Anybody play pool?
 

Way back when dirt was rocks, a friend came to me. He was a pool fanatic, I (then and now) a mere casual player. But, oh what a deal... He was hot for a certain pool cue, a "custom" he called it, dubbed it the best in the world. Actually, the only thing really "custom" was that the buyer could select the weight, the shaft dia. and have his name embossed on a metal foil band displayed under a clear plastic ring, helpful in discouraging theft.
As I said, Tony was really HOT for this cue, but the only way he could get the wholesale price of $150, (This included 2 shafts and a hard case, also with your name embossed.) he had to buy TWO of them. Jeeze, I didn't even know if I was good enough to even have a 2 piece cue, let alone "the best in the world". But to help him out, I relented, gave him the money. In 8 weeks or so, he gave me the cue. When Cindy & I were dating,we'd play now and then. But after marriage, with both of us working, a child to raise, pool got dropped, the cue & case placed in a closet. 30 years later, the child grown & gone, we decided to bring our old cues out of the closet, try our hand at playing again. Gosh, it was embarrassing...neither of us could shoot worth a damn, but we'd draw a crowd whenever I'd uncase my old cue. I figured out why in short order, so I bought a modern cue, an entry level Jacoby, to play with. I placed my old cue back in the closet, not caring for the attention. Today, I discoved a website...here's a link to the page with pics of an old cue like mine: ;)
http://www.palmercollector.com/Model-M-page.html

Sell that old relic and take Cindy for a weekend getaway but hang onto that old car of yours. :)

Reg

Old relic??? Hey, I may represent that remark, but the cue is as nice as when I bought it. Besides, it has my name under the clear plastic ring. Taking Cindy for a getaway is in the works, BTW...the 27th is our 30th anniversary. She hasn't made up her mind where she wants to go, what she wants to do yet...

take her for a run down the coast - hit every pool hall you can for a quick game of 9-ball - make it the "Great Pool Hall Run".

I am nursing about a 3 day/week billiard habit. That is an amazing cue you have, and an even better story to go with it. Also, a Jacoby is a very un-beginner like cue ;) (Calling any of them entry-level is almost impossible)

Good to hear you're getting back into it. Less walking than golf and the bar is *always* much much closer than the clubhouse ;)

My grandfather used to make a living in the 20's hustling pool. He taught all us grandkids how to play. I remember when he was 80 years old, I couldn't beat him at 8-ball unless I ran my side in around 2 turns. He'd usually lay up the 8-ball next to a corner pocket, then on his next turn tap it in with a triple bank shot...

Thanks for that Paul,
 

You are the first person that properly explained the origin of the palmer signiture series "Wavey" cue. I never did understand the clear bit approach. All the ones I have seen had some persons name in there and the current owner had no idea as to whom that was.

They do sell for more than $3K. I have seen it done. Value is all about the inlay materials. I believe that it is about the alibaster (sp) pearl and silver inlay work that is rare. Some shafts do have real ivory ferrules (another spell check) and those are valued like early orange bar hood crests.

Dang Paul, do you have any other low miles Holly Grails parked at your house. My cues have "mother of toilet seat" inlays. They are just tools, yours are art.

Conda Green w/ envy. Shawn. :eek:

edited to add: "I'll Play ya for it!"

I use to have some high dollar Joss cues when I played daily. Did alot of tournies, money games, etc.. Totally out of the game now and haven't done a tourny in 10 years+. One of the guys we played with is now a regular on the Pro-tour. Loved it at the time, burnt out on it now.

pocket billiards ?

Re: Thanks for that Paul,
 

Shawn, I now know that you have a Schon and a Joss East. These are hardly chopped liver cues! I chose the entry level Jacoby because the entry level Schon was too $pendy for my level of play. BTW, we have another guy who posts here on occasion who plays a bit. Evren. A pawn shop near me listed a used Jacoby on ebay, so I went over for a look-see before the auction ended. Evren now has a very nice Jacoby...must have belonged to somebody who really knows the game...it has a moori layered tip, no wrap, a nice wood to wood joint..definitely was a custom order. After playing with it once, it was hard for me to ship it off to Evren. Gawd it has a sweet hit, and with that tip, can deliver some crazy english. Oh well, it pleases me to know that Evren probably has the best Jacoby in all of Istanbul. Of course, he might have the only Jacoby in all of Istanbul. ;)

Similar, adrian...but pool is a faster game. Some of your European top quality women's pocket billiards players came here, they are now making money playing a professional women's 9 ball POOL tournament schedule. Allison Fisher, Karen Corr, and others. These ladies can play! I had the pleasure of watching them last November.

what's pocket billiards? is it like snooker?

I'm only aware of 9-ball, 8-ball, straight pool, one pocket, snooker, and billiards (3 balls, no pockets)


BTW, I've been using a Moori medium, coupled w/ a fiber pad for the past 4 years. It's like crack (or Hoosiers), once you try it, you can't go back. :D

In about a month I'll switch to a Moori soft. I'm told throughout its lifespan, once it compresses through play, it continues to play like a new medium to the end.

Dave, the way it was explained to me, "Pocket Billiards", as played in Europe, is played on a HUGE "snooker" table, like 14'! :eek: I'm not all that familiar, so I assume it's what is called "snooker" here? Accuracy and form is king in that game. That's why Karen Corr & Allison Fisher do so well here in the states...their accuracy is simply amazing to watch live...they both play the pocket like I've never seen. Once they learned the strategy of 9 ball, the USA women were in for a very hard time. Thanks for the info on the Moori tip. I'm thinking "layered" when my Jacoby needs to be retipped.

I got a woodie...
 

Adrain and Paul:

Snooker tables (both UK and Canadian) are 6 X 12 ft (which is odd but true...I have repaired, moved, and recovered a few of them.) Canadian snooker tables have wider pockets than their homeland UK airfield landling strip models.

Billiard tables are 5 X 10 ft and have no pockets. I once played three cushion billiards for 8 hours in Dublin IRE with real ivory balls (two white and one red) and I was exhausted. My tip was mushroomed in the first hour...the remaining hours were just "one point for Shawn. click, one point for Bernard. click, one point for Shawn. click, well...you get it. I am pretty certain that billiard play "over the pond" (as Chuck says) is a drinking game. The first player that gets pissed and makes a mistake, pays the more experienced drinker for the game..but, does not have to pay for the "winners round"!

Pocket billiard tables start at 5 x 10, just as above, and scale downward like this:

4 1/2 X 9 ft which is the standard for all USA tournements.
4 X 8 ft
3 1/2 X 7 ft usually called a "Bar Box" No explaination needed.
3 X 6 ft no kidding. They are "cute"

You should understand now, why all the championship UK snooker gals come to the USA to play 9 ball for money. To them, I am certain, our tables seem tiny with giant buckets for pockets. :( Shawn.

Thanks for the education Shawn... I'll admit to being a bit of a table snob once I discovered a hall with 9' tables. 7' Bar boxes are a pain now. Plus, the beer residue sticky balls, the dead rubber...ARRGH! Not to mention the 50 cents. I mean, when I played on bar boxes with my Palmer, it was only two-bits. Shawn & Dave? If either of you make it to this part of Oregon? I'll see to it that you can say you've shot with a "Palmer Supreme", okay? :)

Paul you snob...
 

are you to good for the pool halls that have soo much cigarette smoke that it stings your eyes and sticks on your clothes, hair and cue?

Are you to good for the fights that happen about non paid pool debts. You must be some kind of upitty socialite to not like that sort of "I can't pay you right now....I need bail money...my girlfriend got locked up last night" atmosphere. Dang, you must have a green car.

I prefer regulation 9 feet tables as well. I also prefer 14-1 straight to a hundred. But, here in PHX, it is all about the eight ball game....so I go with the flow.

In what way is a professional pool player like a professional musician? Without a girlfriend, they are both homeless. :D

Shawn.

That's very kind. I will definitely take you up on that offer. Thanks.

I'm watching an auction for a car in Washington state ;)
although I'm pretty sure it'll top out above what I want to pay.

Shawn, thanks for the clarification. Totally agree about the UK advantage for players over here. My old pool hall had a snooker table and just for giggles we played a made up version of 8-ball on it. After going back to regulation it seemed child's play.

As for billiards, watching the game is so amazing to me that I have to wonder. Is it a game that you pick up once you get so good at pocketing balls/position that the game bores you? You need another challenge b/c pocket billiards is 'too easy'?

that is a very good question...
 

Before I forget Dave...nice car you got there. I have recently become quite partial to early cars with green paint.

My common answer is that: Any "good" pool player can make 1, 2, and 3 cushion shots all day. Billiard play requires 4 and 5 cushion shot knowledge to be in the top shelf of your tool box. Those tools must be handy while you also "corner play" the other two balls.

Three cushion billiard play (there are other more difficult versions as well) is all about herding the play ball (the white ball without the little red dot) and the point ball (the red one) into a corner. Once you have done this...you can shoot away for 3,4, and 5 cushion shots and back to both the play, and point ball, for a game point all day long. The ugly guy you are attempting to remove money from can do the same though.

This is where the "must win by two points" rule enters. And the night becomes a new clear day while you were busy playing with insanity.

Which brings me to my honest answer. "Cause it is stoopid and so am I." Shawn. :o

Shawn & Dave, There is a hall about 30 miles North of my home. Lots of 9' tables, and yes...one each snooker & billiards tables. Non smoking, snacks & soft drinks only, open from 9AM to 1 AM, all day every day. That's where Cindy & I prefer to go for our casual play these days. We're like the old couple at the golf club. We know of the gambling, but don't indulge. We just play because we enjoy the game, despite our low skill level. Boy, it's too geographically difficult, but it sure would be fun if we could all spend a day at "The Cue Ball" in Salem, Oregon. Why do I get the feeling you'd both like the place? Oh yeah, money changes hands there often, but I can honestly say that I've never lost a dime (other than the money spent for cues, cases, gadgets) playing pool. That's because I don't play money games. Hell, Cindy & I worked too hard for what we have to lose it by letting our egos take control. But boy, do I love watching good shooters play! I love it that green felt is still popular in this age of computer games. Shawn, you sure nailed the tavern scene. "Been there, done that", have you? ;)

Right now I'm totaly stuck to my TV. Here in europe Eurosport are broadcasting 6 hours of live snooker (World Championship) everyday, and has been for over a week.

I could not pot 2 balls in a row if my life depended of it, but I love watching it.