"Hustling": Is It Sleazy Or Clever (Or Both)?

Is "Hustling" Sleazy, Clever, or Both?

  • I Think Hustling Is Sleazy.

    Votes: 129 39.9%
  • I Think Hustling Is Clever.

    Votes: 40 12.4%
  • I Think Hustling Is Both Sleazy & Clever.

    Votes: 154 47.7%

  • Total voters
    323

pt109

WO double hemlock
Silver Member
I think I would like to see the term 'hustler' defined before I vote.
 

richiebalto

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I am curious to know how fellow azers feel about "hustling", whether or not it's sleazy or if it's clever or possibly even a combination of the two.

To be clear, you can be a money player without being a "Hustler" but almost always a "Hustler" plays for money or some other tangible prize.

For the purpose of this poll we will define "hustler" as someone who hides their true speed, hides who they really are by disguise or other means, or says or does anything else that is not true in an attempt to give themselves some kind of an edge.

It will be a straightforward 3 option poll.

Thanks in advance for your votes and feel free to add your thoughts and comments in the thread.

best,
brian kc

Weather gambling in pool or any other sport, all players are looking for the edge.

If you enter a pool hall or bar looking for action you better know what you are doing, if not you will go broke.

Once talks are under way about matching up, its each man for himself and you better know what you are doing!

Hustling mite not be a pretty word, but it is what it is!

I been in the pool halls for over 35 years and as of now, i never seen any player or backer knowingly take the worst of any game, it just doesnt work like that!

So the truth is, we are all hustlers in one way or the other that gamble at pool!
 

The Saw

Juicy Pop in 2016!
Silver Member
Everything is a hustle. Pool doesn't have a "black eye" because someone got hustled at a bar. Hustling is a part of pool but it is with everything else you just don't get it. The banks and government know you're a sucker. Commercial businesses and even your boss, they know you're a sucker. There is wrong with hustling. Everyone is trying to have the upper hand and the ones that have the upper hand the most are winners.

Right on. Most true hustlers aren't out to beat some poor schmuck out of his diaper money and stealing food from his kids. They're looking to play guys that are true gamblers, especially those that make "extra curricular" money that they aren't paying taxes on. The "wannabe" hustlers that would trip their mom in a foot race, well, that's a different story....
 

ridinda9

AKA: Sandy Bagger
Silver Member
every gambler thinks he has an edge

No one has ever gambled on pool expecting to lose.

Everyone thinks they're the top gun- that's why they're willing to gamble.
The hustler only plays against their own conceits.
Remember, every gambler is trying to separate the hustler from his money also.

Not every hustler sets out to break every mark- I've stated repeatedly that I'll try to keep each marks 'contribution ' small in order to ease the pain and KEEP THEM COMING BACK!
Do you truly believe that telling the marks my true speed would allow them to make a match they could win?

I dunno, could you beat Thorsten Hohmann even if he was giving you the breaks and the seven????

Because that's a fair comparison of me vs. The Average Bar Player.

I love when they call in their local "ringer" to have him play me and "clean me out".
I can usually tell when he walks in the door from their reactions.There's never a whole room full of poker faces- someone's reaction will identify him.
Then I let him beat me- heck, ill let him trounces me for up to 70% of what I've earned from them before crying 'uncle '!
Because now, in their eyes, I am fallible.
And that means that they're ready for a whole new round of gambling, because "he's not so tough after all. . . "
Some call it "the mark's paying for an education".
I can't call it that, because in my experience, they don't learn.

Some say I'm a sleazy, bad man because I use their weakness to earn my living.

Is a bartender a sleazy b*stars because he'll sell a drink to an alcoholic?

Is the clerk at the 7-11 a sleazy b*stard if he sells a working man $100 worth of powerball tickets (NOW THERE'S A SUCKER BET)

Is the Preacher a sleazy b*stars as his flock tithes 10% in the hopes of divine intervention in their daily lives, and the hope of a blessed afterlife?

Is the Baker a sleazy b*stars as he sells the 60yr old fat man a cheese Danish, knowing it's terrible for his cholesterol?

Should Rosie O'Donnell's hair stylist and make-up artist be ashamed of accepting a paycheck, KNOWING that there's nothing they could do that would make THAT b*itch look good?

In my opinion, those are all "theft by deception" careers also.
 

CreeDo

Fargo Rating 597
Silver Member
If you enter a pool hall or bar looking for action you better know what you are doing, if not you will go broke.

Once talks are under way about matching up, its each man for himself and you better know what you are doing!

Hustling mite not be a pretty word, but it is what it is!

No, that's not what hustling is.
That's just a stranger walking into a bar looking for action, and possibly getting it.

Hustling is laying down and lying through your teeth.
It's not two guys matching up a few minutes after someone walks in the door,
and neither one knows the other's speed.

In one scenario a player doesn't know the risk of losing but is willing to bet anyway.
In the other one there's no risk of losing because someone got lied to so they made a bullshit game that never should have happened.
 

pt109

WO double hemlock
Silver Member
No, that's not what hustling is.
That's just a stranger walking into a bar looking for action, and possibly getting it.

Hustling is laying down and lying through your teeth.
It's not two guys matching up a few minutes after someone walks in the door,
and neither one knows the other's speed.

In one scenario a player doesn't know the risk of losing but is willing to bet anyway.
In the other one there's no risk of losing because someone got lied to so they made a bullshit game that never should have happened.

I'm curious....what do you call a poker player who misrepresents his hand?
 

JumpinJoe

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
If you ever plan to make a good living out of pool, you better have some hustle in you, otherwise you will be eating a lot of ram. noodles.
 

JumpinJoe

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
No, that's not what hustling is.
That's just a stranger walking into a bar looking for action, and possibly getting it.

Hustling is laying down and lying through your teeth.
It's not two guys matching up a few minutes after someone walks in the door,
and neither one knows the other's speed.

In one scenario a player doesn't know the risk of losing but is willing to bet anyway.
In the other one there's no risk of losing because someone got lied to so they made a bullshit game that never should have happened.

Not always true. Sometimes you just get the game without any lying, then you just are winning 2 games losing 1, winning 3 losing 1 and so on, keeping the games close as well. You don't have to do all the lying to get the game.
I've ran across plenty of people like this before.

You think SVB, ALEX, or say COREY wont hustle someone? If you don't got this in you, then you got little future in the pool world long term as a job. I've seen all of them laying it down before.
 

Chicagoplayer

AzB Gold Member
Gold Member
Silver Member
Woo-hoo

Right on. Most true hustlers aren't out to beat some poor schmuck out of his diaper money and stealing food from his kids. They're looking to play guys that are true gamblers, especially those that make "extra curricular" money that they aren't paying taxes on. The "wannabe" hustlers that would trip their mom in a foot race, well, that's a different story....

_____________________________________
Tell it!!!
 

Harold Smith

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I was always told that you beat a man straight up and he will be upset that he lost, but if you make a fool of him,he will get real pissed and want revenge.-Smitty
 

TATE

AzB Gold Mensch
Silver Member
Sadly, the true hustler is a disappearing art form. I've only known a few who were really good at it. They are like actors, never going out of character. Some I never quite figured out how good they were, I just know they were good enough to beat me.
 

Prey

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
A true hustler will beat you and make you like it, begging for more.
Nothing sleazy about it. Today's modern pool player wouldn't last 2 mins in the pool halls of old!
 

Autist

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I think that if the hustler is not "hustling" himself an advantage in game, like 7, 8, 9 in 9-ball, then it is not sleazy or anything.

Even game, even stakes - what is the problem? Not my problem if you play for money you cannot afford to lose.

The other player always has a chance to win.
 

JAM

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I watched a movie last night, "The Last Rites of Joe May," starring Denins Farina. He was an older man who devoted his life to the true art form of hustling. Quite an interesting movie. You like Joe May the entire time, but when he got old and sick, he had nothing, no friends, but it was all he knew, his life.

Reminded me a lot of pool. :sorry:
 

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CreeDo

Fargo Rating 597
Silver Member
I'm curious....what do you call a poker player who misrepresents his hand?

bzzzzt. People have tried that argument before, and it doesn't wash.
Bluffing is an essential part of poker. You can't play the game (at least in any sensible way) without it.
Pool does not require deception, any more than basketball or darts. It's a hand-eye coordination game.
Apples to oranges.

Not always true. Sometimes you just get the game without any lying, then you just are winning 2 games losing 1, winning 3 losing 1 and so on, keeping the games close as well. You don't have to do all the lying to get the game.
I've ran across plenty of people like this before.

I use the term lying loosely here, to including other forms of deception including lies of omission.

You think SVB, ALEX, or say COREY wont hustle someone? If you don't got this in you, then you got little future in the pool world long term as a job. I've seen all of them laying it down before.

Like saying "My job at mcdonald's isn't paying the bills so I have no choice but to
start pocketing a few bucks from the register and overcharging customers."

I don't use other people's shortcomings as an excuse to rob someone.
I think I was about 3 years old when I learned that you can't get away with
"well someone else does it, therefore it's ok if I do it too."
 

Maniac

2manyQ's
Silver Member
Like saying "My job at mcdonald's isn't paying the bills so I have no choice but to
start pocketing a few bucks from the register and overcharging customers."

I don't use other people's shortcomings as an excuse to rob someone.
I think I was about 3 years old when I learned that you can't get away with
"well someone else does it, therefore it's ok if I do it too."

Well said!!!

Maniac
 
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