Pool is dead

[Stew boo]

My local pool room has no action to speak of except for a monthly tournament. Road players are becoming scarce and the payouts for professional tournaments are a joke. Why has pool lost its popularity? My theory is that technology has made people lose interest in indoor hobbies. Although pool has had its ups and downs throughout the years for other reasons. What are your opinions for the cause of pools recent downfall?

 

[pt109]

Pool used to be a low cost recreation....now it’s not.
....many kids cannot afford the hours to hit balls.

 

[Stew boo]

I've noticed that, they charge 6 dollars an hour to play at my pool room and it's just a small town. That also makes it tough to make money when you're paying that much to play.

 

[Lawnboy77]

Talking about the cost to play... I'm 55 years old and when I was growing up in Kentucky (1970s) the local pool room charged .10 cents a stick per game (loser pays). Thinking back on that small town where any hint of gambling was a big no-no, I don't know how they got away with the loser paying rule, although none of us complained, nor did we even feel like that was gambling, and at .10 cents a cue per game it probably isn't. LOL On a side note, that place had the best Slaw burgers and the coldest Ski Colas. Those burgers and ice cold beverages were the money maker in that place. Nowadays I suppose there is just too much other stuff for kids to do. Most of the kids in my home town don't even go out and play Bball anymore. It's not just pool that has taken a hit.

 

[ShortBusRuss]

My local pool room has no action to speak of except for a monthly tournament. Road players are becoming scarce and the payouts for professional tournaments are a joke. Why has pool lost its popularity? My theory is that technology has made people lose interest in indoor hobbies. Although pool has had its ups and downs throughout the years for other reasons. What are your opinions for the cause of pools recent downfall?

Close.. What it basically comes down to is this:

Young males, once they hit puberty, beccome intensely competitive. We are mammals, and like all mammals, once we hit a certain age, we have an intense biological urge to "stake our claim" and gain territory. The way this is done with other mammals is by males all competing against each other, in.. Whatever.

Almost every sport/competitive hobby relies on this natural competitive urge. Young males begin competing as early as the particular game/sport allows them to.

Now... Because of rising rents, pool halls are expensive to run. So alcohol is almost a requirement. Which means young, aggressive, competitive males cannot compete in them until 21. MUCH too late to grow a competitive group.

These young, aggressive, competitive males are going to be biologically driven to compete at SOMETHING between the onset of puberty and 21... And so they are going to compete at the thing they can compete at with relatively small investment and constant availability - video games. And it doesn't hurt that the video games are tuned to hit all the pleasure centers of the brain in the strongest way, without actually ingesting drugs.

So, there you have it.. Yes, kids are playing video games, but their loss of interest in other hobbies is in part because those hobbies (specifically pool) do not make themselves available to the youth, and so, pool loses out on capturing these kids during the onset of their strong competitive urges.

By the time a kid reaches 21, they've been playing video games for quite a few years, and might have even burnt out the competitive urges by that time.

So... Get kids playing pool around 12, or the game dies when the current crop of 40 year olds gets too old to play.

 

[Stew boo]

There does seem to be very few kids playing these days. Which is a very bad sign for pool. I don't think alcohol is the biggest problem however, there have always been alcohol in pool halls even when it was illegal. I do think that cost is a huge factor. It has just gotten much too expensive too play. Part of the reason is rent but also the lack of business is causing an increase as well. Also talking about competitiveness, becoming a professional in a dying sport isn't very appealing.

 

[sbpoolleague]

Close.. What it basically comes down to is this:

Young males, once they hit puberty, beccome intensely competitive. We are mammals, and like all mammals, once we hit a certain age, we have an intense biological urge to "stake our claim" and gain territory. The way this is done with other mammals is by males all competing against each other, in.. Whatever.

Almost every sport/competitive hobby relies on this natural competitive urge. Young males begin competing as early as the particular game/sport allows them to.

Now... Because of rising rents, pool halls are expensive to run. So alcohol is almost a requirement. Which means young, aggressive, competitive males cannot compete in them until 21. MUCH too late to grow a competitive group.

These young, aggressive, competitive males are going to be biologically driven to compete at SOMETHING between the onset of puberty and 21... And so they are going to compete at the thing they can compete at with relatively small investment and constant availability - video games. And it doesn't hurt that the video games are tuned to hit all the pleasure centers of the brain in the strongest way, without actually ingesting drugs.

So, there you have it.. Yes, kids are playing video games, but their loss of interest in other hobbies is in part because those hobbies (specifically pool) do not make themselves available to the youth, and so, pool loses out on capturing these kids during the onset of their strong competitive urges.

By the time a kid reaches 21, they've been playing video games for quite a few years, and might have even burnt out the competitive urges by that time.

So... Get kids playing pool around 12, or the game dies when the current crop of 40 year olds gets too old to play.

I think it's more due to the fact that almost all leagues play predominantly in bars that don't allow minors. Most large pool halls allow minors.

 

[Stew boo]

Does anyone think pool has a chance of regaining popularity? If so then how?

 

[Quesports]

I think it's more due to the fact that almost all leagues play predominantly in bars that don't allow minors. Most large pool halls allow minors.

This may not be true everywhere. I see minors regularly playing pool at a pool hall/bar I frequent. Joey Tate is there quite often. There does seem to be an adult with them but they are there and playing pool. In fact we're thrilled to have them around.

 

[King T]

What??

I think it's more due to the fact that almost all leagues play predominantly in bars that don't allow minors. Most large pool halls allow minors.

All bars in the south allow minors until 9:00pm. Come to Texas Pool is alive and well, not what it was in the 80's but there wasn't a internet in the 80's. Kids dont go outside anymore and when they do its just to go to Gamestop and then back in front of the tube or computer.

 

[Joe_Jaguar]

My local pool room has no action to speak of except for a monthly tournament. Road players are becoming scarce and the payouts for professional tournaments are a joke. Why has pool lost its popularity? My theory is that technology has made people lose interest in indoor hobbies. Although pool has had its ups and downs throughout the years for other reasons. What are your opinions for the cause of pools recent downfall?

Why are you correlating the state of pool to the lack of gamblers. It isn't necessarily related.

 

[Stew boo]

Pool and gambling go together like peanut butter and jelly. When the action leaves the players will too.

 

[maha]

most do not have the owners there and hire a dufuss to sit and dont do anything for the place.
most have crappy cheap food from packages or the cheapest crap you can buy.
then they dont even have their pet dufess brush the tables or clean the balls. they are filthy places to be. and many still allow smoking where allowed and that drives away most people and people with money.

go to places with great food, an owner on site, clean equipment and no hip hop blasting for the benefit of the person behind the counter and you find a profitable business.

like california billiards.

 

[ShortBusRuss]

Pool and gambling go together like peanut butter and jelly. When the action leaves the players will too.

Gambling has never been a big part of pool here in Germany, and there are a LOT more pool halls (and serious players) than in the U.S..

 

[Black-Balled]

Too many things to spend money on: electronics, utilities, insurance...

 

[noMoreSchon]

Has pool changed all that much? I started playing at the tail end of COM popularity. I was 13.

I played at the rec center, never even saw that movie. When I got my license I was gone, I think the

first place I went was a proper pool hall. I liked the game before I even knew what it was
really like.

I see many young people learning the game, I have played with many players starting out in my youth,

not many still play. I see these young ones, the desire to play and see some of what I found so inspiring in the game of billiards.

In 1993 how many 18 year olds were out crushing it? How many 25 year olds? Not many.

It hasn't changed in all these years, our expectations have. There are just as many if not more players today as

there were in the 80's and 90's. The talent is probably even better, but no one has figured out

how to monetize that to sponsors, for a professional tour. If that is what it takes to legitimize this sport, don't hold your breath.

 

[RiverCity]

Instead of constantly looking for the 'downfalls' and the reasons why pool is not currently successful as a pro game, have any of you turned it around and considered what does pool actually have to offer?

I dont know at what point in a persons life they start complaining about the new generation as lazy, or stupid, or morally corrupt etc etc etc. Complaining about 'the kids today' has probably gone on since the dawn of time, and quite frankly means nothing IMO. Times change, people change, technology changes. Things change.

Blaming people for not participating is a dead end road.

Pool as a profession offers next to nothing. A job at 7/11 offers a more consistent paycheck. A job at McDonalds offers a free meal every shift.

With pool, we have stuck with the tournament model that dictates players travel to tournaments, put up an entry fee, then accept the fact that unless they are one of the best players in the tournament, their best hope is to break even. But most have to accept the fact that they are just dead money.

Wow, that is enticing! :thumbup:

 

[Cuebuddy]

Pool is surviving. There are live streams out the azz. Roy's basement....Fast Lenny and Wyoming BidTruck and that Ball headed guy Daniel. Europe and Asia always doing their thing. Michael Yednak showing us the beautiful game of 14:1. FB taking over action NOW. Az Billiards hanging in there.

Measureman drawing the ball full length on a 9fter. ShortBusRuss breaking it on down!!!


Pool is a little boring but it aint going anywhere. We have a bright future:thumbup:

 

[racetoday]

In my opinion, there is less young people in bars. Video game world nowadays, which is stupid as all hell, but what you gonna do ?

Less people = less dart players = less pool players = less everything

Around my neck of the woods, you can't get a game before 10 or 11 PM.... when the ones who do come out, start coming out.

I think the game nowadays is to drink at home while playing video games, go out to bar late, hence just sipping 1 or 2 drinks. Much cheaper and they still get to chase girls, shoot a little pool and what have not.

Different world.

 

[Derek7646]

Agreed with the video games/different culture.

I started playing pool when i was 14 (15 years ago, i'm 29 now) working at Mcdonald's 15 hours a week making $7 an hour. I would play pool every Saturday, 10am-midnight and i would play video games during the week every night. Saturday night pool, prime time hours, was affordable for a 14 year old back then. Now, if i was to play pool Saturday for four hours, it would run me almost $40 just for the pool, nevermind the bar tab and food. The guy talking about the competitive drive of young men and the availability/cost of these outlets hit the nail on the head. Fortnite with your friends online for free is a much better route for kids today, unfortunately. Even myself, with a respectable job, winning the tournament and league here and there, i don't go to pool halls on Friday and Saturday night....i'll be damned if i am spending forty dollars on a few hours of pool and i am anything but cheap. I just demand value of the money i am spending. I opt for the 11-6pm local pool specials for $10, as that is a fair value, in my opinion. Also, league nights are a big positive for the sport, as instead of paying $7-10 per hour, you pay $10 for the night and usually get to play for 3-5 hours as well as having a chance at that trophy/cash. I think cash games are out, leagues and tournaments are the future, as everything has to be legitmate these days. God forbid you go to a pool hall and somebody unaccustomed to the nature of pool halls sees you gambling. I personally, haven't played a cash game in 15 years since i got stiffed forty dollars as a wimpy 14 year old when i put a 40 year old man fair and square and he refused to pay me. Its hard to tell if the guy your playing against is putting up his mortgage and will fight you over the loss or if its one of the forty $20 dollar bills in his pocket that he doesn't care about. I much prefer taking my $700 cash from the tournament director as i did last Sunday, rather than grinding out racks against suspect people of suspect character.

My two cents as probably one of the younger players of the game.