Playing for cash money in 2025?

[Mensabum]

I have a standing Friday night nine ball ring game with 4 buddies. A buck on the 5 and $2 on the 9.

We take turns buying the round of drinks and if someone wins $40 it's a huge win..

It's a blast,

Where y'all at??
Imo, it just don't get any better than that.

 

[Mensabum]

Not sure if anyone who has responded is from the Houston area, but you can EASILY find $5-$10 a game, $100-$300 "cheap sets", all the way up to thousands of dollars per set. This is pretty much any night of the week. I'd venture to say Houston has more 600+ players than any city in the US. This applies to everything from Valley bar box, to extremely tight 9 ft Diamond action.

I moving to Texas!!

 

[Mensabum]

1. 9Ball - Betwween 5 and 20 a rack depending on multiple things. 1-pocket - Usually 25 a rack-ish. Sometimes more. Will screw around for less.
2. 9Ball - Races to 5 for 25 with a good friend of mine. I'll test the waters with others for anywhere between 25 and 100 and we can adjust from there (weight and $$$)
3. 9Ball and 1-Pocket
4. See Answer 2.
5. Money I have on me and what Im comfortable with losing are 2 completely different things and also vary greatly depending on the scenario.

That's ideal for local fun!!

 

[straightline]

I know a lot of top tier players (shortstop and a little above) who are just gamblers and have no Fargo ratings.

They can hide their games really well in one hole and banks (where there is no Fargo)

I'd guess any game. Role playing.

 

[jay helfert]

Where I play, it is usually $10, $20 or $50 a set. Mostly races to 4,5 or 7 in both 8-ball and 9-ball. Not much 10-ball played but if it is, it’s the same as 8 & 9 ball. The longer the race, the more $. We also play the APA Amateur race to 7, 5 games of 8-ball and 8-games of 9-ball. Usually for $20. We don’t play APA rules, just the race.

The only by-the-game gambling happens with 1-pkt. Typically $20 but sometimes $5 and sometimes $50. There is almost always a 1-pkt game going on.

I guess some things never change. That's what we were playing for in the 60's and 70's. Ha Ha

I usually played 9-Ball for $5 a game and $10 a game was a good bet. $50 sets were common and $100 sets were big money. One Pocket action was mostly $10 and $20 a game. $30 and $40 a game was big action. For the first five years I played pool seriously $100 a game One Pocket was the biggest bet I ever made. And guess what, I made a good living and had a real bank account, a good car and a nice little apartment. It was a good life, maybe some of the best years of my life.

 

[Mensabum]

I guess some things never change. That's what we were playing for in the 60's and 70's. Ha Ha

I usually played 9-Ball for $5 a game and $10 a game was a good bet. $50 sets were common and $100 sets were big money. One Pocket action was mostly $10 and $20 a game. $30 and $40 a game was big action. For the first five years I played pool seriously $100 a game One Pocket was the biggest bet I ever made. And guess what, I made a good living and had a real bank account, a good car and a nice little apartment. It was a good life, maybe some of the best years of my life.

Pool was a soft landing for a lot of young men with no prospects. If you couldn't get in the military or college, it was one way to get what you needed.
And mine as well Jay.

 

[Frosty]

If you find someone who will play for decent money, do all you can to accommodate them. Increase the handicap if they can't win.

This. Like any business, it’s always the smart move to be accommodating to a “regular customer”. You can shear a sheep many times, but you can only skin it once.

 

[CocoboloCowboy]

2025 life is cheap, people kill people for nothing, Hustle the wrong person, could be life ending experience if you do it to wrong person. JMHO