Since I haven't had that much time to practice with my new cue, I turned down some friends (who were probably going to do jack squat anyways) and went out to the poolhall just to practice alone. The poolhall was about 3/4 full when I got there, and I sat down and watched the last couple of racks of one of my friends playing an accquaintence a set of 9ball for $100. As soon as they got done, I got on the table and started practicing. I was doing the same shot over and over, just shooting a long straight in shot and trying to stun the cueball forward a few inches, instead of rolling it. I've been having trouble with long shots like this, and I started out missing two in a row, before I made one that rattled and fell.
After a while I kind of hit a gear (those shots got me in stroke) and instead of doing my usual 9ball practice routine, I figured I'd work on some one pocket banks and situations that I'm terrible at. I was really focused, until I heard the sound "WHOOMP!!!" that kept repeating every few seconds. Some guy with a house stick was on the table next to me, just firing balls in. I glanced over and noticed that he had a great stance and stroke. He was shooting really fast, and would occasionally glance over at me before he got down to shoot. When he noticed that I was paying attention to his game, suddenly I stopped hearing that sound of the object balls slamming into the back of the pocket, and he started driving balls into the rail every other shot, and jumping up off the shot like a pole-vaulter.
I only had about $80 on me, and he looked like he was trying to invite action, so I didn't ask him to play. I unscrewed and was bringing up the balls when he tapped me on the shoulder and asked if I play 9ball. "Yeah I do...are you looking for a game?" He nodded and asked if I would play him race to 7 for 50 bucks. I told him I would play him a race to 5 for $20. I was a little wary of the guy, he had real good form. Then he asked if I would do a race to 3 for $20, and I said no, so he agreed to race to 5.
This is where it gets funny. I win the flip, break, and run out. As he walked up to the table to rack, he said "Nice out man, you play good". I chuckled and commented on how easy the out was. The next game I broke, made a ball, and played a real good safety on him. I started feeling like I was in stroke. He missed the kick shot by a mile, but tied some balls up, making the rack really tough to run out. I played another good safe, locked him up behind a ball and broke out the cluster with the 1ball. To hit the ball was really tough, and he made this Efren like kick, hitting it with perfect speed, striking the 1, going off a ball and back to the rail with the cueball, frozen behind a few balls. I attempted to kick at the 1ball and fouled. He ran the rack to the 7ball, and missed a pretty straight forward cutshot by about two diamonds. The 7ball banked three rails and wound up safe on the opposite end of the table. I knew he did it on purpose. I tried to play safe back and sold out, he ran out.
The next game he broke dry, and the rack was wide open and extremely easy, and I ran out. I was definately in stroke by that time. The game after that, I break dry, and whaddya know, he runs out. After that, I started wondering how he would play if I started acting nervous, and started dogging it. Would he go on the stall again like he's supposed to? Or would he play even better? I was enjoying the game so much that I didn't care if I won or lost the set. The following game, I had a really easy safe to lock him up, and I got up and down like four times on the shot before I hit it way too hard and dogged it. I got a shot again, and made my arm shake- ALOT (my arm shakes naturally, but I made sure he REALLY noticed it). I made my arm shake so hard I could barely take practice strokes. Then I would dog it, real bad, and leave him easy. He started to clean up that rack, and had an easy shot on the 8ball with the 9 hanging in the hole. He shanked it right into the rail and conceded the game, acting like he was angry.
I could tell he was cool as a cucumber. The next few racks I played so bad intentionally, I almost lost it, because it was so funny. For every error I made, he would do worse. If I started to show a little speed, he did the same. It ended up being tied at 4-all, and I figured I would go ahead and try to win the set. I got a shot and ran the rack to the 8, only to get careless and miss. I left him real easy, and before I could flip the coin for another set, he runs up to the table and shanks the shot again, leaving me an easy shot. He conceded the set, gave me the $20, paid his time and left. He told me he would be back again during the week, and maybe we could play for more next time. I shrugged and said "maybe". Just as he left, a friend of mine walked in the door. He asked me if the guy who left played anyone, and I told him that I played him. He looked at me and said "That guy is from out of town, I've seen him in other cities, he plays like a stone cold champion. Was he looking for a game?" I told him that I played him for $20, and that I thought he was stalling. Turns out I was right, and he dumped $20 on purpose.
I just thought it was funny that the guy played right along with everything I did. If I played bad, he would follow suit. If I played good, so did he, but he would make his outs look "lucky".
I dunno what to say to him next time I see him, because I don't know if he knows his cover is blown. I'm not sure why he left instead of asking me to play more, I figured he would have tried to stick around longer and show how "bad" he played, or at least try to raise the bet and see how much he could win off me. Supposedly the guy is a very strong money player that manages to stay under the radar.
After a while I kind of hit a gear (those shots got me in stroke) and instead of doing my usual 9ball practice routine, I figured I'd work on some one pocket banks and situations that I'm terrible at. I was really focused, until I heard the sound "WHOOMP!!!" that kept repeating every few seconds. Some guy with a house stick was on the table next to me, just firing balls in. I glanced over and noticed that he had a great stance and stroke. He was shooting really fast, and would occasionally glance over at me before he got down to shoot. When he noticed that I was paying attention to his game, suddenly I stopped hearing that sound of the object balls slamming into the back of the pocket, and he started driving balls into the rail every other shot, and jumping up off the shot like a pole-vaulter.
I only had about $80 on me, and he looked like he was trying to invite action, so I didn't ask him to play. I unscrewed and was bringing up the balls when he tapped me on the shoulder and asked if I play 9ball. "Yeah I do...are you looking for a game?" He nodded and asked if I would play him race to 7 for 50 bucks. I told him I would play him a race to 5 for $20. I was a little wary of the guy, he had real good form. Then he asked if I would do a race to 3 for $20, and I said no, so he agreed to race to 5.
This is where it gets funny. I win the flip, break, and run out. As he walked up to the table to rack, he said "Nice out man, you play good". I chuckled and commented on how easy the out was. The next game I broke, made a ball, and played a real good safety on him. I started feeling like I was in stroke. He missed the kick shot by a mile, but tied some balls up, making the rack really tough to run out. I played another good safe, locked him up behind a ball and broke out the cluster with the 1ball. To hit the ball was really tough, and he made this Efren like kick, hitting it with perfect speed, striking the 1, going off a ball and back to the rail with the cueball, frozen behind a few balls. I attempted to kick at the 1ball and fouled. He ran the rack to the 7ball, and missed a pretty straight forward cutshot by about two diamonds. The 7ball banked three rails and wound up safe on the opposite end of the table. I knew he did it on purpose. I tried to play safe back and sold out, he ran out.
The next game he broke dry, and the rack was wide open and extremely easy, and I ran out. I was definately in stroke by that time. The game after that, I break dry, and whaddya know, he runs out. After that, I started wondering how he would play if I started acting nervous, and started dogging it. Would he go on the stall again like he's supposed to? Or would he play even better? I was enjoying the game so much that I didn't care if I won or lost the set. The following game, I had a really easy safe to lock him up, and I got up and down like four times on the shot before I hit it way too hard and dogged it. I got a shot again, and made my arm shake- ALOT (my arm shakes naturally, but I made sure he REALLY noticed it). I made my arm shake so hard I could barely take practice strokes. Then I would dog it, real bad, and leave him easy. He started to clean up that rack, and had an easy shot on the 8ball with the 9 hanging in the hole. He shanked it right into the rail and conceded the game, acting like he was angry.
I could tell he was cool as a cucumber. The next few racks I played so bad intentionally, I almost lost it, because it was so funny. For every error I made, he would do worse. If I started to show a little speed, he did the same. It ended up being tied at 4-all, and I figured I would go ahead and try to win the set. I got a shot and ran the rack to the 8, only to get careless and miss. I left him real easy, and before I could flip the coin for another set, he runs up to the table and shanks the shot again, leaving me an easy shot. He conceded the set, gave me the $20, paid his time and left. He told me he would be back again during the week, and maybe we could play for more next time. I shrugged and said "maybe". Just as he left, a friend of mine walked in the door. He asked me if the guy who left played anyone, and I told him that I played him. He looked at me and said "That guy is from out of town, I've seen him in other cities, he plays like a stone cold champion. Was he looking for a game?" I told him that I played him for $20, and that I thought he was stalling. Turns out I was right, and he dumped $20 on purpose.
I just thought it was funny that the guy played right along with everything I did. If I played bad, he would follow suit. If I played good, so did he, but he would make his outs look "lucky".
I dunno what to say to him next time I see him, because I don't know if he knows his cover is blown. I'm not sure why he left instead of asking me to play more, I figured he would have tried to stick around longer and show how "bad" he played, or at least try to raise the bet and see how much he could win off me. Supposedly the guy is a very strong money player that manages to stay under the radar.
