3-Fouling a Beginner Level Player in a Weekly Handicap Tournament?

The funny thing about this is the idea of ruthlessly winning with skill. In leagues I have a tendency to blow my runouts and be in 1 ball hell. I also have a tendency to win the endgame from a disadvantage. And my techniques are brutally cruel. I’ll keep balls tied up. Pocket their balls. And get us down to one ball each and let them screw up a safety before I do. And then in the vein of this thread, I help our team and get results for that effort.
 
MattPoland said:
The funny thing about this is the idea of ruthlessly winning with skill. In leagues I have a tendency to blow my runouts and be in 1 ball hell. I also have a tendency to win the endgame from a disadvantage. And my techniques are brutally cruel. I’ll keep balls tied up. Pocket their balls. And get us down to one ball each and let them screw up a safety before I do. And then in the vein of this thread, I help our team and get results for that effort.
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Playing on a team or even partners can put me in an awkward position due to my obligation to others. Probably would have to have a discussion before play, I still wouldn't want to be too brutal on beginners. They get their heads pounded in often enough.

Hu
 
If you can't beat a "1" getting ball in hand twice, maybe you should hit the practice room.

I feel that events having more than a few beginners should play without the three-foul rule if we don't want to scare away those new to the game.

Pool needs to encourage, not penalize, novices and allowing them to lose without getting to shoot at all will scare them away pretty quickly.
 
sjm said:
If you can't beat a "1" getting ball in hand twice, maybe you should hit the practice room.

I feel that events having more than a few beginners should play without the three-foul rule if we don't want to scare away those new to the game.

Pool needs to encourage, not penalize, novices and allowing them to lose without getting to shoot at all will scare them away pretty quickly.
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Playing by a full set of rules doesn't scare competitors away.

Being a dick does. We have another thread right now started by the op of this one making fun of the same beginners.

The lauded, celebrated attitude of hustler culture does. When we have thousands of posts calling lesser skilled players, 'customers'.

I'm guessing that nobody ever went back to a tourney because they were pandered to. People go back because they enjoy themselves or enjoy the competition.
 
I don't think people need to be coddled.
I'm not going to 3 foul a much lesser player on a league night, but in a tournament where I am giving them weight, I will strongly consider it.
I dislike having the rule removed from tournaments, it takes away an aspect of the game that requires thinking and strategy and skill.
The rule is also there for a reason. Without it, you can get into situations where both players take a BUNCH of fouls, slowing down the game.
 
3 foul rule hurts the social aspect of a small tournament. that deters newbies and weak players who are most times there for that reason.
 
Sheldon said:
The rule is also there for a reason. Without it, you can get into situations where both players take a BUNCH of fouls, slowing down the game.
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Way back in uh let's see, the? A long time ago in Sacramento. I was new to the tournament scene in the city. I was playing the guy that had been pointed out as "the Best" local player. We were playing "Bar Rules" so definitely no 3 foul rule. He ran out of shape and didn't want to change the lay of the troubled balls as his potentially had the advantage after a break attempt. So he just rolled the cue ball to the head rail. I said nothing and just rolled it back to where it was when he started the bull stuff. Since he was the local champion all eyes were on the match. Well not the tournament director but an express spectator made a dash for him. The spectators were Agahsed er uh upset that bar rules weren't being played in a gentleman fashion. The tournament director ruled. The balls would be repacked and broken by original breaker. The first player to shoot a shot and not attempt to hit a ball......would lose.
Simple enough! I had the break, so I broke in the 8. There's another shooter in town. Could have been the headline as I did win the tournament that day.🤷‍♂️
Almost forgot. Next week it was Vegas rules, by the bca book.
 
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There are those who really don't like this rule.

Big Bill packed up his cue up on the spot and quit our league when my team mate three fouled him a few weeks ago.

He didn't even make an attempt to hit the ball when informed he was on two. Just left.
 
ChrisinNC said:
In a poolroom’s weekly handicapped 9-ball tournament with 5 different handicap rankings (say 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 from strongest to weakest) how many 4 or 5 ranked players would attempt to 3-foul a 1 ranked beginner level player to try to win a game?

Personally, I would never do it, even if my opponent is on the hill. I may certainly play safeties on them in order to try to obtain ball-in-hand, and if necessary I may even foul them 3 or 4 times in a row if the layout of the balls requires it, but if I can’t figure out a way to win a game against a significantly lower skilled player without having to apply a the 3 consecutive foul loss of game rule on them, I don’t feel I deserve to win.

However, we certainly have some higher ranked players in our tournament that seem to have no problem resorting to this against a beginner level player, and I personally think it’s quite sad. Just curious as to opinions here, and I’m guessing they will be mixed?
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I don’t think playing by the rules is sad at all……no quarter asked for or given.
But I would suggest that levels 1 and 2 be relieved of the three foul rule.
 
There's really only one thing that matters and that's whether or not the lower ranked players continue to show up each week if they are constantly being 3 fouled.
 
My attitude has changed lately. There are a few "3's " who are very proficient at applying safeties. I would always duck or take a low percentage shot to prolong the game. That keeps them interested.
About those experienced "3's " ,......
Well I won't 3-foul yet, but I give them no mercy anymore.
 
On my comment the other day about getting 3 fouled. First thing the guy said after was “Don’t scratch on the break” then he rubbed it in. That comment has stuck with me since. I’m not one to 3 foul, but have told a couple other players the same thing when they scratch on the break and I run them out. Maybe it will stick with them too.
3 foul can be a good lesson.
Don’t scratch on the break people.
(I never did watch that match afterwards. It was aired on Facebook Live and is still out there. Not my best outing)
 
Bob Jewett said:
It's a handicap tournament. It's conceivable that they have a match win percentage close to 50% depending on how the handicap is set up.
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Or, maybe they are there to gain experience because higher skilled players so often recommend learning by doing, not by avoiding tough competition.
 
ChrisinNC said:
I guess I can see where his opponent slopping in the 9 ball in the first game maybe makes it a little more acceptable at that point.
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If you made the rule in your tournament "no early 9 balls", the better players may be OK with a "no 3 foul" rule.
 
easy-e said:
If you made the rule in your tournament "no early 9 balls", the better players may be OK with a "no 3 foul" rule.
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For the lower rank players, an early/lucky nine ball is one of the only ways they can win when there are still a number of balls on the table. I really don’t want to take that away from them. The higher ranked players if they are worried about that, need to try to leave the table in a position that makes it hard for their opponent to roll the 9 ball. We have one player in particular who does it all the time and I completely change my strategy of play when I play him to make sure I never leave him a path to roll the 9 ball.
 
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Sheldon said:
I don't think people need to be coddled.
I'm not going to 3 foul a much lesser player on a league night, but in a tournament where I am giving them weight, I will strongly consider it.
I dislike having the rule removed from tournaments, it takes away an aspect of the game that requires thinking and strategy and skill.
The rule is also there for a reason. Without it, you can get into situations where both players take a BUNCH of fouls, slowing down the game.
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I like to watch the video of our hill hill match from time to time where you tried three fouling me.:ROFLMAO:
 
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