one pocket question

measureman · Dec 9, 2018

I've posted this before but heres an update.
I play a guy one pocket every Saturday for $5 a game (his choice).
Playing real cheap is fine with me,
I give him 9-7.
The last 3 times we played were
Me 4 games winner
Me 12 games winner
Me 8 games winner
Yesterday when I was up 6 games and I asked him if he wanted to adjust he said no.
Why wouldn't someone want to adjust in this situation?
I dont need the money.

Honestly sometimes when I'm up 5 or 6 games I play sloppy on purpose hoping he wins a couple.

336Robin · Dec 9, 2018

I don't know how long this has been going on but the guy may know that its
something with his attitude or thought processes because he does get a game or at
least he has.

I would suggest you take the stance of a teacher and look for one little thing that if he
were to include that in his game that it would improve it. I think your friend realizes its
not about the money or the adjustment. Its about him getting past what he's doing
that is causing him to lose. I've been there and seen other players in that position but this
is just my opinion.

There seems to be a list of things that if I don't observe all of them that my game is looser and
a real good player can dominate however if I observe them and don't make the simple mistakes then
I can hang really well and win. There are like the new fundamentals of that level. The core of which is
being able to execute shots at super low speed.

measureman said:
I've posted this before but heres an update.
I play a guy one pocket every Saturday for $5 a game (his choice).
Playing real cheap is fine with me,
I give him 9-7.
The last 3 times we played were
Me 4 games winner
Me 12 games winner
Me 8 games winner
Yesterday when I was up 6 games and I asked him if he wanted to adjust he said no.
Why wouldn't someone want to adjust in this situation?
I dont need the money.

Honestly sometimes when I'm up 5 or 6 games I play sloppy on purpose hoping he wins a couple.

Z-Nole · Dec 9, 2018

measureman said:
I've posted this before but heres an update.
I play a guy one pocket every Saturday for $5 a game (his choice).
Playing real cheap is fine with me,
I give him 9-7.
The last 3 times we played were
Me 4 games winner
Me 12 games winner
Me 8 games winner
Yesterday when I was up 6 games and I asked him if he wanted to adjust he said no.
Why wouldn't someone want to adjust in this situation?
I dont need the money.

Honestly sometimes when I'm up 5 or 6 games I play sloppy on purpose hoping he wins a couple.

Maybe he enjoys himself.

When I was at FSU I played a city commissioner every Friday at his lunchtime some cheap sets of nine ball. This went on for a couple of years. All of the other pool detectives would ask him to play but for some reason he would only play me and one other student. He and the other guy played pretty even but I could give him the 7 and still have the edge, but he wouldn't take any spot. One day he walks into the pool room and says he doesn't have time to play today, so here's 20 bucks for your beer money for the weekend and leaves.

Island Drive · Dec 9, 2018

Z-Nole said:
Maybe he enjoys himself.

When I was at FSU I played a city commissioner every Friday at his lunchtime some cheap sets of nine ball. This went on for a couple of years. All of the other pool detectives would ask him to play but for some reason he would only play me and one other student. He and the other guy played pretty even but I could give him the 7 and still have the edge, but he wouldn't take any spot. One day he walks into the pool room and says he doesn't have time to play today, so here's 20 bucks for your beer money for the weekend and leaves.

He enjoys your company, and the game. Let it be. I've had this same situation with a man for years. He did it too keep him sharp for other players and league moments. You have to give to get. In my prime I would always, once a year get ''outta line'' intentionally where I was 1/2 ball worse than my opponent. These moments would tell me ''clearly'' where I needed to work on my game to improve.

ShootingArts · Dec 9, 2018

I have a suspicion . . .

Taking a bigger spot would be moving him in the direction he doesn't want to go. He is trying to improve, not beat you with the spot. Games won might stay much the same if you played with no spot.

More than once I have walked into a place to see someone I considered a genuine friend tangled up with somebody I knew from elsewhere and way over their heads. Pool room ethics or not I'm standing around watching the game waiting for a chance to tell my friend that they are in a very bad game. Several times before I got a chance to warn them I realized something crazy, the player several balls overmatched had rose to the occasion and was winning! I still tipped off a losing player once in awhile but I made sure they were losing first.

If I was your playing partner I would drop the spot and play you heads up. It would be better for his game.

Hu

measureman · Dec 9, 2018

ShootingArts said:
Taking a bigger spot would be moving him in the direction he doesn't want to go. He is trying to improve, not beat you with the spot. Games won might stay much the same if you played with no spot.

More than once I have walked into a place to see someone I considered a genuine friend tangled up with somebody I knew from elsewhere and way over their heads. Pool room ethics or not I'm standing around watching the game waiting for a chance to tell my friend that they are in a very bad game. Several times before I got a chance to warn them I realized something crazy, the player several balls overmatched had rose to the occasion and was winning! I still tipped off a losing player once in awhile but I made sure they were losing first.

If I was your playing partner I would drop the spot and play you heads up. It would be better for his game.

Hu

It's starting to get a bit boring,and the drive to win is waning.
It's too easy.

ShootingArts · Dec 9, 2018

cross purposes

measureman said:
It's starting to get a bit boring,and the drive to win is waning.
It's too easy.

He wants this level of difficulty. You are finding no contest boring. Unless you are both able to find common ground you may have to play him only occasionally and be satisfied with off table companionship.

You aren't doing either of you any favors when you start playing sloppily when ahead. You might mentally alter the spot to win with "x" number of balls on the table to up the difficulty level for yourself while not altering the spot. Set other goals while playing him, kicking more or banking more, other things you wouldn't do in heads up competition but that are handy to have in your bag of tricks. Long ago in friendly games of eightball I gave the spot of not shooting any straight in shots myself. Kept me on my toes, kept the other player in the game longer. When I faced these shots in more serious games I was in tune and fired them in more often.

Hu

Ken_4fun · Dec 9, 2018

measureman said:
Honestly sometimes when I'm up 5 or 6 games I play sloppy on purpose hoping he wins a couple.

If I was playing you and you did this, IT WOULD PI$$ ME OFF. Win or lose, I want your best game. Losing to me, didn't matter. I want to learn and play my best, win or lose, if I beat you, I want to know I beat you.

JMO,
Ken

bbb · Dec 9, 2018

measureman said:
I've posted this before but heres an update.
I play a guy one pocket every Saturday for $5 a game (his choice).
Playing real cheap is fine with me,
I give him 9-7.
The last 3 times we played were
Me 4 games winner
Me 12 games winner
Me 8 games winner
Yesterday when I was up 6 games and I asked him if he wanted to adjust he said no.
Why wouldn't someone want to adjust in this situation?
I dont need the money.

Honestly sometimes when I'm up 5 or 6 games I play sloppy on purpose hoping he wins a couple.

why does it bother YOU so much?
might be a better question...just sayin....:grin-square:

alphadog · Dec 9, 2018

The beauty of 1 pkt is there are things you Can work on in your game while you're playing.
1 Try and leave whitey in the stack.
2 Pocket a ball and play position for a longrail bank.
3 Only pocket balls that you dont bank or vice versa.
4 As a old 14.1 player you probably need to work on your kicks. All kicks 1 2 3 4 5 rails. Kick to make a ball. Kick to play safe.
5 perfect pocket speed.

Get a better player to play captains with you guys. It is a great cheap way to learn.

bbb · Dec 9, 2018

measureman said:
I've posted this before but heres an update.
I play a guy one pocket every Saturday for $5 a game (his choice).
Playing real cheap is fine with me,
I give him 9-7.
The last 3 times we played were
Me 4 games winner
Me 12 games winner
Me 8 games winner
Yesterday when I was up 6 games and I asked him if he wanted to adjust he said no.
Why wouldn't someone want to adjust in this situation?
I dont need the money.

Honestly sometimes when I'm up 5 or 6 games I play sloppy on purpose hoping he wins a couple.

bbb said:
why does it bother YOU so much?
might be a better question...just sayin....:grin-square:

to answer your question
maybe its pride/ego on his part that he cant be THAT bad (or you THAT good

) that he should need more weight.
maybe he likes the idea that he is supposed to lose and can play with no pressure
expecting to lose X amount and learn some
really i dont know
have you asked him?

Bob Jewett · Dec 9, 2018

measureman said:
It's starting to get a bit boring,and the drive to win is waning.
It's too easy.

If the spot is 9-7 set your own goal to keep him from getting to 4. Try to beat him like a rented mule. See if you can play well enough to make him quit.

maha · Dec 9, 2018

tell him the new game is 9 to 6 for ten dollars or you wont play. why play for less than the price of a hamburger.

misterpoole · Dec 9, 2018

Start small with giving him every break. Quit when you feel your game is getting too sloppy or just.find a new regular opponent

TRWpool · Dec 9, 2018

I would suggest you explain your position and offer him a new game which will force you both to play hard. The game I'm about to suggest will help keep his losses reasonable.

If you were to play him even the first game and for every game played the winner of that game must give the opponent 1 ball.

In other words; if you win the first game the spot becomes 8 -7. Win the second game and you now must spot him 8 - 6 and so on. Should he wins the third game he must now surrender a ball back to you and the spot becomes 8 -7 again.

There will come a time when you get several games ahead and the spot becomes insurmountable. Example: you are up 5 games, the spot becomes 8 - 3; 6 games the spot is now 8 - 2 and so on.

Believe me, you will just about guarantee yourself a small payday but you will have to work hard to earn it and he will find in beneficial too.

I've played this style with several students who wanted to just get the workout.
BTW....This game will help establish a more accurate handicap between you two.
Tom

GoldCrown · Dec 9, 2018

What Tom suggested or simply carry on. The guy is not complaining. Don’t get sloppy or lazy. As someone said create a tough goal/challenge for yourself

Bob Jewett · Dec 9, 2018

TRWpool said:
... If you were to play him even the first game and for every game played the winner of that game must give the opponent 1 ball.

In other words; if you win the first game the spot becomes 8 -7. Win the second game and you now must spot him 8 - 6 and so on. Should he wins the third game he must now surrender a ball back to you and the spot becomes 8 -7 again. ...

A different way to about the same thing is to automatically adjust one ball for each $XXX the better player is ahead. Maybe $100 or $200 or about whatever the typical session swing is. Just use the standard spots that have the spotter putting up zero or one ball: 8-8, 9-8, 9-7, 10-7, 10-6, 11-6, 11-5, 12-5, 12-4, 13-4, ...

The total carries over from session to session.

I guess Tom's way restarts each session.

cookie man · Dec 10, 2018

Z-Nole said:
Maybe he enjoys himself.

When I was at FSU I played a city commissioner every Friday at his lunchtime some cheap sets of nine ball. This went on for a couple of years. All of the other pool detectives would ask him to play but for some reason he would only play me and one other student. He and the other guy played pretty even but I could give him the 7 and still have the edge, but he wouldn't take any spot. One day he walks into the pool room and says he doesn't have time to play today, so here's 20 bucks for your beer money for the weekend and leaves.

Do you ever visit Strokers?

Z-Nole · Dec 10, 2018

cookie man said:
Do you ever visit Strokers?

When it was owned by Howard, Neil and Mel at the old location I was there quite a bit because I lived in dunedin and I fished with Mel quite often, but I moved along edgewater some twenty years ago and don’t get by there much anymore. Just the occasional stop by if I’m up that way.

Michael Andros · Dec 10, 2018

measureman said:
It's starting to get a bit boring,and the drive to win is waning.
It's too easy.

Try playing opposite hand. He may not even notice. That should be giving up at least another ball and a half, if not more. And, again, he may not even be aware.

one pocket question

AzB Silver Member

Multiverse Operative

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Otto/Dads College Roommate/Cleveland Browns

Smorg is giving St Peter the 7!

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Smorg is giving St Peter the 7!

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from way back when

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tiny balls, GIANT pockets