Is the "hustler" image good or bad for the game

[bobforest]

Is gambling on pool just an American thing?

I've played for drinks quite often in the past only once for cash. In the UK/China where I've played pool, I don't see anyone playing for cash and, in China at least, pool is a huge sport/pastime.

We do however often play 'Killer' after a league game with a winner-takes-all cash prize - is this just a China thing or is it common elsewhere?

Cheers

Bob

 

[JDH]

I think a fool and his money are soon parted. People will always try to take advantage of others... people should be aware of it. I don't think it necessarily makes billiards as a whole look bad. Sharks are usually spotted pretty quickly.

 

[lstevedus]

definitely bad

I have been playing pool for over 50 years, and mostly not very well at that, because there weren't any really good players or good places to play in my area. Where I grew up, in the middle of the rust belt, it was factories, railroads, and prisons. The poolrooms were not somewhere you would want to take a date. I never saw the really good players play till I went to the Akron Open, and the Glass City Open.

Most of the factories are gone along with the good paying jobs now. The McD's that I worked in as a kid is where people go to buy their drugs in the parking lot. The prisons are still there. They are trying to privatize them so they can pay the staff minimum wage, like the sweat shops are doing where we used to have good paying manufacturing jobs. I see some of the guys that are working in manufacturing jobs like I did and don't see how they are going to make it to retirement. The work load is brutal, and if you get hurt, you are pretty much on your own. I am retired, and thankful that I am still able to get around pretty good.

I have moved away and live in a small town. I drive 62 miles one way to play pool in a large city. Its a real pool room with a restaurant and bar, lots of leagues and tournaments. Its a totally different atmosphere than the places I learned to play pool in. There's even some kind of dating club for professionals that have a league that plays there once a week. They have APA league there, and an APA rules 8 ball tournament on the weekend that I play in on bar boxes.

I think pool is going to continue to be a nitch sport for a long time to come. At least with the leagues, and the social aspect of pool being the main focus now, pool might survive for people like me to still be able to enjoy.

I hope this new bonus ball thing makes a go of it, but I won't waste any money betting that it will. I think buying a lottry ticket would be a better bet.

 

[CJ Wiley]

the business of Pro Billiards has not, to this day been a business.

Well lets see. Pros are playing for the same money now that they were playing for in the 60's and 70's. Answer is pretty clear to me. Hustling is a huge detriment to the game. That and the fact that there isn't solely 1 governing body for pro Billiards. I don't know of any sport that the players make less. There might be one, but I don't know it.

The business end of Pro Billiards has been non existent in the past few years. Poker Players were looked down on much more than Pool Players when I was growing up and developing on the road. The "hustling" aspect is alluring to mainstream America, however, the business of Pro Billiards has not, to this day been a business.

It's not that Pro Billiards has failed, the fact is it's never really existed. We tried in the 90s, but never really established it as a business, although we did make a world-wide impact through ESPN and Fox Sports.

 

[Fatboy]

The business end of Pro Billiards has been non existent in the past few years. Poker Players were looked down on much more than Pool Players when I was growing up and developing on the road. The "hustling" aspect is alluring to mainstream America, however, the business of Pro Billiards has not, to this day been a business.

It's not that Pro Billiards has failed, the fact is it's never really existed. We tried in the 90s, but never really established it as a business, although we did make a world-wide impact through ESPN and Fox Sports.

they tried in the 80's with the Ledgends tourneys, with UJ, Cowboy, mosconi, fats etc. with 7 & 9 ball. so even back then it wasnt all that great. the 90's got the closest IMO

 

[sflguy]

Yes

I think so. So is gambling image and the fact it is primarily played in bars, alcohol, smoking etc.

But i play t because I like it. Not really worried about image.

 

[CJ Wiley]

even the Fats/Mosconi era was never a true business scenario

they tried in the 80's with the Ledgends tourneys, with UJ, Cowboy, mosconi, fats etc. with 7 & 9 ball. so even back then it wasnt all that great. the 90's got the closest IMO

Yes, and even the Fats/Mosconi era was never a true business scenario. Putting pool games on TV is great to promote the sport, but if there's no professional staff members then it's just "putting pool games on TV".....the future of any business is developing a comprehensive business model with Income Projections, P&L Estimates, Marketing Strategies and an Advertising Campaign

Then prudent decisions can be made based on the business model and not just putting shows on hoping they somehow, someday make a profit. This is a sure formula for failure,

"businesses either plan for success or (if they have no plan) they're planning for failure"

 

[measureman]

Whenever I tell a non player that I play pool the next thing out of their mouth is "Are you a hustler?" or "Are you a pool shark?".Thats the image.
I was once at a Mosconi exhibition where Willie just ran balls like only he could. When it was all over a lady said"Well hes not very good,he never made a tough shot"
That's when I knew this game would never go mainstream. Kind of like me watching chess. I have no clue.

 

[nb92]

Is the outlaw biker image good or bad for Harley sales?

Is the gunfighter part of the image of the "old west"..

I am John Galt...

 

[SloMoHolic]

Whenever I tell a non player that I play pool the next thing out of their mouth is "Are you a hustler?" or "Are you a pool shark?".Thats the image.

Same here.

Whenever my coworkers or family learn that I can play decent pool, the first comment is always "So you're a hustler!"

No I'm not. I just play (and enjoy) decent pool.

 

[Nostroke]

Whenever I tell a non player that I play pool the next thing out of their mouth is "Are you a hustler?" or "Are you a pool shark?".Thats the image.
I was once at a Mosconi exhibition where Willie just ran balls like only he could. When it was all over a lady said"Well hes not very good,he never made a tough shot"
That's when I knew this game would never go mainstream. Kind of like me watching chess. I have no clue.

That's approximately the 700th scenario under which Ive heard that line was said.

 

[ctyhntr]

If you want to clean it up, then start with the language. We play on pocket billiard tables. Pool was a moniker to describe the bookie activity, gamblers would pool their bets.

 

[Alf Taylor]

Keep pool fun

Strange words from a guy who spent twenty years on the road dealing out little spats of misery. In Aspen, I started a pool club for the kids at the day center. It was called THE GOOD GUYS POOL CLUB and it promoted proper sportsmanship. We challenged the Aspen police department to an eight ball tournament, which the chief and five other officers showed up...along with The Aspen Times and Daily News. We called the tournament THE GOOD GUYS AGAINST THE COPS..And we kicked some flatfoot butt. The newspapers had a ball with it.
My point, if you can find one here is, hustling or not, pocket billiards is the greatest sport in the world.
Keep it this way. Alfie

 

[CJ Wiley]

People that play Monopoly are the ones to look out for

Strange words from a guy who spent twenty years on the road dealing out little spats of misery. In Aspen, I started a pool club for the kids at the day center. It was called THE GOOD GUYS POOL CLUB and it promoted proper sportsmanship. We challenged the Aspen police department to an eight ball tournament, which the chief and five other officers showed up...along with The Aspen Times and Daily News. We called the tournament THE GOOD GUYS AGAINST THE COPS..And we kicked some flatfoot butt. The newspapers had a ball with it.
My point, if you can find one here is, hustling or not, pocket billiards is the greatest sport in the world.
Keep it this way. Alfie

That's Right, Alfie, Pocket Billiards is the Master Game.

People that play Monopoly are the ones to look out for, they're greedy and will buy anything to win. 'The Game is the Teacher'.com

 

[franko]

Good

It is good.The same way many non smoking men started to smoke cigars to give them what they think is a Tony Soprano image.Many people like to feel they are living dangerously playing pool.I know that is stupid but I worked in a bank with very conservative people who got thst type of a thrill going into a Poolroom.Strange but true.

 

[Chicagoplayer]

how could I film-

2 edge sword,

people look at car crashes

they like to sweat action, its entertainment.


the downside is gambling has a dark side especially when there is no casino involved. just 2 people off the street so to speak. Look around at the Derby, not many squares there. i'm not a square, not a criminal either. Pool has a dark side

I was thinking the other night,

How could a movie script for pool be written that didnt involve gambling?

if that can be answered then your post has been answered. IMO

best
eric:smile:

_____________________________________________________
only half a subject?
Pool is comprised of all of that and MORE!:joyful:
-A

 

[Pre-Flag Master]

My point... hustling or not, pocket billiards is the greatest sport in the world.

Yes, it is a wonderful sport, technical and creative at the same time. It has become very popular in other countries. And yet it languishes in the US. Why? Because of the hustler thing.

Fatz

 

[Pre-Flag Master]

It is good.The same way many non smoking men started to smoke cigars to give them what they think is a Tony Soprano image.Many people like to feel they are living dangerously playing pool.I know that is stupid but I worked in a bank with very conservative people who got thst type of a thrill going into a Poolroom.Strange but true.

You say *many* start smoking cigars. And you worked in a bank where some people got that type of thrill from going to a pool room.

I say for every person who derives a vicarious thrill from pool's seedy image, there are hundreds of thousands of people who will avoid pool because of the seedy image.

Fatz

 

[Pre-Flag Master]

...In Aspen, I started a pool club for the kids at the day center. It was called THE GOOD GUYS POOL CLUB and it promoted proper sportsmanship. We challenged the Aspen police department to an eight ball tournament, which the chief and five other officers showed up...along with The Aspen Times and Daily News. We called the tournament THE GOOD GUYS AGAINST THE COPS..And we kicked some flatfoot butt. The newspapers had a ball with it.

This is the kind of thing that could change pool's image - if done on a wide enough scale, over a long enough time. Changing pool's image would get more people to play. Having more people play would mean more people to sell stuff to. Hence more sponsorship money. Bigger tournament prize funds. Even more people interested. Pool gets on TV again. Even more sponsorship. And so on.

Fatz

 

[dr9ball]

Well lets see. Pros are playing for the same money now that they were playing for in the 60's and 70's. Answer is pretty clear to me. Hustling is a huge detriment to the game. That and the fact that there isn't solely 1 governing body for pro Billiards. I don't know of any sport that the players make less. There might be one, but I don't know it.

Possibly Ice Curling? http://www.simplyhired.com/a/salary/search/q-ice+curling

Looks like the average Ice Curler makes $19k a year.

While the average salary for a "Pool Player" is $35k a year.

http://www.simplyhired.com/a/salary/search/q-pool+player