What is pool to you?

[fastone371]

My typical day of pool begins when Mom wakes me up to tell me breakfast is ready. I watch cartoons while I enjoy the eggs, home fries and bacon. At 52, I know I might be too old for cartoons. I check the Help Wanted ads in the paper for a job, nope no poolroom manager openings. I still hope to land my first job someday.
After my shower, I put on the clothes Mom has laid out for me and I remind her my bed has to be made. “Hurry up, the poolroom will be open soon.”
I grab my lunch she has packed for me and my pool cue and it’s out to her old clunker of a station wagon for the ride to the hall. “Swing by the store Mom so I can grab some smokes.”
We arrive at last, 5 minutes early. “Ok Sonny, have a good day.” “Mom, I need more than $5 for the day.” “Here you go. Don’t come home late. Supper is at 6.”
Barney finally shows up with the key.
Once the lights are on I usually find a decent leather tip on the floor that popped off somebody’s cue last night. It’s good enough for me and I slip it into my pocket.
The coffee smells good brewing but I don’t usually get a cup until I hint around enough and then somebody will buy me one.
By 1 O’clock, I spot my action. It’s a kid with a skateboard and I’ll bet he wants to bet on some 8 ball. A quick $10 there and I splurge for a cup of soup to eat with Mom’s sandwiches.
Cobweb comes in looking for one-pocket action. Need I say he is excessively slow? I dozed off during the first rack and the old fellow he was playing against quit. Cobweb used to play 9 ball but figured out he could duck on every shot in one-pocket and that was his game.
Mike the Match comes in and wants to sell his break stick and a nice set of brass knuckles. Mike got that nickname from the arson charges he faced. I passed on the cue, but bought the knuckles. You never know when one of these young kids is going to refuse to pay up.
I’m saving up to buy a nice Predator. So far, my laminated $10 bill has earned me a pretty good return and I should be able to order that cue soon. It’s getting late. I’d better swing by the car wash for some quarters and get myself home for supper.

Great story, you have mastered creative writing.:rotflmao:
I raced for 20 years, then took my kids kart racing for 5-6 years. What I found out I missed the most was the competition, just beating the other guy. That's what pool does for me, satisfies my competitiveness.

 

[Icon of Sin]

I'm sure this thread or something just like it has happened before but with the recent bout of personality conflicts it makes me wonder about this topic.

What is pool to you?

Is it your hobby or occupation?
Is it your lifestyle?
Is it some significant portion of your identity?
Is it your escape?
Is it something else?

Maybe understanding what it means to other members of this site will help us all understand why some take the posts here more personally than others.

There are no wrong answers. It actually says a lot about any sport or game that it can be different things to different people.

In the year since I "discovered" pool I have had the good fortune to get to know plenty of people who derive income and in some cases a significant portion of their identity from pool and have come to respect those individuals and the game even more. However, to me, it's still just a game. I probably spend about 6-8 hours a week in leagues, another 14-16 hours a week on drills (and yet, still suck) and more hours watching youtube videos, reading articles, etc. than I ever want to admit so it definitely eats up more of my time than I ever anticipated. I have come to care about it more than I ever would have thought and have even tried to put forth my admittedly inexperienced opinion about ways to improve it. However, in the end, it's still just a game to me. A fun, challenging game with seemingly no chance at mastery anytime soon but still a game.

I am curious what pool is to the rest of you though. No offense intended with this post. I'm just curious.

More then hobby, less then lifestyle... somewhere in between.

 

[Banks]

It was something to do to get out and meet new people.
Then it was something I wanted to do.
Eventually it was what I needed to do.

I like gambling, too. :thumbup:

There's more, but I'll save that for later.

 

[336Robin]

The Greatest

Pool to Me is just awesome.

Its me time, Its time with friends, its a great way to meet new people, its a curiosity to learn how to do something waiting to be discovered.

Its Fun and Fun is good in life.

Its the greatest Game ever played on a Green Background with Custom Handheld Controllers!

 

[SJDinPHX]

I have loved this game ever since I first picked a cue when I was 8 years old. And other than helping me maybe pick up some spending money in college, I've never really made any significant money at it. Most of all it just boggles my mind how I can not be any better at the game than I am after having been playing for 35 years. Terribly irritating. lol.....yet I still love it with every fibre of my being and will continue to flounder around the cloth pointlessly trying to improve.

Mr. Scherf, It has been my experience, that people just like you, comprise a very, very large percentage of pool room regulars...The game can be very addictive, and improvement can be VERY elusive. To most, like you, it is the challenge to excel at something that looks so easy...Myself, I became very skilled, and quite competitive at a very early age. I spent most of my younger adult years, on the road hustling pool full time !..It was the only life I knew, and I enjoyed some success at it. At least as much success as there was available, in those years.

By the time I reached mid-life, I was completely burned out, with both the lifestyle, and the minimal rewards of it. I embarked on a 20 year hiatus, during which I never picked up a stick, or went in a pool room...My timing could not have been much worse, because I missed out on the upsurge in interest, that the two movies (the Hustler, and TCOM) created, and the flurry of tournament activity that ensued, for a while afterward !.. When I came out of my 'pool' retirement, (in the early 90's) I found very little going on in the game..A situation that pretty much still exists today !

I do not regret the hiatus, as luckily, it was very rewarding and fulfilling.. Although in my 60's, when I started playing again, I found myself still very competitive, and capable of playing quite well. Now, (in my 80's) I have finally had to give up the game for good !..However, I can't help but wonder, where life would have taken me had I stayed with the game I loved (and still love) and not 'dropped out' for those 20 years !

.Just reminiscing, out loud..But chances are Mr. Scherf, you are better off that you never became a 'world beater' at pool, and just enjoyed the challenge of this great game, like the million's just like you !..Enjoy !

SJD

 

[Johnnyt]

From 8 years old to 12 YO it was a lot of fun. From 12-60 it was a part time job. From 61---? it's trying to keep beating the 9 ball ghost and control the CB better. Johnnyt

 

[Baxter]

It used to be my lifestyle. I find now that more and more things are taking precedent over pool in my life at this point in time. Family, school, attempting to start a new career, etc. It's still more than a hobby to me though. I would call it a passion. I also consider it to be part of my identity. I identify myself as a pool player. When people ask me what I do, I tell them how I make a living and that I play pool.

 

[Standbykid]

What is pool to me? I don't think I can answer that question now. Maybe when I'm older and have come to a conclusion about life in general.

Right now, I'll just say that I have a passion for all things associated with this game (despite my best efforts not to). Playing the game, practicing, the cues and equipment, (especially the cues) the pro players, the amateurs, the gamblers and the backers, the instructors, the promoters. This forum and it's members. The stigma of hustlers and pigeons. New players playing 9-ball leagues and old salts that came up on straights and one pocket. Even the drama, or maybe I should say especially the drama. I love it all.

Pool may never be anything to me in the long run, but a waste of my time. The good news is, it's my time to waste.

-J

 

[CJ Wiley]

The "Master Game" of creativity, self-expression...and teaching

I've always thought of pool as a way to express myself. Some people play music, write poems, draw/take pictures, create business plans, teach, martial arts, govern, sing, dance, etc. - I use pool to satisfy this "artistic desire".

Pool, to me, is also a microcosm of life in general with scenarios like "risk/reward", "win/win", "win/lose", "goal setting", "human nature tests", "structured rules", "honesty/dishonesty", "systems & controls", "capitalism", "money management", "socialism", "democracy", "social skills", compassion, understanding, problem solving, meditation, hand/eye coordination, calibrating people, gambling, drug/alcohol reality, reading road maps, etc.

I've learned a lot about life, people, human tendencies, and especially myself playing and competing at pocket billiards (and other games/sports). I'm told humans can learn life just living "life on life's terms," and I'm not sure it could be as well rounded and diversified as matching up and competing. If you can survive in the greatest pool rooms you certainly have a head start on those that just learned in class room environments.

I'm not sure if I love pool, have a passion for it, or was just destined and born to play. Can any of us honestly answer that question? One thing's for sure, we've had "life experiences" that we could get no other way. 'The Game is the Teacher' CJ Wiley

 

[The8reader]

Pool reminds me of the good times with my mom..

Used to play for fun. Mom taught me how to play. She used to work at the bar, I would play her and other bar rats. Learnd zome good life lessons the hard way. When I got older mom got sick and I would play for extra cash. In college it was nice to go to our small pool hall and win the weekly tournemnt on campus (beer money). Moved to minot and started spending quality time on my game. Mom was very proud of how good I got.. (to bad she couldent play anymore). I quit pool when she passed away.. but I have the sickness and I cant stay away from the table

Started playing again. Took a perfect aim lession. Now im a very solid player. Pool makes me forget about my pain I carry.. plus I like to think mom can now watch me get better every time im at the hall.. one last game would have been nice to play with her.. maybe someday..

Pool is what keeps me going. Cant live without it..

 

[RiverCity]

I feel like a dog returning to my own vomit

Pretty much sums it up for me.

I started playing at 5 years old, grandpa was a drunk who took care of me before I started school. He was an old scuff who would take me to the bars with him. When he would start drinking harder I got a handful of quarters and a shove towards the pool table. By 8 or 9, I was beating grown men consistantly, mostly bangers but it was cool. The teen years hit, and I still played, but without guidance, girls, kickboxing and other things took priority until about 18. At that age, I got serious about the game again when I decided getting punched in the head wasnt a bright future. Played pretty well for a few years, then I met my soon to be wife at 22-23. I was working for her best friend who owned a pay by the hour motel in inner city Detroit. Long story short I moved to Alaska to be with her.

Moved to a small town in rural Alaska and robbed a bunch of D players for a couple of years before it got REAL old and I took a break. When we decided to move back to civilization (Anchorage), I got the bug again, and started looking online for pool stuff. Found AZ in 2005, and met Bill Johnston (breakup) and would meet up with him and play whenever we took a shopping trip to Anchorage. We moved to the city in 2007 or so. Started playing again, and within 4-5 years was playing well again, and on the A players list in Anchorage.

My wife became physically disabled in 2009, and the winters in AK were too hard on her, so we moved to Portland for the weather climate. Almost no snow, and very mild temps in the winter. Retired early, and started up the leather business. Well, its been almost 2 years in Portland which has no real pool scene other than leagues and stuff in bars, so Ive been playing once a week if that. Right now, Ive played once in the last month or 2. My game is in the crapper again, and the older I get, the less I seem to care about getting in stroke any more. Hopefully one day we'll be able to have a house big enough for a pool table, and I might care more about being in stroke. Ive played a couple of local A players, and I can hang a little bit, but can no longer run roughshod over anybody who plays B speed.

So yes at this point returning to a pile of my own vomit sounds about right..... :groucho:

Chuck

 

[theattendant]

For me it has a lot of purposes. It keeps me interested because it's a constant challenge, and every game is different. It gets me out of the house, which is important. Good way to socialize with people. Just all around a good game. I have quit a few times and some how keep finding myself back at the tables.

 

[GoldCrown]

Pool. A lifetime of fun. Started around 1961. Play for hours a day and keep going back for more. Can't get enough of it. Never gets old. It never leaves the mind. Took up One Pocket a year ago....wow what a game. I met most of my friends and some really nice people from pool. I'm fortunate to have a home table. Just bought a lathe for repair/refinishing shafts. POOL...It's hobby-interest. It's a lifestyle.
I don't gamble or compete. Just informal play for me. It is tomorrow afternoon yet. I'll take the right pocket.

 

[medallio]

Pool is a challenge for me. I feel (could be wrong) that if I had the time and had more access to a table then I do, I could truly be elite at the game. Like most I have flashes of where I feel I can do anything on the table and I want that to be my consistent playing level. I'll probably never get there due to not having a table and being a family man, but it's the striving towards greatness I crave. I want to know what level I could reach. If it's not as high as I thought, I would be able to live with that.

 

[peppersauce]

...............

 

[Blue Hog ridr]

Being a person that never was much good at anything and I mean that in the sense that I am more of a jack of all trades, and certainly a master of none.

I was a very good truck driver. Put anything with a wheel in my hands and I could do whatever you needed done. I could do some pretty crazy things on a motorcycle as well.

I have an ability to work with my hands. I chose wood, as the best I can do with a paint brush is a stick man.

When I found pool, I also found a challenge. It was just a feeling that I got inside of me whenever I played. I was never much into games, therefore I could care less as to whether I won or lost at anything I played. This is the one game that challenges me to win or try my best. It's the game itself. It's the friendship I have with my Buddies.

The atmosphere. As someone mentioned in another thread, I feel comfortable in a pool hall.

The feel and ownership of a nice cue and to be able to do things with it on a table.

Of course, with me, it's also the beer, chicken wings and pizza that round it off nicely as well.

 

[Jaden]

I have to disagree with you there...

Hobby and escape only for me.
I have about reached my maximum potential in this game and I am ok with that. Too many other priorities take precedence.

That said, I don't know that I could ever give the game up for good. I could hang it up for a while but I know I would be back playing again at some point.

If the reason is that too many other priorities take precedence, then you can't have possibly reached your maximum potential.

The maximum that you are likely to ever achieve maybe, but not your maximum potential. Both statements can't be true.

Jaden

 

[victorl]

I've bounced around living in various countries my whole life and the the only constant through all of it has been pool. No matter where I've lived, I've never failed to find a community of fun-loving poolplayers to get involved with, regardless of language or culture.

For me, pool is my main source of fun, friendship and frustration!

 

[ddadams]

Pool represents a lot of things in my life and is something I decided to take very serious about a year and a half ago.

I plan on getting to a very adequate level of play for my own reasons. Not at all about money - as there is none in the game, but to prove to myself I can get where I want.


And to show a few others that I can/will

 

[Ak Guy]

Fun

Playing pool is fun for me. I truly enjoy my time alone on my table and playing others. Pool and other games that involve a ball can be time consuming and frustrating if you don't know what you want out of the game. For me it is easy, I want to have fun and shoot well against others who act like decent folks. Winning is fun, but for me if I can't have fun with out winning I need to do a priority check. As in hunting, if I can't enjoy Alaska with out killing something on every hunting trip I need to examine my priorities. Being good with a cue is not as important to me as being good with a hand gun. Pool is a great hobby that helps me pass these cold and dark Alaskan winters.