Owning your own table.

[SSDiver2112]

Guys who play on bar leagues, how do you get in the amount of practice required to improve your game? Seems like it is hard to just go in a bar and practice on the table.

As stated above I have one location I can go to just practice drills and stuff. If I play at my bar then it’s a buck to play and if I can win the table they pay till I lose. Sunday is open table so it’s free all day.

 

[mrpiper]

I have found that most people eventually get what they most want. New car? Big house? Pool Table? If you look around your life, you can see what your real priorities are. For reasons mentioned above, a pool table is a priority for me. I am extremely busy. Have VERY little free time and work very long hours. I do a lot of work from home and have for many years. I can't join a league or find time for hardly any hobbies, but I can take 15 or 20 minutes of a break and play pool on a professional grade table with top tier balls and a very professional cue. As I am looking toward retirement in the next several years, my wife and I have already talked of downsizing. We both agree that downsizing is limited by the ability to fit a pool table in the house.

I am thankful for the ability to have a table at home. For me, it's therapy.

 

[middleofnowhere]

And expensive. Most tables around here are $1.25 or $1.50 per game.

It certainly easier to fit a bar table in a home as well as a lot easier to move.

 

[Black-Balled]

George Fels -- a longtime and well beloved monthly columnist for Billiards Digest -- had a home table for many years, and I've always loved his supremely on target, published comment on that exact point:

"Nothing in the world beats the sheer pleasure of running racks of Straight Pool . . . . playing barefoot, in your underwear, at 2 o'clock in the morning."

George characteristically -- and with his ad-man background showing -- beautifully captured the imagery and exhilarating *feeling* of an experience that many of us who've had a home table know so well..

Arnaldo

Though one must admit that when he's tested by an opponent and really needs to pull all the stops...people get all weird at the pool room when you take your pants and shoes and socks off.

There's a dark side.

 

[Black-Balled]

I think David said it best, when you are married, like it or not, it isn't always just about enough room. Fortunatly for me, I have a wife that loves pool, but still had to make a compromise on my last table purchase, a Diamond professional cherry finish. I wanted a prc finish for long lasting durability, wife wasn't agreeing on that and liked the wood look, needless to say we got a cherry finish maple wood diamond professional. One of the prettiest looking tables I have ever seen, just have to be a little more carefull with it. I do not allow any jumping of balls on it.

Those cherry diamonds are my favorites. If I ever get rid of my gc4, I'd like to have one of those.

 

[FairladyZ]

Had a 9ft GC2 since 2013. My only regret is not being able to play as much as I want.

 

[MmmSharp]

George Fels -- a longtime and well beloved monthly columnist for Billiards Digest -- had a home table for many years, and I've always loved his supremely on target, published comment on that exact point:

"Nothing in the world beats the sheer pleasure of running racks of Straight Pool . . . . playing barefoot, in your underwear, at 2 o'clock in the morning."

George characteristically -- and with his ad-man background showing -- beautifully captured the imagery and exhilarating *feeling* of an experience that many of us who've had a home table know so well..

Arnaldo

You mean you actually wear pants at your hall ?

 

[Nyquil]

I think owning your own table is def worth it if you have the space and you play frequently. You can find used tables for cheap on local ad's just need to be patient for the right one if you don't want to buy a new table. I can play whatever time of night I want. I don't have to worry about drunk people knocking my stuff over and it's quiet. Downside for me is I play by myself most of the time since my wife isn't into the game. That's the only thing I miss about the pool hall scene.

 

[soyale]

I think owning your own table is def worth it if you have the space and you play frequently. You can find used tables for cheap on local ad's just need to be patient for the right one if you don't want to buy a new table. I can play whatever time of night I want. I don't have to worry about drunk people knocking my stuff over and it's quiet. Downside for me is I play by myself most of the time since my wife isn't into the game. That's the only thing I miss about the pool hall scene.

There needs to be a resource for guys like you and guys like me to link up and play games.

The caveat is said resource would need some way to weed out all the weird people you might not necessarily want in your home haha

 

[arnaldo]

Those cherry diamonds are my favorites. If I ever get rid of my gc4, I'd like to have one of those.

I love this "Professional Series" Diamond -- a maple one with a stunning rosewood stain.

Arnaldo ~ (Not at all shilling for Manning. I just admire beautiful-looking tables.) And the home rec room is easy on the eyes as well.

 

[SlateMan]

There needs to be a resource for guys like you and guys like me to link up and play games.

The caveat is said resource would need some way to weed out all the weird people you might not necessarily want in your home haha

Count me in. One question though....if you are from Denver and you "weed out" someone, are they gone or high? lol

 

[Nyquil]

There needs to be a resource for guys like you and guys like me to link up and play games.

The caveat is said resource would need some way to weed out all the weird people you might not necessarily want in your home haha

Agreed man. Quite a few people on AZ have solid tables to play on/all the equipment and we are playing solo at times, which is a bummer.

 

[justnum]

The challenge with a home table is developing the wrong habits.

 

[buckshotshoey]

Yea but where is he going to eat and kick up his feet with a big ass table taking over the damn apartment?

If you dont have a wife to bitch about it, who cares? Hell, you can eat and kick up your feet in your car if you have to! I mean come on, wherw are your priorities man?

 

[buckshotshoey]

Usually be people who have no room nearby. I'm 10minutes from a 17,000sq.ft. spot with 10 nice GC4's and 3 Diamonds at 4bux/hr. Why would i ever own a table?

Then you are the lucky exception. Nearest 9 foot to me is 30 miles.

 

[buckshotshoey]

i support your enthusiasm and agree that if you want it, you have to reach out and take it, but come on man.

I was born in 89. I was 19 in 2008 when the housing market crashed and we lost our home. I had been playing 6-8 hours a day at that point and was FINALLY starting to break and run 8 and 9 ball racks. By 2009 i was lucky to come up with quarters to play bar pool once a month and couldn't shoot a barn door.

You might want to rethink your “no excuses” approach to this. Having enough room to play is just one barrier.

Lets say we are looking to buy a $100 three piece slate 7 foot furniture table off craigslist. What if you dont have a car to go pick it up? What if you work 60 hours a week, are you supposed to take time off to go get this thing, or pay a guy $400 to do it for you? Okay so i spent the $500 and got the table moved into my third floor low income studio housing, now i have to burn everything i own to make room for this table’s long rail to be pushed up next to my refrigerator. This isnt a problem because i cant afford to eat.

But at least i can do drills by myself!

kidding aside, i appreciate what you’re trying to say and i will stick it in my pocket for later, because i AM one of those weirdos that desperately wants a table at home. I’m 32 now and im not sure if i will ever be as good as i was when i was 19 but i’m damn sure going to try!

I feel ya brother. I was there too. Keep plugging away. You can get there. Remember that no man is more free then one that has nothing to lose. Maybe a move to a different area?

 

[buckshotshoey]

I think owning your own table is def worth it if you have the space and you play frequently. You can find used tables for cheap on local ad's just need to be patient for the right one if you don't want to buy a new table. I can play whatever time of night I want. I don't have to worry about drunk people knocking my stuff over and it's quiet. Downside for me is I play by myself most of the time since my wife isn't into the game. That's the only thing I miss about the pool hall scene.

I've been playing with myself for so long I don't give it a second thought anymore!

 

[Thunder Thighs]

I have found that most people eventually get what they most want. New car? Big house? Pool Table? If you look around your life, you can see what your real priorities are. For reasons mentioned above, a pool table is a priority for me. I am extremely busy. Have VERY little free time and work very long hours. I do a lot of work from home and have for many years. I can't join a league or find time for hardly any hobbies, but I can take 15 or 20 minutes of a break and play pool on a professional grade table with top tier balls and a very professional cue. As I am looking toward retirement in the next several years, my wife and I have already talked of downsizing. We both agree that downsizing is limited by the ability to fit a pool table in the house.

I am thankful for the ability to have a table at home. For me, it's therapy.

With the utmost respect, I think you should take your own advice and see what your real priorities are. Looks like you do work a lot, maybe too much so that life is passing you by.

 

[Thunder Thighs]

Downside for me is I play by myself most of the time since my wife isn't into the game.

Now this is a quote for married men all over the world

 

[KRJ]

Even a cheap isn't exactly cheap. And not all places have room for a pool table. So lack of funds and lack of room are likely the main two reasons why many players don't have their own table.

I had a barbox for 5 years in a garage. I paid $500 for it. When I landed a better paying job I traded that barbox plus $2000 for a 9ft Brunswick and it lived in my garage for 5 years before my wife and I decide to move. She had a whole list of things she was looking for in a new house. All I was looking for was a place with a rec room where I could fit my old Brunswick table. We found the place.

16 years later I lost my wife to cancer and found it too heartbreaking to stay in that house any longer without her. So I bought another house, a smaller place, but with a decent size rec room. This was about 3 years ago. But I also have a library of about 4000 books, and all those books plus a 9ft table would've been too tight in my new house. So I sold that old Brunswick, a 1924 Brunswick Madison, and bought an 8ft Diamond from a friend.

The 2 month transition from one house to the other, from selling a table and buying another table, was the longest I had gone in 26 years without having a pool table in the home. Those who are really serious about the game find a way to get a table into their home if they want it.

I'm in your position right now. Moving out of state this weekend. Sold my Diamond months ago, when I get to the new house, will have to start looking for a pool table, but I might be waiting longer than I thought.