Does anyone here play tournaments, league, or sets... 100% knowing they won't win?

[ignomirello]

Play your heart out~

I run out a table maybe once or twice a year but I have to still give it a try. I still say you play the table not the player.

Well I Concider myself a HIGH (C) player & I always think I have a shot at winning a handicap tournament.
I also play in the Mezz Tournament (No Handicap) Sometmes I do well (Almost in the money)
If I play in a mostly Pro tournament I don't expect to be in the money,
but would love to beat a couple of Pro's on their bad day & my good day

 

[lfigueroa]

Dumb question right? But I've seen a few guys (C+ players) enter a tournament (tour stop with known pros) just for the experience. They are simply donating and they know it.

And recently I was discussing Master's league with my teammates. We are a pair of sixes and a pair of sevens, and it looks like we don't have any chance in a hall that has AA players stacked up on several teams.

So, does anyone here actually play in situations where they know for sure they lose? Or do they always privately feel they have some small chance?

Does it make any sense to play 'for the experience' if you know you're going to lose? After all, that sort of takes the competitive pressure off... with no hope of winning you don't need to sweat every potential mistake.

I go to a lot of tournaments I have no business getting in to and am a regular contributor to The Pro Pool Player Retirement Fund.

Lou Figueroa

 

[supergreenman]

APA 9 ball is straight pool with half a rack really

yeah, and sex with Angelina Jolie is just like the fleshlight.

 

[Six Shooter]

I'm not much of a tournament shooter on a whole right now or since I've been in the DC area.

Another story for another time and doesn't quite fit this topic.

When I have or do play in tournaments, I did/do have some hope that I will end up somewhere in the money.

Over the past couple of years though, once I have been sent into the loser's side, I generally go ahead and withdraw. Not for lack of confidence. Not for attitude. Not for just giving up. By the time that time rolls around, I'm actually really too darned tired to continue to play any further in the tournament as I know most get started later than what is generally advertised and fighting my way back through the loser's bracket until the very wee hours of the next morning is just too draining and most often you can't get on a table to practice a little more.

Am I 100% in the know that I'm not going to win? Not at all as there is that glimmer of hope.

Do I go into league knowing 100% that I will lose that night's match? Again. My answer is no.

 

[thommy]

I don't play tournaments but I'm Donatin to some of the locals I know I can't beat to learn to play 1 pocket.
I write it off as tuition:grin:

And I've got a shirt I wear that says DONATIN on it

 

[MCP]

Win or loose

I can't say 100% loose but after 35 years away from the game, and now playing again hard for the last 6 months I am ready and have entered a straight pool league my first match is this sat.
it's me and my skills against the table not my opponent.
Do I want to win YES I am very competive but I am also realistic I will be taking my Lumps but hope to give some.
I love the game--- there is a saying ------
"you give time to things you Love"
MCP

 

[RED LITE]

This is a great thread.

And my answer: YES

 

[bender_lu]

after only some months of playing pool (pretty bad), i took a 150 miles trip, to pay an 100 euro entry fee.... to get polished in the first round :grin:

still was a great investment to go there, they had good food and nils feijen was playing in that tournament :smile:

now i still play tournaments knowing i cant win em, but i enjoy the competition, thats why i play pool

 

[lfigueroa]

One of the best sentences I have read on this forum.

Here's another good one:

“Failure is not having the courage to try, nothing more and nothing less. The only thing standing between most people and their dreams is the fear of failure. Yet failure is essential to success in any endeavor. Failure tests us and allows us to grow. It offers us lessons and guides us along the path of enlightenment. The teachers of the East say that every arrow that hits the bull’s eye is the result of one hundred misses. It is a fundamental Law of Nature to profit through loss. Never fear failure. Failure is your friend.”

from “The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari” by Robin Sharma

Lou Figueroa

 

[justadub]

In the tournaments I play in, if they have 200 entrants maybe 20 have any kind of real chance in hell of winning and usually you could pick 5 favorites and nail the winner.

The other 180 of us want to play pool, because that's what pool players do.

Chris

That pretty much sums it up.

 

[chefjeff]

Has anyone ever had the better players get mad at you for entering "their" tournament?

I used to play Master at VNEA state voluntarily, not because I had earned my way there. I figured, like so many here, that I could play the state's best players for a small entry fee and improve my game, which is my main goal.

The reason I ask is, I once beat a guy in the first round and I was told that he was complaining about my being in the Masters and that he lost to the worst player in it, etc. I was dumbfounded at first.

Then my teammates all said I shouldn't play at that level as I hadn't earned it.

I've since quit doing it...I was sick of taking the grief. It's not a big deal, being only once a year and all, but geez, I don't understand the complaints. How would I, "the worst player in the event," harm anyone? I'd think they'd want my easy money.

Anyone else have others complain about your decision to play in a higher level event? How did you handle it?

Jeff Livingston

 

[CocoboloCowboy]

If in all honesty in my heart, and brain. If I have ZERO CHANGE of getting into the money, I do not playing in any play tournaments. Think the last time I played in a tournament on any kind of regular basis was over 3 years ago. I use to do it a couple of time a month, or weekly for a while.

I do not miss coming home in the middle of the night, hoping I do not have a car crash with some drunk driver,

I do not miss the long drive to the play tournaments.

I do not miss dealing with the drunks that always seem to be in Bars.

Another factor was when the Anti Smoking Law, and the recession hit Arizona with in a year of one another. Fewer, & fewer players showed up each week to play in tournaments, making prize pot smaller, and smaller. Many Bars closed, and many stopped having their regular tournaments.

JMHO

Plus if you look at the big picture, playing in a tournaments is more than any entree fee, quarters, or green fee. It is the real cost of transportation, and misc expenses add to the entree fee, quarters, or green fee that don't make sense to me when you win less than 100 Bucks. Do the real math, and realize you made less than a greeter does at Wal-Mart per hour.

 

[Cdryden]

Here's another good one:

“Failure is not having the courage to try, nothing more and nothing less. The only thing standing between most people and their dreams is the fear of failure. Yet failure is essential to success in any endeavor. Failure tests us and allows us to grow. It offers us lessons and guides us along the path of enlightenment. The teachers of the East say that every arrow that hits the bull’s eye is the result of one hundred misses. It is a fundamental Law of Nature to profit through loss. Never fear failure. Failure is your friend.”

from “The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari” by Robin Sharma

Lou Figueroa

Good post, thanks Lou!

 

[Stones]

Has anyone ever had the better players get mad at you for entering "their" tournament?

I used to play Master at VNEA state voluntarily, not because I had earned my way there. I figured, like so many here, that I could play the state's best players for a small entry fee and improve my game, which is my main goal.

The reason I ask is, I once beat a guy in the first round and I was told that he was complaining about my being in the Masters and that he lost to the worst player in it, etc. I was dumbfounded at first.

Then my teammates all said I shouldn't play at that level as I hadn't earned it.

I've since quit doing it...I was sick of taking the grief. It's not a big deal, being only once a year and all, but geez, I don't understand the complaints. How would I, "the worst player in the event," harm anyone? I'd think they'd want my easy money.

Anyone else have others complain about your decision to play in a higher level event? How did you handle it?

Jeff Livingston

I hadn't picked up a cue in 10 yrs. when I decided enter a monthly $20 9 ball tourney on a whim. I just wanted to have some fun.

During the match, the first guy I played said things like "Why do they let chumps like this enter these things? Oh, well, I guess someone has to donate to the prize fund!" and crap like that during the entire match. He won 9-5. When he shook my hand, he said. "Come on back and donate again next time."

To say the least, it pissed me off.

I went to the other side of town, found a nice tight 9 footer and practiced 8 to 10 hrs. everyday for 6 weeks with the intent of teaching this boy a lesson he wouldn't forget.

I went back, found the guy and said "I'm ready to donate again." We played races to 9 even for $50 and I pounded him 3 sets, 9-2, 9-1 and 9-3.

The crap that came out of his mouth was priceless. The best part, after he started to calm down a little, was the look on his face when I offered him the 8 for the whole $150. He turned red faced, couldn't talk and just started stuttering like he was having a heart attack.

I couldn't help it. I started laughing my ass off along with his buddies that were watching.

Once he calmed down, we played, with me giving him the 8 and I pounded him 9-2. At the end of the set, he busted his cue in half, threw it on the floor, started screaming at the top of his lungs all the while jumping up and down on the pieces of his cue stick.

As this was going on, I packed up and headed to the door. I couldn't help myself. I had to take one more dig. I turned to him across the room and said, "By the way, anytime you see me, you got the same game. You got the 8 for life!"

I would see him ocassionally but we never played again.

There are jerks in all walks of life but this sport seems to have an abundance of them.

I don't care what level someone is. If they throw their money in, let 'em play and have a good time.

Stones

 

[Txstang1]

Has anyone ever had the better players get mad at you for entering "their" tournament?

I used to play Master at VNEA state voluntarily, not because I had earned my way there. I figured, like so many here, that I could play the state's best players for a small entry fee and improve my game, which is my main goal.

The reason I ask is, I once beat a guy in the first round and I was told that he was complaining about my being in the Masters and that he lost to the worst player in it, etc. I was dumbfounded at first.

Then my teammates all said I shouldn't play at that level as I hadn't earned it.

I've since quit doing it...I was sick of taking the grief. It's not a big deal, being only once a year and all, but geez, I don't understand the complaints. How would I, "the worst player in the event," harm anyone? I'd think they'd want my easy money.

Anyone else have others complain about your decision to play in a higher level event? How did you handle it?

Jeff Livingston

Dumbfounded is a pretty good reaction. I would have told the guy that you beat, that maybe he didn't belong here. I don't know how I would have handle the "team" situation, but it would have probably involved a new team.

 

[Okie]

I hadn't picked up a cue in 10 yrs. when I decided enter a monthly $20 9 ball tourney on a whim. I just wanted to have some fun.

During the match, the first guy I played said things like "Why do they let chumps like this enter these things? Oh, well, I guess someone has to donate to the prize fund!" and crap like that during the entire match. He won 9-5. When he shook my hand, he said. "Come on back and donate again next time."

To say the least, it pissed me off.

I went to the other side of town, found a nice tight 9 footer and practiced 8 to 10 hrs. everyday for 6 weeks with the intent of teaching this boy a lesson he wouldn't forget.

I went back, found the guy and said "I'm ready to donate again." We played races to 9 even for $50 and I pounded him 3 sets, 9-2, 9-1 and 9-3.

The crap that came out of his mouth was priceless. The best part, after he started to calm down a little, was the look on his face when I offered him the 8 for the whole $150. He turned red faced, couldn't talk and just started stuttering like he was having a heart attack.

I couldn't help it. I started laughing my ass off along with his buddies that were watching.

Once he calmed down, we played, with me giving him the 8 and I pounded him 9-2. At the end of the set, he busted his cue in half, threw it on the floor, started screaming at the top of his lungs all the while jumping up and down on the pieces of his cue stick.

As this was going on, I packed up and headed to the door. I couldn't help myself. I had to take one more dig. I turned to him across the room and said, "By the way, anytime you see me, you got the same game. You got the 8 for life!"

I would see him ocassionally but we never played again.

There are jerks in all walks of life but this sport seems to have an abundance of them.

I don't care what level someone is. If they throw their money in, let 'em play and have a good time.

Stones

Excellent story! Thanks for sharing!

Ken

 

[TheThaiger]

I hadn't picked up a cue in 10 yrs. when I decided enter a monthly $20 9 ball tourney on a whim. I just wanted to have some fun.

During the match, the first guy I played said things like "Why do they let chumps like this enter these things? Oh, well, I guess someone has to donate to the prize fund!" and crap like that during the entire match. He won 9-5. When he shook my hand, he said. "Come on back and donate again next time."

To say the least, it pissed me off.

I went to the other side of town, found a nice tight 9 footer and practiced 8 to 10 hrs. everyday for 6 weeks with the intent of teaching this boy a lesson he wouldn't forget.

I went back, found the guy and said "I'm ready to donate again." We played races to 9 even for $50 and I pounded him 3 sets, 9-2, 9-1 and 9-3.

The crap that came out of his mouth was priceless. The best part, after he started to calm down a little, was the look on his face when I offered him the 8 for the whole $150. He turned red faced, couldn't talk and just started stuttering like he was having a heart attack.

I couldn't help it. I started laughing my ass off along with his buddies that were watching.

Once he calmed down, we played, with me giving him the 8 and I pounded him 9-2. At the end of the set, he busted his cue in half, threw it on the floor, started screaming at the top of his lungs all the while jumping up and down on the pieces of his cue stick.

As this was going on, I packed up and headed to the door. I couldn't help myself. I had to take one more dig. I turned to him across the room and said, "By the way, anytime you see me, you got the same game. You got the 8 for life!"

I would see him ocassionally but we never played again.

There are jerks in all walks of life but this sport seems to have an abundance of them.

I don't care what level someone is. If they throw their money in, let 'em play and have a good time.

Stones

And when you woke up?

 

[Celophanewrap]

Well, let me ask you this: Have you ever played a match that you were 100% sure you were going to win, then you didn't? Consider for a moment how futile it must be to be a member of the New York Generals (or whoever they are) - the team that travels with and plays The Harlem Globetrotters every night. But still, they have won a couple of games. One just never knows, it may look one way on paper, but like the old saying goes, "Thats why they play the game". I'm told that's one way to improve - to play better players. I know in some situations the odds are definitely against me, but I've learned to never work in "definites", the future hasn't been played out yet, and nothing is for sure

 

[Stones]

And when you woke up?

That wouldn't be a challenge, would it?

Like I've said in other posts, I don't play much anymore but if you'd like to find out if I'm dreaming or not, you can step up to the plate and find out for yourself.

Anytime, anywhere. You just have to bet enough to make it worth my time.

Com'on, man. Step up! I'd like to knock the rust off my game one more time and show you what's underneath.

Only with you, I don't think I'd have to practice for 6 weeks. More like 6 seconds.

Anytime, just let me know.


Stones

 

[macguy]

Dumb question right? But I've seen a few guys (C+ players) enter a tournament (tour stop with known pros) just for the experience. They are simply donating and they know it.

And recently I was discussing Master's league with my teammates. We are a pair of sixes and a pair of sevens, and it looks like we don't have any chance in a hall that has AA players stacked up on several teams.

So, does anyone here actually play in situations where they know for sure they lose? Or do they always privately feel they have some small chance?

Does it make any sense to play 'for the experience' if you know you're going to lose? After all, that sort of takes the competitive pressure off... with no hope of winning you don't need to sweat every potential mistake.

All the time. I like to think I can come in the money now and then but I never had any false illusions of winning a tournament with the likes of Hall, Segel, or Miz in the field. That is not to say I haven't beaten all of them at one time or another in tournament play. Winning, I doubt if that was the only reason for playing 90% of the players entered would not play. It is a lot more fun playing then sitting on the side lines.

It is also rewarding in many ways. I remember playing in a tournament and before my match with Howard Vickery I over heard him say, " I don't really know this guy I doubt he will be too tough. I beat him 11 to 4, I also saw a few guys collecting their bets who had seen me play before. Those are the matches that stay in your mind and make it worth it. They last longer then any prize money. If you are a pool player you compete every chance you get, not for the money but because that is what you are, a pool player. You don't sit on the side lines.

I should add, you do know your place though. I won an easy qualifier for the US Open straight pool tournament years ago. Not wanting to make a fool of myself against those guys I got permission to give my spot to Larry Johnson who had not qualified.