A set up with a stranger like described I am most comfortable with five barrels and change. Somebody whose game I know, I may be happy with three barrels.
Long time ago when I wasn't bashful about gambling the California Kid came to town. $3500 was all I could rake up to bet but that would buy most new cars at the time so not too shabby. With that and a very tough road player I wanted to start at five a game. Try to get up to at least four then if he wanted to bump things to a thousand I was fine with that. What I didn't want to do but would was start the bet at a thousand a game. At that I only had three barrels and playing by the game that is cutting things very thin. The seven barrels playing five a game was none too many.
Hu
Same thinking here.
I never quit winner after only one set.
I always give them a shot to get their money back.
My starting bet is typically no more than 1/3 of what I have on me.
Often, I don't have my A game out of the gate so I need more barrels to chase the first.
I also wanted to keep it relatively friendly since I am introducing myself to a new area of pool players.
When the set was over, my opponent walked over with his wallet open. He paid up and said he didn't have any more, and had to go pick up a buddy... I could clearly see that he really didn't have much left in his wallet. Later, another player told me he had to pay the guy's way into a tourney the next day. I suppose you never know until it happens but it occurred to me how bad the "pot odds" were in his favor. He was risking $X to win $5X minimum. Conversely, I was risking $5X+ to win only X.
I would rather have locked horns with someone else. That is what gt me wondering about how common that is or if most think more along the lines I do.
Thanks for your response Hu.
