Have you ever been defeated by a banger?
- Thread starter Push&Pool
- Start date
I have been beaten twice in the last 4 weeks by a friend in my local room who is a complete hope & hit artist, the thing is I am in NO way a great player but I try to play the game the right way by going for the logical shots when the time calls for it rail shot, kick, bank etc. but he just seems to get incredibly lucky & I mean INCREDIBLY lucky by hammering balls 6 rails round the table that somehow find the angle to go in when they clearly aren't supposed to.
This brings me onto the main story we have played twice now & have played race to 17 both times anyway the first time we played he had the first break but before I knew it I had a 7-0 lead & he was playing really bad & giving me opportunity after opportunity to cut a long story short he started to come back at me & before we knew where we were it was 16-16 with me breaking the final rack I proceeded to pot 2 off the break & then make the 1 in the side but missed the 2 ball allowing him to clear up & take the match 17-16.
This past weekend was our second game of race to 17 & again he was playing balls six rails that were going in at 90mph (he seems to only know one speed, & that's to give the balls a concussion it seems like) because of this I call him Houdini, anyway I just couldn't get going & this time I was on the receiving end of a 17-8 killing.
I spoke with him yesterday & he wants to do it again but what I would like to know is do any of you have tips on how to play a player that plays like this because although he's a great mate it is really frustrating the hell out of me & my enjoyment is really starting to wane while his is sky high it seems like.
Sorry this has been so long but thanks for reading anyway.
This brings me onto the main story we have played twice now & have played race to 17 both times anyway the first time we played he had the first break but before I knew it I had a 7-0 lead & he was playing really bad & giving me opportunity after opportunity to cut a long story short he started to come back at me & before we knew where we were it was 16-16 with me breaking the final rack I proceeded to pot 2 off the break & then make the 1 in the side but missed the 2 ball allowing him to clear up & take the match 17-16.
This past weekend was our second game of race to 17 & again he was playing balls six rails that were going in at 90mph (he seems to only know one speed, & that's to give the balls a concussion it seems like) because of this I call him Houdini, anyway I just couldn't get going & this time I was on the receiving end of a 17-8 killing.
I spoke with him yesterday & he wants to do it again but what I would like to know is do any of you have tips on how to play a player that plays like this because although he's a great mate it is really frustrating the hell out of me & my enjoyment is really starting to wane while his is sky high it seems like.
Sorry this has been so long but thanks for reading anyway.
Last night I played a guy dragging a three foot oxygen tank and a 20 foot oxygen tube with him around the pool table.
I was getting ready to run out and the guy's oxygen tube was laying on the floor and he hadn't moved it, so I slid the oxygen tube over a foot so that I could move around the table without cutting off his oxygen. The 8 & 9 were tied up and it would be a tough combo, so as I was running the rack, I was thinking, "this guy has never won this weekly handicapped tournament". I made perfect shape on every ball and as I got on the seven ball, I thought that I would either play safe on the 8 ball and lock him up, try to hit the 9 ball out of the way and get perfect on the 8 ball, so I weaved the cue ball in between the eight and nine without hitting them and came up with the tough combo. I shot the combo, missed the nine and left him straight in on the eight ball which I was spotting him with the cue ball two feet away from the eight and the eight ball inches from the pocket.
He lost his next match and came in third. He made money and I just sighed.
JoeyA
I was getting ready to run out and the guy's oxygen tube was laying on the floor and he hadn't moved it, so I slid the oxygen tube over a foot so that I could move around the table without cutting off his oxygen. The 8 & 9 were tied up and it would be a tough combo, so as I was running the rack, I was thinking, "this guy has never won this weekly handicapped tournament". I made perfect shape on every ball and as I got on the seven ball, I thought that I would either play safe on the 8 ball and lock him up, try to hit the 9 ball out of the way and get perfect on the 8 ball, so I weaved the cue ball in between the eight and nine without hitting them and came up with the tough combo. I shot the combo, missed the nine and left him straight in on the eight ball which I was spotting him with the cue ball two feet away from the eight and the eight ball inches from the pocket.
He lost his next match and came in third. He made money and I just sighed.
JoeyA
Here's my tip for you: From now on, insist that any game that you two play is a call-shot format. If he refuses, don't play. If he accepts and still beats you, he's better than you're giving him credit for.
Maniac
Sorry Maniac but I can't support you on this one :/ It would be the obvious solution, but then it would be a different game, and he wouldn't really get that payback he's looking for.
9 ball, if you really want to win this guy and feel good about it, play using the same rules. You need to beat his strategy, not take it away from him. Now, I assume you play 9ball... My own field is 8 ball, so I can't really give you advice about all the details of a game I don't play. In 8 ball, setting the CB on a position from which he's quite likely to pocket the 8 when he blasts away is a good tactic. An even better one is to get the 8 close to a pocket and force him to lose time shooting it away. That strategy's main weak point is 8 near a pocket (for obvious reasons).
However, there are universal ways to counter that strategy in almost every pool game, 9 ball incuded. First, let's quickly examine its characteristics. It takes little technical skill, but is very unpredictable. Players like that often improvise well in any situation. Players who know how to efficiently and consistently boost their chances of getting those slops (that's what your opponent is doing, it's not just "incredible luck"), and maybe have some shot making skills as well, even at super powerful shots, are quite likely to make many balls in a row. The greatest advantage against that strategy is that there's no defense against it. No safeties, clusters or blocked balls can stop the CB flying at 90mph in hitting its target. Moreover, it's impossible to predict where the CB or any balls will actually go.
That strategy still has many downsides, but most of them are specific for 8ball. It's much, much more effective in 9 ball. If you want to win, you should focus on consistent pocketing and nothing else. Forget safeties, forget risky position play. Use your superior skills but don't exaggerate. Your strategy needs to be as simple as possible: pocket at least one ball every time and stay at the table until you manage to get a position from which you'll be able to make a combo or carom at the 9 and finish the game. Trying to drop every ball instead of going after the 9 as soon as possible is just asking for trouble. And remember: if you can't get a shot and you want to play a safety, resist that urge. If it's your only option, you'll do better blasting away like he does and lucking the 9 or some other ball in. A safety only gives him another chance to do that first.
Good luck and keep us posted
sorry maniac but i can't support you on this one :/ it would be the obvious solution, but then it would be a different game, and he wouldn't really get that payback he's looking for.
9 ball, if you really want to win this guy and feel good about it, play using the same rules. You need to beat his strategy, not take it away from him. Now, i assume you play 9ball... My own field is 8 ball, so i can't really give you advice about all the details of a game i don't play. In 8 ball, setting the cb on a position from which he's quite likely to pocket the 8 when he blasts away is a good tactic. An even better one is to get the 8 close to a pocket and force him to lose time shooting it away. That strategy's main weak point is 8 near a pocket (for obvious reasons).
However, there are universal ways to counter that strategy in almost every pool game, 9 ball incuded. First, let's quickly examine its characteristics. It takes little technical skill, but is very unpredictable. Players like that often improvise well in any situation. Players who know how to efficiently and consistently boost their chances of getting those slops (that's what your opponent is doing, it's not just "incredible luck"), and maybe have some shot making skills as well, even at super powerful shots, are quite likely to make many balls in a row. The greatest advantage against that strategy is that there's no defense against it. No safeties, clusters or blocked balls can stop the cb flying at 90mph in hitting its target. Moreover, it's impossible to predict where the cb or any balls will actually go.
That strategy still has many downsides, but most of them are specific for 8ball. It's much, much more effective in 9 ball. If you want to win, you should focus on consistent pocketing and nothing else. Forget safeties, forget risky position play. Use your superior skills but don't exaggerate. your strategy needs to be as simple as possible: Pocket at least one ball every time and stay at the table until you manage to get a position from which you'll be able to make a combo or carom at the 9 and finish the game. trying to drop every ball instead of going after the 9 as soon as possible is just asking for trouble. And remember: If you can't get a shot and you want to play a safety, resist that urge. If it's your only option, you'll do better blasting away like he does and lucking the 9 or some other ball in. A safety only gives him another chance to do that first.
Good luck and keep us posted
lololololololol!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Exactly!!! That was the intention since he can't win in his opponents game, not to mention the frustration he is accumulating.
Maniac
I get what you're saying but it's like "if you're getting beaten by a guy in 8ball, don't bother with figuring out and overwhelming his style, just switch to 10ball".