Well some people focus on the Money at risk, so it become a distraction, to gamble on Pool. Personally use to do weekly 9 Ball Tournment that was $7.00 Entre Fee. Pots were never much over $100.00 for First, but they normally payed 1st., 2nd, and 3rd., so it was more about fun then winning or loosing much.
I personally many years ago use to stop at North Holloywood Billiard's, in So. Cal. It was on way home, there were alway big money games, some time the amounts of money change hands was like my week paycheck. Could not afford that kind of risk.