Pool and Foosball

shanekingsley

shanekingsley

Curry - so nice it burns you twice
Site Supporter
The other day I went out with some childhood friends and played some pool and some foosball. Reminded me of my wasted youth spent in pool halls stealing peoples quarters and cigarettes. For a while I could beat almost anyone I played in foosball and had some good times playing in 9ball leagues. It's amazing how bad I am now after so long away from both, but also pretty awesome how quickly I got back to some old tricks in just one night. I forgot how much I love paying both.

Anyone else here any good at either?
 
LOL...brings back old memories for sure...I basically planned my first wedding (1993) from the inside of a pool hall...the ex and I (and our group of 20 or so) would hang out until the wee hours of the morning on weekends...heck, we even had our own cue sticks! :)

My current hubby and I will sometimes go to Tony's in Guelph (at least that's what it used to be called) and play a game or two...not many billiard halls around anymore sadly. :(
 
Growing up I had a pool table in my bedroom... or I slept in the poolroom... it's kinda murky....
Anyway I got pretty good at it and ... uhmm... it wasn't HUSTLING... but I was a skinny, long haired 12 year old, there was money to be made.
I sorta hung out at a pool hall at King & 10 in Mississauga (in the basement of the Shopper's) and one of the other regulars was Ken Toye, that ended up as the head of the Vice squad in Mississauga.
The nice lady that worked the desk, she had LONG red hair and was always reading... she was purty and everyone was always hitting on her. She is now a provincial judge.
I was always told you met un-desireables at pool halls.
One night I tabled Ken Toye and payment was he had to give me a ride home. He dropped me off and my Mom saw me getting out of a cruiser. She didn't believe me... Mom died 24 years later still not believing me. I was the problem child
 
shanekingsley said:
The other day I went out with some childhood friends and played some pool and some foosball. Reminded me of my wasted youth spent in pool halls stealing peoples quarters and cigarettes. For a while I could beat almost anyone I played in foosball and had some good times playing in 9ball leagues. It's amazing how bad I am now after so long away from both, but also pretty awesome how quickly I got back to some old tricks in just one night. I forgot how much I love paying both.

Anyone else here any good at either?
Click to expand...

Yup love me some billiards, 9ball is my preferred game but 8ball is cool too
My buddy just recently got a good deal on a used table so lots of opportunity now to brush up over the winter 🤘

I was never big on foosball/jitz like some of my buddies, the dexterity and hand/eye is something else
Don't tell me you SPIN 😄

Let's meet for some drinks at a pool hall some time
 
bitzz said:
Growing up I had a pool table in my bedroom... or I slept in the poolroom... it's kinda murky....
Anyway I got pretty good at it and ... uhmm... it wasn't HUSTLING... but I was a skinny, long haired 12 year old, there was money to be made.
I sorta hung out at a pool hall at King & 10 in Mississauga (in the basement of the Shopper's) and one of the other regulars was Ken Toye, that ended up as the head of the Vice squad in Mississauga.
The nice lady that worked the desk, she had LONG red hair and was always reading... she was purty and everyone was always hitting on her. She is now a provincial judge.
I was always told you met un-desireables at pool halls.
One night I tabled Ken Toye and payment was he had to give me a ride home. He dropped me off and my Mom saw me getting out of a cruiser. She didn't believe me... Mom died 24 years later still not believing me. I was the problem child
Click to expand...
lol that place under the Shoppers was Silvertips and I spent many hours in there. They also had a few of those tables with the red felt and no pockets that the Asians would play - it looked like an interesting game and they were always uper into it, but I never bothered to learn about it.

Also went to Mickeys and Goldtips a fair bit as well as Central in Streetsville and Churchill Billiards in Streetsville.
 
Last edited:
jdmsteR said:
Yup love me some billiards, 9ball is my preferred game but 8ball is cool too
My buddy just recently got a good deal on a used table so lots of opportunity now to brush up over the winter 🤘

I was never big on foosball/jitz like some of my buddies, the dexterity and hand/eye is something else
Don't tell me you SPIN 😄

Let's meet for some drinks at a pool hall some time
Click to expand...
lol one revolution only - anything more than that is a spin:)
But I played fastball and slowball. Nothing like a skinny brown kid beating the muscled Italians at fastball, then owning the table and calling the next games slowball until someone could beat me and go back to fastball.

I'm totally down to play some 9ball - a little green seems to take my game to a different level.

I entered one 9 ball tourney in Scarborough about 25 years ago and a guy there was ranked 3rd in the country at one point but had an alcohol problem. People would pay his entry fee andif he won anything they would split the winnings. I won my first match and had to play him next. We lagged for break and I won the lag, so I broke and didn't sink anything off the break. He then sank 45 shots in a row and beat me 5 games to nothing and I was out of the tournament:(
 
Basically grew up at Kingsway Billiards on Bloor west of Royal York. Snooker was my game.
When my friends an I went to bars and played on those tiny tables, 8 ball or 9 ball. We never payed for drinks.
Now it's the Crooked Cue.... sort of. Long story of evolution.
 
Played in a 9-ball league for years. One tournament in Niagara Falls we lost in our Saturday evening match and were out so we started drinking. I met a lot of new people that night. Security woke me up the next morning in the hotel room hall outside my room beside a painting from each of the hotel floors (I guess I liked them better than the painting on our floor so I’m told) and a camcorder beside me (still no idea who’s it is). Pretty sure I was in a threesome that night. I still have my favourite cue btw.
 
Spent many years in pool halls in my youth. Loved it.

Started off near Lakeshore and 30th, and moved on to Crooked Cue in Port Credit and Bloor West.

Then played in the CPA for close to a decade out of Shoxx (where I got jumped outside 3 on 1), and played the circuit of 8 and 9 ball in West Toronto and Mississauga along with tournaments. Never made it to Vegas though.

Got tired of being told to lose to keep my rank low and then got kicked off due to captains cousin or sister needing a space.

Played around a bit more but got bored and left it. Still have my cues and refuse to toss the,…just in case I go play again. Maybe in a decade when my eldest is 16!
 
bitzz said:
Silver Tips! Thanks, i couldn't remember the name.
Did you meet Sherry, the nice lady with the red hair, she worked there a LONG time, all the way through law school it seems.
She was also a internationally seeded billiards player. Nice lady.
Click to expand...
Yes she was always back behind the counter and very nice. I never knew her name though. That's a pretty interesting story and it would have been pretty cool to work in a pool hall putting myself through school.
 
Gary said:
I spent the better part of my youth hustl'n in a pool hall.
Played 24yrs in an 8 ball bar league in Hamilton. I miss it.
I often entered 8&9 ball tournaments.
I've got an 8 ball sized Brunswick in the basement.
Click to expand...

You mentioned starting a team but that went dark when the plague hit.
 
ifiddles said:
LOL...brings back old memories for sure...I basically planned my first wedding (1993) from the inside of a pool hall...the ex and I (and our group of 20 or so) would hang out until the wee hours of the morning on weekends...heck, we even had our own cue sticks! :)

My current hubby and I will sometimes go to Tony's in Guelph (at least that's what it used to be called) and play a game or two...not many billiard halls around anymore sadly. :(
Click to expand...
Yeah sign of the times. Not many left in the da hood either. Spent countless hours at the local pool hall, Golden Queue in my younger days. A few years ago met with some of the same gang and there were hardly any places left, had to go out to Ajax to find something.
 
Gary said:
Do you know if that league still exists?
I've got interested players.
Click to expand...

No idea. I hit the bail button before you. I can ask Dennis or Jeff. I don't have Lucky's info. or any of the others. I'd be up to play if it happens.
 
mimico_polak said:
Yes it does.

APA/CPA Member Login - Get access to your membership information, stats and much more.

join.poolplayers.com join.poolplayers.com

I actually checked this morning following this thread. Then I remembered I have 3 kids.

You can enter your location and it’ll show all teams / bars currently active.

I live near JJ Cues so if there’s a potential pool night from GTAM, I may be able to go.
Click to expand...

He's asking about the Hamilton Men's 8-ball league. Gary and I played for the same bar.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom