Getting tired playing $100 one pocket.

Drop The Rock

1652nd on AZ Money List
Silver Member
So last night there was a little woofing going on between a buddy and another patron of our pool hall. I called them both nits because of the spot arguments. My buddy laughed and our other friend was joking along with us. The "other patron" says he'll play me some so I told him he can play one game for $100. I win the flip, lay down an okay break, move a little here, make a ball there and then run out. I had two friends who wanted in and at this point I wasn't worried about the money but had that killer instinct going. We decided that after I won the first game we would tell him it was his break.

The other guys buddy is supposedly staking him. I proceed to get 8 games ahead and hold him there for a couple hours. I work a very good full time job, nay career. At this point I'm exhausted, my eyes are sore, and I'm ready to hop in bed with my wife. Meanwhile I start losing the blood lust and edge. I start losing. Then it turns out when were are 3 games up now that his buddies only had $500, which they displayed proudly like it was the Queen's diamond.

I'm not only mad and tired, but now I'm annoyed with the money situation and he gets even except for the first hundred that my buddies and I split up. Which was the 1 game for $100. As far as we were concerned we gave them a chance to get their money back and earned at least that. In short I played poorly, I can't blame the rolls, the table, my stroke, nada. However, I know that this is merely a lesson in my pool journey.

I'm supposed to play the same guys a 5 ahead set for $500. In my opinion this format favors me heavily because I come out the gate very strong. Its maintaining that I have trouble with. I'm only good for a few hours at my peak performance and if its late its worse.

I think that part of it is just how mentally taxing one pocket can be. You can't go unconscious like you can in rotation.

How do you fight to keep the dragon alive?

P.S. No drugs lol
 
You are describing my exact problem. I have been learning to grind better lately. One thing that helps is stretching at least once a game. Eye drops help a lot too.

You need to set a time limit before starting. Like 4-5 hours is what I shoot for.
 
I get the same way, sometimes I just tell them I don't feel like playing, because it's past my bedtime :grin:

Only if you do half at a time. If you chug the whole thing you will regret it.

Follow the instructions!

I drank 3 in 6 hours, before an LSU game... That was dumb. I'll never touch the stuff again, after that. :embarrassed2:
 
If you want to increase your playability time, Practice for an hour or so
after you are tired.After doing that for a number of sessions, make it 2 hours after
you would want to quit. Slowly build up to where you can play for 8-10 hours at
a good speed.
There were no 'time limit' games in my day. You played until you were broke or
you broke your man. I used this 'play while you're tired' method so I could play
10-20 hour sessions. It works.
Good luck
 
Stay focused, and take a short break every now and then to stay fresh, and tighten your game up just a wee bit.
And remember, Drop. It's just like what I told my buddies in basic training: "I want you guys to know that if we ever get into any serious combat, I'll be right behind all of you, every step of the way." Kind of chokes you up a little, doesn't it?
The old Trampster is rootin' for ya. :)
 
So last night there was a little woofing going on between a buddy and another patron of our pool hall. I called them both nits because of the spot arguments. My buddy laughed and our other friend was joking along with us. The "other patron" says he'll play me some so I told him he can play one game for $100. I win the flip, lay down an okay break, move a little here, make a ball there and then run out. I had two friends who wanted in and at this point I wasn't worried about the money but had that killer instinct going. We decided that after I won the first game we would tell him it was his break.

The other guys buddy is supposedly staking him. I proceed to get 8 games ahead and hold him there for a couple hours. I work a very good full time job, nay career. At this point I'm exhausted, my eyes are sore, and I'm ready to hop in bed with my wife. Meanwhile I start losing the blood lust and edge. I start losing. Then it turns out when were are 3 games up now that his buddies only had $500, which they displayed proudly like it was the Queen's diamond.

I'm not only mad and tired, but now I'm annoyed with the money situation and he gets even except for the first hundred that my buddies and I split up. Which was the 1 game for $100. As far as we were concerned we gave them a chance to get their money back and earned at least that. In short I played poorly, I can't blame the rolls, the table, my stroke, nada. However, I know that this is merely a lesson in my pool journey.

I'm supposed to play the same guys a 5 ahead set for $500. In my opinion this format favors me heavily because I come out the gate very strong. Its maintaining that I have trouble with. I'm only good for a few hours at my peak performance and if its late its worse.

I think that part of it is just how mentally taxing one pocket can be. You can't go unconscious like you can in rotation.

How do you fight to keep the dragon alive?

P.S. No drugs lol
I don't really understand your story. You are $800.00 ahead on the wire? And at some point you discover they only had $500.00? Besides, if you are too wimpy to play for a few extra hours don't play.
 
I don't really understand your story. You are $800.00 ahead on the wire? And at some point you discover they only had $500.00? Besides, if you are too wimpy to play for a few extra hours don't play.

They obviously weren't paying every game.

In this case, the solution is painfully obvious: pay every game.
 
They obviously weren't paying every game.

In this case, the solution is painfully obvious: pay every game.
He just refers to the guy as "Another patron" as though he doesn't even know the guy. Who lets some stranger go on the wire for $800.00?

The story sounds like BS and the OP just wants to talk about himself, what a big time player he is. The story made so little sense I thought maybe I didn't understand what he was saying.
 
If you had paid every game you'd have 500 in your pocket with a 100 air barrel to be paid before you play again:)
 
Stay focused, and take a short break every now and then to stay fresh, and tighten your game up just a wee bit.
And remember, Drop. It's just like what I told my buddies in basic training: "I want you guys to know that if we ever get into any serious combat, I'll be right behind all of you, every step of the way." Kind of chokes you up a little, doesn't it?
The old Trampster is rootin' for ya. :)

:sad: Oh God Tramp :sad: You are such a good internet friend. You have a good point about the break thing though. I need to try that.
 
He just refers to the guy as "Another patron" as though he doesn't even know the guy. Who lets some stranger go on the wire for $800.00?

The story sounds like BS and the OP just wants to talk about himself, what a big time player he is. The story made so little sense I thought maybe I didn't understand what he was saying.

I by no means think I am a big time player and this is probably on the third time or so that I have played for $100 or more. I have only been play for about 2 years and am pretty wet behind the ears. However I am under no delusions that I am a big time player. I do play well under the pressure of gambling until I get worn out. In fact I don't particularly care about gambling as much as I care about pool in general.

I didn't want to put the kids name on an internet forum. We'll guy the other guy Bill. Bill is a regular and said he was good for it and his buddies who none of us knew weren't making it very clear whether they were still in or not, or whether Bill was just gonna go in debt. Also why the hell would I admit I dogged off $800 to talk about myself? You can believe what you want to though obviously and I apologize if my post wasn't clear enough. It was kind of a perturbing situation in person too.
 
They obviously weren't paying every game.

In this case, the solution is painfully obvious: pay every game.

If you had paid every game you'd have 500 in your pocket with a 100 air barrel to be paid before you play again:)

Yeah both of you are right. The reason we didn't is that we thought "Bill" the guy I was playing was going to pay it (we knew he was good for it in a short amount of time) while his buddies seemed like they were in one minute and out the next, so on and so forth. By the time they firmly announced they were in and tried to flash $500 like it was 10k in a briefcase I was only up 4 -.-. You guys are right though. We should have paid every game. If we had I wouldn't have had to worry about getting tired. But lesson learned.
 
Yeah both of you are right. The reason we didn't is that we thought "Bill" the guy I was playing was going to pay it (we knew he was good for it in a short amount of time) while his buddies seemed like they were in one minute and out the next, so on and so forth. By the time they firmly announced they were in and tried to flash $500 like it was 10k in a briefcase I was only up 4 -.-. You guys are right though. We should have paid every game. If we had I wouldn't have had to worry about getting tired. But lesson learned.
The chances you were going to get paid if he owes you like a $1000. would be about zero. It is hard enough to get paid a ligit debt when you loan someone money much less a gambling debt.

You are actually lucky it worked out like it did rather then chasing this guy around trying to collect what he owed you. Whose knows what that could have lead to, very possibly violence. Just out of curiosity, what was your bank roll when you started playing for a $100 a game?

People today don't walk around with any money. If I have $30.00 in my pocket it is a lot and that is common. People no longer carrying money may be the main thing that has ended pool hustling. You can't get blood from a stone.

Years ago before ATM's and credit cards on a Friday night most every guy had his whole paycheck in his pocket or risked being broke till Monday unless he had someone to cash a check for him. Banks were not open on weekends, heck during the week they closed at 2pm. People carried money back then.

One of my specialties was playing late afternoon in bars on a Friday. I may stay there from 4 pm till closing in my fake work clothes.
If nothing else even if I didn't make a dime, I knew every guy in the place had a pocket full of money. You can't ask more then that.

Times have changed, today a guy in a $1000 suit has 8 bucks and a credit card in his pocket. Exit stage left the pool hustler and safe is the unsuspecting bar patron with no money in his pocket.
 
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The chances you were going to get paid if he owes you like a $1000. would be about zero. It is hard enough to get paid a ligit debt when you loan someone money much less a gambling debt.

You are actually lucky it worked out like it did rather then chasing this guy around trying to collect what he owed you. Whose knows what that could have lead to, very possibly violence. Just out of curiosity, what was your bank roll when you started playing for a $100 a game?

People today don't walk around with any money. If I have $30.00 in my pocket it is a lot and that is common. People no longer carrying money may be the main thing that has ended pool hustling. You can't get blood from a stone.

Years ago before ATM's and credit cards on a Friday night most every guy had his whole paycheck in his pocket or risked being broke till Monday unless he had someone to cash a check for him. Banks were not open on weekends, heck during the week they closed at 2pm. People carried money back then.

One of my specialties was playing late afternoon in bars on a Friday. I may stay there from 4 pm till closing in my fake work clothes.
If nothing else even if I didn't make a dime, I knew every guy in the place had a pocket full of money. You can't ask more then that.

Times have changed, today a guy in a $1000 suit has 8 bucks and a credit card in his pocket.

The advantage I had is that someone from the pool hall was in with me and is a good friend so collection would would be a bit easier (I'm trying to keep this as anonymous as possible but he has "influence".

I would have had to make a trip to the ATM if I was solo that night (I hadn't planned on playing, just practicing. Normally if I plan on trying to get some action (or rail-birding) I'll have anywhere from $200 to $800 on me. When we are in together, which is fairly often. We usually have a few grand to play with. I have gone in half playing $200 game one pocket and won $1200 with him before (one of the other few times I have played for a decent amount of money). Otherwise its me betting with him when he is playing. That night he probably had 3-4k on him.

Also I did write this the day after stay up til 4:00 am and catching 3 hours of sleep so that is probably a big reason why it doesn't make much sense lol!
 
The advantage I had is that someone from the pool hall was in with me and is a good friend so collection would would be a bit easier (I'm trying to keep this as anonymous as possible but he has "influence".

I would have had to make a trip to the ATM if I was solo that night (I hadn't planned on playing, just practicing. Normally if I plan on trying to get some action (or rail-birding) I'll have anywhere from $200 to $800 on me. When we are in together, which is fairly often. We usually have a few grand to play with. I have gone in half playing $200 game one pocket and won $1200 with him before (one of the other few times I have played for a decent amount of money). Otherwise its me betting with him when he is playing. That night he probably had 3-4k on him.

Also I did write this the day after stay up til 4:00 am and catching 3 hours of sleep so that is probably a big reason why it doesn't make much sense lol!
Now you have another problem, you may be giving odds on the money. You guys have a pocket full of money but most people don't. If you take a loss it may be a lot more then you stood to win.

You have to know what the other guy has and does he have any history of going off for it. Is he worth the risk of your bankroll. Of course if you are stealing it doesn't matter, but if you are actually gambling it is nice to know you stand to win something if you indeed win.
 
The chances you were going to get paid if he owes you like a $1000. would be about zero. It is hard enough to get paid a ligit debt when you loan someone money much less a gambling debt.

You are actually lucky it worked out like it did rather then chasing this guy around trying to collect what he owed you. Whose knows what that could have lead to, very possibly violence. Just out of curiosity, what was your bank roll when you started playing for a $100 a game?

People today don't walk around with any money. If I have $30.00 in my pocket it is a lot and that is common. People no longer carrying money may be the main thing that has ended pool hustling. You can't get blood from a stone.

Years ago before ATM's and credit cards on a Friday night most every guy had his whole paycheck in his pocket or risked being broke till Monday unless he had someone to cash a check for him. Banks were not open on weekends, heck during the week they closed at 2pm. People carried money back then.

One of my specialties was playing late afternoon in bars on a Friday. I may stay there from 4 pm till closing in my fake work clothes.
If nothing else even if I didn't make a dime, I knew every guy in the place had a pocket full of money. You can't ask more then that.

Times have changed, today a guy in a $1000 suit has 8 bucks and a credit card in his pocket. Exit stage left the pool hustler and safe is the unsuspecting bar patron with no money in his pocket.


Agree completely. I've thought about this a lot. Even how it affect bums and panhandlers. No one has cash anymore. Hell, I never left the house with less than 1K in my pocket for 15 years going to the pool hall. Now, that I don't gamble hardly ever in person, I don't even have a wallet. Just my ID, credit card, and about $20 in cash all tied together with a rubber band.

I wonder though, in place of everyone walking around with their paycheck on Friday, almost all of us (especially the younger generation) have their phones with direct access to paypal, bank accounts, etc. I wonder if the gamblers will eventually switch to that method. That opens up another whole can of worms with a stiffer. They might pay in full electronically, then when they get home dispute the charge, and possibly get it refunded. Who knows.
 
Now you have another problem, you may be giving odds on the money. You guys have a pocket full of money but most people don't. If you take a loss it may be a lot more then you stood to win.

You have to know what the other guy has and does he have any history of going off for it. Is he worth the risk of your bankroll. Of course if you are stealing it doesn't matter, but if you are actually gambling it is nice to know you stand to win something if you indeed win.

I don't want to say we were stealing, but I was definitely favored to win. Hence the 8 games straight that I won. You do have some very good points though sir.
 
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