Two of our top players got knocked out of our weekly 9-ball tourney early last night, so they decided to match up and play some $20 sets. Both players, in their 30s, have played in our room as well as other poolrooms and tournaments for 20+ years and are among our top players. Player B has far more gambling experience than player A, but player A still has been around long enough that he should know what is acceptable in terms of gambling protocols. Neither of them are big gamblers, but they enjoy placing something $$ on their sets.
Player A got 3 sets ($60) up on player B, then player A informed player B his limit was $80 and he was planning to quit if he got to $80. The next set went hill-hill and player A won, and then quit. Player B still wanted to play more sets, but player A refused.
Then player A informed player B they could keep playing, just for fun, and player B refused, saying that was out of the question, and that he would never be playing him again. Player A then sat and observed tournament matches for another hour or more, before leaving. If he had made it to the finals of the tourney, which he often does, he would have been there up to 2 more hours.
I am the tournament director, as well as the proprietor and owner of the poolroom.
Both of these players are regular customers, and I consider both of them as friends of mine for many years. When player B told me what transpired, I was very angry.
I understand that what transpires between 2 players gambling is their business, so I am contemplating whether I should choose to stay completely out of it, or when I get the chance, to have a private conversation with player A, explaining to him that what he did was not acceptable, that player B had valid reason to be very angry, and explain to him exactly why, in hopes that he would learn from his mistake and not think he could do this again.
Just curious what others here think about this situation and as to what I, as Proprietor, as well as being a friend of both players should do, if anything?
Player A got 3 sets ($60) up on player B, then player A informed player B his limit was $80 and he was planning to quit if he got to $80. The next set went hill-hill and player A won, and then quit. Player B still wanted to play more sets, but player A refused.
Then player A informed player B they could keep playing, just for fun, and player B refused, saying that was out of the question, and that he would never be playing him again. Player A then sat and observed tournament matches for another hour or more, before leaving. If he had made it to the finals of the tourney, which he often does, he would have been there up to 2 more hours.
I am the tournament director, as well as the proprietor and owner of the poolroom.
Both of these players are regular customers, and I consider both of them as friends of mine for many years. When player B told me what transpired, I was very angry.
I understand that what transpires between 2 players gambling is their business, so I am contemplating whether I should choose to stay completely out of it, or when I get the chance, to have a private conversation with player A, explaining to him that what he did was not acceptable, that player B had valid reason to be very angry, and explain to him exactly why, in hopes that he would learn from his mistake and not think he could do this again.
Just curious what others here think about this situation and as to what I, as Proprietor, as well as being a friend of both players should do, if anything?