Moral dilemma

[pwd72s]

I don't play for money. Generally don't gamble, period. My 21st birthday weekend was spent in Reno. Lost every dime I had thanks to a "system" my buddy claimed to have. It was a valuable but hard learned lesson. I don't gamble these days.

Anyway, this leads up to a recent happening. My wife, a friend I'll call Bob, and I were in a tavern in Bob's home town. This a timber town. We were playing for fun...nothing more. An aquaintance of Bob's, along with his brother-in-law tried to hustle us. We'll name this aquaintance "Joe".

"Joe" and his brother-in-law started playing on another table...supposedly for money. The brother-in-law was obviously sandbagging, but "won"...the whole thing staged for the benefit of my wife & I.

Brother-in-law asked my wife, not me (in the john at the time) if we wanted to play for 50. She said we didn't play for money. He then said: "Then why do you have those sticks and cases?" She simply said we liked good equipment, but we don't play for money.

As we were leaving, this "joe" told us his brother-in-law was the best player, blah-blah, and that he'd back him against anybody. He also admitted that they were hustling...

You know, this kind of ticked me off.

"Bob's" nephew is perhaps the 2nd best player in Oregon. I'll call him Matt, because that's his name. The only player ranked 4A in the monthly 9 ball tournaments at the cue ball. He's very capable of running multiple racks and controlling the table. I personally watched this kid run over 100 when practicing 14-1. on a 9' Brunswick.

Moral dilemma...should I try to set up a match between Matt and this arrogant brother-in-law, take a few hundred from loudmouthed "Joe"???

Opinions welcome...

[frogger]

No. There's really nothing to be gained spending anymore time with a loudmouth than you've already (unfortunately) spent.

[Gogar]

Originally Posted by pwd72s

I don't play for money.

Case closed!

[Neilk]

Go for it. Teach those guys a lesson.

[legion]

Originally Posted by frogger

No. There's really nothing to be gained spending anymore time with a loudmouth than you've already (unfortunately) spent.

Yep.

I imagine this kind of thing will only get worse if not ignored.

[Superman]

Walk away.

[MikeSid]

I think you should go for it on one condition - you gotta track down "Major Rice" Leung and make him play for ya. I hear he can run like 1000 racks and out race anyone on the track.... But he doesn' know what a race to 100 is.

Seriously, when I was 25 I started to say "I'm too old for this schit".... and I pretty sure you're not 25.

[Jeff Higgins]

You'll feel dirty and cheap when you're done. That's the problem with having enough morals to have a "moral dilema".

[mossguy]

Paul - Remember the Tar Baby in B'rer Rabbit?


Tom

[pwd72s]

Hoot! Gotta confess now...I'm running this same post on a pool forum. Going to be interesting to see if there are variations.

I remember that old thread...kid said he easily runs 1,000 balls in straight pool? The world record is 526...held by the late and very great Willie Mosconi.

Gotta admit, seeing a hustler get outhustled could be entertaining. Pissed me off that this duo would think Cindy & I were that dumb...

Also, Matt would have no moral qualms at all...he'd take their $$$ in a heartbeat.

[Scooter]

This is one reason why I pretty much quit playing pool. Everyone wants to play for money. It's as if you are nothing unless you are willing to put up money. I used to be very good; to a point where many people were betting on me on the side. I just never participated in the gambling. I just got tired of arguing with people who only wanted to play for money.

Example: I picked up a stick at a local pub the other day to play in a tourament for a good cause. I hadn't picked up a stick in a year. I ended up placing second in the tournament (would have been first, but I had a little too much liquid refreshment ). After the tournament, everyone wanted to play me for money. People would actually get angry when I said I would be happy to play, but not for money. Instead of playing, they would just walk away. Some people just don't understand that other people just like to play for the sport of it.

[pwd72s]

Originally Posted by Scooter

This is one reason why I pretty much quit playing pool. Everyone wants to play for money. It's as if you are nothing unless you are willing to put up money. I used to be very good; to a point where many people were betting on me on the side. I just never participated in the gambling. I just got tired of arguing with people who only wanted to play for money.

Example: I picked up a stick at a local pub the other day to play in a tourament for a good cause. I hadn't picked up a stick in a year. I ended up placing second in the tournament (would have been first, but I had a little to much liquid refreshment ). After the tournament, everyone wanted to play me for money. People would actually get angry when I said I would be happy to play, but not for money. Instead of playing, they would just walk away. Some people just don't understand that other people just like to play for the sport of it.

Well said, Scooter...just the satisfaction of making a good shot is enough for me. Hell, I know that at my age the skill of a top level player will never be mine. But damn, it's fun to shoot pool. When I'm having a good day, that is.

[legion]

Originally Posted by Jeff Higgins

You'll feel dirty and cheap when you're done. That's the problem with having enough morals to have a "moral dilema".

Yep.

Take satisfaction in the fact that you have this dilemna. These people apparently did not, and therefore have no morals.

[Superman]

Walk away.

[rouxroux]

Let it go...you don't need your ego stoked.

[M.D. Holloway]

In Tejas we would take the loud mouth outback and 'Abner Louima' him with his own cue. But thats just what we do.

It has been my experience (as well as yours I would imagine) that the dogs that bark the loudest have the worst breath...

[rouxroux]

Originally Posted by LubeMaster77

In Tejas we would take the loud mouth outback and 'Abner Louima' him with his own cue. But thats just what we do.

It has been my experience (as well as yours I would imagine) that the dogs that bark the loudest have the worst breath...

WOW!!! Now THERE'S a picture! (whistling "You don't mess around with Jim")

[pwd72s]

On the other posting board...most disagree with guys here. But one post struck me as wise words indeed...this a cut and paste from an obviously experienced (in more than pool) man:

"My first instinct if I was in your situation would be to throw down the gauntlet and play the guy for the money. I have hustled a lot of pool in my day and have been hustled and maybe a lot, won money, lost money but that's not what is at play here.
It's not the go behind your back to your wife thing or that they were trying to hustle to begin with. It's not about setting up the game for a chance of retribution or revenge or just the fact they ticked you off and the way they approached the situation.
It's about your integrity. Choose to do as you will but be satisfiied with yourself and your decision. Perhaps you could look at it as a business decision whether to put up the money or not. It's not about whether you can afford it and if you do it to try to teach somebody a lesson that sometimes backfires then where are you. Would you do it again and again to get even?
Again, it's about your integrity. Your choice not to gamble, that lesson you learned. If we don't learn the lessons we are taught we are doomed to repeat them. Just my opinion, I hope it helps."

My decision? Since I'm an honorary member of Matt's family? His dad & I having been "best buddies" from our mid teens until his dad died in an industrial accident at age 45? This a family I love as much, if not more, than my own? If this match comes off, I'll "back" Matt...but NOT in gambling mode, as a "stake horse" would...demanding a %age of the winnings. Nope...I'll just "loan" Matt all that's needed, and I really won't care if I get a dime back. But knowing Matt, when he wins? He'll pay me back.

I'm telling myself that this won't be gambling...since I won't expect to "win" a dime.

By hustling Cindy instead of me? These guys violated an unwritten, but very valid pool player's code...At that time, I found myself wishing that instead of Cindy, a mid level, thus not instantly recognizable, women's pro would have been sitting there.

[Jims5543]

I am not sure if these clowns show up often, I would have Matt show up on the same night and play him at your table, maybe even have Cindy giving him pointers, totally sucking them in.

Have Matt throw a few games then suck them inot a big bet and take their money.

I am sure you have seen this movie, I cannot help but think of it right now.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0090863/


I am in a similar dilemma but it requires me to street race. A ex-employee has a boner for me and my RX7 with his twin turbo corvette. My friend/mechanic wants to set up a race and take his money knowing emotions will cloud his judgement. I discussed it with my wife and passed, things could turn ugly really fast both from a racing perspective and when it came time to collect the money.

I would think this through because once the hustler realized he was hustled it could get ugly. Are you ready for ugly?

[Hetmann]

Leave it alone.