This is Ames Mister

L.S. Dennis

L.S. Dennis

Well-known member
"No Bars, no pinball machines, no bowling alley just pool this is Ames Mister!" Now in the shadow of the closing of Steinway, how long do you think a pool room would stay open if they used this as their business model? It's no wonder why so many rooms have closed here in the states with today's business climate. Sad state of affairs for pool in this country.
 
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the fact is that if either of you open a pool room the best you can do is make a bare living with a large investment at risk.

nowadays unless you like working 7 days a week 12 hours a day for not much more than just wages it isnt going to be fruitful.
 
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The city I grew up in had two places to play, unless you count bars with one or two tables. One I played in was the first place I ever played pool. I was 14 I think. It had four Anniversaries and a snooker table. Sold beer and sandwiches only. No juke box, but it did have one pinball machine, the gambling kind, not the one with flippers, bells and flashing lights. It stayed open for many years and closed after the owner and the manager both died in a boating accident.
The other place I couldn't get into until I was older. You had to be "properly dressed" to be allowed in. You paid the rack man, who always wore a white shirt and tie, 25 cents a rack and always tipped him at the end of the night. Also no juke box. Just the sound of the balls. I loved that place. I miss those days.
 
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yes and jerry matchin/ baby huey, who owns stixx billiards in ventura has done all that and has been successful at owning and running a pool room.
 
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L.S. Dennis said:
"No Bars, no pinball machines, no bowling alley just pool this is Ames Mister!" Now in the shadow of the closing of Steinway, how long do you think a pool room would stay open if they used this as their business model? It's no wonder why so many rooms have closed here in the states with today's business climate. Sad state of affairs for pool in this country.
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The league idiots and player haters will do all they can to see any player's room gone. That way the patch collectors and lover's of 5 inch trophies will be able to act like world beaters to their buds. Turn off the lights ... action in this country is about dead.

Action has been long gone in all of upstate NY. APA killed pool in Utica Syracuse Rochester and Buffalo. Bunch of bangers who wouldn't bet that water is wet.
 
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L.S. Dennis said:
"No Bars, no pinball machines, no bowling alley just pool this is Ames Mister!" Now in the shadow of the closing of Steinway, how long do you think a pool room would stay open if they used this as their business model? It's no wonder why so many rooms have closed here in the states with today's business climate. Sad state of affairs for pool in this country.
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Mazin Shooni (a top US 3 cushion player) has a place in Boston that is definitely worth stopping by if you're ever in the area.

I was there to get some lessons from him in 2021 and honestly couldn't believe a place like it could still exist.
Huge really nice location. Tons of very well maintained high-end tables from almost every discipline (heated 10ft 3 cushion tables, 14 9fts Brunswicks and even a Rasson, and a full sized snooker table). 3c tables used dynasphere balls and you'd get a freshly cleaned set between every game.

They didn't serve alcohol and if I recall only had basic snacks and drinks.
But the place was packed with some very loyal players. He also did events with local schools and stuff.

Opposite ends of the pool room spectrum, but i'd consider it up there with Buffalo's as far US pool hall Meccas to make a pilgrimage too.

Chris's Billiards in Chicago also comes to mind.

https://www.amazinbilliards.com/
 
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L.S. Dennis said:
"No Bars, no pinball machines, no bowling alley just pool this is Ames Mister!" Now in the shadow of the closing of Steinway, how long do you think a pool room would stay open if they used this as their business model? It's no wonder why so many rooms have closed here in the states with today's business climate. Sad state of affairs for pool in this country.
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  • no house man to help new players and etc.
  • no house pro for easy lessons
  • enough alcohol to keep the kids out, destroying the chance for young people to train as future champions
  • music so loud you can't hear Larry Nevel break 'em open
All of which are great reasons for everyone to fight with everyone else every three to five seconds on the forums. :(
 
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SBC said:
The league idiots and player haters will do all they can to see any player's room gone. That way the patch collectors and lover's of 5 inch trophies will be able to act like world beaters to their buds. Turn off the lights ... action in this country is about dead.

Action has been long gone in all of upstate NY. APA killed pool in Utica Syracuse Rochester and Buffalo. Bunch of bangers who wouldn't bet that water is wet.
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So with no action anymore what did you have to do, get a job?😂
 
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realkingcobra said:
The only way I'd open another pool room today is if I have a full bar service and restaurant sales. Then I'd charge $20 an hour for the table time, requardless of how many were playing, and credit the food and alcohol sales against the table time, that way the customers are actually spending money based customers, NOT as pool players! Don't want or need the players that just want to come in and practice, and insist I need to charge a daily rate that they can afford, if I want THEIR business! Pool tables are the excuse to draw customers in and spend their money, not the reason to keep the doors open just so someone can practice playing pool!

$20 per hour to play pool can actually be free pool, when you're a real customer eating and drinking, SPENDING $20 an hour as a CUSTOMER!
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sorry late to this party, but this model only works if you regularly fill the tables with your paying customers. If those tables aren't full you are throwing basically free money away as those tables sit empty when they could be making $10 bucks an hour (or whatever rate would keep players on those tables). you already paid the upfront capital to have those tables, they cost basicly nothing for the owner to have players playing on them, amortize the cost of cloth replacement / electricity and etc over how many hours the table is played and I bet its less than 10 cents an hour for "upkeep". You would already have sufficient staff in place to support the bar/food so that wouldn't be an added cost.
 
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In the cities there's a huge opportunity to open 24 hour 'key clubs'. There's tons of unused class b and c commercial space since work from home became a thing. A membership model makes lots of sense. Give folks a 24/7 private experience for a fraction of a country club. It seems like a good idea to me.
 
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realkingcobra said:
Back in the 80's when I'd go down to Frankfurt, GR to gamble at the Billiards Cafe, playing 8 ball last pocket with a player called the Professor for a $1,000 Marks a game, ($500usd) the room owner would shut down the other 2 tables near the one we were playing on because there was standing room only because everyone wanted to watch. The owner of the room would go around to everyone watching and either collect a bet, or tell them to leave because he didn't allow watching for free. After he collected and covered the next round of bets, he'd signal us that we could go ahead and play the next game. This would go one for hours and hours, always having to wait after every game for the room owner to collect and cover new bets, and kick out anyone just standing and watching. I don't know how much the owner made on some of those nights, but one night after I had won over $10,000usd, he gave me a tip that amounted to another $10,000usd!!!

How many times have you seen people just standing around watching 2 top players going at it, being entertained, for free!!

If I were to open another room on the basis of $20 an hour for table time, my policy would be to all the watchers, keep something to eat or drink in front of you at all times, give your receipts to the players your watching to cover their table time and keep watching, or leave because customers pay, watchers leave! Not making any money off of you anyway, so I've lost nothing when you leave either!!!
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Every room isn't in a city with a steady stream of NEW customers. Every room I've ever been in had a few regulars that felt comfortable hanging out, even if they weren't always spending money. These people create the culture of the room that keeps the place alive. I know any successful room has to also keep in my mind the points you're mentioning, but if the room has no place for any rail birds, then it won't be the type of room most of us on here are interested in anyway!
 
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maha said:
ames was a dump. i went in a bunch of times and very little action and most times almost one one in there.
all the gamblers hung at 7/11. thats where i went, or if you liked money, the golden cue in queens. if you wanted to make money.

ames stayed open 24 hours so maybe some action late at night from the black crowd. i dont know about that. but most of them went to micgurs room.

country, played in the bars in harlem and made more money than anyone else.
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The black crowd……..WTF are you implying or referring to………I played pool at Ames…..I grew up in NYC when pool was at its peak…..there wasn’t any black crowd, or brown crowd, yellow crowd or friggin’ magenta either.

There were just patrons and the color never mattered since money is the same color with every customer. From 1962 thru 1977, I played pool at Ames and other pool halls in the 5 burroughs. And there wasn’t any black crowd at Ames I ever noticed. There’ll always be a group of regulars at most pool halls and so the ethnicity of the patrons can become skewed. NYC started as a melting pot and has remained that way.
 
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BasementDweller said:
Every room isn't in a city with a steady stream of NEW customers. Every room I've ever been in had a few regulars that felt comfortable hanging out, even if they weren't always spending money. These people create the culture of the room that keeps the place alive. I know any successful room has to also keep in my mind the points you're mentioning, but if the room has no place for any rail birds, then it won't be the type of room most of us on here are interested in anyway!
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And the same rail birds would ask every customer walking through the front door if they wanted to play for something, and evertime that happens, the customers have less to spend because of the leaches trying to feed off of them, yeah, that's a business I really want!
 
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