In my view there are two types of players: Recreational and serious. One isn't better than the other, they are just different ways of enjoying this game of ours. The problems creep in when someone isn't sure which camp they fit into.
For example, I'll often see someone playing a tournament match while drinking beers and scrolling through their phone. Then they'll bump into me after the match and ask me for pointers or if I give lessons. My response to them is to share a game I made up called "9 ball, the dice game".
9 ball the dice game is played with five 6 sided dice. We take turns rolling them. Scoring is easy, add up the die totals and that is your score for the round. Add it to your cumulative score. We take turns rolling dice until someone reaches 200. So far it sounds like it's all luck and pretty boring, right? Here's where the skill comes in. Before each roll you get to declare an action off of an 'action list'. Each action has a modifier to your roll. Here are your choices:
1. Eat nachos. Modifier: -3
2. Surf your phone. Modifier: -5
3. Drink beer. Modifier: -2
4. Talk to friends. Modifier: -3
5. Watch the sports highlights on TV. Modifier: -4
6. Wait quietly for your next inning. Modifier: 0
Next I ask this player "If we are playing a game of 9 ball dice to 200 points for $200, which action are you going to declare before each roll?" The answer is obviously #6. So why in the world are these players drinking beer, eating food, and talking to buddies and messaging during their tournament matches?!?
Watch Efren, Shane, Filler, Chang, or Alex play. Do you see them on their phones? Drinking beers? Eating nachos? NO! They know they can't afford to give up this edge. So do these players think they are so much better than the world's best they can get away with it? Do they not think it impacts them? Or do they just not want to make the sacrifice?
This is where the recreational players come in. I have no problem if someone plays weekly leagues to get away from the wife and kids for a few hours and throw a few back while hanging out with their friends. Totally fine! Nothing wrong with that! Social pool is awesome and the majority of our players, and if they can have fun and enjoy the game in a social setting that is perfect!
But when these same players spend thousands of dollars on equipment and lessons, do drills, watch videos, and then come to me asking for help with their game because they are trying to get to the next level, then I think they have some decisions to make. I tell them they don't want a lesson from me because I'll tell them "Sit down, shut up, dump out the beer and turn the flipping phone off! There. $100 please!" No one wants that, so let's just agree we aren't a good fit for each other.
I have never posted this before because it seems so obvious that I assumed any serious pool player who's invested years into this game would understand this, yet people keep telling me they appreciate me sharing this and that it helped them focus better at the table. I decided to throw this up on AZB in case this was news to anyone else.
Pool is about focus. You can either give your all or you can play casually. You can't do both.
For example, I'll often see someone playing a tournament match while drinking beers and scrolling through their phone. Then they'll bump into me after the match and ask me for pointers or if I give lessons. My response to them is to share a game I made up called "9 ball, the dice game".
9 ball the dice game is played with five 6 sided dice. We take turns rolling them. Scoring is easy, add up the die totals and that is your score for the round. Add it to your cumulative score. We take turns rolling dice until someone reaches 200. So far it sounds like it's all luck and pretty boring, right? Here's where the skill comes in. Before each roll you get to declare an action off of an 'action list'. Each action has a modifier to your roll. Here are your choices:
1. Eat nachos. Modifier: -3
2. Surf your phone. Modifier: -5
3. Drink beer. Modifier: -2
4. Talk to friends. Modifier: -3
5. Watch the sports highlights on TV. Modifier: -4
6. Wait quietly for your next inning. Modifier: 0
Next I ask this player "If we are playing a game of 9 ball dice to 200 points for $200, which action are you going to declare before each roll?" The answer is obviously #6. So why in the world are these players drinking beer, eating food, and talking to buddies and messaging during their tournament matches?!?
Watch Efren, Shane, Filler, Chang, or Alex play. Do you see them on their phones? Drinking beers? Eating nachos? NO! They know they can't afford to give up this edge. So do these players think they are so much better than the world's best they can get away with it? Do they not think it impacts them? Or do they just not want to make the sacrifice?
This is where the recreational players come in. I have no problem if someone plays weekly leagues to get away from the wife and kids for a few hours and throw a few back while hanging out with their friends. Totally fine! Nothing wrong with that! Social pool is awesome and the majority of our players, and if they can have fun and enjoy the game in a social setting that is perfect!
But when these same players spend thousands of dollars on equipment and lessons, do drills, watch videos, and then come to me asking for help with their game because they are trying to get to the next level, then I think they have some decisions to make. I tell them they don't want a lesson from me because I'll tell them "Sit down, shut up, dump out the beer and turn the flipping phone off! There. $100 please!" No one wants that, so let's just agree we aren't a good fit for each other.
I have never posted this before because it seems so obvious that I assumed any serious pool player who's invested years into this game would understand this, yet people keep telling me they appreciate me sharing this and that it helped them focus better at the table. I decided to throw this up on AZB in case this was news to anyone else.
Pool is about focus. You can either give your all or you can play casually. You can't do both.
