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Almost every Tuesday night I went to my favorite place to play on my APA pool league team, The Eight Ball Outlaws, and there, everybody new my name. I would have to go early just to make the rounds and say hi to everybody. It was more like a neighborhood bar, you probably have one in your neighborhood. Most of the places our team played were bars where they have two to four billiards tables and one or more pool league teams to play on.
To me, a place that has a name referencing pool and billiards, for instance, Billiards Emporium, Bit O'Billiards or the Billiard Room and has six or more billiards tables is a Billiards Parlor. When I moved here to Pueblo, Colorado over a year ago I saw a place called The Side Pocket, it had a huge banner announcing Saturday Pool Tournaments. So of course one Saturday I went down and joined in the tournament to check it out and also check out the action.
Lo and behold there was already one person there who knew my name cause we played together on a team in a pool league 25 years ago! What a small world. It was very laid back and the people were friendly… and serious pool players. Most of them, I noticed, did'nt drink alcohol right away but waited until the tournament was about half way through before partaking. They were very good about going over the particular billiards rules and patient with anyone not familiar with them. But, it was definitely a competitive atmosphere where people are there to put there best skills to the test and not to just get drunk and play pool. Although a good time is had by all because we're doing one of our most favorite things, playing pool.
In summary, its a place where the sights, sounds and people are familiar and welcoming. The sight of the billiards tables all lined up in rows, the sound of the breaking of the pool balls, and everyone greeting each other and exchanging tips and tricks and joking around and razzing each other about past blunders or recalling past victories and amazing shots. The interaction among billiards pool players is really cool and I am really glad to be one of them! After going a few times I noticed that just like most places, the people there all know each other and now they know me too, which makes it my favorite Billiards Parlor.
Happy shooting everybody!
Patti Aragon (aka 8ball Outlaw)
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