TheThaiger
Banned
Fixed that for you. Let's never play, eh?
Do you get into character when you play?
- Thread starter desertshark
- Start date
Fixed that for you. Let's never play, eh?
Greeeeeeeeeat Thread !
I've read every post so far, and can relate to them all.
Honestly, I save "game face" when I need it, so it depends on the situation. In leagues, its pretty serious. I don't want to let the team down as a lot of us are true competitors. At the pool hall on "practice," (it's really shark). night; there are the regulars and the ppls that straggle in. The regs know your stroke, so if ya can, ya dog a few and see what comes swimming around. It's for this reason that I can't really practice at the home pool hall. "Practice" night is cheap, so it attracts all the Shooters & Players. It's small action like $5 - $50 sets,...... the $$ usually just changes hands and makes the game more serious than playing for fun.
A few weeks ago, I drew a co-captain in my 9-ball match. He's a level above me and very talented. I haven't seen or played him in over a year. We both started strong, then felt each other's game out. The match went hill-hill and my shot on the 9-ball on a hard angle, long table. I'll make that shot 2/3, but this time I dogged it an inch on the cushion left sittin' real sweet for a narrow angle cross-table for the win.
It was a very competitve match, we spoke very little and even though I lost this one, I thoroughly enjoyed the competition !
:thumbup:
If I am atta bar, 3/4 times it's someone I don't know, so I figure I'm get-got for a game. Honestly, it depends on my attitude at the time. Most times atta bar, I just wanna play "for fun."
I've read every post so far, and can relate to them all.
Honestly, I save "game face" when I need it, so it depends on the situation. In leagues, its pretty serious. I don't want to let the team down as a lot of us are true competitors. At the pool hall on "practice," (it's really shark). night; there are the regulars and the ppls that straggle in. The regs know your stroke, so if ya can, ya dog a few and see what comes swimming around. It's for this reason that I can't really practice at the home pool hall. "Practice" night is cheap, so it attracts all the Shooters & Players. It's small action like $5 - $50 sets,...... the $$ usually just changes hands and makes the game more serious than playing for fun.
A few weeks ago, I drew a co-captain in my 9-ball match. He's a level above me and very talented. I haven't seen or played him in over a year. We both started strong, then felt each other's game out. The match went hill-hill and my shot on the 9-ball on a hard angle, long table. I'll make that shot 2/3, but this time I dogged it an inch on the cushion left sittin' real sweet for a narrow angle cross-table for the win.
It was a very competitve match, we spoke very little and even though I lost this one, I thoroughly enjoyed the competition !
:thumbup:If I am atta bar, 3/4 times it's someone I don't know, so I figure I'm get-got for a game. Honestly, it depends on my attitude at the time. Most times atta bar, I just wanna play "for fun."
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Yes indeed. I take on a new persona, and look like this guy.
Tramp,
Is that really you ??
:smile-us-down:(you handsome devil , you!) Is that a Zoot(sp) suit ?? :groucho:
There's gotta be a story here somewhere,.... :grin-square:
DesertShark,
Many of the people on this forum are competitive-obsessed with playing pool. I hesitate to say most because some people genuinely enjoy just hanging around the pool table and around the rest of the competitive pool people.
One of the things that you can do is to explain to your fiance that you enjoy competing at pool and ask her if she thinks you should let your opponent have more shots and then when she says yes; ask her how many turns at the table you should allow your opponent. And after each miss, you can make up some cleverly disguised excuse for your miss and laugh about it (your mistake). Just don't get too clever where your opponent thinks you are making fun of him. That wouldn't be cool.
Candidly, my wife doesn't watch me play pool. When we were dating she was an avid supporter of my game and we sometimes had a pool date on occasion but for the most part, she knows my competitive and obsessive compulsive nature when it comes to pool and avoids it til this day. I believe some women consider pool a mistress of sorts, especially for those of us who are have that all-consuming passion for excellence in pocket billiards.
Just a warning. I don't know how serious you are about pool but it is something I think you need to discuss with your fiance and you should think long and hard about just how much time you want to invest in it. There are many reasons for a strong marriage and pool is not at the top of that list, at least for most marriages.
Many of the people on this forum are competitive-obsessed with playing pool. I hesitate to say most because some people genuinely enjoy just hanging around the pool table and around the rest of the competitive pool people.
One of the things that you can do is to explain to your fiance that you enjoy competing at pool and ask her if she thinks you should let your opponent have more shots and then when she says yes; ask her how many turns at the table you should allow your opponent. And after each miss, you can make up some cleverly disguised excuse for your miss and laugh about it (your mistake). Just don't get too clever where your opponent thinks you are making fun of him. That wouldn't be cool.
Candidly, my wife doesn't watch me play pool. When we were dating she was an avid supporter of my game and we sometimes had a pool date on occasion but for the most part, she knows my competitive and obsessive compulsive nature when it comes to pool and avoids it til this day. I believe some women consider pool a mistress of sorts, especially for those of us who are have that all-consuming passion for excellence in pocket billiards.
Just a warning. I don't know how serious you are about pool but it is something I think you need to discuss with your fiance and you should think long and hard about just how much time you want to invest in it. There are many reasons for a strong marriage and pool is not at the top of that list, at least for most marriages.
Oh no, she wasn't saying it in a bad way. She just noticed it. She's a competitive soft ball player so she knows the game face. She doesn't mind me going to play everyday of the week if I want just as I don't mind her going to play softball. I've seen her play and she gets the same game face. I've been mostly into mechanics and building bikes and cars since we met. I got into competitive marksmanship for a little while and she supported all the competitions and time at the range.
She said she hasn't seen that look on my face about anything so she was just a bit surprised. I haven't really played pool since her and I met about 4 years ago. She loves to go play pool with me and doesn't want me to hold back and encourages me to run the table. Just like when I throw her pitches at the park, I tell her to drill them and not worry if she's gonna hit me or not lol.
Now do any of you guys dress different when you play? Like steamer lol
She said she hasn't seen that look on my face about anything so she was just a bit surprised. I haven't really played pool since her and I met about 4 years ago. She loves to go play pool with me and doesn't want me to hold back and encourages me to run the table. Just like when I throw her pitches at the park, I tell her to drill them and not worry if she's gonna hit me or not lol.
Now do any of you guys dress different when you play? Like steamer lol
Yeah I don't like beating poor sports lol :grin:
Great thread! Yes, I go into a different persona when I'm at the table. Pool is not and never has been a social game for me. I can be social when I'm not at the table and the game is over but while I'm playing I'm playing to win and that calls for focus. I can't talk about other stuff when I'm playing. I just didn't learn to play that way. It's very hard for me to play with people sometimes who don't look at the game as any thing other than a social function.
Oh, and Tramp, you wish!! LOL!
Oh, and Tramp, you wish!! LOL!
TheThaiger
Banned
Poor sports? You think you're a good sport?
High time pool players grew a pair and stopped this. Grinding the joy out of the game will continue for as long as the backslapping does. Condemn slow and negative play before the game dies for good.
El-ahrairah
Banned
This. +10characters.
I play to win
I almost always play to win. There is a guy that I go to his house to play pool, and once in a while I will let up a little. The last time I did that he won, which is ok because he is a really nice guy. He really likes pool but is not into it as much as I am. I share a lot of things I have learned with him, and his game is improving. My goal is to keep him getting better, because this helps both of us. I want him to get better because it forces me to focus.
I was playing another guy one time that doesn't play that well, and I asked him why he plays pool? He said for "fun". I asked him "Do you play to win?" He said "ALWAYS." Here is my point. When I let up on one of these "fun" players, and they win a game, they head straight to their buddies saying "Guess who I beat?", so I have to have a very good reason to ever cut any one any slack when it comes to pool. If that makes me a bad guy, so be it.
I almost always play to win. There is a guy that I go to his house to play pool, and once in a while I will let up a little. The last time I did that he won, which is ok because he is a really nice guy. He really likes pool but is not into it as much as I am. I share a lot of things I have learned with him, and his game is improving. My goal is to keep him getting better, because this helps both of us. I want him to get better because it forces me to focus.
I was playing another guy one time that doesn't play that well, and I asked him why he plays pool? He said for "fun". I asked him "Do you play to win?" He said "ALWAYS." Here is my point. When I let up on one of these "fun" players, and they win a game, they head straight to their buddies saying "Guess who I beat?", so I have to have a very good reason to ever cut any one any slack when it comes to pool. If that makes me a bad guy, so be it.
Poor sports? You think you're a good sport?
High time pool players grew a pair and stopped this. Grinding the joy out of the game will continue for as long as the backslapping does. Condemn slow and negative play before the game dies for good.
Can't take a little rib jabbing?
First the guy I was referring to watched me practice, asked me for a game and placed the bet. I didn't solicit anything. I also didn't play below my ability to make him feel better as I didn't ask him to play or bet. I was focused and not sharking or I would have acted like I couldn't play and hook him into losing a lot more money.
You hasty judgement of character and deaming me a reckless pool player not knowing me makes you a pompus ass.
Good day sir.
TheThaiger
Banned
What was that about not taking a little rib jabbing again? And I didn't accuse you of being a reckless pool player - the precise opposite in actual fact.
I apologize I misunderstood Thaiger.
I thought you were saying I'm ruining pool when you had said it was the other guy?
I thought you were saying I'm ruining pool when you had said it was the other guy?
Called putting your game face on. It is a very common thing that happens with competitive people.
Give you my example. I ride motorcycles and raced one for a while. Racing took my riding focus to a whole new level. I could be riding on the street and enjoying the scenery, but on the track, that isn't even a option. You have to put your whole self into the moment while racing. You can not be anywhere else, mentally.
When it was time to go racing, there was noticeable shift in my mood, my frame of mind. There was only thoughts of racing, a shift to a single thought process, how to go fast. Nothing else.
Once you have achieved this level of focus in something, it is easy to use it at will. Where I ride on the street, it's in the hills with some great twisties. As such, there are riders that think they are quick. They ride well, do go fairly quick, but they do not have that level of focus true race competition brings.
It is easy to leave them behind, once I shift into that go fast mode.
I've ridden on the street the Monday after a race weekend, and still be in the go fast mode. It took a bit to learn to how to do the shift from street riding to go fast riding back to street riding.
Point is, it's a natural occurrence when performing something in a competitive mode and at a high level of performance.
Learn to use the force.....
Give you my example. I ride motorcycles and raced one for a while. Racing took my riding focus to a whole new level. I could be riding on the street and enjoying the scenery, but on the track, that isn't even a option. You have to put your whole self into the moment while racing. You can not be anywhere else, mentally.
When it was time to go racing, there was noticeable shift in my mood, my frame of mind. There was only thoughts of racing, a shift to a single thought process, how to go fast. Nothing else.
Once you have achieved this level of focus in something, it is easy to use it at will. Where I ride on the street, it's in the hills with some great twisties. As such, there are riders that think they are quick. They ride well, do go fairly quick, but they do not have that level of focus true race competition brings.
It is easy to leave them behind, once I shift into that go fast mode.
I've ridden on the street the Monday after a race weekend, and still be in the go fast mode. It took a bit to learn to how to do the shift from street riding to go fast riding back to street riding.
Point is, it's a natural occurrence when performing something in a competitive mode and at a high level of performance.
Learn to use the force.....