I know exactly what you mean. I'm not what I would call a gambler, but I do need to bet a little something on pool.
I liken pool to poker, you can't play poker without betting something...otherwise everybody is always in every hand. Like folks firing in one pocket, there needs to be a penalty.
Having that been said, I know a few old guys at a local room that are good players (100 ball runners at one time) but now don't have any cash to gamble. Watching these guys shoot their guts out, take a half dozen intentional fouls, argue, fight, cheat, shark and swear, you would think they're playing for $1,000 per rack. Really, they're not playing for anything. Zilch. They just learned to enjoy the game without the penalty and reward of gambling. My point is - it is possible.
I liken pool to poker, you can't play poker without betting something...otherwise everybody is always in every hand. Like folks firing in one pocket, there needs to be a penalty.
Having that been said, I know a few old guys at a local room that are good players (100 ball runners at one time) but now don't have any cash to gamble. Watching these guys shoot their guts out, take a half dozen intentional fouls, argue, fight, cheat, shark and swear, you would think they're playing for $1,000 per rack. Really, they're not playing for anything. Zilch. They just learned to enjoy the game without the penalty and reward of gambling. My point is - it is possible.