As in the film, the pool table is a place of constant exchange. The evolution of pool is marked by the motif of monetary gain and loss. Phelan, who is considered the “Father of American Pool,” won $15,000 at one of the first tournaments in Detroit. Since then, the exchanges have only become more complicated. The players place their bets, the onlookers make theirs, and their onlookers supervise everything.
The most entertaining aspect of this game, is the events that play out off the table. Both the Color of Money and The Hustler effectively portrayed the nature of this game. Essentially, this is the one in which a player hustles someone out of their money. In this way the participants become actors in pre-measured conflict. They mask their talents and abilities with insecurity, booze, careless (but entirely intended) mistakes, and falsified anger. Then, after the trap has been fixed, the game shifts dramatically. Here, it is not about how many games one wins, but about how much money one leaves with at the end of the night. Just as Forest Whitaker cleans out an experienced Paul Newman in The Color of Money, the patrons of the Old Miami uphold this tradition. Games are constantly being played. One learns to play with friends, for the “sharks” always clean up. The relationship between pool and monetary exchange is intimately rooted in the history of the race track. Pool arose as a way to pass time between horse races. Detroit has always been the home of race tracks, and, subsequently, track gamblers. In intermission these betters take their money to the tables. The process of betting on a player is similar to that of betting on the horses. The gate opens, and the excitement and anxiety builds.
The conflict here is entirely tangible. One feels for the dollar under the table, or in the palm of a passing hand. Here, it is not that one losses a game, but that one realizes the front that the other has successfully constructed. Even the hustlers get cleaned out, from time to time. Deception is inevitably the process by which one wins this form of conflict. If one is careful, the curtains are always drawn. The winnings assist in the purchasing of the drinks, and the drinks flow heavy during the game. The pool money assists the bar, as the bar provides the means to play the game.
