Sharpshooters has a handicapped Thurs night tournament. The rating system is done 4-15ish. 4 is someone that can run a few balls but cant really run out with ball in hand on the 5. Saez is an 11 or a 12. I think he a 12. I'm a 10 on the system and I don't think I like it against Rob getting 2 games in a race to 12. Neroexpress is a pal of mine who is pulling my chain a bit here.
From a local's perspective I can tell you that the Sharpshooters tournament is your best choice if you want to stay local. The thurs tourny has been having a hard time getting above 20 players recently. Last thurs they had 15. Tony Ruberto snapped it off FWIW. On the plus side, the tourny is done before midnight and they will have some good players. 4 weeks ago I played in it and they had 19 players...6 of them were 10s and there was a few 9s in it as well. They also have a 10 ball break and run contest where they draw the name of 1 player and that player gets a chance to break and run a 10 ball rack for the jackpot. Right now I think the jackpot is $150 and growing each week. The tournament takes .50 from each player for the jackpot and $1 from each entry towards a $1k added tournament they play about 2x a year. The rest of the entry money is paid back 100%. Single elimination, $15 entry and you can also enter in a $5 side pot, winner take all for that. The tables are all Gold Crown IIs with simonis.
Close the airport you have Doral Billiards. Its a new room with new Brunswick Metros and it has 3 or 4 heated 3 cushion billiard tables as well. The room has no tournament and no real pool players hang out there. Its more of a sports bar but I there are some of Miami's best 3 cushion players that play there (I think New Wave Billiards has the majority of the best 3 cushion players). This is a place to go if you just want to hit balls and dont need to have any competiton.
Here's my take on the other rooms sorta near by:
Bird Bowl: Mostly Gandy tables, they also have two nice GC2s up front near the desk with simonis. The old cuban guys gamble high in this room at the game Chicago. I think it mostly happens in the late afternoon if it happens at all. Very difficult for a stranger to come in and get played. You have to be known to them or they wont get up. This room is in a bowling alley. If you go, you have to go and eat at this Cuban sandwich shop located on the southwest corner of the building. Called Frita de la reyes I think. Try a Frita or a steak (pan con bistec) sandwich. The NUTS.
New Wave: Near the Florida Int'l U campus. Sorta halfway between the airport and Sharpshooters. Decent room with ok tables. Not alot of players and I think they hold an 8 ball tourney there. Im about positive its a B player tourny only and they bar the A/A+ and above players. Basically if your a stranger and you play well you might be able to get in but the vibe wont be good. Better to just go to sharpshooters. This room is the room to go to if you want to play 3c billiards. You can get action at that game here I would say.
I cannot recommend any other room in Miami that is near the airport.
Hollywood billiards is 30 miles to the north on an easy drive. Take the Florida turnpike straight north to hollywood blvd and the room is less than 1/2 mile from the off ramp. Their tournament is on tues night and it is the best weekly tournament in south florida by far. Monster John, Rob Melrose, Tony Ruberto are all regulars there. All the road action is there. The handicap system there is the same as at Sharpshooters, only here you will regulary see 8-12 players every week who are 10+ on the system. Margie, the owner who runs the tournament is very nice and very fair about the handicap system. I believe all strangers have to play at a min of an 8 and she will get input as the tournament goes on and might move you up or down some. I will say that first time players rarely take home the money as the handicap system is run in a way that protects the regulars from having champions sneak in and take the money their first visit to the room.
