19 quotes
Evaluating Vincent's Pool Playing Potential
Carmen
You really think Vincent's that good?
Eddie Felson
Well, he's got the eye, he's got the stroke, he's got the flake... he's got the flake down cold. But can he flake on and flake off? I don't know. That's not clear.
Quotes sourced from Wikiquote (© Wikiquote contributors), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Modified for formatting/length.
The Sweetness of Winning Money
Fast Eddie Felson
Money won is twice as sweet as money earned.
Quotes sourced from Wikiquote (© Wikiquote contributors), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Modified for formatting/length.
The Influence of Money on Performance
Vincent Lauria
I think maybe the money's what's throwing you off here today.
Quotes sourced from Wikiquote (© Wikiquote contributors), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Modified for formatting/length.
The Essence of Pool Excellence
Fast Eddie Felson
Pool excellence is not about excellent pool.
Quotes sourced from Wikiquote (© Wikiquote contributors), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Modified for formatting/length.
Winning brings unexpected consequences and challenges.
Carmen
You win one more game, you're gonna be humping your fist for a long time. Got that, Vincent?
[To Vincent]
Quotes sourced from Wikiquote (© Wikiquote contributors), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Modified for formatting/length.
The Comfort of Familiar Vices
Fast Eddie Felson
I can always go back to whiskey; it's been very good to me. I mean, you're sitting in it, and I'm wearing it.
Quotes sourced from Wikiquote (© Wikiquote contributors), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Modified for formatting/length.
Luck and Skill in Nine-Ball Pool
Narrator
Nine-ball is rotation pool, the balls are pocketed in numbered order. The only ball that means anything, that wins it, is the 9. Now, the player can shoot eight trick shots in a row, blow the 9, and lose. On the other hand, the player can get the 9 in on the break, if the balls spread right, and win. Which is to say, that luck plays a part in nine-ball. But for some players, luck itself is an art.
Orvis
You know who you got stakehorsin here for you? This here's Fast Eddie Felson. Who the hell are you? The end of the world?
Quotes sourced from Wikiquote (© Wikiquote contributors), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Modified for formatting/length.
The Difference Between Pool Games
Fast Eddie Felson
This ain't pool. This is for bangers. Straight pool is pool. This is like hand-ball, or cribbage, or something. Straight pool, you gotta be a real surgeon to get em, you know? It's all finesse. Now, every thing is nine-ball, cause it's fast, good for T.V., good for a lot of break shots... Oh, well. What the hell. Checkers sells more than chess.
Quotes sourced from Wikiquote (© Wikiquote contributors), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Modified for formatting/length.
Setting Boundaries in a Partnership
Fast Eddie Felson
I'm not your daddy, I'm not your boyfriend, so don't be playing games with me. I'm your partner.
[To Carmen]
Quotes sourced from Wikiquote (© Wikiquote contributors), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Modified for formatting/length.
Betting on Pool: A Conversation About Winnings
Eddie Felson
How much did you take off Moselle? I heard a hundred...
Vincent Lauria
One fifty!
Eddie Felson
A hundred and fifty?
[sarcastically]
Vincent Lauria
That's right, a hundred and fifty.
Vincent Lauria
You walk into a shoe store with a hundred and fifty bucks, you come out with one shoe! We were working on five thousand!
Quotes sourced from Wikiquote (© Wikiquote contributors), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Modified for formatting/length.
The Nature of Character in Competition
Eddie Felson
You're some piece of work... You're also a natural character.
Vincent Lauria
You see? I been tellin her that. I got natural character.
[to Carmen]
Eddie Felson
That's not what I said, kid. I said you are a natural character; you're an incredible flake.
Eddie Felson
But that's a gift. Some guys spend half their lives trying to invent something like that. You walk into a pool room with that go-go-go, the guys'll be killing each other, trying to get to you. You got that... But I'll tell you something, kiddo. You couldn't find Big Time if you had a road map.
Quotes sourced from Wikiquote (© Wikiquote contributors), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Modified for formatting/length.
Confrontational Remarks in a Pool Game
Vincent Lauria
Hey, Grady, up your ass with the spot. Is that okay with you?
[To Grady Seasons]
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Confidence and Competition in Pool Games
Vincent Lauria
Hey Eddie, what are you going to do when I kick your ass?
[about to play pool]
Eddie Felson
Pick myself up and let you kick me again.
Vincent Lauria
Oh yeah?
Eddie Felson
Yeah. Just don't put the money in the bank, kid. Because if I don't whip you now, I'm gonna whip you next month in Dallas.
[pause]
Carmen
You mean Houston - there's nothing coming up in Dallas.
Eddie Felson
Houston, Dallas... And if not then, then the month after that, in New Orleans.
Vincent Lauria
Oh yeah? What makes you so sure?
Eddie Felson
Hey - I'm back.
[stares at Vincent for a second, then gets ready to break]
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Job or Problem: A Disagreement Emerges
Vincent Lauria
This is my job, Eddie.
[Eddie is pushing to go on the road]
Eddie Felson
You think so? Hmmm. That's funny. I don't think so. I think it's your problem.
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Endless Descent into Nightmare
Grady Seasons
It's like a nightmare, isn't it? It just keeps getting worse and worse.
[To Vincent]
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Winning Requires Balance of Brains and Courage
Fast Eddie Felson
You gotta have two things to win. You gotta have brains and you gotta have balls. Now, you got too much of one and not enough of the other.
[To Vincent]
Quotes sourced from Wikiquote (© Wikiquote contributors), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Modified for formatting/length.
Handling Embarrassment with Humor
Fast Eddie Felson
Vincent, get in the car, this is embarrassing. You're acting like some girl who got felt up at the drive-in.
Quotes sourced from Wikiquote (© Wikiquote contributors), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Modified for formatting/length.
Teaching the Racehorse to Run
Fast Eddie Felson
We got a racehorse here, a thoroughbred. You make him feel good, I teach him how to run!
[to Carmen about Vincent]
Quotes sourced from Wikiquote (© Wikiquote contributors), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Modified for formatting/length.
The Scent of Opportunity in Pool Hustling
Eddie Felson
Do you smell that?
[walking into a crowded pool hall]
Vincent Lauria
What, smoke?
Carmen
No, Money...
Quotes sourced from Wikiquote (© Wikiquote contributors), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Modified for formatting/length.