Robert Byrne

“If you know a good player who is tempted by pool hustling, introduce him at once to a career guidance counselor, a psychotherapist, or a surgeon who does lobotomies.”

“Doing a thing well is often a waste of time.”

“To apply spin with security, you must learn to make a snug bridge with your forefinger looped over the cue. When you hit the cueball, follow straight through; don't let your cue rise in the air after impact.”

“There is money to be made giving trick-shot shows at schools, clubs, tournaments, and even shopping centers. Pool shows on television almost always include a few fancy shots.”

“Democracy is being allowed to vote for the candidate you dislike least.”

“Once-dominant games like straight pool and three-cushion billiards have lost ground to eight-ball - the game of choice for millions of tavern league players - and nine-ball, the preeminent tournament game.”

“Getting caught is the mother of invention.”

“To err is human, to purr feline.”

“A promising young man should go into politics so that he can go on promising for the rest of his life.”

“Prejudices save time.”

“It's easy to make a cue last a lifetime. Don't boil it or freeze it in the trunk of a car. Don't lean it against a wall for years. If you lose a game to a complete idiot, hit the edge of the table in anger with something other than your cue.”

“Memorial Service: Farewell party for someone who already left.”

“There are two kinds of people, those who finish what they start and so on.”

“Everything is in a state of flux, including the status quo.”

“To err is human, to purr is feline.”

“The purpose of life is a life of purpose.”

“Byrne's Law: In any electrical circuit, appliances and wiring will burn out to protect fuses.”

“If the numbers keep mounting, newspapers will eventually have to admit that pool exists and give it some coverage.”

“Partying is such sweet sorrow.”

“Learning to dislike children at an early age saves a lot of expense and aggravation later in life.”