Popcorn
04-13-2003, 11:13 AM
The other day I made a post where I made a comment regarding how poorly many pool tournaments are run. It got me thinking about some of the tournaments I have played in and what they did well and what they did not so well. In thinking about it a tournament came to mind I played in years ago. I have played in a lot of tournaments both big and small but this one really sticks out in my mind. In the early 70s I was running around in a van playing pool. I would often get a line on a tournament in an area I was in and go check it out. In those days few tournaments had much in the way of prize funds. A majority of the tournaments were little more of an excuse for players to get together and match up, the tournament was secondary. This was even the case with Johnston City and some of the bigger tournaments run at Weenie Beanies place.
This tournament I am going to tell you about was a small tournament in northern Florida. I was in a place one night and heard some guys talking about it, I got the information and the next day decided to go there. It was only about 30 miles and the tournament started on Saturday, only two days away. I got there on Friday morning. The place was a free standing building that had overhead doors on one end, it looked like it may have been a place to store farm equipment at one time. The parking lot was just grass that surrounded the building. A few windows and one sign saying "Family Pool" was the only thing that would lead you to believe there was a business going on here. I doubt the place would meet any of today's codes, maybe they did not even meet them back then, who know if they even had a license, it was kind of in the middle of nowhere. I go in and was surprised to see how nice it was, there was a drop ceiling and wood paneling on the walls and a nice snack bar and desk at one end. They had 10 or 12 Gold Crown tables in the room with drop lights over each table, except for small lights at the desk and snack bar the room was fairly dark with a real pool room atmosphere. I paid my entry fee to a lady at the desk and was surprised to see the 32 player field was almost filled and would be in the next few hours. I hung out there for the day and they told me I could park my van outside for the next few days, no one would bother me, just let them know if I needed anything. That night there was non stop action, with every table going, matching up, ring games, pill pool and so on, I was glad I had come.
The next day I woke up and the parking area was already filled with cars. I got cleaned up and went into the room, the drawing was to be at noon. I could not believe it when I walked in. The room had changed, there were four tables now in the middle and two at the end of the room as practice tables. The rest had been moved against the far wall out of the way and covered. On three sides of the center tables there were bleachers set up, I found out later were loaned from the local high school. The play got started about 1 o'clock with a full field of players. Every match had a referees although you racked your own balls. The playing conditions could not have been better. The admission was $3.00. The place stayed open around the clock for the tournament and was filled the whole weekend. The fans were some of the best I have ever seen, reacting to every match with applause and respect, sweating the after hours action, it was great. Before the semi final, the owner made a little speech thanking all the players and fans. Two of the tables were moved away and the bleachers were moved in a little. For the final the lights were off in the room except for a few small lights by the snack bar and rest rooms. All the focus was on the center tables and is was standing room only. The final was myself and a guy called One eye Tony Howard. I was on the winners side but ended up losing the two sets and coming in second, Tony by the way played perfect. This could not have been a better final, if we were playing in a world championship in the elegant grand ballroom of Sheridan Chicago.
The next day I came in and things were getting back to normal, they were leveling up the tables that had been moved, and cleaning up the place. I stayed there another day and got to know the owners a little. They had a nice day to day business going there. They did not sell alcohol, but had a few other things going for them. For one thing they had a milkshake machine and made the best milkshakes you ever had with real milk and creme plus fresh fruit, they were amazing. The menu was very limited, only sandwiches no cooking. The specialty was tuna and egg salad. You can't believe how good these sandwiches were, They were an inch thick, it was a recipe by the owners wife and they sold tubs of the stuff everyday. From what I was told, they sold hundreds on a daily basis, and as many milkshakes. Even without alcohol this place made a lot of money. The owners were not really pool players at all, just a nice old couple who somehow ended up in the pool room business. I am sure they are both long since gone, as is the building. I passed there a some years later, it was off route 100, and it was not there. The property was being developed in to residential housing. It was one of the nicer little small town pool rooms I was ever in and certainly one of the better tournaments I ever played in. I don't think you have to be a genius to run a nice tournament or pool room, just use a little common sense.
This tournament I am going to tell you about was a small tournament in northern Florida. I was in a place one night and heard some guys talking about it, I got the information and the next day decided to go there. It was only about 30 miles and the tournament started on Saturday, only two days away. I got there on Friday morning. The place was a free standing building that had overhead doors on one end, it looked like it may have been a place to store farm equipment at one time. The parking lot was just grass that surrounded the building. A few windows and one sign saying "Family Pool" was the only thing that would lead you to believe there was a business going on here. I doubt the place would meet any of today's codes, maybe they did not even meet them back then, who know if they even had a license, it was kind of in the middle of nowhere. I go in and was surprised to see how nice it was, there was a drop ceiling and wood paneling on the walls and a nice snack bar and desk at one end. They had 10 or 12 Gold Crown tables in the room with drop lights over each table, except for small lights at the desk and snack bar the room was fairly dark with a real pool room atmosphere. I paid my entry fee to a lady at the desk and was surprised to see the 32 player field was almost filled and would be in the next few hours. I hung out there for the day and they told me I could park my van outside for the next few days, no one would bother me, just let them know if I needed anything. That night there was non stop action, with every table going, matching up, ring games, pill pool and so on, I was glad I had come.
The next day I woke up and the parking area was already filled with cars. I got cleaned up and went into the room, the drawing was to be at noon. I could not believe it when I walked in. The room had changed, there were four tables now in the middle and two at the end of the room as practice tables. The rest had been moved against the far wall out of the way and covered. On three sides of the center tables there were bleachers set up, I found out later were loaned from the local high school. The play got started about 1 o'clock with a full field of players. Every match had a referees although you racked your own balls. The playing conditions could not have been better. The admission was $3.00. The place stayed open around the clock for the tournament and was filled the whole weekend. The fans were some of the best I have ever seen, reacting to every match with applause and respect, sweating the after hours action, it was great. Before the semi final, the owner made a little speech thanking all the players and fans. Two of the tables were moved away and the bleachers were moved in a little. For the final the lights were off in the room except for a few small lights by the snack bar and rest rooms. All the focus was on the center tables and is was standing room only. The final was myself and a guy called One eye Tony Howard. I was on the winners side but ended up losing the two sets and coming in second, Tony by the way played perfect. This could not have been a better final, if we were playing in a world championship in the elegant grand ballroom of Sheridan Chicago.
The next day I came in and things were getting back to normal, they were leveling up the tables that had been moved, and cleaning up the place. I stayed there another day and got to know the owners a little. They had a nice day to day business going there. They did not sell alcohol, but had a few other things going for them. For one thing they had a milkshake machine and made the best milkshakes you ever had with real milk and creme plus fresh fruit, they were amazing. The menu was very limited, only sandwiches no cooking. The specialty was tuna and egg salad. You can't believe how good these sandwiches were, They were an inch thick, it was a recipe by the owners wife and they sold tubs of the stuff everyday. From what I was told, they sold hundreds on a daily basis, and as many milkshakes. Even without alcohol this place made a lot of money. The owners were not really pool players at all, just a nice old couple who somehow ended up in the pool room business. I am sure they are both long since gone, as is the building. I passed there a some years later, it was off route 100, and it was not there. The property was being developed in to residential housing. It was one of the nicer little small town pool rooms I was ever in and certainly one of the better tournaments I ever played in. I don't think you have to be a genius to run a nice tournament or pool room, just use a little common sense.