NO POOL?

Over the past couple of days something has started to bug me.  Americans are well versed with pool halls, pool balls, pool cues and the like.  The question is has anyone ever played "pool" .... the answer is no.  There is not, nor has there ever been a game called "pool."  There is Billiards, Carom Billiards, Pocket Billiards, 8-ball; "Straight Pool" is the closest and the only game I have found with the word pool even in it.

So where did pool come from?  In the early 1900's "Pool Halls" were places for men to gamble, play poker and drink. The name "pool hall" comes from all the "pools" of money.  Before too long billiard tables were introduced and became very popular.  The environment however gave the game a negative connotation that is still being fought today.  As gambling became more and more illegal though and the poker and bookies went underground, Billiard Tables stayed in the pool halls minus the gambling part of course.  Slowly this is how the term pool started for billiard games.

The truth is that today a casino is the closest thing we have to an actual "Pool Hall" and no one has ever shot a game of "pool"


Until next time, shoot the lights out....

Jason
http://www.billiardsupplyhouse.com

The Next Idea

  Everyone wonders what the "next great idea" is going to be.  There are people who never stop searching for this and people who cluelessly think there are no more good ideas.  I fall somewhat in between with most of the world.  I know there or great ideas out there waiting to be discovered but I don't bother myself with that endless search. That being said though, sometime a good one will fall into your lap.  Whether you can capitalize on it is a different thing all together.

Yesterday as I was searching for a new idea for Pool Table of the Week on my website I came across one of these great ideas.  A cross between Billiards and Miniature Golf.  Someone of course does technically hold a patent for one such course but it wouldn't be hard to change.  The money for 18+ custom shaped pool tables would no doubt be outrageous these days as well.  Imagine with all the new family themed pool halls popping up if this idea could be cultivated properly.  No object balls, just different colored cue balls, and alternating shots using defense, accuracy and ball striking to pocket your ball just like golf.

Of course I would still rather make the worlds greatest pool cues than open the first Miniature Pool Golf Course, but that's not to say if I had an endless money supply I would try this out.

Until next time, shoot the lights out

Jason Janosik
www.BilliardSupplyHouse.com 

The Origin Part 4

   A random thought provoking question to start this time... Was Quentin Tarantino really original with starting in the middle and going to beginning later or was he just a George Lucas fan and expanded on His idea...hmmm

Ok, last time I was talking about how crappy the pool cue buying situation is and how it needs to change. I'm going to pick up there soon but we have to take a side step first because there's more to the story which at first will seem totally unrelated.  I love art!  Hahaha, you didn't see that coming did you? I promise it'll tie in.

I've always been drawn to great artwork (pun intended)  I would love to consider myself an artist and over the years have dabbled in mediums from pencil and pen work to painting and recently wood.  A lot of this love came from a childhood idol, and later good friend, Ronn Stern.  Ronn is one of the greatest artist I know because he can generate real life quality art with such ease it's almost infuriating, and carry on intelligent conversation while doing it. It's almost like a second nature and something he was just born to do and I could and have just sit and watch him "work" for hours in complete awe.  I love creativity and originality and, to use an over used phrase, this man has more in his little finger than almost anyone else I know can dream of having ever.  Google up some of his paintball and Civil War work and you'll see what I mean.

While I love his kind of art I have recently found myself attracted to wood working and carving.  This started a year or two back when I wanted to take up pipe smoking (kids, don't smoke It's bad for you blah blah)  I couldn't find a pipe I liked though because they were either crappy looking factory produced or way to expensive for me hand carved pieces.  So I decide I would make my own.  I knew nothing about making a pipe so like the rest of the world today I turned to Google to learn.  It wasn't long before I found Stephen Downie.  He's a pipe maker in America's hat (Canada).  Before you jump my case and tell me pipe making isn't art check out some of his work at http://downiepipes.com/commissions.html. This man, like my friend Ronn, is nothing short of Amazing!  More than that though he is incredibly giving and helpful.  I started emailing him questions on the regular and he was always willing to help with any knowledge he had and I quickly became addicted to wood working.  

I have made a few pipes now and i do plan to make more my focus has changed.  I still want to work with wood but, you guessed it, I want to make Pool Cues!  Not just any pool cue though, I want to be the Ronn Stern/Stephen Downie of pool cues.  I want to make to make pool cues that are such artistic creations that one would just as soon display it as shoot with it. Stephen wrote in a recent blog "...I wanted to bring interest and beauty to an everyday object."  I can't say it any better. Pool Cues today are mostly production made crap with fake inlays and poor quality. There are a few good cue makers out there and some really nice "custom pool cues" but they are getting harder and harder to find and the "Custom Cues" that do exist are rarely one of kind which to me is the very meaning of "custom"

That, combined with my passion for customer service is what has driven me to start www.BilliarSupplyHouse.com.  I have yet to start making any pool cues but the day is fast approaching (as soon as I can afford a decent Cue Lathe hahaha)  

So now you know the back story and then some.  Until next time, happy shooting!

Jason

Billiard Supply House.com

The Origin Part 3

   So a side not before I start; this blog is supposed to be associated with my business site on G+ Billiard Supply House but somehow it keep showing my "personal page" on all my posts. I'm not real sure why I cant change this but please visit the real G+ page not the "Jason" page, there's nothing there and you'll be very underwhelmed.  

I left off last time right after my proposal to my wife and the start of our first APA team "The Fighting Armadillos" (from the movie "Necessary Roughness" w/ Scott Bacula and Sinbad)  

Of course by this point I had to purchase my own pool cue.  BilliardSupplyHouse.com of course did not exist at the time so I had to purchase elsewhere.  I won't say where b/c I'm not one to slander, even competition, but it was Not a good experience to say the least.  The first problem arose with pictures.  Few sites have easily view-able pictures without multiple clicks. I found this quite annoying as I just wanted to browse picture because lets be honest, your pool cue needs to look good as well as feel good.  When I finally did decide on a Cuetec it took 4 plus days to be shipped and far longer than it should have to arrive.  By the time it did arrive I had called this company multiple times to no avail despite all the websites boasts about customer service and was completely infuriated when it finally come.  

Later down the road when I dropped my Cuetec Pool Cue b/c of problems arising from the plastic threaded joints Cuetec continues to use (Stupid cheap design flaw, you get what you pay for) I decided to shop locally for a cue.  I finally did find a Players Cue, Exotic Series E-3120, that fit my liking and weight in town. It was through this process I realized how hard it is for shop owners to stock a wide variety of pool cues and still pay for brick and mortar expenses because the demand in any one locality is not that high leading to the need for online stores for pool players. 

As I have talked with many players over the years everyone has similar stories, no selection locally and horrible customer service on the web.  The fact is not many online owners care because you pay first and get bad service later.  This needed to change!  .......

I have a lot more to write (that's supposed to be a pun but it's hard to convey through typing hahaha) but I'm forced to other duties at the moment.  Until next time remember  "No bars, No Pinball Machines, No Bowling Alleys; JUST POOL! This is Aims mister."  -The Hustler 1961

Happy Shooting and stop by and check out my store at www.BilliardSupplyHouse.com 

       

The Origin Part 2

Hellloooo again...


So Last time I left off telling the story of how I got into Pocket Billiards (Pool) and decided to start my own website. I had every intention of continuing the story before now but severe family issues have halted my progress somewhat but we'll continue again tonight.....

As I said before I found my escape shooting pool and listening to the jukebox.  It wasn't too long after this that I met Kay....again.   Kay had grown up on the same street as me since we were in early elementary school. We went to the same middle and high school, he brother and mine were best friends growing up yet her and I never really talked much being two grades apart.

One night at Murphy's Law (my local pool hall of choice at the time) she was there.  She had heard about my divorce through the grapevine and was curious how things were and if I wanted someone to shoot with.  Not having shot with many females before and none that could actually hold there own on table I asked her if she wanted me to break for her....big mistake! I got my rear handed to me a few times before we gave up shooting for conversation.  We went to our separate homes when the bar closed that night.  We spent the next few nights talking until deep into the morning and it wasn't long before we were dating full time.

This is when leagues came into play.  Our hangout of choice being Murphy's for Pool we became  noticed and eventually a fellow came and asked us to join his team.  We figured we'd give it a shot (pun intended) and joined up with the APA.  Mondays turned into Mondays and Wednesdays, which turned into Jack and Jill tourneys on the weekends and we were both hooked for good.

I started My own team with her and some friends a few sessions later and the first night of our own team playing I proposed to her in front of the whole bar (decent sized pool hall with 12 tables)  She of course said yes and we were married in May of 2010....

We'll leave on a good note this time and I'll pick up again soon.  Happy reading, I hope someone enjoys this story and be sure to check out www.BilliardSupplyHouse.com and like us on facebook or +1 on google(much better than facebook in my oppinion)

Until next time...

J

The Origin

   So, I'm a business owner now, one thing I have always wanted but thought it would never happen.  My dream now is to learn how to make pool cues and sell them on my website but that has yet to be seen.  There are a lot of financial obstacles to overcome before I can make pool cues.  For now tho I am a business owner. Will it last or work; who knows.  How'd it happen; that's easier to answer but a bit longer.  That's what I'll be laying out here over the next few weeks until fall season leagues start.

I've always liked pool, the Americanized version of Pocket Billiards.  I never had a chance to play much growing up tho except for times at the beach and misc accounts here and there.  At age 28 in 2007 I was going through a divorce which turned out to be a great thing but at the time left me lifeless for a short while.  After a few weeks of laying around on the couch my brother came over.  He made me get up and dragged me out to the local pool hall Murphy's Law.  As I shot pool for several hours that with the loud music playing and enjoyed a few responsible adult beverages I fell in love.  I became hooked instantly and began spending every night and days off at Murphy's shooting pool and forgetting my troubles.

That's, very simply, how I fell in love with pool.  I'm gonna go work on my site www.BilliardSupplyHouse.com for now.  Next time (tonight or tomorrow hopefully) I'll continue from there on my journey to here....

Until then, shoot the lights out 

Jaybob

YAY I'm a Blogger now!

Honestly I've never done this but we're try soon on a regular basis.

For now, Stop by www.BilliardSupplyHouse.com and there will be more to follow