My weather story:
It's the national championship in my country and after a long day of playing, with high humidity outside and lots of people inside, the airconditioner cannot cope and the temperature was rising. Outside it was a lot colder and raining. Some genius decides to open a window, next to a table where the quarter final (correction it was the game before the quarter final) was about to be played. Instantly cooling the room, but also soaking the cushions with moisture. These are tournament grade tables with super fast cushions, new(ish) cloth and fairly tight pockets.
Now this was during a break these two players were taking, and the window was shut before they came back. The players had warmed up on the table previously. The changing conditions completely blindsided the two players and threw them off their games. The balls were rocketing off the cushion and banking extremely short, reversing wildly. Nothing the players were doing was working, the inside english didn't slow the ball down at all, the running english did not extend the angle much, rather pushed the ball off the cushion even faster. The game progresses slowly as no player can build any respectable breaks, a couple of 30s and safes. A couple of very short breaks happened also, because the balls kept hanging up. This is a straight pool match to 125.
One player in particular was struggling to control the white ball, and in a very critical position on a secundary breakball completely lost control of the white as it came flying off the cushion at a speed which seemed to defy the laws of physics. He then lost all position, tried to play safe but the other player ran 40 and out. The losing player was me. I don't particularly care about losing that game anymore, but I'll always remember it as the most extreme change in playing conditions I've ever experienced.
It's the national championship in my country and after a long day of playing, with high humidity outside and lots of people inside, the airconditioner cannot cope and the temperature was rising. Outside it was a lot colder and raining. Some genius decides to open a window, next to a table where the quarter final (correction it was the game before the quarter final) was about to be played. Instantly cooling the room, but also soaking the cushions with moisture. These are tournament grade tables with super fast cushions, new(ish) cloth and fairly tight pockets.
Now this was during a break these two players were taking, and the window was shut before they came back. The players had warmed up on the table previously. The changing conditions completely blindsided the two players and threw them off their games. The balls were rocketing off the cushion and banking extremely short, reversing wildly. Nothing the players were doing was working, the inside english didn't slow the ball down at all, the running english did not extend the angle much, rather pushed the ball off the cushion even faster. The game progresses slowly as no player can build any respectable breaks, a couple of 30s and safes. A couple of very short breaks happened also, because the balls kept hanging up. This is a straight pool match to 125.
One player in particular was struggling to control the white ball, and in a very critical position on a secundary breakball completely lost control of the white as it came flying off the cushion at a speed which seemed to defy the laws of physics. He then lost all position, tried to play safe but the other player ran 40 and out. The losing player was me. I don't particularly care about losing that game anymore, but I'll always remember it as the most extreme change in playing conditions I've ever experienced.
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