Etiquette question: Picking up a leaning cue during shot

[BRussell]

Re-read the OP. His opponent DIDN'T complain. He informed him AFTER the set that it could be considered a shark move, and he should avoid it. Both of which are obviously true, and which the OP clearly didn't know. Words to the wise.

Thank you kindly.

Hmm, I did re-read it and yes he complained after the game, and the complainer didn't say anything like "could be considered" a shark move, he called it a shark move, period, according to the OP. I guess you'd have to be there to see the context, but I think I characterized it accurately based on what was posted.

In any case, my point was that there's a difference between "less than perfect etiquette," which is what I'd call getting or putting down your cue, and true unsportsmanlike sharking that deserves a direct complaint.

 

[philly]

One year at Tap nationals, a player was very obviously trying to shark my teammate, who he was playing. It caused an argument and one of their players' girlfriends told me that if my teammate can't handle being sharked, he has no business playing in a big tournament like this. I feel like a lot of pool players think this way and after seeing some threads on AZ recently, it only reinforces that.

The way i feel is that what OP was doing was affecting his opponent. No matter how small it was, it still affected him. You should make an effort to not be seen or heard when your opponent is shooting. It isn't your opponent's fault for not being able to handle it.

Maybe i'm in the minority though.

Well here goes. That's why I don't and will never play TAP or APA. These are players not in it for the game but for the comraderie and inclusivity and to just hang out with friends and girlfriends. It's something to do on a Tuesday night. I never see these guys playing in serious open tournaments. TAP and APA "masters" is serious but from the regular leagues not so much.

I know I will hear it for what I am saying but this is what I see happening in my poolroom on APA nights. The regulars hang out in a different part of the room and play a different sort of game.

 

[GoldCrown]

I know I will hear it for what I am saying but this is what I see happening in my poolroom on APA nights. The regulars hang out in a different part of the room and play a different sort of game.

You know you have my support. Two kinds of shooters in a room. Players and Ball bangers. They don't mix.

 

[Nine Miler]

Wow, there seems to be opinions from 2 directions. To clarify the scene,
This happen at a poolhall. I was standing approximately 5 - 6 feet away from the table. I was standing out of the opponent's line of sight, about 90 degrees away from his viewing angle. I was standing and leaned my cue against a table about 6 inches from me on my left side. I was not aggressively picking or leaning my cue. I did not say anything while doing it either. I saw that he had 2 balls lefts and leaned my cue down. He shot the 8 and got bad position. I then picked up my cue before he shot the 9 ball. Because the cue was right beside me and I was out of his line of sight, I did not think he would notice me picking up. He did not looked like he was bothered by it as well until after the end of the game.
I stand up during play because I sit all day in an office.
I have watched many youtube games and have seen Pro players picking up their cue while seated during an opponent's shot. They may be cleaning it or shaping the tip. I guess that is fine?
I guess I am really bothered by doing what could be a potential shark move. I have gambled many different characters and had people talk, move and performed obvious sharks moves. In my opinion, unless they are physically touching me, it makes me want to play better. Because I know, that they know, I am a better player and they need to resort to unscrupulous tactics to win.

Seems to me, that is fine then.

 

[cwong79]

Yes, he said he lost the set as a result of it.

Hmm, I did re-read it and yes he complained after the game, and the complainer didn't say anything like "could be considered" a shark move, he called it a shark move, period, according to the OP. I guess you'd have to be there to see the context, but I think I characterized it accurately based on what was posted.

In any case, my point was that there's a difference between "less than perfect etiquette," which is what I'd call getting or putting down your cue, and true unsportsmanlike sharking that deserves a direct complaint.

 

[Drop The Rock]

Whatever. I know a player here in Houston that gets sharked by absolutely everything. You can say something from across the room in an inside voice and shark him lol. The reality is that a shark move is only a shark move when its intentional. He was Karl Boyesing him lol! Picking up and putting down your cue while remaining quiet and still are fair game.

 

[PocketPooler]

You should have farted instead. Then, the question of sharking him with grabbing your cue wouldnt even be relevant.

I use this tactic often with safety play. Leave the cue ball in a tight spot right in the cloud of rottenness...

Only the loser fights fair...

 

[PoolBum]

In my opinion it doesn't matter whether you intended it as a shark move or not.

If your opponent asks you not to move your cue around while they're at the table shooting, then don't move your cue around while they're at the table shooting.

 

[GoldCrown]

You should have farted instead. Then, the question of sharking him with grabbing your cue wouldnt even be relevant.

I use this tactic often with safety play. Leave the cue ball in a tight spot right in the cloud of rottenness...

Only the loser fights fair...

ah man....you're just blowing wind. I played in a 3 table room with a few seniors. One guy was back firing and loud. Next time I came in the place I left a pack of gasX on the score table.

 

[jasonlaus]

In my opinion it doesn't matter whether you intended it as a shark move or not.

If your opponent asks you not to move your cue around while they're at the table shooting, then don't move your cue around while they're at the table shooting.

How do all of you "sharked" people control everybody else in the poolroom/bar? Doesnt their moving bother you? Do you tell everybody in the room to be quiet and still??? Lmao.

Btw, i am always still and i move out of line of sight of my opponent - even if I'm sitting, I get up and move. My opponent can do whatever the hell he wants when I'm shooting as long as they arent being a dick.

How do some of you even play at all?
Jason

 

[philly]

How do all of you "sharked" people control everybody else in the poolroom/bar? Doesnt their moving bother you? Do you tell everybody in the room to be quiet and still??? Lmao.

Btw, i am always still and i move out of line of sight of my opponent - even if I'm sitting, I get up and move. My opponent can do whatever the hell he wants when I'm shooting as long as they arent being a dick.

How do some of you even play at all?
Jason

Why would anyone care what the other people in the poolroom are doing unless they come over to my table to talk. All I care about is the game I am competing in and the behavior of my opponent. If I play a guy for the first time and I feel he is an ass then that is the last time I play him. Simple.

 

[cwong79]

I agree with you. I am from this school of thought and I honestly did not know picking my cue which was 5 inches from me was wrong to do after a shot.

How do all of you "sharked" people control everybody else in the poolroom/bar? Doesnt their moving bother you? Do you tell everybody in the room to be quiet and still??? Lmao.

Btw, i am always still and i move out of line of sight of my opponent - even if I'm sitting, I get up and move. My opponent can do whatever the hell he wants when I'm shooting as long as they arent being a dick.

How do some of you even play at all?
Jason

 

[jojopiff]

How do all of you "sharked" people control everybody else in the poolroom/bar? Doesnt their moving bother you? Do you tell everybody in the room to be quiet and still??? Lmao.

Btw, i am always still and i move out of line of sight of my opponent - even if I'm sitting, I get up and move. My opponent can do whatever the hell he wants when I'm shooting as long as they arent being a dick.

How do some of you even play at all?
Jason

There's a difference in whether the sharking works or not. The OP is regarding Etiquette, not are you easily sharked. Should/would this work on many players, most likely not...still doesn't make it ok to shark.

You said yourself you don't do theses things? Is it because you consider it poor etiquette and/or sharking? If you don't believe this is sharking, why do you make a point to say you don't do it?

I can't/won't speak for the whole sharking crowd but this garbage doesn't work on me anymore. But, I'm not so arrogant that I'll say what should or shouldn't bother someone else. If it's sharking, it's sharking and the level of it is irrelevant. What bothers some might not bother others and vice versa.

 

[jasonlaus]

There's a difference in whether the sharking works or not. The OP is regarding Etiquette, not are you easily sharked. Should/would this work on many players, most likely not...still doesn't make it ok to shark.

You said yourself you don't do theses things? Is it because you consider it poor etiquette and/or sharking? If you don't believe this is sharking, why do you make a point to say you don't do it?

I can't/won't speak for the whole sharking crowd but this garbage doesn't work on me anymore. But, I'm not so arrogant that I'll say what should or shouldn't bother someone else. If it's sharking, it's sharking and the level of it is irrelevant. What bothers some might not bother others and vice versa.

Made the point of saying i dont do it so you really understand where im coming from - i don't believe in Sharking but there's a whole lot of crybabys out there and indont want to fight.
I think it's irrational and I think they're just looking for an excuse - you never hear about sharking when they make the ball do you?



My point about other people in the room was that they are right next to you(next table over) do they not shark you too? I mean, they're probably closer than your opponent. Why would your opponent shark you and not somebody else the same distance away?

 

[jojopiff]

Made the point of saying i dont do it so you really understand where im coming from - i don't believe in Sharking but there's a whole lot of crybabys out there and indont want to fight.
I think it's irrational and I think they're just looking for an excuse - you never hear about sharking when they make the ball do you?



My point about other people in the room was that they are right next to you(next table over) do they not shark you too? I mean, they're probably closer than your opponent. Why would your opponent shark you and not somebody else the same distance away?

Disregard.

Agree to disagree. I don't like to do these back and forths that end up a mile away from the OP.

 

[Celophanewrap]

Kinda makes me laugh. Some people consider it a shark move if a bug farts across the room, other people just wanna make sure they don't get hit in the head with a flying drink glass or a full bottle of beer. I just make it a point to not do anything that I wouldn't want done to me, so I'm quiet, respectful and I try to never be in their line of sight or at least a table away when they are shooting. If that's not enough, well then their whining never bothered me that much anyway

 

[BRussell]

How do all of you "sharked" people control everybody else in the poolroom/bar? Doesnt their moving bother you? Do you tell everybody in the room to be quiet and still??? Lmao.

Btw, i am always still and i move out of line of sight of my opponent - even if I'm sitting, I get up and move. My opponent can do whatever the hell he wants when I'm shooting as long as they arent being a dick.

How do some of you even play at all?
Jason

Why do you sit still and move out of line of sight of your opponent? I mean, if you're so indignant about people being crybabies and that sharking accusations are so crazy ridiculous?

 

[Bob Jewett]

It's the same thing. People trying to get in your head and mess up your game. ...

A good humorous book about that, including suggestions for billiards, tennis and golf, is Stephen Potter's Gamesmanship. I have some extra copies that I could deliver to your (US) door for $7.

BTW, Joey, do you breath in or breath out on your final stroke?:wink:

As for the OP, some people are sensitive to movements, especially by their opponent. I think it's better to move as little as possible on important shots.

In one match I was on the nine ball with a slightly tricky cut along the foot cushion. My opponent stepped up to the table, got the triangle and waited for me to shoot.

In a league I played in, one player would yell at players two tables away for moving in his line of sight when he was down on a shot. Fortunately he didn't play often.

 

[easy-e]

My point about other people in the room was that they are right next to you(next table over) do they not shark you too? I mean, they're probably closer than your opponent. Why would your opponent shark you and not somebody else the same distance away?

I get what you're saying, but there is a big difference. You're not competing against the other people. You're only playing against your opponent. The other players have no obligation to let you focus, your opponent does.

I can play just fine if someone across the room is dancing on their table, but if the guy that I'm playing with decides to start jiggling the quarters around in his pocket while I'm on the money ball it's distracting.

 

[philly]

A good humorous book about that, including suggestions for billiards, tennis and golf, is Stephen Potter's Gamesmanship. I have some extra copies that I could deliver to your (US) door for $7.

BTW, Joey, do you breath in or breath out on your final stroke?:wink:

As for the OP, some people are sensitive to movements, especially by their opponent. I think it's better to move as little as possible on important shots.

In one match I was on the nine ball with a slightly tricky cut along the foot cushion. My opponent stepped up to the table, got the triangle and waited for me to shoot.

In a league I played in, one player would yell at players two tables away for moving in his line of sight when he was down on a shot. Fortunately he didn't play often.

Bob, you pull out the rack when I am on the money ball and I will assume you have conceded the game. Every time. 100% :smile: