Here's my novel... it's been a shitty couple weeks in general but this is a rant/warning about one incident in particular. Here goes...
I did the dumbest thing I've ever done gambling in my life yesterday period. Before I get into that, you must understand I play people I know very well 90% of the time I'm gambling and have nothing to worry about. I've never had any problems when gambling with someone (other than them having no cash on them, and oweing me), and I gamble nearly every day. Besides that, I had a shitty week financially with only a couple days left before Valley Forge which I have been anticipating for the last six months. I'm a college student, so I'm always low on cash. So a week before Valley Forge (a week ago), I had to pay an overly excessive charge for a parking ticket, traveled with a couple friends to a tournament where I played horrible and ended up spending/losing over $300, and not to mention my car finally died on me. Needless to say, I was a little desperate for money for the expo.
Anyways, yesterday I went to a local pool hall (the Playing Field) to practice on the diamond bar boxes before the expo, and almost as soon as I got a table a guy who I had seen a couple days before asked me to play some. A few days prior some people I knew told me he had been in town for a week or so and has played a few other guys. They told me he was a descent shot, but not that good. So, given my need for quick cash and the fact that people I knew had played him and apparently had no problems, I figured I'd give it a shot even though I didn't know him. He told me the people he played and how he faired up against them, and after what my friends told me I figured I had a good estimate on how good he was. People had told him my skill level and he apparently knew who I was.
For some reason he liked to play long races in eightball, in which I offered him one on the wire in a race to ten. He said he needed at least two, which I agreed to given it was a long race. We switched to a ninefoot and he was playing with a house cue. Anyway, we started off the first race to ten in eightball for $50, which I won 10-5. He said he only had a couple hours left, so we ended up doing one last race to 15 for $125, which took forever and I again won 15-11.
He had his girlfriend with him throughout the time we were playing, and they were also buying drinks and food, etc. Throughout the course of the time we played, he showed me his car which he said he was selling (a jaguar), said he was an accountant, and we even talked about several different pool players, the planet pool tour, and the expo, which he apparently had experience in all of the above. He said he was going to be there every day, as he had already been for the last week, and we were going to play again at a later date. He told me he had plenty of money, and was looking for high dollar games, and said he would be at the expo. So after all of this, I was beginning to trust the guy. When it was time to pay up ($175), he wrote me a check which I didn't like but he had no cash or atm card apparently. We talked a little more, (and this is where I'm not sure where my sanity was) he asked me for some cash (like $60) because he had none on him, and he would just write a new check to include that amount plus a $25 tip. So, being the intelligent person that I am, I very willingly went the ATM and withdrew $100, gave it to him, and he gave me a $300 check in return ($175 + $100 + $25 tip).
As soon as I left, I realized how stupid I was to have done that. I looked at the check and realized he didn't even sign it. That's when I looked back on everything and realized how dumb I was. Hind sight is 20/20 as they say. For instance he said he had all this money, yet he spent the entire match we played complaining about the house stick he was using, and during the course of that week he couldn't spare like $50 for a players or cue tech (there's a cue store inside of this pool hall)? He said he was an accountant, but couldn't add two numbers together while paying his tab. He said the reason he needed cash was to pay the waitress, but how does an accountant with a jaguar not have any credit cards or cash on him, and how was he planning to pay the waitress if I wasn't there? All these things were popping up in my head after the fact of course.
Not even a minute after my epiphany, I get a phone call from a local player who said he heard I had played the guy, and told me he had been trying to rob everyone since he's been in town. He posted the money up against one of our local guys, and when our guy won, the money had mysteriously vanished, etc. Before this phone call, everyone who had told me about the guy never mentioned having any problems with him. I was furious and embarrassed for being so ignorant at the same time. The guy who called me then told me this guy was now at a different pool hall near the one we just played at, so I turned around and went there with the unsigned check in hand.
I went in and confronted the guy by at first acting like it was just chance we met again so soon, and then told him he didn't sign the check. He said I should of just signed it, and then refused to sign it himself. I asked him for the cash I gave him back, and he said he already spent it of course. After sitting with him for 15 min, his girlfriend finally signed the check, which he apparently was pretty pissed about. I was going to cash it at a convenience store whether it was bad or not. I got up and started talking to my friend he stole the posted money from after losing, and he came up to us and threatened to kick my friend's ass if he said another word to me, because he knew we were talking about him. After that, everyone in the pool hall pressured him and he left. I'm sure he's well out of town by now, and isn't likely to come back anytime soon.
So, anyway, after all that, I tried to cash the check at three different places that all said they couldn't cash from that bank (citi bank) because they don't verify the checks. I'm 90% sure it's bad and am not going to try cashing it at my bank. I don't even know if it's his check or not. The name on the check is Kevin Shorter. He's a fairly big black guy who is driving a black jaguar if anyone has seen or heard of him. He said he's from jersey, but now lives in northern VA.
To make things even better, when I withdrew the 100$ to give him I overdrew my account, so I now have a negative balance with overdraft fees a day before I leave to goto the expo. The ATM machine at my bank also ate my card, which I needed to access my money in PA because I get a direct deposit check from work in my account Thursday when I'm up there. I am now borrowing money just to make the trip to the expo
Life's a ***** sometimes.
Sorry for the rant, had to vent while it's still clear in my mind. I learned my lesson well, and I hope others can learn from it too. Always post the money before playing when it's with someone you don't know!
On another note, I just met a guy named Scott from South Carolina at a local pool hall tonight here in Richmond, VA. He's on his way through to the valley forge expo. I heard he hits them pretty sporty. He was giving a local guy who plays pretty good 11-7 in 1hole. His last name is something like Rabor or Babor, or something like that. Has anyone heard of this guy? I was wondering just how good he is. I asked him to do that Vernon Eliot shot where the cue ball and object ball are frozen on the same long rail, with the cue ball two diamonds from the side pocket, and the object ball barely above the side pocket, banking it cross side, and he came pretty damn close on the third try (couple inches off). He also said besides Vernon Eliot and a few others, Shannon Daulton shoots that shot consistantly.
Thanks,
Mitch.
I did the dumbest thing I've ever done gambling in my life yesterday period. Before I get into that, you must understand I play people I know very well 90% of the time I'm gambling and have nothing to worry about. I've never had any problems when gambling with someone (other than them having no cash on them, and oweing me), and I gamble nearly every day. Besides that, I had a shitty week financially with only a couple days left before Valley Forge which I have been anticipating for the last six months. I'm a college student, so I'm always low on cash. So a week before Valley Forge (a week ago), I had to pay an overly excessive charge for a parking ticket, traveled with a couple friends to a tournament where I played horrible and ended up spending/losing over $300, and not to mention my car finally died on me. Needless to say, I was a little desperate for money for the expo.
Anyways, yesterday I went to a local pool hall (the Playing Field) to practice on the diamond bar boxes before the expo, and almost as soon as I got a table a guy who I had seen a couple days before asked me to play some. A few days prior some people I knew told me he had been in town for a week or so and has played a few other guys. They told me he was a descent shot, but not that good. So, given my need for quick cash and the fact that people I knew had played him and apparently had no problems, I figured I'd give it a shot even though I didn't know him. He told me the people he played and how he faired up against them, and after what my friends told me I figured I had a good estimate on how good he was. People had told him my skill level and he apparently knew who I was.
For some reason he liked to play long races in eightball, in which I offered him one on the wire in a race to ten. He said he needed at least two, which I agreed to given it was a long race. We switched to a ninefoot and he was playing with a house cue. Anyway, we started off the first race to ten in eightball for $50, which I won 10-5. He said he only had a couple hours left, so we ended up doing one last race to 15 for $125, which took forever and I again won 15-11.
He had his girlfriend with him throughout the time we were playing, and they were also buying drinks and food, etc. Throughout the course of the time we played, he showed me his car which he said he was selling (a jaguar), said he was an accountant, and we even talked about several different pool players, the planet pool tour, and the expo, which he apparently had experience in all of the above. He said he was going to be there every day, as he had already been for the last week, and we were going to play again at a later date. He told me he had plenty of money, and was looking for high dollar games, and said he would be at the expo. So after all of this, I was beginning to trust the guy. When it was time to pay up ($175), he wrote me a check which I didn't like but he had no cash or atm card apparently. We talked a little more, (and this is where I'm not sure where my sanity was) he asked me for some cash (like $60) because he had none on him, and he would just write a new check to include that amount plus a $25 tip. So, being the intelligent person that I am, I very willingly went the ATM and withdrew $100, gave it to him, and he gave me a $300 check in return ($175 + $100 + $25 tip).
As soon as I left, I realized how stupid I was to have done that. I looked at the check and realized he didn't even sign it. That's when I looked back on everything and realized how dumb I was. Hind sight is 20/20 as they say. For instance he said he had all this money, yet he spent the entire match we played complaining about the house stick he was using, and during the course of that week he couldn't spare like $50 for a players or cue tech (there's a cue store inside of this pool hall)? He said he was an accountant, but couldn't add two numbers together while paying his tab. He said the reason he needed cash was to pay the waitress, but how does an accountant with a jaguar not have any credit cards or cash on him, and how was he planning to pay the waitress if I wasn't there? All these things were popping up in my head after the fact of course.
Not even a minute after my epiphany, I get a phone call from a local player who said he heard I had played the guy, and told me he had been trying to rob everyone since he's been in town. He posted the money up against one of our local guys, and when our guy won, the money had mysteriously vanished, etc. Before this phone call, everyone who had told me about the guy never mentioned having any problems with him. I was furious and embarrassed for being so ignorant at the same time. The guy who called me then told me this guy was now at a different pool hall near the one we just played at, so I turned around and went there with the unsigned check in hand.
I went in and confronted the guy by at first acting like it was just chance we met again so soon, and then told him he didn't sign the check. He said I should of just signed it, and then refused to sign it himself. I asked him for the cash I gave him back, and he said he already spent it of course. After sitting with him for 15 min, his girlfriend finally signed the check, which he apparently was pretty pissed about. I was going to cash it at a convenience store whether it was bad or not. I got up and started talking to my friend he stole the posted money from after losing, and he came up to us and threatened to kick my friend's ass if he said another word to me, because he knew we were talking about him. After that, everyone in the pool hall pressured him and he left. I'm sure he's well out of town by now, and isn't likely to come back anytime soon.
So, anyway, after all that, I tried to cash the check at three different places that all said they couldn't cash from that bank (citi bank) because they don't verify the checks. I'm 90% sure it's bad and am not going to try cashing it at my bank. I don't even know if it's his check or not. The name on the check is Kevin Shorter. He's a fairly big black guy who is driving a black jaguar if anyone has seen or heard of him. He said he's from jersey, but now lives in northern VA.
To make things even better, when I withdrew the 100$ to give him I overdrew my account, so I now have a negative balance with overdraft fees a day before I leave to goto the expo. The ATM machine at my bank also ate my card, which I needed to access my money in PA because I get a direct deposit check from work in my account Thursday when I'm up there. I am now borrowing money just to make the trip to the expo
Life's a ***** sometimes.Sorry for the rant, had to vent while it's still clear in my mind. I learned my lesson well, and I hope others can learn from it too. Always post the money before playing when it's with someone you don't know!
On another note, I just met a guy named Scott from South Carolina at a local pool hall tonight here in Richmond, VA. He's on his way through to the valley forge expo. I heard he hits them pretty sporty. He was giving a local guy who plays pretty good 11-7 in 1hole. His last name is something like Rabor or Babor, or something like that. Has anyone heard of this guy? I was wondering just how good he is. I asked him to do that Vernon Eliot shot where the cue ball and object ball are frozen on the same long rail, with the cue ball two diamonds from the side pocket, and the object ball barely above the side pocket, banking it cross side, and he came pretty damn close on the third try (couple inches off). He also said besides Vernon Eliot and a few others, Shannon Daulton shoots that shot consistantly.
Thanks,
Mitch.
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