Is pool popular in America?
-
Archived from the IMDb Discussion Forums — Sports
stan-18673 — 9 years ago(December 09, 2016 08:02 AM)
I know the game has featured in a lot of films and TV shows, but always found it strange that there is a lot more money playing snooker in big tournaments in Britain than playing pool in America.
Is it just not that popular to play or has it just failed to capture the imagination of the American TV audiences? -
-
Hamsterman11 — 9 years ago(December 09, 2016 10:35 AM)
I think the thing with poker (and I'm a massive fan and player FWIW) is that you really have to have some knowledge of the game to be into it. But yes you are right about your assumptions, though there is far less money around than there used to be since black friday (where the yanks were banned from playing online, although they can in New jersey and Nevada now). So there are actually less poker tv shows now, far less.
-
Vinny-Gambini82 — 9 years ago(December 09, 2016 08:25 AM)
I think it's just that they're not good at it. Their insistence on wearing full body pads and helmet hinders the American players ability to perform to the standards of their European counterparts.
-
justanicknamed — 9 years ago(December 09, 2016 08:36 AM)
No, it is just a niche activity. In the 1970's and 1980's it was real cool to have a pool-table. But, things have changed and people would rather have game rooms with video games or home theaters rather than have a huge portion of your basement taken up by a pool table.
And, most bars which have pool tables are not places where the average person is going to go. -
stan-18673 — 9 years ago(December 09, 2016 08:46 AM)
And, most bars which have pool tables are not places where the average person is going to go.
Little bit similar in Britain, pubs/bars with pool tables normally have a bad reputation, but are usually handy for picking up drugs without getting ripped off!
To play on a full sized snooker table though you have to go to a club, they're just too big for bars. It surprising though the people you see attending snooker tournaments in the audience, women in their 80s and stuff like that, people you would never see in a million years in a snooker club. -
christian-flickinger — 9 years ago(December 09, 2016 09:11 AM)
And, most bars which have pool tables are not places where the average person is going to go.
Huh? I would estimate that more than 50% of the bars in the US have at least one pool table. It is very popular in the US, just not watched a lot on television.
GO
SIXERS
!!!
Phillies
Fly
Eagles
Fly -
justanicknamed — 9 years ago(December 09, 2016 09:27 AM)
Again, if they do, they aren't places most average people frequent. In my younger days, I wasn't a bar-hopper, but I did make it to most of the ones in the town I used to live - population appx 50,000.
Most places didn't have any pool tables, and the ones which did were pretty much dives. -
Izzyennygood — 9 years ago(December 09, 2016 10:07 AM)
I've played a lot of pool in Manhattan (some of my family live there). They have different rules and some variations of 8-ball pool but the average player there is inferior to those who play in UK. They have an obsession with hitting the ball as hard as they can, even when these is no need or advantage to be gained from doing so. Subtlety doesn't rule there.
Too late to die Young