"Nice match but you know you got lucky right? You wanna play a few sets later?"
"Sure Europe won the Mosconi Cup but none of those guys can win a gambling match!"
"We will never really know how good a player someone like Ralph Souquet is because he doesn't gamble and money matches are much more important than tournament victories."
ENOUGH ALREADY!
I think it's about time to put this gambling nonsense to bed. Sure gambling was and still is a major part of the American pool scene but when you really think about it -- gambling is just easier for many of the pro level players. Why is that you ask? Well, for most of these guys the battle is won before the first ball is even struck. If a pro is playing someone that plays below their speed, they know exactly how much weight they can give up, and they ensure the set is long enough to outrun any bad rolls and give them amble opportunity to overcome their mistakes. You call that pressure? The days of the top dogs playing on their last dime is pretty much gone. They know what they are doing and seldom do the top players even match up with each other.
But you say, there's money at stake when players are gambling and this really shows who is able to handle the pressure. Do you think these same players are somehow unable to count money when they find themselves in the finals of a major tournament? There can be a significant difference between winning 1st or 2nd in many major tournaments and I'm quite certain that all of the pro players are aware of this.
Flat out -- tournaments are just more difficult for the pros. I think they feel more pressure and all of the flaws in their strokes come out under the lights of a tough tournament match. There's no more thinking, "well, if he gets me this set we can just flip it again." Instead it's do or die time and they have to play perfect. Unfortunately for the U.S., we really don’t have too many players that are capable of playing perfect pool in this environment.
We live in a country that is littered with local champion money players. Almost all serious U.S. pool players are introduced to gambling very early on and many of them find a way to line their pockets after only a few years of serious play. This easy money breeds a certain laziness amongst those of us in the amateur ranks and I think it spills into the professional ranks as well. After all, it is this gambling culture that the pros come from. Many of them have viewed themselves as champion players long before they were even remotely close to being so. The easy money does something to the player’s psyche. They lose that hunger for practice since they are already the best player around and they have the cash to prove it.
Contrast that with the tournament warrior, especially of the European variety. Their goal isn’t to make some easy money, but to start out on a long journey to become a champion. Their goal isn’t to heist some banger out of a few bucks. Instead, they become dedicated to the game. Their only goal is to become the best player they can be and so they work diligently on their game – EVEN AFTER becoming a champion. For them it is not about the money.
It really is the tortoise vs. the hare.
Gambling is just easier.
"Sure Europe won the Mosconi Cup but none of those guys can win a gambling match!"
"We will never really know how good a player someone like Ralph Souquet is because he doesn't gamble and money matches are much more important than tournament victories."
ENOUGH ALREADY!
I think it's about time to put this gambling nonsense to bed. Sure gambling was and still is a major part of the American pool scene but when you really think about it -- gambling is just easier for many of the pro level players. Why is that you ask? Well, for most of these guys the battle is won before the first ball is even struck. If a pro is playing someone that plays below their speed, they know exactly how much weight they can give up, and they ensure the set is long enough to outrun any bad rolls and give them amble opportunity to overcome their mistakes. You call that pressure? The days of the top dogs playing on their last dime is pretty much gone. They know what they are doing and seldom do the top players even match up with each other.
But you say, there's money at stake when players are gambling and this really shows who is able to handle the pressure. Do you think these same players are somehow unable to count money when they find themselves in the finals of a major tournament? There can be a significant difference between winning 1st or 2nd in many major tournaments and I'm quite certain that all of the pro players are aware of this.
Flat out -- tournaments are just more difficult for the pros. I think they feel more pressure and all of the flaws in their strokes come out under the lights of a tough tournament match. There's no more thinking, "well, if he gets me this set we can just flip it again." Instead it's do or die time and they have to play perfect. Unfortunately for the U.S., we really don’t have too many players that are capable of playing perfect pool in this environment.
We live in a country that is littered with local champion money players. Almost all serious U.S. pool players are introduced to gambling very early on and many of them find a way to line their pockets after only a few years of serious play. This easy money breeds a certain laziness amongst those of us in the amateur ranks and I think it spills into the professional ranks as well. After all, it is this gambling culture that the pros come from. Many of them have viewed themselves as champion players long before they were even remotely close to being so. The easy money does something to the player’s psyche. They lose that hunger for practice since they are already the best player around and they have the cash to prove it.
Contrast that with the tournament warrior, especially of the European variety. Their goal isn’t to make some easy money, but to start out on a long journey to become a champion. Their goal isn’t to heist some banger out of a few bucks. Instead, they become dedicated to the game. Their only goal is to become the best player they can be and so they work diligently on their game – EVEN AFTER becoming a champion. For them it is not about the money.
It really is the tortoise vs. the hare.
Gambling is just easier.
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