Tips on playin in very humid pool room.

[jacob]

The pool room nearest to where I live has a bad habit of opening doors when it is raining outside. Sometimes a fan blowing outside air inside is positioned near the door. The room gets so humid. Any ideas from anyone on how to explain that the tables would play better if the door was closed. Are there any long term effects that humidity has on the tables? Most people complain that something seems wrong but no one believes that it is humidity. Any suggestions are welcome thanks!

 

[catpool9]

Humid Conditions

The pool room nearest to where I live has a bad habit of opening doors when it is raining outside. Sometimes a fan blowing outside air inside is positioned near the door. The room gets so humid. Any ideas from anyone on how to explain that the tables would play better if the door was closed. Are there any long term effects that humidity has on the tables? Most people complain that something seems wrong but no one believes that it is humidity. Any suggestions are welcome thanks!

jacob,
I feel for ya man, the owner obviously doesn't know anything about pool playing conditions and is just trying to get by on saving some AC $......

thats gotta be the worse thing in the World one could do for a table top,

I once saw on a science show where it was the same conditions, and they took a microscope and LQQKed at the felt, it looked like an "Ocean" and the cue ball like a "Floating Bowling Ball"

You gotta go somewhere else on rainy days to play, or talk the owner into turning on the AC to dry out the cloth on the tables!:smile:


David Harcrow

 

[Flex]

Be happy you get the chance to play under those conditions, for they can be reproduced in normal poolrooms if the number of players swells.

The humidity you speak of is a real bugaboo, yet it is the normal situation in the Philippines, and we can see the players that come out of there can really move the ball. Why is that? They learn how to deal with high humidity, and the stroke needed to move the cue ball around. Count yourself lucky that once in a while you need to deal with those conditions. FWIW, on some Sunday nights at Chris's in Chicago, the tournament room with 40+ players in it gets plenty humid too, and adapting to those changed conditions is an important part of playing pool.

Humidity is something that just has to be dealt with, deal with it!

Flex

 

[ShootingArts]

I'd harp on mold and wood warpage

The pool room nearest to where I live has a bad habit of opening doors when it is raining outside. Sometimes a fan blowing outside air inside is positioned near the door. The room gets so humid. Any ideas from anyone on how to explain that the tables would play better if the door was closed. Are there any long term effects that humidity has on the tables? Most people complain that something seems wrong but no one believes that it is humidity. Any suggestions are welcome thanks!

I'd try to harp on mold and wood warpage to the owner to try to make them change their mind. Meantime knowing that the cloth slows down and the cushions speed up as humidity increases could be to your benefit.

Hu

 

[okinawa77]

Meantime knowing that the cloth slows down and the cushions speed up as humidity increases could be to your benefit.

Hu

Sounds like Jacob has got an opportunity to make some money. Especially, if everyone in the pool hall is scratching their heads, trying to figure out why there missing their bank shots.

There are banks that will go when the table is humid, that won't go during dry conditions.

I believe Freddy the Beard has a Proposition Shot story in "Banking with the Beard" that would be a helpful read.

Unfortunately, I loaned out the book, and never got that book back.
So, I can't quote the story.

 

[ShootingArts]

humidity

I wouldn't want to post it on a public forum but humidity is the secret weapon we use down in New Orleans when travelers from drier climes pass through.

You have to pay attention to which tables the AC blows on in tournament play, which cushions too. A couple of tables are particularly tough to play on because the AC blows on one set of long rails, missing the other set. In the hottest weather the AC has to run almost nonstop so one set of long rails banks shorter than the other one with the end rails being somewhere in between in more ways than one!

Hu

Sounds like Jacob has got an opportunity to make some money. Especially, if everyone in the pool hall is scratching their heads, trying to figure out why there missing their bank shots.

There are banks that will go when the table is humid, that won't go during dry conditions.

I believe Freddy the Beard has a Proposition Shot story in "Banking with the Beard" that would be a helpful read.

Unfortunately, I loaned out the book, and never got that book back.
So, I can't quote the story.

 

[jacob]

OK I figured as much. I need to stop complaining and learn to play under humid conditions. This will put me a step ahead of players not used to the humidity. Thanks everyone for the advice. I have not read Banking with the Beard yet, it is now on my to read list! Thanks again! There are an endless amount of variables to take into account when playin this great game!

 

[Island Drive]

The pool room nearest to where I live has a bad habit of opening doors when it is raining outside. Sometimes a fan blowing outside air inside is positioned near the door. The room gets so humid. Any ideas from anyone on how to explain that the tables would play better if the door was closed. Are there any long term effects that humidity has on the tables? Most people complain that something seems wrong but no one believes that it is humidity. Any suggestions are welcome thanks!

Only use Center Ball....

 

[JoeyA]

Don't use side spin on long distance shots; you never know where the cue will wind up at. On short distance shots, when using side spin, shoot the cue ball with a little more speed than normal. When you do use side spin, use a quarter of a tip rather than a half tip. Less is better. Sometimes you can get the cue ball to go where you are aiming if the cue doesn't slow down enough to dig into the damp cloth.

When you play shape, play to get the cue ball a little closer than normal. The long distance shots get tough under humid conditions.

And finally, this is a secret so don't tell anyone else: Clean all of the balls, ESPECIALLY the CUE BALL. Clean them with a polish made for cleaning pool balls. If you really want to deal with the humid conditions put a little high quality wax on the balls and buff them up real good. A ball cleaning machine can reduce MANY of the problems with humid conditions. Thanks Schmitty (2009 ONE POCKET CHAMPION -SPONSORED BY OB CUES)
JoeyA

 

[Johnnyt]

My nine table room on Long Island was long and narrow. Tables were in two lines the long way. Four on one side 5 on the other.

The three-cushion billiard table was the 2nd from the front door that had a very large A/C unit in the transom over the door. (side note, the new unit was sitting in front of a strip-mall construction site, so I grabbed it one night before someone else did. I knew I could give it a better home).It blew right across the table if I took the piece of sheet metal out that I used to deflect the A/C to the back of the room. If I was playing someone I didn't know for money I'd take the sheet metal out when he was in the bathroom. My bad? Nah, it's stranger beware in poolrooms. Johnnyt

 

[ShootingArts]

same as turnin g the AC off or on

My nine table room on Long Island was long and narrow. Tables were in two lines the long way. Four on one side 5 on the other.

The three-cushion billiard table was the 2nd from the front door that had a very large A/C unit in the transom over the door. (side note, the new unit was sitting in front of a strip-mall construction site, so I grabbed it one night before someone else did. I knew I could give it a better home).It blew right across the table if I took the piece of sheet metal out that I used to deflect the A/C to the back of the room. If I was playing someone I didn't know for money I'd take the sheet metal out when he was in the bathroom. My bad? Nah, it's stranger beware in poolrooms. Johnnyt

It is even worse when it is blowing directly across the table but turning the AC off, or on, is an effective dodge since you are looking for the change in play and the other person may be slow to react to it. Standing in the door to smoke a cigarette with the door hanging open can be an effective dodge if the table is near the door with a wide change in temperature or humidity outside.

I used to play some weak seeming safeties on an old nine footer that sat near some almost ceiling to floor windows that weren't painted over. The right time of afternoon and you were staring square into the sun trying to make what might not have been too tough of a cross side bank normally. However stuck to or very close to the rail with the sun in your eyes it was a vicious safety. Not too hard to hit the ball but a high percentage sell out.

Local knowledge and sometimes a friend by the thermostat can be good things. The sunlight was there for anyone to use. The other things are well into the gray area of cheating, many would say past the gray area. I have to say that when hustlers are playing hustlers the other guy would have probably done it too given the chance, especially if he was losing.

Hu