If there is such a thing as gambling etiquette, what are the does and donts? Example: I always heard you shouldn't quit someone winner. Is it bad to quit even?
Bad Action
- Thread starter greenlight
- Start date
Quit whenever you like but its good to set up everything before you start like I have time for X amount of sets or I can play until this time IMO so they can save the BS that sometimes follows beating someone. If you say I will play you whatever it is then stick to that unless your straight up stealing and want to play the rush so to speak then keep going.
One thing is always post with people you do not know and some of the ones you do know. Make sure to pay the guys time, I usually set aside 10% of what I win for time and tab, you win $200 then $20 towards the losers bill is good. You can talk about winner pays, loser pays or pay your own before it starts too. Know the rules your playing also to a tee so you have no conflicts, some people play 3 foul and some do not, in one pocket some people play the base of the ball or the whole ball.
Quitting winner is so annoying to me, UNLESS you pick a time and stick to it. I really do hate when guys make a tough game, say they have 3 hours, figure out they are stealing and play all night long. To me that's super nitty. No action for guys that try to make it so they can win money and you can't. In other words this guy that had to leave, tells you they'll stay and play a little longer, I typically just pay them and go find other action. What they are basically saying is maybe you can win some of your money back, maybe break even at best...if that's what you want more power to you but I'd rather pay a nit then let them make a score off me worth something because I got my nose open and decided to shoot $1k at $100.
I have a lot more respect for the guys who do what they say. For instance I played a friend last night that said they had to go at 9, 9:00 came and they were stuck, they just paid and left. Same guy has been ahead of me before and when 9:00 came I paid him and he left. Consistency is huge in being good action, can't be a braveheart one second and a chicken shit the next.
P.S. Quitting even is okay as long as its not after 2 games or something really fast. If youd been playing a couple hours and still even, you gotta look at the risk-reward ration there.
I have a lot more respect for the guys who do what they say. For instance I played a friend last night that said they had to go at 9, 9:00 came and they were stuck, they just paid and left. Same guy has been ahead of me before and when 9:00 came I paid him and he left. Consistency is huge in being good action, can't be a braveheart one second and a chicken shit the next.
P.S. Quitting even is okay as long as its not after 2 games or something really fast. If youd been playing a couple hours and still even, you gotta look at the risk-reward ration there.
There is no rule, as you will discover when you read the replies to your question.
The most important rule, in my opinion, is whether you can safely exit the place with the money. Everything else is just drama and bullshit.
I'd say almost half of all money games end with the players quitting even. Happens all the time in other words. If you want to quit winners, you should notify your opponent and request that you only play a certain amount of time or a certain amount of games. That way you give him (her) a chance to get even.
Some good advice already....you want to be good action, just be consistent and set clear expectations....Mikey gave a real good example.....if you want good examples, look at the TAR matches - these guys set up 3 sets at a certain figure for a set amount of time.....if a guy wants to play cheap $20 races to 5 and you are willing to gamble $60, then tell him you are willing to lock in 3 sets at that figure.....after 3 sets, he might want a chance to still win some of it back....well, offer him one last set at $40.....if you pull it off, you got a nice little $100 payday for a couple of hours of work....if you lose, you still played for free :grin:
IMHO, just don't get known for bad action.....ie, the guy that plays the $20 set, wins, and then all of a sudden has to go.....those guys are a joke....since I am typically broke, I rarely gamble for anything, and if I do, it's with friends who know I am a cheap azz :wink:
IMHO, just don't get known for bad action.....ie, the guy that plays the $20 set, wins, and then all of a sudden has to go.....those guys are a joke....since I am typically broke, I rarely gamble for anything, and if I do, it's with friends who know I am a cheap azz :wink:
Last edited:
I first saw the title and was ready to give names, LOL.
I agree with everything that has been said. I thing I hate is when the same person keeps asking if you want action. I said no for a reason and that reason is mine and I don't have to explain to you why I don't want to play.
I agree with everything that has been said. I thing I hate is when the same person keeps asking if you want action. I said no for a reason and that reason is mine and I don't have to explain to you why I don't want to play.
generally they're
1) Don't quit winner (exception is if you have already established a time to quit)
2) Quitting even is fine, but allow the losing opponent an opportunity to get his money back at some point in the future...agree to play again some other time when it's convenient for both players.
This is the one that I've seen broken the most!
3) If you bust a guy, give him some walking money so he can get back to where ever he needs to go so he can build up his bankroll again.
Just my opinion...but I've found that most of the younger players don't care about etiquette. If you respect the game, then respect your opponent enough to follow some etiquette.
1) Don't quit winner (exception is if you have already established a time to quit)
2) Quitting even is fine, but allow the losing opponent an opportunity to get his money back at some point in the future...agree to play again some other time when it's convenient for both players.
This is the one that I've seen broken the most!
3) If you bust a guy, give him some walking money so he can get back to where ever he needs to go so he can build up his bankroll again.
Just my opinion...but I've found that most of the younger players don't care about etiquette. If you respect the game, then respect your opponent enough to follow some etiquette.
If you play cash game poker you can collect your winnings when you want, and people doesn't complain.
Why do we complain in pool?
Why do we complain in pool?
Grinding for dummies:how to feel like your going to die....
I've only asked to quit winner one time. I had just moved to Tulsa and was playing some $300/game one pocket. We were up at the palace and i had been there most of the day b/f matching up. We played nearly 3days straight, and my opponent kept going to the bathroom to get the zoom zoom in him. Towards the end my vision was shot to hell and my body was hurting pretty dam bad. (ran a half marathon in 1:15:0 min and it didn't hurt near as bad as the pool match) I was up a pretty large sum, as luckily i had built up a huge lead.
I had been thinking about stopping for a while and finally just told him. "look brother I can barely stand and I can't see no more...i gotta get me at least a good 5hr nap b/f i can play anymore...im not quitting you I just have to have a break."
I had been worrying that he would flip out for wanting to stop, but to my suprise he told me no to the break, but I'll play you 3 more games and then I'll pay off and thats that.
I lost the first 2 and won the last, he paid me and left....the table time was well over $300 buks lol (and the palace was cheap time) Some months later he got put in the pen for a decade i believe for distribution of amphetamines(really ya don't say, who would have thought it lol).
I ended up going to the mariott where my friend was staying and walked into the hotel bar. I remember it like it was yesterday, It was monday night football. I sat on the couch with a beer trying to finally relax and watch the game for a bit. When i looked at the tv I could see pool balls flying all over it, I was friggin burnt the hell up lol my eyes were shot to hell. I ended up passing out right there on that couch, my buddy woke me up a few hours later and I went to the room and slept almost a whole day!
This is one of the reasons that i laugh when people say pool is not a sport. I was physically stressed to the extremes, and very mentally stressed out. It was off the air how hard it became to concentrate and force my body to perform the shot. Once my eyes started to go off the deep end I had to completely change my strategy as i could only run a couple balls at a time...i just couldn't see well enough to be able to run 4 balls if they were wide open. It was almost like playing one & stop lol.
Now I'm not trying to pump my ego but there are not many players that could do something like that sober(well i kept with the coffee, and beer for carbs) and be able to handle it and not fall completely apart. I'm not even talking about the eyes going bad....your body will just make you swear your dying and its very difficult to do anything feeling like that much less play pool well. Especially in a game like one pocket where you have to think like a chess player.
Sorry for being so long winded lol...i just figured since i was telling the story I'd tell it the whole way. But basically there are no rules about quitting and such...in general its frowned upon to quit winner for no good reason other than your a nit. But there are exceptions, and my situation was one of them. Theres always a point when its just time to stop lol.
yea yea i'm long winded i know,:thud::thud::withstupid:
Grey Ghost
I've only asked to quit winner one time. I had just moved to Tulsa and was playing some $300/game one pocket. We were up at the palace and i had been there most of the day b/f matching up. We played nearly 3days straight, and my opponent kept going to the bathroom to get the zoom zoom in him. Towards the end my vision was shot to hell and my body was hurting pretty dam bad. (ran a half marathon in 1:15:0 min and it didn't hurt near as bad as the pool match) I was up a pretty large sum, as luckily i had built up a huge lead.
I had been thinking about stopping for a while and finally just told him. "look brother I can barely stand and I can't see no more...i gotta get me at least a good 5hr nap b/f i can play anymore...im not quitting you I just have to have a break."
I had been worrying that he would flip out for wanting to stop, but to my suprise he told me no to the break, but I'll play you 3 more games and then I'll pay off and thats that.
I lost the first 2 and won the last, he paid me and left....the table time was well over $300 buks lol (and the palace was cheap time) Some months later he got put in the pen for a decade i believe for distribution of amphetamines(really ya don't say, who would have thought it lol).
I ended up going to the mariott where my friend was staying and walked into the hotel bar. I remember it like it was yesterday, It was monday night football. I sat on the couch with a beer trying to finally relax and watch the game for a bit. When i looked at the tv I could see pool balls flying all over it, I was friggin burnt the hell up lol my eyes were shot to hell. I ended up passing out right there on that couch, my buddy woke me up a few hours later and I went to the room and slept almost a whole day!
This is one of the reasons that i laugh when people say pool is not a sport. I was physically stressed to the extremes, and very mentally stressed out. It was off the air how hard it became to concentrate and force my body to perform the shot. Once my eyes started to go off the deep end I had to completely change my strategy as i could only run a couple balls at a time...i just couldn't see well enough to be able to run 4 balls if they were wide open. It was almost like playing one & stop lol.
Now I'm not trying to pump my ego but there are not many players that could do something like that sober(well i kept with the coffee, and beer for carbs) and be able to handle it and not fall completely apart. I'm not even talking about the eyes going bad....your body will just make you swear your dying and its very difficult to do anything feeling like that much less play pool well. Especially in a game like one pocket where you have to think like a chess player.
Sorry for being so long winded lol...i just figured since i was telling the story I'd tell it the whole way. But basically there are no rules about quitting and such...in general its frowned upon to quit winner for no good reason other than your a nit. But there are exceptions, and my situation was one of them. Theres always a point when its just time to stop lol.
yea yea i'm long winded i know,:thud::thud::withstupid:
Grey Ghost
Great statement.
MY 2 cents
Before i start gambling with anybody I always get a lock on the set.Race to 5 for 50 is where it starts 4 me,(the least i will play 4)I dont play by the game 4 any reason.If i lose the set and they quit it is ok,because that was the agreement,But if I win the set I will not quit up unless they r trying to change the game(or weight)I DO NOT adjust to let them get even,Ive always believed the only way they can get it back is the same way they lost it .Have rules that u stick by and let that b that
Before i start gambling with anybody I always get a lock on the set.Race to 5 for 50 is where it starts 4 me,(the least i will play 4)I dont play by the game 4 any reason.If i lose the set and they quit it is ok,because that was the agreement,But if I win the set I will not quit up unless they r trying to change the game(or weight)I DO NOT adjust to let them get even,Ive always believed the only way they can get it back is the same way they lost it .Have rules that u stick by and let that b that
As near as I can tell, the "etiquette" of gambling is a three-step-process:
a) Be stupidly loose with your money,
b) Lose,
c) Pay up with a smile.
It's the only way I can discern where your gambling habits won't be frowned upon.
For me, I prefer to maximize my winnings and minimize my losses. This makes me a "nit" with "no respect for the game", "no heart", and "no gamble".
It also means I make my mortgage payment and my car payment, have no balance on my credit cards, and have a wife who thinks of pool as a thing that brings me great enjoyment, as opposed to a curse that she wishes I never discovered.
Nitty and proud, here.
-Andrew
a) Be stupidly loose with your money,
b) Lose,
c) Pay up with a smile.
It's the only way I can discern where your gambling habits won't be frowned upon.
For me, I prefer to maximize my winnings and minimize my losses. This makes me a "nit" with "no respect for the game", "no heart", and "no gamble".
It also means I make my mortgage payment and my car payment, have no balance on my credit cards, and have a wife who thinks of pool as a thing that brings me great enjoyment, as opposed to a curse that she wishes I never discovered.
Nitty and proud, here.
-Andrew
Long Winded
Ghost,here is new sig line for you.... cajunfats says," in the filibuster game, I give GreyGhost the 7....and the breaks!":bow-down:
Ghost,here is new sig line for you.... cajunfats says," in the filibuster game, I give GreyGhost the 7....and the breaks!":bow-down:
I don't have to read any further...this is very good advice. Of course if you're playing some slime-ball something else will always come up, but the above covers the most important IMO. Johnnyt
A Nitty Lion perhaps?
can i get an upgrade to the orange crush? :wink:
My general theory is that I'm not going to go off for a large amount. I will know fairly quickly if I'm in a bad game and I will quite loser for $100 or less. (Yeah....so I'm bad action for most I guess).
However on one occasion, I gave the guy a freeroll at $5 a game. He beat my friend 2 games and he said he had to leave. He told me he will play me until he loses a game. Because I thought that I was the better player, I played and lost 3 games in a row, where he didn't miss a ball. Although I knew if I were to get a shot that I could come back. Well, he missed, I ran out and he quit. I underestimated how good he was, but there is no way that I was going to quit until I beat him -- so as many games that he could win in a row was his freeroll.
On another note, I played my brother and a friend of my Dad's where the winner stayed at the table for $5 a game. I ended-up winning $95 dollars. They just couldn't believe that I could keep shooting the way I was shooting all night.
Yeah, I know....small amounts of money....but the principles still apply :smile:
However on one occasion, I gave the guy a freeroll at $5 a game. He beat my friend 2 games and he said he had to leave. He told me he will play me until he loses a game. Because I thought that I was the better player, I played and lost 3 games in a row, where he didn't miss a ball. Although I knew if I were to get a shot that I could come back. Well, he missed, I ran out and he quit. I underestimated how good he was, but there is no way that I was going to quit until I beat him -- so as many games that he could win in a row was his freeroll.
On another note, I played my brother and a friend of my Dad's where the winner stayed at the table for $5 a game. I ended-up winning $95 dollars. They just couldn't believe that I could keep shooting the way I was shooting all night.
Yeah, I know....small amounts of money....but the principles still apply :smile:
bad action or bad attitude
I play and gamble some cheap stuff here and there. Because its not easy bein on tap for the bills, and the car and all that when you do what I do for a living. But i do well enough and I play as long as im having fun.
My thing is if im losing the money i have a set amount in my mind before i quit, and that may mean we play one set for twenty i got out and paid my time.
But the true good action is stuff like what happened to me a week ago. There's a guy that makes a decent lil drive to get to our pool room, and he enjoys our room even though there are better tables and bigger action to be found. We call him Bear because he's huge, and he's a decent shot. We start off playing some races to 5 for 20 just for kicks and giggles, well we get started and the first set he runs me over, immediately he apologizes and offers me weight to make it even in his mind. I take the spot, we play for right around 3-4 hours straight with that same set, he'd get up 2 sets and i'd managed to come back even and feel like i was catching a gear to get going on the good side and he'd realize that neither of us was chasing money and he'd free shoot his way back to the lead.
End of the story is that he ends up 2 sets ahead of me, and i glance at the clock and apologize and tell him that i need to quit because i didnt bring as much cash with me as i normally did because i force myself to avoid going broke on a stupid game so i leave a stash behind. I told him that i needed to pull up 40 down, and that i had to pay my time otherwise i was gonna be in trouble with the guy workin. Our time combined ended up being like 30 bucks, he beat me out of 40 and he paid all of our time and turned around and said "If you'll go grab me a burger from dq i'll give you this ten back and we're good" of course since bear didnt do any wrong and was a good sport about everything i of course did go grab us a couple of burgers and relaxed.
Bad action would be one of the guys that works our local room. He's always barking about wanting me to gamble and how he has more action in his left manhood region than I do in my whole body. I cant stand him he thinks he's a gift to the game, and he's nothing because i've watched 'roadie' justin cone blast him 12-4 in one pocket. Anyway he barks out that i've got the wild 7 8 and the break. I immediately stood up called heads and snapped my schon together. I get in the groove because he ran his mouth on me, immediately run about 7 racks together and am up 35 total [he's down 70 because another gentleman got riled and laughed while saying ' You idiot. I got 5 on the side of every game until you're broke' ] anyway he immediately starts screaming about the spot being out of line and i trapped him. I politely told him that he could stick his pool cue where the sun didn't shine because he offered the game and I wasn't adjusting because he barked at me and was being a dick.
Moral of that story is that i made 35 bucks and he lost action because i refuse to play him anymore unless he makes an outrageous claim [offered me 9-6 with the break in one pocket] so unless i have the nuts and I know im stealing from him. He doesnt get a game because of his attitude.
Anyway long winded and kinda dumb but that's just two examples. and I agree with a lot of the guys about set a time limit [ this effects me a bunch because i'm a graveyard shift guy] and people may get mad when i pull up winner at the end of my time limit, but i've seen a lot more guys come back and wait to play me because they know if I hit my timer i clock off the table, pay them and my time and walk away without being a whiner.
I play and gamble some cheap stuff here and there. Because its not easy bein on tap for the bills, and the car and all that when you do what I do for a living. But i do well enough and I play as long as im having fun.
My thing is if im losing the money i have a set amount in my mind before i quit, and that may mean we play one set for twenty i got out and paid my time.
But the true good action is stuff like what happened to me a week ago. There's a guy that makes a decent lil drive to get to our pool room, and he enjoys our room even though there are better tables and bigger action to be found. We call him Bear because he's huge, and he's a decent shot. We start off playing some races to 5 for 20 just for kicks and giggles, well we get started and the first set he runs me over, immediately he apologizes and offers me weight to make it even in his mind. I take the spot, we play for right around 3-4 hours straight with that same set, he'd get up 2 sets and i'd managed to come back even and feel like i was catching a gear to get going on the good side and he'd realize that neither of us was chasing money and he'd free shoot his way back to the lead.
End of the story is that he ends up 2 sets ahead of me, and i glance at the clock and apologize and tell him that i need to quit because i didnt bring as much cash with me as i normally did because i force myself to avoid going broke on a stupid game so i leave a stash behind. I told him that i needed to pull up 40 down, and that i had to pay my time otherwise i was gonna be in trouble with the guy workin. Our time combined ended up being like 30 bucks, he beat me out of 40 and he paid all of our time and turned around and said "If you'll go grab me a burger from dq i'll give you this ten back and we're good" of course since bear didnt do any wrong and was a good sport about everything i of course did go grab us a couple of burgers and relaxed.
Bad action would be one of the guys that works our local room. He's always barking about wanting me to gamble and how he has more action in his left manhood region than I do in my whole body. I cant stand him he thinks he's a gift to the game, and he's nothing because i've watched 'roadie' justin cone blast him 12-4 in one pocket. Anyway he barks out that i've got the wild 7 8 and the break. I immediately stood up called heads and snapped my schon together. I get in the groove because he ran his mouth on me, immediately run about 7 racks together and am up 35 total [he's down 70 because another gentleman got riled and laughed while saying ' You idiot. I got 5 on the side of every game until you're broke' ] anyway he immediately starts screaming about the spot being out of line and i trapped him. I politely told him that he could stick his pool cue where the sun didn't shine because he offered the game and I wasn't adjusting because he barked at me and was being a dick.
Moral of that story is that i made 35 bucks and he lost action because i refuse to play him anymore unless he makes an outrageous claim [offered me 9-6 with the break in one pocket] so unless i have the nuts and I know im stealing from him. He doesnt get a game because of his attitude.
Anyway long winded and kinda dumb but that's just two examples. and I agree with a lot of the guys about set a time limit [ this effects me a bunch because i'm a graveyard shift guy] and people may get mad when i pull up winner at the end of my time limit, but i've seen a lot more guys come back and wait to play me because they know if I hit my timer i clock off the table, pay them and my time and walk away without being a whiner.
I am a nit for I quit ahead 1 time with no warning. The story goes that me and a few friends were out bar hopping and run into a guy that picks on the helpless in pool in our area. He keeps on shouting a hundred a game to the drunkest one of us. Finally sick of it, I say okay, I'll play ya. Long story short we play last pocket 8 ball, I win the toss break and run, eight ball break and say thanks for the two hundred. We leave and have drinking money. Since then we have played a few times, and he says no hard feelings, for he new we were out and about. To stop the criticism before it starts, he would not normally play any of us if we were sober.