Non-Gambling Pool Players
- Thread starter Biloxi Boy
- Start date
question was are there any non gamblingI'd love to see what pro/college football, basketball, baseball etc could become if people didn't gamble on it. If only those drug dealing degenerates didn't gamble on it.
Did you read your post before hitting the post reply button?
I'd love to see what would happen to those games if there wasn't gambling
pool players out there
DeeDeeCues
Well-known member
Probably, but it amuses me...
Mostly all correct, but I learned to play by playing better players, for free. I never respected anyone who required a stake to expose their knowledge. They usually don’t know anything useful compared to people who are interested in spreading knowledge far and wide.
I don’t believe in paying dues. I’d rather self study or be part of a cohesive community. “The only sport where the old eat their young”. This mentality can go eat itself.
World sure has changed,
I respect guys who made me pay my dues, which made me the man I am today.
if I was “gifted” my dues, I feel as though I’d be soft and not have had the pleasure of earning what I have (possessions and character and values ) all of which are a big part of my earned reputation. i embrace men who came up like I did, they have been tested. To me that has more value than anything.
I just can’t take a “gifted” person as serious. Same goes for trust fund kids. Men who are self made get more respect in my world.
respectfully
Fatboy
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InsertCleverNameHere
Well-known member
beautifully said
We were pay as we play so it was just the last game. A friend and player that made his living playing poker, called it a walking around bean. He Always gave a walking bean to a busted player. He went by Birdman or Pidgeon Dave.
For me the money was to keep score. My number 1 rule was to Never play for more than I could afford to lose Or be cheated out of.
There was an occasion in Mount Lake Terrace where I let the score be kept with a quarter under the rail and never got paid. We had started out pay as you play and at first I had handed him 100 out of my pocket at 10 per game. I did get down to my last barrel before I turned it around. When that money was back in my pocket I made the mistake of allowing the score to be kept with a coin. At all even, the rate was raised to 20 per game. I was so pumped by my brink of the cliff recovery that I missed the signs at first. Then when the quarter showed I was up 160, I noticed him borrowing quarters to rack. Then I considered how many of the locals sweating the action that were snickering and talking into their hands. So at that point I figured it out and refused to put another quarter in the table until I saw some money. He went to his car to get the money. He probably didn't even have a car.
He was a tough player that had put me to the test. It was probably 6 months later that I encountered him at the Reno Sands tournament. He possibly made money in the pro am event. I just smiled and nodded when I saw him. No point in any further interaction with him.
As someone who plays primarily one pocket, my opinion is that the game becomes much more honest when you bet something, and high-level one pocket can really only be played with something on the line. It’s similar to poker in that way. Real, quality one pocket means carefully assessing risk/reward, having the patience to pass on shots, duck for hours, take fouls etc. If we’re just playing for funsies, there is no penalty for flying at any shot that pops into your head, trying to invent moves on the spot, seeing what happens if I try this, etc. Again, it’s like playing poker for fun, why would you ever fold…
completely untrue
(i understand that it’s true for you
and i can respect that, and i know
a lot of pool players that say the same
thing)
InsertCleverNameHere
Well-known member
So what’s the penalty if you don’t have action?
Back in my day, a $500 set was a serious game. However, the players generally paid their own way. These days the pockets have gotten real deep and backers are abound. I could make a phone call and get a game anywhere between 5 to 25k within an hour. Not that I'd like the action but it's there if you want it.
Seems to me, at least in Toronto, the jumping off point seems to be a minimum of a couple grand. Things don't get exciting until you break 5 digits.
Me...?.., I don't gamble all that much. Either I have to give up the world for $100 sets, or I'm getting crushed by those constantly in action for $1000's. There are a couple of guys that will play me for $10-20, but those far and few between, and for the most part they're donating for sake of exposure.
Seems to me, at least in Toronto, the jumping off point seems to be a minimum of a couple grand. Things don't get exciting until you break 5 digits.
Me...?.., I don't gamble all that much. Either I have to give up the world for $100 sets, or I'm getting crushed by those constantly in action for $1000's. There are a couple of guys that will play me for $10-20, but those far and few between, and for the most part they're donating for sake of exposure.
a coin lost in the river is found in the river
Good thread here, insight into different perspectives.
Don't Gamble or Steel from easy picking on Pool. Worked to hard for my money, why pee it away. If I go to Indian Casino I mailed put $5.00 in Slot, on Day I get 10 bucks of their money to gamble. I I get in Black I leave.
Last time I play Pool for something it was ac BEER, I won and the other person bitched.
Gamblingis to some as addictive as drug or alcohol, it has destroyed lives.
Last time I play Pool for something it was ac BEER, I won and the other person bitched.
Gamblingis to some as addictive as drug or alcohol, it has destroyed lives.
Okay one last "no gambling " story.
At the Mustard Seed II in Bellevue, I was playing a customer for 10 a game. It was probably early on a Saturday as we were the only table of the 8 in action. A youngster deftly slid a quarter on the rail to indicate his intention to challenge the winner, as my opponent was racking. I took the opportunity to inform the young man that it was a $10 game and he was welcome to challenge, as long as he was aware he would be expected to play for the same.(or more).
His reaction was humorous. He scowled and in his most authorative tone said, "Don't tell me you are Gambling. You can get the House in a lot of trouble." My response was, "Okay we aren't gambling, this is a pool tournament. It's single game single elimination 8 ball. The entry fee is $10. When this tournament is over we will play another. Do you want to play in our tournament?"
He was stymied and his only response was, "Don't tell me that." Then he couldn't think of anything else to counter the facts that I had just laid before him. He took his quarter and returned to the bar to sulk.
He seemed nice enough and if I hadn't been Working I would have played him for fun Z's.
At the Mustard Seed II in Bellevue, I was playing a customer for 10 a game. It was probably early on a Saturday as we were the only table of the 8 in action. A youngster deftly slid a quarter on the rail to indicate his intention to challenge the winner, as my opponent was racking. I took the opportunity to inform the young man that it was a $10 game and he was welcome to challenge, as long as he was aware he would be expected to play for the same.(or more).
His reaction was humorous. He scowled and in his most authorative tone said, "Don't tell me you are Gambling. You can get the House in a lot of trouble." My response was, "Okay we aren't gambling, this is a pool tournament. It's single game single elimination 8 ball. The entry fee is $10. When this tournament is over we will play another. Do you want to play in our tournament?"
He was stymied and his only response was, "Don't tell me that." Then he couldn't think of anything else to counter the facts that I had just laid before him. He took his quarter and returned to the bar to sulk.
He seemed nice enough and if I hadn't been Working I would have played him for fun Z's.
Okay I lied .
When working at Fort McMurray refinery, with pool tables in the on site recreation room, I had a found a $20 game with an electrician. As a carpenter, electrician money was sweet to win. When I won the first game he pulled out a roll of hundreds. We were making big bucks on a turn around, 7 day 12 hour schedule. I showed him my roll of hundreds and told him, "I can match it but not break it. We can just keep score on the rail." All was good with him and we were set to go for at least a hundred dollar score. Then The Dummy showed up. He insisted that he had the next quarter and had the right to one just for fun. Grrrr, "okay fine." Was my reply as Canadian customs were foreign to me. Wouldn't you know the one game intermission gave the electrician time to go to the bar and break a bill. It also gave him a chance to observe my pool playing skill. He returned and paid the 20 and he was done. Grrrr sometimes playing for fun ain't really fun. Pluss a damn beer was 8 bucks! The up side was the overtime schedule for 6 weeks netted a half years pay for a typical carpenters wage in the USA.
. When working at Fort McMurray refinery, with pool tables in the on site recreation room, I had a found a $20 game with an electrician. As a carpenter, electrician money was sweet to win. When I won the first game he pulled out a roll of hundreds. We were making big bucks on a turn around, 7 day 12 hour schedule. I showed him my roll of hundreds and told him, "I can match it but not break it. We can just keep score on the rail." All was good with him and we were set to go for at least a hundred dollar score. Then The Dummy showed up. He insisted that he had the next quarter and had the right to one just for fun. Grrrr, "okay fine." Was my reply as Canadian customs were foreign to me.
Wouldn't you know the one game intermission gave the electrician time to go to the bar and break a bill. It also gave him a chance to observe my pool playing skill. He returned and paid the 20 and he was done. Grrrr sometimes playing for fun ain't really fun. Pluss a damn beer was 8 bucks! The up side was the overtime schedule for 6 weeks netted a half years pay for a typical carpenters wage in the USA.
Hey Greg.. You ever play at the Hawaiin/Samoan joint in Puyallup I think, the "Cue and Cushion"? Owned by Ed Tarape... I was once in there playing a dude $5 8 ball, and the guy would absolutely not quit until he won a game... I ended up winning $100 before he finally got a game and quit. He wasn't mad at all. It was a different time, where small action was in abundance...Okay one last "no gambling " story.
At the Mustard Seed II in Bellevue, I was playing a customer for 10 a game. It was probably early on a Saturday as we were the only table of the 8 in action. A youngster deftly slid a quarter on the rail to indicate his intention to challenge the winner, as my opponent was racking. I took the opportunity to inform the young man that it was a $10 game and he was welcome to challenge, as long as he was aware he would be expected to play for the same.(or more).
His reaction was humorous. He scowled and in his most authorative tone said, "Don't tell me you are Gambling. You can get the House in a lot of trouble." My response was, "Okay we aren't gambling, this is a pool tournament. It's single game single elimination 8 ball. The entry fee is $10. When this tournament is over we will play another. Do you want to play in our tournament?"
He was stymied and his only response was, "Don't tell me that." Then he couldn't think of anything else to counter the facts that I had just laid before him. He took his quarter and returned to the bar to sulk.
He seemed nice enough and if I hadn't been Working I would have played him for fun Z's.
I think I understand what you are saying, but this part isn't clear to me. Do you mean that you respect people that encouraged you go through hard work to achieve your goals? Whether or not you pay cash (be it for a "class" or an "opportunity"), you can have mentors either way. And either way, they can't implant psychological knowledge into your brain without you deciding that it is important to you and to do the work required as a student.
We can have fraternal groups that encourage us based on shared fascination for the game itself, not guarded by the exchange of money. If you literally mean the exchange of money builds character, which I don't think you do, then I don't agree with this at all.
Edit: Additionally, though I've never met you in person, I've only read good things about you and your reputation. I was not alive during the previous era when circumstances and the social relationship to the game were different. Therefore I am not a serious detractor.
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This right here IMHO is 100% correct. We gambled in pool purely for fun.....but I've watched some high stakes matches for amounts of money I couldn't even imagine being able to lose.....I get it that these sums of money are relative; 5-figures is nothing to some people...but a 5-figure loss would definitely leave its mark on my savings....so it boggled my mind why someone would wager that kind of scratch on a pool game. To me, it's no longer a game at that point.
Again, just my humble opinion.
Entering a tournament could be a form of gambling.
The point of playing for money is so that it matters. If you play for free you can just go for the run out every time. you know, "for the love of the game".
The point of playing for money is so that it matters. If you play for free you can just go for the run out every time. you know, "for the love of the game".