James Walden is looking for a house pro job

Your average open level BCAPL player in Vegas at the nationals.

They are good players, but they are certainly amature level.

Keep in mind I said on a "tough breaking" 9-foot, the reality is this spot has heisted alot of people who thought it was a lock due to a lack of abiity to make a ball on their break and get an open makeable shot on the low ball on the table at least 50% of the time.

Most amature players cannot succesfully break to pocket a ball AND get an open makeable shot on the lowest ball at a rate even close to 50% and that is where this spot can actually get beat.

This was my point. Still I don't think that any reasonably decent player could refuse this spot. I know I couldn't and continue to play pool after refusing it.

This reminds me of another story. I was doing a jump cue demonstration out in Vegas and was getting heckled by a high rolling gambler from Colorado who was a pretty good shortstop. This guy wouldn't shut up and offered to play anyone I brought. So I called Larry Nevel and when Larry walked up the guy changed his tune to offering me the five out wild and breaks for whatever I wanted to bet.

One of the bystanders whom I didn't know leans in to whisper in my ear "bet as high as you want I have you covered". I said to the heckler, "bet $2000" and he then starts in with me not being a man if I needed a spot.....I said "are you going to bet or blabber? If you don't want to play then go away because I am working here."
 
Just a somewhat related gambling story involving a huge spot. About 15 years ago, one of the best 9 ball players in Chicago gambled with Walter Glass in Davenport, Iowa at a tournament. He was getting the break and the last 6. I believe the races were to 7 for a decent bet. It was "wet" in the pool room as it was summertime. Walter ran him over in spite of the guy missing almost no balls. After several sets and quite a few dollars, he pulled up. On that table. Under those conditions. He would have lost with the last 9. To tell you how good the guy played: He would have been about a 2:1 underdog at worst in a tournament match. Just goes to show you that the table and room conditions can make all the difference in the world. Just sayin'
 
Wait, by open level do you mean shortstop? As in, the level between A and pro?

Are you telling me that the 2 out and all the breaks is not a lock for an OPEN level player? Any solid open player have beaten pros, even up. I would put the odds in favor of a solid B player, and probably even odds for a strong C. That's against a top pro. If the table is breaking hard, it's breaking hard for both players. If CJ misses at any point of his runout, every ball left is a money ball. That's 8 money balls to carom, combo, or run to in every rack.

I understand there are deceptively big spots that aren't really that big. The 2 out and all the breaks is not one of them. It's an insane spot, period, and Scott should be chomping at the bit. He is, after all, an instructor who travels the nation giving lessons. I would expect him to be at least an open class player.

-roger

Definitely not. The average open level player at BCAPL nationals is absolutely NOT playing shortstop speed. I would say more like B player speed.
 
Wait, by open level do you mean shortstop? As in, the level between A and pro?

By this do you mean

"I cannot actually read with any real level of comprehension."

I said specifically

celtic said:
Your average open level BCAPL player in Vegas at the nationals.

The BCAPL have this tournament in Vegas, the national championships, they have this division that is called the "open" division that is below the advanced, masters, and grand masters level. This is what I said (and meant).
 
Definitely not. The average open level player at BCAPL nationals is absolutely NOT playing shortstop speed. I would say more like B player speed.

Thanks for the clarification. I am not familiar with the BCAPL handicaps, I heard "open" and I lost it.

-roger
 
Easy there leprechaun. Would you agree that you're talking about a B player speed? C, B, A, Open, Pro.

-roger

Ya I would say that would be close for the "average" guy in the BCAPL open, the top 5 guys that sneak into the Open each year are usually alot better (closing on pro level at times) but the average guy is around a b level.

Those b level players, who can still run 2 or 3 racks of 8-ball on you in any given race to 5 on a 7 foot Diamond dont actually have to win on a tough breaking 9-foot playing SVB with that spot, they simply do not break well enough and after a dry break or a break where they don't get a shot they are going to either get run out or never see an open shot again each rack.
 
Which one would YOU rather have as a spot?

last four is less of a spot than the wild six and anyone who has matched up alot knows that the offer of a wild ball and then the same wild ball plus the last X is (for example ill give u the 7...ok how about the 7 and the last 3) is really not much of a difference. Same goes with the six and then the six and the last 4. Really by the time the game gets down to the six, the last four makes about as much of a difference as the six. Its more weight, yes...but barely....


Good fortune to you James on this endeavor and welcome to the board.

I have a "matching up question" for anyone to answer: Which is more of a spot, the last four and the six ball, the last four and the 7 ball OR the last four and the 8 ball?

Which one would YOU rather have as a spot? Which one would you rather give up as a spot?
 
How did this get away from James W. finding a house pro gig? If you've got a line on a job, let him know. If you want to compare spots, start a new thread. If i sound a lil' edgy it's because my back is messed-up, i gotta have surgery and not even these damn percocets are helping. sorry
 
On a tough breaking 9-foot table it is not actually that crazy for a reasonable player to.lose with that spot against a world class pro.

I understand the top players have a chance to win(against certain type of players) but I disagree that CJ would really offer this to Scott.(unless he hates his money):smile:
But I am wondering why Scott hasn't replied to any of this.
 
I have a "matching up question" for anyone to answer: Which is more of a spot, the last four and the six ball, the last four and the 7 ball OR the last four and the 8 ball?

Which one would YOU rather have as a spot? Which one would you rather give up as a spot?

At the risk of looking foolish....I don't see any difference. If there is, please explain it to me/us.

That said, I'd take some money odds and let my opponent decide. :)

J
 
we all have to keep a few "secrets"

I understand the top players have a chance to win(against certain type of players) but I disagree that CJ would really offer this to Scott.(unless he hates his money):smile:
But I am wondering why Scott hasn't replied to any of this.

It's a "trick game"....I"m sure he knows I give up these type games as a "specialty". I'm not going to tell how I do this one though. ;) we all have to keep a few "secrets". 'The Game is the Teacher'
 
I don't think CJ has any shot with this spot...ridiculous woofing is all it is.

If Scott came back and offered to play for 10K CJ would go running.

Time to grow up boys - banter like this is a big part of the reason pool is the way it is.

Scott - how do you say no to this?

Anyone who turns this weight down, who is a pool instructor or claims to be a pool instructor is CRAZY and does not like money.

Unless they have no confidence in their skills. In which case they should not be coaching others for sure. No offence to you Scott. I've heard great things or at least read great things about you on the forums. So I am sure you are good at what you do.

If the offer by CJ is some kind of word trick, then I understand not taking the bait. But if it's a legit offer, on the bar table, you get to name the rules, etc, and you get the break and the 2 and out, meaning any ball you pocket above the 1 ball you win, at any time, then I take your place... :wink:

Of course you would need to rack the balls also, that way you would know for sure, that they are racked properly.
 
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Your average open level BCAPL player in Vegas at the nationals.

They are good players, but they are certainly amature level.

Keep in mind I said on a "tough breaking" 9-foot, the reality is this spot has heisted alot of people who thought it was a lock due to a lack of abiity to make a ball on their break and get an open makeable shot on the low ball on the table at least 50% of the time.

Most amature players cannot succesfully break to pocket a ball AND get an open makeable shot on the lowest ball at a rate even close to 50% and that is where this spot can actually get beat.

Am I mistaken? This was offered on a bar table?
 
The only "trick" is never missing a ball or opportunity to "get out,"

Anyone who turns this weight down, who is a pool instructor or claims to be a pool instructor is CRAZY and does not like money.

Unless they have no confidence in their skills. In which case they should not be coaching others for sure. No offence to you Scott. I've heard great things or at least read great things about you on the forums. So I am sure you are good at what you do.

If the offer by CJ is some kind of word trick, then I understand not taking the bait. But if it's a legit offer, on the bar table, you get to name the rules, etc, and you get the break and the 2 and out, meaning any ball you pocket above the 1 ball you win, at any time, then I take your place... :wink:

Of course you would need to rack the balls also, that way you would know for sure, that they are racked properly.

There's no "word tricks" in my pool vocabulary. The only "trick" is never missing a ball or opportunity to "get out," however, I'm not sure that's classified as a "trick" or not. ;)

I'll retract my offer, he's had plenty of time to decide. Instead I'll start disclosing how it's possible to give up these types of handicaps. I just want to clarify, I'm not "woofing" at any players with these type spots/handicaps, he ask me for {this Game} on more than one occasion, and I agreed to give it up. The fact is I would get to shoot in 75% of the games we played, even with him getting the "2 out and the break".....this "could" be enough.

I am on the path of using my game to benefit others, and I still get the urge to play gambling matches, just preferably if I can line up at least 5 or 10 in a row. This may happen, I'm talking to a production company here in Dallas that may want to film something like this ...LIVE!!!

My specially has always been giving up massive handicaps and there is some "tricks" to doing this. In the next few weeks I'll start to identify these "tricks" so you can learn them yourselves. The trick of running out every time begins with mastering you own consistent shot and using it as much as possible. This is my advise to anyone seeking to get on the speedy path to self, and game improvement. 'The Game is the Teacher' www.cjwiley.com
 
How did this get away from James W. finding a house pro gig? If you've got a line on a job, let him know. If you want to compare spots, start a new thread. If i sound a lil' edgy it's because my back is messed-up, i gotta have surgery and not even these damn percocets are helping. sorry

FWIW if there is not any ongoing conversation then the thread would quickly fade away and the advertisement effect would be diminished. With ongoing conversation the topic stays at the forefront even if the conversation has veered in another direction.

It allows more people to chime in about their experiences with James and widens the circle of people who might be able to help him find the job he wants.
 
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