So last night we went out to a tournament we never played before and found a "gem." Not just any gem, but I'm talking about something I didn't believe existed until last night. Sure I've heard rumours, and old wives tales, and eaves dropped on hustlers whispering in the corner about it, but I gotta admit I've never seen it personally.
I always filed it under "too good to be true" category. What is it you ask? Well a great analogy would be to a fishermen it's a lake so full of fish that when you drop a hook in the water the fish don't bite it they just jump in the boat. Not just in the boat, but jump in open the live well then jump in their smiling and happy to be there like it was there purpose in life, and they were just waiting for the guy to put the boat in the water.
"BangerVille..." Yes folks it does exist. I'm not joking in the least.
Now historically I've heard of places like this, and it's always been my experience that you can go into one and win a little money, but right about the time your working your way through the crowd "the guy" walks in.
This guy is one of two people. Either he's an "A" player that hangs out in the joint becuase everyone kisses his ass and he likes to feel important. (Also thinks he's gods gift to pool, but honestly would get drilled under pressure with someone firing back at him) Tough to beat none the less though for a B player like me, but doable if you show a little heart and put the "fear" in him..
Or he's a low B, high C player that knows just enough about the game to know he's gonna get robbed. Either way they both do the same routine of killing any action you had in the joint before they got there, if he's the low B high C they usually want some outlandish weight that's damn near impossible to give.. And then they brag to their friends about how they outsmarted you.
In instance # 1 the "A" player steps up and you'll end up working your ass off all night only to win a few measily crumpled up dollars he had in his pocket that usually wasn't worth putting up with his arrogant ass attitude, or listening to the peanut gallery all night talk about their "hero." There's alot of reasons a decent player would hang out with a bunch of bangers, but that's a whole different thread.. Right now we have to get back to this mystical place called "bangerville."
The point of it is there doesn't seem to be "the guy" here at bangerville.. I've looked around and I can't see him, the tourney is getting ready to start and he hasn't shown up yet? Can it be true, could this in fact be the kind of place I've heard about so many times? For me it's almost like witnessing some mythical creature walk by me.. I'm not quite sure how to react?
Now as most of you know I'm an average "B" player down here in S.D. nothing to write home about if ya know what I'm saying.. I can get out occasionally but it's not every rack. My roomate plays almost exactly my speed (damn near all of our sets go hill hill) and my g/f is a D player. If she runs 3 - 4 balls I'm pretty impressed. We all three enter this tournament, and grab 2 tables for warming up. The tables are nice tables, but they've seen better days. They play straight enough though so we're good in that department. About 20 minutes later more and more people start showing up. This might be a pretty good turn out after all?
Now the amazing thing is there's some pretty freaky people out there that play pool as their social outlet I'd guess you'd say.. But usually their the minority, there's the old moon doggy (50 year old surfer), the tall skinny guy that you think might be a child molester, the long haired kid that smoked entirely too much weed wearing the "SLAYER" shirt, and of course his buddy that follows him around.. (They always come in 2's..LOL) The buddy doesn't play just gets drunk. These are pretty typical of any pool hall around here, but again it's usually 2 or 3, in the crowd.
Every single person that walked in this place was a weirdo. It reminded me of a nightime coffee shop in the early 90's if any of y'all remember that explosion. There was EMO's, Metrosexuals, Punk kids, some old druggy, and the list goes on and on.. What they all have in common is graphite pool cues, (or other) and absolutely no concept of the game, or for that matter just about anything to do with pool.
More importantly they don't want to know, they are perfectly content in their own world knowing that they can match up against the EMO kid or other. Not one of them has any concept of shape, and the best in the group is practicing his draw shot with the old Pop the cue ball as hard as ya can then jumping up and backwards as if the cue ball is suppose to follow him or something? (don't ask me I dunno) Incidentally for the haters, I tried to give him some tips and he would have none of it.
The tourney completely fills up, and we start our matches. I'll save you the long and short of it... It's bangerville, this thing is a lock. The only way I'm going to lose this deal is if I happen to run into my roomate in the 1st round, in which case I'll take the scenic route up the losers side and still not be worried about it. All three of us are spread across the board though so it's looking like we don't have to face each other till way down the line so no worries there. Now I'm running through the field like a damn track star.. My roomate through sheer bad luck and short sets ended up losing a match to one of these guys.. Now he's running up the losers side like his ass is on fire. Shooting lights out, and literally running every rack I saw him shoot. (Point in fact best I've ever seen him play)
Now, on every match (damn near) that I ever play in tourney's I ask the age ole "Hey do ya want to throw something on the side?" In this hall I elected for 5 bucks on the side.. (Didn't want to push my luck) In my first match the guys said "Well hell yeah, now we're talking." I actually gasped at the response becuase it surely wasn't what I was expecting. I responded with "really? well ok then." Any poker player in the world would've got a read on my face and the pocket aces in the hole, but hey if the guy wants to play then we'll play right? Now the amazing thing is while I'm going through the field, more then one guy said yes, and all of them were actually excited about it? (Note back to the fish jumping in the boat before I even get the hook in the water..) I am honestly a little taken back by the enthusiam and how quickly these people are wanting to make deposits into my wallet like it was an ATM or something.
Part II coming next...
DJ
I always filed it under "too good to be true" category. What is it you ask? Well a great analogy would be to a fishermen it's a lake so full of fish that when you drop a hook in the water the fish don't bite it they just jump in the boat. Not just in the boat, but jump in open the live well then jump in their smiling and happy to be there like it was there purpose in life, and they were just waiting for the guy to put the boat in the water.
"BangerVille..." Yes folks it does exist. I'm not joking in the least.
Now historically I've heard of places like this, and it's always been my experience that you can go into one and win a little money, but right about the time your working your way through the crowd "the guy" walks in.
This guy is one of two people. Either he's an "A" player that hangs out in the joint becuase everyone kisses his ass and he likes to feel important. (Also thinks he's gods gift to pool, but honestly would get drilled under pressure with someone firing back at him) Tough to beat none the less though for a B player like me, but doable if you show a little heart and put the "fear" in him..
Or he's a low B, high C player that knows just enough about the game to know he's gonna get robbed. Either way they both do the same routine of killing any action you had in the joint before they got there, if he's the low B high C they usually want some outlandish weight that's damn near impossible to give.. And then they brag to their friends about how they outsmarted you.
In instance # 1 the "A" player steps up and you'll end up working your ass off all night only to win a few measily crumpled up dollars he had in his pocket that usually wasn't worth putting up with his arrogant ass attitude, or listening to the peanut gallery all night talk about their "hero." There's alot of reasons a decent player would hang out with a bunch of bangers, but that's a whole different thread.. Right now we have to get back to this mystical place called "bangerville."
The point of it is there doesn't seem to be "the guy" here at bangerville.. I've looked around and I can't see him, the tourney is getting ready to start and he hasn't shown up yet? Can it be true, could this in fact be the kind of place I've heard about so many times? For me it's almost like witnessing some mythical creature walk by me.. I'm not quite sure how to react?
Now as most of you know I'm an average "B" player down here in S.D. nothing to write home about if ya know what I'm saying.. I can get out occasionally but it's not every rack. My roomate plays almost exactly my speed (damn near all of our sets go hill hill) and my g/f is a D player. If she runs 3 - 4 balls I'm pretty impressed. We all three enter this tournament, and grab 2 tables for warming up. The tables are nice tables, but they've seen better days. They play straight enough though so we're good in that department. About 20 minutes later more and more people start showing up. This might be a pretty good turn out after all?
Now the amazing thing is there's some pretty freaky people out there that play pool as their social outlet I'd guess you'd say.. But usually their the minority, there's the old moon doggy (50 year old surfer), the tall skinny guy that you think might be a child molester, the long haired kid that smoked entirely too much weed wearing the "SLAYER" shirt, and of course his buddy that follows him around.. (They always come in 2's..LOL) The buddy doesn't play just gets drunk. These are pretty typical of any pool hall around here, but again it's usually 2 or 3, in the crowd.
Every single person that walked in this place was a weirdo. It reminded me of a nightime coffee shop in the early 90's if any of y'all remember that explosion. There was EMO's, Metrosexuals, Punk kids, some old druggy, and the list goes on and on.. What they all have in common is graphite pool cues, (or other) and absolutely no concept of the game, or for that matter just about anything to do with pool.
More importantly they don't want to know, they are perfectly content in their own world knowing that they can match up against the EMO kid or other. Not one of them has any concept of shape, and the best in the group is practicing his draw shot with the old Pop the cue ball as hard as ya can then jumping up and backwards as if the cue ball is suppose to follow him or something? (don't ask me I dunno) Incidentally for the haters, I tried to give him some tips and he would have none of it.
The tourney completely fills up, and we start our matches. I'll save you the long and short of it... It's bangerville, this thing is a lock. The only way I'm going to lose this deal is if I happen to run into my roomate in the 1st round, in which case I'll take the scenic route up the losers side and still not be worried about it. All three of us are spread across the board though so it's looking like we don't have to face each other till way down the line so no worries there. Now I'm running through the field like a damn track star.. My roomate through sheer bad luck and short sets ended up losing a match to one of these guys.. Now he's running up the losers side like his ass is on fire. Shooting lights out, and literally running every rack I saw him shoot. (Point in fact best I've ever seen him play)
Now, on every match (damn near) that I ever play in tourney's I ask the age ole "Hey do ya want to throw something on the side?" In this hall I elected for 5 bucks on the side.. (Didn't want to push my luck) In my first match the guys said "Well hell yeah, now we're talking." I actually gasped at the response becuase it surely wasn't what I was expecting. I responded with "really? well ok then." Any poker player in the world would've got a read on my face and the pocket aces in the hole, but hey if the guy wants to play then we'll play right? Now the amazing thing is while I'm going through the field, more then one guy said yes, and all of them were actually excited about it? (Note back to the fish jumping in the boat before I even get the hook in the water..) I am honestly a little taken back by the enthusiam and how quickly these people are wanting to make deposits into my wallet like it was an ATM or something.
Part II coming next...
DJ
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!!! I mean, she owes you big time 
. That was maybe 4 or 5 years ago. About a year ago we ended up playing in a tournament at Family Billiards in Ocean side. He beat me, I went to the losers and came back through the losers to play him in the finals where he beat me again
. Sam is a great guy and has the best heart. He just hates losing (even to his g/f or ex g/f as the case is now)