Sharking

[Fatboy]

Sharking is relative... What's in consequential to one, may be the end of the world to another.

I generally find someone attempting to 'shark' me entertaining. Of course it's usually in a more passive methodology. Like I've never had anyone pull a gun on me while eye'ing up the 8b...lol

That is great insight. And yes having thicc skin (notice the modern spelling of thick ) to be able to not let the shenanigans bother you is another skill set that’s critical.

Some guys are tourney tuff, others are able to handle the bullshit of “S” ing (I just can’t use that word) . I’ve never been tourney tuff. I can handle the other noise just fine but not 100% of the time, nerves come into play now and then.

Touching another players equipment has always been out of bounds, gun play is fair play j/k. Both are farther than I’d ever go.

This thread is what I miss about pool, the milk drinkers just don’t understand…..

I watched Efren play Sucal the other night. Efren was getting in his line of sight, standing up on him. He had all the moves going, he’s no saint. He’s a pool player!!!

 

[iusedtoberich]

I was playing a guy 25 years ago, we were both about 19. Race to 9 for 200. It's hill hill, I'm shooting the last few balls. I think we were playing backpacket 9 ball, but it might have been regular 9 ball. I'm on the game ball, and he yells and gets up and throws his chair across the room as I was down on the shot. I made the ball and win the set. Then he goes outside and breaks his Judd custom cue over his knee, and throws it far in the air.

 

[iusedtoberich]

I was playing a long time foe, and he had a huge crush on one of the local gals, who was also a super good player. I paid her $40 to shoot on the table next to us, wearing short shorts. I won the set with my man This was also 25 years ago. ha ha.

 

[iusedtoberich]

I was playing another guy, also 25 years ago (common theme...) an expensive set of one hole. One of my buddies (buddy 1) owed him about 100 for a long time, and buddy 1 would just laugh in his face any time he asked to collect. So the guy was always super mad when he saw buddy 1. I "gave" buddy 1 100 and told him to flip quarters for 20 a flip with another buddy of mine, buddy 2, while I was playing my man. Buddy 1 "lost" the 100 in about 5-10 minutes of flipping to buddy 2, right at the counter next to the table I was gambling at. I later got the 100 back from Buddy 2. The player was HOT! ha ha ha

 

[skogstokig]

I watched Efren play Sucal the other night. Efren was getting in his line of sight, standing up on him. He had all the moves going, he’s no saint. He’s a pool player!!!

another reyes is the worst at that, reyes gomez.. he'll go around the table to stand in the line of sight.. always needs his crew with him to crowd the table.. and i don't agree with you on this one, consider me a milk drinker extraordinaire

 

[Fatboy]

I was playing a guy 25 years ago, we were both about 19. Race to 9 for 200. It's hill hill, I'm shooting the last few balls. I think we were playing backpacket 9 ball, but it might have been regular 9 ball. I'm on the game ball, and he yells and gets up and throws his chair across the room as I was down on the shot. I made the ball and win the set. Then he goes outside and breaks his Judd custom cue over his knee, and throws it far in the air.

This is great! The sore losers…..

Reminds me of a session I played a guy, he went out back and punched the wall and broke his hand. I was 21 he was 18. I busted him. Thankfully he was mad at himself for asking me to play, not at me.

 

[Fatboy]

another reyes is the worst at that, reyes gomez.. he'll go around the table to stand in the line of sight.. always needs his crew with him to crowd the table.. and i don't agree with you on this one, consider me a milk drinker extraordinaire

Efren is cool. I watched it 2 nights ago. He came with a shot that was better than the Z shot in that session too.

Milk is good!

 

[DynoDan]

I grew up in a conservative, small, 50s midwestern town, where most everyone who frequented the best room was well behaved and respectful. I didn’t encounter real ‘sharking’ until I started gambling in Kentucky bars while in the army. Most flagrant was a guy who always stood right in front of your target pocket, shouting, gesturing, and heavily blowing thick cigar smoke over it while you shot!
IMHO, the most effective sharking technique, is intentionally starting an unwarranted argument. It typically upsets & confuses you, effecting your concentration (is he crazy, or did I actually give him cause, etc.?). Admittedly, I‘m vulnerable.

 

[Fatboy]

I grew up in a conservative, small, 50s midwestern town, where most everyone who frequented the best room was well behaved and respectful. I didn’t encounter real ‘sharking’ until I started gambling in Kentucky bars while in the army. Most flagrant was a guy who always stood right in front of your target pocket, shouting, gesturing, and heavily blowing thick cigar smoke over it while you shot!
IMHO, the most effective sharking technique, is intentionally starting an unwarranted argument. It typically upsets & confuses you, effecting your concentration (is he crazy, or did I actually give him cause, etc.?). Admittedly, I‘m vulnerable.

Since you mentioned it, I’d always choose a session playing someone who is a gentleman not looking for the exploit. Ofc I was guilty of starting the problem a few times when I had to, I know it sounds horrible and it probably was, but life was different back then. Doesn’t make it right, but that’s how it was.

 

[skogstokig]

IMHO, the most effective sharking technique, is intentionally starting an unwarranted argument. It typically upsets & confuses you, effecting your concentration (is he crazy, or did I actually give him cause, etc.?). Admittedly, I‘m vulnerable.

i don't know most effective but it's surely the most common and most accepted technique. but technology has been against them. when the racking templates came on the scene here, approximately 70% of these arguments went away, and the most notorious argument starters were left to boiling in the chair. now if you want to take away another potential point of conflict, have them film close hits.

our weekly tourneys allows ear phones too. they hate that the most because their comments and mutterings aren't heard

 

[DynoDan]

i don't know most effective but it's surely the most common and most accepted technique. but technology has been against them. when the racking templates came on the scene here, approximately 70% of these arguments went away, and the most notorious argument starters were left to boiling in the chair. now if you want to take away another potential point of conflict, have them film close hits.

our weekly tourneys allows ear phones too. they hate that the most because their comments and mutterings aren't heard

Others:
The result of a coin-flip.
Local bar rules.
Tournament arrangements.
You can create a seemingly innocent (but aggressively contentious) dispute over most anything .

 

[skogstokig]

Others:
The result of a coin-flip.
Local bar rules.
Tournament arrangements.
You can create a seemingly innocent (but aggressively contentious) dispute over most anything .

you're playing against even bigger retards than i am if they can't accept the binary result of a coin flip lol

 

[Flakeandrun]

For friendly stuff a favorite prank in college would be to take the CB or 9 off someone else's table when they weren't looking (or put a duplicate ball or random stripe on their table).

Makes me think of Mark Williams putting the cueball in his pocket, and the referee calling a foul on him haha

Actively tampering with someone's equipment is just wrong though. We all know how much this stuff costs, just don't.

I think that is what bothered me the most. I have become accustomed to a lot of the extra noise around the pool table that never existed when I played snooker. But touching my stuff really pissed me off. Then to act like a confused toddler and deny it. The thing was dripping...

 

[Flakeandrun]

Ah the Shark moves. I studied under Racetrack Rick.
The con is sewer move is so subtle.....they don't realize it until it's a done deal.
I liken the study of Shark moves to Martial arts.
Religion must accompany the knowledge.
The clumsy attempts at distraction serve as inspiration. If you wanna see my best game......just Piss Me Off. ! No Really. A Self Rightious attitude is hard to beat.
My interactions with clumsy attempts start with a close personal conversation. My presentation goes like this, "You are going to quit this shit. In the event that you don't, this will get Much Louder. I will make A Scene of it. Your choice."
My religious situation doesn't allow me to employ moves. Well unless they Earn it.
Story rerun:
It was the 3 player team event in Pendleton. 2 day event that had us playing the home team in the finals.
The owner had made it clear in an earlier game that she considered shark moves, uh fair play. I was in a tough situation and the ladies room door was directly in front of my shot. The area was cramped. As I got down to shoot, she sauntered to the ladies room.....and stopped. When I arose from the shot, I politely explained that I was distracted (by her standing inches from the table). She just smiled and refused to move along. Her move worked to perfect in that I made the shot but missed the shape. Racetrack knowledge is that, a perfect shark makes the shot but blows shape.
So with that uh Ground Rules experience, I don't feel guilty for using my knowledge to shake hands with my own team mate as their clean up hitter walked around the table to shoot the tournament winning 8 ball. It was hill/hill. The presentation was timed perfectly to catch the peripheral vision as he approached a simple shot on the 8. He missed the pocket by a diamond. That Karma can be a batch.
Stan released my hand and slapped me on the back hard enough to knock me half way to the table. It wasn't a big payday....seems like 320 ish each. I got the

While reading, I was waiting for a flash from the ladies room. That'd throw me off in my peripheral for sure
But I agree, sometimes the little, obscure things can catch peoples attention.

 

[Flakeandrun]

Sharking is relative... What's in consequential to one, may be the end of the world to another.

Absolutely, being used to playing in near silence around a snooker table, to a busy pool hall has been something that I have worked on a lot. Especially as someone with ADHD. Headphones are my friend. Like I said, being in China, I find opponents quite relaxed, stoic and focussed. I don't see much sharking, or if I do, It has flown over my head for sure.
Where I see sharking, is usually from expats, and it's at a point where it's so cliché'd or poorly done that it makes them look stupid, or is entertaining. Really annoyed that someone ruined a perfectly good piece of chalk to be honest...

I generally find someone attempting to 'shark' me entertaining. Of course it's usually in a more passive methodology. Like I've never had anyone pull a gun on me while eye'ing up the 8b...lol

hahahaha I'd probably dog that 8 for sure...

The best shark I ever watched, was a visiting pro who'd come to play a Chinese 8ball tournament. Of course he was an awesome player. But everything about his game was tailored to win. How he would organize games, line up spots and generally conduct himself, was something I had never seen before. Someone used to swinging things his way for a few $$$

 

[Flakeandrun]

I was playing a guy 25 years ago, we were both about 19. Race to 9 for 200. It's hill hill, I'm shooting the last few balls. I think we were playing backpacket 9 ball, but it might have been regular 9 ball. I'm on the game ball, and he yells and gets up and throws his chair across the room as I was down on the shot. I made the ball and win the set. Then he goes outside and breaks his Judd custom cue over his knee, and throws it far in the air.

The satisfaction from this must have been huge lol

 

[Coos Cues]

I have been accused of squeaking my chair intentionally while my opponent is taking 2 minutes between shots. WTF my ass was getting numb.

 

[Island Drive]

Been victim to the odd bit of verbal, movement and whatever else. But last night was the first time anyone has ever done something physically to impact the game while I am playing (and that I am aware of lol).

Not even playing for anything worth mentioning, but I am 5-1 up in a race to 10. He wins the last rack, and we agree on a toilet break. Come back, and it's his break. Doesn't make a ball. Pick up my chalk to chalk my cue, and it's soaking wet. Then he tells me I did it... doesn't realize every table is on camera If he apologized, I'd have made a joke about him pissing on his hands and been less likely to accuse him outright of sharking.

Was pretty close to quitting on him... Instead, I made him wait 20+ minutes while I cleaned the chalk of the tips of my cues, and used a spare chalk.
Made sure to hammer him even harder.

Just curious, what experiences you have had, good/funny, bad and ugly with sharking. Sure there's some good stories to be shared on the topic.

I'd prefer to not comment on juvenile behavior.
It's a waste of time.

 

[MTfish]

I used to play in a lot of cheap ring games with mandatory sharking. We said horrible stuff to each other, but it was all in good fun and it was easier to fade because we were expecting it. I got really good at shaking off the usual insults, but one time right as I was about to shoot one of the guys said "fettuccine Alfredo" and I dogged it. Now I like fettuccine Alfredo but it's not like a huge favorite or anything. Mostly I was just thinking "Why the hell did he say fettuccine Alfredo?". Everybody got a good laugh out of it, and I learned to handle food sharks better after the incident.

 

[measureman]

The base I was on in Viet Nam had two tables on a concrete pad with a tin roof over it and no walls.
One time while playing a couple of 120 MM rockets landed fairly close and we jumped in a bunker till they stopped.
Would that be sharking?
After the barrage stopped we continued playing.
No big deal really at that time.