Chalk Habits and A Doozy of an AccuStats

The best is (sounds like what this guy does) when a dude walks around the table a chalks with every piece of chalk before shooting, someone that does that needs a good whack upside the head with the fat end of a house cue. Same when they put the chalk upside down on the rail, just why???? The dude needs to be explained to that's its a foul if a ball goes up on the rail and strikes a piece of chalk, that's why you don't want 5 chalks on the rail. One night at league there were excessive chalks on the table and people were only using the one good one, when it was my game the chalk was out of reach from where I was shooting from and all of the crappy chalks were grouped together, I used my cue like a hockey stick and slap shotted them across the room, everyone started laughing. I didnt do it for the humor, more or less just making a point to get the crap off of the table, especially if its not being used.

How about a simple throat punch on the first offense, should (hopefully) stop the stupidity.
 
Every time I went to the table to shoot, I’d walk the table gathering all the chalks.
I’d then place the chalks on one spot on the rail face up and stack 2 chalks and
have 3 stacks of chalk. I’d do it every time it was my turn to shoot.

If my opponent doesn’t take the hint and asks me why I’m doing that I’ll reply this
way. For 2 very good reasons……Having chalks all around the table distracts from
my field of vision on way too many shots. Just as important is not needlessly making
a mess of chalk dust and debris that gets deposited on the rails that eventually gets
on my bridge hand or glove. Having clean rails is very important and it’s why I do this.

I’ll do it every time it’s my turn and the more I have to do it, the slower I’ll get it done
each ensuing turn at the table. If need be, I’ll start using my Ed Norton imitation from The
Honeymooners. I’ll start stacking the chalks and keep rearranging or moving the chalks to
a different location on the table from where I just spent time previously stacking the chalks.

I know exactly how Art Carney would screw around with Ralph (Jackie Gleason) taking time
to do the simplest of acts like when he had to sign a document. When you gather the chalks,
just do it with a smile and briskly. By the 4th time, start going real slow and slower each time.
I’d take 75-90 secs or longer wiping the rails with napkins if he keeps placing chalk face down.
 
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Do you know WHY he and other good players do this? Some might be placing it randomly and I only notice when it’s inverted, but I swear some are doing it on purpose.

My only theory is they are trying to get rid of loose chalk in the cube. Like if they grew up playing with crumbling chalk or something.
It is simply because the position of the chalk in the hand. To place it face up, you have to reposition the chalk with a slight rotation. In Efren’s case, he has a unique chalking style where he sort of cups the chalk. Sometimes, he would to really have to spin the chalk to put it face up.
 
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Sigel/Strickland match: Never thought to notice the chalk habits, which seem benign. What’s unbearable is the mic swallowing in my ears.

There are revered world class players with obnoxious table etiquette. Talking, hot dogging, chalking over table, leaving chalk upside down, standing during opponent’s shot, intimidation tactics, boorish behavior. Thankfully only a few.
 
It is simply because the position of the chalk in the hand. To place it face up, you have to reposition the chalk with a slight rotation. In Efren’s case, he has a unique chalking style where he sort if cups the chalk. Sometimes, he would to really have to spin the chalk to put it face up.
I asked and the answer was "That's how you use." lol
 
Every time I went to the table to shoot, I’d walk the table gathering all the chalks.
I’d then play the chalks on one spot on the rail face up and stack 2 chalks and
have 3 stacks of chalk. I’d do it every time it was my turn to shoot.

If my opponent doesn’t take the hint and asks me why I’m doing that I’ll reply this
way. For 2 very good reasons……Having chalks all around the table distracts from
my field of vision on way too many shots. Just as important is not needlessly making
a mess of chalk dust and debris that gets deposited on the rails that eventually gets
on my bridge hand or glove. Having clean rails is very important and it’s why I do this.

I’ll do it every time it’s my turn and the more ai have to do it, the slower I’ll get it done
each ensuing turn at the table. If need be, I’ll start using my Ed Norton imitation from The
Honeymooners. I’ll start stacking the chalks and keep rearranging or moving the chalks to
a different location on the table from where I just spent time previously stacking the chalks.

I know exactly how Art Carney would screw around with Ralph (Jackie Gleason) taking time
to do the simplest of acts like when he had to sign a document. When you gather the chalks,
just do it with a smile and briskly. By the 4th time, start going real slow and slower each time.
I’d take 75-90 secs or longer wiping the rails with napkins if he keeps placing chalk face down.
Ralph: "Address the chalk"
Norton: "Hellooooo Chalk!"
 
If it ever starts to really bother you, and you do not want to confront his deviant, filthy habit directly, you could go the passive-aggressive route. Each time you rack, bring a towel to the table, and say, "Let me fix the chalk for you," and clean the rails and replace the chalk face up exactly on the middle diamond of each rail section. Or maybe clean the table every half hour.

If you could convince him to use those $30 chalks, that might slow him down. You could pocket one every other session.
It doesn't bother me too much. I'm just happy to be shooting pool. It's most annoying to add moving chalk out of the way to my pre-shot routine, but if that's the worst of it, I'm having a good day.
 
Habits can be changed…….like how a person applies chalks to their cue tip.
Maybe it is just ignorance & other times perhaps it’s I don’t give a shit attitude.

Regardless, educate your opponent or tolerate their bad behavior but to not
say or do anything is just being timid. Why else indulge anyone’s bad habits?

And if it’s someone you’re pals with, then joke about it when you keep reminding
them they are still doing it. My point is saying nothing is never an option for me.
 
You guys are all so easily sharked.

Never give an opponent's quirk so much energy.
Its not about being sharked but about paying attention to what you do, if I set my hand down on a pile of rail chalk it inevitably ends up on my shirt, my pants, my face, and my cue. If I have wipe edown the small section of rail I am going to use so be it.
 
Its not about being sharked but about paying attention to what you do, if I set my hand down on a pile of rail chalk it inevitably ends up on my shirt, my pants, my face, and my cue. If I have wipe edown the small section of rail I am going to use so be it.
If you're putting mental energy into correcting your opponents behavior or keeping mental track of where they place a thing or all the other things people have mentioned in this thread that they do to "combat" this. You are no longer paying full attention to what's important(the game), therefore you are in fact sharked by it.
 
I don't want to go through the whole story but I moved 5-6 pieces of Master my opponent used back onto his table three times. The next time I put them on the light while he watched me do it. For the record he was/still is a really good player.

He came to the table and pretty aggressively confronted me about "where's my chalk?" He carried on for a bit with his chest puffed out. I told him I moved it to his table 3 times already and he watched me put it on the light. I said I was sick of having to move a piece of chalk after every shot so I could properly bridge, and I was sick of it being in my line of sight. I also said (hopefully quietly enough so no one heard) that he is a good enough player to not have to use chalk as a target and to mark tangent lines and routes with it.

I don't think he realized I knew what he was doing and was pretty much on tilt after that.

At that point I didn't know him and thought he was an ass, turns out he's a pretty good guy. I don't know if it's related at all but he uses a magnetic chalk holder now. 😄
 
At my house with my beautiful maple wood cherry finished Diamond table, you get one warning if setting chalk upside down, after that you are not invited back. We do have one person not invited back.
Off subject...had a guy would tap on the rail with his cue (shaft) when he missed. Fairly new GC4... I said I'm coming over to his house and tap on the furniture. He says to me...too many rules here... I said yep.
 
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