Masayoshi: I like the way you think and make your point. I admit I sometimes a player to do what they're comfortable with rather than doing the absolutely right shot.. because they're in a tournament or league match or whatever, and it's the wrong time to try something unfamiliar.
I'll say if you can win with the wrong shot and winning the match in front of you is really important, then go with what you know. If you're interested in bettering your overall game, and you can afford to lose.. do it the correct way. If efren's playing for fun he should jump it, but for 40K of course he can afford to let this "practice opportunity" pass and maybe work on those jumps later.
jrt: don't sweat it about the ignorance comment =) At least you weren't as offensive as sk cues ;D
Gambling: If it's matched so evenly that it's a dead even guess which player is gonna win, isn't that more or less the same as flipping a coin (only more fun and it takes longer)? When the outcome is totally uncertain, betting a lot seems ..unwise. You can play your best and still go home broke.
Some guys would argue "maybe it's normally 50/50, but one guy might choke on the money while the other really bears down and plays his best". I guess I'll buy that.. then it might make sense to gamble if you already know you have that edge, the 'choke factor'. That means it's not truly 50/50 going in. But if I didn't know who played better under stress, I wouldn't bet big money just to find out (or to get respect).
Hustling vs. stealing: This isn't really about whether the victim is smart or stupid. What I'm saying is that the guy doing it is sleazy, no matter who the victim is. You wouldn't say it's ok to be a rapist just because a woman walked around in a bad neighborhood with a miniskirt, (I hope) so why is it ok to hustle just because the victim 'should have known better'? Are those guys who try to scam people out of thousands with junk emails dirtbags, or are they basically cool people since you have to be an idiot to fall for that stuff?
Superstition: I guess as long as someone is clear that they're being superstitious, they can do whatever =) My problem is not with guys who (for example) choose a certain inlay because they convinced themselves there's a real scientific reason that they won't hit the ball as well with one inlay vs. a different one. If they want to choose it because they won their last tournament with it, or it just looks pretty, that's cool.
9b: I'll admit there's plenty of luck in other games. It's just worse in 9 ball than those other games. Is it so bad the game's totally unfair and not fun? Nope.. But there's so much luck that the race has to be really long compared to other less lucky games. That's why pros are moving away from 9b and going to 10b (both in tournaments and gambling). To be more clear, I'm not saying it's ALL luck or anything. I'm not one of those guys who never gets out so I think the game sucks. I've run many racks and can appreciate the skill involved. I know the better player comes out on top over a long enough race. But who wants to play 120 games just to be SURE it's not a fluke?
1 right shot:
i can argue the side is a safer bet because if you miss that corner you just sold out, you miss that side and the nine rolls down to the middle of the bottom rail somwhere while the cue sticks near the side.
I wasn't clear maybe. When I say there's 1 right shot, I don't mean there's just the cue ball and object ball, and nothing else. I mean a real game situation where you must factor in traffic, make %, chances of selling out, risk of bad shape, and 1000 other little things. Your brain factors in all those little things and comes up with a best option. The better players know more of those "little things" and they're better at estimating the odds on a shot (like they might know the side pocket shot is really 80% when the amateur sees it as 95%).
When two pros see the shot differently, it isn't because both options are just perfectly exactly just as good as the other, and both require the exact same skill level in speed control, shotmaking, spin, judgment, etc. It's because one of the guys sees something a little 'off' compared to the other guy, like he thinks the speed on route A is easier than route B but it's actually harder, or whatever.
Straight pool purity: I was mostly being a wiseass in that reply. Of course I can't prove this, it's opinion =) I think that if you are trying to sink 150 balls in a row, that's a LOT of shotmaking and a LOT of position play. You can't let up mentally for a second. And you can't even TRY to do something like that in other games. And every break shot is its own little test of nerves and shooting ability and control.. something special that comes up every 15 shots. I just think that's pretty neat. And there's more controlled cluster breaking, which is one of the best tests of brains and CB control. And you have to move in a ton of traffic and occasionally make a tester because you can't easily hide the cue ball from every other ball on the table. And there are some weird little skills like spotting tricky dead balls in the middle of a large cluster, and at least a few combos.
I wouldn't disagree if someone said "but there's hardly any banks, kicks, jumps, or 3 rail position shots, and those are all an important". But you'll see some of that stuff (and a fair number of combos) in straight pool.
grampa: You should be my real grampa because we agree on a lot. I especially like what you had to say on hustling. I never saw two tone cloth but I've seen cloth with logos on it. Sounds awful.
That agreed to, so what? Why do you insist that what makes sense to you is what's best for everyone else?
You seem too bright to say that =( "insist" implies I'm kinda ramming my way of seeing things down other people's throats. I'm not trying to force anyone to do anything. I'm offering opinions (some of which are apparently too bold for you) on various pool topics. Absolutely nobody on earth has to do what I say, or even agree with me. They don't even have to read it, they can leave the topic after reading one line. Some of the stuff I think is more fact than opinion, but I mixed in a few debatable ones because that's what makes forums fun.
You sure do think a lot of your own opinion. I'm not fond of 7 footers either, but I don't think less of those who prefer them. Do you think less of people who like beans instead of corn?
Well, you say that like I'm some kind of a-hole
But of course I believe my opinion is best. If I felt someone else's opinion was better... I'd switch to their opinion. I wouldn't hold on to mine even though it's not as good as someone else's. Sometimes, this actually happens... I have an opinion, and then someone else has an opinion I think it's better, so I switch. This happens through the magical process of forum debate, which can't happen unless someone is willing to look like a real jerk by expressing opinions.
As for beans and corn... it's more like beans vs. smaller, less tasty beans in a harder to open can.
While you decry the dearth of money in pool, you mock the people who buy the products from the companies that put in most of the money. Do you know how the world works?
No grampa, please explain it to me since you are smarter and apparently a better human being than I am! If you think there's hypocrisy here, so be it. But there's money in golf and if a noob drops 2 grand in clubs and he has no idea how to use him, I'm gonna call him a googan too. I think golf is where the term came from actually.
If you're going to buy something specifically to be exactly what you like, shouldn't you do exactly that?
Sure, I'm just skeptical when someone claims they know what they like to the half ounce or fraction of a millimeter. It's like... "standard 24 fret guitars aren't good enough for me. I need 48 frets so I can play notes in quarter steps". Past a point it gets silly.
My 1st guess as to why is that so many more men play than women, it makes sense that the cream of the much larger crop is a little better. A 2nd reason is that on average women are shorter and have to use the bridge more or play more difficult positioning to avoid needing the bridge.
Height's a really interesting point. No idea if it's a major factor or not, but that's the first time I've seen it. Most people go straight for the "they can't break as hard" routine, but then a woman would have run 200-400 balls by now in straight pool if that was the issue.
I'm not a fan of "What I like is good, what you like is crap."
And I'm not a fan of dudes putting words in my mouth >_<
Where do I say or even imply that the other games are crap? Maybe I rag on 9 ball a bit but I never everything else is CRAP. Sheesh. What's more presumptuous, me telling you how much to spend on a stick... or you implying I should keep some of my opinions to myself? In any case I bet you have formed your own personal opinion on what the best game is. It's ok if you don't want to share it with me for fear of offending me.
SK:
I can see you feel strongly on the subject, and maybe you're on to something. I can certainly afford to bet a dollar now and then. So if that's enough to fit your definition of getting out and living a little, I'm game =)
Here's where I personally can't get into gambling - the reward is never as nice as the risk. When I win, I am not all that happy. I am merely satisfied. I expected to win and my expectations came true. If I don't win, I start to get pissed. Multiply that by 10,000 bucks. When I win, I might be happy, but to be honest it's more like I'd be "relieved". Winning 10K wouldn't be like hitting a lotto jackpot. It'd be closer to the feeling of "oh shít, where'd I put the baby? The baby's missing! Oh my god stress stress stress stress OH WHEW THERE HE IS"
And if I lose? It'd be the worst sinking feeling of despair and self-hatred and rage. I'd be royally pissed for weeks. I'd have to fade being upset and broke at the same time.
Maybe it's a flaw in me and other people get this amazing wonderful feeling when they win a big set.
I am not saying you are a woman hater, and I don't assume to know you, because I don't, but by revealing that statement shows how little you understand about life. Not saying that I am so much smarter than you either, just pointing something out. I recognize that women are weaker than men in some ways, but in other ways, they are more powerful. To understand this is to understand human nature and should therefore be accepted by those who understand this principle. To comment like you did shows how immature and young you are in your thinking and proves the simple fact that you do not have enough life experience to understand the difference between men and women. When it comes to most anything physically demanding, or sporting in nature, men have the women beat. To publicly say that though, is not necessary and should be avoided because it is a negative comment and has no real purpose. Men are external beings, and women are internal beings. Think on that.
I think between the two of us, you are showing your ass (and misperceptions) a bit more than I am
The only thing I think a woman can't do in this sport is hit 'em hard. You kind of imply they're weaker in other ways aside from physical strength. Like what? And you also go out of your way to say we not only have them beat this sport but ANYTHING sporting in nature. Holy crap, that's a bold and seemingly misogynistic statement!
Of course I don't think you hate women any more than I do, and you mean well, but it's super condescending to talk to me as if you're the wise and worldly sensitive guy who gets women and understands the differences on a deeper level than I do. You're merely the guy who is more willing to throw out seemingly deep statements like "Men are external beings, and women are internal beings." The goofiness of that statement reveals a lot about you. Where I am the brash and insensentive youth who has a lot of growing up to do before he can understand women, you are the aging armchair psychoanalyst who aspires to be fully in touch with his feelings and surroundings.. someone who wants come across as wise and emotionally mature because you really hope that shtick can get you laid.
How's it feel to be judged based on one sentence. Pretty awesome?
But in all seriousness, thought we're on the same page, you're still doing it. You're acting as if you know more about me than you do, and you're coming across as smug and superior. It's super irritating and I don't envy those around you who can't avoid it... but you're probably an alright guy otherwise.
).
I want random too, within the triangle.
