Positivity in Pool

Kickin' Chicken

Kick Shot Aficionado
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Hoping to achieve better balance on az, please insert your positive pool story/feelings in this thread. :cool: Doesn't matter how minor or monumental, just positive.

I will share one this afternoon.

Hopefully, by then, there will already be a few examples on here. :wink:

Best,
Brian kc
 
I met another local player "Worminator" about 5 years back on AZ.. We met up, shot some pool and have been good friends since.. Have met a few others through AZ also, and I value those friendships as well!
 
I have been playing in the APA for a very long time. Met my wife playing in the APA leagues and we have been together ever since (about 14 years now). We have 2 wonderful kids together. Most of my current group of friends I met playing in pool leagues (both APA and BCAPL).
If it weren't for league pool both past and present, I would not have much of a social life. For the past few summers I have been playing on a ball team which consists of 90% of pool league players.

I shutter to think what my life would be like today if one of my old school friends had not convinced me to try this pool league thing.

Leagueguy
 
Last night. A good one.

Our club holds a couples tournament on Thursday evenings. One guy, one gal. 8-ball, single game, alternating shots, double elim, coach as much as you want. Friendly, fun, winning team gets a few bucks and a gift certificate for the bar. Usually 4-10 couples.

As my significant other doesn't play pool, I go over and see if there is a lady who wants to play that needs a partner. (If we don't have enough couples, we end up play a singles tournament, another reason for me to stop by.) There are several "regular" couples that play each week, all probably what I'd call medium speed for our room, though some of the guys are among the better players at our club.

When I get there last night, I'm told that Adele is there, wants to play and needs a partner. I know Adele fairly well, she just started on my APA team. She is no spring chicken, past retirement age, full of life and as pleasant as the day is long. She's a beginners beginner, an SL2 if ever there was one. She loves the game, and is at our club practicing almost every day of the week. She is, shall we say... "methodical" when she plays. Certainly checks out all her options... :p

To try and shorten this a bit, the end result is we won the whole thing, from the winners side no less. Every match we played, our opponents were more than patient with her/us. She made her share of shots, too. She sure seemed to have a great time. I think everyone else did, too.

Good times.
 
I have read many of the post on here about what's wrong w/pool, and there is certainly room for improvement, but it has played a big part of my life that I would not trade for anything so I thought I'd share.

I play at a better than average level so I can enjoy playing w/any level player and at least have a chance to compete when they are short sets in tournament setting. Many players I would not have a chance to beat in a money match or long set, I can occasionally beat during a tournament when the sets are short & the planets are aligned just right :).

I have been playing Pool & 3-cushion for many years and have made many friends around the country because of it. And because I do not play pool for a living, it is easier to enjoy the beauty of the game playing cheap sets or occasional tournaments. Although I care about the outcome, I'm going to enjoy myself regardless...I just like to compete and enjoy the game.

One example about new friendships made because of pool and this forum, I will be joining "Jager Monster" and his wife in New Orleans to enjoy Mardi Gras w/locals and ride on a float in costume :thumbup:. I traded Pool cues for this opportunity and am totally excited about the trip. This would never happen if not for pool, AZB & my sickness for cues.

And recently, Nicole Winters was gracious enough to meet me in Orlando (about an hour away from where she lives) while I was there for a trade show and show me around on a Monday evening (dinner & pool at Clicks), and I hardly knew her. I had met Nicole when she came to Denver to play in WPBA qualifier a few months ago. Thanks again, Nicole!

There are so many memorable moments that has happened to me over the years, I am so glad I started playing this addictive game. I hope it continues to grow and get better.

Dave
 
One more (wasn't sure I wanted to share this one but what the heck):

In high school I experimented w/, well, let's just say I experimented (I graduated in 1971 if that helps). I stopped after my 1st semester of college because it just got too weird. I was kind of was a loaner once I stopped "experimenting" not feeling too comfortable around people so the pool room was the perfect place for me. I could go there by myself, do something w/others if I felt like it, immerse myself in 3-cushion (which I found fascinating), then go home whenever I wanted because I went there alone. The pool room was the crutch that I needed to get through this portion of my life. The pool room was the perfect place for me during this time and I thank it for being there when I needed it most.

After 2-3 years I no longer needed the pool room to help me function, but surprisingly I became pretty good at 3-cushion so continued to play. By then, pool/3-cushion was in my blood.

I had stopped playing for 3 years while going to school in CA & starting my career, played a couple tournaments for a 6 mos period than quit again for about 10 years before finding it again. I've been enjoying the game again ever since.

Dave
 
I've told this story on here before but I'm repeating it for the sake of this worthy thread:

June, 1967. I was about to turn 14 years old and my dad and I were taking a trip from Texas to visit his family in Rochester, PA. Somewhere about halfway up we stopped at Springfield, MO because my dad wanted to find a place to shoot some pool. You see, he had an Uncle named Carl that was known for his ability on the green felt and he wanted to get some practice in as he knew that every night that we were there we would spend them at the local pub in the presence of Uncle Carl. I just think he wanted to knock off some rust so he could at least make a good showing. Well, I got my first taste of the game of pocket billiards that day in Springfield MO in an old school, musty-smelling poolhall with a storefront right out of the "Hustler" movie. I was instantly smitten with it. Loved the sounds of the balls "clacking" against one another and the sound of a ball hitting the bottom of a drop pocket. I was hooked!!!

So we are in Rochester and I finally get to meet the "legend", Uncle Carl (a legend within the family, of course). He gets around to asking me to shoot a game of pool with him. I am extremely shy at this age, but I accept anyway because I couldn't hardly wait to shoot pool again! I don't remember much of how I shot, but I do remember Uncle Carl giving me pointers along the way. The only one that I can remember though is that he told me not to shoot so hard (I guess I was a "banger" starter-kit).
I never saw Uncle Carl again after that trip, but I was happy for the chance to have gotten to play a game or two with him.

After we got home from the trip, it wasn't long before we had a pool table in the garage. The rest is history. It wasn't a great table but it allowed me to hone my pocketing skills (which my brother says I was always good at). Our friends use to "hang out" in the Metz garage and of course my dad was always welcomed to join us all.

Thanks dad, and thank you Uncle Carl (R.I.P.) for all ya'll did in getting me into this wonderful game!!!

Maniac
 
You know there's a lot of brickering going on and in the forum on certain subjects these days and them to,but thats just human natural ,its the way it was .Other than that you guys are all good and im positivity about that.:wink::wink:
 
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Positive for me last night. Had my first ERO in league. Great feeling to get to the table, see what you want to do, and be able to execute from start to finish. Happened against a good player too.
 
There are a lot of positive stories about pool.

This last Wed night, brothers finished in the finals of a B tournament. They decided to SPLIT and bought each other a beer and smiled... it was a first for each of them. They had been playing faithfully in this weekly tournament for the last few yeas.

Here is a link to a bunch of posts about 'why pool is cool'
http://forums.azbilliards.com/showthread.php?t=208758
 
Playing Champions

In my travels I've had the opportunity to play many top players.

One weekend tournament in Bangkok, French Champion Vincent Facquet showed up on his way to the World Championships in Manila. I drew him first round.

I knew I was the underdog, so I just played to have fun and see how I could do. I played well, and he was struggling. And a few key rolls went my way.

I ended up winning 7-6 on a 9 foot Metro with tight pockets.

Kudos to Vincent for being a perfect gentleman......and he ended up knocking me out in the losers' bracket.

It was a match I will never forget............
 

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I have some bittersweet memories of my days in the poolhall, Kickin'. One that comes to mind, and arguably the most painful, was when I met my true love.
It was a dark and stormy evening and I was down three games to two, playing One Pocket. All of a sudden the front door burst open and in walks two midgets, four clowns, a guy in a cape, and the most beautiful woman I had ever seen. Her face was like that of an angel. Her hair was Ebony, much like the points on my cue, and her skin was like that of fine alabaster. She would have tipped the scales at six hundred and fifty pounds easy. I didn't know it at the time but the circus had come to town. I stopped playing immediately.
Not wanting to miss the opportunity to meet her, I took a deep breath and dashed across the room. I had almost gotten to her chair when I accidentally tripped over one of the midgets and fell head long into her ample busom. I knew I was in love.
I apologized for my clumsiness and told her that I would pay for the stitches needed to close the little fellows head wound. She smiled and said the circus had it's own first-aid facility and that payment would not be necessary. She asked if I would like to sit and talk.
We chatted about her life in the circus. She said she was called the 'Fat Lady' and had been employed for nearly four years. She said she loved the audiences, but the traveling was hell. I told her I was working at a nearby dry cleaners. She wanted to know how I got snot out of corderoy, and I said it was damn near impossible.
We talked until closing time, her and I, and when last call came she said that it was time for her to go. She had an early call for a morning show, and then a matinee.
As she got out of the chair the four clowns helped her to her feet (I had been wondering what they had been hanging around for), and she began walking toward the door.
"Will I see again?" I asked.
"No, I'm afraid not dear Tramp. We leave town after the matinee."
I ran to her side and kissed her. She held me in her arms and broke two of my ribs. I hugged her back, but my hands kept slipping off. I grabbed a cube of chalk from a nearby table and chalked-up my finger tips. I hugged her one last time. Her and the clowns walked out of the poolhall and I never saw her again.
Sad, but true, Kickin' old friend. Sad, but true. :)
 
My wife and I were playing in a tournament when she went into labor with our son, Max. Here's the first picture of him from the hospital, we didn't realize until later what he had done in the picture, he looks like he was born to play pool. (check out his bridge)





sorry for the size, can't change it on my computer
 

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My wife and I were playing in a tournament when she went into labor with our son, Max. Here's the first picture of him from the hospital, we didn't realize until later what he had done in the picture, he looks like he was born to play pool. (check out his bridge)





sorry for the size, can't change it on my computer

Nice to know there's ONE bridge hand in the family.:)

Nice kid, Jesse.
 
They say in show biz, never follow a kid or an animal act. Here I am in direct violation of both, following Jesse's beautiful Max showing off his bridge hand, and, well, pt109. :p

When I started this thread I didn't intend for it to become an episode of Dr. Phreakin' Phil, but you guys took it in that direction, so I'll keep the trend alive.

First, I gotta know, Tramp, was it pre-flag master chalk you used on your fingertips? :grin-square: They say it's the best for grabbing onto slippery fat girls.

I, like many of us here, have my father to thank for introducing me to pool. I would say he was a ball or two below shortstop speed, real capable of showing a snotty-nosed 10 year old how to move around a little on a pool table. I appreciated his tutelage and looked forward to our Saturday sessions at our local pool hall.

In high school, my buddy Mike and I would regularly skip out of classes in favor of what was being taught at Sam's Pool Hall. It was a dank, smokey, 2nd floor joint with all sorts of characters coming and going. This is where I fell in love with pool. By the time I was 14 or 15, Mike and I were playing and occasionally beating up on some of the stronger regulars at Sam's.

I went into the Army at 18 and was delighted to learn that almost everywhere I went, Uncle Sam supplied a pool table so I could keep working on my game. :wink:

After my hitch in the service, I played a whole lot of barbox pool with some good success. This went on for years until life got in the way.

Started a biz that required so much of my time that, unfortunately, pool was pushed way off to the sidelines. This was the case for about 10 years until I became sick, and I do mean sick!

Did you know that while looking for your poorly hit golf ball in the brush, you could get bit by something, and nearly die as a result?

Couldn't talk or think straight for months :confused:, many more months spent in 6 different hospitals in three states, hallucinations, couldn't be in sunlight, etc., etc., etc... I used to pay good money to get this way (temporarily) in high school. :D I, too, was a child of the 70's.

Fast forward about 12 years still suffering some nasty lingering effects that have now made my vision go very wavy. The treatment involves getting medicine injected directly into the eyeballs. :yikes: I can say with absolute certainty, this is neither better or worse than a needle in the eye - it is exactly the same as.

Even Dr. Phil must now be saying in his smarmiest (is that a word?) voice, 'bring it home chicken, I know you can do it'. :grin-square:

Chill Phil, I'm just getting to the good part.

So, I thought, what would Charlie Sheen do if he had a medical problem, say, involving his groin? He'd get him some 'goddesses'.

So, I have a medical problem with my eyeballs, what should I do? Get me some goddesses, right? Yeah, that ain't gonna be happening. :(

The next best thing would be to get something to help rehab my eyeballs? You guessed it, a gold crown 1. :thumbup: I know it may not be very scientific but I figured I'd give it a try. Working on thin cuts can't hurt, right?

With the aid of my home table I got my game back to a respectable level and for the first time ever in my life, I joined a league, played some tourneys, joined azb, and am having a great time with all of it.

I have met some truly outstanding people in the world of pool, made some real friendships. and I look forward to the opportunity to make some more.

I consider myself very lucky to have been able to make a nice tall glass of lemonade from the lemons thrown my way.

I love pool!

And am immensely appreciative for all of the friends I've made as a result of my (re)exposure to this sport. :thumbup: Very positive, indeed!

Thanks to everyone who shared their positive pool thoughts/experiences.

Best,
Brian kc
 
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