Can't Play for $

I personally (having played pool for a little over a year) learned to play better in local tourneys by side betting on myself in tourney matches and playing small 5-20 dollar sets. You do it a couple times and you freak out, but if the money isn't too big, you can look at yourself critically and say, "I'm not going to make the same mistake on that shot," or, "I will think of other options when I get to tough shots." Criticizing yourself will force you to remember what you did wrong, and hopefully it will be stron enough that you don't repeat it.
 
The best advie I EVER heard about gambling is from Grady...

"ALWAYS....over estimate the other guys game while under estimating your own by about a ball and a half."

This will take the pressure off because we all want to play in dead stroke every day, but it doesn't happen that way.

Like Bignasty from TAR said the other nite online....the toughest thing for a player to do is HONESTLY guage his own speed while making a game.
 
Another technique

One of the absolute BEST things I have read or seen is regarding the mental part of your game. This is typically where people fall apart. Certainly knowing the shots, seeing the patterns, and execution are extremely important, the mental aspect is even more important. You really want to develop muscle memory for control and thus practice, practice, practice. Next, this should be damn near automatic. Use the same routine with every single shot, absolutely every single shot. This routine will allow you to go into "auto-pilot" mode when shooting. Think about the layout and pattern. Next, check out the angle and calculate what speed, English etc. that you need. Chalk up, place down the bridge hand, practice stroke and finish. Once you are down on the table you have reached the point of no return. If ANYTHING causes you to lose focus even for a split second, get back up and repeat everything above all over again. Also really focus on keeping your breathing relaxed, in through the nose and out through the mouth. I GUARANTEE that developing a routine like this will improve your focus and mental portion by leaps and bounds. I seriously cannot tell you how much my game has improved by using this. When you do get to where you are playing for money and winning at least as often as you are losing...your tournament play should jump up quite a bit as well. I have seen my game improve within the past six months so much that I was playing as a decent "B" player and now I have AA and Master's players worrying about playing me. I have placed in the money in 6 of the last 7 tournaments. I am actually beginning to win money as opposed to breaking even or losing. The other part of the game that is EXTREMELY important is knowing not only how to play safe, but when to play safe. If I do not feel 95% confident that I can run out, I play safe within the first two shots to get ball in hand. By the way, you can send the check to the following address....
 
I am solid B player and I am a terrible gambler for the cash. I've been in action since 2000 playing for small amounts ranging from $10-$300 sets. Sometimes you have to win from the weaker players and lose it to the better players to learn something. I've rarely beat anyone better than me in action, if I have it's been only several. HOWEVER, I am a solid tournament player (local tournaments) and will acredit my successful tournament record to my gambling experience.

If you are going to get into action, have a nice bank roll in relation to how much you are betting. If you're playing $20 sets, have about $100 in your pocket. I know players that only have one barrel in them and it causes them to sweat the set more than if they had 5x that amount in their pocket.

Also, if you're getting into action, get into a lot of it, gambling over and over again will relieve some anxiety and stress. I used to play hours a night, matching up with one player to the next, regardless of how much the sets are.

Christian
 
Quit gambling altogether,you have little to gain and everything to lose.
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If you don't bet too high (and don't get hooked on it), I think you might have lots to gain and little to lose. Competition is largely about overcoming distractions and staying focused - betting is an intensified way to practice doing that. Tournaments are good too, but that's a different kind of pressure/distraction - the more kinds you can handle, the better your overall focusing ability.

pj
chgo
 
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