First 'real' money game experience

Flakeandrun

Flakeandrun

Well-known member
Yesterday, I played three sets for the most money per set I've played to date (probably no sweat to some of the standards here, but big enough for me).

The boss set this match up for me, after talking about how I'd improved/was playing more consistently. He asked If I was down to play for 'something', and I had a feeling this wasn't a random occasion and something he'd set-up for himself - It was against someone that I have previously played some close games with - So, I put up a decent amount myself, and a couple of others got in on it too. In the end, there were three or four involved, and a few people came to watch.

Felt the pressure/anxiety growing before the game started... But I actually quite enjoyed this experience on the whole (and I didn't think it would be my cup of tea if I'm honest). I actually felt less nervous than when playing tournament play, which I did not expect.

Rules: Sets to 7 - What I would call Chinese-8 hybrid ruling (no pocket calling except for black ball - Diamond 9-foot), all ball fouls - winner breaks - store racker racks the balls

First set -
I demolished the guy 7-1 - was really happy with my performance. I played position well, and had a couple of clearances. Played a pretty special kick shot when I was 3-1 up, and I saw the guys confidence really drop at this point. Really gave me the incentive and confidence - the ruthless feeling. Naturally I agreed to take another set after.

Second set -
This was much closer, he was 5-3 up, and I felt like there wasn't much I could do about that. He had a couple of clearances, some as a result of some careless shots that fluked a ball in (the negative side of this Chinese-8 style of play... can't stand it on these tables... I felt some frustration creeping in at this point).
I came back well to 5-5. At this point, I made a nice jump shot cut to the middle pocket, and was hoping the ball would run off two cushions for position... but it scratched in the bottom corner. making it 6-5. The final rack, he broke, took 5 balls off the table, and then sandwiched me behind the black, frozen to a cushion. I shook his hand (7-5).

Couldn't leave it at 1 set each could I? :ROFLMAO:

Third set -
It was past midnight, and both of us were quite tired. I think that we both played a really close set, and it was going blow for blow. I missed an opportunity to go two racks in front at 3-2, which I think I really needed mentally and would have changed the outcome. I broke, ran four balls, and came close to laying a safety. He kicked out and made a ball to the corner, finished the rack and came level. we went rack for rack this whole set.

I played a nice carom to make a ball in the middle at 5-5 (I still call all my shots even though I don't need to, and it made everyone laugh a little at this point - I got a few '好球好球‘ from the small crowd), then finished a relatively complicated run-out. Felt really good about finishing it off.

6-5 to me, and I lost the next rack... the ball looked dead set to sit in the middle of the table, with all the balls on after the break... but it was kicked to the top corner by the 9... I had nothing but a harsh cut into the middle, which I bottled... we drew level at 6-6.

Final rack:
So, Hill-hill, and damn it was a close game! He took 6 balls off the table, but then missed, and the 7 was now lying so that it was frozen above the middle pocket... I felt pretty good, with all my balls on. I made them all, but really fucked up my position getting to the 8-ball - it was a long ball, coming off two cushions, and I was playing to have the 8 in the corner after... but, after screwing this up, I was left with two options, either play a harsh cut to middle, leaving him a shot on the 7 if I miss... or bank, and leave a potential bank if I miss... I played the bank... it hit above the pocket I called, and the spin carried it into the opposite pocket... I lost...

Everyone was silent for a moment... except for me, who slammed the side of the table and said "F'ing C***" quite loudly (...at myself, not the opponent, he was a lovely bloke) - then, after a couple seconds, there were murmurs of this around the room... as in, everyone copied saying this :ROFLMAO: and I literally couldn't stop from laughing. They learned some new vocabulary - I even hear them comparing it to 'Ce Na' and 'Cao Ni' which are similar vibes in Shanghainese and Mandarin respectively). Few handshakes, few laughs, lots of niceties. Game over.

Summary:
So, anyway, I actually really enjoyed everything about the game (except the loss of some money...enough for it to sting a little). It was fun, good competition, memorable and I never had that feeling of playing for 'something' that felt quite like this. The guy I played was really respectful, and a good competitor. I am not sure I will make it a regular thing. But I will certainly consider, and feel more confident when laying money down in the future.

Does anyone else feel more or less nerves in money games vs tournament play? I really wasn't expecting I'd approach it with much confidence, let alone play more than one set. But I was keen to try.

(I have tried to make this as readable as possible, but I know my writing style isn't to everyone's taste)
 
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What me choke? I've long since identified the problem as unfamiliar and likely irrelevant details. :p
It gets more dangerous as you dry out and gain confidence.
 
straightline said:
What me choke? I've long since identified the problem as unfamiliar and likely irrelevant details. :p
It gets more dangerous as you dry out and gain confidence.
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That was something I thought about on the taxi home... Like, 'man, I really enjoyed that... and I lost... this is dangerous' :ROFLMAO: - I felt it easily could have been my day...

Right now, It's a mixture of ego, thinking I should have won that... Growth in confidence, because I didn't get the same 'shakes' or nerves I get sometimes in tournament play... and simply the fact I had a nice time.

I think the amount played for was roundabout my limit... but I am treading carefully, and just playing on 'feel' if presented with similar again.

I took a lot of confidence away from this. Need to make sure it's not a dangerous amount of confidence haha
 
23DenaliBDE said:
I appreciate your post very much. Good read and glad to hear you enjoyed yourself. I especially like that you shared it despite coming out on the losing end.
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Thank you. Glad you enjoyed it. I know my writing style is not to everyones taste :ROFLMAO:

One thing I have found hard to deal with since playing this game more often, is how It's a fast-paced mental game, where you can be 'up' one minute and 'rock-bottom' the next... luck, rolls and 'catching a gear' - as someone with ADHD, it can really throw me through a loop.

I find the mental challenges quite different, and much more challenging than when I was playing snooker (or even more active, fast-paced sports). The time in chair is less consistent than snooker (if that makes sense?). I played cricket to quite a high-standard, and I always found that was a good balance of immense concentration for a few moments, and relaxed contemplation after (I imagine it's similar to baseball in that respect).

So, I am trying to share to gain perspective of others. Vent a little bit. I have certainly had some struggles with temperament in my short time playing on American tables. Improving that has probably been the reason behind my growing confidence in my ability.

I have many great players to talk with here, but sometimes language barrier can be limiting - this forum has been a great resource to me
 
When I would get hustled it would be

Player A uses rack patterns 1, 5, 6 and 8 then decide how to finish me without overplaying.

Player B uses no rack patterns and waits for me to mistake. Sometimes I make mistake, sometimes they keep waiting.

Player C has no idea I am about to sandbag.
 
Flakeandrun said:
That was something I thought about on the taxi home... Like, 'man, I really enjoyed that... and I lost... this is dangerous' :ROFLMAO: - I felt it easily could have been my day...

Right now, It's a mixture of ego, thinking I should have won that... Growth in confidence, because I didn't get the same 'shakes' or nerves I get sometimes in tournament play... and simply the fact I had a nice time.

I think the amount played for was roundabout my limit... but I am treading carefully, and just playing on 'feel' if presented with similar again.

I took a lot of confidence away from this. Need to make sure it's not a dangerous amount of confidence haha
Click to expand...
There's a lot of self control to master for sure. Just ask those pedantobots that always win. I passed on that world long time ago. Just ain't me. I pursue pool as a creative endeavor. The pool grows better that way.
 
justnum said:
When I would get hustled it would be

Player A uses rack patterns 1, 5, 6 and 8 then decide how to finish me without overplaying.

Player B uses no rack patterns and waits for me to mistake. Sometimes I make mistake, sometimes they keep waiting.

Player C has no idea I am about to sandbag.
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Hall employee racked the balls. They are racked in the standard pattern. There was opportunity to check the tightness of each rack prior to each break.

It was a case of waiting, for sure, it made for entertaining watching.

I don't think there was any 'funky business'...it was a close-competitive game against a player I have played 5 or 6 times before. I would say his speed was previously above mine, hence why the boss was keen to make the match up. I actually feel from the patterns played, and the rolls on the day, I played a speed higher than him on this occasion. Even despite the losses.
 
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straightline said:
There's a lot of self control to master for sure. Just ask those pedantobots that always win. I passed on that world long time ago. Just ain't me. I pursue pool as a creative endeavor. The pool grows better that way.
Click to expand...
I feel you on this! playing 8-ball I generally have a higher confidence in patterns given the amount that it is played here (even when playing the hybrid that I don't like so much). I can afford to be pedantic and specific about every little part of my game.

9-ball, however, I can quickly turn my positive run into a negative one, getting muddled with shot selection, or being stuck in 'two minds' - I have improved in 9-ball a lot lately, and am looking to play more of it.

One thing that helped was being added to a couple of WeChat groups after some good tournament play (like being allowed into the 'club' of good players :ROFLMAO:) - you say 'who's playing today?' and you have no idea on the speed of who replies... although I have now identified a few similar level players to challenge, and a few higher level players to learn from.

I practice a few times a week, on my own (sometimes recording myself - silly creative things, or genuine technique/observational stuff).

I think the one thing that tournament, solo, social and money play share for me at the moment, is the ability to see growth in each context. I'd love to keep that feeling and not stagnate. So it's been good to play a mixture of things.
 
When I was young I would play for a few frog skins. Once I was raising kids I would not and after the college years I started to gamble again, this time it was for a bit more. I found it exciting and I learned what focus was about. The money was not a huge concern and I found myself taking more than I lost.

It changed my perspective on the game and my abilities. I started beating players that viewed me as easy money.
 
Cuebuddy said:
When I was young I would play for a few frog skins. Once I was raising kids I would not and after the college years I started to gamble again, this time it was for a bit more. I found it exciting and I learned what focus was about. The money was not a huge concern and I found myself taking more than I lost.

It changed my perspective on the game and my abilities. I started beating players that viewed me as easy money.
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I have never been a 'gambler' it's not really in my culture to bet on things (besides horses, football at the shops) - people don't really place personal wagers in the form of money. Just the odd drink or something. I have been interested reading some of the stories of the great 'hustlers', watching movies or TV growing up. If anything, it scared me away from betting (probably a good thing to be honest, as I am not from a particularly affluent upbringing - definitely would have got myself in some kind of trouble, and I was in enough as a kid :ROFLMAO:).

Still don't think that it's something that I will ever look for, or specifically pursue, but it was such a new experience/feeling to bet for 'real' money, the winning and losing, and not just a few notes.

You're right, it does make you perceive situations much differently!
 
Flakeandrun said:
I feel you on this! playing 8-ball I generally have a higher confidence in patterns given the amount that it is played here (even when playing the hybrid that I don't like so much). I can afford to be pedantic and specific about every little part of my game.

9-ball, however, I can quickly turn my positive run into a negative one, getting muddled with shot selection, or being stuck in 'two minds' - I have improved in 9-ball a lot lately, and am looking to play more of it.

One thing that helped was being added to a couple of WeChat groups after some good tournament play (like being allowed into the 'club' of good players :ROFLMAO:) - you say 'who's playing today?' and you have no idea on the speed of who replies... although I have now identified a few similar level players to challenge, and a few higher level players to learn from.

I practice a few times a week, on my own (sometimes recording myself - silly creative things, or genuine technique/observational stuff).

I think the one thing that tournament, solo, social and money play share for me at the moment, is the ability to see growth in each context. I'd love to keep that feeling and not stagnate. So it's been good to play a mixture of things.
Click to expand...
Presuming the requisite fundamentals, 9 ball is retarded simple. Look ahead to the (usually) single problem and decide right there if you can or need to run through it or should leave a safety. Stay clear of your incompetence and let the opponent deal with his. The hard part might be staying interested till past the finish line.
Course you can develop that as deeply as you like or not. yada yada...
 
Your story sounds like a great time!

I don’t play as well with people watching. Period. But I play a bit different than others also. One guy around 670 Fargo told me it wouldn’t be me playing if there wasn’t a trick shot in there somewhere…..whether it be something like an actual —><—-masse, some fancy one pocket try like a double kiss or a weird bank carom. I practice the 50/50 shots so why not use them? It’s just my game. And Still a bit old school in I don’t like to give up some shots if I don’t have to. Especially with people watching that don’t know the shot.
On the nerves. You’ll get over it. Sooner or later the nervous will go away.
I get the feeling from your story and attitude that you got this guy next time too. Good luck!
 
straightline said:
Presuming the requisite fundamentals, 9 ball is retarded simple. Look ahead to the (usually) single problem and decide right there if you can or need to run through it or should leave a safety. Stay clear of your incompetence and let the opponent deal with his. The hard part might be staying interested till past the finish line.
Course you can develop that as deeply as you like or not. yada yada...
Click to expand...
Simple and concise when you put it like that... I put my foot in it too many times with 9-ball, I get in my head a little too much. I think I make things far more complicated than need be, and need to learn the percentages better. I much prefer 10-ball (with no early finish/combo leading to re-spotted 10)... the safety, and additional thought that goes into this format is really enjoyable to me.

You're right about 'staying interested' with 9-ball... although in my case, it's staying 'involved' or feeling positive... The last tournament I played, Shen Dong Hua (Fargo in the 720s), tied me in all kinds of knots. He told me that my body language was too flat, and that during the first few racks he tied up games, waited for mistakes and giving me no chance to pot my way to confidence... Then when I was really flat, at like 4-1 down, and really lacking confidence, he would almost bait me into playing hard shots. Learned a lot from playing and chatting with him.
 
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Willowbrook Wolfy said:
Your story sounds like a great time!

I don’t play as well with people watching. Period. But I play a bit different than others also. One guy around 670 Fargo told me it wouldn’t be me playing if there wasn’t a trick shot in there somewhere…..whether it be something like an actual —><—-masse, some fancy one pocket try like a double kiss or a weird bank carom. I practice the 50/50 shots so why not use them? It’s just my game. And Still a bit old school in I don’t like to give up some shots if I don’t have to. Especially with people watching that don’t know the shot.
On the nerves. You’ll get over it. Sooner or later the nervous will go away.
I get the feeling from your story and attitude that you got this guy next time too. Good luck!
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I really did enjoy it more than I thought I would. Was a really new feeling/experience to me. I get the 'rush' people talk about a little bit more now.

Play your own game! I love seeing an opponent play something I might not... Not even just 'good shots', but position/patterns I wouldn't think of.

It was strange to feel less nervous playing for money, than I did for the tournament that cost me less to enter than 1/100th of what I was betting... Maybe it's just a different kind of nerves. I am curious for my next tournament to come around, to see if I can take anything I have learned into it.

Thanks for the kind words :)
 
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Flakeandrun said:
Thank you. Glad you enjoyed it. I know my writing style is not to everyones taste :ROFLMAO:

One thing I have found hard to deal with since playing this game more often, is how It's a fast-paced mental game, where you can be 'up' one minute and 'rock-bottom' the next... luck, rolls and 'catching a gear' - as someone with ADHD, it can really throw me through a loop.

I find the mental challenges quite different, and much more challenging than when I was playing snooker (or even more active, fast-paced sports). The time in chair is less consistent than snooker (if that makes sense?). I played cricket to quite a high-standard, and I always found that was a good balance of immense concentration for a few moments, and relaxed contemplation after (I imagine it's similar to baseball in that respect).

So, I am trying to share to gain perspective of others. Vent a little bit. I have certainly had some struggles with temperament in my short time playing on American tables. Improving that has probably been the reason behind my growing confidence in my ability.

I have many great players to talk with here, but sometimes language barrier can be limiting - this forum has been a great resource to me
Click to expand...
As someone with ADHD/PTSD, I can see where you're coming from when things switch quickly. Personally it doesn't bother me when I unexpectedly lose a game I was positive I had won. Here's why (out of curiousity if the same thing happens to you) There are few things that quiet my brain when it gets stuck in a loop. When it happens, it's so distracting that the other day I drove the wrong way 3 times just trying to go get milk. I've lived in the same tiny town 44 years. It's not possible to get turned around or lost lol. I currently do not take any meds and have a very strong desire to stay that way. For that to work, i have to be able to get control over involuntary responses of my brain. So far, the only activities I know that will always interrupt what I call the loop, are mowing while listening to a podcast that requires I pay attention, running a chainsaw ( I also listen to podcasts then, but it's half background noise because chainsaws require more attention lol) Lastly, pool of any kind. Alone or with an opponent. My brain sees it as a puzzle that has to be solved and when I fail, the urge to do it again correctly is extremely motivating. It never fails to quiet my mind, win or lose
 
23DenaliBDE said:
As someone with ADHD/PTSD, I can see where you're coming from when things switch quickly. Personally it doesn't bother me when I unexpectedly lose a game I was positive I had won. Here's why (out of curiousity if the same thing happens to you) There are few things that quiet my brain when it gets stuck in a loop. When it happens, it's so distracting that the other day I drove the wrong way 3 times just trying to go get milk. I've lived in the same tiny town 44 years. It's not possible to get turned around or lost lol. I currently do not take any meds and have a very strong desire to stay that way. For that to work, i have to be able to get control over involuntary responses of my brain. So far, the only activities I know that will always interrupt what I call the loop, are mowing while listening to a podcast that requires I pay attention, running a chainsaw ( I also listen to podcasts then, but it's half background noise because chainsaws require more attention lol) Lastly, pool of any kind. Alone or with an opponent. My brain sees it as a puzzle that has to be solved and when I fail, the urge to do it again correctly is extremely motivating. It never fails to quiet my mind, win or lose
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I used to take meds, then I used to self-medicate... now I live here... :ROFLMAO:
Living in a context that is so busy is quite helpful for me currently... accepting you have no idea where you are, or are going to be late etc is much more easy to justify in the context of being somewhere 'unfamiliar' or not home.

Solo practice 90% of the time is exactly as you describe, and actually, one reason I started to play more was for mindfulness and to escape work, social and relationship issues. Just got lucky I got into to a little community through doing this.

Against an opponent, the ADHD has been quite problematic, and I try to see it as a learning curve to control my temperament and focus. I've come a long way in the year... Long way still to go!
 
Flakeandrun said:
9-ball, however, I can quickly turn my positive run into a negative one, getting muddled with shot selection, or being stuck in 'two minds'
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Gotta say I like the way you think and enjoy your posts.

What do you mean about the two mind thing?
 
VarmintKong said:
Gotta say I like the way you think and enjoy your posts.

What do you mean about the two mind thing?
Click to expand...

Thanks for that! Was a bit self-conscious before, as a few people said I write too much (and I am absolutely aware of the fact I do and try to simplify) :ROFLMAO:

What I mean by stuck in 'two minds', is that I can see two (or sometimes more) options, and even though I select one, I am not really fully committed to the selected shot, or route I've chosen to get out. I make mistakes where I shouldn't.

It comes from experience, and I have already cleared up some of the previous areas that have caused trouble. Playing far better players and watching how they think has been really helpful to me (and sometimes feeding their ego and letting them talk and talk and talk is more useful than you think! - especially for a new learner of the game and how it's played)

I am probably still around 200-300 racks total in my life playing 9-ball (20 years of snooker, and multiple thousands of racks of 8-ball at this point). I've been playing a lot more 9/10 ball lately and am really enjoying it. Most tournaments I enter currently are 9-ball.
 
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