Anyone Else Run into this problem with players

StormHotRod300

StormHotRod300

BigSexy
Silver Member
OK, this is probably going to be one long azz post but hold on and read and post your thoughts, expecially about what you think of Free Tournaments for newbie's.


In April of 2004, i got into shooting pool more, mainly cuz i ran into someone who played pool and we met at the pool hall one nite and he kicked my butt. Hence the game was on.

Well the pool hall i started to goto had these " FREE 9Ball TOURNAMENTS " on sundays and mondays. Race to 4 loser breaks and finals was race to 7, with a Limit of 32 people. Mainly for people who are like a D/C skill level.

As i began to frequent these tournaments and practice, i became better slowly, but it did happen. And i began to win more matches and after 3 or 4 months, i actually started to finish in the top 10 regularly. And eventually got banned cuz i was winning too much, which didnt bother me.

So I move on to a new pool hall to frequent across town, and they had the same thing, which was weird cuz it was on mondays and tuesdays, but the format was Winner breaks, and the race all depended on how many people would show up. Well i eventually got banned from them too.

Obviously now i only play in money tournaments against tougher competition which is nice because it only makes me better.

Now heres the weird thing, is I see the same people back when i first started still playing in the FREE TOURNAMENTS. Even though the pool hall i frequent now has had a 5$ thursday( 9ball ) tournament for months and a 12$ Friday( 9ball ) Tournament since Christmas time.

And you get banned from these FREE TOURNAMENTS if you win the whole thing too much, and first place is a 20$ gift Cert, and 2nd is a 10$ GC, 3rd is a free hour and 4th is a cheap zippo lighter.

So what happens is guys who are playing for 1st -4th are all trying to dump thier match so they dont get booted from playing cuz if you win your done for a month.

And in the tournament outa the 30-50 players theres maybe 10 who could play in the 5$ thursday tournament but dont, cuz it COSTS money.

Now I am not sure what other areas in the world are like, but you'd think, that you would want to play to your best ability. And move up the food chain.

I even see it on the Thursday 5$ tourny, we have guys who probably shouldnt be playing in it, because their too good. But they are there for the easy money and they end up in the money. And these same guys end up playing in the 12$ Friday tournament too, which is a OPEN 9ball tourny on 9ft tables.

Now i had a couple times suggested to the owner, about charging 3$ for people to play in the FREE TOURNAMENTS, so they have something to play for and you weed out the stupid ball bangers who just show up for free pool.

But she said it would SCARE AWAY the STUPID BALL BANGERS who may only have 3$ to spend at the pool hall for drinks. Now she didnt call them STUPID BALL BANGERS, but she was commenting about them.

I mean everywhere else i hear of, If you wanna play in a tournament your paying the 10-40$ to play and probably get your azz whipped for a while untill you learn how to play.

I swear the town i live in is the only place that HAS FREE POOL TOURNAMENTS. I ask people all the time who come from other places and they've never heard of anything like this before.

Sorry if i rambled on too much.

dave
 
Seems like free tournaments you talk about are only there to attract casual players into buying drinks, not good pool. Stay away from those if you want to progress.
 
Predator,

Its not so much for the casual player, but for lower skilled players who can run maybe 3-4 balls with ball in hand. Thats who these tournaments are designed for.

I dont play in them anymore, i havent been allowed too in almost a yr. And could care less if they did let me play.

Its just i guess laugh-able to hear guys talk about dumping thier matches when it gets down to the last 6 or so players, just so they can play next week.

I myself only play in money tournaments, which brings out the better skilled players.

I guess my point was,, why would you want to continue to play the same skilled people over n over, and not try to move up to play better players.
 
StormHotRod300 said:
Predator,

Its not so much for the casual player, but for lower skilled players who can run maybe 3-4 balls with ball in hand. Thats who these tournaments are designed for.

I dont play in them anymore, i havent been allowed too in almost a yr. And could care less if they did let me play.

Its just i guess laugh-able to hear guys talk about dumping thier matches when it gets down to the last 6 or so players, just so they can play next week.

I myself only play in money tournaments, which brings out the better skilled players.

I guess my point was,, why would you want to continue to play the same skilled people over n over, and not try to move up to play better players.
Click to expand...

It's a common mentality for not only pool players, but for human beings in general that free = good and having to pay = bad.
 
I thought like you about playing tourneys to move up the food chain. Until I worked in pool rooms, I never realized how many people played just for entertainment, and camaraderie, kind of like a club thing. They play to get out of the house and do something. I can see that way of thinking I guess.

It's like me and surfing. I surf with a lot of REALLY good surfers, and I can hold my own, but these guys have been doing it their whole lives. I go out there laughing, falling, half drowning, and they just laugh at me, but I never had so much fun. Some of them can get a little AGGRO about who's in "our" lineup, what board they ride, where they parked, what baggies (surf shorts) they are wearing, and all that stupid crap. I'm probably a strong "C" surfer....I'll take 2 waves to 10.....any takers?:D

Gerry
 
cuetechasaurus said:
It's a common mentality for not only pool players, but for human beings in general that free = good and having to pay = bad.
Click to expand...

well paying(the $5 and $12 games) is really gambling,and you shoud never gamble with your own money.thats why i have a stakehorse. boy does my wife hate handing over that money every week.
 
Dave,

Just an hour and a half from you, I have never saw a free tourney. Sounds like a cheap way to get new players into the pool rooms in your area. If they get hooked, such as you, they have expanded their customer base.

So in their free tourneys, what would stop a good player from another area from popping in and winning the $20 gift card once?

See you on the 18th for the tourney at Q-Stick.
 
Different people have different reasons for playing pool, and playing in tournaments (free or otherwise). Everyone's different. *shrug*

I wouldn't worry so much about what these other guys are doing. They don't affect you at all. You've obviously moved on past this level of play. Look ahead, not back! :D
 
Jeremy,

Well thats the problem you run into, there's been a couple times i have seen guys who might be traveling or something, who are like A rated players and happend to just stop in to practice, and end up playing.

And they end up just beating the hell outa everyone. This guy from Kzoo, Mich, his nickname is 8ball Al, he did this and beat everyone no problem.

A few weeks before that, another guy just stopped in to practice and ended up playing, and litterally lost maybe 10games over 7matches. And he was running out from everywhere.

So basically if nobody knows who you are, you could stop in for some free practice and a 20$ Gift Cert.

dave
 
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