Best action spots

Ross Keith Thompson · Jun 17, 2015

Can anyone make claim to the best action poolroom from the sixties till now?
Lecue club in the late sixties and early seventies was loaded with short stops, good players and then some heavy hitters such as Tall Jeff, Greg Stevens, Jersey Red, Duke, Grady Mathews, Danny Jones and so on.
Do know Dallas had a couple of good spots, Cotton Bowling Palace and Times Square poolroom.
I guess Cochran's in Frisco would probably be one of the choices even though I never played or been there. Spent some time in Frisco with Cole Dickson, but we just goofed off for a week or so.
Action areas change every few years or so. Has there been any good action spots on the west coast in the last 30 or 40 years?
Incardona would probably know as well as anybody what the best action spot or action city was.
Birmingham Alabama had a good action poolroom in the late sixties early seventies. Played little bear and big bear there, made some good money back in the day.
Is there a poolroom today where numerous heavy hitters hang and play and where would that be. Back east maybe.

jrhendy · Jun 17, 2015

Ross Keith Thompson said:
Can anyone make claim to the best action poolroom from the sixties till now?
Lecue club in the late sixties and early seventies was loaded with short stops, good players and then some heavy hitters such as Tall Jeff, Greg Stevens, Jersey Red, Duke, Grady Mathews, Danny Jones and so on.
Do know Dallas had a couple of good spots, Cotton Bowling Palace and Times Square poolroom.
I guess Cochran's in Frisco would probably be one of the choices even though I never played or been there. Spent some time in Frisco with Cole Dickson, but we just goofed off for a week or so.
Action areas change every few years or so. Has there been any good action spots on the west coast in the last 30 or 40 years?
Incardona would probably know as well as anybody what the best action spot or action city was.
Birmingham Alabama had a good action poolroom in the late sixties early seventies. Played little bear and big bear there, made some good money back in the day.
Is there a poolroom today where numerous heavy hitters hang and play and where would that be. Back east maybe.

Verne Petersons Billiard Palace in Bellflower in the 60's/70's would qualify. The pay ball games alone were full of champions. I remember Ronnie Allen, Richie Florence, Ed Burton, Billy Johnson and a host of others in and out of that game playing for $20/40 and double on the runout, and there were plenty of those.

Jeff sparks · Jun 17, 2015

Ross Keith Thompson said:
Can anyone make claim to the best action poolroom from the sixties till now?
Lecue club in the late sixties and early seventies was loaded with short stops, good players and then some heavy hitters such as Tall Jeff, Greg Stevens, Jersey Red, Duke, Grady Mathews, Danny Jones and so on.
Do know Dallas had a couple of good spots, Cotton Bowling Palace and Times Square poolroom.
I guess Cochran's in Frisco would probably be one of the choices even though I never played or been there. Spent some time in Frisco with Cole Dickson, but we just goofed off for a week or so.
Action areas change every few years or so. Has there been any good action spots on the west coast in the last 30 or 40 years?
Incardona would probably know as well as anybody what the best action spot or action city was.
Birmingham Alabama had a good action poolroom in the late sixties early seventies. Played little bear and big bear there, made some good money back in the day.
Is there a poolroom today where numerous heavy hitters hang and play and where would that be. Back east maybe.

Keith,
Bensingers in Chicago, The Rack in Detroit, Cochran's in Frisco, Le Cue ( Rusk & Fannin ) in Houston, The Palace upstairs in Bellflower, Jack & Jill's in Virginia, The Sports Palace on Jefferson Blvd in N.O.,
and many others along the East Coast in Georgia, the Carolina's, Philly, Connetticut, and New York.

I lost my Dad's Bulova watch and a paycheck or two at Bensinger's in the winter of '63. Was in & out of a lot of these rooms from '66 to '72. In our day, I would have to say Le Cue, Bensingers, The Rack, The Sports Palace in N.O., and Jack & Jill's probably had the best consistent action and some of the best players in the late 60's / early 70's. Great players home based out of these 5 for sure.

Now if you go back a few years, I here about 7-11 in New York and Cochran's in Frisco being the spots where anybody could get a game. You could bet what you want, they would say, "Stand on your head, & whatever falls out, is a bet!"
I never played at the 7-11, but Red did and he told us some pretty good stories about that room when he was growing up there.

I'm whacking the balls around again, hit em 4 times now over the last couple of weeks, I can't play a lick!! Bogies on 1960 & Rod's hangout on Hollister, "Clicks", I believe it's called. Rod plays there every weekday, and is still playing very good, all things considered.

If you make the pilgrimage to Houston someday, maybe we' ll have a beer and play a few games of one pocket. Of course you'll have to give up a little weight.

NH Steve · Jun 17, 2015

My knowledge of these places is only through my player interviews -- not personal experience. But it has been very interesting to hear players talk about different rooms and areas that were hot at different times. Some of the hot spots they would talk about were just certain times of the year -- obviously such as Johnston City for the month that Jansco's hosted their event, but also places like Little Rock AR, where players congregated during race season apparently.

During the 2nd World war years, Norfork VA, attracted a swarm of gamblers, including pool, cards and whatever -- competing against each other and of course taking advantage of servicemen.

It sounds like starting early 60's a lot of players migrated from the east to CA -- even Eddie Taylor & Squirrel -- both players rooted in the south east. Those were the glory years at Cochrans and the Palace.

For the biggest most unbelievable action it seems like you have to give that nod to The Rack during the 70's and 80's when the money got so consistently high led by host Cornbread Red, but fueled by some seriously deep pocketed gamblers.

These days, you have to point to the south from all accounts. Just take a look at the calcutta numbers in the southern tournaments -- they dwarf most calcutta numbers -- as high as 75G! It is not uncommon for the calcutta money to be significantly higher than the tournament prize money.

gulfportdoc · Jun 17, 2015

The only place I know of that has consistent action is New Orleans, especially Buffalos in Metairie. As posted before, it's the only room I've ever seen that actually has a sign up-- reading, "No cheap games on the front tables."

One of our posters even moved there just to stay in action! But you'd better know how to match up while there, because there are lots of seasoned gamblers lurking about.

There may be other action rooms in other States, but nothing really jumps out. Presumably Hard Times in SoCal has steady action; and probably anyplace wherever Henderson shows up.

There may be a little wagering at HOB, and some in Sacto at HT, or the new room. Also Chicago reportedly has occasional action.

California had been dead for action from at least the late 80's/early 90's until just recently. Hopefully it's climbing back up due to the relocation of some good players, and guys like Henderson, Frank, The Baby, Henry, etc.

The economy has been in the toilet with no end in sight, and money is tighter than it has been since the Great Depression. So I think people's action jones is not as ubiquitous as it once was. Also the prevalence of casinos and State lotteries take away from potential pool action.

Gulfport/Biloxi used to have good action, along with Mobile. The casinos came in around 1991, so now many who would've wagered at pool simply go over to the casinos and give them their money.

If there are other consistent action spots, I'd be interested to hear about them.

~Doc

1andDone · Jun 18, 2015

I will have to echo Doc's opinion on Buffalo's in NOLA. To me, it's the epitome of what a pool room is supposed to be. Always open, always action, not much to look at but top tier equipment, and set up perfectly to keep the bangers and drunks away from the action! I love that place!

There is also a place in Chattanooga,TN (where I'm from) called Diamond Billiard Club. One can walk in there and find anything from $5-$100 action most every day. Occasionally there is some 4 or 5 digit action, but it doesn't just happen like at Buffalo's.

I posted the other day about Skeeters in Gulfport, MS. I've heard it was quite a spot when it was JimBob's. Pretty dead now but we're working on that. Incidentally, had a roadie and stake horse come in last night. I sent out a couple texts but couldn't get any action generated. I felt like a golden opportunity had slipped away for some word of mouth publicity. The player did make a comment about it being a nice pool room, though...

Frank Almanza · Jun 18, 2015

Jeff sparks said:
Keith,
Bensingers in Chicago, The Rack in Detroit, Cochran's in Frisco, Le Cue ( Rusk & Fannin ) in Houston, The Palace upstairs in Bellflower, Jack & Jill's in Virginia, The Sports Palace on Jefferson Blvd in N.O.,
and many others along the East Coast in Georgia, the Carolina's, Philly, Connetticut, and New York.

I lost my Dad's Bulova watch and a paycheck or two at Bensinger's in the winter of '63. Was in & out of a lot of these rooms from '66 to '72. In our day, I would have to say Le Cue, Bensingers, The Rack, The Sports Palace in N.O., and Jack & Jill's probably had the best consistent action and some of the best players in the late 60's / early 70's. Great players home based out of these 5 for sure.

Now if you go back a few years, I here about 7-11 in New York and Cochran's in Frisco being the spots where anybody could get a game. You could bet what you want, they would say, "Stand on your head, & whatever falls out, is a bet!"
I never played at the 7-11, but Red did and he told us some pretty good stories about that room when he was growing up there.

I'm whacking the balls around again, hit em 4 times now over the last couple of weeks, I can't play a lick!! Bogies on 1960 & Rod's hangout on Hollister, "Clicks", I believe it's called. Rod plays there every weekday, and is still playing very good, all things considered.

If you make the pilgrimage to Houston someday, maybe we' ll have a beer and play a few games of one pocket. Of course you'll have to give up a little weight.

Jeff, I seem to recall seeing you at one of the after hours spots in So. Cal. Maybe the Ponderosa or Daisy Mae's. Did you ever go there? Good spots with a lot of action. In those days bar tables was where the steady money was at.

Jeff sparks · Jun 18, 2015

Frank Almanza said:
Jeff, I seem to recall seeing you at one of the after hours spots in So. Cal. Maybe the Ponderosa or Daisy Mae's. Did you ever go there? Good spots with a lot of action. In those days bar tables was where the steady money was at.

Yep,

Spent quite a lot of time in Daisy Mae's.
Great after hour bar table action, played all the Humdingers also. In and around Santa Ana, Tustin, and Garden Grove there were 25 or so bars with go/go girls on stage dancing it up, topless. Everyone of these spots had two or three challenge bar tables, mostly 8 ball, and although the normal bet was usually small, it was easy to make the rent in a couple of nights work.

Lots of girl action also, it was a perfect fit at that stage of my youth.

Frank Almanza · Jun 18, 2015

Jeff sparks said:
Yep,

Spent quite a lot of time in Daisy Mae's.
Great after hour bar table action, played all the Humdingers also. In and around Santa Ana, Tustin, and Garden Grove there were 25 or so bars with go/go girls on stage dancing it up, topless. Everyone of these spots had two or three challenge bar tables, mostly 8 ball, and although the normal bet was usually small, it was easy to make the rent in a couple of nights work.

Lots of girl action also, it was a perfect fit at that stage of my youth.

That's what I meant about steady action. One could make a weeks wages on the weekend. I remember all of them Humdingers too. Good time for me too.

Mkbtank · Jun 18, 2015

Best action spots

Fuscos in Philly is pretty good IMO. Every day there are games from 20 to 4-500 per game lately. Basically all one pocket with some back pocket 9 ball or some "bare ball" thrown in.

gulfportdoc · Jun 19, 2015

Mkbtank said:
Fuscos in Philly is pretty good IMO. Every day there are games from 20 to 4-500 per game lately. Basically all one pocket with some back pocket 9 ball or some "bare ball" thrown in.

I'd wondered about Fuscos. Lots of history. Does that guy Reza (sp), who used to post here as BackPocket9ball or something like that, still play in Philadelphia?

~Doc

Mkbtank · Jun 19, 2015

Best action spots

gulfportdoc said:
I'd wondered about Fuscos. Lots of history. Does that guy Reza (sp), who used to post here as BackPocket9ball or something like that, still play in Philadelphia?

~Doc

If he does, I don't know him.

1andDone · Jun 19, 2015

Fuscos is on my list of poolrooms I want to visit. Next time I go up the east coast, if I ever go again, I want to stop in and check it out. I've heard a lot about it and it sounds like the kind of place I like to be. If only it wasn't up north...

Bill · Jun 22, 2015

Washington DC in the 70's - 80's

all listed were outside DC but full of action - 9ball and 1pkt

Jack and Jills Arlington 24hr

Guys and Dolls Silver Hill Md 24hr

Golden Cue Bladensburg Md

all are no more, pool has slowed down big time in the DC area

Best action spots

Ross Keith Thompson

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jrhendy

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Jeff sparks

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NH Steve

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gulfportdoc

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1andDone

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Frank Almanza

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Jeff sparks

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