Shy but wants to play

skiergirl55 said:
You're absolutely right about some of the men. Most of them don't want to shoot pool with you and just want you off 'their' table as quickly as possible. It's humiliating to have one or two chances at the table and then be done. What will I learn that way?
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Your quarters are as good as theirs. If you lose get you quarters back up there. Don't be intimidated. You can still learn a lot even if you only get 1 or 2 shots by watching how they do things. Watching a better player can be worth the quarters some times.

skiergirl55 said:
Or they hit on you and I don't find that appealing at all. I'm there to play, not find a dance partner. Note to those guys: Go dancing if that's what you want
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In bars you will often find ladies playing pool hoping to meet a man. I know this to be true because of my daughters and their friends. Heck my youngest daughter use to pretend she couldn't shoot just so they would try to show her how lol. She just married a soldier she met at a bar table and she can beat him most of the time. If they make an unwanted advance just don't ignore it but without being rude just tell them your only interested in practicing your pool skills.

that is my advice and remember its only worth what you paid for it:smile:
 
Howdy... it's cool how much you're into it.

The good news is you should have no problem getting people to play. Pool halls are full of guys looking to play a female. The bad news is it's like you said, half of them are going to hit on you. Possibly 100%. It sucks but not much to be done about it. If you can manage not to break too many hearts they might settle for just practicing pool ^^

The right atmosphere helps a lot. Don't be scared to travel to other places to see how you like 'em. There have been many times where my main pool hall wasn't always the closest one.
 
bca

Hi Bonnie, glad to see how excited you are to learn this wonderful game that will drive you nuts sometimes, but love it just the same. If there is a BCA OR TAP league near you, try those as opposed to the APA, as the APA Sucks for the players IMO. You should also try to take a few lessons from a from a instructor to speed up your game a bit, also invest in some dvd's as well as books. If you have any ?, PM me.........Jeff
 
skiergirl55 said:
Thanks for the quick replies! I just found this site in January and then moved and haven't had time to come back and post.

I tried the APA league route........they are full up until a new session opens in May. I have idle time. What is TAP?

Do people who don't play well enter into tournament play? I am under the impression that it's for good shooters only. Like I said, I'm still learning.

Lisa, nice to meet you! You're absolutely right about some of the men. Most of them don't want to shoot pool with you and just want you off 'their' table as quickly as possible. It's humiliating to have one or two chances at the table and then be done. What will I learn that way?

Or they hit on you and I don't find that appealing at all. I'm there to play, not find a dance partner. Note to those guys: Go dancing if that's what you want, but don't think for one minute I'm not serious about my game just because I wear a bra.:rolleyes:

There is a place I like really well......it's clean and quiet....I've been there a few times with friends. The problem is that my friends are not addicted and once a month is good for them. I want it every day. I dream about pool.:lovies:

I'll try to get over my shyness and get out more. Today is another day, yes?

Oh, and the pool hall opens at 4, and is $8 an hour. I can't afford it.
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Ohhhh Bonnie.....I LIKE YOU!!!! You sound like a kindred spirit. :yeah: Too bad you are on the 'wrong' side of the Cascades...LoL!

If you can swing it....treat yourself to a few hours @ your local pool hall on every payday, if possible. You will generally find a more dedicated player...and fellow nutballs such as ourselves. On other evenings, fill in with the lesser expensive options.

Keep your eye out, and try to find yourself another female player. Ask her if she would like a 'sparring' partner. Let her know that you are relatively new to the game...but are eager to learn. When in this 'mode' of play...women tend to interact quite well. It's that whole 'nurturing' thing that we do. ;) I know that I get a great deal of joy watching someone I have been working with improve...and it's an awesome way to make female pool playing friends! :thumbup:

Okay...about finding an inexpensive little weekly tourney...They usually run between $5 to $10 to buy-in. For that small investment you will take away with you more and more confidence each week with competing against others ( a huge mental +) and you will play many kinds of players, and will eventually begin to get better and better. Seriously...it will happen. I flat out SUCKED when I first began to get brave enough to just 'do it' and enter a weekly tourney. I did not place very well...for a while. Then....I was taking the 'scratch' pot (female 4th...LoL). Some nights I did really well....others, not so much. But, that's pool!

Point is...I learned to relax into the game...and made some great friends in the process...and continue to do so. I also know, that I will continue to learn this game until I can no longer get to the table, or hold a cue.

I never cease to marvel at the nuances and intricacies of the game...don't suspect I ever will.

Lisa

PS...work really hard on developing your break...a great break is HUGE!
 
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I agree with what most people have said already, you'll get lots of table time and learn a great deal while shooting in a league. It is also cost effective. You'll probably meet people that are willing to help you with your game and give you some advice.

If you can afford to get an inexpensive table, I would suggest springing for one. If you happen to find a place to live that has its own community center with pool tables or know someone that does, that's even better.
 
skiergirl55 said:
Good suggestion, renard. There is a league at my new-found haunt on Sunday nights. I shall be there early.

Off to play. Thanks for the advice. I hope to stick around here and LEARN.:thumbup:
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Okay I'm dying to find out what happened!
 
Hello, and welcome. I'm a relatively new player myself, just started seriously last year. So I understand some of what you're facing. I agree that joining a league will benefit you most as a newer player. If you've read the threads here at AZ, you will find a huge disparity of opinion on the different leagues that are out there, and I'll not re-ignite that whole flame war again here. Just check out whatever league is available for you. Many will give you free practice time before/during your league matches, so that usually balances out your weekly league fees. Compared to $8/hour regular table time, at least. And being on a team you should get regular advice and tips on your game, and watching the others playing gives you a whole different perspective. There is much learning that you can do by watching the better players.

As for the different types of leagues out there, my opinion is for you to ask around to the people who play in those leagues in your area, because they are all different, in every part of the country. Some of those leagues might be a bit too serious for you as a beginner, meaning they're only interested in "serious" players, their tone meaning "good" players. Those types of folks won't be much interested in helping a beginner. I expect those types of leagues will be few and far between, just be aware of that possibility when you check around. Yes, I can see that you are serious, and yes, you always want to try to play better players than yourself when you can, to improve. There is a balance, tho, and you want to have a good environment to play in order to improve, too. When you get better, you can drop leagues entirely if you like, and only play tournaments. Or do both. There should be a world of opportunity for you, once you figure out the lay of the land.

Good luck, and good shooting. Keep us posted on how you're doing.
 
Okay, you guys All ROCK! I love the encouragement: it's just what I need right now. THANK YOU.

I went to my local haunt and my daughter met me there with 2 of her friends. We played till about 11 and it was all good. Not many people playing last night so we had a table to ourselves. Tables are fairly clean there and are 50 cents a game. I like that. We each put in a quarter and play a game. Win-win.

Actually, I've been to 3 different places in this town and so far each place had 50 cent tables. Pool in this town in a bar is cheap (for the moment, till they catch on).:p

Before I moved, there was a pool hall in a nearby town that had 9 Nine foot tables and one bar table. Give the man $5 and play all day noon -midnight. I liked that and played twice a week.

There is one pool hall here and it opens at 4 pm. WTF? I have lots of free time during the day right now and that means going to the bars. Everyone I know works and so I'm on my own. I'm living rent/utility free in exchange for painting the exterior of this house, so I have lots of free time until I get cranking on this project in a month or so.

I answered a craigslist ad last week and met these people on Thursday (hence, the playing all night, but the guy I met wasn't with the group). http://spokane.craigslist.org/stp/1649008670.html
They're a nice group of 2 guys and 3 women, but they aren't kidding about that couple of hours. They play from 1:30-3 or maybe 4 pm. I'm so crazy, I want 8 hours. I'm just warming up 2 hours into it. I am always the last one to want to leave.:sad: Perhaps I should do my own craigslist ad and look for a mentor?

So I have friends that play but they don't want to play on any kind of regular basis and are starting to move away slowly from the single minded insane pool addict I've become, and I have a Thursday group good for a couple of hours, and it still isn't enough. I'm just greedy and want 4 days a week, 6 hour minimum each day. If I had room for a table, I'd get one. Since this living arrangement is just temporary and a table wouldn't fit in here, I gotta wait on that.

I never thought I'd be so crazy for this game when I started, but it's such a challenge and every shot creates a whole new game. I just love it!
 
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Played today from 3:30 -11:30, some of it alone, some with others. I'm improving rapidly. I keep repeating this mantra........ "Play the table, not the person".

Profound.
 
Update: I'm playing regularly 3 nights a week, sometimes more. I've got a small group of people I can play with.

I just joined a BCA draft league and that starts on Tuesdays next week. I have people I meet on Thursday (day and evening, so I play 1 pm-midnight), Friday, Saturday, Sunday and now Tuesday nights. I take Monday and Wednesday off (gotta work sometime).

I just went to visit my friend Pat in Oregon City and we played for a few hours at Rodders Pub and Grub on Sunday.....free pool on Diamond tables, I'm ready to move there. ;)

He threw me into a tournament on Saturday (sorry, can't remember the name of the place, but it was just down the road EDIT: KC Midway) and I promptly lost the first 2 games, then went to the losers bracket where I won one but lost 2 and out I went. BUT.....I won a game and she was no slouch. I had 2 balls on the table the first game and one left on the last game.

I consider that a good try.

I'm learning safety play (and the frustrations that come with it). I'm getting better at banking and CB control and my game is getting much better. I can walk into any place and play and have fun, and I'm not intimidated by any shooter or any place.

I've come a long way and just wanted to thank all of you here who have encouraged me and gave me good advice.:thumbup:
 
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Good to hear from you Skier, and good to hear your game is improving. You just gotta get out amongst 'em.
Say hi to the 'Rack Pack".
Your pal Tramp. :)
 
skiergirl55 said:
Hi, my name is Bonni and I'm an addict.:cool:

I've been playing since November and I've got a problem. Aside from the fact that I don't get enough practice, I've moved to a new town and I don't feel comfortable walking into a bar alone and challenging a table yet. I'm just not a seasoned player and I'm still learning the fundamentals.

I've read books, watched videos, and I am keenly interested in playing in a tournament someday. I try to play at least 10 hours a week.

I spent 10 1/2 hours solid playing Thursday when I met a nice guy who just wanted to shoot pool, too. The bar closed or I would have still been there. I'm self conscious as an older woman (50's) and one who isn't all that good at the sport yet.

How do I get over the fear of playing in a strange place alone? It may seem stupid, but it stops me from going out to practice quite a bit.
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You have pin pointed what I think is one of the major stumbling blocks to the growth of pool. People, male and female, who want to start and aren't good are intimated. This is an attitude that is fostered when people here and elsewhere talk about nits, hacks, and bangers.
You've got to just ignore them and not worry about looking foolish. Pool is a learning process and it takes time. Maybe look for an APA team. As much as APA gets knocked here it is a good place if you're only looking to play pool and have fun. Don't worry about getting to Vegas, find a team who just want to enjoy playing.
Steve.<== 64 with a lot of empathy for somebody just starting in their 50s.:wink:
 
Skier girl...this in from my cousin who used to live in Spokane...she now lives in Pullman, but still visits Spokane from time to time..

"I wonder if she has tried FarWest Billiards downtown or McCues in the Valley. I think they both charge by the hour.

Recently found a bar with three tables on the south hill. They are not very busy on off nights, bar or tables, and the pool is 50cents! Its called Hangar 57th. Its on 57th and Regal.

I cannot post to the thread, but I'll bet you can!"
 
Hi Bonnie,

Just to share my experience. When I first moved to Fort Worth, I visited a few pool halls to see which one I felt more comfortable in. Then I would go to the one I liked best on the weekends during the day and just played by myself. Eventually, the regulars start to talk to you and want to play a few games with you. They will also try to offer advice/tips - take it or leave it, though, lol.

My point is, if you go often enough to one place (or two, if you want to), then you become known (familiar) and the players will start to befriend you.

I have been going to the same pool room for ten years now and have a lot of friends there.

Good luck,
Melinda
 
pwd72s....All of the bars I've been to have 50 cent pool in this town. Score. Far West has nice tables, but they're $7 an hour. I can't afford that when I can go anywhere else and get 50 cent games (split with a friend, one quarter per game). It's right downtown and you have to pay for parking, too. Not for me.

McQ's just got sold last month and I didn't like going there because their barbox tables were 75 cents and were all torn up. Why pay an extra quarter a game for a nasty table? Their 9 foot tables are $8 an hour ($4 with a BCA card), and they don't even open until 4 pm and close at 2. :mad: I'm hoping the new owner will start to take care of it better. It has potential, they just need to open more than 10 hours a day and have a tournament once in a while. A pool hall with lots of tables and nothing else and not one tournament hosted? WTF? I start the BCA league there on Tuesdays, so we'll see how it changes.

Melinda, I'm a regular at Bluz at the Bend and I have met people there I play with every week. I also go to Snoop's Saloon and Annie Fannie's and I can go to any of these places anytime, walk in and play alone or challenge a table. Bluz has 4 nice 8 foots and Snoops has 8, Annie's has 9.

I'm definitely not the same person I was even in March. My confidence is getting better and I'm enjoying the game more now that I know more and have better skills. I have a very long way to go to get good, but I'm no longer just a recreational banger (no offense intended, pwd72s).

And that feels gooooooood.:dance:

PS. incognito.....I don't drink, but I've been known to have a shot of Jack (or two) to mellow out. It doesn't make me shoot any better or worse, but it makes other people more tolerable.
 
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BCA draft league started last night, and I got my ass handed to me on a platter. It felt kinda good, actually.
My teammates are excellent players and I know I'm going to learn a lot. They all seem very nice and everyone is shooting their best, or trying to. I saw some AMAZING shots.:cool:

I went in cold without any practice and I made a total of 11 balls in 4 games. I was amazed I got that many. It's hard to pocket balls when your opponent breaks and runs 6 balls then freezes the CB against the rail with one of his balls. What can you do about that? Give him ball in hand. One whole game went without my pocketing a ball. :help:

BUT!!! I can't wait for next week. I'm going to get warmed up first and see how much difference it makes. I normally play on an 8 foot table wrapped in Grandma's wool coat. The league plays on 6 foot tables with a fast cloth. Not only is it fast, it's crowded. Time to learn how to shoot on yet another kind of table.

God, I love this game!!!!!!!!:dance::woot:
 
Well, it's next week. I shot for half an hour before league started. The results this week were much improved...I'm more relaxed and I've decided that all these guys are so above me that I can't be bothered to worry about it.....just sink balls and do my best.

Game 1: 6 balls sunk
Game 2: 5 balls sunk
Game 3: 6 balls sunk
Game 4: never got out of my chair......my opponent broke and ran but scratched on the 8.....10 POINTS TO ME.:D
(It seems unfair to get all the points like that, but if you don't control the cue ball, it's not my fault you lost. Next time, don't scratch.)

Total points: 27. I like that better than 12. I shot some fairly good games and nobody let me have anything. Our team took 4 out of 5 games. Last week, we took 4 1/2 games. This feels GREAT. :thumbup:

Watch out next week, I'll get 7 balls total. haha
 
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