We'll have a brief report after each away game on the state on the pub we played in.
Week One: The Camel
Venue: Modern sports bar with plenty of TVs showing live sport. Service a bit hit and miss depending on how busy they are. Clients mostly younger expats. SOS view: 7/10
Table: Needs a bit of a good clean and the balls looked non-offical size and were very dirty. Table was pretty level, although several balls jumped back onto the table from the bottom left hand pocket. Cushions were too springy with the ball often leaving contact with the table. SOS view: 6/10
Prices: Happy hour offered all night to the pool team, so no complaints. SOS view: 8/10
Grub: Tasty but stingy with the feed offered to the pool players. Step it up Camel!! SOS view: 5/10
Week Three: The Big Bamboo
Venue: Very well established sports bar on Nanyang Lu that needs little introduction. SOS view: 8/10
Table: Smaller than most in the league. Probably gets used ore than any other pub table in Shanghai. However the bar looks after it well and it's even paced with a roll. SOS view: 9/10
Prices: In my humble opinion it's too expensive for food and drinks. SOS view: 4/10
Grub: Thankfully the bar has seen sense and started offering food again for pool players. What there was was tasty. SOS view: 6/10
Cup R1: Side Bar
Venue: Chinese managed darts themed bar with great location on Maoming Lu/ Changle Lu. SOS view: 4/10 (8/10 if you like darts!)
Table: Good size, level, but in need of a little TLC and better house cues. SOS view 6/10
Prices: Reasonable prices for buckets of piss, but we weren't there long enough to find out about session prices
Grub: N/A
Friendly Barcardi Challenge: Masse Bar and Grill
Venue: Nice two story bar and grill centered around Canadian food and pool. Great party atmosphere the night we were there. SOS view: 8/10
Tables: Four tables over two floors. They are net pocket pool tables with slightly different physics to a regular table. Tight corner pockets and big middles make bank shots easier. I know this type of table is not for everyone, but no one can say the tables are not looked after; clean and level. SOS view: 7/10
Prices: Pauly did a deal for us on buckets of piss and threw in a bottle of spirits. Well done that man! SOS view: 10/10
Grub: Decent finger food given to pool players: SOS view 7/10
Week 4: Muse on the Bund
Venue: Fancy shmancy place and a bizarre venue for a pool team. OK i'll expand; this is essentially a high end night club with pool tables; set up for punters who want to drink champagne and smooze birds. Problems: the bar doesn't open until 9pm, the music is off then too loud and the prices are stupid. However, it can't be denied that the eye candy is superb. SOS view 3/10
Tables: Similar style to Masse with net pockets. SOS view: 7/10
Prices: Stupid. SOS view 2/10
Grub: Delicious thin crust pizzas and wedges given to pool players. Best food of the season so far. SOS view: 8/10
Week 6: 3 Cue Pool Hall
Venue: Pool hall with 20 plus tables. Located in the North of Shanghai, this appeared to be a well run pool hall with plenty of tables in good condition. Personally I prefer playing in a pub to a pool hall, but if this one wasn't so far away i'd be tempted to go again. SOS view: 7/10
Tables: Good, well looked after tables. SOS view: 8/10
Prices: 20RMB for bottles of piss. SOS view: 8/10
Grub: Can't remember, was pissed. SOS view: reporter should stop going to Shed at 5pm so he can write these reports properly!
Week One: The Camel
Venue: Modern sports bar with plenty of TVs showing live sport. Service a bit hit and miss depending on how busy they are. Clients mostly younger expats. SOS view: 7/10
Table: Needs a bit of a good clean and the balls looked non-offical size and were very dirty. Table was pretty level, although several balls jumped back onto the table from the bottom left hand pocket. Cushions were too springy with the ball often leaving contact with the table. SOS view: 6/10
Prices: Happy hour offered all night to the pool team, so no complaints. SOS view: 8/10
Grub: Tasty but stingy with the feed offered to the pool players. Step it up Camel!! SOS view: 5/10
Week Three: The Big Bamboo
Venue: Very well established sports bar on Nanyang Lu that needs little introduction. SOS view: 8/10
Table: Smaller than most in the league. Probably gets used ore than any other pub table in Shanghai. However the bar looks after it well and it's even paced with a roll. SOS view: 9/10
Prices: In my humble opinion it's too expensive for food and drinks. SOS view: 4/10
Grub: Thankfully the bar has seen sense and started offering food again for pool players. What there was was tasty. SOS view: 6/10
Cup R1: Side Bar
Venue: Chinese managed darts themed bar with great location on Maoming Lu/ Changle Lu. SOS view: 4/10 (8/10 if you like darts!)
Table: Good size, level, but in need of a little TLC and better house cues. SOS view 6/10
Prices: Reasonable prices for buckets of piss, but we weren't there long enough to find out about session prices
Grub: N/A
Friendly Barcardi Challenge: Masse Bar and Grill
Venue: Nice two story bar and grill centered around Canadian food and pool. Great party atmosphere the night we were there. SOS view: 8/10
Tables: Four tables over two floors. They are net pocket pool tables with slightly different physics to a regular table. Tight corner pockets and big middles make bank shots easier. I know this type of table is not for everyone, but no one can say the tables are not looked after; clean and level. SOS view: 7/10
Prices: Pauly did a deal for us on buckets of piss and threw in a bottle of spirits. Well done that man! SOS view: 10/10
Grub: Decent finger food given to pool players: SOS view 7/10
Week 4: Muse on the Bund
Venue: Fancy shmancy place and a bizarre venue for a pool team. OK i'll expand; this is essentially a high end night club with pool tables; set up for punters who want to drink champagne and smooze birds. Problems: the bar doesn't open until 9pm, the music is off then too loud and the prices are stupid. However, it can't be denied that the eye candy is superb. SOS view 3/10
Tables: Similar style to Masse with net pockets. SOS view: 7/10
Prices: Stupid. SOS view 2/10
Grub: Delicious thin crust pizzas and wedges given to pool players. Best food of the season so far. SOS view: 8/10
Week 6: 3 Cue Pool Hall
Venue: Pool hall with 20 plus tables. Located in the North of Shanghai, this appeared to be a well run pool hall with plenty of tables in good condition. Personally I prefer playing in a pub to a pool hall, but if this one wasn't so far away i'd be tempted to go again. SOS view: 7/10
Tables: Good, well looked after tables. SOS view: 8/10
Prices: 20RMB for bottles of piss. SOS view: 8/10
Grub: Can't remember, was pissed. SOS view: reporter should stop going to Shed at 5pm so he can write these reports properly!