8 year old in the "Pit" at SBE

wonder how many side bets Earl put on Tiger:confused:... he should be condemed and the sport should be shut down
 
gambling is a sin!

Gambling is evil, a sin, no child should be exposed to it. When I entered third grade I went to a Catholic school for the first time. I wasn't there a week before I was exposed to gambling, raffles of cupcakes and cakes that mothers were coerced into baking to raffle off. Worst thing of all, I'm pretty sure the raffles were rigged since the most needy children in the class always won. Danged penguins!!

The constant pastime at the Catholic school was dropping marbles, and of course gambling on the outcome. I developed a keen eye and won far more than my share of marbles.

"So, your honor, when you ask how I became a pool playing gambling degenerate, it's all the penguins' fault. They corrupted an innocent young lad. I never had a chance!"

Hu
 
I didn't see an 8 year old, but I did see teenager Billy Thorpe playing in what was rumored to be a 10-ahead set for a dime. Not sure who his opponent was, but the 40-ish man was up 9 at one point.

An couple hours later, Billy was up 3.

Not sure how it ended. Anyone?
 
I don't think it's a big deal at all. Didn't any of you gamble with baseball cards (flipping, scaling) when you were kids?
 
I didn't see an 8 year old, but I did see teenager Billy Thorpe playing in what was rumored to be a 10-ahead set for a dime. Not sure who his opponent was, but the 40-ish man was up 9 at one point.

An couple hours later, Billy was up 3.

Not sure how it ended. Anyone?

from what i know..he was playing a guy named painter...mike?..painter went ahead 7..but the kid came back and won...
 
from what i know..he was playing a guy named painter...mike?..painter went ahead 7..but the kid came back and won...

Yep thats Mike Painter,,I had the fortune of drawing him in the warm up tourney. Im glad the kid got him, he can be a real A$$ !!! Just the sh-t he says and keeps saying during the game ...And a guy that plays as good as he does should have to do that !! <<ED
 
Were people acting upset when there was foul language going on because a child was in the room?

Children ruin most things that are fun for adults.
 
I for one think that's pretty awesome. People need to relax and stop pretending like they are the utmost authority on morality. Glass houses and all of that.

It's not about the morality of gambling. It's about how pool is viewed by non-pool players. The world sees pool as smarmy and backroom because of its reputation. Allowing little kids in the pit (let alone gambling in the pit) just solidifies the game's rep in the eyes of non-pool players.
 
It wasn't that bad.

I was there when the kid showed up. Eddie A. was at the table and the kid stepped up. I think his Dad was behind him, and there was some controversy because they wanted Eddie to give the kid a spot and I don't think Eddie was agreeing to it.

Then I think there was some concern, probably becaue the kid could have been some monster player in the Juniors.

Needless to say...EVERYONE was rooting for the kid. It was actually kinda cute. He had a shot on the 8, and people were coaching and encouraging him to take his time, etc. Well, he played the 8 RAIL-FIRST to get shape on the 9 and the place went wild! I thought the roof was going to come down, you would have thought he just won the SuperBowl.

Everyone was laughing and enjoying the show. The kid made the 9 and then had a tough shot on the 10 and just missed it, but he left Eddie a nasty bank.

Well, as you have read by now, Eddie scratched on the 10 and the kid won that way. The place erupted again and the hooting and hollering was off the chain!

I thought the whole thing was kinda cute. The kid then had to play Shane Winters who beat him, and some people booed him, but it was all in fun.

If it were me, I would have given the kid a $20 win/lose just for stepping up in that den of thieves, but that's just me.

I agree, it is not the best environment for a child, but his Dad was with him, and Father knows best...LOL.

I have attached a couple of low-qual pix of the kid. I think the man in the yellow is his father, really not sure.
 

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gambling

what exactly is gambling?

gambling can be defined differently by different opinions. most think that poker and pool for money are gambling. If there is some sort of skill and thinking involved i do not think that it is gambling.

I am a christian and have super strong beliefs in god and put him number one over anything he is my number one love. How does the bible define gambling and whether its a sin or not to me it doesnt say it in an exact way that can be fully understandable. again it is opinion based.

so for me i dont see anything wrong with pool or poker being played
( for straight up cash or in a tournament when you think about it its just a different tournament format when people are playing for str8 money one on one) for money unless it is causing a problem in a persons life then there is something wrong with it and they need to fix it.

I just cant believe if a person is leading a super strong godly faith and worships the lord and is doing things right. Then how could playing pool or poker for some money if it is not a problem and not over there head be a sin. I just dont see it as gambling and that that person is going to go to hell just for doing something for money. I see gambling as putting money on a game of chance that has no skill and a winner can not be predicted like the lottery or slots some people have a chance but most well lose.
 
It's not about the morality of gambling. It's about how pool is viewed by non-pool players. The world sees pool as smarmy and backroom because of its reputation. Allowing little kids in the pit (let alone gambling in the pit) just solidifies the game's rep in the eyes of non-pool players.

And how many "non-pool players" are really going to be at the SBE? Are they making a tv show about it? How is the non-pool playing public even going to know or see? What are the chances of the general public even knowing what "the pit" is? I'm pretty sure that if they did see it, they'd think it's cute, a little kid playing pool against grown men.

I really don't see why anyone would want to make a fuss about it.
 
I don't care how you color it....in every state in the US it is illegal to gamble unless you are 18-21, depending on the state......period!

Do I think it's the right message to be giving an 8 yo that it's okay to 'bend' the rules....no, I do not. There are already enough kids out there that have little to no respect for the law...do we, as parents really need to be fostering this kinda behavior? If it would have been just for fun...dad wanting to show off his kid in front of his peers...that's one thing, but to actually condone/promote illegal activity, as the parent...well, in many states that would invite a visit from CPS.

What was done in the past does not necessarily fly in today's reality. It's a different world. Back in the day kids were allowed in bars/taverns too...should that still be the case now?

Lisa
 
Gambling in pool is sort of a funny thing. First off, the game is almost entirely one of skill and not luck. Poker, table games, the track and other such stuff are to significant degrees games of chance, no matter how skilled one may be at them.

In pool, is a tournament gambling? Most would say no. Yet really two guys matching up really is nothing more than a tournament with a 2 player field with no added money and 100% of the entry fees being paid out down to the top 50% of the field.

While I don't have a problem with children "gambling" with each other, it does disturb me for adults to be involved in gambling with children.
 
And how many "non-pool players" are really going to be at the SBE?

The irony of this statement is that the SBE is broke up into different sections and one big section was the TAP area. It sure seems that the bulk of that crowd never even made it nor considered moving to the PIT. I was sitting by the Straight pool tables and a couple of the TAP players come over to watch it for a minute or two and had no clue who the player playing was. Alex Pagulayan was running balls and they didnt even know who he was, nor heard of them--and they are pool players.
 
How old was Wu when he won the world 9-ball championships? How old is the average top tennis pro when they start to compete on the pro circuit? What are your thoughts on a basketball player when they are in middle school and show clear talent that will likely lead them to the NBA and are thus groomed by many adults on the road there?

But a kid, with his dad, plays a $20 game of pool on a table in a public area (but...but... it is named the PIT!!! Ohh scary!) and our sport is going straight to hell and this is the reason we are not seeing multi-million dollar sponserships. Uh Huh, yeah right. Give me a break.

Any sport, and I mean ANY sport in which a person rises to the top means they probably did not spend their youth riding their bike and trading stickers with their friends. They ALL grew up early to get to the top of their sport whatever that sport is.

The kid had some fun, played a couple games for $20 which was probably a treat for him and a cool experience his dad let him have, and now he is a celebrity of AZBilliards as the poster child for the downfall of the sport.

Way to screw over a harmless little bit of fun, hopefully he gets to see this thread so his memory of it can be screwed up and tarnished by all you holier then thou beacons of all that is pure in the world.
 
It's called following the rules. I don't get why this concept seems to be so foreign to so many folks. Do you think the issues we are having today with kids is just by accident?! I stems from parents who have developed some rather questionable morals and ethics.

When I was growing up, we looked forward to doing those things which were otherwise off-limits, once we 'grew up'. It was part of getting older....the perks, as it were. Otherwise, you followed the rules. But back then kids still had respect for not only their parents, but their elders as well.

It's all systemic of a society that seems to be rapidly circling the bowl.

Just because someone else has done something questionable, doesn't suddenly make it okay.
 
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The kids dad should be charged with impairing the welfare of a child.
To me what he did with his son is a crime.
Someone mentioned basketball and tennis. You don't condone bad behavior with other bad behavior.
 
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