Opponent slammed butt of stick on ground and made me miss, just part of the game??

T

thubosky

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
So I'm playing in the 8th annual Williamsport, PA tournament over the weekend and am 4 rounds deep in the winners side. I'm up 3-1 in a race to 4. I'm finishing a final run with 1 ball left and then the 8. Straight in shot to the corner with just a little angle. I wanted to fire it in and bounce off the rail just a little to have the 8 in the opposite corner pocket.

When I'm down on the shot getting my cue speed in my practice strokes, I'm just ready to shoot when I hear my opponent slam his stick butt on the wooden floor and is like muttering curse words to himself. It wasn't at the moment of impact but pretty close.

It made me think, " was that my opponent?", "what a sore loser!"

And I end up shooting the shot and leaving the cue ball on the rail. I'm mad about it of course. Still a very makeable shot so I go to shoot it and I need to worry abt scratching in opposite side pocket now. It just concerned me so I tried playing a little side English and with being on the rail it made it harder and I miss.

My opponent is shocked and says, "wow I don't think you missed a ball all match."

He goes on to come back and beat me 4-3. He is the nicest guy after that saying I'm an incredible shooter....makes it hard for me to snap on him so I let it all go.

His next match the tournament director gets called over about Him not calling a not so obvious shot. He apparently if his opponent wasn't sure abt it then he should have asked what shot he was going for. But it was one of those shots where he thought the straight in 1 ball was going in the corner, but the guy shot the 2 ball next to it over to the other corner. So the question came up after the shot.

Anyway it's awarded to the shooter which is the dick who slammed his stick(Andrew). Also when his opponent went to ask for the tourney director he made a big scene was still going to continue shooting. He was acting like a psycho.

After this, he shoots the 8 ball and the cue ball is rolling towards the corner pocket but I don't think it was close to scratching but he puts his stick down and stops the cue with it and goes to rack the next rack. His opponent gets furious But let's it go. Opponent ends up losing and this Andrew ends up winning the whole 8 ball tournament. Beating some really good shooters.

I'm pissed he sharked me to win. I know i should have recollected myself before I shot but it sort of startled me and I thought abt him rather than what I was doing and I shot anyway and messed up. Just really bothers me when I had him beat badly and would have definitely won and this guy does that and goes on to win $4k+++

I later tell the tourney director date I see Andrew cause a scene in his next match and he says that yea he's a pain in the ass and that he wouldn't have been able to award me that rack or anything and that I just have to shoot through it.

So why do we cater to the bad players all the time? I said to my friend it makes me want to just pay the extra money and shoot with the pros to not deal with this and my friend said, " yea do that so then Earl can throw a chalk at you!" Lmao
Thanks for listening to my rant.
Tim
 
thubosky said:
So I'm playing in the 8th annual Williamsport, PA tournament over the weekend and am 4 rounds deep in the winners side. I'm up 3-1 in a race to 4. I'm finishing a final run with 1 ball left and then the 8. Straight in shot to the corner with just a little angle. I wanted to fire it in and bounce off the rail just a little to have the 8 in the opposite corner pocket.

When I'm down on the shot getting my cue speed in my practice strokes, I'm just ready to shoot when I hear my opponent slam his stick butt on the wooden floor and is like muttering curse words to himself. It wasn't at the moment of impact but pretty close.

It made me think, " was that my opponent?", "what a sore loser!"

And I end up shooting the shot and leaving the cue ball on the rail. I'm mad about it of course. Still a very makeable shot so I go to shoot it and I need to worry abt scratching in opposite side pocket now. It just concerned me so I tried playing a little side English and with being on the rail it made it harder and I miss.

My opponent is shocked and says, "wow I don't think you missed a ball all match."

He goes on to come back and beat me 4-3. He is the nicest guy after that saying I'm an incredible shooter....makes it hard for me to snap on him so I let it all go.

His next match the tournament director gets called over about Him not calling a not so obvious shot. He apparently if his opponent wasn't sure abt it then he should have asked what shot he was going for. But it was one of those shots where he thought the straight in 1 ball was going in the corner, but the guy shot the 2 ball next to it over to the other corner. So the question came up after the shot.

Anyway it's awarded to the shooter which is the dick who slammed his stick(Andrew). Also when his opponent went to ask for the tourney director he made a big scene was still going to continue shooting. He was acting like a psycho.

After this, he shoots the 8 ball and the cue ball is rolling towards the corner pocket but I don't think it was close to scratching but he puts his stick down and stops the cue with it and goes to rack the next rack. His opponent gets furious But let's it go. Opponent ends up losing and this Andrew ends up winning the whole 8 ball tournament. Beating some really good shooters.

I'm pissed he sharked me to win. I know i should have recollected myself before I shot but it sort of startled me and I thought abt him rather than what I was doing and I shot anyway and messed up. Just really bothers me when I had him beat badly and would have definitely won and this guy does that and goes on to win $4k+++

I later tell the tourney director date I see Andrew cause a scene in his next match and he says that yea he's a pain in the ass and that he wouldn't have been able to award me that rack or anything and that I just have to shoot through it.

So why do we cater to the bad players all the time? I said to my friend it makes me want to just pay the extra money and shoot with the pros to not deal with this and my friend said, " yea do that so then Earl can throw a chalk at you!" Lmao
Thanks for listening to my rant.
Tim
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Everybody handles sharking differently and deals with it differently. There are some

guys that get sharked by absolutely anything even if its across the room. It takes a

fair amount for me to get sharked by another player. I usually shark myself really.

Anyways I was playing 9 ball in a league about a year ago when I still played APA.

Despite the bad rap APA gets it was a good learning experience when I was newer to

the game. Anyhow. I end up playing this lady who wasn't very good and am doing my

thing when one of her teammates starts making comments about a lot of shots,

shape, and misses on my end. I was on the 5 ball when I got bad position on the 6

because I didn't draw the ball enough and he went " Nice draw stroke." I preceaded to

run out, walk over to him and said " I'd really appreciate it if you'd shut the **** up

because you are starting to piss me off." (sounded polite enough) he said oh okay and

I broke and ran the next rack.

The same situation has come up when somebody called me a sandbagger, or another

person racked me, I almost always played better. I told somebody to shut the **** up

playing a race to 3 one pocket for a $100 (the most money I had played for at the time)

and proceeded to rust him when I was on the hill.

If this were part of the game then people wouldn't get warnings for it and it would

literally be incorporated in the game lol! Always try to take a step back and if you can't

get up real close to them and make them afraid of you. I'm not a big guy by any

means but I have a special look I reserve for people that seems to intimidate or at the

very least make them wonder if I'd go to the car and grab a gun or break a cue over

them.
 
Hold your horses! A race to 4 8 ball tourney pays 4K for first? The rest of your post is par for the course;)
 
Honestly, having come up in this environment and being around it for many years I can say the best way to handle it other than just smashing someone is to just completely ignore it. A good bit of the time the actual sharking is an afterthought with the real point to get in your head and hopefully send you on tilt. Think about it a single shark move on one ball is good for only that one shot, but if your all pissed off and keep thinking about it that can last for the rest of the match. By just completely ignoring you will actually be getting in their head and effecting their game. This has been my experience.
 
Hey thubosky,

Wish you would have introduced yourself Saturday. I'm the guy who called the TD over after Andrew shot what I considered a non-obvious shot on a ball. The TD told me it was my fault for not asking what Andrew was doing. My fault? Wade does a nice job of running the event but I sincerely disagree with his ruling and told him so when I left for the night.

To help clarify what you described in my match, the ball Andrew shot was nearly a diamond to the left of the center of the table. There was also another ball of his set nearly in-line with his shot and close to the upper left hand pocket. With the cue ball to the right of center, he back cut the ball all the way to the top right hand corner and ran the cue ball all the way around the table to the bottom rail. Claimed it was the "only" way to play the shot. Pure BS. Unfortunately Wade allowed him to continue. The cue ball hitting his cue was incidental to me. Not going to call the foul even though several players said I should have. I had two more chances to win the match. I failed and paid the price. He won the event. I finished 9-12. Over. Done. On to the next event.

After reading your post, I now understand why he told me I was sharking him. Obviously this is his way to win. Perhaps karma will level the field. Too bad it will be in the future. For both of us.

Lyn
 
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If you were able to hold up shooting after he slammed the cue to the ground making a loud noise, you should have walked to him to ask if he was OK since you heard a gun shot and were concerned. Then take a bathroom break keeping him in the chair a little longer and getting yourself composed.

At the very least you could stop and acknowledge the noise and reset. I hate that kind of stuff. Sounds like you shot well. Was this a bar table?

Good luck in the next one.

Dave
 
Not part of the game.

You have every right to be upset.

Nobody is entirely shark proof, and anyone claiming to be so should be viewed with suspicion. A loud noise like that is probably going to have an effect on just about anybody especially with the "perfect" timing. I don't get sharked as easily as I used to, so I think it's a matter of training to at least be more resistant to it. That being said, if someone runs past the line of sight at the moment I shoot, I sometimes miss the ball. Our eyes track movement and it's hard to stop such a a reflex action, especially when the movement is close enough that it would be in the "danger zone" for a primitive man.
 
It's an inconsiderate shark move... IMO if you had time, get up off the shot, cool out, recompose, then make your correct shot. If it's right as you're addressing the ball, that's
a whole different scenario... sharking is someone trying to get under your skin, get you pissed off so you miss... trying to tune out distractions and just 'playing the table', not the player is a constant challenge.

A great player once told me.. "MIND OVER MATTER... IF YOU DON'T MIND, IT DON'T MATTER".
 
androd said:
Sounds like you had him where you wanted. Maybe you were looking for an excuse to miss.
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Wow, this is one tough crowd. Perhaps the day will come when you will be faced with the same situation. Hope you fare as well as the OP. He was obviously looking for a way to lose just as I did!

Lyn
 
Teacherman said:
Whaaaa...........
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Teach,

I guess you never had that happen to you when you were an up and coming player. Of course you just tightened your belt up a notch and fired the set winning ball in at warp speed. Some people are just not as strong as you obviously are. Me included.

Lyn
 
cardiac kid said:
Hey thubosky,

Wish you would have introduced yourself Saturday. I'm the guy who called the TD over after Andrew shot what I considered a non-obvious shot on a ball. The TD told me it was my fault for not asking what Andrew was doing. My fault? Wade does a nice job of running the event but I sincerely disagree with his ruling and told him so when I left for the night.

To help clarify what you described in my match, the ball Andrew shot was nearly a diamond to the left of the center of the table. There was also another ball of his set nearly in-line with his shot and close to the upper left hand pocket. With the cue ball to the right of center, he back cut the ball all the way to the top right hand corner and ran the cue ball all the way around the table to the bottom rail. Claimed it was the "only" way to play the shot. Pure BS. Unfortunately Wade allowed him to continue. The cue ball hitting his cue was incidental to me. Not going to call the foul even though several players said I should have. I had two more chances to win the match. I failed and paid the price. He won the event. I finished 9-12. Over. Done. On to the next event.

After reading your post, I now understand why he told me I was sharking him. Obviously this is his way to win. Perhaps karma will level the field. Too bad it will be in the future. For both of us.

Lyn
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Hey! Thats cool I know exactly who you are, I was sitting behind the table where you were standing. My buddy and I were right where you walk between the wooden tables. I did start telling you about my situation, but it got a little hectic in there when Wade came over. I was the younger guy with maroon long sleeve shirt and camo hat.

Yea its a shame we played someone with no respect for the players or the game. Also, a shame that noone knocked him out! lol He was a really good shot though. Might have been in the losers if he sat quietly watching me beat him. Oh well it just seasons me for the next tournament.
Tim
 
12squared said:
If you were able to hold up shooting after he slammed the cue to the ground making a loud noise, you should have walked to him to ask if he was OK since you heard a gun shot and were concerned. Then take a bathroom break keeping him in the chair a little longer and getting yourself composed.

At the very least you could stop and acknowledge the noise and reset. I hate that kind of stuff. Sounds like you shot well. Was this a bar table?

Good luck in the next one.

Dave
Click to expand...

Lol I love this! Will definitely do it if someone tries to shark me again! I was shooting phenomenally! Not trying to brag, but I was in the zone. Really thought I was going to win it all. My prior matches were 4-0, 4-2, 4-1. Then my losers bracket match I just couldn't forget about what happened and got more angry thinking about it and was blasting away at balls.
 
iusedtoberich said:
Hold your horses! A race to 4 8 ball tourney pays 4K for first? The rest of your post is par for the course;)
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I forget the exact payouts. I know the 9 ball calcutta 1st place was $3600 plus atleast $1500 for the 1st tourney payout. I actually think it was $2000 for the 1st tourney. Even 2nd place calcutta was $1800. A little over 150 players.

The 8 ball had more players than the 9 ball tournament, but I don't think the calcutta was as high. 1st was $2800 calcutta and $1500 Tourney winnings. A little over 200 players.

Was played on valley bar boxes. Its a great paying tournament.
 
cardiac kid said:
Teach,

I guess you never had that happen to you when you were an up and coming player. Of course you just tightened your belt up a notch and fired the set winning ball in at warp speed. Some people are just not as strong as you obviously are. Me included.

Lyn
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Only those who allowed themselves to be sharked can be sharked. Grow up.

Whaaaa.
 
Straightpool_99 said:
Not part of the game.

You have every right to be upset.

Nobody is entirely shark proof, and anyone claiming to be so should be viewed with suspicion. A loud noise like that is probably going to have an effect on just about anybody especially with the "perfect" timing. I don't get sharked as easily as I used to, so I think it's a matter of training to at least be more resistant to it. That being said, if someone runs past the line of sight at the moment I shoot, I sometimes miss the ball. Our eyes track movement and it's hard to stop such a a reflex action, especially when the movement is close enough that it would be in the "danger zone" for a primitive man.
Click to expand...

Its that dam "fight or flight" caveman area of our brain that we just cant seem to get out of our gene pool. :smile:
 
Teacherman said:
Only those who allowed themselves to be sharked can be sharked. Grow up.

Whaaaa.
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I usually don't let stuff bother me and affect my shooting. But I would say its the distraction part of it that affected me. It took me out of the moment. I was ready to shoot and got startled and then was thinking in my mind rather than focusing on the execution.

So you are telling me if your in a moderately quiet atmosphere bent over getting ready to shoot and all of a sudden you here a loud bang come from directly behind you and even might have vibrated the wooden floor enough for you to feel that you wouldn't notice it at all???? It was the pure distraction that affected me I believe. It made me think about something other than the shot. And was done on purpose so its BS.
 
Teacherman said:
Only those who allowed themselves to be sharked can be sharked. Grow up.

Whaaaa.
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Hope you are prepared to tell that to (at a minimum) Earl Strickland. Earl once accused me of sharking him while I was standing forty feet away eating a bag of pretzels.

Teach, you obviously run a good pool room. You must be a good "teach" for Justin to play as well as he does. Perhaps you only need just a little bit of compassion for those who aren't as strong as you. Peace brother.

Lyn.
 
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