Gambling is more fun than playing for free

Overall League Record

Tuesday	L	L	W	Future	Future	Future
Thursday	W	W	W	Bye	Future	Future

[Picture goes here... reader... you don't see this. Ignore it until there's a picture here.] Tuesday was league. Not a spectacular display of talent during the match.

I was spotting a game in a race to 3. She won 1, won 2, then I rattled the 8 and she ran 3 balls, then out. Rightfully so, she did play a better game. I was too aggressive and lost. 1 reason why I hate this game.

2-2 She wins

Before the match I was playing with a guy on my team that is a bit better than I am. He plays lock up safeties, so we'll call him The Professor. In 9ball, he'd spot me the 8 to make it even. We hit around 2 racks into the pockets... mostly by lucky position and chance safes. Nothing was going as planned for either of us.

So The Professor asks if I wanted to play for something cheap. Maybe a race to three for $5. So I say sure and we play a rack... I win. 1-0

Meanwhile another team member is working to arrive at the pool hall and play the last match of the night, instead of forfeiting the 5th game.

After our first game he shows up and we step aside and let him warm up. After The Professor finished his nacho's... our 2nd rack began. He wins. 1-1

Match time... I go spot a game and she wins, as mentioned.

over the next hour Professor and I play 2 more racks, and now we're tied at 2-2

He's not playing his A game, and I'm not really... so we decide to delay it until next league night, Tuesday.

This was my first 1 vs. 1 gambling thing.

I decided I really like to gamble on my game. It was cheap, but it was a TON more fun. I was no longer just "showing off" my developed skill. Now I was getting paid for it. I didn't focus on the game any more intently when I was gambling, I just played the table. 1 shot at a time, it was nice... relaxing in a way. "Relieving" might be a better word.

Completely opposite what I expected. I figured that I'd get tense and stressed out and bobble easy shots. If anything I focused more under the "pressure" of losing money. If it was $1 I wouldn't care and it would be a simple game for fun. $5... I can make purchase of a full meal (lunch). Or I could buy his lunch. I'd rather he bought mine.

Point is... I like it, and I'm not going to stop any time soon. But I'm not going to go out playing $100 racks or anything crazy like that either.

Yet.