How many years?

TheWizard said:
I've been shooting pool for 22 years now, and I'm still only 27, and I'm completely self taught.

I will say though, over the last few years, I've been gradually losing interest in pool, simply because there's too much 8ball and 9ball crap, and 10ball is just 9ball, with an extra ball in the stack, and so, who knows, whether or not, I'll still be playing or involved in the game, only time can reveal that answer.

Willie
Click to expand...
I believe every pool player is self taught. Nobody can teach you not to dog balls, thats the hardest thing to learn.

You will probobly find yourself taking a break from it. I stopped playing once for 10 years and now trying to get back at it after a 2 year break.

As for me I started playing in my dad's pool hall when I was 17. Stopped playing 5 years later, then picked back up 10 years later. My daughter was born in Dec 2005 and I haven't picked up my cue since, but I am trying to get back to it. At least this site is keeping connected to the game now.
 
Last edited:
I tend to say I started playing consistantly at the age of 15 and been playing since. 35 now so 20 years. I played before 15 with father in bars and liked it, but playing with friends in high school got me hooked. Later coming back and winning in the bars at ages 18-20 gave me the desire to learn more games then just 8 ball. By mid 20's I felt confident playing 8,9, banks and straight pool on big and bar tables. Late 20's thru early 30's, played alot of leagues and towards the end, it felt like a job too so I stopped playing league. Picked up a lil 1 hole ability, some Golf(pool version) and tried to push my ability with short and big rack games of banks. Now I work more on the physic's and dynamics of shots, english's, etc. Not to get creative, but expand shot making abilities and understand how balls roll during shots. My shooting has slowed down, but never stopped and the fire is still strong.

ez
 
I first shot pool days after my dad purchased a Brunswick Gold Crown I in February of 1969, so I've been playing for 38 1/2 years.
 
What first introduced me to the game was my neighbor and best friend had a tiny 2x4 table, maybe even smaller, with really tiny pool balls. That was when I was 11 or 12. He moved away when I was 13, and I always liked the game since then, but wasn't able to start playing until I was 16, 10 years ago. I've been playing ever since then with the exception of my stint in the Army, and a girl I fell in love with for about two years.
 
years

mikev_wvufan said:
How many years have you been playing pool? I know alot of people have been playing for several years. But what got you started playing pool? Until I got online I never knew that there was that many people that played.
Click to expand...

Well, I picked up my first cue at the age of 16, and I'm now 30 since 6/22. I started playing because my older brother was playing, and used-to play pretty sporty! I kept being told of how he won money playing pool, so of course I wanted to do the same thing. Now, he doesn't play very much...But still don't play too bad. I honestly started playing only because I looked up to my brother and wanted to get involved in something that would help earn his respect. I have accomplished this now, and have this game to thank, among other things, for making a family bond stronger...I know, kinda mushy but its why I started playing.
 
The Pup

Ok... embarrassing but so were the 80's...

I started playing 20years ago at 21. Played on a team with a bunch of old duffers and they called me the pup. None of them could play... And to top it off...I was the worst player on the team.... The story goes, I was on the worst team and I was the worst player...First year...

Second year I happened to get a job in the pub where they had the top 5 teams in the area and sent a crew to Vegas every year. I worked in the kitchen so when the kitchen closed up I was on the table...5 nights a week until close...(I didn't have a car and it was long walk home). I ended up on one of the best teams in the area yet still the worst on the team. The next 2 years I played with the best in the area and got killed repeatedly, call it a glutten for punishment. I lost a lot of money on those tables but I have to actually think...Did I lose a lot of money or just pay for lessons?

I prefer to think of it as expensive lessons...But well worth it. I hate playing lower caliber players now because I don't know how to be humble on the table. I need to play with someone with some speed or it's just not fun, for anyone.

Took 10 years off...(got married)

Got divorced 7 years ago and picked it back up for a few years and unortunately for the last 3 yrs I've been in a town with 5 - 9's and 1 bar box and the 9's look like driving ranges. Yes, in the whole town. I go out once in a while to keep my cue warm on the bar box and it turns out to be an exhibition. People start to watch and look and you hear the oohs and ahhhs...Look at the American...(I'm in Poland if you aren't aware)

It's really quite a joke actually, I can run a string of 12-13 balls out af an 8ball rack and occassionally a full 15. I don't think I've ever run 2 9ball racks in a row so you can tell I'm no pro. Unfortunately or not in this town of 80,000 people they think I am.

...Oh wait, a town? isn't that a villiage? Nope, we've even got good ol' McDonalds... ( I almost moved out of town when they opened)

Peace
 
Omg

dirtybobjr said:
53 YEARS!!! Started playing rotation when I was 5 at my Grandpa's Pool Hall in Wetmore, Kansas
Click to expand...

Bob ... You must have known Monty Nuss then. He was one of my regular adversaries when I was a teenager. I Played a lot of Snooker & 6 ball on a snooker table, and some 8 and 9 ball on a 9 footer with him all the time, when he came into Dodge from Jetmore. We played at Kline's Drive-in after they added the big room in the back for Pool.

For as good as Monty was at Snooker (had run 2 consecutive Snooker tables from the break before), I usually beat him in Pool about 85% of the time.

Also, my good friend and player, Mark Rogers family is from Jetmore.

Oh, and I have been playing almost 46 years now.
 
I played some when I was a young boy, eight ball on coin op tables. But, I started to play consistantly in college in 1984 and have been hooked ever since.
 
Too frickin' long. Since before the Third Boer War whenever that was. I can remember when I had been playing about seven or eight years and thought, wow I've been playing a long time. And I had because back then I played every day, all day. My first ten years or so, I was totally addicted and played night and day every day. But I got pretty good back then.

After I bought my first poolroom is when I actually began to play less. I had work to do. I've probably quit ten times in the last 25 years, and hung up my cue for a year or more. Each comeback is a little tougher. The hardest part is at the beginning of a comeback, when you can't make a ball. Takes me about three days to get past that and it becomes fun and challenge again.
 
I started playing about 25 years ago but went from '94 to '06 without playing. I look back at those years now as time wasted.:(
 
I first played when I was 13, I used to hide at a youth center so the bullies from school wouldn't find me to beat me up. They had a 7'' that we could play for free. We had a board when we enter our name first arrived first served and winner stays on and gosh I would get my ass kicked and would have to write my name again and wait maybe an hour before I could play again but I really wanted to be good so I went there everyday and played until a point where I could play 3 hours without losing even to youth center employees.

I kept doing that for a year until they announced that they were receiving some guitars and we could have free lessons. I picked up guitar and never left it ever since, I now teach guitar for a living after ten years of playing. I played pool once a month ( I moved) because I would get tired of it and I only wanted to play guitar. A year and a half ago I decided to make a comeback at playing pool and I met new friends, bought some cues and accessories, took lessons with friend Danny Hewitt and the passion is back. Hoping to become an A this season (our rating system)
 
I was probably ~10 or so years old when I first started pokin' at the colored balls on the green felt in the basements of a couple of buddies who had tables down there... so that was ~48 years ago.

Didn't play a lick from '80 until '93... raisin' a family of two small boys... 'cept for when they begged me to let them bang 'em around a bit when we went out for pizza. They always liked to try and beat Dad. :)

Been hittin' 'em regularly again since the summer of '93.
 
Very first time I picked up a pool cue was December of '04. I got a little interested in it and my (then) girlfriend baught me my first pool stick for Christmas, a X-Factor fiber-glass cue. I ended up selling the cue for $20. :)

I didn't really start playing consistently until about a year or more later... so I've only really been playing about 2+ years.
 
46 Years

46 Years. I want to make it 146 years. I have had the same Brunswick Bristol 8ftr in my houses for that last 27 years. It's about time for a new Gold Crown, don't ya think?? :eek:
 
50 years - started at the Boys Club - then went to the Golden Cue with the big boys as soon mom would let me;)
 
56+ years and counting ......

I was fortunate to grow up in a home with rooms large enough to accommodate a 5x10 Brunswick table, complete with Ivory Balls ... My father began teaching me the game (14-1) at age 8, when I was tall enough to position a cue stick properly for most any type of shot ... I played or practiced most every day well into my teens and, when I began driving, graduated to the local Bowling Alley, which had plenty of 5x10's, 4.5 x 9's, and 6x12 Snooker Tables ... I played a lot of 14-1 during my 8 year stint in the U.S. Navy (always based at Naval or Marine Air Stations) and continued playing regularly well into the 1970's (mostly 1 Pocket) ... I laid off Pool for several years and started playing regularly again in the late 90's ... Now I play 1 Pocket at least 4 times a week (3-4 hrs per day) and sneak in a few sets of 14-1 when I find an interested player ... I have always loved the game and hope to play until my ticket is "punched" for the last time ...
 
mikev_wvufan said:
How many years have you been playing pool? I know alot of people have been playing for several years. But what got you started playing pool? Until I got online I never knew that there was that many people that played.
Click to expand...

I started playing when I was 16 years old. Helped run a pool hall during summer school afternoons. I swore I would beat everyone in the pool room before I left and 1 year later it came true. I played big table till I turned 21 then I went to the bars where I made rent money every week for my girlfriend and I. Took off playing for a short time with the family up and coming and just played league to keep in stroke. Have had my fair share of big tournament wins and still play tournaments only. I try to teach newbies that frequent the local pool hall and ask for help. Have a daughter that I have contributed to her game. Her and I placed fifth the first year she played BCA Scotch Doubles. Next year she won the scotch doubles with another partner, finished second the following year and finished 13th in the women's open this past year. She has made me proud. I have played a total of 41 years and will probably never quit. I still have a pretty good game. Was well known when I was young and still am, but not as dangerous.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top