[9BallroadPro]

Do you guys like to match up and play for some. How much and how often. Do you think gambling makes your game better. Long term, are you a winner or loser at it. I know in a casino I figure its been a push for me during the last 10 years but I have made good money at 9 ball.

[Pelican]

I like to bet but since I am not a very good player I prefer to be a stakehorse.

Pel

[Dandydan]

Ido, its fun. I don't play strangers for two reasons. I am not that good and I don't get caught by hustlers. I play several pals that hang out in my room. Most of us are about the same skill level. We play for various amounts, 5, 10-20 a set sometimes. I guess at the end of the year we all probably break even with each other. At least the money stays in the family and not in the pocket of some hustler moving from room to room. Nobody gets hurt and we all have a lot of fun and great competition. Trying to make a living hustling and playing people strange to you is where you get hurt.

[Pelican]

Oh, I also LOVE to buy in the calcuttas at tourneys.

Pel

[gian323]

its usually a good idea to gamble with people better than you to steel your nerves.

but yea i think fast larry has covered this topic in some threads a while back. just do a search and it should pop up somewhere.

happy shooting

[WebDude]

Just because Larry wrote an article about it, doesn't mean we shouldn't discuss topics like this. He's posted his opinion on hundreds of subjects, but that doesn't make anybody else's any less valid.

I would love to hear everybody's opinion on this subject.

As for me, I'll play for $5 here and there, but I stop after I lose $15 or so. I think that's only happened once, but I try to keep a limit so I don't let emotions get me broke ;-)

[Leftoverchinese]

I agree with webdude. I also try to avoid playing for money with a partner. I don't like to rely on anyone elses skill but my own. Usually I only wager with friends, however, I have been known to bet a small amount from time to time.

[FASTLARRY]

With friends, only bet small, never let one goad you into doubling up where somebody can get stuck bad.
That is how you lose friends.

[Sodapop]

People say the great players are great because they gamble. Most great players I know have backers so they never risk there own money. So where do you get the nerves of steel playing with someone elses money? Not much risk or pressure in that. The whole reason they play with other

peoples money, because if they risked there own they'd probably fall apart like the rest of us. If two players of equal skill level are gambling and one has a backer and the other is risking his own money bet on the player with the backer.

So if you think you have to gamble to be great, I can't say I agree with that, I know alot of great players who never play with there own money but yet they are still great players.

Now lets look at other sports does Tiger Woods gamble? Does Wayne Gretzky gamble? Did Joe montanna Gamble. Noooo! But yet these are some of the greatest players that ever lived.

So if you don't have to gamble to be great at other sports why do you have to gamble to be great at pool? I don't think you do I believe it's a great

misconception and tons of players are running around risking hard earned money because they think that's what you have to do to be great!

But I do believe you need to compete as much as possible in tournaments or leagues.

[ Edited by Sodapop on 2005/11/26 18:15 ]

[Big_Bad_Bern]

Tiger Woods, Wayne Gretzky, and Joe Montana all had(have) coaches, trainers, and psycologists to help eliminate physical flaws and make sure that they achieve the appropriate state of mental preparedness for competition.

As pool players do not have ready access to such tools and tournaments are not run24-7 we have to gamble.

Gambling provides various amounts of pressure(read wager sizes) to remove you from your comfort zone and keeps you under pressure for extended period of time(usually much longer than a tournament), thus allowing cracks and weaknesses to surface(ie. kicking).

Observant people diagnose these problem and search out the information to make the nessasary repairs and spend the time needed to complete them.

This is the difference between pros and us hopefuls!

Also to the other statement about backers even if someone else is putting up the money if you don't win you don't get your share and might not eat, or possibly have to sleep in your car as opposed to a motel room, etc.

I do think real men bet their own cash!

Just my opinion

Bern

[Sodapop]

Gambling and tournament play are two totally different things. There are many great gamblers who don't do good in tournaments and many great

tournament players who don't do good gambling. To be a top pro you have to win tournaments, in gambling you only have to beat one player to win, and most gamblers only play suckers they know they can beat or at least have a chance to beat.

I believe it takes alot more skill and stamina to win a pro tournament then it does to beat one guy. To win a pro tournament you have to beat 6 to 10 world class players.

As far as not enough tournaments that might be true in Canada where we live, but in the states there are tournaments 7 days a week.

What it takes to be a top pro is move to where the best players live and play against them as much as possible.
Tell me how many gamblers would be willing to fork out a few grand of there own money to play Archer, Strickland or Reyes not to many, so the only way your going to play and beat these guys is in a tournament.