The Sunday Mail
Andrew Moyo
LEISURE in the ‘90s was characterised by the rise of video games in arcades and other designated areas.
Besides video games, arcades also consisted of pool and mini soccer tables, popularly known as slug.
Plenty of hours and dollars were spent at such places as Putt-Putt, Big Bite and Fantasy Land in Harare.
With time, gaming computers became more accessible and the introduction of advanced consoles like Play Station and Xbox led to the demise of the video game arcade.
But the pool tables did not die. In fact, this aspect of the leisure industry is on the rise.
Pool, more formally known as pocket billiards or pool billiards, is in the family of cue sports and games played on a pool table with six receptacles (pockets) along the rails, into which balls are deposited as the main goal of play. Although there are several pool formats, the most common in Zimbabwe is the eight-ball version, which is played with a full rack of 15 balls and the cue ball.
The goal of this particular game is to claim a suit, commonly stripes or solids, pocket all of them, then legally pocket the eight ball, while denying one’s opponent opportunities to do the same with their suit, and without sinking the eight ball early by accident.
Rules of the game vary, sometimes widely, from place to place. Quite often, players agree on which rules to use for a particular session.
The game has become so popular that hundreds, maybe thousands – of pool tables have sprung up in public places like taxi ranks, store fronts and vending sites in all major urban areas and in rural ones too.
Gone are the days when the game was associated with bars and club-going types.Now, people of all ages and sexes are warming up to the game.
Pool tables in public areas have resulted in greater exposure to the game, with more people becoming interested from just watching others play.
The tables have had a massive social impact: they are meeting places, they provide entertainment for drinkers and non-drinkers alike, they have fostered professional and semi-professional clubs, and they provide an outlet for people to just blow off a little steam after a long day.
But there is a problem.
A lot of these pool tables are situated in areas deemed illegal for such activities. And local authorities are not amused.
Further, many of them are not being taxed.
Blitz
Three weeks ago, the Harare City Council confiscated pool tables at Simon Muzenda Bus Terminus, popularly known as Fourth Street Rank.
Harare acting corporate communications manager Michael Chideme says they were not going to tolerate any illegal installations in the city.
“As the city council, we support sport but we cannot allow sport to be played anywhere. So what we are saying is that people should come and apply for business licences after which we will allow them to set up their pool tables in approved areas,” says Chideme.
“Imagine if we started having people playing soccer in Samora Machel Avenue? It would be ridiculous, which is why we have areas that have been approved to accommodate such activities.”
Chideme says the city has many areas and establishments setting up pool tables is allowed. “There are various entertainment spots that have pool tables, and these include bars, clubs, shopping centres and other areas. So we cannot have people just coming with their pool tables and placing them wherever they want.
“We know that many people are now interested in the game but that does not justify the illegality of placing these pool tables at unapproved sites.”
Chideme warns that once confiscated, the pool tables will not be returned to the owners.
Some of the tables confiscated during the recent raids are deteriorating as they are kept at open air city council storage facilities.
Die hard
Despite the raids, the game is alive and well at Simon Muzenda Bus Terminus. Pool tables that survived the raid still attract dozens of lovers of the game.
“As you can see, there are many people who are waiting for their (turn) to play and some of them are just enjoying watching others play.
“These pool tables keep most of the people who work here entertained and the interest has actually been growing because there are individuals who are coming to learn the tricks of the game,” says a vendor at the terminus.
He also runs a table.
“The city council came and took some of the pool tables that were here but mine was spared because I had paid a bribe. If they want us to pay some sort of levy to allow us to have these tables legally within the terminus, I don’t think we will have a problem because we are already paying bribes to insiders who tip us if a raid is on the way,” he says.
The pros
As a professional sport, pool has not made significant strides at the national level with unity of purpose being the major drawback.
There are numerous independent pool associations, which has made it difficult to come up with a recognisable governing body.
This has resulted in all manner of pool leagues now.
You can wake up tomorrow and, if you are at least half-organised as an individual, you can start your own league wherever you are.
Some tournaments are friendly, meaning there are no prizes, just bragging rights. Some are played for crates of booze, with the winner gauranteed to stagger home in the wee hours. Some are played for fairly hefty sums of money.
Delta Beverages has been contributing to the development of the game as a professional sport through their Carling Black Label National Pool Championship, which brings together thousands of pool players from all corners of the country.
Last year’s winner, Tendai Mubaiwa from Chitugwiza, walked away with US$1 000, a trophy, a cue stick and three cases of Carling Black Label.
He certainly had the best of the all the worlds of the friendlies, boozy and professional competitions on offer.
The gamblers
Besides providing entertainment, these tables are a source of income.
“This table is not mine, I am running it for someone else but the business is booming so my income has also been good,” says our man at Simon Mazorodze Terminus.
Pool tables are expensive, with the good stuff selling for well over US$2 000. But there are always cheaper alternatives.Some people bring in second-hand equipment from South Africa, and others make their own.
Roy Duke, who used to make and supply metal spares for pool table manufactures, now makes his own tables in Harare’s Glen Norah high-density suburb.His prices range between US$1 200 and US$1 400 depending on the materials used. Duke says business has been good.Because granite is relatively expensive depsite it being abundant in Zimbabwe (much of the country sits on the hard stuff), enterprising locals turn to timber.
“There are many club and bar owners who come to buy pool tables here but lately there have been individuals who are buying for their homes,” says Duke.It takes him two or three days to complete a single pool table. Sometimes he has to import some materials.
“The materials I use include wood, metal, fabric and plastic all of which I can get locally but as for the balls I have now resorted to buying them in South Africa because they are a bit cheaper that side.”
Local manufacturers gamble on demand continuing to grow.
But they are not the only gamblers in the business.Many people now play for money. It is illegal. But, hey, who is watching?The stakes at a pool table all depend on where the table is located. Sometimes the wager depends on how well oiled people are.
After all, there is a reason why casinos sell alcohol.A gent who calls prefers to be identified as Fine Cut (apparently because he knows how to play that particular shot so well) says he can bet anything from US$1 to US$100 on a game of pool.
“If I play at (a certain bar in Newlands, Harare) I can bet US$100 on myself against another player. But if I am in my neighbourhood, at the table at the shopping centre, the bets are usually for a dollar or two. If you are good, you can make good money playing pool.“Of course, you won’t buy a mansion. But you will be able to buy the daily basics for the family and get yourself some drinks. It’s really fun.”
He warns, though, that it is dangerous to play for money out of desperation.
“You shouldn’t bet your last money thinking that you will win enough to pay the rent. Pakadaro usually unodyiwa and ma one ako,” Fine Cut admonishes.
There are several urban legends, men and women we cannot name for privacy reasons, who place wagers of hundreds and sometimes thousands of US dollars on a pool game in the swankier clubs.The gamblers are testament to the cross-cutting appeal of the game of pool. Whether you have a buck in your pocket, or you have a wad of greenbacks, there is a table waiting for you.
