Pool gods, karma, or coincidence?

M

miscrewed89

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Tuesday night I matched up with a local player to play some one pocket. I have never lost to this guy, ever. That is, until Tuesday...
The match started out as expected. I quickly won the first two games. Then, something in my head clicked, or should I say, short circuited! I started shooting shots that Efren wouldn't even shoot, and missing them badly, of course. Subsequently, selling out and, just as quickly, losing the next two games. At this point I tell myself to tighten up and play right. Well, it didn't seem to matter. Everything that could go wrong did and 5 hours later I was 7 games loser.

Wednesday night... rematch. I had a different attitude. I did not assume I was going to win. I made a conscientious effort to make the right choices, shoot the right shots, take and maintain the lead. It seemed like everything that could go wrong did, for him! I got every good roll imaginable, and then some, besides playing some of the best one pocket I've ever played! Within 2 hours of starting I had my money back from the night before.

Was it the pool gods, karma, or just merely coincidence that completely turned things around?
 
It had nothing to do with divinity, the paranormal or statistics: You turned it around -- nothing more, nothing less.
 
Pool Gods? No
Karma? No
Coincidence? No

You're ego got too big in the first set, thinking you could steamroll the guy and never miss.
 
miscrewed89 said:
Tuesday night I matched up with a local player to play some one pocket. I have never lost to this guy, ever. That is, until Tuesday...
The match started out as expected. I quickly won the first two games. Then, something in my head clicked, or should I say, short circuited! I started shooting shots that Efren wouldn't even shoot, and missing them badly, of course. Subsequently, selling out and, just as quickly, losing the next two games. At this point I tell myself to tighten up and play right. Well, it didn't seem to matter. Everything that could go wrong did and 5 hours later I was 7 games loser.

Wednesday night... rematch. I had a different attitude. I did not assume I was going to win. I made a conscientious effort to make the right choices, shoot the right shots, take and maintain the lead. It seemed like everything that could go wrong did, for him! I got every good roll imaginable, and then some, besides playing some of the best one pocket I've ever played! Within 2 hours of starting I had my money back from the night before.

Was it the pool gods, karma, or just merely coincidence that completely turned things around?
Click to expand...

Caffeine and 1P don't mix...stay away from the coffee, makes you shoot stupid shit.
 
Sounds like what changed the most was your discipline, and for the better.

Gotta maintain it against all opponents. Look at the best players in the world. They usually play with the same discipline throughout every match, regardless of the quality of their opponent. If you start watching a game mid-set and didn't know the score, you'd have no idea if they were winning or losing because they look the same.

In your losing match, you were probably tilting a little bit, and didn't even know it until it was too late.
 
Absolutely not....you just did right.

miscrewed89 said:
Tuesday night I matched up with a local player to play some one pocket. I have never lost to this guy, ever. That is, until Tuesday...
The match started out as expected. I quickly won the first two games. Then, something in my head clicked, or should I say, short circuited! I started shooting shots that Efren wouldn't even shoot, and missing them badly, of course. Subsequently, selling out and, just as quickly, losing the next two games. At this point I tell myself to tighten up and play right. Well, it didn't seem to matter. Everything that could go wrong did and 5 hours later I was 7 games loser.

Wednesday night... rematch. I had a different attitude. I did not assume I was going to win. I made a conscientious effort to make the right choices, shoot the right shots, take and maintain the lead. It seemed like everything that could go wrong did, for him! I got every good roll imaginable, and then some, besides playing some of the best one pocket I've ever played! Within 2 hours of starting I had my money back from the night before.

Was it the pool gods, karma, or just merely coincidence that completely turned things around?
Click to expand...

Absolutely not, you just did right.

Sometimes it takes a jolt to make you do right. Happened to me once in a tournament a race to 5. I miss a ball and a really good player controls the game and beats me 4 consecutive racks. I decide he will not see the ball ever again and I controlled the games shot safe or ran balls until I got to a shot I wasnt sure about and shot safe again. I beat the guy because I played right and so did you. The great thing about it is its not about money or the pressure dont be deluded about that. Its about thinking right an doing right and the better always rises to the top statistically.
 
bdorman said:
It had nothing to do with divinity, the paranormal or statistics: You turned it around -- nothing more, nothing less.
Click to expand...

Yes, I honestly believe that as well. However, it is strange, and I've seen it countless times over the years, that when a player is playing very well, even when he makes a mistake it seems to turn out alright. Yet, when a player is not playing well, it seems everything he does turns in to a sellout. For example: the very last game I needed 2 balls. There was a cluster of balls and one loose ball around the spot none of which would go directly in my pocket. There was also a ball toward the middle of the top rail which I did not want to bank at my pocket because I only needed 2. I opted to shoot the loose ball near the spot 4 rails toward my pocket and nestle the CB in the cluster. I hit it bad, not just a little bit bad, but very, very badly! It clipped the ball on the top rail sending it directly at my pocket and also put the original object ball back on line for the 4 rail bank. The first ball (4 railer) stopped about an inch from my pocket on the bottom rail, the second hung in the jaws. The cue ball, instead of stunning and nestling in the cluster like I intended, went to the bottom rail, spun to the side rail, then back to the spot I originally wanted to put it.
The shot looked amazing, like something Efren or Scott would do! But it was complete and utter bullshit!
 
There is a "mental" equilibrium that is established between players.

This is why many very strong players will not practice with novice players. The lack of effort needed to win allows the stronger player to adopt a weaker mental game plan and as such they lighten up on their level of commitment which is essential to performance.

This is the problem you encountered. You took for granted that you would beat this guy and as such you subconsciously left out many key ingredients that would normally keep you in a heightened state of focus.

Once that happens, things start to fall apart and as is often the case, the player becomes hyper sensitive to all the "bad" rolls and coincidental situations that he might otherwise have ignored had he been winning the match.
 
I wouldn't call it a divine intervention. What's responsible for my level of play is my entire physical and mental state, including metabolism, time of day, motivation, mood, energy etc. It can vary drastically, and I learned to accept it.
 
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