has pool ruined your life?

book collector said:
You are proud of this ?
Please someone wake me up if I am misreading this.
Click to expand...

No, I just think it's an interesting story about meeting people from a pastime and how it affects your life.

In terms of moral terpitude, was I was worse than the kid who set up his own father, or the father who paid me off to deceive his son?

I may be more of an opportunist, but we were all dirty.

Chris
 
Wow! So that's how you ended up in the travel biz Chris. Cool story! :thumbup:

Scott Lee
www.poolknowledge.com

TATE said:
When I was first attending college back in 1972, the school had just started a Billiards class. I had been playing for a few years already. I enrolled to find the instructor did not play pool at all. He saw me playing and asked me to help him teach the class.

During the semester, one of the guys in the class came up to me – an innocent looking young blond surfer type - and asked me if I would come over to his house to play his dad. It didn’t sound very exciting, so I politely declined. The kid says "he likes to gamble". I asked the kid how good his dad was, and he said "you're better".

I asked him why would he want to set up his own father? To be honest, I was a little suspicious. He explained that his dad was a braggart and an egotist, and he wanted to see his father taken down a notch. Later on I found he had a strong dislike for his father, who favored his oldest son.

I asked the kid what game the father liked to play. He said "snooker". That was almost a show stopper! His dad was English and he had a snooker table at his home. Well I didn't play much snooker but I always liked the game, so we made a date. We agreed that I would split whatever I won with him.

I went over to this man's house. It was a large home in a prestigious older estate area of Eagle Rock, near Glendale. His table was in a cottage he built on the hill above the back of the home. The table was a beautiful custom 9’ snooker table with generous pockets and carved legs. I met the father. We was a thin, well groomed man with gray fair and a British accent. He seemed like a perfectly nice man. It turned out he was the President of a large international tour company.

We played short rack snooker (10 reds) for $10 a game, then $20. I could see he was an average player not in my league. He drank scotch the whole time, downing a fifth by the time the evening was done. The more he drank, the more his dark side showed. He clearly had a mean streak, insulting anybody and everybody with his sharp tongue. He would abruptly jack the bet, double or nothing, sometimes mid-game, in an effort to rattle me. By the end of the evening, I had won $200 – a week’s paycheck to most guys at the time.

We sat down and he said “look, my son brought you here to beat me. I will pay you $200 and also buy your cue for the price you name - on one condition. You tell my son you lost,and you lost your cue to me. Also, if you do, you can come back here to play me again. If not, this will be the last time we play” I agreed to it for several reasons: I wouldn’t have to split the money I had won; I actually felt a little sorry for him that his own son was gunning for him; I wanted to come back.

I played with him once or twice a month for several years. He tried new games on me, like English Billiards, but even if I lost one day I would practice a little and come back and win the next. I was making several hundred extra dollars a month and the money was a blessing. Plus it was helping my pool game.

That was 37 years ago. Pool didn’t ruin my life. What happened was he eventually he gave me a job. He was fired a few years later and I ended up in my own business. Pool changed my life in ways I would have never imagined.

This is but one story of the asphalt jungle.

Chris
Click to expand...
 
Mark...You're right! It has most definitely enriched my life, and one of the best parts is all the nice people I have met in my travels, both teaching and doing college and military exhibitions. Many of them, like you, have gone on to become close friends! On the flipside, as you know, being gone from home most of the time is a high cost that many people would choose not to follow. For me, it has been more of a blessing than a curse. I had a lot of fun the years I spent at YSU...just as I have at the hundreds of other schools I've had the good fortune to perform at over the years.

Scott Lee
www.poolknowledge.com

youngstownkid said:
In general, not just with pool, if you try to make your hobby into a career, you are fighting a losing battle. That's not to say it can't be done. I have a friend who has made pool a big part of his life and i think he would say it has enriched his life, maybe he'll comment on this post. I'm just saying that this is the exception to the rule...
Click to expand...
 
No. I won't let it. For me it is a pass time, recreation and a game. It is not that important that I am the best player in the world or even in my locality. i know that it will never be and I don't really care. It is something that I enjoy and gives me something to study and work on to help exercise my brain. It is also a way to interact and socialize with others but it is not my main priority in life.

Life is great with or without pool.


.
 
BrokeStroke said:
Well...Before my wife met me, her friends brother was my pool shooting crony. One day, she came in with my wife.

So thanks to pool...I have a wife.

So yes, pool has ruined my life.

In case my wife is reading this, I'm only joking honey!

If shes not reading this, I'm not joking.
Click to expand...

That's a 10 :killingme:
 
Interesting topic. My very 1st instructor was a well known, highly accomplished player by the name of James C. Abel. Jimmy, as his friend's called him, used to tour with Willie Mosconi and holds the Guinness Book of World records for most Balls Pocketed in one, 24 hour period.

At my very 1st lesson well over 20 years ago Jimmy said to me that one of the most important things to understand about pool is that it's a game, and only a game. He went on to explain where a game, even one as pleasurable as pool, should rank in a well developed adult man's life. He then shared with me about the countless men he knew who have just about thrown it all away on one of life's most jealous mistresses. Jimmy had a "Obi Wan Kenobi" way & presence about him so I decided to heed his advice.

On my path in the pool world I too have notice many who have given too much too the game. I can think of several scholarships to elite schools lost by bright minded kids who found pool and gambling far more appealing than the books. I have friends with bad backs that were only made worse night after night because their pool urge could not be denied and now they are handicapped. There are those who couldn't play & win sober who are no longer alive. Then there are the more subtle victims who are no better off in life then when I knew them 20 + years ago because most of their efforts have been spent on perfecting their game. These are the exceptions of course, but I whenever I am reminded of them I become grateful for the advice I received from Jimmy.

Pool is a wonderful thing and I believe aids in the creation and complimenting of many more good things than bad. I get a great sense of joy from it. Like anything else in life, balance helps make the most of it. -Z-
 
Last edited:
Though a very serious one, pool has never been more than a hobby for me. As a hobby, though, it has brought me a lot of joy and afforded me the opportunity to meet a lot of good peple.

Pool has been one of the spices of my life.
 
Pool has made me who I am today.

I could not join sports in high school because my Dad wanted me to focus on my grades. So, beginning to compete in pool tournaments after college came with an ugly price – mental struggles. I already had low self esteem, was paranoid how others thought of me, suffered from depression, had a lot of self doubt, thought negatively, etc., and competing brought out these emotions 10-fold. However, playing pool for all these years has led me to where I am today: a strong, confident, outgoing, friendly, self-assured woman.

Yes, some job-related leadership courses helped me along the way, but playing in pool tournaments truly helped me become the person I really like in the mirror.

As an example, I read many great books and listened to awesome audio self-help books to improve my mental toughness which of course helped me in every day life.

I am not just a pool player: I have stayed with pool for many non-playing reasons: I am a webmaster for about 5 or more pool-related websites; I ran a women's tour for over 9 years; I was a photographer at many tournaments. Pool was all-encompassing for me, I was successful as a pool ambassador, more than a player.

Further, pool is my family. My best friends play pool, my mentors play pool, the best times I have are at leagues and tournaments, my vacations revolve around pool. I can't begin to to even describe how important pool is to my psyche - being with friends (either in person or even via the internet through my AZB Family) is my therapy. And finally, playing pool has introduced me to so many amazing people in my life.

Playing pool has magically allowed amazing, influential people to cross my path who have helped me in SO many aspects of my life.

Pool is not just a sport to me, there’s a DIRECT connection to "playing pool" to me being a happy, confident person in my life.
 
sjm said:
Though a very serious one, pool has never been more than a hobby for me. As a hobby, though, it has brought me a lot of joy and afforded me the opportunity to meet a lot of good peple.

Pool has been one of the spices of my life.
Click to expand...

Pool is better with people like you involved. You're a gentleman and a scholar! :smile:
 
From the time I was 17 years old till I was about 25. I spent most of my spare time and money at my local pool hall. I was getting better and better... However, after years of playing, I found out the hard way that I didn't have the talent to compete with pros consistently. After my realization and drained bank account I sought out my current career/business And have been wildly successful. I now just play 4 times a week for 2 hours at a time, travel (3-4 times a year) and gamble. I did ruin my life for those years but now enriches it with joy in my spare time.
 
sjm said:
Though a very serious one, pool has never been more than a hobby for me. As a hobby, though, it has brought me a lot of joy and afforded me the opportunity to meet a lot of good peple.

Pool has been one of the spices of my life.
Click to expand...

I wish I could be so succinct! Excellent post, right to the point. :thumbup:

And perfectly explained. :)
 
Pool has enhanced my life. I've met some of the best people I've ever met through pool -- too many to mention. The game and the situations that come up around the game can bring out the best in people and the worst, and most times I've seen the best.

Also, no matter where you are in the country, you can walk into a poolroom, start shooting, start up a conversation or two, and within a few minutes you find out people you know in common or you have a game or you're debating about who makes good cues or the best tips. It's like a secret club with worldwide membership.

When I was younger, I fell into the trap of caring a little too much about pool -- forgetting to meet up with friends b/c I was hanging out at the poolroom for 7 hours instead of 2, that sort of thing. But if you can avoid the trap of letting pool (or anything else) take over your life, the game is just amazing.
 
I'm a bit surprised by the responses on this topic. I would have guessed that more people would have felt that pool had "ruined their lives" at least to a certain extent. It's actually quite refreshing to hear that so many people feel so positively about the game.

I do fill like pool COULD HAVE ruined my life. Of course we all know that it wouldn't have been pool that did it, but my own delusional thinking. You know how your mind likes to play games with you: You run a couple of racks and you start telling yourself - "Hey, maybe I can do this for a living. I probably don't need to go to class anymore. After all, I did just beat that one-armed blind kid out of 5 bucks. This is too easy!".

I do believe that someday a group of scientists will prove that of all the games people can play - pool is one of the most addictive games there is. When you are playing well you get to control all of these beautiful spheres and watch them collide one after the other. You get the immediate feedback after every shot. It really is an amazing game and it can be truly addictive. Maybe mesmerizing is a better word for it. When you combine the mesmerizing nature of the game with the thrill of competition, pool can be a very tricky beast to tame.
 
alot of great things have come into my life because of this game....
relationships.....meeting business contacts...that sometimes effect life descisions....ive gotten jobs because of this game....and i learned how to invest (which i want my life to be ) from an old man who plays.....

i will brave the frustrations this game provides just so i can keep meeting these awesome people

akaTrigger said:
Pool has made me who I am today.

I could not join sports in high school because my Dad wanted me to focus on my grades. So, beginning to compete in pool tournaments after college came with an ugly price – mental struggles. I already had low self esteem, was paranoid how others thought of me, suffered from depression, had a lot of self doubt, thought negatively, etc., and competing brought out these emotions 10-fold. However, playing pool for all these years has led me to where I am today: a strong, confident, outgoing, friendly, self-assured woman.

Yes, some job-related leadership courses helped me along the way, but playing in pool tournaments truly helped me become the person I really like in the mirror.

As an example, I read many great books and listened to awesome audio self-help books to improve my mental toughness which of course helped me in every day life.

I am not just a pool player: I have stayed with pool for many non-playing reasons: I am a webmaster for about 5 or more pool-related websites; I ran a women's tour for over 9 years; I was a photographer at many tournaments. Pool was all-encompassing for me, I was successful as a pool ambassador, more than a player.

Further, pool is my family. My best friends play pool, my mentors play pool, the best times I have are at leagues and tournaments, my vacations revolve around pool. I can't begin to to even describe how important pool is to my psyche - being with friends (either in person or even via the internet through my AZB Family) is my therapy. And finally, playing pool has introduced me to so many amazing people in my life.

Playing pool has magically allowed amazing, influential people to cross my path who have helped me in SO many aspects of my life.

Pool is not just a sport to me, there’s a DIRECT connection to "playing pool" to me being a happy, confident person in my life.
Click to expand...
 
akaTrigger said:
Playing pool has magically allowed amazing, influential people to cross my path who have helped me in SO many aspects of my life.

Pool is not just a sport to me, there’s a DIRECT connection to "playing pool" to me being a happy, confident person in my life.
Click to expand...

I agree, and I'm reminded of the quote from one of the old-time players, (maybe George Fels?) who said, "My quality of life is directly related the quality of pool that I'm playing".
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top