He and his colleagues were acutely aware that they needed another material to work with.
The cost of ivory billiard balls was a problem for Phelan, who was trying to grow his company.
A pile of more than 20,000 billiard balls, representing the lives of thousands of elephants. The average number of billiard balls that could be obtained from a single tusk was three. In fact, records from the ivory trade sometimes refer to the top grade as “billiard ball ivory.”īilliard balls required a lot of billiard-ball grade ivory. Unlike the ivory on piano keys, which were just a veneer of over wood, billiard balls had to be made of 100% solid ivory. And not only that, but only the best grade ivory would do. People in the billiards industry started looking for substitutes for ivory. They tried a variety of materials, like wood and iron, but they didn’t perform nearly as well. Ivory balls had just the right weight, the most even roll, the best rebound. Going to Africa, shooting elephants, processing their tusks and shipping them across an ocean was dangerous and expensive. The ball has to have certain physical properties-it has to rebound properly, and be of uniform density.Īnd, at the time, there was really only one material that would do: ivory. And then, he took the money from that, as well as what he had won playing billiards and writing books on billiards, and used it to become the first big manufacturer of billiards tables and equipment.īut standardizing the billiard ball was no easy task. So he patented a new kind of billiard cushion. Michael Phalen’s billiard saloon on 10th Street & Broadway in New York City. If tables and balls weren’t the same from one location to another- well, you were basically playing a different game every time you went somewhere new. He opened huge billiards halls in San Francisco and New York.Īnd Phelan believed that to further popularize the game of billiards, he would need to standardize the gear. Phelan was a brilliant player, and he also promoted the sport, arranging the biggest big-money matches. Michael Phelan, from his book The Game of Billiards (1859). The story starts with a man named Michael Phelan, the father of American billiards. The growth of billiards led to the development of a material that would come to define the modern world. Without billiards, we might never have discovered plastic. Today, there are ten.īilliards is not what it used to be-but we continue to live in a world affected by its former prominence.
For many decades, starting in the mid-19th Century, billiards was one of the most popular amusements.Ī hundred years ago, there were 830 pool halls in the city of Chicago. There was an age of billiards, and it has been over for so long, most of us have no idea how huge billiards once was. International Billiard - never heard of it.We live in a post-billiards age. Some good players go there for the tournament. If you get eliminated early, for an extra $7 you can play on the tables through the night. They have a $10 dollar tournament (no money added) on Thursdays. They have one table by the front with very tight pockets. They have Gold Crowns and one snooker table. Very worn down cue balls, you can draw for days.īilliard Cafe is a good spot.
I think it is about $12 an hour unless you are on a league and then it is $3. Their rates are expensive unless you are on a league out of there. Big highlight: for $150 dollars you can play unlimited for the month excluding Friday and Saturday nights.Ĭity Pool Hall is clean and has some nice people. But the owner is nice, the place is clean, and they have good food. The spacing between tables is a little tight. Also, the cue balls are worn down pretty small, so you might want to bring your own. The pocket shelves are short so all the tables play pretty easy. They have 2 "tight" tables that are about 4.75. They have Brunswick Metros with 5 inch pockets on most of their tables. Pressure - nice place, not a lot of serious players. Also they have a deal where for $10 you can play between 12pm and 6pm everyday.
Free billiards chicago full#
Good Brunswick Gold Crowns and Centennial balls with full sized cue balls. Its clean, authentic and has a lot of good and great players. It is about an hour from my house but it is well worth it. Click to expand.In my opinion, Red Shoes is the best pool room in Chicago by far.
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