Lol... Pool "can" be about social interaction. Pool IS about competition. If I'm matched up with someone at the poolhall for anything more then "cheap", the last thing I want to do is find out how their weekend was during the match.
Now to your point, on the rare occasion that I'm out and just playing someone for fun, then sure, it could be considered rude if excessive.
If I'm in any remote form actual competition, as long as my opponent is sitting in the chair and not trying to shark me or causing a delay in the match, I really don't care.
I "kinda sorta" agree. Caveat: please read what follows as being "for me" -- it is my personal perspective, and I am not, by any means, advancing that my views, or attitudes, do, or should, apply to anyone else.
Gambling on pool, as opposed to tournament and "social" play, is a horse of a different color. When I enter a tournament or just drop in for an afternoon or evening of pool, I am pursuing diversion, entertainment, etc. Simply hanging out and shooting a game or a hundred provide one of my essential respites.
Gambling on pool presents an entirely different undertaking -- it is work -- it is all about the Benjamins: getting another cat's money out of his pocket and into mine. Such endeavors are complicated by many other factors which are too numerous to list or discuss here. However, winning or losing, I still prefer to have an enjoyable experience, and I prefer to not gamble with self centered, egotistical ("rude") @*#&$!s. There are too many other ways to make a buck without the psychic wear and tear. More than once I have pulled up (winning and losing) because I simply could not fade an obnoxious environment. (This being said, however, there is a special emotional satisfaction to be derived from hanging in and taking the last dollar from such folks. Such instances, however, appeal to, and are also motivated by, one's baser instincts, are tinged with no small amount of sadistic intent, and are not really about money but rather crushing the soul of a deserving idiot.) But I digress . . .
An essential aspect of successful gambling is the ability to keep a game going once one has encountered a favorable position (see also, the concept of keeping folks "coming back for more"). When your opponent is losing significant amounts of money, often his natural instinct is to quit. A successful gambler must be able to allay or overcome such impulses and keep the game alive. At such critical junctures, a real or feigned interest in "how their weekend went" can result in significant dividends. Hustling is often cited as one method of keeping a mark on the line, but I believe that creating and maintaining a friendly and comfortable environment is much more effective -- especially when continuing scores are a possibility.
My mind keeps going to cards. I am not a poker player, but from watching on TV, it sure seems that there is much "socializing" going on around the table. But that's a subject for another day and other correspondents. I have stayed up too late and told too much, but I felt this was too important a matter to allow pass without comment.
