I enjoy the College hustler stories..... that can't play a lick.
Are you any good at pool?
- Thread starter ktrepal85
- Start date
I enjoy the College hustler stories..... that can't play a lick.
GoldenFlash
Banned
Getting to keep what you won......
:smile:
(Jim Mataya (who I despise) was right about one thing for sure. An interesting sense of humor goes a long way toward helping you get out of the place with the money and not get an ass whipping. Regardless how much you won...20 bucks or 2000 bucks.)
My reply: "I'm not at all what people call good, but I bet I'm somewhere in the top 50 million"
:smile:
(Jim Mataya (who I despise) was right about one thing for sure. An interesting sense of humor goes a long way toward helping you get out of the place with the money and not get an ass whipping. Regardless how much you won...20 bucks or 2000 bucks.)
Yes!!! I think it is awesome because I really value what random people I do not know think of me and my pool game!!!
I tell them that I used to play pretty good, but now I'm still capable of beating 90% of the people in the pool hall on any given day. It is up to them to figure out what day and what pool hall or how many people even go in a pool hall, but it answers the question.
If it's a non-player I usually say "I'm trying as hard as I can to become good" because if I say "I'm alright" then their next comment is ALWAYS "but you play tournaments, you must be pro!" (as if any clown can pick up a cue and become pro after 3 weeks worth of practice).
When that happens I usually reply "Well, compared to you I'm probably the best player you ever know personally but compared to real pros, I'm just a random guy who misses way too much and don't get good shape very often"
Then they have a spark of understanding in the eye...
When that happens I usually reply "Well, compared to you I'm probably the best player you ever know personally but compared to real pros, I'm just a random guy who misses way too much and don't get good shape very often"
Then they have a spark of understanding in the eye...
Its actually a very good question because I have had a similar discussion with some of my pool playing friends and because the pool community in my area isn't as big as it is in the USA, the chances of an unknown random guy at a bar(who's from our area) being able to beat me or my friends are almost inexistant because if he had a strong game enough to beat us we would know him already or would have heard his name...at the very least I could find some information about him.
Good at Pool?
I can play a little.
I can play a little.
If I want to be candid, I usually say that I'm about like a scratch golfer to a 2 handicap, which means I'm better than anyone they know, but not all that good in the grand scheme of things.
Most people understand golf handicaps pretty well, so that tends to make the point.
Cory
I always keep it short & sweet. I just say in a non-confrontational half joking manner " yeah im REALLY AWESOME and cant NOBODY beat me --- why u wanna play some???? "
The bangers think I'm a pro, the pros think I'm a banger. (Someones quote on here)
I always say I am a good player, mind you, I am number one in the world at the moment so I suppose that is fair.
Lots of Love,
Carlo Biado
All joking aside, if you think of pool as a pyramid, then it is incredibly easy to get into the top 1% of all pool players and therefore appear very very good to the lower ranked players.
Taking myself, I am an easy top ten pool player in my local area but once I get the pro tour, I am simply cannon fodder.
Coming back to the pyramid. If you order all the players the world into groupings as follows:
Rank 1 - 1
Rank 2 - 2
Rank 3 - 4
Rank 4 - 8
Rank 5 - 16
Rank 7 - 32
Rank 8 - 64
Rank 9 - 128
Rank 10 - 256
Rank 11 - 512
Rank 12 - 1024
Rank 13 - 2048
etc...
When you get to the lower elements of this pyramid then very small shifts in form or standard can put you above/below many many millions of people.
And to underline that, if you have a golf handicap of lower than 18 then you are in the top 1% of golfers world wide.
Taking myself, I am an easy top ten pool player in my local area but once I get the pro tour, I am simply cannon fodder.
Coming back to the pyramid. If you order all the players the world into groupings as follows:
Rank 1 - 1
Rank 2 - 2
Rank 3 - 4
Rank 4 - 8
Rank 5 - 16
Rank 7 - 32
Rank 8 - 64
Rank 9 - 128
Rank 10 - 256
Rank 11 - 512
Rank 12 - 1024
Rank 13 - 2048
etc...
When you get to the lower elements of this pyramid then very small shifts in form or standard can put you above/below many many millions of people.
And to underline that, if you have a golf handicap of lower than 18 then you are in the top 1% of golfers world wide.
Are you any good?
i usually say "I'm ok" most people with average intelligence understand this, if the questioning continues I'll reply with " I enjoy the game a lot " and if it continues I go into self deprecating mode. I love a challenge but am not going to give away my speed even though I'm not much of a gambler. Hell I just threw 2 matches last week in a tourney because the field wasn't big or strong and the wife wanted to go since we were just visiting. At this stage of life I'm not to worried about somethings. Most folks don't understand the difference of being a good local player but only missing 3 balls in a set and losing 9-4 to a pro ! I liked Joey A's Syssaphus comparison, the beauty anguish and joy are all intertwined!
i usually say "I'm ok" most people with average intelligence understand this, if the questioning continues I'll reply with " I enjoy the game a lot " and if it continues I go into self deprecating mode. I love a challenge but am not going to give away my speed even though I'm not much of a gambler. Hell I just threw 2 matches last week in a tourney because the field wasn't big or strong and the wife wanted to go since we were just visiting. At this stage of life I'm not to worried about somethings. Most folks don't understand the difference of being a good local player but only missing 3 balls in a set and losing 9-4 to a pro ! I liked Joey A's Syssaphus comparison, the beauty anguish and joy are all intertwined!
Yes I am....
I am a good pool player. Especially considering the talent pool in and around my hick Alaskan town that no longer has a pool hall. I am not a really good player and definitely not a great player. I will probably never be a really good player due to my age and priorities. Butt, I have a good 9' table and I'm retired, so I really have no excuses for not being a really good player. Pool is supposed to be fun and I intend to keep it that way.
I am a good pool player. Especially considering the talent pool in and around my hick Alaskan town that no longer has a pool hall. I am not a really good player and definitely not a great player. I will probably never be a really good player due to my age and priorities. Butt, I have a good 9' table and I'm retired, so I really have no excuses for not being a really good player. Pool is supposed to be fun and I intend to keep it that way.
Usually I go with something like "There are many levels of good" and ask them how good are they trying to get? I try to gage what their motivations are and how much they're willing to put the work in. If nothing else, it usually makes for an interesting conversation.
This right here. People who don't know how to play the game that I've met at the bar that see me run three balls have told me to quit my job and start hustling pool for a living...but any B player could see I'm actually pretty bad. I feel the same way about chess. I'm like an 1100-1200 chess player (just a tiny bit better than a total beginner) but I still murder anyone I meet who isn't a "chess player". I have no chance against any real chess player though.
I believe that was Roy Steffensen who said that...
...pool player, locksmith, and now a successful politician in Norway.
http://www.google.ca/url?sa=t&rct=j...=apEfn_x4lHKZCrWgEgQ2gA&bvm=bv.92765956,d.aWw
..and he can play a little...note the Sogaard table...they play great.
http://www.google.ca/url?sa=t&rct=j...=dLpnWaS9bB0CQsdcMml_vg&bvm=bv.92765956,d.aWw
....but it did feel good to say.
I need a spot from everybody in this thread.
I thought Spot was a dog? :scratchhead:
I think being asked 'if you're any good' is a bit invasive....
...how can one not be subjective?
Sometimes I just ask them to define 'good'...
In an action situation, it's like asking a poker player what his hole cards are.