midget pool from the Philippines

ShootingArts said:

Eleven years old and he has power, touch, and absolutely no fear. Amazing to watch these kids tackle shots that would have most adults scratch their heads and look it over from fourteen angles before shooting. The kids just look at the shot, it is what it is, BAM!

Hu
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I've watched him before, he's Jason Shaw and Josh Filler wrapped up in a little package - we'll call him the Little Shiller ;)
 
50 to 100 more just like him all over the islands, playing in little poolrooms like you see here. They see their heros on TV here all the time winning money, and it looks good to them.

Notice all the shouting and other distractions don't bother him one iota. They learn to concentrate!

It's like all the kids in the U.S. who want to be in the NBA.
 
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jay helfert said:
50 to 100 more just like him all over the islands, playing in little poolrooms like you see here. They see their heros on TV here all the time winning money, and it looks good to them.

Notice all the shouting and other distractions don't bother him one iota. They learn to concentrate!

It's like all the kids in the U.S. who want to be in the NBA.
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I have noticed it in Mexico and poor countries all over South America, the world really. One person in a country finds fame and fortune in a sport, every kid in the country wants to do the same. All of a sudden the country produces a handful of top boxers or competitors in another sport. In the Philippines it is boxing and pool.

South Louisiana wasn't much different than a lot of third world countries fifty years or more ago. Lack of food and proper nutrition growing up, produced world champion jockeys, pretty much every son in one family.

A friend hadn't gotten a big break but seemed like he was on the path. Then he took a bad fall in St Louis. Practically destroyed one arm, his riding days were done. He was in the hospital for months and begged them to let him go home, a small town cajun was a fish out of water up there. Still in a lot of pain they finally agreed he could go home if he checked in a hospital as soon as he got there. Hot damn, he was on his way!

If you remember the movie Casey's Shadow it was about the Romaro family. One after the other those boys were top jocks. The meet was winding down in St Louis and John was able to catch a ride home with one of them. They dope him up good at the hospital, he climbs in the car, takes more pills, goes to sleep. Many hours later John wakes up. As he is starting to look around he sees a sign Chicago! He is a little upset. "Chicago, what the hell are we doing in Chicago!" "I can't read, it looked like the right way." So much for pills and resting, John didn't sleep anymore until the south side of Lafayette LA!

Hu
 
ShootingArts said:
I have noticed it in Mexico and poor countries all over South America, the world really. One person in a country finds fame and fortune in a sport, every kid in the country wants to do the same. All of a sudden the country produces a handful of top boxers or competitors in another sport. In the Philippines it is boxing and pool.

South Louisiana wasn't much different than a lot of third world countries fifty years or more ago. Lack of food and proper nutrition growing up, produced world champion jockeys, pretty much every son in one family.

A friend hadn't gotten a big break but seemed like he was on the path. Then he took a bad fall in St Louis. Practically destroyed one arm, his riding days were done. He was in the hospital for months and begged them to let him go home, a small town cajun was a fish out of water up there. Still in a lot of pain they finally agreed he could go home if he checked in a hospital as soon as he got there. Hot damn, he was on his way!

If you remember the movie Casey's Shadow it was about the Romaro family. One after the other those boys were top jocks. The meet was winding down in St Louis and John was able to catch a ride home with one of them. They dope him up good at the hospital, he climbs in the car, takes more pills, goes to sleep. Many hours later John wakes up. As he is starting to look around he sees a sign Chicago! He is a little upset. "Chicago, what the hell are we doing in Chicago!" "I can't read, it looked like the right way." So much for pills and resting, John didn't sleep anymore until the south side of Lafayette LA!

Hu
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This reminded me of a novel I read long ago set in Afghanistan…The Horsemen, by Joseph Kessel. The protagonist was the finest horseman in the land…he lost a leg and learned to ride again. It became a movie starring Omar Sharif. Worth reading.
Because of Afghanistan’s isolated culture, their expertise was unknown to the the world, but they were great.
 
pt109 said:
This reminded me of a novel I read long ago set in Afghanistan…The Horsemen, by Joseph Kessel. The protagonist was the finest horseman in the land…he lost a leg and learned to ride again. It became a movie starring Omar Sharif. Worth reading.
Because of Afghanistan’s isolated culture, their expertise was unknown to the the world, but they were great.
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I seem to remember seeing something on TV about the horsemanship there. Might be confusing it with something else though, talking decades!

Talking horses reminds me, a new magazine came out, great technical articles. I subscribed for two years and the magazine quickly turned to bubble gum. I let the subscription expire but they kept sending me magazines, and bills! I don't know about other places, but my state you don't have to pay for anything you didn't order. Finally after six or eight free issues and the billing getting pretty nasty I sent them a letter. Told them their mag no longer matched my interests but I would keep accepting it as long as they kept giving it to me. They couldn't understand nice letters and phone calls, until I sent them a thank you note!

Hu
 
measureman said:
I noticed the no smoking sign same as a lot of rooms in the U.S.
Those kids play pretty good and fast.
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I was surprised by the no smoking. Old video I think everyone over the age of six was smoking! I do think that no smoking is a great idea. I think the younger someone starts the harder it is to break the habit.

I was also a little surprised by the respect the children's game was given. I suspect there were decent amounts of cash on the line and the game was given the exact same respect an adult's game would be given from what I could tell.

I enjoyed watching this and a few more matches. Seemed like it was a peek at the real pool scene in the Philippines.

Hu
 
ShootingArts said:
I seem to remember seeing something on TV about the horsemanship there. Might be confusing it with something else though, talking decades!

Talking horses reminds me, a new magazine came out, great technical articles. I subscribed for two years and the magazine quickly turned to bubble gum. I let the subscription expire but they kept sending me magazines, and bills! I don't know about other places, but my state you don't have to pay for anything you didn't order. Finally after six or eight free issues and the billing getting pretty nasty I sent them a letter. Told them their mag no longer matched my interests but I would keep accepting it as long as they kept giving it to me. They couldn't understand nice letters and phone calls, until I sent them a thank you note!

Hu
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If you ever send a donation by mail to ANY charity, you will soon be inundated with requests from dozens of other charities. Your name and address has been added to a mailing list that is sold to charities nationwide. Of course you don’t have to respond or make a donation, but good luck getting them to stop filling your mailbox with solicitations. It’s virtually impossible!
 
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ShootingArts said:
I was surprised by the no smoking. Old video I think everyone over the age of six was smoking! I do think that no smoking is a great idea. I think the younger someone starts the harder it is to break the habit.

I was also a little surprised by the respect the children's game was given. I suspect there were decent amounts of cash on the line and the game was given the exact same respect an adult's game would be given from what I could tell.

I enjoyed watching this and a few more matches. Seemed like it was a peek at the real pool scene in the Philippines.

Hu
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That is how real money matches look all over the Philippines. And that scene is being played out in a hundred plus little poolrooms every day!

If you walk into a poolroom like that in the PI carrying a cue you will get asked to play. And there is always a bet, be it 100P or a 1,000P. If you want to bet more they will find someone to accommodate you. Good luck is all I can say. YES, there are pool hustlers in the Philippines, many of whom play damn good.
 
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jay helfert said:
That is how real money matches look all over the Philippines. And that scene is being played out in a hundred plus little poolrooms every day!

If you walk into a poolroom like that in the PI carrying a cue you will get asked to play. And there is always a bet, be it 100P or a 1,000P. If you want to bet more they will find someone to accommodate you. Good luck is all I can say. YES, there are pool hustlers in the Philippines, many of whom play damn good.
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I don't consider it hustling unless they try to rope you into something under false pretenses. I couldn't pocket more balls than a three cushion player in practice but I hit points and diamonds pretty good!

Hu
 
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