Pool table and cue maintenance.

[OtterbatHellcat]

Ah. Sounds like you've had some real champs there.

Cloth. "no one uses Simonis"? Ummm, sure. If you want high-speed play, asymmetrical up/down table play, whatever, it's your table and you cover the thing with what you like -- home advantage.

Leveling. There's no excuse except laziness if the installer left you with an uneven playing surface. I'm gonna guess you have a 3-piece slate table. You could do this yourself if you really took your time, but it's effort: You need a good long level, and you have 3 pieces of slate sitting on a frame, shims you can add around in various places, screws to tighten down the slate pieces that change the alignments (back to square one!), leg levelers, and then the seam sealing with plaster/beeswax. I think it's worth having a mechanic do it for you. You mentioned Tom Ross, so maybe getting a mechanic reference from http://tomrosspool.com/ makes sense.

I cut my teeth in this game back in N.J, from an age when I was only allowed to watch. Never visited the Shakespeare in Denver, but knew about it. I'm sad when an old place closes. I used to work in a place with rows of 9-foot Brunswicks and 10-foot snooker and 3-rail tables. Over time, the clientele became younger, and, well, ultimately, the main room was shrunk to make space for the video-game area that always had more people in it.

Everything at Shakespears was Simonis, as were all the higher end places that held tournaments and stuff that made it on TV. So in that sense there's no home advantage state of mind, just practicing on even ground. When I was first introduced to that fast cloth, I was dumbfounded and butt hurt until I figured it out.

Yes, three piece 9 ft., .....AMC starter kit table, but it's real functional for the $2500 tag. I'm not about to attempt to level and seal my slate properly, I even bought a starrett level several years back trying to get stuff right to no avail.

All of the Brunswick tables at Spears (at least 30) were 9 ft. They had 3 or 4 10 ft. snooker tables (man that's a bitch) and a few true billiards tables. The place was awesome, the regulars in leagues were superb players, and I was AA threshold down there until I put the cue down for a guitar and music theory instead. Did APA and bar boxes for a while, but hated it.

[OtterbatHellcat]

And to clarify, the $800 for Fordor was to break down the table and store it until a flooring installation job was done, then come back and reinstall table and recover with "Bobs" cloth.

[Firehaus]

Spears was a rare hall indeed. Went into the new location after they moved it and it wasn't the same. I guess that's why it folded so quickly.

Felt and mile high aren't bad.

I use to play quit a bit at paradise/ hanks and table steaks.

When I first moved to Denver there were enough small nightly tournaments around the metro area that I could make enough to pay bills while building my business.




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[OtterbatHellcat]

Did you ever get the Cue Times, or whatever that was called?... I might have seen your pic in there if you were winning local tournaments '07 to '10 ish.

Yeah, I miss the original Spears for sure, it was a classy place that will probably never be duplicated here in town. Mind if I PM you? I think Vim knows his way around the tits too. We probably should get together.

I'd like to hear back from Gnihcraes (Searching)...to see if he's got personal experience with that outfit he linked.. my woobie needs a new elk tip, like, yesterday.

Thanks to you guys for your input...hope to hear from some other folks into this sport as well.

[newracer]

I don't know if they have services in Denver area anymore but this is where I bought my table from years ago. I just had them set it up at my new house last year.

http://www.thebilliardgallery.com/services

[OtterbatHellcat]

I looked at that link, Newracer, and thanks.....are you really happy with how your table plays right now?

[Firehaus]

Did you ever get the Cue Times, or whatever that was called?... I might have seen your pic in there if you were winning local tournaments '07 to '10 ish.

Yeah, I miss the original Spears for sure, it was a classy place that will probably never be duplicated here in town. Mind if I PM you? I think Vim knows his way around the tits too. We probably should get together.

I'd like to hear back from Gnihcraes (Searching)...to see if he's got personal experience with that outfit he linked.. my woobie needs a new elk tip, like, yesterday.

Thanks to you guys for your input...hope to hear from some other folks into this sport as well.

I always had a cue times to know where a bar tournament was and when. No photos for the smaller bar tournaments.

PM away. Be fun to play some. I usually only get to play some when I go home for a visit.



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[argonstrom]

The old Shakespears is where I cut my teeth, and took lessons from T. Ross...that place moved and went to shit from everything I've heard.

I forgot about that place. Sheesh, that was ages ago!

I'll do some digging to find the contact info of the two guys that moved and set up my table (it's an 8' three piece slate); they reused the felt (they said it was just fine, which bummed me out, as I wanted a different color), it's level insofar as I can tell, and they did it while I was still putting down the hardwood floor (I had finished up maybe two slats beyond the legs).

If I can find their number, assuming they still do it, you're more than welcome to check out their work. Failing that, you are welcome over for a game - sounds like I could learn a thing or two from you. Perhaps a CO AR-15 pool party is in order?

[vim]

I think Vim knows his way around the tits too.

Well, back in the day . . .

Nowadays, I'm not sure which end of the stick you use to poke at the round things. You boys will probably have to spot me a good number of balls to square things up and keep it interesting. :^)

[newracer]

I looked at that link, Newracer, and thanks.....are you really happy with how your table plays right now?

It plays great. I do not have the amount of play time many of you guys have but as far as I can tell the table is dead level and the felt was put on perfectly. They reused the original felt.