Phillipines - Gambling Matches - Youtube (Questions)

Matt_24

Matt_24

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I've been watching some exceptional gambling matches filmed in the PI and posted on YOUTUBE. The channel is Batang Tirador. Lots of fun!

As to the purpose of this post, for my Filipino friends (or anyone who knows), during these action matches, what is the deal with the designated dirt pickers (for lack of a better designation).

In each match I watch, there is apparently one, or sometimes two specifically identified individuals who are allowed to walk out, seemingly at-will, to pick up dirt (or whatever) off the table.

A player can be in a dead run-out, catching a nice gear/rhythm - and this guy will just step on out and interrupt him briefly to pick up something that I'm pretty sure NO ONE else sees.

This seems to be a job that has a certain amount of honor or prestige associated with it, so...that's cool. I can accept that. The action culture is strong there. I'm just curious if someone can explain to me what that is all about?

Thank you!
 
Im not from pi but im sure its a guy with a small piece of chalk to mark balls that might get bumped on accident.
 
Are you sure they are picking up dirt? My guess is you are seeing a designated person who marks the location of object balls on the cloth with chalk in case the balls get inadvertently (or not) moved by the hand/arm of the shooter.

Regardless, I find it very strange.
 
Post a link to the match you are talking about. Could be one of two things. Some of those venues are an open area with a roof over it. They could be picking up bugs off the table.

The other possibility is in the PI they have a guy who marks the table with chalk when they are shooting over a ball so they will know where to replace the ball if the player moves the ball he is shooting over. It's kind of a local rule.

The chaos between matches is people gambling on each rack. You see the same thing at cock fights.
 
Matt_24 said:
I've been watching some exceptional gambling matches filmed in the PI and posted on YOUTUBE. The channel is Batang Tirador. Lots of fun!

As to the purpose of this post, for my Filipino friends (or anyone who knows), during these action matches, what is the deal with the designated dirt pickers (for lack of a better designation).

In each match I watch, there is apparently one, or sometimes two specifically identified individuals who are allowed to walk out, seemingly at-will, to pick up dirt (or whatever) off the table.

A player can be in a dead run-out, catching a nice gear/rhythm - and this guy will just step on out and interrupt him briefly to pick up something that I'm pretty sure NO ONE else sees.

This seems to be a job that has a certain amount of honor or prestige associated with it, so...that's cool. I can accept that. The action culture is strong there. I'm just curious if someone can explain to me what that is all about?

Thank you!
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They are marking the balls with chalk in case anything moves. A very strange practice indeed. In some cases, they are actually picking up lint.
 
I am subscribed to that you tube channel and watch these matches all the time. Fantastic pool and good video quality. Those guys are marking balls to confirm potential fouls. I like the practice.

FYI there are a few matches on that channel featuring young kids (early teens). Fun to watch these up and comers. When they miss, they go sit down happily and eat their candy until it's their turn again.
 
This batang torador guy is cool
Does lots of impromptu vids and interviews interviews of Filipino players. Also regularly highlights monster Filipino talents we never heard of
 
I have watched lots of those videos where they mark the cloth in case the balls get moved but have never yet seen a ball moved and had to be moved back :shrug:
 
couldnthinkof01 said:
Im not from pi but im sure its a guy with a small piece of chalk to mark balls that might get bumped on accident.
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It's this. I asked them about it once on one of the youtube videos. They mark balls that are in the vicinty of being bumped so they know where they go.

It's not little bugs, I originally thought that as well.

Amazing Youtube Channels. Have Efren in challenge matches with people we never heard of. They are giving Efren the 9ball playing 10ball and a game on the wire and winning. Unknowns, beating Efren... One day a plane load of them are probably gonna fly over here and snap off the US Open and god knows what else. That will be a phenomenal time for pool...
 
One interesting thing about those "street" games in the P I - I've seen Efren a few times playing unknown opponents and I've seen him lose but it's always 9 ball or 10 ball. They know better than to mess with the old guy in one pocket.
 
alstl said:
One interesting thing about those "street" games in the P I - I've seen Efren a few times playing unknown opponents and I've seen him lose but it's always 9 ball or 10 ball. They know better than to mess with the old guy in one pocket.
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I've never seen action there involving one hole though


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
alstl said:
One interesting thing about those "street" games in the P I - I've seen Efren a few times playing unknown opponents and I've seen him lose but it's always 9 ball or 10 ball. They know better than to mess with the old guy in one pocket.
Click to expand...

It is not played there.
And you don't see too many ball return tables.
The railbirds bet EVERY GAME.
One hole would be too slow for them.
 
Great question as I have seen this action on that channel before. I was thinking who are these guys coming to the table in the middle of a run and WTF are they doing ?

I have seen them do it when the ball they are 'marking' or what ever they are doing is in no way going to be touched. I was thinking some kind os weird 'side action' or something....was not thinking about dirt or potential bug.

Crazy rooms. Wall to wall spectators sweating out matches and folks smashed faces behind glass or plastic in side rooms. Possible the air conditioned rooms ? or the sweat boxes ?

These guys can play. Un-known youngsters running racks and moving the rock like Pro's with guys walking and talking right in front of their shot for the cheese on the 9 ball. Seems nothing bothers them, they just want action and to play.

-Kat,
 
Batang tirador means young hustler

Just in case ur wondering and if u go to PH for some pool and u overheard "tirador" guess you better stay away from the match lol
 
java712 said:
Batang tirador means young hustler



Just in case ur wondering and if u go to PH for some pool and u overheard "tirador" guess you better stay away from the match lol
Click to expand...



Actually tirador means slingshot, not hustler
 
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