Ah, we have winnah!
Gambling...not sure I like it, even when I win.
- Thread starter Sir Scratchalot
- Start date
Ah, we have winnah!
From a post I made some time back:
I'm speaking for myself only here, winning the money was/is seldom the goal for me. Playing for money is a means to an end, not the end in itself. Yes, I've enjoyed taking money from some people. In particular, someone who thought their skill level was way over mine and they had bragged about how bad they could beat me, spotting me quite a bit in Straight pool. I've liked coming out on the winning end of a ring game after four or five hours. I like taking someone's money whose intent is just to win mine. Hustle in reverse, so to speak.
I've said this before, playing for money gives me a reason not to miss. It sharpens my concentration. Keeps me down on the shot 'till the ball goes in the pocket. I admit that there have been times when I've played for money and this didn't happen, but more often than not, it did. It's kind of like risking something in hopes of some reward. I've never been able to play real well in tournaments and I've hated playing for nothing and losing to people well, well below my own skill level just because they wouldn't bet two dollars that fat meat was greasy, to quote the fat man. I've said this before also, it's the way some of us learned to play! And George Fels said in his book "By all means, play for a little something. It will help to learn to handle the unique pressures of the game a bit better", or words to that effect. I just don't like people making an agenda against gambling just because they know somebody with a gambling problem and talking like the rest of us who play for money are dirt bags and that all gambling is wrong. Sorry for the rant. And, I always tell people that playing for money will help them get better faster. It's not the only way, sure, but it's a lot faster than trying to learn to play for pride, for most people, at least in my experience.
I'm speaking for myself only here, winning the money was/is seldom the goal for me. Playing for money is a means to an end, not the end in itself. Yes, I've enjoyed taking money from some people. In particular, someone who thought their skill level was way over mine and they had bragged about how bad they could beat me, spotting me quite a bit in Straight pool. I've liked coming out on the winning end of a ring game after four or five hours. I like taking someone's money whose intent is just to win mine. Hustle in reverse, so to speak.
I've said this before, playing for money gives me a reason not to miss. It sharpens my concentration. Keeps me down on the shot 'till the ball goes in the pocket. I admit that there have been times when I've played for money and this didn't happen, but more often than not, it did. It's kind of like risking something in hopes of some reward. I've never been able to play real well in tournaments and I've hated playing for nothing and losing to people well, well below my own skill level just because they wouldn't bet two dollars that fat meat was greasy, to quote the fat man. I've said this before also, it's the way some of us learned to play! And George Fels said in his book "By all means, play for a little something. It will help to learn to handle the unique pressures of the game a bit better", or words to that effect. I just don't like people making an agenda against gambling just because they know somebody with a gambling problem and talking like the rest of us who play for money are dirt bags and that all gambling is wrong. Sorry for the rant. And, I always tell people that playing for money will help them get better faster. It's not the only way, sure, but it's a lot faster than trying to learn to play for pride, for most people, at least in my experience.
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A fool and their money are soon parted. I have seen guys playing for $100's that can't run a rack and when busted want to borrow more to "beat that guy".
Only winner in a pool match over time is the house. They just love those long sessions.
This reminds me of the time I saw some of our horse players move on to the pool room after the races were over. I headed over there as I usually would anyway for my pool fix. This rather vociferous gambler nicknamed (appropriately) "The Mouth" was playing an ex NBA player game after game of 9 ball. Neither could play AT ALL, LOL. But that did not deter them from starting the bet at $500 per game and moving up from there. It was HILARIOUS!! The games took forever, but watching them jaw bone back and forth and then "shoot" was a hoot. I think that I recall that The Mouth had a comical chicken wing "stroke" and the ex NBA player looked pretty humerous to me, as he dwarfed his cue and made it appear that he held a toothpick in his hands instead of a pool cue.
So, there is entertainment value in action matches, certainly.
Oh yeah, this thread has jogged some memories for sure. To those who say that gambling makes them play with more focus, I say, good on you! I wish it did for me too. I recall a onepocket match were I was playing a strong player and I was getting 8-6 I think. He was much my best, but at this spot, we were both gambling. I was playing well and studied a shot for a long time. Make it, and I'm out. Miss it, and you know. Well, I made it and started to line up my next shot. That's when it was announced that I had just fired the ball directly into my opponents pocket...on accident, but yet on purpose, lol. DAMMIT!!!
I know!
It's also like Chopdoc says... you cant judge a book by it's cover.
That trash talking, hard hitting, beer drinking, bisexual beauty in the first video is probably a stripper right? Nope she is a dentist.
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Seeing how Dallas has a team in this "sport", I just MIGHT have to go to a "game".
Could be fun.
It would probably be fun. You might have a tough time convincing one of them though that sport and game, when used to describe what they do, needs to be in quotation marks.
https://youtu.be/WzO5a5LzcvM They take it serious.
Believe me, I wouldn't do that quotation mark thing with my fingers while talking to any of them. LOL
Honestly, I would have no problems calling them athletes. It's quite plain they earn it.
Ha ha.
Talking to one of them your fingers would be wanting to touch... am I right?
#touchdown
Ha ha.
Talking to one of them your fingers would be wanting to touch... am I right?
#touchdown
You are correct!
Yep, me too! Naturally:thumbup:
Here is another look at Alli Alberts. https://youtu.be/a0B1cLR0oQQ She is an interesting character herself.
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Do what you are comfortable with. I do not gamble. I have no interest in taking someones money or giving them mine. Winning $ does nothing for me. Losing bothers me. Lately I'll play for coffee or lunch if I'm friends with my opponent. Some say the best way to improve is to play for cash. I prefer to pay an instructor.
Enjoy the game your way. You have the right idea.
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100% agree with the OP - could have written the post myself. I think lack of $ is the reason I can't comfortably gamble.
I grew up without blow money, raised a family of 6 on one non-college income - gambling has always been impossible to enjoy - even now with kids gone and a really good income, I can't imagine putting $20 on a game of pool - even if I was 'sure' I would win. I'm not shy about blowing $20-30+ on lunch, or spending (who knows how much) money on entertainment - just that betting feels..."wrong" to me in a psycho-logical way I can't seem to get past...