Play the Table not the Opponent - What Does it Mean?

Playin' the table...

Not to be to esoteric...playing the table, to me means...

Your alone at the table...there is nothing there but you, your instrument, the playing field and your objective...pocket balls...in the ideal situation your opponent doesn't play into this...

WHAT?

ok...have you ever been so in the zone that you couldn't miss?...so on your game that you saw tangents and the pockets seemed to be the size of buckets?...your bank shots were back of the pocket...your speed and position play flawless, without effort?...you break, pocket balls, win games without ever giving thought to your opponent until gathering balls for them to rack up?

When in this state your 'playing the table'...as players we strive for this state all the time...when it happens, in the moment it is the best feeling ever! :D

my 2c-
 
Easier Said Than Done

Williebetmore said:
"Play the table, not the opponent" is a generalization used when giving advice to someone who is worried about competing against a stronger player; in hopes of comforting the weaker player about to be roasted. All generalizations are wrong (including this one).

I doubt this advice is very useful to the better players - hopefully they already know their own skill level, they know their percentages during a game, they know what their strategy should be against better/similar/worse players, and know that every stroke should be the same no matter the opponent. "Play the table..." is a gross oversimplification of a complicated situation.
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I agree, Willie.. Playing the table and not your opponent sounds right and ideal because it seems to make sense if you're playing somebody like Efren or Earl but I think it's easier said than done...I always think of this in relation to playing a great player..or at least someone who is better skilled than you at pool....It means don't be intimidated by who you''re playing; just blank it out and play your best game....I myself was never too successful in doing it though, because I couldn't help but feel the pressure of "one mistake and HE"S OUT!" Heck, I've seen pros whom I thought were intimidated by Earl or Efren or Johnny Archer...It sometimes happens when the guy is about to win the match or on the hill, and it's like he realizes he's about to beat somebody GREAT, and dogs a shot...I'm sure most of you out there have seen something similar....so it's like saying....STOP being human....although I have to agree, if a person could get into that elusive ZONE of UNCONCIOUSNESS, it is certainly possible to run out and win...
 
I always thought it was a confidence-builder, not a strategy.

Sure, don't think about who's in the chair, or the score, when you've got what's --- for you --- a routine runout ... but if it's not routine, you might want to think again.
 
It is downright impossible to NOT think about something that you're actively and currently involved in. Especially if money or winning an important game/match is involved.

So, what to do? Think MORE about both. Analysis by paralysis? No, acheiving goals by using the mind for what it is meant to be used for.

Example: If you're playing a better opponent, think about how it will be when you beat him/her. This can be the motivation to rise above just playing the table. Don't even worry about HOW to do it; just picture the end result of beating him/her---the HOW will happen as you go. JAM and Keith's story illustrate this quite nicely.

If one tries to ignore the opponent then this value is lost.

Jeff Livngston
 
chefjeff said:
It is downright impossible to NOT think about something that you're actively and currently involved in. Especially if money or winning an important game/match is involved.

So, what to do? Think MORE about both. Analysis by paralysis? No, acheiving goals by using the mind for what it is meant to be used for.

Example: If you're playing a better opponent, think about how it will be when you beat him/her. This can be the motivation to rise above just playing the table. Don't even worry about HOW to do it; just picture the end result of beating him/her---the HOW will happen as you go. JAM and Keith's story illustrate this quite nicely.

If one tries to ignore the opponent then this value is lost.

Jeff Livngston
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I just finished playing Max in the final match of a small tournament ($130 for first). My thinking went something like this "that runout felt good" when I was ahead 3-0. "nice runout" when he made it 3-1. "dang" when I missed a carom to go ahead 4-1 and instead it was 3-2. "man he is breaking good" when he made 3 balls on the break and had an easy layout to make it 3-3. "oops" when he scratched on the next break. "this is cool" when I ran that rack and broke and ran the next two to go ahead 6-3. "tough roll" when he just missed hooking me after I came up empty on the break and he had no shot. "Nice shot" when I made a length of the table carom into the 9 off the 1 to win the match 7-3. (The less I think the better I play).

Wayne
 
YOU ALL HAVE NO IDEA WHAT IT MEANS.

It means that when you are playing someone for money and you lose, stuff the money into the table because you lost to the table. If you beat the table and it doesnt pay you, set it on fire. If people look at you funny, punch them in the nuts.

j/k :D
 
Wow, these were great responses, and they seem to validate my own interpretation. We all seem to agree that ignoring who the opponent is and what skills they possess is foolish. Interpreted literally, then, the saying is something of a myth. Interpreted as most of us have, it make sense.

Thanks to all who participated.
 
It was a good threa with many different interpretations, but the main ones seem to be that it means either:

a) Play your own game no matter who you play and don't change it accordingly

b) Play your best and try not to let the opponent, Archer, Reyes or the local hotshot out you off from that.

It was funny because this saying came up in conversation and SJM thought it was a (and I quote :-) "crock of shit!". This kind of shocked me because its something Ive always believed in. But then I realized that we both thought it meant different things. I thought it meant b) and SJM thought it meant a). So since a) is prob wrong and b) is prob right it we didn't really disagree!

Ouch!

LOL
 
sjm said:
We've all heard it countless times -

PLAY THE TABLE NOT THE OPPONENT

On Saturday, The One and I were talking about this age-old saying, and strangely enough, we had differing views on what it meant.

Without offering our interpretations, what do you think it means?
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SJM,

You're always supposed to just play the table! It's the ghost opponent!! But when you get into a jam it doesn't hurt to know your opponent's strengths and weaknesses. Like Fred A said.

Barbara
 
sjm said:
We've all heard it countless times -

PLAY THE TABLE NOT THE OPPONENT

On Saturday, The One and I were talking about this age-old saying, and strangely enough, we had differing views on what it meant.

Without offering our interpretations, what do you think it means?
Click to expand...


While I think the above statement holds some water, knowing your opponents strengths and limitations is a good thing to know.

Rod
 
wayne said:
I just finished playing Max in the final match of a small tournament ($130 for first). My thinking went something like this "that runout felt good" when I was ahead 3-0. "nice runout" when he made it 3-1. "dang" when I missed a carom to go ahead 4-1 and instead it was 3-2. "man he is breaking good" when he made 3 balls on the break and had an easy layout to make it 3-3. "oops" when he scratched on the next break. "this is cool" when I ran that rack and broke and ran the next two to go ahead 6-3. "tough roll" when he just missed hooking me after I came up empty on the break and he had no shot. "Nice shot" when I made a length of the table carom into the 9 off the 1 to win the match 7-3. (The less I think the better I play).

Wayne
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This is how it feels when you are playing in the zone at that table. You are there, observing, waiting for your next opportunity to get out or play safe and give headache back to "whover it is" you are playing.

Notice the absence of little brain demons screaming around shouting "I suck!, I don't deserve this! He is gonna eat me alive if I blow this next shot!". Just observing, hmm, undercut that one... throw?, next...

Playing the table means giving it all your focus, and much more on reasonable pattern/position play, because aiming/stance/stroke is secondary, unconscious, grooved, pretty much on autopilot.

The goal is to win the match. You do that by winning games. You win games by assessing the table and chances when you get up to shoot. You make your decision on best shot. Decide your speed/hit final locations of all involved balls. Line up. Get down. Address the cue ball. Fine-tune the aim. Some practice strokes, see how it feels. Doubts? Get up, start over. Good? Shoot. Observe. Let it go. Next problem. Repeat till game ball is in the hole. Then look up in surprise and wonder why you can't remember but 2 shots from that rack in particular.

Play the table on pure offense, consider opponents strengths/options if percentages dictate defense, and better yet find a two-way shot to keep you on offense and your opponent on defense should it not drop.
 
I like offence & 2 way shots also. I prefer to just blow My oponet away, not look back, and let some wind out, but Sometimes I'll realize alittle too late I am up against a horse that's running just alittle faster then I am :D , and then I'm forced to slow them horses down, and play the player.

I feel there is a time, place, and oponet for both styles. I have actually learned players weakness when playing them for the first time if I watched them shoot really closely, or got to warm up with them before hand. I've had quite a few comebacks where my oponet was sitting on the hill, because I tried to go toe to toe, and It backfired. I had to lock the game down to take 4 or 5 games in a row just to stay alive at the table. I always seem to wait to focus until I have no room to loose. It sure is hard on the nerves, and a big relief to pull It off. It hurts to work your way all the back only to loose the last game though. I've been there also.

Sometimes I will just start off playing the player if I know their game well enough to go that way, and It is the best desision on what style to use. alot of this depends on how in stroke I am as to which way I go also. I don't know what is the correct way to go, I just try to better my odds when I can.
 
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