the hard truth (quit gambling)

duke@neo.rr.com

duke@neo.rr.com

soon to be banned
Silver Member
I'm sorry to have to decide to quit gambling after so many years. it seems like no matter what I do, my luck factor has run out. any time I make a nice hit on a "safety", it seems they have a better shot at it. I've lost so much over the past 6 months that I've decided to "give it a rest". maybe my circumstances have had more of an effect than I thought. I'm not saying I should beat the best players in my area, but I've gambled with alot of players and it seems like even the ones I think I should win against...I don't.:( what can ya' do? everything has to end some day but I wasn't thinking this would happen so soon. oh well...more money for more cues!:D
 
duke@neo.rr.com said:
I'm sorry to have to decide to quit gambling after so many years. it seems like no matter what I do, my luck factor has run out. any time I make a nice hit on a "safety", it seems they have a better shot at it. I've lost so much over the past 6 months that I've decided to "give it a rest". maybe my circumstances have had more of an effect than I thought. I'm not saying I should beat the best players in my area, but I've gambled with alot of players and it seems like even the ones I think I should win against...I don't.:( what can ya' do? everything has to end some day but I wasn't thinking this would happen so soon. oh well...more money for more cues!:D
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Seems like you're missing a little thing called "heart". NO, I'm not saying that only players with heart gamble. I'm saying, you have a loser attitude. You don't have a champions attitude. I went without hitting a ball for a month and went out a few weeks ago to a pool room I barely frequent. A guy was there named Brandon Shuff who is a very good local player. VERY good. He asked me to gamble at 9 ball. I didn't ask for weight, I just stepped up. I know I can run out as good as anyone when my game is on. We played for a while and he maintained a 4 game lead (at 20 a game) and I couldn't do any better so I paid him. I was mad, but it wasn't due to luck. It was due to me being out of stroke. I always think in my heart that I can beat anyone when my game is 100% (and I have beaten a lot of good players in tournaments or gambling). Besides, you're NEVER playing the opponent...you're playing the table. Sometimes things just happen but you have to put them out of your mind and proceed. That is what a champion does -- in pool and in life. Remember...preparation, perspiration, and execution equal success!

Now...quit crying. Go practice. Step up, and beat these guys who you feel like you should be beating. MAN UP DUKE!
 
duke@neo.rr.com said:
I'm sorry to have to decide to quit gambling after so many years. it seems like no matter what I do, my luck factor has run out. any time I make a nice hit on a "safety", it seems they have a better shot at it. I've lost so much over the past 6 months that I've decided to "give it a rest". maybe my circumstances have had more of an effect than I thought. I'm not saying I should beat the best players in my area, but I've gambled with alot of players and it seems like even the ones I think I should win against...I don't.:( what can ya' do? everything has to end some day but I wasn't thinking this would happen so soon. oh well...more money for more cues!:D
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Good decision. Unless you are on the road, playing people who don't know you, the odds are you will be in a 50/50 proposition playing people who know you. If you improve those odds a bit-so what! What are you gonna win ? A ham sandwhich?It's not worth the heartache and aggravation you are obviously going through. Just try to enjoy the game for the game.
 
nobody's crying Matt!

Matt_24 said:
Seems like you're missing a little thing called "heart". NO, I'm not saying that only players with heart gamble. I'm saying, you have a loser attitude. You don't have a champions attitude. I went without hitting a ball for a month and went out a few weeks ago to a pool room I barely frequent. A guy was there named Brandon Shuff who is a very good local player. VERY good. He asked me to gamble at 9 ball. I didn't ask for weight, I just stepped up. I know I can run out as good as anyone when my game is on. We played for a while and he maintained a 4 game lead (at 20 a game) and I couldn't do any better so I paid him. I was mad, but it wasn't due to luck. It was due to me being out of stroke. I always think in my heart that I can beat anyone when my game is 100% (and I have beaten a lot of good players in tournaments or gambling). Besides, you're NEVER playing the opponent...you're playing the table. Sometimes things just happen but you have to put them out of your mind and proceed. That is what a champion does -- in pool and in life. Remember...preparation, perspiration, and execution equal success!

nobody's crying Matt, there just comes a time when you can't do things like you used to. age, sight, bad back, whatever the reason. in my case...my "accident" has left some things the way they are. my "heart" will always be there, but common sense wins this one. I don't want to work to fund someone else's fun at my expense,especially making what I do in this crappy city.
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ok

Nostroke said:
Good decision. Unless you are on the road, playing people who don't know you, the odds are you will be in a 50/50 proposition playing people who know you. If you improve those odds a bit-so what! What are you gonna win ? A ham sandwhich?It's not worth the heartache and aggravation you are obviously going through. Just try to enjoy the game for the game.
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thanks, but knowing myself...it'll only be a little while before I wanna "pick it up again". I give myself another 6 months and I'll start out small again. if it works I'll try the "big boys" again I'm sure, but I think I need to enjoy the game for what it is for a little while. maybe I'll even enjoy it to the point of no return to gambling like another good player in my area, but who knows...
 
Seasons

Pool players have 'good' and 'bad' seasons just like other sports athletes.

Sometimes you're just trying to do 'something right' and other times you are doing 'everything right'.

Being a 1/4" off on your speed, for instance, can mean the diffrerence between winning and losing.

But, if you are 'constantly' having a problem, you would do well to analyze
what the problem is, compensate for it in your playing, which might change your style of play a little, but have better results.

For instance, a few years back, when having a sub-standard year shooting, I objectively analyzed what my current problems were, and made adjustments trying to get to a higher level of performance overall.

What I decided was to:

1) Play a little safer, meaning not taking quite so many risks, deciding
on safer routes for position play, play more defense sometimes and be
patient for the runout from the safe.

2) Rework my breaking technique and how I broke for better consistency.

3) Pay more attention to my mental, physical, and emotional states before playing important matches.

Attention to these 3 things helped me to snap out of it, and have rewarded me with better overall performance, tournament wins, and more money from money matches.
 
duke@neo.rr.com said:
...I don't want to work to fund someone else's fun at my expense, especially making what I do in this crappy city.
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Like most, I enjoy seeing action, and it's more fun if I've got a stake in it. :D

However, before I venture on the road to pool destinations, I never disburse any monies out of pocket until and unless my homefront obligations are satisfied. It's a rule of thumb I've always followed. I really do enjoy having a roof over my head, and when it's all said and done, there is truly no place like home. :p

And another little saged advice that I learned a long time ago, NEVER lend money in a pool room unless you can afford the possibility that you might not get paid back. :o

JAM
 
duke@neo.rr.com said:
thanks, but knowing myself...it'll only be a little while before I wanna "pick it up again". I give myself another 6 months and I'll start out small again. if it works I'll try the "big boys" again I'm sure, but I think I need to enjoy the game for what it is for a little while. maybe I'll even enjoy it to the point of no return to gambling like another good player in my area, but who knows...
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Sometimes introducing a new challenge into your game can help. For instance, try using a new stick, or a new shaft for your current playing cue. Get one custom made, and be sure it's sufficiently different in the way it plays from the one you use now. What will possibly happen is that you'll be forced to rethink how you go about doing things, and make allowances for squirt and throw and deflection and all that tough stuff. What may happen is that you'll focus more acutely on what you are doing and you might just find you play better as a result.


Flex
 
I hope that I enjoy the game as much as anybody, and I have never wagered a beer, quarter, or anything on a pool game.
 
Know the difference

Don't confuse "heart" with "ego". Most hustlers when they know your weakness will exploit it with no end in sight. Many so-called "friends" will disappear when they no longer have access to your money. You should expect to lose at least 50% of the time you gamble. Rarely does anyone ever break even. If you can't gamble in your comfort zone you should find new people to play with. My personal comfort zone is playing for a soda, nothing more. After working in a pool room for 35 years, I have NEVER met a pro gambler/ hustler/ pool player that had a lifestyle I would want to trade places with. NEVER! The "thrill" or "high" of the match is too much for most of them to resist, so they usually end up renting out Aunt Mabels basement to live in and borrowing a girlfriends car because he cant afford to get his out of the shop. Make yourself happy. Find other priorities in life. Have fun in pool, its not meant to ruin your happiness.
 
cueandcushion said:
I have NEVER met a pro gambler/ hustler/ pool player that had a lifestyle I would want to trade places with. NEVER! The "thrill" or "high" of the match is too much for most of them to resist, so they usually end up renting out Aunt Mabels basement to live in and borrowing a girlfriends car because he cant afford to get his out of the shop. Make yourself happy. Find other priorities in life. Have fun in pool, its not meant to ruin your happiness.
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It's like you took the words right out of my mouth. I have never met a gambler / hustler that has ever been happy with his life. I've gambled with quite a few people and I've realized that at the end of the night they'll say something like "now I can pay rent" or something related to the fact thier winning won't make things better. I've come to realize there are 2 types of people that play serious pool; those who LOVE the game and enjoy testing thier skills (gambling), and those who LOVE gambling and use pool as a means, never really enjoying the game for itself.
 
Don't get me wrong. I didn't say gambling was a necessity. I was just trying to give you a bit of a pep talk Duke.

There are maybe two or three people that I enjoy playing with without gambling (Don Purdy happens to be one of them), but for the most part I enjoy betting when I play. Makes me focus better and play my best. Gives the game a sense of importance I guess, but that is just my personal opinion. If I win, there is more gratification to the win. If there is a loss, I feel it -- and perhaps feel motivated to practice/work harder at my game.

Just my two cents....

BTW, you might want to play/use the same cuestick for a while without trading out all of the time. Getting used to one stick for a length of time will improve your game. If your switching cues all of the time, you're having to go through the hassle of re-adjusting to a new cue all of the time which can hurt your game. I mean, that is your prerogative (I see people give you a hard time about it on here), but from a playing perspective...sticking to one cue for a good length of time should help you pick your game back up.

Best of luck!
 
duke@neo.rr.com said:
Matt_24 said:
Seems like you're missing a little thing called "heart". NO, I'm not saying that only players with heart gamble. I'm saying, you have a loser attitude. You don't have a champions attitude. I went without hitting a ball for a month and went out a few weeks ago to a pool room I barely frequent. A guy was there named Brandon Shuff who is a very good local player. VERY good. He asked me to gamble at 9 ball. I didn't ask for weight, I just stepped up. I know I can run out as good as anyone when my game is on. We played for a while and he maintained a 4 game lead (at 20 a game) and I couldn't do any better so I paid him. I was mad, but it wasn't due to luck. It was due to me being out of stroke. I always think in my heart that I can beat anyone when my game is 100% (and I have beaten a lot of good players in tournaments or gambling). Besides, you're NEVER playing the opponent...you're playing the table. Sometimes things just happen but you have to put them out of your mind and proceed. That is what a champion does -- in pool and in life. Remember...preparation, perspiration, and execution equal success!

nobody's crying Matt, there just comes a time when you can't do things like you used to. age, sight, bad back, whatever the reason. in my case...my "accident" has left some things the way they are. my "heart" will always be there, but common sense wins this one. I don't want to work to fund someone else's fun at my expense,especially making what I do in this crappy city.
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Excellent post Matt, well stated.Your mental attitude in pool is sooooo important.You are what you think.

Last night I lost a set 11-10 to a very good A player that perhaps (with some heart) I may have won.When I was down 6-2, I was nervously thinking, ooops I might be getting embarrased shortly.The guy was starting to run out everything. Then he tanked a nine ball (after an 8 ball runout), next game I fluked the nine and later on I was ahead 10-9.

When I was on the hill 10-9, I breathed a sigh of relief and said to myself:
"well at least I got respectability", when I should have said"Let's put the final nail in the coffin."

In the end, I got my respectibility, but he put the nail in my coffin and the hole in my pocket.With a little Heart that you are talking about, I could have won the match.

This was a learning experience for me that has two paths I can choose.
1. Do I resign myself to allways being 2nd rate
2. Or do I become an undertaker:D

RJ
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Last edited:
I say it all comes in streaks. Sometimes it seems that you can't even lose a coinflip. When at other times it seems like you won't even get out with 3 balls left and Ball in hand because some bad roll will be bestowed upon you. Sometimes we just have to play through the bad rolls to get the good ones. I just don't gamble as often when my luck is getting that bad unless I have the nuts. Gambling is like nicotine. It's too strong and addicting to quit. BUt it can also be fun. As long as you gamble what you can afford to lose.....don't quit. Well it's ultimately up to you. GL in whatever you decide.

Tony
 
It sounds like to me that your physical problems might have knocked your game down a level, and it's hard as hell to accept a drop in speed. When/if you get yourself ready to gamble again, MAKE AN EASIER GAME for yourself. Forget the ego, if there is any , and work the game to better your side. If these same guys have been beating you at the current match-up, they should not have a problem making the game more even right?!

Also figure out if your playing them for money, or bragging rights, or to find your place in the pecking order.....BIG difference between those choices...

Gerry
 
"The better you play, the luckier you get" is a well known saying in pool.

You need to change how you take things that happen during a match. One thing that really annoys me is when I miss, leave my opponent safe, and they complain about it. Often I politely respond by saying "Would you rather that I ran out?" By saying that I am trying to pound some common sense into the guy's thick skull. He should be happy just to be at the table. You have to understand that quite often you will be faced with a situation where your chances of winning that rack are very, very slim. Instead of thinking how unlucky, or "cursed" you are, look at the situation you are in, and try to calculate what your percentages are at losing from the spot you are in. Now look for ways to change that percentage. Let's say you are locked up in jail behind a ball, and the rack is wide open. Going for the near impossible kick shot is most likely going to give up ball in hand, and your opponent will run out. Look to tie up some balls, even if it won't be that effective. If you can change a chance of losing from %95 to %90 percent, you never know if that 5% can make a difference. Just learn to think percentages, and try to ignore luck. That's the best advice I can give you.
 
LastTwo said:
"The better you play, the luckier you get" is a well known saying in pool.

You need to change how you take things that happen during a match. One thing that really annoys me is when I miss, leave my opponent safe, and they complain about it. Often I politely respond by saying "Would you rather that I ran out?" By saying that I am trying to pound some common sense into the guy's thick skull. He should be happy just to be at the table. You have to understand that quite often you will be faced with a situation where your chances of winning that rack are very, very slim. Instead of thinking how unlucky, or "cursed" you are, look at the situation you are in, and try to calculate what your percentages are at losing from the spot you are in. Now look for ways to change that percentage. Let's say you are locked up in jail behind a ball, and the rack is wide open. Going for the near impossible kick shot is most likely going to give up ball in hand, and your opponent will run out. Look to tie up some balls, even if it won't be that effective. If you can change a chance of losing from %95 to %90 percent, you never know if that 5% can make a difference. Just learn to think percentages, and try to ignore luck. That's the best advice I can give you.
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This post made tons of sense to me personally and I will file it away in my "for improvement" category in my brain.


Thank you!!!!
 
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