Are you a Superstitious Pool Player

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Bruce S. de Lis

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Are you one of those folk who carries a Lucky Charm, to help you Win, Arrive at your destination, or Bring your Luck. If you carry such an item what is it. Where dod you get it, and what is the story behind the item?
 
Bruce S. de Lis said:
Are you one of those folk who carries a Lucky Charm, to help you Win, Arrive at your destination, or Bring your Luck. If you carry such an item what is it. Where dod you get it, and what is the story behind the item?
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Yeah... I carry a humans foot on a chain around my neck... I know it's supposed to be lucky but so far it hasn't done much for my game.
 
If I'm doing well with a particular piece of chalk, I'll only use that piece for the night. lol And noone else can use my chalk!!
 
Bruce S. de Lis said:
Are you one of those folk who carries a Lucky Charm, to help you Win, Arrive at your destination, or Bring your Luck. If you carry such an item what is it. Where dod you get it, and what is the story behind the item?
Click to expand...
I was hoping I would someday get to elaborate on my lucky charm. First, I am a superstitious person, and it seemed that I always got terrible rolls while my opponent was favored by all the pool gods.

I was in New Orleans for the Trade show a few years back (around 2000) and decided to take a trip to the French Quarter and Bourbon Street. While walking there, I stumbled upon an old voodoo/witchcraft/black magic shop in one of the alleys. Inside was a voodoo woman who looked like she had lived in the swamps with the gators her entire life. I walked inside and was looking around. She seemed to know that I was looking for something in particular, so she walked up and said, "if you will tell me what you are looking to do, I will help you out".

Taking this as a sign, I explained my problem. She smiled and went to work. She was getting herbs, animal teeth (and other animal parts), and several types of dusty powders. A plethora of voodoo ingredients went into this potion. When she was about finished, she would lift the potion, look intently at it, smell it, and then add some other little something. After doing this a couple of times, she went into the back room of the shop and came out with a little red pouch. She picked up the bowl that held what she had concocted and poured it into the red pouch. She tied the pouch closed with some sort of old looking twine.

She then told me to keep the red bag in the pouch of my pool case at all times. She warned me this would not assure that I would win at gambling or in tournaments, but that I would be looked upon kindly by the spirits and that favorable conditions would exist in the immediate area of the potion.

I have to admit, whether real or perceived, that I feel I have gotten much better rolls, and have always been in more calm spirits since I started to carry the red bag. It is still in the pouch of my pool case 5 years later.

It used to have a distinct aroma, which has since gone away. Maybe it's time to visit New Orleans again.

Mike
 
Mike Templeton said:
I was hoping I would someday get to elaborate on my lucky charm. First, I am a superstitious person, and it seemed that I always got terrible rolls while my opponent was favored by all the pool gods.

I was in New Orleans for the Trade show a few years back (around 2000) and decided to take a trip to the French Quarter and Bourbon Street. While walking there, I stumbled upon an old voodoo/witchcraft/black magic shop in one of the alleys. Inside was a voodoo woman who looked like she had lived in the swamps with the gators her entire life. I walked inside and was looking around. She seemed to know that I was looking for something in particular, so she walked up and said, "if you will tell me what you are looking to do, I will help you out".

Taking this as a sign, I explained my problem. She smiled and went to work. She was getting herbs, animal teeth (and other animal parts), and several types of dusty powders. A plethora of voodoo ingredients went into this potion. When she was about finished, she would lift the potion, look intently at it, smell it, and then add some other little something. After doing this a couple of times, she went into the back room of the shop and came out with a little red pouch. She picked up the bowl that held what she had concocted and poured it into the red pouch. She tied the pouch closed with some sort of old looking twine.

She then told me to keep the red bag in the pouch of my pool case at all times. She warned me this would not assure that I would win at gambling or in tournaments, but that I would be looked upon kindly by the spirits and that favorable conditions would exist in the immediate area of the potion.

I have to admit, whether real or perceived, that I feel I have gotten much better rolls, and have always been in more calm spirits since I started to carry the red bag. It is still in the pouch of my pool case 5 years later.

It used to have a distinct aroma, which has since gone away. Maybe it's time to visit New Orleans again.

Mike
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The Voodoo way is pretty good... :D I have been interested in that for decades, its believing in something and I'm all for that.
 
A couple of years ago at the BCA event I was watching Mick Hill (English 8 Ball Pro) playing a spanish kid in the Masters event. All the spanish kids supports had hold of this large tree branch/bush and they where all rubbing it furiously on every shot! The spanish kid went 5:0 up race to 7 and then I had to play my match. I had to laugh when I heard that Mick came back and won 7:5! I bet they had a bonfire that night lol

Funniest thing Ive ever seen with regards to lucky charms :-)
 
TheOne said:
A couple of years ago at the BCA event I was watching Mick Hill (English 8 Ball Pro) playing a spanish kid in the Masters event. All the spanish kids supports had hold of this large tree branch/bush and they where all rubbing it furiously on every shot! The spanish kid went 5:0 up race to 7 and then I had to play my match. I had to laugh when I heard that Mick came back and won 7:5! I bet they had a bonfire that night lol

Funniest thing Ive ever seen with regards to lucky charms :-)
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Maybe you were the spanish kid's good luck charm? They were rubbing the wrong branch!
 
i don't have a lucky charm but i do have a phobia...............

i'm afraid to miss.........it petrifies me.........LOL

VAP
 
True story: About 20 years ago, my wife worked in a crystal/glass blowing establishment. It was my birthday and she wanted to buy me a smoky quartz crystal. I rode my bicycle to work in those days and she asked me to stop by the shop on the way in and look at a couple of crystals she had in mind to see which one I liked best. After looking at them, I told her that either one would be a great gift and rode on to work. About an hour later, a native American gentleman named Grandpa Roberts and a lady walked into the store. My wife had put the two crystals back in the display case and the lady asked to see one of them. My wife handed it to her and Grandpa Roberts took it away from her and told her, "This crystal isn't for you. It is for this lady to give to her husband. It is symbolic of their relationship with each other and he should carry it with him." The shop owner overheard the conversation and gave the crystal to her to give to me. I've carried it in my pocket ever since. I've lost it twice. Once while riding my bike, it fell out of my jacket pocket just after crossing a busy intersection. I heard it hit the pavement and knew immediately what it was and went back and got it. Another time on a trip to California, I was wearing a pair of those shorts that you always have stuff falling out of the pocket when wearing. When I got home, I realized that it was gone. I tore the car apart, called the people we had visited and the motel we stayed in, all to no avail. I was pretty worried that I had lost it forever. Then on our wedding anniversary a month or so later, I was cleaning out the car and there it was! Sitting in pretty plain sight just under the driver's seat. I don't know how much it helps my pool playing, but when something comes to you with a story like that, you kind of have to believe in it, don't you think?
 
marissayi said:
Maybe you were the spanish kid's good luck charm? They were rubbing the wrong branch!
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Hey there's no way I was going to let them rub my branch in the middle of the BCA Open! :eek:

But if you're ever having some rotten luck give me a shout and I'll see what I can do! :D

(Sorry couldnt resist!)
 
I M Superstitious also

Many years ago I was a Freelance Photojournalist, had a few day in Central California to kill between Assignments.

I decided to Visit the James Dean Memorial in Cholame, California. That is approx. 1/2 Mile from where Dean was Killed in his Porsche speedster.

Apparently the Dean Memorial was paid for by a Japanese Businessman, Seita Ohnishi.

It is surrounded by a rock garden, and all the rocks there in come from Japan, handwashed and handpolished.

I was told at the time of my visit in 1995 that the rocks come from Japan, handwashed and handpolished. Plus are thought to bring luck.

Also apparently Mr. Ohnishi sent a shipping container of the special rock annually to replace those taken by visitor.

Well I pick up a couple of Dozen of the Rocks that look kind of like unusual river rock, as I thought maybe I could use a little Luck.

The Rocks are always in my Vehicle, and were in my 18 Wheeler when I drove Over the Road.

Have I had any luck, think I might have a couple of time when driving, and avoided Tickets, and several Accidents.

Was back at the James Dean Memorial in Cholame, California last October. sadly the memorial has been vandalized, and apparently Mr. Ohnishi. is not sending the handwashed and handpolished Rock any longer.

Interersted in the Dean Memorial Click Below.




http://members.aol.com/jaydeebee1/memorial.html
 
I cant really say its superstitious, but i guess my ring would have to be my lucky charm. Of course, ive been able to play pool even without it, but i wear it all the time now. Bought it around 2 years ago and ive been wearing it ever since. I have panic attacks when i lose it, because of sedimental value. But thats really it. I believe that theres luck, its just i dont get any.
 
Many a sports psychologist has argued that superstition works in some cases. For example, if you think you'll play well if you wear those brown pants you wore when you won that tournament a couple of months ago, you often will, simply because wearing those pants has helped to put you in a winning frame of mind.

Me, I'm not superstitious at all, except on Friday the thirteenth, of course.
 
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OK I got one. This seems to happen 1005 for me. When a guy (or me) starts to get shitty about the rack, even after they are racked perfectly he is unlikely to make a ball. The more they complain the less likely one is to go in. Conversly when I don't check the rack and just say thats ok not really stressing about it and just smash the balls I tend to nearly always make a ball.

Sods law or murphys law? :confused:
 
In our pool hall they mark score with counting rings that slide along a bar above the table.When I play in the tournament and if I win the first game,I allways mark my game on the side which had the most rings from the previous set.

My thinking is I want to be on the side of the scoreboard that won the last set. I never have kept stats to see if it has helped me,however, it's probably better than thinking something negetive.I guess I'm not that bad, because that's the extent of my supersition if it is in fact superstition.If the other guy wins the first game and marks on the winners side, I certainly don't get to(superstitiously) thinking...oh oh, now I'm doomed. RJ
 
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