Kelly’s Hot Game Room Thoughts: Games for Family

So we have just passed our 12th Christmas at Hot Shots! Many things have changed, but some things have stayed the same. Our motto from almost the beginning has been “Games the entire family will enjoy!”. This still rings true today and it shows more and more in the products we choose to carry. This season we did very well with games like Shut the Box and Crib Wars which we seem to sell out of almost every year. We had some new additions to our best sellers this year which included Dart Cards and our table tennis supplies (which we have expanded on in 2010). What got me thinking was that these games were big sellers and they were all games that promoted family time! In this day and age, where time is at a premium, it is nice to see that families are still trying to come up with games and activities that everyone can participate in and enjoy.

This year we had many families coming in and the kids were the ones who were encouraged to “find something for Dad” or “lets pick out something that Mom will like”. Every year we sell families pool tables that are delivered right at Christmas as a family gift. To me, this is a great gift in so many ways. Not only will the tweens and teens get some fun out of it, the adults will too! And when there is a family get together this holiday, maybe everyone will gather around for a rousing game of Poker Pool or Billiard Golf – both of which are so much more fun when they are played with 4 or more players!

So whether you are playing cards, pool, darts, shuffleboard, foosball or hosting the Family Olympics of a combination of all (as we have had customers do!), we hope you enjoyed your holiday season with the friends and family that you love. We would love to hear stories of a game you played this Christmas! Pictures are great too!

Kelly’s Hot Game Room Thoughts: What Makes A Dart

So I’m switching gears here and talking today about darts. We have many dart players who visit our showroom, and most have the same questions. One we are asked frequently is “Why are some darts more expensive than others?” There’s no one answer to this question, but I will try and answer as fully as I can!

There are 2 main types of darts that we carry – brass and tungsten. The brass darts are golden in colour and have a thicker barrel. They retail for $15 and are usually purchased by either a recreational dart player or by bars who need inexpensive darts to have behind the counter, incase they are stolen. A brass dart that features a thicker barrel won’t allow a player to improve beyond a certain point. It is more difficult to put 3 darts in a small place (like the triple 20) if they have thicker barrels. Simple as that!

The next type of darts we carry are tungsten. Tungsten darts come in a variety of finishes including silver (natural), black, golden, Machina (Unicorn brand) and Rosso (Unicorn brand) just to name a few. Tungsten is a material they add in order to make the dart denser and maintain the weight but make it more thinner through the barrel. The idea behind that is that the thinner the barrel, the more likely it is that you will be able to group them closer together – say in a small space like the triple twenty! We sell 80% tungsten darts starting at $35. These darts are great for beginner to intermediate level players and most beginners who purchase them will keep them as they improve because they are such a good quality dart.

So, what is the difference between a $35 dart and a $200 dart? Many things! First is the amount of tungsten used. The least amount of tungsten would be 80%. There is also 85%, 90%, 95% and even 97% tungsten. As more tungsten is added, the slimmer the dart barrel, the more expensive the dart set. This is a good general rule of thumb!

The next factor is the weight. For the $35 dart set, the company made 10,000 barrels of each weight, then someone went along and picked up 3, put them in a package, picked up 3, put them in a package, etc. So within each set of 3, you might find one is 24.1 grams, one is 23.4 grams and the 3rd is 24.6 grams. They would be marked as a 24 gram dart and sold that way. As the price increases, so does the odds of having a better matched set of darts. Someone will have actually weighed the barrels and matched them better within the set of 3. In fact, companies like Unicorn and Winmau have started offering “Matched Weight” dart sets. When you purchase certain Unicorn dart sets, they come with a certificate which guarantees that they are the same weight and it is printed with the exact weight of all 3 darts. With some of the higher end Unicorn darts, the weight is actually engraved on the dart barrel itself! But you do pay more for this service!

Another aspect of the matched weight, is the balance point of the dart. Once you get up in price (in our store, this would be the $65 range) you will not only get a more evenly matched set of darts with regards to weight, but also a more evenly matched set of darts as far as balance is concerned. To find the balance point on your dart, take it and balance it on your index finger. When it doesn’t wobble any more, that is the balance point. If you have one dart where the balance point is more forward or back of the other two, you will eventually notice it when you play, which might throw you off!

Another factor that will bring the price up will be whether it is a fixed point dart or retractable point dart. Generally speaking you will pay more for a retractable dart and generally speaking they will be 90% tungsten. Yet another factor will be brand. Certain brands will be more expensive than others, if only because they are a brand name.

So there you have it! Hopefully this will clear up some of the confusion about why some darts are more expensive than others. Remember that it all comes down to personal preference. How you throw with any given set of darts will determine if they are right for you. The average darter will play with darts that weight somewhere between 22 grams and 26 grams, however I have sold steel tip darts that are 18 grams as well as a memorable set of Hammer Heads (retractable dart) in a 36 gram! They were a custom order and the customer was quite pleased with them (even if they did sound like they were going through the wall when he tried them out!).

So tell me, what kind of darts do you play with?

Kelly’s Hot Game Room Thoughts: Top 5 Reasons to Buy a Pool Table

With Christmas just around the corner, I wanted to let you know my top 5 reasons for buying a pool table! So here goes!!

1. Family Time: When you purchase a pool table to put into your home, you are inviting a wide range of possibilities for friends and family to get together with you and spend some quality time doing something that doesn’t involve the TV or eating food. Playing pool is a great way to have a conversation with that hard to reach teenager because they become distracted by what they are doing and will talk more freely. It works the same way with the rest of the family too – don’t be afraid to include the little ones as well as the grandparents! You may be surprised at their skill! When it comes to teenagers, it’s also a great way to keep them in the house (where you know where they are!) instead of the mall or somewhere where they might get up to no good! Having a pool table will be a great way to have all the kids come over to your house on a Friday night!
2. Party Time: Having a pool table is a great entertainment piece when you throw a party. Everyone is always interested and it will become the focus point of the evening if you let it! Especially if you have some cool games on hand such as Billiard Golf or Poker Pool. Both of these games can be played with many players (not just 2-4) and will invite some friendly competition!
3. Stress Relief: Have a high demand job? Playing pool is a great stress reliever! First off is the break, where you hit the cue ball into the pack as hard as you can! Next is having to think about your shots and the out come. Before long, you will stop stressing and start thinking. There is a rhythm that can develop – stop, stroke, shoot, get up, walk around, stop, stroke, shoot, win! It’s also a great way to unwind with a spouse or friend and be able to talk about your day in a relaxing atmosphere.
4. Teaches Skills: Your kids might moan and groan, but it will teach them hand to eye coordination, just as much as any video game will – and they will actually have to interact with you! It’s a good skill for adults young and old, and you don’t have to be physically fit in order to play. Playing pool is the great equalizer because it doesn’t matter if you are a girl or a boy, young or old, tall or short – what matters is being able to make your shots and string enough of them together to win the game!
5. Furniture Piece: When you have a large great room or family room it’s sometimes difficult to find that perfect piece of furniture to put there. After all a pool table does take up quite a bit of room! When you already have a bar in the area or other games such as darts, shuffleboard or foosball, a pool table makes a great accompaniment! Especially when you have a room that offers a view of the table – you can purchase a table that offers a work of art, beauty and functionality.

So there you have it – my top 5 reasons to purchase a pool table. I’m sure there are many more and I would love to hear your reasons for buying!

Kelly’s Hot Game Room Thoughts: Re-Tipping Pool Cues

I don’t know what everyone does with their pool cues. Seriously. Makes absolutely no sense to me. People bring me their pool cues to be re-tipped and it looks like they’ve beaten someone with them. The home cues that I’ve seen always have so many dings and scratches and cracks in them. So today I’m going to tell you how to maintain your home use pool cue.

First of all, lets go through the parts. Generally speaking, most home use or house pool cues are one piece (usually solid wood). On the bottom, there is a black rubber piece called a butt plug (yes, really). This is usually either pushed in, screwed in or glued in. This isn’t an integral part of the cue, but it helps when you rest the cue on the ground in front of you, so it doesn’t scratch the floor.

The next part of the cue we will talk about is the ferrule. This is the white part (or sometimes brass part) between the tip and the wooden part of the pool cue. The ferrule can be made of a variety of materials. Sometimes, on less expensive cues, this part is made of plastic – usually cues that have a screw in tip. Mostly the ferrule is made of some sort of polyester or brass. The ferrule acts as a buffer between the tip and the wooden shaft of the cue. It actually isn’t glued to the shaft, it is inserted on a tang, much like a knife and knife handle.

I will make an important point – you do not need to remove the ferrule in order to put a new tip on the cue. This is very important! I have had more people than I care to remember who have ripped the ferrule off their pool cues, sometimes using a pair of pliers, thinking that that part would be replaced when the tip is replaced. This is not the case. A ferrule needs to be put on by someone with a lathe and cannot be put on by hand (at least not by me!) To replace a ferrule, it will cost you somewhere in the range of $30-$40 – probably the same price as to replace the entire cue.

On to the tip. First off, I don’t need the original tip back in order to re-tip your pool cue. We will give you a new one! Tips are made of compressed leather and as they are used to hit the cue ball, the leather further compresses. As you use the cue, and file it down for that matter, the leather compresses, usually out the sides. This is called a mushroomed tip. I can re-shaped the tip if this happens. Usually though, the glue holding the tip on dries out and one day the tip just pops off. When that happens, don’t continue to use the cue! You would then be hitting the ball with the ferrule, which could cause it to chip or crack (usually the ferrule might chip or crack, but potentially the ball might as well). Or you could damage the cloth. In any event, the cue ball won’t react the way you think it will – your cue has no tip! Instead, find a different cue to use and bring the cue in to have it serviced. If I get cues that just have tips that need replacing, it will extend the life of the cue. Cues that have been used to play with after the tip is gone tend to arrive in my showroom with chipped, cracked or generally with poor condition ferrules. This may make it more difficult to re-tip the cue.

There may be many things that you have heard about pool cue tips. I am here to tell you that you do not need a $60 layered pool cue tip on your home use cue. Believe me. Even some touring pro’s use a $10 tip, and they seem to do just fine. In our showroom, we offer an economy tip, Le Pro (medium hardness), some Triangle tips (medium to hard hardness) as well as Elkmaster tips (soft) for our snooker customers. We glue the tip to the existing ferrule and clamp it overnight. But, and this is a big but, if the ferrule is in rough condition, the tip won’t glue properly. I will try my best, but make no guarantees. I have seen ferrules that are chipped, cracked, look like they have been sanded on the sides, old glue still stuck and chalked ferrules, which is a very good indication they were used after the tip popped off. I can do what I can to fix it up, but once the ferrule has those kinds of problems, there are no guarantees!

We offer a variety of sizes and will do our best to match up the size of your ferrule to the tip. We do all of our re-tipping service by hand and charge you a whopping $5 per cue. If you want the tip put on like it was originally, you need someone with a lathe. The re-tip   service will probably cost you about $20. Choice is yours. Most customers ask me if I’ve ever done it before. The answer is yes, many, many, many times. In fact, it times of need, I re-tipped my own playing cue when I was playing competitively. If I had a nickel for every cue I’ve re-tipped, I would have retired by now. Trust me, I know what I’m doing!

I will briefly touch on two topics. The first is a screw on tip. Usually these tips are on inexpensive pool cues from a place like Canadian Tire or Walmart. A screw on tip is exactly what it sounds like – rather than the tip being glued to the ferrule, the tip is threaded on. The tip comes with a thread already on it and the ferrule will have the female portion. The cues come that way and cannot be changed. I can’t glue a regular tip onto a cue with a screw on. It just isn’t compatible.

The other topic is re-tipping your own cues. We do sell a re-tipping kit for $28 which has everything you will need. I will let you know, there is a knack to re-tipping cues. I figured it out after about the first thousand I re-tipped. After the next million, I have perfected the knack. And glue that has dripped down on the ferrule and/or wooden shaft can’t be sanded off. You will need to have it sanded off by a lathe and the shaft re-conditioned. I do sell some re-tipping kits, but I see many of those customers back a week or two later, cues in hand to have me re-tip them. Choice is yours!