What has pool cost you?

ironman said:
As I feel the end of my playing days nearing I can't help but wonder what it cost me in life. Please don't take this wrong, I have always loved it but had many ups and downs with it.
The good times far outweigh the bad times and I fully understand that there ate regrets in almost every major decision.
I was playing some $40 1 pocket the other day and wanted to beat this guy, but wasn't having my best day. I couldn't get out from anywhere. Suddenly I had a spot shot to win the game and missed it. Of course I lost the game, your supposed to if you miss it.
At that point though, it hit me, How after all these years of playing do you miss shots like these? After 36 years, APP, it just seems impossible to do that. I just don't understand it. If it had been for serious money I might have jumped head first off the top of the building.
BUt, in my years I can't think of one single shot I haven't missed at one time or another. As I have always said, I have missed many shots that were harder to miss than to make.
I have been saying this for all these years, but I'm gonna make a comeback and bust em all.
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Great Idea for a post!

At first, pool probably saved my life. In the mid to late 50's I started drinking, smoking weed and fooling around with speed. Bennies in those days cost about $30 for a bottle of 1,000 and weed was $5 a lid. I had no adult supervision and was running around with older guys because I was starting to become a pretty fair player (5 x 10 snooker) and winning a little $$. But all I ever wanted to do was be a good pool player and I couldn't make a ball when I got high, so I toned down on the drugs and booze. In 1961 I was married with a pregnant wife at home and had Ritchie Florence stuck $180 for $10 a game at Wonder Bowl in Anaheim. We raised it to $20, I started dogging it & blew it all back. I went out and got a job the next week. Blowing the $$ back to Ritchie was the best thing that ever happened to me in the pool world, it convinced me I didn't have what it took to be a full time pool player. I was always able to make $$ working and support my family and be an action guy at the pool room. If you came in the room where I played we worked out something & got down. Booked a lot of losers and winners, but playing and being in action was the main thing. I have played and gambled my whole life, and still do at 69 years old. I can't wait to get to the pool room and still cash in most of the tournaments I play in against some pretty fair players. I don't win many tournaments, but usually beat a good player or two along the way.

What has it cost me? Like they say, I coulda been a brain surgeon. What have I gained? Memories and friends all over the country and more that I am still working on.

See you at the Derby this year. It will be my first and I hope not the last. John Henderson
 
Pool has cost me a lot ! So far my kids hate me , my wife left me and my dog bite me :eek: Last year I spent 359 days playing pool :frown: man when I think of those 6 wasted days I get so sad :p :grin-square:
 
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ironman said:
As I feel the end of my playing days nearing I can't help but wonder what it cost me in life.
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Half full vs half empty, if you ask me.

It may only appear that pool has "cost" you, but in reality, it may be that God, the Universe (or whatever you believe in) was simply providing you with the path that was the best for you. Your life may have been significantly different if you decided against going to the pool hall, but there are no guarantees it would be better. To me, saying "what has pool cost me" is the same as "what has pool given me." Either way, you still end up where you are now.

Sometimes, it's fun to look back and wonder. But don't get stuck staring at the past, tomorrow will be here no matter what.

-td
 
I don't play for money, so there's little risk from that point of view. May be we play for a drink to stay focussed, but that's all.

Pool cost me - apart from cues and a case (~1200 $) - lot's and lot's of miles on my car
Each season puts roughly 1000 miles on my car
I have to add another 400 miles approx. for the 2 or 3 days practice and tournament during the week, so each year puts 1500 miles on my car.
And somehow I always had to "luck" to be the captain of a team consisting of pupils and students. So I and the student had the cars, but the student was always broke. So I always had the driving duties. They paid me the drinks though.
Ah, and I got a 20 dollar ticket for speeding when I crashed and burned in THE amateur tournament I was expecting to finish in the Top 8.

Right now I'm saving money for an all-BCM lineup which is hopefully ready summer 2010 - including a Justis case. I calculate 2500 for that
 
What has pool cost me? I dunno. Don't care. Anything you do in life that is fun is gonna cost you money (except sex, and sometimes even THAT costs a little something :wink: ) I've always had a saying: "The hardest thing in life to do is to spend money from your coffin" (you figure that one out for yourselves). I ain't takin' no money to the grave with me. Some of it might as well go to shootin' pool. Besides, I've been on the winning end of a match/tourney that paid something back every now and then. Hell, I've missed shots a first time player could've made 9 out of 10 tries (some of them were short ball-in-hand shots). Happens to the best of them (which obviously I'm not one of them). Geez, for the most part, I pretty much suck at pool. But I'm still gonna do my part to keep the industry alive!!!

Maniac
 
SUPERSTAR said:
Cost me a lot of my youth.
Friendships, education, relationships, you name it, pool has probably ruined it at one time or another, but on another note, it's all come full circle.

I have basically everything i want in life.

And sacrificing at this game made me realize just how important other things were, enough to motivate me to get off my ass and straighten myself out.

And of course, there are all the good things i got along the way as a result of pool. We can't forget them.

So it's a wash.
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thats a good description on my story, the lessions i got in the pool room is why I have been sucessful in life, had I stayed in the pool room I would be a loser in life, there is alot of wasted talent in pool rooms.
 
jrhendy said:
Great Idea for a post!

At first, pool probably saved my life. In the mid to late 50's I started drinking, smoking weed and fooling around with speed. Bennies in those days cost about $30 for a bottle of 1,000 and weed was $5 a lid. I had no adult supervision and was running around with older guys because I was starting to become a pretty fair player (5 x 10 snooker) and winning a little $$. But all I ever wanted to do was be a good pool player and I couldn't make a ball when I got high, so I toned down on the drugs and booze. In 1961 I was married with a pregnant wife at home and had Ritchie Florence stuck $180 for $10 a game at Wonder Bowl in Anaheim. We raised it to $20, I started dogging it & blew it all back. I went out and got a job the next week. Blowing the $$ back to Ritchie was the best thing that ever happened to me in the pool world, it convinced me I didn't have what it took to be a full time pool player. I was always able to make $$ working and support my family and be an action guy at the pool room. If you came in the room where I played we worked out something & got down. Booked a lot of losers and winners, but playing and being in action was the main thing. I have played and gambled my whole life, and still do at 69 years old. I can't wait to get to the pool room and still cash in most of the tournaments I play in against some pretty fair players. I don't win many tournaments, but usually beat a good player or two along the way.

What has it cost me? Like they say, I coulda been a brain surgeon. What have I gained? Memories and friends all over the country and more that I am still working on.

See you at the Derby this year. It will be my first and I hope not the last. John Henderson
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John was a roll model for me and a inspiration, I used to watch him at Great American and saw that he was a good playerand a sucess out side of pool, I wanted to be the same. John plays better than me still but I have been sucessful in both worlds. Thanks John!!
 
Money-wise I am definitely ahead but that isn't the most important thing.

Pool was the first thing that I really applied myself at and I learned through pool what it took to be successful in other areas of life.

After playing once or twice a year for the past 15 years I have renewed my love of playing and play a few times a week now. I am in the process of getting a table for my home and look forward to teaching my son the game.

With regard to aging, it is something that you just have to come to grips with. I'll use chess as an example since it is much easier to quantify the decline. I was a 1750 player at one time and now I play at 1500. Sure, it drives me nuts but I still love to play and any day that you can play chess or pool or anything is a blessing.

I think it was Rod Stieger in Poolhall Junkies that said something like, "If you don't like it, just try skipping a day."
 
tap, tap, tap! Great post!:thumbup:

Scott Lee
www.poolknowledge.com

All4Moose said:
pool hasnt cost me; quite the contrary... it has given me a reason to live. no matter how bad a single day has gone, a single rack of whatever on a table brings joy and happiness to my life. i believe this to probably be the same with most in this forum, however, life is what you make of it. if i had nothing left after 70 years but a busted pool table, clay balls and a warped house cue...... life would still be worth living.

lol
scouts out!!!!
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Stones said:
ironman,

It's been good the last seven years, ain't it? LOL

Stones
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It has been good the last 7 years and sometimes bittersweet. Theree have been all the emotion with Fast Eddies Tour. THe good times and the bad times.

I take great gratification in watching the young player develope and improve. They start out so quiet and inquisitive about it all. They then step their game up and gain a little attitude and begin to ooze with thant confidence andd enthusiasm. Who hasn't been there.

It has been done, we knew it would be a good thing, but it cost us. Like I said though, there are regrets with most ny choice.
 
best post in thread.

Gerry said:
Personally, pool hasn't cost me a thing....it's actually the opposite. I met my wife of 14 years at the grand opening of a pool room. My best friends all play, and have been for 20 years. When I was a kid we had a table in our basement that was my get away from being the youngest of 10 kids in a BUSY house. I still go down to MY basement to hit balls and go into a pool coma as I call it....it gets my head clear. Not to mention all the life lessons I learned working in the pool rooms as a kid.

G.
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I like this guy's attitude. As I read this thread I thought that the title could also have been "what has pool given you?".
I think that the friendships I have developed over the years, the competitions I have won, (and lost), and the lessons associated with everything pool related have provided me with some of the best memories I will have in life.
I didn't discover competitive pool until my mid-thirties, but it has been a very big part of my life since then, and there are no regrets coming from me.
 
No Negatives Here

Pool??

It gave me a place to get away and pass the time...instead of getting into trouble as I was growing up.

It's where I met my wonderful wife (Who also plays) and spent many great hours together.

It also helped me stay out of prison when I was married to my ex-wife. There were some days....oh nevermind :o

Pool is my number one hobby and I can't think of any other sport i like better.
 
worldison2 said:
I like this guy's attitude. As I read this thread I thought that the title could also have been "what has pool given you?".
I think that the friendships I have developed over the years, the competitions I have won, (and lost), and the lessons associated with everything pool related have provided me with some of the best memories I will have in life.
I didn't discover competitive pool until my mid-thirties, but it has been a very big part of my life since then, and there are no regrets coming from me.
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You know, it could have been titled that. I suppose titcan be taken either way.

I love the game and the action and always have. I'm not unhappy or sad about anything. I turned down a couple of business oppritunties when younger and often wonder, "what if". If I had taken those oppritunties, there still would probably be the "what If". That's just life.
 
jrhendy said:
Great Idea for a post!

At first, pool probably saved my life. In the mid to late 50's I started drinking, smoking weed and fooling around with speed. Bennies in those days cost about $30 for a bottle of 1,000 and weed was $5 a lid. I had no adult supervision and was running around with older guys because I was starting to become a pretty fair player (5 x 10 snooker) and winning a little $$. But all I ever wanted to do was be a good pool player and I couldn't make a ball when I got high, so I toned down on the drugs and booze. In 1961 I was married with a pregnant wife at home and had Ritchie Florence stuck $180 for $10 a game at Wonder Bowl in Anaheim. We raised it to $20, I started dogging it & blew it all back. I went out and got a job the next week. Blowing the $$ back to Ritchie was the best thing that ever happened to me in the pool world, it convinced me I didn't have what it took to be a full time pool player. I was always able to make $$ working and support my family and be an action guy at the pool room. If you came in the room where I played we worked out something & got down. Booked a lot of losers and winners, but playing and being in action was the main thing. I have played and gambled my whole life, and still do at 69 years old. I can't wait to get to the pool room and still cash in most of the tournaments I play in against some pretty fair players. I don't win many tournaments, but usually beat a good player or two along the way.

What has it cost me? Like they say, I coulda been a brain surgeon. What have I gained? Memories and friends all over the country and more that I am still working on.

See you at the Derby this year. It will be my first and I hope not the last. John Henderson
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Of all the reading I do on here, I suspect we were cut from a pretty similar cloth.

I too love the action and always have. I have taken some ppretty good beating and some pretty silly oness. I also have made some pretty good scores that left some scratching their heads and wondering how the hell I did it.

Pool didn't cost me anything, my attitude about it and life cost me some things when I was younger. I carried it to an obsessive extreme forsaking some important things and relationships.

I too got all caught up in the booze and speed thing. That near killed me and I hung in there for a long time before fianly giving it all up in or around 1992.

I still sneak around a little and once in a ehile sneak up on one. The tournaments I have slacked on for the past couple of years. They just aren't the fun they used to be, but I still go and like seeing the scuffs and action guys. It is till quite entertaining.

Good luck in Gulport. That is a fun place
 
I just typed a well written response but this damn thing timed me out and I am not retyping it now pool is on tv
 
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