How well do you play in tournaments?

Speed you play in tournament

  • Doesn't matter. The pressure doesn't affect me.

    Votes: 14 21.5%

  • I play a full ball or two better

    Votes: 19 29.2%

  • I play slightly better

    Votes: 7 10.8%

  • 80% of my normal speed

    Votes: 13 20.0%

  • 60% of my normal speed

    Votes: 5 7.7%

  • 40% of my normal speed

    Votes: 1 1.5%

  • I should stick to poker tournaments

    Votes: 6 9.2%
  • Total voters
    65
StevenPWaldon

StevenPWaldon

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
There's a difference in the types of pressure when moving from the practice table, to gambling, to league play, to tournaments. I'm curious what percentage of your speed you play in tournaments. Some of us play better, some of us play worse, and some bring the same old game to the table.
 
I play better in tournaments than any other situation. I guess I always have. I think it's because the money is already gone, rather than at risk right now.
 
My best play is usually in tournaments also, especially if I don't know who I am playing.
 
I play alot better gambling than I do in tournaments. It seems like there is no sense of urgency in tournaments and that makes it harder to keep focused over several matches, plus playing then sitting, playing then sitting, playing then sitting gets really old. 1 on 1 gambling has more pressure and I like that. It makes me stay focused
 
I could not really answer the questions in the poll. Competative play brings out the best in my pool game.

Honestly, I practice like a ja**-off. Gimme the heat, and I will dial in :cool: .

I prefer gambling matches, which I have not played in a long time, for the momentum potential; however the my highest gear has come out both in tournament and "action" match play. The bigger the tournament, the better.
 
Fair enough answer. Look at Larry Price, who won the DCC Banks this year after less than a week of practice.

I've seen you play a few tournaments, and I couldn't tell you don't practice!

CrownCityCorey said:
I could not really answer the questions in the poll. Competative play brings out the best in my pool game.

Honestly, I practice like a ja**-off. Gimme the heat, and I will dial in :cool: .

I prefer gambling matches, which I have not played in a long time, for the momentum potential; however the my highest gear has come out both in tournament and "action" match play. The bigger the tournament, the better.
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for some reason i seem to dog it in tourneys. Ill miss easy shots and screw up position often. Im playing in more of them lately, hopefully more experieince is what i need. Always play my best when im gambling. as long as im not drunk yet:confused:
 
For me it seems the more pressure the better I play. It probably comes from playing with this guy that used to play with the pro's. Anytime I played him he would play the heckler on the side and watch the english I would cue in on the cue ball and make comments. He ended up showing me so much and improving my game more than anyone. I haven't been in any touranments since getting to my level of play I'm at now, but I have been in some gambling matches and just started BCA. Been stroking the ball very well the last 5 months. I'm looking for tournaments in my area now.
 
Tony "Da" Tiger said:
For me it seems the more pressure the better I play. It probably comes from playing with this guy that used to play with the pro's. Anytime I played him he would play the heckler on the side and watch the english I would cue in on the cue ball and make comments. He ended up showing me so much and improving my game more than anyone. I haven't been in any touranments since getting to my level of play I'm at now, but I have been in some gambling matches and just started BCA. Been stroking the ball very well the last 5 months. I'm looking for tournaments in my area now.
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Do they still have them at the Robins Nest. That was a sweet spot 15-20 years ago.
 
They still have tournaments but the action is nowhere near what it used to be 15-20 years ago
 
Haven't heard of Robin's nest. I've only been in Lubbock for 3 weeks. I frequent Fast Eddie's religiously. Anyone got a number for that hall? I don't remember that name when I looked up the local pool halls.
 
Who all you matching up with down there in Lubbock? anyway that bar is on 34th and Slide Rd 806-799-9908 they have 9ball tourny on wed. @8pm and on sun. @6pm and scotch doubles on sat nite
 
I play a bit better, but only if I am playing a new person or one I don't play regularly. I don't focus totally when playing people I shoot with all the time, it's a friendly tournament and I think it's better if different people have a chance to win. Almost all the places to play in are an hour or more from my house, so I just play in one small tournament, with mostly regulars. The one time I went to a tougher place (Wed. night in Snookers, RI) I won 2 in a row, then lost two close ones in a row, which is pretty good considering the competition there is As and Bs, so I'd have to say I play better generally.
 
Tournament Play

I play a little better in tournaments than when I practice. The funny thing is when I really try and focus in practice I play even better than I normally do in tournaments. Funny how that works!!!

I keep my intensity and focus when I practice now. When I start to lose either one (in about 30 to 45 minutes) I quit practicing for at least 30 minutes and I start practicing again for another 30 - 45 minutes. Once I lose the intensity/focus the second time I quit for at least 3-4 hours if not the whole day. This seems to work better for me than playing 3-4 hours banging the balls around.
 
Here is something that REALLY disapoints me. A friend of mine plays in a weekly tourney and kept telling me "you need to come to this thing you will clean up" I never went then found myself with nothing to do so I went. As I got there he began introducing me to all the people who played all the time. They would say "Oh your the good player that he keeps telling us about" that kind of thing. So I find out that it is on 6ft tables 9ball Race to 2.... Race to 2??? I have played well but also done all the work for a banger to knock in the 8 & 9. One match I scratched on the 8 in both games. So I really don't like the format and I have played some top pros and done better against them on a 9fter than I do at that tourney. My pronlem now is that I have watched them play. I know I am better than all of them yet I can't win the thing. Do I keep going back> or is that format just a matter of luck? My buddy has won the thing twice and he agrees that he wouyld have no chance against me he is about an AZ5. I already voted but I wanted to see if anyone else has been in the same spot.
 
Can't respond to the poll...

For me it really depends on the tourney situation.

On the girls side, if my mental game is in check for the weekend, I will play the same or just a bit better then I do during practice. However, if I get pre-occupied with the score, how the other person is playing, what's happening at the tourney table, etc, I will play as bad as 50% of my normal game. I rarely get nervous playing against girls, so this normally does not play into my tournament speed.

Against the guys, it's a little different. When I play guys I am familiar with, I will play at or just above my average level. When I play guys I do not know, I will play below my average game 90% of the time. I tend to get nervous playing guys who don't me and when I play, I tend to try to prove that I can play well, which normally back fires. :o
 
I can't spell tunramant. Gambling, you see the cash as you go. Tourneys you have to look at every game as your last. My concentration just isn't set up that way. You get two bad rolls in a tournament, you might be done. Gambling, for the long haul, the rolls (most of the time) equal out. I don't get out as much as I used to. I have to constantly be entertained. Otherwise, I lose focus. Plus, the lower level player is playing like his life depends on it. He is trying to knock off the better player, like the world will end if he doesn't. I take certain matches for granted, because I know he needs the seven. Terrible viewpoint, I know. Can't help it. Player can't help it. And I'm back. Sorry, I was listening to Fergie.
 
Playing

I gamble better than playing in tournaments. I started out gambling, they had no tournaments when I grew up around Dodge City, and I didn't play in my first tournament until I was in the Navy stationed in California.

Playing in tournaments was kind of like a separate learning experience for me, and it took some time before I really got comfortable with it. I never shot in a Pool league either until the mid 80's, but I did gamble a lot before then.

What gets me though, is that in tournaments, 16 players and up, players will go for 2-3 times what I go for in the calcutta, that I give the 7 ball to in gambling. Never ceases to amaze me.
 
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