Assuming he'll make it...

Zims Rack

Zims Rack

Promoting the Cueing Arts
Silver Member
This happens very often and want your opinions on my reaction(s)...
I'm playing a game of 9 ball (or 8ball, doesn't matter) and just as I'm stroking the cue and aiming at the nine ball, my opponent will 1) get up and grab the rack 2) walk to the table and say, "that's good" 3) will say something like "you got it". So I in return will grab the CB and walk back behind the head string and prepare to break the next rack. But just as I grab the CB he calls a foul and says I didn't shoot the OB. Sometimes after he makes the comments mentioned above, I'll say "Thanks" and wack the 9ball around the table, obviously not even attempting to make it anywhere, but simply getting it near where he would be racking the balls. When this happens, they put the rack back and start to shoot, and I'll grab the CB and say something like "you already gave up and gave me the game".
Does this happen to other players? What do you do or say? I'm I wrong for my actions?

Thanks,
Zim
 
It has happeded to me as well and I am sure most players at some point. I was down about to shoot the 9 in the corner along the short rail after running out. The guy said thats good and walked past the pocket I was shooting at towards the other end to rack. So I tried to two rail bank the 9 in the side. He told me not to do that when he gives up a game, just toss the 9 towards the rack and don't even attempt it. He was just pissed cause he dogged a semi-easy 9 the game before that I didn't give him. i told him my missing on purpose and his nonintentional were different. He just hhmmmppffttted.
 
they say silence is golden, just take the game and go on! I think the senior tour has a rule you can not give up a game or it is a two game foul on you if you do. i had a friend that was playing in senior tourny in Blixoi Miss at one casino. dogged 9 ball, forget rule and angerly gave opp. game cost him2 games and match!!!!! lol lo that would stop the bickering, just play pool!!!! OLD MAN STICK
 
I think that Starcade in FL plays the same way. I've played in tournaments that use that rule also. It makes plenty of sense and keeps the players heads in the game.

Zim
 
Yeah playing in tourneys I never give a game up. I have seen too many people miss cue and/or dog 8 and 9 balls to do that. One more shot and they could have missed.
 
HEY ZIM,I ALWAYS THOUGHT THE RULE WAS IF U GIVE UP THE GAME,WHETHER U UNSCREW YOUR CUE OR JUST SAY THATS GOOD THAT IT WAS OVER.ITS AN UNWRITTEN RULE,I GUESS THATS WHY ITS A GOOD POINT TO BRING IT UP.THERE SHOULD BE A WRITTEN RULE ABOUT IT IN ALL LEAGUES.I DONT KNOW IF THERE IS OR NOT?GOOD POINT.
 
If my opponent known or not makes any kind of move towards the table or unscrewing the stick. Then I always ask and kind of tell them they are giving me the game. If they make a move and then say no you have to shot it, then it is most obviously a sharking technique because they are making you think of something other then executing the shot.
 
it has happened to in pool and golf, just distracting, makes me not want to play with that person(s) again. I try to focus and make the shot anyway
 
Assuming ....

Hi Zims Rack,

Four years ago I began to play Joss Northeast Tour events. One of the first rules the tournament director mentioned was "do not give up the nine ball". You give one up, it costs you two! Now, as I travel from tour to tour, I find most TD's have adopted this rule. I believe it adds some "class" to the game. Once my opponent throws in the towel, concedes, says thats good, takes his cue apart, etc, I walk away from the table. One "0ld" trick that seems to be making its was back is jumping out of the chair when you're shooting the nine. If you miss, they claim you already missed before they moved. To quote some other posters, LOL.
 
Not that I would ever do it, but I heard of a move by some clown who was sitting in direct view of his opponent that was shooting the nine....this guy unscrews the stick as he's sitting in his chair, the shooter pulls up and slams at the nine ball thinking the game is over because the guy unsrewed his stick. The clown steps up, quickly sinks the nine and says, " that wasn't my stick, that was the guy's on the next table." This would most likely start a pretty good fight in most pool rooms.
 
This is why professional and many regional events have a "no concession" rule.

If you give a game to your opponent, you not only give them that game, but the next too. So, for example, if you were in a race to 9 and your opponent is at 7 and you concede the 9-ball, you lost the match.

Big penalty, but it stops players from conceding the 9-ball and avoids a potential shark move.
 
I used to work in a pool hall on the weekends so I could play free pool. There was two guys playing and one of them was shooting the nine and the other one grabbed the rack and stood at the table ready to rack. The guy shooting missed the nine and the guy with the rack put the rack away and got his cue to shoot the nine. I told him the house rule is that he lost the game and if he didn't like the house rules, get out! I don't know why but it just really pisses me off when I see someone pull a move. To me, you should only win a game if you deserve it. If you have to resort to sharking to win, you're a creep in my world.

When I play in tournaments and someone has an easy out, I'll tell them that they don't have to shoot if they don't want to. I don't make a big deal about it and they can shoot if they want but when I say they don't have to shoot, I'm giving up the game whether they make the ball or not, period!! I don't like those rules that say that giving up the game costs you 2 games!! I like to play with people who have integrity. If someone gave me a game and the TD came over and told the guy that he just forfeited two games, I'm out of there. To me that's just too much BS and a stinking tournament is not worth it to me to lower my standards. I just cannot stomach a player that will use the rules to win just to win. I saw that happen before and it really eats me up. We need to get back to what made this country great such as "my word is my bond" or "you can take whatever I say to the bank and draw interest on it". We've lost track of integrity in this country and we need to find it again.
 
I read the rules according to the BCA and the APA last night in search of something regarding this, nothing was found specifically. I agree with those that said, sharking is a loss of game, as well as those that said, if you give them the game, you lost, point blank!
There are many sharking techniques out there, but where does it state was is or isn't a shark. To me, when you're shooting and your opponent makes ANY attempt to catch your eye or ears, it's a shark. Getting up and grabbing the rack is an obvious sign that you plan to rack after this shot!
Integrity is lacking in our cueing sport, you're right Rick W, but I disagree about using the rules to win just to win. The rules are there to be followed, if you don't know the rules, you might want to learn them (not suggesting Rick W, that you don't know the rules though, just making a point)! I have always used the SAFETY rule in an 8-ball game to my advantage, if my opponent doesn't know it, tough shit, because he has just as much access to the rules as I do and anyone else in our sport. Something should be written in black and white in the BCA rules.

Zim
 
Rickw said:
We've lost track of integrity in this country and we need to find it again. [/B]
Click to expand...

Hey Rickw,

I believe your comment is valid. However, rules are rules. I stop at red lights and stop signs even in the middle of the night with no one coming. I believe this allows me to pay attention to the smaller rules that govern our everyday life and the pool table. I try to take responsibility for my actions good or bad. When I miss, I miss. When my opponent misses or screws up, it is not my good luck. When I miss the nine ball and it goes around the table and drops in another pocket, that is good luck for me! However, if we were playing "Grady's Rules", I would have lost and I accept that.

Integrity is a VERY big word. I try to follow "the rules" as best as possible. If you choose not to follow some rules because you disagree, then I question your basic commitment.
 
If someone even moves toward the table with or without the rack that is the end of the game(period)! If the person starts breaking down his cue it is the end of the set or match, not just the game(stick that fork in him).

Anybody that plays different has no business playing anywhere but bars with a bunch of drunks. Doing that in any respectable room would be a stern warning and loss of game for first offense, second time they would be directions to that bar.

On the FL Tour if you start to break down you're cue the next stop for it is you're trunk.
 
That's exactly the way DAN D and I have always played. If you approach the table when I'm on the 8/9, you're giving me the game, you "break" your cue, loss of match/set! Why would you "break" your cue if you plan to use it again, you broke it, so put it away!
You can ask DAN D, I (we) play by and utilize each rule, if you don't know it, better learn it!

Zim
 
If a guy is giving you the game dont shoot the shot, dont try to bank it, dont shoot it straight in the pocket, just stand up and take the cueball back to the headstring to prepare to break the next game. Roll the 9-ball with the cue directly or your hand to the racking area if it is out of his reach. If you shoot the shot in any way I can see where he would be annoyed and I can see some players trying to take advantage of a miss and continue shooting.

If you are shooting the 9-ball and the player puts his hand into a pocket, he grabs for the rack, or he even stands up and walks towards the table dont shoot. Hand in the pocket or grabbing the rack I will immedietly grab the cueball as the game is forfeit, he can argue all he wants, he gave me the game and that is that. Walking towards the table as I am shooting I will always stand up and prepare to grab the cueball, if he suddenly stops like he wants me to shoot the shot then we are going to come to an understanding right there and then about him moving around as I am shooting and walking towards the table. He will stay sitting next time. Walking to the table with no intention of forfeiting the game is a shark technique and you have to tell these people to sit the fuck down while you are shooting and not try to play that dumb shit on you.
 
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