Balls Out

By The Editors
December 13, 2012 9:00 am

A man can hustle in the dim green glow of a pool table.

He can bluff the card players across from him, or hot toddy the clock with a handful of darts.

But his gamesmanship isn’t complete until he beats his fellow man at the world’s most devilish game: Ping-pong. And now there’s an entire club devoted to it.

Introducing SPiN, LA’s first ping-pong nightclub, now open on the second floor of the Standard Downtown.

This is Susan Saradon’s joint, and it boasts 12 immaculate orange Stiga tables — one of which is dedicated to pro teams, so you can watch how it’s done.

There’s also a full bar, with a menu conceived by the Standard’s own Micah Fields (of Bravo “Top Chef” fame).

Tables are open from noon until 2am, perfect for breaks from the office (or coffee shop). Tables come with a bucket’s worth of balls. Ball girls are on hand to retrieve your strays.

You can drop in at random, or buy an annual membership for $500, which includes half off of court fees, exclusive table reservations, and a bag of shwag — no, not that kind. We’re talking T-shirts, wristbands — and a privileged $50 room rate after midnight.

They call that rate “You Scored.”

Which, of course, is its own kind of hustle.

EMAIL IS THE NEW HAPPY HOUR

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