Sad day for players in maryland :(

P

PoolHawk21

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Off Base?

I may be way off base here, but saying that the state allowed poker machines back just sounds wrong. I know that a lot of places are still running Cherry Masters, etc - and paying out on them (if not than no one would play them) but to the best of my knowledge this practice is highly illegal in MD. More power to you if you're running these games, but to me it seems like too much of a risk. I believe that those machines contributed to the downfall of Blue Jay, and VIP Billiards took them out around the same time period. If the state isn't getting a cut of the payouts then they won't allow it.
On the other hand, if there is a way to 100% legally operate poker machines, with payouts, and totally on the up and up, I'd love to hear about it. Until then, VIP won't run that risk.
A little action on a pool game however...

Steve
VIP Billiards - Catonsville
 
J

JAM

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
PoolHawk21 said:
I may be way off base here, but saying that the state allowed poker machines back just sounds wrong. I know that a lot of places are still running Cherry Masters, etc - and paying out on them (if not than no one would play them) but to the best of my knowledge this practice is highly illegal in MD. More power to you if you're running these games, but to me it seems like too much of a risk. I believe that those machines contributed to the downfall of Blue Jay, and VIP Billiards took them out around the same time period. If the state isn't getting a cut of the payouts then they won't allow it.
On the other hand, if there is a way to 100% legally operate poker machines, with payouts, and totally on the up and up, I'd love to hear about it. Until then, VIP won't run that risk.
A little action on a pool game however...

Steve
VIP Billiards - Catonsville
Click to expand...

Years ago, they had those machines in a little tavern in Brunswick, Maryland, right by the railroad tracks. They had a pool table in there, too. We used to stop by there en route to the horses in West Virginia.

They would pay off to the locals, but if you were a stranger in the room, they wouldn't pay you. A friend of mine, Geese, got to playing one, and he managed to get it up to $100. When he went to the bar to collect, the bartender told him they were only for fun.

Geese had fire in his eyes, and he said, "Well, how come everybody in this place is playing these things if they're not getting paid? I don't believe they're all playing for funsies." He was hot.

A man at the bar came over to Geese and said, "Hey, friend, I'm going to give you the $100 out of my pocket, just because, but it's against the law to pay real money on these things. But I felt sorry for you." True story! :p
 
donuteric

donuteric

always a newbie
Silver Member
I'm not a business owner, yet, and I'm no where near being a consultant on this topic. Despite the game is suffering itself, I still believe most businesses fail because of poor business strategies and lousy management skills. Smoking ban can very well be a reason, but I just can't see why businesses are failing because customers are not allowed to smoke indoor. Perhaps they're targeting the wrong clientele.

Many successful pool halls I frequent are run by either a person, or a group of people, with both pool playing experience and strong business background. I live in Providence, so I frequent Snookers, and let's just take Snookers as an example. Even with 14 well-maintained tables, I don't believe the place makes their incomes from customers paying for playing time. $10/person/day isn't going to pay the bills with god know how many big screen TVs the place has. The drinks are reasonably priced, the food is by far some of the best bar food I've had (especially in pool hall), and more importantly, the place is clean and welcoming. It creates an atmosphere that suits well for both categories of customers: pool players (amateurs, pros, and hustlers) and those casual drinkers in sports bar. It even brings in family to have lunch and dinner while enjoying the big projector screen experience.

Just my opinion on the subject. The economy certainly has something to do with the situation, but Rhode Island is one of the states that was hit very badly by the economy, yet there are some pool halls survive and will continue to do so for many years to come.
 
8&snap

8&snap

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Jack & jills should have been closed down yearrrrrs ago, if you werent in the click you stood a good chance of being on the wrong end of a 911 call if you won any decent amount of cash & walked outside.bill & billy's was ed's room & ed ran a tight ship,1 curse word & you were OUT, i played mr.reggie there every night & watched lil nicky grow up there on a milk crate ed had for him.Some of the best gambling rooms were hidden & keith probley knows of them,1 was the ambo. station up in oakland,md.there were a few boys there that wold send it in & the cab stand in have de grace,Md. anyone could get played there. Right now TopHat cue club is the action spot in Md.& the owner use to be a guy that would send it in on anything, & when you went outside & shot yourself for going broke the owner had you covered there also since he owns a few funeral homes.And as far as jack & jills being bad, i think Hotshots gave them a run for their money & i know Keith knows this dump,he's been there.
 
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richiebalto

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
PoolHawk21 said:
I may be way off base here, but saying that the state allowed poker machines back just sounds wrong. I know that a lot of places are still running Cherry Masters, etc - and paying out on them (if not than no one would play them) but to the best of my knowledge this practice is highly illegal in MD. More power to you if you're running these games, but to me it seems like too much of a risk. I believe that those machines contributed to the downfall of Blue Jay, and VIP Billiards took them out around the same time period. If the state isn't getting a cut of the payouts then they won't allow it.
On the other hand, if there is a way to 100% legally operate poker machines, with payouts, and totally on the up and up, I'd love to hear about it. Until then, VIP won't run that risk.
A little action on a pool game however...

Steve
VIP Billiards - Catonsville
Click to expand...

These machines been in baltimore for a very long time now,i know just in dundalk pool room in the last 30years the owner which is not cigar tom,is a multi million air from these poker machines slash cherry machines and you talk about the risk well the risk is very very little trouble compared to the money that these rip offs machines bring in,now here is a fact to what kind of money they generate,and a half of a day after the first shift is over i seen the take in on these machines it was over 5500 dollars and you are talking from 9am to 5pm,so to me that is well risk the slap on the wrist that you recieve when you get busted,nothing really happens to the owner until they r caught 3times,well that never happens because before that can happen the owner switches the deed in some one elses names as in a long time worker,vanover!
 
RunoutJJ

RunoutJJ

Professional Banger
Silver Member
You know what's funny is that when Tony Annigonio (cant spell) signed my copy of PLAYING OF THE RAIL he said... "Dont believe everything you read... it was a lot worse!!!"

Funny but when i brought this novel up to Danny Green he snickered and laughed at the outcome of this famous match-up in David McCumbers novel. He sadi he was up and wanted to keep playing and Tony chickened out to his demands... Now ive seen and played Danny green on a few occasions and ill tell you this... I beleive Danny over David's depictions of how things went down :cool:
 
Tony_in_MD

Tony_in_MD

You want some of this?
Silver Member
Welcome to my world.

:(


ShootingRazbone said:
I dont know how Maryland is poolroom wise in general. But 2 months ago I was working in Lusby,Marland for a month and had to drive an hour and a half to the nearest room to play ... which was Fredricksburg VA. There was according to the GPS 3 poolrooms in that area but none were open anymore. I called a billiard supply company in the phone book in Lusby and asked about any poolrooms in the area and you would have thought I wanted a refund or something.....they couldn't spell pool there....sad!
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Black-Balled

Black-Balled

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
8&snap said:
Jack & jills should have been closed down yearrrrrs ago, if you werent in the click you stood a good chance of being on the wrong end of a 911 call if you won any decent amount of cash & walked outside.bill & billy's was ed's room & ed ran a tight ship,1 curse word & you were OUT, i played mr.reggie there every night & watched lil nicky grow up there on a milk crate ed had for him.Some of the best gambling rooms were hidden & keith probley knows of them,1 was the ambo. station up in oakland,md.there were a few boys there that wold send it in & the cab stand in have de grace,Md. anyone could get played there. Right now TopHat cue club is the action spot in Md.& the owner use to be a guy that would send it in on anything, & when you went outside & shot yourself for going broke the owner had you covered there also since he owns a few funeral homes.And as far as jack & jills being bad, i think Hotshots gave them a run for their money & i know Keith knows this dump,he's been there.
Click to expand...

You are referring to Barksdale? What is up with him these days? He used to play cheap with me and he was a damn smart player.

Now I want to take my $back!:wink:
 
8&snap

8&snap

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Black-Balled said:
You are referring to Barksdale? What is up with him these days? He used to play cheap with me and he was a damn smart player.

Now I want to take my $back!:wink:
Click to expand...

Black reggie is one of the nicest players i've met & been friends with since the 80s,but my spelling errors preceed me as i was refeering to Richard Riggie . We played at Mr. Ed's place across from Sam panuidie's peep shows on the corner of crane hwy & b&a blvd.Sadley Ed surcomed to cancer years ago.Last time i seen reggie barksdale was 3 years ago at running out billiards, he was playing tony long some $300 a game 1-hole
 
paksat

paksat

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
jdxprs said:
reading this thread was depressing for me. i can't tell you how much time i spent at bill and billies/jack n jills (for those that dont know, bill and billies turned into jack n jills, then bill and billies moved to severna park.

lots of days playing hookie. ahhh. evidence of a misspent youth.
Click to expand...

What else would you have been doing?
 
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