So I just got back from Reno where I was there with my family for Hot August Nights Car Show for a few days, and decided to take my cue and check out a couple of local pool halls. I went with my friend who is just getting into pool and had only played in several bar leagues and had never played in a 9 footer. I walk into Keystone's Cues and Cushions and the first person I lay eyes on is The Monk. I had watched him play pool in Seattle with Harry Platis about three years ago, but this was my first time since. So I had to gather that there were some pretty decent players around...since he was gambling when we got there. It was a fairly decent room, the table we had was the worst one of course..terrible cloth and pockets. We played for two hours, just 8-ball due to my friend, and played decent. A player came over and asked if we were looking for a game, we declined since we only wanted to check the hall out...not get run down by a local pro that I had never seen. However my friend, who has never set foot into a real pool hall figured he knew all about them. A man was playing 9 ball next to us...very good shooter that I gathered while scanning the room. Another man approached him and asked if he wanted to play straight pool. My friend...who I guess had never heard of straight pool and thought he meant straight 8...started to interrupt them about playing when I hushed him and told them they were playing straight pool, not straight 8. He said whats the difference? I almost b!tc# slapped him. So then I actually had to talk to him about pool halls in general, etiquette, fun-players vs gamblers...since he had never been aound it. He needed that talk anyway...he has reached a point that he is a pretty decent 8ball player (never played 9) but is starting to get a big head about it. We are the best two players in our little hamlet now...but I just moved back after playing in Seattle for 6 years and know the ins and outs of the game..poolhalls vs bars. He has not experienced that yet. Maybe I should have let him walk into it for a lesson but did not want to have that happen to a friend.
I just had to rant about his actions down there. He was just getting cocky while we were playing and thought he could beat the world. We were tied 5-5 and when he started piping off I decided to actually play instead of scan the room and players. It ended up 19-7 after that.
There isn't much to gather from this post, but just wondered if any of you have had similar experiences with friends or players when going out of town or in town? With people who haven't had any pool etiquette lessons when you are together in real pool halls after they have only played in bars?
End of Rant
I just had to rant about his actions down there. He was just getting cocky while we were playing and thought he could beat the world. We were tied 5-5 and when he started piping off I decided to actually play instead of scan the room and players. It ended up 19-7 after that.
There isn't much to gather from this post, but just wondered if any of you have had similar experiences with friends or players when going out of town or in town? With people who haven't had any pool etiquette lessons when you are together in real pool halls after they have only played in bars?
End of Rant