Why is gambling so popular in pool?

Truer words about gambling at pool may never have been spoken.

JoeyA

TATE said:
My advice is, for most of us, just play pool cheap and enjoy it with people you get along with and like. Adjust the game to keep it fair. It's fun to play for small amounts at times. It can lead to hard feelings between friends, arguments, pettiness, etc, no fun at all, especially with larger amounts, so it's better to keep it light.
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Money!

It's about the only way to make money in pool. Only a handful of the worlds top shooters make over 90,000 reported dollars a year.
 
SamLambert said:
I have been wondering about this for a while, it seems gambling is a major part in pool. I've heard it's common for Filipinos to not even play if there's no money on the table. "Hustling pool" seems to be very common. I've had some offers to play for $$$ when practicing at some places. It seems very prevalent!

I can't find many comparisons, but I don't think betting 50$ on a set is common in table tennis, or tennis itself. Or playing chess, or checkers.

I might be wrong, I don't know much about the sports/games I listed, but I'd bet () gambling is not as common in them as it is for pool.

Why is it like that? Is it because it's most often played in bars and such?
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Not as common these days. Pool is dead of course.

Do you play for money when these uninformed shooters ask you to open your wallet ?

Where is this happening ? Some of us may want to give them some lessons.

Have a nice day.
 
macguy said:
Pool is a competitive activity. Unless there is a risk and reward outcome, what is the point? Every player almost without exception if they lose playing for nothing will say,

"Well we were not playing for anything".

This is to imply that they were not really trying in an attempt to rob the winner of his victory. A small bet takes that out of the conversation.
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This is your basic answer. Frame it. I will add, a small wager is a large wager, in small minds.
 
macguy said:
I would assume someone playing for $5000. is a $5000. player and has a bankroll that can support that kind of play. Also a person with big bankrolls who gambles it are also not playing for the money. It is all relative. You are projecting what you may do for a $5000. bet, not a high roller who it may mean very little to.
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I have to say that this is a bad assumption imo. One of the goals in the art of hustling is to get someone to bet as much as they have... which obviously is more than they can afford to lose. There are many strategies used to entice someone to bet above their head.


Then you also have a ton of people out there who are just gambling addicts and they will bet their rent money just to get the thrill of the action.

What Im saying is there are people out there betting more than they can afford to lose everynight in every city around the world.
 
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macguy said:
I would assume someone playing for $5000. is a $5000. player and has a bankroll that can support that kind of play. Also a person with big bankrolls who gambles it are also not playing for the money. It is all relative. You are projecting what you may do for a $5000. bet, not a high roller who it may mean very little to.
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OK OK Money creates no pressure at all. A million dollar bet or a dollar it's all relative! No one has ever experienced pressure because of the money. I GIVE UP YOU WIN I'M OVER IT LOL😆👈
 
ceebee said:
We had a great gambling base here in Tulsa, OK at the Billiard Palace. They came from far & wide to gamble here.

Then the Casino came in & the players left for easier money.

Very soon, they lost their cues, their cars, their wife & their house. They didn't come back to playing Pool either, they had nothing left.
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And that great golf table game they had there, was iconic. Melton/Matlock country.
 
markgw said:
OK OK Money creates no pressure at all. A million dollar bet or a dollar it's all relative! No one has ever experienced pressure because of the money. I GIVE UP YOU WIN I'M OVER IT LOL����
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That is correct, it is something outside the money that creates the pressure. A millionaire is not playing for the money, he is already rich. His biggest fear is looking like a fool, making mistakes or being a sucker. The same applies to the $5.00 player.

The pressure is imagined, it does not really exist other then the pressure one puts on themselves to play well. The actual value of the money does not matter win or lose other then it shows you who won or lost.

it is just a way of keeping score. We are talking about competitive sports or games where the player is involved, not someone betting on football or at the track.
 
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macguy said:
That is correct, it is something outside the money that creates the pressure. A millionaire is not playing for the money, he is already rich. His biggest fear is looking like a fool, making mistakes or being a sucker. The same applies to the $5.00 player.

The pressure is imagined, it does not really exist other then the pressure one puts on themselves to play well. The actual value of the money does not matter win or lose other then it shows you won or lost.

it is just a way of keeping score. We are talking about competitive sports or games where the player is involved, not someone betting on football or at the track.
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I have seen people choke when the bet gets raised... Just sayin', probably a coincidence though👈😊👈
 
Unless money means nothing to you it creates pressure. Fear of loss, one of humanities simple fears and motivators. Its not rocket science but it is science.
 
What would YOU choke for????????

The money is pressure and motivation. Some guys can ONLY play well when gambling, and some guys play well ONLY while NOT gambling. Some guys choke for 5,10,20,50, or 100 a rack. Some don't. Get to know yourself AND your player, S
 
strmanglr scott said:
Unless money means nothing to you it creates pressure. Fear of loss, one of humanities simple fears and motivators. Its not rocket science but it is science.
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Money doesn't mean that much and even less to a gambler. If it did no one would spend $35.00 including the over priced snacks to see a 90 minute movie. People would never spend what it cost to smoke or drink, they would never tip or pay the high cost of a restaurant meal they can make at home for a few dollars.

It is not the value of the money that makes people choke, there is far more to it then money. Pool players also need to take a reality check when it comes to a game of pool.

It is not sky diving, auto racing or even a contact sport. It is a benign game of pool, nothing life threatening. How do you explain dogging it in tournaments? It cost you nothing if you lose yet players can become catatonic due to the pressure they experience?
 
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