Alcohol & pool?

Johnny Rosato

Johnny Rosato

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I've recently decided to quit drinking, no real reason except I'm tired of it & want to take better care of myself ( 63 years old ).
Since my late teens, I can't remember knocking around more than a game or 2 while sober.
Any of y'all glad you quit & did your game improve much? And what about playing bars, do they mind you not drinking?
Who are some top players that do or don't drink?
I've made up my mind so no answer will sway me either way, thanks!
 
I take a year off from drinking every few years. I drink way too much for a guy with young kids. I do have N/A beers every now and then, but they're just not the same. I think it helps me play better, but that may just be in my head. It definitely helps me lose weight and sleep better.
 
I'm 67, stopped drinking in 1978. I didn't play much in bars, mostly in pool rooms and in New York State you couldn't serve alcohol in poor rooms until 1997 when I moved to SC. My life overall improved 110 %, probably my pool game went up at least a ball, maybe two. If you know anything about pool you know that's a hell of a jump. I can't/won't speak for anyone else.

Edit: Most people only THINK they play better when drinking.
 
Boozin'

I quit drinking 19.5 years ago, (almost 61 y/o now). I had to quit, no question about it.I had a hell of a lot of fun when I was boozin' but I'm glad I'm sober as life is better and I play better as well. Not to mention I feel much better when I wake up in the morning. Those hangovers that last 6 or 8 years were killers!!!
YMMV
Good luck
 
drinking and pool, I was just reading about electricity and water.
drinking and pool, reminds me of a kid named, eddie, eddie felsen, yeah, well.
 
2twoball said:
I've recently decided to quit drinking, no real reason except I'm tired of it & want to take better care of myself ( 63 years old ).
Since my late teens, I can't remember knocking around more than a game or 2 while sober.
Any of y'all glad you quit & did your game improve much? And what about playing bars, do they mind you not drinking?
Who are some top players that do or don't drink?
I've made up my mind so no answer will sway me either way, thanks!
Click to expand...

Can't say that I quit since I don't drink much, but when I drink, I play worse. Even a single beer can have an affect on how I play.

If I play in a place that has free or very cheap pool, I get a drink and/or food there. Although at times just a few sodas or coffee. I do try to give the place some money as well as the staff, if I get a cheap night out, my tip is more like 30%, sometimes 50% of the tab. Especially if I play in a tournament where there is no table time at all and I cash.
 
Pool is a pub game. There might be some smokeless pool rooms these days but alcohol-less is still probably a rarity at anyplace I'd want to play.

As AA folks say "if you don't won't a haircut, don't hangout in a barbershop."

Greenleaf did pretty well on the sauce though. :wink:
 
2twoball said:
I've recently decided to quit drinking, no real reason except I'm tired of it & want to take better care of myself ( 63 years old ).
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That is every reason to do what you did. Congrats ..wise decision.
 
I drank NA beer for a while. I like tomato beer and found that tomato juice helped make the NA beer taste more like a real beer.

If you are looking for the calming of the nerves, I have been told that milk is a good option.

Anything with caffeine does not work for me when I am playing pool.
 
I quit drinking cold turkey a while back for reasons similar to yours and it took about a year before I was comfortable competing without the crutch of an alcohol buzz. It was in fact quite frustrating to be up there shaking like a little girl over routine pool competition.

In the end, I play better. No question about it.

As far as the places I play. Eat something if the food is even remotely palatable and tip the server well and you will be more welcome than when you were drunk. I find I can tip about double as I used to and come out way ahead in the big picture.

And one last thing. I don't know how many times I drove home in a condition over the legal limit. A lot! Never had a DUI but was plenty eligible. The feeling of walking out and getting in the rig and driving away without having to worry is priceless.

JC
 
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2twoball said:
I've recently decided to quit drinking, no real reason except I'm tired of it & want to take better care of myself ( 63 years old ).
Since my late teens, I can't remember knocking around more than a game or 2 while sober.
Any of y'all glad you quit & did your game improve much? And what about playing bars, do they mind you not drinking?
Who are some top players that do or don't drink?
I've made up my mind so no answer will sway me either way, thanks!
Click to expand...

Not only did my game improve BUT so did my personal life.

randyg
 
I never drink when I play. As a matter of fact I never drink outside the house unless we go to dinner and then it's one drink before the meal. It's crazy today to have any alcohol in your system and get behind the wheel of your car.
 
hang-the-9 said:
Can't say that I quit since I don't drink much, but when I drink, I play worse. Even a single beer can have an affect on how I play.

If I play in a place that has free or very cheap pool, I get a drink and/or food there. Although at times just a few sodas or coffee. I do try to give the place some money as well as the staff, if I get a cheap night out, my tip is more like 30%, sometimes 50% of the tab. Especially if I play in a tournament where there is no table time at all and I cash.
Click to expand...

Thats the same thing I do, I just do not drink very often but I do buy my fair share of Dr. Pepper when shooting. I just tip large and often I will get a pizza or cheeseburger too because most times I did not have time for dinner before pool.
 
I quit drinking for a month at a time every now and then and while sober I have way way more energy and end up practicing a lot more.


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I have never quit, but i dont really like being drunk while playying, so ihave no problem with 3-4 beers in a day.
 
The only thing you're gonna miss not drinking while playing pool is the handfuls of 1$ bills in every damn pants pocket at the end of the night.
 
Los Gatos Taki said:
Alcohol and drugs have damaged or ruined many great or potentially great pool players over the decades.
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Black-Balled said:
And they have also inspired much great pool.
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Think about music, and the number of truly great musicians who succumbed to one or both. I often wonder if the damage is an effect of fame, or if fame is an effect of the addictive behavior (or in that vein maybe the public is somewhat perversely attracted to people falling deeply into drugs or alcohol).
 
Haven't had a beer in 26 years and don't miss it one bit. Hell when I was drinking, I did EVERYTHING better.:wink: My game went up at least 2 balls after I quit, not to mention my quality of life went up 5 balls. :)

My game is now down 3 balls cause I don't get table time anymore since we started working 7 days on 7 off. Oh well, retirement is looking pretty good soon (63 years old) so maybe I will get those 3 balls back with more table time.

Me personally, I haven't been in a bar in a very long time. I much prefer the pool hall, but that is just me. The hall I visit serves alcohol, but I just drink coke, club soda with lime, or water and they have never had an issue. I can remember some of the drama in the bars when I played, and much prefer the hall.
 
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