play for money? or just practice?

T

torgy2

Registered
i was just wondering what everyone thoughts are on playing for money. i have a buddy who has been shooting for years and is really good. my self i have only been shooting for 2 years but i am decent. he always said when he was learning how to shoot he learned how to shoot while playing for money. he said that since there was money on the line that it made him learn how to shoot better then jus practice cuz there is money and pride on the line. and i was wondering if it would hurt ones game and ego if u were to lose a lot while playing for money then it would to miss the same shots and lose the same games in practice? what im trying to say is would you guys recommend playing for money when your playing a better opponet to learn how to control those nerves and play the best shot instead of jus practicing and taking shots you want to shoot to see what happens? hopfully it makes sense and you guys understand what im trying to say haha
thanks
torgy
 
you cant do just one you got to do both and punctuation and spacing will help others when they read your writing playing for money makes you tuff but practice gives you the opportunity to work on stuff.
 
I played for money for over 40 years. I now just play for fun or a tournament now and then. I just can't take the drama of playing for money anymore.
 
Unless you don't care about money at all, playing for cash will make you concentrate more. Ultimately giving you a more intense, focused practice.

That doesn't mean you can't have valuable practice without playing for money.

If you are taking the wrong shot during your practice games will you make the same bad shot when it counts? Likely. I think if you are playing for money, it will make you shoot better shots as well. It doesn't have to be big money at all. A dollar a game will piss you off if you lose too many in a row.

I say play for money, play very cheaply. You will not only be practicing right, but you can also season yourself to knowing what it is like to gamble.

The choice is yours.
 
measureman said:
I played for money for over 40 years. I now just play for fun or a tournament now and then. I just can't take the drama of playing for money anymore.
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Measureman is correct when gambling with strangers. There can be drama and problems. If you are playing with your teammates, you shouldn't have any problem at all.
 
Thats true playing for money does make me concentrate more and gives me a better practice session even if it is only 5 bucks a set or something. i seem to take shots in practice that i would only take in real games if i have to, and since most of the time it is a difficult shot i usually miss. and that may be why i never have a good practice session by my self cuz lets face it if your playing by your self your not going to play saftys and may take a ridiculous combo or bank shot instead...any tips for having a better practice session by my self?
thanks
torgy
 
Playing for money can force you to concentrate more and try harder.
However, in order to improve practice is necessary and money games are not.
Small local tournaments can provide just as much excitement.

Are you a gambler?
Are you competitive by nature?
Who do you want to be know as?

You will notice one thing as you improve.
The guys that think playing for money will improve your game will switch the tune once you start beating the crap out of them.
 
Wolven said:
The guys that think playing for money will improve your game will switch the tune once you start beating the crap out of them.
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Very true. No matter what, make sure you find a game that is fair. This will make it more enjoyable no matter what.

There are somethings you just have to practice on you own and game situations will never give you that. Bankshots come to mind here. I like shooting banks over and over when I practice. You can get this by playing with someone else.
 
wheather you play for money or not, "play" is not to be construed as "practice". they are not one in the same. practice is "drills" and that makes you better when you finally play....be it for $ or for fun. i too, when "playing" for fun,will try shots just to see if i can make it (3 rail banks etc) and would certainly not try them when money is at stake.
 
I think you should do both A LOT if you want to improve but if you could only do one then gambling is the way to go. It prepares you for competition, also you don't easily forget mistakes made that cost you money. I've seen so many players that are great in practice but put $20 on the line and they fold badly.
 
northdakotafats

ill be up there sometime tonight so bring some money and we will play a few games...i got the itch haha
 
I don't think I enjoy playing as much when money is on the line but I do see the benefits. You take better shots and think about position more. I think the best thing you can do is play in tournaments. They usually don't cost much and are great exp.
 
i agree

i love playing in tournaments. but the towns around where i live doesnt have many tournaments going on once leagues are over...i may be able to find a good tournament once every couple months er something. and sometimes those dont even turn out :(
 
Every Saturday at the broken drum there's a tourney.10 dollar entry fee and some pretty good competition. I've played it a few times and its pretty fun
 
torgy2 said:
i agree

i love playing in tournaments. but the towns around where i live doesnt have many tournaments going on once leagues are over...i may be able to find a good tournament once every couple months er something. and sometimes those dont even turn out :(
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Get the ball rolling. Talk to some local bar owners and ask if they will match if you run a tournament.
 
torgy2 said:
I was just wondering what everyone thoughts are on playing for money.
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I started out playing 25 cents a point on 5 sets of 8-Ball, When I was playing at the local CND legion. At that time 25cents a point added up quick, when you are having a off night.

What I would recommend, Don't play for money if you can't afford to lose the money that you are playing for.

And if you do what to make it alittle more interesting, you could play for a beer or if you are playing on hourly rate tables, you play for the hour. Never know you might have a free night of playing pool.
 
Huge can of worms here. Personally, I don't think gambling is necessary and I also think it is one of the biggest black marks on the game itself. Sure, there is gambling in every sport, but for some reason it really has an ugly image when associated with pool. As for if you can improve without gambling? Of course you can. I see so many comments like "You'll be forced to think about position" or "You'll rethink each shot" etc... In my opinion, if you don't do that anyway then you should step away from the game because it's just a waste of time. I think to improve you have to have a desire to win. And what I mean by that is that you have to hate losing. Personally, I don't care either way, if there's money on it or not. When I step up to that table I'm there to win and do the best I can do. Putting money on that or not isn't going to change that. I'm there to make you rack. Plain and simple.
MULLY
although I do my fair share of racking, as does everyone else
 
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