One Pocket.

3 one pocket threads and no actual one pocket info to be had its about as useful as the Obama care web site



1

Again you were not paying attention. You obviously are not in any thread to learn anything about one pocket. Where are you located Mark? I will try and come by and give you personal lessons.
 
Yes it's a slow game. You make a mistake, and your opponent runs 8 and out in less time that it takes to play a game of 9 ball. Lesson learned, don't make a mistake and the game will last longer.:smile:
 
Yes it's a slow game. You make a mistake, and your opponent runs 8 and out in less time that it takes to play a game of 9 ball. Lesson learned, don't make a mistake and the game will last longer.:smile:

We were talking about this last night. Actually it's a fast game. Played right there is little time to sit down because you're matching your opponent shot for shot. Yes a single game can take a long time to conclude but the actual play is relatively fast paced.
 
One pocket....Nope, going to stick to straight pool, thanks. I do enjoy watching Efren and Corey play one pocket, but the Varner wedge...who in their right mind would enjoy watching something like that? I am looking forward to this matchup though. After all these years of reading their post I finally get to see them on the table. I sure hope they will be mic'ed up.:grin:

I don't get why the threads keep getting deleted either, well the first did get derailed pretty badly I guess. Not badly enough to close it IMHO. If you don't like to read a particular thread, don't click on it. It's pretty easy actually. As long as a thread is not in direct violation of the forum rules it should not be deleted IMHO. I will go further still, I think it is wrong to delete a thread due to a single participant misbehaving. Delete their post, ban them, but don't delete the thread itself.

It is not like John started 5 threads on the same topic at the same time, and then kept bumping them, that would call for deleting some of the threads maybe.
 
If the guy who was the better player always won, there would be even less gambling than there is now.
Obviously most people think you are the underdog but funny things happen when you get people out of their comfort zone.
Especially if you win a game they had you nutted up in.
I have seen good players disintegrate after a couple of bad rolls at critical moments
I commend you for having the nads to get up and I don't think there will be any loser no matter what happens
 
One pocket....Nope, going to stick to straight pool, thanks. I do enjoy watching Efren and Corey play one pocket, but the Varner wedge...who in their right mind would enjoy watching something like that? I am looking forward to this match up though. After all these years of reading their post I finally get to see them on the table. I sure hope they will be mic'ed up.:grin:

I don't get why the threads keep getting deleted either, well the first did get derailed pretty badly I guess. Not badly enough to close it IMHO. If you don't like to read a particular thread, don't click on it. It's pretty easy actually. As long as a thread is not in direct violation of the forum rules it should not be deleted IMHO. I will go further still, I think it is wrong to delete a thread due to a single participant misbehaving. Delete their post, ban them, but don't delete the thread itself.

It is not like John started 5 threads on the same topic at the same time, and then kept bumping them, that would call for deleting some of the threads maybe.
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I agree with this post ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
2nd and 3rd paragraphs, good post !!!
 
I see. You know Lou was playing straight pool for years before one pocket. He understood it was a better game that encompasses everything and he was playing real good back in the rec billiard days. Your little best two out of three match means absolutely nothing. He, in fact lost on purpose and has been waiting to ensnare you. And you fell for it. Hook, line and sinker. People talk about Lou being under more pressure somehow because of backers. Ha. He is a pool player. He will be thinking to hell with those people and their money, but playing hard and ruthless on you at the same time. All those matches he played were not in little neighborhood tournaments. They were majors and against the best of the best. You can't shortcut your way up to his level. You are just blowing and raging like the devil who is loose temporarily and awaiting his casting away into the lake of fire. The countdown continues. tick tick tick

If this was true, Lou's side would be betting it up! That how you really find out who's side one likes!
 
How to keep this thread going.

OK, some of you have written asking me why Barton's threads keep getting taken down. And the reason is that there are a number of you who come in and turn them venomous. So in this thread I am going to try and monitor the posts and just erase the ones that offer nothing to the thread except for character assassination.

I have removed 7 or 8 posts just now.

We will see if we can keep this thread alive, but if it gets crazy again the thread will disappear. Understand that cleaning up the sandbox is not in my job description and I do not intend for it to become a habit.

Now, if a post is made that DOES contain valuable comment on One-Pocket or the upcoming match but also includes a line or two of Ad Hominem artwork the entire post will hit the trash. I have no intention of editing this stuff line for line.
 
OK, some of you have written asking me why Barton's threads keep getting taken down. And the reason is that there are a number of you who come in and turn them venomous. So in this thread I am going to try and monitor the posts and just erase the ones that offer nothing to the thread except for character assassination.

I have removed 7 or 8 posts just now.

We will see if we can keep this thread alive, but if it gets crazy again the thread will disappear. Understand that cleaning up the sandbox is not in my job description and I do not intend for it to become a habit.

Now, if a post is made that DOES contain valuable comment on One-Pocket or the upcoming match but also includes a line or two of Ad Hominem artwork the entire post will hit the trash. I have no intention of editing this stuff line for line.

Thanks for the info and the help.
 
Why not just put the naughty posters in time out for a bit and see the thread stay clean easily. :D
 
OK, some of you have written asking me why Barton's threads keep getting taken down. And the reason is that there are a number of you who come in and turn them venomous. So in this thread I am going to try and monitor the posts and just erase the ones that offer nothing to the thread except for character assassination.

I have removed 7 or 8 posts just now.

We will see if we can keep this thread alive, but if it gets crazy again the thread will disappear. Understand that cleaning up the sandbox is not in my job description and I do not intend for it to become a habit.

Now, if a post is made that DOES contain valuable comment on One-Pocket or the upcoming match but also includes a line or two of Ad Hominem artwork the entire post will hit the trash. I have no intention of editing this stuff line for line.

Worth a re-read, imo

And Jerry. we have met a few times....
...I'll take 10-8, 2 out of 3 breaks, and a hand-span every time I get stuck a g-note.
I like the action talk...the mean-spiritness, not so much.

regards, and Merry Christmas....thanx for all you do

pt
 
Great, then I will use this thread to continue talking about my one pocket journey to the match. I have taken a few days off from playing to spend time with the family. Got Stan Shuffet's dvd yesterday and watched some of it. Those of you who value the ability to bank balls precisely every time owe it to yourselves to get this information.

A couple days ago I was playing and using Stan's information I am able to make three-railers with much higher consistency now. And other banks as well but the three railers look especially nice when you step up and shoot them in less than 20 seconds and watch the ball split the pocket.

www.justcueit.com
 
Please provide a list for the rest of the class of all the champion players Lou has defeated in the past.


I want to make a couple of things perfectly clear: Lou has beaten virtually no one. I go to big events because I can and have a ball. Occasionally I beat a champion or road player like Larry Nevel (right after he had won the US Open), or Piggy Banks, or Ike Runnels, or Mark Jarvis, Richard Harris, or even a Mark Wilson. But I always go to these events with the knowledge I am dead money and more than once I have said, "I'm going to ___________ to donate to the pro pool player retirement fund." Anyone who has read my stuff for the last 15 years knows this.

So for me it is the thrill of competing and sometimes taking a game off a Chris Gentile, or a couple off Warren Kiamco. It is playing Dallas West and having him shake my hand after our match and saying, "I really like your game." Or losing to Leil Gay hill-hill and him saying, "You should have won. You were the better player." Over the years I have had the chance to play a who's who of 1pocket champions from Scott Frost, to Francisco, Jose, Cliff, Alex, Martinez, Hall, Cook, McCready, Appleton, and on and on.

How cool is that?!

And over those last 15 years, from each and every one of the greats and near greats, and not so greats, I have taken away a little something to add to my own game, my tool box, my arsenal. It is about the journey and most times the trip is very, very cool. This is from a trip report from the 2000 US Open 1pocket Tournament, up in Kalamazoo, picking it up on day two of the event.

(insert flashback music):

Saturday morning I headed over to the Playground and just tried to get my mind set before my match with, arguably, the greatest all around pool player of all time. When I got to the tournament room, the line was: you could bet either way, whether I'd get to one. I decided that that's what I'd shoot for: to take one game off Efren Reyes. I'd told AllenB, the night before, that I would really appreciate it if he could snap a photo of me lagging with Efren, to prove to future generations that this match had actually taken place. Alan said no problem, and, a man of his word, was there setup in time with his camera and tripod to capture the moment and has already sent me the photo.

Well, we were put on table two, right in front of the largest section of bleachers and they were packed. Everyone wanted to see Efren play. I was just along for the ride. I put down a good lag, but Efren put the ball within an inch of the rail. I looked at my watch. It was one o'clock.

The first game did not go well, for me. He broke the balls well, and I was under the gun the entire game. When he didn't have a shot, he'd gently spin the cue ball one or two rails and snuggle it up against a ball. I, and the crowd, laughed out loud at the positions he'd put me in. I lost the first game 8-0. It was while I was racking the balls to break (it was a rack your own tournament) that the dawning realization came upon me that it was quite possible that, not only could I lose the match 4-0, I could, conceivably: lose the match against a player of this caliber WITHOUT SCORING A SINGLE BALL. Oh, the humiliation. What do you tell the guys back at the pool hall? What will everyone back on RSB think? That you got a chance to play Efren Reyes and didn't score a single ball!!?? Suddenly, not only did my goal of winning one game seem like the only way to maintain my dignity and salvage the honor of RSB, but it also seemed a goal that was now, on further reflection, very, very far away.

I broke well the second game. Shortly after the break, he left me frozen on the side rail just above my pocket. I looked at the rack for a long time. There was an unfrozen three ball combination that just might go. But the only way to hit it right was to send the cue ball into a fourth ball and then have it carom into the third ball in the combination chain. I'd have to hit it at warp speed to get enough energy on the shot to get the last ball in the combination to the pocket. If it didn't go, I was toast, because the stack was going to explode.

IMO, one of the more beautiful shots in pool is when a cluster of balls is stuck hard and the object ball eventually emerges from the stack and slowly begins marching towards it's assigned pocket. Despite shooting with brio, the two ball virtually crawled towards it's destination with total mayhem all around it. As I watched the shot, it seemed as if all the other object balls, and the cue ball, were moving and every single one of them wanted to kiss out the two ball. But somehow it made it safe and sound to its destination. The ball dropped. The crowd burst into applause.

Still, the balls were spread too wide for me to get out. As the game progressed, we got to the point at which I needed two and Efren needed one. And then, something began to become apparent to me, and then to everyone in the stands, and eventually to Efren: Lou was banking well today. Real well. Well, actually, I started banking like god.

Efren kissed into a shot and sold out the last two balls. A modest cut shot with moderately difficult position on the out ball. I missed. All I could hear in the stands were muttered, "Well, he had a chance..." A few innings later, I missed a thin hit to play safe and had to spot a ball. Now I needed three. But then it happened. I banked three and out to take the second game. The monkey was off my back.

Efren took the next game. Twice he tied me up so bad that my only option was to kick three rails and then two rails for an intentional scratch. But I pulled both of them off. The crowd started applauding my shots and the increasingly ridiculous accuracy and consistency of my bank shots.

I took the fourth game 8-0 to tie it up at 2-2. The fifth game we went down to the last three balls, all down table on the side rail just below the side pocket on his side. I needed all three and went for the home run: a carom and combination bank that would send two towards my hole and the third up table to my side. The shot went kaablewwweee, and left Efren straight in. Nonetheless, my banks continued to go, as if on wires.

The last game was another battle, but he was just too strong. I lose 4-2. I looked at my watch, it was 3:30. I had just wrestled with Efren Reyes, in a race to four, for two and a half hours and taken two games off him. I swear I'm not making this up, but during the match Buddy Hall was playing on one side of us, Steve Cook on the other, and during the course of the match I got at least six rounds of applause from the crowd for my bank shots. There was not one round of applause for Hall, Cook, or Reyes. Buddy, in particular, kept looking over wondering what the hell was going on.

As I shook Efren's hand after the match, he said smiling in the high clipped accent he has, "Louis bank good. Miss straight in." That about summed it up.

Lou Figueroa
Merry Christmas y'all
 

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