Sharking

[poolcuemaster]

Hey Joey just pick up stinky and drop him in the garbage can one time is all it takes. A girl that worked the front door at a night club I worked at 30 years ago pushed a 100 pound cash register off the counter on a stinkers feet she told couldn't enter without a bath, he went outside and poured on some cheap cologne and when he returned it got on her last nerve.

Leonard

 

[Straw_Hat]

the thing that gets me more then anything is just my opponet holding their stick then entire time i'm shooting until i get to the last ball.. then sitting the stick down like i'm going to make it.. i miss almost every time.. I notice this happens a lot and don't know if it's maybe just habbit for most players or what.. but it messes me up.... even worse is people that start to come and get ready to rack the balls, but now I just accept that as a victory and if they say something, i tell them to stay seated until it's all done then...

 

[Flex]

I've had people stand behind me & not want to move while I take my shot. I just move my hand further up the butt of the cue & take a ridiculously long backstroke. When it hits them I just apologise. They tend to move & it's still your shot, after all the only thing you hit was them!

I've found that having a particularly jerky stroke in those situations works wonders. Especially a very rapid back swing, and a long one at that. Might just catch them, who knows where. A couple of those, followed by a nervous laugh will usually get them to move... If not, a few more, followed by a "here we go!" like a pitcher winding up to unleash a devastating fast ball, now that one will clear the space behind you rather quickly Just be sure to throw in a lot of that Mike Davis shoulder motion on the stroke.

Flex

 

[CreeDo]

I do the same trick with the 'accidental' poke. I say "excuse me" once beforehand, but only the once. Then it's "OH! my bad!" after jabbing them in the kidney gently.

I also get sharked by having to wait for people who seem to come to the pool hall to do any damn thing EXCEPT play pool. First the guy has to sit there and agonize over the jukebox. He really wants me to wait (and pay for the time) when he's got 20 credits!? Then the guy has to wander to the bar, look it all over, make some chitchat with the counter girl, then go say hi to some friends of his. Then he's got to take that all-important phone call. ("not much baby what're you doin'? I'm at the pool hall. Yeah. Uhm, yeah, I think so. No, haha. Yeah. Just chillin' n' playin' my buddy. Uh huh...").

The other night I was playing with the owner in a ring game and had to wait like 10-15 mins. every time it's his shot. Not his fault, I don't hold it against anyone, but damn did it shark me. I dogged a 9 ball, quit the game and rolled out of there and left behind a $300 piece of equipment, I was so rattled.

 

[our_auctionguy]

One of the best sharks that exists

the thing that gets me more then anything is just my opponet holding their stick then entire time i'm shooting until i get to the last ball.. then sitting the stick down like i'm going to make it.. i miss almost every time.. I notice this happens a lot and don't know if it's maybe just habbit for most players or what.. but it messes me up.... even worse is people that start to come and get ready to rack the balls, but now I just accept that as a victory and if they say something, i tell them to stay seated until it's all done then...

You're right on. Putting the stick aside on the last shot is one of the most subtle sharks one can do without being called on the game. If gambling, it is as close to reaching into your pocket for your wallet, but the difference is reaching for your wallet or pulling out cash is an accepted sign you are conceding the game and most players will call you on it to pay up. Setting the cue aside cannot be called on. I do it all the time and see no reason to change. If my opponenent is paying that much attention to what I do with my cue and loses focus on his skill, then he deserves to lose because he isn't playing his game, he's playing his opponent.

To Address Your Confidence Problem, try stopping, laughing to yourself inside, and thinking to yourself, " Let me show this guy (S.O.B., if you prefer) his sharking tactic is just going to make sure I win, I'll show him." Then concentrentrate as if it is any ball but the money ball you are about to sink and planning where you want to leave the cue ball. Then make the blasted thing and take note of where the cue stopped as a practice and even point out that you messed up because you wanted the cue to stop a couple inches further this way or that way. That will leave him thinking to himself " Rut Roh! this guy is good! He concentrating on his leave on the money ball. Sharking ain't gonna work."