Joe Rogan on "The Color of Money"

Episode Summary

Main Topics Discussed

• The impact of "The Queen's Gambit" on chess sales and public interest.
• Joe Rogan's personal experience with obsessive games, including chess, video games, and particularly pool (billiards).
• The culture and mechanics of competitive pool, covering gambling, endurance, the influence of movies like "The Hustler" and "The Color of Money," and the skill required.
• Comparisons between chess and pool, highlighting physical execution and pressure in pool versus pure intellect in chess.
• The phenomenon of people lying about their skills in games like pool and golf.

Key Insights & Memorable Moments

• Rogan notes that "The Queen's Gambit" caused an unprecedented boom in chess board sales, making them hard to find.
• He admits to being "scared of chess" due to his tendency to become completely absorbed and obsessive with games.
• Rogan provides an in-depth look into the world of high-stakes pool, where games could last "15, 16 hours" and players would continue "until someone quit," often fueled by substances like Adderall.
• He recounts how he got into pool after an ACL injury prevented him from working out, leading to his addiction and a move closer to a specific pool hall.
• A memorable revelation is that the video game "Doom" got its name from a line in "The Color of Money" ("What's in the case?" "In here? Doom!").
• Rogan emphasizes that pool, unlike chess, demands "controlling yourself under pressure" and precise physical execution, where "nerves play a factor."
• He highlights the common male tendency to exaggerate or outright lie about their pool and golf skills.

Notable Quotes or Revelations

• "Chess sales are through the roof. You couldn't get a chess board when that thing came out."
• "I'm scared of chess... I think it's something that I would get absorbed with."
• "Pool is a sport that thrives on drugs... like an Adderall type situation."
• Describing competitive pool: "You have to wipe out your opponent until they say 'I can't do this.' Yeah, it's like to the death."
• On actor's pool skills: "Tom Cruise looks like a guy who can play. Paul Newman in The Hustler does not really look like a guy who can play... But Jackie Gleason could play."
• "The video game Doom got its name from Tom Cruise opening up that [pool cue] case and he goes, 'What's in the case?' He goes, 'In here? Doom!'"
• "With pool, the thing that excited me about it was it was about controlling yourself under pressure."
• On male boasting: "Most men lie like they tell you like you say 'Do you play pool?' 'Oh yeah, are you good?' 'Yeah, I'm pretty good'... They'll lie and then you play them and they suck."
• "Everybody cheats at golf."
• A humorous take on dating: "If a girl beats you at pool, good luck getting laid. Good luck. They don't want to f*** you if they can beat you at pool."

Overall Themes

The episode explores themes of obsession and dedication to intellectual and skill-based games, contrasting the purely mental challenge of chess with the physical and psychological demands of pool. It delves into the cultural impact of media on hobbies and sports, and examines the psychology of competition, self-control, and male ego through the lens of billiards and golf.