8 year old in the "Pit" at SBE
- Thread starter RShellhouse
- Start date
Interestingly, no one seemed to mind the 14-year old Billy Thorpe gambling with Mike Painter for $1,000 on the next table!
After I ate my Kobe beef and taleggio cheese sub,, with a side of matsutake mushroom caps stuffed with almas caviar ,, I strolled over for a shot of chevas regal royal salute grabbed a carlsberg vintage 3 beer for a chaser and strolled to watch some billiards
Imagine my dismay when I saw children playing for money,, what kinda place could this be that would let these things go on in such a high class venue,,, I just cant get over it,,, did anybody see my grey poupon:grin:
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uh-oh, just read this entire post and have realized I shouldn't have had my 4 year old boy go thru an entire NCAA bracket picking winners....it's already entered in my wife's office pool! WHAT TO DO?! WHAT TO DO?!
lol - other than picking a 16 over a 1 in the first round, he may have a decent bracket.....oops, forgot, BAD DADDY, BAD DADDY!
lol - other than picking a 16 over a 1 in the first round, he may have a decent bracket.....oops, forgot, BAD DADDY, BAD DADDY!
For the most part there is no smoking inside and I didn't see anyone smoking, but heard that some were anyway.
I remember a few years ago the pit was empty and there were table just open and we were playing and a 10 year came up to me and buddy looking for action lol.
By the way there are no gambling signs up
The difference is all your examples are regulated by gaming commissions, or have other ways to cross check.
JV
The 80's called. They want their old, tired cliché reference back.
WOW! Great explanation, I don't know cards well, but I've always seen that aspect in playing them, for the big "CHEESE!",
I really get the feeling,
the next thing someone is going to say is,
"GAMBLING IS CONTAGIOUS!"
I think everyone hopes,
it's only winning that makes that true!!
I really get the feeling,
the next thing someone is going to say is,
"GAMBLING IS CONTAGIOUS!"
I think everyone hopes,
it's only winning that makes that true!!
I grew up in southeastern kentucky, which for anyone who has spent any time around this area knows there isn't much to do but ride 4 wheelers and bet on anything you can come up with.
I started gambling in elementary school. Mostly small stuff, at school we pitched quarters in the bathroom. My uncles were teaching me how to play 7 card stud pretty early on (probably 7-8) and I started playing pool at a local bowling alley and soon after a "pool hall" (you guys know the difference).
This may not have been the best place in the world for a kid to be but the owners didn't seem to care. Day in and day out I saw people from all walks of life making games on pool, cards, knives, guns and various illegal items. Lots of swagger, trash talking and comedy.
In those years I played a lot of small to mid sized games. 9-ball and one pocket with regional players, which for me was big time cash at the time. I learned how to deal with pressure, how to butter people up and make plenty of extras cash. We even took small road trips where I cut school to go to cincy, knoxville and other areas around KY. Perhaps it was illegal/wrong to do this with a kid but it didn't kill me and under this particular context it was a great life experience
I knew this was never the life for me because I wanted to have a real job making real money. Although there were quite a few guys in the pool hall that made a living gambling it had its highs and lows. None of them had a great living by any means. It was obvious that this is not something people do for a living. Even today's top players with the exception of Efren and a few others aren't living that great.
I was never a world champion but I could play well enough to compete with the regional players and placed/won a few regional tournaments here in there.
I'm a grown man now in business for myself working with bankers, CIOs etc on a regular basis. I can definitely a lot about negotiating in that time between ten and 16 being around that element. If nothing else, I learned how to relate to people of all walks of life. I can definitely attribute skills that I have today in dealing with people, business, pressure etc to those experiences in my life.
With that being said, simply saying "gambling is bad for a kid" is ridiculous. How is this really that much different than any other kind of pressure situation like sports etc. Certainly its important to establish what is good/bad in the world with a kid but keeping sheltering a kid doesn't really help either.
With most of the kids I meet now in the age group of say 10-14 they lack character and life experience. This is probably because of facebook, xboxlive and the Internet replacing all the other mischief (read life experiences) that makes a person unique.
I started gambling in elementary school. Mostly small stuff, at school we pitched quarters in the bathroom. My uncles were teaching me how to play 7 card stud pretty early on (probably 7-8) and I started playing pool at a local bowling alley and soon after a "pool hall" (you guys know the difference).
This may not have been the best place in the world for a kid to be but the owners didn't seem to care. Day in and day out I saw people from all walks of life making games on pool, cards, knives, guns and various illegal items. Lots of swagger, trash talking and comedy.
In those years I played a lot of small to mid sized games. 9-ball and one pocket with regional players, which for me was big time cash at the time. I learned how to deal with pressure, how to butter people up and make plenty of extras cash. We even took small road trips where I cut school to go to cincy, knoxville and other areas around KY. Perhaps it was illegal/wrong to do this with a kid but it didn't kill me and under this particular context it was a great life experience
I knew this was never the life for me because I wanted to have a real job making real money. Although there were quite a few guys in the pool hall that made a living gambling it had its highs and lows. None of them had a great living by any means. It was obvious that this is not something people do for a living. Even today's top players with the exception of Efren and a few others aren't living that great.
I was never a world champion but I could play well enough to compete with the regional players and placed/won a few regional tournaments here in there.
I'm a grown man now in business for myself working with bankers, CIOs etc on a regular basis. I can definitely a lot about negotiating in that time between ten and 16 being around that element. If nothing else, I learned how to relate to people of all walks of life. I can definitely attribute skills that I have today in dealing with people, business, pressure etc to those experiences in my life.
With that being said, simply saying "gambling is bad for a kid" is ridiculous. How is this really that much different than any other kind of pressure situation like sports etc. Certainly its important to establish what is good/bad in the world with a kid but keeping sheltering a kid doesn't really help either.
With most of the kids I meet now in the age group of say 10-14 they lack character and life experience. This is probably because of facebook, xboxlive and the Internet replacing all the other mischief (read life experiences) that makes a person unique.
I saw David Howard (then called "Little David") when he came through Atlanta in the early 70's and he was robbing everyone. Just busted Joe Cosgrove...sent him into tap city.
He was about 11, I think, and had his mother with him.
Been a long time, but he was a very young one.
Putting the morals controversy aside, here's the problem as I see it.
Somehow the gambling shenanigans that go on at this convention, and in the pit area particularly, have flown under the radar of local authorities for years. There is no secret here. Maybe they just turn a blind eye because this convention adds a lot of revenue to the local economy.
But when you add children to the mix and just one irate parent with a lot of political clout complains to the local authorities that this convention is adding to the delinquency of minors (en masse), or maybe the local newspaper decided they have a good story to write about regarding children gambling, then the entire convention is put at risk to be shut down for good!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
If that happens, whose going to refund all the players (pro and amateur) who paid their entry fees, took off a few days of work, paid for their hotel, paid for their travel???
If that happens, whose going to refund all the vendors who pay $1,500 for their booth spaces, who paid for their hotel, for their travel, and are now going to lose a good chunk of their annual revenue???
Basically everybody involved will be totally totally f-ed. So there needs to be at least a little effort to reduce risk here. And that means keeping anybody who looks like their balls haven't yet descended far and away from any gambling. If that means cordoning off the practice tables and creating an entry way where they check ids, so be it. And I know people don't want to hear this but they might even need to take a more bold step at some point and get rid of the practice tables and tell people that if they want to gamble, they should go to the local poolhall to do it so there's no liability to the convention. I think the convention would be a lot different and a lot more boring, but hey, at least we'll still have a convention.
Sorry to be such a downer, but let's not let the entire operation come crashing down just because a few people think its cool to see kids gambling.
Somehow the gambling shenanigans that go on at this convention, and in the pit area particularly, have flown under the radar of local authorities for years. There is no secret here. Maybe they just turn a blind eye because this convention adds a lot of revenue to the local economy.
But when you add children to the mix and just one irate parent with a lot of political clout complains to the local authorities that this convention is adding to the delinquency of minors (en masse), or maybe the local newspaper decided they have a good story to write about regarding children gambling, then the entire convention is put at risk to be shut down for good!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
If that happens, whose going to refund all the players (pro and amateur) who paid their entry fees, took off a few days of work, paid for their hotel, paid for their travel???
If that happens, whose going to refund all the vendors who pay $1,500 for their booth spaces, who paid for their hotel, for their travel, and are now going to lose a good chunk of their annual revenue???
Basically everybody involved will be totally totally f-ed. So there needs to be at least a little effort to reduce risk here. And that means keeping anybody who looks like their balls haven't yet descended far and away from any gambling. If that means cordoning off the practice tables and creating an entry way where they check ids, so be it. And I know people don't want to hear this but they might even need to take a more bold step at some point and get rid of the practice tables and tell people that if they want to gamble, they should go to the local poolhall to do it so there's no liability to the convention. I think the convention would be a lot different and a lot more boring, but hey, at least we'll still have a convention.
Sorry to be such a downer, but let's not let the entire operation come crashing down just because a few people think its cool to see kids gambling.
It was 500.00 and they played two 9 ahead sets. The kid won both. I had some of Painter's bet. This kid has a HAMMER break but the thing that most impressed me about him was the fact that he never seemed taken back or flustered by the 150 people watching the match. As well as painter had him on the hill twice and came back. Painter was 7 ahead when I had to go play a match. When I came back an hour and a half later the kid had him 7 ahead. WTF? The kid will be a good one ...watch out for him.
I agree 100%
Maybe it's just me but I am not introducing this to my 8 year old son and yes, my son is 8 right now. If he wants to check it out later then that's up to him but I won't be the one to do it.
Play catch with him:yes
Take him bowling:yes
Shoot pool with him at home:yes
Take him to the pit where people are smoking, drinking, swearing, etc...NO
Play catch with him:yes
Take him bowling:yes
Shoot pool with him at home:yes
Take him to the pit where people are smoking, drinking, swearing, etc...NO
amen brother!
I think Mlalum has it.:grin:
So I guess he stays home for Red Sox ,Yankee games then too,,
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I have taken my children to several Red Sox games, with no issues.
We haven't been to a Yankees game (with the kids) which I realize does up the "atmosphere" bit. But methinks unless you're looking to find trouble, a major league ballpark is a pretty reasonable place to take your kids.
Getting in and out of the park is an adventure, mind you...
so there was no drinking smoking or swearing ,and god forbid never a fight, I have seen far more drunken idiots at big sporting events then I have ever seen in pool halls ,
If people want to shelter their kids from the real world thats thier choice but it does not change what it is by doing that,
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