They cant all be champions can they?

nbll01

nbll01

Albrecht Custom Cues
Silver Member
This is more of a rant than anything. It seems Ive been playing a lot of bartable tournaments lately. Maybe its just me but it seems like everytime I play a lower rated player they shoot better than they ever have in their life. I'm talking about guys that dont run out frequently and they never miss on me! If they do miss of course I'm dead nut hooked or cant get out with whats left. Couple this with the short race, Bad tables and the champion speed of these guys MAN its tuff to survive in these things. The really frustrating thing is Ive watched several of them play others after our match and they go back to chumpion speed. I guess I just bring out their best game?...Maybe I need to start wearing a disguise..lol
 
nbll01 said:
This is more of a rant than anything. It seems Ive been playing a lot of bartable tournaments lately. Maybe its just me but it seems like everytime I play a lower rated player they shoot better than they ever have in their life. I'm talking about guys that dont run out frequently and they never miss on me! If they do miss of course I'm dead nut hooked or cant get out with whats left. Couple this with the short race, Bad tables and the champion speed of these guys MAN its tuff to survive in these things. The really frustrating thing is Ive watched several of them play others after our match and they go back to chumpion speed. I guess I just bring out their best game?...Maybe I need to start wearing a disguise..lol
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I feel ya, I'm one of those mediocore weekly tourney players who can shoot lights out against the better players there (I'm assuming you'd be one of them). Yet, against someone my speed or lower I can't hit the broad side of a barn. 3 weeks in a row I drew one of the top two players in a weekly tourney and won, just to lose my second match against someone I should have to spot. These are little 16 man fields and normally there are 4-5 who cash (they rotate, since they're all about even). Top 3 pay, and I've gotten 4th more times than probably anyone - lol. My one shot at glory (hotseat), I lost twice in the finals to a guy I'd beaten 5-3 in the 2nd round!! I SUCK!!! But I sure like the challenge of facing someone I shouldn't beat.
 
The trick is trying to not win, but crush your opponent no matter who they are. If you are playing someone you think is a lower speed then you it is even more crucial to try and decimate them, in a race to 5 try to beat them 5-0 and crush their confidence against you because in all likelyhood they will be playing you again, they will remember what you did to them, and they will likely not be shooting the lights out against you from now on.

Start taking it easy on people and you are just giving them the confidence they need to start shooting to beat you. You don't want to give them the confidence, you instead want to give them the feeling of dispair and hopelessness when playing you.

Pool like any sport is alot about the mental of both players, if you can get a edge and beat a player bad a few times they will start shooting worse against you because you planted a seed of doubt and fear in their head. On the other hand if you take it easy, miss a couple shots and give them some hope you are doing the opposite and they will become alot more dangerous.
 
Celtic said:
The trick is trying to not win, but crush your opponent no matter who they are. If you are playing someone you think is a lower speed then you it is even more crucial to try and decimate them, in a race to 5 try to beat them 5-0 and crush their confidence against you because in all likelyhood they will be playing you again, they will remember what you did to them, and they will likely not be shooting the lights out against you from now on.

Start taking it easy on people and you are just giving them the confidence they need to start shooting to beat you. You don't want to give them the confidence, you instead want to give them the feeling of dispair and hopelessness when playing you.

Pool like any sport is alot about the mental of both players, if you can get a edge and beat a player bad a few times they will start shooting worse against you because you planted a seed of doubt and fear in their head. On the other hand if you take it easy, miss a couple shots and give them some hope you are doing the opposite and they will become alot more dangerous.
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I have to agree with this as It is a philosophy I adhere to. I'm usually not happy with myself unless I destroy my opponent. I remember playing a race to 11 with a guy who was a few balls below me, I won the match 11-5. I pouted because I didn't play better.

But players tend to play to the level of their competition. I find that people tend to play the game of their lives whilst up against stronger competition.
 
What you have to remember about the barbox is that the rolls will equal out eventually. But, in a short race you need to make your own rolls. When you kick, kick with a plan or a purpose. Work on breaking out balls in your spare time. I kind of feel like that too. Guys that won't even speak about taking the six from me can sometimes beat me on the box playing eight ball. It's a different mentality. But, the more you do it, the easier it'll be.
 
You gotta scare a guy a little bit. If they know that if they miss they dont get to shoot anymore thats much different than freewheeling around the table cuz they think u cant get out. If they think you will dog it, whether you will or wont is irrelavent, theyre gonna play better. You should try sharking, it works for me...did i say that out loud haha.
 
nbll01 said:
This is more of a rant than anything. It seems Ive been playing a lot of bartable tournaments lately. Maybe its just me but it seems like everytime I play a lower rated player they shoot better than they ever have in their life. I'm talking about guys that dont run out frequently and they never miss on me! If they do miss of course I'm dead nut hooked or cant get out with whats left. Couple this with the short race, Bad tables and the champion speed of these guys MAN its tuff to survive in these things. The really frustrating thing is Ive watched several of them play others after our match and they go back to chumpion speed. I guess I just bring out their best game?...Maybe I need to start wearing a disguise..lol
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I feel your pain. 2 months ago, I was playing with my 8 ball team in a handicapped regional tournament. I was batting cleanup, and the we were tied, so the final match was set to determine the outcome, and I'm hill-hill against an APA skill level 3 (I was a 5 at the time and about to go up). I'm not sure how familiar you are with their handicap ratings, but a 3 should pretty much never run out. I've seen a 4 do it on very rare occasions, but never a 3.

Anyway, he breaks and doesn't make a ball, leaving the table open. I see the runout on solids... a pretty thin cut 6 inches down the rail will get me perfect shape on my trouble ball, and the rest of the low balls were wide open. I lined up on the shot, pulled the trigger, and the ball hung. My opponent shot the trouble ball and got out on me, leaving our team in 5th.

We still got far enough in the tournament to advance to the next one on our way to the nationals, but that one missed ball was the difference between $600 for 5th and $1,200+ depending on where we ended up.

Last night, I lost to a guy in a 9 ball tournament who shouldn't have been able to beat most of the guys in the room, but ended up taking 3rd, and I've been pretty guilty of being the guy who plays well above his usual speed in a tough situation against a better opponent, too.

I think the unpredictability and luck of the pool gods is part of what makes this game so damn addictive, though. Would we really enjoy playing quite as much as we do without it?
 
mikeyfrost said:
You gotta scare a guy a little bit. If they know that if they miss they dont get to shoot anymore thats much different than freewheeling around the table cuz they think u cant get out. If they think you will dog it, whether you will or wont is irrelavent, theyre gonna play better. You should try sharking, it works for me...did i say that out loud haha.
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Hey, that term "sharking" isn't politically correct. Damn it Frost, it's "creatively distracting."

For the neophyte:

Play barefooted and constantly complain about corns.

Go to the bathroom on every odd numbered ball. Blame it on OCD.

Use pink chalk and mark on the table your position.

Hum showtunes loudly. (I like to use Hello Dolly)

Use two shafts and switch them out on every draw and follow shot.

Stop and take a picture of yourself after every ball made.

Before your opponent shoots each ball, stand up and talk about what a great player he is.

Randomly quiver with your whole body.

Randomly twitch your head from side to side.

After each and every runout, do the airplane around the table, sounds and all. I like to emulate a jet.

Act like you're hearing instructions from God. Occasionally stop and answer.



Oh, I've got plenty of these. PM me.
 
crawfish said:
Hey, that term "sharking" isn't politically correct. Damn it Frost, it's "creatively distracting."

For the neophyte:

Play barefooted and constantly complain about corns.

Go to the bathroom on every odd numbered ball. Blame it on OCD.

Use pink chalk and mark on the table your position.

Hum showtunes loudly. (I like to use Hello Dolly)

Use two shafts and switch them out on every draw and follow shot.

Stop and take a picture of yourself after every ball made.

Before your opponent shoots each ball, stand up and talk about what a great player he is.

Randomly quiver with your whole body.

Randomly twitch your head from side to side.

After each and every runout, do the airplane around the table, sounds and all. I like to emulate a jet.

Act like you're hearing instructions from God. Occasionally stop and answer.




Oh, I've got plenty of these. PM me.
Click to expand...

Damn, you hit on every one I've ever tried (along with a few I'll have to now), except one - tourettes.... :D :p
 
My buddy, back2good1, and I were just talking about this last night. I remember a few seasons ago I was trying to win the most table runs bonus in our league and ended up finishing the season around 20 or so. Then at the awards banquet my teammate was complaining how he didn't have as many because people always seemed to run out on him.

The funny thing is, we pulled up the scoresheets from the season, and I had 13 tables runs against me, while he only had 5.

IMO I think when people are playing short sets or league they address their opponents. The players seem to run out on you more and play lights out because they know if you get to the table they lost.

I have to agree with some other posts, that you have to address every match as though you are going to kill your opponent.

The 1st game in every short race match is so very important.
 
Sometimes it does seem like they're all champions, or the rolls only go one way.

I played this power league team three times, twice at their home. Every match has gone 7-6, and I have won two of the three meetings, and had PLENTY of chances to win the third.

But every freakin time we play them it's like the pockets clam up, and the balls start sticking together. I have to grind and fight for everything, it's like playing $2 9-ball in a bar where you KNOW you have the better of it, but the rolls keep the other guy in there.

I have changed up my routine, warmed up more, less, taken it serious, taken it light, but so far nothing has helped.

This past wednesday I was breaking as good as I ever have, 25mph+ and PARKING the rock like it was just dead. I moved from side rail to side rail, and in 7 breaks didn't make a single ball. Twice the guy ran out off my break, and another two times I came to the table looking at a brutal hook. Now it's power league, so they can play, but I literally had the best break on his team!!! :banghead:

So I played mediocre at best, and missed a couple balls and just keep fighting, narrowly scratching out a 7-6 win, I shake his hand, and offer that he played better than me, and wow, tough rolls.

Like he's a world beater he comes right back with, "yeah, I sure did".

Nice, classy.

And the FIVE TIMES IN A ROW you missed a ball and rolled me safe??

WTF???

The rolls may even out, but in streaks they are tough to fade.
 
Celtic said:
The trick is trying to not win, but crush your opponent no matter who they are. If you are playing someone you think is a lower speed then you it is even more crucial to try and decimate them, in a race to 5 try to beat them 5-0 and crush their confidence against you because in all likelyhood they will be playing you again, they will remember what you did to them, and they will likely not be shooting the lights out against you from now on.

Start taking it easy on people and you are just giving them the confidence they need to start shooting to beat you. You don't want to give them the confidence, you instead want to give them the feeling of dispair and hopelessness when playing you.

Pool like any sport is alot about the mental of both players, if you can get a edge and beat a player bad a few times they will start shooting worse against you because you planted a seed of doubt and fear in their head. On the other hand if you take it easy, miss a couple shots and give them some hope you are doing the opposite and they will become alot more dangerous.
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Agreed.....
 
The only times I run out is when the other guy is a hell of a lot better than me. For some reason, the pressure forces me to aim more carefully, think about my position a lot harder, and to shoot softed than I normally do for fear of rattling. Not only am I thinking of how to run out, but also with every shot I try to set it up so that if I miss, they're hooked but I make it I still have position to run out. When Im playing someone who I think is worse than me, I only focus on running out and sometimes get a little cocky and try to make harder shots than I should and end up messing up.
 
good one

crawfish said:
Hey, that term "sharking" isn't politically correct. Damn it Frost, it's "creatively distracting."

For the neophyte:

Play barefooted and constantly complain about corns.

Go to the bathroom on every odd numbered ball. Blame it on OCD.

Use pink chalk and mark on the table your position.

Hum showtunes loudly. (I like to use Hello Dolly)

Use two shafts and switch them out on every draw and follow shot.

Stop and take a picture of yourself after every ball made.

Before your opponent shoots each ball, stand up and talk about what a great player he is.

Randomly quiver with your whole body.

Randomly twitch your head from side to side.

After each and every runout, do the airplane around the table, sounds and all. I like to emulate a jet.

Act like you're hearing instructions from God. Occasionally stop and answer.



Oh, I've got plenty of these. PM me.
Click to expand...

I have the same rant as the guy that started this but thanks to
this I have found a solution . There used to be an old guy where I
played when I was a kid that sorta fell asleep when whoever he played
was at the table .Alot of times the other player would get sharked wondering
if the old guy was ok :D Gotta love it
 
nbll01 said:
This is more of a rant than anything. It seems Ive been playing a lot of bartable tournaments lately. Maybe its just me but it seems like everytime I play a lower rated player they shoot better than they ever have in their life. I'm talking about guys that dont run out frequently and they never miss on me! If they do miss of course I'm dead nut hooked or cant get out with whats left. Couple this with the short race, Bad tables and the champion speed of these guys MAN its tuff to survive in these things. The really frustrating thing is Ive watched several of them play others after our match and they go back to chumpion speed. I guess I just bring out their best game?...Maybe I need to start wearing a disguise..lol
Click to expand...


There is another thread title, 'Have you ever been hustled'. Maybe you should post in that thread.:thumbup:

I am just kidding, of course. I say go with the disguise. Get the Groucho Marx glasses with mustache, and nobody will ever have a clue. Good luck!
 
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