UK 8 Ball
Topic: What Do You Want In A Good Pool Bar?

Another answer to this question as it is listed on the main page is.....lots of fibre!

Sorry!

This is great guys. I'm loving your comments.

Some of you have mentioned competitions. Is that important and why?

Is it the money that's important or is it the competition you enjoy?

The competitions in my opinion. Local competitions, are more important for helping the sport grow, introducing it to regulars and locals.

And hosting bigger events like gb9bt and bpppa tour stops is also good for the same thing. It shows people who play in local competitions, that there is somewhere to go if they take up the sport.

No under 18s unless they prove they,re serious players.

On 2007-08-10 17:18 , expertfluke Wrote:

It's kinda funny you mention this about Pourlour Billiards, because I wasn't even aware that any pool halls already had that idea, as I was going to suggest that very same thing, as reguards having a room that caters for everyone, but you have beat me to it lol

Decent quality tables, either Diamond Pro Am or Brunswick GC4 or Centurion and at least 6ft space between each table, anything less than that, is a pain from having to wait on the guy next door to play his shot.

Proper championship quality ball sets, Super Aramith Pro or Brunswick Centennials, and also have spare sets for replacement balls, just in case.... There's nothing worse than having a ball set that resembles a bag of Dolly Mixture sweets, I know of 1 particular club that is notorious for it, and I would happily ban them from ever owning a pool hall again, for that, if I could.

Tables, balls and all other equipment, properly cleaned on a daily basis and well maintained with tables being recovered on a regular basis, ever 10 - 12 months.

Good house cues, there's nothing worse than going to a pool club and finding that the club cues are only useful for firewood.

Fully Stocked bar with a good selection of both alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks.

Hot Food available, with an optional seating area and waiting staff service.

Regular In-House tournaments and leagues, to promote pool for all skill levels of play, as well as hosting professional event like GB9BT, etc.

Fully Stocked In-house pro shop, with a discount percentage to members of a Pro Tour.

In-House pool school coaching programme for all skill levels of play.

Good sheltered smoking area outside, for smokers to be able to have a smoke if they want one, without having to stand out in the freezing cold winters

A membership club, where members have access to cue lockers that they can rent for a year, but also have an insurance policy, so that the players' equipment is insured to cover any loss/damage cause in the event of a fire or flooding, etc.

No Snooker or marbles (English Pool) tables, keep it strictly for American Pool, as there are plenty of snooker clubs all over the country already with marbles tables included, as it is.

Nice clean cue decor, without this american car liscence plate and traffic lights malarky.

Nice comfortable seating area for times when you're waiting to get a table.

TV/Exhibition arena with a camera connected to a Large Screen TV (Rigger suggested this earlier), but also have it connected up to a live internet feed, for tournament finals

And finally a good, well maintained website, giving plenty of details about the facillities, table rates, online booking service as well

These are just a few suggestions so far

Willie


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If ya got 'em, smoke 'em

I'm going to say... not an optional eating area, but compulsary eating area. And the option to freeze your table time for a certain amount of minutes whilst you eat.

there is nothing worse than tomato ketchup from somebodies curly fries, all over the cushion. because the majority of english people eat like animals.

or a piece of brown lettuce on the floor, its just disgusting.

do some sort of deal, customers get a free 45mins table time if they order food for a certain time on booking their table on arrival. that way, they don't have to worry about losing out on the table or table time whilst they are moved to a restaurant area to eat.

The American thing is interesting.

Can you explain more about the pool parlour. Has anyone been to America and seen what they're doing over there? How does it differ from what is done here?

OK, given the choice of 1 or the other. Would you prefer to play on a 9ft SAM table or an 8ft Brunswick Metro?

First of all, I would never choose a SAM 9ft K-Steel, nor would I choose an 8ft table, and so, it's really much of a choice, and if that was the only options being offered, I would go elsewhere, because it wouldn't be any better, than a Rileys Club, since about 99.9% of Rileys clubs that have American Tables, are SAM K-Steels, and playing on 8ft tables, is kinda like reverting back to playing marbles pool, and that slurps.

If you're gonna have a pool room and bar, and you're looking to have an upscale pool room and bar, then it's gotta be the kind of room that attracts both the serious players, as well as the everyday bangers and boozers, and so with that in mind, it would make more sense to have the club seperated into 3 areas, 1 area with the 7ft and 8ft tables, 1 area for the more serious players on the 9ft tables, and the other area that is completely and easily accesible for the bar/recption, from both pool room areas, good comfortable seating, waiting staff, etc.

I think that this is what expertfluke was taking about, as I've heard of a few other rooms in the US, that has this same type of layout.

Like expertfluke has mentioned, take the time to research the most well known and upscale rooms in the US and see what you come up with

Willie


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If ya got 'em, smoke 'em

I hear what you are saying Willie and appreciate your comments.

I myself would prefer to play on the 8ft Metro. I consider myself to be an intermediate player and just like to have a drink and a fun game with friends.

It sounds to me like you would not consider an 8ft table so if they were the only 2 tables left in the world you would play on the SAM.

I have never played on a Sam table, but I have only heard bad things about the table. I have the Brunswick GC IV and Yalin Match tables at my place. Only 9 feet and that is what you need to have if you are looking for poolplayers (american pool that is)

The tables are not the big cost here, thats just the start up fee. The cost is employees, rent, maintenance etc, and this is what you need to consider. With good quality tables you will draw both the poolplayers and the drop in customer and your income, and hopefully surplus, will be higher. All these other costs have nothing to do with the table brand. In my opinion having good tables is a win-win situation for all parties.


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Ine
www.inehelvik.com

What rules do you play if you play 8 ball?

There's only one set of rules - this is the real pool game, not the pub game!



I can't believe the unfortunate cropping of this forum topic!

So you play the WPA rules. Its ok for your opponents ball to go down providing you play a legal shot.

LOL! Yeah I see what you mean with the topic!

Can I change the title?

Noooo... I think it's funny!

ok. Big Dave can you clarify for me which rules you are playing. I played a guy recently in the UK who was playing the foul = 1 shot ball in hand and when 1 of his balls went down he thought it was a foul.

Wheelchair access not a big steep ramp no stairs be able to get to all parts of club. Accessible toilet preferably two don't let anyone else use them best to use a radar key. Also don't use them as a store room.

On 2007-08-11 15:25 , needyourhelp Wrote:

There are not many people in the UK who know the correct US 8-Ball rules apart from the more serious players.

Casual players tend to play the kind of "rules" you mention.


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Chris @ Pro9