Favorite Moment in Pool

ForumGhost516

ForumGhost516

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Is there a moment that defined you as a player or a favorite moment in your career so far. I was told in golf that you can hit a thousand horrible shots but its the one great one that keeps you coming back. Is the same thing true in pool ? Want to hear about it.
 
Anyone in Washington knows who Raul is. I played him in a league match where an unlikely victory over him would insure my team got to split $1500 and get a chance to play for a trip to New Orleans.

He was on the hill and I needed two. I nervously made a difficult out and then it happened. I broke the hill hill rack hard and made the 8 for the team victory.

The team was jumping all over me and shouting and hugging me like I was a field goal kicker who kicked a playoff overtime field goal.

I still play league to this day searching for that rush and team spirit.
 
There was a Hustler's tournament here about 10 years ago and it drew the cream of the crop from as far away as Tokyo. I joined becuase I wanted to hang out with everyone for the day and enjoy shooting some pool with the really good players. As the day progressed I kept winning and ended up in the top 16. Looking at the board I was going to be facing some tough people. My first match was against a guy that plays about the same as me. I slaughtered him. Second match was against a guy that I respect a lot and didn't think I'd win, but I did. Third match was against a pro player. Got him to hill/hill and he choked on a 9 ball that a C player could make with their eyes closed....MULLY's in the finals. The final match was against a guy who I personally think is the best amateur player around here. I really didn't want to play him but what are you gonna do? Ended up that his heart had a bit of chicken in it. I took him 7-4 and walked away with the 1500 bucks and a huge trophy. Not bad for a day that planned on going 2 or 3 out and hanging around all day with my friends.

Second thing is just the craziness that happens from time to time. My greatest fluke shot ever, I broke a rack of 9-ball, the cue ball bounced up in the air and across the table, took one final leap like it was going off the table and landed in a dead stop on top of the rail like someone had set it there with their hand. I was just glad that there were people there to see it.
MULLY
 
My first session on my 8ball team about 5 years ago, we won and we went to the city tournament. I was an APA 4 at the time. First round we had a bye and then about 4 or so hours later we started the second round. We lost the first two matches and had to play our two best players next to get the wins. This whole time our two best players were playing the other teams 7 was sitting next to me (not knowing who i am) and he was talking a lot of crap about my team and he was really talking himself up, about how he is called the closer and is the best player there, he has never lost in the city tournament in the 10 years etc. etc. He told me that this team is dumb cause now they have no one good to play against him! So now it's 2-2 and the winner goes on and comes back to play on Sunday, I have to go up and he went up of course so it's a 5-2 race. At this time we were the last match playing so everyone was watching (a lot of people come to watch him play) I won the first game in one inning and then the next game I banked the last 3 balls in, including a full table bank on the 8ball to win that game in two innings. That 8ball was in slow motion and I can hear my teammates yell get in the hole. I turned to him to shake his hand as my team was running at me going all crazy. It was awesome! We didn't end up winning that year but we did win this year at cities and that is a whole other story. We actually had the other team cheating the whole time and the league operator could not do anything about it, but we still won and now going to vegas in about a month.
 
I am playing Archer in a local tourney. If I win this match, I am in the money. I am getting the seven and two on the wire going to seven. It is 3-3 and Johnny is running out. Then, all of a sudden, he actually hangs up a ball. I ran out. Broke and ran out. Broke, played a tie down safe, ran out. Then, I broke and made a 4-9 combo for the set. Dig it.

Then, about a month later, a fella that owns a local poolroom, stopped in looking for action. He was offering all kinds of games. He laughed and asked me for the eight (hoping I'd say "even"). "You got it." Anyway, 7-1 with me missing one makeable ball. He was pissed. He didn't even offer to play another with any adjustment. I have had a lot of defining moments, but that was one of the most satisfying. That, and woofing at the Australian Oyster. That is another story.
 
I was playing in a small local tournament at my home bar that I had played in and cashed in many times, but never won. There were 2 guys there from out of town that just destroyed everyone they played. The matches were race to 4 on the winners side, race to 3 on the losers and race to 7 in the finals.

I had just beaten the weaker of the 2 out of towners to win the losers bracket and was playing the stronger one in the finals. Strangely there were still a LOT of people there watching, most of them friends or regulars in the tournament. Anyway, he went up on me about 5 to 1 and I somehow managed to come back to make it hill/hill. Since I had won the last game I was breaking.

The bar had been cheering while I was making my comeback and now there must have been at least 20 people standing around this table to watch the final game; the place was getting loud. Just before I got down to make the final break of the match; a friend said something like "Hey, have you ever won this thing before?" I shook my head and said "no, never." I got down and slammed the break and the 9 rolled into the corner pocket. The place went bananas and I declined to play the guy for the hundred or so I had just won.
 
1. When I beat one of my "mentors" just 2-3 months ago. He is a great poolplayer, 5 times Norwegian Champion, and we have practised and travelled together a lot. I have never beaten him, and he was also the first guy I played in tournaments when I started playing pool. Then I lost 7-0. This was my revenge, it was the Norwegian 9-ball Championships, and we met in the single elimination, last 32 out of 96 players. He rushed out to a 4-1 lead, but I managed to turn it around and get the 8-7 lead. Then it was 8-8, and in the last rack I made some stupid mistakes, but got lucky rolls, and I won that rack and the game. I was so nervous. In the next round I met another top player, and I managed to beat him 9-8 too, before losing 9-1 in the quarterfinals to the guy who finally won the Championship. (I was the guy who sent the winner of the tournament to the one-loss side with a 9-7 victory, so not only did I just lose for the winner of the tournament, but I was also the only one who beat him).

That's my best moment so far

2. When our team, Team 147.no, me, Line Kjorsvik, Knut Kvaal Pedersen, finished 3rd in the Norwegian Team Championship only 3 weeks after the Norwegian 9-ball Championship. I won 75 % of my matches, Line 73 % and Kvaal 66 %. We lost to the team that won the tournament for the 7th consecutive year.

3. When I played Efren Reyes for the first time, at Side Pocket in Quezon City. We played one-pocket till 8 in the morning, and I managed to win one set, and lose 2, with a 10-5 hcp. We played many times the next weeks, and several more times during the last 1,5 year, but that was the night I remember best.
 
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There are a lot of them, but Mr. 400 winning thr US Open with Purdman staking him from AZ has to be up there for me. Johnnyt
 
I have loved pool for so many years now (26 years now) that I have alot of memorable moments that feed my addiction to pool.

1) The time I played Jeremy Jones in 1992 in chicago and he had me 8-0 racing to 9 for all the money i had in my pocket ( a whopping 300, I had just been pickpocketed about 7hrs earlier). I came back to make it double hill and I told JJ that I was going to make it on the break. I broke and the nineball just FLEW into the corner pocket. The next day JJ beat me out of the dough I had won the night before. win some, lose some :-)

2) Gainesville, florida 1990 and I am in the finals of a $500 first prize tourny. Racing to 7 and me and David Grossman are double hill. All the balls are on the table and Grossman plays safe leaving me froze up to a ball near a corner pocket. The one is on the other side of the table hidden behind a maze of balls. I kicked 5 rails, hit the one and drove it uptable behind a cluster of balls and the cueball froze up against the 8. Grossman misses the kick and taking BIH I won the match with a difficult, jacked up 1-9 combo.

3) Winning the ACUI national event after losing my first match. I won double hill in the finals.

I guess there is something magical about winning double hill that sticks in my memory the most.
 
crawfish said:
I am playing Archer in a local tourney. If I win this match, I am in the money. I am getting the seven and two on the wire going to seven. It is 3-3 and Johnny is running out. Then, all of a sudden, he actually hangs up a ball. I ran out. Broke and ran out. Broke, played a tie down safe, ran out. Then, I broke and made a 4-9 combo for the set. Dig it.

Then, about a month later, a fella that owns a local poolroom, stopped in looking for action. He was offering all kinds of games. He laughed and asked me for the eight (hoping I'd say "even"). "You got it." Anyway, 7-1 with me missing one makeable ball. He was pissed. He didn't even offer to play another with any adjustment. I have had a lot of defining moments, but that was one of the most satisfying. That, and woofing at the Australian Oyster. That is another story.
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Dang,
You woofed at THE OYSTER? :bow-down:
Here in Louisiana we occasionally woof-down a few oysters.:grin:
JoeyA
 
It's easy!

No problem recalling my favorite moment in pool. It was about 7 years ago and I was in the finals of a small local 8-Ball tournament. A local cable TV company televised the match (tape delayed). It was the hill-hill game and I had one ball left on the table, the twelve ball, which was about 18 inches from a corner pocket. Problem was, my opponent had left me dead hooked on the ball, and there wasn't even a one-rail kick available. After looking over the table I saw that my only chance was to come two-rails out of the opposite corner pocket area. Not only did my two rail kick pocket the 12 ball right into the heart of the pocket, the cue ball ended up with a short, straight in shot on the 8 ball. My opponent unscrewed his cue and the game was over. Seeing that kick shot go in with perfect shape on the 8, and knowing it was preserved on video, was easily my favorite moment in pool. :grin:
 
1) Playing Karen Corr in Providence, RI at Snookers. We were see-sawing back and forth with me catching one game ahead of her until, with the score tied at 3-3, she changed her tactics and froze me out for the rest of the match. I literally did not come back to the table with a makeable shot. And I learned what her favorite safety was that day.

2) Playing Dawn Hopkins in the NJ State 9-ball Championships at Herbert's in Secaucus. Another see-sawmatch with me hitting the hill first. Then she tied me there. In the last game she broke and came up dry. I ran out to the 6 and missed. I thought it was over until she went past position on the 9. She slow rolled the CB to tie up the 9 to the rail, but the table had just been recovered and the weave of the Simonis wasn't totally straight and the CB rolled off. I had a makeable 9-ball shot to win the match and knock her out. I finished 4th.

Had to count the cutlery after we had dinner later on that night since we were sharing a room!

Barbara
 
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uwate said:
I have loved pool for so many years now (26 years now) that I have alot of memorable moments that feed my addiction to pool.

1) The time I played Jeremy Jones in 1992 in chicago and he had me 8-0 racing to 9 for all the money i had in my pocket ( a whopping 300, I had just been pickpocketed about 7hrs earlier). I came back to make it double hill and I told JJ that I was going to make it on the break. I broke and the nineball just FLEW into the corner pocket. The next day JJ beat me out of the dough I had won the night before. win some, lose some :-)

2) Gainesville, florida 1990 and I am in the finals of a $500 first prize tourny. Racing to 7 and me and David Grossman are double hill. All the balls are on the table and Grossman plays safe leaving me froze up to a ball near a corner pocket. The one is on the other side of the table hidden behind a maze of balls. I kicked 5 rails, hit the one and drove it uptable behind a cluster of balls and the cueball froze up against the 8. Grossman misses the kick and taking BIH I won the match with a difficult, jacked up 1-9 combo.

3) Winning the ACUI national event after losing my first match. I won double hill in the finals.

I guess there is something magical about winning double hill that sticks in my memory the most.
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Sheesh! Like I'm ever going to gamble with you at nine ball.:nono:
If we ever play for the AZBilliards King crown, you have to play one pocket and even then I don't like my chances. :frown:
JoeyA
 
JoeyA said:
Sheesh! Like I'm ever going to gamble with you at nine ball.:nono:
If we ever play for the AZBilliards King crown, you have to play one pocket and even then I don't like my chances. :frown:
JoeyA
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lol all my moments of glory are in the pre internet days, back when I was single and playing every day. Here is a more current picture of my speed: Last night at the Hollywood Billiards handicapped 9ball tourny in the first round a guy who gets 5 games on the wire and the 8 racing to 10 beat me 5-2. Then I played a 77 year old man with tennis elbow even one pocket and he beat me like a drum.
 
uwate said:
lol all my moments of glory are in the pre internet days, back when I was single and playing every day. Here is a more current picture of my speed: Last night at the Hollywood Billiards handicapped 9ball tourny in the first round a guy who gets 5 games on the wire and the 8 racing to 10 beat me 5-2. Then I played a 77 year old man with tennis elbow even one pocket and he beat me like a drum.
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You are a very convincing fellow. :shakehead:
JoeyA
 
Luxury said:
Anyone in Washington knows who Raul is. I played him in a league match where an unlikely victory over him would insure my team got to split $1500 and get a chance to play for a trip to New Orleans.

He was on the hill and I needed two. I nervously made a difficult out and then it happened. I broke the hill hill rack hard and made the 8 for the team victory.

The team was jumping all over me and shouting and hugging me like I was a field goal kicker who kicked a playoff overtime field goal.

I still play league to this day searching for that rush and team spirit.
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Raul Abenajar(sp?)?
 
I'll always remember my first tourney win...where I played position to kick throw a rock combo on the 9. I was a 4!

I'll NEVER forget another tourney win (many years ago)...8 ball bar box..I go to 5 my opponent goes to 2...I dry break...he makes a ball and misses...I run out the next 5.....next match I again go to 5 my opponent goes to 2....I win the toss and run 5 and out. UNCONSCIOUS.... I've been there...I'll be trying to get back for the rest of my pool days!!!! It's soooooo sweet when you see without thinking and do exactly what you see!

td
 
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