The games people play
Murphy’s Bar and Grill, 2 Merchant St, 531-0422 Under the Guinness sign a shuffleboard table spans the entire length of the back wall. According to the submariners who were holding the winners’ spots for a couple of hours on a recent visit, this is the largest of only four such shuffleboard arenas on the island. Put your name on the chalkboard and wait for a game. If you don’t know how to slide the fashionably shiny chrome pucks across the table, the regulars seem happy to teach. The mood around the game is welcoming and friendly. On busy nights expect waits of up to an hour before your turn comes around. Games are free, and there is a sign, which encourages you to drop a few bills in a can for a fund that fights cancer.
Hula’s Bar and Lei Stand, 134 Kapahulu Ave, 2nd Floor, 923-0669 Gay people play games too, right? Hula’s knows this, and while the focus on a given night isn’t necessarily on the pool table, there are plenty of people who come here just to wave their sticks around. That’s an easy, dumb joke, but that’s the kind of banter one might hear as people at Hula’s break the ice by breaking a rack of eight ball. On Wednesdays, it’s tournament night starting at nine. For those who like to take it outside, Hula’s sponsors volleyball tournaments, also on Wednesdays, starting at 2pm.
Anna Bananas, 2440 S. Beretania St, 946-5190 If you really like to play darts, any of the above mentioned places offer the digital machines that take quarters and give you rubber things to throw at squishy targets. A drunk woman at Anna’s, however, makes clear that any true bar thrower knows this fact: ‘Digital darts suck!’ When it comes to darts, Anna’s isn’t what it used to be.–gone are the tournament nights–but for many players Anna is still dart-throwing heaven.
Eastside Grill, 1035 University Ave, Suite 103, 952-6555 This sports bar in Puck’s Alley specializes in eating, drinking and staring at screens. Over in a neglected corner there’s a Foosball table and some video trivia consoles with cool names like Mega Force 2005. You’ll need quarters. The electronic game machines are cheesy, but in a good, addictive way. You can play in teams, and you’ll score high if you know that ‘arayess’ is a deep fried sandwich made of lamb or that Scott Stapp is the ‘uber-serious lead singer for Creed.’
Magoo’s Pizza, 1015 University Ave, 949-5381 Half a block down from East Side, there’s Magoo’s, the haven for swillers which offers the 2006 version of the Mega Force video trivia machine. This is the machine to play if you’re attracted to games called ‘Mega Bowling’ and ‘Mega Chug.’
Top O’ The Hill, 3579 Waialae Ave, 732-3437 It’s hard to beat this unpretentious Kaimuki night spot. Like any saloon that wants to attract pool players, Top O’ The Hill designates space for easy movement around inviting tables. The well-stocked rack for personal cues suggests that some of the players here know how to shoot pool, but the jubilant karaoke singers keep the mood from getting too serious.
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