Dirty Pool

skiergirl55

skiergirl55

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Some of the things I've seen (and done) have me wondering: What constitutes 'dirty pool'?

Recently, I shot in a tournament and saw things I had never seen done before. The thought in my head was, "Gee, that's not sportsmanlike." But I was told by a lot of others that doing these things is how it's done if you want to win. I think these things are questionable when you're playing call pocket.....or are they acceptable strategies?

*Shooting the QB into a pocket directly when you don't have a shot... when giving up ball in hand doesn't help the opponent much.

*Hitting the opponent's ball first and freezing 3 of their balls together.

*Your opponent does NOT call 'safe', but sits down after a good hit when there is no other shot left them on the table. The ensuing argument is that, HEY....you made a legal shot, shoot again...and the opponent says, No, I played safe. It isn't safe if you don't say it, and to me, that's Dirty Pool.

What is allowable? And how much slack do you give league/tourney players as opposed to bar players who really don't know/care about the rules? I don't want to come off as being unsportsmanlike, nor do I want to be a prima donna about playing the best Legal game possible.

Thoughts?
 
Think of it this way, if it's within the rules then it's not unsportsmanlike.
 
tying up your opponents balls is unsportsmanslike?

also, in your last example, are you playing call safe 10 ball?
 
Tying up an opponent's ball is hardly unsportsmanlike...it's strategic. Same with intentionally pocketing one of your opponent's balls (i.e. pocketing the ball they need for a break-out shot).

Generally speaking, I've found that casual bar shooters and players in lower levels think that type of play is dirty. However, any pool player worth their salt will understand the strategy and won't complain at all. I played a master player at a tournament awhile back, and he actually complimented me for that type of play.
 
Also, calling a safe is a good idea, just for the sake of preventing an argument, but it's not required. The only time it's absolutely imperative to call safe is if you're pocketing a ball. If you're pocketing a ball for defensive purposes to hook your opponent, you want to make sure he/she knows that you're playing safe and plan to give up your turn at the table.

Otherwise, as long as it's a legal shot, you're fine and you don't NEED to call it. I witnessed a huge argument on league night over this same subject.
 
As soon as I hear someone complain about 'dirty pool', I think of someone
who is at the opposite end of the spectrum from pool played at its highest level.
They're the same guys who think 'checking someone in' at poker is unfair...
...they think real men play show-down.

They equate gaming logic with quantum physics...nothing to do with every day life.
 
All of the scenarios you described imo are NOT unsportsmanlike, but rather within the rules of the game. Except in call shot/call safe 10-ball, no safety is ever required to be called (to my knowledge). Clustering up your opponents balls by making a bad hit (hitting opponents ball first) is very common in 8-ball. It's done sometimes in rotation games too (shooting a ball into the lowest ball or into another ball to "create" a cluster). Shooting the cueball into the pocket is legal (BCAPL rules used to say that the cueball must be struck with the tip of the cue or it is considered "unsportsmanlike" to just move the cueball with the shaft or ferrule, something like that). Heck, in APA you just pick up the cueball and hand it to the opponent if you don't want to break out their balls.

I find that MOST of the time someone intentionally gives me ball-in-hand, I can find a way to improve my situation or make theirs a lot worse.

Maniac
 
ChicagoJoe said:
tying up your opponents balls is unsportsmanslike?

also, in your last example, are you playing call safe 10 ball?
Click to expand...

This was in an 8 ball call shot tournament. My opponent pocketed a ball, then didn't have a shot she thought she could make after looking over the table, and then just went and sat down. The QB was not in a good spot for me at all.

Can you just sit down after pocketing a ball?
 
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skiergirl55 said:
This was in an 8 ball tournament. My opponent pocketed a ball, then didn't have a shot she thought she could make after looking over the table, and then just went and sat down. The QB was not in a good spot for me at all.

Can you just sit down after pocketing a ball?
Click to expand...

No, unless a safety was called prior to the shot (BCAPL rules), then you can. APA rules, your opponent shoots no matter what. What rules were you playing under?

Of course, your opponent could have just shot the cueball into a pocket if they didn't like their chances of shooting a shot. Uggghhhh!!!

Maniac
 
She did Not call safe prior to that shot. I'm offline? Perhaps I have some setting enabled. Just doing some light reading.:D
 
skiergirl55 said:
This was in an 8 ball call shot tournament. My opponent pocketed a ball, then didn't have a shot she thought she could make after looking over the table, and then just went and sat down. The QB was not in a good spot for me at all.

Can you just sit down after pocketing a ball?
Click to expand...

In this case, your opponent was out of line, especially if she looked the table over before sitting down. She can, however, call a safe and pocket a ball, but must make that clear before the shot.
 
In some scenarios, you just play the same game.

3 ball cluster and they don't want to break the only ball out that you have.
They shoot the q ball down the hole. You take the q ball and do the same.
Do it a couple of times to stale mate and you get to re rack.

Nothing is dirty pool as long as no rule has been breached. You just resign
yourself to play the same game. OK, it is dirty pool when it is not the regular type of play that one is accustomed to, but still.

Then it turns into a game of attrition. The first person that messes up loses.

That actually can be a fun game too. Admittedly, some moves are really grey area douchery. But if no rules have been broken,
you just Out Douche them back and smile all the while.
 
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Blue Hog ridr said:
Out Douche your opponent so to speak.
Click to expand...

I can get behind that. My whole game is going to change. I've been too nice and losing more games than I should.
:grin-devilish:

Okay, I thought she was wrong, but I was kicking her ass, so I didn't care all that much. I just don't want to become a true asshat when I play pool.
 
skiergirl55 said:
I can get behind that. My whole game is going to change. I've been too nice and losing more games than I should.
:grin-devilish:

Okay, I thought she was wrong, but I was kicking her ass, so I didn't care all that much. I just don't want to become a true asshat when I play pool.
Click to expand...

Go get 'em girl. And remember, you can do some awfully mean things when you get ball-in-hand, just think it out and see how easy it is to improve your situation and make theirs worse!!!

BTW, it shows your status as "online" now. (?)

Maniac
 
Nothing within the rules is unsportsmanlike. The rules prescribe the penalty for a foul. Taking an intentional foul can be a strategic move and is sometimes the best play.
 
I was set to hide for some reason. I changed it. Thanks for bringing that up. Now you can see me reading the funny gif thread.:cool:
 
Legal or not, it's still weak. Those are the rules and I would take it as a compliment. My opponent is scared and knows he can't beat me shot for shot. Playing good defence is key, but there is a line. There playing Enron style. There are more people that dont play chicken s. than do. that would be a good league to start, the NCSBA. It's just a game.
 
You can play the same game but keep your head up higher in the end.

Sore losers will resort to these type of actions when they don't want to lose but know that is the only choice.

You can think, I don't usually play like this but you leave me no choice. So, in a way, they are bringing you down to their level but you can do it and still keep your pride.

More than one way to skin a cat.
 
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