A question on Ediquette.....

goingproin07

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I was playing in my local pool room the other day....It was pretty busy, b/c out of the 20 tables there, they were all taken....anyways, so im about 35 minutes into playing, when one of the local guy that is pretty good, told me that he wanted my table to gamble on.....i was like, man i came here to practice. Ill probably be shooting here for another hour or so....he got all huffy puffy and told me that i wasnt showing a player of his "caliber" any respect, and that later down the line i wouldnt get any respect....is this true? should i have given up my table and gone home? I asked some of the other good players there, and they said that u shouldnt give your table up to someone who is going to play 2 dollar a set 9-ball. So did i do the right or wrong thing by not letting him have my table?
 
There is to some degree a general rule of seniority in pool rooms where the better (or regular) players get priority when it comes to tables, but this usually doesn't mean giving up a table unless it's the rooms main table, and ONLY when there's another table available to move to. In your case, you did well not to move. You're a paying customer entitled to the same respect as any paying customer. Had you been on the main house table and there was another table available, it's not unheard of for another player(s) or sometimes even the staff to ask if you'd be willing to move to another table, but remember this is not an order, only a kind request that you don't have to respond to. Depending on the situation, I'll give up my table and move to another if I think it's in the best interests of the place that I'm playing in. (rooms like to put the better players on the main tables to serve as an attraction for publicity), but once again, wether or not you give up your table is entirely up to you, and you shouldn't have to worry about crap like paying respect at a time when you've paid good money for a serious practice session.
dave
 
Did He Earn Your Respect Acting Like A Jackass???

That guy sounds like a total jackass....He just thought he could bully you out of the way so he could satisfy his gambling Jones......
Good of you to stand up for yourself......be firm and polite and you'll earn way more respect in the long run.....;)
 
he does act like a jackass

He is always coming in trying to shark me....i dont get it...ill be playing for something cheap like 3-5 bucks a rack 9-ball, and he comes in talking all this shit...Trying to tell me that if i want some real action, he will put 100 bucks up to my 50, and that i dont have the balls to play him, and blah blah blah....im just like, sir, can u let me shoot pool please? thanks...lol...i dont know, i think i should just take his money, and shut his mouth, but theres alot about this guy i dont know, and how well he shoots for money is one of them...
 
goingproin07 said:
He is always coming in trying to shark me....i dont get it...ill be playing for something cheap like 3-5 bucks a rack 9-ball, and he comes in talking all this shit...Trying to tell me that if i want some real action, he will put 100 bucks up to my 50, and that i dont have the balls to play him, and blah blah blah....im just like, sir, can u let me shoot pool please? thanks...lol...i dont know, i think i should just take his money, and shut his mouth, but theres alot about this guy i dont know, and how well he shoots for money is one of them...

Sounds like you answered you own question right there.

I don't know why, but pool halls sound chock full of morons like you describe.

The last time I went to my pool hall on a Saturday night, a guy was throwing singles, that landed on my equipment, all the while complaining that he had no ride, he was paying child support, and that he was looking for a fight. Now, I can't shoot pool, but I can protect myself, and the guy was half my size. But that's not the atmosphere I am looking for.
 
good point

Thats exactly what im saying....I dont know if its because i have my sights set on the IPT or what, but im sick and tired of low class pool players....i wish we were still in the days of johnson city, where u had good action, and respectable players....dont get me wrong, there was its on share of low class, but it just sounds like alot better atmospher for pool...where u can fire a barrel at someone, in an atmospher that u can concentrate on....man those must have been the good days...
 
goingproin07 said:
He is always coming in trying to shark me....i dont get it...ill be playing for something cheap like 3-5 bucks a rack 9-ball, and he comes in talking all this shit...Trying to tell me that if i want some real action, he will put 100 bucks up to my 50, and that i dont have the balls to play him, and blah blah blah....im just like, sir, can u let me shoot pool please? thanks...lol...i dont know, i think i should just take his money, and shut his mouth, but theres alot about this guy i dont know, and how well he shoots for money is one of them...
First, thats not real action.

second, if you are as good as you say you are then you should play him. It's only 50 bucks.

the guy sounds like a total jackass.
 
re:

id love to play him, just having to budget right now....moving in about 2 weeks...ill probably get in a good set or 2 with him before i leave tho. See if hes really as good as he says..... Oh and i ran my first 3 pack 2 nights ago!! woot woot...maybe not the biggest accomplishment in the world, but i was pretty happy....thnx for the advice icon
 
I would have told him to go pay off your time, then me could have the table. Then i would have pulled a chair/stool and watched him and the other guy play. You can learn allot from watching a better player, watch his safties etc etc and remember them. That could have been part of your practice that day.:)
 
"Etiquette"

Tokyo-dave said:
There is to some degree a general rule of seniority in pool rooms where the better (or regular) players get priority when it comes to tables, but this usually doesn't mean giving up a table unless it's the rooms main table, and ONLY when there's another table available to move to. In your case, you did well not to move. You're a paying customer entitled to the same respect as any paying customer. Had you been on the main house table and there was another table available, it's not unheard of for another player(s) or sometimes even the staff to ask if you'd be willing to move to another table, but remember this is not an order, only a kind request that you don't have to respond to. Depending on the situation, I'll give up my table and move to another if I think it's in the best interests of the place that I'm playing in. (rooms like to put the better players on the main tables to serve as an attraction for publicity), but once again, wether or not you give up your table is entirely up to you, and you shouldn't have to worry about crap like paying respect at a time when you've paid good money for a serious practice session.
dave

That is how we handle the situation at the Flamingo. There is only 1 Gold Crown in the front room. If i or someone else is just practicing or playing
for no money, and someone wants to play a set for some cash, we yield the table to them, pull up a comfy chair and rail bird or maybe sweat if it is a some high dollar action.:)
 
BTW, $2 a set is joke and sounds like a bunch of malarkey. Lotta Action there! I'm not a big gambler, but I am not going to give up a regular table for $2 sets. If it is the main table, I might move if I can.

As far as matching up against that guy, get him to give you a spot you can beat him at and keep the money at 50/100. Just tell him with all that talking he is doing he should be plenty able to spot you [fill in the blank]. BTW always start out asking for a little more than what you need so you can recess to what you really want. Shutting up guys that badger you all the time is not being a nit. It is putting them where you need them, putting-up or shutting-up. BTW, if and when you beat him with the spot and he tries to get out of the spot, just tell him that it's not your fault if he shoots better than you. But it is his fault if you are a better gambler. than you. ;) JMO

Sorry, I really don't like the badgering kind of people that try and pressure everyone into giving them your money. They are just bullies that need to be put in their place. Asking to play is GREAT! Badgering for a game is pure weakness.
 
For a $2/set, I would've told him to piss off...

If he would've been somewhat nice about it, I probably would've given it up if there was substantial cash involved, but if he comes across as a nit, tell him to take a hike.
 
yep ditto for here too. We have one good table thats perfect and fast and in the corner and its the "gamble" table. I practice on it when im there......if someone wanted to gamble on it id gladly move to another to let them. And most of them time when I walk in at night, if theres any kind of gamble game possible whoever is just playing on it will automatically offer it up for us to play on. Ive even had guys already gambling on that table offer it up to me to play for higher stakes, but i dont look at it like they are supposed to or its my right to that table or something, if they want to keep playing on it I dont say anything, they are paying customers too. Your guy is just a butthead
 
Sounds like this guy *is* a jackass. :P

If you're confident enough in your game over his, then maybe you should take his money. That may well shut him up. :)
 
goingproin07 said:
id love to play him, just having to budget right now....moving in about 2 weeks...ill probably get in a good set or 2 with him before i leave tho. See if hes really as good as he says.....
If you want to gamble with this guy, by all means, gamble with him. However, don't gamble with money that you can't afford to lose. If you do, you are setting yourself up to lose. If you can't afford to lose, it will play with your mind and take your attention away from your game. JMHO.

If you do gamble with him, I hope you kick his butt. He sounds like a real jerk.
 
Donovan said:
BTW, $2 a set is joke and sounds like a bunch of malarkey. Lotta Action there! I'm not a big gambler, but I am not going to give up a regular table for $2 sets. If it is the main table, I might move if I can.

As far as matching up against that guy, get him to give you a spot you can beat him at and keep the money at 50/100. Just tell him with all that talking he is doing he should be plenty able to spot you [fill in the blank]. BTW always start out asking for a little more than what you need so you can recess to what you really want. Shutting up guys that badger you all the time is not being a nit. It is putting them where you need them, putting-up or shutting-up. BTW, if and when you beat him with the spot and he tries to get out of the spot, just tell him that it's not your fault if he shoots better than you. But it is his fault if you are a better gambler. than you. ;) JMO

Sorry, I really don't like the badgering kind of people that try and pressure everyone into giving them your money. They are just bullies that need to be put in their place. Asking to play is GREAT! Badgering for a game is pure weakness.

Good post.

I couldn't help but laugh when I read that this guy wanted to play for $2 a set.
 
First off ...

If I am playing, it is in a tournaemnt or money match, or occasionally practicing, but that is usually for an upcoming match. I have given up tables, but usually only to friends that are good players, and playing at
least $200 sets, and they will even throw me something for giving up the table. I never give up my talbe to a stranger unless I am about to quit anyway, or it is a BIG time player who is in town, and I know, that is getting
ready to play serious money ($500 and up sets).

$2 a set, is a friggin joke, and he is not a good player if he plays that kind of set ... no matter what you say. Anything less than $50 a set is just when they feel sociable, or practice with a friend, but NEVER less than a short set for $20, and usually only then because they are short of money, and just trying to double up their money or more for a bigger game.

I can not believe the 'Nits' that exist today in Pool .... lol
 
goingproin07 said:
I was playing in my local pool room the other day....It was pretty busy, b/c out of the 20 tables there, they were all taken....anyways, so im about 35 minutes into playing, when one of the local guy that is pretty good, told me that he wanted my table to gamble on.....i was like, man i came here to practice. Ill probably be shooting here for another hour or so....he got all huffy puffy and told me that i wasnt showing a player of his "caliber" any respect, and that later down the line i wouldnt get any respect....is this true? should i have given up my table and gone home? I asked some of the other good players there, and they said that u shouldnt give your table up to someone who is going to play 2 dollar a set 9-ball. So did i do the right or wrong thing by not letting him have my table?

I'll give up my table for action if they were going to bet something worthwhile. I wouldn't give it up for cheap action unless I was close to quitting anyway. I don't think that violates any pool-room etiquette at all.
 
Jimmy M. said:
I'll give up my table for action if they were going to bet something worthwhile. I wouldn't give it up for cheap action unless I was close to quitting anyway. I don't think that violates any pool-room etiquette at all.

Yeah!!! ...thats right!!! If I am on the table when your ready to start your $2 challenge matches, your just going to have to wait...;) :D
 
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