Advice for road player

[Minnesota Phat]

In terms of safety, the biggest issue I've had is keeping my temper. The odds of being randomly attacked while playing pool are quite low, but the odds of some drunk a-hole being a huge jerk are pretty high. Depending upon the temperament of your friend, the biggest issue might be dealing with obnoxious drunks who say offensive things, or who act threatening, especially if he's taking their money. There could also be issues with people squelching on bets, especially in a bar.

Generally speaking, if one doesn't take the bait, then one won't be involved in any physical altercations, but over the past couple of months I've experienced:

At a billiards hall, playing a tournament against a woman, a guy comes over and hits a ball on the table, says "It's over" and mad dogs me - totally out of the blue, and I still don't know what his problem was.

Playing at a bar, some friends got in an altercation that escalated in the space of about 45 seconds - one threw a beer at his friend and soaked me with it.

Leaving a bar, some dude insulted me and a dearly-departed friend totally out of the blue for no apparent reason.

At a bar, me being the drunk a-hole, I loudly challenged everyone to come back and play for money - one guy came back and angrily accepted, and although nothing bad happened, he seemed more than willing to kick my a**, if I didn't act right.

All of those scenarios could have ended with me in the hospital or in jail, or both. If your friend has a temper, that would be the biggest safety issue, imho. If he can keep his temper and walk away, safety issues are not that big of a concern. If he can't keep his temper, he might want to avoid places that have cameras, and learn how to skedaddle real quick. Winning a fight is not good, if you end up in jail. I know one lady who got in a fight, ended up in jail, and was then sued for civil damages - not ideal, even though she "won" the fight.

He should also avoid talking politics or hot-button social issues. A lot of Americans have gotten VERY passionate about that sort of thing - I had a tense confrontation because someone overheard me saying the word "black" in a restaurant, wrongly assumed I must be racist, and decided he needed to tell me to shut up.

I vastly prefer billiards halls over bars, in terms of safety and annoyance, but bars can be more fun, if he craves adventure. One thing to note is that bars in decent neighborhoods in cities are usually less dangerous than bars in the sticks - out in the country, entertainment options are limited, and you'll hear the saying "f*** or fight," meaning that if a guy can't get laid, he'll try to get in a fight, and there usually aren't many women in the sort of dive bars that have pool tables. In cities, people usually have better things to do than get involved in a stupid bar fight.

Also, don't talk sh** about Trump in Trump country, and don't talk sh** about BLM in BLM country. Politics are like religion for a lot of Americans, and they can go from zero to one million real quick, if you hit a hot-button issue the wrong way.

Otherwise, I've stayed in lots of cheap motels and whatnot, and never had a problem. Obviously, he should avoid bad neighborhoods, but if all the graffiti, broken windows, and homeless crackheads don't dissuade him from visiting those places, then I don't know what to tell him.

 

[couldnthinkof01]

Well, I don't know where you live now or where you are from originally. From what I see of so- called pool rooms down here in Fl. since I moved here is that most of them are bars, where selling booze, and lots of it, is the primary goal. Just look through a few Facebook pages of these "pool halls" in Fl. - all they advertise is the booze special of the night- how many 2 for 1 drinks you can get on a given night.

The combo of what heavy booze attracts and the thought of some guy with a British accent or whatever walking into one of these places to gamble at night is a recipe for disaster. The crews that I see in these so called pool rooms hardly represent a foreign visitor welcoming committee.

Just ask the relatives back in Europe of those slaughtered near the Miami airport area during the " bump the rental car" and rob scandals, or the naive and lost Germans who stopped to ask directions at night near some of our major airports and lost everything they came here with and more. Ask the woman who planned a NYC vacation herself from Europe and arrived in NYC at an " affordable" hotel- only to end up raped and robbed by a homeless guy lurking near her " affordable" HOTEL IN THE OUTSKIRTS OF mid town NYC.

I hope that he has a great pool visit here, but not being cautious is a recipe for disaster. The guy was asking for advice- smoking dope with strangers in bars where you are gambling hardly seems like sensible advice to me. It only takes one time- just one- remember that.

I literally do exactly what he said all around the U.S.
Never been robbed or had a bad time.
Of course you can't be an idiot but, I have had so much fun smoking, playing, gambling and talking shit with strangers.

 

[Black-Balled]

Reminds me of the PM I got from a long forgotten member here.

I asked about action in a town I was visiting and the member said: they will bet whatever you want coz they know you aren't leaving with it.

 

[Minnesota Phat]

Reminds me of the PM I got from a long forgotten member here.

I asked about action in a town I was visiting and the member said: they will bet whatever you want coz they know you aren't leaving with it.

Reminds me of one of Earl Strickland's stories. On one occasion, he lost a bunch of money, and his bodyguard (or whatever you call it) said something like "No way am I letting that guy leave here with that much of our money." Strickland said to let the guy go, because he wanted to catch him on the flip side.

 

[skogstokig]

Reminds me of the PM I got from a long forgotten member here.

I asked about action in a town I was visiting and the member said: they will bet whatever you want coz they know you aren't leaving with it.

haha. can you give some kind of geographical hint here?

 

[Fatboy]

Some people still actually care about others. Seems like something to be celebrated rather than admonished at least from where I sit.

That America can be dangerous and that traveling around gambling in bars/pool halls can be dangerous doesn't sound political to me. It's just the facts, important ones at that.

The question was asked. He asked for any advice for his friend. Not only was the advice pertinent to what was asked, it might be the most important advice he has gotten and be far more important than any hustling techniques and the like because keeping yourself alive and avoiding serious injury might ultimately be just a wee bit more important to most people than how much money they make.

You have to keep in mind that as you are well aware cultures are very different in other countries and they often don't have the same kind of extremely rampant problems with predatory pieces of sh!t all over the place who think nothing of killing or hurting you like America has. Their naivety to the reality here very often results in them being way too trusting like they are used to being able to be in their own country but where it can very quickly get them into trouble here.

I’m in Germany right now, Chicago last week, la for a couple weeks, Istanbul the week before that. Oh gee I forgot Monaco in there as well. In the last 5 weeks. And London.

Who gives a shit?

Nobody asked. Who cares?

Same as the question. He asked about pool. Nobody asked where I’d been.

Pool isn’t done dangerous place. America is soft compared to most places in the world for that matter. Real soft.

When he asks about how to safely go find action. I’ll answer it. But for Christ sake. To go into the weeds deep as this throw as did when a guy is looking for a lol game-please.

I’ve played pool all over the world for $, I’ve won, lost in some rough spots and some soft spots.

What ever.


Later I got better shit to do.

 

[phreaticus]

I’m in Germany right now, Chicago last week, la for a couple weeks, Istanbul the week before that. Oh gee I forgot Monaco in there as well. In the last 5 weeks. And London.

Who gives a shit?

Nobody asked. Who cares?

Same as the question. He asked about pool. Nobody asked where I’d been.

Pool isn’t done dangerous place. America is soft compared to most places in the world for that matter. Real soft.

When he asks about how to safely go find action. I’ll answer it. But for Christ sake. To go into the weeds deep as this throw as did when a guy is looking for a lol game-please.

I’ve played pool all over the world for $, I’ve won, lost in some rough spots and some soft spots.

What ever.


Later I got better shit to do.

Fatboy, its a lost cause & humor will not be tolerated.

I’m also cracking up at all the uptight assumptions and sanctimonious aunt B safety briefs, but I think these guys all mean well. My only conclusion is that the den of clucking church mommys just haven’t gotten around much even in the US, let alone a football match in UK, concert in Germany, or a biker bar in Prague.

Istanbul is my second favorite city on the planet after Barcelona. So jealous… Safe travels!

 

[phreaticus]

Right = and for every decent Racks in Florida there are ten trailer trash " pool bars" ; so that is why he needs a guide- state by state.

BTW, can you share some details on all these juicy dens of iniquity in FL? Want to add them to my list for next trip.

 

[u12armresl]

Even top players are having a tough time on the road, ask CJ.

 

[phreaticus]

Even top players are having a tough time on the road, ask CJ.

Depends on your perspective. He appears to have turned roadplaying into a traveling instructor & video blogger gig. Seems to have a pretty carefree lifestyle doing what he wants. There are worse things than hiking, mountain biking, and pool bumming around the country. Maybe he’ll chime in with important safety tips, like AAA travel insurance & where to get best AARP discounts

 

[Minnesota Phat]

It looks like there is a common denominator with all of the issues you've had. Alcohol.

I've been robbed one time in my life of playing pool, when I was a kid. I played a guy I didn't know. I beat the guy (who probably thought he was stealing, and he wasn't). And he simply, and I must say politely (because I came to find out later he was prone to, and good at, "violence") strong-armed me and walked out with our post (his money and mine). I'd say I'm a pretty intuitive person and simply knew it would not be wise, for a variety of reasons, to press the issue. I think I was kind of confused and dumbfounded as he acted like I wasn't there, grabbed the post, and started toward the door like I was invisible. I may have asked, "what is going on?" - and didn't get a response. A friend later, who knew of this person's rep, said I was very smart to just let it go, and chalk it up to a lesson learned - which I did.

Yeah, I call alcohol "the devil in a bottle." I've seen horrible things, up to and including death, because of alcohol.

But, be honest, if you saw that bully get his brains bashed in, you'd cheer, wouldn't you?

One time I was in the drunk tank, and this huge dude comes in and starts bullying everyone, bragging about how he just beat up his "old lady." This skinny kid in the corner of the cell said, "Why don't you mess with me?" The giant ape rushed him, the skinny kid punched him, the ape went down, and about 5 million cops rushed in and grabbed the ape.

Maybe I'm juvenile, ape-brained, and petty, but I thought that was awesome. I'd have bought that skinny guy a beer, if I wasn't in the drunk tank.

 

[lfigueroa]

Well shoot.

I’ve played all over the country and in many venues overseas (sitting in the airport right now coming back from Buenos Aires) and you need to stay on your toes. There have been many cases of guys getting robbed in pool hall parking lots, or followed to their hotel rooms, or cues stolen out of cars. I have had a car follow me for several miles after leaving a tournament in Olathe until I ditched them. Danny Medina got bushwhacked awhile back just walking downtown Vegas.

If you’re traveling anywhere in the world and do a search, there are always tips on good sites that will come up on what the local scams and dangers are. I commend the members here for offering up their advice.

Lou Figueroa

 

[Matt_24]

I’ve played all over the country and in many venues overseas (sitting in the airport right now coming back from Buenos Aires) and you need to stay on your toes. There have been many cases of guys getting robbed in pool hall parking lots, or followed to their hotel rooms, or cues stolen out of cars. I have had a car follow me for several miles after leaving a tournament in Olathe until I ditched them. Danny Medina got bushwhacked awhile back just walking downtown Vegas.

If you’re traveling anywhere in the world and do a search, there are always tips on good sites that will come up on what the local scams and dangers are. I commend the members here for offering up their advice.

Lou Figueroa

Hey Lou, Like you, I suspect, the Air Force allowed me to play all over the country and make lots of friends as well. The scariest Airport experience I had was not necessarily pool related, but it was coming home from insert third world country, with a young Captain, going from said country, to Paris, to Ramstein. Those third world airports can be something. I shouldn't really say scary, just very different and unnerving. We smiled bright and showed the greatest of respect as the various Airport professionals searched our bags every 5 feet (seriously..there were stops about every 5 feet), and examined our papers for an extremely long time, although since they spoke that country's language and not English, we were sure they had no clue what they were reviewing before placing some random stamps on military orders, LOL. But they were very professional about it. We were briefed about this song and dance ahead of time. Once "through" security, I saw a VIP lounge not being used. I found an attendant and paid him the equivalent of $25 US dollars (and he quickly pocketed it) and he led us to the VIP lounge. I more or less showed him the money and asked, "Will this get us in there?"..while pointing at the lounge, where the Captain and I then hung out having some cocktails and watching Football on the telly until loading time. This room was encased in glass, so we could peek out and see the rest of the travelers. We saw a few more gents who I recognized to be more Senior officers (we all travel in civilian clothes actually due to the locale) staring in at us with a look that said, HOW did they get into the VIP section?? It was their fault for not traveling with a Senior NCO.

 

[lfigueroa]

Hey Lou, Like you, I suspect, the Air Force allowed me to play all over the country and make lots of friends as well. The scariest Airport experience I had was not necessarily pool related, but it was coming home from Niamey, with a young Captain, going from Niamey, to Paris, to Ramstein. Those third world airports can be something. I shouldn't really say scary, just very different and unnerving. We smiled bright and showed the greatest of respect as the various Niamey Airport professionals searched our bags every 5 feet (seriously..there were stops about every 5 feet), and examined our papers for an extremely long time, although since they spoke French and not English, we were sure they had no clue what they were reviewing before placing some random stamps on military orders, LOL. We were briefed about this song and dance ahead of time. Once "through" security, I saw a VIP lounge not being used. I found an attendant and paid him the equivalent of $25 US dollars (and he quickly pocketed it) and he led us to the VIP lounge. I more or less showed him the money and asked, "Will this get us in there?"..while pointing at the lounge, where the Captain and I then hung out having some cocktails and watching Football on the telly until loading time. This room was encased in glass, so we could peek out and see the rest of the travelers. We saw a few more gents who I recognized to be more Senior officers (we all travel in civilian clothes actually due to the locale) staring in at us with a look that said, HOW did they get into the VIP section?? It was their fault for not traveling with a Senior NCO.

Ha ha!

Great story, Matt. And sure, I’ve had several kinds of interesting interactions with the local authorities all over Europe, Mexico, and South America. You need to show respect, have some savvy, and ocassionly “grease the wheels” depending on what the local customs allow.

Scariest story…. Gail and I where in a train station somewhere in Germany enjoying a couple of beers awaiting our train and this big guy — I mean really huge — comes over to our table and somewhat menacingly starts talking at us in German. It is clear the guy is totally drunk and I briefly wonder to myself how many beers it took him to get wasted given his size. Everyone else in the room is watching with apparent apprehension and though I speak very poor German I do know how to order a beer (thank you one crazy year at Octoberfest in Munich.) I go to the bar, get him the beer, hand it to him, and gently steer him back to his table. Gail and I drink up and jump on our ride.

Lou Figueroa

 

[Minnesota Phat]

No, I wouldn't cheer for him to get beat up. He didn't really bully me at all. He just walked out, and I chose not to pursue any sort of physical altercation. He would not have "bullied" me, had I chose to attempt and stop him. He would have simply HURT me in a non-emotional manner. A history of violence was necessary in what I later determined was his profession. I have no doubt about that. I do believe in karma though, so...life has been good to me. I have no complaints.

He walked out with your money, even though he lost.

Bullies love it when no one opposes them. Dude should have been black-balled, at the very least.

If you let bullies dominate, they will dominate. F*** that.

For legal reasons, I won't say much more, but I will say that I shed no tears for a bully who gets his just desserts. If I owned a bar or a pool hall, I'd 86 him for sure - those types of people can kill a business, and make everyone miserable.

Bullies get away with their B.S. only when no one checks them - if they run into a place where people will fight back, they go somewhere else, and good riddance to bad rubbish.

 

[Poolplaya9]

Same as the question. He asked about pool.

No, he asked about tips for a friend who was coming from Europe to America to travel around for months gambling at pool. Not sure why you think it has to be confined to hustling secrets only as he never said anything like that. If you don't think that pointing out how traveling around America gambling at pool can come with more potential dangers than he may be used to where he is from is actually completely relevant to the question he asked then I can't help you. Sounds like you chose to have a knee jerk reaction rather than thinking it out.

Pool isn’t done [some?] dangerous place.

It certainly can be, especially when alcohol and money are involved. If you don't think so then you can't possibly have half the experience you claim to have. But you don't have to just take my word for it, anybody else that actually has much experience gambling can relate probably a number of dangerous situations they have been in, seen, and are aware of. Heck, most people that have never even traveled playing pool or that don't even gamble themselves but have played for a while could tell you stories about the dangers they have seen related to bars, pool halls, and gambling in pool. Ask any road player if being on the road gambling can come with some big dangers and see what they tell you, I know the answer. Also, if you don't think America can be more dangerous than big parts of Europe then I don't know what to tell you about that either, and remember, we don't know where this guy is from so the advice was given in case he is from an area where he would not be familiar with some of the unique dangers that America or gambling in America can have.

America is soft compared to most places in the world for that matter. Real soft.

It's really not important but certain parts of America can give most places on earth a pretty decent run for their money in the dangerous department, even more so for a guy who happens to be white, and being from Europe there is a pretty decent chance he is white.

But even if there are a lot more dangerous places in the world on average, so what, what does that have to do with anything? He isn't going to some other country, he is coming to America. All that matters is whether America can be dangerous, and whether traveling around America gambling can be dangerous, and whether it can be more dangerous than what he may be used to where he is from, and the answer to all of it is yes. Nobody was saying he is guaranteed to have any problems, just making him aware of some potential that may be different than what he may expect or be used to so that he doesn't enter the situation naive and unprepared.

 

[phreaticus]

He walked out with your money, even though he lost.

Bullies love it when no one opposes them. Dude should have been black-balled, at the very least.

If you let bullies dominate, they will dominate. F*** that.

For legal reasons, I won't say much more, but I will say that I shed no tears for a bully who gets his just desserts. If I owned a bar or a pool hall, I'd 86 him for sure - those types of people can kill a business, and make everyone miserable.

Bullies get away with their B.S. only when no one checks them - if they run into a place where people will fight back, they go somewhere else, and good riddance to bad rubbish.

You’re not only virtuous and a world beater, but also a tough guy. Well damn, you’re apparently just the man.

But have you actually left the armchair this week?

LMFAO

 

[Black-Balled]

Well shoot.

I’ve played all over the country and in many venues overseas (sitting in the airport right now coming back from Buenos Aires) and you need to stay on your toes. There have been many cases of guys getting robbed in pool hall parking lots, or followed to their hotel rooms, or cues stolen out of cars. I have had a car follow me for several miles after leaving a tournament in Olathe until I ditched them. Danny Medina got bushwhacked awhile back just walking downtown Vegas.

If you’re traveling anywhere in the world and do a search, there are always tips on good sites that will come up on what the local scams and dangers are. I commend the members here for offering up their advice.

Lou Figueroa

And let us not forget the players who were robbed in the elevators of the executive west.
You never know where the next Pickle will be.

 

[Minnesota Phat]

You’re not only virtuous and a world beater, but also a tough guy also. Well damn, you’re apparently just the man.

But have you actually left the armchair this week?

LMFAO

I'm not a tough guy, and I don't try to bully people.

I have left the armchair.

It's not about being tough - it's about drawing lines in the sand. If everyone did that, then bullies would quickly disappear from the places we want to go.

I don't want to hurt anyone or bully anyone, but if I see bullying happening, I want to stop it. If everyone did the same, we wouldn't have to be very brave - we'd just all say "F off!" and the bullies would run away, or end up in jail, where they belong.

 

[Black-Balled]

Dude should have been black-balled,