Opinions regarding a former top pro playing in and dominating a Poolroom‘s weekly handicapped tournament?

ChrisinNC said:
A top pro pool player back in his prime (+\- 30 years ago) is now frequently playing in a weekly handicapped 9-ball tournament that attracts 30–40 players, with a considerable $ Calcutta pot.

Even though the game handicaps he has to give up are often extreme, as much as 2/10, he seems to win most of the time, often going undefeated. Yes, there are some other skilled players in the field, but no one close to him, even in his advanced years.

As a room owner and tournament director, I have mixed feelings about how I would deal with it if it was happening in our pool room. On one hand, for anyone desiring to get better, an opportunity to play a match against and learn from a player like that should be relished, even if you are mainly just watching.

On the other hand, I’ve heard there are a number of their regular tournament players that are complaining about his participation. I also have a hard time understanding what his motive is to be playing in a tournament like this, unless he really needs the $.

I guess my decision regarding how I would handle this would depend largely on how respectful and helpful he comes across to all the other players he is playing. Just curious as to opinions?
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Johnny Archer?
 
ChrisinNC said:
A top pro pool player back in his prime (+\- 30 years ago) is now frequently playing in a weekly handicapped 9-ball tournament that attracts 30–40 players, with a considerable $ Calcutta pot.

Even though the game handicaps he has to give up are often extreme, as much as 2/10, he seems to win most of the time, often going undefeated. Yes, there are some other skilled players in the field, but no one close to him, even in his advanced years.

As a room owner and tournament director, I have mixed feelings about how I would deal with it if it was happening in our pool room. On one hand, for anyone desiring to get better, an opportunity to play a match against and learn from a player like that should be relished, even if you are mainly just watching.

On the other hand, I’ve heard there are a number of their regular tournament players that are complaining about his participation. I also have a hard time understanding what his motive is to be playing in a tournament like this, unless he really needs the $.

I guess my decision regarding how I would handle this would depend largely on how respectful and helpful he comes across to all the other players he is playing. Just curious as to opinions?
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Here’s what you do Chris, tear his rotator cuff, detach his labrum and throw in some bone spurs to boot. This will keep him from playing for awhile (5 months for me so far). It’s the longest I’ve gone without being able to play since I first started over 40 years ago.

That will teach him for winning your tournament!
 
the nuts by definition wins. and almost always the player spotting wins as few times they give enough.

as the other guy is the one wanting to play badly and accepts the bad game.
 
The guy is obviously just under handicapped in a handicap event.

Nobody seems to be complaining about playing a pro or "better players".

I'm all for king of the hill and earnin' thru lickins'
but this is just like an "A" player playing with a
"D" players handicap.
 
boogieman said:
I understand that for some playing a stronger player can be daunting or get them nervous, but I find it exciting.

I play my absolute best against strong players. It's like there's no pressure for me to win so I figure I'll let my stroke out. I'm meant to lose, might as well have some fun. And then I think things like "wouldn't it be funny if I won?" Then sometimes I do, or at least give them a game where they have to buckle down.

Some strong players, can really get thrown off their game if they sense you aren't starstruck. The human mind is a funny thing and people watching can be fun in pool. :) We have a local very good player who gives lessons and such, has students, well known. He's really good, but if you don't seem starstruck or nervous about playing him, he really struggles. He usually pulls out the win, but the dynamic is a fun one to try to figure out.

I'm currently trying to fix a mental error in my game. I play great against really good players, but against people at my level or below I find it hard to focus and usually play badly.
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I talk about this here:

 
couldnthinkof01 said:
The guy is obviously just under handicapped in a handicap event.

Nobody seems to be complaining about playing a pro or "better players".

I'm all for king of the hill and earnin' thru lickins'
but this is just like an "A" player playing with a
"D" players handicap.
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As I’ve said earlier, I totaly agree. The onus is completely on the TD to correct the handicap, which up to this point he has chosen to side for this celebrity player over all of his regulars, which is too bad. To clarify, it is not my Poolroom or my tournament, I was just looking for feedback.
 
Make them pay at least $100 to get in and find a new handicap. If a tourn is open...then it's open. Around the Wash., D.C. area we got many pros showing up and without handicap, didn't always win. They paid as much as $200 to get in.
 
boogieman said:
understand that for some playing a stronger player can be daunting or get them nervous, but I find it exciting
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Uh oh! I am back and triggered (again 😉). Uh where was I.? Oh yeah , " The taste of blood excites me." Is a favorite quote. Spoken by a workmate that played professionally basketball. 🤷‍♂️ go figure. Have you noticed how the basketball players use their elbows?
Fortunately action on the pool table can trigger the same...without the blood. Shrug.
 
"Trying to remember....oh yeah epilog. Well final of the day anyway.
It's frigging recreation! Not one of the Whinney Butts in this thread that wants small money....gets it. It ain't the money that makes it fun. Oh 🤫 nevermind.
 
Just remembered where I was going with this. The former basketball pro that I worked with as a carpenter.....after work played hoops at the gym or playground. Go figure.
 
maha said:
he is pissing everyone off as it is obvious their money is going to one person.

you would be too if you had to play a certain person who beats you every time before you could play with someone else for money.
and you would complain if the t.d. took 50% of the prize money for no reason.

basically most do not like anything that seems un fair. we all do to our own extents.
if you run any business and the general customer thinks you do it un fairly then you are going to lose him.
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but i have been there too, and eventually i beat that top guy (750+) several times and won the tourney several times. maybe we have different hcp systems over here, but the general idea should surely be that it's open for everyone.

non-handicapped is a different story. we had a former pro and mosconi cup player get in on the amateur, non-handicapped tier 2 league after a couple of years layoff. THAT was wrong in every way. also took a certain type of person to go and do that
 
Bob Jewett said:
I think the best situation for learning how to play with pressure is to play in tournaments where you are about in the middle of the pack. You can learn techniques and shots from the better players and work on winning when you should from the weaker players.

A 400 will learn nothing about actually playing by entering the US Open.
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They'll learn that all new equipment sure does play differently than their local rooms.
 
In the Tri Cities players found a way to support a professional. I told this story in another thread. (A story! Imagine that 😉). So will endeavor to make a link rather than tell it again.
How Real Men play
 
Mixed feelings here. Our room has a 770+ player who usually gets a 5/2 race against say, a 500 Fargo. Fair? Life is not fair. To me, it's like this example: My son plays college baseball. Let's put his 16-3 team against the local 14U little-league team. And then, well give the 14U team 18 runs already on the scoreboard. First team to 21 runs wins. C'mon, my son's team will probably score 20 runs in less than two innings so the handicap is really of no importance here. I would think for every +100 on the Fargo chart it should translate to two+ games. In other words, a 700 playing a 500 in race-to-2 should be 6/2 and STILL that's pretty questionable. At some point, the handicap means nothing. Like giving a baby a million dollars for driving 10' in 5 seconds and offering an F1 driver the same for driving 500 miles in 4 hrs. The baby still can't reach the pedals.
 
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