an honest review of the hustlers

SpiderWebComm said:
Show is half between Storage Wars and Pawn Stars. Who cares how realistic it is... we all know it's not, but that's not the point. The point is... it's very entertaining. I wish that show and its cast the very best. I didn't want it to end last night.
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I'm with you here. I also liked this show. Mike Dechaine's personality worked well on TV and Finnegan is a trip. There is enough "reality" in the matching up process and game time conversation to make it enjoyable for me, a real pool "old schooler."

I for one am glad to see pool on TV and think they hit the mark here with this type of show. I don't care if some of it is scripted and the "list" is made up. There's a lot here to like imo.
 
Tramp Steamer said:
Yes indeed. Cue Sports as an Olympic event. My vote would be for one of the games to be One Pocket, but viewers might find it a bit dull. Perhaps Nine, or 10-ball might be the more logical choices although 3-cushion could have some appeal. These could be done in both team, and individual events.
It will be a venue like this where Pool makes it's comeback, and not in some bullshit reality show where everything is staged and scripted, and cute girls with little talent are shown to be what today's pool scene is all about, and where reality has little or nothing to do with anything.
Come on sheeple, these games we all play mean more to us than this.
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You can watch all the real pool you want online; 9-Ball, Ten Ball, One Pocket, take your pick. There is a very good reason why this kind of pool is not on mainstream TV. It's exclusively for the hard core pool fan, which I'm also one of. By the way, all the matches shown on episodes one and two were either 9-Ball or Ten Ball, or hadn't you noticed. And both these games were explained well to the viewers, which I appreciated.

Those "cute" girls happen to be very good pool players by the way. It is exactly because this game means so much to me that I wish this show and others like it to be successful. Call me a sheep if you like, but I can take more of The Hustler any day of the week and be glad we have it. We've had almost no pool on TV for years and now you want to knock the first show that focuses on pool. Good luck with that.
 
jay helfert said:
You can watch all the real pool you want online; 9-Ball, Ten Ball, One Pocket, take your pick. There is a very good reason why this kind of pool is not on mainstream TV. It's exclusively for the hard core pool fan, which I'm also one of. By the way, all the matches shown on episodes one and two were either 9-Ball or Ten Ball, or hadn't you noticed. And both these games were explained well to the viewers, which I appreciated.

Those "cute" girls happen to be very good pool players by the way. It is exactly because this game means so much to me that I wish this show and others like it to be successful. Call me a sheep if you like, but I can take more of The Hustler any day of the week and be glad we have it. We've had almost no pool on TV for years and now you want to knock the first show that focuses on pool. Good luck with that.
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So this is the future of pool as you see it? Anything is better than nothing? Or, is it that you, like so much of the rest of society, find watching cute girls play pool, titillating?
I'm surprised that you, as a published author, could find anything meaningful in the story line. Again, it must be the girls.
Well have it your way. If nothing else it gives you and the others something to chat about until another one of the Kardashians gets a divorce.
 
Could be alot better

I agree that any shows about our game on TV is always welcome but they need to be done with some common sense as well. Some of what I saw was total nonsense. Where is the pool room etiquette? No poolroom I ever been in before would allow such behavior when a player is down on a shot. I only hope these young kids don't start coming into my events thinking they can act like that. They will be asked to leave in a second. Sort of reminds me of the Amish Mafia show. To be taken with a grain of salt. Hopefully they can tighen it up and get more realistic. The one thing I did see that was dead on was the haggling to make the right game. Takes longer to do that then to play the match sometimes...lol
 
Sam at TAP said:
I agree that any shows about our game on TV is always welcome but they need to be done with some common sense as well. Some of what I saw was total nonsense. Where is the pool room etiquette? No poolroom I ever been in before would allow such behavior when a player is down on a shot. I only hope these young kids don't start coming into my events thinking they can act like that. They will be asked to leave in a second. Sort of reminds me of the Amish Mafia show. To be taken with a grain of salt. Hopefully they can tighen it up and get more realistic. The one thing I did see that was dead on was the haggling to make the right game. Takes longer to do that then to play the match sometimes...lol
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Exactly my feelings and genuine concern that the "actions" and attitudes of
the loud-mouth characters (not the Pros) may falsely empower new, younger
players and many current players to "perform" that way in Our Poolrooms.
We are in critical status with the declining number of Honest-to-Goodness,
100%, Bonified Pool Rooms in this Country. Let's Please preserve what is left.
 
hustlers

Watched for around 1/2 hr., it never got better, to hokee, to scripted, to hohum. Turned it off. Maybe future shows will get better ?
 
Come on people, if the average person wanted to see the level of pool that the criticizers of this show think should be displayed we would be tuning into ESPN weekly to watch pros play tournaments. I think we all know how that worked out. A show like this will get the attention of a much broader range of viewer than pro tournament pool. A lot of people say APA is good for pool because it brings in the casual players. These casual players may very well think all of the characters on The Hustlers are pro level players. This show is certainly no worse to you arm chair pros than the movie that created the biggest influx for pool in the last 3 decades, The Color of Money. This can't be all bad for pool. This show is much better for pool than reading news of someone getting murdered outside of a pool room. Give them a break.
 
elizabeth9 said:
Earl, Mika, Rodney, Dennis, and Tony are all signed to do their own show so that's why they will not be appearing in this one. Their show has been picked up by a network and set for 17 shows later this year!
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I cant wait to see earl on tv. Im gonna go hide his medicine. I love earl, hes my favorite player of them all, including his personality. efren is a great champion, im a huge fan, but his personality aint no earl. I'm really happy for him, he deserves it, this is exactly what hes been preaching his entire career, for pool to get some attention. even if it has to be through reality TV, so what. I hope he gets an emmy:)
 
ChicagoRJ said:
Yeah, noticed that too. It's weird when they are shooting balls, but leave the lower numbered balls on the table, could NOT anyone just pick it off the table "off camera" at least. C'mon mikey Frost, help a brother out here ;)

Man, that girlfriend was annoying as heck. Man, how whipped are you that you have to bring your girl with you to go out and hustle pool, and then let her talk crap when you're playing ?? OMG. I'm sure it's good to have a villain, but I don't think she is an actress and looks like the others are use to her obnoxious behavior....
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YUUUUUUUUP !!!!

Every story needs an antagonist...or whatever they're called.

Jeff Livingston
 
63Kcode said:
It was entertaining and better than I expected. Best of all, after the show ended. My 12 year old wanted to play some pool. He normally just wants me to go. So he can play video games on the TV.

Larry
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Interesting...very interesting.

Jeff Livingston
 
Str8PoolPlayer said:
Exactly my feelings and genuine concern that the "actions" and attitudes of
the loud-mouth characters (not the Pros) may falsely empower new, younger
players and many current players to "perform" that way in Our Poolrooms.
We are in critical status with the declining number of Honest-to-Goodness,
100%, Bonified Pool Rooms in this Country. Let's Please preserve what is left.
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It took over 10 years for new players to quit twirling their cues as Vincent did in TCOM.

But who cares?

Jeff Livingston
 
JAM said:
For pool aficionados, The Hustlers isn't going to cut the mustard, so to speak, but we pool aficionados are such a small segment of mainstream America, it doesn't matter. The producers are shooting for -- pun intended -- mainstream America, those who know little to nothing about pool.

The back-and-forth banter seemed more like made-for-TV pool barking. It didn't seem real to me, and we all know it wasn't.

I liked Mike D. and Jarrod Clowery's roles. I especially liked seeing Mike happy and laughing, and Jarrod donning that cap while bearing down on his shots was great. Jarrod looked cool! The two Boston road agents, even though, I thought, Mike was from Maine.

It was nice to see Emily in a new light I had never seen before. She reaches out to me and makes me want to root for her to win. She's a lot nicer on that show that some of her publicity photos make her out to be, and that's a good thing.

The star of the show is the Irishman. I think he's the brightest star, but sometimes he's hard to understand due to his accent, which I love. I noticed they had a few subtitles.

The Godfather guy was enjoyable, but I thought his banter was a wee bit over-exaggerated. However, I realize, again, this is for mainstream America, not pool peeps.

The couple were sweet, but I was not impressed with that story line. Maybe it will develop more.

Jennifer and her husband's parts were the most believable, I think, and that, I liked the best.

I didn't get to know "Smiley" that much in these first two episodes, though she seemed nice.

The worst part of the show for me and what I think is a biggest turnoff is the background music. It really sucks. Horrible! Cheap sounding like a porno movie or a low-budget movie. Just did not like it at all. That made it hard to watch for me every time it came on.

And those two sharks with blood coming out of their mouth at the beginning of each show, how cheesy is that!

Does this TV show have a "real" pool player as a consultant? Surely Steinway with all its pool stars, tournaments, and everyday happenings has someone who can advise the technical crew to make this show more believable.

As a side note, I enyoyed seeing the two pool tables named in honor of Ginky and Gypsy in the show. Only we pool folk would understand and appreciate that. Bravo to Steinway!

I wish the show all the best, of course. I hope it gets better as the new episodes come. I realize it's too late to get rid of the cheesy music, but that music really cheapens the TV show.
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finnegan was not exaggerated, as a matter of fact, he seemed nervous and held back. he's obnoxious, 10 times worst than that, but not in a bad way, he's very friendly with his banter, he likes to get action going. he comes off as a dick sometimes, but it;s the nature of the action. I;ve always thought dechaine to be a dick, in interviews and his facial expressions and stuff, but he doesn't seem like a bad guy, goes to show you to not judge someone until you know them.

also, I hope SVB makes it on some of these new shows, he's not only the greatest 10 baller so far, he's an inspirational story, super nice guy, and could be a way to show that good guys are part of the game, I hate that pool comes off as shady. so many good people are part of the game, I've never been prouder to be a pool nut, this is a good time for pool.
 
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Patrick Johnson said:
We do?

I don't know what that would mean, or how I'd benefit from it.

pj
chgo
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Pool players benefit from pool being more popular or mainstream if there are more pool rooms, more tournaments to play in, more players to play. I know you like to analyze the game - if pool is more popular, perhaps more smart people will be interested in studying the game.
 
This show could draw more women to the game, more suckers to the game, more money into the game and so on, lets try and be positive about it for once... :cool:
 
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