Peter Yen was here right at opening for our St Patricks Day promo! He saved 9% on his purchase… almost hit the bull!!
Get Lucky at Hot Shots this St. Patty’s Day!
Throw & Win! Win up to 25% off your purchase!
This Thursday, March 17th, 2011 - 11 a.m. - 7 p.m. Visit Hot Shots and test your luck by throwing one dart and where your dart lands on the board equals the percentage you save! Don’t miss out on this great promotion!
*One throw per customer. Maximum 25% Savings. Doubles & Triples count as Singles. This promotion applies to all dart products with the exception of electronic dart scorers. Promo not valid with any other offer. See store for details.
Wholesale dart supplies came in today! I see lots of packaging in our future (the big bag at the end of the table? 1,000 short Jocky shafts!) New flight designs available soon!!
Valentine’s Day Sale!
Wow, the store has been busy and the phones have been ringing!
Less than 3 hours left to save 50% Off a second dart item (includes darts sets, boards, cabinets etc…) so call us now toll free 1-866-891-6674!
One Day Sale!
Call us toll free at 1-866-891-6674 to order by phone and Save 50% off your second item!
Having a snow day?! Come and join us - Hot Shots is open today for your game room needs!
Another awesome day at Hot Shots Games!
Great families, happy customers… all getting products the entire family will enjoy!!
Damn, we love what we do!!
Kelly’s Hot Game Room Thought: All Balls Are Not Created Equal
A question that I am often asked is why is one set of pool balls more expensive than the other? And is it worth spending the extra? I suppose that there are a few factors that will determine if you think the upgrade is worth it, but generally speaking, I would say spend the extra now to save in the long run. There are two main types of ball sets out there – snooker and boston. Snooker is the one with all the red balls (15 of them) plus the colours brown, yellow, green, blue, pink and black plus the cue ball. It is a more popular game on the larger 10 ft and 12 ft tables, but we do offer snooker balls in the 2 1/4 inch size to accommodate the more popular 8 ft and 9 ft tables. Most people will take out the back row of reds when playing on a smaller table, so it doesn’t seem as though there are as many balls on the table! Boston balls, or stripes and solids as most people would recognize them are also known as 8 ball or pool balls. There are 15 balls in total plus the cue ball. The first 8 are numbered and are solid in colour, numbers 9 through 15 feature a coloured stripe. This type of ball set is the most popular, partly because there are so many different games that can be played with them – 8 ball, 9 ball, 10 ball, straight pool, poker pool and many others! The number one selling ball manufacturer in the world is Aramith which manufactures their balls in Belgium. They offer a variety of different ranges, from introductory to professional. The most well known boston ball set would be the Super Pro, which is exactly what you see them playing with on TV. As a side note there is also a “Made for TV” version of the Super Pro ball set, which offers the 4 ball in pink (normally it is a deep purple) and the 7 ball in brown (normally it is burgundy). The reason for the two versions is because TV viewers complained that when watching a televised match, they couldn’t tell the difference between the 4 ball and the 7 ball. So when they used the Super Pro TV version, viewers could then determine which ball was which. The order of the balls and knowing which ball is which is especially important when playing 9 ball! Both sets of Super Pro come standard with the Pro Cup Cue Ball, also known as the “measles ball” because of the six red dots scattered on the ball. This ball also had it’s start on TV. Viewers wanted to see the spin or english that the players were putting on the ball and with the dots, they could follow the spin. It also lets the practising player know how much spin they put on a shot. The biggest difference between Aramith ball sets and economy ball sets is what they’re made of. Aramith uses a phenolic resin which is chip and scratch resistant. As well, the colour goes all the way through the ball. Even in the introductory ball set, each ball is matched relatively with the others for diameter, density, colour and balance. As you go up in the range, the balls are more exactly matched and by the time you get to the Super Pro or Tournament Set, the balls are perfectly matched to each other. Economy balls are made of polyester with a polyester core. The numbers are silk screened on the ball or perhaps a plug set into the polyester. They tend to not be as shiny and will chip, crack or even break with the normal wear and tear of playing. Customer often ask me how long they will last. This will depend on the usage, but I would say if you got 5 years out of the set, you should count yourself lucky. They tend not to clean up very well, and cleaners don’t tend to work very well because they are a polyester and the cleaners are formulated for a phenolic resin. I usually tell people to put them in the sink with a mild dishwashing soap and wipe them with a non-abrasive cloth. The cue ball will often turn yellow over time and as far as I know, there isn’t anything you can do about that. Aramith ball sets will last at least 5 times longer than economy ball sets. When you translate that into price, it works out like this: You will pay on average twice the price for Aramith balls than Economy. We charge $60 for economy and $140 for the introductory Aramith set. The economy set will last at most 5 years before you will need to replace at the very least the cue ball ($10) or the entire set ($60). The Aramith set on the other hand should last you anywhere from 25 years to 50 years. They may not be quite as glossy as the day you bought them, but with proper care cleaning them with Aramith cleaners, you can keep them in top condition. Most pool halls if not all invest in top quality ball sets and will have them for years. Usually they replace a ball that was stolen and not one that is damaged. So when you average out the lifespan of the ball set, it makes sense to make the investment! As a side note, customers will sometimes ask me how to tell if the ball set that they have is Aramith. I recommend that you come and see me in the showroom because we can sometimes tell by looking which type it is. If you have Aramith balls, how long have you had them and what condition are they in?
