What's your take on people that won't gamble?
- Thread starter poolplayer2093
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I don't gamble, and I play league.
I don't gamble because I'm not good enough, and because I don't have the disposable cash. And probably the most important thing, I'm really interested in playing, not trying to get over on someone. That, and all the dancing around the negotiations for how much, "spots" and collecting/paying up. I have too much drama in my life as it is right now. I'd play for drinks or something similar if the situation warranted it, but it doesn't come up in the places where I play. (I'm not morally against gambling, and do so occasionally, just not playing pool.)
I am VERY interested in seeing how good I can possibly get. (I spend WAY TOO MUCH time reading these forums, when I should be doing more constructive things, like actual work!) All the while being realistic regarding the amount of time and money I have to devote to the game. As much as I love playing, family and work come first. When I'm able to play, I play. I try to get better, and I try to learn. Fortunately for me, I have no problem getting to play with several people who are MUCH better than me, and they aren't looking for any "action" in exchange for lowering them selves to play with me. And they ALL volunteer advice to me. No gambling needed. Thankfully.
I don't think it the"heart or skills" as you mention above, I think it is the skill, the mind set to kill or be killed, plus the ability to not focus on the money at risk, or anything happen beside the game at hand. (all mental) Plus you have to have the excess GREEN to be able to afford to loose!
i'm always working on my game and trying to get better. i used to play in a league and had a pretty good time. to be honest though most of the people that played in the league that i played in played a least a ball weaker than the guys i normally run into at the pool room
a lot of people see to think i'm talking about people not playing me. i'm talking about people that won't play anyone.
for the record i'm not someone that only matches up with people i know i can beat. i play even with people when i think i've got a chance and to be honest i book more losers than i do winners.
i'd find another place to play but i don't like driving more than an hour to play. these days i normally go down to modesto to play but even that's a stretch for me.
I just like to play pool, and I want to be better because I just like being good at the things I do, every now and then we'll get a group of friends and all throw in five dollars and have a like a "tournament" similar to what we do with the ncaa finals and such, because it is nice to win 'something' but most of the time the thrill of winning the game itself is good enough to keep us going. we play leagues and always eat and drink while we're there, for the same reasons old dudes play softball, and kids play basketball at the Y every wednesday, we just like the competition, doesn't have to be a payday involved to get us to go and have fun. But people that do gamble, more power to you, and yes we do all want to watch when someone's playing for money, because odds are we'll see you do something cool or learn something. I see truths in both sides points, and I don't think any player who likes the game should be ousted, whether they play for money or not. just my two cents.
i hear going on the road made tony chohan/ johnny archer and many other great players way better.
a lot of people on this thread seem to think that gambling is bad or something like that. i've always heard that all the best players in the world gamble.
imo gambling really give me a reason to focus. at this point i can lose all day for nothing and never really care.
someone saying good game and leaving won't get you anything. someone saying good game and giving you a dollar will get you a cup of coffee
you guys should try a cheap ring game. a dollar on the 4 and 2 on the 9. break and runs pay double. you get odds on the money and nobody usually gets hurt. its real cheap and still pretty fun
that does sound fun actually. like I said i'm not opposed to either side, I enjoy playing when the only incentive is to just be better than the person that game, or when I can win a couple dollars or only lose a couple dollars. its fun then, gambling is good when it brings out the best in both sides, if i put up 10 dollars and played my best and lost by a little, i wouldnt mind losing that 10 dollars, if i put up 10 dollars and had no chance from the get go, well, that'd be lame.
i look at things different i guess. i'd play anyone in the world for $10. if it's close i'll try to raise the bet or quit but if i get run over i'll do it 4 or 5 more times before i quit.
if they're running over me that bad then i get to see what they're doing right and what i'm doing wrong for only $10.
Not Ralf Souquet, Thorsten Hohmann, and Allison Fisher, to name a few (I'm sure there are MANY others). But then, they really can't be counted in with the best now can they :wink:?
You're really reaching with THAT statement!!!
Maniac
I love the game of pool. I like the challenge, the skill, watching my own progress, and the ART of the really stellar players. I'm not a nit. I'm not rich, but I have plenty of money, enough such that my life is no different on payday than any other day. I'm not very interested in gambling. Maybe someday, but not now. It's no big deal to me. I buy beer and often food when I play. Sometimes I play for a long time and drink and eat and the house makes a couple hundred on me and my friends.
I'm generous. If you want to play I'll probably pick up the time. Heck, I may even buy you a beer.
Oh, but WAIT, I won't be around to buy you a beer because in your world I'll already have gone the f___ home!
If u really want to gamble the action is always there - there are some rms that you can always get an action game. And as for customers - the guys who are just looking to gamble - if they can't find a game they will just sit around and won't spend a dime either it works both ways - I know one rm owner when I talked to him about another rm a few miles away "action rm" - he said that as far as he was concerned he was glad they don't come to his rm and that they stay in the "action rm."
yeah man i understand guys that're sitting around waiting to get a game. there's 1 guy in particular that i think about when i talk about this.
i ask this guy to play almost everytime i see him at the pool room. every time i get the same response. i'm tired....i worked today..... i'm about to leave (this one always gets me because he never leaves after saying it)
i even offer to play his game,1 pocket. me playing 1 pocket is like watching a monkey f*cking a football.
he won't play anyone unless he's absolutely stealing and even then he'll only do it $1-$10 at a time. i watched him play some kid that's been playing for a week for a dollar a game playing 9 ball. the kid lost 10 games and then won one. after the kid won the one game he quit him
PoolPlayer,
Now in my case, I only gamble with friends/locals. There is no pool hall in my area and its not like pool players travel to our area to play so myself and four other players in town usually meet up a few nights a week and play ring games down at the bar. We usually start of $2 on the 5 and $3 on the 9 and play that for a few hours and you might loose $100 if your playing real bad. Now, we rarely ever play heads up because we are the only pool gamblers in town and sooner or later I have found that once you start battling out heads up, the gambling usually gets a little bit out of control and someone ends up loosing what they cant afford. So we sorta have a gentlemens agreement to not play heads up.
Now I do travel all over the US but I usually don't go looking for action or try and get into any action because I am usually by myself. I feel that its a little bit too unsafe to be doing that. I never play for big money and I still think its unsafe because I have seen some crazy stuff happen over a $50 bet and I just don't think its worth $50 to be put into that situation. Also, I have been away from the pool hall scene for 20 years so it is exciting for me to be able to hang out in one for a weekend once every couple of months. I just enjoy the atmosphere and watching the action going on and meeting new players. I am not freeloading in a pool hall either, if I am hanging out there I always will eat there and at least play for a couple of hours so I support the business.
I do agree with you on gambling and getting into small action when you know the other player is the favorite because you get to actually rate your game against a better player and it will only cost 50-100 to do that. That's how I learned how to play pool when I was a kid and didn't have any responsibilities and it also gave me the incentive to practice so I could get my money back.
Now in my case, I only gamble with friends/locals. There is no pool hall in my area and its not like pool players travel to our area to play so myself and four other players in town usually meet up a few nights a week and play ring games down at the bar. We usually start of $2 on the 5 and $3 on the 9 and play that for a few hours and you might loose $100 if your playing real bad. Now, we rarely ever play heads up because we are the only pool gamblers in town and sooner or later I have found that once you start battling out heads up, the gambling usually gets a little bit out of control and someone ends up loosing what they cant afford. So we sorta have a gentlemens agreement to not play heads up.
Now I do travel all over the US but I usually don't go looking for action or try and get into any action because I am usually by myself. I feel that its a little bit too unsafe to be doing that. I never play for big money and I still think its unsafe because I have seen some crazy stuff happen over a $50 bet and I just don't think its worth $50 to be put into that situation. Also, I have been away from the pool hall scene for 20 years so it is exciting for me to be able to hang out in one for a weekend once every couple of months. I just enjoy the atmosphere and watching the action going on and meeting new players. I am not freeloading in a pool hall either, if I am hanging out there I always will eat there and at least play for a couple of hours so I support the business.
I do agree with you on gambling and getting into small action when you know the other player is the favorite because you get to actually rate your game against a better player and it will only cost 50-100 to do that. That's how I learned how to play pool when I was a kid and didn't have any responsibilities and it also gave me the incentive to practice so I could get my money back.
What a drama queen! Wrong, as usual. And it's lose, not loose.
There are exceptions, it's true. But I'd say most of the top players do or have played for money over the years getting to where they are now.
You know, I'm liking you more and more. Playing for pride is just that. Ten or twenty dollar sets bring out the player in you. There has to be something involved or you develop bad habits in your game. You go for balls you'd play safe on when it really counts. So on and so on. I'm pretty sure most people know my views on this that know me.
Now, I don't think the non-gamblers don't have a place in the poolroom. Of course they do. I limit my judgements on the guys who believe they can become a good player without playing or putting some kind of pressure on themselves. And, the cheapo guys who don't spend a dime, but are all about giving pool advice and "should've"s and "could've"s. Those guys should just drink their water, eat free peanuts and hang out together.
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Here's my take: I have gambled hundereds of times on pool but the most I've gambled is $500 on a set and normally an average of 20-50 per set. My issue is that I have tons of integrity and will never deny a foul and I have found that my level of integrity is in the top 10% of my opponents. So if I'm a 54% favorite based on talent alone I'm still at a disadvantage to walk away with the cash.
I would gamble higher and more often if there were bca refs around to hold the cash and call the fouls. There are so many questionable calls in pool especially with the double hit foul that I can't blame people for not gambling. However I think the real reason they don't is that they are so scared of feeling like a sucker.
I would gamble higher and more often if there were bca refs around to hold the cash and call the fouls. There are so many questionable calls in pool especially with the double hit foul that I can't blame people for not gambling. However I think the real reason they don't is that they are so scared of feeling like a sucker.