Been praticing almost every day. Felt like I was playing better than ever. Matched up against a seasoned player that I've played several times. We go back and forth. He's 60 or 70 and been playing a long time. I'm 40 and been play hard the last 2-3 years. We play race to 9 for $500 the 1st set we go hill and back it & jack it. The hole time I'm stuck on the 2 outs I F&@? up. The next set everything is hard. Not breaking good, table lay out is tough every rack. It's 5-3 him and im fighting for my life. He calls a bad hit on my safe I played, that was good and argues with me and I get up set. He gets to the hill and I get to 5 so it's 8-5 him my break, I push and he runs out. Wins $1000.00 and I'm the loser. I usually am willing to lose 3 sets but by now I feel so broken and discouraged that I quit. One game, one less mistake and I win the 1st set 9-7 then who cares if he wins the next set. Instead of bei g down $1000 and on the fence about playing another set I'm even and ready to play. I can't get over the power of the mind and how I felt. To go from the top of the world and felling like I had the best of it. Too felling miserable and like I never wanted to play again.
So sick fell like QUITTING!
- Thread starter brian0741
- Start date
Races are brutal. One or two rolls can kill you even if you play perfect. You find yourself in positions where you just don't have time to make a comeback.
How many games would you have been down in an ahead set?
I think 1K is more money than I'd like to lose because of a couple tough rolls.
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Sounds like you played a bit above your financial comfort level(I could be wrong). Even though I'm sure you wanted something to bring out your best game.....Which sometimes can back fire on ya. where your thinkiing about the cheddar more than the mouse.
Just my broke ass opinion........
By posting your story on here is proof you don't want to quit but needed to vent.Losing sucks and I hate it with a passion and will come the day you play that guy again and torture him bad and all will be good again.Whenever I hear guys say ''I can't believe I missed that easy shot'' I tell them''thats your problem,in pool there is no such thing as a easy shot''. I've wrote that phrase on another thread and believe its the easy shots that loses sets and bad saftey's.Goodluck:smile:
Not telling you how to bet but if you make up your mind in the beginning how many sets you will play if you get behind you have yourself in a must win situation with added pressure. What I don't get is can you win? When I used to play I almost always knew when I could win even if I was the only one in the room who thought so. I remember playing a guy almost every night for a few weeks. This was years ago, I drove like 40 miles to play the guy. He beat me most every night. Not by much but I was losing. We did not play sets we played by the game back then and it ended when the place closed or we had had enough for the night. In fact my friends didn't even want to go with me anymore and his friends must have thought I was nuts. I know they were laughing at me.
Well, I began to beat the guy. Then I began to beat him bad, night after night. In no time it was over he would not play anymore even when I offered him weight. Then when I went back there he stopped coming in all together. I think I retired this guy. Back to my question, "Can you win"? "Are you able to tell one way or another"? If you think you can win then it is just how much the guy will go for, the pressure disappears. Why would I be afraid of someone I know in my heart I can beat?
What is the opinion of others about the game as far as your chances?
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2 things.
1. sounds like maybe the amount of money got to you a little.
2. (more likely), you were still pissed about the 2 outs, and concentrating on those subconciously maybe caused some the issues in the 2nd set.
Once you lost the 1st set. It all starts over at 0-0. Nothing you can do about it anymore. let it go and play like you know you can.
1. sounds like maybe the amount of money got to you a little.
2. (more likely), you were still pissed about the 2 outs, and concentrating on those subconciously maybe caused some the issues in the 2nd set.
Once you lost the 1st set. It all starts over at 0-0. Nothing you can do about it anymore. let it go and play like you know you can.
I have "quit" many times after brutal losses. Then I start again and chase that rabbit. Winning under pressure is the high you can't buy.
You need to learn to relax when you play. This is the real secret to it all. When you can be calm and let the shots come to you they do. Tension tightens up your muscles and affects your play and your decision making.
I asked Rafael Martinez how he handles it when things aren't going his way and his opponent is running racks. He said he is just thinking of how many he will run when he gets to the table.
Also a good tip from Nick Varner is to play the game along with the opponent. In other words watch what's happening and think about how you would play it, that keeps you alert and ready to shoot when it's your turn.
I can't tell you how many times I have "commentated" on my opponent's play in my head and said something like this, "well he has to thread the needle here, just a slight mishit on the cue ball and he could scratch in the side........" and sure enough he scratches in the side. I jump up and run out because I am FULLY into the game and aware of what needs to be done.
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Tracy Joe Salazar said to me that to become a good player you had to do it like the old time players and keep going after the guy who beats you. He said old time players had no quit in them and they would keep firing until they beat the guy. That's how life is, gotta get back on the horse if you want to ride him.
You need to learn to relax when you play. This is the real secret to it all. When you can be calm and let the shots come to you they do. Tension tightens up your muscles and affects your play and your decision making.
I asked Rafael Martinez how he handles it when things aren't going his way and his opponent is running racks. He said he is just thinking of how many he will run when he gets to the table.
Also a good tip from Nick Varner is to play the game along with the opponent. In other words watch what's happening and think about how you would play it, that keeps you alert and ready to shoot when it's your turn.
I can't tell you how many times I have "commentated" on my opponent's play in my head and said something like this, "well he has to thread the needle here, just a slight mishit on the cue ball and he could scratch in the side........" and sure enough he scratches in the side. I jump up and run out because I am FULLY into the game and aware of what needs to be done.
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Tracy Joe Salazar said to me that to become a good player you had to do it like the old time players and keep going after the guy who beats you. He said old time players had no quit in them and they would keep firing until they beat the guy. That's how life is, gotta get back on the horse if you want to ride him.
I think the Guy pulled a move on you at 5-3. You safe and he called bad safe. You got mad and then lost the next four racks. I had this same thing happen to me a few weeks ago. I won the first set and was playing Great. I had 3-0 in the second set. He called bad hit on me on a one nine combo. We argued for over a half hour. He disrupted my game and won the set to break even. He is a Monster Player with a ton of experience. He did what he thought he had to do to win. I went away upset cause of this move. But i learned i guess. Your lesson was much more expensive.
I think I'd make dog food out of a nag that was gonna cost me $1,000 a night
!!!Maniac (just sayin' :grin
Yep, I can relate to this post because it happened to me tonight in a league match. Obviously, nothing like losing $1,000 but I still felt the same way.
I was up 4 - 2 at one point, blew 2 or 3 relatively easy outs and ended up losing 7 - 4. I might as well quit!!!
Keep on trucking buddy.. I had some stuff throw off my game tonight at a 9-ball tourney.
I signed up with a friend.. 20 players total.. not too big, the competition was nice, no big deal there, but I can run with most of these guys.. Only problem is that I am not a 9 Ball player. I never play it. I want to learn it, but really know nothing about it, hence why I am going to tourney's etc, to learn.
Well... long story short, They said it was a random drawing, but I ended up drawing my buddy first game.. I was so pissed that one of us was going to be in the losers bracket, I played horribly, went down 0-2 to him in a race to 3. Then brought it Even 2-2 (Im assuming you guys say Hill-Hill? Correct me if I am wrong.. I want to learn the llingo, sometimes I am lost!). Then I run the balls down to the 9, cut it to the corner and it just wobbles in the pocket. Ugh.. lose my first match 3-2.
So.. by this point I am now upset and to top it off I feel worse that the balls aren't rolling my way..
I end up getting beat 3-1 in losers bracket. ran them down in the last game, cut the nine on the rail.. low and behold.. another hanger in the pocket.. And Im 2 and done. Gotta wait for my buddy to finish it out.
I Let something I can't control throw off my game.. My buddy knew I was upset, he offered to throw his games vs me, and I am definitely not one to want that.. so I told him.. Look bud, I don't mind losing to you, if it happens, give me your best game. I just didn't want to play you this early and have one of us sit and watch.
Oh well.. You live and learn.. I know I will.. I need to practice more 9 ball.. and then make sure I don't give anyone a chance to get out on me.
Determination.. Keep going back at it. I know I will.. Me losing that quick, makes me determined to place better in the future.. and I will, thats a promise.
I signed up with a friend.. 20 players total.. not too big, the competition was nice, no big deal there, but I can run with most of these guys.. Only problem is that I am not a 9 Ball player. I never play it. I want to learn it, but really know nothing about it, hence why I am going to tourney's etc, to learn.
Well... long story short, They said it was a random drawing, but I ended up drawing my buddy first game.. I was so pissed that one of us was going to be in the losers bracket, I played horribly, went down 0-2 to him in a race to 3. Then brought it Even 2-2 (Im assuming you guys say Hill-Hill? Correct me if I am wrong.. I want to learn the llingo, sometimes I am lost!). Then I run the balls down to the 9, cut it to the corner and it just wobbles in the pocket. Ugh.. lose my first match 3-2.
So.. by this point I am now upset and to top it off I feel worse that the balls aren't rolling my way..
I end up getting beat 3-1 in losers bracket. ran them down in the last game, cut the nine on the rail.. low and behold.. another hanger in the pocket.. And Im 2 and done. Gotta wait for my buddy to finish it out.
I Let something I can't control throw off my game.. My buddy knew I was upset, he offered to throw his games vs me, and I am definitely not one to want that.. so I told him.. Look bud, I don't mind losing to you, if it happens, give me your best game. I just didn't want to play you this early and have one of us sit and watch.
Oh well.. You live and learn.. I know I will.. I need to practice more 9 ball.. and then make sure I don't give anyone a chance to get out on me.
Determination.. Keep going back at it. I know I will.. Me losing that quick, makes me determined to place better in the future.. and I will, thats a promise.
Great posting, and very true!
from time to time, after shooting a lousy game and asking myself what the hell happened, i think about calling ebay and sell my cues etc. but then by the next day i'm over it and bounce back. usually i'm waking up wondering why i shot so badly and decide to go to the pool hall and find out what went wrong. then i am back on track, at least until the next lapse in abilities!
Good post here John with a lot of good info. Like the OP I've been down in the dumps after a loss BIG TIME! It's so hard to pull yourself up and play again.
One quick story for the OP. I had beaten Harry P. out of a lot of money playing One Pocket and he quit me for years. Now we are at DCC (maybe 7-8 years ago) and he challenges me to a Bank Pool game for a thousand, Race to Five. I start out a like a house afire and win the first three games in nothing flat. I feel sorry for Harry and decide to lighten up and maybe let him win one game. BIG MISTAKE! I lost the game, got myself out of stroke and ended up losing the set 5-4. That's a $2,000 turnaround! I felt like dogshit after it was over.
