Letting the Fish off the Hook

Well I was out for a night of drinking with a buddy and he had to go home early as it was a weeknight and he had to be up early. I am feeling pretty good and get dropped off at Kolbys to play some pool and just hang out. A guy is in there from Virginia, I have never met him before. He wants to hit some and I am just banging them around. He goes outside for a smoke and proceeds to come in and say he will give me the last 3 for $10 a game. We go back and forth with me just smacking balls around, I get up 4 games and he ask to play a race to 5 for $50 which I win 5-0. He think the place is going to close but we get the okay to play for another hour. I beat him the next set 5-3 so we agree on one last set for $100. I know that I dont even have to play to win, the guy is a decent player, probably plays a touch better then me even though he claimed he was an A player, but I am getting the last 3 so its utter thievery.

The kicker is he tells me that he just got back from Afghanistan so I start to feel some guilt, the guy is just in town visiting family. I lose the last set so the guy is only down $40 but I pay his time so its not like he lost anything. I felt bad because the guy is in the military risking his ass for me and our country so I know I was buzzed and playing on the lemon with him so it just did not feel good. I have no problem with hustling because when people gamble they are just trying to win the cash, that is what counts when you are in action. It is not always how good you play its how well you match up. Some people detest hustling and locksmiths, to me the greats like Ervolino from NY who layed it down so good, getting the 5 ball when they could give the 5 ball, it is really an art IMO. I do think that you should have to use judgement and sometimes realize that the cash is not worth the fact of feeling badly or guilt. The funny thing is that the guy said he does not care if he loses money and likes to gamble, he had no clue that he got a pass and got to keep his cash.

I will leave you with a picture of the great Brooklyn Johnny, Ervolino was a great hustler and pool player who even at the age of 65 still ran over 300 balls. Until the next time friends and foes, play well and be lucky.

Lenny the Lock