Times change.
In the 70s there was a river of money flowing to the top players. They could cruise around the roads relatively unknown and pick up $5-20/rack action in random bars against guys that had no chance. Cost of living on the road was low. Then they'd get into routine games against local champions that also had no chance and pick up easy money.
Top players weren't afraid of betting it all and going broke because they could go right back to the well of bar hopping and local champs. The local champs weren't afraid to go broke because they'd get backed or would just win it back at the bars the same way.
All in all, there was a ton of money being gambled across the board and so the top players just weren't tight.
The last 15 years has been the opposite. Costs are record high on the road. The economy is much worse. Numbers of amateur players is decreasing, and more of them are playing in handicapped leagues at bars with bingo and poker and cornhole and karaoke than are playing in pool halls. Getting $10/rack action playing 9 ball is a long shot anymore. Everyone knows the pecking order, and no one wants to book a loser or take a shot.
So for all except for the top player in each country pool is a losing proposition. The other top players might score big but they'll be broke again when variance takes it's toll. And lord knows the local champs aren't making money. Shoot, 10 years ago I could make almost $1,000/month playing local tournaments because at least they weren't handicapped. Anymore it's probably more like $200 a month (if I still played, wonder why I'm playing more poker the last two years...). Point is I'm not reloading top pros anymore.
My point- it's not really fair to compare the gamble of a Louis Roberts or a Keith McCready to the gamble of a Justin Hall or a Chip Compton. I'm certain that if there was as much dead money today as there was in the 70s the players today wouldn't seem so nitty and would be willing to nose bleed just as high.
PS- what's shaking frosty!
Well, here's the skinny on that last paragraph beginning with "My point."
Players from Keith's era were road warriors going from city to city looking and hoping to get played. They would walk in bars and pool rooms as the "stranger in town." Sometimes they would play with a house cue, a metal cue even, in order to get played, while the house pro would play with their own personal cues. It wasn't always a win for the road warriors. Sometimes they got beat and would leave town with empty pockets.
The point here, though, is they stepped up to the plate and many times played blind, not knowing who or what the capability was of their opponent.
Most times today, there's so much barking back and forth, handicapping, players looking for the edge, establishing the rules to their favor. A good handicapper knows how to set up a game today where they may have the edge, kind of like Earl playing Shane on a snooker table. :grin-square:
Players who claim they want to gamble today seem to be looking for a lock or somebody to drop their wallet. They don't seem to want to gamble. They want to steal. There are a few exceptions to this, of course. I'd say Chris Bartram is one of the exceptions. He gambles the way players gambled in Keith's era.
That's my loose change to this topic. :thumbup:
