Still want to shoot said:

I am in no way disagreeing with the sentiment of what you said here. only commenting on my experience and where that thought may have come from.
When i was learning pool, the crowd i was around in the pool hall. teaching me bca, how to hold the cue properly and all that. The way a lot of people acted and described things was that you needed to feel the cue in your hand, and how to open and close the bridge. they would point at beginners with gloves and say that was the wrong way to learn.
Years later after seeing pros on Tv wearing gloves i also wondered why people said that and thought that way.
Again not arguing with you trob. I find it strange as well.
I always assumed it had something to do with persperation or oils for people that use gloves. Everyones body is different.

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trob said:

Pro’s use gloves but yeah they are just for an apa 4. small close minded people crack me up. gloves have been around for 30 years .. because they make Sense.

Edit to say sorry if that came off harsh but this is what I’m so tired of in pool. If you prefer no glove or wood shafts or it works for you just to wipe it down that’s cool . We are all different. But why do people in this game always have to put each other down just because we prefer something different or are more open to try new ideas or products. Is it your ego? Does it make you feel better about yourself putting other people down who like something you don’t? This never happens in golf. No one cares what equipment you use. If you can afford that new $600 driver or some new learning tool even if you’re terrible. Cool. Support the industry and the game. Whatever. No one seems to care. But a glove that is now been in use for almost 30 years is still something a low level player does even though you can turn on pro pool and the best players in the world use them.

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Tin Man said:

I remember seeing them for around $200.

But really, $100, $200, $300. It's all the same. Way more than a paperback is normally, but affordable if your mind is set up to own a copy.

Is it worth it? Obviously that is relative. But in my opinion it is definitely worth it. Rags to Riches tells an amazing story. One is the biography of one of the best pool players of all time. But the other is a rare window into the world of road players in the 60s and 70s.

I've read Playing Off the Rail many, many times. And Mosconi's Autobiography. And Jay's Pool Wars. And Basavich's Running the Table. And McGoorty's story, and the stuff by Bob Byrne, and Jersey Red's biography, and quite a few others I'm failing to recall at the moment. I enjoyed them all, but in my mind Rags to Riches is in a class of it's own.

The world was different in the 60s and 70s. Between the straight pool championships of the 30s-50s and the modern era that is absolutely unique in pool history. Gas, hotels, and food were inexpensive. Pool was booming post the release of the Hustler. The economy was thriving. The result was that there were money games that welcomed all comers in nearly every bar in every town across the country. The results were inevitable, and quickly an ecosystem emerged in which money flowed up through the hands of the locals, was gradually collected by the short stops, then was passed on to the road players who combed across the country. They in turn felt that the money grew on trees so they'd grow bored and steer into bigger towns to fire at higher level name players. It was one long part on the road enjoying all that the 60s had to offer, with a never ending stream of money flowing in to sponsor the event. This made for some incredible stories and experiences. And watching Buddy's maturity with both his game and his outlooks on his life's purpose were at the center of everything.

So I vote well worth it.

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desert1pocket said:

Does coming back after a ~15 year hiatus count as being new here? Shocked I was able to figure out my password after only a few attempts.

Tried to go to the pool hall I used to frequent, but they don't open until 4 pm now. WTF? How am I supposed to ditch work and gamble with degenerates when the pool hall isn't even open?

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