Billiards Supplies Tips and Info.

Classic Billiards on ESPN. Have you been watching?

I am writing this post on my lap top as I watch two legends of Pocket Billiards battle it out. Willie Mosconi (my personal pool playing hero) is playing Cowboy Jimmy Moore. I’m not sure when the match was played but the guide from Dish Network states the original air date of 2004.

They are playing on a 9 foot Brunswick Gold Crown Pool Table and I believe the tournament is in Atlantic City. Jimmy Moore was 71 years old and Willie Mosconi 68 at the time of this match. Both players could still run the balls even in their old age. (I met Willie in Denver back in 1989. I was 21 and he blew my mind.) I love Classic Billiards.
Willie Mosconi a 15 time world champion (Yeah Fifteen Time Champion) shined like the true star that he was. In the interview after the match, Allen Hopkins asked Willie, “Now that you are in the finals do you think you will win the tournament?” Willie replied, “Allen I didn’t think I had a chance. you know I’m not a 9 ball player.”

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Don’t you have to wonder why Billiard Games are always being displayed on various TV shows and Movies? You would think that with all of these plugs the sport as a profession would be more popular.

Billiards is not treated the same as other sports. The top professionals are not paid the same as other sports such as golf, foot ball, basket ball, base ball, etc. Even Poker takes care of top players in a much higher monetary way.

For the person who is not into billiard games as a serious pool player, there is much luck involved in the game. People who only play pool once in a while and never watch it on ESPN feel that the entire game is lucky. Many people will even bet on the game, thinking they are pretty good when they don’t even play shape. (cue ball position)

I love running into this type of player in a tavern out of my home town. They think they are betting on a game of chance. My game does not leave a whole lot to chance. Any serious pool player takes luck out of the equation through practice and education.

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Why are some pool tables fast, while others are extremely slow?

I play pool in 3 pool leagues. My home tavern is the same on all 3 teams. The tavern is Diamond Jim’s in Pueblo Colorado. We have 6 tables there and they are all Diamond smart tables. These tables have Simonis 860 cloth on the bed and the rails and they do play fast.

The schedule for all 3 pool teams calls for one week in our home tavern and the next week we are in the other teams home tavern. To the best of my knowledge, we have the only Diamond pool tables in town. The most common tables in the other taverns would be the Valley Cougar or one of the older Valley bar tables. (A.K.A Bar Box)

There are a couple establishments in town that specifically cater to billiards players. The owners of these bars understand that true pool players like a nice level and fast table with reasonably tight pockets. These tables are good to play on and I even have an old Valley Bar Box with double shimmed pockets and fast cloth in my house. (No room for 9 foot Brunswick Gold Crown)

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