How many times have you heard this?

Was at a guy house for superbowl party. first time I've been there, first time I met the guy having the party. He has a table in the basement and I torture him a little

He tells me he has a female pro player the lives next door. I was like, really, who? I'm pretty sure I would know any pro's that live in the area, certainly ones that live in my hood.

So, as I waited patiently for him to tell me Jeanette Lee or Karen Coor moved in (that would be pretty cool), it was some name I've never heard of, and I mean never.

So, I said "pro player", he said yeah, she plays all over the country, blah, blah, blah. I Google her when I get home and can't find anything. But then, there it was, an APA league roster sheet popped up. Yep, she's an APA 4, plays in some local leagues around the area. WTF ?


Or course, I have a guy in my ACS league that thinks he's just under pro level, and that he can at least hang with them. Now, this guy is not even the best guy in the league, never won a state tourney, never even finished high ?? But, he's barking at the door. I didn't want to argue with him, but just said, dude, they next gear beyond you is like a low leverl college player hitting Major League pitching. It ain't gonna be pretty.

I used to hang out at the same bar for a long time, and one of the regulars would always tell me that I needed to play his nephew, that he would beat me because he won $10,000 in Vegas.

So one night he finally comes in. I probably beat him 4-5 games to 1. The next time I saw the regular, he says, "My nephew is REALLY good, YOU must be a pro!".

I later found out that this guy was an APA 5 and he did indeed take 1st place and won money in Vegas.

Jonbouy said:

Where are you from in WV? I grew up there - Charleston - and I've never heard of Johnny Billo. I'm 68 years old so I'm probably too old or too young. Perhaps he was not from the Charleston area.

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Ok....right forum now. Sorry. Johnny and I lived in Pratt years ago. But he played on Dunbar's Vegas winning team. You probably know Dickie Burdette also. Great guy, still playing pool.

There's only one pool hall in Charleston now, 21 Pool room, about 6 miles out rt 21 from Charleston's west end. All Diamond tables.

Sometimes you gotta cut these guys a break for overestimating themselves.
I’ve ran into players that needed at least the 7/8 from any decent road player...
...but they were the best player they ever saw and had the empiral evidence to prove it...
...they hadn’t lost to anybody for 15 years.

And it’s also human to look back on your playing and only see the highlights.

We had a thread here about how many racks posters had run...and it got a fair bit of mockery....
...is everybody a pro? was the common response.

Well, I saw a man run five racks that I give the 5/6/7/8/ to...if someone sees him play...
..they’ll think he’s lying....but run them he did.

So almost every player played better.....if only for an hour.

The internet is enlightening many players how they stood on their best day, however.

Seems like the times ... they have changed..

Back in my early days (70's - 80's) the only one I knew who
Talked up his game was a compulsive liar... there were short
Stops and up all over the place and you would never know who
They were.. until they 'got' you.....

Td

What????!!!

pt109 said:

Sometimes you gotta cut these guys a break for overestimating themselves.
I’ve ran into players that needed at least the 7/8 from any decent road player...
...but they were the best player they ever saw and had the empiral evidence to prove it...
...they hadn’t lost to anybody for 15 years.

And it’s also human to look back on your playing and only see the highlights.

We had a thread here about how many racks posters had run...and it got a fair bit of mockery....
...is everybody a pro? was the common response.

Well, I saw a man run five racks that I give the 5/6/7/8/ to...if someone sees him play...
..they’ll think he’s lying....but run them he did.

So almost every player played better.....if only for an hour.

The internet is enlightening many players how they stood on their best day, however.

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You mean I can't rate myself on how I played that one day 21 years ago??? Doggonit...


Td

grindz said:

Back in my early days (70's - 80's) the only one I knew who
Talked up his game was a compulsive liar... there were short
Stops and up all over the place and you would never know who
They were.. until they 'got' you.....

Td

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Exactly. No decent player would advertise their skill level.

This same crap happens alot in golf, too. (and probably many other sports / games)
Some guy shoots 68 at his local muny or wins the club championship for the 5th time, and start thinking they coiuld be a pro golfer.

An old club pro told me an enlightening story once, after the Senior Tour got really big. This 45 yr old doctor was a very good amateur player, mayber a 1 or 2 handicap, and he was with the club pro at a regular tour event watching the pros practice. The doctor mentioned to the club pro that he thought if he retired and devoted the next 5 years to golf, he could make it on the Sr Tour. The club pro looked at him and said "You see that guy over there? He's 45 years old and for the next five years he's going to devote himself only to golf, and then he will be on the Senior Tour." He was pointing to Freddie Couples.

Moral of the story.....That guy is WAY better than you, and he will ALWAYS be way better than you

I've heard it a few times here in R. I. Then a real pro comes to town and you can hear a mouse piss on a cotton ball. It's hilarious and sad at the same time.

Most people don't know what they don't know. When we moved to Tucson my wife and I went out to a bar with her work friends. They began playing on a bar box. I got up for my turn and ran out a rack of 8 ball. One of her friends insists to this day I'm pro level based on that 30 seconds in a bar on a baby table.
I've told him I can name at least 3 guys in town better than I am but he won't listen.

I blame it on movies and tv shows that have a character who goes from nothing level to pro level in just a few months or weeks of practicing and "positive thinking."

That is also why there is no gate for pool....people think they, too, can be that good if they just tried hard for a short period of time. Why watch someone do a skill if I can easily do it, too, if I really wanted?

Just "go on the road a few months and get a little seasoning..." yah, riiiiiiiiiightttt.....


Jeff Livingston

chefjeff said:

I blame it on movies and tv shows that have a character who goes from nothing level to pro level in just a few months or weeks of practicing and "positive thinking."

That is... yah, riiiiiiiiiightttt.....


Jeff Livingston

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Michael riddick: theys talking about YOU.
:rotflmao1::yeah:

Cornerman said:

Freddie <~~~ paid my way though college

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And I guess I should probably add to my Prior playing LOL, parents paid my way through college, while I played pool.
While I played pool.
while I played pool.
While I played pool.
while I played pool.
Thanks, Mom and Dad.

I played like crap as a young man and I still play like crap, but at least I know it. This thread brings to mind a quote from Golf legend Bobby Jones talking about Jack Nicklaus: '“Jack Nicklaus is playing an entirely different game, and one which I'm not even familiar with.”

I think most comments like the ones the op posted are relative to some ones knowledge and experience about the game. One night I was at a local bar and kept the table all night long . One guy comes up and says....you are pretty good do you give lessons ? I shook my head no and told him I was not very good at all. Did not bother telling him I was just an apa 5 cause I knew he would have no idea what I was talking about lol.

To add to my above post . I dont believe that some one should be ridiculed that knows nothing about the game just because they don't know the difference between a c players who is worlds better than some one who has never played the game and a pro player who is worlds better than a c player.

kaznj said:

Its amazing how times i have heard someone say" i payed my way through college playing pool"

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When I was young and hungry for action....back in the late 80's/ early 90's, that lil phrase would open up my nose full.
I never lost a match to a guy who said "I put myself through college playing pool".
I used to love hearing that lil phrase

kaznj said:

Its amazing how times i have heard someone say" i payed my way through college playing pool"

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Or have them tell you that they "played minor league baseball", but can't even tell you what team it was they played for, or what years they played. I've met at least a dozen people like this.

Taxi said:

Or have them tell you that they "played minor league baseball", but can't even tell you what team it was they played for, or what years they played. I've met at least a dozen people like this.

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I work with a guy that spent 18 years in the minor leagues as a pitcher.
He never made it to the big show.
Says he had a 95 MPH fast ball but gave up too many walks.