Bar League, What would you do?

sixpack

sixpack

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I've started playing in an 8-ball bar table league in our area, it's SORT OF BCA rules, but not really and not affiliated with BCA.

Last night, after a long layoff (5 weeks) of not even touching my cue, I was playing my first match of the night and my opponent, through no fault or planning on his part, (i.e. luck) left me frozen to a ball with an almost impossible kick to hit my last ball which was tied up with one of his balls. All his other balls were open. I elected not to try and break out my ball which would also break out his ball, but instead to take a foul and tie up two of his balls that were close to the rail.

Pretty standard play IMO. But another player on the opposing team says "chicken S**T" in a quiet voice, but loud enough for me to hear. If he'd just said it once, it wouldn't have been a big deal, but he kept saying it and then explaining how I was a dirty pool player and a chicken s. player to the other members on his team DURING MY WHOLE MATCH. It got to me and I subsequently lost my match. He must have repeated it 20 or so times. My team didn't hear him, but I did.

ironically, his next match, he committed two fouls in a row and didn't call them on himself. The guy he was playing on our team didn't call them because the guy is a friend and "doesn't know any better." One was a double-hit and one was when a ball he was shooting next to moved on his stroke. This is an "all ball" fouls league.

My next match was against him. I racked and he took issue with the order the balls were racked in...not the tightness or quality of the rack and asked me to re-rack in a different order. I did. He then went to shake my hand and I told him nope. "You can't sit there and call me chicken s. all night and then expect me to shake your hand."

During my match, a similar situation came up as the one he double-hit in his other match and he made sure to get a good hit because he knew I would call it. Which proves he did know better. Which to me, makes him a cheater.

I beat him and then refused to shake his hand again. His team got up in arms about it, but I still refused to. This is the only time in my pool playing career that I ever refused to shake hands.

This post is starting to sound more like therapy than a question, but what would you have done? Would you have pretended not to hear? Shaken his hand? Challenged him loudly about it in front of everybody? Joked about it? Called him a cheater?

Funny thing is, one of the other players on his team expressed disappointment at the end that he wouldn't get to play me, so I offered to play him for whatever the f*** he wanted. He disappeared in a hurry.

FWIW we won 15-5.

Just curious,
RC
 
This reminds me of a past thread about sharking, If someone plays dirty on me I don't shake their hands, and I will call them out on cheating/sharking, but not loudly, just let them know you know and then offer to play them. ;)
 
Inexperienced league players often view tactics they've never seen before as inappropriate. Obviously, this was one such player, and this one was lacking in etiquette, too.

You were certainly justified in being disgusted. Still, had it been me, despite opponent's rudeness, which I would have viewed as prompted by ignorance, I'd have taken one last shot at some reconciliation.

My words would have gone something like this: "I realize that you feel my tactics were inappropriate, and I'm sorry if you feel that way, but such tactics are employed even by professional players. With due respect, why not add such tactics to your own game?" If the response is anything but diplomatic and apologetic, you are fully justified in refusing to shake hands, but you can feel good that you gave him an opportunity to learn something about the game and to reconcile his differences with you.

My experience is that even some of the rudest players can be reasoned with once the heat is lowered, if you're willing to take a shot at it.
 
It's amazing how many ignorant players are in pool leagues. I think saying something like,

"Obviously you haven't seen the defensive tactics that the pros consistently use so I understand where you are coming from. But that is considered "smart Pool" among higher level players so I've heard you call it chicken shit 5 times already and your teamates have heard you call it chicken shit 5 times already so we all understand how you feel by now. Get over it and give me some courtesy while I shoot please."

And I would say that well before he got to 20 times.

Now I admit it might be hard to get all that out without being interupted and also it might start a shouting match which could REALLY end up sharking you so I understand the silent approach as well.

I think what you did was pretty good. I would really make sure that everyone understood why I was refusing a hand shake. Let it be known that you will gladly shake his hand and let bygones be bygones when he apologizes for repeatedly disrespecting your pool game.
 
What kind of loser repeats "chicken s**t" 20 times, did his teammates find this entertaining?

He's beyond deserving a polite response, just say something like, "you do know how to play pool right?" then "shut the f**k up"
 
An almost identical situation happened to me years ago. As i was reading your post, I could have sworn you were there when it happened to me too. lol

The only difference is that I didn't wait till he said chickens... 20 times.

After I played the tieup shot on my opponents' loose balls, he said something and I immediately stood up and told him to go watch a pro play and then STFU. I usually am good about keeping my cool, but for some reason I went off on his ass. I hate when no-playing fuks start talking about my shot selection.

He was talking kinda quite, but I could hear him jabbering on about how it was bad pool and how if I were playing at such-and-such place, they'd never let me get away with that and probably kick my azz.

That was one of the only times I've ever stepped out on a limb to try to get someone to gamble. God, I wanted to take his money.
 
I my opinion I would have just beat him on the table as you did its always a good thing to kill someone with kindness in the long run so walking over and shaking the guys hand would not have been that big of a deal in my book... If you know you did everything right in the long run thats all that you can ask for
 
alstl said:
Quit playing in bar leagues.
Click to expand...

LOL - I figured it wouldn't take long for that answer :)

I would, if I could play on bar tables here in a different league. I have been playing big tables in a pool hall league, but wanted to change it up. Probably my last session.

Good, solid, excellent advice by SJM and Luxury. That would have been the diplomatic thing to do. I rarely lose my temper, but I lost it last night and I was seeing red. I was pretty sure that anything I said to him when I went over there was going to end up making me look foolish. I didn't want to let him know he got to me...but I think he figured that out anyway.

Cheers,
RC
 
9ball_in_MN said:
I my opinion I would have just beat him on the table as you did its always a good thing to kill someone with kindness in the long run so walking over and shaking the guys hand would not have been that big of a deal in my book... If you know you did everything right in the long run thats all that you can ask for
Click to expand...

Yeah, that's probably what I wish I would have done, just not made a big deal out of it and been the bigger man. For some reason though, last night, I was tired of taking sh** from people and he just set me off. It's probably due to stress or frustration in other areas of my life.

Cheers,
RC
 
The guy was an asshole but they are over the place and especially in bars.

But you made two mistakes in my opinion, first, after the second or third time of him saying that, you should have spoke up and asked him to quite saying it. This would have at least alerted your team to the problem.

Second, shake the guys hand. Just shake the guys hand. That was your chance to be the bigger man......
 
Got to have Rules

Sounds like the League needs some established rules and that everyone gets a copy. You have not told us if safetys and lockups are allowed. In some Leagues although I don't know how they judge it,:confused: they play must make an honest attempt. My Bar League use to be that way but it has been changed to the 3 option rules.
To answer your question 2 wrongs make not a right. So no you should not have "Earled":p him, you should have shook his hand. Even a slap and knucks (not to hard!)type shake would have worked.:D
 
Sixpack,

You could have just smiled, looked at your watch, and then told him he'd better hurry up and shoot or you'll envolk the shot clock....heehehee
 
Yup, that is some league stink there. Had it happen to me. A guy kept laughing after each of my shots or during my preshot routine. After 3 times, I spoke up very loud and direct to him so the whole bar heard what he was doing. I asked him "To STFU and if he doesn't, then I will ask his captain to make him STFU and if he doesn't do something, guess I will be laughing at your whole team shot after shot for the remaining 4 matches tonight." Said a few other intriguing comments and beat him badly that match. I didn't shake his hand and my own captain was ticked at me for being the lesser man. Then I told him to STFU. lol

Too much Jack Daniels that night I think ;)
Sometimes you need to voice up, man up and make your presence know, with the cue or without.
ez
 
This Is Why I Quit The 4 Nights A Week Bar Leagues. Dam Things Turn Into Boxing Matches Around 12:01.that Is Technically The Next Day So You Dont Get Tossed Out Of The League. But I No This, He Would Have Only Called Me Chicken S--t Once.
 
sixpack said:
I've started playing in an 8-ball bar table league in our area, it's SORT OF BCA rules, but not really and not affiliated with BCA.

Last night, after a long layoff (5 weeks) of not even touching my cue, I was playing my first match of the night and my opponent, through no fault or planning on his part, (i.e. luck) left me frozen to a ball with an almost impossible kick to hit my last ball which was tied up with one of his balls. All his other balls were open. I elected not to try and break out my ball which would also break out his ball, but instead to take a foul and tie up two of his balls that were close to the rail.

Pretty standard play IMO. But another player on the opposing team says "chicken S**T" in a quiet voice, but loud enough for me to hear. If he'd just said it once, it wouldn't have been a big deal, but he kept saying it and then explaining how I was a dirty pool player and a chicken s. player to the other members on his team DURING MY WHOLE MATCH. It got to me and I subsequently lost my match. He must have repeated it 20 or so times. My team didn't hear him, but I did.

ironically, his next match, he committed two fouls in a row and didn't call them on himself. The guy he was playing on our team didn't call them because the guy is a friend and "doesn't know any better." One was a double-hit and one was when a ball he was shooting next to moved on his stroke. This is an "all ball" fouls league.

My next match was against him. I racked and he took issue with the order the balls were racked in...not the tightness or quality of the rack and asked me to re-rack in a different order. I did. He then went to shake my hand and I told him nope. "You can't sit there and call me chicken s. all night and then expect me to shake your hand."

During my match, a similar situation came up as the one he double-hit in his other match and he made sure to get a good hit because he knew I would call it. Which proves he did know better. Which to me, makes him a cheater.

I beat him and then refused to shake his hand again. His team got up in arms about it, but I still refused to. This is the only time in my pool playing career that I ever refused to shake hands.

This post is starting to sound more like therapy than a question, but what would you have done? Would you have pretended not to hear? Shaken his hand? Challenged him loudly about it in front of everybody? Joked about it? Called him a cheater?

Funny thing is, one of the other players on his team expressed disappointment at the end that he wouldn't get to play me, so I offered to play him for whatever the f*** he wanted. He disappeared in a hurry.

FWIW we won 15-5.

Just curious,
RC
Click to expand...

What a bummer.

What were your teamates doing through all of this? Your team captain? What was he or she doing while this was happening?

League is supposed to be a social fun thing. If the crap happens like you describe then you really have to go with the flow and make a decision about your team and the whole experience when you get away from there. It sounds like you were in a bad group or lame league.

Pool would be a lot more fun sometimes if it weren't for people. :)
 
Good sportsmanship starts with you. You should have offered your hand at the end of the match. Just because the other guy is a sh!t talking ahole, doesn't mean you should become a poor sport because of it.
What you are doing by not shaking is acknowledging that he got to you. There will be a next time, because he knows how to get under your skin.

Incidently, while I was shaking his hand I would have asked him if he decided to be a sh!t talking dickhead when he woke up that morning or if he was just born that way.....

McCue Banger McCue
 
I've got a lot of experience with our local bar leagues and bar tournaments. Down here they do not play ball-in-hand rules for cue ball fouls. They extoll a policy called "honest effort" where no safes are allowed and players are expected to make an attempt at pocketing a ball regardless of the lay of the balls. Insane! Of course, some players play disguised safes, others don't bother disguising them, and if you miss and don't leave them a cherry they accuse you of playing safe. According to the rules, playing safe is cheating but no one ever makes the call. Whenever any of us suggest a rule change to one foul ball-in-hand, the masses make a big squawk, even those who regularly play safe.

Bar players here don't care much for players who usually play in poolrooms on "big" tables, or the rules they play by. They have the same negative reaction players had to your move as they do to jump and masse shots.

You just have to remember, you're in a different kind of environment playing with people who have no idea what pool really is. I usually focus on just two things:
1. Never accidentally pocket the 8.
2. Never scratch on the 8.

Playing against these guys, that's usually enough to insure victory.:D
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top