Alcohol vs No Alcohol while shooting....

jakedp1

Registered
I tend to drink about a beer an hour. After I've had like 2 to start off with. Over the years I've found this level is like my optimum amount of focus and comfort without the nerves.
 

slide13

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Sometimes I do and sometimes I dont, just depends on day and mood. We get a fee drink at league so I'll usually have a couple there.

I really shouldn't, I definitely play worse while drinking. 1 beer can be okay, any more and I get sloppy (on the table....not like sloppy drunk).
 

Poolmanis

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I played about 10 years without drinking at all when I was playing because I was so serious about game.
Nowadays I play about 50/50 drunk/sober and I can probably get about 10 big beers before it start ruin my game. I still gonna get 3 months without alcohol because I feel it makes my thinking part of game less effective. Our pool hall is bar with rock and metal music. If you don't drink it's list price.. If you drink heavily tables are really cheap or free..

Here in Finland overall percentage of drinking people is really high. It's in our culture that people get drunk. If it's Friday or Saturday and you don't drink at bar people think you are weirdo, religious or have alcohol problem... So meh.
 

macguy

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
What is your definition of serious?

I said "Not serious players when they are playing.".

You are at the pool room or bar and you are there to play pool, not socialize.

You can be an average player and be a serious player. It is not a measurement of your speed.
 
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Hal2

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Agree 100%

I never drink when I play and couple years ago I noticed via graphing data about my practice routine that drinking (getting drunk) would affect my game for several days afterwards. So I quit drinking and haven't had a drink since last October and I doubt I ever will again unless I quit playing pool (never gonna happen).
Agree 100% with you!
 

gogg

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Two beers a night
Maybe 3-4 hours play...
Mostly for the bar owners (friends) and waitresses (tipped friends)
Too big a toll on your ability
(At least for me)
 

Sealegs50

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I have never been in a pool room where serious players drink while playing. But if a pool room benefits from serving alcohol to less capable players, that is fine by me. Pool room owners deserve to make as much money as possible. Years ago, I played in a pool room where the local pro was Kim Davenport. When Kim came in to practice, several of us would cash out our tables, buy a beer, and sit down for a lesson. Those were great evenings.
 
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Colin Colenso

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I drink when I play league. I'm not gonna take a race to 2 seriously. The night is for socializing. I also drink when playing mates for enjoyable evenings.

For practice and tournaments, I rarely drink. Decision making becomes reckless such that the solution to every problem seems to involve high power and heavy english.
 

Mikiemopa

pechauer dealer
Silver Member
Most true pool halls(ones with 9ft not barbox) I've been too don't serve alcohol, I don't know if that's a PA thing or not, and they are still open. I myself drink, but doesnt stop me from going there. if they did serve, I would probably have a few. If I'm playing serious pool , I don't drink very much til I'm done. I've been to some really busy halls that only have tables and pool accessories.
 

macguy

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I have never been in a pool room where serious players drink while playing. But if a pool room benefits from serving alcohol to less capable players, that is fine by me. Pool room owners deserve to make as much money as possible. Years ago, I played in a pool room where the local pro was Kim Davenport. When Kim came in to practice, several of us would cash out our tables, buy a beer, and sit down for a lesson. Those were great evenings.
I used to play in a room in Miami called Abe's Billiard Congress. In the winter top players were there every night. Anybody may be playing, Ronnie Allen, Miz, Danny D, a zillion road players and so on.

Like you said when they got on the tables the place would shut down. This was a 25 table room and most tables would go off time if two players matched up. Abe was losing a fortune. He asked them to not start till around midnight.

The Congress became a 24 hour room, I don't think it was before that. From then on it was all night action. You would pull up to the place and could not find a place to park and this was like 2 am. For a young player wanting to learn it was like collage education in pool.
 

7forlife

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
The short version

Excitatory neurons use Glutamate = Excitement
Inhibitory neurons use Gaba = Inhibition/Organize/Differentiate
Alcohol suppresses glutamate and enhances gaba = less excitation more inhibition.
So because glutamate sites become less effective information flow become slow and only the largest signals can make it through, this mean you feel less, perceive less, notice less and remember less. In conjunction the increased gaba hushes the background noise of activity fine tuning and clarifying your thoughts (but to a degree), while drunk your gaba channels are wide open and combined with the lack of glutamate you begin to think very little but with great clarity (that what causes your drunk buddy to keep repeating himself)

Thinking clearly about almost nothing.
(that is also why some feel that they play better when they are drunk or have been drinking)

The less important the night the better the chances i have a drink but since i drive it's very little to begin with and usually is only to support my friends business. So it's a glass of wine sometimes cause i can drink that slower or a beer or two when i want to be more social.
 

gregcantrall

Center Ball
Silver Member
Not serious players when they are playing. If they feel they have to they have a problem.

Portland Slim told me he saw Willie Mosconi run over a hundred when he was so drunk he was holding on to the rails to get around the table.

I spoke with Cole Dickson a few times about drinking and playing. He was on and off the wagon a few times. He told me he felt the nerves without alcohol. However once he had taken the edge off he could not quit.

My best showing in a tournament, for each match, I had a glass of beer, a glass of water and a cup of coffee at my table. I hit each lightly depending on how I felt.
 

Dockter

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I don't drink. I kind of screwed up a fair amount when I was a little younger. That being said I normally buy food or buy someone a drink. I do buy an energy drink or 2 depending on how long I'm there and it's at least the price of a beer.
 

SilverCue

Sir Raksalot
Silver Member
I read so much about the evils of drinking that I gave it up!


I gave up reading, not drinking :)

I've had 1 or 2 on occasion when playing league.
 

actionplayer

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I usually have a drink in each hand cause I hate to drink alone. J/K

No Booze for me. Ruins my game.

I play my best after two pints
It relaxes you
See table better

Most of older players were drinkers
Today players worried about sponsorship
But Bergman drinks when plays as does hall richeson Joyner
Shit I even saw Appleton and Shaw drinking before their morning match at Reno bar table
 

SeabrookMiglla

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Excitatory neurons use Glutamate = Excitement
Inhibitory neurons use Gaba = Inhibition/Organize/Differentiate
Alcohol suppresses glutamate and enhances gaba = less excitation more inhibition.
So because glutamate sites become less effective information flow become slow and only the largest signals can make it through, this mean you feel less, perceive less, notice less and remember less. In conjunction the increased gaba hushes the background noise of activity fine tuning and clarifying your thoughts (but to a degree), while drunk your gaba channels are wide open and combined with the lack of glutamate you begin to think very little but with great clarity (that what causes your drunk buddy to keep repeating himself)

Thinking clearly about almost nothing.
(that is also why some feel that they play better when they are drunk or have been drinking)

The less important the night the better the chances i have a drink but since i drive it's very little to begin with and usually is only to support my friends business. So it's a glass of wine sometimes cause i can drink that slower or a beer or two when i want to be more social.

wow, that clears up a lot of mystery. nice post!

i dont drink when im playing serious anymore. maybe a drink or 2 for courtesy of the establishment im at. its hard for pool halls to stay open without people eating or drinking.

i feel once i lose that slight buzz which initially loosens me up and clears my mind- i get a headache or fuzzy in the head when analyzing. i think alcohol loosens me up and helps not to overthink the big stuff, but at the same time it kills me with the details.

but, if im just out kicking it with friends or whatever ill drink. i think one should enjoy the fruits of there labor. kinda is fun to just shoot and not care as much. brings me back to why i play the game in the first place...
 

Grantstew

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
If you don't drink while playing, you are missing out on the most wondrous thing. The "Beeriod" that time (for me anyway) between 3 and 7 pints when you can make any shot :D
 
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