Dream or Nightmare: Your Next Match Has Just Been Called for the Accu-Stats Table

Lou, great question... some excellent stories and scenarios for a novice like me to imgaine.

I think for me, to be a part of history even in getting slammed to zip, the chance to see what the top level players go through all the time combined with the chance to learn things you cannot replicate elsewhere... it has got to be a dream right? despite having a questionable mental side to my game it is sink or swim against the very best. plus good story fodder for the grandchildren someday
 
cuesmith said:
This scenario reminds me of something that happened to me nearly 20 years ago. It was at the US Open One Pocket Tournament in Kalamazoo Michigan. I took Gary up to play and set up my cue repair booth to do repairs during the tourney. I decided to "donate" by getting in to the tournament as well, just to support the tour and gain a little experience. I hadn't played much one pocket at that point and knew I really wasn't going anywhere in the tournament. This was when Accu-Stats was set up at the tournament and I drew Grady the first round. Grady was still a force to be reckoned with playing one pocket, in fact he was a legend. The night before the tournament Gary and I were in the room and I asked him "What do you think I should do?" He said "you might as well bend over and kiss your ass goodbye, you have no chance with Grady". I said "Damn, what if Accu-Stats decides to put us on the TV table. I really don't want to just make a fool out of myself, maybe I should just forfeit!" Gary said, "No, don't do that, just get up there and do your best and maybe you'll get a few rolls and learn something in the process. " That's when I decided that if we were on the TV table I was going to do the same thing Corey Duell did years later when he knew he was out manned in the moving department and break the balls wide open hoping to make a ball in my pocket and run some balls. As it turned out, Pat Fleming made a wise decision and chose another match for the TV table and I just played the match normally and didn't win a game. lol After the match I told Grady what I'd thought about doing and he just laughed his ass off. He said I'm glad the situation didn't come up, I don't know how I would have acted if you'd done that!
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Good story.
 
JoeyA said:
For me, I would enjoy the opportunity to test myself under the TV lights and can only dream of playing well. What happens under the lights will only make me stronger. If I fail, I fail but it won't be for lack of effort.

I have lost MANY matches to great players as well as lesser players and losing another would not be a nightmare. Getting the opportunity to play on the TV table is the dream and the chips will fall where they will. Hopefully, I will have good control over my emotions and I will be able to focus.

Once upon a time, I was on the TV table, playing Davey Crockett, a descendant of the original famous frontiersman. Ok, he wasn't Efren but David played well and we were see-sawing game for game but with him leading most of the time. About half way through our match Scott Smith informed us that we had been demoted and were sent to the minor leagues to finish our match. He had a bank game semi-final or some other "important" match to be filmed on the TV table and we were banished in the middle of our match. :grin: It can't get any worse than that so bring on the lights, Freddy, Billy, Grady and my worst critics. I've already been beaten, embarassed and ostracized so that doesn't leave much worse to be had. :smile: Yeah, I lost that match too but it doesn't keep me from trying. lol
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So, Joey, how do you feel about it now :-)

Actually, given what just happened to me and Joey at the US Open, I wanted to resurrect this thread for those that missed it the first time around. I'll have more to say about it in a bit.

Lou Figueroa
 
Thanks for bumping the thread up, I was really thinking about playing in the Joss tour coming to RI this summer, and was wondering if that would be streamed, and also wondering if I'd be able to make a ball if I happened to be on the streamed table :)
 
I have played a few professional and world ranked players during my years but never on a live stream or TV.. I would absolutely love to though.

I was playing in a fairly large tournament here about 5 years ago and the largest Newspaper in Oregon was on hand to snap photos and write an article for the sports section. I get called to the table where the reporter was doing 90% of his photographs. I win the break, I get down on the cue ball, get my stroke on and just crush the balls. I make 3 on the break and continue to run out from there (8-ball). I ended up placing 2nd in the end. The day the paper came out I had friends and family calling me telling me I need to get the paper ASAP.. So drive to the local store grab and copy and see my picture of the front page of the sports section, I'm like awesome!..... until I started looking at the photo a little more.. in the process of my break.. I blew a booger and the reporter happened to catch it in mid flight just as it was leaving my nostril lol... I don't personally remember seeing a booger in flight after that break but apparently it happened. I was at that time just getting over a pretty nasty cold. God forbid if I ever made it on TV and something like that happened.
 
Just my take on this.

Celtic said:
That would be pretty cool. At the point they called you on that table you are "probably" shooting pretty well to become the feature match. Now is the chance to get on video shooting near your peak level and get under the lights and see what it is like for the pros. I think I would be all over that chance.
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But I think your on the feature table because of who your playing not because how good your shooting if I read post correctly.
 
I've got a good friend, Peter Dimmick, that is facing this dilemma this evening at 6:00 PDT.

He is playing Mika on the TAR live stream table in the US Open 10-Ball Championship.

Good luck, Peter!! Go for it, brother!! :thumbup2:
 
When I get good enough to feel confident enough to pay for a tournament big enough to have a broadcasted table I'm sure I'd love to be there haha. I must say I'm one of the like 3 percent in the world that would not list public speaking in my top 10 fears, I've always like performing when ppl are watching.
 
lfigueroa said:
So, Joey, how do you feel about it now :-)

Actually, given what just happened to me and Joey at the US Open, I wanted to resurrect this thread for those that missed it the first time around. I'll have more to say about it in a bit.

Lou Figueroa
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I feel pretty much the same way as I did before this past week's tournament. In my recent match on the TV table, I didn't feel like I needed any "Depends" and except for a couple of missed shots, I played okay despite the lopsided victory earned by Jose Parica.

For whatever reason, I didn't feel uptight with the match with Jose. I've played Jose before in a mini-one pocket tournament and the shoe was on the other foot, although he doesn't remember that match. ;-)

I can't say that I don't get butterflies because that would be a flat out lie. I just don't seem to get them because of the TV table. I could probably write about a few "head problems" that I occasionally get that cause me to get a little shakey.

It seems that the more you expose yourself to these "scarey pants" situations, the less you have to fear. I've still got a long way to go before I master the nerve problems but it gets better when you face what you fear the most.

JoeyA
 
Williebetmore said:
Lou,
I think a nightmare and a dream are the same thing. For me it was parts of both. I had to play on the TV table at DCC back when BCN was still streaming from there. I was partners with Efren against Jeanette Lee and "mthornto" in the AZB raffle match. The seats were FULL (or seemed that way, doesn't really matter).

I was fairly novice at the time; but played great (for me) with Efren as a partner - we ran out every time we got to the table, won all the games, and never missed a ball (8 Ball match) - despite fierce sharking from Jeanette.

Very nerve wracking, but its always a great opportunity to test yourself...isn't that the point of pool. I had friends from Korea, Japan, and Finland call to point out how nervous I looked.

Here is my "Efren story" from that match. We were playing alternate shot, and when it was my first turn, I asked Efren on which side of the next ball he wanted the cue ball to be. He replied so the audience could hear, "it doesn't matter." I thought he might be joking, or didn't really understand my English, so I asked again if he wanted the cue ball nearer the rail than the next object ball (it was a ball he would have to shoot down the rail), even with the object ball, or farther from the rail than the object ball. He replied again, "it doesn't matter." The crowd went wild (I think they must have always suspected that Efren was fairly handy no matter his position).

My second shot was a long, tough, seven foot cut shot into those damn tough tight pockets. I made it, and let out a BIG sigh of relief (very lucky shot for me at the time). Efren asked with a puzzled expression, "what's wrong." I said, "I'm a beginner, and a straight pool player, I need to be closer to the ball to have any hope of making it." The rest of the match (3 or 4 more games), I was NEVER more than a foot away from an object ball. I think Efren can put whitey just about where he wants it. JMO.
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Wow ~!!!!!!!!!!

How does it feel to play with God by your side?
 
Great. Now I can't get this outta my head.

I'm going to Tunica in July for The Southern Classic and I signed up for the 9-ball Open. People keep asking me, "What if you draw a pro?".

It never occurred to me that I might get on a TV table, due to sheer luck or to be ridiculed by you AZ'ers via a live stream.

I guess I need to practice more.
 
Lou, I understand exactly the feeling your talking about. Its the dreaded word dogging it! I liked the way Jay put it shi$$ing on yourself. Every pool player has done it, some like me more than others. I was never a tournament player, but used tournaments as a place to try and make a score. I played Johnny in the finals once and dogged my brains out. It did make me a good score though. As soon as Johnny made the 9 in the last game someone in the crowd hollered the one who came in second can get the 8 from me at my poolroom. I was a little hot and said bet 100 a game and you got action. It was a young Jimmy Wales. Long story short I beat him for 3600 thanks to dogging it in that match against Johnny.
 
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