plyittothetbone
Registered
THIS is why ipods are the best things ever. if you just cant ignore the aholes block em out altogether.
Dear AZBilliards
- Thread starter abie10
- Start date
- Status
And this site ain't for bangers, that's for sure. Just ask Poolkillers.
----------------
Funny how people can have different experiences and different responses to the same stimuli. I've always been serious about pool, when I'm in the game, but for a long while I was away. After coming back in I found this site. When I first came back I didn't get leagues (especially the APA), and sort looked down on bar boxes, leagues, bangers and 8 Ball, just to name a few things, as "lesser" pool.
But since becoming a member here my views have become more positive about these and other things. I understand and appreciate now that a lot of serious pool is played on 7 foot tables, that 8 Ball is quite a strategic game with a lot of nuance, and that leagues - even if certain ones aren't for me - probably do more to support and keep the doors open of the pool rooms across this country.
Nothing wrong with belonging to that group of more casual players that enjoy the league format and the night out with friends and some form of competition. In fact, I joined a BCAPL 8 Ball league and enjoy that aspect of pool as well.
There are many different reasons to play this game whether it's self-improvement, the competition, the inherent challenge, its meditative power, the social aspect, etc. In any case, I'm glad you got back to enjoying the game again. :thumbup:
Last edited:
DPPDP ------> DogsPlayingPool Double Post
Last edited:
Speaking of Bangers I got a nice pm for Cracktherack, apparently I am also a banger! Oh well. Here is his PM;
I'm not sure where he gets his info but my cue is a Custom Cameron, my table has roughly 4" pockets! But I'm glad your trying to make the game easier for me. Lol.
I wonder if this is the return of Pocket Point or some other useless troll.
Speaking of Bangers I got a nice pm for Cracktherack, apparently I am also a banger! Oh well. Here is his PM;
I'm not sure where he gets his info but my cue is a Custom Cameron, my table has roughly 4" pockets! But I'm glad your trying to make the game easier for me. Lol.
I wonder if this is the return of Pocket Point or some other useless troll.
With 6" pockets you can run 3 or 4 balls each shot.
DPP-
Well stated.
To OP-just curious-Is the 'entitlement'/'you don't belong here' vibe coming from players in a room where you are a stranger?
Do you/did you spend time in that tournament/action room other than for the tournament/matching up. In my experience, all rooms have a pecking order. Often, that might mean practicing at a back table often enough to be recognizeable. It takes time to be accepted and evaluated by the regulars.
As an unknown, you may get the full blown alpha dog a-hol intimidation/shark routine from some top players. It's part of the ordering process, good or bad.
If you become more visible, and others guage your speed, and it becomes clear that you are looking to improve, sometimes, you get friendly advice from regulars.
Sometimes-by spending more time and money at a new room, you just get to identify the true a-hols from the situational (sharking ploy)ones.
Kind of like transferring to a new high school mid session. Takes a while to get people figured out. For both you and them.
Sorry your pool education has had this detour. Could be, you skipped a couple of classes before you took this course.
There may be a few world beaters on AZ, but most of us just really enjoy playing. I don't gamble anymore-I found that I didn't have the nerves for it.
I try to improve and challenge myself by playing in local and regional tournaments and leagues. I am usually dead money. I pay my money/support the event, and sometimes get to play top tier players. I get my money's worth from the experience.
I hope you don't sour on the whole community of non APA, 9 footer pool players. There's room for anyone and everyone. Don't get stuck at the end of the driveway, worrying that you might get into another fender bender on the pool playing highway.
Check out some of the other games-14.1, One pocket, snooker-golf, banks-whatever-you will find one that works for you. And many times, advice and encouragement can be found more easily from local players that play the non-rotation games.
Big dogs didn't start out big-they grew into it.
take care
With 6" pockets you can run 3 or 4 balls each shot.
LOL no kidding! I wonder what tables he is talking about? Most APA players play on Valley bar boxes, I have yet to find a 6 inch pocket on a valley but I will keep looking.
Also he fails to realize that I am not a APA player (even though I have stated it in this thread!)
Oh well, the world takes all kinds I guess!
The way I see it, pool would be worse off if not for organizations like the APA in spite of their shortcomings.
Cameron cues....very nice. Sharp points. A true craftsman right there.
I tried to read as much of this thread as I could without losing sight of the OP. I am an APA player and have experienced some of the same stuff. Some folks can just be rude, but too, I had to consider that by making my way on to someone else's turf I had sort of opened myself up to these experiences. I have pretty routinely found that the better a player is, the ruder they are able to be, but by that same token, maybe they don't consider it rude and I'm being too sensitive, maybe that's just how they do things and they don't care what I think (remember the cool kids in high school? same thing).
In my environment (and I'm not saying that this would be good for anyone else), In my environment it helped quite a bit educate myself as to who the "real" players are in the area (BCA, VNEA, PRO or whatever) and to become familiar with any pros that might live in the surrounding states. By saying "real" players, I mean real good players. Those are the guys / Girls that I love to watch but keep my distance from.
If we're at the bar having a drink or talking with a mutual friend, I take that opportunity to get to know them if they're open to it, but I recognize that the table is their domain. If I want a lesson I ask the house pro or pay someone that is willing to teach.
I'd never walk into a pro or college, or even a high school football facility and ask to practice or play with them. I show them respect and I don't mean kiss their ass or worship them like a star struck little girl fawning over Justin Bieber, I show them respect and maybe they come around. After we know each other a little or friend of a friend refers me to them maybe they need advice from me regarding my expertise and they ask. Most of these people live by a code of honor and they don't forget that I did them a favor. So if they see me working on something they might help, then they know I'm always good for a cocktail next time we meet up or some of my kind of help if they require it.
The most prominent thing about me and my rep (if I actually have one) is I guess I know my limits. I might enter an open tournament if it is truly open. I will usually go 2 and out, but that will be my opportunity to play a couple of these guys, and they know they can always expect my best effort without any whining. It's even happened where I was stuck for a shot on several occasions and my opponent stopped to help out.
My thought is that I had shown them respect at the table and they had shown me the same respect regarding my expertise, we had built a friendship. I'd never expect that kind of help in a money round, but we both knew I was never gonna get that far.
I suppose what all text is saying is that I have learned who the big boys are and I stay away from them unless the ask for me. If they come into my office, I'm the big boy.
I'm a decent APA player, I don't consider myself a banger, but more of a student, of everyone. Even as a kid I was always taught that even if you didn't like your teachers, you respected them.
I too like to match my skills against better players, but even in my own division I can find players that are steps ahead of me and I can play them, I don't need to bother the guys that are light years ahead of me.
To me that's just asking for trouble.
In my environment (and I'm not saying that this would be good for anyone else), In my environment it helped quite a bit educate myself as to who the "real" players are in the area (BCA, VNEA, PRO or whatever) and to become familiar with any pros that might live in the surrounding states. By saying "real" players, I mean real good players. Those are the guys / Girls that I love to watch but keep my distance from.
If we're at the bar having a drink or talking with a mutual friend, I take that opportunity to get to know them if they're open to it, but I recognize that the table is their domain. If I want a lesson I ask the house pro or pay someone that is willing to teach.
I'd never walk into a pro or college, or even a high school football facility and ask to practice or play with them. I show them respect and I don't mean kiss their ass or worship them like a star struck little girl fawning over Justin Bieber, I show them respect and maybe they come around. After we know each other a little or friend of a friend refers me to them maybe they need advice from me regarding my expertise and they ask. Most of these people live by a code of honor and they don't forget that I did them a favor. So if they see me working on something they might help, then they know I'm always good for a cocktail next time we meet up or some of my kind of help if they require it.
The most prominent thing about me and my rep (if I actually have one) is I guess I know my limits. I might enter an open tournament if it is truly open. I will usually go 2 and out, but that will be my opportunity to play a couple of these guys, and they know they can always expect my best effort without any whining. It's even happened where I was stuck for a shot on several occasions and my opponent stopped to help out.
My thought is that I had shown them respect at the table and they had shown me the same respect regarding my expertise, we had built a friendship. I'd never expect that kind of help in a money round, but we both knew I was never gonna get that far.
I suppose what all text is saying is that I have learned who the big boys are and I stay away from them unless the ask for me. If they come into my office, I'm the big boy.
I'm a decent APA player, I don't consider myself a banger, but more of a student, of everyone. Even as a kid I was always taught that even if you didn't like your teachers, you respected them.
I too like to match my skills against better players, but even in my own division I can find players that are steps ahead of me and I can play them, I don't need to bother the guys that are light years ahead of me.
To me that's just asking for trouble.
Last edited:
The answers you, or anyone else feeling that pool is a hard sport to enter into are here, all quoted for easy reference. I'll add a small bit of my own, although rarely is anything I put down light reading.
3RailKick explained the mentality of a serious player (quoted below). As a sport of individual competition pool will bring out those alpha tendencies. It's just genetic. And no, there are no absolutes in life, so you can find exceptions to that but evolution has encouraged this kind of behavior to occur.
That may not be the most comforting thing to hear if you're not an alpha male / type A personality. But below Andy explains, and 3RailKick expands on, how to gain acceptance. It's not quick, but it works that way for a reason. You don't just approach random strangers and give them a hand because you never know if they will be there once or all of the time. It would be a foolish player who would want to drive away all of the other customers by interrupting their game out of the blue.
Yes, there are trolls on the internet. They make fun of people, go way too far in rebuttals, make threats. And when you meet them face to face in Vegas they're often meek.
As to why they get mad when you point out the flaws of the, "internet is going to beat you up" culture, look at a man who abuses his wife and/or children. If you tell him he's abusive he will often get mad; you are pointing out his flaws, and in terms of evolution, you are threatening his alpha status. Verbal abusers (who are often more hurtful than physical abusers) take an even more venomous approach. Calling out an internet troll who is popular with other internet trolls can be a recipe for disaster if you're not used to being abused verbally (and honestly, why would you want to be used to it?). This happens simply because the physical aspect of their threats is irrelevant. They show off their alpha status by being, "bigger online". It's posturing, nothing more. When you take away the protection of their LCD monitor and wireless keyboard, they are harmless.
With a simple quoting of the word, "sport", you egg them on. Don't be upset if they respond in kind because you are sinking to the level of verbal abuse yourself. It's a slippery slope.
As far as "this forum is full of posts raggin on recreational players, playing with inferior equipment..." those are people you can instantly write off. As soon as that comes out of their virtual mouth they have proven they have nothing positive to offer. I left out the part about "and on inferior equipment" because that part actually has merit. But whether your cue cost 5 dollars or 5 thousand, it will put balls in the hole if the operator has the skill. You may not get perfect position if the cue squirts more than a milk cow and you're used to a Ron Jeremy shaft (sorry for the reference gents, mental bleach works wonders) but as long as you don't go to extremes it's true. You will play better with better equipment, but not having an expensive custom cue will not prevent you from winning.
3RailKick explained the mentality of a serious player (quoted below). As a sport of individual competition pool will bring out those alpha tendencies. It's just genetic. And no, there are no absolutes in life, so you can find exceptions to that but evolution has encouraged this kind of behavior to occur.
That may not be the most comforting thing to hear if you're not an alpha male / type A personality. But below Andy explains, and 3RailKick expands on, how to gain acceptance. It's not quick, but it works that way for a reason. You don't just approach random strangers and give them a hand because you never know if they will be there once or all of the time. It would be a foolish player who would want to drive away all of the other customers by interrupting their game out of the blue.
Yes, there are trolls on the internet. They make fun of people, go way too far in rebuttals, make threats. And when you meet them face to face in Vegas they're often meek.
As to why they get mad when you point out the flaws of the, "internet is going to beat you up" culture, look at a man who abuses his wife and/or children. If you tell him he's abusive he will often get mad; you are pointing out his flaws, and in terms of evolution, you are threatening his alpha status. Verbal abusers (who are often more hurtful than physical abusers) take an even more venomous approach. Calling out an internet troll who is popular with other internet trolls can be a recipe for disaster if you're not used to being abused verbally (and honestly, why would you want to be used to it?). This happens simply because the physical aspect of their threats is irrelevant. They show off their alpha status by being, "bigger online". It's posturing, nothing more. When you take away the protection of their LCD monitor and wireless keyboard, they are harmless.
With a simple quoting of the word, "sport", you egg them on. Don't be upset if they respond in kind because you are sinking to the level of verbal abuse yourself. It's a slippery slope.
As far as "this forum is full of posts raggin on recreational players, playing with inferior equipment..." those are people you can instantly write off. As soon as that comes out of their virtual mouth they have proven they have nothing positive to offer. I left out the part about "and on inferior equipment" because that part actually has merit. But whether your cue cost 5 dollars or 5 thousand, it will put balls in the hole if the operator has the skill. You may not get perfect position if the cue squirts more than a milk cow and you're used to a Ron Jeremy shaft (sorry for the reference gents, mental bleach works wonders) but as long as you don't go to extremes it's true. You will play better with better equipment, but not having an expensive custom cue will not prevent you from winning.
I think your post stinks.
Whatever advice you received on this forum, you are the one that made the decision to pursue what you call serious pool.
You and you alone are accountable if you had a bad experience.
Wishing you the best in your return to APA but if you are going to continue to hold others accountable for whether you enjoy pool, you're already set up for failure.
luedtkespecial
Registered
found tim padgett custom cue
in great condition, must identify to claim. this is not a joke, the cue was found in its case outside of a bar. I am a pool player myself and when I looked at it closer I could tell that this was a really special cue for someone and would love to reunite this cue with its rightful owner. I am not asking for reward or anything in return just asking for its owner to describe or provide proof of ownership. I would love to keep this cue myself but know my game would never warrant such a fine cue.
in great condition, must identify to claim. this is not a joke, the cue was found in its case outside of a bar. I am a pool player myself and when I looked at it closer I could tell that this was a really special cue for someone and would love to reunite this cue with its rightful owner. I am not asking for reward or anything in return just asking for its owner to describe or provide proof of ownership. I would love to keep this cue myself but know my game would never warrant such a fine cue.
Billiards its what you make of it,get serious about it and you'll get a better understanding of why things are the way they are.(rite or wrong).
3 years of playing I dont think you have the rite to even post something like this.
There's a lot of good people(some bad...lol) in this game and what you say or do wont change a thing.You say you love the game and then bash people...take a look in the mirror.
We all got stories.
I believe this is another example of what Abis is complaining about. To say that he doesn't have "the right to even post something like this" not only reveals that attitudes do indeed exist in this game, but it is also a totally false statement. As long as Abie or any other poster abides by forum rules, they have the right to post anything they like. They may even have as few as zero years experience playing and they'll still have the right to post their opinions here. And everyone else will have the right to disagree with those opinions. That's what makes these forums...forums.
Roger
- Status