Where to play pool in Austin, TX.

Newton

Newton

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I'm lucky to have a trip to this city and was just wondering if there is
some places you could recommend ?
I'm no gambler, prefer not to much smoke since I use contacts (and a non-smoker), also if there is some decent house cues - that would be a bonus:-)
I would be staying down town, so city center area would be nice.

Any recommendations welcome.

Kent
 
I haven't lived there in a few years, but Click's on Oltorf and "The Grand" (used to be Eric's) on Airport are probably your best bet.....
 
I would have a car, but walking distance down town is preferred.
One recommended "Buffalo Billiards" - any one heard about this ?

K
 
Check out The Grand (formerly Eric's Billiards) which is on Airport Blvd, not too far from downtown. Easy cab ride. They have a handicapped tournament on Monday nights and a non-handicapped tournament on Thursday nights.
 
shayla said:
Check out The Grand (formerly Eric's Billiards) which is on Airport Blvd, not too far from downtown. Easy cab ride. They have a handicapped tournament on Monday nights and a non-handicapped tournament on Thursday nights.
Click to expand...

Thank's, I thought "1pRoscoe" did mean at the "airport" - airport including plains he he. I'm not carrying my cue over so how is the house cues?
Over here - house cues are usually as cheap as possible with those screw-on
tips which pretty much makes pool feel totally wrong :)

K
 
No real pool player goes to Buffalo Billiards. 6th street is the party place at night. The entire street, for blocks is lined with bars, clubs, pubs. The cops even cut the street off to traffic after a certain hour to allow foot traffic to just roam from one side of the street to the other. SXSW (South by Southwest) will be here march 13-22, so 6th street will probably be really insane and prices will skyrocket because of it. Prices on 6th street are probably already expensive enough to begin with.

The Grand is probably 3 miles north of downtown. I don't know any place in town that is going to have nice house cues, of course, I haven't had to play with a house cue in many years.
 
Yeah. Buffalo Billiards is a cool place to play. It's been a few years since I've played there, but I used to work a couple blocks away from it, so I'd walk to it almost nightly. It's a cool bar/pool hall. There's an upstairs and a downstairs, but I think the upstairs is closed sometimes. They have good food too. That's all I can think of that's downtown. As far as house cues go, I don't think I've ever seen the screw on tips in pool halls down here.
 
Buffalo billiards going to be the closest and it's nice...but as shayla said, it's going to be busy with South by Southwest ( http://sxsw.com/ ) if you're coming to Austin in the next couple weeks.

It's been a few months since I've been to The Grand. The tables are okay but the sticks weren't great.

If you're looking for good equipment, then any of the clicks or slick willies in Austin are fine. I personally prefer clicks on Oltorf. Good tables, and sticks (can be a bit smokey depending on the people playing.) For less smoke, Slick Willies on south lamar.

I'd stay away from side pockets right now.
 
Thanks for the feedback all.

Currently lying flat out with the flue, and the plain is leaving tomorrow...
Not the best combination so I guess I would be lying flat out some days when I
arrive...
Typical my luck :(

K
 
Roy Steffensen said:
Oh come on Kent, you need to gamble a little when you are over there ;)
Click to expand...

If I only got rid of this flue.
At the moment I'm wishing that my head had threads bellow my ears so I
could park it in the fridge and wait until the headache was gone:o

But then you know me, I don't gamble :)

K
 
Gambling

Newton said:
If I only got rid of this flue.
At the moment I'm wishing that my head had threads bellow my ears so I
could park it in the fridge and wait until the headache was gone:o

But then you know me, I don't gamble :)

K
Click to expand...


Wagering on a game of skill between you and another is not gambling. ;)

Getting on a plane on the other hand............LOL

Ray
 
finally got there..

A loooooooong plain ride was for sure a big test....
Thank God for medicine, penicilin included.
Since the form is so low I would only pass by that one not recommended in 6th street,simply because it's walking distance from the Hotel..
Walked by therer earlier and there was some funky long and narrow normal- looking tables there which must be used for something special.The place was not open when I passed by.
Would try to check out those others recommended.
K
 
Actually flying is more safe then driving. You don't hear about all the automobile fatalities. But when a plane goes down, its on the news forever.

Also if you want to play during the day and IF you have a car, I would suggest going to G-cue. There are a few guys that go during the day and its nice and quite. And not too bad on the smoke.

Bigtruck said:
Wagering on a game of skill between you and another is not gambling. ;)

Getting on a plane on the other hand............LOL

Ray
Click to expand...
 
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Newton said:
A loooooooong plain ride was for sure a big test....
Thank God for medicine, penicilin included.
Since the form is so low I would only pass by that one not recommended in 6th street,simply because it's walking distance from the Hotel..
Walked by there earlier and there was some funky long and narrow normal- looking tables there which must be used for something special.The place was not open when I passed by.
Would try to check out those others recommended.
K
Click to expand...


Last time I was in there they had a shuffle board table up by the windows which is probably what you saw.




OrangeCrush, what is happening with Side Pocket now that it has changed hands? Stayed the same or all the changes are well under way?
 
If you want to play cheap during daytime, IMHO the best place to go in Austin would be "Clicks" on North Lamar.
They open at 11am and have a flatrate of 5 Bucks per person playing till 6pm.
The tables were in a good condition and they have a seperated non smoking area.
They have 4 9 footers and a lot more 8 footers and relativly cheap drinks too.
If you want you usually find someone to play and the regulars are pretty friendly.

If you look for a more crowded place I would suggest Slick Willies on Burnet, pretty close to 181, where thy have a great staff and also good tables and as far as I can tll (since I did not use them myself) pretty good house cues too.

I would stay away from Bonny & Clyde and Side Pockets... A little mor outside of Austin you'll find "Shooters" (somewhere near the west end of Palmer, but I do not rember the adress) and Fast Eddies, which many people prefer to the other locations for some reason that I did not figure yet^^
At Fast Eddies there is one big tournament once a year, maybe fame makes a places reputation rather than the place itself.. I found it too tight around the tables...

Also I prefer playing on 9 footers, since we basically only have those here in Germany..

Enjoy your time in Austin!

If you ever come to Clicks on Lamar, please say "Hi" to the guy at the bar from the German Guy that came there every day in summer ;)
 
Wow, Avatar - thanks for the feedback.It seems like you have spent some time here:)
Unfortunately, it may end up in to much work for me here... I have not been able to play yet, but I'm still hoping for a evening with some play in a real American pool hall.

I have checked that place on 6th, and those funky tables by the entrance was used for " a game" so I guess pool has a competitor here in this respect. Almost like our curling but different.

Just got rid of the flue,first day without Med's so the first chilled bottle of brown fluid was jack'ed to day and it was no surprice that it was refreshing in the heat :)

K
 
Newton said:
Wow, Avatar - thanks for the feedback.It seems like you have spent some time here:)
Unfortunately, it may end up in to much work for me here... I have not been able to play yet, but I'm still hoping for a evening with some play in a real American pool hall.

I have checked that place on 6th, and those funky tables by the entrance was used for " a game" so I guess pool has a competitor here in this respect. Almost like our curling but different.

Just got rid of the flue,first day without Med's so the first chilled bottle of brown fluid was jack'ed to day and it was no surprice that it was refreshing in the heat :)

K
Click to expand...

I spent 7 weeks in Austin in 2007 and 3 weeks in 2008, but about every free minute in the pool hall...
Just stay away from spiders and snakes, then Austin is a great place also to go out and walk and discover the nature... The state parks (Pedernales, Emma Long and others, the Lake and further away Fredrichsburg (along with Enchanted Rock) are lovely places for that
 
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