Pocket vs. Pocketless table?

T

TampaBay

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I am new to this forum....
I came here form Asia where Carom billiards is very common. I like it so much, but when I come to this country, I can't find a bar with carom table. they all pocket tables.
Is it too hard to play 3-cushions? I found out that 9 balls (pockets) game is too boring. After a few minutes, all the ball will hit to the pockets then you start over again.... I think it is boring that is why lots of tables are for sale after couple years of owning it. Lots of friends have table for sale because they play it a lot in the first few months, then... once a month...then once a party... then...you want to get it of it to have more space.
I play 3-cushions after so many years and still attract to it and want to have my own table at home to practice some tricks....
I think you guys should try out Carom Billiards.
 
TampaBay said:
I am new to this forum....
I came here form Asia where Carom billiards is very common. I like it so much, but when I come to this country, I can't find a bar with carom table. they all pocket tables.
Is it too hard to play 3-cushions? I found out that 9 balls (pockets) game is too boring. After a few minutes, all the ball will hit to the pockets then you start over again.... I think it is boring that is why lots of tables are for sale after couple years of owning it. Lots of friends have table for sale because they play it a lot in the first few months, then... once a month...then once a party... then...you want to get it of it to have more space.
I play 3-cushions after so many years and still attract to it and want to have my own table at home to practice some tricks....
I think you guys should try out Carom Billiards.
Click to expand...

You are right but....

Nobody wants to learn the game... it takes much skill to be able to play with any success. They are so large that most pool establishments won't put one in because they could fit in a couple 7 ft tables and thereby increase their income. People wouldn't play on the 3 cushion table very much because they don't have the skills required and would not be able to do so with any success, so the room owner would lose income by having the table there.

It ain't goin to happen. Economics would let it.
 
TampaBay said:
I am new to this forum....
I came here form Asia where Carom billiards is very common. I like it so much, but when I come to this country, I can't find a bar with carom table. they all pocket tables.
Is it too hard to play 3-cushions? I found out that 9 balls (pockets) game is too boring. After a few minutes, all the ball will hit to the pockets then you start over again.... I think it is boring that is why lots of tables are for sale after couple years of owning it. Lots of friends have table for sale because they play it a lot in the first few months, then... once a month...then once a party... then...you want to get it of it to have more space.
I play 3-cushions after so many years and still attract to it and want to have my own table at home to practice some tricks....
I think you guys should try out Carom Billiards.
Click to expand...

i don't agree that pocket billiards is more boring than carom billiards at all. on the contrary, there are allot of different games that can be played on a pocket table that attract different levels of skill plus i think, for the general player, there's a much greater chance of thinking you've accomplished something when you pocket a ball or two or three ect.... i've played billiards as long as i've played pool and it's rewarding and fun to me but for the general player "pool" gives many more avenues to explore and a potential for greater rewards faster imo.
 
I guess that depends on where you are. In my area, almost all poolrooms have at least 2 carom tables, some have half the total number of their tables. There's even 1 close by that doesn't have pocket tables, all carom tables.
 
You're looking in the wrong place if you are going to a bar to look for a carom table. 99.99% of the time they will be in a pool/billiard hall. I can't say that no bar has a carom table, but I can say I've never seen or heard of one.
 
The game is not popular in the US, but there are areas where it is going OK I think. I like it but don't get to play it much since where I am I have found one table within two hours drive.
 
If you are from Tampa there are carom tables all over. There was a Oriental pool room on Waters, and another on Armenia. In Seminole there is CM Lees. He has one Chevillote 9 ft. Over on 4th St in St. Petersburg they have one also. You just need to get around. Enjoy.
 
3-cushion looks really difficult. How do you even begin to learn the game? In pocket billiards, you can pick it up right away and at least try to make shots, if not worrying about position. In 3C, I would hardly know where to begin to see those patterns. Do most players come from other games first?
 
I know that it is difficult to find billiards tables in the western US. My recommendation to anyone that wants to find one in their town is to join the Eagles Club... or maybe the Elks Club. I know they still have 3-cushion tables at many locations.
 
carom sucks and its boring as hell. unless of course i am watching jaspers against blomdahl or semih sayginer doing his show.
 
TampaBay said:
I am new to this forum....
I came here form Asia where Carom billiards is very common. I like it so much, but when I come to this country, I can't find a bar with carom table. they all pocket tables.
Is it too hard to play 3-cushions? I found out that 9 balls (pockets) game is too boring. After a few minutes, all the ball will hit to the pockets then you start over again.... I think it is boring that is why lots of tables are for sale after couple years of owning it. Lots of friends have table for sale because they play it a lot in the first few months, then... once a month...then once a party... then...you want to get it of it to have more space.
I play 3-cushions after so many years and still attract to it and want to have my own table at home to practice some tricks....
I think you guys should try out Carom Billiards.
Click to expand...
Try here.
http://www.usbilliardassn.org/html/florida.html
 
berberov said:
carom sucks and its boring as hell. unless of course i am watching jaspers against blomdahl or semih sayginer doing his show.
Click to expand...

It's a matter of taste, I guess. I love to play 3C and don't find it boring at all. I think it's beautiful.

But I find watching Jaspers against Blomdahl to be really discouraging. Their level of skill and accuracy is so amazing that I can't even imagine playing like them. I can imagine playing like Efren - not that I do, of course, but I can at least imagine it. I can't even fantasize playing like Blomdahl. Every time I watch the Europeans play 3C I shake my head in wonder. How is it possible to get so good at that game?
 
come on down

TampaBay said:
I am new to this forum....
I came here form Asia where Carom billiards is very common. I like it so much, but when I come to this country, I can't find a bar with carom table. they all pocket tables.
Is it too hard to play 3-cushions? I found out that 9 balls (pockets) game is too boring. After a few minutes, all the ball will hit to the pockets then you start over again.... I think it is boring that is why lots of tables are for sale after couple years of owning it. Lots of friends have table for sale because they play it a lot in the first few months, then... once a month...then once a party... then...you want to get it of it to have more space.
I play 3-cushions after so many years and still attract to it and want to have my own table at home to practice some tricks....
I think you guys should try out Carom Billiards.
Click to expand...
not sure where you live but if its the tampa area then come to Wallys in Lakeland we have a billiard table and several people to play the game with, including one of the owners who in his day owned a room in Rockford,IL and he used to have tournements that would draw the country's best! anyway come on over, if you're interested reply and i'll give you directions.....Wallys..1136 east main st,lakeland, fl 33801
 
TampaBay said:
I am new to this forum....
I came here form Asia where Carom billiards is very common. I like it so much, but when I come to this country, I can't find a bar with carom table. they all pocket tables.
Is it too hard to play 3-cushions? I found out that 9 balls (pockets) game is too boring. After a few minutes, all the ball will hit to the pockets then you start over again.... I think it is boring that is why lots of tables are for sale after couple years of owning it. Lots of friends have table for sale because they play it a lot in the first few months, then... once a month...then once a party... then...you want to get it of it to have more space.
I play 3-cushions after so many years and still attract to it and want to have my own table at home to practice some tricks....
I think you guys should try out Carom Billiards.
Click to expand...

Hard to believe that Americans once dominated caroms, isn't it? It slowly died out here, and the last American-born world champion was Harold Worst, I think in 1953 or 1954. The late Sang Lee won the world championship once in the 90's, but he learned the game in Korea.

Why did it die out? Well, there's no money in it, so talented players don't focus on it - they stick to pool. But that's not really an answer - why isn't there money in it? Because few people play it and only people who play the game are interested in watching it. But that's no answer either - why do so few play it? Maybe for the same reason not many Americans play chess - it takes too much of an investment to become a good player.

Any other thoughts?
 
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Rich93 said:
Hard to believe that Americans once dominated caroms, isn't it? It slowly died out here, and the last American-born world champion was Harold Worst, I think in 1953 or 1954. The late Sang Lee won the world championship once in the 90's, but he learned the game in Korea.

Why did it die out? Well, there's no money in it, so talented players don't focus on it - they stick to pool. But that's not really an answer - why isn't there money in it? Because few people play it and only people who play the game are interested in watching it. But that's no answer either - why do so few play it? Maybe for the same reason not many Americans play chess - it takes too much of an investment to become a good player.

Any other thoughts?
Click to expand...

I am not sure why 3C has died in this country. IMO it is still the greatest cue game.

Here in Worst's home town in 1965, when I first started playing, 3C was still big with many good players to learn from. And the good players were always willing to help a newbie without trying rob him. I've often heard 3C referred to as the "gentleman's game" and I still believe that to be true.

TampaBay good luck finding a place to play.

Steve
 
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sde said:
I am not sure why 3C has died in this country. IMO it is still the greatest cue game.

Here in Worst's home town in 1965, when I first started playing, 3C was still big with many good players to learn from. And the good players were always willing to help a newbie without trying rob him. I've often heard 3C referred to as the "gentleman's game" and I still believe that to be true.

TampaBay good luck finding a place to play.

Steve
Click to expand...

I too have always found 3C players willing to help.
 
Tampa is trying to start something here so I'll take the bait

berberov is correct

Any form of billiards can be very boring to watch, Carom is BY FAR the most
boring of all of em and a terrific cure for insomnia

furthermore, carom players are SECOND RATE cue artists, ANY top nine ball
or snooker player could smoke them at 3C with very little practice

Like any cuesport, there are a couple 3C guys that could compete with the real cue artists

Finally, if you want to play carom so bady, either buy a carom tablem or if you're broke buy a used 7 footer and some pocket inserts
 
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