Dealing with Slow Players

strong move

I think it's the strongest move in pool. (not counting run out,that's not a
move). When a good player plays this way it's torture. I use to play
Dick Lane a lot at his place. He had these little wood three leg stools
to sit on. Nine ball wasn't too bad but straight pool, HOLY MOLY. The ones
who know Dick know what I mean. He's going to run a million balls and take
forever to do it. If it ever comes your turn your Butt is numb and you know
if you miss it starts all over again. Once playing to 150 he's got like 145 or so
I'm minus 2 or 3 he takes THREE FOULS. He just goes over and sits down,
well I just sit there and look at him. After a little while he says "WHAT ?"
He really did not get it. I said this isn't the U.S. OPEN, we're just practicing.
He just looked at me with a I don't get it expression on his face. The people
on here who knew Dick will know what I'm talking about. I have never heard
anyone complain that someone FAST PLAYED them.
jack
 
A lot of good advice in here. This is one of my biggest flaws, I let myself get sharked by slow players and tend to take more aggressive shots because God knows if I play a safe a few players I've seen are going to stand there for 10 minutes looking it over. I'm patient when it comes to safety battles but when it's just an outright slow player no matter the shot I struggle to not get irritated and it ends up screwing me over.
 
Slow play is just a method of getting into someones head and when people try to do that to me I don't get mad or show any frustration or emotion, I just give it right back only twice as slow.
 
It has usually been my experience that the slower players aren't very strong... (usually). I get very relaxed and confident in a match or money game when someone has to study the table for too long.
I have been known to look around at other tables and watch what other people are doing until it is my turn and then comment... "Oh, is it my shot already?" Then I study what I have left and go at it... but I never focus too much on a player that spends too much time between shots. I just try to keep them off of the table as much as possible and get rid of them as fast as possible.

If I am being sharked by slow play from a really good player... I play hide the cue ball every chance that I get. You want it slow... let's dance. It usually pisses them off when they keep having focus on legal hits first.

No, I'm no longer as consistent at any of the above as I once was... but there was a time when I could shift gears with the best (and worst) of them.
 
have a friend watch the table, you walk away, other end of the room, make 'em hunt for you when it's your shot. they get the idea quickly.
 
Its easy, run the table, keep them in the seat,,,
There is a player that plays the tourney and takes forever to figure each shot looks at this looks at the angle, dust on the table , who really knows what he looks at, thing is he takes all this time, and others can see the shot and have it figured, in half the time, but what makes things so bad is he winds up missing the shot and I mean some are pretty easy.
A few weeks ago he played so slow , they had to call the tourney on him, it was like 1;50 am and the hall had to close,, he was a bit upset but hopefully he gets the message..

I really believe that when a slow player starts holding up everything, put them on a shot clock.
 
I'll play devil's advocate here.

It depends on the game. Rotation games like 9-ball and 10-ball don't take a lot of thought. You have one ball to shoot at, and a decision whether to play safe or go for it, and maybe think about the angle you need for 2 or 3 balls ahead. Beyond that you may have one key part of a rack that you need to break out a ball or setup for safe, but that's really all there is to it, and 75% of the time you are just running balls.

Games like 8-ball, straight pool, one-pocket, etc. all have a lot of strategy to it. Sure, you can play these games fairly well just running balls, but you miss the finer points of the game, and you are never going to be great at it. Straight pool and one-pocket may be self-explanatory, but 8-ball doesn't get enough respect. Most people see it as a simple game because you only have to make 7 balls (in any order) and the 8. The problem is, at any high level, to win races to 5+, you have to consistently run out, not run down to one ball, get in trouble, and then leave the table open to your opponent. In order to do this, you need to respect the patterns and spend time planning your pattern before you shoot the first ball, then allow for changing your plan throughout the rack when circumstances change. Especially on a bar table, there are always clusters to be negotiated. Go watch pro matches on youtube of top pros playing 8-ball. The only time they are playing fast is when it's a connect the dots out, with all balls wide open, which isn't that often.

My point is that I respect people who take their time to truly give the game the intellectual thought that it requires and deserves, instead of just trying to look cool, showing that you can just get down real fast and fire balls in. You have rhythm/feel players and you have methodical players. Look at Mike Dechaine. He is the poster boy for power/rhythm/feel/fast players, and he looks absolutely ridiculous if he's not in dead stroke a lot of times, just shooting balls straight into the rail. Then you have more methodical players like Ralf Souquet, who consistently play at an extremely high level.

There's no right or wrong way to do it, but have you ever thought about the minute details about a game that you might be missing out on because you just get up and shoot the first thing that looks obvious. Slow play does not necessarily mean they are trying to shark you or that they don't know what they're doing. The game is just that complicated a lot of times, even if you don't see it that way.
 
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railbird99 said:
I'll play devil's advocate here.

It depends on the game. Rotation games like 9-ball and 10-ball don't take a lot of thought. You have one ball to shoot at, and a decision whether to play safe or go for it, and maybe think about the angle you need for 2 or 3 balls ahead. Beyond that you may have one key part of a rack that you need to break out a ball or setup for safe, but that's really all there is to it, and 75% of the time you are just running balls.

Games like 8-ball, straight pool, one-pocket, etc. all have a lot of strategy to it. Sure, you can play these games fairly well just running balls, but you miss the finer points of the game, and you are never going to be great at it. Straight pool and one-pocket may be self-explanatory, but 8-ball doesn't get enough respect. Most people see it as a simple game because you only have to make 7 balls (in any order) and the 8. The problem is, at any high level, to win races to 5+, you have to consistently run out, not run down to one ball, get in trouble, and then leave the table open to your opponent. In order to do this, you need to respect the patterns and spend time planning your pattern before you shoot the first ball, then allow for changing your plan throughout the rack when circumstances change. Especially on a bar table, there are always clusters to be negotiated. Go watch pro matches on youtube of top pros playing 8-ball. The only time they are playing fast is when it's a connect the dots out, with all balls wide open, which isn't that often.

My point is that I respect people who take their time to truly give the game the intellectual thought that it requires and deserves, instead of just trying to look cool, showing that you can just get down real fast and fire balls in. You have rhythm/feel players and you have methodical players. Look at Mike Dechaine. He is the poster boy for power/rhythm/feel/fast players, and he looks absolutely ridiculous if he's not in dead stroke a lot of times, just shooting balls straight into the rail. Then you have more methodical players like Ralf Souquet, who consistently play at an extremely high level.

There's no right or wrong way to do it, but have you ever thought about the minute details about a game that you might be missing out on because you just get up and shoot the first thing that looks obvious. Slow play does not necessarily mean they are trying to shark you or that they don't know what they're doing. The game is just that complicated a lot of times, even if you don't see it that way.
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First let me say: Great Post. You hit the nail on the head but here is the problem. a good player will take the time to see the patterns maybe even working backward. I can respect that. A not so good player can take a ridiculously long time figuring things out because he doesn't know what he is looking at. There's the rub as they say. My last match in my 8 ball league was against a somewhat novice player who took a long time between each shot because he was a "slow roller" and rarely had shape on his next shot so the pattern changed after every one of his shots. Now this player is a very nice guy. He does a lot of charity work etc. so I didn't say anything but it did take me quite a long, frustrating time to find a gear. He didn't know enough to shark me. He was just being prudent. It can be frustrating though
 
That's why I love MPApool, they have a slow player list on their website and it's pretty interesting.

I understand there are times when you are going to take a bit of time but when everyone is gone from league or you are causing a tournament to run behind this should be a sign that you need to take a look at how you play. I know it happens to everyone. They can get in a marathon game and there isn't much they can do but if you are always "that guy" take a better look at what you are doing.
 
I let myself succumb to a damn slow player last night. I finally broke down my cue and grabbed my case from under the table as he got to the last eight. Refs wouldn't do crap at our bca event, same bunch of bs as the last time i dealt with it. Next time it happens, there's gonna be words. Wtf is the point of having a rule if you're too lazy to enforce it?
 
railbird99 said:
I'll play devil's advocate here.

It depends on the game. Rotation games like 9-ball and 10-ball don't take a lot of thought. You have one ball to shoot at, and a decision whether to play safe or go for it, and maybe think about the angle you need for 2 or 3 balls ahead. Beyond that you may have one key part of a rack that you need to break out a ball or setup for safe, but that's really all there is to it, and 75% of the time you are just running balls.

Games like 8-ball, straight pool, one-pocket, etc. all have a lot of strategy to it. Sure, you can play these games fairly well just running balls, but you miss the finer points of the game, and you are never going to be great at it. Straight pool and one-pocket may be self-explanatory, but 8-ball doesn't get enough respect. Most people see it as a simple game because you only have to make 7 balls (in any order) and the 8. The problem is, at any high level, to win races to 5+, you have to consistently run out, not run down to one ball, get in trouble, and then leave the table open to your opponent. In order to do this, you need to respect the patterns and spend time planning your pattern before you shoot the first ball, then allow for changing your plan throughout the rack when circumstances change. Especially on a bar table, there are always clusters to be negotiated. Go watch pro matches on youtube of top pros playing 8-ball. The only time they are playing fast is when it's a connect the dots out, with all balls wide open, which isn't that often.

My point is that I respect people who take their time to truly give the game the intellectual thought that it requires and deserves, instead of just trying to look cool, showing that you can just get down real fast and fire balls in. You have rhythm/feel players and you have methodical players. Look at Mike Dechaine. He is the poster boy for power/rhythm/feel/fast players, and he looks absolutely ridiculous if he's not in dead stroke a lot of times, just shooting balls straight into the rail. Then you have more methodical players like Ralf Souquet, who consistently play at an extremely high level.

There's no right or wrong way to do it, but have you ever thought about the minute details about a game that you might be missing out on because you just get up and shoot the first thing that looks obvious. Slow play does not necessarily mean they are trying to shark you or that they don't know what they're doing. The game is just that complicated a lot of times, even if you don't see it that way.
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There's another speed of play which is called medium speed ---- Not too fast and not too slow. Allison Fisher is deliberate but she isn't slow.

If you're too slow to the point where you hold up a tournament, then you shouldn't be in the tournament. It's pretty simple. Once in awhile? Sure. We've all done it. But consistently? No. There's something wrong there and that person needs to fix it.
 
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I was watching Oscar play this guy from Spain in a Vegas tournament a few years ago. This dude was slooowwwww...zzzzzzz. The match took 3 1/2 hours and ran into the following session. It was aggravating for me and I was just spectating but Oscar sat calmly in his chair, sometimes glancing around at other matches but never got upset.

Afterward I asked Oscar how he seemed to handle it so well as I was agitated just witnessing it from the stands. He said, "Simple, I just accept that the reason I'm sitting in my chair is because I missed."

I've taken that with me. Doesn't always work for me but to the extent it does it's been a big help. Acceptance, hmmm. I'll have to remember that. ;)
 
Kim Bye said:
Focus on your own game...
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This this and more this.

Bottom line is that pool is a game that people play at their own pace. Some play fast, some play slow, and most fall somewhere in between. To try and force a naturally slow player to go faster is in my opinion nothing more than a tactic to force him or her out of his game, and for most players is done because they don't feel like they can win otherwise. So instead of being a douche, try this instead: wait until it's your turn and then play your own game. Because if you want everyone to play fast you're playing the wrong game pure and simple. Pool ain't like that.
 
Bbutler said:
This this and more this.

Bottom line is that pool is a game that people play at their own pace. Some play fast, some play slow, and most fall somewhere in between. To try and force a naturally slow player to go faster is in my opinion nothing more than a tactic to force him or her out of his game, and for most players is done because they don't feel like they can win otherwise. So instead of being a douche, try this instead: wait until it's your turn and then play your own game. Because if you want everyone to play fast you're playing the wrong game pure and simple. Pool ain't like that.
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Douche? I don't want to starve to death during a match. Hurry the hfryjct up or get yourself some mental help. It shouldn't take 15 minutes to run a rack. I'm not asking people to play fast, I'm asking them to not play like a damn slug. If you don't know the difference, you're beyond help.
 
Banks said:
Douche? I don't want to starve to death during a match. Hurry the hfryjct up or get yourself some mental help. It shouldn't take 15 minutes to run a rack. I'm not asking people to play fast, I'm asking them to not play like a damn slug. If you don't know the difference, you're beyond help.
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Lol, I'll bet you all the cheese you can carry that it's never taken any of your opponents 15 minutes to run a rack. I've heard people complain about slow play for years, but when we actually put a clock on a known slow player in our town it turned out he was averaging like 29 seconds per shot. By comparison Ronnie O'Sullivan averages about 19. So the whiners want to go off about ten seconds? Spare me.


Meanwhile, you think you had it rough in your league match, try playing Nick Varner some straight pool. You might go 15 hours in between shots. Nick would love hearing you whine about it too, it would be music to his ears as he was pocketing your cash.

Bottom line, pool is a game where when it's the other guy's shot he has the right to play his own game, the same as you. Some guys are like Earl and can run a rack in 9 seconds, others take 9 minutes. if you can't handle that, well...maybe pool's not your game.
 
Because I live in the sticks and don't have someone to play most days, I play on the home table against myself. No waiting between shots caused me to struggle with waiting in a match. One guy I occasionally play is so slow that I once asked him if I order dinner would I have time to eat before it got cold. I started countering him by slowing my shots way down. Walking around the table etc. messed him up so bad I don't think I have loss a game to him since!
 
UPlayLucky said:
What is the best way to deal with an extremely slow player when in a tournament or gambling.
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If you trust em, turn your back on the table and walk to another area of the room and wait for your turn....if ya don't trust em, have a ref or another you trust watch em. They feeeeeeeeeeeeeeed off your misery.
 
I'm thinking about getting one of those phony newspaper articles printed about myself.
It would simply have a picture of myself(in my best crazy Jack Nicholson pose) with a caption underneath saying:

Man found not guilty in the savage murder of a man he claimed was taking too much time
at the pool table. He said voices in his head told him to do it...he was acquitted on a technicality

I'd simply leave the article in plain sight on the table next to my beer
 
Bbutler said:
Lol, I'll bet you all the cheese you can carry that it's never taken any of your opponents 15 minutes to run a rack. I've heard people complain about slow play for years, but when we actually put a clock on a known slow player in our town it turned out he was averaging like 29 seconds per shot. By comparison Ronnie O'Sullivan averages about 19. So the whiners want to go off about ten seconds? Spare me.


Meanwhile, you think you had it rough in your league match, try playing Nick Varner some straight pool. You might go 15 hours in between shots. Nick would love hearing you whine about it too, it would be music to his ears as he was pocketing your cash.

Bottom line, pool is a game where when it's the other guy's shot he has the right to play his own game, the same as you. Some guys are like Earl and can run a rack in 9 seconds, others take 9 minutes. if you can't handle that, well...maybe pool's not your game.
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I would take that bet. Just two weeks ago we timed a guy that had been taking a long time all night. We actually went to 3 tables because we were the last ones left. He broke and made one and that is when we started the clock. Before he took his opening shot after the break we were at 2:43. The game went 3 innings and took 26:49
 
UPlayLucky said:
What is the best way to deal with an extremely slow player when in a tournament or gambling.
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Beat them.




Aside from that, I just ignore what they are doing and focus on my phone or drink. Check your email LOL Blank out your mind from the situation.

I've seen matches that totally throw off the tournament, a few times the rest of the room was 2, some players 3 matches in, while one table was at it's first one. One guy talked non-stop after every other shot about how he had this shot come up in 1990 and he played his friend for a beer and won then won again and played another guy and made this shot and won $5. Then he'd tell a story about another shot or about how he liked the rules in some other place better.

Belive it or not, I dumped one of my sets on the winners side to go on the losers side so I can play him. I ignored what he said and won the 3 games in 4 turns at the table. In 15 minutes. Felt good.
 
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