So you fancy yourself as bit of a pool shark and want to make some money from hustling poor blokes who don’t know any better do you? Well my morally ambiguous friend, we’ve got the tips you need to hustle every last dollar out of your unsuspecting foe!

It’s worth noting right off the bat that you better actually know how to play pool. You can’t be trying to hustle someone if you can’t even pot simple shots. If the cue ball spends more time in the pocket than out when you play, then perhaps you need to brush up on your basic skills first. Once you can be confident you’re moderately skilled then it’s time to hustle!

How to hustle strangers

Notice that the title said strangers? Don’t hustle your friends. For one thing, they won’t be your friends for long if you rip them off. If that doesn’t bother you, then how about the fact that they probably know how good you are and your strengths and weaknesses so all the dirty, sneaky, underhand tricks that you would normally use against a target will be wasted since they actually know not to bet you.

Okay, so the hustling tips; let’s get to it.

• If you’re a real pro, you might want to consider buying a decent quality pool cue. The hustlers weapon of choice is a top notch cue which looks like the piece of crap house cue. Of course, the cue doesn’t make the man so if you’re terrible at pool it won’t matter how good your cue is. Many a hustler can whip opponents with a standard house cue.
It’s always good to play a couple of ‘friendly’ games first to assess your mark to see whether they are hustle material. At this stage it’s essential to get them comfortable by missing easy shots.
• Occasionally you can pot a tough shot and play it up as if it were a fluke, letting your opponent win a few games. Often known as sandbagging, this age-old technique can be used to build up your opponents confidence so you can bleed him dry later
• Many hustlers pretend to be hammered or stupid to lull their target into a false sense of security. Then, when it’s least expected, they’ll run the table and make game-winning shots.

As you can see, the actual hustling is less about actual pool skills and more about picking the right target and staying in your mediocre pool player character. So what else do you need to know?

Advanced hustler skills

Playing with your weaker hand

It will take a lot of time and determination to learn to play pool with your weak hand, but it can be worth the pay off if you’re looking to take some serious cash.

Once you are comfortable playing with your weak hand, put the hustle in motion as usual. Play a few games for fun and lose them, then bring in the money and start running the table. When your opponent has had enough of you taking his money and goes to walk away, offer him a double or nothing if he can beat you while you play with your ‘weak‘ hand. Easy money.

Mastering the hustler shot

As a pool hustler, you don’t want to draw attention to the fact that you could take everyones money without even breaking a sweat. You need to make it appear like you’re getting lucky with your shots. One way to do this is to master the art of almost potting. This is where your shot leaves your ball just short of the pocket, blocking your opponent from potting a shot into it. This, coupled with your character reaction, will make it look like you’re just getting unlucky. Then you can blitz the table and clean up, you unscrupulous S.O.B!

So there you have it. A few hustling tips to rip of unknowing old men down at your local pub and make a bit of money. Of course, if you pick someone who is a really great pool player you’re still screwed. Hustling is all about the mark; it’s not cheating. Oh, and don’t try to hustle a hustler or you’re likely to get burned.

Leave a comment with some of your pool hustling tips and tricks so we can all brush our morals aside in the pursuit of a few easy bucks.

Images by the-o-ster

Image by kelsey e.

Mainstream sport can be pretty tame. Although there are some big hits in American football, the players have more padding than a teenage girl in a training bra. In Europe, soccer players will collapse to the floor in apparent agony at the slightest hint of physical contact. Here at Just A Guy Thing, we like to see sports that challenge men to push themselves beyond the mental, emotional, and physical boundaries of these rather soft sporting occasions.

With this in mind we have scoured the four corners of the globe to find our favorite manly sports that will literally kick your ass. (Technically, some of these are not actually sports but the headline 5 Manly Physical Activities That Will Seriously Kick Your Ass just doesn’t have the same ring to it.)

#5 Sepik War Canoe Racing in Papua New Guinea

What is it?

Exactly what it says. Competitors have to race 14km upstream while standing in a canoe in the finale to the War Canoe & Kundu Festival. In terms of flow, the Sepik River is one of the largest in the world, just to make it a bit more challenging.

Why is it so manly?

Forget for a second about the crocodiles and other dangerous creatures lurking in the river and focus on the race itself. Have you ever tried standing up in a canoe? It’s not as easy as it looks to keep your balance! Add that to the fact that you’ve then got to row yourself almost 9 miles against a very strong current and you’re looking at a very grueling afternoons work ahead of you. To complete the race you’ll need balance, stamina and the mental strength to continue when you really don’t want to.

#4 Nguni Stick Fighting in South Africa

What is it?

This is a martial art practiced by young men in South Africa. Combatants are armed with two long sticks. One is used for defending blows and the other is used to whack your opponent without mercy until they bleed or give up from the pain.

Why is it so manly?

Didn’t you hear what we just said? You hit your opponent with unrelenting fury until they either bleed in copious amounts or give up due to the extreme pain of being repeatedly battered across the shins with a long stick. The Zulu guys are hardcore. They wear no armor or protective padding. They are also looking to develop this into a recognized martial art with rules and competitions so look out for an Nguni stick fighting school near you soon.

#3 Laamb Wrestling in Senegal

What is it?

It’s a Senegalese martial art that combines orthodox wrestling with bare-knuckle boxing. Traditionally, young men fought to prove their manliness, court the ladies and bring honor to their village. Nowadays, they fight for money.

Why is it so manly?

Well, aside from the funny dancing the competitors perform prior to the fight, it’s a true display of strength and courage. You have to beat your opponent down so that both knees or his back are touching the ground. This is done by punching them constantly with bare-knuckles and then flinging them around like a rag doll in the hands of a devilish 6 year-old girl. Proper macho mano-a-mano alpha male type shenanigans.

#2 Self-Transcendence 3,100 Mile Race in Jamaica

What is it?

Well it’s a 3,100 mile race around a track in Queens, Jamaica of course. What were you expecting from that title?

Why is it so manly?

Strictly speaking, it could be womanly too - seeing as more than one woman has completed the course. Regardless, it’s manly because runners must complete 5,649 laps of a .5488 of a mile course in a mere 51 days. That equates to about 61 miles a day, every day, for almost two months. You’ll need tremendous courage, physical stamina, concentration and the capacity to endure fatigue and boredom. You might also need to rest your feet for a while before going back to your 9-to-5.

#1 The Tough Guy Survival Course in England

What is it?

It’s an endurance race based just 30 minutes from our HQ (that we had never heard of until researching for this article) that involves an eight-mile cross country run before being faced with an obstacle course requiring ‘the athletes‘ to crawl under barbed wire, run over burning bales of hay, swim in underwater tunnels full of icy water and negotiate their way through underground pipes.

Why is it so manly?

You mean besides the regular broken legs and bouts of hypothermia? Well, according to the Tough Guy organizer Billy Wilson, there is no other one day survival course as grueling as his. The closest, he says, is the Navy S.E.A.L’s ‘Grinder’ Assault Course but even that pales in comparison to the Tough Guy circuit. Don’t believe it? Check out the website and decide for yourself.

If you’ve uncovered a sport or physical activity more brutal than these then please let us know in the comments. We enjoy nothing more than seeing grown men beating each other to death or weeping from exhaustion and dehydration. Sadistic, we know.