Why Not Tournament Every Hour

N

naji

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Hello all AZBer's

As you may all know, the biggest problem with pool in today's age finding someone to play with, at the time you are available, league play is ok, but it has its draw back due to have to wait weeks and months for results, here is a thought for pool halls owners, (apologize if it was mentioned before) who knows it could be the one that will save pool, i hope! How about a self run tournament every hour or two on the hour, only two people required if more shows up that is great, if people shows up late a bit, fit them in; i know it is silly, but that is what is keeping Casinos going, is their 24 hours gambling, you can gamble/play anytime. Many iteration would be required for each pool room to find its best fit, rules, incentive to bring people..etc

It is getting much harder finding good gamble game when you need it, especially with cell phone cameras everywhere! your photo would be circulating to so many people the minute you open the pool hall door, if not already on you tube, so the idea of making money in pool that way could be history; therefore, serious gambling seem to be fading away, sure there are the revenge gambling games between some players and backers, arranged games and streams, and handy capping top players; IMO tournaments continuously every hour or two, on the hour over the 24 hours period, 365 a year might be the way to go.

Like to hear your response the good, bad and the ugly!!
 
TheLoneSilencer said:
The idea sounds interesting but I don't think a model could be developed that would make it work.
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Thanks positive response, i add, went to a new pool hall yesterday, it is hard to impose yourself on people, you know what i mean, the people that run the pool hall do not care who walks in, all they ask, "how can i help you", if you ask, is there someone plays good, like to shoot for $5, or $10.00 a game, his face will turn red, and says excuse-me, then you say can i get the balls! typical "today's" pool rooms, i know there is risk involved in arranging games between patrons, therefore, a predetermined games and time might elevate that risk!!
 
naji said:
Hello all AZBer's

As you may all know, the biggest problem with pool in today's age finding someone to play with, at the time you are available, league play is ok, but it has its draw back due to have to wait weeks and months for results, here is a thought for pool halls owners, (apologize if it was mentioned before) who knows it could be the one that will save pool, i hope! How about a self run tournament every hour or two on the hour, only two people required if more shows up that is great, if people shows up late a bit, fit them in; i know it is silly, but that is what is keeping Casinos going, is their 24 hours gambling, you can gamble/play anytime. Many iteration would be required for each pool room to find its best fit, rules, incentive to bring people..etc

It is getting much harder finding good gamble game when you need it, especially with cell phone cameras everywhere! your photo would be circulating to so many people the minute you open the pool hall door, if not already on you tube, so the idea of making money in pool that way could be history; therefore, serious gambling seem to be fading away, sure there are the revenge gambling games between some players and backers, arranged games and streams, and handy capping top players; IMO tournaments continuously every hour or two, on the hour over the 24 hours period, 365 a year might be the way to go.

Like to hear your response the good, bad and the ugly!!
Click to expand...

It does not have to be 9 ball, 10 ball games, it could be say 3 ball games, quick, shoot out, make a jack pot for making all three on the break, spice it up, bring luck into it..stuff, Vegas style. Bottom line you need incentives for people to walk in any day anytime they are open!
 
This is, in my opinion, a great train of thought.

Now I live in Vegas so perhaps I'm not in tune with gaming laws in other states, but I totally agree that a financial incentive to go to the pool hall makes a lot of sense.

If you could remove the problem of a player having to look for action, you will have supplied a solution for a real need.

The Casinos here do it every day, and your choices for action are nearly endless.

A pool hall could offer cash for beating the ghost, pocking a winner on the break, or beating a house pro in a race, with proper handicapping. You could have a Calcutta for high 14.1 run, 4 packs, 5 packs, 6packs and on and on.

Folks with more creative minds than me will think of many things that provide some gamble for players, and provide incentive to enter their room.

Nice post .. you have my mind working.
 
Even something as simple as a dry erase board with names and games. You walk into your pool hall and tell the counter guy you are looking for someone to play, he says write your name down under the game or games you want to play and next person who comes in does same thing and hopefully you can get a game going with someone. I think most people are hesitant to walk up to someone and ask if they want to play because one or both are thinking they will get hustled. It would also be much easier that way than walking from table to table trying find someone who may want to play. In a bar you walk up and put your quarter on the table and that says you want to play. They need to find a good way to "put your quarter on the table" in the pool halls.
 
I can easily picture this happening at Turningstone or at the Derby. Local House Pro is now dressed up like a casino dealer. Even has a Photo ID card with his name, Earl Something. The referee watches the table like a Pit Boss, just in case you move the balls or foul.

You look at the betting options, 8-ball, 9-ball, 10-ball, 14.1. House rules the Dealer can't intentionally safety you unless he's down to his last 2 balls. You settle on 8-ball because you figure you'll have a shot even if you're out of line. Also, you want to look good in front of your girl (or significant other). You can't decide whether to pick APA or BCA. APA rules (8 on the break win), BCA rules (you don't automatically lose scratching on the 8). You decide to hedge your bets and go for broke by betting both.

You break, come up dry. Balls are spread and easy layout, and Dealer proceeds to runs out. Dealer rakes in the bets, and calls Next Shooter!
You then immediately log onto AZ, complain that pool is broken.
 
Last edited:
naji said:
Hello all AZBer's

As you may all know, the biggest problem with pool in today's age finding someone to play with, at the time you are available, league play is ok, but it has its draw back due to have to wait weeks and months for results, here is a thought for pool halls owners, (apologize if it was mentioned before) who knows it could be the one that will save pool, i hope! How about a self run tournament every hour or two on the hour, only two people required if more shows up that is great, if people shows up late a bit, fit them in; i know it is silly, but that is what is keeping Casinos going, is their 24 hours gambling, you can gamble/play anytime. Many iteration would be required for each pool room to find its best fit, rules, incentive to bring people..etc

It is getting much harder finding good gamble game when you need it, especially with cell phone cameras everywhere! your photo would be circulating to so many people the minute you open the pool hall door, if not already on you tube, so the idea of making money in pool that way could be history; therefore, serious gambling seem to be fading away, sure there are the revenge gambling games between some players and backers, arranged games and streams, and handy capping top players; IMO tournaments continuously every hour or two, on the hour over the 24 hours period, 365 a year might be the way to go.

Like to hear your response the good, bad and the ugly!!
Click to expand...


This is what Ron Hoffman at ProPool.com has been trying to achieve for years now. I've spoken to him numerous times in the past 3 years, but his presentation of the whole idea is always somewhat confusing.

Maybe you could contact him through his website and try to make sense of his plan. I sure can't.

Happy New Year!
 
naji said:
Hello all AZBer's

As you may all know, the biggest problem with pool in today's age finding someone to play with, at the time you are available, league play is ok, but it has its draw back due to have to wait weeks and months for results, here is a thought for pool halls owners, (apologize if it was mentioned before) who knows it could be the one that will save pool, i hope! How about a self run tournament every hour or two on the hour, only two people required if more shows up that is great, if people shows up late a bit, fit them in; i know it is silly, but that is what is keeping Casinos going, is their 24 hours gambling, you can gamble/play anytime. Many iteration would be required for each pool room to find its best fit, rules, incentive to bring people..etc

It is getting much harder finding good gamble game when you need it, especially with cell phone cameras everywhere! your photo would be circulating to so many people the minute you open the pool hall door, if not already on you tube, so the idea of making money in pool that way could be history; therefore, serious gambling seem to be fading away, sure there are the revenge gambling games between some players and backers, arranged games and streams, and handy capping top players; IMO tournaments continuously every hour or two, on the hour over the 24 hours period, 365 a year might be the way to go.

Like to hear your response the good, bad and the ugly!!
Click to expand...
They do often run mini tournaments during larger tournaments and they are very popular.
In what you are suggesting how does the pool room make any money from this?
 
macguy said:
They do often run mini tournaments during larger tournaments and they are very popular.
In what you are suggesting how does the pool room make any money from this?
Click to expand...

Through the table time and hopefully more traffic, I'd presume. Taking a % of the entrants' fee would hurt the process more than help, IMO.

I can't speak for the pool communities I have never visited, but I can say that if the naji is sitting in the pool room and I walk in, there still wouldn't be any tournament going on.

People don't play others coz it isn't appealing to them. Why no appeal is irrelevant, except for the fact that it keeps people from playing each other, tournament or otherwise.
 
I think this suggestion applies more to teams than individuals but could be tweaked to individuals if the tournament was played out over a brief season, or period of time, like a pro team schedule. You gotta start somewhere.

So once every one has registered and paid their fees/buy-in/registration, the tournament coordinator sets up the matches in a home and away calendar. The "home" players/teams reserve tables/times and notifies the "away" players/teams when the match will be.

The schedule calls for two matches for each player/team combination, once as a "home" team and once as "away". It also sets up time requirements (must be started between noon and 7:00 pm) so working stiffs can participate. League also requires that "home" player/team pays table time and determines the number of matches per week (maybe two to three).

Players/teams that miss a match have a loss on their record but get to stay in the tournament and at the end there can be a playoff day for the top eight, four, or two players/teams.

Some of you may realize I'm trying to adapt the USTA league format to something far less organized but you gotta start somewhere.

This is also a lot more work than pool players and room owners usually invest in the sport but gee whiz, you gotta start somewhere.

Typing this up is already more thought/work than I've invested in my game recently, except for showing up at my local room and wondering why they won't clean up and repair the tables and *****ing because there's nothing going on there!!!

Happy New Year all, here's to the best year yet.
 
naji said:
It is getting much harder finding good gamble game when you need it, especially with cell phone cameras everywhere! your photo would be circulating to so many people the minute you open the pool hall door,
Click to expand...

If my photo was circulated, I'd have a neverending line of people waiting to get my money!
 
Black-Balled said:
Through the table time and hopefully more traffic, I'd presume. Taking a % of the entrants' fee would hurt the process more than help, IMO.

I can't speak for the pool communities I have never visited, but I can say that if the naji is sitting in the pool room and I walk in, there still wouldn't be any tournament going on.

People don't play others coz it isn't appealing to them. Why no appeal is irrelevant, except for the fact that it keeps people from playing each other, tournament or otherwise.
Click to expand...

The point is my time or other people time is not in sync' at times I wait for hours before someone walks in, by then my time is up. Need a way to let everyone play at any time they walk in just like poker tables in casinos. short tournament format appeals to people more than individual husler, especially if the house have a game or drawing for losers for more realistic appeal.
 
Years ago, when League pool was in its hay day, you could walk into a couple or three
of the main halls in town and always get a game. League players or just other players were always practicing.

That soon ended unfortunately.

Nine Ball Saturdays at our old hall. We took up many of the tables but there were lots of table for the bangers to use. The owner took a very small amount of the 10 dollar entry fee for Green fees. He made his Sat afternoon money on alcohol and food that normally wouldn't have been there for him.

They do the same in Vegas for the VNEA. The night before the tourney starts, lots of mini tourneys. single knock out, ( if I remember) so 15 to 20 minutes later, 50% of the field were ready for the next round.

One old hall used to have Sunday night tourneys. You would think that lots of people would be at home resting up for another week of work, but not so. I remember dragging myself out of the hall many nights at 2 am and the touney was still going strong.

So yeah, not a half bad idea and could be implemented in any hall with a little planning.
 
Its a diffrent world today

Beaumont TX.( POP 100K) 1987 there were at least 8 pool halls , and you could find action at any one of them , and a different crowd it seemed. Now there are two that I know of and action is hard to impossible find.

Last time I was home I was in Fast Eddies Easily the nicest hall of the two , Friday night 8 o'clock and the tables were full about 30 in all , bar was full there was just about any type of cue you could imagine if you looked around . and not a money game in the house.

The money players are rare around home anymore there are maybe half a dozen players who hang out there who will gamble and we usually end up playing each other. 25 years ago you walk in a hall on a Friday night and easily half the tables in the joints were money games , anywhere from 5 dollar to 500 , depending who was around. I don't know about the rest of the country , but Beaumont went from a pool town to a pool ghost town in 2 decades

The last two pool halls are catering to the casual and league player and their bar business to survive
 
naji said:
The point is my time or other people time is not in sync' at times I wait for hours before someone walks in, by then my time is up. Need a way to let everyone play at any time they walk in just like poker tables in casinos. short tournament format appeals to people more than individual husler, especially if the house have a game or drawing for losers for more realistic appeal.
Click to expand...

But reality has to factor in, please.

How many times do you want to play somebody that you have no chance to beat?

Truth, please.
 
Black-Balled said:
But reality has to factor in, please.

How many times do you want to play somebody that you have no chance to beat?

Truth, please.
Click to expand...

My intention is you have to create some kind of meeting time that players meet and get together with good strategy low entry fee.Players get to know each other which could lead to some matches on the side. Losers could be rewarded by introducing some lottery so everyone get a chance along with first and second' maybe good handy cap system. Only sugusting if it never happens be it.
 
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