Need Opinions on a Situation

14-1StraightMan

14-1StraightMan

High Run 127
Silver Member
I played a league 14.1 match yesterday. Here is a situation that came up, that I would like an opinion on.
I was winning the match 99 to 60. My opponent just played a safety and then walked over to me as I was marking the score sheet and stated:
"I hurt my back earlier and it is really hurting me. You have me by 30 points,
but I will play this game out"
With that, when he was talking to me. I am thinking that he is going to forfeit the rest of the match until he I heard him say "I will play the game out".
I was a little pissed that he stated all that to me and up to that point there was no talking between us, just call safe, etc. Which is the way a match should be played.
I then got up to the table and played a poor safe. He ran 13 and played a safe.
I again played a poor safe (to which, I feel that I had let up on him and was not bearing down on him like I was b/c he is a very good player).
He then ran 41 balls on me. The score was then 114 to 99 his favor.
I then told him that I did not like him telling me about his back and I felt like I had let up on him when I played those two safes. I was upset. I then ran a 33 and with some more defensive play. I won the match 150 to 138.
Question: is his statement about his back, like a player unscrewing his cue during a match? Was I wrong to say something after his run? or should I stated something as soon as he stated telling me about his back? Or, am I just over reacting to the situation? I know that I should not let up during a match but I did. Thanks for reading this.
 
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Mikey,

you may have over-reacted a little, and do i think he was trying to shark you "YES"...or just that some people just dont get it !

it is like some players that when you are on a run, that remind you that you are during it. all to break concintration.

in the end i am glad to hear that you pulled it back together and won the game.

-Steve
 
hi Mikey my friend :)

if it would have been so hard for him caused by his pain- he would have stopped to play. Just that he almost finished the game after his *statement* makes is a bit funny. You ll never know if it was a try to tricky you-- not your problem anymore
Good that you found back to your game and finished it-

And right after *shake hands-good game* it s over. Don t think anymore about it Mike. It isn t worth. you played well-and over :-)

lg
Ingo
 
14-1StraightMan said:
I played a league 14.1 match yesterday. Here is a situation that came up, that I would like an opinion on.
I was winning the match 99 to 60. My opponent just played a safety and then walked over to me as I was marking the score sheet and stated:
"I hurt my back earlier and it is really hurting me. You have me by 30 points,
but I will play this game out"
With that, when he was talking to me. I am thinking that he is going to forfeit the rest of the match until he I heard him say "I will play the game out".
I was a little pissed that he stated all that to me and up to that point their was no talking between us, just call safe, etc. Which is the way a match should be played.
I then got up to the table and played a poor safe. He ran 13 and played a safe.
I again played a poor safe (to which, I feel that I had let up on him and was not bearing down on him like I was b/c he is a very good player).
He then ran 41 balls on me. The score was then 114 to 99 his favor.
I then told him that I did not like him telling me about his back and I felt like I had let up on him when I played those two safes. I was upset. I then ran a 33 and with some more defensive play. I won the match 150 to 138.
Question: is his statement about his back, like a player unscrewing his cue during a match? Was I wrong to say something after his run? or should I stated something as soon as he stated telling me about his back? Or, am I just over reacting to the situation? I know that I should not let up during a match but I did. Thanks for reading this.
Click to expand...

It was an incredibly silly thing for him to say, and yes he was trying to shark you. Anyone who can run 41 balls knows the game, and knows that what he said would act as a shark. If he was a total newbie to pool, it might be different. A guy who can run 3 racks has been around the game for a while, and knows exactly what he is doing.

Reminds me of a story... I was once playing in a major tournament and locked a guy up pretty good. After deliberating for several minutes, he turns to me and literally says, "Guess I just have to leave you long."

I went BANANAS. First I asked him loudly in front of all the spectators why he would say such a thing, other than to shark me. Then I just left lol. Don't remember when I came back (maybe 10 minutes later?), but he just had to sit there the whole time. I figured, he wants to play games, I'll really turn this into a circus. I came back finally, put my jacket under the table, and left again! Hahahahahahaha. I still laugh thinking about it.

I finally came back and nailed the shot, to big applause from a sympathetic audience. Though I eventually lost the game, I was proud that I didn't let his shark get to me.

Good on you, Mike, for pulling it together and winning the game from there. Not easy.

- Steve <-- have had to play numerous matches without my contact lenses (forgot them), and wouldn't dream of telling my opponent.
 
Good that you pulled it together, Mike. I didn't handle it so well one time when my opponent, in the middle of a decent run of mine, said: "Don't you ever miss?" Some people!
 
Thanks To All

Thanks guys for the comments. Yes, I knew he was "sharking me " at the time. That is what really upset me and it worked for him. As I was sitting there during his run. I was really getting mad at myself for not saying something to him when he was first telling me but he caught me by surprise. I was disappointed in myself, that is why I had to say something when he finished his run. His back did not look like it was hurting when he ran the 41.
Another thing that came up a few innings later, after my run of 33.
He had a break shot, where he came up a little too straight on it but he had a slight angle to the rack. As he was getting down to shoot it, he stood up and stated: "Mike, don't tell me now but after the game is over. Tell me what type of English you would put on this ball to break the rack".
Well, once again, he is in control of the table and trying to get me distracted from the game.
Now that I have been in this League for three seasons. I have learned which players are "Sharkers" in their own sneaky way. Some want to talk & talk but as soon as they are winning and it is coming to the end of the match. Then there is no talking and they are as serious as any player can be. You can see it in their faces how bad they want to win the game.
 
Most of the time I play pool in a lot of pain, and completely off balance - I get a lot of teasing about my grip and several other parts of mechanics, but it is all due to Parkinson's disease. I do my best to remain still and fluid while I am shooting - that takes practice to mask my symptoms - but a long time ago, I promised myself that I would still do my best despite this disease and I promised to never use it as an excuse. While I am playing, nobody would ever know about my Parkinson's Disease unless I went out of my way to tell them - and why would I do that unless I was looking for someone to take it easy on me?

IMO, it was a total shark move, and kudos to you for pulling out the victory anyway. Hopefully your opponent will take notes and remember that this didn't work on you.
 
Mikey,

i also met *wanne-be-baby-sharks* like this clown in your story. And especially those guys who are asking such things like *how would you play this-or- would it be better...*-all this for sure while THEY re at the table. A good guy and much better money-player gave me an advice and i followed it from then. If i met such a guy and he let me again to the table, he will benefit A LOT- i will comment every shitty single shot and how i wann go further and so on- even if the cb rolls 2 inches to far i will explain it to him why. Believe me- if you make just 30 balls with non-stop comments....it will drive him crazy for sure....and furthermore will make him thinkin A LOT.

lg
again- you did great Mikey- shooting him out of the hall was the best you could do :-)

*Mikey-Fan*
Ingo
 
Unfortunately this kind of thing happens all the time in pool. I don't know about everybody else, but I'm sharked ALL the time, whether it is words, actions, movements, slow play, numerous bathroom breaks, etc....Sometimes it is intentional, sometimes not.

There is no cure. The only thing you can do is try and minimize how it affects you. Taking a break is probably the best way to help break the pattern. I honestly believe that to become a great player, one has to develope the ability to ignore all distractions.
 
I honestly believe that to become a great player, one has to develope the ability to ignore all distractions.
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exactly! if a guy starts sharking you, turn it around on him. a little back and forth ribbing might ensue but so what.

you guys are thinned skinned. sharking is a sign of weakness . i had an opponent once start yelling at the top of his lungs as i was stroking through the ball; "DON'T SHOOT... DON'T SHOOT... DON'T SHOOT!" i thought the ****ing bar was on fire! sure i wanted to strangle him but i learned a valuable lesson. keep shooting and pay him no attention. i had another guy who i was handily beating at 9ball, finally win a game that i should have won. we were now drawing an audience especially after i ran a few racks on him. he then yells, and i mean YELLS; "I WIN AGAIN!" . "ok fat-boy" i thought.... "you're just trying to shark me because you can't beat me." . i didn't get at all riled, i just played my game and shut him the hell up..... i do remember though the perfect position i got ending the last game we played. :wink:

straightman: when he said that you should have told him; "maybe you should have stayed home in bed..." or tell him to go to walmart and get a beepy cart.

blackjack: sorry to hear about the Parkinson's.
 
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After the Match

After the match. I told him that I have two bone spurs in my neck that has formed over the years from a bad accident that I was in when I was in the Army. This causes me to have great pain down into my right arm and causes my hands to shake. Every few years, I have to go in and have 3 sets of injections to reduce the inflammation in my spinal cord.
I then told him to look into a Pain Management Doctor if his pain continues. As for the break shot he asked me about. I told him that I would play it the same way he did.

Guys, Thanks for all the comments & support.
 
Well I'm probably in the minority here but I've never been able to understand why people get so affected by comments during a game. When people say things whether they're trying to shark me or not, I simply ignore them and keep playing. I just can't see why a comment would affect my game. one has nothing to do with the other.
 
when i think about it, most of the games i have played, my opponent has tried to shark me..... i watched a video of Souquet playing Strickland. Souquet wins and is interviewed afterward about Strickland's antics. he says with his french accent, and i paraphrase; "i don't know if he was trying to shark me but it doesn't matter i just play my game."
 
I tend to think that people that are not bothered (sharked) by table talk don't think about if their talk is going to bother their opponent or not so, they just talk. Not knowing the guy you were playing, I won't offer an opinion on this particular situation. Unfortuately, I'm the kind of player that needs to concentrate on the game when I'm playing and don't like to converse during the game. If someone is talking during the game, I won't say anything, unless the talk is when I'm down on a shot, or trying to figure out the table. But, just the act of "bringing it up" tends to shark me as well. Such is life. I do feel though that your opponent should respect your concentration (as in golf) and keep his mouth shut, even though I feel it is something that I need to personnally work out, to make my game improve.
 
I learned a LONG time ago, whenever someone unscrews--- I pull up and unscrew and force the submission. Furthermore, when someone says something like what you mentioned, I unscrew and force the submission.

It's like the UFC, imo. When someone "taps-out" --- you end the match--- you don't continue fighting. A verbal tap-out is still a tap-out.

Dave

P.S.

Hence, my avatar. Making someone TAP-OUT is the ultimate, I think.
 
Yes

Birdseye said:
I tend to think that people that are not bothered (sharked) by table talk don't think about if their talk is going to bother their opponent or not so, they just talk. Not knowing the guy you were playing, I won't offer an opinion on this particular situation. Unfortuately, I'm the kind of player that needs to concentrate on the game when I'm playing and don't like to converse during the game. If someone is talking during the game, I won't say anything, unless the talk is when I'm down on a shot, or trying to figure out the table. But, just the act of "bringing it up" tends to shark me as well. Such is life. I do feel though that your opponent should respect your concentration (as in golf) and keep his mouth shut, even though I feel it is something that I need to personnally work out, to make my game improve.
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Very good comment. I appreciate it.
 
Yes

SpiderWebComm said:
I learned a LONG time ago, whenever someone unscrews--- I pull up and unscrew and force the submission. Furthermore, when someone says something like what you mentioned, I unscrew and force the submission.

It's like the UFC, imo. When someone "taps-out" --- you end the match--- you don't continue fighting. A verbal tap-out is still a tap-out.

Dave

P.S.

Hence, my avatar. Making someone TAP-OUT is the ultimate, I think.
Click to expand...

Dave:
Thanks for the comment. You have a very good point. Appreciate it
 
Mr441 said:
Well I'm probably in the minority here but I've never been able to understand why people get so affected by comments during a game. When people say things whether they're trying to shark me or not, I simply ignore them and keep playing. I just can't see why a comment would affect my game. one has nothing to do with the other.
Click to expand...

I totally agree.
 
Sharks

Sharking never bothers me. Take another look at this inadvertent attempt to shark me.

http://vimeo.com/19811446

Seriously, though, it kind of does. I was just starting to play with this clown in league a few weeks ago. I was going to 145 and he was going to 50. The thing is we both joined the league as 50s years ago and he never improves. He really does not want to win two games so he usually dogs his second match, breaks even and stays the same. But his ability is such that he can turn it on if he wants to, especially at that handicap. He sometimes wins some games and declares to anyone who cares to listen that he was really trying that time. Anyway, pain in the ass to play.

When I first get down on a shot, he says "Shoot the 2 in the side. You know you're gonna do it." So I shoot something else and miss. Later, a few times when I am on a break shot he just steps back a few feet and stands there, so I get a good view of him as I am lining up my shot. After a few of those, I asked him to sit down and he smirks. "I don't have to sit down. Go ahead and shoot." I said, "Fine F^$# you. You are such a pleasure to play with. You don't give a shit about the game. " I drilled the break shot, then drilled the next one in without looking for what I would shoot next.

He got the first game 50-95. Predictably, I got the second 145-30 something. And it continues...

Anyway, I guess it is apparent. I am pretty easy to shark.
 
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Getting sharked doesn't necessarily result in a missed ball or even a lost game. It's more that it upsets me, and since I play this game for fun, it can just ruin the experience. I'm not sure how much my game suffers from a shark (maybe it goes up?); I just don't want to play with a grown man who feels the need to say "guess I'll just have to leave you long" before leaving me long.

It's not the shark itself that is annoying - it's the fact that the guy is trying to shark me that is annoying. Let's also keep in mind there are two classes of sharking - what happens before a shot and what happens during a shot. Distractions made to happen during your shot are a separate thing and these can certainly get the best of anyone. The stuff before the shot, I do agree that these things should not affect your play. Just your enjoyment level.

As to Spider's comment about unscrewing, I'm right there with you. I have so many stories from the amateur tournament in Vegas in May... omg I could write a book with the things that people try out there. Hilarious.

- Steve
 
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