Why do you play pool

What is your main reason for playing pool ?

  • I play because it is my income

    Votes: 1 1.0%

  • I play because I want to improve

    Votes: 10 9.7%

  • I play because I love the game.

    Votes: 86 83.5%

  • I play for another reason

    Votes: 6 5.8%
  • Total voters
    103
  • Poll closed .
L

LeagueGuy

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
With all the recent threads about gambling, leagues etc. it got me thinking.

I play slo-pitch because I love the game. I don't play for any other reason.
I play golf becuase I love the game, I don't play for any other reason.

Therefore I was curious why azbilliards forum members play pool.
 
I think I like improving more than the game itself... so if I stop improving over long-term, I just might quit. Not that that will ever happen :P
 
I play because I love the game and it's one of the few things I am pretty good at. :)
 
It was a tough call

It was a tough call. I was trying to decide between playing pool and hitting myself in the head with a hammer as things to do. Both were about equally as much fun!

Mr. Slate actually matches my reasons pretty well. I wasn't an athletic kid. Other folks ran faster, jumped higher, hit better. I had a few small talents but rarely could use them. I boxed fairly well and I could zip a softball over a plate at vicious speeds. However when it came to most team activities if I wasn't the last chosen I was close. Pool turned out to be one of the things I did well, the first that I could take on all comers at. Not that I never got beaten but the odds were vastly in my favor when I played a stranger. With a little idea of money management and a little skill I had found my niche.

Hu
 
LeagueGuy said:
With all the recent threads about gambling, leagues etc. it got me thinking.

I play slo-pitch because I love the game. I don't play for any other reason.
I play golf becuase I love the game, I don't play for any other reason.

Therefore I was curious why azbilliards forum members play pool.
Click to expand...

For those who believe and play because they love the game, I say i am happy for you. I was one of you for many years. i can't admit i love it any longer. I play and only try hard when it is worth it and that is not very often anymore. The fire did burn brightly though for about 30 plus years.
 
I allways wanted to be in the circus, like my Dad. He was the guy who gave enemas to the elephants. I can still remember him coming home from a hard day at the big top, reeking of elephant crap.
Mom was always asking why he didn't do something else for a living and Dad would always say. "What? And give up show business?" What a guy.
Anyway, because of a rare genetic disorder I couldn't come within five feet of pachyderm poo without breaking out in a rash, so I stole the old man's cue and learned how to play One Pocket.
And, if this isn't a true story, it ought to be. :D
 
What he said

ironman said:
For those who believe and play because they love the game, I say i am happy for you. I was one of you for many years. i can't admit i love it any longer. I play and only try hard when it is worth it and that is not very often anymore. The fire did burn brightly though for about 30 plus years.
Click to expand...

My fire went out 17 yrs ago when I bought my poolroom.

highrun55
 
always a risk

highrun55 said:
My fire went out 17 yrs ago when I bought my poolroom.

highrun55
Click to expand...

Always a risk when we make our pastime our livelihood. A friend of mine made perfect knives. He had a six month to a year back up all the time. I asked him why he didn't build knives for a living instead of working 40-50 hours a week as an ironworker building huge structures and then working another 40-60 hours a week building knives for fun. He told me that with the hours that went into a knife the money was about the same and the difference was when he had to get up and build knives to feed his family it wasn't fun anymore. He had given it a try years before I met him and went back to iron working full time.

Hu
 
I love the game because of the complex nature of getting proficient at it. It is not an easy game to learn for most people (always an exception or two to the rule). Therefore, one MUST practice, study, practice, listen, practice, watch, practice, inquire, and practice to achieve a level which can be accepted as "A" level, which still leaves one a ways down in the "food chain". It takes MORE than a sharp mind. It takes MORE than common sense. It takes MORE than a keen eye. It takes MORE than good fundamentals. It takes MORE than good decision-making. It takes ALL these things and yet still MORE. Athletic ability is a God-given trait. Pool is something where greatness will have to be achieved through work and dedication.

Maniac
 
Why?

I'm not sure.

It must be a blinding and forgiving love of the game. It can be fulfilling, satisfying, ego-stroking, frustrating, maddening, humbling and embarrassing. All in a single game.

I like that your success or failure is largely in your own hands. Generally there is nobody to (rightfully)blame except yourself for bad shot execution or poor planning. Sure, Lady Luck can mess you up-but more often when you just play bad. Somehow, that seems right.

And besides, with the pool room drama and fellow degenerates -things are seldom boring.

And someday, if worthy, I want to learn the secret in-crowd handshake.

Why? is a tough question to answer -part explainable-part -just cuz.

Take care
 
ShootingArts said:
Always a risk when we make our pastime our livelihood. A friend of mine made perfect knives. He had a six month to a year back up all the time. I asked him why he didn't build knives for a living instead of working 40-50 hours a week as an ironworker building huge structures and then working another 40-60 hours a week building knives for fun. He told me that with the hours that went into a knife the money was about the same and the difference was when he had to get up and build knives to feed his family it wasn't fun anymore. He had given it a try years before I met him and went back to iron working full time.

Hu
Click to expand...

I sort of have that same situation when it comes to cuemaking. I owned pool bars and poolrooms when I was in the early stages of my cuemaking career. It was hard getting enough time in the cue shop back in those days. When I sold my last poolroom to dedicate full time to cuemaking, I went at it with a passion. After close to 20 years of doing it full time, it became a "JOB". It's not that I don't enjoy the work, but I have severe back problems that have gotten worse over the years. I used to be able to grin and bear it because of my love for the work. After a while it took a couple of vicodin to be able to work through it. Now the vicodin don't work as well because I've built up tolerances to them over the years and I don't want to step up to harder meds, so most everything I do is a real chore now. I think if I was pain free I'd still love cuemaking as much as ever but the way things are it's hard to get myself into the shop for more than an hour at a time. Pretty much the same thing with pool for me. I love to play one-pocket, until my back starts trying to talk me into taking flyers to get the game over quickly. lol
 
i dont know, i'm being serious. I remember when I was 5 we used to go to this resteraunt and they had 2 barbox's and I woud ask my mom if I could go roll the balls around. I was attracted to the color of the cloth and bright colored balls. I had no idea of the rules. I still am attracted to the green cloth with colored balls, especially snooker cloth-the real bright green and red balls. It triggers something in my head and is momorizing to me. Now that I'm not 5, I play because I like to play, I like action. For 2 brief periods in my life one was 8 months the other about a year it was my income(and that's when I didnt enjoy pool) I ground out a profit everymonth, I wasnt good enough to win tournments, I was banned from B tournemnts, so I went fishing and sat on the rail waiting for a customer.

But I really dont know why I play.I wish I knew.
 
I still play because like almost everybody on here got bit by the bug. That and i think somewhere deep down it had infected and changed my dna helix :eek:
 
A few years ago I would have said because of the money, but now it's purely for the love of the game. There are a lot of goals still to accomplish also, running 700 balls might take a few more months...busting SVB, Efren and Mika all in the same night...winning 6 world championships in a row...the game keeps me motivated.
 
Being a social animal I started playing to belong. Years later in my little pool world I now lead. I help and mentor younger players and promote the game as I can in this area. The game defines me. I don't know if I would say I love the game but I'm damned passionate about it!:cool:
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top