How quickly can you gauge a player's speed?

[David Marcus]

I'm interested to know how much time is needed for any of you to approximate a player's speed ? Do you need to see him/her in a gambling situation? Can you judge it just as well in a tournament match? Is it possible to do it simply by observing a short practice session ? How much observation time do you need to make your initial determination in each scenario or is it impossible to do without additional information?
I'll be curious to hear your opinions, thanks

 

[Allen Brown]

No more than two games of any rotation game.

 

[(((Satori)))]

Is there a way to tell if they are playing their top speed?

 

[ktmrider765]

i try to decipher a persons game at times, its tough if their good at hustling but ive noticed even if a person is "dogging" balls they usually still have a good stroke and form,.,and just by watching the type of shots they make/attempt and tell their skill level,.,its tough in my opinion at times if there is no cash on the line, but imo cash brings out a persons true skills unless its a cheap amount and their fishing,.

when i lived in ohio there was pool room near Cleveland and if a random person wanted to gamble this guy (not saying name is it gets tarnished a lot) he would automatically say lets play race to 3-5 for $1000,.,.his thing about this was he always said "if someone wants to come in here and play some and want to play a certain amount and i don't know them, their guna have to show me something"

 

[ShootingArts]

five minutes or less

I think I'm still pretty fair now but the first skill needed gambling was to rate the other player's speed. Stalling, practicing, playing cheap, tournament, just didn't matter you had to get it right in a hurry most of the time. Didn't really matter if someone was pocketing balls or not I'd say I had his speed down by the time I watched him five minutes or less at the table.

The other half of the game in the old days or even today if you want to make a successful little road trip, you have to be able to hide your own speed a bit.

There are dozens of tells and putting out a few of those will get you clocked as fast as stringing racks. Freddy could have probably wrote a full book of just tells.

Hu

 

[jay helfert]

No more than two games of any rotation game.

That's about right if he isn't stalling. I just want to see his stroke and how he pockets a ball and moves the cue ball. You can find out a lot just by watching one good shot!

I was never afraid to gamble with a stranger when I was playing my best. I KNEW they had to show me something to beat me. It they tried stalling with me I would get ahead and refuse to raise the bet. That made a few guys mad because now they had to let it all out to get even.

What I used to tell my friends back then, "I play good enough to protect myself."

The only two guys who ever successfully hustled me were Larry Lisciotti (I lost $200 at One Pocket, race to three) and Billy Johnson aka Wade Crane (I lost $300 at 9-Ball, 50 a game). Both games were late 60's or early 70's.

 

[pt109]

I tend to watch a man's cue between the bridgehand and the cue-ball....
...if that shaft comes pouring out like water out of a hose...
....he's got a stroke...I don't care how he makes that happen.

How good he moves?...sometimes you gotta wait

 

[ProZack]

I can tell if I am able to beat a guy within about 5 minutes of watching them play.. And in this time they don't have to pocket ONE BALL!

 

[David Marcus]

Ok, fair enough....

That's about right if he isn't stalling. I just want to see his stroke and how he pockets a ball and moves the cue ball. You can find out a lot just by watching one good shot!

I was never afraid to gamble with a stranger when I was playing my best. I KNEW they had to show me something to beat me. It they tried stalling with me I would get ahead and refuse to raise the bet. That made a few guys mad because now they had to let it all out to get even.

What I used to tell my friends back then, "I play good enough to protect myself."

Alright then, you get 20 minutes and I'll give you all the facts. The following is a scheduled, planned practice session where the player is working on a couple of aspects of his game. No stalling, just focused practice.The game is 9-Ball against yourself, no BIH, no safeties, you are playing to runout in as few innings as possible.

http://youtu.be/vNZILBHPYO4

 

[(((Satori)))]

I can tell if I am able to beat a guy within about 5 minutes of watching them play.. And in this time they don't have to pocket ONE BALL!

What do you look for?

 

[BeiberLvr]

What do you look for?

If they spin the rack in their hands before putting it below the table/above the light.

I can probably beat them :thumbup:

 

[BeiberLvr]

Alright then, you get 20 minutes and I'll give you all the facts. The following is a scheduled, planned practice session where the player is working on a couple of aspects of his game. No stalling, just focused practice.The game is 9-Ball against yourself, no BIH, no safeties, you are playing to runout in as few innings as possible.

http://youtu.be/vNZILBHPYO4

B player at the minimum. Good shotmaking. Decent speed control, but makes a few mistakes that I don't think an A player would make.

 

[DAVE_M]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cgDrJcCQSBE

Judge away lol

I don't think watching someone play two games is enough to judge their speed.

 

[9Ballr]

"I'm interested to know how much time is needed for any of you to approximate a player's speed ?"


3.5 seconds.

 

[Banks]

No more than two games of any rotation game.

Not sure how common it is, but my rotation game tends to be weaker than my other games. I'm better at gauging things from 8b.. how people attack clusters, what kind of shots they make and how creative they're able to get. Do they get out easily or do they seem to be fighting the game the entire way? I imagine that once there are x-packs involved, it gets a little more detailed.

 

[poolguy4u]

:shakehead:



Don't be fooled. Just because a player sucks one day, doesn't mean

he sucks every day.


You might think the person plays one way for a few days, but that same

player can switch gears and you'll be surprised. This has nothing to do

with hustling, it's just the way it is.


:thud:

 

[ProZack]

He is a B player EVERYDAY.. there is no way I would get hooked on the 4 Ball

 

[Allen Brown]

He is a B player EVERYDAY.. there is no way I would get hooked on the 4 Ball

He posts videos here at least once a month. I think he's been taking lessons and working on each thing he has learned in each video. He is also playing on a new table with a new breaking template. He may just be looking for a sucker to put some money on the line. Wanna be his huckleberry?:grin:

 

[Johnnyt]

Judging someone that is playing for fun, practicing, or playing for money that could hurt if they lost is very different. How mush heart and mental touhness does he have. I get a kick out of all the people that say they can tell by his stroke, or the way he stands. They can tell how many balls better he is or they can tell by watching a guy playing for a few bucks in a few minutes. Sometimes you just have to step up to find out how good he is when the $$$ is on the line. This is why you here the word "adjust" after a few games or sets. I don't believe in adjusting if it's close either way. If he's just barely winning...bare down or quit. Johnnyt

 

[ignomirello]

interesting

I'm interested to know how much time is needed for any of you to approximate a player's speed ? Do you need to see him/her in a gambling situation? Can you judge it just as well in a tournament match? Is it possible to do it simply by observing a short practice session ? How much observation time do you need to make your initial determination in each scenario or is it impossible to do without additional information?
I'll be curious to hear your opinions, thanks

This is one of the hardest things to do.
If you think you can tell somebody's speed with a practice session you are all nuts!!!
Maybe you can get an idea, But if your running a handicap tournament, You might get shot LOL

If that is his true speed & he practices but don't know how to make the corner ball with a magic
rack type of rack then lower him from a (B) to (C+). How can you judge somebody without seeing them play a safety or jumping balls?

JayHefert I value your opinion please comment.