Gambling in Pool....Why People like the Underworld Element

[CJ Wiley]

I've heard a lot of very valid points about why pool's not as popular now as it was in the 90's..after doing quite a bit of research I have formed some solid opinions about this matter and would like to hear what you think....in a recent online "think tank poll" 1000 random people were polled and only 2% said they would watch pool UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES...it didn't matter how much money was involved or even what type of pool game it was....on the other hand when ask if they would be interested in watching pool if they KNEW THE PLAYER and had heard them tell interesting stories about "gambling at pool and life on the road", it jumped up to over 70%....this puts a big hole in the stories saying "pool's not successful because of the image of gambling and hustling"....it's quite the contrary my pool friends...the fact is POOL CAN NOT BE SUCCESSFUL WITHOUT THE IMAGE OF HUSTLING AND GAMBLING....this is the "powder" in the magic bullet and the key that unlocks the door to understanding the real reason pool has declined in the past 15 years.....after all the waves were all made by 'THE HUSTLER' and 'THE COLOR OF MONEY'....I road the last wave and pool was very popular on ESPN until about 14 years after the release of the Color of Money (in 86 starring Paul Newman and Tom Cruise)....and it's been declining in ratings ever since and rarely is even seen on ESPN anymore.....and it seems to have been replaced with an even bigger gambling/action game....Poker....maybe we have something to learn from the world wide popularity of cards on TV.....maybe gambling isn't pools image problem, maybe, maybe it's the solution!

 

[screamingelvis]

There is alot of public intrigue in the high stakes/ danger aspect of the game. But the commercial challenge goes beyond that ! Who would ever think we would be watching poker on Cable everyday 10 years ago ? On the surface it's not anymore exciting than watching paint dry however...once the intellectual aspect of the life of a "rounder" is laid out only then can a normal joe / jill embrace it and make it their own. The added plus here is the ability to realize a hole card and see the hand develop. Pool needs a hook by which risk is rewarded that's what people love to watch...gambling in pool is more often controlled risk that not everyone realizes until its over...watching matches does not satisfy commercial hunger of this type of reward system. So it may not be gambling per se that stimulates interest...just think if every person thought they have an even chance (poker is pure chance 'right') to beat you and take home the pot how many people would buy a custom cue to try ? More than 2 i'm sure. Best of luck to you Jim

 

[CJ Wiley]

You are right about that.....the magic bullet in Poker was when they started showing the hole card and people were more attached to the hand and how it unfolded.....knowing the odds and watching how the players went up against the pressure....pool needs that "magic bullet" and that's what myself and a few others are working to find....we have several of the key elements, however there's still something missing.....and I have a feeling it can be figured out and it's NOT anything like what people may guess....that seems to be how life works somethings...especially in the pool scenario.

 

[screamingelvis]

It would seem to me (not baiting you just offering suggestions) if gambling were to be part of the solution it should be offered on the spectator side and offered in the books at casinos even though the action would be light to start. Not a traditional bet though. Pool could be as full of stats as baseball (boring to watch too) and exclusive access to the quarter finals on would heighten things. The bet should be live calcutta to "place" out of the entire field, and a bump return for the "owners" in the quarters. This at least gives us 'joes' a format to use at home. We need big unified money on top (golf) and a way to get grassroots involved ( NCAA ) Good luck and thanks for the tips. Jim