Cheap sets to figure out his speed, that work?

Mustardeer

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Gonna try to keep this short. A nice guy I kinda trust who is an okay player but not a strong player ( I’m guessing he’s never ran a 3 pack in his life but I’ve seen him run 15 balls in rotation on a 9’. Anyway he calls me and tells me about a guy looking for action. This unknown guy will play last pocket 8ball on a barbox but for at least 5k. He said there’s no limit how much he’ll play for. Somehow there’s no video of this guy shooting anywhere online and there’s no last name. So I ask this pal about that guy and he says he’s unbelievable. Really really strong player. Whatever that means. ( he barey speaks English so couldnt ask specifics ). So my question if I talk him into some cheap sets is there a way I’ll figure out his speed? Say I appear out of nowhere and ask for a 10 dollar game or 50 dollar race to 3. How much is it gonna cost to figure out his speed? I dont want to lose 500 to win 5000. Nobody I know have heard of this guy and nobody wants to drive for 2 hours to check him out. I’m thinking about playing him or backing a stronger friend of mine ( 725 fargo ). What’s the best way to do this? A few buds told me go play him for 50 bucks and come back and tell me about it or shoot it on hidden video. The one thing I can tell for sure is that it’s real and he’s not a gang banger but an actual pool player looking for action.
 

highkarate

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Gonna try to keep this short. A nice guy I kinda trust who is an okay player but not a strong player ( I’m guessing he’s never ran a 3 pack in his life but I’ve seen him run 15 balls in rotation on a 9’. Anyway he calls me and tells me about a guy looking for action. This unknown guy will play last pocket 8ball on a barbox but for at least 5k. He said there’s no limit how much he’ll play for. Somehow there’s no video of this guy shooting anywhere online and there’s no last name. So I ask this pal about that guy and he says he’s unbelievable. Really really strong player. Whatever that means. ( he barey speaks English so couldnt ask specifics ). So my question if I talk him into some cheap sets is there a way I’ll figure out his speed? Say I appear out of nowhere and ask for a 10 dollar game or 50 dollar race to 3. How much is it gonna cost to figure out his speed? I dont want to lose 500 to win 5000. Nobody I know have heard of this guy and nobody wants to drive for 2 hours to check him out. I’m thinking about playing him or backing a stronger friend of mine ( 725 fargo ). What’s the best way to do this? A few buds told me go play him for 50 bucks and come back and tell me about it or shoot it on hidden video. The one thing I can tell for sure is that it’s real and he’s not a gang banger but an actual pool player looking for action.

I doubt he plays better than a 725, so I'd put my buddy in the box. But I'd see if he's willing to play regular 8 ball. Last pocket 8-ball is a gaff game. They're gonna soft break and move on you, not try to runout. So unless you're really familiar with that game, you're not gonna win even if you're 100 points better than him. You will get out-moved. It's like playing 1 pocket for the first time against a player who has been playing for years. You may shoot straighter and move the cue ball better, but if you don't know the moves it won't matter. If you/your buddy are really good last pocket 8-ball players, than yeah just try him I guess.
 

couldnthinkof01

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
If his fundamentals are good, his pattern
play and risk management( when to play safe
or block a pocket) will give it away
if you know what your looking at.
$50-100 a game should let you know
pretty quick if your good enough to
put pressure on him.

Anyone that wants to play that high
at a gaffy game should be taken
seriously.
 

jrctherake

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I agree with both previous posters.

In short:

People that are willing to bet high on gaffe pool games are one of two things, they are either really strong players or really smart gamblers. Sometimes you find they are both.

Like above poster said,

Proceed with caution

Jeff
 

VonRhett

Friends Call Me "von"
Silver Member
My take is different - if you don't know how to determine someones speed, PLUS contrast that to your friends speed, then you have no business even considering a match up for stated amounts.

You've already lost.

Sometimes a 700 can never beat a specific 660; other matches will always, always be a coin toss; yet with other two players the 700 will always win.

As the stake horse you must know the differences or you will go broke like so many before you.

Just keepin' it real.

-von
 

maha

from way back when
Silver Member
that crap comes up all the time. you get there and find he wont play without a spot or doesnt have the money or wants to put up a check. or will p lay you but not your friend.


and no one thats good enough to beat any comers will play for 10 bucks and show his speed. and anyway if he is real good he is going to run out most games and you wont be able to tell how good he is anyway.
 

couldnthinkof01

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Another thing to keep in mind is those
who are good at gambling/ handicapping
worked just as hard and it took just as long
as those who are good at pool.
It doesnt happen overnight and your lunch
gets taken plenty of times in the process.
Might just be best to stay home with your
pb&j than try to go out for steak with the
big boys.
 

alstl

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Gonna try to keep this short. A nice guy I kinda trust who is an okay player but not a strong player ( I’m guessing he’s never ran a 3 pack in his life but I’ve seen him run 15 balls in rotation on a 9’. Anyway he calls me and tells me about a guy looking for action. This unknown guy will play last pocket 8ball on a barbox but for at least 5k. He said there’s no limit how much he’ll play for. Somehow there’s no video of this guy shooting anywhere online and there’s no last name. So I ask this pal about that guy and he says he’s unbelievable. Really really strong player. Whatever that means. ( he barey speaks English so couldnt ask specifics ). So my question if I talk him into some cheap sets is there a way I’ll figure out his speed? Say I appear out of nowhere and ask for a 10 dollar game or 50 dollar race to 3. How much is it gonna cost to figure out his speed? I dont want to lose 500 to win 5000. Nobody I know have heard of this guy and nobody wants to drive for 2 hours to check him out. I’m thinking about playing him or backing a stronger friend of mine ( 725 fargo ). What’s the best way to do this? A few buds told me go play him for 50 bucks and come back and tell me about it or shoot it on hidden video. The one thing I can tell for sure is that it’s real and he’s not a gang banger but an actual pool player looking for action.

Sounds to me like you are being steered. Your speed has already been clocked by the nice guy you kinda trust who told you about the game.
 

Black-Balled

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
that crap comes up all the time. you get there and find he wont play without a spot or doesnt have the money or wants to put up a check. or will p lay you but not your friend.


and no one thats good enough to beat any comers will play for 10 bucks and show his speed. and anyway if he is real good he is going to run out most games and you wont be able to tell how good he is anyway.
Shit! Dude is already getting the game changed on him, isn't he?

Last pocket, 5k min...he said.
 

Scratch85

AzB Gold Member
Gold Member
Silver Member
The entire premise behind a hustle is having the other guy try to clock your speed, while playing cheap sets and laying down the lemon, only to raise the bet later for a big payoff. If you’re the one trying to clock another’s speed by playing cheap sets, beware, you may be the mark.

On the other hand, if you’re talking about players with Fargo 725 and maybe higher, you’re out of my league and I haven’t any advice. Except, a lot of people talk big until it’s time to post. After that it’s too late for one of you.


Sent from my iPhone using AzBilliards Forums
 

Mustardeer

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I just called the middle man ( the guy I know ). The middle man doesnt really know my speed. What I got out of the convo is that the guy who wants to bet high wants to play anyone for $10000 1 game. Not a race. 1 game. But he also said he’ll play a race for 5000 as promised. No idea if he has a backer but 10k per game makes no sense to me. But a long race for 5k might be interesting especially if his plan is to safety me to death on a barbox. I asked to play 20 bucks a game he said sure that’s fine. I think I’ll meet him. If he’s one of those old school guys who doesnt use the internet he might end up matching up with one of my pro pals. Will see. I’ll go check it out and report back next week.
 
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jasonlaus

Rep for Smorg
Silver Member
Ask James Aranas how playing a guy last pocket(or back pocket) cant remember for sure worked out for him at the Expo last year.

It's a completely different game and if you or your pro friends dont play it you cant win.

Is the guys name Burrito or something like that? If it is, he's gonna have a crew with him to shark and be very threatening.

You might just be showing up to be robbed at gunpoint anyway knowing that you have $10,000+ in your pocket.

Doesn't seem very smart to me, but hey, I'm not very smart.

You can probably find the thread about Aranas playing a similar game.
 

Mustardeer

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Ha yeah I’ve seen that video it’s an old one. Burrito picked up chalk while Aranas was shooting... This whole thing might be a waste of time but I’ll go meet him. If I end up playing for a grand or more I’ll bring people I’m not worried. If it doesnt feel right I’ll walk. Years ago an Italian looking guy asked me to play for $10 a game. I sucked back then but he couldnt play at all. I won the first game, the second game and like the next 20 or 30 games. He didnt win a single game. The entire time I was waiting for him to say let’s play a race for a grand or whatever. But what ended up happening he calmly shook my hand and said “you taught me a lesson” and I walked away with like 300 bucks. Not a single game was close and he was sober. My point what if this 10k player is a guy like that. I gotta at least check it out. I’ve played plenty of barbox last pocket but not my favorite game. I’ll try to see if he’s down to shoot 10 ball on a 9’ at ten bucks a ball. Assuming he cant play. If he’s any good I’ll walk or play cheap sets for fun.
 

jasonlaus

Rep for Smorg
Silver Member
Ha yeah I’ve seen that video it’s an old one. Burrito picked up chalk while Aranas was shooting... This whole thing might be a waste of time but I’ll go meet him. If I end up playing for a grand or more I’ll bring people I’m not worried. If it doesnt feel right I’ll walk. Years ago an Italian looking guy asked me to play for $10 a game. I sucked back then but he couldnt play at all. I won the first game, the second game and like the next 20 or 30 games. He didnt win a single game. The entire time I was waiting for him to say let’s play a race for a grand or whatever. But what ended up happening he calmly shook my hand and said “you taught me a lesson” and I walked away with like 300 bucks. Not a single game was close and he was sober. My point what if this 10k player is a guy like that. I gotta at least check it out. I’ve played plenty of barbox last pocket but not my favorite game. I’ll try to see if he’s down to shoot 10 ball on a 9’ at ten bucks a ball. Assuming he cant play. If he’s any good I’ll walk or play cheap sets for fun.

Be careful.

Good luck.
Jason
 

couldnthinkof01

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Ha yeah I’ve seen that video it’s an old one. Burrito picked up chalk while Aranas was shooting... This whole thing might be a waste of time but I’ll go meet him. If I end up playing for a grand or more I’ll bring people I’m not worried. If it doesnt feel right I’ll walk. Years ago an Italian looking guy asked me to play for $10 a game. I sucked back then but he couldnt play at all. I won the first game, the second game and like the next 20 or 30 games. He didnt win a single game. The entire time I was waiting for him to say let’s play a race for a grand or whatever. But what ended up happening he calmly shook my hand and said “you taught me a lesson” and I walked away with like 300 bucks. Not a single game was close and he was sober. My point what if this 10k player is a guy like that. I gotta at least check it out. I’ve played plenty of barbox last pocket but not my favorite game. I’ll try to see if he’s down to shoot 10 ball on a 9’ at ten bucks a ball. Assuming he cant play. If he’s any good I’ll walk or play cheap sets for fun.

Some people just like to play high.
I hope that you are lucky enough to just
find a guy that likes to gamble, is a gentleman,
and enjoy the game of pool.
They are few and far between.
Saying your not worried makes me a little worried.
I dont know you but, I have seen enough to know
it takes far less than 5k or even 500 for a guy
that has little to lose to risk it all to get a small amount.
A small amount of worry can be good for a guy.
Stay safe and good luck.
 

nodeflection

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Bring 725 friend and have 500 in hundreds. Say let's play one game for 500 bank last pocket, flash the 5 see if his eyes light up.
 
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