Sharking, chatting up, stalling..etc..how to deal with it?

okrad1337

okrad1337

Registered
I apologise in advance for my english..

So...i've been "seriously" playing pool for about two years now (before that i played less than once a month, really casually), im 30 years old, and the pool league i play in just ended for this season, it was my first season of participating and i did quite well, especially torwards the end of the season where i got my first real results and a good place on the board in the final standings..

It was a good experience overall, people take it really seriously, and most of the players have more experience than me..but i trained a lot and it payed off..so to speak..

Anyway, back on topic...most players are nice, and know how to act during a match, but a lot of them are not..

Like the first and second ranked players are an example of how not to act on a pool table...they will do anything to set you off basically, stepping over the line of the rules even..they are experienced and want some edge over the mostly inexperienced field..

I mean all teh stupid tricks tricks...like:
talking to you during a game, even though you never answer to him, they keep doing it,

stalling and commenting over simple situations (example..he says does this ball have room to the pocket...pondering about it, even though it clearly does),

more stalling (ive played this guy in 14.1, and he took more than a minute per shot, for a really simple one he took about 45 seconds, i did beat him, by a big margin, but i swear he took like 70% of the table time, and it drained me, so i had nothing in my next match),

making noise while i shoot (still talking about his missed shot, when i'm about to take my shot), idiotic sharking that just kills my will to play (i find that a weak move, but on the other hand, i have to deal with it better)..

It's not crazy obvious, it's more "subtle" (with quotes, cause its not that subtle, its just on the border of the rules)




So, my question is..how do you handle these situations, what does it take to overcome this, what did you do, what should i do? (will it come with experience, or should i just stab someone, so when i get back from prison nobody would dare to do something like that to me :D (j/k ofcourse))

I've been working hard on my game, and on my mental game, i'm still learning, and getting experience, but i always look for ways to improve, and i want to be able to destroy these kind of players in the future..
 
Tune them out. Or just pop some ear buds in even if you don't listen to music, just act like it. That'll avoid the questions and talking. As far as the time per shot, just focus on the ball, the game and your potential shots when you get up.

Good luck to you man.
 
Is this in a tournament or gambling? If it's a tournament, just tell the TD.

If gambling, only gamble against people you are familiar with. You don't need to be friends, just know their tendencies and whether or not they're likely to pull cheap moves. Knowing those factors, I think, is just as important as anything else when game selecting.
 
BeiberLvr said:
Is this in a tournament or gambling? If it's a tournament, just tell the TD.

If gambling, only gamble against people you are familiar with. You don't need to be friends, just know their tendencies and whether or not they're likely to pull cheap moves. Knowing those factors, I think, is just as important as anything else when game selecting.
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It's a tournament, the formal kind, with dress code and rules of behaviour and stuff..headphones are prohibited..the regular TD was absent last few tournaments, his replacment is some kid with no authority..

I cant select to avoid this game, it's in the tournament draw..

We play for the same team in the regional league play, so theres some friendship involved, this is a single player tournament, but these cheap moves tell me that i should stop being friends..because they never stop, it can be close to making an incident

i already refuse them games when i have a choice, because its always the same with them, always same gimmicks..pretty ugly people if you ask me

I try never to lose focus during a game, but last time it was really hard to deal with the stalling, as it was my 4th match that day...

I guess i should just keep working on my game and my focus, maybe with time and experience i will know how to handle this better..
 
If you understand why they're doing those things to you then you'll be able to deal with them better. They're doing those things because they are insecure people and they think that their playing skill may not be strong enough for them to win.

After awhile, that kind of behavior becomes a habit to them and they can't stop, regardless of who they are playing. Eventually they will do something to sabotage themselves at the table. You can guarantee it will happen.

If I were you, I would recognize their dysfunctional personalities, pity them, and then and just play your game. Watch them spiral down when they realize they're not getting to you.
 
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When he is talking or engaging in other disruptive behavior stop dead in your tracks. Stand up, look him straight in the eye until he quits. I would not say a word because he knows why you have stopped. If he does say something then tell him that when he is ready to be quiet you will continue playing.

If he says anything more simply tell him that you try to be polite and quiet when it is his turn and you would appreciate his being quiet because it disrupts your playing. You are in control. When he quiets down, you will continue and most anyone in the area will agree with you.

When he is stalling at the table there is little that you can do about it except ignore him. Turn on your Ipod and visibly get lost in the enjoyment of your music. When he is done shooting, stretch, take your time standing up, walk around the table several times and stall twice as long as he did. Might be time for a bathroom break, etc. He will get the message and if he asks why you are taking so long, say that you have taken a lesson from him and you and have found that when you take your time to figure out the shot, you play better. Course it may take you longer than him because you have just learned the trick. Then do not play him any more and you can always retract your statement that stalling, playing slowly or whatever, did not work for you, but maybe you will try it again sometime.

All of this is done with a polite smile, laughter and anything but anger. Remember, he is trying to get you upset and so that is the last thing you want to give him.

I have used all of these in the past and they have worked for me. The trick is to be polite, gracious, even tactful. Often he is the one thrown off his game in the end.
 
As far as the slow play, you need to be able to relax when your oponent is at the table. Seperate yourself, this requires a different focus from the time you are at the table. Sometimes I catch myself with a lot of tension in my hand that is holding my cue while my oponent is shooting. This reminds me to relax and seperate myself from the focus I want to have when it is my turn.

The shark moves I handle differently. If someone has gotten into my head when I am down on the shot, I must get up off the shot and recompose. If I just stay down and think "ok, that did not bother me", I will either miss the shot or blow the shape. (A good shark move doesn't make you miss outright, it distracts you just enough to miss the shape.) I will give the benefit of the doubt the first time, and just go on as if they did not know. When they do it a second time I will get up and politely ask them to quit. Usually with an explanation that I am easily distracted or a new player etc. If and when they persist, I get mad. (Anger creates the natural adrenaline that the druggies are getting with their unnatural enhancements.) In a very agressive but quiet and calm tone I will tell them that what they are doing is wrong and if they do not quit, I will get much louder and will cause a big scene. Now my adrenaline is definitly up and I can put my full focus on the table and be sure that win or lose I will give my best game.

I have gone to the loud scene on a couple of occasions. One time it was a losers bracket match in a race to 4 eight ball tournament. I said something to the effect of, "Look you whinnin' cryin' shark move m**f**, when it is your turn at the table you can whine and cry all you want. When it is my turn at the table you sit the f** down and shut the f** up. Everyone in the whole place heard, now we had the tournament director's attention. My adrenaline level was so high, I crushed him in the rest of the match, then went on to win my first "Big" tournament.
 
Give up pool and play 3 cushion! J/K..... But 3 cushion does seem to be more of a 'gentlemens' game when compared to pool. The behavior seems more polite and the dress code for tournaments creates a much better imge IMO..
 
Quesports said:
Give up pool and play 3 cushion! J/K..... But 3 cushion does seem to be more of a 'gentlemens' game when compared to pool. The behavior seems more polite and the dress code for tournaments creates a much better imge IMO..
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I agree. But unfortunately, they earn even less money than pool players do so the public doesn't seem to like us very much either way.
 
Quesports said:
Give up pool and play 3 cushion! J/K..... But 3 cushion does seem to be more of a 'gentlemens' game when compared to pool. The behavior seems more polite and the dress code for tournaments creates a much better imge IMO..
Click to expand...
One of the reasons I quit. The other was its triple hard to be good at both.

Now I'm just bad at one. Could care less about the other.
 
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