Retiring out of anger

Saw a regular gambling at 1p yesterday. This guy has been gambling forever, and has played some greats for thousands over the years. Wins a lot but also has gamble and is not afraid of giving weight or a tough game.

He is also a guy who retires every year or so for a few months and then makes a comeback.

Yesterday he lost 4 games (@25 a game). He says to me "do you want to buy this cue before I break it?" I just laughed and said "that bad?"

He turns around and says "I paid 700 for this cue (it's a beautiful cue). Anyone want it?" Guy approaches him and says.."How much?"

"Hundred bucks". Says the disgusted player.

Other guy hands him a Benjamin. Quickly. Disgusted guy takes the hundred, and hands it to the guy he lost to, and hands the cue to Mr. Benjamin. Then says "I'm done playin"... And walks out.

Just another day in the pool room I guess. But it was certainly crazy to witness.

Mkbtank said:

He is also a guy who retires every year or so for a few months and then makes a comeback.

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Bet he quit smoking a hundred times also.
Just another day in the pool room I guess. But it was certainly crazy to witness. <<<<<<< that is good day time drama

I've quit a zillion times myself.

Fifteen years ago or so when I could make more than two balls in a row, I was playing a pool friend some straight pool race to 100 at his house. I was down 40 something to 90 and came back to win. The guy just couldn't make a ball. He was so pissed he snapped his cue over his knee and pulled every cue on the wall and broke them over his knee. I'm not sure how long he quit for, I didn't see him again for a few years.

Mkbtank said:

Saw a regular gambling at 1p yesterday. This guy has been gambling forever, and has played some greats for thousands over the years. Wins a lot but also has gamble and is not afraid of giving weight or a tough game.

He is also a guy who retires every year or so for a few months and then makes a comeback.

Yesterday he lost 4 games (@25 a game). He says to me "do you want to buy this cue before I break it?" I just laughed and said "that bad?"

He turns around and says "I paid 700 for this cue (it's a beautiful cue). Anyone want it?" Guy approaches him and says.."How much?"

"Hundred bucks". Says the disgusted player.

Other guy hands him a Benjamin. Quickly. Disgusted guy takes the hundred, and hands it to the guy he lost to, and hands the cue to Mr. Benjamin. Then says "I'm done playin"... And walks out.

Just another day in the pool room I guess. But it was certainly crazy to witness.

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In the 70's, at Marie's Golden Cue, in the exact same way, I acquired a real nice cue from a guy who went seriously on tilt...I was lucky to be the closest one to him when he wanted to off the cue...:heh

The summer.......

The summer.......

.......I started playing,66,there was a guy who had a metal 2 piece cue.When he got mad he would bend it over his knee.One day he bent it too much.Crrrraaaack!!It was funny except for him I'm sure........

One Pocket Ghost said:

In the 70's, at Marie's Golden Cue, in the exact same way, I acquired a real nice cue from a guy who went seriously on tilt...I was lucky to be the closest one to him when he wanted to off the cue...:heh

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Same time frame, Wichita KS, the Canadian, Frank is playin' Jeff Melton on a snooker table, he's got the lock, right . Jeff busts em, Frank snaps his cue, dumps the butt into the trash can, and two weeks later I made $150 by finding another shaft .

Island Drive said:

Same time frame, Wichita KS, the Canadian, Frank is playin' Jeff Melton on a snooker table, he's got the lock, right . Jeff busts em, Frank snaps his cue, dumps the butt into the trash can, and two weeks later I made $150 by finding another shaft .

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I saw Jeff Melton at a tournament 3 or 4 weeks ago for the first time in 10 years or so. I thought he'd quit playin.' Seems like a really good guy.

LSJohn said:

I saw Jeff Melton at a tournament 3 or 4 weeks ago for the first time in 10 years or so. I thought he'd quit playin.' Seems like a really good guy.

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No, I heard he's kept at it. He can easily play as good as Dan Louie on a good day. He, his dad and brothers make me think of my new in-laws. All are either hunters or fishermen or both....are a hoot to hang with and always are shuckin' and jiving' with life. Buy em lunch or breakfast sometime it's worth it. When I was out and about years ago, we always would help each other with room/shower etc to get buy, did the same with Breedlove before the widow. The Meltons'... They are like hanging around good cousins. Jeff is like Louie Lemke, without the hippie, vegetarian, and the guitar. . 7:10 am.... Come to think of it, Jeff does play guitar, pretty sure. I know he looks like a rodeo stud when he wears his black cowboy hat.

Where in the Midwest did you see him?

Island Drive said:

No, I heard he's kept at it. He can easily play as good as Dan Louie on a good day. He, his dad and brothers make me think of my new in-laws. All are either hunters or fishermen or both....are a hoot to hang with and always are shuckin' and jiving' with life. Buy em lunch or breakfast sometime it's worth it. When I was out and about years ago, we always would help each other with room/shower etc to get buy, did the same with Breedlove before the widow. The Meltons'... They are like hanging around good cousins. Jeff is like Louie Lemke, without the hippie, vegetarian, and the guitar. . 7:10 am.... Come to think of it, Jeff does play guitar, pretty sure. I know he looks like a rodeo stud when he wears his black cowboy hat.

Where in the Midwest did you see him?

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Saw him at Olathe Shooters. Thanks for the run-down. I don't know him except to say "Hi" but I'm glad to hear my good impression of him was justified.

Not an uncommon event, but sad nonetheless. My own personal experience is that I see some excellent players, usually the best in the area. So they play, they gamble, etc. Problem is multi-fold. One, they can't get enough good games so they find it hard to keep in stroke. Two, they can't make money because they can't get enough good games. Three, they get frustrated and lose interest. Very few, those who really gambled, can simply play the game for fun -- unless that's what it becomes all about.

Bruce Grasing -- who recently passed away -- did this. Here's a guy who made his living, as a professional pool player and as a gambler. He did very well. He was truly a great player. As time went on, he didn't want to live on the road or that kind of lifestyle. He couldn't stay at peak form because he just wasn't getting enough good games. No one would play him in any competitive games because they just wanted too much weight. Bruce didn't get frustrated -- he just loved the game. I saw him play Ginky a few times here and there for money. Not real money, maybe a couple of hundred a game. I saw him play a few games here and there for a thousand a game, maybe 5k in a race. Whatever.

For the last 15-20 years he played the game exclusively because he loved it. He played with a very good friend of his, regularly, and almost exclusively. They played and split the time. That's it.

Regardless, your story is unfortunately a common one.