I played a lot of bar table pool back then. A good night on a challenge table could yield $50-100. That was a very good days pay back then.
No two bars were the same and the tables played were different! Cue balls, lights, rails, etc. It took getting used too. I would watch carefully until it was my turn to play, learning all I could before I hit a ball. There was no warm up or time to practice. And if you lost you might have a long wait to play again.
You learn to play good from the get go! I was there to make money, not make friends. I was never satisfied until the last guy quit. I loved the feeling of going home with my pockets stuffed with bills. First thing when I got home was to put the money on the table and neatly unfold it, count it and put it away. Then I could go to sleep thinking good thoughts.
I NEVER stalled in bars. I gave them my best game. They all wanted to be the guy who beat me! And I rarely got any heat from anyone. I was friendly but very competitive. That's what worked for me.
