What do you think is the reason for so many good pool halls closing?

What are people doing now that they were not doing when pool was popular?

They are playing golf, poker, and video games. The number of people who are sports fans with personal ownership in some sports team is amazing. Seems the average male spends more time in front of the tube with buddies and a beer watching some inane sport that is supported by everyone at work than ever before. If you want to be accepted you have to have a personal sports team and invest much time in your verbal knowledge and emotional support.

There are several (?) pro players who now spend more time playing poker or golf than they do playing pool. Where have all the flowers gone, long time passing.
 
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Another reason

I agree with most of the reasons stated above and even though I hate smoking (reformed sinner), I think anti-smoking laws are also a big factor. When it happened in Ohio, the local room owner told me how it killed his bar business when patrons had to go outside to smoke.
 
Seems to me that the only thing keeping pool alive are the 7 foot tables in the local bars. Very few men play pool on 9' tables on a regular basis. The pool halls I have been in in the last ten years are usually empty except for the few regulars who do not provide the income for an owner. Pool players are usually cheap skates. To make a living invest in something else.

The other thing that keeps the sport alive are the middle class with a table at home like many of the people on AZB. There is not much money for the local room owners here. Pehaps a few bucks on the weekend and a tournament here and there which brings the players out.

Playing pool requires too much time, effort and personal challenge for the average person. It is easier to invest your social time in football as a fan. Requires much less effort and yet you get all the social acceptance with little responsibility for your own behavior.
 
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Triple whammy: Recession, smoking bans, draconian dui laws/enforcement.

Same things causing large declines in the bar business in general. Pool also has issues of high overhead, declining user base (young people aren't playing pool like they used to), etc.
 
Maniac said:
A large group of eight young men and women (probably late teens to mid-twenties) came into the hall and promptly took over two tables. They stayed about an hour and a half. In that time not a SINGLE one of them ate nor drank anything. They turned their balls in, paid the table time and left.
Maniac
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Besides all the things already mentioned, I agree with the post above, that many pool players dont spend any money, or they play pool, then go eat at in-and-out burger.

Look how many square feet pool tables take up, and look at revenue per square foot. if I'm at a regular bar drinking one beer I'm taking up 4 square feet, but if I'm playing pool, and drinking one beer, I'm taking up 250 square feet!
 
Thank you everyone!

For so many good reviews/replies! all great input to the thread. Thanks again.
Many Regards,
Lock n Load.
 
two things

Not being willing to earn your business AKA arrogance and not willing to stick out hard times . Some times things happen we have no control over as well.Here's a big hint , I found a new Mexican eating joint down the street .The food is GREAT but what is really cool is I have been there 3 times ,they know my name ,where I like to sit ,what I normally drink ....well you get the drift .Now back to pool halls , how is it you patronize a local pool hall for over 6 years and get treated like a stranger everytime you walk in ?
 
JoeW said:
What are people doing now that they were not doing when pool was popular?

They are playing golf, poker, and video games. The number of people who are sports fans with personal ownership in some sports team is amazing. Seems the average male spends more time in front of the tube with buddies and a beer watching some inane sport that is supported by everyone at work than ever before. If you want to be accepted you have to have a personal sports team and invest much time in your verbal knowledge and emotional support.

There are several (?) pro players who now spend more time playing poker or golf than they do playing pool. Where have all the flowers gone, long time passing.
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I still think there's hope. What I've been wondering about recently is how can we reach out to the golfers? I've been hearing about a lot of golfers that have given up on it recently. It's just too expensive and time consuming. Pool is way, way, cheaper than golf. Not to mention, you can't put a driving range down in your basement. If you are after some friendly competition and a hobby that you can pursue without spending thousands of dollars - pool is the way to go.

Maybe it's just me but pool was once bigger than golf - maybe someday it can be half as big as golf is now.

I'm a dreamer.
 
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Hmmmmm!

Matt90 said:
Not being willing to earn your business AKA arrogance and not willing to stick out hard times . Some times things happen we have no control over as well.Here's a big hint , I found a new Mexican eating joint down the street .The food is GREAT but what is really cool is I have been there 3 times ,they know my name ,where I like to sit ,what I normally drink ....well you get the drift .Now back to pool halls , how is it you patronize a local pool hall for over 6 years and get treated like a stranger everytime you walk in ?
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Good post! People like good treatment in any business! A pool hall is no different! Thanks, matt90.
Many Regards,
Lock N load.
 
Saturated Fats said:
I agree with most of the reasons stated above and even though I hate smoking (reformed sinner), I think anti-smoking laws are also a big factor. When it happened in Ohio, the local room owner told me how it killed his bar business when patrons had to go outside to smoke.
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No bar or pool room has lost 5 cents because of the no smoking policy.... That information is passed on by smokers.

Kim
 
Money.

Lock N Load said:
Is it poor Management? Money problems? Not enough customers? Or perhaps a sign of the hard times? Thanks.
Many Regards,
Lock n Load.
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They close because the owners have made so much money for so many years that they can't sleep at night. It's their way of passing the good fortune onto someone else? LOL! Just kidding. It's all about money. If they kept raising table time regularly table time would be $15 an hour. No customers. It's not just pool halls. Times are tough. The world owes no one a living! I think the concept of private pool halls is the future. Monthly dues, play when you want. Time share pool hall! Members only. Vote on membership. No jerks.
 
Mr. Wiggles said:
They close because the owners have made so much money for so many years that they can't sleep at night. It's their way of passing the good fortune onto someone else? LOL! Just kidding. It's all about money. If they kept raising table time regularly table time would be $15 an hour. No customers. It's not just pool halls. Times are tough. The world owes no one a living! I think the concept of private pool halls is the future. Monthly dues, play when you want. Time share pool hall! Members only. Vote on membership. No jerks.
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Hello, Mr. Wiggles,
I thank you for your input! Now let us move on, may I have that fish and you catch another one for yourself? He, He, He.......
Many Regards,
Lock N Load.
 
Pool is dead and the younger crowd have other distractions already mentioned, heck I have an awesome table and setup at home and my kids dont play at all, they are more into the computers.
 
I think there's a pretty clear explanation. What would you define the times we are in right now but none other than the largest technological evolution in the history of mankind!!!!!!!

Video games are making record sales. HDTVs, 3D TVs, countless smartphones are on the market. When Apple develops a new Ipad, it makes national news. My children are obsessed with these sort of things and recreational activities such as bowling, golf, and pool are dying fast. Think pool is going out of style? Step into a skating rink on a weekday night and you would be lucky to see 20 people.

Just an example- a few weeks ago our pool hall had a Madden video game tournament held there. There were more people there playing (about a hundred) than there playing pool, and the place has over 20 tables.
 
CocoboloCowboy said:
ALCOHOL sale are what make many business's say in the GREEN.

KIDS years ago.
street-boys-playing-billiards-at-the-boys-club-photograph-new-haven-ct.jpg


KIDS today.
gaming-kids.jpg


END of Comparison.
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hehe Those pictures tell it all. Fact is there is almost more money to be made playing video games than there is pool. Some of the top video gamers out there these days make over 6 figures a year from sponsorships and tournament winnings, not to mention the cream of the crop charging over $200 an hour for lessons.
 
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I agree with most of the comments made in the previous posts except for one ( The Economy ).
Have you checked Apple stock lately, over $550 a share selling IPods, IPads, & IPhones. They have 100 billion in cash and close to a total value of 500 Billion dollars.Seems to me people will spend money & lots of it is something they really want. Pool is one of the cheapest forms of recreation there is and it's dying.
Higher overhead, smoking ban, casino's etc.all contribute to the decline but the # 1 reason I believe today is a new generation of young multi-taskers who don't have the time or patience to learn the game.
 
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