Pooling In For Some Fun

WHILE travelling to Calcutta with friends, Pankaj Mehndiratta, 20, had a brainwave. This recent graduate from Delhi's Deshbandhu Gupta College was sure he didn't want to join the family's furniture business. With a small basement at his disposal, he decided a pool table was just the thing to install in it. And given the capital's new-found obsession with this all-American sport, the idea made good business sense.

Going by recent figures, pool is indeed the number one recreational activity in Delhi. According to one industry estimate, as much as Rs 60 lakh is spent each month by Delhiites on this sport alone. And it's not Delhi alone which has come to grips with this fad. Mumbai to an extent, and Bangalore, the silicon-accented city where pool first found its roots in the country, are as much part of this trend. Hip-hop joints like Razzberry Rhinoceros in Mumbai are the place to be for a spot of pool. Its management has just added a third table after the roaring success of the earlier two. Cyclone, the trendy disco at the Leela, Mumbai, too introduced pool tables last year. Soon enough, other such outlets mushroomed all over.

So what is it that differentiates pool from snooker and billiards, two games traditionally played in clubs in India? Pool, an Americanised version of the traditional English sport, is a much faster (a typical game takes up to 10 minutes from start to finish) and easier version. Played on a smaller table, pool is a bit like carrom, where there are two sets of balls: stripes and solids. There are seven of each type and whoever pockets his colour first has to pocket the black ball in the end.The balls are hit with a white cue ball.

With few rules, and even fewer demanding skills required to play this sport well, it is now popular with people from all walks of life looking for a good time. Says Varundeep Singh, area manager with Ford Credit India, the current number one in the amateur rankings: "The game is designed to finish fast. And since it's not a high skill game like billiards and snooker, it is easy to play with friends."

The game's popularity in the capital could be gauged as early as 1996, when Madhur Singh and Ritu Dalmiya jointly opened Cappucino in South Delhi. The star attraction of the cafe was its pool table. Recalls Madhur: "We started with one pool table, soon we had to add another, as one just wasn't enough. When we started the restaurant, we added these extras because we wanted to offer more than just food. Only, pool got addictive.

Those who came to play just would not go home." The pool tables, in fact, became the mainstay of their business. At the start, charges per hour were Rs 25. Soon it climbed to Rs 40, due to the long queue of people waiting to play. And while power cuts and other infrastructure-related problems affected the food business, the popularity of pool remained undiminished.

THE ease with which pool helped Cap-pucino catch on led to five more such centres springing up. The sport however, took off in a big way within the last year with big league entrants like Delhi's Vertex Sports Cafe adding to its sheen and accessibility. Vertex tied up with AMF Playmaster, one of the largest manufacturers of pool and billiards tables in the US. Says Ajay Jain, who owns and runs Vertex: "In the next five years, pool will be the biggest sport commercially in this country." This confidence stems from the following figures: 40 million Americans play pool, of which 50 per cent are women. It's this unisex appeal which has helped the game gain rapid acceptance in urban centres.

While people cautioned that not every American fad catches on in India, Jain's gamble has paid off. Delhi alone has seen as many as 40 centres mushroom in the last few months. Bangalore too boasts similar numbers. If Mumbai hasn't kept pace with the other metros, it's due to lack of space rather than lack of interest. It is estimated that by the year-end as many as 100 such centres will be functional in Delhi.

A skyrocketing demand has translated into serpentine queues at these centres. And innovative entrepreneurs are cashing in on this captive clientele by introducing other attractions to keep them glued there. Recently, in Bangalore an entrepreneur set up a pool centre, Cyber Cue, where one could surf the net while waiting for a table. Soon, two more followed suit. Now, proprietors of most pool parlours are getting computers and Internet connections to stop people from sauntering away when tables are occupied. Says Harini Kota, who owns two such centres in Bangalore and plans to introduce the Internet soon: "It's good in a way, not only from the point of view of income, but also that people surf the net rather than waste their time hanging around when all the tables are occupied."

While many want to take the credit for introducing this cash cow sport to India, Vertex is doing more than its fair share to build excitement around the sport. The three centres it runs in the capital have weekly tournaments which have led to the cafe announcing regular rankings for both amateurs as well as professionals. The cafe plans coaching classes for newcomers to the game. Also, there's a debit card facility—one that enables you to play without making a cash transaction—for regulars in the offing. Varundeep, who participates regularly in tournaments organised by Vertex, says: "It is the element of winning and competition that make it more interesting."

 Leisure Bowl in the capital started off as a bowling centre with pool as an add-on. But the success of pool (it's a better revenue-earner than bowling) has enthused them enough to start pool centres all over the city. The success of the sport lies in the sociability that it offers. Says Sanjay Datt, 20: "I've made a lot of friends through pool. It's a bit like golf. You can even strike deals while playing pool." Also, the lack of recreational avenues for the youth in most metros adds to its popularity. Says Harini: "Where is the place for sports in Bangalore? Most of the youth are forced to spend their time at pubs or hanging out at malls. Playing at Karnataka State Billiards Association is expensive, and doesn't suit most youngsters because the rules are rigid and there's no room for camaraderie."

 But while pool rooms are meant to be places of good, clean fun, there are of course some rumours of gambling. Says Swamy, a 24-year-old graduate in Bangalore: "We guys bet on anything, from potting a ball to winning the game. In one version called shuffle pool, one ends up gambling often. It is a complicated version, but we use the crown of soft drink bottles to bet and exchange it for cash after the game." Admits another regular pool player in Delhi: "There are some guys who can play the game really well and they often lure bad players to play with them. This way they make good money off them."

 All the same, attributes such as the all-weather advantage, camaraderie, the low costs and ease of learning, have contributed to pool becoming the number one recreational sport for many in the country. It's a game right on cue for the middle classes with their disposable incomes and spare time.