dealing with bangers, drunks, etc playing next to you

E

enzo

Banned
seriously, after years of putting up with people, i'd like to get some ideas as to how other people deal with this. if i'm just screwing around, it's no big deal. i'm talking about when i have set very serious practice goals for myself (eg high runs in strait pool) and feel it's other people not letting me stay focused long enough to realize them. i truly feel that some of my goals have not been realized because i never get "unadulterated" practice time for extended periods.

please don't tell me to get my own table, because i would have already if possible.

let me just state so people don't go crazy, i know these people have every right to be there. so, i'm not really criticizing these people at all.
 
enzo said:
seriously, after years of putting up with people, i'd like to get some ideas as to how other people deal with this. if i'm just screwing around, it's no big deal. i'm talking about when i have set very serious practice goals for myself (eg high runs in strait pool) and feel it's other people not letting me stay focused long enough to realize them. i truly feel that some of my goals have not been realized because i never get "unadulterated" practice time for extended periods.

please don't tell me to get my own table, because i would have already if possible.

let me just state so people don't go crazy, i know these people have every right to be there. so, i'm not really criticizing these people at all.
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Well, if I really want to practice or do something, I go to a quiet pool hall (Dr. Cue's in the Seattle area). Or if I go to one of the usual places, where it can be loud and noisy (Jillian's or the Parlor), I make sure to get a table away from everyone else, or better yet, go during a time where hopefully not many people will be around. If the place starts getting busy and people start arriving, I either leave or instead try practicing playing a game with all of the noise.
 
�One of the Nice thing about Playing where i do in Jurassic Park (we the old people roam) is we don’t have too many Drunks to deal with. Just a few A**H**ES.
 
Maybe an mp3-player would be the thing for you. Or realise that you are letting these people get to you and decide for yourself you will not allow yourself to get distracted, which is easier said than done, but it is what I´ve been trying to do. Like you said yourself, you can´t expect other people who are just having fun, and pay the same as you, to keep quiet just so you can concentrate.
 
I agree with Dave, my iPod allows me to block out a lot of that. I also think a good pool room has it's tables for serious players and it's area for the casual players. Both rooms I play out do this, however I played in a tournament last Friday night and there was such a large turnout we had to use some of the common area tables. Next to my match was a table of loud, aggressive men. (The type that get off work, drink a lot and gamble with each other and talk a lot of BS trying to shark each other) I just pulled out my iPod and they all but disappeared...=)
 
Either you have to try to push those guys out of your mind, or leave. What else can you do?
 
If it's practice you're talking about, why not go to the pool hall when nobody else is there? If you're not looking for a game, but just looking for table time, get there at 11:00 AM on a week day. Many rooms even have discounted rates or free pool if you buy lunch at that time of day.

But if you have to be there when it's crowded, it's a great way to practice your focus. It's easy to avoid distractions when there are none around. Think of it as practice playing pool, and practice blocking out your surroundings.

-Andrew
 
Distractions like that will help strengthen your mental game, if you can tune them out you can tune anything out. As hard as you try, when you gamble or play a tournament there are going to be distractions so you better get used to one sort or another.
 
If it's the noise that bothers you then you need a method to block it out mentally. As I have posted before when I get to the table and I hear nothing in a crowded room I'm in the zone, if I get to the table and I hear everything from the music to the conversations I am not. When in the zone I play extremely well, when I am not I don't play well at all. The control factor seems to be the mood I am in on that particular day, I can't just turn it on or off. Once I find the trigger I should be and to turn it on whenever I want to but so far the trigger escapes me. Maybe the MP3 player will mask your surroundings but to me it would be just another distraction to deal with. I think the key is your ability to shut the world out and do your thing, how you get there is going to be a personal journey, as is mine.
 
Not just Bangers & drunks, `A` players,onepocket players & gambling `A,B & pros` too.

enzo said:
seriously, after years of putting up with people, i'd like to get some ideas as to how other people deal with this.

let me just state so people don't go crazy, i know these people have every right to be there. so, i'm not really criticizing these people at all.
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Hi,
My experiences are different.
It is NOT just the bangers & drunks who are loud who take away your rhythm.How about players standing between the tables when they are not shooting and being inconsiderate of other players? They also take away the rhythm of your play.I saw that happening most of the times with ADVANCED players like `B & A`s, advanced players who were GAMBLING and ONE POCKET players.In my travels I make a note of the places that DO NOT have this problem.So far I am able to name only 2 places in USA where I did NOT encounter a problem 1) Corner Pocket in NewYork, 2) California Billiard club in Mountainview in California. Ofcourse,I have NOT played in every room in USA.
I had enough from those 9 ball gamblers and Onepocket players standing between the tables.:cool:
 
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I have to agree with the 2 previous posters that suggested a personal music device. mp3 player, walkman portable cd player......

Not just to shut out the background noise, but when you're wearing headphones it puts across the vibe that you're unapproachable.

Hell you don't even have to have the thing turned on to get the right effect.
 
i just tried my iPod at a tournament where i generally get distracted by some of the players. it really helped, but i think i'll try it with it turned off next time.

-s
 
I started PRACTICING, not reacting to any distraction (my own thoughts included) and I got some results lately. Bangers and loudmouths bother me less and less.

I know this isn't a part of this thread, but I've also been practicing not reacting to missed balls, poor shape, etc. Seems to me it's a part of the same mental process.

You can view bangers as an opportunity. Otherwise try to practice in the off hours.
 
make management aware of the fact that they're placing non-pool players next to pool players, and that they should TRY to seperate the two.
 
a drunk will be sober the next day a a** hole will always be a a**hole.you need to find a better room to practice, or if you can practic through all the drunks and a** then you will have real focus think about it. STICK
 
some people just dont know.......i always try to play on a corner table, and i only play serious pool in a serious pool hall (especially if youre talking money). Buddy and me took a trip to a town about 50 miles away, little bar with some decent tables, 2 beautiful diamonds that i think came from the us open. There is a ton of action and we are playing 10 a man a game practically when we walk in the door, thing is it was saturday night.......drinks were flowing, girls dancing on the bar, music so loud you couldnt think. We probably could have gotten a great game going but plain and simple neither one of us could concentrate, and we just pulled up. The guys we were playing played there 7 days a week, it didnt phase them. We are used to more of a pool room, loud music at times but the full size tables are in back away from the kids and the bangers and we can gamble without much distraction. So yeah , basically the only way to control it is control where and when you play. After during the day, sundays, these are usually good quite times.
 
enzo said:
seriously, after years of putting up with people, i'd like to get some ideas as to how other people deal with this. if i'm just screwing around, it's no big deal. i'm talking about when i have set very serious practice goals for myself (eg high runs in strait pool) and feel it's other people not letting me stay focused long enough to realize them. i truly feel that some of my goals have not been realized because i never get "unadulterated" practice time for extended periods.

please don't tell me to get my own table, because i would have already if possible.

let me just state so people don't go crazy, i know these people have every right to be there. so, i'm not really criticizing these people at all.
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The simple fact is they pay the bills of the pool room not a guy playing by himself not drinking or spending any additional money other then his time. Appreciate the fact that they keep the room open for you to play and just adjust your practice time to when the room is more quiet. I used to have to bite my lip to not insult some guys when I was in the pool room business. I would get a couple of old guys come up to pay their bill and they would be complaining about players on the next table who were enjoying themselves, not really being loud or anything that would prompt me to go over there, just a few guys and girls having a good time. In the mean time they would Bit*h about the price and ask if I offer discounts for seniors while the table they are complaining about are drinking Heinekens and will have like a $90.00 tab when they come up.
Be glad you even have a place to play you like, pool rooms would be a tough business to keep going on just pool players who nevr spend anything if they can help it and will stiff you any chance they get.
 
macguy said:
The simple fact is they pay the bills of the pool room nowhile the table they are complaining about are drinking Heinekens and will have like a $90.00 tab when they come up.
Be glad you even have a place to play you like, pool rooms would be a tough busin
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AMEN! Isn`t it the truth!
 
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