Don Montalvo a.k.a PoolMouse purposely sharks me in tournament

ace911

ace911

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I am playing at Masters Billiards in Queens in the weekly open tournament. During a match, and Don Montalvo whose screen name on AZ is poolmouse, decides to come over sit down next to my table and talk smack about my game and tries to shark me during my match. I have earphones on so I am blocking out most of what he is doing, but he is moving around, fidgeting, making gestures, and cheering loudly for my opponent while I am shooting. He gets me, I?m shooting the 8 ball on the hill, and I miss the shot. My opponent runs out, and breaks and runs the next rack to win the set. This guy was also waiting to play the winner of the match and he wanted me to lose because he obviously wanted to play the weaker opponent.

I have a question? What am I supposed to do with people like this? I could follow the lead of other players who would just get into a fight right away.

During my match I was trying to ignore it and practice getting mentally tougher, but obviously I failed and lost the set. Why are people like this? Even if I didn?t like someone I would not purposely shark them. I have some kind of ethics, I guess it just lacks in some people.
 
If you were bothered by him you should have stopped and got the person who runs the tournament and had him removed from the playing area.;)
 
Fast Lenny said:
If you were bothered by him you should have stopped and got the person who runs the tournament and had him removed from the playing area.;)
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Bingo! Never take the situation into your own hands, especially if you don't know the other guy. You're right in the sense that you recognize that you need to develop the mentality that can help you get through something like that, but since at the time, the sharking obviously jacked your game, you needed to contact somebody in charge. To continue playing in a situation like that is like trying to play with one hand tied behind your back.
dave
 
ace911 said:
This guy was also waiting to play the winner of the match and he wanted me to lose because he obviously wanted to play the weaker opponent.
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A little observation I have, the person who I am using to illustrate my example is me, I know these things are true for myself but it might be worth asking yourself if some of it isn't true for yourself as well (no offense is intended to you in any way)

Truth being told, is the opponent necessarily a weaker player, whilst you may be able to beat this guy, you didn't. He, by the sounds of it, did well to hold his nerve and run out the final rack at hill-hill

Having been a victim of this type of stuff many times and having lost games when it is happening, I have found that sometimes although it is distracting I sometimes use these types of things as a distraction when I miss a pressure ball. Occasionally I mentally lose a tough game whilst I am at the table, I will focus on the distraction because it is easier to lose and blame the distraction than to try to win and then lose with noone to blame but yourself. The truth is only you will know if this is true for yourself.

If you are completely honest with yourself was it just the distraction that caused you to miss the shot because for you to get to the eight on the hill I am sure you must have made quite a few shots without the distraction getting to you.

Furthermore, I then had to ask myself if the player who was putting me off was actually going to be worried about me and the answer is NO, why would he worry about me, he knows that I am unable to cope with his mouthing and that I am mentally weaker than him.
 
It is a shame that you were feeling like you were being sharked. Some pool players do desire to have no distractions whatsoever when they are in competition. I have seen Buddy Hall give an audience member a long stare when he was in the pit before, feeling like they were a distraction.

When I see the TV matches at some televised events, I never understood how the players could shoot so well when the camera was literally in their line of vision, right at the pocket that they were shooting for. The televised matches have a great deal of distractions, and they are brutal.

If you felt as if you were being sharked, I would have ceased playing pool until the commotion died down. Just sit in your designated chair until you are comfortable to shoot. Eventually, the tournament director will put a stop to any hanky panky because they want the tournament matches to progress.

Having said that, though, I am not sure I know who Don Montalvo is, but I feel like I know Poolmouse from this forum, and I have always enjoyed his posts!

JAM
 
Tell him to stop talkig while you shoot.

I have seen Johnny Archer, Earl Strickland, and other pros do this.
 
I couldn't

Fast Lenny said:
If you were bothered by him you should have stopped and got the person who runs the tournament and had him removed from the playing area.;)
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have said it better myself. Lenny is right on the mark. I have had to do this some past tournaments, like when a guy I played against brought 4 friends, who just happened to be real noisy when I shot, and using cellphones at the table, and making wild gestures with their arms.

Also, sometimes playing someone from 'out of town' will have 1 or 2 people with them that will try to pull this stuff. I just get the tournament director and have them removed.
 
I've had opponent's friends come over while I was playing them and they would talk loud, stick their feet out towards the table and such...I'm the type to just tell them to leave while I'm playing...
 
Sometimes it happens and the person sharking is ignorant of what they are doing or just not paying attention. I have been guilty of this. I have alot of nervous energy, the kind that had me tapping my foot in school when I had to sit in one place for too long. My legs would literally want to get moving when I had to sit for an hour. In my pool matches I often couldnt sit down and sit still. Many people have told me about this being perceived as sharking so now I really try to focus on sitting in a chair away from the table until its my turn to shoot. I still do stupid things on occasion. Last week I was playing in a handicapped tournament here in Miami. 1k added and its winner bracket finals. My opponent is down on the 8 (under the handicapped system that the money ball for this player) and I was holding my cue and i nervously bounced the cue some. I wasnt even aware I was doing it until this player missed, turned around to me and told me I had sharked her out of the shot. A big blowout occurred and at first I was pretty hot because I didnt think I had even done it. Later someone told me they had saw me and I realized that this was me being stupid again with nervous energy.

The nervous energy I have has had its benefits, for example I am 41 and can still eat anything I want and I am 6-2 and weight 170 lbs. If I work out and dont eat ALOT more I immediately will shed weight down to 160-165ish. I dont think being overweight is something in my future. On the other hand, being 41 and having almost ADD type symptoms with energy that makes me bounce off of walls sometimes has gotten me into alot of trouble in the pool room. I really try to not do stupid things that can shark people, its something I have to remember and work on everytime I play competitive pool.

Maybe pool mouse has this going on as well. Maybe he had been drinking and was just being ignorant of his surroundings. I dunno. Try not to assume that he was doing it intentionally, it wont help your game and instead you will be more sharked by him in the future if your thinking he is out to get you.
 
ace911 said:
I am playing at Masters Billiards in Queens in the weekly open tournament. During a match, and Don Montalvo whose screen name on AZ is poolmouse, decides to come over sit down next to my table and talk smack about my game and tries to shark me during my match. I have earphones on so I am blocking out most of what he is doing, but he is moving around, fidgeting, making gestures, and cheering loudly for my opponent while I am shooting. He gets me, I?m shooting the 8 ball on the hill, and I miss the shot. My opponent runs out, and breaks and runs the next rack to win the set. This guy was also waiting to play the winner of the match and he wanted me to lose because he obviously wanted to play the weaker opponent.

I have a question? What am I supposed to do with people like this? I could follow the lead of other players who would just get into a fight right away.

During my match I was trying to ignore it and practice getting mentally tougher, but obviously I failed and lost the set. Why are people like this? Even if I didn?t like someone I would not purposely shark them. I have some kind of ethics, I guess it just lacks in some people.
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Poolmouse is the same guy that started that mean spirited thread about the guy he said was playing slow at the Open. He definitely has an agenda. Not so nice for sure.
 
Jack up the volume on the IPod!!!

Seriously, as soon as you perceive a problem, just notify the TD and let him handle it.

Stones
 
I feel your pain..
I played in a Moose Tournament in Staunton last month. I was in the winners bracket and was playing for the hot seat. I played this guy who every time i bent down to shoot would stand in the line of the shot. It was eight ball so i simply changed which ball i was gona shoot which was facing the completly opposite direction. The guy walks around to get in the line of the shot. I swear to GOD i chanded shots five times and he got in the line of the shot each time. I thought to myself is it me or is this guy really sharking me..so i tested him...I turned my body really quick and faced away from him but i didnt even aim at the cue ball i aimed my cue at a rail....and sure as sh*t this guy walks around..I looked up at him and just lauged and wanted to say ... HEY DUDE, THERE AINT EVEN A BALL HERE ..WAS JUST WAITING ON YA

I put my cue down and walk to the bathroom because i was really pissed but i really dont want to show any anger. I wash my face and hands and look in the mirror and say to myself..Tony..ur gona beat the brakes of this guy because he trying to beat you with sharking not skill, and you have skill.

I came back out and I was so focused that he didnt stand a chance ..i ran some balls and shot a killer safety..he shot one back but i then pulled an Efren on him and made a kick, cut safety..it was a thing of beauty..he fouled and i ran out..that was the best win i have ever had..just because I beat someone who tried to cheat to win..there is no better win than that. I agree u should have gotten the TD, but you also should have used that anger you felt for him sharking you and chanelled it thru you cue and won that match.;)
 
.....You got lucky QCG, there is no sure fire way to channel anger. You been watching too much Oprah.
 
I didn't realize AZ was the drycleaners.....

ace911 said:
I am playing at Masters Billiards in Queens in the weekly open tournament. During a match, and Don Montalvo whose screen name on AZ is poolmouse, decides to come over sit down next to my table and talk smack about my game and tries to shark me during my match. I have earphones on so I am blocking out most of what he is doing, but he is moving around, fidgeting, making gestures, and cheering loudly for my opponent while I am shooting. He gets me, I?m shooting the 8 ball on the hill, and I miss the shot. My opponent runs out, and breaks and runs the next rack to win the set. This guy was also waiting to play the winner of the match and he wanted me to lose because he obviously wanted to play the weaker opponent.

I have a question? What am I supposed to do with people like this? I could follow the lead of other players who would just get into a fight right away.

During my match I was trying to ignore it and practice getting mentally tougher, but obviously I failed and lost the set. Why are people like this? Even if I didn?t like someone I would not purposely shark them. I have some kind of ethics, I guess it just lacks in some people.
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Dude, it sucks that you got sharked and all, I think other posters have mentioned valid avenues you should have taken when it was going on.

What I think was poor judgement on your part was coming onto a public forum and naming him. What exactly do you hope to accomplish?
 
I was being sharked once in a state tournament by someone I wasn't playing. I actually had to stop playing, go out to the parking lot to get my ID to show the other team who I was, because this guy was being so belligerent. The thing is, when I finally got ready to shoot I had to kick at my ball. Somehow I managed to make the shot and got shape on the eight and made that too. But you're right I think by going outside to get my ID it really cooled me down (literally).
 
I don't really like resorting to getting a tournament director to have people removed. The pool room can get to be like a circus, and it gets crazy in there, I want to be able to get mentally stronger where things like this don't shark me.

What happens if I'm not playing a tournament, and I am gambling with someone and this guy decides to do this? What am I supposed to do?
 
ace911 said:
I don't really like resorting to getting a tournament director to have people removed. The pool room can get to be like a circus, and it gets crazy in there, I want to be able to get mentally stronger where things like this don't shark me.

What happens if I'm not playing a tournament, and I am gambling with someone and this guy decides to do this? What am I supposed to do?
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A ball peen hammer doesn't require involvement from tournament directors... :D
 
Sympathy

I just want to sympathize. I really don't like it when people shark me, I'm not a good player and I'm easy to shark. It just bothers the heck out of me, and I avoid playing people who can't sit still, etc. I am not a big enough fish to have people in the crowd shark me. If you are playing in the open tournament at Masters, you must be real good. Anyway, I sympathize.
 
uwate said:
I have been guilty of this. I have alot of nervous energy, the kind that had me tapping my foot in school when I had to sit in one place for too long. My legs would literally want to get moving when I had to sit for an hour. In my pool matches I often couldnt sit down and sit still.
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Dave, lay off the speed boss, shit's bad for you:D :D :D
 
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