Done
Keith McCready got money from his dad to play money games against his dad. Unethical?
- Thread starter DaWizard
- Start date
I've known a current well-known player, who will remain anon., that had a similar upbringing. His dad homeschooled him so he could play and help pay the bills. It was bad situation and many of us got in his dad's face more than once about it. Everything turned out well in the end and this kid is a good adult and hell of a player now. BTW, he still gambles every chance he gets.
DaWizard
Well-known member
Garczar "your posts are stupid, but I keep coming back to post how stupid this is".
In the end I dont mind. I know at AZ there will always be a bunch of grumpy people that'll dislike whatever. I know you don't like me and that is fine. Like you said, it's a public forum so I will keep posting stuff about pool when I feel like it.
I never really get all this negativety. Not really bothered by it either, for that I have been on the internet too long. But I don't get why some people are so sour so often here on AZ. Relax, scroll on. It must be rewarding in some way because it seems very habitual.
In the end I dont mind. I know at AZ there will always be a bunch of grumpy people that'll dislike whatever. I know you don't like me and that is fine. Like you said, it's a public forum so I will keep posting stuff about pool when I feel like it.
I never really get all this negativety. Not really bothered by it either, for that I have been on the internet too long. But I don't get why some people are so sour so often here on AZ. Relax, scroll on. It must be rewarding in some way because it seems very habitual.
Bob’s Billiards. What it looks like now. It was the building on the left.
At some point, it caught on fire and the rebuild of this mini strip never really got back to life. It is located on the corner of Beach Blvd and Ball Road… Beachball.
I used to work bending tacos across the street when I was 15-16 (1985sh) before I got into pool. I used to hear about Keith way back then although I think he didn’t hang out there much at that time. Probably the second player, behind the Miz, I ever heard of.
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DaWizard
Well-known member
Kind of related: Judith Polgar, the best woman in chess by far, was raised by a father that believed you can create excellence in any kid if you train it young enough and systematically.
He did that with his 3 daughters. 2 became grandmasters, one those the GOAT of female chess.
Unethical no doubt, but the experiment did succeed.
en.m.wikipedia.org
He did that with his 3 daughters. 2 became grandmasters, one those the GOAT of female chess.
Unethical no doubt, but the experiment did succeed.
Judit Polgár - Wikipedia
This is no different than a father offering his son $10 for each home run he hits in little league. There is no gambling involved. It's just an extra prize or incentive to succeed. Parents make these kinds of offers all of the time with the promise of ice cream, a new video game, or whatever. I have absolutely no problem with it.
BITD Beanie's Jack 'n' Jill's 24/7 room served as a de facto dormitory for many of the country's best road players.I recall reading of Efren doing the same.
I do appreciate your well thought out response. It helps having insights......and empathy.
A big thumbs up and give Keith a hug for me. Heck for all of us.
Jesus...who pissed in your cornflakes?
Life isn't without risk....bet high and live it up.
I watched a 14 or 15-year-old Shannon gamble with Grady Mathews playing one pocket. I wasn't there at the start of it to know how much they were betting, but it was pretty serious (several hundred a game). I can't recall exactly what the spot was either, but it was big (10-6, 11-5...something like that). What I do remember is Shannon won every rack, beating him even, before Grady quit.
Gambling is a misnomer. Playing for money is a contest of skill. While there are elements of luck the player with the best skills prevails in the long run. Playing for money is a proven way to develop skill.
A long time ago in the state of Washington a judge ruled that Playing for money was a contest of skill and not gambling therefore the debt would be paid. The losers claim that it was a gambling debt didn't hold up in court.
If the story about Keith is indeed true....... Seems that Keith developed some pretty good skills.
That fine line between gambling and wagering. In my state gambling outside of a casino is illegal, wagering isn't. In many states in the South wagering and gambling debts were debts of honor and held to a higher standard than business debts. An example, declaring bankruptcy might free you of business debts but you would still owe gambling debts.
I am only about twenty posts in. Started to post my opinion this morning but I have a feeling those closer to the situation would post for Keith.
Hu
every single person gambles regularly on something for decent amounts of money. (buying insurance for one for example) most things they don't call gambling as they cant bring themselves to stoop that low in their false minds.
some gamblers are suckers that lose most or all the time. nothing can help them if they cant quit.
lottery players for one. it is a total sucker play. yet they defend playing it.
other gamblers gamble when they have the best of the bet. and over time that edge shows up and they have lots of money.
they are mostly in the minority as they need the bad gamblers for supply. no difference from them as a business man that makes it.
some gamblers are suckers that lose most or all the time. nothing can help them if they cant quit.
lottery players for one. it is a total sucker play. yet they defend playing it.
other gamblers gamble when they have the best of the bet. and over time that edge shows up and they have lots of money.
they are mostly in the minority as they need the bad gamblers for supply. no difference from them as a business man that makes it.
My first gambling was at Catholic school and I think they gambled from first grade on. Moms would bake cakes or a tray of cupcakes and they would be raffled off. Didn't take me long to notice the poorest kids in the classroom were heavy winners on these deals! We lagged coins, dropped marbles, all sorts of gambling at the Catholic schools.
There have been pushy parents in every endeavor. I remember boys who couldn't play unless they were quarterback or pitcher, whomever was seen as the leader or star. I thought it was sad, a boy wanted to play first base. I was there when the dad told the boy he pitched or he didn't play.
I have to agree with maha. You think you are gambling on a pool table? Go sit down at a bank and bet everything you own and many years of hard work against a hundred thousand or a few hundred thousand to open a small business, probably more like a million now. I did make a huge bet on a pool table once when I figured the odds were my way. As a young man I didn't look at it as the money wagered but the five years of hard work I had tied up in making that money.
Keith seems to have been his own boss more than parents forcing him down a path. I can understand that being my own boss from the age of twelve. I got my driver's license the day I turned fifteen and many of my pool stories occurred long before I was legal age.
Hu
There have been pushy parents in every endeavor. I remember boys who couldn't play unless they were quarterback or pitcher, whomever was seen as the leader or star. I thought it was sad, a boy wanted to play first base. I was there when the dad told the boy he pitched or he didn't play.
I have to agree with maha. You think you are gambling on a pool table? Go sit down at a bank and bet everything you own and many years of hard work against a hundred thousand or a few hundred thousand to open a small business, probably more like a million now. I did make a huge bet on a pool table once when I figured the odds were my way. As a young man I didn't look at it as the money wagered but the five years of hard work I had tied up in making that money.
Keith seems to have been his own boss more than parents forcing him down a path. I can understand that being my own boss from the age of twelve. I got my driver's license the day I turned fifteen and many of my pool stories occurred long before I was legal age.
Hu
From another thread:
I’ve always said pool is a microcosm of life. Just like in life some people can never figure it out, they make it more complicated than it needs to be, more flashy than whats good, let too much show, lucky doesn’t mean good and good doesn’t meant you are going to win, play with the odds (if you can figure out what they are) you’ll be a winner in the long run.
Gambling is something some people can never figure out. They don’t know how to match up. It reminds me of a Quote by John Wayne: “Life is tough, but it's tougher if you're stupid.”
I thinks Keith is pretty damn smart and I’d love to see how many that knock him would have turned out with the cards he was dealt in life.
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playing you have winners and losers usually almost determined before the game starts.
gambling, the winners are also determined before the game starts. and it isnt the same winners as above.
as i think i said before, ive only played two people in my whole life not for any money. both are on the forum and friends.
gamblers are gamblers. and non gamblers are non gamblers. both have different thoughts on it.
gambling, the winners are also determined before the game starts. and it isnt the same winners as above.
as i think i said before, ive only played two people in my whole life not for any money. both are on the forum and friends.
gamblers are gamblers. and non gamblers are non gamblers. both have different thoughts on it.