Do you play better, worse or the same under pressure?

I play worse under pressure, but I play better against a player that I know is better than I am. Does that make any sense???

If I'm playing someone less skilled than I, then I feel more pressure to win against this player and ultimately end up playing "down" to this players level.

OTOH, if I'm playing someone better than I, then there are no expectations or guarantees of me winning, so the pressure is off and I usually play better.

Maniac (that's my story and I'm sticking to it)
 
JolietJames said:
More pressure, more focus for me. Been that way since sports in college and now pool. Same with the size of the croud. The more people watching the better I seem to play too.
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Same here!!!!! Tougher the opponent the better too.
 
I may be an odd one, but during leagues and during tournaments when people are watching me i play like a champ. I get in this killer mode where I just refuse to lose. Then i go off somewhere and gamble someone and i completely lose that killer attitude. I still really want to win(obviously) but I don't know, I don't have quite as much desire to win even though my money is on the line. That being said I always play cheap, like 20 dollar sets so I've never been under some real pressure when i gamble. I feel the pressure during my league and tournaments i think because I want to prove myself to everyone watching.

So to sum it up, i play better under pressure but i need to actually feel the pressure first.
 
original palmer said:
Personally i play better against someone i don't know and under pressure.

You might see me play a friend of mine and say to yourself, he's an ok player.
Then you'll see me play against someone i don't know that is very good and i run the table back to back.

What i dont like about this is that i'm not consistent.

How do you fair under pressure?
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Depends... If by "under pressure" you mean having the adrenaline rush in your whole body, then probably yes, I'll play better. But if it's the kind of pressure where you must win or you'll embarass yourself, or if there's a crowd mocking your mistakes, those situation will only ruin my concentration and make defeat for me much more likely. I have consistency problems myself and I absolutely hate it, some days I feel like beating anyone, other days I lose to a girl who played like 15 matches in her life :o I haven't found a way to counter it yet.
 
original palmer said:
Personally i play better against someone i don't know and under pressure.

You might see me play a friend of mine and say to yourself, he's an ok player.
Then you'll see me play against someone i don't know that is very good and i run the table back to back.

What i dont like about this is that i'm not consistent.

How do you fair under pressure?
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I'll put it this way I have both failed under pressure and succeeded. Lately pressure has taken my game to another level I wouldn't necessarily say I play better under pressure, but now it definitely has a way of keeping me on my toes.
 
I have ADD and probably some other stuff wrong with my brain so I usually play horrible unless there is enough pressure to enable me to focus better. I practice by myself regularly so that usually allows me to gear my brain in a way that I can be productive. If I play someone for free, too cheap, or a game that I am a big favorite I am subject to miss anything. If a much weaker player wants to play me some really cheap donation sets I usually say no and just work with them on their game instead. They think I am such a nice guy to turn away their money and help them for free but in all reality I am just protecting myself from getting massively frustrated. Everyone has their pressure breaking point but with pressure it usually allows me to focus and quiet my brain enough to play better.
 
I play for 20 to 50 dollar sets so i am always consistent from a money point of veiw.
No pressure isolated play i am terrible banging balls no focus.
Little Pressure playing the ghost No money involved I play okay.
Playing a person that I know I can beat No challenge I play okay.
Giving someone a spot A good challenge. I play my best
Playing someone that plays my speed. I play my best
Playing somebody Better than me no spot. I play good.
Playing somebody way better than me. I am terrible.
Playing a great player And not realizing that they are better than me Because I do not know them. I am a monster. I am very intimidated by reputations And give too much respect to the better a players. I am working on it. The pressure of money Does not bother me a bit. What's my chips are in the middle of the table Is not mine no more. I make some bad b**** every once in awhile. But most of the time With my money involved in a high amount, I win. I need pressure To achieve focus, True pressure comes from within. My weakness I do not know whether I belong here am i a true player or a sucker. I want to be a road player more than anything in the world.
 
HueblerHustler7 said:
I'll put it this way I have both failed under pressure and succeeded. Lately pressure has taken my game to another level I wouldn't necessarily say I play better under pressure, but now it definitely has a way of keeping me on my toes.
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that makes total cents
 
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