The Oldest Poolroom In Florida

[!Smorgass Bored]

I haven't read this here yet but, Bakers Billiards in downtown Tampa closed after many years.

After a brief stint as a gay club, it failed.
Robby (the previous owner) has now RE-opened Bakers Billiards.

Doug
(Welcome Back, Bakers) imo

 

[poolstar31]

Do you know what kind of tables he put in?

I heard about Bakers, but it was before my time.

 

[instroke75]

As long as he brings back the snooker table so the points game can resume!

Jeremy

 

[!Smorgass Bored]

Please Don't Wake Up The NAPPERS

As long as he brings back the snooker table so the points game can resume!

Jeremy

I 'hear' that's the only action at this time, a bunch of old men bunting balls on the snooker table.
Go, enjoy yourself.

Doug

 

[instroke75]

I 'hear' that's the only action at this time, a bunch of old men bunting balls on the snooker table.
Go, enjoy yourself.

Doug

If they still play $1 or $2 points, i will enjoy myself, you can make a nice little score!

Jeremy

 

[Johnnyt]

I remember walking into Baker's when I moved to Florida in 1980. I walked in and there were nothing but wall to wall pros, road players, and probably 20 shortstops playing or standing around watching the door for a game. I felt like what a good looking women must feel like walking in to most poolrooms. A piece of meat, or probably more like a fish dinner. Johnnyt

 

[smoooothstroke]

hmmm

I remember walking into Baker's when I moved to Florida in 1980. I walked in and there were nothing but wall to wall pros, road players, and probably 20 shortstops playing or standing around watching the door for a game. I felt like what a good looking women must feel like walking in to most poolrooms. A piece of meat, or probably more like a fish dinner. Johnnyt

Are you sure it was still a pool room when this happened?




:smile: :smile:

 

[uwate]

Those old tables that they had (robertsons?) sure played tough. Gaff tables is what I thought when I played on them, it was like playing on a wet table with the rails going boooiiing on every shot. Still, I did like that room and it sure had alot of character. Not like some of these fern plant pool rooms nowadays.

 

[1 Pocket Ghost]

Those old tables that they had (robertsons?) sure played tough. Gaff tables is what I thought when I played on them, it was like playing on a wet table with the rails going boooiiing on every shot. Still, I did like that room and it sure had alot of character. Not like some of these fern plant pool rooms nowadays.

Yeah, I love old time pool rooms and Baker's was a beauty....I hung around for a few days (not much action unfortunately - finally got one local locksmith to play - I won the first game and he quit, lol ) about 10 years ago when I spent the winter traveling around Florida....And yeah, those tables were wet, worn, and tough.

- Ghost

 

[donny mills]

I went there once when I was 18.

 

[9 on the snap]

I haven't read this here yet but, Bakers Billiards in downtown Tampa closed after many years.

After a brief stint as a gay club, it failed.
Robby (the previous owner) has now RE-opened Bakers Billiards.

Doug
(Welcome Back, Bakers) imo

The gay bar closed? Damn! I guess it's back to pool!

 

[Johnnyt]

The Tampa Police station was right across the street from Baker's right? Johnnyt

 

[!Smorgass Bored]

It's Only a Concealed Weapon IF You Keep It CONCEALED

The Tampa Police station was right across the street from Baker's right? Johnnyt

Right, and when Jay Flowers pulled that pistol out of his pocket in anger, they were RIGHT THERE to scoop him up.

Doug

.

 

[Beware_of_Dawg]

Heard they only have a handfull of tables now. They remodeled years ago into that 2-tier style bar, with a upper tier and lower tier... I hear the bottom part of the bar is now a nightclub and the top tier has a few tables (5 or 6, I think). I doubt they stand a snowballs chance in hell of making it for long. Location is pretty bad. SUre hope they don't put any APA teams outta there again, I always hated driving home from there... didnt like worrying about the homeless folks breaking into my car either.

*edit* I don't think there's a police station there anymore, it is across the street from the big public library on one side and there's a lot of homeless folks that hang around that area... it's near the salvation army and they sleep under the bridges next to downtown... there are cops around the area pretty often but I dont think there's a station near there. When we played league matches out of there I would have to walk the women out to there cars for fear they might not be safe in that area... been a few years but I doubt the neiborhood has gone upscale. lol.