What's your take on people that won't gamble?

What I can't stand is when people that play both poker and pool equally bad are willing to play anyone in the world in poker and is willing to lose 2K in a hand, but they won't bet $10 in a set of pool.

I think this is mainly due to the perceived skill factor. Some people see poker as pure gambling like craps, but see pool as more of a skill game.
 
Gambling?

I have "gambled" on pool since I was a lowly C player many years ago, probably harder then than I do now because there is so little action nowadays.

I don't worry about losing money, I only see opportunity everytime I walk into a poolhall. I have made significant money in this game, especially over the past 5 years.

My game now is improving dramatically, giving up ridiculous weight in handicapped tournaments and to the young bucks who want to try to beat me.

Why wouldn't I play sets with a player who I have an advantage over? It isn't stealing, we are all adults right? I have the cash and haven't even hit the ATM in the past year because of steadily winning at pool. I buy things I want/need or make deposits....regularly.

Simply put somebody who has never had to finish a 6 ball runout with a $600 swing on the line will never have the intestinal forttude of one who has. Playing for money elevates one's game and ability to close matches because that's what it's all about. I'm not talking about friendly $20 sets or playing for time. When you lock up with someone and play 6-8 hours for $100-200 a set you know for sure that the best player that night won. The money is only a measurement of the winning player's superiority.

My opinion for those that don't gamble, don't come off the porch if you can't run with the big dogs. Being chicken isn't a sign of moral superiority nor is gambling.
 
This is actually a good thread pp2093 incited. He got a bunch of us wound up, eh? I doubt he's that big of a .... He's just an instigator!

:thumbup: :grin-square:

You pegged him for sure.. Look at many of his past posts, he's always stirring the pot o poo. His initial thread was such an idiotic statement I did not even care to offer a reply.. Very nitty!
 
i'm not a huge gambler by any means but ever since i started playing for table time i actually hate playing for anything less.

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am i the only one that feels people should bet something, play someone, or go the f*ck home! i'm tired of walking in and seeing people that play drinking water so they can avoid buying a soda and sitting on the side lines doing nothing

After seeing many posts on this I would say you aren't the only one who feels this way. With that said. I believe Gambling is a choice and if someone chooses to gamble so be it, but if someone doesn't want to gamble it's their choice and they have no obligation to gamble just because you would like them to.

I enjoy getting a table and practicing by myself and often don't want someone coming up and bothering me, much less harassing me about gambling with them. Sure asking is ok, but if someone says no thank you it should end there.


I really wonder just how many people you would tell to "go the F*ck home" who refuse to gamble with you? Are you really that confrontational and negative?

I'm just asking. I'd imagine more than a few people would react somewhat negatively if you actually said that to their face.
 
When I play pool, I just wanna win. I don't care if is for $0, 20 or $200. I'll play for free and I'll play for money. Doesn't matter to me.

Ditto. I hate losing even for fun. I had rather have a $20 bill fall out of my pocket than lose a for fun set of 9 ball. :angry:
 
I'm not a gambler and haven't been for quite some time because I just never got any enjoyment out of it for some reason. I'll bet on football or fights, play poker, or heck flip quarters, but not on pool...why I don't know.

While I don't gamble (which wouldn't benefit the hall one bit) I do use up 4-8 hours of table time when I am in a pool hall (which does benefit the pool hall), I order food and bottled water while I practice (this also benefits the hall) and when I am done playing I drink a few beers before I leave (this also benefits the hall).

In my opinion over the time I spent working in a pool hall small sets don't benefit the hall one bit. The small sets were the benefit given by the guys playing big sets which got the other guys playing small sets keeping half the tables full. And those small set guys didn't benefit the hall nearly as much as the guys watching the big set guys since they were the ones eating and drinking usually spending more in the hall in one hour than the small setters spent the entire time they were there.

The "I only play for money guys" are the ones I see sitting in the hall all day not spending money because they are waiting for a game. The recreation players, or serious non-bettors are playing while they are there, drinking and ordering food.
 
so your telling me that the money i pay for table time, food and drinks is meaningless and i should go the f*ck home? o.k. sure ten seconds after you MAKE me leave i'll go. now i am not picking a fight with you 'cause we've had some fun back and forth banter and you seem like a nice guy, but that's how you're coming across. i don't gamble very often and only with people i know so it avoids the not getting paid if i manage to win. see there in lies a problem for me, and i don't gamble because a lot of people are a**holes. if i tell you one set only one and you loose, sucks to be you. you shoulda played better. i don't believe you have any "rights" to a rematch. this ain't a f*cking prize fight, we didn't sign contracts with stipulations. and the same goes if i tell you i only have x number of hours to play, when it's over it's over. i don't have a lot of cash so i can only bet 20-50 bucks, and i've been called a nit for that too. i also hate people who shoot at "a" level and don't want to spot me s*it and i play at "c" level. and if i'm running drills trying to practice and i get asked 5 times to gamble by the same motherf*cker and say no 5 times who is the nit then. so i am going to flip it back on you - i think the people who only come in looking to gamble should go the f*ck home and let the rest of us who are there to play, play. and if you have a game lined up then you play it. don't sit around doing nothing and not spending money in the room and then get on here and b*tch that you can't find action. i am sorry and i really don't want to fight with you 'cause you do seem nice most of the time but this one just rubbed me the wrong way.
 
Thing i hate about tryin to gamble with someone is when you beat the crap out of them the first set their cryin for a spot and a chance to get even. If someone beats me and i realize i can't win i will quit. Then the fckrs whine about how i only played one or two sets! CRy Babies!
 
Thing i hate about tryin to gamble with someone is when you beat the crap out of them the first set their cryin for a spot and a chance to get even. If someone beats me and i realize i can't win i will quit. Then the fckrs whine about how i only played one or two sets! CRy Babies!

at the same time flip it around and let them have you stuck? They aint changing it now that they got the best of it, they will take your money all the way to the bank. If I got someone stuck, then they are going to have to work to unstick themselves.

The best is the ones that get down a little bit and then start trying to double or nothing on you....brother if it took me 5hrs to beat you out of $500 I sure as hell aint giving it back to you in 5min!

Its just not fun when your playing someone that only wants to steal...makes the game aggravating with all their off-airness.

Just like some said about lessons, people want to hit balls with you and ask questions but when it comes time to get some lessons and feed the piper they disappear...they don't want to learn nothing just take whatever they can.

Many of them you can't even hit balls with for free, they start losing a bunch of games and they get in a tiff. When someone is that miserable with their game i don't even want to be around them much less playing them.
 
True dat greyghost. I believe from now on when i gamble im just gonna take all the money im willing to lose make my opponent post the money, and just play an ahead set or one single race for all of it and thats it whoever wins wins. Oh and of course we will make sure it's an "even" match before we start.
 
95 responses in less than 8 hours.

I think this even beat the 'old guys in hustlin gear' thread.

But my favorite is still the 'I shaved my eyebrows' thread.

Hands down.
 
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I don't feel anyone has to bet or gamble. I don't gamble - so, I am one of the ones you are telling to get the f*ck out of the pool room.

Give me a break.

Amen.......A lot of people play pool because they enjoy and like the game and they want some friendly competition. They don't play it to make money. I play a lot of pool with my friends and i'd never gamble with a friend if I want to keep him or her as a friend.....

James
 
One more sad story...

I assumed all the regulars in the pool room I go to gambled. So after a few months of going in there, I asked one of the older guys, "how much are you playing for?"

He replied he didn't gamble. I said, "really? I thought you did."

He added, "nope, not any more. Many years back I beat a guy out of some money and it turned out it was all the money he had for his family and he committed suicide the next day. So now I don't gamble."
 
I never gamble at pool; I get annoyed by trying to figure out who needs weight and how much weight needs spread around. The weight people want and expect these days from great players is a damn joke (I not being a great player, lol). I always felt like a little bit** asking for weight in order to match up, is my issue. Also, I can guarantee is that no one will ever tell me "2 get tha F*** out for not doing so", I'll bet on that.
 
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