters

Come to think of it,it might be safer for
 
Eo's in Salt Lake City. There are very few good places to shoot in Utah.
 
Closed poolhalls

If I could have one pool hall reopened , with all the tournaments and action like it was back In the day . it would be Red's in Houston:)
 
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