Why does pool attract so many broken, crazy, Degenerate, mental type people.

Well as I've witnessed over the yrs that group is shrinking day by day , most places I play in thier are few if any degenerits most of the places that housed them have long been shut down and the action has all but dried up in the bar scene ,,
No doubt in my mind pools in a better place socially than it's ever been with the influence of league pool taking over venues several days a week
To be honest , give me back the days of action ,ring games or challenge tables every day

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FranCrimi said:
There aren't too many indoor places where a person can go and hang out for hours without spending money. Over the years, pool rooms were the perfect places for dysfunctional people who didn't like to work.

The biggest enemy to these people is the upscale pool room where they stick out like sore thumbs. But there are still plenty of the other type of rooms left where they can gravitate to.
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This describes much of what I've seen and read. At some point in pool's history, maybe during the Great Depression, pool rooms seem to have morphed into a hangout for the kind of people Fran describe. Not many people want to expose themselves to that (as my father warned, lie with dogs and wake up with fleas). I suspect many of us who don't fit that dysfunctional image developed a love for the game on a table at home, in military recreation centers, and places like that.
 
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JAM said:
The stereotype image of the thread title doesn't seem to fly in some circles, thank goodness. :o

The recent Iowa event is evidence that pool attracts women, men, boys, girls, senior citizens. Check out this video: http://www.kwwl.com/story/34726391/2017/03/10/statewide-pool-tournament-comes-to-waterloo
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Some of my closest friends I've met through pool. I've met some very great people over the years. That said, in my 24 years prior to taking up pool, I've never seen such a large collection of bums as I've met in pool over the past 12 or so years. So, I don't think the original post was meant to say that only crazy people are in pool, but it sure does have a large collection of them. More so than any other crowed I've ever seen. Ratio wise, for every pool room there's normally a just small handful that fit into these categories of crazy/broke/degenerate.
 
So many interesting responses on here. To me each response speaks to the person writing it, including mine. Long ago I fell in love with game and became mesmerized by the various personalities I encountered in poolrooms and bars. Some of them funny as hell and some of them scarier than hell! I've laughed my ass off and trembled in fear over the years, but I wouldn't trade it for anything else.

As for me, I'm a black sheep in my family at worst and a colorful character at best. Even though I didn't go the conventional route, I managed to make a good life for myself and my family. Most of my extended family are college grads, professionals with high paying jobs and very successful. I love them all but I find that I'm more comfortable mingling with blue collar types. I'm a middle class kind of guy and that's who I relate best too.

I have spent my time among the elite of society, the moneyed and the powerful, and I greatly prefer regular down to earth people. I'll take the poolroom personalities over the self centered and entitled upper crust any time. I often have found myself sickened by the inconsiderate and rude behavior of the Beverly Hills crowd. I've told off more than one asshole who was being a little too pushy to some poor schmuck who was just trying to serve them.

Thanks to the OP for this interesting thread.
 
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Not to hijack but Mark P that they interviewed for that waterloo tourney is my team mate for league pool. Nicest guy you could ask for, though there are some crazies in our league there just mostly old farmers who have been playing since the 70s and 80s.
 
Everyone has a dream

Well Pool can be cheap to play and everyone has a dream of being good at something and Pool gives people without a lot of money the idea that maybe they could be good at something. Its hypnotic and is hard to figure out so its very enticing to those that are interested.

The guy that has the money to go to the country club and play golf and hang out with that set isnt as likely to want to spend his time down at the local watering hole with crowd that goes down there. Hes a slightly elevated degenerate, above that of a Pooler. He dreams of being Tiger. We dream of starring in the Color of Money.
 
M.G. said:
Pool, well. If you think about it it's rather primitive, too. You dont need to have a lot of brains or finesse or even try very hard. With banging balls and just spending time with playing you actually can be successful.
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I honestly didn't think there was a level of arrogant elitist above 9' players.

I was clearly mistaken.
 
Skippy27 said:
I honestly didn't think there was a level of arrogant elitist above 9' players.

I was clearly mistaken.
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Well, I really did mean it. And I am a pool player.
I've played Carom (a lot) and Snooker, too. That's just another level and anyone will admit that freely. Still, I can't live with Carom alone and Snooker just needs a lot of practise until you can really enjoy it. So I really enjoy playing my primitive pool (spicing it up with Cowboy and 14.1).

I did not speak about the people as being primitive, just about the game itself. And that's a huge difference.

Cheers,
M
 
Best people I have dealt with in over 30 years of being self employed.

All I do in life is make Pool Cues, all I deal with is people who buy them, (besides a few suppliers of course.)

I get around 1 out of 100 who I simply walk away from but the other 99? I will take the next 30 years enjoying every cue I make because of the great people who get in touch with me.



When I think of people like the person who started this thread, I am sorry to say,,,,,

Flies attract stinky things, maybe its you?

Snivel all you want, you painted the entire world of Pool in a negative light, I did the same to you.

Cookies?
 
working class blue collar hobby for the most part

is what it is, nothing wrong with that

I play poker too, not an entirely dissimilair crowd/culture but overall much smarter people, of course in poker you see a level of gambling degenrates at the bottom end that pool typically wont have
 
CuesDirectly said:
Best people I have dealt with in over 30 years of being self employed.

All I do in life is make Pool Cues, all I deal with is people who buy them, (besides a few suppliers of course.)

I get around 1 out of 100 who I simply walk away from but the other 99? I will take the next 30 years enjoying every cue I make because of the great people who get in touch with me.



When I think of people like the person who started this thread, I am sorry to say,,,,,

Flies attract stinky things, maybe its you?

Snivel all you want, you painted the entire world of Pool in a negative light, I did the same to you.

Cookies?
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no it is not just him, as others,in this thread, have shared his same view

hop up on a table and stomp a rail much?

i doubt the people he was speaking of are the same type of people that buy custom pool cues
 
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beneath_the_sur said:
no it is not just him, as others,in this thread, have shared his same view

hop up on a table and stomp a rail much?
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You hang out with people who hop on the tables and stomp?

I hope they got kicked out, in most Pool Halls, there would be very kind people helping them out the door real quick.
 
Not all Cheerleaders are good looking, I don't focus on the fugly ones, DID YOU?

Same with Pool, focus on the good.
 
CuesDirectly said:
Not all Cheerleaders are good looking, I don't focus on the fugly ones, DID YOU?

Same with Pool, focus on the good.
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That has been my approach. Part of it is finding a league or a room that's comfortable for you.
 
If you watch the True Crime murder shows, about 25% of them start off with a happy scene of a group of people on a night out PLAYING POOL. So funny!
 
smashmouth said:
I play poker too, not an entirely dissimilar crowd/culture but overall much smarter people, of course in poker you see a level of gambling degenerates at the bottom end that pool typically wont have
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Before casinos, a lot of that crowd would spend their time and cash in the pool rooms.
 
Maybe......

Well, how intellectual, sophisticated, ambitious and wealthy do you have to be to shoot 8 Ball on a filthy bar box that is about as level as a golf course? All this while some drunk is repeating the same unbelievable story over and over again.

A far cry from the snobbish billiard pubs in jolly old Europe!

One thing we all have in common though is the bizarre thrill we get from poking balls in a hole with a wooden stick.

Don't matter where you fall on the food chain, we all experience the same exhilaration when the ball goes in the pocket!

Besides, I love most of my dysfunctional Alaskan pool shooting buddies, especially since they put up with me!
 
CuesDirectly said:
Best people I have dealt with in over 30 years of being self employed.

All I do in life is make Pool Cues, all I deal with is people who buy them, (besides a few suppliers of course.)

I get around 1 out of 100 who I simply walk away from but the other 99? I will take the next 30 years enjoying every cue I make because of the great people who get in touch with me.



When I think of people like the person who started this thread, I am sorry to say,,,,,

Flies attract stinky things, maybe its you?

Snivel all you want, you painted the entire world of Pool in a negative light, I did the same to you.

Cookies?
Click to expand...



You called me shit that attracts flies bc I made an observation. That's cool, I'll make sure to never deal with you when it comes to pool cues as you're so quick to insult someone over something you clearly misunderstood. And, you also prove my point in a way. Psycho!!! Lol.


Sent from my iPhone using AzBilliards Forums
 
Ak Guy said:
Well, how intellectual, sophisticated, ambitious and wealthy do you have to be to shoot 8 Ball on a filthy bar box that is about as level as a golf course? All this while some drunk is repeating the same unbelievable story over and over again.

A far cry from the snobbish billiard pubs in jolly old Europe!
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I would pay good money for a snobbish billard club!
With clean and well-kept tables - and most importantly a quiet atmosphere without blaring music or shouting that is enforced or close-sitting tables.

Boy do I miss the good old snobby times in my bar where the bouncer would greet me and my company nicely (, not let in strange crowds and the lighting was low and the music decent and quiet. I would wear my best cashmere coat, leather handgloves and we would get drunk slowly and with style and smoke cigars all night, even my female company would join in.
No, that was not a dream.

Cheers,
A european snobby M.
 
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