Triumph and Tragedy in Las Vegas

moneytalks

moneytalks

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
My APA 8ball team is going to Vegas for the 3rd time in 6 years or so. 90% of this team have always been younger and wilder than myself. I have a hard enough time getting slightly drunk with them on a Monday night every week, then feeding a baby at 4am and dragging my ass to work the next day.

The first year we went to Vegas, we were stacked with good players and the numbers were right for us to make a decent run. Unfortunately, a couple players partied way too hard. How hard?... we had to play a guy that was still tripping on bath salts. (In his defense, no one knew what bath salts were at the time... no faces had been eaten yet).

Last year we had a lot of the same players, so everyone had learned from their mistakes and we placed 33rd out of 750 teams. Knocked out only by bad luck. We were rolling so smooth and our numbers were great, but we ran into a former pro that was running an APA team as their 7. (WTF is that?) He destroyed our 7 and a couple weird scratches on the 8 sealed the deal.

This is my last year in APA, and we made it to Vegas again. Our numbers are WAY top heavy after being in APA this long, and the new teammates are even younger and wilder than the bath salts guy. The way I see it, this year could go either way... and I hope to God I'm not in Vegas for 8 days and NOT playing pool.
 
Celophanewrap

Celophanewrap

Call me Grace
Silver Member
You gotta control the kiddies. Make sure they know why they're there.
If they have too much down time they tend to get into trouble. Are you staying at the Westgate?
You need a local bar, a team dinner or pizza outing, taco Tuesday at a taco place - away
from the strip (Pinche' Tacos - great place), a night downtown.
There'll be plenty of slot machine time or poker time and drinkin' time, but don't let them
forget why they're there. Time as a team is essential. There is much more to Las Vegas
than drinking and gambling. Do some things as a team and don't give anyone the chance to
say no. You're the captain, you make the phone calls. Get everyone over to Ellis Island
for the Steak Special (sign up for the player cards first), it's cheap, it's good steak and
beer and it'll take most of the night. Keep them busy. and make them look out for each
other. You got there as a family, make sure you stay that way.

...and don't waste your best player on an ex pro you want your 7 to win, throw their
ex pro your 2 or someone you know may be close to moving down in S/L, or if you know
he's an pro and you can afford to think about forfeiting after the break. It moves you to the
next match and saves the risk of sudden death.
It's too bad, you see that ex pro or pro player every so often - what a crock.
Who was this ex pro?
 
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easy-e

easy-e

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Dude needs to learn how to handle his salts. When taken in moderation, they're actually pretty healthy.
 
Black-Balled

Black-Balled

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
easy-e said:
Dude needs to learn how to handle his salts. When taken in moderation, they're actually pretty healthy.
Click to expand...

That was my thought too. I am actually on them now and it really motivates me to do my best work for The Man.
 
moneytalks

moneytalks

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Celophanewrap said:
You gotta control the kiddies. Make sure they know why they're there.
If they have too much down time they tend to get into trouble. Are you staying at the Westgate?
You need a local bar, a team dinner or pizza outing, taco Tuesday at a taco place - away
from the strip (Pinche' Tacos - great place), a night downtown.
There'll be plenty of slot machine time or poker time and drinkin' time, but don't let them
forget why they're there. Time as a team is essential. There is much more to Las Vegas
than drinking and gambling. Do some things as a team and don't give anyone the chance to
say no. You're the captain, you make the phone calls. Get everyone over to Ellis Island
for the Steak Special (sign up for the player cards first), it's cheap, it's good steak and
beer and it'll take most of the night. Keep them busy. and make them look out for each
other. You got there as a family, make sure you stay that way.

...and don't waste your best player on an ex pro you want your 7 to win, throw their
ex pro your 2 or someone you know may be close to moving down in S/L, or if you know
he's an pro and you can afford to think about forfeiting after the break. It moves you to the
next match and saves the risk of sudden death.
It's too bad, you see that ex pro or pro player every so often - what a crock.
Who was this ex pro?
Click to expand...



Really good advice here. Thanks. The ex pro was out of Louisiana somewhere and I think he owns the pool hall they play out of. Could be wrong. Cant remember the guys name off hand but I'll try to find out.


Sent from my iPhone using AzBilliards Forums
 
S

Scott Lee

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Could have been Jamie Farrell, out of NO (Kenner), or Chris Miller, out of Lafayette. Both former pro players...both own poolrooms.

Scott Lee
http://poolknowledge.com

moneytalks said:
Really good advice here. Thanks. The ex pro was out of Louisiana somewhere and I think he owns the pool hall they play out of. Could be wrong. Cant remember the guys name off hand but I'll try to find out.


Sent from my iPhone using AzBilliards Forums
Click to expand...
 
Celophanewrap

Celophanewrap

Call me Grace
Silver Member
moneytalks said:
Really good advice here. Thanks. The ex pro was out of Louisiana somewhere and I think he owns the pool hall they play out of. Could be wrong. Cant remember the guys name off hand but I'll try to find out.


Sent from my iPhone using AzBilliards Forums
Click to expand...

I never will understand why someone that can play at that level would want to play in the
APA, especially on regular league night, and moreover, why the APA would allow it when
you consider the "no pros" rule. I've encountered a few. It's not even a good measuring
stick, I mean I can already rack with the best of them. I might play a game or two, but it
becomes tiresome awful fast, so I'll just break down and forfeit. Playing out a whole
match like that is ridiculous. I don't need the embarrassment and he don't need the
practice.
 
ctyhntr

ctyhntr

RIP Kelly
Silver Member
I can imagine a situation where APA is the only game in town, and there is not enough interest (either from the player or LO) to offer anything other than 8-ball. The APA offers 9-ball, where handicaps go up to SL 9 and Masters (no caps on skill level).

Other analogy is complaining that your local GM dealer only boring Buicks. Whereas a dealer in a different town may offer Chevy, Buick and Cadillac.

Celophanewrap said:
I never will understand why someone that can play at that level would want to play in the
APA, especially on regular league night, and moreover, why the APA would allow it when
you consider the "no pros" rule. I've encountered a few. It's not even a good measuring
stick, I mean I can already rack with the best of them. I might play a game or two, but it
becomes tiresome awful fast, so I'll just break down and forfeit. Playing out a whole
match like that is ridiculous. I don't need the embarrassment and he don't need the
practice.
Click to expand...
 
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B

boradriver

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I started playing league again and my team qualified for 8 ball.
Numbers wise it is a little tight but we should be ok.

Good thing is only one other person on the team has ever been. So they are all excited and they are not big drinkers or gamblers. I'm going to be the delinquent when it comes to drinking and gambling.

So for myself I hope we go out the first day but for all of them I hope we go deep.
 
K

KMRUNOUT

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Celophanewrap said:
I never will understand why someone that can play at that level would want to play in the
APA, especially on regular league night, and moreover, why the APA would allow it when
you consider the "no pros" rule. I've encountered a few. It's not even a good measuring
stick, I mean I can already rack with the best of them. I might play a game or two, but it
becomes tiresome awful fast, so I'll just break down and forfeit. Playing out a whole
match like that is ridiculous. I don't need the embarrassment and he don't need the
practice.
Click to expand...

Surprising you wouldn't consider the *team* aspect. You don't have to weigh your balls by playing the "pro". Like others have said, dump your worst player on him.

The reason someone of that level might want to play APA (and I've beat one of the players named in this thread, and often get asked this question), is that 1) There is no Masters league in my area...so if I want to play Masters, which I love, I must play regular APA. 2) I play for my team. Having a player that can almost always win is a huge benefit for a team. It totally changes the value of all your other players. Bottom line it helps the team tremendously. 3) APA Singles are pretty cool, and you have to play regular APA to participate.

These are all important to me, but honestly I just really enjoy helping my teammates, coaching, seeing the look on their face when I help them make some awesome trick shot, and trying to get the best match ups in our matches. That's what I like.

If you are "embarrassed" for losing to a better player, you may need to reevaluate some things. When I get stomped by real pros, I don't feel embarrassed...I feel encouraged. No offense, but I think your attitude about the situation is not great, and does not reflect good sportsmanship. Someone is always better. There is nothing wrong with that. You can still learn too hopefully.

KMRUNOUT
 
Celophanewrap

Celophanewrap

Call me Grace
Silver Member
ctyhntr said:
I can imagine a situation where APA is the only game in town, and there is not enough interest (either from the player or LO) to offer anything other than 8-ball. The APA offers 9-ball, where handicaps go up to SL 9 and Masters (no caps on skill level).

Other analogy is complaining that your local GM dealer only boring Buicks. Whereas a dealer in a different town may offer Chevy, Buick and Cadillac.
Click to expand...

If it's a situation where The APA is the only game in town (like what you mention) I would tend to think that there is no Masters Division.
I wouldn't think that the interest would be there. Regardless, for someone that can play at that level the game would have to get real boring
awful fast. He probably rarely draws anything but an S/L 2 or 3 for the majority of his matches.
 
Celophanewrap

Celophanewrap

Call me Grace
Silver Member
KMRUNOUT said:
Surprising you wouldn't consider the *team* aspect. You don't have to weigh your balls by playing the "pro". Like others have said, dump your worst player on him.

The reason someone of that level might want to play APA (and I've beat one of the players named in this thread, and often get asked this question), is that 1) There is no Masters league in my area...so if I want to play Masters, which I love, I must play regular APA. 2) I play for my team. Having a player that can almost always win is a huge benefit for a team. It totally changes the value of all your other players. Bottom line it helps the team tremendously. 3) APA Singles are pretty cool, and you have to play regular APA to participate.

These are all important to me, but honestly I just really enjoy helping my teammates, coaching, seeing the look on their face when I help them make some awesome trick shot, and trying to get the best match ups in our matches. That's what I like.

If you are "embarrassed" for losing to a better player, you may need to reevaluate some things. When I get stomped by real pros, I don't feel embarrassed...I feel encouraged. No offense, but I think your attitude about the situation is not great, and does not reflect good sportsmanship. Someone is always better. There is nothing wrong with that. You can still learn too hopefully.

KMRUNOUT
Click to expand...

I get beat by better players and worse players (at least on paper) all the time, that really doesn't bother me, and I do learn from those matches because I got to play.
I'm not a bad APA player and I don't get stomped by real pros because I don't play real pros, it's no fun. I also don't try to date Angela Jolie or Jennifer Aniston, or I never tried out for
The Yankees and though I was a good athlete I never tried to qualify for the Olympics, they're all at least a bit out of my league.

I play pool, and baseball, I've been on a date or two, and I've a ran a mile in a pretty time, even had a school record for a while and I've been beat at all of them (especially dating, god, what a disaster),
and I've learned from them. Losing to a better player, a faster runner, a taller guy with a cooler car..... those things really don't bother me, much
Losing to the ringer, the person that managed to get on a team when he really shouldn't be, that kinda bothers me, It's like bringing a knife or a stick to a gun fight. All you get is dead
 
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ElLeon

ElLeon

Headshot
Silver Member
Myself and a few others on the team who are playing in Vegas treat it as a relaxing vacation. Gotta remember, Burning Man is only 2 weeks after Vegas!

Vegas is so prohibitively expensive to have any sort of fun in, and the monetization of the place is sickening.
 
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