Tag Archives: pool hustler

Bada-Bing! Vinnie wins BNI video contest

It was announced last week that I had won first prize in an international video contest.

For several years,  I have been a member of BNI (Business Network International).   I belong to a group that meets every week in London's Belgravia (the Commonwealth Chapter). It's a fantastic organisation for anyone in business – so if you want to come along just let me know and I will be happy to give you details!

Anyway, a couple of months ago I submitted an entry into this years' video contest, the theme being "What I love about BNI".  With the help of my lovely wife Heidi, (www.8ballvideo.com),  I made a video that combined some trick pool with the theme.

In my video, entitled "What Vinnie loves about BNI", I played the part of a New York Gangster Florist who likes business networking and a game of pool!  It will all make sense when you watch it.

Anyway, the contest was judged by the founder of BNI himself, Dr Ivan Misner, and as the first prize winner I get an all expenses paid trip to the BNI International Conference in Long Beach, California.  Amazing what you can win in the pool hall!

 

You can find out more about my winning entry and BNI at: http://www.bni.com/BNINews/tabid/64/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/559/Default.aspx

8 Ball Hotshots on Manchester United TV

A while back I hosted a show for MUTV.  Sharing some pool tips, tricks and hustles with some football stars from the biggest club in the world. They are a great bunch of lads, and we had a fun day filming.  The show goes out on MUTV tonight – watch it if you can!

Write up from the MUTV Website:

Four Manchester United players recently traded the training pitch for a pool table – with MUTV's cameras capturing all the action.

Reds goalkeepers Anders Lindegaard and Tomasz Kuszczak plus strikers Kiko Macheda and Mame Biram Diouf all picked up pool cues for a practice session with world trick shot champion Steve Daking, followed by a mini tournament amongst themselves.

To see the players learning how to hustle and attempting tricks, and to find out which United player is top dog at pool, watch 8-Ball Hot-Shots on MUTV at 21:00 GMT this Sunday, 22 January.

To enjoy 8-Ball Hot-Shots and other exclusive shows, subscribe to MUTV.

Child’s Play

Another simple shot that is used in other more elaborate shots. However, there is something elegant about the simple set-up and the way the balls find their ways into tthe pockets.  You need to do some work to get the cue ball in too!
 
Video 1 – The Performance
 
 
Video 2 – The Explanation
 
Click here to download instructions (PDF)
 
 
 

 

Play Away!

An unusual shot where you play away from the ball that you hit into the pocket. The idea is to play into the cushion and pot the ball on the rebound, because the balls are touching it gets a bit complicated.
 
Video 1 – The Performance
 
Video 2 – The Explanation
 
Click here to download instructions (PDF)
 
 
 

Top 10 Ways to spot a pool hustler

It's a dangerous world out there. If you walk into the wrong place, you could get eaten by a shark!  Maybe not eaten, but you could lose a huge amount of cash if you don't have your wits about you and you fall victim to a professional hustler.  To help keep you out of trouble, I present this simple list of things to look out for when invited by a stranger to shoot a few frames.

Look out for people playing in hats

The Top 10 Ways to spot a Pool Hustler

  1. They are not drinking as much as you, but appear more drunk.
  2. They moan very loudly about their bad luck when they miss a shot
  3. They are from ‘out of town’
  4. They offer you one more game – a chance to get all your money back
  5. They seem to know a lot about giving head-starts for someone who just started playing yesterday.
  6. They set the balls up very quickly.  A hustler doesn’t want you thinking too much between frames.
  7. They tell you they have just won the lottery and decided to take up pool for ‘fun’
  8. ‘Fun’ turns out to be playing for £20 a frame
  9. They are wearing a trilby hat
  10. They tell you that their name is ‘Jeff’, but the barman calls them ‘Sharky’

The easy red wager

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This is a very sneaky hustle.  Whoever you challenge to play this shot will struggle to pot the red ball.  The way the balls are set up makes it almost impossible – but it looks like it could be done very easily.  It is quite simple once you know the secret of the trick,  I expect you to send me £1 for every fiver you win!
Video 1 – The Performance
Video 2 – The Explanation