Feb
17
When someone thinks about a billiard hall, one can picture a hall full of men playing pool, billiards or snooker amidst bright lights, with the thick fog of cigarette smoke hanging in the air. The centerpiece of the hall is of course, one or more billiard tables. Here, customers enjoy the game as well as a conversation, with their favorite beer or other hard drink. Because of the somewhat relaxed and casual atmosphere, billiard halls are otherwise known as billiard parlors and billiard saloons.
Prior to 1960, billiard halls were perceived as places of antisocial activities. These were the places that were more like pubs, where alcohol was imbibed freely and the game encouraged gambling among players and spectators as well. There were even laws passed restricting the entry of minors into billiard halls. But slowly this perception changed and billiards is now regarded as a game that requires considerable skill.
Billiard halls may charge customers up to $15 per hour for the use of a billiard table. Rates of course vary depending on the location and the city. Many a billiard hall also offers classes for billiard enthusiasts who want to learn the nuances of the game. As well, many billiard world champions literally grew up in billiard halls, observing the players frequenting the hall and perfecting on their styles and techniques.
Starting up a billiard hall business is a potentially sound investment if you hit the right location. For a start, you can put up a single billiard table, adding more as the business grows. Though pool and billiard halls normally follow the 11 a.m. to midnight schedule on weekdays, they might extend this a few hours more during weekends and on holidays to accommodate the overflow of patrons. The only drawback is that sometimes fist fights ensue among some players due to betting and the influence of alcohol. Other than that, billiard has attained prominence as a competitive game. The best and the brightest players compete in the World Billiard Championship where the winners rise to prominence just like sports experts in other competitive games.
