Hustling

[wahcheck]

Seems like since the movie "The Hustler", hustling was accepted as a way to make money playing pool.... lots of people have said that the movie inspired them to become pool players, and the same for "TCOM".....but again the underlying theme was hustling.....

When I played pool, I am not proud to say I was somewhat of a small-time hustler.....that is, I knew my speed and how to match up for small stakes with a better than 50/50 chance of winning....

There was a time when I thought that many people accepted hustling as not an evil thing but just a way to make money, much like grifters were romanticized in "The Sting".....

Many pool players apparently have no problem trying to hustle people, but there are also those who frown upon it, and say it is stealing....

If you draw a parallel to how Poker is played, bluffing is kinda like hustling too, isn't it?

Seems the common thread is that deception is at play......

What is your moral take on hustling? It's funny how some pool players frown on "knocking someone's action" when you might be trying to keep your friend from being hustled......as if you were doing something wrong......

 

[IanCt]

Personally, I have found it to be a touchy subject, depending on who you talk to. The fear of being hustled keeps alot of people from gambling, and I have found that anyone willing to bet something usually has a trick or two up their sleeve. The best feeling is knocking down someone who thinks they have the edge.

 

[supergreenman]

The best hustle in the world is walking into an establishment and stating you're the best there ever was and you'll take all comers.

I think stalling, hiding your speed to trap an unsuspecting opponent along with all the other cons are unethical and I wouldn't do it myself.

I gamble, and have no problem with others gambling, I won't stand by and let a friend walk into a trap end of story. I wouldn't be much of a friend if I let that happen.

You can call it knocking if you like, I don't care. I would do what ever I could to stop someone from getting robbed outside a pool hall why should that change once I walk into a pool hall.

 

[gunzby]

I don't think there's anything wrong with gambling. I never got into the whole hustling lesser players thing because I just can't bring myself to play less than what I am capable of just to keep someone at the table who thinks they can win.

I remember playing someone like that years ago who I knew was one of the best in town. He'd miss and just screw around. After one rack I told him that I'm playing to learn and not to make money so if you're gonna do this half hearted trashy hustling bit on me you can just hit the road.

 

[ShootingArts]

depends

I play a lot stronger against a tough opponent when I don't know that they are supposed to beat me. In fact, I have taken down more than a few over the years that the rail would have said I didn't have a snowball's chance in hell of beating. A lot of confidence and a little ignorance can be a good thing.

I'm not talking about a banger playing a champion but if both players know their way around I am inclined to let them play, with giving my friend at most a quick warning of "watch yourself". I don't expect any experienced gambler to get burned too bad anyway.

Hu

The best hustle in the world is walking into an establishment and stating you're the best there ever was and you'll take all comers.

I think stalling, hiding your speed to trap an unsuspecting opponent along with all the other cons are unethical and I wouldn't do it myself.

I gamble, and have no problem with others gambling, I won't stand by and let a friend walk into a trap end of story. I wouldn't be much of a friend if I let that happen.

You can call it knocking if you like, I don't care. I would do what ever I could to stop someone from getting robbed outside a pool hall why should that change once I walk into a pool hall.

 

[wahcheck]

I'm with you on that one

The best hustle in the world is walking into an establishment and stating you're the best there ever was and you'll take all comers.

I think stalling, hiding your speed to trap an unsuspecting opponent along with all the other cons are unethical and I wouldn't do it myself.

I gamble, and have no problem with others gambling, I won't stand by and let a friend walk into a trap end of story. I wouldn't be much of a friend if I let that happen.

You can call it knocking if you like, I don't care. I would do what ever I could to stop someone from getting robbed outside a pool hall why should that change once I walk into a pool hall.

I did that once when a pro-level player came into the room where I frequented, looking for a game.....one of my buddies came up and asked if I knew him; I said yes, I'd seen him play in the Pro Tournament in Reno...

So when the guy found out I said this, he came over to me and voiced his displeasure for "outting him".....I said, "Hey, I was asked by my friend if I had ever seen you play, and I told him the truth." He still didn't like it though...

 

[alstl]

Everybody is hustling to some extent.

 

[vagabond]

It is a very specialized art and not every body can master it. Hustling is nothing but hiding your speed.The people who find it hard to be humble can`t master the art of hustling.Hustlers are trying to be modest and humble like saints.
I caught many players who appeared to be attempting to hustle.I call them fools.You will not know when a master hustler hustles you.

If one hustles a unsuspecting grand Ma you can then bring the issue of morality.pool players are NOT unsuspecting creatures.

 

[FAST_N_LOOSE]

It is a very specialized art and not every body can master it. Hustling is nothing but hiding your speed.The people who find it hard to be humble can`t master the art of hustling.Hustlers are trying to be modest and humble like saints.
I caught many players who appeared to be attempting to hustle.I call them fools.You will not know when a master hustler hustles you.

If one hustles a unsuspecting grand Ma you can then bring the issue of morality.pool players are NOT unsuspecting creatures.

WELL SAID.....

ANY ONE GAMBLING WITH SOMEBODY THEY DON'T KNOW, THINKS THEY ARE THE "HUSTLER" IN THE SITUATION.

 

[Gmanpoke]

I'm not taking a side on this discussion. And, I'm certainly not passing judgement. But, any pool player who plays pool for money better damn sure understand that the person they are playing is probably hiding their speed. Hustling is a part of like and will be with us until the end of time.

Hustling is not an honorable thing. Hustlers are deceiving people out of their money.

When the CEO of a corporation cooks the books (like Enron) they are deceiving potenial investors out their money. Aren't they just hustling? It takes a lot of skill and art to be able to hind thing in a way that accountants and smart investors can find them.

Now, I've hustled people before and I've been hustled (truth been known, I've been hustled more than I've hustled).

Here are some question I ask myself:

When is deception an acceptable behavior? When does it stop being acceptable?

How about this: What if instead of hustling this person, I was selling them a pool cue. Would I tell them all the defects or would I deceive them to possible get more money for the cue?

Just a few thoughts

Steven

 

[ShootingArts]

hustling

Every candidate for election was hustling people to some degree so we have just seen umpteen millions hustled. Almost every salesman is hustling you. The man in the pulpit is often hustling you in his own way. He tells you what he thinks you need to hear to do what he wants you to do. The boys chasing girls, the girls chasing boys, how many are the same after marriage? When we go to the bank for a loan, when we send off a resume, who doesn't try to make things sound the best we can?

I was hustled by the neighbor's four year old that wanted a puppy. Hustling is pretty much human nature I believe. The ethics as to where we each draw the line are different but if we are honest we are all hustlers in some aspects of life.

Hu

I'm not taking a side on this discussion. And, I'm certainly not passing judgement. But, any pool player who plays pool for money better damn sure understand that the person they are playing is probably hiding their speed. Hustling is a part of like and will be with us until the end of time.

Hustling is not an honorable thing. Hustlers are deceiving people out of their money.

When the CEO of a corporation cooks the books (like Enron) they are deceiving potenial investors out their money. Aren't they just hustling? It takes a lot of skill and art to be able to hind thing in a way that accountants and smart investors can find them.

Now, I've hustled people before and I've been hustled (truth been known, I've been hustled more than I've hustled).

Here are some question I ask myself:

When is deception an acceptable behavior? When does it stop being acceptable?

How about this: What if instead of hustling this person, I was selling them a pool cue. Would I tell them all the defects or would I deceive them to possible get more money for the cue?

Just a few thoughts

Steven

 

[Johnnyt]

If everybody followed the rule of NOT playing anyone for money they don't know, no one would get hustled. Most that get hustled are greedy and thinking they have the nuts. In other words they think they are the hustler.

People get hustled every day by car salesmen, auto mechanics, heating and AC, home improvement, and on and on. But when a pool player does it it's horrible. When ever I asked someone to play for a few bucks and they said they never gamble on pool...I don't get mad. I walk away with a little smile thinking, "now that guy is smart". Johnnyt

 

[Gerald]

If someone asks you "If you want to play some cheap sets" you can bet the only person that it is going to be cheap for is them. You've already been clocked.

 

[perfectpocketz]

If everybody followed the rule of NOT playing anyone for money they don't know, no one would get hustled. Most that get hustled are greedy and thinking they have the nuts. In other words they think they are the hustler.

People get hustled every day by car salesmen, auto mechanics, heating and AC, home improvement, and on and on. But when a pool player does it it's horrible. When ever I asked someone to play for a few bucks and they said they never gamble on pool...I don't get mad. I walk away with a little smile thinking, "now that guy is smart". Johnnyt

You have said all that need be said, and your right on the money. (I've heard HUSTLER for 30 years)
If you lay your bet down on the Blackjack table in Vegas and lose, did you just get hustled?
No, because you feel everything that just happened in that hand was fair. But who was the favorite going in to that hand? The Casino had the edge, so I guess they're the HUSTLER.

If you don't play pool very well and accept a challenge playing pool for money and lose, did you just get HUSTLED or are you just keeping your ego up by putting down the guy that just beat you.

Maybe you beat the guy, and now the guy you never knew before is your friend, because you won the money. Everything is always OK when you win, But when you lose it's never your fault, the guy is a HUSTLER and now you have your excuse.

PS: Knockers aren't knocking, their just trying to show someone else how smart they are about pool.
They know everyones true speed, and hate to see someone do things on the pool table they can't.

Mark Gregory

 

[ironman]

Seems like since the movie "The Hustler", hustling was accepted as a way to make money playing pool.... lots of people have said that the movie inspired them to become pool players, and the same for "TCOM".....but again the underlying theme was hustling.....

When I played pool, I am not proud to say I was somewhat of a small-time hustler.....that is, I knew my speed and how to match up for small stakes with a better than 50/50 chance of winning....

There was a time when I thought that many people accepted hustling as not an evil thing but just a way to make money, much like grifters were romanticized in "The Sting".....

Many pool players apparently have no problem trying to hustle people, but there are also those who frown upon it, and say it is stealing....

If you draw a parallel to how Poker is played, bluffing is kinda like hustling too, isn't it?

Seems the common thread is that deception is at play......

What is your moral take on hustling? It's funny how some pool players frown on "knocking someone's action" when you might be trying to keep your friend from being hustled......as if you were doing something wrong......

I have never been a real, what I would call a Hustler, but I would match up a nd play and I have won some pretty big scores playing for pretty healthy amouts. When I was younger it seemed the more I bet, the better I played.

Years back a guy started coming back in the pol room in Denver who hadn't been around for some years. We enventually started playing and plating everyday. Usually it was races to 7 for $500. I got him stuck several thousand and then gave him the last two and got him stuck several more thousand. Then it was the 8 and after several more thousand it changed to 8 and the break. Finiallly in about 3 weeks I had him stuck about $40000 when he refused to play without the 7. I was sure I wasn't supposed to beat him this way, but he was stuck and really screwed in the head, so I took a shot at it and won several lltimes that way too, to my amazement. Overall I won about $60000.

TO me this isn't Hustling or anything near it. Two people want to play and gamble, that's gambling.

I've been blasted for this before, But, I remain cnvinced that no Hustle works unless there is a degree of Larcney on both sides. Both are looking to gain something. SOme actually Hustle themselves Few people who walk into a pool room with substantial cash are looking to play 8 ball for $1 a game. They are looking to get away with something, or feed an addiction or something. Maybe as PT Barnum said, you can't hustle an honest man.

There were many of us who took great exception to the word Hustler.

 

[Flex]

Maybe as PT Barnum said, you can't hustle an honest man.

PT was a hustler's hustler, and his comment is a perfect example of it. Honest men and women get hustled all the time; ask any honest used car salesman, or honest journalist, or honest bookie.

Flex

 

[Hierovision]

A lot of you say it's an art and it is. It's the art of deceiving someone so they don't know your speed so you can take their money. It's a con. Thieves do it. It's the same as the guy on eBay using a stolen account and CC to pay for your cue. He's so good that you don't know what hit you until he's gone. Some use gimmicks (i.e. a partner or setup for a hustler, or in the eBay thief's case someone else's account and credit card) but they're all thieves to me.

 

[Jerry Yost]

No honor .... Period!

 

[senor]

A sucker and his money are soon separated, regardless of the 'help' they might get from time to time.

Now I never had the time or the nerve to develop some front that would trick someone into playing, and frankly, I really don't believe that happens too often among pool players. I simply offer a game and my customer can choose to accept or not. It doesn't take a rocket surgeon to figure out that the better player has the best of it, regardless of the spot.

 

[houmatroy]

Who's hustling who ?

99% of the time when someone gets hustles they think at 1st that they the one's doing the hustlin'...I've been on both sides the fence...hustled & got hustled...when i was on the flipside all I could do was to tip my hat to them...when it's done to perfection it's on the same line as watching a old classic on tv...Everybody that gambles on pool takes that risk when they play strangers..personally I think it's part of the allure...I remember years ago in Baton Rouge when flyboy started playing again & was losing a small fortune..hundreds of thousands of dollars at Lamberts....Almost every hustler or even pro player was coming through...The smell of blood was in the air...terms the phraze "Poolshark"...Literally it was crazy..everybody was atthe poolroom everynight lurking and waiting for a shot at some big money action including myself with a few unknowns..it was like that but not quite so bad a fews years back in mobile when Ricky B & Jr Moore were going off regular..guess what..We were camped out just like the rest of the gamblers waiting our turn..To me it just goes ith the territory..If somebody doesn't see the real picture then the simplist answer would be just not to play strangers without & exact line..JMHO on the subject.