Is your best game one you actually don't prefer?

[Chili Palmer]

Totally.

I personally lose interest playing 9 ball. Moreso when playing a weaker opponent. But by myself it’s no fun at all. Thats why I only practice 8. I don’t care what anybody says about it. 9 ball is simple. That doesn’t mean it’s easier. But It’s only one pattern. Thats it. If you are having trouble in 9 ball think about it that way and your game will probably improve some. There is really nothing to think about.

8 ball has lots of patterns. And you can change it up whenever you want to. Now I’ll get ragged on some. But IMO if you play 8 ball the same exact way you play 9 ball you better be a 700+ if you want the same B&R percentage. I’m talking about playing a set 8 ball pattern from the get go. Playing 8 ball that way there are too many obstacles to set yourself on just one pattern unless you have perfect positional play. 8 ball is multiple smaller patterns. Playing it like 9 ball you don’t leave a lot of the extra “optional” shots you do by playing multiple patterns or by section. As Chili said earlier or in another thread 8 ball is about shot selection. Im gonna take it one step further and say it’s shot selection with small(2-4 ball) patterns. Until you get really good and can do whatever you want. That’s also why you see some strong 9 ball players in the 600-650 range that struggle when they try to play 8. They are trying to play a 7-8 ball pattern and with all the extra balls out there it’s much more difficult to play that way. Again IMO. But I’ve seen it 100’s of times. Plus if I personally try to play 8 ball the same exact way I play 9 ball my B&R goes way down.

All in all though. My best game is probably 1 pocket and I never play it. Maybe that’s why it’s my best game.

Your post contradicts itself. You say 9B is easier but 8B has extra optional shots so if you get out of shape you can change your pattern if needed, you can't do that in 9B so you better be able to get shape. You also mention in 8B you better be a 700 if you're going to stick to your pattern, well guess what, in 9B - you don't get to change your pattern so you better be able to put that CB wherever you want, whenever you want, hence, it's the harder of the two. Yes, there are people out there who cannot choose the proper pattern in 8B but can bang balls and get lucky in 9B, those people do not apply here because in the long run against someone of playing ability, with better pattern selection will lose.

 

[Willowbrook Wolfy]

Your post contradicts itself. You say 9B is easier but 8B has extra optional shots so if you get out of shape you can change your pattern if needed, you can't do that in 9B so you better be able to get shape. You also mention in 8B you better be a 700 if you're going to stick to your pattern, well guess what, in 9B - you don't get to change your pattern so you better be able to put that CB wherever you want, whenever you want, hence, it's the harder of the two. Yes, there are people out there who cannot choose the proper pattern in 8B but can bang balls and get lucky in 9B, those people do not apply here because in the long run against someone of playing ability, with better pattern selection will lose.

Not contradicting Chili. We all see things differently. That post is my opinion. To me 9 ball is the simpler game. I specified that that doesn’t mean it’s easier. I’m saying the pattern is easy in 9 ball. There is only 1 pattern. It’s simple to figure the pattern out. Takes maybe 15 seconds. occasionally there is a bad spot that takes maybe 10 more seconds to figure out. The execution is the hard part but that doesn’t require brain power. That requires skill that you should have acquired in practice. Therefore requiring little to no thought. It should require little to no effort because your body knows what to do. There is a set order that you have to hit the balls in. Everything is set before ever getting to the table. I know what I will do on all the balls before I shoot the first one. If that changes it’s only going to effect 1 or 2 balls. Not all of them.

In 8 I do the same and plan a run before shooting, but that pattern can change constantly. Maybe I want to shoot the 12 instead of the 13. Can’t do that in 9. There is much more thinking involved in 8 ball than in 9 IMHO. Because there is no set order. Unless you have the skill to consistently play a set order. And I haven’t seen any 9 ball players under a 700 that can do it that way. There is actually only one person I know that can keep up with my B&R% playing that way. Every single person in the 600’s that has tried to run tables like that in 9 ball against me has fallen on their faces. I just out offense them. You need to have the ball control of around a 700 to maneuver around all those balls and through the tighter windows that 8 ball presents you. Thats what I was saying. It’s just how I see it. I know a few players in the 5-600’s that don’t play 8 ball the same as 9 ball and have better results than those that do.

I guess if you don’t see 8 and 9 as two totally different games you won’t understand what I am saying here. I’ve been around a long time. Could be that my first 12 yrs and 10000 hours of pool were strictly 8 ball. It literally took close to 3 yrs (8 hrs a day but only 4 on 9). to figure out how to play 9 ball after that. It made no sense at first. Now I feel like it’s the simpler game. So to me I see each as their own game. A lot of people have always played both. So maybe they don’t see a difference in the games. But for me. If I play 8 ball the same as I play 9 ball my B&R percentage goes down at least 10%. So this is all coming from personal experience.

 

[Chili Palmer]

Not contradicting Chili. We all see things differently. That post is my opinion. To me 9 ball is the simpler game. I specified that that doesn’t mean it’s easier. I’m saying the pattern is easy in 9 ball. There is only 1 pattern. It’s simple to figure the pattern out. Takes maybe 15 seconds. occasionally there is a bad spot that takes maybe 10 more seconds to figure out. The execution is the hard part but that doesn’t require brain power. That requires skill that you should have acquired in practice. Therefore requiring little to no thought. It should require little to no effort because your body knows what to do. There is a set order that you have to hit the balls in. Everything is set before ever getting to the table. I know what I will do on all the balls before I shoot the first one. If that changes it’s only going to effect 1 or 2 balls. Not all of them.

In 8 I do the same and plan a run before shooting, but that pattern can change constantly. Maybe I want to shoot the 12 instead of the 13. Can’t do that in 9. There is much more thinking involved in 8 ball than in 9 IMHO. Because there is no set order. Unless you have the skill to consistently play a set order. And I haven’t seen any 9 ball players under a 700 that can do it that way. There is actually only one person I know that can keep up with my B&R% playing that way. Every single person in the 600’s that has tried to run tables like that in 9 ball against me has fallen on their faces. I just out offense them. You need to have the ball control of around a 700 to maneuver around all those balls and through the tighter windows that 8 ball presents you. Thats what I was saying. It’s just how I see it. I know a few players in the 5-600’s that don’t play 8 ball the same as 9 ball and have better results than those that do.

I guess if you don’t see 8 and 9 as two totally different games you won’t understand what I am saying here. I’ve been around a long time. Could be that my first 12 yrs and 10000 hours of pool were strictly 8 ball. It literally took close to 3 yrs (8 hrs a day but only 4 on 9). to figure out how to play 9 ball after that. It made no sense at first. Now I feel like it’s the simpler game. So to me I see each as their own game. A lot of people have always played both. So maybe they don’t see a difference in the games. But for me. If I play 8 ball the same as I play 9 ball my B&R percentage goes down at least 10%. So this is all coming from personal experience.

Actually, you are contradicting but, that's OK, two people are having a discussion.

Again, in my opinion, 9B is the harder game to win (unfortunately, I felt the need to add the win part) due to the "shot execution" portion. Any banger can figure out the next shot in 9B but, not only do you need to know patterns to get the leave you want, you need to execute the shot to win. If you get out of shape in 9B you're screwed, in 8B, there are WAY more options for you if you get out of shape. Again, 9B is the hard game to WIN. This thread is about your best game and in the end, in my opinion, 8B is easier than 9B, and therefore, probably the "best" game for most when these two games are considered.

I'm pretty sure we've been playing about the same length of time, I started in 1986.

P.S. Didn't you once say you had 25% B&R percentage (or something similar)? If so, maybe you're just the better player

 

[Willowbrook Wolfy]

Actually, you are contradicting but, that's OK, two people are having a discussion.

Again, in my opinion, 9B is the harder game to win (unfortunately, I felt the need to add the win part) due to the "shot execution" portion. Any banger can figure out the next shot in 9B but, not only do you need to know patterns to get the leave you want, you need to execute the shot to win. If you get out of shape in 9B you're screwed, in 8B, there are WAY more options for you if you get out of shape. Again, 9B is the hard game to WIN. This thread is about your best game and in the end, in my opinion, 8B is easier than 9B, and therefore, probably the "best" game for most when these two games are considered.

I'm pretty sure we've been playing about the same length of time, I started in 1986.

P.S. Didn't you once say you had 25% B&R percentage (or something similar)? If so, maybe you're just the better player

Ah. I do agree with you. 8 ball is probably the best for any skill level. You aren’t understanding the concept I am utilizing in this discussion though. Simple referred to one’s mental usage. 8 ball is more complex. But something being more complex in no way means it’s more difficult. It does take more brain power. Is it harder to walk in a perfectly straight line than it is to curve back and forth? Why is that? All you need to do is walk and you should be in a straight line. Walking in a straight line takes focus. Focus is lack of thoughts that don’t relate to the task at hand. So true focus is barely using your brain at all. Walking while curving back and forth is easier because your mind can wander. Thats what it naturally wants to do. I don’t consider true focus to be using your brain much. When you are truly focused you are only using your brain on one thing. I attached a snippet from an article showing focus only requires 5% of your energy while unfocus requires 20%. To me 9 ball has more focus involved and 8 ball has more unfocus.

On the last comment. With a fargorate listed at 490 and basing B&R% as an offense comparable to an avg 600 or so in 9 and ~650-700 in 8, i must play defense and strategy like a 350-400. You probably got me. I’ll go down swinging though! The stats don’t lie but neither does fargorate

 

[Mensabum]

Ah. I do agree with you. 8 ball is probably the best for any skill level. You aren’t understanding the concept I am utilizing in this discussion though. Simple referred to one’s mental usage. 8 ball is more complex. But something being more complex in no way means it’s more difficult. It does take more brain power. Is it harder to walk in a perfectly straight line than it is to curve back and forth? Why is that? All you need to do is walk and you should be in a straight line. Walking in a straight line takes focus. Focus is lack of thoughts that don’t relate to the task at hand. So true focus is barely using your brain at all. Walking while curving back and forth is easier because your mind can wander. Thats what it naturally wants to do. I don’t consider true focus to be using your brain much. When you are truly focused you are only using your brain on one thing. I attached a snippet from an article showing focus only requires 5% of your energy while unfocus requires 20%. To me 9 ball has more focus involved and 8 ball has more unfocus.

On the last comment. With a fargorate listed at 490 and basing B&R% as an offense comparable to an avg 600 or so in 9 and ~650-700 in 8, i must play defense and strategy like a 350-400. You probably got me. I’ll go down swinging though! The stats don’t lie but neither does fargorate

I prefer straight pool over any other game. Even tho it's becoming antiquated, it's the only game I don't lose focus on while playing. I have different stroke for 8 ball than the one I use in 9 ball.
I can lose focus bcuz these games stop. Run out, next game. 14:1 doesn't stop. The only way I can lose focus playing is when I get in high #s and the headache starts,
or I gotta piss like a racehorse bcuz of the diuretics I'm on. Lol. Ain't getting old grand??
B4 I get eaten alive about diff strokes, my 8 ball stroke is a bit tighter than my 9. I have a tendency to swing a bit more loose when playing 9 ball.
Idk if anyone else plays this way, but each game has its requisite shots and you need expertise in each to win consistently, imo.

 

[Willowbrook Wolfy]

.
Idk if anyone else plays this way, but each game has its requisite shots and you need expertise in each to win consistently, imo.

in a similar way I have different cue preferences for 8 and 9. Can use any cue for either but have a preference on which cue(s) I like to shoot with for each.

 

[ShootingArts]

I prefer straight pool over any other game. Even tho it's becoming antiquated, it's the only game I don't lose focus on while playing. I have different stroke for 8 ball than the one I use in 9 ball.
I can lose focus bcuz these games stop. Run out, next game. 14:1 doesn't stop. The only way I can lose focus playing is when I get in high #s and the headache starts,
or I gotta piss like a racehorse bcuz of the diuretics I'm on. Lol. Ain't getting old grand??
B4 I get eaten alive about diff strokes, my 8 ball stroke is a bit tighter than my 9. I have a tendency to swing a bit more loose when playing 9 ball.
Idk if anyone else plays this way, but each game has its requisite shots and you need expertise in each to win consistently, imo.

Good post! I found I used different strokes for different games long ago. Not with good reason, just used a longer stroke for nine ball than for eight or straight where I was more controlled. Didn't play one pocket then. My just got off work stroke was kinda wild and free after ten hours or so of no mistakes allowed two or three hundred feet up in the air. As I got drunk and lazy my stroke got more controlled and I played shape for minimum walking around the table!

I noticed this eventually and realized my most efficient play was my drunken style, wouldn't best of all be drunken style while reasonably sober? It was and I made a step forward in my pool skill level.

Hu

 

[sudocrushms]

Prefer 10-ball even though it drives me nuts at times, but my BR% is significantly higher in 8-ball. I would say 10 is significantly more difficult due to the break being tougher and needing to pot all the balls (but i'm also a glutton for punishment). Running a couple 10B racks in a row feels pretty freakin good though.
I think 8 ball is the lone game that is a little easier on a bigger table due to the lack of congestion. 8 ball on a tight 7 footer can be really close quarters (pun intended).

 

[Chili Palmer]

I prefer straight pool over any other game. Even tho it's becoming antiquated, it's the only game I don't lose focus on while playing. I have different stroke for 8 ball than the one I use in 9 ball.
I can lose focus bcuz these games stop. Run out, next game. 14:1 doesn't stop. The only way I can lose focus playing is when I get in high #s and the headache starts,
or I gotta piss like a racehorse bcuz of the diuretics I'm on. Lol. Ain't getting old grand??
B4 I get eaten alive about diff strokes, my 8 ball stroke is a bit tighter than my 9. I have a tendency to swing a bit more loose when playing 9 ball.
Idk if anyone else plays this way, but each game has its requisite shots and you need expertise in each to win consistently, imo.

I absolutely have a habit of playing fast & loose when playing 9B. If I bear down and focus my win percentage obviously goes up, which is the same for any pool game I play.

Regarding the requisite shots, you will have the same shots in pretty much all games, just not as frequently. In 9B the 2B might be on the other end of the table from 3B in a large portion of your games and in 8B you might have one solid on the other end of the table you have to get to, you'll just generally have more options in 8B to get there, you won't in 9B so you need a much more pure stroke and much more consistency to be able to get to that 3B in 9B.

Shot selection vs shot execution, big difference between the two.

 

[Mensabum]

Good post! I found I used different strokes for different games long ago. Not with good reason, just used a longer stroke for nine ball than for eight or straight where I was more controlled. Didn't play one pocket then. My just got off work stroke was kinda wild and free after ten hours or so of no mistakes allowed two or three hundred feet up in the air. As I got drunk and lazy my stroke got more controlled and I played shape for minimum walking around the table!

I noticed this eventually and realized my most efficient play was my drunken style, wouldn't best of all be drunken style while reasonably sober? It was and I made a step forward in my pool skill level.

Hu

Hu, you've been watching too many Jackie Chan 'Drunken Master' flicks!!

 

[Mensabum]

I absolutely have a habit of playing fast & loose when playing 9B. If I bear down and focus my win percentage obviously goes up, which is the same for any pool game I play.

Regarding the requisite shots, you will have the same shots in pretty much all games, just not as frequently. In 9B the 2B might be on the other end of the table from 3B in a large portion of your games and in 8B you might have one solid on the other end of the table you have to get to, you'll just generally have more options in 8B to get there, you won't in 9B so you need a much more pure stroke and much more consistency to be able to get to that 3B in 9B.

Shot selection vs shot execution, big difference between the two.

Well said my friend.

 

[ShootingArts]

Hu, you've been watching too many Jackie Chan 'Drunken Master' flicks!!

Believe it or not that drunken form is a legitimate school now. I had to watch a tourney a few years back because one of the fighters was using the drunken form effectively, I think this was the semi-final.

When I think about it, bar box eight ball was my favorite game, almost a crime the knots you could tie your opponent in and of course you could do to yourself to slow the roll.

Nine ball I was strong but I hated the six ball soon to follow. Took me awhile to realize most of my six ball opponents were weaker than me. Main thing, I hated the break. I have never found a six ball break I like. I bet Joe Tucker has one!

Hu

 

[Mensabum]

Believe it or not that drunken form is a legitimate school now. I had to watch a tourney a few years back because one of the fighters was using the drunken form effectively, I think this was the semi-final.

When I think about it, bar box eight ball was my favorite game, almost a crime the knots you could tie your opponent in and of course you could do to yourself to slow the roll.

Nine ball I was strong but I hated the six ball soon to follow. Took me awhile to realize most of my six ball opponents were weaker than me. Main thing, I hated the break. I have never found a six ball break I like. I bet Joe Tucker has one!

Hu

I had heard something to that effect.
The places you and I played only had those beat up bar boxes, unless you got lucky and one of your 'Farm' spots had an owner who'd take better care of his equipment.
You had to read those tables fast to put you on equal footing w the locals.
I preferred big tables, but when paying the bills, you take what you can get, where you can get it. And oftentimes it was some dive in the middle of nowhere you stopped at on your way to be where you wanted to be.
You probably hit more of those than damn near anybody on here Hu!!

 

[ShootingArts]

I had heard something to that effect.
The places you and I played only had those beat up bar boxes, unless you got lucky and one of your 'Farm' spots had an owner who'd take better care of his equipment.
You had to read those tables fast to put you on equal footing w the locals.
I preferred big tables, but when paying the bills, you take what you can get, where you can get it. And oftentimes it was some dive in the middle of nowhere you stopped at on your way to be where you wanted to be.
You probably hit more of those than damn near anybody on here Hu!!

You said a mouthful. "When paying the bills you take what you can get..." Sometimes you opened the door and the blood trails on the ceiling told you all you needed to know.

I hit my share of those "one of a kind" bar boxes. I suspect Jay Helfert and a few more top my experience on those boxes. The nice thing was when the road players came looking for me they usually found me at the corner bar near my home with two of those unique(grin) bar boxes. I never lost to a road player in that little place.

I am pretty sure the man that scouted me for three nights was Tom Ferry. He decided he would rather visit a bit than face that meat grinder. One thing, I was a big believer in home field advantage. Therefore it was a mental and physical advantage!

Some places I played had large unprotected or untinted windows. Wanna play a safety? Between four and five in the afternoon the entire nine feet on the left side of the table was a safety, even more so if the player carelessly leaned down into the shot before realizing they were looking directly into the afternoon sun! Did it myself and it could take close to a half hour for your eyes to get sharp again!

We lost him a few years back or I would have bet Scotty Townsend to have as many hours on a bar box as anyone in the lower 48. He could make them sing too!

Hu

 

[Mensabum]

You said a mouthful. "When paying the bills you take what you can get..." Sometimes you opened the door and the blood trails on the ceiling told you all you needed to know.

I hit my share of those "one of a kind" bar boxes. I suspect Jay Helfert and a few more top my experience on those boxes. The nice thing was when the road players came looking for me they usually found me at the corner bar near my home with two of those unique(grin) bar boxes. I never lost to a road player in that little place.

I am pretty sure the man that scouted me for three nights was Tom Ferry. He decided he would rather visit a bit than face that meat grinder. One thing, I was a big believer in home field advantage. Therefore it was a mental and physical advantage!

Some places I played had large unprotected or untinted windows. Wanna play a safety? Between four and five in the afternoon the entire nine feet on the left side of the table was a safety, even more so if the player carelessly leaned down into the shot before realizing they were looking directly into the afternoon sun! Did it myself and it could take close to a half hour for your eyes to get sharp again!

We lost him a few years back or I would have bet Scotty Townsend to have as many hours on a bar box as anyone in the lower 48. He could make them sing too!

Hu

If he was wearing that Hat, it was Tom. Loved by many. Missed by all.
Any advantage you can get on the road. I've played in places where the glare from outside made it a hard set.
Your eyes aren't designed to do that. I feel a headache coming on just taking about it. Lol.
Thanks for the good memories Hu!!

 

[ShootingArts]

If he was wearing that Hat, it was Tom. Loved by many. Missed by all.
Any advantage you can get on the road. I've played in places where the glare from outside made it a hard set.
Your eyes aren't designed to do that. I feel a headache coming on just taking about it. Lol.
Thanks for the good memories Hu!!

I didn't get to know Tom Long. He was no doubt deeply into cancer before I met him on AZB. I was going to wait six months or a year before asking if that was him in the Rac-it-Bac but there didn't seem any rush. Then he announced he had a few weeks to live and it wasn't important enough to bother with.

Full story to follow later today. Got to go see a doctor this morning. A plus, I am picking up more lady doctors lately and they are all pleasant and pleasant looking! Takes a little of the aggravation out of going see one.

Hu

 

[Mensabum]

I didn't get to know Tom Long. He was no doubt deeply into cancer before I met him on AZB. I was going to wait six months or a year before asking if that was him in the Rac-it-Bac but there didn't seem any rush. Then he announced he had a few weeks to live and it wasn't important enough to bother with.

Full story to follow later today. Got to go see a doctor this morning. A plus, I am picking up more lady doctors lately and they are all pleasant and pleasant looking! Takes a little of the aggravation out of going see one.

Hu

Lady Drs??
You dawg!!!
Awrooo!!! Hubba Hubba. Lol.
Betcha haven't heard that in a while.
They must all be down in your neck of the woods.
Only Drs up here are scraggly old men that make me feel like I'm looking in a mirror, saying 'Cough' w my pants down. Wtf???
I'm moving down there!!
Save me a seat homeboy.

 

[ShootingArts]

Lady Drs??
You dawg!!!
Awrooo!!! Hubba Hubba. Lol.
Betcha haven't heard that in a while.
They must all be down in your neck of the woods.
Only Drs up here are scraggly old men that make me feel like I'm looking in a mirror, saying 'Cough' w my pants down. Wtf???
I'm moving down there!!
Save me a seat homeboy.

Com'n down! The water is fine and I will spare you a doctor or two! I was regretting losing a young male doctor I got along with well when he moved away. Then I saw his replacement. She looked so good I looked her up one side and right back down the same side as Justin Wilson used to say. I had already checked out her credentials and saw she was highly rated. I said, "Hmmm, I may be able to tolerate this change!" or something like that.(grin) I found out patients were fighting to get to see her. Luck of the draw, I was assigned to her when my doctor left.

On to Tom Ferry, probably. Not a fantastic story, we didn't play. Maybe mildly entertaining story of how a road player moved, probably Tom. I go into my corner bar for the first cold beer of the night and to loosen up my arm before heading deeper into the world looking for a little action. I had a good business at the time and as long as I picked up a hundred or three a week playing pool more than I spent drinking I was happy.

I go in and notice a stranger at the bar. He has some kind of full sized invoice or sales pad in front of him. I didn't pay him a lot of mind. Sprinkling change from a hundred dollar bill like I often did in strange places would have got my attention but this place was probably a bit on the lower end of blue collar. I could have bought it a few years before for $2500 plus the monthly rental, three or four hundred best I recall.

There was a half wall in two sections between the bar and pool tables. Above the half walls were some one by six or eight inch slats at an angle. Gonna call him Tom for the story, it was part of the name he eventually gave. There was a gap between the two half walls for people to walk through which gave an ideal view of me playing pool on one of the two bar tables in the place. I noticed Tom watching, he noticed me noticing, soon after he shifted position to watch me through the slats. OK, this is interesting. Light three or five dollar action, not more than ten as the night progressed. Tom stayed until I left.

Next night Tom is back watching through the slats, no order book in sight. Same story as the first night, nodded heads at each other as I walked by getting a beer a time or two. My play had been nothing fancy but if Tom was indeed the watcher he saw I had never really lost control of the cue ball in ten or twelve hours total barroom play. I hadn't shot any showboating shots or even tough ones but the only times I got out of line were accidentally on purpose.

Third night in a row, Tom is back. He watched a couple three hours and decided to talk. He introduced himself as what I heard to be Tom Ferriday. My ears aren't the best, then again, Tom might not have been quite able to be honest! He said he had watched pool everywhere from coast to coast and I was the best he had seen! "Uh huh, uh huh, how big was that fish again?" I told him I got the rolls sometimes.

He said, "First night I thought you were lucky. Second night I still thought you might be lucky. Nobody in the world gets as lucky as you get three nights in a row." I wasn't a happy camper to be busted, It was a rare thing. Whoever it was watching, they were smart and experienced.

My impression, they might have been able to beat me but it was up in the air. I was risky business to tackle. He disappeared, never to be seen again after we talked twenty or thirty minutes. MO fit Tom, no doubt a lot of other people too. This was a long time ago and the window was open up to a thousand or so in fair sized chunks but Tom wasn't having any after watching me 12-14 hours total. Obviously he had my interest, I still remember him, whoever he was. Only time I have been scouted three nights in a row.

Hu

 

[Mensabum]

Com'n down! The water is fine and I will spare you a doctor or two! I was regretting losing a young male doctor I got along with well when he moved away. Then I saw his replacement. She looked so good I looked her up one side and right back down the same side as Justin Wilson used to say. I had already checked out her credentials and saw she was highly rated. I said, "Hmmm, I may be able to tolerate this change!" or something like that.(grin) I found out patients were fighting to get to see her. Luck of the draw, I was assigned to her when my doctor left.

On to Tom Ferry, probably. Not a fantastic story, we didn't play. Maybe mildly entertaining story of how a road player moved, probably Tom. I go into my corner bar for the first cold beer of the night and to loosen up my arm before heading deeper into the world looking for a little action. I had a good business at the time and as long as I picked up a hundred or three a week playing pool more than I spent drinking I was happy.

I go in and notice a stranger at the bar. He has some kind of full sized invoice or sales pad in front of him. I didn't pay him a lot of mind. Sprinkling change from a hundred dollar bill like I often did in strange places would have got my attention but this place was probably a bit on the lower end of blue collar. I could have bought it a few years before for $2500 plus the monthly rental, three or four hundred best I recall.

There was a half wall in two sections between the bar and pool tables. Above the half walls were some one by six or eight inch slats at an angle. Gonna call him Tom for the story, it was part of the name he eventually gave. There was a gap between the two half walls for people to walk through which gave an ideal view of me playing pool on one of the two bar tables in the place. I noticed Tom watching, he noticed me noticing, soon after he shifted position to watch me through the slats. OK, this is interesting. Light three or five dollar action, not more than ten as the night progressed. Tom stayed until I left.

Next night Tom is back watching through the slats, no order book in sight. Same story as the first night, nodded heads at each other as I walked by getting a beer a time or two. My play had been nothing fancy but if Tom was indeed the watcher he saw I had never really lost control of the cue ball in ten or twelve hours total barroom play. I hadn't shot any showboating shots or even tough ones but the only times I got out of line were accidentally on purpose.

Third night in a row, Tom is back. He watched a couple three hours and decided to talk. He introduced himself as what I heard to be Tom Ferriday. My ears aren't the best, then again, Tom might not have been quite able to be honest! He said he had watched pool everywhere from coast to coast and I was the best he had seen! "Uh huh, uh huh, how big was that fish again?" I told him I got the rolls sometimes.

He said, "First night I thought you were lucky. Second night I still thought you might be lucky. Nobody in the world gets as lucky as you get three nights in a row." I wasn't a happy camper to be busted, It was a rare thing. Whoever it was watching, they were smart and experienced.

My impression, they might have been able to beat me but it was up in the air. I was risky business to tackle. He disappeared, never to be seen again after we talked twenty or thirty minutes. MO fit Tom, no doubt a lot of other people too. This was a long time ago and the window was open up to a thousand or so in fair sized chunks but Tom wasn't having any after watching me 12-14 hours total. Obviously he had my interest, I still remember him, whoever he was. Only time I have been scouted three nights in a row.

Hu

Might seriously consider that offer Hu, if you can get me an appt to see that fine example of feminine form. Lol.
My guess is Tom heard about a killer in your bar of choice and had to come see if the stories were real.
If all he did was scout and never screwed any wood together, you must've been a monster. Tom was good. Period. Sweet Sweet stroke.
It's hard to imagine Tom not diving in. If you gave him pause, well... Nuff said.
Oh, to have been a fly on that wall!!!
I'm sure you and I have crossed paths in the past.
It'll come to me and I'll have you verify it so I know it's not dementia creeping in.
Maybe I can run that by your Dr!!!
Keep the latch strings out and the dawgs tied up. I'm a comin'.
Thank you for that story Hu!!
Gold. Pure 24K - As all of yours are.
Be well my friend.

 

[trob]

I prefer 1 pkt, but I had a better win percentage with 9 ball. Luck factor probably.

What luck factor? How many times do you dog position playing 8 ball but lucky enough you have 2 or 3 other balls that you can shoot at to continue your run. That’s lucky.. I play every day.. mostly the 9 ball ghost when I’m home and I don’t average lucking in a ball once a week. I don’t miss bad enough or hit the balls that hard that I luck balls in. The whole 9 ball is luck thing is over exaggerated .

I prefer rotation but honestly since becoming a much better 9 ball player 8 ball seems easy and whether at apa masters or tournaments I feel I run out easy. After 30 years of playing it’s tough for someone to out maneuver me. You just naturally so and see things from experience and running out feels easy . I guess you could say because of that 8 ball is my best game but I always prefer 9 or 10 ball