Is gambling required at the higher skill levels?

Black-Balled said:
I know the chances i play a shoot and stop safe instead of a bank with tough shape when I am playing for money are way higher than if I am playing for fun.

Maybe funsies cheapens the experience?
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If it is, it is only because you have let it be.

The only real problem I have with the gambling culture is when the gamblers automatical dismiss non-gamblers as inferior competitors. I get frustrated when I don't play well, regardless of it being practice, league, ring game, whatever. I can also be extremely gratified in the same situations, even when I'm the only one who saw something awesome.
 
Cuedup said:
I love pool and play daily. As my skill level increased I've noticed a reoccurring theme. Whenever I match up with higher skilled players it always ends up with a proffer to gamble. Always.

I'll gamble sometimes. When I do I usually end up ahead, unless it's in doubles but that's another thread altogether, but gambling isn't why I'm there. Pool is why I'm there. I'll play rack after rack alone or practicing different aspects of the game by myself. I spend a lot of time coaching and playing with lower skill players and never have a problem finding someone to play with but inevitably whenever equally matched or higher skilled players come around it always ends up with a proffer to gamble.

I love to match up with equally skilled or higher skilled players. It makes my day. I love the competition and there is nothing I like better. However, within a few racks it inevitably turns into an offer to gamble and if the offer is declined there is no interest left.

Am I alone in this? Is it about the game or the gamble? Are the two inseparable? Does anyone want to match up for fun?
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Not required but HIGHLY recommended. ;)
 
I do not believe gambling will make you a better player. All it does is make you poorer. Say I gamble and lose $600 over time. Why wouldn't I take that $600 and take a few formal lessons from an instructor? Which one of those options will produce better results? It's fairly obvious.

Now after I take those lessons and do my best to perfect them, then it's time to bet some.

Lessons to strengthen the physical and mental skills. Gambling to strengthen the heart!

I gamble in my own way. I put my money in local tournaments and see how far I can go
 
buckshotshoey said:
I do not believe gambling will make you a better player. All it does is make you poorer. Say I gamble and lose $600 over time. Why wouldn't I take that $600 and take a few formal lessons from an instructor? Which one of those options will produce better results? It's fairly obvious.

Now after I take those lessons and do my best to perfect them, then it's time to bet some.

Lessons to strengthen the physical and mental skills. Gambling to strengthen the heart!

I gamble in my own way. I put my money in local tournaments and see how far I can go
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Why not use the 600 you gon win to get the lessons?!

And gambling does not care how well you play anyway. Gambling only cares how you match up and how much you want to bet.
 
Blackballed
Black-Balled said:
I know the chances i play a shoot and stop safe instead of a bank with tough shape when I am playing for money are way higher than if I am playing for fun.

Maybe funsies cheapens the experience?
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Funsies doesn't cheapen the experience, it wastes pool.

Should add that no financial risk doesn't negate good pool.
 
Cuedup said:
I love pool and play daily. As my skill level increased I've noticed a reoccurring theme. Whenever I match up with higher skilled players it always ends up with a proffer to gamble. Always.

I'll gamble sometimes. When I do I usually end up ahead, unless it's in doubles but that's another thread altogether, but gambling isn't why I'm there. Pool is why I'm there. I'll play rack after rack alone or practicing different aspects of the game by myself. I spend a lot of time coaching and playing with lower skill players and never have a problem finding someone to play with but inevitably whenever equally matched or higher skilled players come around it always ends up with a proffer to gamble.

I love to match up with equally skilled or higher skilled players. It makes my day. I love the competition and there is nothing I like better. However, within a few racks it inevitably turns into an offer to gamble and if the offer is declined there is no interest left.

Am I alone in this? Is it about the game or the gamble? Are the two inseparable? Does anyone want to match up for fun?
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For me, gambling is idiotic. I work hard for my money, it would be stupid to risk my financial security by gambling. I have an addictive personality, so I avoid it. Every once in a while I will do it for small stakes with players who just insist, and I'm bored otherwise. It has little to no effect on my game, in spite of claims that you need it to get improve. Maybe it would if the stakes were higher, but then I would be hitting my personal idiocy benchmark. Maybe if I was a fargo 750 and the risk calculated better, who knows? I will occasionally do ring games that involve money, but I don't really consider that gambling, it is fun.

I don't believe that gambling makes everyone better. There is little gambling culture in Europe, for example, and Europeans have a lock on American pool. We can't really compete with them with rare exceptions. Pressure doesn't make me better, focus does. Perhaps some people require pressure to focus?

That being said, I don't begrudge other people gambling. If I'm playing for "free" with someone who I know usually gambles, I let them know to feel free to bail if they have a money match present itself. Some people seem to actually need the money.

So I'm with you, I prefer to match up for fun, or enter tournaments.
 
Badpenguin said:
I don't believe that gambling makes everyone better. There is little gambling culture in Europe, for example, and Europeans have a lock on American pool. We can't really compete with them with rare exceptions. Pressure doesn't make me better, focus does. Perhaps some people require pressure to focus?
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This is part of my philosophy. Those guys didn't have to come over here and go through everybody to get better. They cut right to <get better>...
 
If I had the money maybe the gambling aspect wouldn't be a big thing but its kinda hard on working class folks these days. Bills, kids,trying to build some sort of starvation retirement fund .

I love to play. Gambling not so much.
 
Cuedup said:
If I had the money maybe the gambling aspect wouldn't be a big thing but its kinda hard on working class folks these days. Bills, kids,trying to build some sort of starvation retirement fund .

I love to play. Gambling not so much.
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Game is big enough for all of us, isn't it.

And please know that I have a table at home, so I play with myself a lot/ alone.
 
Cuedup said:
If I had the money maybe the gambling aspect wouldn't be a big thing but its kinda hard on working class folks these days. Bills, kids,trying to build some sort of starvation retirement fund .

I love to play. Gambling not so much.
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And...when you look back on your days you sure won't think damn, I wish I had played more pool for money.

You are doing just fine and I know you knew that.
 
Cuedup said:
I love pool and play daily. As my skill level increased I've noticed a reoccurring theme. Whenever I match up with higher skilled players it always ends up with a proffer to gamble. Always.

I'll gamble sometimes. When I do I usually end up ahead, unless it's in doubles but that's another thread altogether, but gambling isn't why I'm there. Pool is why I'm there. I'll play rack after rack alone or practicing different aspects of the game by myself. I spend a lot of time coaching and playing with lower skill players and never have a problem finding someone to play with but inevitably whenever equally matched or higher skilled players come around it always ends up with a proffer to gamble.

I love to match up with equally skilled or higher skilled players. It makes my day. I love the competition and there is nothing I like better. However, within a few racks it inevitably turns into an offer to gamble and if the offer is declined there is no interest left.

Am I alone in this? Is it about the game or the gamble? Are the two inseparable? Does anyone want to match up for fun?
Click to expand...
If you are not at all comfortable with gambling, hopefully you can find some players at or above your skill level that enjoy the competition without needing to gamble.

For many, playing for something even if it’s nominal and keeping score, makes it more meaningful for many of us, but don’t ever be forced in to gambling with an opponent, if you’re not comfortable with it.
 
ChrisinNC said:
If you are not at all comfortable with gambling, hopefully you can find some players at or above your skill level that enjoy the competition without needing to gamble.

For many, playing for something even if it’s nominal and keeping score, makes it more meaningful for many of us, but don’t ever be forced in to gambling with an opponent, if you’re not comfortable with it.
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I'm not opposed to gambling.

But finding someone better than me willing to play cheap is a unicorn hunt.
 
Black-Balled said:
Game is big enough for all of us, isn't it.
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There's certainly all kinds.

When I played APA I wanted my skill level to be as high as I could get it but I noticed that wasn't an attitude reflected by all. I'm working on getting my fargo established and I want it as high as I can get it.

I want to be challenged but not big on putting up money better utilized elsewhere.
 
Considering that I'm a guy who 20+ years ago won $1700 on a superfecta at the track and took the proceeds to start a Roth IRA (Hmmmm...), I can certainly vouch for a middle of the road path. Pressure of this nature is in your noodle dome, not in your wallet. If it takes enough money that your wife will divorce you over in order to get hyped up to play good pool, well, who am I to judge? I worked at the racetrack for long enough to see my fair share of what some say is the dark side of gambling...you know, the side that makes you have to sell your family property to settle debts and such all the way to include murder to steal someone's winnings on the way home walking in the dark. I also won money at the pool room that I was literally too scared to collect, judging the nature of the character revealed before me.

Having said all that, gambling at pool (or the track) can be fun, and if you enjoy doing it and don't get shot or sell out you or your family's future prospects, then why not? I've played great for the $ and shitty too. Same for funzies. You do you.
 
Cuedup said:
If I had the money maybe the gambling aspect wouldn't be a big thing but its kinda hard on working class folks these days. Bills, kids,trying to build some sort of starvation retirement fund .

I love to play. Gambling not so much.
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The last 2 sentences sum it up for me. I hate losing more than I like winning. This is why I no longer gamble at pool.
 
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