Thirsty4Balls: $6 Beers, Insta-Worthy Walls And Carom Billiard

Thirsty4balls is the latest bar to pop up in town at The Cathay, and there’s so much more to do at there other than chugging down beers. The bar also has billiard tables, and a pool that’s actually a ball pit.

The entire bar is designed after a pool (cos pool can refer to billiards or a swimming pool – geddit?), which is why there’s a pastel blue-and-white theme with ladders that double up as scoreboards and plenty of neon lights. This entire bar totally captures the vibes of a Korean-cafe – Thirsty4balls is like the bar (and more manlier version) of Stylenanda’s Pink Pool Cafe.

 

We initially thought that the pool tables were the normal pool tables just like every other bar, but we were so wrong. The pool tables are specially  designed for carom billiards, which is a harder version of your pocket ball/ pool. You’ll notice that the tables have no pockets or holes, and that there are only 4 balls.

 What exactly is Korean Four Ball?

Carom billiards, also known in Korea as Korean Four Ball, is a more difficult version of pool. The owner is also more than happy to share about the game and guide you along as well. Here’s an introduction to Korean Four Ball, which you’ll also find on displayed on the walls at the bar.

The Korean Four Ball is certainly more of a challenge as compared to pool (which the Koreans call pocket ball). Because there are only 2 balls (the other 2 coloured balls are cue balls), you have to work your brain and calculate your shots carefully. As if it cannot get any harder, points can get deducted if you don’t hit a ball or you hit the other cue ball.

It was pretty difficult even for regular pool players, but when we managed to score a point, it gave us an adrenaline rush. That really motivated us to keep going even though we failed to make the points about 99% of the time.

Once you’ve managed to get comfortable with carom billiards, you’ve got to master the closing shot – the 3-cushion hit which will end the game. The 3-cushion hit happens when you hit the first red ball, bounce off 3 cushion rails (or the sides of the tables) and then hit the second red ball. Executing this shot would totally make your day. Here’s where are your fancy backspins and trickshots come into handy!

The billiard tables are $24 an hour (which breaks down to $4 for every 10 minutes), but they are also running a promotion for half-priced “training time” from 4 to 6pm.

A cool place to chill
(not just because of the cool coloured walls)

If billiard is not your kind of thing, there’s also a seating area for you to chill. Keeping in line with the “pool” theme, the Jacuzzi & Cafe consists of bar chairs and jacuzzi pool filled with balls.

You can also see the billiard players from the cafe

You’ve hit the Instagram jackpot with all these gorgeous backdrops – a little consolation in case you can’t master Korean four ball. TBH the pastel walls and colourful chairs is a nice place to chill, if you don’t mind hanging out with billiards players.

The “Jacuzzi” ball pit is definitely much easier to upkeep than an actual pool 

Also, $6 beers

Beers go from $8 per bottle, but you can get 4 bottles of beer or cider for $24, which comes down to $6 a beer. Even if you aren’t intending on playing billiard, this place would make a cool hangout even if its just for the cheap beer.

And since it’s Korean bar, there is hite beer – the quintessential Korean beer. There’s also other beers like Heineken, San Miguel, Erdinger, Corona, as well as ciders and vodka cruisers.

For those non-alcoholic friends, Thirsty4Balls also has coffee, tea, and milk for $4. Snacks wise, there are Korean cup noodles, Jalapeño pretzels and pork cracklings. We struck up a conversation with a solo player who was at the bar practicing and he told us that in Korea, it was a must to eat Jjajangmyeon whenever you played carom billiard. And yes, you can get your own bowl of Jjajangmyeon for just $6.


THIRSTY4BALLS
#04-12 to 17, The Cathay, 2 Handy Road
Sunday to Thursday: 2pm – 11pm
Friday and Saturday: 12pm – 1am
(65) 9189 6975
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