I got to make a visit to Waterville, ME recently to hang out with a friend. I get a real kick out of listening to the guys at the local pool hall (TJ's) trying to lure each other into proposition bets. I come from a more family-oriented pool room where there's no action of any kind, so all of this stuff is a bit new to me though I bet a lot of AZBers see it every day.
Here's some of the bets I saw the regulars try to coax each other with:
- One player, by far the best in the state, sets up this bank and wants 3 tries for $25 bucks. No takers. Lots of negotiating between him and the guys in the chair sipping beer. "no, 2 out of 5" "no way. 3 out of 10" "3 out of 5 and bet 200" and so on. I think he drops 5 bucks after 3 tries. After about 5 or 7 misses he says "100 bucks says I make it on my next try. One chance." Nobody takes him on it, which struck me as insane at the time.
He just came from barely losing a game of straight pool, giving up a 50 point spot going to 100.
- No takers on him vs the ghost in 1 rack of rotation. One guy wants him to try it without BIH to start. He gets funny on the 4 or 5 and narrowly misses kicking it in. Later he rattles the 14 but it's clear why nobody likes this bet.
- No takers on him breaking and running 3 racks in a row of 10 ball.
- Another regular... "Let's flip for 100". No takers. Later he put the 100 in action the old fashioned way, spotting 4 games in a race to 7 in 9b.
- "Pitch quarters, whoever comes closest to the spot wins"
- "Let's roll pool balls across the room and whoever comes closest to the wall wins" ...I saw video of this being done earlier where they actually lay on the carpet and hit the balls with the cue. It actually looks kinda fun.
- "trade punches in the gut?" "sure, can't hurt me unless you hit me in the solar plexus. For how much?" "whatever you want, I'll back this guy against you." "how about we just make it a fight then?" (this guy looks about 55, the other's like 22) "ok but you can't choke him out. It's gotta be a real fight." This one didn't happen :B
- "You play poker?" "No but I play gin. And cribbage!"
I guess it's like this all the time and I gotta admit it's fun even though I won't get out my wallet. I was kinda tempted at the 1-try-on-the-impossible-bank, and was both sick and relieved when he made it on the next attempt after nobody took him up
Here's some of the bets I saw the regulars try to coax each other with:
- One player, by far the best in the state, sets up this bank and wants 3 tries for $25 bucks. No takers. Lots of negotiating between him and the guys in the chair sipping beer. "no, 2 out of 5" "no way. 3 out of 10" "3 out of 5 and bet 200" and so on. I think he drops 5 bucks after 3 tries. After about 5 or 7 misses he says "100 bucks says I make it on my next try. One chance." Nobody takes him on it, which struck me as insane at the time.
He just came from barely losing a game of straight pool, giving up a 50 point spot going to 100.
- No takers on him vs the ghost in 1 rack of rotation. One guy wants him to try it without BIH to start. He gets funny on the 4 or 5 and narrowly misses kicking it in. Later he rattles the 14 but it's clear why nobody likes this bet.
- No takers on him breaking and running 3 racks in a row of 10 ball.
- Another regular... "Let's flip for 100". No takers. Later he put the 100 in action the old fashioned way, spotting 4 games in a race to 7 in 9b.
- "Pitch quarters, whoever comes closest to the spot wins"
- "Let's roll pool balls across the room and whoever comes closest to the wall wins" ...I saw video of this being done earlier where they actually lay on the carpet and hit the balls with the cue. It actually looks kinda fun.
- "trade punches in the gut?" "sure, can't hurt me unless you hit me in the solar plexus. For how much?" "whatever you want, I'll back this guy against you." "how about we just make it a fight then?" (this guy looks about 55, the other's like 22) "ok but you can't choke him out. It's gotta be a real fight." This one didn't happen :B
- "You play poker?" "No but I play gin. And cribbage!"
I guess it's like this all the time and I gotta admit it's fun even though I won't get out my wallet. I was kinda tempted at the 1-try-on-the-impossible-bank, and was both sick and relieved when he made it on the next attempt after nobody took him up
