is it the alcohol or your state of mind ? kinda long

[lorider]

1st a lil background so you will know what i am leading up to.

i practicaly lived in bars in my younger days playing pool. got good enough to be called a hustler and a lot worse things more than once. also had to make some pretty quick exits with the money several times .

quit to do the raising a family thing for 20 or so years. wound up single again so i took up the bars and pool thing again.

wound up playing league a few years ago and found out there are a whole lot better players than what i saw in most bars back in my younger years.

i quit drinking 2 years ago and i noticed my game suffered because of it. i kept telling myself it was just my imagination but my friends kept saying my game was not as good as it was when i drank.

this past session my game has really took a nose dive. a few times the last month i have thought about taking a break from pool because my game has gone down hill. during the last 2 years i have always had the best winning percentage on my teams until the last session where i have the worst record. i have been feeling like i am not holding up my part.

during the last 2 months i have entered several qualifiers and went 2 and out in most of them. the last 2 years prior i won the qualifier with no problem.

what happened tonight is why i am writing this post.

i went to the poolhall to enter a qualifier and it was cancelled due to not having enough players. 1 person was telling us about a local bar tournament starting in a lil bit and it was close by. several of us decided to go.

the kinda bar most serious pool player loathe. shitty tables, loud ass juke box and the most god awful karoake singers you ever heard.

i felt right at home so i ordered a beer. by the time the tournament started i had put away 2 and just ordered another one. i was just thinking i liked my chances of snapping this lil tournament off because it was just bar patrons and some guys from league that i could beat if my game was on.

in walks 3 guys i know from the pool hall and i say to the td who is a good friend of mine , damn i thought i had this tourny until they walked in. these 3 guys are pretty good players and are above playing in the apa, you know the kind i am describing. they said it was dead at the poolhall and had heard about this tourny.

this tourny was non handicapped and a race to 2 double elimination.

my 1st match was comical but would have pissed off most of you serious players on this forum. i played a drunk that was holding up the table when he was shooting or was it holding him up ? he was staggering all over the place. after he broke and made a solid in the 1st rack he shot at a stripe. i told him bih for me and picked up the cueball. he looked at me and asked , why did you pick up the cueball. i called over the td and had her explain the rules to him. i finished the match winning 2-0 with no further incidents other than watching him staggering from shot to shot.

my next opponent was a league player and i won that 2-0 also. the 3rd match was against one of the serious players and i won 2-1. i fully expected him to hand me my ass but i was shooting better and better as the tourny went on.

i beat one of the other serious players 2 matches later and wound up on the hot seat.

i faced the last serious player in the finals and we agreed to split the pot as it was 1:30am. i sat down and had one last beer and thought about what transpired tonight. i played the best pool i have played in a long time.

i think there were several factors involved.

1. i played under no pressure about letting teamates down.

2. i felt at ease in my surroundings, i think the alchohol helped

3. the 3 serious players were out of their comfort zone.

at the pool hall i would have been as nervous as a long tailed cat in a room full of rockers facing either one of those 3 players. although i beat 2 of them tonight in a non handicapped tourny i still think they are better players than me.

funny how the mind works aint it ?

 

[naji]

1st a lil background so you will know what i am leading up to.

i practicaly lived in bars in my younger days playing pool. got good enough to be called a hustler and a lot worse things more than once. also had to make some pretty quick exits with the money several times .

quit to do the raising a family thing for 20 or so years. wound up single again so i took up the bars and pool thing again.

wound up playing league a few years ago and found out there are a whole lot better players than what i saw in most bars back in my younger years.

i quit drinking 2 years ago and i noticed my game suffered because of it. i kept telling myself it was just my imagination but my friends kept saying my game was not as good as it was when i drank.

this past session my game has really took a nose dive. a few times the last month i have thought about taking a break from pool because my game has gone down hill. during the last 2 years i have always had the best winning percentage on my teams until the last session where i have the worst record. i have been feeling like i am not holding up my part.

during the last 2 months i have entered several qualifiers and went 2 and out in most of them. the last 2 years prior i won the qualifier with no problem.

what happened tonight is why i am writing this post.

i went to the poolhall to enter a qualifier and it was cancelled due to not having enough players. 1 person was telling us about a local bar tournament starting in a lil bit and it was close by. several of us decided to go.

the kinda bar most serious pool player loathe. shitty tables, loud ass juke box and the most god awful karoake singers you ever heard.

i felt right at home so i ordered a beer. by the time the tournament started i had put away 2 and just ordered another one. i was just thinking i liked my chances of snapping this lil tournament off because it was just bar patrons and some guys from league that i could beat if my game was on.

in walks 3 guys i know from the pool hall and i say to the td who is a good friend of mine , damn i thought i had this tourny until they walked in. these 3 guys are pretty good players and are above playing in the apa, you know the kind i am describing. they said it was dead at the poolhall and had heard about this tourny.

this tourny was non handicapped and a race to 2 double elimination.

my 1st match was comical but would have pissed off most of you serious players on this forum. i played a drunk that was holding up the table when he was shooting or was it holding him up ? he was staggering all over the place. after he broke and made a solid in the 1st rack he shot at a stripe. i told him bih for me and picked up the cueball. he looked at me and asked , why did you pick up the cueball. i called over the td and had her explain the rules to him. i finished the match winning 2-0 with no further incidents other than watching him staggering from shot to shot.

my next opponent was a league player and i won that 2-0 also. the 3rd match was against one of the serious players and i won 2-1. i fully expected him to hand me my ass but i was shooting better and better as the tourny went on.

i beat one of the other serious players 2 matches later and wound up on the hot seat.

i faced the last serious player in the finals and we agreed to split the pot as it was 1:30am. i sat down and had one last beer and thought about what transpired tonight. i played the best pool i have played in a long time.

i think there were several factors involved.

1. i played under no pressure about letting teamates down.

2. i felt at ease in my surroundings, i think the alchohol helped

3. the 3 serious players were out of their comfort zone.

at the pool hall i would have been as nervous as a long tailed cat in a room full of rockers facing either one of those 3 players. although i beat 2 of them tonight in a non handicapped tourny i still think they are better players than me.

funny how the mind works aint it ?

At times winning a game does not constitute playing good, your opponent might have missed more often and you capitalized on it, or got lucky. Repeat good performance will judge you in the future. Alcohol diffidently not a factor, other wise you will see all pros are drunk while playing!!! i used to play a guy 10 years ago, who almost always drunk, he never stops talking during my shots, he made the environment so uncomfortable where he ends up winning and eventually got barred from entering the pool hall.

 

[thintowin]

used to play a guy 10 years ago, who almost always drunk, he never stops talking during my shots, he made the environment so uncomfortable where he ends up winning and eventually got barred from entering the pool hall.[/QUOTE]

barred for talking? wow that's unreal.

 

[naji]

used to play a guy 10 years ago, who almost always drunk, he never stops talking during my shots, he made the environment so uncomfortable where he ends up winning and eventually got barred from entering the pool hall.

barred for talking? wow that's unreal.[/QUOTE]

Not talking, but getting drunk all the time, and getting in trouble with those that have short fuse! led to a big fight, they kicked him out

 

[hitman22]

A crutch!

Booze is nothing but a crutch dude, and in the end will fuc!!!!!! up your life,whether you use it to deal with anything you like or to accomplish, tasks or goals on it,in the end you lose.I am 66 and most of my life drank until two years ago after my wife died I started to hit it really heavy,well xmas day of 2010 I went to put flowers on her grave at the cememtary and had been drinking patron and hit a tree there,totaled my car got arrested and almost killed my daughter.You want to win do it off adrenline.Show me a boozer and I will show you a loser.
Hitman

 

[Chopdoc]

Kick somebody out because people get mad at him because he is winning?

Wow.

Somehow, I don't think that came off the way you intended.



Anyway, about the original post...certainly alcohol has an effect. It has bad effects, but if you are used to it, it is certainly more difficult to perform well without it. I would say it was the combination of factors though...a sort of perfect storm if you will.

I have been out of the pool halls for a long time. I am not as comfortable there. I am very comfortable at a local bar. People know me there. They had two crappy bar boxes, now they have one. I know that table like the back of my hand. About two years ago a guy comes in when I am playing and puts his quarters up. I could tell he was a good player, but he was using a house cue. After I beat him he asked if he could use my cue if we played again. I was using my JOSS. I said "no".

Now, I have been playing with my JOSS since 1985. Yes, I take it to the bar. No, you can't try it. If I have known you for a while, we are friends, and I want you to know what it is like, I will offer for you to try it. But I sure won't just hand it to a stranger.

Anyway, the guy says "I'll be right back." I figure he would be back later but he was back in less than a minute. He only went to his car. He was carrying a nice Instroke case and when he opened it there was about four grand in a coupe of cues in there. He was obviously a player.

So I beat him soundly a few more games.

He wanted nine ball. OK. I beat him at that too.

It seemed obvious to me the guy thought he was holding back at first, especially using the house cue. I could also see his frustration when he thought he was going to kick it up a notch or two on me.

After he left the folks at the bar asked if I knew who he was. I said no. They told me he was some kind of a big shot player in the region.....I still don't remember the guys name but I wasn't impressed. I also know that if I had run into him in a pool hall I would have been more uncomfortable, a lot more uncomfortable. As it was I was playing in a smokey bar, drinking beer, listening to a loud juke box, with loud drunk people all around. My friends, my place, my table...my environment.

Anyway, I am glad you had a good tournament. I myself doubt I will ever enter any kind of tournament ever again. I never played many anyway, I played for cash. I know I will never join any kind of league again, I only ever did it one season about 13-14 years ago and hated it. I just want to play pool. No BS, just pool. It's kind of nice this way, for me anyway. I don't care if I win or lose. I just like to play. The feel of the cue, the sounds. It's magic. I missed it and now I just enjoy it when I can do it.



.



.

 

[JuicyGirl]

I think it's very likely you are an awesome player. I do believe that drinking makes people worse during the matches. However, to each his own. Don't get hammered but have a couple of drinks. Have a designated driver if you plan on drinking a lot.

Personally. My games takes a ridiculous dive down in to an abyss when I drink. My better half seems to do better when he drinks. If we are out for play play with friends, I'll have a few drinks. If we are out for league I stay sober. So far this season I've won 7 of my 9 matches.

For me to transition to playing sober was hard. But it has paid off. I almost left out I do take anxiety meds, they help curb my jitters in the match. But if I forget, I can be consumed by the anxiety. Alcohol doesn't help me at that point.

 

[Ghosst]

1. i played under no pressure about letting teamates down.

2. i felt at ease in my surroundings, i think the alchohol helped

3. the 3 serious players were out of their comfort zone.

at the pool hall i would have been as nervous as a long tailed cat in a room full of rockers facing either one of those 3 players. although i beat 2 of them tonight in a non handicapped tourny i still think they are better players than me.

funny how the mind works aint it ?

How many drunks do you know who think clearly? I mean really think, not planning a runout, but have that constant inner voice chattering away. Or does the alcohol dim that voice and the inhibitions it brings with it?

Sounds like it's all about being comfortable, mind at ease, no pressure. Alcohol is one way to quiet the thinking mind, but not the only way.



.

 

[Tony_in_MD]

First congrats on your performance.

A 4th factor that you need to consider is the short race format. Anything can happen in a race to two.

1st a lil background so you will know what i am leading up to.

i practicaly lived in bars in my younger days playing pool. got good enough to be called a hustler and a lot worse things more than once. also had to make some pretty quick exits with the money several times .

quit to do the raising a family thing for 20 or so years. wound up single again so i took up the bars and pool thing again.

wound up playing league a few years ago and found out there are a whole lot better players than what i saw in most bars back in my younger years.

i quit drinking 2 years ago and i noticed my game suffered because of it. i kept telling myself it was just my imagination but my friends kept saying my game was not as good as it was when i drank.

this past session my game has really took a nose dive. a few times the last month i have thought about taking a break from pool because my game has gone down hill. during the last 2 years i have always had the best winning percentage on my teams until the last session where i have the worst record. i have been feeling like i am not holding up my part.

during the last 2 months i have entered several qualifiers and went 2 and out in most of them. the last 2 years prior i won the qualifier with no problem.

what happened tonight is why i am writing this post.

i went to the poolhall to enter a qualifier and it was cancelled due to not having enough players. 1 person was telling us about a local bar tournament starting in a lil bit and it was close by. several of us decided to go.

the kinda bar most serious pool player loathe. shitty tables, loud ass juke box and the most god awful karoake singers you ever heard.

i felt right at home so i ordered a beer. by the time the tournament started i had put away 2 and just ordered another one. i was just thinking i liked my chances of snapping this lil tournament off because it was just bar patrons and some guys from league that i could beat if my game was on.

in walks 3 guys i know from the pool hall and i say to the td who is a good friend of mine , damn i thought i had this tourny until they walked in. these 3 guys are pretty good players and are above playing in the apa, you know the kind i am describing. they said it was dead at the poolhall and had heard about this tourny.

this tourny was non handicapped and a race to 2 double elimination.

my 1st match was comical but would have pissed off most of you serious players on this forum. i played a drunk that was holding up the table when he was shooting or was it holding him up ? he was staggering all over the place. after he broke and made a solid in the 1st rack he shot at a stripe. i told him bih for me and picked up the cueball. he looked at me and asked , why did you pick up the cueball. i called over the td and had her explain the rules to him. i finished the match winning 2-0 with no further incidents other than watching him staggering from shot to shot.

my next opponent was a league player and i won that 2-0 also. the 3rd match was against one of the serious players and i won 2-1. i fully expected him to hand me my ass but i was shooting better and better as the tourny went on.

i beat one of the other serious players 2 matches later and wound up on the hot seat.

i faced the last serious player in the finals and we agreed to split the pot as it was 1:30am. i sat down and had one last beer and thought about what transpired tonight. i played the best pool i have played in a long time.

i think there were several factors involved.

1. i played under no pressure about letting teamates down.

2. i felt at ease in my surroundings, i think the alchohol helped

3. the 3 serious players were out of their comfort zone.

at the pool hall i would have been as nervous as a long tailed cat in a room full of rockers facing either one of those 3 players. although i beat 2 of them tonight in a non handicapped tourny i still think they are better players than me.

funny how the mind works aint it ?

 

[david(tx)]

1st a lil background so you will know what i am leading up to.

i practicaly lived in bars in my younger days playing pool. got good enough to be called a hustler and a lot worse things more than once. also had to make some pretty quick exits with the money several times .

quit to do the raising a family thing for 20 or so years. wound up single again so i took up the bars and pool thing again.

wound up playing league a few years ago and found out there are a whole lot better players than what i saw in most bars back in my younger years.

i quit drinking 2 years ago and i noticed my game suffered because of it. i kept telling myself it was just my imagination but my friends kept saying my game was not as good as it was when i drank.

this past session my game has really took a nose dive. a few times the last month i have thought about taking a break from pool because my game has gone down hill. during the last 2 years i have always had the best winning percentage on my teams until the last session where i have the worst record. i have been feeling like i am not holding up my part.

during the last 2 months i have entered several qualifiers and went 2 and out in most of them. the last 2 years prior i won the qualifier with no problem.

what happened tonight is why i am writing this post.

i went to the poolhall to enter a qualifier and it was cancelled due to not having enough players. 1 person was telling us about a local bar tournament starting in a lil bit and it was close by. several of us decided to go.

the kinda bar most serious pool player loathe. shitty tables, loud ass juke box and the most god awful karoake singers you ever heard.

i felt right at home so i ordered a beer. by the time the tournament started i had put away 2 and just ordered another one. i was just thinking i liked my chances of snapping this lil tournament off because it was just bar patrons and some guys from league that i could beat if my game was on.

in walks 3 guys i know from the pool hall and i say to the td who is a good friend of mine , damn i thought i had this tourny until they walked in. these 3 guys are pretty good players and are above playing in the apa, you know the kind i am describing. they said it was dead at the poolhall and had heard about this tourny.

this tourny was non handicapped and a race to 2 double elimination.

my 1st match was comical but would have pissed off most of you serious players on this forum. i played a drunk that was holding up the table when he was shooting or was it holding him up ? he was staggering all over the place. after he broke and made a solid in the 1st rack he shot at a stripe. i told him bih for me and picked up the cueball. he looked at me and asked , why did you pick up the cueball. i called over the td and had her explain the rules to him. i finished the match winning 2-0 with no further incidents other than watching him staggering from shot to shot.

my next opponent was a league player and i won that 2-0 also. the 3rd match was against one of the serious players and i won 2-1. i fully expected him to hand me my ass but i was shooting better and better as the tourny went on.

i beat one of the other serious players 2 matches later and wound up on the hot seat.

i faced the last serious player in the finals and we agreed to split the pot as it was 1:30am. i sat down and had one last beer and thought about what transpired tonight. i played the best pool i have played in a long time.

i think there were several factors involved.

1. i played under no pressure about letting teamates down.

2. i felt at ease in my surroundings, i think the alchohol helped

3. the 3 serious players were out of their comfort zone.

at the pool hall i would have been as nervous as a long tailed cat in a room full of rockers facing either one of those 3 players. although i beat 2 of them tonight in a non handicapped tourny i still think they are better players than me.

funny how the mind works aint it ?

Sounds like your a tense person and when you have a few beers you relax and your thinking process slows down , but there is a tipping point where it goes the other way.

 

[lorider]

Booze is nothing but a crutch dude, and in the end will fuc!!!!!! up your life,whether you use it to deal with anything you like or to accomplish, tasks or goals on it,in the end you lose.I am 66 and most of my life drank until two years ago after my wife died I started to hit it really heavy,well xmas day of 2010 I went to put flowers on her grave at the cememtary and had been drinking patron and hit a tree there,totaled my car got arrested and almost killed my daughter.You want to win do it off adrenline.Show me a boozer and I will show you a loser.
Hitman

i am glad you and your daughter survived. statistics show all to often the drunk person survives and the innicent are killed or hurt pretty badly.

i consider myself a responsible person, if i thought i consumed more than i should i got a ride or called a cab.

last night i was not driving, my gf dropped me off at the pool hall and picked me up at the bar.

 

[lorider]

Kick somebody out because people get mad at him because he is winning?

Wow.

Somehow, I don't think that came off the way you intended.



Anyway, about the original post...certainly alcohol has an effect. It has bad effects, but if you are used to it, it is certainly more difficult to perform well without it. I would say it was the combination of factors though...a sort of perfect storm if you will.

I have been out of the pool halls for a long time. I am not as comfortable there. I am very comfortable at a local bar. People know me there. They had two crappy bar boxes, now they have one. I know that table like the back of my hand. About two years ago a guy comes in when I am playing and puts his quarters up. I could tell he was a good player, but he was using a house cue. After I beat him he asked if he could use my cue if we played again. I was using my JOSS. I said "no".

Now, I have been playing with my JOSS since 1985. Yes, I take it to the bar. No, you can't try it. If I have known you for a while, we are friends, and I want you to know what it is like, I will offer for you to try it. But I sure won't just hand it to a stranger.

Anyway, the guy says "I'll be right back." I figure he would be back later but he was back in less than a minute. He only went to his car. He was carrying a nice Instroke case and when he opened it there was about four grand in a coupe of cues in there. He was obviously a player.

So I beat him soundly a few more games.

He wanted nine ball. OK. I beat him at that too.

It seemed obvious to me the guy thought he was holding back at first, especially using the house cue. I could also see his frustration when he thought he was going to kick it up a notch or two on me.

After he left the folks at the bar asked if I knew who he was. I said no. They told me he was some kind of a big shot player in the region.....I still don't remember the guys name but I wasn't impressed. I also know that if I had run into him in a pool hall I would have been more uncomfortable, a lot more uncomfortable. As it was I was playing in a smokey bar, drinking beer, listening to a loud juke box, with loud drunk people all around. My friends, my place, my table...my environment.

Anyway, I am glad you had a good tournament. I myself doubt I will ever enter any kind of tournament ever again. I never played many anyway, I played for cash. I know I will never join any kind of league again, I only ever did it one season about 13-14 years ago and hated it. I just want to play pool. No BS, just pool. It's kind of nice this way, for me anyway. I don't care if I win or lose. I just like to play. The feel of the cue, the sounds. It's magic. I missed it and now I just enjoy it when I can do it.



.



.

that is one of the factors i was talking about doc. your environment and how you adapt.

most of my pool playing years have been in smoky dive bars.

 

[xplor]

You perform as you learn. If you drank while you were learning , you will shoot best while you drink. The problem comes as your health deteriorates from drinking.

 

[lorider]

I think it's very likely you are an awesome player. I do believe that drinking makes people worse during the matches. However, to each his own. Don't get hammered but have a couple of drinks. Have a designated driver if you plan on drinking a lot.

Personally. My games takes a ridiculous dive down in to an abyss when I drink. My better half seems to do better when he drinks. If we are out for play play with friends, I'll have a few drinks. If we are out for league I stay sober. So far this season I've won 7 of my 9 matches.

For me to transition to playing sober was hard. But it has paid off. I almost left out I do take anxiety meds, they help curb my jitters in the match. But if I forget, I can be consumed by the anxiety. Alcohol doesn't help me at that point.

i dont think i am an awesome player but i have been known to have some pretty good days at the table.

as far as someone thinking you are a good player or not it is all a matter of perspective.

i have had some people say i was pretty darn good and ask if i would give lessons, on the other hand i have had people whip me like a red headed step child on the table.

last night was the 1st time in 2 years i had a few beers. i did not get hammered, just drank till i felt relaxed. probably be a few more years before i touch another one.:smile:

i was just suprised at how well i played last night against people i know are more knowledgable at pool than i am. i just wanted to share my experience. i dont attribute my sucess last night soley to having a few beers. like i said those 3 guys were out of their comfort zone. they are used to playing on well maintaned table and the only sound you hear are balls clacking.

 

[lorider]

How many drunks do you know who think clearly? I mean really think, not planning a runout, but have that constant inner voice chattering away. Or does the alcohol dim that voice and the inhibitions it brings with it?

Sounds like it's all about being comfortable, mind at ease, no pressure. Alcohol is one way to quiet the thinking mind, but not the only way.



.

i have not gotten drunk since i was in my 30's, i am now 58, i got wise years ago what getting drunk can do to you.

i am well aware that excess alcohol can limit your thought process.

the 1st opponent i played last night was a perfect example, i think i could have beat him playing off handed because he was so drunk.

 

[lorider]

Sounds like your a tense person and when you have a few beers you relax and your thinking process slows down , but there is a tipping point where it goes the other way.

i would not say i am a tense person. i think it is a matter of putting too much pressure on myself lately to constantly maintain the winning percentage my teamates have apparently come to expect of me.

it has gotten to the point lately where i wait till the last minute to leave the house for league. i play on 4 teams and it seems like a job now instead of a night out enjoying pool.

last night was no pressure at all. it was just a cheap tournament where i just wanted to play pool without caring if i won or not.

i was pretty suprised at my level of play under those circumstances.

 

[CreeDo]

i have not gotten drunk since i was in my 30's, i am now 58, i got wise years ago what getting drunk can do to you.

Then why did you quit drinking 2 years ago?
Usually people don't quit unless they have a problem. And often not even then.

If alcohol was causing problems in your life, splitting the pot in some shitty local bar tournaments seems like a the worst possible reason to jump off the bandwagon.

What are you looking for? Approval? Ok man, congratulations, you have a psychological crutch and if you lean on it heavily enough, you might pocket 50 dollars from some no-name, shooting the kind of pool that would make most serious players puke.

Sorry to be harsh, you might be a pretty good guy, but this story reads like an alcoholic in denial.

 

[Banks]

1. i played under no pressure about letting teamates down.

2. i felt at ease in my surroundings, i think the alchohol helped

3. the 3 serious players were out of their comfort zone.

I'd say you're trying too hard. When you're drinking, you're more relax and more involved with the idea of just having fun. Same with league.. you're sober and focusing so much on the win and 'not choking'.

I've had the same problem of not playing well for league.. it came down to a couple of things. The first was that I was trying too hard to play how I though I should play, instead of just playing. The second was that I was thinking too much about what was at stake(a win for the team), instead of just playing.

Go out, remember that you'd rather be there playing than mucking around at work, and get your game on. :thumbup:

I just took a month off drinking. Figured out I'm a little better when I'm sober. The better part about it was that there was no such thing as being 'too sober' and having my game fall apart.