What's your favorite pool memory from 2025?

[Frosty]

Not to offend you but I only took issue with older seasoned gambling players 'chiding' younger non gamblers. I remember the old days when gamblers jumped up to get kids who walked in the door to gamble. They run them off. If I owned the pool hall I would have a talk with the hustlers about hurting my business. That is why a lot of pool halls close...no younger customers.

By the way, these older hustlers always complain that nobody gambles anymore but when a real player come in...they leave the building. I have seen this over and over.

Just my view and I respect yours.

First and foremost I meant you no disrespect. Your post here adds more context than your initial one, and I have in my time also seen these things you express in your latest post.

Just as you added more context, perhaps I should have added more to my initial post regarding the situation I spoke of. My group, the “older gamblers”, while we play all games, the main focus of our gambling sessions is one pocket. The younger players I spoke of, aren’t kids, more 20-30 something’s, just younger than us. They play well, just rotation games though.

The interaction actually started with them talking when they would walk by, just loudly enough for us to hear, about “old farts that play 1 pocket because we can’t see, or play we’ll enough to play 9 or 10 ball anymore”. The chide I referred to in the match that unfolded was one of us replying “well if you want to actually bet something, we can play some even 9 or 10 ball right now”. That’s how the match came about, they put up the best of their little group, pooled their money to post the stake, and got schooled.

So as I’ve now provided more context you can see that it wasn’t quite what you thought it was. We gamble because it’s always been our way from those of our speed and our era. We can’t just quite understand them, they play well, more than well enough to get into action, but they rarely do, or as I initially stated, only for peanuts and amongst each other. It’s lost on us, it just appears that as time has passed, the younger generation is just different than ours.

 

[skogstokig]

best fashion statement of 2025

sheikh souquet

 

[maha]

whats wrong anyway with asking someone to play some for money. all they have to do is say, no or yes.

ive been around more different pool rooms than most, and really never seen older players badgering young players to play or demeaning them.

they did do it some to friends or regulars. as that was part of the culture and no one cared. it was called trying to get a game.

the fun players that just came in to bang balls were never bothered.

 

[Tennesseejoe]

First and foremost I meant you no disrespect. Your post here adds more context than your initial one, and I have in my time also seen these things you express in your latest post.

Just as you added more context, perhaps I should have added more to my initial post regarding the situation I spoke of. My group, the “older gamblers”, while we play all games, the main focus of our gambling sessions is one pocket. The younger players I spoke of, aren’t kids, more 20-30 something’s, just younger than us. They play well, just rotation games though.

The interaction actually started with them talking when they would walk by, just loudly enough for us to hear, about “old farts that play 1 pocket because we can’t see, or play we’ll enough to play 9 or 10 ball anymore”. The chide I referred to in the match that unfolded was one of us replying “well if you want to actually bet something, we can play some even 9 or 10 ball right now”. That’s how the match came about, they put up the best of their little group, pooled their money to post the stake, and got schooled.

So as I’ve now provided more context you can see that it wasn’t quite what you thought it was. We gamble because it’s always been our way from those of our speed and our era. We can’t just quite understand them, they play well, more than well enough to get into action, but they rarely do, or as I initially stated, only for peanuts and amongst each other. It’s lost on us, it just appears that as time has passed, the younger generation is just different than ours.

Thank you for the clarification, it gives a clearer and funnier view of the situation. BTW, I'm 82 and one of the old farts but I see good changes with younger players. They are starting families, purchasing homes, etc., and have a better use of their incomes. And they have a lot to learn about life.

 

[BuffaloSlim]

I hesitate to write this because it's somewhat personal but, here it is.

One morning very early this year I was practicing on my favored table in the back of pool hall. A young woman walked in with a small boy. I'm terrible at guessing the ages of kids but he was somewhere before a tween -- dark hair, skinny, well dressed in kakis and a rugby shirt. He had his own cheapie cue in a soft case and seemed a very quiet, very intense type. They took a table several away from me while I was practicing some 14.1 and running a fair number of balls. And after about a half an hour the woman approached me and said, "Excuse me sir but it looks like you know what you're doing. Would you mind giving my son some pointers?"

Now, normally, I might have demurred -- I consider my practice time sacred but something about her gentleness touched me and I said, "Sure."

At his mother's urging (pushing) he approached me and stood at my table and I asked, "Are you ready to learn something?" And he imperceptibly nodded. And so I spoke to him softly, telling him, "Pool is a game of precision and repeatability. If you are precise in your set up and execution you will be able to repeat your setup and reliably pocket balls."

So we began. I set up a small series of shots. Corrected his stance, grip, and bridge and tell him, "I know it's a lot. But if you stick with it you'll be able to do it without thinking. Trust me." And, as I suppose you would expect, he has a modicum of success and after about 40 minutes the woman says, "Kevin, it's time to go. Thank the man." And, in a very serious fashion, he walks up to me and shakes my hand, and says, "Thank you."

Mom and son walk to the bar to pay time and she buys him a Coke and after a few minutes walks back to me and says, "I cannot thank you enough for what you just did. Kevin's dad died two months ago in a work accident and we're on our way to my mom's house. He seems kind of lost and still in shock." And suddenly she gives me a big hug, softly crying on my shoulder.

I don't know what else to say except that sometimes, even in the pool hall, there is room to do a good thing.

Lou Figueroa

That's stand up stuff right there. Thanks for sharing that Lou

 

[JustPlay]

Yapp winning just about every tournament. How great Shane Van Boening is.

 

[BuffaloSlim]

My most memorable pool moment was passing a cue down to my son that his late mother use to play with and getting to play with him using it. He had no idea I had the cue let alone that I was going to pass it down to him.

 

[white1]

To you Trob, that’s the interesting thing in life, it’s all about perspective. You think gambling is dumb, you’re entitled to your opinions.

I have an opinions too. I look at people who buy multiple cues, $400+ CF shafts, $20+ chalks, gloves, cases, garish plastic shirts to play in a league on bar boxes and call themselves “pool players”, and I think that’s dumb. I mean, I never heard of those playing miniature golf calling themselves golfers. Or those that go to go cart tracks calling themselves nascar or formula one drivers. Why? Because they’re not. You see it’s all about perspective.

And to you Tennessee Joe, you’re entitled to your opinion as well. What I’ve written above here regarding bar box players thinking they’re pool players, this is what’s wrong with pool. It’s why Americans are the laughingstock of the professional pool world, a nation that once turned out the finest players in the game and now are an afterthought, because of their affinity for bar boxes over pool tables. I know this isn’t a popular opinion here at AZB, the lair of the “league players”, yet it doesn’t make it any less true. Have a great day gentlemen.

I appreciate your boldness…and agree with most of what you said…yet the reality where I have lived 61 years….southerny ky…there are no or very few 9 footers. Bar tables are all we have.

 

[easy-e]

I got to play some of the players I’ve always loved watching! Bergman, Styer, Matlock, Deuel, Brennan, Cousins, etc. great year for pool for me!

 

[Island Drive]

To you Trob, that’s the interesting thing in life, it’s all about perspective. You think gambling is dumb, you’re entitled to your opinions.

I have an opinions too. I look at people who buy multiple cues, $400+ CF shafts, $20+ chalks, gloves, cases, garish plastic shirts to play in a league on bar boxes and call themselves “pool players”, and I think that’s dumb. I mean, I never heard of those playing miniature golf calling themselves golfers. Or those that go to go cart tracks calling themselves nascar or formula one drivers. Why? Because they’re not. You see it’s all about perspective.

And to you Tennessee Joe, you’re entitled to your opinion as well. What I’ve written above here regarding bar box players thinking they’re pool players, this is what’s wrong with pool. It’s why Americans are the laughingstock of the professional pool world, a nation that once turned out the finest players in the game and now are an afterthought, because of their affinity for bar boxes over pool tables. I know this isn’t a popular opinion here at AZB, the lair of the “league players”, yet it doesn’t make it any less true. Have a great day gentlemen.

Perspectives, yep.... Opinions of course, and we had to fight Indians before they Opened Bensingers in Chicago.
We're an extremely New Country, didn't take us long to put Mosconi on the Brunswick payroll did it .
Our combined social structure of Great Players/Knoxville Bear/Lassiter etc... and of course the Europeans trying to infiltrate was life.
60's ....The Gold Crowns were made, then the industry/life changed.
TV put pool tables in Bad movie scenes.
Fats was put to rest.
Liquor infested pool rooms.
7's were BORNE.

 

[maha]

yea bill, join the list of old farts hating change.

 

[white1]

Pick me I'm now a bar league pool player because I don't have a 4 1/2' x 9' table within 120 miles one way .

When I did stop in at Brothers Billards where they do have both 7' and 9' tables a friend offered to playa few racks of 8 ball on a 9' table , it had only been 25 years or close to it since I last played on a 9' table at that time because of family obligations .
When it was said and done I won more games than I lost . later on I played in the Big Sky State Games Senior Division and finished 4th out of 35 players , yes those matches were played on bar diamond bar tables at best around home all I've got to play on regularly are valley tables not my favorite but such is life .

As for gambling I do when its a tournament and I've placed in the money more times than not even when there's been so called or self proclaimed " road players " entered .

Many years ago when I lived near the Hardin Corner Pocket and yes in those days I played on the 4 1/2' x 9' tables instead of the bar boxes I was asked to come down to a bar downtown as two " road players " were beating everyone for whatever they had been playing for .
One was called Dakota the other Meryl it was a double elimination tournament the game 9 ball single game and the entry fee wasn't to much $ 10.00 maybe $15.00 ? Anyway I played and beat the locals and then I had to play Dakota and Meryl long story short I walked out with the cash and both of them shook my hand and they both said they had under estimated me , sadly we never got to play again and I believe both are long gone before their time .
Even the bar this took place in also is gone its a Memorial Park for a fallen Police officer who also was a friend of mine back in those days , even the Corner Pocket is a empty building and the owners have also passed away .

Thx for sharing. Same story in southern ky too bar tables and mostly recreational drinkers on them.

 

[Island Drive]

yea bill, join the list of old farts hating change.

I don't hate change, I just hate no one ever wants to ''make a game''. Knock on your door, work it.

 

[Kris_b1104]

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.

 

[Frosty]

I appreciate your boldness…and agree with most of what you said…yet the reality where I have lived 61 years….southerny ky…there are no or very few 9 footers. Bar tables are all we have.

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.

 

[Rusty in Montana]

The above post seems reasonable but I'd like to add a addition though to it .

In rural America there are few is any buildings large enough to have multiple 4 1/2' x 9' tables with that said unless you build one suitable for it it's a automatic up hill battle financially that just doesn't pencil out no matter how you look at it .

While a bar chances are has a dance floor that can and will lend itself to a bar box table for those nights there isn't a band playing or a dining area for special occasions or club meetings or so it is at the little towns I've lived in or near for the most part .,

Even the old Corner Pocket's that George Frank started he had the buildings built to house mostly the 9' tables with some 7' tables as well , then it came down to the fact that people would spend more money playing a poker or keno machine quicker than they would play games of pool which in part helped with the decline of the Corner Pocket's of America .

 

[maha]

and for a real pool hall to make it nowadays it has to have great food and drinks. and machines that take your money whatever is legal in that state.

and an area with smaller tables as a great amount of new players and league players want that.

if stuck in the past mindset might as well make wagon wheels they are cheaper.

 

[maha]

and as time has gone on pool tables have gotten tougher to pocket balls on.

good for the better players that like that, but very bad for weak players coming in just to spend money and have fun.

bar tables provide that. easy pockets, shorter shots, and a place to just have fun.

most places i go in that don't have a monthly or very cheap daily rate have way more players on their smaller tables.

 

[skogstokig]

and for a real pool hall to make it nowadays it has to have great food and drinks. and machines that take your money whatever is legal in that state.

and an area with smaller tables as a great amount of new players and league players want that.

if stuck in the past mindset might as well make wagon wheels they are cheaper.

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)

 

[maha]

as long as you know what you are spending on then it should be legal within moral boundaries.
that one state be allowed to make something illegal because some company or group has a monopoly on it seems wrong.

such as states which make some types of gambling illegal and even felonies, yet in casinos it is perfectly alright to do it.