Are some pool players stupid

D

dirtydog48

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
or just desperate?
Out of towner comes in today whose name many of you would recognize. He is looking for an old local from whom he won a little over a thousand a couple weeks ago. The old man is still willing to gamble but wants 2 games in a race to 7. The out of towner hangs around all day and finally, after about 4 hours, says ok to the spot, but he wants the breaks. The old timer refuses, a little smarter and a little more sober than last time. The out of towner leaves muttering disparaging remarks about lack of heart, etc.
Meanwhile, across the room, an argument breaks out over a bad hit. The winner, who is ahead about $300 at
$50 a set, raises such a stink that the loser quits and swears to never play him again.
Am I crazy, or is it not smarter for the winner to concede the bad hit and keep on taking the money? In the first case, if I had just beat someone out of a 1000, wouldn't I give the loser just about whatever he wants, loose a little and come back another day and take off the rest of the cheese??
Anyone with half a brain knows that you have to feed a horse if you want to ride it.
Just a little rant about things I have seen for years that make me not like "pool players".
These are the same type guys who strut and brag around lesser players but will not match up at anything close to even with someone who can play their speed. I have seen this type behavior all over the country, so I know it is not a local phenomenon. To me, this type of behavior is a lot of what is wrong with our sport and I, for one, am sick of it.
 
Another type

Here is another type I can't stand and most will recognize. Back years ago, when I gambled at 1 pocket with friends that were all around the same speed as me for 5 to 20 a game, a local comes in and starts really hasseling me to play him some for more money than what we friends usually

play for. I know the guys reputation and he is probably far better than me and he is wanting to play me even so I can't beat him and tell him so. Instead of just leaving it at that, I get the no heart routine and other crap. Just before I decide to convince him with physical means to leave

me alone, he leaves and I don't see him again for many years. Fast forward about 10 years and a different pool room. I am playing the owner our usual 1 pocket match for no money (I don't gamble anymore), and in walks the same guy. We don't say anything to each other. I decide to

ignore him. My opponent has the distinct table advantage with ball location so I decide to take a shot that will move 3 balls from his side to my side, possibly make a ball in my pocket, and unless I shoot it too hard, won't leave my oppionent a shot. A well reasoned shot designed to "turn

the table around". The shot involves a combo and a carom. I shoot and it does exactly what I intended, with the bonus of pocketing a ball in my hole. Mr personality instantly says something to the effect of "You shoot shots like that where I play and you get your a## beat", meaning I lose the game.

What a butthead. Theres no doubt I can take this guy, but here is what I do. After the game is over, I unscrew my cue, pay my time and leave. That's 2 strikes Mr. Personality, 3 strikes and your out, cold that is lol.
 
Just a little rant about things I have seen for years that make me not like "pool players".
These are the same type guys who strut and brag around lesser players but will not match up at anything close to even with someone who can play their speed. I have seen this type behavior all over the country, so I know it is not a local phenomenon. To me, this type of behavior is a lot of what is wrong with our sport and I, for one, am sick of it.[/QUOTE]

WELL SAID, DOG!
 
Some people are just a pain in the ass. The worst guy guys to gamble with are the ones who think that they are "making a living hustling" or "on the road". Both of these phrases in the great majority of the time are code for "broke dick and trying to steal".

Anyone who has spent any time in a pool room know the type I mean. The guys who will chisel for the stone nuts in a $50 set. Then if the "fish" gives up the nuts and tries to outrun it, fails and tries to adjust after a few sets he is heartless. All over less than what a dinner for two at a decent place costs.

The more time I spend around good people who also happen to like pool action the less tolerance I have for all of the petty bullshit that goes on every day in nickel and dime games. Many of the players I know who are great action, as soon as this type of player starts the come on, they just walk away. I'm sure many here can tell stories of these "hustlers" running off the best action in the pool room. By best action I mean people who will play a fair game, pay when they lose, are drama free and are a pleasure to play and be around.

My favorite example of this is toothpick at a lumberyard guy. Some well healed (or just employed) guy in the pool room who like to play and enjoys action gets accosted by the toothpick man woofing at him and every human in a 100 mile radius knows the guy is shooting one barrel trying for a parlay. If toothpick man wasn't so self righteous about it it wouldn't be so bad but when he starts in with the "nit" because someone wont play a tough game with only the hopes of winning one set it sends me all the way on tilt.

There is a fine line between stirring up action and being a douchebag. More and more it seems people are falling on the wrong side of that line.
 
As bad as it can be, I still miss going to the pool room everyday. Shame many of them are far away or closed up.

When I was working in the pool room, I would play the 2 best players there about 4 times a week. I played even, lost about $50 each session, and made big leaps in my game from getting my head bashed in. Almost each time I was playing, some friggin no heart, no money havin wacker would stop at the table mid set and tell me how dumb I was for "throwing" my money away. They never understood I was working at the pool room to get free table time, and the money I made I lost back to my mentors. I had a regular job being a plumber, so I could afford it.

After about 2 years of this I was a solid player, and started winning sets here and there. The comments from the bags of douche stopped. :cool:

G.
 
And when you can beat

the the guys you have been paying for lessons, they suddenly don't want to play anymore!
And people continuously whine about why our game is not considered a "sport". How about no sportsmanship.
 
Gerry said:
As bad as it can be, I still miss going to the pool room everyday. Shame many of them are far away or closed up.

G.
Click to expand...

I hear ya, Gerry! I'd have to drive a minimum of 25-30 miles to Greenville, SC to get to one. We've had overheating problems with our car for over a year now and can't seem to get it fixed. Otherwise, I'd probably go at least a couple of time a week. The guys I've seen who were real "hustlers" never acted like jerks and sometimes won some decent money. And, sometimes they didn't but the best ones didn't complain, they just came back to try again another day. I think a lot of respect no longer exists in pool just like in a lot of things in life these days.
 
Action issues

Boy do I know what each of you are talking about.

Just the other day playing a guy race to 4 barbox 8 ball for $100 and he's shooting on the hill down $200. He double hits the CB on his 3rd solid left on the way to an easy runout. The balls were about an inch apart and the CB rolled about 2 feet forward (he doesn't have that stroke!). The CB leaves him a shot on another solid, but not easy position for the last solid and out. Given his ability I say he's out probably only 30% of the time. DO I CALL THE BAD HIT and take BIH to make it hill hill? No. Because he's down 2 sets already and I don't want to spoil the action by challenging him. If he's honestly unaware that it was a bad hit I can't convince him otherwise, my arguing it will only motivate him. If he knew it was a bad lick and played it off like it wasn't then he deserves to lose, there's my motivation.

He missed the 2nd to last solid trying to get the difficult position and left me and easy 2 balls and the 8. It's hill hill and a break and run out, now he's -$300.

Why some people would not be smarter about cultivating and maintaining action? Some things you have to challenge so they know you won't be taken advantage of, other petty things, just let them be and play harder. You've got to give people some chance to win or they just won't play.

If somebody always quits winner or will lose only 2 sets and quit why would I bother? I'm ready to lose 6 sets straight if I like the game, few others are. When playing for $50 or more a set I now try to just lockup X amount for whatever to ensure they can't leave on me. Nothing makes me more pissed off than being in stroke and having someone quit on me early because of a headache, wife made dinner ect... If they were up they would pay the guy behind the counter to stay open past closing.
 
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I know what you all mean, but a pool room isn't much different than life in other situations. There are many types people out there with their own agendas. I've been in sales for a long time, and for the most part, I'm not that fond of sales people as a whole. There are good ones, and there are the A-holes, just like you are describing in the pool room.

What I hate, is if you are giving a lesson for money, some people will saddle up next to the table to hear every word and not ask if it's OK, or offer a penny to the guy who paid. Then they believe it is their information to give to anyone they want.

I was showing a friend of mine how to make the 1st ball in the corner when 2 balls are frozen on the spot w/ball in hand behind the line (common shot in 1-pocket). This guy listened, decided I knew what I was doing so as soon as his friend entered the room (which was like less than 3 minutes after I showed the shot), he got out of his chair, ran up to him and proceeded to tell him what he had just learned. I was so angry I didn't give another lesson in that pool room until after he died. Maybe that's a little extreme but I hated that - it just hit me the wrong way.

Dave
 
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master9baller said:
Boy do I know what each of you are talking about.

Just the other day playing a guy race to 4 barbox 8 ball for $100 and he's shooting on the hill down $200. He double hits the CB on his 3rd solid left on the way to an easy runout. The balls were about an inch apart and the CB rolled about 2 feet forward (he doesn't have that stroke!). The CB leaves him a shot on another solid, but not easy position for the last solid and out. Given his ability I say he's out probably only 30% of the time. DO I CALL THE BAD HIT and take BIH to make it hill hill? No. Because he's down 2 sets already and I don't want to spoil the action by challenging him. If he's honestly unaware that it was a bad hit I can't convince him otherwise, my arguing it will only motivate him. If he knew it was a bad lick and played it off like it wasn't then he deserves to lose, there's my motivation.

He missed the 2nd to last solid trying to get the difficult position and left me and easy 2 balls and the 8. It's hill hill and a break and run out, now he's -$300.

Why some people would not be smarter about cultivating and maintaining action? Some things you have to challenge so they know you won't be taken advantage of, other petty things, just let them be and play harder. You've got to give people some chance to win or they just won't play.

If somebody always quits winner or will lose only 2 sets and quit why would I bother? I'm ready to lose 6 sets straight if I like the game, few others are. When playing for $50 or more a set I now try to just lockup X amount for whatever to ensure they can't leave on me. Nothing makes me more pissed off than being in stroke and having someone quit on me early because of a headache, wife made dinner ect... If they were up they would pay the guy behind the counter to stay open past closing.
Click to expand...

All the posts in this thread are great thus far, but I'll pick JCIN's and yours, master9baller, as the two that best exemplify these types of people:

1. "He can't see the forest, for he's too busy studying the bark on a single tree."

2. "Penny-wise, dollar-foolish." "Can't see past his own nose."

These people are so concerned with the "here and now" that they don't see an even better opportunity laid right there in front of them, if they'll just wait. They might have to "take a lick" in the meantime, but the reward is much greater. Unfortunately these people are too short-sighted to see it, and end-run their own success.

<tisk, tisk> to these "players." They are marring the reputation of people who do it right.

-Sean
 
Tap, tap, tap JCIN!...especially the first paragraph! :thumbup:

Scott Lee
www.poolknowledge.com

JCIN said:
Some people are just a pain in the ass. The worst guy guys to gamble with are the ones who think that they are "making a living hustling" or "on the road". Both of these phrases in the great majority of the time are code for "broke dick and trying to steal".

Anyone who has spent any time in a pool room know the type I mean. The guys who will chisel for the stone nuts in a $50 set. Then if the "fish" gives up the nuts and tries to outrun it, fails and tries to adjust after a few sets he is heartless. All over less than what a dinner for two at a decent place costs.

The more time I spend around good people who also happen to like pool action the less tolerance I have for all of the petty bullshit that goes on every day in nickel and dime games. Many of the players I know who are great action, as soon as this type of player starts the come on, they just walk away. I'm sure many here can tell stories of these "hustlers" running off the best action in the pool room. By best action I mean people who will play a fair game, pay when they lose, are drama free and are a pleasure to play and be around.

My favorite example of this is toothpick at a lumberyard guy. Some well healed (or just employed) guy in the pool room who like to play and enjoys action gets accosted by the toothpick man woofing at him and every human in a 100 mile radius knows the guy is shooting one barrel trying for a parlay. If toothpick man wasn't so self righteous about it it wouldn't be so bad but when he starts in with the "nit" because someone wont play a tough game with only the hopes of winning one set it sends me all the way on tilt.

There is a fine line between stirring up action and being a douchebag. More and more it seems people are falling on the wrong side of that line.
Click to expand...
 
double d

I agree there is nothing wrong with pool, it is great sport. It is just some of the people (nits) who give it an undeservedly bad name.
 
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