gambling now in my eyes...
- Thread starter bigsamho
- Start date
Money Action!,,n The Bars!
Well that about sum's it up!
In the 80's you could get $5, $10 , $20 dollar action anywhere on a bartable.
The 90's $2 to $10 dollar action anywhere on a bartable.
Now in the 2000's....."if you ask a guy to bet $2.00 their insulted!"......on a bartable, in a bar, tavern, or nightclub!,,,,,.....have to go to a poolroom and play a know player just to get action!......hhhaaaaa.....
......"people just don't have the extra cash I guess, or not as much gamble,
due to league handi-capping I guess"
David Harcrow
Neil said:
Well that about sum's it up!
In the 80's you could get $5, $10 , $20 dollar action anywhere on a bartable.
The 90's $2 to $10 dollar action anywhere on a bartable.
Now in the 2000's....."if you ask a guy to bet $2.00 their insulted!"......on a bartable, in a bar, tavern, or nightclub!,,,,,.....have to go to a poolroom and play a know player just to get action!......hhhaaaaa.....
......"people just don't have the extra cash I guess, or not as much gamble,
due to league handi-capping I guess"
David Harcrow
Gerry said:hmm...just this week I sat on the rail for 1dime....which turned into 2dime 1pocket action.....and this weekend I'm going to watch nickle a rack 8ball!!!
"you all" gotta move up north!....where's TAR?
Hey Gerry, who is playin? That's a sporty bet, a nick a rack 8ball......
roosterman said:
I understand your feeling here, but not sure I totally agree. The person giving the weight is going to win the huge majority of time anyhow. If they don't know how to play two shot, they probably aren't going to kick very well or play safe very well either.
It is hard today to give up good weight and get anybody ging like years past because everyone wants to play sets, cheap sets and take a ppk at it only to pull after one cheap set. When we played by the game, the double up was more prominent and easier to get someone going.
I will state this though, I don't think bar leagues have done the game any good at all.
JMO, and now I"m back to my bourbon.
av84fun said:
Leagues have a lot to do with the lack of gambling. First and foremost, it's a different mentality. I'll admit it, I learned to play by gambling with better players than me.
What's encouraging league players to get better? Getting ranked up seems like a negative thing according to the league players I know around here.
LEAGUE PLAY It's the same with the rest of the U.S. do as little as possible for as much as possible. why should they practice? whats the reward? Pride should be taken out of the dictionary. Now people are proud of how little they do, these are sad times. Now before everybody goes crazy this does not apply to everyone but the number is growing every day. I could go on forever but will only p%ss myself & others off. gotta go
Neil said:
Right and you have hit on what I think is the MAJOR reason for the lack of pro pool popularity either on TV or live events.
The fact is that a huge percentage of the players view pool as something to do while they're drinking beer...or at least "getting out of the house" even if they don't drink.
And it's not nearly as much work as bowling!
(-:
Regards,
Jim
All great points
This thread actually seems to be one that is worthy of some praise. All of the post I have read have hit the nail on the head. Gambling in pool has died due to all of the above reasons. Casinos have busted many guys that used to be great action in poolrooms across the country. Take St. Louis for example, (watchez feel free to chime in) there were 10 to 20 guys probably that were good action and matched up daily. Not sure exactly when all the casinos began sprouting, but that is when it slowly came to an end. It is the same story around many old time action spots. Combining that with the creation of pathetic leagues like the APA, and you have the ruination of gambling in poolrooms. Another thing is it seems like now when you lose at a game you can't even play the same game again. This has happened to me on several occasions. Sometimes the guys go broke, or so busted that they have to pay off bills the minute they beat somebody, and most of the time it's because they lack heart and pride. I mean seriously, if I beat a guy, I am praying they ask to play the same game again!!! Enough rambling here, but it is sad. I think all of the particpators in this thread need to meet at a huge poolroom and match up!!
This thread actually seems to be one that is worthy of some praise. All of the post I have read have hit the nail on the head. Gambling in pool has died due to all of the above reasons. Casinos have busted many guys that used to be great action in poolrooms across the country. Take St. Louis for example, (watchez feel free to chime in) there were 10 to 20 guys probably that were good action and matched up daily. Not sure exactly when all the casinos began sprouting, but that is when it slowly came to an end. It is the same story around many old time action spots. Combining that with the creation of pathetic leagues like the APA, and you have the ruination of gambling in poolrooms. Another thing is it seems like now when you lose at a game you can't even play the same game again. This has happened to me on several occasions. Sometimes the guys go broke, or so busted that they have to pay off bills the minute they beat somebody, and most of the time it's because they lack heart and pride. I mean seriously, if I beat a guy, I am praying they ask to play the same game again!!! Enough rambling here, but it is sad. I think all of the particpators in this thread need to meet at a huge poolroom and match up!!
enough league bashing.... just because YOUR league sucks does not mean all leagues suck...
It has nothing to do with gambling....Pool does not equal gambling to the vast majority of the world....that theory belongs only to a small subset of pool players...
playing with "something on the line" could be money... could be pride...could be league standing... could be lots of things... it is still playing under pressure.. and that is the universally accepted mark of a good pool player.
there are a billion ways to bet and lose your money..... you wanna gamble.. go for it...
my goal is to be the best pool player in the world... I have a bit of work left to do in that area .... but that is my goal..
reaching that goal has nothing to do with money..if I become the best in the world...thats it's own reward even if it cost me money... I don't care.. pool is my love .. not my living....if I make money at it... thats just a bonus...
I'm not playing to get rich...
I'm not playing to get famous...
I don't want to be on a Mosconi cup team....
I want YOU to be terrified to play me because you know I am the best in the world.....
one day I WILL get there.... regardless of how much I win or how much it costs....
It has nothing to do with gambling....Pool does not equal gambling to the vast majority of the world....that theory belongs only to a small subset of pool players...
playing with "something on the line" could be money... could be pride...could be league standing... could be lots of things... it is still playing under pressure.. and that is the universally accepted mark of a good pool player.
there are a billion ways to bet and lose your money..... you wanna gamble.. go for it...
my goal is to be the best pool player in the world... I have a bit of work left to do in that area .... but that is my goal..
reaching that goal has nothing to do with money..if I become the best in the world...thats it's own reward even if it cost me money... I don't care.. pool is my love .. not my living....if I make money at it... thats just a bonus...
I'm not playing to get rich...
I'm not playing to get famous...
I don't want to be on a Mosconi cup team....
I want YOU to be terrified to play me because you know I am the best in the world.....
one day I WILL get there.... regardless of how much I win or how much it costs....
If you don't play for money how are you going to play the best in the world? In mine and many others opinions any one of a 100 guys can win any event they enter. What tells the tale is who will get in the box and play some even. The best players and pool culture in the world is in the Philippines. Gambling is an integral part of that culture.softshot said:
Not to say you have to gamble to be great, but most do at some point.
IMO leagues and the rise of the bar table have completely changed the game over the last 20 years. Add in that you can gamble on damn near anything without ever leaving your house and we are seeing the result. Action isn't completely dead, anyone who has been to DCC knows that. A few weeks ago in Olathe there was all kinds of action.
One of the things we are trying to do at TAR is to make our events a 4 or 5 day get together for all the action players, fans and sweators in whatever area we are in. Ideally we will bring in some players and others who will help get it stirred up. So if you are gonna be in Kansas City May1-4 or Vegas May 8-17 make sure and come see us. There will be something going on.
One final note if this is really your goal: "I want YOU to be terrified to play me because you know I am the best in the world....."
You are drawing dead because I know a few guys who flat out are not scared of anybody ever.....and those are the ones you have to beat to get where you want to be, the thing is even if you beat them they wont be scared, they will just flip the coin.
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frankwhite said:
Hi Frank, I better check with these guys before throwing names around.....you know how it is?....it's going on up near Scranton hopefully this weekend. I don't know one of the guys, the other is a local young gun I practice with that is a freak of pooldom!
later.
While I understand that gambling has its place in our game, let me also point something out from my point of view on this subject.
I gambled for most of my young adult life. I won, I lost, gambling was just what I did. I did it with cards, pool, dice, horses, dogs, sports, you name it - I was laying bets on it.
As my life went on, the gambling became a real problem. It wasn't because I wasn't lucky, or that I was losing pool games - it was because it became an addiction. An addiction to action - it wasn't about the money - it was about the rush I got sweating the bets.
At first I was smart about it. Then I wasn't controlling it - it was controlling me.
It started to negatively effect every single aspect of my life, and I paid a dear price for that.
It destroyed my family.
It strained every relationship that I had in my life.
It negatively effected my professional reputation.
In the end I was left with nothing but heartache, strained relationships, and yes... nearly insurmountable debt.
I did something about it. I had to stop. Much like alcoholism, drugs, and cigarettes, it was an addiction. I've heard people come on here and try to glamorize gambling. It's not glamorous. If it is under control and it is not controlling every aspect of your life - I see no problem with it. Trouble is, I see very few "social" gamblers - and I don't hear many success stories out there. Many of my best friends from back in the day are dead. D-E-A-D. Those that are still alive fall into two major categories:
a) they are struggling financially
b) they've turned their life around too
One day I woke up and looked around the room. I saw guys twice my age doing exactly what I was doing and they had absolutely nothing to show for it. That was the moment that I woke up and realized that if I kept it up, someday I would be one of those guys.
I'm not here to preach - I'm just here to say that today I am more responsible with what I do with my money, my energy, and with my time. I don't rate my game on how much money I can play for. Anybody that tries to sell you that line is trying to reel you in.
I am not against action. I am not against gambling in pool - in fact I am all for using it as a tool to reel people into the beauty and excitement of our game. What I am against is people trying to say that it is the only true test to attain excellence. It's not. Ask Ralf Souquet.
I am also against people that say that if you aren't participating in it, you have no nuts. I am a decorated combat war veteran. I've fought and beat cancer - twice - I fought crime and violence every night for over 5 years as a police officer - and I was bodyslammed by Bruiser Brody on the cement floor of the Sportatorium in Dallas. Nuts I have. To me those things speak of my true character and who you are likely to deal with if you meet me in a dark alley.
It took me a long time to recover from the destruction of my gambling days. Recovering from all of that was much more difficult than any game I ever played for money. Today if I use the money that I do have to help other people - I don't gamble with it - or piss it away by staking somebody else. I try to make someone's day instead of breaking them down financially.
I've accomplished enough in my life to where it won't bother me if you want to label me a nit, or whatever - say whatever you need to feel better about yourself - I know what I have to do every day to survive - and gambling isn't one of them. If it is for you and you can control it - fine - just don't paint a broad brush to those of us that make wiser investments.
I gambled for most of my young adult life. I won, I lost, gambling was just what I did. I did it with cards, pool, dice, horses, dogs, sports, you name it - I was laying bets on it.
As my life went on, the gambling became a real problem. It wasn't because I wasn't lucky, or that I was losing pool games - it was because it became an addiction. An addiction to action - it wasn't about the money - it was about the rush I got sweating the bets.
At first I was smart about it. Then I wasn't controlling it - it was controlling me.
It started to negatively effect every single aspect of my life, and I paid a dear price for that.
It destroyed my family.
It strained every relationship that I had in my life.
It negatively effected my professional reputation.
In the end I was left with nothing but heartache, strained relationships, and yes... nearly insurmountable debt.
I did something about it. I had to stop. Much like alcoholism, drugs, and cigarettes, it was an addiction. I've heard people come on here and try to glamorize gambling. It's not glamorous. If it is under control and it is not controlling every aspect of your life - I see no problem with it. Trouble is, I see very few "social" gamblers - and I don't hear many success stories out there. Many of my best friends from back in the day are dead. D-E-A-D. Those that are still alive fall into two major categories:
a) they are struggling financially
b) they've turned their life around too
One day I woke up and looked around the room. I saw guys twice my age doing exactly what I was doing and they had absolutely nothing to show for it. That was the moment that I woke up and realized that if I kept it up, someday I would be one of those guys.
I'm not here to preach - I'm just here to say that today I am more responsible with what I do with my money, my energy, and with my time. I don't rate my game on how much money I can play for. Anybody that tries to sell you that line is trying to reel you in.
I am not against action. I am not against gambling in pool - in fact I am all for using it as a tool to reel people into the beauty and excitement of our game. What I am against is people trying to say that it is the only true test to attain excellence. It's not. Ask Ralf Souquet.
I am also against people that say that if you aren't participating in it, you have no nuts. I am a decorated combat war veteran. I've fought and beat cancer - twice - I fought crime and violence every night for over 5 years as a police officer - and I was bodyslammed by Bruiser Brody on the cement floor of the Sportatorium in Dallas. Nuts I have. To me those things speak of my true character and who you are likely to deal with if you meet me in a dark alley.
It took me a long time to recover from the destruction of my gambling days. Recovering from all of that was much more difficult than any game I ever played for money. Today if I use the money that I do have to help other people - I don't gamble with it - or piss it away by staking somebody else. I try to make someone's day instead of breaking them down financially.
I've accomplished enough in my life to where it won't bother me if you want to label me a nit, or whatever - say whatever you need to feel better about yourself - I know what I have to do every day to survive - and gambling isn't one of them. If it is for you and you can control it - fine - just don't paint a broad brush to those of us that make wiser investments.
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I have to say, gambling is 75% or more of my pool life. I will play with my friends, but not quite so aggressively. I think as long as you put it into perspective, and don't make it your whole existence (unless you can make enough to pay the bills and not many can...), it adds to the allure of playing well. I've played for ridiculous amounts ($3000, $400 a game nineball, plenty of $1000 dollar sessions), and I've played cheaply also. Unless it is $2 pool, I enjoy the action. I'll play just as hard for $20 a game as I will for $500.
But, it can take over your life. One big win or loss can affect your mood, relationships, work habits, etc. What I meant by keeping it into perspective is not to bet enough that that win or loss has that kind of effect on you.
I don't gamble as much as I used to. I don't play as much as I used to. But, I do enjoy it as a hobby, or rush. I won't or have never bet what I couldn't afford to lose. I have also given money back to people that I thought got in way over their head. People let their emotions and egos get the best of them. Otherwise, casinos would go broke.
Use gambling as a way to test yourself. Not a way to make a living. Unless you ARE making it your living. And, before you choose that life, know all that goes along with it. Just look at the many that have nothing but some memories and a "name." But, some of the best and worst times of my life involved gambling with pool. Once you get the taste of a $500 dollar winner or more, you'll always in the back of your mind have your eye out for it.
If you don't let it overtake your life, gambling on pool can be fun and profitable. Use tourneys, leagues all you want. But, there's no feeling like going into an unknown environment as a gunslinger, and walking out with the cash.
But, it can take over your life. One big win or loss can affect your mood, relationships, work habits, etc. What I meant by keeping it into perspective is not to bet enough that that win or loss has that kind of effect on you.
I don't gamble as much as I used to. I don't play as much as I used to. But, I do enjoy it as a hobby, or rush. I won't or have never bet what I couldn't afford to lose. I have also given money back to people that I thought got in way over their head. People let their emotions and egos get the best of them. Otherwise, casinos would go broke.
Use gambling as a way to test yourself. Not a way to make a living. Unless you ARE making it your living. And, before you choose that life, know all that goes along with it. Just look at the many that have nothing but some memories and a "name." But, some of the best and worst times of my life involved gambling with pool. Once you get the taste of a $500 dollar winner or more, you'll always in the back of your mind have your eye out for it.
If you don't let it overtake your life, gambling on pool can be fun and profitable. Use tourneys, leagues all you want. But, there's no feeling like going into an unknown environment as a gunslinger, and walking out with the cash.
Go for it Softshot! I wish you well on your journey. Just keep the mental side of the game as a top priority. The greatest champions have extraordinary "mental toughness"...a component of which is to know in advance that errors are inevitable...shake them off IMMEDIATELY but quickly ANALYZE them. "Why did I miss that shot"...not "what an idiot I must be to have missed"...which is an attitude you can SEE on the faces of those who allow themselves to think that way.
Uses misses as a strong MOTIVATING FORCE to re-dedicate yourself to achieve excellence and PRIDE in EVERY SHOT.
Regards,
Jim
Uses misses as a strong MOTIVATING FORCE to re-dedicate yourself to achieve excellence and PRIDE in EVERY SHOT.
Regards,
Jim
softshot said: