How SERIOUS a Pool Player are you

[Colin Colenso]

I used to be obsessive about the game, doing thousands of drills daily with a myriad of devices and techniques that I developed.

I'd do about 5 hours per day on average for a few years, mostly by myself, but also played in leagues, which began to bore me a bit, and went in many hundreds of small competitions and travelled to any larger tourney I could afford to attend.

I got to a pretty good level making top 8 finishes in a handful of tourneys that attracted national level competition in Australia, but didn't realize my dream to be a big earning pro.

I decided to go into marketing and event organizing instead and still hope to do a lot to contribue to the sport.

I still haven't given up on the idea of getting in a few months quality practice and doing something credible in a really big event, but we'll see what cards I'm dealt regarding opportunities. There is nothing quite like climibing into the final stages of a tourney, putting fear into your opponents through steely determination and near flawless play, and seeing many great players standing on the sidelines wishing that was them, still in contention.

 

[shinyballs]

Serious enough to read this forum constantly.

I play almost every day.

 

[unknownpro]

Serious ? It's a game. It should'nt be serious.
I enjoy playing and gambling but it's just a game.
I think taking anything too serious just takes the fun out of it.
I actually quit playing completely at times because I suddenly think
why am I wasting all this time hitting balls into holes on a table.
I really do enjoy the game, but anyone who is serious about any game
certainly does not have his priorities in order.

Pool is a sport, not a game. Many people take many sports seriously, as I take pool seriously. The dedication to improve your game by practicing seriously carries over to other areas of life. It takes determination and can be good excercise, if it's not screwing your back or neck up or something, LOL. Playing the ghost for an hour is more work than running a mile for me. Plus, the nervous tension of a tournament, if you play them regularly, helps you to feel better and more relaxed at other times.

Of course, gambling is totally different. A lot of players maybe do take it too seriously because they are gambling all the time, which I think can hold your game back. I am a serious pool player, but I practice being relaxed when I practice. Does Efren ever look serious or worried? What about Earl? Oops, forget about Earl, bad example LOL!

I loved it recently on tv when Vivian Villareal told the crowd not to worry when she got outta line a little because it made her worry, that was a classic - and she ran out too.

unknownpro

 

[vapoolplayer]

Serious ? It's a game. It should'nt be serious.
I enjoy playing and gambling but it's just a game.
I think taking anything too serious just takes the fun out of it.
I actually quit playing completely at times because I suddenly think
why am I wasting all this time hitting balls into holes on a table.
I really do enjoy the game, but anyone who is serious about any game
certainly does not have his priorities in order.

ever noticed how the ones that don't make it to the top always sing the same song???

VAP

 

[Williebetmore]

ever noticed how the ones that don't make it to the top always sing the same song???

VAP

VAP,
I certainly think that anyone that enjoys banging the balls around once a week is well within their rights to continue their practice. It is hard, however, to see how someone like that would end up posting on this forum. For those serious enough to post here, I would offer my opinion that playing well is MORE FUN than playing poorly - maybe its time to mix in some lessons and practice if you are "serious" enough about the game to post here - perhaps playing better will enhance your pool experience. To me, serious does NOT mean being an a##hole while you're playing, it means you love the game (perhaps more than the average player/banger).

 

[Koop]

To me, serious does NOT mean being an a##hole while you're playing, it means you love the game (perhaps more than the average player/banger).

That is exactly how I think of serious when it comes to pool.
My passion for the game is huge, just not enough time to practice but that doesn't mean that those who do, don't have their priorities straight.
If I had the time one of my priorities would be to get to the next level if possible.

Koop

 

[Fred Agnir]

I ask this question after reading many posts here, as apparently there are a lot of people who here who are VERY Serious about their Game, Gambling, collection Fine Cues, etc..

I'm serious enough to have spent money on taking lessons, get my hands on books on instruction and to read about the history, travel to places just to play an amateur tournament, spend any disposable income on pool-related items (clothes, cues, cases, gimcracks), attend billiard trade shows, and I'm serious enough about the sport to write a monthly article in the best pool and billiard publication available.

As far as playing, I was more serious as I was learning, but now that I reached a comfortable level, I'm not so serious to continue to improve. I play once or twice a week in league, and will practice for four or eight hours before a relatively big tournament. There's an amount of commitment that I can't give in order to reap any more improvements.

I can't say "it's just a game." It's not for me. It's part of my life. It's part of what defines me. That's how serious I am.

Fred

 

[Colin Colenso]

I'm serious enough to have spent money on taking lessons, get my hands on books on instruction and to read about the history, travel to places just to play an amateur tournament, spend any disposable income on pool-related items (clothes, cues, cases, gimcracks), attend billiard trade shows, and I'm serious enough about the sport to write a monthly article in the best pool and billiard publication available.

As far as playing, I was more serious as I was learning, but now that I reached a comfortable level, I'm not so serious to continue to improve. I play once or twice a week in league, and will practice for four or eight hours before a relatively big tournament. There's an amount of commitment that I can't give in order to reap any more improvements.

I can't say "it's just a game." It's not for me. It's part of my life. It's part of what defines me. That's how serious I am.

Fred

Hey Fred,
Nicely written! I can empathise with your story.

Pardon my ignrance, but who do you write for and can I read some online?

 

[Fred Agnir]

Hey Fred,
Nicely written! I can empathise with your story.

Pardon my ignrance, but who do you write for and can I read some online?

I write the monthly Cue Makers Corner article for InsidePool Magazine.

Fred

 

[Williebetmore]

Hey Fred,
Nicely written! I can empathise with your story.

Pardon my ignrance, but who do you write for and can I read some online?

Colin,
Inside Pool magazine is Fred's home turf. He writes a very enjoyable column on cues. I don't know how much of the magazine is accessible on-line. I don't suppose that they are available at the corner drugstore in China.

 

[JLW]

Just last evening I went down into the basement to practice a bit. When I got there I realized that I had not picked up a cue for about 5 days (vacation spent doing home reno's). It's been 8 years since I went that long without a cue in my hand, since we moved in, the table being set up a few months later (that was HELL ! ).

I'm serious enough to have a table and veto many houses my wife liked because the table would not fit (and I survived !) . I'm serious enough to own a bunch of pool books and have read everything the Saskatoon library has in their collection (slim). I'm serious enough to have reformatted, collated, and printed various Internet resources for my pool binder, and made many notes and practice records in the binder during practice sessions. I'm serious enough to be one of a very few players around here who go to the pool hall in the summer. I'm serious enough to participate in this pool forum. I'm not serious enough to quit my day job, nor do I gamble much. My cue collection can be had for $500 if anyone wants them ... I'm sure I can find another cue very quickly that will work just fine. I just love to play and practice pool, that's all.

Dave

Nicely put Dave. I love to play pool, and I love to watch pool being played well. I own many pool videos and books. And sometimes I play for hours at a time for days on end. While other times, I might not play for a week or more. As I've stated before, I'm probably a B level player. Could I be an A? Maybe, if I wanted to practice 8 hours a day. For the effort I put in, I'm extremely happy with how I play. I'm very serious about how I approach the game, and I try to be a knowledgeable player. But I'm not looking to go pro, just be a decent player and enjoy the game.

 

[Colin Colenso]

Colin,
Inside Pool magazine is Fred's home turf. He writes a very enjoyable column on cues. I don't know how much of the magazine is accessible on-line. I don't suppose that they are available at the corner drugstore in China.

Thanks WBM,
I'll check it out and see what I can find.