Played in first 9-B tourny lastnight

[twiztid_cue]

Well me and a couple friends went to a local tourny lastnight over in Clifton NJ. my friend Lou played there a couple times and won 1 or 2 times. the payout is only around 300-400 per week. Well needless to say I was going in there expecting to get killed. I was rated even cause I never played there before and the first player i played had to have been the biggest hotdog I have ever seen in my life. He was rated a plus 4 so i got the 6 playing him. He broke and ranout every game but one where he didnt make the 6. Needless to say that was the only game in a race to 5 i won. Then i playedsomeone who plays at the pool hall i always go to in the losers bracket. he was rated a plus 3 and won the race to 4 set 4-2. Maybe the reason i did so bad was cause it was my first tourny and i played the best player there first. but i cant wait to go back next week and play again. If anyone can give me tips on playing better players please let me know

 

[Zims Rack]

Me personally, when I find myself in a situation like that (down a few games in a set) I play defense, get ball in hand and take the shots I am confident I can play. I try to find their weakness! From my experience, the "hotdogs" get agrevated when they miss a simple shot or gets hooked. That's why it's possible to get into their head and throw their game off with a little defensive play and at the same time when I notice a little glitch in his game it tends to raise my confidence a little.
Once you've played against many different people, it gets a little easier and your confidence goes up during tournament play. Now that you've played at this location/tournament, you're HCP should drop depending on the tournament director. Anytime you play in a new tournament and no one knows your game, of course they are going to rate you even with the other players, then they can adjust after they've seen your game. Don't let the high HCP get into your head, stay confident, focused and study your opponents and remember them next time.
GOOD LUCK Chuck!!!

Zim

PS. How's the Dominiak working out for you? I think I'm going to keep the Snakewood for a while!

 

[twiztid_cue]

Thanks Mike. That is good advice my friend Lou plays a great safty game and he tells me to do the same. I tried playing the speed of the people I was playing against and I know i just should have played my game. Take shots i know i can make and get ont he next ball or try to play a safty game. I love the Dominiak i love the feel i love the look, the only thing is i wish the shaft was a lil thiner but its perfect.

 

[Zims Rack]

Chuck- Glad to hear that you like the Dominiak cue. I think they are going to be a good selling cue, once people learn more about them. Just play your game, but study your opponents game.

Zim

 

[twiztid_cue]

thats what i was doing after i got eliminated i sat there and watched my friend anthony who never played there either go from even to a +1 in a single game after making a couple lucky balls. he was pissed cause there was this guy who was better then him who was at even and he dumped the game after the 3rd game so we can get out of there. im going back every week to play different people. I dont mind losing its a good experience playing people better then me and i am expecting to lose at least for the next couple weeks. but im still going.hopefully next year i will take a weekend lesson somewhere and advance my game a lil further. Yea i really hope people start thinking about a Dominiak cue cause for the money and the design in my opinion they are a great cue and everyone who has played with my cue loves it. but like i said before i prefer a thiner shaft. my lucasi is thiner then the Dominiak and i guess i am just use to it already but i am getting more comfortable with it. On a plus side my my follow and draw are coming along very well i can draw the table now on the slowest cloth in the pool room that i play in everynight and i am just learning to control it. my fav game is 1 pocket to play then 9 ball and i am getting better at both week by week. it has gotten to the point where my friend lou who was rated a +1 last night doesnt spot me in 9 ball when we play and its close. and in 1 pocket he spots me 9-7 only 1 ball i learned so much from playing with the guy who owned paramus billiards with Steve Mizerack(i spelt that wrong) he is so out of stroke and still plays amazing. he use to spot steve 9-7 when they played 1 pocket and he would beat him. His name is Roy and i dont know his last name but an amazing played the best i have seen in person and he is out of stroke. He tought me how to break and so many shots i never knew of. and the tables we play on have really tight pockets. ok im of my rant right now.

 

[Cardinal_Syn]

sometimes it comes down to a mental game. I've seen and play pros like that that just runs the racks like no ones business of course i lose,hehehe, i ain't that good, but i always observe them play, even when their not playing me. Their not perfect, i've seen them miss balls, leave in hanging, choke etc. So one thing you gotta tell yourself is, is that their not unbeatble. I play in a tourney where there's no Handicap. So i always gotta think that way. If you see them play they always open that small window for you, and it's just a matter of capitalising on it. Safety plays will work but not all the time, i've seen my friend up a game 4-0 in a race to 5 where he lost 5-4. Made a pretty good safety that should'veended that game but the guy fluked it and won.
All you gotta do is find momentum and once you get that going you'll have a pretty good chance.

I remember playing my first tournament, i got killed only winning one game, that's right! 1 game in a double elimination, 1 game meaning one rack race to five. I was so nervous, but that's all behind me now.

 

[twiztid_cue]

yea that was like me when i went to this place realy nervous and i actually like geting beat by better players cause its a learning experience.and ive learned alot from getting beat and even when i was playing doubles in a one pocket game we didnt lose but the guy i was playing with was amazing.