Gambling or Fun?

Lately in the Dallas/Fort Worth area, there have been several $1,000 match-ups occurring across the metroplex.

It's usually been the same guy playing each time (I'm presuming he has a backer), and he matches up with different players more than once a month.  I believe it's happened 4-5 times in the last 2-3 months.  It's a fairly new thing.

You might think this is no big deal - people gamble all the time, right?  Well, this is a cool/different thing because the matches are advertised ahead of time on Facebook.  So, we know "when, where, and with who" several weeks in advance.  And people can side bet and/or plan to come out to watch. And usually more than one set is played.

Further, because players are already there sweating the action, of course it's natural for other players to match up too, so I've heard several matches end up being played those afternoons.

On Saturday morning, I walked in to the local pool room to spar with a girlfriend.  She's going to Vegas for Nationals and she wanted to talk about 8-ball.  One of my friends happened to already be there and he hadn't seen me at this location so early on a Saturday, even tho I had been doing this for several weekends in the Fall.

So, to him it was a shock to see us: two chicks walking in with our pool cues, obviously ready to play.

And his reaction was priceless.

"Hey, uh, what are you two doing?  What's going on?"  he asked me all interested and excited.

He wanted the inside scoop and to find out what the bet was.  I told him we were just sparing for fun and talking about shots.  He seemed to get deflated lol.

I think because of all the recent match ups going on, he thought this was one as well and was all excited at first about it!

But, alas, just two friends playing the game we love.  No money being exchanged.

Poor guy - broke his heart!