Yeah, it was only $20,000.00 per man but it was still a big deal to me.
Just to start this off right, the names of the players will not be shared in this thread, at least I hope so. No need for these guys to have a bullseye painted on them personally.
Wednesday night was like any other night at Buffalo Billiards in Metairie, LA. Some of the regulars were there as usual, mixing it up between themeselves along with some league players and new visitors which seems to be happening more frequently than ever.
Occasionally I get a phone call that says come on over you got action waiting for you or some other such cryptic text message. That day I just happened by the pool room during the day shift when the owner came up to me and whispered, "BIG ACTION TONIGHT". I knew right away that he doesn't blow any smoke, so I completed my practice and headed for the house to get some rest, knowing that if it was "BIG ACTION", it could be an all-nighter. At the very least, I knew BIG ACTION meant just that and I didn't want to miss out on the sweating. After eating really well, taking care of some business business, I forced myself to sleep for about 3 hours. It must have been about 7:00 pm when I woke. Prior to taking the long nap, I had showered and shaved so that I wouldn't have to waste any time lollygagging when I woke.
I knew the two players, one of them a local player who doesn't play often but when he does, he bets HIGH. The other player was from out of town and I vaguely knew him but he too, also had a reputation for betting it up. Both players were a friendly sort, not the kind that you typically picture betting it up, you know, the kind that so many people whine about: the ones with the surly attitude, openly hostile to anyone who happens to look their way, hoping to gain an advantage. These two fellows were magnanimous in their demeanor each and every time I have seen them. I was kind of eager to see them play although I wasn't going to be impressed with their level of play as much as I was eager to see how each of them could hold up under the pressure of a $40,000.00 match.
Little did I know, as the people started really piling in at Buffalo's, you could feel the anticipation and excitement growing in the pool room. Sweaters, betters, regulars, drinkers and teetotalers alike milled around, joking with one another. The gamblers started quansi-matches between each other, just making up games to play while the Big Tent Main Event found its footing.
The two main characters arrived and the volume of the buzz increased to a very audible level even for my hearing impaired ears but it wasn't just the audible noise that was being energized but you could feel the electricity in the air. Each and every person seemed to be animated and energized for this event, myself included. The 3 hours of sleep had helped greatly and I was in dead-sweat. Some of the gamblers floated about the pool room trying to get bets down on the match. There was some other high stake action being bandied about and that just added to the atmosphere even more. The Little Tent Match was for $1,000 a game even up one pocket between two other players who weren't known for their run-out style of play but their reputation and names will remain confidential as well. I also knew one of the players better than the other but both were known to gamble and bet it up so it was going to be a really sweet night with both of the front tables with some high dollar action to sweat.
I don't really get off on making bets on the side although I will do so with friends if they are so inclined to do so, from time to time. For me personally, I enjoy betting on myself, for as little as I do bet. I just don't have the same appreciation for betting on someone else and this night wouldn't be any different than any other, at least that's what I thought.
As the match talk was reaching a crescendo, one of the BIG MATCH fellows walks up to me and says, "Would you mind coaching me for $1,000.00?" At first, I must have had one of those WTF looks on my face but I knew this guy wasn't one to tease or test the waters. He has a reputation for knowing what he wants, when he wants it, and he wanted me to coach him in the one pocket match. Apparently the two BIG ACTION guys had decided that they wanted to add another dimension to this match and to their game. Player A (my guy) asked me if I had anywhere to go (as I am not normally an all-night kind of guy although I have been known to stay to the hour of the tiger. He then told me that the match was going to be an "ahead set to five", that meaning that one player must win by 5 games ahead.
If you've never seen a coached match or been in one, you need to know that they can take a long, long time to play. Luckily, I had taken a lengthy nap and was in perfect condition for an ahead set. Player A knew that I put in my time on the table and was an encyclopedia of one pocket knowledge. He also knew my reputation for a grinder and knew that I would give my all if I decided to coach him. It didn't really take long for me to decide that I would take the job. The pay was good, the people were good, the match stakes were enormous, the atmosphere was electrifying, and I was physically and mentally ready to go to war.
I really didn't know a lot about Player B's skill level but the buzz around the room that each player was equal in one pocket skill. Each of the players had thought they had a coach in mind who could give them an advantage in the match. The two coaches, me being one of them, have both played one pocket for quite some time, and were seasoned, one pocket aficionados. It is pretty well known that both of the coaches, besides possessing a considerable amount of knowledge of one pocket, had ample amounts of integrity that were beyond reproach; despite individually each having a reputation for gambling at one pocket. In my case, the gambling has always been just a hobby and the other coach, not so much. Coach B just takes the gambling thing a little more seriously than I do but is ethical in all of the dealings that I have ever seen him involved in.
Just to start this off right, the names of the players will not be shared in this thread, at least I hope so. No need for these guys to have a bullseye painted on them personally.
Wednesday night was like any other night at Buffalo Billiards in Metairie, LA. Some of the regulars were there as usual, mixing it up between themeselves along with some league players and new visitors which seems to be happening more frequently than ever.
Occasionally I get a phone call that says come on over you got action waiting for you or some other such cryptic text message. That day I just happened by the pool room during the day shift when the owner came up to me and whispered, "BIG ACTION TONIGHT". I knew right away that he doesn't blow any smoke, so I completed my practice and headed for the house to get some rest, knowing that if it was "BIG ACTION", it could be an all-nighter. At the very least, I knew BIG ACTION meant just that and I didn't want to miss out on the sweating. After eating really well, taking care of some business business, I forced myself to sleep for about 3 hours. It must have been about 7:00 pm when I woke. Prior to taking the long nap, I had showered and shaved so that I wouldn't have to waste any time lollygagging when I woke.
I knew the two players, one of them a local player who doesn't play often but when he does, he bets HIGH. The other player was from out of town and I vaguely knew him but he too, also had a reputation for betting it up. Both players were a friendly sort, not the kind that you typically picture betting it up, you know, the kind that so many people whine about: the ones with the surly attitude, openly hostile to anyone who happens to look their way, hoping to gain an advantage. These two fellows were magnanimous in their demeanor each and every time I have seen them. I was kind of eager to see them play although I wasn't going to be impressed with their level of play as much as I was eager to see how each of them could hold up under the pressure of a $40,000.00 match.
Little did I know, as the people started really piling in at Buffalo's, you could feel the anticipation and excitement growing in the pool room. Sweaters, betters, regulars, drinkers and teetotalers alike milled around, joking with one another. The gamblers started quansi-matches between each other, just making up games to play while the Big Tent Main Event found its footing.
The two main characters arrived and the volume of the buzz increased to a very audible level even for my hearing impaired ears but it wasn't just the audible noise that was being energized but you could feel the electricity in the air. Each and every person seemed to be animated and energized for this event, myself included. The 3 hours of sleep had helped greatly and I was in dead-sweat. Some of the gamblers floated about the pool room trying to get bets down on the match. There was some other high stake action being bandied about and that just added to the atmosphere even more. The Little Tent Match was for $1,000 a game even up one pocket between two other players who weren't known for their run-out style of play but their reputation and names will remain confidential as well. I also knew one of the players better than the other but both were known to gamble and bet it up so it was going to be a really sweet night with both of the front tables with some high dollar action to sweat.
I don't really get off on making bets on the side although I will do so with friends if they are so inclined to do so, from time to time. For me personally, I enjoy betting on myself, for as little as I do bet. I just don't have the same appreciation for betting on someone else and this night wouldn't be any different than any other, at least that's what I thought.
As the match talk was reaching a crescendo, one of the BIG MATCH fellows walks up to me and says, "Would you mind coaching me for $1,000.00?" At first, I must have had one of those WTF looks on my face but I knew this guy wasn't one to tease or test the waters. He has a reputation for knowing what he wants, when he wants it, and he wanted me to coach him in the one pocket match. Apparently the two BIG ACTION guys had decided that they wanted to add another dimension to this match and to their game. Player A (my guy) asked me if I had anywhere to go (as I am not normally an all-night kind of guy although I have been known to stay to the hour of the tiger. He then told me that the match was going to be an "ahead set to five", that meaning that one player must win by 5 games ahead.
If you've never seen a coached match or been in one, you need to know that they can take a long, long time to play. Luckily, I had taken a lengthy nap and was in perfect condition for an ahead set. Player A knew that I put in my time on the table and was an encyclopedia of one pocket knowledge. He also knew my reputation for a grinder and knew that I would give my all if I decided to coach him. It didn't really take long for me to decide that I would take the job. The pay was good, the people were good, the match stakes were enormous, the atmosphere was electrifying, and I was physically and mentally ready to go to war.
I really didn't know a lot about Player B's skill level but the buzz around the room that each player was equal in one pocket skill. Each of the players had thought they had a coach in mind who could give them an advantage in the match. The two coaches, me being one of them, have both played one pocket for quite some time, and were seasoned, one pocket aficionados. It is pretty well known that both of the coaches, besides possessing a considerable amount of knowledge of one pocket, had ample amounts of integrity that were beyond reproach; despite individually each having a reputation for gambling at one pocket. In my case, the gambling has always been just a hobby and the other coach, not so much. Coach B just takes the gambling thing a little more seriously than I do but is ethical in all of the dealings that I have ever seen him involved in.