When I hooked up with Rhea in Columbus, Ohio....
I don't think her game is as bad as everyone makes it out to be, her lack of making a game seems to where she fails. Action junkies always struggle to get the right spot. No, she isn't top speed but from what I understand road players didn't have to be top speed they just had to know how to make a game right.
That being said, is it even possible to go on the road anymore and make a living? I know that you can find people all over to gamble but with all the research that can be done don't most games end up being about even after weights given?
Edit: I'm to lazy to look up the other thread but did anything ever happen with the tournament that banned you?
The players there were using her like a punching bag. She just kept playing with every waking hour trying to get better. Losing every pennie that she was earning with her work.
I felt kind of bad and tried to help her. She could immediately see improvement in her game and could see that she could get better now. But the big challenge was to learn how to match up and manage the money.
Before I left Columbus I agreed to help her learn the ropes of the road and we would try it for a few weeks. Rheas car broke down so it turned into a little longer journey.
During this time her skill level went from about a c player to wherever her game is now. A or AA depending on where your at in the country but it was definitely so much better. . She could shoot pretty good but her mental game and strategy was far behind.
What I gave Rhea was a gift. A gift to a person that wanted to play pool and travel. Wanted to compete and play the game she loved. A shared all my knowledge from years of playing on the road and yes we did survive, in fact if I wouldn't have gotten sick we might have still been going.
Was it rough sometimes? Yes it was. Sometimes I would be almost screaming when we would leave a pool hall where she screwed up big time but she learned. She learned right from the school of hard knocks while being on the road getting it done.
Most players wouldn't even have a chance to last a minute on the road tucking their tail between their legs and heading for home. Rhea was all in and will be again. One tough cookie for sure.
I know this for a fact because I am a road player myself. I'm a little banged up after 3 major surgeries in the last 5 months, but as soon as I can I will be out there again.
I traveled the road for 15 years and almost no one even knew who I was still. That's doing it right. Hit and run and get out of town. Hard to do that now with the internet. Made allot of money and spent allot of money.
Am I ready to take on another challenge like teaching another player to survive on the road? maybe not. At least in my physical condition right now trying to rehab a new right knee I don't think so. . But it gives me the motivation to work hard so I can get back out there.
Kind of like the Call of The Wild, if anyone ever read that.
For others that have a strong family structure at home, kids and other traditional things going on this type of life doesn't make any sense at all and I understand.
But for Rhea this is an adventure in her life. Not a 9 to 5 job where everything is cut and dried and secure. This is exciting even though there can be some setbacks but that is part of the game.
I went through many of the same things that she went through over the years when I was younger. I just seemed a little smarter because I could beat most of the players on the bar table when I would go to a town..
I traveled a couple of times with other players. They lost all our money. After that I was always solo or I had total control over everything or we didn't go together but that didn't seem to work out well in the long run. The other person would think they were getting smart and would lose the money stupidly.
But you needed to book winners pretty steady because the expences just keep eating away at the bankroll.
Wherever your at Rhea, Good Luck and merry Christmas.
I know you'll be back on the road again and wish you the best.
For those of you that don't understand and never will. Oh well.
What can I say...It just depends on which side the coin your life is on.
Heads or tails. It's as simple as that.