Quick story about pool. I grew up in seedy pool halls as my dad was a pool player. Actually, he preferred billiards to pocket pool. He played with Mosconi and Fats and those guys. I did get to meet Fats. Anyway, I was an OK player but nothing special. Just around it all my life. Pinball was more my thing. We were also the only white people in most of those pool halls and the standard music blasting was the Temptations and the 4 Tops.

So years later I am in the basement of my college dorm playing pool by myself and this big tough looking guy comes in and is watching me. he says you want to play for $$. I say no, I'm just killing time. Finally he says let's play for $200--all you have to do is make 1 ball. I said ok--but hold on I'll be back in 10 minutes. I run up to my room and grab my pool Cue, talc, etc. and come back down. The look on his face changes as he watches me screwing together my cue.

I have one shot that I can make maybe 2 of 10 times where on the break I bank the right corner ball all the way back down. I call that shot, actually make it, and say to the guy "that's game". I figure rather than getting paid the $200 I'm more likely to get my ass kicked. But after a stare down, he throws the $200 on the table and leaves.