Spoilers* So why did he forfeit the 50k tournament, and how did he use Vincent, as Vincent claimed at the end? He appeared to have been honest with him the whole time, and what`s up with that trying to pass the 8k package between them?
shareWhat's the key lesson Felson tries to get Vincent to learn?
That winning isn't in the stick...it's in the head.
Felson uses Vincent purely as a pigeon, to check out the potential competition before making a comeback WITHOUT arousing anyone's suspicion.
Frontmen are considered scum (don't forget what a lowlife George C. Scott was in "The Hustler").
So no one would suspect Eddie would ever make any kind of comeback.
But if anyone did, then they might come 'round tryin to play a psych job on him, because Eddie does house some self-doubt--which is his only weakness--about his remaining ability.
I think Eddie figures that Vincent is too much of a flake to ever really figure it it out.
As for why Eddie forfeited the tournament...
Vincent let himself lose to Eddie on purpose during the tournament,and when Eddie found out, he didn't want to win that way to Vincent, so he forfeited. That's why Eddie told Vincent in the end, I want your best game.
I never thought Eddie had ulterior motives for stakehorsing Vincent.
shareI didn't either. I think he had no intention, at least not consciously, of using Vincent. And feel his decision to return to play came about in a genuine way.
shareAgree. If Eddie's plan the whole time was to get back into professional billiards he would have been practicing in secret the whole film. It's only after Vincent and Carmen leave that he starts playing. That's three weeks away from the tournament. Not nearly enough time after not playing for 25 years.
shareI never thought Eddie had any intention of playing in the tournament either, but if you remember he was shooting pool couple times by himself when Vincent and Carmen stayed in motel. And the time when he played forest Whitaker and got humiliated. He was pissed and that's when he cut ties with Vincent and sent him on his own. So it's plausible that Eddie did use Vincent. I really don't know but the one guy brings up an interesting theory
share