Sharking: 1968 vs. 2008

[crawfish]

Well Sharking is Sharking be it between serious player, or in a $5.00 Entry Fee Tournament.

My definition of Sharking is any thing an opponent does to me, or I do to an opponent to distract my concentration on the game of pool i am engaged in.

List to include, but not limited to.

Talking to me when I am down on a shot

Talking softly about me or my shot to a third part when I am down on a shot

Smearing Chalk all over the rails when playing

Asking me during a game about my equipment

Walking away from the play area during a match

Like I said any action, talk that will distract me when I am engaged in a match

You and I should never play.

 

[!Smorgass Bored]

I'm Part Of The Herd Now

As I'm getting older (62) and approaching retirement I've been keeping an eye open for one of these senior centers with pool tables or a >55 community with pool tables, but there are just none around here. You're lucky to have that one.
As to sharking, drives me crazy. Noise, crowds all get me out of sorts.
I sometimes think I've autistic tendencies, lol. Nothing I can do about it.

Get rid of that guy in your avatar with his arm around your shoulder.

Doug
(and move to Florida, it's like the elephant burial grounds for humans)
http://www.kenyatravelideas.com/african-elephants.html

 

[CocoboloCowboy]

You and I should never play.

I have no plans to visit North Carolina. I try real hard when playing not to Shark, and Sharks drive me krazy. Why is Sharking Nessessary?

 

[CocoboloCowboy]

Every Tuesday I've been playing pool with a bunch of old geezers at the senior citizen center. Ages 75-93.
All but one play with $15 sticks; he's got a Meucci Original,
they've got great strokes, rarely miss, play strong po,
AND NEVER SHUT UP!
It's like running the gauntlet playing these guys.

I am getting used to it and they're starting to realize that I've got
a big mouth too.

All in all, a lot of fun.

The old GEEZERS who fought in WW-II, and Korea have some great stories to tell. Ask, and most will open up, the stories are very cool for the most part..

 

[androd]

Well Sharking is Sharking be it between serious player, or in a $5.00 Entry Fee Tournament.

My definition of Sharking is any thing an opponent does to me, or I do to an opponent to distract my concentration on the game of pool i am engaged in.

List to include, but not limited to.

Talking to me when I am down on a shot

Talking softly about me or my shot to a third part when I am down on a shot

Smearing Chalk all over the rails when playing

Asking me during a game about my equipment

Walking away from the play area during a match

Like I said any action, talk that will distract me when I am engaged in a match

toughen up guys, it ain't church ! theres always gonna be noise (intentional or not ) at least when you choke you'll have something to blame it on.

 

[Rak9up]

A few years ago I was playing on a league against my wifes team. I was bragging that once I was down on a ball absolutly nothing could rattle me. So 3 of the most attractive women on on her team started suductivly exposing/posing to rattle me. Didn't miss a beat made the next 3 balls still in line(talk about pressure with your wife standing there). While running the rest of the rack to the 8 ball the rest of the team tried everything from dropping house sticks jumping up and down you name it.
Got straight in on the 8 very easy shot about 4 feet straight in the corner. While down on the 8 I didn't realize someone had come up behind me it was my wife and just as I was about to shoot she genlty whispered in my ear "I'm pregnant" I missed by a foot.... Anyone can be bitten by a shark

 

[SJDinPHX]

simple answer !!!!

I have no plans to visit North Carolina. I try real hard when playing not to Shark, and Sharks drive me krazy. Why is Sharking Nessessary?

Because Sharking drives you Krazy.

Dick

PS Coco, from what I've heard, you are bragging if you think someone has to shark you in order to win against you. haha !

 

[freddy the beard]

The fine art of Sharking and Gamesmanship

I loved it personally and watched and learned from the best, Ronnie Allen, Preacher Red, Alphozo Daniels. George Fels did a nice article describing the power of such in my Gamesmanship blog section.
http://secretsofahardcorepoolhustler.blogspot.com/2008/02/art-of-gamesmanship.html If you played me you had to do more than just shoot balls into the pocket.

the Beard

 

[alstl]

I think everyone is talking about sharking amongst serious pool players.

I am pretty sure a serious pool player from ANY year would expect to get knocked the f*** out for hitting someone's cuestick when they are stroking.

10 year olds need not apply to this thread conversation....

Russ

I understand what you are saying short bus but I don't think Tony Drago got the memo. I saw him grab Bustamante and shake the living crap out of him during the Vegas finals with $20,000 on the line and nobody knocked the f*** out of him. Kind of made me nostalgic for the old days.

 

[Pete]

As I'm getting older (62) and approaching retirement I've been keeping an eye open for one of these senior centers with pool tables or a >55 community with pool tables, but there are just none around here. You're lucky to have that one.
As to sharking, drives me crazy. Noise, crowds all get me out of sorts. I sometimes think I've autistic tendencies, lol. Nothing I can do about it.

In no way is this a sales pitch. World class in Peabody MA runs a daily special from noon to 8 pm Monday through Sunday, $7 for the whole day, I come in the afternoon for a few hours.

And there are other rooms in MA that do similar specials...

Pete

 

[tom haney]

The old GEEZERS who fought in WW-II, and Korea have some great stories to tell. Ask, and most will open up, the stories are very cool for the most part..

Plus, great senses of humor.
When I told them all the old guys I used to play with are dead, one of them told me that's what I get for always picking on old men.:smile:

 

[tom haney]

What city do you live in West Virginia? We are heading up there in a week or two. Where's the cool pool rooms?

JAM

BYW, there's a pool room in the Westover section of Morgantown owned
by some guy named Joey Scotchell. Likes to play one hole for the cash
and likes to play name players if he can get a spot he likes.

Heard he played Mark Tadd 11-5 a few years back for the bucks.

I'm going to be in Branson next week but if you're nearby when I get
back I would love to meet you guys.

 

[CocoboloCowboy]

toughen up guys, it ain't church ! theres always gonna be noise (intentional or not ) at least when you choke you'll have something to blame it on.

There is a difference between background noise, and intentional Sharking. I think intentional Sharking. fall under a BCA Rule called Un-Sportsman like conduct.

 

[CocoboloCowboy]

Plus, great senses of humor.
When I told them all the old guys I used to play with are dead, one of them told me that's what I get for always picking on old men.:smile:

We have a fellow who was captured 3 times in Korea, on his forth escape attempt he made it to freedom. Talk about a gusty fellow.

 

[BVal]

You and I should never play.

He won't even show up to play a guy (me) in his own state. I don't think you have to worry about running into him anytime soon

BVal

 

[!Smorgass Bored]

Would it be sharking to call a top Pro a "crybaby" and a "whiny b*tch" and then tell him "let's go out in the parking lot and fight for the tournament win" ?
This, when the top Pro just won the first set of a true 2 set double illumination.

They then took a 10 minute break to cool off and the top Pro was so sharked that he went on to lose the final set 9-6.

The top Pro was heard to say;
1.) This is why pool can't get anywhere
2.) <in the parking lot afterwards> I had to lose that set to prevent a fight
3.) If I ever have a tournament of my own, there will be a referee racking at EVERY table.

Doug

 

[kentw]

The San Jose Dick quote which follows brought a topic to my mind: Is there any difference in the tolerance for sharking today in contrast to 40 years ago? Were players in the 1960's tougher than they are today in the new millennium?

I recall that sharking and commenting were much more widespread and acceptable then. Oftentimes players would try to rattle the other guy, although it was usually only safely practiced turning a player's own turn.

Certain guys were legendary for this practice: Ronnie Allen, Fats (of course), Keith McCready, Mike Sigel, etc. If a guy couldn't take the heat, and either throw it back at them or ingnore them, they simply couldn't prevail.

Since the advent of tournament play, and social forces, that type of repartee is pretty rare these days. Times have changed. I'm not sure that's a bad thing, but it sure takes some of the character out of pool.

Last summer I watched a great 1P match-up btween Cliff Joyner and Billy Incardona for 5 bags over in Mobile. I won't mention the spot, so as not to knock their action, but it was a thrill-packed contest. Cliff's backer kept trying to shark Billy, since the backer had agreed to play Billy for the same amount at a similar spot, only in reverse, at the match's conlcusion.

What surprised and delighted me was that Billy just kept throwing it right back at the heckler. Being a warrior from the old school, Billy not only didn't get rattled, but he verbally overcame the guy, and sent him back to the shadows. (BTW Joyner took no part in the sharkfest, and behaved as a perfect gentleman.) The outcome? Billy won that set, then the backer refused to play the promised followup match!

Doc

go billy hes got tobe 60 right.

 

[berlowmj]

great stroking geezers

Every Tuesday I've been playing pool with a bunch of old geezers at the senior citizen center. Ages 75-93.
All but one play with $15 sticks; he's got a Meucci Original,
they've got great strokes, rarely miss, play strong po,
AND NEVER SHUT UP!
It's like running the gauntlet playing these guys.

I am getting used to it and they're starting to realize that I've got
a big mouth too.

All in all, a lot of fun.

As a 66 year old novice, it is encouraging to hear that they have retained the stroke.

 

[JAM]

BYW, there's a pool room in the Westover section of Morgantown owned
by some guy named Joey Scotchell. Likes to play one hole for the cash
and likes to play name players if he can get a spot he likes.

Heard he played Mark Tadd 11-5 a few years back for the bucks.

I'm going to be in Branson next week but if you're nearby when I get
back I would love to meet you guys.

Thanks for the info. I do love Morgantown, and all the people I met there were so cool. It was a very friendly pool environment.

Keith and Joe have met previously, with Keith coming out on top. I can 't remember how they played, but Keith did have to spot him to get action. They played one-pocket. I think the name of the joint was Frank's Place or something like that. I was hoping Keith could get some practice in playing Joe again. The two of them seemed to hit it off great.

On our way home from Vegas, we pulled into Morgantown to see Joe, just to hang out and get a little rest from our long journey. Joe couldn't come, as he had family duties, but we spoke to him on the phone. The locals were there in full force and really made us feel welcome.

There were a few kids that were coming and going, as there's an arcade next door. One of them showed an interest in pool, and that's all it took for Keith. We were there about 4 to 5 hours, giving lessons to four young'ns. They were so cute. Keith said he'd give them a dollar every time they pocketed a ball. He showed them how to stroke it, sometimes holding the cue with them, so they could make the shot. The look in their eyes was priceless. When we left, they all followed us out to our car and asked when we'd be back.

I am going to stop by there and see if those kids are still hitting 'em. They really warmed my heart. I love West Virginia. My father was from Piedmont originally when he was a young boy, which is kind of near Frostburg.

JAM

 

[softshot]

Well Sharking is Sharking be it between serious player, or in a $5.00 Entry Fee Tournament.

My definition of Sharking is any thing an opponent does to me, or I do to an opponent to distract my concentration on the game of pool i am engaged in.

List to include, but not limited to.

Talking to me when I am down on a shot

Talking softly about me or my shot to a third part when I am down on a shot

Smearing Chalk all over the rails when playing

Asking me during a game about my equipment

Walking away from the play area during a match

Like I said any action, talk that will distract me when I am engaged in a match

so let me get this straight.... YOUR lack of concentration is HIS fault???

are you serious??

It's not MY fault that YOU can't get it together... are we not playing under the same conditions???

he sharked me....... uh-huh--- thats what happened... you didn't miss... you got sharked.... whatever.....

don't blame your personal quirks on your opponent ... bear down and make the shot... period... even if he's hitting on your girl.. and the best sharks will.... just make your shots and you will be fine.