"OK, Fast Eddie. Let's play pool."

One of the Best!

In the Movie Genre of Pool, The Hustler had more great antagonist/protagonist exchanges than could ever be written by any cadre of writers. This movie will stand forever at the pinnacle of film noir where it rightfully belongs.

"I'm shootin' pool Fats. When I miss, you can shoot."
 
I wonder

For many of us that was the first pool movie we had ever seen.I wonder if that is why so many pool players want to make tough sounding remarks when at the table.Probably for many people COM was the first pool movie.When I see casual pool players play I noticed they seam to want to talk and act cool when it is their turn at the table,I wonder how much COM influenced this?
 
I think Jay was there!

Hey, I think it was Fats who asked Jay,"Are You a Hustler?" Haha, he's been everywhere else, I figured he show up in Ames...Mister!:D
 
You're not remembering the scene quite right. Fats comes out of the bathroom, the attendant helps him on with his suit coat and I think Fats puts a flower in his lapel, then he holds out his hands and the attendant sprinkles some powder on them. Fats rubs his hands together and smilingly looks at Eddie and says:

"Fast Eddie, let's shoot some pool."

This is what comes from seeing a movie numerous times when you're young. One of these days I'll have to watch it again to make sure I have all the commas in the right place.
 
Rich93 said:
You're not remembering the scene quite right. Fats comes out of the bathroom, the attendant helps him on with his suit coat and I think Fats puts a flower in his lapel, then he holds out his hands and the attendant sprinkles some powder on them. Fats rubs his hands together and smilingly looks at Eddie and says:

"Fast Eddie, let's shoot some pool."

This is what comes from seeing a movie numerous times when you're young. One of these days I'll have to watch it again to make sure I have all the commas in the right place.
Click to expand...

Mental Toughness

There is a great scene in the movie "The Hustler" when Paul Newman and Jackie Gleason are playing their first match together. After countless hours of playing, the dawn breaks through the painted windows and the endurance of both men is being tested.

Newman, who had been winning, is spent. He's drunk, tired and believes Gleason is about to give up. Gleason walks into the bathroom, methodically washes his hands and face, comes out of the bathroom refreshed and says, "Ok, Fast Eddie, Let's play pool!"

Poker players can take a lesson from that classic scene where Gleason's character has beaten his opponent before they even begin to play again.

The same mental toughness and cunning are valuable skills to have when playing poker, especially over a long stretch of time.

The most I have ever played at one sitting was 26 hours, and by the time I was done I didn't even know my own name. Fortunately I was in college, playing a $1-$2 table and didn't lose much money.

My friend used to play for days on end. He played poker at a club for three days straight one time, but he was an anomaly.

Another friend of mine owns the Guinness Book of Records mark for the longest time sitting at a poker table. Larry Olmsted, from Vermont, endured seventy-two hours of non-stop play with only occasional breaks to visit the bathroom. He played seven card stud for that time and reportedly drank more than 30 cups of coffee in that time to stay awake.

Whether you are going to sit down for three hours or three days, you have to know your limitations.

There are also a couple of common sense things you can do to limit your mistakes.

The first one seems so simple, but I see so many card players fail to adhere to it. Be well rested when you come to play.

Friday nights at the card club are called sucker's night because so many guys show up after work with their paycheck. They possess the perfect combination of money and fatigue.

The last thing you want to do is to sit down at a card table after working 8 or 10 hours. You might not feel tired, but trust me, you are and you are bound to make stupid mistakes.

Don't go to the club right after work, go home, take a nap and a shower, eat something and then go to the club. That two hours of down time will save you a bunch of money later on in the evening.

The same goes if you are playing online poker. Come home from work and plop down in front of the computer and you are going to make mistakes.

Another common mistake I see players make is they don't take breaks while they play. I am guilty of that as well. I will sit for two-three hours at a stretch and not even get up to stretch.

That is a big mistake. You should get up at least once an hour and stretch and walk around. If you don't want to miss a hand, just walk around the table while the dealer is shuffling. Or if you fold a hand, get up and take a little stretch.

My routine is I get up right after the button has passed me. I drink a lot of ice water to stay hydrated so I usually make a visit to the bathroom. Then I wash my hands and face and do a little stretch as I make my way back to the table. I usually only miss one hand, two tops, and the break is exactly what I need to revitalize me.

The last bit of advice is to know when to quit. I tend to set a deadline. I know I am good for so many hours of quality poker, and I try not to exceed that. I have seen a lot of guys play, go up in chips and then get tired and refuse to leave for whatever reason. The stacks go back down, and pretty soon they bust out before they even know what hit them. When it's time to quit, quit.

You'll make more money in the long run.

John Reger
Author Bio: John Reger has been playing poker for more than 20 years in card clubs and casinos all over the world and has been playing online for five years. He lives in Southern California and works as a freelance writer covering sports, travel and entertainment.

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What made me fond of Walter Tevis

Color of Money...the book

Fast Eddie shows up at a 9-ball in his 50's.The crowd can see that he knows
what he's doing as he warms up but they don't know who he is.
Then he wins the lag and takes his first break.
He pops the pack at about 15 mph and makes nothing.
Someone in the stands says "Straight-pool player."

This line made me realize that Walter is not just a man who writes about
pool.
He is one of us.
 
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