The Old Days
- Thread starter lstevedus
- Start date
Old Days Poolhalls
I guess most all the old days poolhalls were just as described by the forum posters.
Back when I was 14yrs. we had three poolhalls in town, the one I most frequented (Rods) you had to be 14 yrs. to enter with signed parents permission, mostly just the 14 to 25 yrs crowd.
Another was Barney's , it was a 21yrs. and up guy's , a pretty rough place.
Then there was Wayne's, it was a restaurant in the front part with a big half glass partioned window and door going into the poolhall., it was 18yrs. and up for the longest then the age limit was dropped down to 16yrs. to enter.
All these poolhalls had three snooker tables and two 4x8 pool tables.
I remember several Friday & Saturday night's going to the Warren Pastime Theater with friends when I was about 12yrs. or so of age and watching the same movie both nights, then going to Wayne's to get a coke float and setting at the back booths of the restaurant so I could peer through the plate glass window and watch the old men play snooker.
Those tables had leather pockets at the top half and a metal bottom, when the balls were pocketed it made a loud unique sound you could here for miles!.....j/k
By the time I was old enough to get into the poolhall at Waynes, I was already a pretty good little shooter, played snooker mostly. The wall was lined with sturdy chairs up on a wooden deck about a foot from the back door to the partioned glass window, spit-toons, cigarette butts all on the floors, burn marks on all the tables, very smokey atmosphere, domino tablles and lots of loud talking.
This old man named Mr. Creed and his son Bobby Creed worked there, they wore aprons and you called for Rack, and they would come running to get the balls in place for another game.
The coke machine was in the back, with stacks and stacks of different brand colas, knowone ever dared steal a hot cola, just never entered one's mind for very long, people were just more honest back then than they are now.
I remember watching Mr. Creed retip all the cue's that needed repairing, he used Elk Master tips and Tweents glue, he put on a tip holder and rubberbands to hold the tips in place, seemed like he would place about 10 to 15 cues behind the hot water heater on Mondays to leave over night and the next day the sanding festival would start, he was pretty fast though, didn't take him long to finish up all the cues.
Only the top tier players played (snooker) on the front table by the big windows, the lower class players were on table two, and bottom of the pack used table three.
One summer back in 1974 three players came to town, two were snooker champions from Canada, a guy named Al and one named Terry, can't remember the others name, he was a pool player from California, my brother Calvin ran into them in Little Rock,AR. and told them they could play him all they wanted in Warren.Ar. and also would get lots of other action, guess they liked the action, they stayed for three months in the local motel.
The county of Warren was Dry, so lots of older guy's would slip in drinks in cups, or go outside to their vehicles and drink a snort or drink a cold one, some would hide their whiskey or Dr.Ticneirs in the bathroom in the cracks in the walls or overhead ceiling.
Seems like no one had a two piece cue back then except , out of town hustlers, the locals always had their special cue that they would hide somewhere in the poolhall, and you dared not get caught shooting with it by the one who hid it , or an ass beating may take place.:grin:
You never heard of getting stiffed by anyone on a gambling wager, it was almost unheard of, if you did , you got an ass whooping and was bared for life from the hall.
You never heard of getting weight either, you played your opponet head up, the best man won!
I learned alot from those old timers, learned that you didn't necesscarily have to be a run out player to win at snooker or pool, but be the smartest player with safety's, you keep a man in the dog house most of the time his will to win deminishes!
Those were some good ole days, I will remember them forever!
David Harcrow
I guess most all the old days poolhalls were just as described by the forum posters.
Back when I was 14yrs. we had three poolhalls in town, the one I most frequented (Rods) you had to be 14 yrs. to enter with signed parents permission, mostly just the 14 to 25 yrs crowd.
Another was Barney's , it was a 21yrs. and up guy's , a pretty rough place.
Then there was Wayne's, it was a restaurant in the front part with a big half glass partioned window and door going into the poolhall., it was 18yrs. and up for the longest then the age limit was dropped down to 16yrs. to enter.
All these poolhalls had three snooker tables and two 4x8 pool tables.
I remember several Friday & Saturday night's going to the Warren Pastime Theater with friends when I was about 12yrs. or so of age and watching the same movie both nights, then going to Wayne's to get a coke float and setting at the back booths of the restaurant so I could peer through the plate glass window and watch the old men play snooker.
Those tables had leather pockets at the top half and a metal bottom, when the balls were pocketed it made a loud unique sound you could here for miles!.....j/k
By the time I was old enough to get into the poolhall at Waynes, I was already a pretty good little shooter, played snooker mostly. The wall was lined with sturdy chairs up on a wooden deck about a foot from the back door to the partioned glass window, spit-toons, cigarette butts all on the floors, burn marks on all the tables, very smokey atmosphere, domino tablles and lots of loud talking.
This old man named Mr. Creed and his son Bobby Creed worked there, they wore aprons and you called for Rack, and they would come running to get the balls in place for another game.
The coke machine was in the back, with stacks and stacks of different brand colas, knowone ever dared steal a hot cola, just never entered one's mind for very long, people were just more honest back then than they are now.
I remember watching Mr. Creed retip all the cue's that needed repairing, he used Elk Master tips and Tweents glue, he put on a tip holder and rubberbands to hold the tips in place, seemed like he would place about 10 to 15 cues behind the hot water heater on Mondays to leave over night and the next day the sanding festival would start, he was pretty fast though, didn't take him long to finish up all the cues.
Only the top tier players played (snooker) on the front table by the big windows, the lower class players were on table two, and bottom of the pack used table three.
One summer back in 1974 three players came to town, two were snooker champions from Canada, a guy named Al and one named Terry, can't remember the others name, he was a pool player from California, my brother Calvin ran into them in Little Rock,AR. and told them they could play him all they wanted in Warren.Ar. and also would get lots of other action, guess they liked the action, they stayed for three months in the local motel.
The county of Warren was Dry, so lots of older guy's would slip in drinks in cups, or go outside to their vehicles and drink a snort or drink a cold one, some would hide their whiskey or Dr.Ticneirs in the bathroom in the cracks in the walls or overhead ceiling.
Seems like no one had a two piece cue back then except , out of town hustlers, the locals always had their special cue that they would hide somewhere in the poolhall, and you dared not get caught shooting with it by the one who hid it , or an ass beating may take place.:grin:
You never heard of getting stiffed by anyone on a gambling wager, it was almost unheard of, if you did , you got an ass whooping and was bared for life from the hall.
You never heard of getting weight either, you played your opponet head up, the best man won!
I learned alot from those old timers, learned that you didn't necesscarily have to be a run out player to win at snooker or pool, but be the smartest player with safety's, you keep a man in the dog house most of the time his will to win deminishes!
Those were some good ole days, I will remember them forever!
David Harcrow
Tom...I remember the hall at Northgate, but I'm surprised you never made it downtown to "Peoples Billiard Parlor" Down stairs in an old basement for some century old building. 2 three cushion tables, 4 or 5 GC's , the 10 cent cokes in the pull handle vending machine. requisite shoe shine stand and the old man that racked tables also had a straight razor he would use to trim the ends on customer cigars. Yes sir that was a "real" pool hall.....Dan
11th & Chestnut Phila Pa. (Nuebies)...not sure about spelling. There was a sign in the bathroom. It Read... If You Piss on the floor at home...please piss on the floor here...we want you to feel at home.
That was my 1st center city poolroom. Was a downstairs basement kind of place. And if you wanted to commit suicide start whistling while you were playing or hanging out.
My 1st poolroom was Burholme Billiards...a free standing building. 2 floors of pool tables. $.50 hour. That was the only place in the neighborhood to play. About 50 years ago. Where did the time go...where did my frkn hair go:scratchhead:
That was my 1st center city poolroom. Was a downstairs basement kind of place. And if you wanted to commit suicide start whistling while you were playing or hanging out.
My 1st poolroom was Burholme Billiards...a free standing building. 2 floors of pool tables. $.50 hour. That was the only place in the neighborhood to play. About 50 years ago. Where did the time go...where did my frkn hair go:scratchhead:
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Summer of 62 my brother introduced me to the game (I was nine years old). There were 4 pool tables. Two for 9 ball at five cents per game.
Two for 8 ball at ten cents per game.
Can't remember exactly the number but around 5 snooker tables at fifteen cents per game. Got to love the snooker and played a lot. The next summer by brother, myself, several of his friends from high school went to play snooker. Those guys were all athletes and super competitive. They really got steamed when this 10 year old snot nosed kick kicked the crap out of em that day....all day long.
No loud music, no games,...only the clicking of balls. House man wore an apron and racked the balls for you every game and then took your coin. I was hooked immediately. Got married, gave up the game for 35 years and started playing again. My how the halls have changed.....need a set of ear plugs at most of em today.
Two for 8 ball at ten cents per game.
Can't remember exactly the number but around 5 snooker tables at fifteen cents per game. Got to love the snooker and played a lot. The next summer by brother, myself, several of his friends from high school went to play snooker. Those guys were all athletes and super competitive. They really got steamed when this 10 year old snot nosed kick kicked the crap out of em that day....all day long.
No loud music, no games,...only the clicking of balls. House man wore an apron and racked the balls for you every game and then took your coin. I was hooked immediately. Got married, gave up the game for 35 years and started playing again. My how the halls have changed.....need a set of ear plugs at most of em today.
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Fast forward about 20 years: John's poolroom on 6th Street, just west of Avenue A, 4 tables I believe; Mike's poolroom on Avenue A, just north of 6th Street, about 7 tables; Sam's poolroom, 5th Street just east of Avenue A, 4 or 5 tables; another small room near 10th Street on Avenue A: and Julians Pool Academy, homeroom of George Makula, upstairs, on 14th Street around 3rd Avenue, lots of tables, including snooker and billiards...great place. Just to name a few.
J
Miami, Florida, 1965-66
Ball and Cue at 34th Avenue on S.W. 8th Street (Tamiami Trail then, now "Calle Ocho") Owned by Orey Jansen and closed about 1967 when he passed. He made book, also, I was told. I also heard, elsewhere, that Charlie Royer stiffed Orey for $3,000 worth of horse bets and got away with it but was 86'ed. Charlie was an organized crime type or, at least, an associate. That's another story.
Long, rectangular room. About 11 tables, maybe more, all 9 footers, all pool tables. The match table was up front. Table time was kept by the old circular clock-type time keeper with handles. A card was stamped and went in a slot bin next to the houseman. Old style wooden theatre seats along the walls on a raised cement platform as far as the first three tables in front. Old style wooden button and wire scorekeepers in a wooden frame on the wall next to each table. The floor was cement and painted dark red. It was cleaned each day with a broom and wax shavings. The bathroom was clean and had a Boraxo soap dispenser that actually got the chalk off your hands. I never saw a woman in that room except for Orey's wife. No music. Small black and white television that they would have on if there were ball games but never loud.
The clientele ranged from gambling degenerates ("Skippy") to business men or otherwise of various levels who wore shirts and ties and usually came in for a couple of hours during lunch on weekdays. One regular like this freely admitted that he used a fake name and would never reveal his real name. In between were neighborhood people and spoiled rich kids from Coral Gables whose fathers were probably lawyers and doctors. I lived two blocks away.
Ball and Cue at 34th Avenue on S.W. 8th Street (Tamiami Trail then, now "Calle Ocho") Owned by Orey Jansen and closed about 1967 when he passed. He made book, also, I was told. I also heard, elsewhere, that Charlie Royer stiffed Orey for $3,000 worth of horse bets and got away with it but was 86'ed. Charlie was an organized crime type or, at least, an associate. That's another story.
Long, rectangular room. About 11 tables, maybe more, all 9 footers, all pool tables. The match table was up front. Table time was kept by the old circular clock-type time keeper with handles. A card was stamped and went in a slot bin next to the houseman. Old style wooden theatre seats along the walls on a raised cement platform as far as the first three tables in front. Old style wooden button and wire scorekeepers in a wooden frame on the wall next to each table. The floor was cement and painted dark red. It was cleaned each day with a broom and wax shavings. The bathroom was clean and had a Boraxo soap dispenser that actually got the chalk off your hands. I never saw a woman in that room except for Orey's wife. No music. Small black and white television that they would have on if there were ball games but never loud.
The clientele ranged from gambling degenerates ("Skippy") to business men or otherwise of various levels who wore shirts and ties and usually came in for a couple of hours during lunch on weekdays. One regular like this freely admitted that he used a fake name and would never reveal his real name. In between were neighborhood people and spoiled rich kids from Coral Gables whose fathers were probably lawyers and doctors. I lived two blocks away.
I may have been in that room once when I was 14 years old and living in Coral Gables for a year.
J
I may have been in that room once when I was 14 years old and living in Coral Gables for a year.
J
Spoiled rich kid.
Nuebies
Wow, thanks for the memory. Nuebies was the first poolroom in Philly I ever went to (I am from Reading, PA). I remember walking in the door and meeting a young black guy who said his name was "Smooth". From there we went to Boulevard Billiards (Mike Fusco's Room) and watched J. Henry Basheer (AKA Patcheye) play one pocket. This was 1971...good times!
Wow, thanks for the memory. Nuebies was the first poolroom in Philly I ever went to (I am from Reading, PA). I remember walking in the door and meeting a young black guy who said his name was "Smooth". From there we went to Boulevard Billiards (Mike Fusco's Room) and watched J. Henry Basheer (AKA Patcheye) play one pocket. This was 1971...good times!
Voodoo Daddy
One Pocket 101
That was down the street from Kenny LeBar's place {8st and 50 somthing ave}, which if Im right came just after the Ball & Cue closed. Kenny was the man that wrote the first standardized rule book on "golf". I was very VERY young then but he would come to the 8-Ball lounge on 27 ave and Dixie Hwy to have liquid lunch with my grandpa once inna while.
Was that one named "Your Cue"? It opened before the Ball and Cue closed but not long before. I'm pretty sure that's the one you're talking about. I was there once in a while because I had a friend who lived nearby.
And, I remember an Eight Ball. I didn't think they had alcohol but I only set foot in there once or twice. Maybe I'm thinking of a different Eight Ball. One that was just a pool hall.
Also, Palace Billiards at SW 8th Street and about 30th Ave. It only lasted about three years. Tony decided to do something else. Ten 9' GC 1's and a ten foot snooker. Plush red carpet and drapes all along the front wall.
Okay, what was that stuff they used to spread on the floors before using the big push brooms? Looked like a mix of sawdust and coffee grounds with an overall reddish color. Seemed to keep the place from stinking - especially around the spittoons (those things disgusted me even as a kid, but I didn't say so).
We had two pool rooms in a small town of ~1200 people. Both had the same number and type of tables but the newer one lacked the atmosphere of the older one. It was a good room in its own right but just didn't have the space to be what the older room had been.
Four 10 foot snooker tables (Kling) and two 9 foot pool tables with about a zillion house cues. A special cue rack had small locks so that one could store his chosen cue (all were one piece and mostly just bought from the room owner for $10 or less). Snooker was a quarter for every two players, with pool being a dime per game.
The seats were a mix with most looking like aged park benches (long ones) and others like used theater seats. There was a cafe up front where families could sit and often did for awhile after the theater let out. None of the women came back to the table area for more than a minute or two and the little children weren't allowed to run amok.
That cafe had some of the best chili, burgers, and homemade pies to be found anywhere around.
There was a juke box up in the cafe section but it was never played at loud volume. There was also one pinball machine that us kids would jack up and play all day for a nickel if we wanted.
There were several large fans scattered about as well as overhead fans to combat the heat of summer. For cold weather, there was a large pot-bellied stove located about center of the building.
The pool tables were for the very young and the very old players. The young would develop skills and the old could play at their own pace (slow!). Any kid getting out of line could expect to get whacked across the back by a cue stick - not always gently - by the room owner. It worked.
But everyone wanted to play snooker. Partner snooker most often... with all the jeers and cheers you might expect from a pretty close-knit group. Only the rare stranger would come in looking for a game on the pool tables.
Loved that old room and spent an awful lot of time in there. I don't remember a single person whining about the smoke or much of anything else. Good times.
We had two pool rooms in a small town of ~1200 people. Both had the same number and type of tables but the newer one lacked the atmosphere of the older one. It was a good room in its own right but just didn't have the space to be what the older room had been.
Four 10 foot snooker tables (Kling) and two 9 foot pool tables with about a zillion house cues. A special cue rack had small locks so that one could store his chosen cue (all were one piece and mostly just bought from the room owner for $10 or less). Snooker was a quarter for every two players, with pool being a dime per game.
The seats were a mix with most looking like aged park benches (long ones) and others like used theater seats. There was a cafe up front where families could sit and often did for awhile after the theater let out. None of the women came back to the table area for more than a minute or two and the little children weren't allowed to run amok.
That cafe had some of the best chili, burgers, and homemade pies to be found anywhere around.
There was a juke box up in the cafe section but it was never played at loud volume. There was also one pinball machine that us kids would jack up and play all day for a nickel if we wanted.
There were several large fans scattered about as well as overhead fans to combat the heat of summer. For cold weather, there was a large pot-bellied stove located about center of the building.
The pool tables were for the very young and the very old players. The young would develop skills and the old could play at their own pace (slow!). Any kid getting out of line could expect to get whacked across the back by a cue stick - not always gently - by the room owner. It worked.
But everyone wanted to play snooker. Partner snooker most often... with all the jeers and cheers you might expect from a pretty close-knit group. Only the rare stranger would come in looking for a game on the pool tables.
Loved that old room and spent an awful lot of time in there. I don't remember a single person whining about the smoke or much of anything else. Good times.
With all the comments one that hasen't been mentioned is not something you can see. Old time pool rooms had an atmosphere all their own. You walked in and the the rest of the world stopped at the door. No one cared about politics or world affairs they selfishley cared about pool. You walked in and felt like you were somewhere you belonged and were welcome, part of something. Of course it was a business but that seemed to be secondary; it was a subculture and you had a key to enter.
The public would come in and play, guys and girls on dates and so on, but unknown to them there was a whole other would going on around them as if in another dimension they could not see. If you were part of that world in that room you had status and respect and this did not always depend just on your ability to play.
Rich, poor, handsome, funny looking, disabilities, it didn't matter you were accepted. I always think about going to breakfast early morning after a night in the pool room and looking around the table at people who under no other circumstances would be together on an equal basis. A wealthy business owner, a cop, champion player, a guy living in his camper, guy in a wheelchair, a teenager and an octogenarian all sitting, laughing, talking and using up every salt and pepper shaker in the restaurant setting up shots and reliving the adventures of the previous night in the pool room till the sun came up. That I remember and miss more then anything else.
The public would come in and play, guys and girls on dates and so on, but unknown to them there was a whole other would going on around them as if in another dimension they could not see. If you were part of that world in that room you had status and respect and this did not always depend just on your ability to play.
Rich, poor, handsome, funny looking, disabilities, it didn't matter you were accepted. I always think about going to breakfast early morning after a night in the pool room and looking around the table at people who under no other circumstances would be together on an equal basis. A wealthy business owner, a cop, champion player, a guy living in his camper, guy in a wheelchair, a teenager and an octogenarian all sitting, laughing, talking and using up every salt and pepper shaker in the restaurant setting up shots and reliving the adventures of the previous night in the pool room till the sun came up. That I remember and miss more then anything else.
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I did spend some time taking the Bus to downtown from Frayser to play at Peoples. I remember the musty smell of smoke and dampness the most, but those tables looked like monuments. Hardly any conversations over a whisper and the counter man nver smiled.
I also played (much later) at Hight Pockets just off Old Summer road. I had followed the owner James Strickland from his pool hall that was on Brooks road.
But the first time I played was at the Northgate Shoping Center in Frayser, just off Hwy51
I also played (much later) at Hight Pockets just off Old Summer road. I had followed the owner James Strickland from his pool hall that was on Brooks road.
But the first time I played was at the Northgate Shoping Center in Frayser, just off Hwy51
Damn Tom, you ARE old! LOL...and here I thought Harry Carey only commentated for the Cubbies (he did, for a few decades)!
Scott Lee
www.poolknowledge.com
Scott Lee
www.poolknowledge.com
macguy, you didn't read my post above.