Evidently I'm kind of a special exception to pool players because I don't gamble.

[A-Train]

I never have and likely never will.

I've watched my friends gamble and even when they win, they aren't having fun while they are shooting. I honestly play pool for the passion of the game, not because I see it as a lucrative career choice.

How about you guys?

[PoolChick]

Originally Posted by A-Train

I never have and likely never will.

I've watched my friends gamble and even when they win, they aren't having fun while they are shooting. I honestly play pool for the passion of the game, not because I see it as a lucrative career choice.

How about you guys?

I would have to agree with you. I have never been one to put up any money to gamble. Being a fairly decent female player, some of my guy friends have put money on me while I was shooting. That is the first thing guys see when they meet me. They think, "ooh, a girl that can shoot! What a scam we could play on people". At first it was sorta flattering, but now it is pretty old. Especially since it has been mostly talk and no action. I usually tell them that the best way for them to win their money off my game is to NOT let me find out that there is money on the game. Once I know money is involved, it sorta takes the fun out of it for me. I'm way more likely to win if I am only trying to embarrass the guy, lol!

I personally have never played for money on my own, but I have done the occasional game for a drink or a shot. It is harmless enough. I would be buying a drink anyway. If I win it saves me the money, if I lose, it's not gonna break me!

I just like to shoot and have fun when I am not shooting in league or a tournament. I certainly wouldn't rely on pool gambling as my main source of income. I just like the look on a guy's face when he gets beat by a girl!

For those of you that do gamble on pool, best of luck to you! It's just not for me!

[acedotcom]

Well, to each his own.

I grew up gambling at pool. For me, pool's like poker or bingo - you gotta play for something.

Of course, there are a lot of the guys around who don't like or want to gamble. Some guys get the all day special and bang the balls around aimlessly for hours on end and never get better. When they ask me to play with them just for the hell of it, I always decline. Other guys, who play pretty decent, get their jollies by matching up against some chump and beating the be-jesus out of him. Me, I don't care about beating a person, I want to win something.

Besides, if I'm not playing for something, I don't feel like there's a reason to play hard, so I don' concentrate. That's the worse thing for my game. Hey, even if it's only ten or twenty bucks, I wanna have something to play for other than glory.

But, I have nothing against people who don't want to gamble. That's their choice. Just don't expect to find me playing with them.

[kurtain]

I have also had a few friends place money on me while I shoot but I have never gambled just one on one. I play the game just to relax and have fun. Granted when I lose well, that is not fun . But to me placing money on the game gives me something else to worry about. I play better when I am not playing for money. I tend to see more of the table and can stay focused. It really gets to me sometimes when I go into a new pool hall and want to play and just because I bring my cues I must gamble. Gambling to me is playing you for a couple of hours, learning something new about the game, buying you a couple of drinks, and heck even paying for the pool. Believe me, I will walk out of that pool hall a better person. And that will have me wanting to come back.

[djkx1]

I used to have a severe gambling addiction (non pool related) so I tend to stay away from all gambling now. Some people gamble to make money of course, some are addicted to the rush, others see it as a way to increase the pressure of the game. I think if it is not a problem for someone, it is a great way to learn to play under pressure. Having said that, if you only play recreationally then just have fun. If are not worried about learning to cope with pressure, just go out and play and enjoy yourself.

[Flashman]

you're not the exception,,,I and lots of others don't gamble while shooting.

a few months back during a match, I found out that someone was betting on me to win,,,didn't make another ball,,,got a big kick out of seeing them lose their bet (besides, don't like the guy betting on me.........f

[Slowhand]

Do I gamble? I would say no, I don't gamble.

But then that all depends on what you consider gambling. Some people see it as anything where you put money up against an unknown outcome, and depending upon that outcome you will either lose or make money. By their strict definition, things like entry fees to a tournament, the stock market, raffles, Mega Millions Lottery and football pools are all forms of gambling.

I don't agree with that, and here's why. At the end of a tournament, there's closure and everyone can leave. Gambling in my book is open ended, and the losers like to stick around and continue gambling in an attempt to make their money back. Just think what would happen if someone joined a poker game, won the first couple hands and then quit. Most likely, the rest of the table would get mad at him. These people turn into Fred Flintstone, bet, bet, bet, bet, bet, bet, bet, bet. There's no end to the betting for these people, you're required to keep betting until you go home or run out of money. It truly is a form of addiction.

So with that group of people, I won't even start. Sure I have no problems paying an entry fee, buying a raffle ticket or playing the Lotto once in a while. But these are not things I eagerly await repeatedly playing every few minutes.

[One Pocket Smitty]

I play with a couple of friends for nothing, to me that is fun. But other than that I want something on the line. I play alot of One Pocket and to me you have to play for something or you'll take crazy shots. Putting money on the line will make you play a tighter game and make you pay real close attention to what the cue ball is going to do. Besides if you are playing a lesser player you give them some weight but don't let them learn how to move with out paying for the lesson---Smitty

[CaptainHook]

Thorsten Holhman does not believe in gambling.



Hell I would play him some cheap sets.

[Shorty]

I don't gamble, but I play an occasional tourney and will play cheap sets on occasion. I mainly do it to get some competition. No other reason. I dropped 1k one night gambling back in college...and I quit after that. Now I just play cheap and that's it.

Shorty

[BVal]

I don't gamble on pool either. No real rhyme or reason - I just don't do it.

[Hustl3r]

I play for some $$ when the opportunity rises

[mszelis]

I'm not much of a gambler either. Being a college student, I don't have that much money to throw around. However, I have found out that I don't deal well under pressure, whether it be hitting the 8-ball in or just trying to make a key shot, I always seem to fall short. In the future, I'm going to put some money on the side so I get used to playing under pressure.

[JSGGEMS]

Just not good enough to gamble, maybe one day.