Keep in mind these are just my opinions. But I'd like to hear other opinions as well.
In light of the recent "What's your take on people that won't gamble?" thread, I've come to the conclusion through other people's posts that playing pool/ gambling and playing pool for money are two seperate endeavors. My reasoning is based upon these apparent scenarios:
1.) A person can play someone a set or a match of pool for small money, say $10 or $20, maybe even $50 a set. They are only putting money on the set to bring out their best game, to have SOMETHING to play for. If the people betting have a lot of money with them and a nice, fat bank account and paying bills and saving money monthly is no problem for them, then this is not gambling, imo. As TWOFORPOOL said in the other thread, this is just entertainment.
2.) If those same two people in example #1 above are living from day-to-day, struggling to make ends meet, and come to the poolhall with the only $20 to their name in their wallet hoping to parlay that into more money so they can pay a bill or eat for the next few days, and bet that $20 on a pool set, then THAT would be gambling, imo.
3.) If a person plays for larger money, say $500 to $1,000 a set but he only puts up a small amount of it and is staked for most of it (and for the most part meets the criteria in example#1), then imo this is not gambling (at least not by the player). The stakehorse more than likely can easily afford to do this so in essence, he is really not even gambling.
4.) If a person puts up $500-$1,000 a set of their own money, has a fat wad of money from time to time in their wallet when the winning is good, but goes bust now and then, then this is gambling, imo. A road player would fit into this category, and imo road players are without a doubt gamblers.
5.) Anyone who puts up five-digit bets is GAMBLING, I don't care how much money this person has. 10K or more buys a lot of groceries!!!
Here is where I am. I have never bet money on a pool game with someone I was not closely associated with. I have no problem with people doing whatever they want to do with their money, as long as it doesn't aversely affect anyone else's life. I would take someone up on an offer for a cheap set (say a $20 set, maybe even a $50 set on a rare occasion), but strangely enough, I have NEVER been asked by anyone in a bar or poolhall to play for money. I feel like a $20 set (which I fall into category #1 above) would be a slight improvement compared to league play. I'd probably spend roughly the same amount of money (possibly WIN some), play more games, and spend less time doing it. Even though I would jump at the chance to do this, if I ever did so I would not consider this gambling. It is certainly no more of a gamble than league play.
So, what other examples/categories can you fit between the five I have listed above? How do your opinions differ/agree with mine?
If I was given the chance to play for small money, would you consider ME a gambler?
Please, no HEATED arguments here, okay?
Maniac
In light of the recent "What's your take on people that won't gamble?" thread, I've come to the conclusion through other people's posts that playing pool/ gambling and playing pool for money are two seperate endeavors. My reasoning is based upon these apparent scenarios:
1.) A person can play someone a set or a match of pool for small money, say $10 or $20, maybe even $50 a set. They are only putting money on the set to bring out their best game, to have SOMETHING to play for. If the people betting have a lot of money with them and a nice, fat bank account and paying bills and saving money monthly is no problem for them, then this is not gambling, imo. As TWOFORPOOL said in the other thread, this is just entertainment.
2.) If those same two people in example #1 above are living from day-to-day, struggling to make ends meet, and come to the poolhall with the only $20 to their name in their wallet hoping to parlay that into more money so they can pay a bill or eat for the next few days, and bet that $20 on a pool set, then THAT would be gambling, imo.
3.) If a person plays for larger money, say $500 to $1,000 a set but he only puts up a small amount of it and is staked for most of it (and for the most part meets the criteria in example#1), then imo this is not gambling (at least not by the player). The stakehorse more than likely can easily afford to do this so in essence, he is really not even gambling.
4.) If a person puts up $500-$1,000 a set of their own money, has a fat wad of money from time to time in their wallet when the winning is good, but goes bust now and then, then this is gambling, imo. A road player would fit into this category, and imo road players are without a doubt gamblers.
5.) Anyone who puts up five-digit bets is GAMBLING, I don't care how much money this person has. 10K or more buys a lot of groceries!!!
Here is where I am. I have never bet money on a pool game with someone I was not closely associated with. I have no problem with people doing whatever they want to do with their money, as long as it doesn't aversely affect anyone else's life. I would take someone up on an offer for a cheap set (say a $20 set, maybe even a $50 set on a rare occasion), but strangely enough, I have NEVER been asked by anyone in a bar or poolhall to play for money. I feel like a $20 set (which I fall into category #1 above) would be a slight improvement compared to league play. I'd probably spend roughly the same amount of money (possibly WIN some), play more games, and spend less time doing it. Even though I would jump at the chance to do this, if I ever did so I would not consider this gambling. It is certainly no more of a gamble than league play.
So, what other examples/categories can you fit between the five I have listed above? How do your opinions differ/agree with mine?
If I was given the chance to play for small money, would you consider ME a gambler?
Please, no HEATED arguments here, okay?
Maniac
!!!
