Dear Gentle Readers,
I’m not certain who first uttered those words of wisdom, but the quote made me think of pool hustlers. As in … don’t show your true speed early in the encounter.
And … like that.
Is hustling pool these days a mostly bygone pastime?
Or are there still nooks and crannies where a talented entrepreneur can sidle into a room and lemonade his way out of there with some serious cheese? (Don’t you just love the jargon!)
I’m curious … what are some of the classic hustles you know about? Beyond the obvious - - playing below speed, losing money early and then upping the wager, etc.
Example?
I so enjoy NYC-chatting with a couple of the senior scufflers around town.
Here’s one old-time mini-scam that a certain lovable reprobate shared with me. It’s a classic sucker bet. Proposition bet? Anyway, the schtick involves the cue ball and an object ball.
Place the object ball just in front of a far corner pocket. The ball is almost falling into the hole. Position the cue ball against the middle of the opposite end rail.
Explain to the mark that it’s not so much skill, that it’s mostly just a mental challenge for him. Even with the cue ball frozen to the rail, it should still be a snap for him to pocket the object ball.
One stipulation.
The poor hoser (and this is the psychological part as he understands it) first has to first walk around the table and … he has to stare at the object ball the entire time.
Of course many of you already know the drill … the hustler licks his thumb and wets the tip of the cue. Which he then hands to the unsuspecting schmo.
Splish-Splash, miscue!
So … what are some of your favorite hustles?
Straying over conventional boundaries is my life,
Sunny
P. S. My interest in larceny, petty and otherwise, has nothing - - zero! - - to do with a former beau who toiled in the City of London and is now on Wall Street. As always, my inquiries are purely scholastic. And innocent.
Well, scholastic.
Bye for now! I shall General-MacArthur you one day very soon.
I’m not certain who first uttered those words of wisdom, but the quote made me think of pool hustlers. As in … don’t show your true speed early in the encounter.
And … like that.
Is hustling pool these days a mostly bygone pastime?
Or are there still nooks and crannies where a talented entrepreneur can sidle into a room and lemonade his way out of there with some serious cheese? (Don’t you just love the jargon!)
I’m curious … what are some of the classic hustles you know about? Beyond the obvious - - playing below speed, losing money early and then upping the wager, etc.
Example?
I so enjoy NYC-chatting with a couple of the senior scufflers around town.
Here’s one old-time mini-scam that a certain lovable reprobate shared with me. It’s a classic sucker bet. Proposition bet? Anyway, the schtick involves the cue ball and an object ball.
Place the object ball just in front of a far corner pocket. The ball is almost falling into the hole. Position the cue ball against the middle of the opposite end rail.
Explain to the mark that it’s not so much skill, that it’s mostly just a mental challenge for him. Even with the cue ball frozen to the rail, it should still be a snap for him to pocket the object ball.
One stipulation.
The poor hoser (and this is the psychological part as he understands it) first has to first walk around the table and … he has to stare at the object ball the entire time.
Of course many of you already know the drill … the hustler licks his thumb and wets the tip of the cue. Which he then hands to the unsuspecting schmo.
Splish-Splash, miscue!
So … what are some of your favorite hustles?
Straying over conventional boundaries is my life,
Sunny
P. S. My interest in larceny, petty and otherwise, has nothing - - zero! - - to do with a former beau who toiled in the City of London and is now on Wall Street. As always, my inquiries are purely scholastic. And innocent.
Well, scholastic.
Bye for now! I shall General-MacArthur you one day very soon.