How do you WIN in this situation?

T

tallcincy

Registered
What would you say is the absolute BEST defense against someone who plays VERY well, you are almost at their level but not quite. Their ego is through the roof, they think they're invincible, they're arrogant and for whatever reason don't like you, think you're weird, don't want you to fit in, maybe secretly intimidated, pick something. You want nothing more than to make an ass out of them, but on the pool table, by winning. Then you hear your name called, and you have to play.....guess who.
What do you do? Advice????

I realize preparing mentally is vitally important, but what other tactics could one utilize to prevail in this situation? Thoughts?
 
Pretend you are Rocky from Rocky II

Adrian: There's one thing I want you to do for me.
Rocky: What's that?
Adrian: Win.
Adrian: Win!
 
tallcincy said:
What would you say is the absolute BEST defense against someone who plays VERY well, you are almost at their level but not quite. Their ego is through the roof, they think they're invincible, they're arrogant and for whatever reason don't like you, think you're weird, don't want you to fit in, maybe secretly intimidated, pick something. You want nothing more than to make an ass out of them, but on the pool table, by winning. Then you hear your name called, and you have to play.....guess who.
What do you do? Advice????

I realize preparing mentally is vitally important, but what other tactics could one utilize to prevail in this situation? Thoughts?
Click to expand...

Visualize winning him! If you visualise it, believe it, and act on it then it will happen for you. (From the move: The Secret)

If you still lose, it will make you so mad that you will go home and practice hard for many hours untill you have a chance to play him again. Your brain will say, "I will NOT let that happen again." I know about this because it happened to me. I made it to the championship in my class (nothing big) in 9-ball, had the kid up 5-1 in a race to 6. Long story short, everyone was watching, I cracked under pressure, and I lost, 6-5.

If you belive that you can beat him, and that you deserve to beat him, then you will.

Hope this helps.:)
 
Ask him: Does your cue always make that noise?

It will give him something to think about while you stomp his ass.
 
???????????????

Get ready to take you usual beating because you have a defeatist attitude. You need to work harder an know you can win.
Pinocchio
 
I don't think you're going to get the answer that you are looking for. The simplest way to reach your goal is raise your game, especially if this is heads-up and not a handicapped situation. If it is handicapped and your skill levels are accurate, then you should always have a chance against and it's just up to you to man up when you play him.

Also, it helps to have an attitude where you want to play people better than you.
 
You need to play the game and not the player, to the extent that you concentrate on doing what you know you can do. You may need to take the player into consideration when deciding whether or not to take a {for you} tough shot or deciding to play safe and how. Play to your own strengths as best you can and be sure to watch for your opponent's weaknesses when he's at the table. Experience is the best teacher;)
 
You have to just play one shot at a time. Don't show off, or take really difficult shots, or do anything too risky. Let HIM be the show off, the arrogant, the risk taker. Hook him, take your time, wait patiently for the kill. The more time the merrier, then hook them again. Soon he won't be able to make a hanger. Wait for YOUR opportunity. If you get ahead, he will play worse and worse. Why? Because he will be afraid to lose TO YOU. Once that sets in, it's over.

This is like judo in a way. You are letting the player beat himself. It takes more patience than most players have. Play it smart. I would like to see you win. Give yourself a chance.

If you don't have the same playing skills as your opponent, you can still win with better strategy. That means fewer mistakes. Let him make the unforced errors.

Chris
 
Last edited:
tallcincy said:
What would you say is the absolute BEST defense against someone who plays VERY well, you are almost at their level but not quite. Their ego is through the roof, they think they're invincible, they're arrogant and for whatever reason don't like you, think you're weird, don't want you to fit in, maybe secretly intimidated, pick something. You want nothing more than to make an ass out of them, but on the pool table, by winning. Then you hear your name called, and you have to play.....guess who.
What do you do? Advice????

I realize preparing mentally is vitally important, but what other tactics could one utilize to prevail in this situation? Thoughts?
Click to expand...

I hate to tell you, but there's no magic bullet. If you play better than he does in this particular match, and if you get a roll or two at critical points, you will win. It's as simple as that. Don't change a thing from your usual strategy and tactics that you would normally use against a skilled player, and have fun. You are considered the underdog, and as such you have nothing to lose. This might be your real edge in this contest. If your opponent gets ego-invested about having to win against a player that's weaker but can still pose a threat, he may tighten up. If you project a quiet confidence and play accordingly, you create the best opportunity to win.

Finally, remember that if you don't get him this time you'll get him some other time when you and your game are ready. Make this a goal and a motivator to put in some hours of quality practice.

Good luck!
 
You have to know you can win. You have to know that he's beatable. You have to have faith in your abilities, mentally and physically, and trust yourself to make good judgements and execution.
 
Just tell him that if he wins, this year will be his last birthday celebration.
 
tallcincy said:
What would you say is the absolute BEST defense against someone who plays VERY well, you are almost at their level but not quite. Their ego is through the roof, they think they're invincible, they're arrogant and for whatever reason don't like you, think you're weird, don't want you to fit in, maybe secretly intimidated, pick something. You want nothing more than to make an ass out of them, but on the pool table, by winning. Then you hear your name called, and you have to play.....guess who.
What do you do? Advice????

I realize preparing mentally is vitally important, but what other tactics could one utilize to prevail in this situation? Thoughts?
Click to expand...

.4 scopolamine bromide in his drink will do nicely. Or, on the serious side, realize you need weight and pump his game up yourself. Tell the guy how good he plays. Assuming you guys are gambling all you want is the cash any way. The more the guy has your game underrated the more weight you are subject to get. Pride is for suckers. Be smart and match up well.
 
tallcincy said:
What would you say is the absolute BEST defense against someone who plays VERY well, you are almost at their level but not quite. Their ego is through the roof, they think they're invincible, they're arrogant and for whatever reason don't like you, think you're weird, don't want you to fit in, maybe secretly intimidated, pick something. You want nothing more than to make an ass out of them, but on the pool table, by winning. Then you hear your name called, and you have to play.....guess who.
What do you do? Advice????

I realize preparing mentally is vitally important, but what other tactics could one utilize to prevail in this situation? Thoughts?
Click to expand...

Thats pride fu#$in with ya. You need to practice more or just simply outplay him. Keep him hooked all night and get out when your supposed to. You never know, if you can fire back at him and lay down some heat he could go on tilt and start missing easy outs.
 
Two things:

Forget about him or any other opponent. Play the table.

Don't try any Efren shots. Do the highest percentage move YOU know how to do.

It's that simple.

Stones
 
Make every trip to the table count. Very easy to say, but think seriously about it. EVERY time you go to the table, make it a an effort to pocket something, or to leave yourself safe. This means to play at your own level and to not try to overplay your level, and most importantly, not to try to play at his level. You know what you CAN do, know what you CAN'T do, and what you MIGHT be able to do. Attempt shots that fit only in the "CAN" category. If you're faced with a shot that you don't feel comfortable with, regardless of how easy it may appear, don't take it, and play safe. And don't attempt any of those 'might be able to do' type of shots. Remember that a safety doesn't need to mean hiding something. Simply putting it someplace far and in a place not easily pocketed is just fine. Let your opponent attempt the risky and difficult shots. Make him do the work. I promise you that if you pass up a super easy shot, and elect to play safe, and do it with some success, your opponent will be steaming. And, as another poster mentioned............his mind won't be on winning............it will be on NOT losing................and there's a huge difference.
Good luck, and have fun. And if you still lose.................kick his ass in the parking lot!
dave
 
tallcincy said:
What would you say is the absolute BEST defense against someone who plays VERY well, you are almost at their level but not quite. Their ego is through the roof, they think they're invincible, they're arrogant and for whatever reason don't like you, think you're weird, don't want you to fit in, maybe secretly intimidated, pick something. You want nothing more than to make an ass out of them, but on the pool table, by winning. Then you hear your name called, and you have to play.....guess who.
What do you do? Advice????

I realize preparing mentally is vitally important, but what other tactics could one utilize to prevail in this situation? Thoughts?
Click to expand...


the best defense is u not caring about winning or losing, that relieves any/all pressure that u put on yourself or that he adds to it from his antics, and then he'll be the only one with something to lose, HE wants u to feel exactly how u do right now, it gives him a huge advantage if he is better than u added to the fact that u hate losing to him, they probably dislike u because u are a threat to them and pool is what most of their life is largely based upon and they'll stop at nothing to make sure they keep getting that gratification not only from winning at pool but also from belittling the people they play, this guy probably thinks he's a better person than u just because he is a better pool player, all of these things can be used against him, it's more about psychology than playing pool, once u can tilt the scales a bit the pressure will be on him


i've been through similar situations with a few different players, when all i did was play pool these types would really bother me, for awhile now i haven't played much pool and don't care 1 tenth as much about losing as i used to, this combined with me playing better/smarter than i used to really gives me a big mental edge, u should come on here and read all that u can, pick out the good advice from the bad and follow what some of the more knowledgeable posters on here have to say, and also seek advice like u are doing now and u might even find a good instructor in your area to work on not only your physical game but also the mental warfare u have to deal with


when u play against someone u dislike that plays these games with u, make sure u take your time on every shot, if u dont have the offensive fire power to beat them u may want to work on your safety game a lot and build it up, if u can get him in a solid safety or 2 that may give u the edge u need to take them out of their game and beat them, i don't think u can ever really beat a better player, u either have to get lucky or u need to make them beat themselves, everyone has weaknesses, it's just a matter of finding them, u might set a goal of beating him 1/3 times u play, if u can do that then u will be on the right track, u may want to watch this guy when he plays players better than him, i bet he doesn't pull his antics then, don't be surprised if he treats them with respect, try to pick up any weaknesses they have that the better player exposes and use them when u play


u should look at this guy as a person and not as a pool player, in all likelyhood he wants u to hate him but if u can see that then a lot of his antics will no longer be effective, knowledge is power, knowing what's really going on can only help u to overcome it, no one can make u feel inferior without u letting them
________
 
Last edited:
tallcincy said:
What would you say is the absolute BEST defense against someone who plays VERY well, you are almost at their level but not quite. Their ego is through the roof, they think they're invincible, they're arrogant and for whatever reason don't like you, think you're weird, don't want you to fit in, maybe secretly intimidated, pick something. You want nothing more than to make an ass out of them, but on the pool table, by winning. Then you hear your name called, and you have to play.....guess who.
What do you do? Advice????

I realize preparing mentally is vitally important, but what other tactics could one utilize to prevail in this situation? Thoughts?
Click to expand...

If all of the above is true (I don't really know how you could know some of these things) you don't have a chance....:)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top