As well as new membership benefits and advertising opportunities.
The GoPlayPool App has reached its 6th year in the industry. Owners, Ramin Bakhtiari and Mary Ann Starkey, would like to thank family, friends, and their many supporters. “Without everyone’s patience and support, we wouldn’t have made it this far.” The system, as a whole, is more organized and inclusive than ever before. In the last year, the directory of pool rooms has made a change by including more information about the establishments available to users. Each listing now includes basic information when available. Table types, sizes and counts, tournament and league availability are part of our basic listings. The GoPlayPool App is focused on the future of pool, so we also include age limits in our basic listings. We want to let our users know where junior players can practice, play and compete. GoPlayPool App Member Rooms can also post food and drink menus, entertainment, special events and much more.
GoPlayPool App users can also add, edit or delete pool rooms and their information directly through the free GoPlayPool App or the GoPlayPool website. This has created a user-based directory, which some have said is like a ‘pool version of Yelp’. It’s now easier than ever for pool room owners and managers to become members of the GoPlayPool App, which includes monthly and yearly memberships.
When pool rooms become members, they receive multiple benefits, which include a more descriptive listing and profile. These profiles contain everything from specific tournament and league information, coupons and discounts for users through our GoDeal$ Program, as well as push notifications to let GoPlayPool App users know about upcoming events in member rooms. And last but not least, members become part of the “Featured Listings” on the system.
The GoPlayPool App also contains an extensive flyer section, where pool rooms can post their event flyers for free. For those who are interested in posting flyers, it’s recommended to do so at least a month before the event to get as much exposure as possible.
As of August 2018, the GoPlayPool website has over 100,000 views a month. That’s a focused audience that is searching for pool related information. With more members and users than ever, the GoPlayPool App is going to be expanding their directory into Canada. Ramin Bakhtiari said, “We are very excited to move into the next phase of this company. Creating the directory for Canada will take some time, but we’ve seen the demand from players and pool rooms alike, so we’re expanding.”
If you already have the GoPlayPool App installed on your devices, it is recommended that you re-install the app to make sure the new features are updated. As always, there are no pop-up advertisements and users are not required to login to use the GoPlayPool App or website. For GoPlayPool App users, Mary Ann Starkey wants to remind them to “keep the notifications turned on so you can get updates and notifications about upcoming events.
The GoPlayPool App is available on both Android and Apple devices. It is 100% free to download and use. Visit www.GoPlayPool.com to learn more about the available features or to become a GoPlayPool App Member location.
When Mary Ann Starkey walked into a southern California pool room and saw gorgeous Diamond tables, she wished she had known about the room years ago. The room was located a mere 15 minutes from her house and had a great atmosphere. It was during that time that Mary Ann and Ramin Bakhtiari, her boyfriend and fellow pool player, had begun building an app designed for pool players. But it wasn't until she saw that room that she knew what direction to go with the app and the start-up company. Mary Ann thought, "There should be an app that tells you where to find a pool room or bar that has pool tables. It should tell you what you'll find when you get there, and allow the rooms themselves to promote the events they hold. Whether it’s tournaments or leagues or even things that have nothing to do with pool, like their menu or other kinds of games or entertainment." The task of building GoPlayPool had begun.
Mary Ann and Ramin knew all along that they did not want to charge the players or users of the app to find the information they would provide. They always knew they wouldn't charge anyone to download the app. They decided that offering pool rooms an affordable way to promote their business was the best way to go, along with giving pool players a source to find more pool rooms and more tournaments. That is why they decided to give pool rooms a monthly membership. The membership is free for the first 30 days, and after the free trial, it's only $19.95 a month. With the membership they create detailed profiles of what their room offers its patrons. Everything from what types of pool tables they have to what nights their tournaments are. They can include their food and drink menus, and list all of their other amenities. If they host darts tournaments on Tuesday nights and ladies nights on Wednesday, they can put that in their profile. While Mary Ann and Ramin's focus has always been on pool, they knew that pool rooms would benefit from being able to promote all of the other aspects of their room.
It was a long road, filled with sleepless nights and spending hours doing research. But after nearly a year, the GoPlayPool App was ready to launch and on September 17, 2012 the app became available in both The App Store and Google Play. To say that Ramin and Mary Ann were proud would be a vast understatement. The long road that stretched out in front of them would require hard work. In order for the pool rooms to have a reason to become a member, they needed to get people to start using the app. So, they spent the next year promoting it like crazy. Social media, press releases, articles and advertising with pool magazines and news sources, live stream advertising, even driving hundreds of miles to various tournaments just to hit another area and introduce the app to players and rooms.
The support of already established companies and the players and fans of the game has been incredible. Mary Ann said, “With September 17th marking 2 years since we launched the app, it’s great to see how far we’ve come. Looking back now, I think we've always had tremendous support from within the industry. People see what we're trying to do and they are more than happy to support a resource that just keeps growing and expanding. I think the direction we chose couldn't have worked out any better. We've given pool halls an opportunity to advertise and promote their room for an amazingly low rate. And unlike advertising in the newspaper, people will keep coming back to the GoPlayPool App. We're constantly adding new features and keeping the content fresh, so people always have a reason to come back. Users will always know when new members sign up and be able to see the member profiles." Along with the great cost of the membership, pool rooms will also receive a physical package when they sign up. It contains thousands of dollars’ worth of free sample merchandise, vouchers and discounts from companies within and outside of the pool & billiards industry.
Since the GoPlayPool App launched, it has undergone a lot of changes. As more time goes by, it becomes even more user-friendly and has thousands of hours of engaging content. Recently, they added a section called "GoPlayPool 101" which features hundreds of videos, drills and instructional material from some of the best instructors in the United States. Other sections like Flyers, a Calendar of World Events from AZ Billiards, and of course the phone and map directories of pool rooms all across the U.S. will keep users coming back for more, giving pool rooms every reason to sign up.
The GoPlayPool Team has also expanded their endeavors by reaching out to the community. After learning that a few different players had come down with various illnesses, Ramin and Mary Ann wanted to help. So they created the “Pool Together” site, as an extension of GoPlayPool. If players in need have a benefit tournament or charity, they can post it on the Pool Together site to reach more people and hopefully get more donations. Since taking on the venture, Ramin and Mary Ann have been a part of various fundraisers which have raised over $50,000.00 for players in need, or the families they have left behind. You can learn more and donate to the listed causes by visiting pooltogether.goplaypool.com.
If you're a player or fan of the game, you can download the free GoPlayPool App for iOS and Android devices. It's also available on Windows and Blackberry devices. Much of the information is also available in a mobile and web format. For more information, please visit www.goplaypool.com.
For all other inquiries, feel free to get in touch with the GoPlayPool App team at info@goplaypool.com
Today, GoPlayPool announced that they have launched new sections in their free mobile application. The new sections will include an improved directory of pool halls in the United States. The directory has been upgraded with new features like a more user-friendly search capability, more organized maps and more. Now, users can click on the “Nearby Tab” and the GPS in their mobile device will show them the pool halls in their location automatically. Also, within directory pages, GoPlayPool Member rooms will be listed in a “Featured Rooms” section in their respective states.
Other segments which have been added are an instructional and information section called “GoPlayPool 101”. In this section, users can find a wide range of information including over 300 instructional videos and over 100 illustrated and descriptive drills. There are also hundreds of hours of information compiled from difference sources covering almost every aspect of pool that one could think of. GoPlayPool has also introduced segments like a “Did You Know” section with fun and interesting facts in the world of pool and billiards, stories about players and events throughout history and much more.
GoPlayPool owner Mary Ann Starkey says, “We are so excited about introducing these new features and the improvements we’ve made in certain sections of the app. It’s a continuous process to keep our users engaged and coming back for more, and we’re very pleased to have the opportunity to give our users something new and exciting like this. There is so much information contained in these new sections, you could literally spend thousands of hours reading, learning and implementing this information into your own pool game. I look forward to hearing what everyone thinks once they’ve had a chance to browse through all of the new content on the app.”
GoPlayPool would like to thank the talented and dedicated people who contributed their knowledge and work to this segment. Mary Ann says, “It was a group effort which included Mr. Allan Sand of Billiard Gods, Mr. Bert Kinister, “Dr. Dave” Alciatore at Billiard University, Mr. Max Eberle, and last but certainly not least, Mr. Philip Capelle. We, at GoPlayPool are excited and honored to have them be a part of the GoPlayPool family, and have their hard work and information featured on the GoPlayPool App.”
The GoPlayPool App is a free mobile application for Android and iOS platforms. It is a pool hall finder for the United States. The app helps players find locations to play pool and offers pool hall and bar owners an affordable way to advertise their establishments and promote pool tournaments and events that they have in their rooms. GoPlayPool App Member rooms receive great incentives when they sign up, including a free 30 day trial and product offers from companies like Kamui and other participating businesses. For pool halls or bars interested in advertising their establishment on the GoPlayPool App, they can sign up at www.goplaypool.com/pool-rooms.
The GoPlayPool App team is constantly looking for ways to improve their product, and encourages its users to contact them with suggestions or input. You can reach GoPlayPool by visiting their website, social media pages or by email at info@goplaypool.com.
Team USA coach Mark Wilson chats with Mark Cantrill and Mr. Bond about his 8 team candidates, why he chose them, and the challenges that lie ahead for this year's Mosconi Cup contenders.
Mike Howerton speaks with Pat Fleming about the inner workings and history of Accustats video productions and their upcoming 'Make It Happen' event.
Scott Lee and Randy G. discuss the most important shot in your arsenal.
Show Features: Mark Wilson, Mark Cantrill, David "Mr. Bond", Pat Fleming, Mike Howerton, Mary Ann Starkey, Candy Whaley, Scott Lee, Randy G.
Janet Atwell grew up in Abingdon, VA with her younger brother and parents. They owned a market which, for a short time, even featured a coin-operated bar box. Years later, her love for the game would come back to her, and in 1999, Janet played in her first professionally sanctioned tournament. In 2004, she officially became a professional female pool player, and has even opened her own pool hall called Borderline Billiards in Bristol, TN. Janet has been an active member of the women's billiard community for a while now, and has made an impact on her fellow players and fans of the sport. Placing well in professional events and even winning titles such as the 2013 Virginia Women's 10-Ball Championships, Janet has definitely made a positive mark in the world of women's pool.
Recently, Janet was diagnosed with breast cancer and had to undergo a very sudden double mastectomy. Within a short time she went from being undiagnosed to starting her first round of chemotherapy. Janet is now looking at multiple rounds of treatments before she will find out whether or not she has beaten the cancer. However, her positive outlook on life continues to show why she's been successful in the world of pool and in life.
GoPlayPool.com has teamed up with Kamui Tips to raise funds that will help Janet with medical costs since she is uninsured while she undergoes the cancer treatments. Available at: POOLTOGETHER.GOPLAYPOOL.COM, people can purchase 2 different packages in which a portion of the proceeds will go to help Janet. One package is valued at $22.00 and contains a GoPlayPool.com t-shirt and patch. This package is being sold for only $15.00 and $5.00 of that will go directly to Janet. The second package contains a GoPlayPool.com t-shirt and patch, a Kamui patch and a voucher for a Kamui tip. The voucher for the Kamui tip alone is retailed at $25.00 and the entire package would retail for $50.00. This package is available for a very reasonable $30.00 with $20.00 of that going directly to Janet. Plus, if you just want to “donate to Janet” directly, that option is available as well.
Mary Ann Starkey, owner of GoPlayPool.com said "We are so happy that we are able to help Janet in any way we can. She is such a positive person, and we were shocked when we learned of her diagnosis and the sudden treatments that she would have to go through. Having recently seen a family member battling cancer, when I learned of Janet's diagnosis it touched me personally. We're in a position to help her, and that's exactly what we want to do. I really hope that our efforts will help ease the financial burden on Janet so she can focus on recovering and becoming cancer-free."
If you would like more information about the charitable packages being offered, you can visit POOLTOGETHER.GOPLAYPOOL.COM.
GoPlayPool has also created a tab on their free app which is available on iOS and Android. GoPlayPool would like to thank Mr. John Bertone and Kamui Tips for joining in our efforts to raise funds for Janet. The contribution is greatly appreciated.
Aliso Viejo, CA – September 17, 2013: GoPlayPool.com owners announced on September 17, 2013 that they had reached the one year anniversary of launching their app. The GoPlayPool app began as an idea and after a solid year of work in creating the database of pool rooms and build the website and app, the GoPlayPool app earned Apple’s approval and went live on September 17, 2012.
“I can’t believe it has been a year!” said GoPlayPool.com owner, Mary Ann Starkey. “We’ve been working so hard so I suppose the time has just gone by quickly. I’m very pleased to say that the support, the enthusiasm and the positive reactions to the app have been instrumental to our success so far. I am really looking forward to the next year and the great times that are to come. We love pool and we want to see those who play the sport as well as support it be able to thrive. Pool is a sport that has been around for centuries and it should be as main-stream as any other professional sport.”
Mary Ann Starkey and Ramin Bakhtiari are the creators of GoPlayPool.com and founders of the company. They also play pool in the southern California area, and travel throughout the western U.S. to various pool tournaments.
The GoPlayPool app features a directory of pool halls in the United States along with tournament listings, information about leagues and tours throughout the country as well as a music playlist, live stream listings and much more. The GoPlayPool app is free to download on both iOS and Android Platforms.
If pool halls are interested in promoting their establishment, they can become a premium member of GoPlayPool.com and create a detailed profile of their room, including all amenities they offer, not just pool. The rooms get the first 30 days of their membership for free, and after that it is $19.95 per month. GoPlayPool.com also does advertising for businesses and individuals within the industry such as retailers, clothing companies and cue makers. It also promotes leagues and tours at no charge. If you’re interested in promoting or advertising ideas, you can find out more information by visiting GoPlayPool.com and clicking on the “Join Us” link.
Aliso Viejo, CA – September 09, 2013: The GoPlayPool.com Summer Madness Sweepstakes ended on August 31, 2013. Prize winners were randomly selected from the qualifying entries. Prize winners were notified by email and phone, and everyone was excited that they had won something in the Summer Madness Sweepstakes. The prizes were packaged and shipped to the winners on September 6.
Mary Ann Starkey, owner of GoPlayPool.com said, “We are excited that this sweepstakes has come to a close and we have shipped off the great prizes from our sponsors to the lucky winners. Everyone is so excited about winning one of the prizes and we’re thrilled that we had so many entries to the sweepstakes. It’s a great thing for the prize winners, because everybody loves to win something. It has been especially good for our sponsors, as they’ve gained a lot of exposure through this sweepstakes.”
The GoPlayPool app was launched in September of 2012. The app features a directory of pool halls in the United States along with tournament listings, information about leagues and tours throughout the country as well as a music playlist, live stream listings and much more. The GoPlayPool app is free to download on both iOS and Android.
If pool halls are interested in promoting their establishment, they can become a member of GoPlayPool.com and create a detailed profile of their room, including all amenities they offer, not just pool. The rooms get the first 30 days of their membership for free, and after that it is $19.95 per month. The GoPlayPool app offers businesses within the industry a way of advertising to fans and players in the pool and billiards sport. They also promote leagues and tours at no charge. If you’re interested in promoting or advertising ideas, you can find out more information by visiting GoPlayPool.com and clicking on the “Join Us” link.
Aliso Viejo, CA – August 24, 2013: GoPlayPool.com wants to announce that Saturday, August 24 marks the final week of the GoPlayPool.com Summer Madness Sweepstakes.
“We’ve had a great response to the sweepstakes so far and we are getting excited to announce the winners of all of the great products that our sponsors contributed. We’re going to have a lot of winners, so the anticipation is definitely beginning to mount.” Mary Ann Starkey, founder of GoPlayPool.com also says, “We hope to see a lot more entries in this final week. We’ve been doing a lot to promote it, and it’s getting down to the wire.”
The GoPlayPool.com Summer Madness Sweepstakes began on May 15, 2013 and will end on August 31, 2013. There are over $2,000.00 in prizes that will be given to individual winners at the end of the sweepstakes. Items ranging from books and clothing to instructional DVD’s and even a cue sticks will be given away to a list of randomly chosen winners. GoPlayPool.com will notify the winners of the contest by phone or email and an announcement will be made within 1 week of the sweepstakes end.
The GoPlayPool app was launched in September of 2012. The app features a directory of pool halls in the United States along with tournament listings, information about leagues and tours throughout the country as well as a music playlist, live stream listings and much more. The GoPlayPool app is free to download on both iOS and Android.
If pool halls are interested in promoting their establishment, they can become a member of GoPlayPool.com and create a detailed profile of their room, including all amenities they offer, not just pool. The rooms get the first 30 days of their membership for free, and after that it is $19.95 per month. GoPlayPool.com also does free advertising for businesses and individuals within the industry such as retailers, clothing companies and cue makers. They also promote leagues and tours at no charge. If you’re interested in promoting or advertising ideas, you can find out more information by visiting GoPlayPool.com and clicking on the “Join Us” link.
GoPlayPool.com has announced that they have joined forces with some true legends and fans of the sport. The GoStore, GoPlayPool.com’s online marketplace, has a range of items including clothing, accessories, books, posters, photographs and more.
Charles Ursitti, a long-time fan of pool and historian has provided GoPlayPool.com with a select inventory of items from his collection of memorabilia. The items include posters from tournaments and events such as exhibition matches with Mosconi as well as books dating back to the early 1900’s. GoPlayPool.com’s founder, Mary Ann Starkey says, “These items would be a perfect addition to an enthusiast’s collection. We are honored that Mr. Ursitti has let us showcase these historical items in our store.”
GoPlayPool.com has also teamed up with legendary photographer Robert Ross to showcase some of his most treasured images from some of the greatest tournaments and players of our time. He took the infamous “You’ve Got the Seven” photo as well as beautiful images of most of the top players from the last 30 years. Starkey says, “Robert has been gracious enough to share them with GoPlayPool.com so our fans can order these images to add to their personal collection. We are excited to work with Mr. Ross as he has captured some of the best moments in pool and has turned out some of the most famous photographs ever taken.”
Last, but certainly not least, GoPlayPool.com has also teamed up with Shane Van Boening. They created a shirt with Shane’s image that says, “Want Pain? Play Shane.” GoPlayPool.com will be selling these shirts exclusively in the GoStore. GoPlayPool.com gained permission and also struck a deal with Shane for a percentage of the profits. “We want to contribute to the sport in any way we can. By promoting the top players, we believe the benefits will trickle down the line. We believe that these players deserve the recognition, but we also believe they should be involved in every part of their promotions. We wanted to make sure that Shane was taken care of, and we are very excited to offer these shirts to his fans and friends.” GoPlayPool.com is working on other designs which will be available soon.
To get more information about Charles Ursitti, Robert Ross or Shane VanBoening, please visit www.GoPlayPool.com and click on the “GoStore” link.
GoPlayPool.com-5/15/2013 in Aliso Viejo, CA— Today, GoPlayPool.com announces the beginning of their “Summer Madness Sweepstakes” which will run from May 15, 2013 until August 31, 2013.
Owner and Founder of GoPlayPool.com, Mary Ann Starkey says, “This promises to be a great contest, which will run throughout the summer. There are a lot of great prizes to be won, and we are so thankful to our sponsors for donating their great products.” There are a total of 9 sponsors who donated their products to GoPlayPool.com to be given away in the contest. “We’re hoping this sweepstakes generates a lot of buzz about GoPlayPool.com, as well as our sponsors. We know people love to win things, and this is a great way for them to interact with us, while gaining exposure for the app.” Mary Ann ends by saying, “We’ve already had an amazing response since our last contest, and this one is even bigger, with more prizes for more people to win.” There are a total of 25 prizes on the table, which means 25 GoPlayPool app users will wind up with a great prize.
It’s easy for users to sign up. They simply need to download the FREE GoPlayPool app, and fill out the contest form which is under the “WIN” tab on the front page of the app. The user needs to like GoPlayPool.com on Facebook as well to be eligible to win. Contest rules are available on the website and the app. There is no purchase necessary to win. The GoPlayPool app is available on Android and Apple, and is free on both platforms (Keyword: goplaypool).
List of sponsors and their prizes:
Joey Chin (cue-maker) donated a custom cue from his personal line.
Robin Dodson donated 3 of her “Mastering the Jump Shot” DVD’s along with 1 jump cue.
Max Eberle donated 4 of his “Think & Run Out” DVD’s
Delta-13 donated 2 of their racks
Bobble Ball donated a full 8-ball set and 1 Bobble Ball
Hustlin USA Clothing Co. donated 3 T-shirts
Pool Junkie Clothing Co. donated 3 T-shirts
Seybert’s Billiard Supply donated 2 $25.00 gift certificates
Robert LeBlanc donated 2 signed copies of his book “Confessions of a Pool Hustler”
GoPlayPool.com is donating 3 $50.00 gift certificates to their online store
