Gambling...not sure I like it, even when I win.

you do not want to know why gambling is prevelent in the pool world. you want others to validate your opinion of gamblers in the pool world and your judgemmental/ superiority assement of those who do gamble.

nothing can be written or spoken to change your mind or outlook and that's fine, but you can take your air of superiority and stick it where the sun doesn't shine, unless you want to race to 3 for $20. seriously there is enough room in the pool world for you to choose not to gamble and for me to make a wager when i want. peace.
 
Gambling is a zero sum game. For ever dollar someone wins, someone has to lose a dollar.

Playing for fun, is a positive sum game. Both players gets some enjoyment out of the game, even if not in equal amounts.

Positive sum games increase the happiness in the world making it a better place.

Thank you kindly.
 
Gambling is just a good method of keeping score
I also remember the old timers in the pool rooms I came up in saying " you can't trust nobody that don't gamble "!
 
thintowin said:
you do not want to know why gambling is prevelent in the pool world. you want others to validate your opinion of gamblers in the pool world and your judgemmental/ superiority assement of those who do gamble.
Click to expand...

Good thing you aren't judgmental...

Thank you kindly.
 
Corwyn_8 said:
Gambling is a zero sum game. For ever dollar someone wins, someone has to lose a dollar.

Playing for fun, is a positive sum game. Both players gets some enjoyment out of the game, even if not in equal amounts.

Positive sum games increase the happiness in the world making it a better place.

Thank you kindly.
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Did you read Deans post about how losing to Mike Massey made him a millionaire?:smile:
 
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I've spent half of my life in 40/wk hourly jobs.. no bonus, no tips, no o/t. Damn right im gonna gamble when i get the chance. :thumbup: Certainly didn't help when i found i play better for cash either. If i choked a lot it would probably be a different story.
 
Corwyn_8 said:
Gambling is a zero sum game. For ever dollar someone wins, someone has to lose a dollar.

Playing for fun, is a positive sum game. Both players gets some enjoyment out of the game, even if not in equal amounts.

Positive sum games increase the happiness in the world making it a better place.

Thank you kindly.
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Agreed :thumbup:

The question with playing for money is, do you enjoy winning more than you hate losing? I personally don't. If you do then gamble away.
 
Corwyn_8 said:
Gambling is a zero sum game. For ever dollar someone wins, someone has to lose a dollar.

Playing for fun, is a positive sum game. Both players gets some enjoyment out of the game, even if not in equal amounts.

Positive sum games increase the happiness in the world making it a better place.

Thank you kindly.
Click to expand...

That's only if you consider that people don't derive entertainment or other value from gambling.

Remember, gambling is for entertainment only, not investment purposes. :D
 
skip100 said:
Agreed :thumbup:

The question with playing for money is, do you enjoy winning more than you hate losing? I personally don't. If you do then gamble away.
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In the discipline of Behavioral Finance, many studies have shown that investors experience the pain of a loss more potently than they experience pleasure from a gain. As Banks mentioned here, gambling is not for investing purposes. Having an interest both socially and deriving an income from both, I have observed that on the gambling side, the opposite for some gamblers appear to be true. Many do seem to experience greater pleasure from a large score than pain from losing it all. I recall one guy cashing a $16k ticket and how he was hollering so loudly with excitement that I could here him from the floor below. When I paid the ticket off, I learned that he was STILL STUCK A COUPLE OF GRAND FOR THE NIGHT! Wow, you would have thought that he was busy making plans for his trip to Disney World to hear all of his excitement. But the reality was he was still net loser for the night (and, many years later, MUCH loser for a lifetime).

Humans are interesting people to observe in their natural habitat.
 
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Banks said:
That's only if you consider that people don't derive entertainment or other value from gambling.
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Perhaps I am just missing those that do. But personally I don't see many people who think they are better off for having lost a gambling game, any enjoyment they got they would have also gotten without the betting. I do have a friend who competes in the WSOP, enjoys it even in losing, but he is rich, and spreads his risk such that he isn't betting enough to affect his lifestyle. I am not sure I could say that the money ADDS to the enjoyment, I suspect it doesn't (for him).

Thank you kindly.
 
I love to put a little bit on games with friends. I also like buying a round of beers for the friend during the game. No matter the size of the bet, I feel my focus is better. I'll never bet money that actually matters, and if anyone gets too bent out of shape with a loss, I offer to give it back, buy another round, or whatever. In the end, it's about trying to focus more on the game, and get better. I just don't think trying to make really money playing pool is a good move. Your never going to make much, and you are going to eventually run into someone that really didn't like losing and put's your safety at risk...
 
Corwyn_8 said:
Perhaps I am just missing those that do. But personally I don't see many people who think they are better off for having lost a gambling game, any enjoyment they got they would have also gotten without the betting. I do have a friend who competes in the WSOP, enjoys it even in losing, but he is rich, and spreads his risk such that he isn't betting enough to affect his lifestyle. I am not sure I could say that the money ADDS to the enjoyment, I suspect it doesn't (for him).

Thank you kindly.
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I'm not sure if i know anyone that likes to think they're better off for losing, gambling or not. I also don't play blackjack for fun. :p
 
A lot of people who don't like playing for money, struggle with trying to justify it,
or explain it. They ask themselves "what's wrong with me, that I don't enjoy this
when everyone else does? Am I a coward? Am I a bad player?"

You don't owe anyone any excuses. Do what you enjoy.
Nothing wrong with it.

I'm in the same boat... losing money pisses me off to no end.
And I can admit I dog it. So I don't do it. A few extra bucks in my pocket,
isn't worth the frustration and anger and hassle. Especially when you consider
all the other bullshit that comes with gambling... the dumb arguments
over rules, and bad hits, and "I'll pay you next tuesday".

Pool is full of people with a macho mindset, like everything is a dick-measuring contest.
Who-beat-who for the cash, how small the pockets were, how big the table is, etc.
You don't have to buy into it, if you don't want to.
 
The Twin Problems

People are always lamenting the fact that pool has not become a major sport in America, and they like to dream that if pool somehow got the right big backers that would change. But the problem is deeper than that. Two words: booze and gambling.

In what other sport do the participants drink while playing? In the major sports (baseball, football, basketball, etc.) gambling as a player is a violation of the sport's ethics.

Pool suffers from its historical association with bar rooms and hustlers.

For pool to become a major recreational sport we need pool rooms without booze and without gambling. Then those of us who prefer a more healthy environment can play without having to pub crawl to do it.
 
LWD said:
People are always lamenting the fact that pool has not become a major sport in America, and they like to dream that if pool somehow got the right big backers that would change. But the problem is deeper than that. Two words: booze and gambling.

In what other sport do the participants drink while playing? In the major sports (baseball, football, basketball, etc.) gambling as a player is a violation of the sport's ethics.

Pool suffers from its historical association with bar rooms and hustlers.

For pool to become a major recreational sport we need pool rooms without booze and without gambling. Then those of us who prefer a more healthy environment can play without having to pub crawl to do it.
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Those are more recent rules.

If you want to talk recreational sports.. forget about it entirely. There is a reason many golf carts now come with coolers and it isn't because old people like picnics. Also don't know if my dad ever went golfing without some back up cash in his bag.

Pool suffers from disorganization, petty infighting, scammers and the (still relevant) willingness to worship any twit with a pocket full of money.
 
LWD said:
People are always lamenting the fact that pool has not become a major sport in America, and they like to dream that if pool somehow got the right big backers that would change. But the problem is deeper than that. Two words: booze and gambling.

In what other sport do the participants drink while playing? In the major sports (baseball, football, basketball, etc.) gambling as a player is a violation of the sport's ethics.

Pool suffers from its historical association with bar rooms and hustlers.

For pool to become a major recreational sport we need pool rooms without booze and without gambling. Then those of us who prefer a more healthy environment can play without having to pub crawl to do it.
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https://youtu.be/hYqCS3kkraE


Just in case you don't think these girls are real athletes.
https://youtu.be/XUI5NdGVVlw

https://youtu.be/yE-ChTAhr3c

and my favorite https://youtu.be/A6Ox6s1GTSk
 
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I am not a "gambler". But, I do prefer to bet something at pool. I absolutely do not play to "win money" but playing for something is a way to keep score. A little something to make you play harder. Nothing more.

I know I sometimes come off as an ass for asking someone to bet something. Which I feel bad for because I am NOT trying to "get in their wallet". In fact, I often offer a adjustable handicap (one way or the other). In other words, you begin at something you both agree is fair, and you adjust it one way or the other after every bet, set, or rack. Someone could end up down a few bets, but no one really gets hurt.
 
fjk said:
I am not a "gambler". But, I do prefer to bet something at pool. I absolutely do not play to "win money" but playing for something is a way to keep score. A little something to make you play harder. Nothing more.

I know I sometimes come off as an ass for asking someone to bet something. Which I feel bad for because I am NOT trying to "get in their wallet". In fact, I often offer a adjustable handicap (one way or the other). In other words, you begin at something you both agree is fair, and you adjust it one way or the other after every bet, set, or rack. Someone could end up down a few bets, but no one really gets hurt.
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This is certainly understandable, and nothing wrong with this at all. I just found out for myself that as the years ground on, that betting low stakes adds no more value to either my interest in the game nor my ability to play my best. The problem I found with higher stakes were serveral. Namely, I ended up holding random items such as pool cues, radar detectors and such as collateral while waiting to get paid. Or I went up against tough action or staked other strong players against tough action, so the odds of winning were maybe 50/50 (or worse? :p), but the odds of getting paid IF I won were unknown. Therefore IF you win, you may not get paid & I sure did not like the hassle of collecting. I mean, I don't have to harrass GE for air barreling me on their quarterly dividend payment, lol. I guess if you're going to go for the higher action, you'd better post in advance. But nowadays, I don't event want more than $100 in actual cash in my wallet. Just too risky, imo.
 
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