Pool halls

[vincett]

I was looking into opening a pool hall. But it appears that the population that play pools are mainly into 7 foot tables and not 9 foot tables. I wonder why only matchroom and predator host 9 foot table competitions. I also just realized that pro players are mostly 9 foot and league players are all 7 foots. This explains a lot as of why most large events in the USA are on 7 foots.

So then, as a pro player, you can practice at home. But how could you track your Fargo rate accurately if you cant compete against others on proper 9 foot table pool hall ?

 

[Willymakaball]

Get 2 , 7footers 3, 9footers 1, 10footer just like the hall I learned in, Archie Moore loved bank pool, always played him ,golf on the 10footer.

 

[David in FL]

I was looking into opening a pool hall. But it appears that the population that play pools are mainly into 7 foot tables and not 9 foot tables. I wonder why only matchroom and predator host 9 foot table competitions. I also just realized that pro players are mostly 9 foot and league players are all 7 foots. This explains a lot as of why most large events in the USA are on 7 foots.

So then, as a pro player, you can practice at home. But how could you track your Fargo rate accurately if you cant compete against others on proper 9 foot table pool hall ?

Fargo doesn't recognize any difference between games played on a 9' table vs those played on a 7'...

 

[vincett]

Fargo doesn't recognize any difference between games played on a 9' table vs those played on a 7'...

And that is where it is so wrong, a dominant 9 foot players are more likely to also dominant on a 7 footer.

Get 2 , 7footers 3, 9footers 1, 10footer just like the hall I learned in, Archie Moore loved bank pool, always played him ,golf on the 10footer.

So more 7 footer than 9 ?

 

[Willymakaball]

I

And that is where it is so wrong, a dominant 9 foot players are more likely to also dominant on a 7 footer.

So more 7 footer than 9 ?

The 7 footers only need 2 to run a weekly bar table tourney, once they have a 9 footer to play on you get them hooked for practice, paying by the hour verse change per game. Could offer monthly club rate for 9footers say 100 buck for unlimited 12 to 6pm.they buy food,drinks just my 2 cent.

 

[The Old Jaybird]

my mentor felt that a 7 foot table was just as tough as a nine, because the balls were the same size but the table smaller so they occupied a greater percentage of the table area. granted shots aren't as long, but the ease of snookering/playing defense was greater on a bar box.

 

[vincett]

I

The 7 footers only need 2 to run a weekly bar table tourney, once they have a 9 footer to play on you get them hooked for practice, paying by the hour verse change per game. Could offer monthly club rate for 9footers say 100 buck for unlimited 12 to 6pm.they buy food,drinks just my 2 cent.

I actually rarely see people pay to practice on 9 footers, given that most of leagues and tourneys are on 7 footers. I casually see some people playing on 9 footers here and there. But unless 7 footers are all camped out, otherwise, I rarely see people rent out 9'

 

[RidgeRaider]

my mentor felt that a 7 foot table was just as tough as a nine, because the balls were the same size but the table smaller so they occupied a greater percentage of the table area. granted shots aren't as long, but the ease of snookering/playing defense was greater on a bar box.

I play a lot on bar boxes, and occasionally on 9ft tables when I can.

I'd say for the amateur, a 9ft table is daunting and kills their confidence in their shot making, so it winds up being a much harder table for them. The crowding of a 7ft foot table isn't a problem for them yet, their skills aren't there for it to matter.


I noticed for myself the 9ft tables became easier to manage when I got confident in my shot making. Turns out, if you can pocket a ball from 6.5ft away, you can also make that same ball 8.5ft away, nothing changes except the perception in your mind. Once the anxiety of the table being a little longer was gone, it felt like I had room to breathe and open my stroke. I find myself running out more because I am getting better leaves even if my positions aren't spot on. Coming across a shot line on a 9ft table gives you a lot more room for error than a 7ft table. I also noticed I can really get a consistent good spread on the break which leads to more break and runs. On a 7ft table, unless I find the perfect break speed, the balls always find some groups or die on a rail because of how many times the balls hit eachother and the rails. It's like a bad pinball machine. I've experimented with soft breaks on diamond 7ft tables, and I've never been able to consistently pocket a ball and get a good spread. It feels like I am either getting a good spread with no balls dropped, and my opponent runs out, or I smash it and pocket a few but have some problems. I don't have half as many of those breaks on 9ft tables where I can let it out and not have problems.

Now days, I just get my ass kicked on 7ft and 9ft tables, but mainly play 7ft tables cause there's very few 9fters around, and all my leagues play 7ft.

If I ever have a home with enough room, getting a 9ft no doubt.

 

[vincett]

I play a lot on bar boxes, and occasionally on 9ft tables when I can.

I'd say for the amateur, a 9ft table is daunting and kills their confidence in their shot making, so it winds up being a much harder table for them. The crowding of a 7ft foot table isn't a problem for them yet, their skills aren't there for it to matter.


I noticed for myself the 9ft tables became easier to manage when I got confident in my shot making. Turns out, if you can pocket a ball from 6.5ft away, you can also make that same ball 8.5ft away, nothing changes except the perception in your mind. Once the anxiety of the table being a little longer was gone, it felt like I had room to breathe and open my stroke. I find myself running out more because I am getting better leaves even if my positions aren't spot on. Coming across a shot line on a 9ft table gives you a lot more room for error than a 7ft table. I also noticed I can really get a consistent good spread on the break which leads to more break and runs. On a 7ft table, unless I find the perfect break speed, the balls always find some groups or die on a rail because of how many times the balls hit eachother and the rails. It's like a bad pinball machine. I've experimented with soft breaks on diamond 7ft tables, and I've never been able to consistently pocket a ball and get a good spread. It feels like I am either getting a good spread with no balls dropped, and my opponent runs out, or I smash it and pocket a few but have some problems. I don't have half as many of those breaks on 9ft tables where I can let it out and not have problems.

Now days, I just get my ass kicked on 7ft and 9ft tables, but mainly play 7ft tables cause there's very few 9fters around, and all my leagues play 7ft.

If I ever have a home with enough room, getting a 9ft no doubt.

What about a pool hall ? Would you play or pay for a 7' or 9' ? What majority people would be comfortable on ? Possibly 7' ?

 

[RidgeRaider]

What about a pool hall ? Would you play or pay for a 7' or 9' ? What majority people would be comfortable on ? Possibly 7' ?

If it's a good 9ft, I'd rather play on a 9ft all day. But, it's gotta be a good table. I'll take a 7ft diamond over a poorly set up Olhausen 9ft any day.

There's a place not close but close enough I go once in a while, they have some GC3 9ft that play like absolute dreams. Actually had the pros on those tables many a times in the 90s and 2000s.

The place close to me with 9ft olhausens, painful to play on so I choose the diamonds.

 

[Pierre Shakes]

I had a mix in my 25 table room of: 10/8’s, 13/9’s, 2/10’s & 2/12’s.Then I realized that the computer system kept track of the $ spent on each table. So I selected the last two years when tables were in the same places.

The 9’s generated the most money The 10’s & 12’s were next. Then the 8’s. And last was the one 7’. I was gobsmacked. I had always presumed that lesser players would choose the easier 8-foot tables. But that was demonstrably not so - they wanted the ‘real' tables. God bless ‘em, they are so right. That is what Brunswick created around 1845 and it has been the choice of pro players since.

So now I have 20 nines, only one oversize-8’ (in teak which I made myself), and 4 sevens (which fit between the columns). Tens and twelves are gone because they were standing empty when we have people wait-listed for the nines most nights.

Though the tables are almost all different styles/makers (except for seven Rassons in 4 styles) and I use maybe 15 colours of cloth (very cheerful) it is a very busy poolhall/bistro. The commissioned murals give you even more to look at. Most poolhalls wear a uniform.

You can see the Virtual Tour at PeacockBilliards.com.

 

[spktur]

I've got a good friend who has a successful long running room with six 9-footers and twelve oversized 8-footers. A year or two he decided he would swap the 8-footers for some 7s because the leagues are usually built around them. I suggested he might want to talk to his customers before he did that and he did. There was no one he asked who wanted to change, they prefered a more real table.