Advice for road player

lfigueroa said:
POtR was written over 20 years ago.

Since then a huge percentage of pool rooms in this country have gone bust and the scene is no longer the same. What’s left is unlikely to support a road trip and it’s not just the cost of gas. Eating and lodging costs nowadays will quickly whittle away your bankroll. Then there’s the issue of everyone having a camera and computer in their pocket and being able to ask friends in other cities if they recognize a player or do research on them. It’s difficult to be anonymous and keep your speed unknown.

Traveling around he needs to know how to handle himself to get games. Talent alone won’t get it and if it is easy to tell he’s a foreigner that will also make it tougher. He needs to take his time, start small, and try and work his way up the food chain in any city he lands. That’s the best advice I can offer.

Lou Figueroa
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My point on recommending POtR wasn't to provide him with relevant guide advice, but rather to make some of the main points you are - if Tony Annigoni couldn't cover his costs on the road 20 years ago, I'm guessing this dude should set his own expectations accordingly. But my main point was to enjoy the spirit of the journey vs the destination - and the pure joy of reading an excellent book.

Also, if one can't tell - I'm simply having fun with the discussion. Maybe I need to add more emojis
 
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Catalin said:
He's willing to bet up to 1000 for race to X, depending on the conditions.

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By conditions I assume you’re referring to the strength / skill level of his opponent? We’d all love to play big $ sets against players we know we can beat, but to do it against a stranger whom you have no idea how they play is something else altogether. He’d better do his homework to know the speed of whoever he’s playing.
 
i think as mentioned earlier
if he looks at this as a sight seeing tour of the usa
and budgets pool into his expenses
he should have a great 3 months as the USA is a great place to explore
JMHO
i know i am right .....🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸 (cant believe i could not find a USA flag )
p.s.
when i was 16 i went on a chaperoned bus tour around the USA
it is a memory i will never forget
starting in nyak ny going across the country to every national park
down to tijuanna
up the coast of california and back to nyak
until you go across the "great plains "
you dont understand
then you see the rockies and think how did they find a way across in horse and wagon ???
sorry for the digression
 
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David in FL said:
In the last year or so, just off the top of my head, Dennis Orcollo, Jeff DeLuna, Mika Immonen, Anthony Meglino, Justin Hall, and CJ Wiley have been through our “bar”. ;)

Yup, they serve food and drink, because you can’t pay the bills on table time alone these days. But that’s what keeps good equipment maintained and that keeps good players coming back.

Plenty of action, big or little, for those who want it…
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If it can be told, what bar is this?
 
Not that I'd recommend it, but if your friend wants to visit DC for touristy things, I'd be happy show him around the pool rooms a bit, maybe play a little to help on the journey.

It sounds like a great trip. Some friend's of my brother-in-law from Norway did a road trip from Los Angeles to Virginia some years back. They weren't gambling, but certainly stayed in some not so great places. They survived without a hand cannon somehow.

I'd second the advice to enjoy the country and find some time to see the sights, and if you happen to find some good pool, all the better.
 
bbb said:
i lived in miami during those times
the tourists made a wrong turn going to the airport and ended up where no one in their right mind would go without "protection"
just sayin
it was so obvious that they changed many signs around the airport so it was less confusing
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THAT was just one incident- there were also several times where tourists were followed after renting cars near Miami and " bumped" by another car - then robbed and killed.
When you say no one in their right mind- that is just my point- a tourist from another country often does not have the mindset to know where to go and where not to go un protected- that is why I suggest anyone coming here from Europe to go into pool places to gamble needs to have a knowledgeable guide in the U.S. - it is just common sense based upon what goes on here every day.

However, many European and Asian visitors just do not do that for whatever reasons - and look what happens.
 
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Fatboy said:
Don’t let anyone take his picture. And “don’t miss”

That was the best advice ever back in the day.

Best of luck to him
Fatboy 😃
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Yep that's the problem nowadays, someone always knows someone via internet usually. Fargo does alot of good for tournament play but kills alot of gambling. First thing someone does now before gambling is check Fargo
 
PracticeChampion said:
Yep that's the problem nowadays, someone always knows someone via internet usually. Fargo does alot of good for tournament play but kills alot of gambling. First thing someone does now before gambling is check Fargo
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That’s true.

I don’t have a Fargo because I stopped playing about when it came out. And I never played in any tourneys. Gambol & practice drills was my thing.

However play someone with a well established Fargo and what ever number that lands on can give the world a good idea of how you play give or take. Anywhere on the spectrum-can’t hide.

One pocket might be a way to duck that system or banks.

Funny thing is I don’t have a clue where I’d land on Fargo at my best or even now. I haven’t hit a ball in years, I’m sure if I did in a month or 2 I’d be 80-85%.

The old days of sneaking up on people is long gone. Camera phones, internet, Fargo, etc. there’s zero hiding if you play pool at any reasonable speed. Bangers are still safe from that mostly.

Times changed. I miss the adventure and moves to put yourself in a position to make a score or even gas $. Laying down the act and getting the cheese. Man that was the best. All done, just memories now.

Fatboy
 
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hang-the-9 said:
I'll be in Columbus next week, where is this action at? Just so I can avoid the better players LOL
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If it's a pool hall and your looking for it you'll find it otherwise just play and enjoy or find one of the weekly tournaments all over town. Avoid "Players" after dark, heck 2 hours before dark I'd be outta there that is if it's even still open.

Cushions or Bankshots opposite ends of town are both good places
 
Fatboy said:
Guy asks for pool advice and gets a public safety message

Wtf is going on?

Welcome to America. A overly politically charged empire.


Shame what’s became of things.

Simple question with complex answers to a question that was never asked.

Wow, just wow.
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Well, my "advice" was based upon genuine concern for a young person traveling from Europe to the U.S. for the first time And specifically visiting in areas at night where " pool halls" are located. The last time I checked, concern for humanity was not political, it was what we should all be practicing.

Sorry my "advice" was not along the lines of where to "score" big, best places to gamble your money, smoke dope with strangers ( as one guy mentioned), how to hustle the unsuspecting, etc. etc. --- I never traveled along those paths - never felt any need or desire to do so.
Therefore, my advice was more along humanitarian lines- politics aside.:)
 
Catalin said:
Thank you for all the advice! He has a very good job and more in it for the experience, but he does like to win! He's willing to bet up to 1000 for race to X, depending on the conditions. But you're right, it's better to start small.

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If it was me i'd go to Vegas. Prices aren't ridiculous and its pretty darn safe unless you go to the NorthLasVegas 'hood area. Lot of good rooms there: Griffs, Cueclub, Mickey's, GoodTimez to name a few.
 
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Impossible to do these days. His friend makes one good score and the cellphone cameras will have him identified across the state minutes after. Then the county. I've seen it happen.
 
Fatboy said:
Guy asks for pool advice and gets a public safety message

Wtf is going on?
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Some people still actually care about others. Seems like something to be celebrated rather than admonished at least from where I sit.
Fatboy said:
Welcome to America. A overly politically charged empire.
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That America can be dangerous and that traveling around gambling in bars/pool halls can be dangerous doesn't sound political to me. It's just the facts, important ones at that.
Fatboy said:
Simple question with complex answers to a question that was never asked.
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The question was asked. He asked for any advice for his friend. Not only was the advice pertinent to what was asked, it might be the most important advice he has gotten and be far more important than any hustling techniques and the like because keeping yourself alive and avoiding serious injury might ultimately be just a wee bit more important to most people than how much money they make.

You have to keep in mind that as you are well aware cultures are very different in other countries and they often don't have the same kind of extremely rampant problems with predatory pieces of sh!t all over the place who think nothing of killing or hurting you like America has. Their naivety to the reality here very often results in them being way too trusting like they are used to being able to be in their own country but where it can very quickly get them into trouble here.
 
mikemosconi said:
THAT was just one incident- there were also several times where tourists were followed after renting cars near Miami and " bumped" by another car - then robbed and killed.
When you say no one in their right mind- that is just my point- a tourist from another country often does not have the mindset to know where to go and where not to go un protected- that is why I suggest anyone coming here from Europe to go into pool places to gamble needs to have a knowledgeable guide in the U.S. - it is just common sense based upon what goes on here every day.

However, many European and Asian visitors just do not do that for whatever reasons - and look what happens.
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It was so prevalent that the state actually changed the license plates so as not to identify the car as rented.

"State lawmakers voted Friday to ban telltale rental car license tags in an effort to protect tourists, but backed off a proposal to remove county names from all Florida license plates. May 29, 1993"
 
There is not a player here that hasn’t had something bad happen in a pool hall, or when leaving a pool hall, to themselves or someone they know — and someone traveling to this country to play pool should be made aware of what can happen so they can take due precautions.

We were asked and good advice was given.

Lou Figueroa
 
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