Can you play quality pool in a pool hall you do not like to play in?
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I once played in a bar for league play that was so scary everytime the door opened EVEYTHING stoped except the music to see just 'what' was walking in the door. It's hard to stop your stroke during the foward motion.
Rick
31 players were better than he, he was lookin for 33.
poolwizard
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C.J.'s place in Dallas after it had change ownership. The first time I stepped into CJ's was in 2008 and from what I have heard it was the place to be back in the 90's, well not so much in 2008. None of the owners cared about table maintinence at all and we were lucky to get one or two tables re-felted every year. The regulars were cool people though.
YES, especially if I'm playing in a bar league. Got teammates depending on you and complaining about the equipment, conditions, people, noise, etc. is idiotic because everyone has to play in the same conditions.
Kinda like going to play at a different golf course and complaining non-stop about things and not having any fun. It is what it is. Deal with it and have fun.
However, (now that I have a level GC-IV at home with simonis cloth, artimis cushions, aramith tournament balls, a ball cleaner, a vaccum and simonis X-1), I don't spend much time any more feeding dollars into the crappy, dirty 7' bar box nearby in the local pub: (1) I really really don't like playing with the oversize heavy cue ball with big chunks missing off it, and (2) playing safeties is considered "chicken$hit pool".
So, I'll go over and socialize from time to time and play by their house rules. It's fun to put up coins to challenge the table and then have people come out of the woodwork to challenge you wanting to kick you butt for bragging rights. It's not so much fun when you put up coins to challenge the table and the people with coins already up start taking their coins back and complain out loud that they don't want to pay for your practice time. (It's not hard to guess who I laugh at and who I invite back home to play for free and drink my booze!)
Kinda like going to play at a different golf course and complaining non-stop about things and not having any fun. It is what it is. Deal with it and have fun.
However, (now that I have a level GC-IV at home with simonis cloth, artimis cushions, aramith tournament balls, a ball cleaner, a vaccum and simonis X-1), I don't spend much time any more feeding dollars into the crappy, dirty 7' bar box nearby in the local pub: (1) I really really don't like playing with the oversize heavy cue ball with big chunks missing off it, and (2) playing safeties is considered "chicken$hit pool".
So, I'll go over and socialize from time to time and play by their house rules. It's fun to put up coins to challenge the table and then have people come out of the woodwork to challenge you wanting to kick you butt for bragging rights. It's not so much fun when you put up coins to challenge the table and the people with coins already up start taking their coins back and complain out loud that they don't want to pay for your practice time. (It's not hard to guess who I laugh at and who I invite back home to play for free and drink my booze!)
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I heard that
This is why I decided NOT to play the bar league this session.They even have a free practice nite and I stop in to say hi & no-one wants to play. Geez, I usually chop the game in 1/2 , (well ok I "miss" a ball) to have fun. Most times I just take the lower probability shot. There's 2 guys I help with their stroke there. Kinda un-nerving, but I guess its human nature to act that way toward me.
gotta admit, It's nice to see other people get the same treatment.
This is why I decided NOT to play the bar league this session.They even have a free practice nite and I stop in to say hi & no-one wants to play. Geez, I usually chop the game in 1/2 , (well ok I "miss" a ball) to have fun. Most times I just take the lower probability shot. There's 2 guys I help with their stroke there. Kinda un-nerving, but I guess its human nature to act that way toward me.
gotta admit, It's nice to see other people get the same treatment.
When i wasnt working and playing pool for money full time i would play anywhere the money was to be won, sure all tables are different and nobodys going to like all of the ones they play on, but when you go to a place to snap a certain player off you usually know what you are going up against, table conditions and so on, so i would say yes you would do what you have to to get the money, and its always enjoyable getting the money! you can and will adjust to just about anything.
I think one can play on a quality level in a poor quality room.
It would take an extraordinary amount of focus to overlook everything bad and settle in and play your best.
Me personally? I don't have that ability yet. Maybe some day I will. Maybe I won't ever have it.
We all have the ability to adapt to any particular environment. Some adapt easier and faster than others. Some can't adapt quite fast enough and by the time they are sensing they have adapted, their night/match is over.
There are some days/nights where I can adjust easily and there are some that I can't do it so easily. It might take me an entire month to adapt to it. LOL.
It all depends on your individual mind set when you walk through the door that sets the tone for the time you will spend there.
We all can walk in with high expectations but perhaps the mind is casting a little doubt subconsciously and progresses to where it becomes a reality.
Playing the devil's advocate as well, you can walk into a place, know it's a dump, know the service is horrible, food may give you food poisoning, and the equipment as bad as it can get and yet you can have the night of your life.
It would take an extraordinary amount of focus to overlook everything bad and settle in and play your best.
Me personally? I don't have that ability yet. Maybe some day I will. Maybe I won't ever have it.
We all have the ability to adapt to any particular environment. Some adapt easier and faster than others. Some can't adapt quite fast enough and by the time they are sensing they have adapted, their night/match is over.
There are some days/nights where I can adjust easily and there are some that I can't do it so easily. It might take me an entire month to adapt to it. LOL.
It all depends on your individual mind set when you walk through the door that sets the tone for the time you will spend there.
We all can walk in with high expectations but perhaps the mind is casting a little doubt subconsciously and progresses to where it becomes a reality.
Playing the devil's advocate as well, you can walk into a place, know it's a dump, know the service is horrible, food may give you food poisoning, and the equipment as bad as it can get and yet you can have the night of your life.
Personally, not me. If I'm not comfortable with my surroundings I won't be able to concentrate on the game.
Depends on why I don't like the place. If I hate the tables no I can't. If I just hate the owner or people there and it's a tournament or league I play just fine. It gives me a reason to play harder cause I wanna get done and get out. But to just play somewhere I don't like just to be able to play no I won't even bother anymore.