What's your favorite pool memory from 2025?

[white1]

You know I can’t remember whom the individual was, or the thread it was posted in here, as it was quite awhile ago. What that post stated covered what you say in your post here and how it occurred, so I’ll paraphrase it here as I remember the gist of it.

That poster explained that until the mid late 1950’s, there was no such thing as a bar box. That in fact bar boxes were not even invented by the pool and billiard industry, but by an amusement company that made things like pinball machines. That they were marketed to bar owners, the selling points being a smaller footprint that would fit inside of a bar, giant pockets that made it easy for anyone to pocket balls and have fun. That this would be something fun for the bars customers, and that if people were having fun, they would come to the bar more often, stay longer, drink more, which would make the bar owner more money, not only from the additional alcohol sales, but from the revenue of the coin box on the table.

That this led to the weakest players at pool halls leaving pool halls and playing at bars on the new smaller table with the bigger pockets, it was more fun. That this in turn led to mid level players following after the weaker players and hustling them and others at the bar. That this mass exodus of low and mid level players from the pool halls, resulted in loss of revenue to pool halls resulting in pool halls closing 1 by 1 until areas such as yours no longer had pool halls to play in, only bars with bar boxes.

That’s the gist of it, what he basically said was that these areas that only have bar boxes available, were a direct result of choices made by individuals from those areas over time that had abandoned pool halls in favor of bars with the tiny tables and big pockets. That essentially it was a self created issue.

Thank you. I’ve never heard it put like that. It makes tons of sense now.

 

[white1]

slot machines and poker machines are almost essential to keep a room afloat here, especially daytime. i don't have a problem with it and don't see why it should be illegal.. people make choices with their money all the time (and when they're not, their bank is gambling with said money)

Well said in my opinion. I would not and have not played machines more than maybe 10 times in my life and never more than a 20 dollar bill. But I don’t buy lottery either. I’m not in love with money and they just aren’t any fun for me. BUT…I ABSOLUTELY think people should be able to if they choose.
I would and have spent thousands playing and gambling on pool, cause it fun.

 

[JAM]

Some of my favorite pool memories from 2025 was engaging with everyone in the 2025 Mosconi Cup thread. Haven't had that much fun on Azbilliards in a long time.

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When you posted that AI-generated photo in the Mosconi Cup thread, I honestly thought it was adorable, Team USA bonding in their pajamas, hanging out together and watching TV. Unfortunately, I didn’t notice what was actually on the TV screen.

I later shared the photo on Facebook in a Window’s Open Mosconi Cup thread because I felt it nicely illustrated how Team USA spent time together and bonded as a group. There was no ill intent whatsoever.

Sky Woodward’s mother then jumped into the thread like a pit bull ready for a fight and unloaded on me with vulgarity and insults, including the comment, “I’ll take a mugshot for my son.” What, are you kidding me? What bothered me most wasn’t just the hostility, but her making a flat-out untrue statement about me, claiming that I have bashed Sky Woodward in the past, which was 100 percent an untruth. That is when I saw red.

Over the years, I’ve posted numerous photos and comments praising Sky when he’s on a strong run and cheering him and Team USA on. I even created a Facebook banner featuring Sky when he was riding high. Yet she doubled down and said, “She’s done this before,” referring to me, and that other parents were upset with me, which is a complete falsehood. I'm friends with parents of one Team USA member, and we share almost daily back-and-forths on Facebook, and the parents of Fedor, Shane, and Tyler are not active on Facebook.

I rarely use the words lie or liar, but in this case, they unfortunately fit. One thing is certain, I will never, ever compliment Sky Woodward again.

 

[Kris_b1104]

When you posted that AI-generated photo in the Mosconi Cup thread, I honestly thought it was adorable, Team USA bonding in their pajamas, hanging out together and watching TV. Unfortunately, I didn’t notice what was actually on the TV screen.

I later shared the photo on Facebook in a Window’s Open Mosconi Cup thread because I felt it nicely illustrated how Team USA spent time together and bonded as a group. There was no ill intent whatsoever.

Sky Woodward’s mother then jumped into the thread like a pit bull ready for a fight and unloaded on me with vulgarity and insults, including the comment, “I’ll take a mugshot for my son.” What, are you kidding me? What bothered me most wasn’t just the hostility, but her making a flat-out untrue statement about me, claiming that I have bashed Sky Woodward in the past, which was 100 percent an untruth. That is when I saw red.

Over the years, I’ve posted numerous photos and comments praising Sky when he’s on a strong run and cheering him and Team USA on. I even created a Facebook banner featuring Sky when he was riding high. Yet she doubled down and said, “She’s done this before,” referring to me, and that other parents were upset with me, which is a complete falsehood. I'm friends with parents of one Team USA member, and we share almost daily back-and-forths on Facebook, and the parents of Fedor, Shane, and Tyler are not active on Facebook.

I rarely use the words lie or liar, but in this case, they unfortunately fit. One thing is certain, I will never, ever compliment Sky Woodward again.

That sucks, I'm sorry you went through that JAM. Some people are just too sensitive.

 

[maha]

no jam, just dont interact with his mother. he had nothing to do with your getting chastised.

 

[Paul_#_]

Although it must have been in earlier videos, I fixed a fault that pretty much allowed me to now hit what I aim at. This is progress that some players likely don’t experience (lucky them).

I found that I pulled my back hand toward my body during the stroke. This caused the cue-stick front end to hit to left of what I thought I was hitting on the cue ball. The fix was to keep my elbow closer to my body. That prevented that wrist movement toward the body.

Aiming, I am finding out, is not nearly the difficulty I thought it was.