BS drama and pool. Do they go hand and hand?

[bankoutallday]

So I play pool to relax and get away from stress. I enjoy the game and admire the physics, geometry and strategy involved.

I'm on 3 APA teams which are all in either first or second place. I'm winning most of my games but it doesn't feel very gratifying when people are complaining and starting arguments and call petty rules(which I have no problem complying with) and then complain when they get called on the same rule. It all seems really childish to me. So i told my captains I'm done with APA and they told me that i need to get used to it cause its gonna be like that no matter where i go.

Is this true? I've only picked this game up about a year ago so im not super familiar with the pool world.

Keep working on your game and play in some local handicapped NON league events. It may be more to your liking. Sure you'll lose more, but you game will grow. Either that or just play on one team, sounds like 3-4 nights a week of league play would drive anybody over the edge.

 

[bankoutallday]

I see it as you not honoring or respecting the rules. Why are you too good to follow a simple rule? You can call pockets in league if your opponent agrees to it.

If you play any game you should always know the rules. Ignorance of the rules is no excuse. Would I have let your situation slide? Yeah, probably, but the easiest way to avoid the situation is to follow the dang rule in the first place.

If the dude you were playing saw you call and let you shoot and then called a foul he is a huge dick, but I would just treat it as a lesson. Not get all bent out of shape.

Even when I am playing someone and they tell me I can call I still mark just so I stay in the habit. I will never understand why people ***** about their opponent wanting them to follow the rules. It not like these are special rules for a select few. Everyone has to follow them that plays in the league so what's the BFD?

They only reason they make you guys mark the pocket is because people are so nitty to begin with. It's ridiculous. If beating up some housewife makes you a player then play on my friend.

I played in a Masters league and ran circles around the next county's over best APA players. Just made them all look silly. APA 7's that could not draw the cueball!?! My team consisted of 3 players that play big tables games and it was no contest winning the Vegas trip. Most APA players are completely delusional about their skill. It's like we came from another planet, they had no game at all. It's all god if you enjoy it, but that level of competition will stunt your growth as a player.

 

[dannyd]

I see it as you not honoring or respecting the rules. Why are you too good to follow a simple rule? You can call pockets in league if your opponent agrees to it.

If you play any game you should always know the rules. Ignorance of the rules is no excuse. Would I have let your situation slide? Yeah, probably, but the easiest way to avoid the situation is to follow the dang rule in the first place.

If the dude you were playing saw you call and let you shoot and then called a foul he is a huge dick, but I would just treat it as a lesson. Not get all bent out of shape.

Even when I am playing someone and they tell me I can call I still mark just so I stay in the habit. I will never understand why people ***** about their opponent wanting them to follow the rules. It not like these are special rules for a select few. Everyone has to follow them that plays in the league so what's the BFD?

Yes the dude saw everything and did not say a word until I pocketed the 8 ball.
The captains said that it was between the two of us whether to strictly enforce the mark the pocket rule or not. The dude chose the no honor way in order to win.
Obviously you are missing the whole point my friend and have not been playing this game too long. I have been playing for over 50 years and with all levels of players.
In all that time this was by far the most ridiculous thing I have ever seen in this game.
It all comes down to honor among pool players. In this case there was no honor and just a need to win whatever way he could. What really made this worse was the beautiful shot before the 8 ball and the leave. It was by far the best shot of the night and one that would normally be applauded by your opponent and others IF they were true players. I can follow rules just as good as the next guy but sometimes it is real obvious when they can be overlooked and worked out between the players. These were NOT pool players, not a single one of them especially the jerk that called me on this marking the pocket rule. Anyone with honor would have said that was a hell of a shot and wouldn't even think of bringing up the mark the pocket rule in order to win.

cigardave summed it up nicely in his post:
"Ball bangers don't understand the etiquette and honor of the game"

This my friend is what it is all about and something that you need to learn.
Seems that a lot of people have lost etiquette and honor in so many other things these days.

Danny

 

[Maniac]

Yes the dude saw everything and did not say a word until I pocketed the 8 ball.
The captains said that it was between the two of us whether to strictly enforce the mark the pocket rule or not. The dude chose the no honor way in order to win.
Obviously you are missing the whole point my friend and have not been playing this game too long. I have been playing for over 50 years and with all levels of players.
In all that time this was by far the most ridiculous thing I have ever seen in this game.
It all comes down to honor among pool players. In this case there was no honor and just a need to win whatever way he could. What really made this worse was the beautiful shot before the 8 ball and the leave. It was by far the best shot of the night and one that would normally be applauded by your opponent and others IF they were true players. I can follow rules just as good as the next guy but sometimes it is real obvious when they can be overlooked and worked out between the players. These were NOT pool players, not a single one of them especially the jerk that called me on this marking the pocket rule. Anyone with honor would have said that was a hell of a shot and wouldn't even think of bringing up the mark the pocket rule in order to win.

cigardave summed it up nicely in his post:
"Ball bangers don't understand the etiquette and honor of the game"

This my friend is what it is all about and something that you need to learn.
Seems that a lot of people have lost etiquette and honor in so many other things these days.

Danny

Good post. Here's a story I've told once or twice on here:

I had quit APA and was playing BCA 8-ball for a couple of sessions when an old teammate convinced me to give APA another chance. Well, my first night, first match back into the fray and I'm playing a guy I'm giving a game on the wire to (I was a SL6, he was a SL5). He breaks and runs his first rack. Next rack, he breaks dry and I run down to my last object ball, but I got bad shape on it and miss, leaving it about 8 inches out from the side pocket. He gets to the table and runs down to the 8-ball (which is literally hanging in the jaws of a corner pocket), but the cueball has scratched in the side pocket after making his last object ball. At this point I'm thinking "why the f*ck am I spotting HIM a game?". So I take ball-in-hand, shoot my last object ball into the side bringing the cueball off the long rail to about two feet from the 8-ball (which again is literally hanging in the pocket, you could have blown it in with little effort). I rolled the 8 in and went for my break cue. He came over to me and said he was taking the win for that game because I didn't mark the pocket. I had been playing BCA for two sessions and literally had gotten out of the habit of marking my pocket, so I forgot. My point is, the SPIRIT of the marking the pocket rule is so a player cannot miss a shot badly enough for the 8-ball to go into another pocket and the shooter claim it is where he/she intended it to go. In my case (and I'm sure MANY others), I literally could not have touched that 8-ball I was shooting at without making it in the pocket it was hanging in. It could NOT have missed that pocket, let alone gone into ANOTHER pocket. Therefore, in the SPIRIT of the rule, that pocket should not have been needed to have been marked, rule or no rule! And rule or no rule, anyone claiming a win in the way my opponent did that night is nothing short of an a$$hole. I will never agree with nor defend anyone, be it a friend, relative, teammate, or whatever, that tries to claim a win in that manner. It is pure bullsh*t!!!

And I don't want to hear any more BS about some stupid-a$$ rule that was not put into the manual to be used for that purpose.

"But...it's the rule. It's the rule. You should pay attention to and follow the rules. It's your fault". BULLSH*T is all I have to say.

Let's try to keep SOME semblance of honor and dignity into this game.

Edit: And...FTR....I didn't get all bent-out-of-shape when he pulled the BS win thing on me. I just got mine and his quarters and racked the balls for the next game.

Maniac (have I mentioned the fact that it is BS yet )

 

[44Runner]

They only reason they make you guys mark the pocket is because people are so nitty to begin with. It's ridiculous. If beating up some housewife makes you a player then play on my friend.

I played in a Masters league and ran circles around the next county's over best APA players. Just made them all look silly. APA 7's that could not draw the cueball!?! My team consisted of 3 players that play big tables games and it was no contest winning the Vegas trip. Most APA players are completely delusional about their skill. It's like we came from another planet, they had no game at all. It's all god if you enjoy it, but that level of competition will stunt your growth as a player.

As toddgator said, "A lot of people forget that in settings such as APA competition the seemingly "petty" rules are in fact there to discourage bigger disputes over whatever scenario it applies to." When a pocket is marked there is no dispute. No accidental banks where the person swears they meant to do that.

I have never personally seen a 7 that was not a good pool player, certainly not one that couldn't draw a cue ball. I am sure your game is super awesome and that is good for you but once I attain a 7 then maybe I will think about other options. I am far from the best shooter in my local scene so I have zero room to talk. Hell, a lot of nights I'm not even the best shooter on my own team.

Yes the dude saw everything and did not say a word until I pocketed the 8 ball.
The captains said that it was between the two of us whether to strictly enforce the mark the pocket rule or not. The dude chose the no honor way in order to win.
Obviously you are missing the whole point my friend and have not been playing this game too long. I have been playing for over 50 years and with all levels of players.
In all that time this was by far the most ridiculous thing I have ever seen in this game.
It all comes down to honor among pool players. In this case there was no honor and just a need to win whatever way he could. What really made this worse was the beautiful shot before the 8 ball and the leave. It was by far the best shot of the night and one that would normally be applauded by your opponent and others IF they were true players. I can follow rules just as good as the next guy but sometimes it is real obvious when they can be overlooked and worked out between the players. These were NOT pool players, not a single one of them especially the jerk that called me on this marking the pocket rule. Anyone with honor would have said that was a hell of a shot and wouldn't even think of bringing up the mark the pocket rule in order to win.

cigardave summed it up nicely in his post:
"Ball bangers don't understand the etiquette and honor of the game"

This my friend is what it is all about and something that you need to learn.
Seems that a lot of people have lost etiquette and honor in so many other things these days.

Danny

All I can tell you Danny is I personally would have never done that. If you call and I see it that is fine for me. Like I said before, sounds like the guy is a huge dick. Once again, I can speak only from my personal experience but the overwhelming majority of the people that play in my league are good people and good sports. There are douche bags everywhere though and I have come to accept that fact.

 

[SeabrookMiglla]

i play in APA and APA masters, and i enjoy both. in both places that i play, the people are really chill. but there are always going to be those people who are ultra competitive. if that is the culture at the place you are playing at, and you are not enjoying your time spent then leave and try to find a new spot. and that sucks especially if it is a spot that you enjoy going to. for me APA is more of where i go to socialize and get some competitive games in, but very rarely have i seen drama with any of the players/teams. just my 2 cents- and through experience, because i have taken the game too serious in league a couple of times and i have learned that there is no win in getting all huffy puffy, because you just end up making an ass out of yourself anyways.

keep it cordial and competitive.

 

[dannyd]

All I can tell you Danny is I personally would have never done that. If you call and I see it that is fine for me. Like I said before, sounds like the guy is a huge dick. Once again, I can speak only from my personal experience but the overwhelming majority of the people that play in my league are good people and good sports. There are douche bags everywhere though and I have come to accept that fact.[/QUOTE]

You got it now. This situation was so obvious as to who the winner was that I would have bet that 100 out of 100 players would not take this win in this manner. I was lucky enough to get the one in a thousand that is only cheating himself. The last thing I said to him as I walked out was "do you really want to win a game in this manner?" "Do you feel good about this?"
His reply was that "no one ever gave him a break"!!!

Anyone know of a weekly tournament in the area from Manahawking up to Toms River New Jersey? I use to live in Key Largo and played in 2 tournaments a week that were $10 or $20 to enter. Great variety of players (women and men) and none of this BS. If one of the players there ever tried to take a game like this they would have been booted.

Thanks to all for your feedback on this matter.

Danny
Waretown NJ