Problems playing certain people

pool is like golf when its your turn, you are just playing against your self. the opponent isnt even right there and isnt talking to you.
 
Lou196755 said:
Reading through, I find I think along the same lines as boogieman. My biggest issue is the way some players will really melt down if they are 3 fouled out of a game. I have been cussed out, called a weak/scared player, and other sweet nothings over this, especially in the weekly low entry fee tournaments I normally play in.

I have an issue with their anger in that #1, the rule a part of the game in my mind, #2 Why are you blaming me that you can't get out of a safety shot time after time?, and #3 is when a 2 way shot or straight safety shot is played in a game like 1pkt, you get told that it was a nice shot that you could tie up the cue ball that well.

I am not changing my strategy of going for the 3 fouls if it means I win, but I don't go into a game looking to do it instead of trying to win via a run out or 9/10 ball combo. Is there something I am missing that offense is valued that much over whole game strategic thinking?
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Safety is more appreciated in casual 9/10 ball here, and 3-fouling someone is treated favourably. But taking an early combo is not. Strange attitude difference. Win is a win. Play to win, or don't play... I will take both
 
David in FL said:
Good grief, I know this guy!
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🤣
David in FL said:
Except my guy prefers nine ball. Nothing but safes. He once told me that if he makes a ball other than the nine ball it was likely in error…

And the snarky little sharky comments never stop.
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One reason I persist with headphones... I actually played the language card for awhile myself to be honest, and pretended I didn't understand him jabbering on and on, which just made his gesticulations and body language far too much to handle. He was quite taken aback when I told him to 闭嘴 别说话了 - shut up and stop talking. That did only feed the beast, and he made a lot of efforts to play me more for a couple of weeks.
I always give him a little knuckle touch or a handshake and make a show of sportsmanship at the end. Had to make this happen, but now it's customary or expected. I always give him the courtesy of hello's and goodbye's when I see him at the hall. But then that's only because we are both local to a place, and have many mutuals (who I am pretty sure know we dislike each other, but still... 🤣)
David in FL said:
I seem to always draw the bastard in tournaments. Last time was 8 ball (unusual for him) short races. Five on each side. Our match took one hour and 52 minutes and I won 5/2. I'm not a slow player, but I was only able to break and run once and he just tied everything up every other time when he got to the table… almost 2 hours for seven freaking games of eight ball. 😑
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I am so sorry for your loss, you could have done many more productive things with that time in your life, instead you are an hour closer to death. I completely feel your pain.
David in FL said:
I've never lost to him, which seems to slow him down even more. I would rather have a tooth drilled than play him in pool...
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I've lost to this guy a few times, I've quit on him a couple of times too. I'd rather make up some reason I need to go home than finish a set against the guy sometimes... I'm comfortably up on him in general. Just hate playing him. Know that It would get too spicy playing for money. I took great joy in pinning him 7-1 in a tournament that was a 'members only' tourney at my hall.
 
playing for money eliminates most of those problems. when you can quit someone, they act reasonable.

the are only two people i have played in my life after growing up to be driving age, that i have not played for money.
you dont bet, i dont play.
 
so let’s take an example here-Efren. So he was like I was saying earlier. He was like a pro level Kamikazee. He took shots other players wouldn’t. And he is/was that good too. But the point being. I’m sure a lot of the pros got thrown off playing Efren at least in the early Efren days. Where they would expect a one rail kick safe back from other pros he’d go 2-3 rails and pocket the ball.im not saying the other pros didn’t know the shots. But who actually took them at that level? I’m sure many people that played him have regretted not taking a few swings at 50-60%’ers rather than safing after a match with him. You never can tell what he is gonna do next. Thats what I’ve heard anyway…. Now kick shots are a little more streamlined and emphasized but back when he was one of the top pros on the tour he played different than most, and was probably really hard to adjust to for some players.
 
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maha said:
playing for money eliminates most of those problems. when you can quit someone, they act reasonable.
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I'd probably take different match-ups if real gambling was legal. Short of the light fee or petty cash, action is hard to come by. I'd have had some different experiences, and probably much harder lessons by now if things were different (I've still certainly learned a lot about my limits, and detailed a few experiences here in other threads. Won and lost a fair bit of $, but not nearly as much as if I'd been elsewhere)
maha said:
The are only two people i have played in my life after growing up to be driving age, that i have not played for money.
you dont bet, i dont play.
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Face matters here, and sometimes, that's what's at stake here. Social Hierarchy. How others treat or perceive you in the social community is like part of the deal. I've earned perks like a place to play for free, countless free beers, social connections that can influence how you live your life (A good real estate agent, someone who owns a mansion you can stay at instead of a hotel when traveling, someone to buy/sell from etc etc).

Something is always on the line, not always money. Being a foreigner, I've lost count of the times I've been approached and asked to play by someone whose friends nudged them over to see what happens.

I'm the problem for some people. Sometimes simply being a foreigner and pressured by others to play me because I'm different puts the shakes into people lol
 
boogieman said:
I'm not that good either but I take great joy into banking, then caroming 3 shots in a row and make it appear to be sloppy luck. Sometimes I just get on a roll and shoot my gut feeling no matter how stupid it is percentage wise. It's the most wild thing but the difference is I'm not concerned about percentages and just get in the zone and on a roll. I start seeing shots.

Sometimes when you don't play by the book, like caroming, doing a 2 way shot, 2 ways appearing to hit harder than needed (but it's all about where you're putting the CB in a safe spot), 2 ways giving a cross bank off another ball a chance, running into a ball solidly to stop the CB, pushing extra balls around a bit (with control) and such shenanigans, really burns the ass of a certain type of good player. Some make such faces you can tell they are absolutely disgusted their opponent isn't playing by the book and still getting out. Some will start to consider luck.

I don't like to give too much info to my opponent and will often try to keep a poker face. I've seen someone miss an easy shot because I overran a safety and didn't react like it was a mistake. They later said they got distracted and were trying to figure out if I was setting up a trap or something because it looked like I meant to do it. :) The easiest way to do this is stay down on the ball and watch it stop and get up without making some kind of tell. Let them play through the scenarios in their own head, that's less concentration on the game at hand.

Some thrive on opponents displaying weakness, some thrive on seeing cockiness (I'll get that guy), or a skilled opponent, letting them be an underdog in their own mind. Give them nothing and let their imaginations run wild. Cognitive dissonance can be a powerful distraction if you don't confirm or deny their suspicions either way.

Don't let anyone tell you that this stuff doesn't go on all the time in pool. I'm not talking sharking or poor sportsmanship either, we see those clowns nightly, but there is a certain level of gamesmanship that goes on even in unspoken moments. Some times those guys you can't seem to beat or play your best against just don't give enough tells (or only give them when appropriate for bait ;)) and it's enough to put you on tilt. I know it's happened to me and I've seen it happen to my opponent.

So I mean, if you're having problems with certain people, maybe do a little people watching while they play someone else and see if you can pick up on anything. Someone has to win and someone has to lose, at least if you figure out how to be nonplussed by that particular opponent the odds are better.
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Boogie is a dirty dawg! Lolol. My second match last time in Vegas for APA. Playing 8 ball. Full table length carom 6 from the headstring, off the 8 ball sitting under the spot, and into the corner. Yes off the money ball and shot hard cause there were clusters and had to be hit hard for correct angle to the corner. Next shot bank carom to the side. Followed by another crazy shot thinking carom but don’t remember after first two. Regardless I played like a champ that match and beat my opponent 5-1 in like 5 innings. Definitely must have looked like luck to the other guy in that particular rack, but its what I was going for.
 
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every country has different customs. i personally wouldn't live where i had to do things to make myself liked or fit in.
i treat everyone as an equal but wont ever kiss anyone's ass. and i never in my life said yes sir to anyone and never will.
just be yourself is my motto. take everyone for what they are and realize everyone thinks differently about things.
 
Willowbrook Wolfy said:
I did the same but just edited it. Was talking like Efren is dead and gone or that’s what my original Efren reference post kinda looked like……🤔
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Magician era Efren, the guy was on massive headroom. He had very low dog in the first place and few even offered any resistance. Some of the biggies figured him out but that's why they were biggies. It's still amazing how he climbed through the takers.
 
maha said:
pool is like golf when its your turn, you are just playing against your self. the opponent isnt even right there and isnt talking to you.
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To me, pool is like boxing….if you don’t consider your opponent, get used to looking at the bright lights.
 
Flakeandrun said:
There is an older guy I play (less and less regularly thanks to a conscious choice to prioritize sanity)

Poor breaker, who will only play Chinese/American mix 8-ball and relies on knotting up balls, plays pathetic nudges and nurdles, all while turning down valid shots. Plays slower than death and drags you down to his level. Also he's an absolute shark, who plays the language barrier card to a ridiculous extent (making up whatever rules he wants that only apply when he sees fit). Very loud, obnoxious small man syndrome type. I absolutely batter some of the people who regularly beat him. But he has a better record against me than I would like.

You have to watch him like a hawk, as he will not admit fouls. Ever. Period. - I matched up in a scotch doubles match with an American friend, and we played against him and another guy I play with often. He potted the black, while contacting the 14 with his cue, and when I called him on it, he blew up. I told him if he wanted the win he could take it, but we all saw him touch it. His OTT reaction was funny as hell. I love when tiny people try to be intimidating. Anyway, his team mate quit on him. Brought me smug satisfaction to see the little monster feeling awkward lol

I do beat him quite often, and luckily so far when it has counted. But he certainly knows how to rub me up the wrong way, and takes great pleasure in doing so. When he's up in a set, you'd think he was 100 racks to zero the way he carries himself. When he loses, he's a personally aggressive and vindictive tit. I know I can have the odd temperament issue, but cursing myself and a table tap, isn't the same as telling your opponent to go fuck their mother lol

I would never purposefully match up with him for any amount of money.

On a less sour note... There is a friend of mine who absolutely has my number. I'd say I'm sitting above him in terms of regular standard and opponents defeated, but when we play together, It's a real workout for me and I always trip myself up somewhere. All that said, he's been playing 15 years longer than me.

Both situations make me feel differing versions of psychological discomfort. Like a consignment to a bad time, or a loss.
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You take that nurdle shit elsewhere.
We don't know nothin bout that crazy shit around here.

 
childish sharking aside, if a shot is valid and puts the shooter in a favorable advantage position I dont care if a ball only moves 1/4" it can still be a very well thought out and implemented shot, in snooker anyway. Yes it can frustrate an opponent, who is then often then seriously hooked, So long as it's play within the rules, its fair game play. I don't see why that would be considered to be " in bad form" maybe its like driving the speed limit in the fast lane or something? ;-) if you want to put all your high or low balls in a group, or use them to block pockets in some master plan to stage a runout and that's your strategy, again, if it's play within the rules, I'd think of it as fair play. waving your arms and jumping on one foot while the opponent shoots, that's just childish behavior.

gambling can be fair.. Just not my thing. I think a lot of the that causes people to be come a bit obsessed on the rules and what is fair, once money is involved. the BS starts.. To each his own poison maybe.. some pay for sex and enjoy it, others enjoy the challenge and the thrill of the hunt ;-) a fish you caught in a river, usually tastes a lot better than one from the store.
 
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Here is an individual that I had a hard time playing with the other day, and I finally packed up my cue and went home. He is a very good player, knows his way around the table and occasionally runs the table. The issue is, every shot he makes he has a comment on. For example, on a slight cut 3/4 of the length of the table he says " I'm not very good at these but I'll try it anyway" then you pockets the ball. As the cue ball is traveling to his next position he constantly coaxes it along "com'on com'on com'on, darn, it's not exactly where I wanted it, oh well". Then he shoots his next ball in the whole routine starts over again. He never keeps quiet, always talking to the ball and trying to coax it along, and never happy where the cue ball ends up. Then he continues to run the table. Constantly never happy, always whining, and shooting very well at the same time. He has gotten complaints while on League of sharking from his opponent, and I don't think he does it on purpose, but nonetheless, it just wears me down. He's never happy with his game, but he wins most of the time . Just shut the f up and play pool, and stop the freaking whining!
I just can't take this type of individual as he gets under my skin. I know I shouldn't let people get under my skin, but I have choices in life of who I want to hang with and who I don't, and this just wears me out so I don't play with them anymore.
 
sounds like he's encouraging himself. maybe bowing out is the best option, policing the outside world is a lot of work ! It can be harder than just living in it.. I remind myself of that almost every day , and example is entering a bridge, some jerk speeds ahead to squeeze in a car ahead.. human nature tells me that's not fair and to tailgate the guy in front and close off the freakin jerk's option to cut in front of me.. I also have the option to just relax and let it go, which is actually less stressful.

it might be a situation where you could just say all this talk is tiring me out , or something not too offensive. in other words just be direct in letting him know how you feel?
hard to really call him out on it all, some people are just more verbal, its different if he wont shut up in an attempt to break your concentration. It sounds like it might be more of a conflict in personality than an ethical issue.
 
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