I recall efren saying he learned things by watching lower players. I believe you can learn just as much sitting at home watching instructors and apply what you learn and practicing drills instead of being some body's rack boy in a match where you are way out classed.
Pool is dead
- Thread starter Stew boo
- Start date
I recall efren saying he learned things by watching lower players. I believe you can learn just as much sitting at home watching instructors and apply what you learn and practicing drills instead of being some body's rack boy in a match where you are way out classed.
I heard you can say anything on the internet without providing evidence to support what you are claiming.
I believe you took what i said out of proportion, but that's fine. If you are afraid of playing open professional players for 10 bucks a set to learn a thing or two, that's your choice and only your choice to make, then i guess you wouldn't play Bustamante for 10 bucks a rack for the experience either. I value the experience and knowledge of players better than me, so i don't mind paying for their services. Its helped me quite a bit in the last two years of me playing pool seriously, but to each their own. No one way is right or wrong, we all go to the same destination in different ways.
I myself, play the best people that i can, watch the best pros that i can, watch the best instructional videos that i can and put myself in the best position to play my personal best pool :smile:
Most good players will make the game right for cheap sets. Watching or playing people below your ability will not help you other than maybe stroking a fragile ego. Used to get a spot and play $10 sets against Buddy H. and while i didn't win very often i learned a ton. No one here is saying you should play better players even and just get tortured.
I heard you can say anything on the internet without providing evidence to support what you are claiming.
I believe you took what i said out of proportion, but that's fine. If you are afraid of playing open professional players for 10 bucks a set to learn a thing or two, that's your choice and only your choice to make, then i guess you wouldn't play Bustamante for 10 bucks a rack for the experience either. I value the experience and knowledge of players better than me, so i don't mind paying for their services. Its helped me quite a bit in the last two years of me playing pool seriously, but to each their own. No one way is right or wrong, we all go to the same destination in different ways.
I myself, play the best people that i can, watch the best pros that i can, watch the best instructional videos that i can and put myself in the best position to play my personal best pool :smile:
I think need to clarify my stance on thus subject. I would love to play a pro for 20.00 to 50.00 a set. I believe they would give you a few pointers along the way while playing.
My post is concerning open tournaments or even matching up with a very good player for a few bucks. In those situations your opponent is out to put the beat down on you and take your money while doing it. What can you learn from them that you cant learn from YouTube or drills ?
I have played in open tournaments a few times ....or shall I say I went and donated. What did I learn during those tournaments ? How to rack lol. I just dont care to drive for an hour....enter a tournament that never starts on time........sit around for a few hours between matches and then dealing with amateur mike dechains *****ing about my racking . Dont get me wrong .....i make an honest effort to give a tight rack and most opponents dont have a problem but there is always a few that you cant satisfy . I got pissed off one time after re racking 3 times and when my opponent complained again I sat down and told him to break the damn rack cause I was not getting up again. He looked at me dumbfounded but broke and ran the table . Go figure that out.
I am not afraid of a better player...in league I always try to throw myself against the other teams best player.
I hear ya, i think we all misunderstood where your line was by the way you worded it.
There is a few even race/entry fee donation tournaments on a weekly basis around me as well and i'll be damned if i am donating to the open player foundation when i end up matched against a 700 fargo rated open player in a 3-3 race, so yeah, i think we are in agreement there.
I personally, am talking about throwing that same open player who sweeps that straight race tournament 30 bucks for an hour or so of playing with tips/lessons, or playing Bustie 10 bucks a rack for the experience or whatever comes your way. Playing better players can give you one little tip that improves your game and eventually, those little tips make you a great player, in my opinion. I had one tip from my buddy, the open player who sweeps those tournaments, that completely improved my game. It was one specific shot that i needed in my arsenal that apparently comes up 2-3 times per game, at least. Once i learned that shot with a specific english and could make it 9/10 times, i swear i broke and ran 2x as many racks.
As for rack nazi's, every pool hall has them. I played a rack nazi last Sunday at an APA best of the best tournament and he won the lag, so he had me re-rack three times. I ended up beating him 4-0 so that i wouldn't have to rack again.
No...leagues leech money from rooms = rooms close.
You can't learn how to compete unless you compete. Decision making based upon the score, your opponents abilities and match momentum don't happen unless you get in the box....and play for something.
Front Royal, VA, come on any Tuesday night. I'll leave you enough to pay the bus ticket home
It takes all kinds of people to make the world go around. What works for some people may not work for others.
I am just an old man barely above banger status compared to how a lot of people on here say how good they are and my better days are behind me..
I know its a cliche on here but back in my younger days I played for money and was called a hustler quite a few times and even kicked out of a place and banned for life because the owner thought I hustled him.
Playing for money does nothing for me and I can play just as good for self gratification as i can playing for my last dollar. There have been times I played for money and once the match started the thought that I was playing for money never entered my mind so why would having to play for something make me play any better ?
I have nothing against gambling but i don't understand why people say they can't play well unless they are playing for something. Maybe they ought to take up a hobby they could do well in just for the pure enjoyment of it.
You are right...you don't understand.
There is nothing wrong with betting something to make sure you get an opponent's best game.
People playing for patches is why a country of 300 million can't field a competitive 5 player team for Mosconi.
I agree with much of this and will add that along with the video games there was a huge rush toward poker that took away from the young male demographic required to sustain pool. By comparison, poker is a much easier game and the allure of the mega payouts was apparently hard to resist. We can now also add all of the Fantasy Sports diversions from the demographic.
One possible suggestion would be for pool rooms to figure out how to get as many young ladies in their doors and, naturally, young men will follow.
Pool's not dead, imo, just a bit of a lengthy rough patch here in the USA.
best,
brian kc
The Atlantic Cup....is just the opposite of your situation, it's the way the game is headed these days/it is CHANGE.
Old school play will never go away, but change is knocking on the door.
That's why Matchroom Sports bought into American Pool....2019 US Open 9 ball event in Vegas has $300,000 added guaranteed for 7 years minimum at Mandalay Bay. $30 hotel rooms are a thing of the past as are traveling road players.
Once a room gets tied up 4 nights a week getting 3 bucks a player table time and they bring in PBJs it becomes clear. National leagues are a business. Players only have so much to spend on pool. The league and league ops take a big portion = rooms get less.
The reason the League Owner, or Room/Bar owner continue to take advantage of Pool Players, is the player do not realize they have the power of the dollar.
Remember years ago this Bar advertised a 9 Ball Event, it was in the local POOL RAG. $250.00 Guaranteed ADD.
Problem that Saturday there were serveral other tourtnments. About starting time the people who showed up were like 10 - 12.
I asked are you starting on time, are you still adding the advertised money? The reply was can't do the $250.00.
I left, and never returned to that Pool Bar, this was not the first time this happened.
Like I said it was ADVERTISED IN BLACK & WHITE, but why would I ever go back. Too me it was about truth in advertising.
IMHO the owner should have done as advertised, word would have been positive, not negative.
BTW the Pool Bar went under, apprently business got bad in the recession. IMHO it was never run like a business, both owner drank up the profits. There were other problems.
How do you know you received some ones best game when playing for something? Some people cant handle pressure when something is on the line ? As I stated in my other post I won 3-0 in a 3-7 race with money on the line. I have also done just as well against much stronger opponents in tap and Napa when money was on the line during end of year tournaments. I beat an apa 7/8 in 8 ball during tap playoffs with 1,500.00 on the line by a score of 3-0 in a 3/7 race. Won 3-1 in Napa 9 ball singles finals in a 3-7 race for 500.00. Are you sure I got their best game with something on the line?
I believe you are way off base on your assumption that a bunch of people playing for patches as you say ... Are the root cause of our poor performance in mosconi cup. Shane is notably the best player in our country and many claim he is the best in the world at high stakes gambling in long races. Even though he has those gambling credentials he still has a losing record in the cup. I highly doubt having 4 more like him on the team would result in a cup win. And you are blaming apa players for this ? Man they keep the lights on in the building for all the serious players who sit around waiting for a lil fish to bite.
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Amen, the condescension toward league players around here gets sickening sometimes.
Peanut butter and jelly...which the league guys bring in! Maybe they buy a water though. Or ask you to pour one. I'd rather have old timers and regulars who play 4 or 5 days a week than a bunch of bangers and housewives.
Bar table 8 ball is like mini golf. I'm talking about real pool for real money.
The league mentality cracks me up. If a guy spots you 3 games to 7 is winning really winning? Sounds like you might be better at sandbagging.
5 SVBs on our team can't win? I can't argue with you if you want to believe that. What I see is Shane relies on Shane to win. He isn't a team player and his team hasn't been made of players on his level. The format doesn't fit him. Besides rave to 5 alternating break is a coin toss.
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