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To understand this tale, it helps if you're familiar with the barroom pool table rules. There are regional differences, but in the western US where I live it works like this:
If no one is playing on a table, it's an open table. anyone can walk up, rack and play.
If people are playing, whoever wins that game "holds" that table, until he or she is defeated. The person who defeated him or her now holds the table until he or she is defeated.
To challenge a table, you either put your quarters on the table, and wait your turn if there are other quarters ahead of you, or (less commonly) you put your name on a chalkboard and wait your turn.
When it's your turn, you take your quarters, rack, and the person holding the table breaks.
If you make the eight on the break, you win. (I've been told that in the Eastern US you lose, but I don't know.)
If you scratch on the eight, you lose.
So, on with the story: I was in a local pub playing pool with a friend of mine, and after a while another guy, whom we didn't know, challenges our table. He turns out to be a good guy, same skill level as me and my friend, so we all have a pretty good time. A few more people trickle in and we get a couple more challengers, so there's at least three sets of quarters on the table at any time.
Also, a description of the players might help:
Me: 6'3" 220 lbs, hits the gym regularly
Friend: 6'1" 300 lbs, hits the gym regularly
Challenger: 6'0" 200 lbs, evidently lives in the gym
Barman: 5'7" 140 lbs
waitress: very petite
Enter The Regulars.
A couple in their mid sixties, I would guess. The husband walks to the bar, the wife walks over to the pool table and slaps quarters down, announcing "We're next!" and heads up to the bar. Both my friend and the other guy try to tell her that there are already quarters up, but she pays no heed.
The game ends. The woman comes up to the table and sees me racking.
Regular Woman: "Excuse me! That's MY game!"
Me: "No, ma'am, it's not. There were three sets of quarters ahead of you."
RW: "No. We're regulars here!
Me: "That's nice, but it doesn't change the fact that there are three people ahead of you."
RW: "No. We're regulars here! I can have you thrown out!"
Me: "Okay, go ahead."
RW: "We're regulars! Do you want me to have you thrown out?"
Me: "Okay."
RW: nonplussed. Stares for a few seconds. "I can have you thrown out!"
Me: "Okay. Go ahead." Returns to racking the balls.
RW marches up to the bar. I'm a little hard of hearing, so I didn't catch what she said, but I heard the barman's reply of "So is he, and there were quarters ahead of you." RW goes to her husband, and I clearly hear her demanding that he go "Do something" about this!"
Husband approaches the pool table. He is a small man in his mid sixties. He looks nervous. I am feeling bad at this point, because I have no desire to get into a fight over a stupid pool game, and especially not with a man much older and much smaller than I am, and I'm sure that's what he's there for.
He places quarters on the table.
Me: "I'm sorry your wife is so mad, but there were quarters up ahead of her."
H: "I know. I've been married to her for forty-two years." Sighs, and returns to the bar to await his turn.
If no one is playing on a table, it's an open table. anyone can walk up, rack and play.
If people are playing, whoever wins that game "holds" that table, until he or she is defeated. The person who defeated him or her now holds the table until he or she is defeated.
To challenge a table, you either put your quarters on the table, and wait your turn if there are other quarters ahead of you, or (less commonly) you put your name on a chalkboard and wait your turn.
When it's your turn, you take your quarters, rack, and the person holding the table breaks.
If you make the eight on the break, you win. (I've been told that in the Eastern US you lose, but I don't know.)
If you scratch on the eight, you lose.
So, on with the story: I was in a local pub playing pool with a friend of mine, and after a while another guy, whom we didn't know, challenges our table. He turns out to be a good guy, same skill level as me and my friend, so we all have a pretty good time. A few more people trickle in and we get a couple more challengers, so there's at least three sets of quarters on the table at any time.
Also, a description of the players might help:
Me: 6'3" 220 lbs, hits the gym regularly
Friend: 6'1" 300 lbs, hits the gym regularly
Challenger: 6'0" 200 lbs, evidently lives in the gym
Barman: 5'7" 140 lbs
waitress: very petite
Enter The Regulars.
A couple in their mid sixties, I would guess. The husband walks to the bar, the wife walks over to the pool table and slaps quarters down, announcing "We're next!" and heads up to the bar. Both my friend and the other guy try to tell her that there are already quarters up, but she pays no heed.
The game ends. The woman comes up to the table and sees me racking.
Regular Woman: "Excuse me! That's MY game!"
Me: "No, ma'am, it's not. There were three sets of quarters ahead of you."
RW: "No. We're regulars here!
Me: "That's nice, but it doesn't change the fact that there are three people ahead of you."
RW: "No. We're regulars here! I can have you thrown out!"
Me: "Okay, go ahead."
RW: "We're regulars! Do you want me to have you thrown out?"
Me: "Okay."
RW: nonplussed. Stares for a few seconds. "I can have you thrown out!"
Me: "Okay. Go ahead." Returns to racking the balls.
RW marches up to the bar. I'm a little hard of hearing, so I didn't catch what she said, but I heard the barman's reply of "So is he, and there were quarters ahead of you." RW goes to her husband, and I clearly hear her demanding that he go "Do something" about this!"
Husband approaches the pool table. He is a small man in his mid sixties. He looks nervous. I am feeling bad at this point, because I have no desire to get into a fight over a stupid pool game, and especially not with a man much older and much smaller than I am, and I'm sure that's what he's there for.
He places quarters on the table.
Me: "I'm sorry your wife is so mad, but there were quarters up ahead of her."
H: "I know. I've been married to her for forty-two years." Sighs, and returns to the bar to await his turn.
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