This is not a thread to offend poolplayers, but do you think there might be a larger percentage of skinflints in pool rooms as compared to the general population? The "No more free water at Hanks" thread had me thinking about this. I used to play at a pretty large poolroom, (which had food and a bar) that was apparently having financial problems. They had 2-3 tournaments per week there, and a pretty large attendance. The owner hired a new manager, who soon developed a pretty negative attitude toward "poolplayers". This was because, as he said, "pool players don't spend any money."(The clientele included non-pool players, a lunch crowd and bar patrons.) Eventually, he insisted that greens fees or pool time be installed for the tournaments (which had been free). The tournament director got into an argument over this with him, and quit working there, pretty much taking the bulk of tournament participants with him to another local pool room. That pool room lasted a little while longer, then went out of business.
skinflints in the pool world
- Thread starter wahcheck
- Start date
Back in the early 1960s, I played some at Sheldon's Cigar Store in La Crosse, WI. Art Sheldon, the owner, charged ten cents a game for pool and fifteen cents for a "shorty" 8-oz. bottle of beer. When Wisconsin instituted a sales tax, he raised his rates to eleven cents a game and sixteen cents for a beer. We could only laugh, except for the hassle of always carrying pennies. On the less funny side, I know of a current owner who charges $1 for a small plastic cup of tap water, and will kick you out or even ban you from returning if he catches you drinking your own bottled water in your car in the parking lot, which he personally patrols looking for violators!!!
Paying your way
When I was a kid I was in action for three days at a place with 7 tables....
..'bout 40 sweaters betting on the side.
When the dust cleared..it seemed like I'd hoovered the joint.
I gave the owner the equivalent of 200 hours table time...he said "That's
pretty generous."
I said "I'm paying you for 3 days of no other tables being used...why should
you suffer when I did so well?"
He smiled and said "You're welcome here anytime.'
pt..<..no saint, but sometimes I get it
When I was a kid I was in action for three days at a place with 7 tables....
..'bout 40 sweaters betting on the side.
When the dust cleared..it seemed like I'd hoovered the joint.
I gave the owner the equivalent of 200 hours table time...he said "That's
pretty generous."
I said "I'm paying you for 3 days of no other tables being used...why should
you suffer when I did so well?"
He smiled and said "You're welcome here anytime.'
pt..<..no saint, but sometimes I get it
Yeah I've seen and a few guys put down the local hall for one reason or another. These are the same player who will buy one coke the whole night and then ***** when they hear the rates might go up.
Paying it forward!!
I live in Houston, theres a ton of pool halls..., only a few are old school pool hall where everybody knows the score..., action comes first. I dont drink, but when i ask for a bollte of water ($1.50) I tip $2 -$3 bucks for it, I put $5 bucks in the juke box and I an all down for some action!!
When they are out of bottled water, I get a glass and I tip $2 bucks for that, so when i here people say that pool players dont spend any money??????
No I'm not a big spender in light of the drunks that they can over serve and over charge, but my action brings in people and 2 or 2 free glasses of water, that I tip for every time while playing is better than nothing?
If money is you main motive..., open a night club!
I live in Houston, theres a ton of pool halls..., only a few are old school pool hall where everybody knows the score..., action comes first. I dont drink, but when i ask for a bollte of water ($1.50) I tip $2 -$3 bucks for it, I put $5 bucks in the juke box and I an all down for some action!!
When they are out of bottled water, I get a glass and I tip $2 bucks for that, so when i here people say that pool players dont spend any money??????
No I'm not a big spender in light of the drunks that they can over serve and over charge, but my action brings in people and 2 or 2 free glasses of water, that I tip for every time while playing is better than nothing?
If money is you main motive..., open a night club!
I like it
That's a nice story.....and a very nice gesture...
Here's a story in reverse....I once won a small tournament beating my opponent 5-0 in the finals....The owner of the pool hall paid me about $60 for first place and gave me another $20....I said why? ...and he said he had bet my opponent $100 I would win.....that was a nice unexpected bonus from a generous pool hall owner.....I made sure I spent it on food and drinks in his place....
That's a nice story.....and a very nice gesture...
Here's a story in reverse....I once won a small tournament beating my opponent 5-0 in the finals....The owner of the pool hall paid me about $60 for first place and gave me another $20....I said why? ...and he said he had bet my opponent $100 I would win.....that was a nice unexpected bonus from a generous pool hall owner.....I made sure I spent it on food and drinks in his place....
I've seen plenty of poolplayers that were just plain a**holes towards the room owners. That said, I've seen a few room owners that were just plain a**holes too! I've seen more a**holes than a proctologist 
. The pool culture seems to be rife with them. I've seen some of the worst behavior of human beings in the last 5 years being in and out of poolhalls/bars than of the previous 53 years of life totalled 
. I've quit shooting in leagues, slowed wa-a-ay down in tournaments and basically stay home to shoot most of the time now, but I'm starting to miss the competition.
Maniac
. The pool culture seems to be rife with them. I've seen some of the worst behavior of human beings in the last 5 years being in and out of poolhalls/bars than of the previous 53 years of life totalled . I've quit shooting in leagues, slowed wa-a-ay down in tournaments and basically stay home to shoot most of the time now, but I'm starting to miss the competition. Maniac
TheThaiger
Banned
It's the same here in the UK. Nobody will spend a penny if they don't have to. Even those getting free table time won't buy a drink - not even one!
Pool players are deluded. They seem to think they have a unique talent, and are dead set on exploiting it to the max as if potting a few balls is a gift of some sort.
Pool players are deluded. They seem to think they have a unique talent, and are dead set on exploiting it to the max as if potting a few balls is a gift of some sort.
I've never heard it described this way but I agree with this statement 99% (it would be 100% if you would put the words "a lot of" in front of pool players).
Maniac
No one ever asks a movie theater owner how much he makes per ticket, but I can't count how many time I've heard a pool player bi*ch about a room/bar owner making "too much money"!
I've been around pool all my life and I'll NEVER understand why so many players complain about somebody trying to earn a living in the industry that they love. THEN they have the audacity to piss and moan about all the rooms closing across the country?
I know a LOT of pool room/bar owners and you'd be stunned at how many of them are just barely making it. Yet, we've got people complaining about not getting free water, even suggesting that they'll bring their own water to a room?
I've been around pool all my life and I'll NEVER understand why so many players complain about somebody trying to earn a living in the industry that they love. THEN they have the audacity to piss and moan about all the rooms closing across the country?
I know a LOT of pool room/bar owners and you'd be stunned at how many of them are just barely making it. Yet, we've got people complaining about not getting free water, even suggesting that they'll bring their own water to a room?
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Maybe Dixie is Different.
We have a few " Halls" here in Memphis, and about as many bars as churches. I can honestly say that the majority of players I see and interact with in both places are far from skinflints. Perhaps it is the "Southern Hospitality" and "Southern Gentleman" tradition responsible for some of this, but most I know drink, tip and eat without bioching about anything but the terrible rolls they get.....Dan
We have a few " Halls" here in Memphis, and about as many bars as churches. I can honestly say that the majority of players I see and interact with in both places are far from skinflints. Perhaps it is the "Southern Hospitality" and "Southern Gentleman" tradition responsible for some of this, but most I know drink, tip and eat without bioching about anything but the terrible rolls they get.....Dan
Read my post in this thread. Maybe it will explain how things really are!
http://forums.azbilliards.com/showthread.php?p=2950967#post2950967
Sherm
http://forums.azbilliards.com/showthread.php?p=2950967#post2950967
Sherm
I understand what you are saying but my view is don't charge me for tap water. Go up on rates or what ever you need to do and I'm ok with that. I actually want my home room to make money so I have a place to interact with other players. My home room has a bin full of chalk, and ice water in a pitcher. They are both free to customers. They went up on their rates recently and I have absolutely no issues with that, but please keep the tap water and chalk free for those of us that my frequent the place 3-5 times a week, work allowing. I guess I'm just weird as I would rather rates go up than take away those two things that have always been free for the customers.
Most of the guys I play with are pretty serious about their game, and they are anything but cheap. We all tip well and support our local hall owner as much as possible. If they needed to increase rates tomorrow I would play there.
Not only are there skin flint players, there just might be the odd skin flint hall owner around too.
One pool hall in our city and the owner is so tight, his a ss squeeks.
Nothing wrong with looking after your biz but its a joke. He doesn't treat his loyal customers very well and he knows hes the only game in town.
It goes both ways sometimes, right?
One pool hall in our city and the owner is so tight, his a ss squeeks.
Nothing wrong with looking after your biz but its a joke. He doesn't treat his loyal customers very well and he knows hes the only game in town.
It goes both ways sometimes, right?