When did you know you were ready to gamble?

[Floppage]

NO!!! I'm not looking for people go gamble with right this minute. All the hustlers take one step back from your private message option.

I keep hearing that gambling is a good way to really put yourself in a pressure situation in pool and work on performing under that pressure. However, I seem to have some major aversion to it that I really can't explain.

I'm guessing a lot of it has to do with confidence.

When did you know you were ready to start playing for money? Did you start with just playing for drinks with friends or go all in? Did you try to find players close to your level, play better players and ask for a spot or just take your beatings for awhile?

I'm curious how other players got into it and what their initial experiences were like as well as any advice on what not to do.

Thanks in advance.

 

[DAVE_M]

I've always been told that Gambling is good practice and it puts you under a lot of pressure. Well, that's true to an extent. Eventually you get comfortable and the only way to get the pressure back is to bet bigger. It gets to a point where you are playing for something other than experience.

I find I experience more pressure in a tournament setting and try to attend as many as possible, although lately that hasn't been much.

 

[PaulieB]

I know I'm ready to gamble when the other person is stumbling around drunk waving lots of cash.

I bet low, win a bunch of games, and then only play with the winnings while never risking any of my own money. I call the recipe Nit Soup.

 

[7forlife]

Have you ever played for anything?

For me it was when I was a teenager and playing in a bar and turned down an offer to play for $300, then a friend of my dad's take me to the side and said "he kid, don't you ever turn down somebody in here again as long as i'm here, i'll back you for whatever they want to play for, now go tell that guy you take that game"

IMO what you're asking is a panoramic question that some are too stubborn to think carefully on to give a sound answer. There is no studies that say gambling will do X for you but would say that's it has it's benefits.

For you I say start somewhere, where that is that makes you feel comfortable. See gambling with stakes that you are not comfortable creates negative pressure so if you can't lose it then don't bet it. I say try all of your options listed and see what makes you feel the most comfortable, treat it like a progressive drill if you have too and work you way up.

Tournament play is also good as you have to keep hot for long periods of time sometimes even after sitting for a while "a long while".

I would like to here how you're do so post back on your first match up and let us know.

 

[jburkm002]

Take your bill money and bet someone your speed give or take. If you can handle the pressure and still shoot your speed. Then maybe you can gamble. If you lose and can't pay your bills it will tell you lots.

 

[Scott Lee]

Definitely agree with DAVE_M here. When gambling you can continue to play as long as you can continue to reach in your pocket. With a tournament you only get one or two chances. Much more pressure to perform in a tournament. While gambling can help you get over the yips/butterflies, all it really does is make you a better gambler...not a better player.

Scott Lee
http://poolknowledge.com

I've always been told that Gambling is good practice and it puts you under a lot of pressure. Well, that's true to an extent. Eventually you get comfortable and the only way to get the pressure back is to bet bigger. It gets to a point where you are playing for something other than experience.

I find I experience more pressure in a tournament setting and try to attend as many as possible, although lately that hasn't been much.

 

[336Robin]

Exactly

Definitely agree with DAVE_M here. When gambling you can continue to play as long as you can continue to reach in your pocket. With a tournament you only get one or two chances. Much more pressure to perform in a tournament. While gambling can help you get over the yips/butterflies, all it really does is make you a better gambler...not a better player.

Scott Lee
http://poolknowledge.com

Very well said.

Gambling money is leased money.

The least you need it, the more you want to gamble it.

The more you have and the more uses for it that you have, the least you need to gamble.

 

[gregcantrall]

The first game I won for money.

I'm curious how other players got into it and what their initial experiences were like as well as any advice on what not to do.

Thanks in advance.

Back when I first started playing pool, (1978-ish) I could not win for a dollar. I shot real good in practice but as soon as you put money on it I folded up like a cheap lawn chair. Then I met the woman that became my wife(to this day). I had only been courting her for a few weeks. We were out on a Friday night in Oakdale Ca.(the cowboy capital of the world) We were playing partners in the H bar B. Where they would go outside and fight and the first one to hit the ground bought the beer. Anyway we had the table and it was the last game of the night. The challengers were the national bulldogging champions. I had spent every last dime I had on the evenings entertainment. After I broke the balls, my wife to be, told me, "we are playing for a six pack of Michelob". That is when I learned to play for money. I ran the rack.

The fight or flight reflex can bring out the best in you. The best way to learn is pick a big Samoan and challenge him to a game for more money than you can get your hands on at the time.:thumbup:

 

[Pidge]

The snooker hall I went to as a kid was rife with gambling in the early 2000s. One day and I was just playing by my self and a guy came up to me and said he wants me to play his friend for money. He said he would cover the cost of me playing and It would be for £300 and I could keep £50 if I won. I didn't need to be asked twice. Walked all over his friend and by the end of the night had £200. I was on cloud 9. I was 14, 200,stuffed down my sock and didn't know what to do with it. I kept it and used it as a bank roll. By the end of the month I had a couple of grand. I was fairly smart at managing my money as a kid. Never risked more than 10% of what I had on a game.

Its a shame there isn't too much gambling in snooker halls any more. It wasn't seedy and scary as you might think. It was snooker after all, a hand shake and a pat on the back after the game win or lose. Gambling in snooker has died a death. Most snooker players, especially the amateur enthusiasts just play for the love of the game.

 

[itsfroze]

=============

 

[Baxter]

The only way to learn how to play under pressure is to put yourself under pressure. Gambling can do that, playing in a good tournament can too. Problem is that you can't go play in a good tournament all the time. And I'm not talking about the weekly $5 bar tournament where you can bang balls into the rail with all of your friends. Pool where you play Kyle is more social than competitive in my opinion. You can learn to play under pressure by playing in tournaments, but you'll have to go down to Hard Times every week to do it. There they have real tournaments with a couple of killers in the field. We're a small pond here, as you learned by your trip to Reno, and you won't get it done at the Oasis where you're as comfortable as you are in your living room.

Putting a wager on the line and playing for it is a way to put some pressure on yourself outside of a tournament environment. That you can do as many days a week as you like, and you don't have to drive 100 miles to do it properly. At your level, you'll feel the pressure with any wager on the line. Other posters here are correct, eventually a tolerance is built to it and you have to increase the bet to get that same pressure again. When I first started gambling my stomach was in knots. Now I don't get those butterflies as easily. I can walk into the tournament room at Hard Times and not be scared. Even in an uncomfortable environment, I'm more at ease on the table because I've made myself uncomfortable many times before.

Just my thoughts.

 

[Black-Balled]

I knew as soon as I realized how poorly the rest of you fish played!
uttahere::shrug:

 

[hang-the-9]

I knew as soon as I realized how poorly the rest of you fish played!
uttahere::shrug:

That is a good guide, if you can beat people, good time to put something up. Although if you can't, you may be in an area where the good players don't play unless it's for something then you're stuck.

 

[macguy]

NO!!! I'm not looking for people go gamble with right this minute. All the hustlers take one step back from your private message option.

I keep hearing that gambling is a good way to really put yourself in a pressure situation in pool and work on performing under that pressure. However, I seem to have some major aversion to it that I really can't explain.

I'm guessing a lot of it has to do with confidence.

When did you know you were ready to start playing for money? Did you start with just playing for drinks with friends or go all in? Did you try to find players close to your level, play better players and ask for a spot or just take your beatings for awhile?

I'm curious how other players got into it and what their initial experiences were like as well as any advice on what not to do.

Thanks in advance.

I don't ever remember not playing for money once I could play a little. When I was like 13 I lost my Soap Box derby car playing pool with a a kid that was 16. Although I never got my car back it was not long before I was taking all his money any time we played till he would not play me anymore.


One of the differences today as to say 40 years ago is, pool rooms had gambling games going on all the time and you could ease into it. Be they ring 9 ball games or pill pool and they were often limited to players of about the same speed.

There were different games going on that you could play in and feel like you had a chance. Hopefully you would move up to one of the better tables as you got better. These games had a lot of interest and every night you may have a few dozen spectators who likes to sit around and watch the games.

What I am getting at is, you learned to play for a little money as well as in front of an audience. I often went to school straight from the pool room on zero sleep with a pocket full of money. I am not kidding, I played ring games and pill pool like 7 nights a week for it seems like years.

 

[macguy]

I've always been told that Gambling is good practice and it puts you under a lot of pressure. Well, that's true to an extent. Eventually you get comfortable and the only way to get the pressure back is to bet bigger. It gets to a point where you are playing for something other than experience.

I find I experience more pressure in a tournament setting and try to attend as many as possible, although lately that hasn't been much.

What it does more then anything is make it real. It almost assures you a decent game from who ever you are playing. Play for fun and in no time the game can become a bore with neither of you caring who wins. And, you don't have to bet much. Even for like 3 or 5 a game let one of the players get stuck a dozen games and watch how serious the game gets.

 

[macguy]

I know I'm ready to gamble when the other person is stumbling around drunk waving lots of cash.

I bet low, win a bunch of games, and then only play with the winnings while never risking any of my own money. I call the recipe Nit Soup.

If you can beat the guy so decisively, why not play for what ever he wants, he can't win anyway

 

[rookie]

I also must agree with DaveM enter some big tournaments and get overmatched a time or two. This I feel will help your game far more than gambling and maybe be a stepping stone to prepare you to gamble.

 

[NitPicker]

If you have to ask, you're probably not ready.

NO!!! I'm not looking for people go gamble with right this minute. All the hustlers take one step back from your private message option.

I keep hearing that gambling is a good way to really put yourself in a pressure situation in pool and work on performing under that pressure. However, I seem to have some major aversion to it that I really can't explain.

I'm guessing a lot of it has to do with confidence.

When did you know you were ready to start playing for money? Did you start with just playing for drinks with friends or go all in? Did you try to find players close to your level, play better players and ask for a spot or just take your beatings for awhile?

I'm curious how other players got into it and what their initial experiences were like as well as any advice on what not to do.

Thanks in advance.

For me it was just being in the same room with people playing for money. As Macguy mentioned, its easier when people are already playing for money. You watch them play, and you either decide you want a piece of the action or you just keep watching, and keep your mouth shut. The first time(s) I got in action, I was giving everyone a dollar here, two dollars there. I believe it was a 9ball ring game. Eventually I was leaving with more dollars than I came with and that was always enough for me.

 

[macguy]

I also must agree with DaveM enter some big tournaments and get overmatched a time or two. This I feel will help your game far more than gambling and maybe be a stepping stone to prepare you to gamble.

When you train attack dogs the secret is they always win. You never destroy the dogs confidence. Entering a big tournament and being over matched and beat on is not too good in my opinion. Better off stay on the side lines and watch, you will learn a thing or two. Not sure what you learn getting pounded.

 

[galipeau]

If you're in Northern California, you're always welcome to come to the Broken Rack for a few games. I should be in Sacramento soon for the big Jointed Cue tournament at the end of the month. I'd be happy to play you some cheap sets. Shoot me a PM if you're around.

As someone else said, you can pick how many games you play when gambling. In a tournament you need to come out with your best game on the spot, or your entry fee is wasted. It's always funny to me that some players will absolutely not gamble, but they will pay 50 to buy into a tournament... It's pretty much the same thing.