Certainly iconic and been around a long time, though Chris's in Chicago like he mentioned can be said to be more so, featured in the most popular pool movie in The Color Of Money, and the recently closed Steinway also in NY...but the most popular room today is probably Griff's in Vegas. Glad to have played in them all.
I have had three pool halls in my life. I agree mostly. Hot Shots in Phoenix, NY West in Phoenix, JR Spanky's in Oklahoma. A tough busines, but I loved it. Good job.
My great grandfather opened a pool hall In Muskogee, Oklahoma called Milo's in the 1920s. It was the "most complete pool hall in the city' and offered a full selection of cigars. I often wondered what kind of characters blew through there. Before that he operated inside his father's hotel called the Adams hotel which burned down in 1899 while it was still the Indian territories. Lots of influential people stayed there, apparently. Who was Steve Mizerack's favorite player...? Great interview!
Hey just wanted to help answer a question - for me what makes Amsterdam iconic is the very large and long lived community of regular players. I've been playing at Amsterdam since the 90's and there's still many players I'll see there today who've been playing just as long. It's a strong community of fine people that I'm really happy to call friends. This community is the number one thing that makes Amsterdam iconic. They set the tone and create an atmosphere at Amsterdam that just makes you want to be there. It must be acknowledged it's the people that make this place great. Without them this place wouldn't exist. Shout-out to all my peeps!
I can 💯 agree with you on this. People and regulars make any business successful! Wouldn’t survive without them. 9/10 businesses don’t make it as a pool hall
Been there. Nice room. I grew up in The Cue Club in Rockville Centre. NY. The great players of the day were Bobby April, Nat Keisner, Killer Ang, and Snoop All gone now. RIP
Great interview, but Greg, you forgot to mention the undefeated World Champion of the David Brenner invitational. Me! PS: “Undefeated” because there was only ever one tournament (but I won’t tell if you don’t). And I still have the winners trophy…a no-name stick!
Guys and Dolls billiards in Bellevue, NJ has been open for for at least 60 years and i played there many many years ago....but i have no idea what the place looks like today as compared to when i played there...close to 50 years ago
Great interview. Thank you for that. Left me wondering a couple of things though. (1) Would have loved to hear the answer to who Miz thought the greatest player he ever played against was and (2) Is alcohol a factor in a pool room atmosphere? Is there a downside to it other than the cost of the license? Thanks again. Have a new pool room that has opened up in our small town and I am so wanting it to succeed.
@@BilliardSportsNetwork He invited me to his home to see his library on pool, I was writing a book on pool at the time and he encourage me to continue it. He had a wonderful 4-1/2 x 9 teakwood and marble table and several $5K cues. He toured Kansas City giving a skill level competition test and said I had scored highest in the city. Last time I saw him was when I played in the Miller Tournament of champions in 87. He used to come into Raytown Recreation owned by Don Brink(qualified 3rd in the world in 3 cushion billiards) Where a lot of top players who came to K.C. would wind up.
i will always see that as Corner Billiards. Amsterdam Billiards is not a true players room, it's for the wealthy as $18/hr is way too high for table time. Also they don't cater to the older players that used to haunt Chelsea, 21st Broadway, 29th Mammoth, Le Que, Soho, Golden Cue etc...I've walked into Amsterdam and they kicked me out for no reason but looking for cheap sets. It's a shame that Steinway closed cuz that was a true players room with cheaper table times, tighter pockets, great affordable food and drinks, great staff....Master Billiards was the same. Currently, the best room in NYC is Skyline Billiards great deals on table times, friendly staff, tight pockets, good food.....
Manhattan will always have high operating costs and for me the room has a different vibe. Skyline is a great room but it’s a million miles away by comparison for pricing, drinks, gambling etc. thanks for engaging! Hope you liked the video
We need another BCA Professional Mens Tour . Outside of matching up gambling using handicaps ie "the call 8 " in 9 ball , there is no real money in pool compared to Europe and Saudi Arabia . I have been in pool rooms all my life and so sad to see many of my pool heros broke and in bad health.. The 90s was the golden age of Pocket Billiards to me. The women BCA ESPN TOUR with their wide pockets was a joke , The women cannot play with the men . I know of gamblers that played "JAM UP " against the women CHAMPIONS . Ask Helen Thornfeldt with her "BREAK" and she could not get there. Enjoyed the podcast !
86th street Amsterdam billiards was the best billiards room i've ever been in they couldn't renew their lease because the owner wanted to build up and they needed the basement to do so I think the owner paid them money to leave
See my comment. You're absolutely correct, and as many as 5,000 at one time, so I read. A championship match would have been in the front page news of the NY times.
JOINTED CUE BILLIARDS ...SACRAMENTO, CA. .....POOL WORLD FAMOUS BURGERS... Opened in 1968 by Owner Terry Stonier ...3 tables in 150 Seating back Tournament Room. First Promoter of Major Pool Tournaments on the West Coast . Poolroom know to all PLAYERS during the late 70 's - early 80's. Still open today !...👏👏👏👏👏
@@kuangtien3980The Jointed Cue is an iconic room. I worked for Terry for a while, he was a great gentleman, and it was quite an experience. It was a room that saw every top player in the country at one time or another, even top players from other parts of the world played there.
Certainly iconic and been around a long time, though Chris's in Chicago like he mentioned can be said to be more so, featured in the most popular pool movie in The Color Of Money, and the recently closed Steinway also in NY...but the most popular room today is probably Griff's in Vegas.
Glad to have played in them all.
I have had three pool halls in my life. I agree mostly. Hot Shots in Phoenix, NY West in Phoenix, JR Spanky's in Oklahoma. A tough busines, but I loved it. Good job.
Are you still running a room these days? Seems like pool is on a huge comeback right now!
Good job Del Sim!
My great grandfather opened a pool hall In Muskogee, Oklahoma called Milo's in the 1920s. It was the "most complete pool hall in the city' and offered a full selection of cigars. I often wondered what kind of characters blew through there. Before that he operated inside his father's hotel called the Adams hotel which burned down in 1899 while it was still the Indian territories. Lots of influential people stayed there, apparently.
Who was Steve Mizerack's favorite player...? Great interview!
Thanks! 🔥
Loved that Greg mentioned Rolando. I think both the staff atmosphere, and the way the leagues were run, made it a great place for women to play.
Any advice to make more places a great room for women to play?
Hey just wanted to help answer a question - for me what makes Amsterdam iconic is the very large and long lived community of regular players. I've been playing at Amsterdam since the 90's and there's still many players I'll see there today who've been playing just as long. It's a strong community of fine people that I'm really happy to call friends. This community is the number one thing that makes Amsterdam iconic. They set the tone and create an atmosphere at Amsterdam that just makes you want to be there. It must be acknowledged it's the people that make this place great. Without them this place wouldn't exist. Shout-out to all my peeps!
I can 💯 agree with you on this. People and regulars make any business successful! Wouldn’t survive without them. 9/10 businesses don’t make it as a pool hall
👏 Perfectly said! Kudos everyone involved!
great watch - awesome pool hall
My wife & I loved playing here while we lived in NY. She learned to play on those 9ft tables!
These kind of stories are what it's all about!
Still have them Brunswick tables ❤ Nice😊
Great interview Del!
Thank you!
Del crushed it in this interview!
Great job BSN and Del
We do it for you all! Thanks for the support over the years 🤝
Been there. Nice room. I grew up in The Cue Club in Rockville Centre. NY. The great players of the day were Bobby April, Nat Keisner, Killer Ang, and Snoop All gone now. RIP
🙌 To all the greats ones!
Love the Cisero Murphy story.
Such an amazing piece of history!
great stuff del
Glad you enjoyed!
Back in the early part of the last century, the amount of pool halls in NY City were numbered in the thousands!
Wish we coulda documented all those rooms back in their prime!
Amsterdam is on the corner of 11th Street and Fourth Avenue, entrance on 11th Street.
🗺📌
Great interview, but Greg, you forgot to mention the undefeated World Champion of the David Brenner invitational. Me!
PS: “Undefeated” because there was only ever one tournament (but I won’t tell if you don’t). And I still have the winners trophy…a no-name stick!
Great excuse for us to do a follow up with ABC in the future :)
Guys and Dolls billiards in Bellevue, NJ has been open for for at least 60 years and i played there many many years ago....but i have no idea what the place looks like today as compared to when i played there...close to 50 years ago
thats awesome!
played that place.
Great interview. Thank you for that. Left me wondering a couple of things though. (1) Would have loved to hear the answer to who Miz thought the greatest player he ever played against was and (2) Is alcohol a factor in a pool room atmosphere? Is there a downside to it other than the cost of the license? Thanks again. Have a new pool room that has opened up in our small town and I am so wanting it to succeed.
Glad you enjoyed the interview. We played with the format a little here and it seems people are enjoying this edit style the most.
@@BilliardSportsNetwork Thank you. Looking forward to many more such interviews.
I'm going to be in NYC in November.
I'll bring my stick.
and cash!
@@BilliardSportsNetwork😂😂
The Ambassador of Pool....Paul Gerni, I helped him kick off the Bush pool league in Kansas City back in 86.
That sounds like an amazing story!
@@BilliardSportsNetwork He invited me to his home to see his library on pool, I was writing a book on pool at the time and he encourage me to continue it. He had a wonderful 4-1/2 x 9 teakwood and marble table and several $5K cues. He toured Kansas City giving a skill level competition test and said I had scored highest in the city. Last time I saw him was when I played in the Miller Tournament of champions in 87. He used to come into Raytown Recreation owned by Don Brink(qualified 3rd in the world in 3 cushion billiards) Where a lot of top players who came to K.C. would wind up.
i will always see that as Corner Billiards. Amsterdam Billiards is not a true players room, it's for the wealthy as $18/hr is way too high for table time. Also they don't cater to the older players that used to haunt Chelsea, 21st Broadway, 29th Mammoth, Le Que, Soho, Golden Cue etc...I've walked into Amsterdam and they kicked me out for no reason but looking for cheap sets. It's a shame that Steinway closed cuz that was a true players room with cheaper table times, tighter pockets, great affordable food and drinks, great staff....Master Billiards was the same. Currently, the best room in NYC is Skyline Billiards great deals on table times, friendly staff, tight pockets, good food.....
Manhattan will always have high operating costs and for me the room has a different vibe. Skyline is a great room but it’s a million miles away by comparison for pricing, drinks, gambling etc. thanks for engaging! Hope you liked the video
@@Talkin-English_BSN this is true, specially nowadays. Maybe I'm just a sucker for the old days of NYC pool. Great interview and channel.
Seems tough to make the space required for many tables to pay for itself. Three sitting tables of drinkers might pay better
We need another BCA Professional Mens Tour . Outside of matching up gambling using handicaps ie "the call 8 " in 9 ball , there is no real money in pool compared to Europe and Saudi Arabia . I have been in pool rooms all my life and so sad to see many of my pool heros broke and in bad health.. The 90s was the golden age of Pocket Billiards to me. The women BCA ESPN TOUR with their wide pockets was a joke , The women cannot play with the men . I know of gamblers that played "JAM UP " against the women CHAMPIONS . Ask Helen Thornfeldt with her "BREAK" and she could not get there. Enjoyed the podcast !
An old time gambler and great player mentioned how great the gambling scene was when Color of Money came out.
Why no snooker tables, is it a bit too difficult for the yaks to get their heads around?
@@hughbaker4997 takes too much valuable floor space for a not so popular game.
86th street Amsterdam billiards was the best billiards room i've ever been in they couldn't renew their lease because the owner wanted to build up and they needed the basement to do so I think the owner paid them money to leave
Paid them to LEAVE?!? DANGGG
Come to kzoo mi , we need a nice pool hall😊
One day we will have interviewed every major pool room owner in the world 👀
There were more during the 1920’s
See my comment. You're absolutely correct, and as many as 5,000 at one time, so I read. A championship match would have been in the front page news of the NY times.
We would have loved to see it in it's prime!
The pockets on that table look smaller than 4 inches.
Around 4 but looks super tight and cloths worn so plays like a 3.75”
Fatboy Approved 👍👍👍
WE HAVE ARIVED!
BCA only… APA is clownish
ZzzzzzzZzzzzzzZzzzz
Hope you slept well!
Most Famous Pool Hall? BS I'm in my 80's and never heard of it.
commenting just to be notified of the comments to come.
JOINTED CUE BILLIARDS ...SACRAMENTO, CA. .....POOL WORLD FAMOUS BURGERS...
Opened in 1968 by Owner Terry Stonier ...3 tables in 150 Seating back Tournament Room. First Promoter of Major Pool Tournaments on the West Coast .
Poolroom know to all PLAYERS during the late 70 's - early 80's.
Still open today !...👏👏👏👏👏
@@kuangtien3980The Jointed Cue is an iconic room. I worked for Terry for a while, he was a great gentleman, and it was quite an experience. It was a room that saw every top player in the country at one time or another, even top players from other parts of the world played there.
🤔