Players Walking Away From The Table During Their Match

JTfromATL

Action Fiend
You won't see this happen much in pro events, but I see this way too often during regional events or weekly tournaments at pool halls. Does it bother anyone else when a player walks away from the table to go to the bar or the bathroom in the middle of a game when it's not even their shot? Or is it just me? I'm not referring to the player who is still shooting would cheat or anything. I'm just talking about when a player "takes a break," and he's not even the player at the table in command of the game. Does anyone else see this as disrespectful or sharking of some sorts? Maybe it's just a little something that bothers me...
 

tigerseye

Kenny Wilson
Silver Member
It only makes me mad when they don't ask me if i want a drink...=)
Seriously it is very unproffesional to walk away in this situation...It does bother me but i just laugh on the inside becasue i know they dont think they can win when they pull tat move....;)
 

mooseman

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Personally it's something I would never do but I've had it happen to me. Yes it gets annoying.

If I don't like the opponent I would probably keep shooting.:cool::cool::cool:
 

Nostroke

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
You won't see this happen much in pro events, but I see this way too often during regional events or weekly tournaments at pool halls. Does it bother anyone else when a player walks away from the table to go to the bar or the bathroom in the middle of a game when it's not even their shot? Or is it just me? I'm not referring to the player who is still shooting would cheat or anything. I'm just talking about when a player "takes a break," and he's not even the player at the table in command of the game. Does anyone else see this as disrespectful or sharking of some sorts? Maybe it's just a little something that bothers me...

Id rather he stay away/take break when im shooting. It's the efficient use of time. If he isnt back by the time it is his turn though im pissed. I hated when a guy on his turn just put his stick on the table and left w/o at least mentioning he is taking a break or saying something. I can see why others might have no trouble with that at all though. We all have our own peeves and triggers, that's for sure.
 

muddawg

Chill Out
Silver Member
I can't stand when the guy I'm playing walks away from the area (i.e. to another table, to the bar, or to go talk to someone else) while I'm shooting without telling me. I don't know why, but it pisses me off.
 

Fuji-whopper

Fargo: 457...play some?
Silver Member
He/She can do jumping jacks or be missing in action I could care less, the less I worry about my opponent the better my game is.
 

inside_english

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
You won't see this happen much in pro events, but I see this way too often during regional events or weekly tournaments at pool halls. Does it bother anyone else when a player walks away from the table to go to the bar or the bathroom in the middle of a game when it's not even their shot? Or is it just me? I'm not referring to the player who is still shooting would cheat or anything. I'm just talking about when a player "takes a break," and he's not even the player at the table in command of the game. Does anyone else see this as disrespectful or sharking of some sorts? Maybe it's just a little something that bothers me...
I agree that is it poor sportsmanship to a degree, in that they won't say anything at all and just walk away. You don't know if they went to the bathroom, the counter, outside for a smoke or whatever.

To make matters worse, they have the nerve to return the table and ask the following:

1. Is it my shot?
2. What happened?
3. Is it ball-in-hand?
4. Whose turn is it?

Some people are "special".
 

PoolBum

Ace in the side.
Silver Member
I was once playing in the winner's bracket final of a refereed tournament. It was a race to 9 and my opponent had been up 5-2 when my game picked up and I reeled off three straight games to tie it at 5-5. I looked around for my opponent to rack, and he was nowhere in sight.

No one knew where he was--not the audience, or the ref, or the tournament director. So we all just sat around and waited about ten minutes for him to come back in the room, and when he comes back in he gives me this look like, "what, is something wrong?" He said he had to go to the bathroom and acted like he didn't know he'd done anything wrong, so then we had a discussion with the tournament director and he said there was nothing he could do except give the guy a warning and tell him if he does it again he would forfeit a game (he said if he had caught the guy walking out he would have stopped him, but he didn't see him walk out).

Needless to say, this disrupted my momentum and I went on to lose the match. I was more pissed off that the guy acted like he didn't know that he had done anything 'unprofessional' (this is a pretty well known player who has finished high in the money in some major pro tournaments) than that he did it in the first place, but I lost all respect for the guy and it's probably the most blatant sharking tactic I've ever encountered in that kind of formal setting.
 
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Matt90

Trust the Process
Silver Member
I agree

I ain't peeing my pants. If I gotta go I'm walking away, sorry.
If I gotta go I gotta go.Also I have started doing this, if its a move or they
need to go ,I wait for them to get back and then say "Now I need to do the
same thing" and I go to the rest room and take a break and come back .Sorta
feel its like saying without saying ....If you can do this I am going to do the
same thing .
Believe it or not I was once 5-0 against a guy at a GSBT here in Marietta and he did
that and took like 10 mins or more .I actually had to hunt him down and get him back
to the table. Of course I was pissed and let it get to me so bad the guy came back
and won. I learned something that day, next time I will go strait to the tournament
director and most importantly keep my cool. Of course the guy claims innocence to this
day and ended up taking a spot in the top 10???
 
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hangemhigh

Known Sinner
Silver Member
Every time that happens to me, I get out. When he gets back I tell him. If he says WTF?, I tell him to ask the guy over there, he saw me run out. When he looks for the guy and no one is there, I say, he must have just walked off.
 

Blue Hog ridr

World Famous Fisherman.
Silver Member
Once during a Scotch Doubles end of season tournament, I asked permission to go to the washroom. The catty lil thing said, you got one minute. I said, no problem. Half way thru the set the opponents set down their cues and informed us that they were taking a smoke break. I said, you got one minute. The catty one said, are you serious, to which I replied, VERY!
Works both ways sometimes.
 

Tokyo-dave

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
It annoys the hell outta me too, but in some cases, I can understand a 'time out' for a piss break. But when it happens, play needs to stop as far as I'm concerned just so nobody gets accused of cheating. I once had a guy rack the balls and then take a bathroom break. I politely waited for him to come back before I broke. I ended up with the 9 on the break, and the guy had the nerve to accuse me of messing with the rack while he was gone!
Cell phones, a trip to the bar, not returning to your seat when you're not shooting, and walking away to talk to others is a no-no in my book.
dave
 

Tbeaux

Angelic Hotdog
Silver Member
I don't mind if they go get a beer (especially if they bring me one), I'll even stop playing till they get back if they like (but they'll have to ask). If they have to go to the bathroom fine, I'll even stop play without them asking (when ya gotta go ya gotta go). Smoke breaks should be agreed upon ahead of time. Generally don't they set the rules for all this stuff ahead of time in tournaments and leagues?:confused:
 

mooseman

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I ain't peeing my pants. If I gotta go I'm walking away, sorry.

As long as you notify your opponent I suppose that's understandable. However I would normally suggest it happens between racks and if it's your break.
 

14-1StraightMan

High Run 127
Silver Member
Let them go

Many men have prostate problems and when they need to go, they need to go. I completely understand that. What really gets me. I play Leagues and there is a guy on my Team that every time you call his name for a match he is some where else and you have to go looking for him. People like that have no respect for their Teammates.
 

sfleinen

14.1 & One Pocket Addict
Gold Member
Silver Member
Quite possibly an instance to justify walking away?

You won't see this happen much in pro events, but I see this way too often during regional events or weekly tournaments at pool halls. Does it bother anyone else when a player walks away from the table to go to the bar or the bathroom in the middle of a game when it's not even their shot? Or is it just me? I'm not referring to the player who is still shooting would cheat or anything. I'm just talking about when a player "takes a break," and he's not even the player at the table in command of the game. Does anyone else see this as disrespectful or sharking of some sorts? Maybe it's just a little something that bothers me...

Folks:

There is a unique situation where the "walking away from the table" technique actually WORKS. It may not be "professional," but the scenario I'm about to describe may be cause to do this.

This has happened to me. Let's say you're playing in league. It's your opponent's turn at the table. He/she is playing extremely, u-n-g-o-d-l-y s-l-o-w -- knowingly using the technique as a sharking method. Taking excessive casual walks around the table, feigning sighting angles on every single ball on the table, getting down on a shot, stroking a few times, getting back up, feigning sighting other shots, getting down on the same (or another) shot, popping back up, etc. -- over and over. By now, you're sitting in your seat, seething at the obvious sharking attempt.

This has actually happened to me. What I did, was to overtly appoint one of my teammates (the team captain, actually) to watch my opponent's turn at the table, and I would just excuse myself and leave. No need to sit there, and participate in my opponent's "low and slow" method of sharking. Of course, my opponent is well aware that I've left the area, with an appointed "watchman." I'd found this was a *great* way to not only avoid the frustration of being the target of this type of sharking, but it's also a way of getting back at my opponent -- he/she now knows the sharking cannot possibly affect me, BECAUSE I'M NOT THERE TO BE AFFECTED BY IT. Then, when it's my turn at the table, my appointed "watchman" signals to me (TXT message on cell phone, etc.) that it's my turn and I show up promptly.

This is about the only scenario (besides the aforementioned emergency bio-breaks, of course) where this behavior might be called for.

What think ye, folks?
-Sean
 

Gregg

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Folks:

There is a unique situation where the "walking away from the table" technique actually WORKS. It may not be "professional," but the scenario I'm about to describe may be cause to do this.

This has happened to me. Let's say you're playing in league. It's your opponent's turn at the table. He/she is playing extremely, u-n-g-o-d-l-y s-l-o-w -- knowingly using the technique as a sharking method. Taking excessive casual walks around the table, feigning sighting angles on every single ball on the table, getting down on a shot, stroking a few times, getting back up, feigning sighting other shots, getting down on the same (or another) shot, popping back up, etc. -- over and over. By now, you're sitting in your seat, seething at the obvious sharking attempt.

This has actually happened to me. What I did, was to overtly appoint one of my teammates (the team captain, actually) to watch my opponent's turn at the table, and I would just excuse myself and leave. No need to sit there, and participate in my opponent's "low and slow" method of sharking. Of course, my opponent is well aware that I've left the area, with an appointed "watchman." I'd found this was a *great* way to not only avoid the frustration of being the target of this type of sharking, but it's also a way of getting back at my opponent -- he/she now knows the sharking cannot possibly affect me, BECAUSE I'M NOT THERE TO BE AFFECTED BY IT. Then, when it's my turn at the table, my appointed "watchman" signals to me (TXT message on cell phone, etc.) that it's my turn and I show up promptly.

This is about the only scenario (besides the aforementioned emergency bio-breaks, of course) where this behavior might be called for.

What think ye, folks?
-Sean

This is what I think as well. I do this all the time. League nights are long enough. I always tell my opponent where I'm going, and leave it up to them "on their honor" to be a sportsman. If they want to cheat during a regular league night to gain an advantage...all I can say is I feel for them.
 
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