How serious are you at pool?!?

M

mrpool06

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Just wondering how serious people around here are at pool. I'm guessing there's all different levels.

Me.......I would say "somewhat".....have 2 kids, wife, house, etc... & cannot practice as much as I want. I do play in a BCA pool league. I spend alot of time at drills, reading books, trying to be the best I can be. Will be happy just being a top ranked league player.

I do take the summers off somewhat from pool....I feel its important for me to take a break, so I don't get burnt out (plus I get sick of the same old pool halls, same old pool crowd).

I do love the game of pool though!
 
I guess I'm somewhat obsessive. When I tackle something, I want to be the best I can be. Given the amount of spare time I have considering I have my kids 3-4 days a week, I'd say I devote the majority of it to pool in one form or another whether it's league, tournaments, practice or just beating up on the bangers at the local pub.
 
In my younger days I did nothing but play pool.

My game rose to a level I was happy with, and due to work, family, life, other obligations it came and went.

Now I'm married, have a beautiful daughter, a job I enjoy, and a life outside of pool. These past months I literally go just on Saturday and play one pocket for several hours with a good pool playing friend. For playing once a week I think I still hit them pretty good (8 Ball Rat might vouch for that) and I'm satisfied with this.

I figure once my daughter is older, and I have "less" things going on outside of pool I can get back into it, but I'm in no rush. I've had a lot of fulfilling times with this game, and hope to have many more.
 
Serious as a heart attack. I practice every day (at least an hour or two, often more), take lessons fairly regularly, play in a straight pool league 20 weeks per year, and study the game (large Accu-Stats collection, almost every book written on pool). Having said all of that; it's just a game.
 
Play

I play for the fun and pleasure only. Some weeks, everyday, some weeks, 1 night of league only. My wife loves to play and every night I get home she ask me if I want to play. Getting together with other AZers is something I do just for the pleasure of it. Win or lose, I love the game.
Purdman:D

Hey Matt, when we gonna get together?
 
How Serious - too serious. Well first off, I am seeing someone that does not understand that whole love of pool so that is a big problem. If I am at home - I am watching pool or reading about it but I am usually not at home. I spend about 3 week nights out playing till about midnight after work. Then on Saturday I start playing at noon and stop at about 2 or 3 am. Usually on Saturday we try to drive around and hit a few tournaments if they are around. This leaves little time for my better half, who says she is going to start putting her foot down on the pool life. It is somewhat of a problem because not only does almost all my free time go to pool but almost every cent I make as well. The little do money I get to save I am trying to put back for a few days lessons from my fav pro. I put in a lot of blood sweat and wolffin.
 
I play BCA leagues most every year and I drink beer near people playing pool most everyday.

I’m not really all that serious about it now as compaired to when I was younger.
 
pretty serious as a hobby. Started playing heavily 2 yrs ago as a freshman in college, and now im a pretty decent player, and me and my local gang of pool players play around 4-5 nights a week for 3-4+ hours. Love the thrill of playing new players, but unlike purdman im interested in the gambling scene, so that keeps me interested, but theres nothing better than playing GOOD 9ball for hours. the type of nine ball where theres usually one turn per player/per rack, and theres alot of sitting involved.

Also, like my night last night, theres nothing more fun then sitting around at the pool hall looking for a game, and barkin at everyone, standing over a 9ball rack looking around 360' with a coin poised above your middle finger waiting for a game.. then a guy asks for last 2 from me, i say no, and he then in turn plays my friend giving him the last 2 :confused: . Needless to say i derived alot of fun sharking him to help my friend out..

I think those are the most fun times for me in pool, is to be with a group of players at a pool hall, looking to play anyone, goofin off, makin fun of each other, and getting to see people get on tilt! its fun to see how it evolves... gives my friend the last 2... i shark him... he misses easy outs.... then suddenly there goes the CB and object ball flying off the table as i yell FOUL!! :)
 
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I want to be the best player in the world and never miss a ball. When I was 12-14 I was the top local player. Then...well what happens to every kid that gets his license and starts to party?:mad: I would get back into it then loose it again for the next 15 years. I am 29 now and feel that I let down my first true love. It won't happen again. I'm going full throttle untill I reach the summit. To the Pool Gods I apolagize. To myself I say, "Welcome home little buddy. Now we finish what we started so many years ago". About that serious.:)
 
mrpool06 said:
Just wondering how serious people around here are at pool. I'm guessing there's all different levels.

Me.......I would say "somewhat".....have 2 kids, wife, house, etc... & cannot practice as much as I want. I do play in a BCA pool league. I spend alot of time at drills, reading books, trying to be the best I can be. Will be happy just being a top ranked league player.

I do take the summers off somewhat from pool....I feel its important for me to take a break, so I don't get burnt out (plus I get sick of the same old pool halls, same old pool crowd).

I do love the game of pool though!
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I could make a few posts about what you said, but really I feel the same. It becomes a job when you show up every week at the same place with the same people, week after week. Keeping things fresh is the key. I have a family as well, and play about an hour a day. My mind is on the game more than a hour a day :) but I have work sometimes to keep my priorities straight.
 
I'm a serious pool fan, but not a serious pool player.

Nowadays, I only escape to the pool hall an hour or two on Sundays whenever my daughter takes a nap. I've never really played much more than 3-4 hours a week my entire life (I picked up the game right before I got engaged...bad timing). However, I have probably spent 10x that amount thinking, talking, reading, and posting about pool.

I may never know my true potential as a pool player, simply because I don't make enough time for it. Frankly, I don't know if I ever will. So I guess I'm not that serious about pool.
 
I ‘learned’ to play 16 years ago. While I always liked the game I had other pursuits(life) and hobbies that were the priority. I would play once in a blue moon with a couple of friends of mine and never practiced.

About 5 months ago I took the game seriously.
I’m at the pool table almost everyday. Last Sunday I started at noon and finished at 3AM with a 2 hour break in the middle. My obsession with the game is scary: reading, videos, practice, play. I think I can squeeze in 25-30 hours of pool in a week now.
I went from a well balance life work, girlfriend(wife), hobbies, interests, friends(non pool playing) to just work and pool.

BTW. I’m improving at a very fast rate!!!
My goal is not to be a pro or a money player.
I just want to run the table every time. There is a great satisfaction in sinking balls!
 
i myself play leaugue once a week and try to practice at least one other day a week. needless to say i wish i could play 24/7. literally. i own bunches of matches on dvds and subscribe to the magazines. i used to play seven days a week up until i had my little boy and i dont plan on spending his childhood in a pool hall. my all time favorite is watching the shortstops do their 1000 sets whenever i get a chance.
 
I'm so serious that I flog myself with a cat o' nine tails. I apply ten lashes for every missed shot or blown position and 20 for each time I choke. Of course since I really suck I have a back full of scars, whelps, and scabs that hurt like all hell. But hey it's worth it. :D
 
Im very serious.

I shoot leage 2 nights a week. APA 9 ball on Sunday on Barboxes and a new TAP 9 Ball starting on Mondays on 9 footers. Im really excited about the 9 foot table league. This is the first time 9 ball has been offered in my area (less then 45 min drive being my area) on 9 foot tables on league. I really look to stepping my game up with that.

Other then league nights. I have a slate 8 footer at home I am getting refelted with Simonis 860 Electric Blue this Saturday. My other home equipment is a Sardo 5000 rack and Aramith Super pro balls. I shoot everyday and try to get in at least 1 hour everyday on the table at home. Sometimes it's less then that but I make due.

I have hopes of going pro one day, but I know it wont be soon. My short term goal is an APA SL 9. My long term goal would be hitting pro level.
 
Not serious at all.

I could care less if i play or practice these days.
But when i DO play, THEN i try to be dead serious about the game i'm in, but other than that, not playing a lot doesn't phase me at all.

Lets see, today is 5/2/06 (tuesday). Last time i played was 2 weeks ago on Wed. I hit maybe 5 or 6 shots a week ago when someone asked me to demonstrate something, but other than that, i haven't hit a ball.

If i end up not playing for a while, it doesn't matter to me at all.
It's no big deal anymore.
 
while I don't have the money to play as much as I want because paying the rent is expensive, I try to play 5 days per week (I have a discount on the price). Music is my true passion but let me tell you something, pool comes right after that. I'm practicing like crazy so I'll be good when the federation starts and hopefully I can win some tournaments. I love the sound of a break when I walk into a pool hall. I take lessons now and then when I feel I lack something.


now If I could listen to my favourite kind of music while I play pool that would the best of both worlds..:D
 
Purdman said:
I play for the fun and pleasure only. Some weeks, everyday, some weeks, 1 night of league only. My wife loves to play and every night I get home she ask me if I want to play. Getting together with other AZers is something I do just for the pleasure of it. Win or lose, I love the game.
Purdman:D

Hey Matt, when we gonna get together?
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Whenever you're ready. You just get that squid fried up and I'm there!!!!!
 
More serious than I would like to admit to the way that I sometime play; and my play does not always reflect the amount of time that I put into it.
 
Gadammit, Matt! Are you speaking for me again?! Carry on, then:o
Matt_24 said:
In my younger days I did nothing but play pool.

My game rose to a level I was happy with, and due to work, family, life, other obligations it came and went.

Now I'm married, have a beautiful daughter, a job I enjoy, and a life outside of pool. These past months I literally go just on Saturday and play one pocket for several hours with a good pool playing friend. For playing once a week I think I still hit them pretty good (8 Ball Rat might vouch for that) and I'm satisfied with this.

I figure once my daughter is older, and I have "less" things going on outside of pool I can get back into it, but I'm in no rush. I've had a lot of fulfilling times with this game, and hope to have many more.
Click to expand...
 
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