OK, I don't know if it is just me...

Yea, have to agree with the majority here, you stepped way out of line and over reacted over pretty much nothing. Blue chalk? Are you kidding me? The anal retentiveness you have about that along with what you wrote about a new comer to our great game speaks volumes about you, not bad about him. Lighten up, it is just a game.

Also, I would argue that the 'cleanliness' of tan chalk is the same of that of blue chalk. Its more about the physical wear of you using a cue.
 
LoGiC said:
Yea, have to agree with the majority here, you stepped way out of line and over reacted over pretty much nothing. Blue chalk? Are you kidding me? The anal retentiveness you have about that along with what you wrote about a new comer to our great game speaks volumes about you, not bad about him. Lighten up, it is just a game.

Also, I would argue that the 'cleanliness' of tan chalk is the same of that of blue chalk. Its more about the physical wear of you using a cue.

Eh might've just been having a bad day.....ya never know. He also apologized for it which does say a lot about him as well.
 
A common mistake for new players is to take the game too seriously. I think many of us have been there. I've seen guys playing their girl friend, where the guy is deadly serious about the game and the girl is just trying to have fun.

Try to learn to seperate competition and playing with your friends and family. Of course we all love to compete, and beat our opponents into the ground. But if your too serious playing with non-players, no one will want to play with you anymore.

Almost all of my friends are bangers. When we go out, I goof around and just enjoy myself. But I do put enough effort into so that I don't lose. Because we all have fun when we go out, they all have taken an interest in the game. They aren't serious by any means, but they have improved significantly since we started playing. They also are now playing safeties, racking properly and observing proper ettiquete too.
 
gunzby said:
Basically use the chalk they have at the hall.

The peeves I can think of are:

-Using baby powder or the cone chalk (if they actually have some at any halls now) and not wiping all the white off your hands

-Putting chalk upside down on the table

-Using someone elses cue without asking or being offered. I would actually say just don't use it unless you are offered as some people are too nice to say no.

-Putting your beer on the table or in a pocket while shooting

-Shooting with a cigarette hanging out of your mouth or sitting it on the rail while you shoot

-Standing at the table while your opponent shoots. This doesn't just irritate me when it's someone at my table, but also when it's someone at a table next to me because they generally end up being in my way.

-Bumping into people at other tables or walking into their line of site.

My rule of thumb on etiquette in a pool hall has been all of those. Basically if I am not shooting I sit in the chair and shut up. If I get a beer or other drink I make sure not to be walking through someone's line of sight.

That's a good list of things to learn for any player, not just newbies. Makes the game so much more enjoyable when people are conscious of what is going on around them & not just at the table they're playing on.
 
chilli66 said:
That's a good list of things to learn for any player, not just newbies. Makes the game so much more enjoyable when people are conscious of what is going on around them & not just at the table they're playing on.

I have always treated pool as a gentleman's game. I find myself cringing when my opponent misses during a match (especially a near miss, bobble or pocket spit-out) because I want them to shoot as well as I want to shoot.
 
chin0 said:
He does all of those stuff, sometimes even humping the pocket that I'm shooting in. I guess he just doesn't know they are shark moves, but his intention was to make me miss, but I guess it is all in good fun and I need to lighten up.

Now this is something worth getting upset about. If you needed a reason to "go off" doing the groin grind on a pocket is it. The only thing worse he could do is pull a "Tom Cruise" swinging the stick Kung Fu style to Warewolves of London.

If you are doing it back to him you are encouraging his bad behavior. No one wants to win by making your opponent play bad through off the table antics. Even the great ones catch a ration of shit for their behavior. Can you say Earl Strickland?


:cool:
 
Quote:
Originally Posted by DogsPlayingPool
A "shark move" is to employ gamesmanship, to engage in some behavior generally considered ungentlemanly or unethical, in order to throw off your opponent from performing his best. Leaning against the table or standing right at the table's edge, especially right in his shooting line, when it is his turn at the table would be an obvious example. In golf the obvious example is coughing or talking just as your opponent starts his downswing.

chin0 said:
He does all of those stuff, sometimes even humping the pocket that I'm shooting in. I guess he just doesn't know they are shark moves, but his intention was to make me miss, but I guess it is all in good fun and I need to lighten up.

Here's the way I see it. I would consider this a way to practice dealing with "shark moves".
When your buddy is doing these shark moves, try to stay focused and not let it affect your game performance.
This will better prepare you when you encounter someone that is really trying to shark you.
Look at everything as a challenge that you must overcome.
 
I think this boils down to "fun" or "competition"

When I'm playing leagues I shut up (very difficult for me...I'm a talker), sit down, and wait unless the opponent initiates conversation. HOWEVER when I play at someones house and it's for fun or we're both practicing, talking to each other, walking through a shot, etc. is acceptable. If I were asked to not talk as much or to stay out of sight while they're at the table I would certainly do so and I wouldn't take it personally. Just lay some ground rules, let him know that grinding the pocket is a sure way to make you practice jumping the cue ball, he'll laugh but still take the advice.

I think everyone gets to a boiling point about things and snaps about something insignificant to the overall situation, which is what you did. So, if you don't feel comfortable asking him to stop, then take it as part of your practice, getting you prepared for money games in bars and tournaments, where you are SURE to run into people who will annoy you WAY less.
 
Been there, done that. You won't know how important your friends are till you lose them. I almost came to blows with one of my pals over a game we both took a little too seriously when we were younger.:smile: It was due to a silly reaction to a deliberate foul.:eek: No harm done, we're still buddies to this day. I have learnt to lighten up, and so should you.
 
I think if I have to take it serious, I would just do it on my own time, because when I get serious, it is no fun around me, I'm kind of a d!ck when I try to get serious. As for just playing friends, I would just try and keep it fun rather than making it competition. That is one thing I definately need to learn.

As for him humping the pocket to make me miss, I just take it as a joke since he's a friend. I don't usually miss even when he does silly stuff like that. I just keep shooting. Shark moves like leaning against the table and etc doesn't really affect me much. Thanks for all the advice. I'm over it and as you all have said, and I admit, that I over reacted. I don't do any of those things back to him, I just either stand back and let him shoot and shut up or sit down. I don't ever try to say anything until he is done with his shot. I try to keep it as a gentlemen's game as well, but I guess cursing at him and going off is ungentlemen like :embarrassed2:
 
Jude Rosenstock said:
Next time this happens, you should just break your cue down, put the joint protectors back on, rack all the balls and proceed to smash your cue over the table until it's in a million pieces. When you're done, politely ask your friend if he's hungry and wants to go grab a bite to eat.

I swear to you, he'll never use your cue ever again.

Ha! i'd be so shocked if someone i knew did this i wouldn't know what to do
 
chin0 said:
I definately don't want to loose him as a friend. I talked to him about it earlier today and I called him just now to see if he was alright and told him I over reacted and we are fine and I apologize for cursing at him.

Anyhow, are blue or green masters chalk beter than their tan ones? I might have to go with blue chalk anyway, cause the store I go get the tan chalk from no longer sells it and I don't think I should've made a big deal and be so anal about the chalk's color.

This 10 footer is a Brunswick Paragon at my local Pool Hall, some call it the pool room and many people know it as Raytown Recreation around here. Here is their website: www.myspace.com/raytownrecreation
I really like the place, a bit old school and traditional.

It is a really fun table to shoot on. Super sensative bumpers, fast felt, tight pockets. I mean the thing is massive and it is very well built, I love it. A lot of times the old timers and more experienced players get to play on the table, and when that happens I just get on one of the Gold Crowns. The reason I shoot on the 10 footer is because the owner is teaching me how to shoot and he told me, if I can shoot on a 10 footer, I can go shoot on anything. So I get to practice on the table quite a bit.




I never thought of that, I'll ask him to see whether or not he cares, if he does, I guess I better learn to not be anal about the chalk color and use blue chalk. I already told my friend I was going to take him out to dinner and get him a bottle of MaCallans 15 as an apology.


You must be just learning. let me teach you something. every time you go to the pool room ask for an extra piece of chalk (along with the one they give you with the balls) pocket the extra piece
 
okinawa77 said:
Quote:
Originally Posted by DogsPlayingPool
A "shark move" is to employ gamesmanship, to engage in some behavior generally considered ungentlemanly or unethical, in order to throw off your opponent from performing his best. Leaning against the table or standing right at the table's edge, especially right in his shooting line, when it is his turn at the table would be an obvious example. In golf the obvious example is coughing or talking just as your opponent starts his downswing.



Here's the way I see it. I would consider this a way to practice dealing with "shark moves".
When your buddy is doing these shark moves, try to stay focused and not let it affect your game performance.
This will better prepare you when you encounter someone that is really trying to shark you.
Look at everything as a challenge that you must overcome.

if you want to play better you're going to have to stop playing with this guy
 
I'm definately still learning, I am about to start my adventure on using blue chalk today, wish me luck guys. I remember people saying, the only way to get better is playing someone better than yourself, but if I play Doug at Raytown, I don't even get to shoot :D
 
chin0 said:
I am about to start my adventure on using blue chalk today, wish me luck guys.


Going with the blue chalk so soon, Chin0? Diving into the deep end rather quickly. :D

Let me be the first to wish you luck in this new adventure. :smile:

You seem like an alright guy. :thumbup: Keep us posted on your progress.
 
if you are still unsure if you want to play with him again. consider playing for money, it seems that you could easily win against him. the way i see it is he will either learn to respect the game or will realize that he is just a wanna-be player and will give up the game (i don't mean to be a hater, just trying to be honest). Either way you make a couple bucks, right?
 
If you want your friend to hate pool keep reacting like that. Sounds like he had no clue as to what he did. Take it easy on him and try to teach not belittle. I took my son and nephew to the local pool room two weeks ago to try their new cues I bought then for Christmas. I started to loose my kool too, but then I remembered that niether one knew anything about pool or pool room ettiquet. I turned around to find them both sitting on one of the Diamond 9 footers. But after a little education they were really kool to have around. They were like sponges, aborbing all the information they could. Give your buddy the same opportunity.
 
DogsPlayingPool said:
Going with the blue chalk so soon, Chin0? Diving into the deep end rather quickly. :D

Let me be the first to wish you luck in this new adventure. :smile:

You seem like an alright guy. :thumbup: Keep us posted on your progress.


:o I'm trying to fit in better and not be such a irritating newbie. Blue chalk today, I'm pretty nervous about it, but gotta start somewhere, so I decide to start soon and give myself time to adjust and loosen up my anal retention for chalk color :D

Thanks for the compliment, I like to think of myself as an ok guy, but I feel bad for ranting on my friend and saying stupid shit, but at least he likes the bottle of Macallans I got him :thumbup:


Aeoliner,
I don't really want to play my friend for money, like many said, I should just keep it light and have fun with my friends and not take it so serious with them. But no matter what, thanks for the advice.

Hapy shooting all! :)

Chino
 
chin0 said:
:o I'm trying to fit in better and not be such a irritating newbie. Blue chalk today, I'm pretty nervous about it, but gotta start somewhere, so I decide to start soon and give myself time to adjust and loosen up my anal retention for chalk color :D

Chino


I know, it will be scary the first time you go to put blue chalk on your tip. Don't be afraid. It's like pulling off a band-aid, you just have to go for it! :thumbup:
 
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