Does anyone actually believe GAMBLING will

crawfish said:
And how'd they get to play them.........
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Ok, if you don't actually READ my posts, its hard for you to see my point.

Here it is again:

"I would love to play a set with Ginky, but do you think he will play me for free? Doubt it. Im not a huge gambler, but I would put some money on the line to go up against a great player. I think the pressure of playing a great player will raise your game more than the pressure of losing money.

What Im saying is, sometimes you dont have a choice if you want to play someone better. And if Tony doesnt gamble now, I would guess he just doesnt enjoy it.... therefor, I would say his reason for ever gambling was to play people who wouldnt play otherwise. "
 
Also wanted to add...

Just because in the past it was required to become a great player by gambling doesn't mean it has to be in the future. Great tennis players always came from private clubs and lifelong instruction. The Williams sisters were poor and played on schoolyard courts and still became great.

Gambling surely helps with pressure and quality of opponents but you can never convince me it's a deal breaker. Just the dominant trend right now.
 
cueandcushion said:
Also wanted to add...

Just because in the past it was required to become a great player by gambling doesn't mean it has to be in the future. Great tennis players always came from private clubs and lifelong instruction. The Williams sisters were poor and played on schoolyard courts and still became great.

Gambling surely helps with pressure and quality of opponents but you can never convince me it's a deal breaker. Just the dominant trend right now.
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I guess you're right. I think this is like a fifty or sixty year trend, though.
 
Thorsten Hohmann doesnt gamble.
Pressure is a state of mind. No one can put more pressure on you than yourself! Whether with something on the line or not.
I think a lot of people say it is necessary, are just looking to get a game
Gambling may make the game more interesting. But is not a necessity to improving your game
 
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CocoboloCowboy said:
:sorry: I hear this song and dance all the time, and I believe the answer is NO.
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And I hear this song and dance all the time. Long, long ago, someone said to me, "It gives you a reason not to miss!" In his book, George Fels says "By all means play for a little something. It will help you learn to handle the pressure of the game better.", quote may not be quite right, but you get the idea. It was years before I could play decent pool in tournaments. I have never played well playing my friends in any situation. And anyone who knows me well will tell you I love pool and competition as well as anyone else. It's the way some of us learned to play. Why the hell can't you just leave it at that??? I can't begin to tell you the number of people I've seen whine about this on this forum.
IF YOU DON'T WANT TO GAMBLE, DON'T!!! I don't tell anybody they have to gamble, but I will tell them that it will help them concentrate, once the get used to it. Nobody has to bet more than they can afford to lose and if they do, then they shouldn't gamble. But, it's their decision, just as it is mine, and yours. I really don't think I care for your attitude.
 
I know of a local player.
He plays great in tournaments.
Put $20 on the table, he becomes blind.
 
cueandcushion said:
Also wanted to add...

Just because in the past it was required to become a great player by gambling doesn't mean it has to be in the future. Great tennis players always came from private clubs and lifelong instruction. The Williams sisters were poor and played on schoolyard courts and still became great.

Gambling surely helps with pressure and quality of opponents but you can never convince me it's a deal breaker. Just the dominant trend right now.
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Now there's the quote of the day! And it was my point, exactly. If other sports are not dependent on gambling to produce great players, why is pool? Why does our past have to dictate our future? Are we ever going to break away from this stigma that has choked our sport's growth for decades? Will we ever come up with a program that will show youths how to become champions without having to gamble with already great players?
We haven't done it yet, and that's why we can't name any great players who have not come from a gambling background. But could we establish a program like that if we wanted to? Sure we could. We would just have to want it bad enough to make it happen.

Roger
 
Roger Long said:
Now there's the quote of the day! And it was my point, exactly. If other sports are not dependent on gambling to produce great players, why is pool? Why does our past have to dictate our future? Are we ever going to break away from this stigma that has choked our sport's growth for decades? Will we ever come up with a program that will show youths how to become champions without having to gamble with already great players?
We haven't done it yet, and that's why we can't name any great players who have not come from a gambling background. But could we establish a program like that if we wanted to? Sure we could. We would just have to want it bad enough to make it happen.

Roger
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You're right, if "we wanted to." But, because of the places that pool is played, it'll be hard. Hey, ever seen a basketball player take a long bathroom break, or buy a pitcher of beer? No? Go to a pro event and sit back and observe. Most of the time, you have more pills and "other stuff" than an Eckerd's Pharmacy. Catch 22.
 
I don't play pool to make money, so for me, gambling is really all about adding pressure to the game. It certainly does that, but it's also not the only way.

That said, gambling is pretty often the only way you're going to pull out someone's "real" game though. So if that's what you're after, then your options are limited unless you happen to catch them in a big tournament or something like that.

To me, there's too much baggage that goes along with gambling, so I just don't do it anymore. I'd much rather play against my personal records, play the ghost, etc. to put pressure on myself. Every once in a while I'll play sets against other people for a coke or a candy bar, but that's usually more about the thrill of winning than it is about the money.
 
spoons said:
I don't play pool to make money, so for me, gambling is really all about adding pressure to the game. It certainly does that, but it's also not the only way.

That said, gambling is pretty often the only way you're going to pull out someone's "real" game though. So if that's what you're after, then your options are limited unless you happen to catch them in a big tournament or something like that.

To me, there's too much baggage that goes along with gambling, so I just don't do it anymore. I'd much rather play against my personal records, play the ghost, etc. to put pressure on myself. Every once in a while I'll play sets against other people for a coke or a candy bar, but that's usually more about the thrill of winning than it is about the money.
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If that is what works and makes you happy. But, the original question was whether or not gambling makes you a better player. The answer to this is very easy. Of course it does. Now, there are those who think they can do it without gambling. Maybe. Show me. JUST NAME ONE (or two in case there is one out there). All I am saying is that almost all Great players gamble or did, therefore, it must be some sort of catalyst. I don't know any other way to quantify this. 99/100 did or do gamble. (I'm giving you credit for the one, even though I haven't heard one yet that is proveable.) If 99% do or did, wouldn't you agree it just might help you get better. Whether it's the opponent level, or pressure, it plain out helps.
 
Have you considered why they gambled? Was there another way for them to make money playing their favorite sport?
 
Okay, I've given this some thought (sorry, I haven't read all the replies but I'll get to it) -

Saying gambling improves your game is kind of like saying combing your hair will get you laid. Obviously, if you want to get laid, having a neat appearance CAN be important, not always but it definitely doesn't hurt.

Regarding pool, you have to do several things in order to get better. One of those things is matching up against better players. The problem with this is, a lot of better players don't want to bother playing weaker ones unless money is involved. Gambling is a way of getting a better player's attention and the end result is the weaker player will either improve or go broke.

So yes, comb your hair if neatness is your MO. If you're looking to improve through matching up, you might need to go to the ATM before you get a table but no, it's not the only way to improve.
 
AngryPanda said:
Have you considered why they gambled? Was there another way for them to make money playing their favorite sport?
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This is useless. Unless you are a great player, no there is not another way. How do you get great? Playing better players. If I told you you could be a top one thousand player without gambling or top ten with some action thrown in, which would you choose? Now, go grab some top ten players and ask them if they truthfully have ever gambled.
 
Does anyone actually believe that you don't start these threads just to have a reason to disagree with people?

With that said, it isn't so much the act "gambling" that will help your game, but rather playing under pressure. There aren't tournaments every night of the week, so what are you gonna do to create that pressure situation? Not to mention, there's a different type of pressure when gambling vs. tournament play, so my opinion is that it's good to experience both.
 
junior718 said:
you learn your mistakes a little easier when there are consequences.
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I have to agree with this sentiment. When there's something to lose, you experience fear. The brain actually works better when fear is involved. It's a survival mechanism. When you are frightened, the experience is slowed down, you remember every detail. Your memory of the event is absolutely perfect. If you're not afraid, it's easy to forget your mistakes.
 
I think we are confusing "make you a better player" and "ability to play under pressure", or what I tend to think of as the ability to perform what you practice.

Gambling will not make you a better player but may help you learn to win under pressure.

There.

If I put $20 on a game, it will not one whit help me make that table cut shot down the rail if I could not make it an hour ago by myself.
 
I have noticed that many B players are always telling the C and D players that the only way they will get better is if they gamble. Oddly enough, when the A players are around the B players are no where to be found.
 
Useless, just useless. Gambling is a tool to help you. I'm not telling you to go out and play Johnny a $500 dollar set just to learn. But, play people that will bet within your means. It will help you. Don't you want to use all tools that will help you? If your aspirations are to be a good player, then use them all. Take a poll of great players, if 99% of them gamble, isn't that enough for you? This is just useless.
 
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