How Does One Handle Opponent's *-house luck?

Bobkitty · Jun 12, 2015

Had a APA 9 ball match last night. I'm rated a 6 and my team put me up against an 8. I started right out playing him tough by playing really good safeties when the odds were against me making the shot and/or getting shape. I'm probably honestly a 5 in shooting and shape, but a 7 in safety play. About 6-8 times during the match, he would attempt a kick out, barely graze the object ball, and then the cue ball or the object ball would continue to pocket another ball or he would graze the ball and land in a complete snooker with frozen ball. It became so ridiculous after about the eighth time, both of our teams were laughing and shaking their heads. Then, twice he attempted a short combo on the nine ball, missed in that pocket, but low and behold two rails later, it fell in another. He must have raised his arms a dozen times in apology and embarrassment. I remained a gentleman and did the best I could to hide my frustration. I wanted to whine and ***** but I didn't. Needless to say I lost that match.
I haven't played that much structured competition but wanted to ask the community if they've ever had this happen to them. What do you say to yourself after this kind of beat down?

Bob Jewett · Jun 12, 2015

Just try to concentrate on your fundamentals, play the right shots and continue to try to do what you do well. After the match, practice what didn't work well for you.

Bobkitty · Jun 12, 2015

Bob Jewett said:
Just try to concentrate on your fundamentals, play the right shots and continue to try to do what you do well. After the match, practice what didn't work well for you.

That is my plan starting today. I practice on 9' tables and play these matches on 7' bar boxes. I know the luck would even out if I got to play him 6-7 times, but I knew I'd probably never have that chance for the luck and odds to even out. Maybe I'll see him next year. I'm just back into pool after many years of layoff, but in my humble opinion, one way to increase one's chances is to practice their safety play. Most of the time, at my level, the opponent goes for the shot every time. They've never come up against someone that plays like I do.

FranCrimi · Jun 12, 2015

You want to know if it ever happened to us? How about hill-hill in a pro event in a match to get to the money and your opponent gets lucky? It happens. You get angry and then you get over it. That's life.

The more you compete, the more you will realize you tend to remember the times when luck goes against you and tend to forget the times you get lucky on your opponent.

Remember the times you get lucky and you won't feel so terrible when it goes against you.

Bobkitty · Jun 12, 2015

[QUOTE

Remember the times you get lucky and you won't feel so terrible when it goes against you.[/QUOTE]

Great advice! Thanks.

rrick33 · Jun 18, 2015

The greater your skill......the luckier you will be.

Quite often, what appears to be luck has much more to do with the subtle but often subconscious aspects of experience and skill.

Had he been a weaker player, I doubt he would have been nearly as lucky.

victorl · Jun 18, 2015

Meh, it happens. Last week, our skill 2 pretty crushed a really good player in about 5 innings, with 5-6 flukes in every rack. His next match, he went back to scratching in every way possible and got slaughtered. The rolls all even out somewhere along the way.

dougster26 · Jun 19, 2015

victorl said:
Meh, it happens. Last week, our skill 2 pretty crushed a really good player in about 5 innings, with 5-6 flukes in every rack. His next match, he went back to scratching in every way possible and got slaughtered. The rolls all even out somewhere along the way.

Years ago when I played APA, I was going to play in a Best of Best tournament. A woman on my team said "watch out for the two"s". I was a level 5 at the time, had only been playing in the league for a year, and hadn't played in 20 years prior to joining. I beat a level 5 then a 6, and then went up against a 9. I just couldn't miss that day and beat him handily. If I remember, being a 5 I had to go to 38? I remember that I beat him without any spot. He had to go to 75? I won 38 to 34. I then played a 2 and got knocked out of the tournament. I don't think I got out of the mid 20's. Boy, was she ever right!

SlewFootLag · Jun 19, 2015

If someone pulls off a ridiculous/unintended shot(s) from a safety, apparently I didn't play the safety well enough. Credit shouldn't be taken from your opponent no matter how "lucky" he/she is... bottom line; they took the shot and it lead to them making a shot. Bob Jewett and RRick33 are spot on.

Lance1977 · Sep 7, 2015

I try to stay even regardless. Sometimes the rolls go my way, sometimes they go against me. The pool gods are fickle creatures. Generally if i'm getting a lot of lucky rolls, i won't say anything until after the match, just stay focused. After the match though, i'll tell them that i realize that was a bullshit lucky roll match, and that i hope things balance out a bit the next time we play.

Getting upset over lucky rolls doesn't really make sense though, i know it's an emotional response, but it's not like you play bad, it's not like the opponent is cheating. Sometimes the pool gods decide to piss in our cornflakes and we are powerless. I find keeping level gives me a better chance of taking advantage if things shift.

M.G. · Sep 7, 2015

denwhit said:
I practice on 9' tables and play these matches on 7' bar boxes.

I'm rather shocked that nobody pointed out the obvious:

7" play is much more different than 9" play and you cannot transfer 9" play to smaller tables! And that's been your problem in that match.

Your biggest mistake was playing "properly" instead of counting on your luck by trying a few banks and kicks trown in; or just hit for the sake of a few rounds on the table - something will fall due to the much smaller area.

First, learn how to cope with frustration properly - and also learn to adjust your game if strange situations come up and try a different personality.
Second, take him to a 9" next time.

And leave the gods out of this... pool is physics :thumbup:
Cheers,
M

One Pocket John · Sep 7, 2015

M.G. said:
I'm rather shocked that nobody pointed out the obvious:

7" play is much more different than 9" play and you cannot transfer 9" play to smaller tables! And that's been your problem in that match.

Your biggest mistake was playing "properly" instead of counting on your luck by trying a few banks and kicks trown in; or just hit for the sake of a few rounds on the table - something will fall due to the much smaller area.

First, learn how to cope with frustration properly - and also learn to adjust your game if strange situations come up and try a different personality.
Second, take him to a 9" next time.

And leave the gods out of this... pool is physics :thumbup:
Cheers,
M

Yeah I was a little surprised also.

I practice on a 9' table at home and play on Diamond Bar Boxes in the field.

I have to get there earlier to practice on the BB before playing.

My motto is "don't take a 9' stoke to a 7' table" the reverse is also true.

Have fun

John

Pidge · Sep 7, 2015

Once you learn you can't do anything whilst sat in your seat you won't beat yourself up so much.

When someone is getting that lucky just concentrate on what you did to enable them to get lucky. You said you played some good safes and left the guy with scraps... Focus on that. Congratulate yourself on playing well. Just admit that there was nothing more you could've done.

It's worse when an opponent gets lucky after you left them wide open due to a miss or didn't quite get a safe.

I think it's a good thing that you were getting pissed off, and an even better thing you managed to laugh it off with others and keep it to yourself. It shows you're competitive and that competitive nature you have will push you to always want to improve and will make you a better player.

How Does One Handle Opponent's *-house luck?

Bobkitty

I said: "Here kitty, kitty". Got this frown.

Bob Jewett

AZB Osmium Member

Bobkitty

I said: "Here kitty, kitty". Got this frown.

FranCrimi

AzB Silver Member

Bobkitty

I said: "Here kitty, kitty". Got this frown.

rrick33

Rick

victorl

Where'd my stroke go?

dougster26

AzB Silver Member

SlewFootLag

Registered

Lance1977

Registered

M.G.

AzB Silver Member

One Pocket John

AzB Silver Member

Pidge

AzB Silver Member