I don't hustle, I gamble

[Reno]

Ok, yesterday was the one year anniversary of me having my thumb surgically repaired. To make a long story short, I was drunk, in a bar, having a good time, and when walking to the restroom, I saw some guys playing on a bar box. I said, "can I get next game?" I had no intention of gambling. I'd been boozing with a couple of buddies for about six hours, so I was feeling pretty good. The little guy who wasn't even playing says, "you've gotta play this guy for at least twenty." So of course my smart-ass reply was, " OK, how about forty?" Game on. He breaks, makes nothing. I miss, he runs out. At that point I should have realized that I couldn't see straight, much less shoot straight. So, I hand the guy a couple of twenties, and say, "wanna go again for a hundred?" For some reason, the little guy gets really pissed off and starts getting in my face (which is easy with three of his buddies around). He says, "what are you, trying to hustle us!?" Thankfully, the bartender comes around and says, "sorry guys, that was last game, we're closing in a few minutes." He ended up saving me another hundred, 'cause like I said, I was loaded. Anyway, five minutes later when I'm standing outside looking for my buddies, shortstack and his buddies come up from behind and beat the snot out of me, and in the process, snap my thumb in half. Now remember, I played one game, and PAID him forty bucks. But I get called the "hustler" as I'm on the ground and they're kicking and punching.

I guess my question is, are real pool players the only ones that know the difference between hustling and gambling? I mean, I've had people I work with say, what'd you do this weekend, did you hustle anybody? To which I'll respond, I made some money, but it wasn't hustling, it was just gambling. They respond, ya, ya, sure, sure. They just can't understand that people gamble for entertainment realizing that they may actually lose. I'm happy to gamble, but I'm not looking to rob anybody.

 

[Purdman]

You get out of life what you put into it my friend! I don't gamble. I watch a guy where I play and he drops six or seven thousand every week. He has plenty of money and says he don't give a sh$#. You know what though, when he dogs a shot, you can see the anguish in his face. I watch seventeen year old kids take his money all the time. Thousands of dollars, kids, go figure. I think the guy is sick. I guess he likes being robed. I ain't gonna do it, I don't want to deal with the karma.
Don

 

[Reno]

Just out of curiosity, did you used to gamble and give it up after some type of troubling incident, or have you just preferred not to gamble at all? For me, I gamble to improve my game. I don't gamble to make a living, but if I'm gonna play a guy for a couple of hours, it's much easier to play your best when there's something on the line. Otherwise, you're just banging balls.

 

[Porter]

Reno

In all due respect, your last post sounds a little more like a hustler than a gambler. If you have to have money on the line to play your best, a lot of people will think you are laying down when "you're just banging balls."

I like to wager a little on a game myself. But it has little effect on my play. (Maybe I am just as bad all the time LOL)

Sorry about your luck, but gambling and alcohol usually don't mix well amoung strangers.

 

[azhousepro]

I agree with Reno here. There is really no point in just "banging balls" around the table if there is no motivation to win.

Chuckles and I play and have played against each other for years. There is a lot of pride involved in one of us beating the other, but we still put a price tag on the match. I doubt either of us will ever the pay the other one any cash for those matches, but it does make us play a bit harder.

Mike

 

[Porter]

Mike


I am sometimes more motivated to get up and play, and I may be more focused, more serious and have a greater need to win. But I can play against a good friend , say for time, and even play better because I am more wide open with my game trying to make some shots that are not allways the wisest to take. But when I am on it really feels good. I do not take as many chances when I gamble. I am at the age where I try to just say no when it comes to playing someone and I will be "just banging the balls."

 

[Purdman]

Reno, I have been a BCA Certified Instructor for the past five years. That does not mean I am one of the greats, but I have banged around a few thousand balls. I play daily, repair cues, teach and have a full time job. I spend quite a bit of time in the pool hall. I played a game of one pocket with a guy the other day for $5. After I skunked him, I took the five and bought us both a beer. I would have played some more except I had to retip a few cues and taper a shaft. I got a jar beside the bed that usually has about $260 come around Kentucky Derby time. Yep, me and the ol lady go to the track for the triple crown races. Last year, I put down 160 $1 bets on the Preakness. Took home $1,875. Bet another $100 on the Belmont and lost. The change is accumulating as I type. I didn't like the field in any of the races this year and had a couple 3 lb. lobsters and stayed home and played pool with the wife. I get a sick feeling when I watch someone lose their hard earned money to a hustler,(gambler).
I have learned to play my best when ever I get a cue in my hand. I could take 85% of the players in my town anytime, all the time. The other 15% some of the time. If you like to gamble, that is fine with me as long as you don't lose the milk money. Some people can't stop, and get themselves in real deep. It's kind of like drinking, some can stop and some can't. Have you ever just had one beer? I haven't and dont want to. Best of luck.
Don

 

[bruin70]

take it or leave it,,,,,fight it if you want,,,,,that is pool's image. everyone seems to suffer from "The Hustler"itis. the guyz you beat you up musta just seen "the hustler".

 

[Reno]

[ I get a sick feeling when I watch someone lose their hard earned money to a hustler,(gambler).


Mr. Purdy., no disrespect, but you are exactly the type of person I am talking about. The type that does not know the difference between hustling and gambling. I do not show up to a poolroom and "lay down." I usually get a table and play by myself. If someone approaches me and asks for a game, I very blatantly ask what they want to play and for how much. I do not comb the room looking to snooker someone into a bad game. If they say that they do not like to gamble, I let them know very politely that I would rather just practice by myself. Like I said earlier, I do not gamble to make a living. But if I am not going to play for anything, I would rather have the table to myself to practice. In my opinion, those that "practice" by playing others for nothing are suckers who are not interested in really in improving their game.

 

[Ruthless]

In todays world there is not much hustling, unless someone is doing low stake bar box "catch the drunks on payday" kind. There really isn't a way to hide big stakes games anymore in this information age. If you play a game in N.C. and win any decent $$ they will know about it in Miami tomorrow.

There are many different stages of gambling. I know people that will bet what time the sun rises tomorrow. Others that play like God for $20 and fold up for $50. A couple that maybe only a few in the country can beat that still lose because they make bad games(weight). I know others that play well that are just born losers, I think they have a fear winning.

I quit pool for 8 yrs. because of drinking and gambling, never hit 1 ball or even saw a table for that time. Not because of losing. I won and loss like everyone else. The day I turned 18 my dad took me to the bar and I won over $400 in a $5 ring game. Between that time and when I turned 30 I got pretty well known in the S.E. as a Gambler(aka hustler). I run around with Kennedy when he still gambled, Franco from Houston, and many others you have heard of. I would have gave you're Great Grandmother the last 3 if I thought I could beat her, even if I had to help dig her up. I got banned from any and all types of league play here in FL. I watched and had more money pass hands than most small towns will have in 50 yrs. Some times were great and some were bad, but I wouldn't trade the exp for anything. Even though I wish things would have been different. Now I play about 4 balls worse and enjoy the game 10 times as much. I still play with friends that think that a small bet makes them play better, but I only take enough to pay the time, coffee, and tip at the counter. The people at the room I play in know I don't really gamble anymore and respect that.

As long as you don't gamble with the rent money I don't see anything wrong. But some don't know when to quit and I feel sorry for them. Anybody in the world can get played in the room I play out of now and when I see people sleeping in cars I remember the feeling.

Good Luck and I hope you're thumb heals(get a glock).

 

[Rickw]

The guys that broke your thumb are the kind of guys that would do that in or out of the pool hall. Pool has nothing to do with it really. They were just looking to kick some butt and it didn't matter what the situation was or even who it was they were beating. You just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. I've never been beat up, not because I'm a bad-ass but because I'm always vigilant of it. If someone did that to me, I'm afraid there would be killing sometime afterwards and I wouldn't want that.

I totally agree with what Donald said about the guy that loses thousands and yet when he misses a shot, you could see the anguish in his face. That says a lot about gambling. Someone has to lose and no one likes to lose money. I feel sorry for people that feel they have to put money on the game for it to mean something. I have to say, at times I find myself trying to beat the other person and when I'm doing that, my game starts going down. My game is at it's best when I'm oblivious of the other player and anything else. When I'm playing my best, I'm in the zone and nothing else exists but the balls and the table. That's exactly where I like to be when I'm playing pool.