When a road player comes to town.........

JoeyA

JoeyA

Efren's Mini-Tourn BACKER
Silver Member
When a road player comes to town, does your pool room owner make every effort to see that the road player gets action? I'm not talking about the room owner making sure that the road player gets paid for showing up at his pool room. I'm talking about making sure that the road player gets played.....

A not so well known player recently showed up in North Carolina and it was like pulling teeth for him to get action, even small action. I'm not putting North Carolina on the spot but that's the story I heard and as we all know, there's more than one side to a story.....

I was just wondering if your pool room gives the road player the cold shoulder or actually tries to see if they can find him some action.

Buffalo Billiards in Metairie, LA makes a big effort to see that road players are played. That doesn't mean that the road players get played even.....just sayin. Maybe that's why road players stop at Buffalo Billiards when they are on the road.

I know a lot more road players could get played if they called IN ADVANCE. Don't bother with the BS phone calls. That's old jokes and is just wasting the bartender's time.

Personally, I think road players would do better by simply calling ahead to any pool room and letting the owner of the pool room know that they will be visiting on such and such day at such and such time. This gives the pool room owner a little time to get some of the local players to the room for some action....

How does your pool room owner handle visiting players?
 
I can't say the owner does anything special about it.

We have a few players though that tend to greet outsiders with a large smile.
 
angldemn said:
I can't say the owner does anything special about it.

We have a few players though that tend to greet outsiders with a large smile.
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What is the name of your pool room or where is it located?
 
The owners around here just want to pack the house, they dont care how its done. Tournaments do the job so I dont think they care about action. Player wise, everybody knows each other. So there arent too many unknowns that are gonna show up and challenge just anybody for serious money. The action scene is weak these days, everybody is a locksmith. Even the pros are going low risk, often battling all night over a small $300 pot.
 
Bambu said:
The owners around here just want to pack the house, they dont care how its done. Tournaments do the job so I dont think they care about action. Player wise, everybody knows each other. So there arent too many unknowns that are gonna show up and challenge just anybody for serious money. The action scene is weak these days, everybody is a locksmith. Even the pros are going low risk, often battling all night over a small $300 pot.
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I think you're right. It is a sign of the economy's downward slide. More to come I'm afraid to say. I'm wondering if the economy's slide will have a positive effect on pool.

Room owners could beef up attendance by having their customers cell phone numbers and do a GROUP TEXT message when road players are in town.
 
15 or 20 years ago most players at a poolroom would break a leg trying to get to the table to play an out of town player, at least me and my brother and a few others at our poolroom in Texarkana would.

These days people want the mortal nuts, the first thing that comes out of their mouths is 7,8 & 9 , odds on the money and games on the wire!...sheese!

Games came way more easily before cell phones and the internet, you just got up and played, no spots were asked for much unless the game was totaly out of line, and the room owners usually accommodated the out of towner's quite well.

I would even offer players to stay at my place for a week or so, and made good scores doing it, not that way any more, I sure do miss those days!, sure there were some thugs in the bunch, but even they had a little pride about themselves.

I would kick one to the curb quick if they didn't do right, but most were on the up and up and they created action for the poolroom and the owners & customers appreacited it.

It just ain't like it used to be for the most part, but I still think some owners and players like the action if your good action and don't mind showing some hospitality to out of town players.


David Harcrow
 
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no action

the one player I do have is moving to Raleigh N.C.at the end of the month, the rest wouldn`t bet $5.00 they are in the pool room,LOL
highrun55
 
I just wish i were lucky enough to have a poolroom in my town.

Closest poolroom to me is over 35 miles away.

Kevin
 
Pool room

The room I go to, Stix, the owner usually will greet them, but it is usually up to the road player to make his own games. Glenn Atwell was hanging around for awhile, and he did not get played, noone could agree on a game with him.

More recently, Jeff Melton was in, and he did get played, plus one of the guys with him got played too.
 
JoeyA said:
When a road player comes to town, does your pool room owner make every effort to see that the road player gets action? I'm not talking about the room owner making sure that the road player gets paid for showing up at his pool room. I'm talking about making sure that the road player gets played.....

A not so well known player recently showed up in North Carolina and it was like pulling teeth for him to get action, even small action. I'm not putting North Carolina on the spot but that's the story I heard and as we all know, there's more than one side to a story.....

I was just wondering if your pool room gives the road player the cold shoulder or actually tries to see if they can find him some action.

Buffalo Billiards in Metairie, LA makes a big effort to see that road players are played. That doesn't mean that the road players get played even.....just sayin. Maybe that's why road players stop at Buffalo Billiards when they are on the road.

I know a lot more road players could get played if they called IN ADVANCE. Don't bother with the BS phone calls. That's old jokes and is just wasting the bartender's time.

Personally, I think road players would do better by simply calling ahead to any pool room and letting the owner of the pool room know that they will be visiting on such and such day at such and such time. This gives the pool room owner a little time to get some of the local players to the room for some action....

How does your pool room owner handle visiting players?
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I am kind of on the fence on this. If it is a Grady or Keith type then yes, you want there to be some action, but these are exceptional players in they are gamblers. If it just some guy who rolls into town and starts fishing for information looking to steal, I have to tell you, we would usually conspired against him to be sure he left town empty.
 
Handling Road Players

JoeyA said:
When a road player comes to town, does your pool room owner make every effort to see that the road player gets action? I'm not talking about the room owner making sure that the road player gets paid for showing up at his pool room. I'm talking about making sure that the road player gets played.....

A not so well known player recently showed up in North Carolina and it was like pulling teeth for him to get action, even small action. I'm not putting North Carolina on the spot but that's the story I heard and as we all know, there's more than one side to a story.....

I was just wondering if your pool room gives the road player the cold shoulder or actually tries to see if they can find him some action.

Buffalo Billiards in Metairie, LA makes a big effort to see that road players are played. That doesn't mean that the road players get played even.....just sayin. Maybe that's why road players stop at Buffalo Billiards when they are on the road.

I know a lot more road players could get played if they called IN ADVANCE. Don't bother with the BS phone calls. That's old jokes and is just wasting the bartender's time.

Personally, I think road players would do better by simply calling ahead to any pool room and letting the owner of the pool room know that they will be visiting on such and such day at such and such time. This gives the pool room owner a little time to get some of the local players to the room for some action....

How does your pool room owner handle visiting players?
Click to expand...
Joey, I believe that the economy is an indicator of the gambling mindset. The local attitude in North Carolina is different today than what it was back in say the 70's and 80's when Raleigh and Greensboro held action all the time. I am also sure you remember the Sports Palace in New Orleans was hot with action in the 80's and 90's. Room owners attitudes changed also. Many were players and gamblers themselves. But,when revenues became scarce,any road player was taking money out of the owner's till,so to speak. Bad business model.

When the business revenue stream is good,the propensity for action is high. That's why Emerald's and Buffalo's are able to attract these players. They are both solid businesses and have the support of the owners to "risk" revenue to achieve "reward" revenue.

I have worked at a few Billiard Rooms and knew many room owners once upon a time. Some embraced the "Road Player",some disliked them because they weren't willing to let their regulars get hooked into a match.

My one advice to owners is this,and I will give credit to Tony Cattucci from the Ball Room in Tom's River,N.J. for this,"Whatever the action,whoever the players,whatever the sweat,...I get my cut. My House,My Percent."

I was in Emerald's to watch the Walden/Thomas Match. I liked it better than the Hatch/Dechaine Match that's for sure!I am hopeful to get down to Buffalo Billiards soon.
 
I wish i lived in an area where road players came through (not that I'd play them :D)....

Canada is pretty weak for that kinda thing.
 
macguy said:
I am kind of on the fence on this. If it is a Grady or Keith type then yes, you want there to be some action, but these are exceptional players in they are gamblers. If it just some guy who rolls into town and starts fishing for information looking to steal, I have to tell you, we would usually conspired against him to be sure he left town empty.
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TAP TAP TAP.

There is a big difference between gamblers and hustlers. No owner wants to see his players get robbed. But welcoming a player that is looking for fair action that will draw more players to the room is just good business.

Helping someone empty you're customers pockets..... bad business.
 
cajunfats said:
Joey, I believe that the economy is an indicator of the gambling mindset. The local attitude in North Carolina is different today than what it was back in say the 70's and 80's when Raleigh and Greensboro held action all the time. I am also sure you remember the Sports Palace in New Orleans was hot with action in the 80's and 90's. Room owners attitudes changed also. Many were players and gamblers themselves. But,when revenues became scarce,any road player was taking money out of the owner's till,so to speak. Bad business model.

When the business revenue stream is good,the propensity for action is high. That's why Emerald's and Buffalo's are able to attract these players. They are both solid businesses and have the support of the owners to "risk" revenue to achieve "reward" revenue.

I have worked at a few Billiard Rooms and knew many room owners once upon a time. Some embraced the "Road Player",some disliked them because they weren't willing to let their regulars get hooked into a match.

My one advice to owners is this,and I will give credit to Tony Cattucci from the Ball Room in Tom's River,N.J. for this,"Whatever the action,whoever the players,whatever the sweat,...I get my cut. My House,My Percent."

I was in Emerald's to watch the Walden/Thomas Match. I liked it better than the Hatch/Dechaine Match that's for sure!I am hopeful to get down to Buffalo Billiards soon.
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Keith Hulin's Emeralds in New Iberia is a GREAT poolroom with an owner who will either gamble himself or put someone in action.

Hope to see you down the road. Come pass a good time.
 
In my immediate area, tooooooooooooooooooooooo many pool detectives and they buddy up to the roadies (WHY) and I'm sure don't even get a cut, but they tell em everything....................................................they are lonely.
Back when Grady had his pool room here, all the pool players and sweaters would work together & do whatever it took to break the roadie and make him stay here for awhile, some were here years, others for a couple weeks.
Gradys philosphy was if you can bust em he'll have to stay, he'll feed off the bottom, pump up again and you'll most likely get action again, you can also learn allot from ANY good player and maybe a new friend. There was also another rule, never let a player who loses not pay you for the last game, it gave em a reason to NOT come back & they always went somewhere else.
My recommendation for a score, it takes more time and effort, but if you've got time, I'd move to an area for a month, spend the first week or so NOT playing, but feeling and seeing whats going on, you can then pick you spots way better. Hawiian Brian was always good at flying back to an area where he lost, when his game went up a ball and take it off. It takes allot of smoozing to put this all together, but you can earn a living this way. Finding a good score then following and finding out where else they go can be very beneficial if that enviornment is one they like/trust. There was an all night place in So. Cal back in the late seventies, I would arrive there about 1:30 am in my van, I'd go to sleep till about 4 am, then venture inside for action, it the place where Ether and King Kong hung out after hours.
 
SVB happens to be good friends with the poolrooms owner that I frequent, has been for longggggggg before he ever became who he is today. I have seen him get on the phone with everybody he can think of trying to make a game for him, he does this as well for other players looking for action also, that is, unless he plays them himself because he happens to hit them pretty sporty himself:smile:
 
JoeyA said:
I know a lot more road players could get played if they called IN ADVANCE.
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I think this is the way it needs to be done. Call ahead, set something up online, or make some other arrangements beforehand so everyone can do their research and match up. Nowadays, most players are known, and nobody wants to take the risk of playing an unknown.

As far as NC goes, I live in Raleigh and have also recently witnessed a visitor being unable to get action in Raleigh or High Point by just showing up looking for it but I think he could have worked something out by calling ahead.
 
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