My Fargorate progression

[bbb]

I won all 5 games played, winning the ahead set in about 3.5 hrs. The bet was 5 ahead for 4k per man. He was spotting me 9-8 each game. He had 2 other guys in with him, I was solo.

I only had 2 days to prepare. The game came about as I just sold my car and the buyer paid me with paper cash. I messaged him on Wed and said "let's play a big set before I get responsible and deposit the cash into my bank acct". We set the game for Friday, his only day off.

Wed I called an old buddy of mine that's the only person I know who has a 9' Diamond at home. I went to his house, and it was a red label (I thought it was blue before going). It played awesome though. I loved it. Funny, he told me the Diamond installer fell of the truck and broke his arm in front of his house, and had to get another installer. This was around 2010. I played with him a few hours.

The next day I went to another room that had a tight GC, and played my friend and foe Rachel. Neither game was for money, but I needed to get into one pocket stroke. I played her about 5 hrs. Also did a lot of running balls into one pocket drills there, and banking practice. I finished there about 11pm, and drove to the room the match would be played at. I was hiding because I didn't want my opponent to see me play before the match.

I stayed there until about 1am, hitting balls on the actual table, and brushing up on my break. Also figuring out the rack on that table, the spot was worn so it was tricky. I spent time figuring out the corner 5 diamond system on that table incase I had to kick 3 rails from my pocket to his, and also to the long rail to get behind a ball by his hole. Also a lot of banks to get used to it. I was super happy with the table. Best Diamond blue label I ever played on. This room for some reason the Diamonds just play great.

I couldn't sleep well when I got home. When I woke up I was shaking, and worried about the match. I had a lot of support in my corner and some buddies that came to watch. I won every game, but I was nervous and shaking the whole time. I played super tight, and the strategy worked. Even though I was not feeling great mentally, I feel my game play was above average for me. So the nerves didn't affect the pocketing. The scores were roughly from memory 8 to minus 2, 8 to 3, 8-5, 8-4, and the last game 8-2.

The last game he scratched when I had 6 and he had 1. All the balls were in play and open to his hole. I had BIH and a close shot near the line, leading to position on another ball near my side pocket. I was shaking and nervous that if I missed the shot, he could run out. So I went for a ball that was on the spot instead. I pocketed it to get on hill and match point, then knocked all his balls up table in the subsequent innings. After the match a couple of the guys said I went for the wrong shot, and should have went for the easy 2 ball out. I said no way, I was nervous and shaking and all I was thinking was if I miss he can get out from the position. For ME in that situation it was 100% the right shot. They didn't agree, but I stand by it. I ended up winning that game 8-2 about 20 min later. Oh, the table was ordered from Diamond with the one pocket cut. I can't remember if 4 1/8" or 4 1/4".

I was cold and hard the whole match, really focusing and taking it seriously. I didn't want to give him a single inch. After I sunk the match ball all my emotions came out. I was almost in tears when the ball sunk. I had to sit down I was really shaking bad a good 20 minutes after. I think it was not only the nerves, but a lack of sleep that really pushed me.

My opponent and I talked a good bit a couple hours later, and he thanked me for the game. He had never played near that high, and he said he also had similar emotions and shakiness to me while he was playing. We sort of connected on that level.

We'll probably do it again sometime in the future.

great win nick ....
i play alot of onepocket
you played the right shot for you at that time
you played the score and took the lowest risk shot available when your confidence was low
not everyone shoots like filler

 

[iusedtoberich]

Oh, immediately before the match I texted my group chat buddies: "I'm a little nervous. I just took a piss and my D was like an inch long."

Of course, the response was: "So its half an inch longer than normal?"

 

[Coos Cues]

26K views · 143 reactions | 🐘🛁 Sandbagging, data, and “no soap, radio.” Sandbagging is one of those topics everyone has strong opinions about — and very little agreement on what’s actually happening. So instead of trading anecdotes, we looked at da

🐘🛁 Sandbagging, data, and “no soap, radio.” Sandbagging is one of those topics everyone has strong opinions about — and very little agreement on what’s actually happening. So instead of trading...

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Although the presentation was compelling and well done I was left a bit wanting because I kept expecting this but it wasn't delivered.

"Now let's isolate the top 8 players finishing in this high dollar event event and compare their data to the rest of the field as two separate group"

"And then let's have a look at the same criteria for the entire group compared to a random sampling of players in the system with a 553 average"

Because if all 63 are sandbaggers than none of them are right?

What is the average performance for the same histograms already discussed for these two groups?

What is the average robustness for these two groups?

This would have been powerful to "yeh but" proof your presentation but unfortunately you didn't do it leaving the scepital minds to still think there is a chance you're cherry picking data that you like and hiding thing you may find that you don't.

Just the fact you are the only one's with access to the full database to "discover" things already make it suspect in many minds.

Not criticizing, just saying you should dig deeper and report the results if your goal is to end the actual criticism. This video came up short IMO .

 

[philly]

Yes, we played on 2. I can't remember if 4 1/8" or 4 1/4". It was my first time using the 3D printed ball holders I made in an actual match. I really like them! Sometimes I get stupid while playing and can't count the balls in the ball holder on a GC, and especially the Diamond wire holder where there is no separation between the two opponents and the balls don't line up straight. This 3D printed rack with the numbers I just glanced at the numbers and knew the score. Also there was a text chain with my buddies and one buddy was in the room. From across the room he could see the score and was updating the text chain.

Here is that thread for anyone wondering what I'm talking about: https://forums.azbilliards.com/threads/3d-printed-one-pocket-ball-rack.585586/

I like the ball holders too.

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

Good stuff man!

 

[Bob Jewett]

...Wed I called an old buddy of mine that's the only person I know who has a 9' Diamond at home. I went to his house, and it was a red label (I thought it was blue before going). It played awesome though. I loved it. ...

... I was super happy with the table. Best Diamond blue label I ever played on. This room for some reason the Diamonds just play great. ...

What have you done with Nick!?!

If you really are Nick, I think you should send half of the $5k to Diamond.

Oh, and congratulations!

 

[iusedtoberich]

What have you done with Nick!?!

If you really are Nick, I think you should send half of the $5k to Diamond.

Oh, and congratulations!

I met Glen at the Expo. We actually got along great. I don't know if its super public knowledge, but lets just say I'll be even happier with how Diamond's play come about Q1 2027. They will be a lot closer to the new GC7. Wink wink.

 

[Kris_b1104]

I met Glen at the Expo. We actually got along great. I don't know if its super public knowledge, but lets just say I'll be even happier with how Diamond's play come about Q1 2027. They will be a lot closer to the new GC7. Wink wink.

Just tell us bro.

 

[iusedtoberich]

Just tell us bro.

New cushions are supposedly coming in Q1. Designed by Glen. Not made by Artemis. Diamond is working on having the molds made this year. They will have a higher nose height so the balls will go longer and be less springy. (The GC7 has a higher height, I measured them). They will cost much less than the Artemis per cushion. They will be used on all Diamond tables, 7', 8', and 9'. They will be able to be retrofit on any Blue Diamond with only a cushion re-gluing as the wood rail portion will remain exactly the same, and the difference in shape will come from the cushion itself. No need to re-bevel the sub-rail like the Red to Blue transition. There will also be an unrelated change that will put a rubber strip (neoprene or similar high durometer) on the bottom of the rail that the rail cloth staples will staple into. This will also be a molded part. The staples will easily come right out during recovering, and the rubber strip will self-heal over the staple holes.