Pool room with a table time limit

[Hoogaar]

I've seen it before. And yeah, the trick is to get everyone in your party to sign on the list. And if possible keep the rotation going. In my experience most only truly enforced that when people are hanging around the table but not playing or building a tab. In most places I've seen it it's just a reason to bump the freeloaders.

Exactly. The policy is there. If I'm the room owner and you're just practicing and drinking tap water, well sorry, if I have a waiting list, after 2 hours, you gone.

If you and 3 friends are having a feast and pounding them back, then yeah, that 2 hours can turn into 4 or more if you like.

 

[hang-the-9]

...

As an aside, nobody ever admits to being the guy who loses money playing pool. How does that work?

Same way that everyone "used to be good when they were younger". I've met people that could barely make a proper bridge or knew rules to the game tell stories of how they were champion players years ago.

 

[buckshotshoey]

Usually the issue is the place is too small to handle the amount of business they have at peak periods. Another way of managing it is I have been warned in advance that I will be paired up if practicing alone and they run out of tables. Likewise, two players may be paired with not more than two more if they get busy. Seems reasonable but I can't remember when these policies haven't been self limiting, business goes elsewhere!

I have also seen them wanting to charge the entire group table time like two guys and two gals when only two are playing at a time or charging groups of as many as five full rates for individual players when all were on the same table. I retaliated by renting two or three tables breaking up the group before I went inside. Now we had three tables and were only playing on the middle one! Things got busy, people got upset seeing empty tables they couldn't rent, tough patoee! A few nights of this and the owner saw the value of setting a maximum price per table like the rest of the world and life was good!

In truth common sense needs to come into play. Owners need to work with players, players need to work with owners too. Being paired up can be annoying when you want to work on something but I have also met good people like that. Met some jerks that I plucked like chickens too!(grin)

Hu

I found this and it's in line with your post. A new establishment in Louisville.....

 

[ShootingArts]

It's free enterprise. I would leave if a hall wanted me to pair up with a stranger. I'd pay double to not pair up.

They are free to do what they want, but they will lose business either way.

These weren't hard core pool halls, more bars/recreational pool halls. The pool tables were primarily there to draw people to make money other ways. one of the things that closed Greenway in Baton Rouge was one of these halls opening up in front of it. No idea if it is true but I was told that was the reason Greenway closed.

Loud music, people with no idea of pool room etiquette, they originally tried every table with a different colored cloth! Two hours on a red table and my eyes were bleeding. Never-the-less, the youngsters out on a date or just to have a good time liked this place better than Greenway where they never acted like they gave a rat's ass for your business! One thing, girls liked the bright noisy place a lot better and hustlers weren't hanging around to show your girl just how rotten you really were on a pool table.

Hu

 

[SBC]

Have you ever seen or heard of a pool room that rents by the hour putting a limit of 2 hrs of play due to "others wanting to play"? Room has 9 tables and this rule is for the only 2 GC6 9' . Happened to me and 5 others a few weeks ago while playing pill pool. All of us were drinking beer/drinks/soda and all but 2 were eating dinner. 6 tabs opened and all chipping in for table time. What is your thoughts on this? Thank and ALL comments are welcome for or against.

Raise prices or add tables

 

[DynoDan]

I found this and it's in line with your post. A new establishment in Louisville.....

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Could never understand the justification for charging more $ per-hour depending on the # of players (?). Hotels can charge more for double occupancy, since the only alternative for guests is paying double (2 rooms). But, only one person at a time can actually be using a pool table.

 

[Dead Money]

I've seen a few places with a "No single player on a table on the busiest nights at peak times" rule. It basically started once a wait list did. The few times it happened to me I had started earlier when it was slow. I was having fun and did not even notice how busy they were getting till the manager who I knew came to talk to me. Solo players there always played for 1/2..he offered to put me and another guy there in the same situation on a table or I could just pay the 2 player rate. I did it both ways a few times. The times I chose to stay on solo I also ordered an extra soda and gave the table waitress a bigger tip too.