Egotistical Jerk Who's Stuck in the Past....(long)

Congrats on holding your temper as well as you did. I agree with the above posters. I think this is a great lesson learned. Jay is correct in saying that peoples true character comes out when they gamble. I would continue to gamble with this obnoxious clown. Especialy if you have a fair shot at winning even. Each time you play you will get more seasoned playing againts this sort of character. Also remember to play within yourself.......focus focus focus young grasshoper...............lol.........Best
 
cuetechasaurus said:
I would have to say that tonight was probably one of the ugliest experiences I've had playing pool in the last few years. It's been more than half a day, but I'm still fuming over it...
...He left and didn't say a word, even as he payed me and the sidebettors. It's sad that such a small amount of money, and such a huge ego, can ruin a friendship. Usually by this time I'm pretty calm about something that pissed me off hours ago. But right now I feel like I should have punched him.
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I have to give u credit on ur composure. I read this thread early in the AM and have experienced this on numerous ocasions. I just wasn't sure what to give advice on, Im not that gr8 player myself, but very consistent.

I don't fly of the handle either, but I acknowledge IMMEDIATELY at the moment being sharked or what have u. For me, it's more like breaking the rules. In this case, unsportsmanlike conduct. But who keeps track of that crap @ Poolhalls and such? The great part is at least you had acknowledged it at some point. Cuz who knows? Maybe he's that ignorant that he doesn't know what he's doing.

My 2 cents.
 
First of all, you did the right thing by not hitting him--why sink to the level of somebody who's beneath you? Let the talk roll off your back!

As to how you should deal with this individual in the future, it depends on what your purpose is in playing and whether you truly consider him to be a friend. If your purpose is to engage in a friendly game (albeit with a small wager), then you should either quit playing him or have a serious talk with him as to why you will not continue to play with him if he engages in this type of behavior. If, on the other hand, you want to win some money, then by all means, empty the guy! You will get some valuable seasoning as to how to handle obnoxious players, and you will reap financial rewards at the expense of a jerk. As Jay rightly pointed out, sharking, expecially in the situation you described, is most often a display of weakness and desperation. Gain strength from the fact that your opponent is demonstrating that he knows he's in a trap!

Good luck!
 
Nice job!!!

That is about as bad as I can imagine it could get and you held your ground without compromising your principles. That is some rock solid playing! Well handled!

It might seem odd, but because you were able to triumph over adversity on every level in this situation, your game permanently got stronger.

Friendships change with time no matter what you do. You kept your principles and that's what matters most in the long haul.

Awsome! :D
 
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This is a great thread and has inspired many equally great responses. I would like to put some of these responses together to help get a clear view of your objectives:
1. Do you play pool for the love of the game and its challenges?
2. Do you enjoy the intense competition of gambling?
3. Would you prefer to play as a gentleman or do you enjoy conflict?

It seems to me that you love the game and its challenges, minimal wagers helps the intensity, you want to play as a gentleman and do not enjoy the conflict because you have not learned how to deal with it.

Based on this you have several options:
1. Do not play someone who brings this conflict to the table and maintain your dignity and respect.
2. Do not gamble.
3. Use this person to develop your own sharking skills (just in case you may be in that situation again with someone else). The next time you play him have a game plan on different sharking techniques you will use. Don't worry about winning, just try to p+ss him off. Always talk to him just when he is ready to shoot. Lean on the table when it is his turn. Stand in front of his shot and move as he shoots. He started the BS so use him as your Turkey. See if you can get him to refuse to play you.
 
Don't you know the older we get, the better we played when we were young!
Sounds like he can't get past this master-student syndrome where anything he does at the table including the sharking is part of your education.
Reminds me of a time when I played raquetball pretty strong. I beat this guy 21-1, 21-2 in a tournament. After the match, I have to listen to a twenty minute discourse from him on what I was doing wrong on my backhand.
Good advice here on getting tougher mentally, use it and run with it. Don't worry about the side bettors money. It's their money, let 'em do what they want with it.
 
Ditto on the good thread and responses. I recall reading on this sight or one-pkt org. about a match between Louie and Keith, IIRC. It was a "no-talk" match with a $ penalty. Neither said a word during the match. As Louie was leaving after wining, he said to Keith, "nice talking to ya". That cracked the whole place up, including Keith. Hope I got that right. Ha. I got a kick out that one-liner.

I would suggest not trying to block out distractions. (insults are a different matter) Accept the distractions as part of the game. Trying to "block" them out requires mental energy and thus creates negative mental energy, leading to stress/distress. But with that said, I agree with the poster who suggested to clear that up before playing if you know it might be a problem beforehand.

And as someone mentioned, we have free will to make a choice "not" to get angry. Someone might "contribute" to the situation, but we still can make a conscious choice.
 
I've had one or two POS's like this guy passing through my pool life and I closed the door on both of them. They can't play in JoeyA's world any longer and while some people wonder why I won't gamble with these two any longer, I just say my pool life is far more enjoyable with them not in it.

You didn't lose a friend, BTW.
 
The most important part of the story.

cuetechasaurus said:
I run the remaining balls and unscrew. QUOTE]

For me, this was the best part of the story. It showed how you handled the situation as a players and made it work for you instead of against you. Many players in that position would continue on your first path of outrage and missing and never stepped back up to the plate.

Congratulations, you had a learning experience. I promise that you will now use any adversity and accompanying pissyness to make you focus and to make sure an opponent like that doesn't win.

Now, just don't let him "friendly you to death" so you don't focus at all. It's easier to get your focus against a pissant than it is to Mr. Friendly.
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Reminds me off a college experience

I went to UCR (Riverside) and I remember my freshman year entering the student lounge area - they had 4 nine footer in so so condition. Anyhow I remember coming into a tournament one weekend they had there and was watching and scoping how people played. There were some decent shooters and this one old black guy (he was a janitor at the University) who woofed at everyone and wanted to gamble with everyone (he was a little better than everyone in the pool place - I knew I was a better player but probably not a better gambler. Anyhow we would match up with stakes he was comfortable with but where high for me (being a poor college student). Anyhow we went back and forth on the money for years but I knew in my heart I was a lot better player. Anyhow after years of this woofing at people I'd had enough and told him my senior year lets play for some good money until one of us gets busted (I had saved up some money and was heeled). He agreed but only if we went to the Staff and Professors lounge - I had never been there and they had some sweet 9 foot gold crowns. Anyhow - we played and he would use every shark move in the book - getting loud, moving while I would shoot - but something had changed in me - I KNEW I could beat him and didnt give a sh_t about the money. He got down like 300 and said I need to take a nap. I said fine - pay me and I'll come back in a few hours (my one mistake was not paying after each game). He said I aint paying you crap - we are still playing (while he napped). So I shot for a few hours while he napped. Finally an hour later we resume and I busted him at 500. Of course he only had like 350 but of all my scores that was the sweetest.

The funny part was that the students hated this guy because he had hustled many of them - was kind of a second income to him. I became a hero after I busted him and it was funny when I walked into the student lounge his woofing would stop.
 
Black-Balled shook this old tree from 2006 and JoeyA jumped up and posted to the thread like it was from yesterday. You got me Black-Balled. :D

Cuetechasaurus, whatever happened to that guy? Did you ever become friends again or gamble with him?

Darn that Black-Balled. He's slick. Now it look like he didn't post anything.
 
cuetec

time for you to season up some.change your game plan about this guy.get him back in action and shoot all the money you win off him back at him.if you win 50 save it and shoot it back at him.keep pushing the bet higher and higher. he might go for a hell of a figure before he quits you.try to keep his money off the rail.you might win a house.

bill
 
Ditto to Lenny. I used to just try to ignore it and stay down on my shot. But I've since learned its much better to just start your routine over and clear your mind. It took a lot of dogged shots to learn that.

Fast Lenny said:
I agree dont play him,i mean its not worth your time,i mean if a guy wont shut his yap then and wont stop sharking then dont play him.The only thing wrong was not getting up off the shot when he was sharking you and saying sit down and shut up so we can continue this or were finished.I used to just shoot when im sharked but i have been practicing more to be disciplined and get back up and go through my routine all over again,just some advice.I love 1 hole too,next time if you happen to play tell him where a muzzle and a straight jacket.:)
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If you were considering violence against the guy over a $10 dollar game you might be better off not gambling. It's not worth an assault charge.
 
hey Nate.....

You know me and know that I play for fun. No fun for me = NO PLAY!!

Head over to my house and you can have all the 1P practice you want.

$5 a game all day long.


(ps- was it old that DICKHEAD named Billy??)

:)
 
Wow this is an old thread. About that guy, yeah we were cool after that. I don't recall him ever asking me to play again, and I never asked him. I haven't seen him in years, I wonder whatever happened to him.
 
cuetechasaurus said:
Wow this is an old thread. About that guy, yeah we were cool after that. I don't recall him ever asking me to play again, and I never asked him. I haven't seen him in years, I wonder whatever happened to him.
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It was a great story - highly entertaining.

I wonder how many posters here thought the title may apply to them? I know I did!!!

Chris

Ps.---> not stuck in the past that much anymore. I finally convinced my wife we had to retire the 1993 27" console television and got a nice HDTV for ourselves for Christmas.
 
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