Is gambling really bad for pools image?

[woody_968]

Some have stated that part of pools trouble for being popular is the stigma of gambling associated with it. I don't think that would be what would hold billiards back as far as TV and other media goes, in fact I think it could actually help with the excitement level for TV.

Think about the boom in poker lately, it has been on TV and now it seems like everyone wants to learn how to play texas hold-em. I think part of this is due to the excitement of winning big money at the table. Someone mentioned a while back the idea of a reality show with pool players gambling and I actually thought it could produce some interesting viewing. Granted not all players would want their dealings on the tables televised, but I think done properly there could be a market for it.

The percentage of poker players that gamble would be far higher than the percentage of pool players that gamble IMO.

Just wondered what everyone might think about the subject?

[tgscordv6]

Not if the bet is kept personal between you and the other person.

[Frank_Glenn]

Gambling in and of itself isn't bad, IMO. It is the cheating, and racketeering that is bad. That and people that can't control their urge to gamble and give up the rent money, or welch because they lost and don't have the $500 they owe you. This in turn leads to other problems, etc. But two guys playing for $XXX when they both have the money to lose is fine by me.

[Popcorn]

Gambling has little to do with bad the image of pool as much as they way they depict pool rooms as havens for criminals. Movies like Mean Streets and shows like Baretta showed pool at it's unrealistic worst. People that don't really know much about pool believe what they see in the movies. A parent does not want the kid to stay away from the pool room because of gambling, it is because they perceive a pool room as a place where all kinds of unsavory people go. Pimps, whores, druggies and what ever. The gambling image of pool may be the coolest part, but not the rest.

[CaptMorgan]

Read this book and it will enlighten you from both ends of the spectrum, I'm in the middle of reading it now and it's a must have for ANYONE from gambler, to hustler, to tournament player. It gives a great history on the game (mostly from the hustler's perspective) and has a ton of interesting angles on the game.

Hustler Days (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/1592281044/qid=1077068011//ref=pd_ka_1/002-5887605-4295226?v=glance&s=books&n=507846)

[dooziexx]

Theres gambling in Golf and look what kind of image they have...

[SRpool]

I have to agree that pools image is depicted in the wrong way. Every TV show or movie that has something bad happening, pool is being played in the background. It is just associated with trouble. I don't think it is the gambling that does it. Almost every sport has gambling but the image of those sports has not been tainted as much as pool. Hopefully it will change sometime in the future.

Sarah