What expectations do you has as a player, of a tournament venue

[CocoboloCowboy]

What expectations do you have as a player, of a tournament venue

What expectations do you have as a player, of a tournament venue, or (in simple english) a place where a Pool Tournament is being held be it a Pool Room, are Bar with Pool Tables.

I personally am getting very tired of driving to a room, or Bar for a tournament and finding dirty Pool Balls, Tables that have not been sweeped, or vacuumed in god know when, cloth that should have been replace 6 months ago, no Chalk, and a JUKE box blasting out Heavy Metal that makes my filling rattle in my mount.

Is my wish list below unreasonable ?



I personally would expect at the very least:

Clean Tables.

Clean Cloth.

Cloth in good condition.

Clean Balls.

Adequate supply of Chalk that does not look like a Molar with a Big Cavity in it.

No BLASTING Music.

Clean restrooms.

Tournaments that start on time, and do not allow later comers in.

 

[ShootingArts]

my expectations are a bit less

All I expect is that all competitors will play on the same equipment and the rules will be applied equally to all. After that, who cares about conditions? I do like the people that get concerned about conditions; it doesn't matter the form of competition those guys beat themselves almost all of the time!

Hu

 

[Frankenstroke]

I would hope there at least 8 tables for a 32-player double elimination tournament.

 

[JoeyInCali]

Do you has?

 

[CocoboloCowboy]

I would hope there at least 8 tables for a 32-player double elimination tournament.

Love your Avatar, who made your Case, George or?

 

[Big Perm]

The entry amount or adverts should give you an idea of what you are getting for your dollar....

A $5 weekly tourney is usually ran casual, on whatever equipment is available, whatever the bar wants type of way...

For $20, I expect it to be a little better ran with more thought put into it, but again, equipment is a toss-up....

For $80 and more, I expect a good, well-thought out brackets with solid tables and ample planning.....at that figure, I would think they usually advertise the types of tables, felt, balls, and so on....while I agree with Hu that everybody plays on the same equipment, at $80+, especially if I travel, I expect the tables to be in decent shape and the balls to roll fairly well.....I'm not a big fan of the cue ball doing a u-turn ....I try to carry my own chalk, and the choice and volume of music is always a toss-up.....if I'm in the zone, I don't hear it anyway....

 

[CocoboloCowboy]

All I expect is that all competitors will play on the same equipment and the rules will be applied equally to all. After that, who cares about conditions? I do like the people that get concerned about conditions; it doesn't matter the form of competition those guys beat themselves almost all of the time!

Hu

Maybe it just me but I personally do not like play on nasty tables, with crap worn out cloth, and dirty balls.

 

[asiasdad]

Maybe it just me but I personally do not like play on nasty tables, with crap worn out cloth, and dirty balls.

get out of the strip club, quit buying your clothes at the Goodwill, and take a shower.

 

[Frankenstroke]

Love your Avatar, who made your Case, George or?

Fellini, from the late 70's.

 

[RunoutalloverU]

I expect nothing and Im never disappointed. There is no point to expect anything from pool tournaments, its hopeless.

 

[CocoboloCowboy]

Fellini, from the late 70's.

Very nice.

 

[CocoboloCowboy]

I expect nothing and Im never disappointed. There is no point to expect anything from pool tournaments, its hopeless.

I think there are some room/bar owner who just don?t care about making their room/bar player friendly.

Remember one night playing in a 5 Bar Box, Bar in Phoenix Area. One of the players come back from the Men?s rooms, tells the Owner/TD there are no more Paper Towels in the Men?s Room. Owner/TD replies that you guys can dry your hand on your shirts, or pants. He never got up, and put in more paper towels out that night. He was not out paper towels just too lazy, or cheap I can only guess.

 

[ShootingArts]

expectations and hopes are different

Maybe it just me but I personally do not like play on nasty tables, with crap worn out cloth, and dirty balls.

I expect nothing that isn't advertised or I don't verify in advance. I hope I am going to a place where the lighting is perfect, the temperature is sixty-eight degrees with gently flowing air, the ceiling is high, the air clean and pure, the equipment perfect. There are enough tables to play every stage with nobody waiting on tables, and the officials are all knowledgeable and fair. All my competitors are there to compete without playing mind games. The place is quiet as a church and the floor is carpeted and walls lined with carpet or drapes to absorb sound. The waitresses are beautiful and willing . . . . whoops!! too far into the fantasy there!

Reality is almost always less than hopes. That is why I go to unknown places expecting no more than advertised and knowing that there will probably be less, maybe much less. Competition is about winning and the first thing is not to beat yourself. You can do that just with your thoughts but most people are vocal about their unhappiness. The people that are bothered about things that are the same for everybody let me narrow the field considerably. My experience is that 80-90% or more of them aren't going far, they are looking for a reason to lose, consciously or not.

Get there early enough to check conditions and equipment. Look for unusually bad tables or badly positioned tables due to lighting, a door, etc. If you really think it is going to bother you worse than your opponent, request another if you are put on that table. The smart thing is to play the tables you find where you find them. I play most of my pool on fast consistent new Diamonds. I make a point of playing on much lesser tables sometimes including one that is probably worse than your worst nightmare. Freddy the Beard advises against playing on such garbage however every Filipino has played on such tables or worse for years. I think that is one secret to their ability to play strong anywhere they go under any conditions. That also has a lot to do with a road player's success in competition, he has learned to adapt to conditions and tables and do it in a hurry.

This post just expands on what I said in my first, I'll take any conditions I find as long as all players get the same shake. Go as prepared as possible and deal with what you find.

Hu

 

[poolhall maven]

I think there are some room/bar owner who just don?t care about making their room/bar player friendly.

Remember one night playing in a 5 Bar Box, Bar in Phoenix Area. One of the players come back from the Men?s rooms, tells the Owner/TD there are no more Paper Towels in the Men?s Room. Owner/TD replies that you guys can dry your hand on your shirts, or pants. He never got up, and put in more paper towels out that night. He was not out paper towels just too lazy, or cheap I can only guess.

Wow that is pretty gross. He is just lazy or perhaps burnt out (not to mention rude).
I believe your statement--barbox says it all...is that in a bar??? Yuck!
I think if it is a weekly tournament (in a poolroom), you get what you get. If it is a semi pro or professional EVENT with a large entry fee and money added you'd have a gripe.
Like Hu says and I firmly believe it also is your opponent is playing on the same equipment...
As for your above story I think the owner doesn't really care about his customers, I for one would vote with my money and take it somewhere else.

 

[ledrums]

I hate when it's x-amount entry fee only to find out when you get there that you also have to pump quarters into the table. If your in the tourney long enough it seems like the quarters add up to more than the entry fee. I just wish it would be posted on the tourney flyer that you have to pay for the games as well

 

[whitey2]

simple english?

Simple english? That's seems like an unusual request.

Does that mean we can't use all kinds of blinking stuff, so the post looks like a
frigging pinball machine?

Use some right. In other words, treat the players as kings/queens!

 

[whitey2]

how about

Any venue is forced to watch the entire Baltimore Bullet movie.

Then, when they see some actual players from the past, when pool was almost
still popular in its "real" form, they will have an understanding of what a real player
expects.

I bet there is a lot of money to be made in an attempt to resurrect pool, but using
the past as a guide, and adhering strictly to that form.

 

[whitey2]

clarification

Sleuth, I hope you understand where I was coming from.

I consider the following poster extremely cool, and clever.
But, I also consider it very "busy", and it's a lot to take in.

Somehow this poster reminds me of the graphical context of
a few of your posts.

Nothing really wrong with that though.

Enjoy life, be yourself, you only get one.

 

[CocoboloCowboy]

Any venue is forced to watch the entire Baltimore Bullet movie.

Then, when they see some actual players from the past, when pool was almost
still popular in its "real" form, they will have an understanding of what a real player
expects.

I bet there is a lot of money to be made in an attempt to resurrect pool, but using
the past as a guide, and adhering strictly to that form.

Great Movie, love when Jmimy C. was instrucking the Blond, and wound up in the Shower with her..

 

[TheBook]

I expect all of the stuff that you listed; that is why I prefer to play at home. The problem is it gets lonely so I have to venture out sometimes. As mentioned earlier the more you pay the better the venue but not always.