So last night I play the one guy locally who I am afraid to play. Not because he is a worldbeater, he isnt. He gets the called 8 and we played some $40 sets. When I play him, I have never seen anyone roll better in 20 years of play. So I tell him it's got to be pro 10 ball rules, shooting 9 ball, called shot and if he lucks in a ball or safes me by accident I can give him back the shot or shoot myself, my option.
The first set I just dogged, had gotten a bad beat to miss the weekly tournament finals, my head wasn't in it. Lost 7-2. I can't lose to this guy, I refuse, so set #2 I win 7-0 like I'm practicing alone. The third set I am on the hill and he dogs his 8 ball. He missed it so bad and it fell in behind the 9 ball. I tell him it's his shot as he didn't make the ball in his pocket and rolled good to leave me safe. He kicks and misses and I win, 7-4.
So I am up $40 and it's time for set #4 , but it will have to be quick, they are closing soon. He says race to 3 double or nothing, but he wants to play slop 9 ball rules. He's down a set and I can double up , why not. Game one he hits the 4 ball up table 2 rails and makes it in the corner, when he was trying to leave me safe/long. He gets out. Game two he hammers the 4 to the side misses and it comes 3 rails around, hits the moving cueball and goes in the side! Down 2-0 in a race to 3. So I get 2 games and now it's double hill , I can breath. He shoots the 6 and leaves me safe by accident when he misses and I kick it, selling out and he runs 3 balls to break even.
Moral of the story...make this player play called shot games always. Just tired of people lucking out. There is just too much luck in Texas Express rules, rewards the weaker player all the time.
. If I get another shot at clearing the table or playing safety I am a happy camper. If you're in the chair the chance of getting lucky is with your opponent, and there is nothing you can do about it. The state of your mind set is something no one can take away from you, wether you're at the table or in the chair.
But like someone else said, trying to luck balls in just by smashing away and hoping something will drop won't win you the game. I had that instinct which was always telling me where too shoot, when and how hard I need to hit an OB. Most of the times I amazed myself with crazy unexpected shots. I remember having that feeling that the shot I was about to take will be a success, even if I was totally locked up and had nothing to hit reliably. I tried to relax and let my sixth sense guide the cue for me, and many, many times the shot ended with both me and everyone else simply watching and not believing how perfectly the OB dropped and sometimes even took some other balls with it. Even when I missed, my "sixth sense" would create a perfect safety from which even the best players I saw couldn't get out with at least some sort of help from lady luck.
