Other than the Sands tourneys there never has been anything in Reno….:
US Open 1pocket pathetic turnout....????
- Thread starter garczar
- Start date
The events at Griff's coincide with BCA. The choice for this time of year makes sense. It's not a prestigious event and remember there's no Calcutta so the number of players is limited. Buffalo's will probably get 64 players. I think it's in the mid 40's signed up right now. The Calcutta will be around 500K. That's serious money to play for. If Griff's could get Nevada to agree for a Calcutta, it could be a major event. But, that's not going to happen. Reno is not a destination mecca like LV is. It might become a tour stop someday with the right type of marketing but as last I heard they don't even have a Pool Room in Reno.
It was at The Billiard Playground in Kalamazoo in the 90's.
I think the last edition was 2000 and was held at a local hotel. BTW, if you can find some of those matches there is some *great* commentary from Freddy the Beard and Billy and Grady in the booth. I mean really good, funny stuff.
Lou Figueroa
Technically its in Jefferson, two miles from my house
Maybe I'll see you therewhen mickey had the pool room on keystone there was always good action there. but after that, no one was able to really run one right and make it work.
putting pool tables on the floor doesn't mean a business has a chance. it takes a great business person to make one work.
putting pool tables on the floor doesn't mean a business has a chance. it takes a great business person to make one work.
Here's my take on things after spending six days over there, mostly at Griff's. I decided to take a breather from L.A. and head out to Vegas mainly to play in the Bank Pool, a game I used to be good at. No question that the $400 entry fee was a high price point for a lot of players who might consider playing. I really didn't want to spend that much ($250 would have been fine imo) but what the heck. You only live once and for me it was a vacation. It helped that I got a free room at the Cancun Resort for a week over there (fully equipped condo). The other negative was coming on the heels of a long series of pro events at the Rio. You definitely get burned out in Vegas! I was ready to leave after six days, let alone guys who had already been there for weeks. It seemed like good scheduling but was not. Probably better to schedule it as a stand alone event and attract all the regional players with a lower entry fee ($250 per division). Pool is strong right now out West with lots of good players up and down the coast and over to Nevada and Arizona.
The reason many players hung around was that it was held at Griff's, a damn good poolroom with good food, good equipment (Diamonds 7' & 9') and high line action. This was more of an old school pool tournament where the action was more important than the tourney. Healthy five figure scores were being made daily! The average money game was 500-1,000 per game (One Pocket) and 5 and 10K sets (Nine or Ten Ball). I am still out of shape and out of stroke but if I wanted to practice on a tourney table I still had to bet at least 50-100 a game. I was embarrassed to admit how cheaply I was playing for, but I was glad to be on the table and in action, even if my speed was probably about 50%. I played with Charlie from Texas and he flashed a huge bankroll on me when he asked me to play. I had to talk him into playing cheap as a favor to me.
I didn't know they were streaming until my second day there and it took me a day to find the hidden booth where they were working from! I just spotted it by chance walking back from the restroom. True! It just wasn't on my radar going over there. I was only thinking about trying to practice and get back into some kind of stroke. I was coming off two and half years of zero play, since we moved in 2022 and sold my table. Anyway I found the booth and saw my buddy Molina Mike inside, so I knocked on the back door and was greeted by Collins Newey who I really didn't know. Turns out he was the streamer (Post Up online) and responsible for the stream. Collins greeted me warmly and invited me to sit in with them. I had a match to play so I told him I would check back.
The next day I got ship wrecked by Sergio Rivas 5-0! Damn, that guy can play. He was zinging banks in from everywhere. I'm proud to say I ran three twice and got to the hill (4) in both those games. To no avail, he ran three and out in one of those games (from 4-2 down) and two and out (from 4-3 down) to win both. He shut me out in two of the other games. At my best decades ago I was never in his league! Which brings me to this. The fields were small but there were many strong players there and a lot of good pool being played. Give me sixteen strong players and you can have a very entertaining pool tournament, and it was. Players like Sergio, Marc Vidal, Evan Lunda who are Fargo rated in the mid .700's can really play! For many of them their level at Banks and One Pocket is much higher than their Fargo rating. And we had the Filipinos (Alex, Roberto Gomez and Lee Vann) plus several strong Euro's to round out the field. To those who are saying it was a weak field I say BS! To make the final eight you needed to be a world class level player. Small field yes. Lacking in quality NO!
Back to the stream. I did manage to commentate a few Bank Pool matches with either Collins or Mike. First of all I really like and appreciate both these guys. I found them to be knowledegable and conversant on pool and it's nuances. Collins is really strong in the physics of the game, much like a Bob Jewett or Dr. Dave. He really knows his stuff and was able to translate it for our viewers, who came from all over the globe. It was educational and fun sitting next to him. One sharp cat with a good sense of humor. Mike is a little more like me, a real pool buff who doesn't mind getting down in the dirt and speaking his mind. I've got a lot of respect for him. Like Collins, Mike can mix humor into his commentary. I was happy sitting next to either one in the matches I did.
I also enjoyed hearing about some of their own pool exploits, giving me little clues into their playing abilities. Neither one outright challenged me, but I could feel it in the air. What have you got Jay? The answer is I don't know. At age 80 I'll never be the barn burner I once was, where I was making money at pool every day. In the course of my lifetime I've probably laid off (for weeks or months several times) and had to get back in stroke when I returned. My question is, can I do it again at my advanced age? I'm in reasonably good health for a super senior but I see it as a challenge. I really want to have some fun and get on the table with my two TV mates next time our paths cross. Let's see what I can muster up out of these old bones.
P.S. I highly recommend you check out Collins pool streams. I think he does an outstanding job of showing the progress of the tournament and his camera work is also first class. This guy knows his stuff! And Mike is right there there too, backing him up. A damn good team they are!
The reason many players hung around was that it was held at Griff's, a damn good poolroom with good food, good equipment (Diamonds 7' & 9') and high line action. This was more of an old school pool tournament where the action was more important than the tourney. Healthy five figure scores were being made daily! The average money game was 500-1,000 per game (One Pocket) and 5 and 10K sets (Nine or Ten Ball). I am still out of shape and out of stroke but if I wanted to practice on a tourney table I still had to bet at least 50-100 a game. I was embarrassed to admit how cheaply I was playing for, but I was glad to be on the table and in action, even if my speed was probably about 50%. I played with Charlie from Texas and he flashed a huge bankroll on me when he asked me to play. I had to talk him into playing cheap as a favor to me.
I didn't know they were streaming until my second day there and it took me a day to find the hidden booth where they were working from! I just spotted it by chance walking back from the restroom. True! It just wasn't on my radar going over there. I was only thinking about trying to practice and get back into some kind of stroke. I was coming off two and half years of zero play, since we moved in 2022 and sold my table. Anyway I found the booth and saw my buddy Molina Mike inside, so I knocked on the back door and was greeted by Collins Newey who I really didn't know. Turns out he was the streamer (Post Up online) and responsible for the stream. Collins greeted me warmly and invited me to sit in with them. I had a match to play so I told him I would check back.
The next day I got ship wrecked by Sergio Rivas 5-0! Damn, that guy can play. He was zinging banks in from everywhere. I'm proud to say I ran three twice and got to the hill (4) in both those games. To no avail, he ran three and out in one of those games (from 4-2 down) and two and out (from 4-3 down) to win both. He shut me out in two of the other games. At my best decades ago I was never in his league! Which brings me to this. The fields were small but there were many strong players there and a lot of good pool being played. Give me sixteen strong players and you can have a very entertaining pool tournament, and it was. Players like Sergio, Marc Vidal, Evan Lunda who are Fargo rated in the mid .700's can really play! For many of them their level at Banks and One Pocket is much higher than their Fargo rating. And we had the Filipinos (Alex, Roberto Gomez and Lee Vann) plus several strong Euro's to round out the field. To those who are saying it was a weak field I say BS! To make the final eight you needed to be a world class level player. Small field yes. Lacking in quality NO!
Back to the stream. I did manage to commentate a few Bank Pool matches with either Collins or Mike. First of all I really like and appreciate both these guys. I found them to be knowledegable and conversant on pool and it's nuances. Collins is really strong in the physics of the game, much like a Bob Jewett or Dr. Dave. He really knows his stuff and was able to translate it for our viewers, who came from all over the globe. It was educational and fun sitting next to him. One sharp cat with a good sense of humor. Mike is a little more like me, a real pool buff who doesn't mind getting down in the dirt and speaking his mind. I've got a lot of respect for him. Like Collins, Mike can mix humor into his commentary. I was happy sitting next to either one in the matches I did.
I also enjoyed hearing about some of their own pool exploits, giving me little clues into their playing abilities. Neither one outright challenged me, but I could feel it in the air. What have you got Jay? The answer is I don't know. At age 80 I'll never be the barn burner I once was, where I was making money at pool every day. In the course of my lifetime I've probably laid off (for weeks or months several times) and had to get back in stroke when I returned. My question is, can I do it again at my advanced age? I'm in reasonably good health for a super senior but I see it as a challenge. I really want to have some fun and get on the table with my two TV mates next time our paths cross. Let's see what I can muster up out of these old bones.
P.S. I highly recommend you check out Collins pool streams. I think he does an outstanding job of showing the progress of the tournament and his camera work is also first class. This guy knows his stuff! And Mike is right there there too, backing him up. A damn good team they are!
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gee, too bad ive gotten old and lost my desire for more money or to travel. pool has begun again to get high action from other than the top players. you dont have to play well just show a ton of money and make good games with the right people and you are home free.
I asked.... because I heard a new casino was built recently.Other than the Sands tourneys there never has been anything in Reno….:
Nice write up Jay.
Like Zar said call it something else.
The US Open name they use.... seems to dilutes the games name.... it's of no comparison to the real Open.
For u and I, the 7' diamond should be in cue, tho the 9' footer is/was our par 5 golf course at one time.
bm
Like Zar said call it something else.
The US Open name they use.... seems to dilutes the games name.... it's of no comparison to the real Open.
For u and I, the 7' diamond should be in cue, tho the 9' footer is/was our par 5 golf course at one time.
bm
Badpenguin
Well-known member
Someone should make them an offer on the US Open name for those events. Could have sworn I heard during the stream that some trust or whatnot owns the rights now though.
some year(s) they played on 7fts, that wasn't very fun. maybe that was additional events. i remember dennis beating dechaine and rodney morris not missing a ball. it was too easy
the way it is now it's been for a good while, small fields and not all the top names. everybody knows it doesn't compare to the US open 9b so i don't see that as a big deal. it's still fun to see 1p and banks, plus it's free
I wasn’t aware of that.
I used to live a 3 hour drive from Reno. From 85-91 (I moved to Vegas in 91) we used to go to Reno all the time to party, gamble. Pool, Sands etc. it was cheap and fun when I was 18-early 20’s.
So Reno was a fun spot for me then. But there’s never been much special about Reno. It’s a world away from Vegas on all levels.
I was there about 10 years ago, half the joints we used to go to are gone. Kinda like Vegas I suppose, nothing lasts forever.
I’ll always remember some great times in Reno.
Technically its in Jefferson, two miles from my house
Been there a million times, even the old location that was a dump..., but had lots of Action! I'll PM once I get my schedule together, first beers on me!
One beer and I'll have to call Uber for a ride home
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Summer of ‘92 I had a summer job in Las Vegas. Had the opportunity to go back when done with school. I chose not to. I liked how there was opportunity if you got established there. I don’t have the habits that get people sent home fast you discussed. But I decided not to live there when I had the chance. Thought I really wanted to. So I liked Las Vegas but am totally happy I didn’t build a life there. I still like it and have a good time when I go. Enjoyed playing at the BCA this year which I had never done. So maybe I am weird. I like the place, like how there’s opportunities as you mention…but I’m happy I made a life elsewhere and just go as a tourist. Except I can’t imagine paying parking. Downtown still has traditional Las Vegas free valet. Resort fees are bad, but the parking thing is an abomination.It is an island. I figured that out my in 91 after I was there for about 6 months (the longest I ever stayed without leaving town. It’s surrounded by 300 miles of rocks instead of water.
Since 91 I’ve lived in and out of Vegas, mostly out the last 12-13 years. The past few months I spent more time there than I had in the last 12-13 years.
Vegas has changed drastically as we all know. It’s bigger, foods much better and it’s 10X more expensive. The ratio of income to overhead is off the rails now. Sure most places are like that, however it’s more drastic in Vegas.
In 91 rent was $400/mo and you could make $1000/week if you had any drive whatsoever. That’s a great formula for getting ahead-which is why I moved there. If you have any habits, well you get sent home-some sooner than others. I never had habits. So for me it was an easy come-up place to live. That’s all over with now.
Having said that if I was going to stay in America and make a living Vegas is by far the greenest grass in America. Florida is done, Ca has been done for 40-50 years etc. Vegas just isn’t as easy as it was in the past-but what is? Or where is?
Also I think Vegas is pricing itself into an unaffordable mess and that will self correct over the next few years. Paid parking, resort fees, and all the other bullshit will be corrected not eliminated. But as it is now Vegas for tourists isn’t a good value.
It’s all in the past for me, I’m out of there, mostly. I still have income property there for now. But I’m not in town much. There are better places for me to be.
Best
Fatboy <——-reporting from Las Vegaswell Dubai today. But I just left Vegas and will be back in 2 weeks
I heard a little of your commentary and guys were talking about it at the pool hall. I like Collins’ streams and what he does. You were a great addition to the booth and managed to fit in with the non traditional announcing. Obviously you have done a ton of it, but Collins does it a little different. Some don’t like it, but I do. The guest commentators - like you- can be great. Joe Long and John Henderson doing one pocket on his stream were memorable.
I always enjoyed going/playing there during the pro event days, and loved the hippie like natural food restaurant that was just across from the casino. Louie Lemke took me there my first time, one of the good guys from my era.
