The Trials and Tribulations of learning one pocket

From a truley great player in the area Reggie Barksdale ,
Been playing on the cheap now about 2 months few weeks ago playing even as always I started grabbing games here and there one day after 5 hours only 4 games down ,, couple days later 3 hours 1 game down , watched him play another guy not his speed break even he was missing all kinds of balls after 6 games up they broke even

Well old Reggie must have found the fountain of youth because he's on fire now , I'm lucky to get 2 games , no where is safe on the table ,he's banking like Eferan and God forbid you give him one shot below the side pockets cause he might be out

It just makes me gun shy to swing at anything because the penalty is game
He will even tell me sometims " I'm out you miss that ball "

Dam is it frustrating playing him but at 5 a game it's worth it I recon I'm over a couple hundred down by now ,, he says it's cheap lessons I told him only thing Iv learned is different ways to pull the money out of my pocket

Last night guy wanted to play him 9 ball on a bar box , bad error for that guy Reggie almost lappend him winning 17 games up for 20 including a 6 pack
I think Reggie is like 74 they played to 2 am

today he rode a bus down after we talked on the phone to play me bus broke down and he walked a mile to get there for 5 dollar games mind you , yes it's frustrating playing him
But I feel honored that he would do that for 20-40 dollars ,Iv know him for many yrs but we just never played I just watched now and then

But as frustrating as it is and it has helped me beat other players and that's some reward

However the true reward is the friendship I have with him now even if he frustrates the hell out of me I'll be a better player one day for it

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BmoreMoney said:

I've known Reggie for A LONG time. He has always been tops and aces in my book. He was ALWAYS one of the top one hole guys around here as you know. You may or not remember because it was short lived and I don't even remember where it was but say around 99???? Reggie and Smuck had a pool room around Baltimore. Me and my boy walked in there. They knew who I was from Jack & Jills. Reggie greeted me with a hand shake, pulled out a knot to choke a horse and said you can play either of us but if you want THIS knot ya gotta play me! Anyway point is this, as long as I've known him - 20+ years he has always been a gentleman and someone you strive to gamble with - if you can get there of course!. I've not seen Reg much last several years and he IS AGING but I hear he's still not someone would want to tangle with unless they are on point.

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Well just a a few weeks ago he split with the piano man at the Top Hat turny so he's still pretty good certainly not his speed of back in the day , but if he put a 6 pack on a guy last night 9 ball on a bar box tells me he's still pretty dam good
And yes a gentleman for sure
Yes I could watch video play lessor players and maybe even win did so the other night but I'd rather lose little and play him for 2 reasons one cause I like him and 2 because even if I lose I'm still learning on the cheap and it's not going to break me

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TRWpool said:

I've known and considered Reggie a good friend for decades now. My respect for him is immense both as a pool player and as a person. He has shown a willingness to sacrifice without reservation, his own needs for those of a friend. I could go into details but you will just have to take my word on it.

As for Reggie's pool game. Well, Reggie is certainly getting up in years and his consistency is not what it used to be. He called me a couple days ago lamenting that his game was struggling and he couldn't make a ball. Now I hear he can't miss. I'm happy for the later. Reggie always showed me he had the ability to raise his game to whatever level was necessary to overcome his competition. He was in his younger days and to a great extent now, an amazing player. You can learn a lot from playing Reggie but you must pay attention to what he is doing on the table. At $5.00 per game, even if he is winning every game, YOU are stealing!

Tom

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Ya he told me he talked to you and he holds you in high regard also I think it was right about then when his game shot back up ,,
It's funny it started out him asking what I thought I needed to play him , I said I'm not sure I can win with 10-6 so I probaly need 10-5 he's like whaaaat. I said well you asked I told you I'm just learning to play the game
He says I'll tell you what I'll play you for 5 even give you a chance to learn something and not cost you much I said you got a deal
So I try to get up there couple times a week I do feel lucky to get the opertunity he often quits a better game to play me ,, I tell he don't need to do that he says he likes playing with me ,, so it's all good
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