Pool Hall Activism By Email

justnum

Billiards Improvement Research Projects Associate
Silver Member
From a pool hall that has been closed nearing six months

Amsterdam Billiards Instagram

Amsterdam Billiards is where I witnessed Mike Massey stack billiard balls. And it was a free event.


Last March 16, all billiard clubs in New York City were closed due to Covid-19. Five months later, we are one of the few industries that has still not been allowed to re-open.
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Please take 1 minute and email @NYGovCuomo and ask him to allow billiard clubs to re-open in New York City. Just go to http://governor.ny.gov/contact (also in our bio) and fill out your contact info. Choose a category (Jobs), and then cut and paste the paragraph below into the "Message" Box. It takes 1 minute. Please - if you can - do this TODAY.

copy this part
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Governor Cuomo: There are 24 billiard clubs in New York City with almost 1,000 employees. You just allowed bowling alleys to re-open. What about billiard clubs? We both offer similar indoor entertainment. We both easily allow for social distancing and the wearing of masks. Please allow our employees to go back to work again! Thank you!
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Help spread the word to everyone you know who cares about saving small businesses in NYC. Thank you ��
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Best,
Amsterdam Billiards Management
 

mikemosconi

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Even if they open the rooms in NYC- they will need some more stimulus checks in the hands of the unemployed to pay NYC pool hall rates. I play at Amsterdam and East side in NYC when I visit my sons there- they charge $8 to $12 an hour PER PERSON- for the 3 of us I shell out around $35 an hour to play- just insane.
 

u12armresl

One Pocket back cutter
Silver Member
What are typical games for with those hourly rates?

Races to 5 for $50
One pocket wouldn't seem to be anything under $40 a game just to bang around.

Even if they open the rooms in NYC- they will need some more stimulus checks in the hands of the unemployed to pay NYC pool hall rates. I play at Amsterdam and East side in NYC when I visit my sons there- they charge $8 to $12 an hour PER PERSON- for the 3 of us I shell out around $35 an hour to play- just insane.
 

mikemosconi

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
What are typical games for with those hourly rates?

Races to 5 for $50
One pocket wouldn't seem to be anything under $40 a game just to bang around.

Well I don't know- I don't gamble with my own sons- but a good point- At around $24 hour for 2 players - that would have to be figured into the gambling stakes!
 

ShootingHank

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
That’s a well known room.

Another bites the dust.

It sucks because last on the list to open are pool rooms.
 

sjm

Older and Wiser
Silver Member
Even if they open the rooms in NYC- they will need some more stimulus checks in the hands of the unemployed to pay NYC pool hall rates. I play at Amsterdam and East side in NYC when I visit my sons there- they charge $8 to $12 an hour PER PERSON- for the 3 of us I shell out around $35 an hour to play- just insane.

Beg to differ. I live just two blocks from Amsterdam Billiards.

Unless the financial stress caused by the pandemic is more than they can handle at Amsterdam, I'm sure Amsterdam will be enormously successful when they reopen, for a few reasons:

a) best poolroom management team in New York
b) the biggest leagues in all of America, perhaps 5,000 players, and six league nights a week, ensuring a winning business model
c) a location in East Greenwich Village that gives the room easy access to a fairly affluent demographic
d) a very large bar that gets very, very crowded on the weekend

The rebound may not be instantaneous, but this well run business will thrive in the aftermath of Corona.
 

Bavafongoul

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Any NYC business that is going to be 7-8 months in rent arrears is going to be financially challenged.
And when they do reopen and who knows when, they will not operate at 100% capacity, plus their rates
will likely rise due to greatly increased sanitization costs, employee testing and general cleaning supplies.
No business is immune to failure and look at how many have already filed bankruptcy protection or ended.
Hopefully, for the sake of pool, Amsterdam & other parlors ultimately survive but there will be less of them.
 

justnum

Billiards Improvement Research Projects Associate
Silver Member
This is why I suggest activism.

The only people to advocate for the billiard community should be the billiard community.

It starts by asking. Do people think it can change? Someone has to be loud about it because no one else will.

Are the numbers there? Or is the billiard community smaller than people that use Twitter.

Any NYC business that is going to be 7-8 months in rent arrears is going to be financially challenged.
And when they do reopen and who knows when, they will not operate at 100% capacity, plus their rates
will likely rise due to greatly increased sanitization costs, employee testing and general cleaning supplies.
No business is immune to failure and look at how many have already filed bankruptcy protection or ended.
Hopefully, for the sake of pool, Amsterdam & other parlors ultimately survive but there will be less of them.
 

ShootingHank

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
This is why I suggest activism.

The only people to advocate for the billiard community should be the billiard community.

It starts by asking. Do people think it can change? Someone has to be loud about it because no one else will.

Are the numbers there? Or is the billiard community smaller than people that use Twitter.

Only the billiard owners can fight for themselves.

We’re only customers. Look at the hair salons fighting to stay open. They were allowed to.
 

justnum

Billiards Improvement Research Projects Associate
Silver Member
Only the billiard owners can fight for themselves.

We’re only customers. Look at the hair salons fighting to stay open. They were allowed to.

I pay money at the pool hall.

If I have to send an email to support the pool hall outside of the room, I think it is reasonable.

Are you supporting the billiard community?
 

VarmintKong

Cannonball comin’!
However, if you install some of our state run Keno machines, the powers that be would be happy to let you serve food and alchohol while degenerates gamble away their social security checks. Just keep the tables covered because they’re a nuisance and regardless of Covid, River City has all the trouble it needs already.
 

mikemosconi

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Beg to differ. I live just two blocks from Amsterdam Billiards.

Unless the financial stress caused by the pandemic is more than they can handle at Amsterdam, I'm sure Amsterdam will be enormously successful when they reopen, for a few reasons:

a) best poolroom management team in New York
b) the biggest leagues in all of America, perhaps 5,000 players, and six league nights a week, ensuring a winning business model
c) a location in East Greenwich Village that gives the room easy access to a fairly affluent demographic
d) a very large bar that gets very, very crowded on the weekend

The rebound may not be instantaneous, but this well run business will thrive in the aftermath of Corona.

I am not saying it will not reopen and be a thriving business- i am fairly sure that it will reopen. Of course there are many people who will shell out the money to go there- just commenting on the high cost of playing in SOME NYC rooms- when I visit there and play with my two sons who are based in NYC I am laying out usually $30+ per hour during the daytime for ONE table!

The nicest room here in SW Florida- Diamonds- is TOTALLY FREE table time with NO drink minimum for daytime play- well maintained Diamonds- but RED Labels- still- what a difference a state makes!
 

Scott Lee

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
mikemosconi...$30/hr?...with drinks maybe! I call BS on that table rate. Amsterdam's table rate is $18/hr...certainly among the highest rates for table time in the nation, but nowhere near the inflated price you quoted. EVERYTHING costs more in NYC...your sons will attest to that. Good luck finding free table time in NYC! You've already posted about Diamonds in Cape Coral...older equipment, not kept up. You get what you pay for!

Scott Lee
2019 PBIA Instructor of the Year
Director, SPF National Pool School Tour

I am not saying it will not reopen and be a thriving business- i am fairly sure that it will reopen. Of course there are many people who will shell out the money to go there- just commenting on the high cost of playing in SOME NYC rooms- when I visit there and play with my two sons who are based in NYC I am laying out usually $30+ per hour during the daytime for ONE table!

The nicest room here in SW Florida- Diamonds- is TOTALLY FREE table time with NO drink minimum for daytime play- well maintained Diamonds- but RED Labels- still- what a difference a state makes!
 
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