Banks
Banned
Not until I can leave work in 15 minutes!
Wrote something about league and serious play, but figured there was no point in arguing about it. Carry on!
Getting beat by the table conditions
- Thread starter LPHooper03
- Start date
Not until I can leave work in 15 minutes!
Wrote something about league and serious play, but figured there was no point in arguing about it. Carry on!
I know "they" take it seriously. Every time I walk into a place that's having league night there's more cues in there than SBE. Everybody's got a playin cue, break cue, jump cue, extension for their playin cue, 2 regular shafts, 2 low deflection shafts and who knows what else
Whatever makes you happy I guess.
It brings more people into the game, but "most" don't have any interest in improving much cause they don't want their Handicap going up - I would wanna be the highest handicap I could be as soon as possible, but I guess that's the American way now.
Back to the table discussion
I've played in poolrooms before that a few of us paid for the cloth and had the owner get "That Table" recovered and shimmed, then they rented that table last so it wouldn't get abused or let guys use it that can Play, with the understanding that if we came in we would get the table.
If you guys have crappy tables discuss getting "your" table fixed(possible kicking in some $$$) with the understanding THAT Table is Yours for league
Whatever makes you happy I guess.
It brings more people into the game, but "most" don't have any interest in improving much cause they don't want their Handicap going up - I would wanna be the highest handicap I could be as soon as possible, but I guess that's the American way now.
Back to the table discussion
I've played in poolrooms before that a few of us paid for the cloth and had the owner get "That Table" recovered and shimmed, then they rented that table last so it wouldn't get abused or let guys use it that can Play, with the understanding that if we came in we would get the table.
If you guys have crappy tables discuss getting "your" table fixed(possible kicking in some $$$) with the understanding THAT Table is Yours for league
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If any of those league players are looking for a nice cue, have them contact me.
Sounds like that place is good for the cue biz>>:smile:
Not that nice but still nice.
A Dennis Searing could be too much cue for some of them, and I always hate to see beer spilled all over Ron Haley cues
Unusual conditions
I once played on a table that had been set up on a band stage. The side of the table was only 3' from edge of the stage facing the audience. The CB was close to the rail on that side, so I had to grip the rail with my bridge hand to not fall off the stage.
Believe it or not, I was playing and winning the final match for the 1984 Miller TOC Midwest bar table title!
I once played on a table that had been set up on a band stage. The side of the table was only 3' from edge of the stage facing the audience. The CB was close to the rail on that side, so I had to grip the rail with my bridge hand to not fall off the stage.
Believe it or not, I was playing and winning the final match for the 1984 Miller TOC Midwest bar table title!
You have to learn how to balance your weight between the stage and the table at the same time.
I'm pretty good at it
My Nickels Worth On Adjusting To Pool & Billiard Equipment & Environmental Conditions
I came across this thread while trying to find out how others may adjust to various equipment & environmental issues we all have or will face at some point.
So in wading through the current 5 pages of opinions in this thread I have been able to find a handful of useful things thus-far (IMHO) that speak to OP question; to paraphrase... "How To Adjust To Different Playing Conditions":
1. Increase speed to compensate for tables not level.
2. Increase speed to compensate for Humid conditions.
3. Avoid bank shots & favor straight-in shots if cloth inconsistent & or table is not level.
4. Increase Luck Factor by playing bang & pray on poor equipment in general.
5. Avoid draw english, Favor follow english when mud balls are in use.
6. Leveling the table yourself... I'll add One Problem with this is bar-boxes with one-piece slates are often twisted from not being moved correctly, no amount of leveling will remove table roll from a twisted slate.
7. Hit some balls on table(s) before playing on it if possible, so you can adjust for conditions you know how to adjust to already. I'll add this might be an option in league play but not in many large tournaments I've played in.
8. IF you have the luxury of playing for a bar or pool hall whose owner(s) are independently wealthy, nag them about better maintaining the equipment.
9. Something I did not see mentioned, that may be of use to someone, that I employ is adjustment to dirty, banged up balls...
Basically, when balls are dirty, banged up they have more friction, and cling together longer, then clean balls do. So this puts more throw into the shot consideration...
I've always admired the hustlers whom can walk into a pool-hall or bar they have never been in, grab the absolute worst house-cue in the place and rob everyone, regardless of tables, ball sizes, mud-balls, or any equipment or weather conditions...
I guess when your playing for your next meal you learn how to adapt & overcome any adversity...
I'm not that guy, but I watch & try to learn from those that are not having the same trouble I might be having on same equipment...
Sometimes, if the opportunity presents itself I'll ask them what they are doing different, if its not self-evident to me.
Peace.
I came across this thread while trying to find out how others may adjust to various equipment & environmental issues we all have or will face at some point.
So in wading through the current 5 pages of opinions in this thread I have been able to find a handful of useful things thus-far (IMHO) that speak to OP question; to paraphrase... "How To Adjust To Different Playing Conditions":
1. Increase speed to compensate for tables not level.
2. Increase speed to compensate for Humid conditions.
3. Avoid bank shots & favor straight-in shots if cloth inconsistent & or table is not level.
4. Increase Luck Factor by playing bang & pray on poor equipment in general.
5. Avoid draw english, Favor follow english when mud balls are in use.
6. Leveling the table yourself... I'll add One Problem with this is bar-boxes with one-piece slates are often twisted from not being moved correctly, no amount of leveling will remove table roll from a twisted slate.
7. Hit some balls on table(s) before playing on it if possible, so you can adjust for conditions you know how to adjust to already. I'll add this might be an option in league play but not in many large tournaments I've played in.
8. IF you have the luxury of playing for a bar or pool hall whose owner(s) are independently wealthy, nag them about better maintaining the equipment.
9. Something I did not see mentioned, that may be of use to someone, that I employ is adjustment to dirty, banged up balls...
Basically, when balls are dirty, banged up they have more friction, and cling together longer, then clean balls do. So this puts more throw into the shot consideration...
One-way to adjust for the extra throw is to slightly favor or cheat the pocket more to the inside of the pocket then the traditional favoring to the outside of the pocket; sometimes referred to as the Pro-Side of the pocket.
I've always admired the hustlers whom can walk into a pool-hall or bar they have never been in, grab the absolute worst house-cue in the place and rob everyone, regardless of tables, ball sizes, mud-balls, or any equipment or weather conditions...
I guess when your playing for your next meal you learn how to adapt & overcome any adversity...
I'm not that guy, but I watch & try to learn from those that are not having the same trouble I might be having on same equipment...
Sometimes, if the opportunity presents itself I'll ask them what they are doing different, if its not self-evident to me.
Peace.
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I play on beautiful condition tables, mostly. However a few tables at my poolhall have messed up facings on certain pockets (only 2 tables have this problem). Knowing this is a big edge. You cant slam balls in along the rails on these.
I rarely play in bars, but when I do I tend to hit shots a bit firmer. Cloth tends to be slow on these anyways, if not you can use TOI to slow down the cueball. If you have ever played English pool you know that this game is mostly about knowing which shots are possible and which are not, and then carefully managing risks. The cloth on the tables are slow and the cueball tiny, making breakouts difficult. I think maybe the art of playing on bad US tables is using this mindset. Know what you can do, and don't try things that you can't reasonably do under those conditions.
I rarely play in bars, but when I do I tend to hit shots a bit firmer. Cloth tends to be slow on these anyways, if not you can use TOI to slow down the cueball. If you have ever played English pool you know that this game is mostly about knowing which shots are possible and which are not, and then carefully managing risks. The cloth on the tables are slow and the cueball tiny, making breakouts difficult. I think maybe the art of playing on bad US tables is using this mindset. Know what you can do, and don't try things that you can't reasonably do under those conditions.
I agree. I don't see many pro events held on sloppy valley tables...oh, none. And I don't recall seeing Tiger Woods playing on too many goat tracks either...A bad table or badly maintained course will affect the game of the best player out there. Better players are more precise and expect to be able to play "correctly" which means playing a certain shot with speed or english to get EXACTLY where they need to be in order to get out of a rack with a win or to play a great defensive shot to stay alive. Facts are facts...if a table is off that badly then there are things you simply can't overcome no matter what skill you may have. .
Bad tables are fun! You can beat better players if you adjust better!
There's some good and some interesting points in this post but I just can't figure out how a one piece slate could be "twisted". You lost me on that one.
Old thread but this is true, even without adjusting.
Bad players play mostly by luck, they hit the ball, see where it ends up and shoot again.
Good players try to play controlled shots with correct speed which a lot of times end up being slow so the dirty map cloth just stops the ball short, or the rolls roll the ball off 3 inches, or the cueball goes being a ball and stops dead, etc... So there is hung 8 balls, ball in hands handed out, etc...
For a bad player, they have no idea where they cueball will be at anyway so they just play like they always do and it's all good.
I have said quite a few times, when playing on bad equipment, the spot should be negated or even go the other way LOL.
I've played as a top ranked or close to it in legues and on bad tables or 7 footers I have a tough time beating players especially when you need to play a 5-2 or 6-3 race vs a C or a D. When we went to 9 footers that had rails you can use like rails instead of block walls, our league finals we won 3-0 with the other team only winning 2 games the whole set. I shut my guy out 5-0, my son won 4-1 and my team-mate won 4-0. If we had to play at a room with old 7 footers with 3 years of beer stains on it, we may have lost.
Equipment makes a difference.
Conditions same for everybody good or bad! You essentially screwed yourself!
Hey you guys are the backbone of pool these days.
Yeah complain to room owner and you won't have to worry about playing there again.
I can recall my first trip to the us open: new balls, new cloth...who can adjust to conditions like that?!
an old thread brought back to life
An old thread brought back to life.
I love the mud ball and tough conditions. The average player with his game built around draw is gonna be SOL. The mud ball is what made the saying, "draw for show, follow for dough!"
Tough conditions test who can nuke them out and adapt the fastest. They also rattle a lot of people. Win/win for me as far as I am concerned. Once the table, the loud music, or the three hundred pound ex wrestler with a blond piece of arm candy sitting on the bar with her legs spread you have to ignore gets to the other player I am most of the way home!
It is very rare that anyone gets beaten by table conditions. Common as dirt to get beaten by letting table conditions get in their head.
Hu
An old thread brought back to life.
I love the mud ball and tough conditions. The average player with his game built around draw is gonna be SOL. The mud ball is what made the saying, "draw for show, follow for dough!"
Tough conditions test who can nuke them out and adapt the fastest. They also rattle a lot of people. Win/win for me as far as I am concerned. Once the table, the loud music, or the three hundred pound ex wrestler with a blond piece of arm candy sitting on the bar with her legs spread you have to ignore gets to the other player I am most of the way home!
It is very rare that anyone gets beaten by table conditions. Common as dirt to get beaten by letting table conditions get in their head.
Hu
depending on the game
Depending on the game. As in your case I try not to slow roll much and play stun with a tip of follow or draw but stun the ball.
If its One Pocket and I cant slow roll the ball because of the table I find this out and I wont play on the table. One Pocket is a skill game if you cant thin a ball you might as well not play.
Depending on the game. As in your case I try not to slow roll much and play stun with a tip of follow or draw but stun the ball.
If its One Pocket and I cant slow roll the ball because of the table I find this out and I wont play on the table. One Pocket is a skill game if you cant thin a ball you might as well not play.