Pool is dead

[Runner]

IMO, there's the cost thing.. Mommy and Daddy won't be buying junior a
Revo and table time, but they'll buy him the latest smart phone on the family
plan (meaning free).. eyes glued to social media, not a two rail bank.

The video game thing for sure (also free)... there's HUGE tournaments for
gamers.. that's their heros, not Efren Reyes.

I see young males competing in other areas, like skateboarding... but I don't
think there's the attention span needed today to learn our game.

$.02

 

[garczar]

IMO, there's the cost thing.. Mommy and Daddy won't be buying junior a
Revo and table time, but they'll buy him the latest smart phone on the family
plan (meaning free).. eyes glued to social media, not a two rail bank.

The video game thing for sure (also free)... there's HUGE tournaments for
gamers.. that's their heros, not Efren Reyes.

I see young males competing in other areas, like skateboarding... but I don't
think there's the attention span needed today to learn our game.

$.02

Roger that. Just getting somebody to a table is almost impossible.

 

[chefjeff]

Roger that. Just getting somebody to a table is almost impossible.

I was watching Niels playing (the lion?) in the 2016 straight pool tourney in VA and the announcer was reading some emails he was getting at the time, and I think he mentioned your screen name as one of those.

fyi, If it was you, you probably already know that.


Jeff Livingston

 

[garczar]

I was watching Niels playing (the lion?) in the 2016 straight pool tourney in VA and the announcer was reading some emails he was getting at the time, and I think he mentioned your screen name as one of those.

fyi, If it was you, you probably already know that.


Jeff Livingston

Hey, i'm nowhere and everywhere.

 

[ghost ball]

Fortnite. Damn Fortnite.

 

[SBC]

In our town, MUCH healthier.

For there to be spectators, thus real money, pool has to have knowledgeable players and leagues are the best tool for that, imho.

Leagues certainly are not a problem!



Jeff Livingston

League ops and national office take too much money. The rooms get $3 a person. They have too much control over room owners. Around here the APA has strong armed many rooms.

 

[lorider]

IMO, there's the cost thing.. Mommy and Daddy won't be buying junior a
Revo and table time, but they'll buy him the latest smart phone on the family
plan (meaning free).. eyes glued to social media, not a two rail bank.

The video game thing for sure (also free)... there's HUGE tournaments for
gamers.. that's their heros, not Efren Reyes.

I see young males competing in other areas, like skateboarding... but I don't
think there's the attention span needed today to learn our game.

$.02

Just where are kids gonna learn the game ? Every venue here serves beer. All but2 allow smoking. Therefore no kids are allowed......but. apa is making an effort to change that in our area.

2 venues allows teenagers who are on teams to enter their establishment during their matches but are not allowed at any other time.

Ne of the non smoking establishments hosts an apa juniors division on Saturday afternoon but are not allowed in at any other time. I know a lot of posters on here hate apa by you have t give them props for trying to get kids involved in pool.

 

[Positively Ralf]

Fortnite. Damn Fortnite.

Ive played Fortnite. Not better than Team Fortress but I get the appeal.

as far as the whole it being to expensive, I say that is bs. A good entry level cue from cuetec or players with a ld does not cost over $200. You can get a single cue carry bag for $10. The majority of the rooms where I live have $10 for the whole day up to 6pm when it becomes rush hour for them. seriously, it's not the costs.

how about we blame the generation before for not ever getting together and putting something together for future generations to build off of? Guys like Zuglan don't seem to have a problem with his events.

as for leagues, they get crapped on a lot but you don't seem them struggling.

and I've said it before and I'll say it again, the people overseas take it more seriously than we do here in the US. it may not be profitable to be a pro pool player, but to some people it's more about that. maybe we should start trying to bring pool back into schools or even the YMCAs.

 

[CocoboloCowboy]

Mellinals are not interested in Pool in great numbers, they are into electronics. X-Box, IPhone, IPads, it electronics they love. So IMHO the thread title got it right, Pool is dead or dying.

Sears is going under, Montygomery Wards is gone, it's been many years since you saw a Consilided Freightways, or Railway Express Truck.

Times change, trends change, the world is changing faster, and faster.

In the good old days ever little town had a Pool Room, today some bar have a table, or two. But because of super strict DWI laws a lot of bars have closed.

That drink, and DWI is very expensive.

Yes it tought to own a Pool Room and make a profit, and keep the doors open.

 

[gypsy_soul]

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?

What pool room and City ? I'll swing through and donate some ! Only a thousand or so just for fun . Stranger Danger doesn't apply in the pool room !!

 

[garczar]

Mellinals are not interested in Pool in great numbers, they are into electronics. X-Box, IPhone, IPads, it electronics they love. So IMHO the thread title got it right, Pool is dead or dying.

Sears is going under, Montygomery Wards is gone, it's been many years since you saw a Consilided Freightways, or Railway Express Truck.

Times change, trends change, the world is changing faster, and faster.

In the good old days ever little town had a Pool Room, today some bar have a table, or two. But because of super strict DWI laws a lot of bars have closed.

That drink, and DWI is very expensive.

Yes it tought to own a Pool Room and make a profit, and keep the doors open.

I'm curious if Griffs(awesome spot,btw) could make it without the bar and the electronic gaming?

 

[gypsy_soul]

What pool room and City ? I'll swing through and donate some ! Only a thousand or so just for fun . Stranger Danger doesn't apply in the pool room !!

South , east , west no matter.... Have another month till I'm at work for 5 months straight so it's whatever... Still have cash left and I party hard gamble at casinos all of it !!!! Pool ain't dead at all ,,,, city and pool room !! I'm only a 7 in APA

 

[gypsy_soul]

Tulsa ????? I can b there tomorrow, let's play some sets you and me !!

 

[Paul Schofield]

Forget charging kids to play pool. You could not pay them to play. They sit in their rooms by themselves, play video games online, message and snap-chat with their friends, all the while watching porn in-between. They are not going to play pool.

My hope is that some day it will be cool again to talk and socialize in person.

 

[CocoboloCowboy]

I'm curious if Griffs(awesome spot,btw) could make it without the bar and the electronic gaming?

Well if Griffs stopped serving Alcohol, and removed the Gaming Devices for 60 days, I am sure it would cut his profit way down.

Alcohol has great profit margins if you control the bar, gaming machine I know zero about.

I have a good friend who has been a factory representative for a Cigar Company over 15 years. He is alway talking business when we run into one another. Online retailers, are killing the local B & M Cigar Shop because as he say customers are not loyal like they were 20 years ago. Online is cheaper, and most of their online retailers do not charge state Tabacco taxes.

Free standing Cigar shop are having problems, they too are bring in beer, wine, and hard liquor to increase profits. Plus a customer will stay longer, smoke on site, as they can enjoy a good alcohol drink to go along with their Cigars.

Business world is changing, catalog sales, are now online. Then add e-bay & Amazon into the mix, and the B & M anything is doomed, or will be doomed.

JMHO

 

[SandFox]

I feel as if I need to give a youthful opinion here. I am 28 and have been playing league for 6 years and before that played pool in my parents basement.

Now for everyone saying that gaming or electronics are killing pool you are slightly mistaken, gaming like pool takes practice and skill to get very good at just like pool its 6 to 9 hours playing, when I still had the time I was top 50s in the world in the games I played. Its really hard to fit another hobby like pool that takes hours and hours to master when you already are playing 9 hours of another hobby.

They way pool could attract young people is what Predator is doing and I really hate to say that. The way they advertise caters to some primal need to have the best equipment to be the best. If cuetec was wise they would beat the dead horse of having SVB who is arguably the best in the world playing with there brand play like the best buy our stuff. That's what attracts people to things gaming is similar buy this insert whatever here and be the best.

You guys speak of passion for the sport that's all well and good for people who have played for years but what really gets people to start is the idea of beating someone in the game. That's what online gaming succeeds at and where pool suffers its the entry level guys getting beat by veterans or people who might not be great but have the experience of the game.

Pool could do amazing if the actual rankings made it fair for new players who can barely make a ball because if you play someone whose your equal and beat them its a great high of adrenalin and that makes you want to keep pushing for more and more.

Just my opinion though im sure I will get flamed for it or some smart mouth comment but that's what ive seen in pool since is started.

 

[ChrisinNC]

I feel as if I need to give a youthful opinion here. I am 28 and have been playing league for 6 years and before that played pool in my parents basement.

Now for everyone saying that gaming or electronics are killing pool you are slightly mistaken, gaming like pool takes practice and skill to get very good at just like pool its 6 to 9 hours playing, when I still had the time I was top 50s in the world in the games I played. Its really hard to fit another hobby like pool that takes hours and hours to master when you already are playing 9 hours of another hobby.

They way pool could attract young people is what Predator is doing and I really hate to say that. The way they advertise caters to some primal need to have the best equipment to be the best. If cuetec was wise they would beat the dead horse of having SVB who is arguably the best in the world playing with there brand play like the best buy our stuff. That's what attracts people to things gaming is similar buy this insert whatever here and be the best.

You guys speak of passion for the sport that's all well and good for people who have played for years but what really gets people to start is the idea of beating someone in the game. That's what online gaming succeeds at and where pool suffers its the entry level guys getting beat by veterans or people who might not be great but have the experience of the game.

Pool could do amazing if the actual rankings made it fair for new players who can barely make a ball because if you play someone whose your equal and beat them its a great high of adrenalin and that makes you want to keep pushing for more and more.

Just my opinion though im sure I will get flamed for it or some smart mouth comment but that's what ive seen in pool since is started.

You make some good points, but in pool, you don't get better by playing against other players the same level as you. You must "pay your dues" and play as much as you can against higher skilled players. Even though you may get hammered, watching and learning firsthand from superior players will always be the best way to advance your own game. For a passionate, dedicated and competitive young player, nothing gives you more motivation to put in the work to improve than getting thrashed by a better player.

 

[Derek7646]

I like to refer to it as "buying lessons" when you donate your money to a better player. We have all been there and if we put in the time we will eventually be on the giving end of lessons. Same thing with tournaments. Playing in a tournament that is above your skill level forces you to play up and get some good competition. You may not win, but you will come out a little wiser each time. I feel that practice helps my stroke and feel, playing tournaments/cash games helps my mental game and knowledge of patterns/safeties etc.

 

[chefjeff]

League ops and national office take too much money. The rooms get $3 a person. They have too much control over room owners. Around here the APA has strong armed many rooms.

Now pool makes too much money??? wtf???

Can't anyone be happy with success?



Jeff Livingston

 

[maha]

b.s. on paying your dues. you can learn and get good by practicing and also playing others at any level. and if you gamble lock them up getting a big spot.


only a sucker pays his dues to get better. you can just as easily hire for some lessons to help you out.