Talking while playing...what's your opinion?

[JoeyA]

I usually don't say a word unless it's "nice shot". If I need to acknowledge a call or anything, I simply nod my head. And please don't speak to me until the match is over.

When someone makes a nice shot, I like to tap the rubber bumper of my cue on the floor making a slight motion with very little sound. I find it to be a bit more courteous and less distracting than talking while they are still at the table.

Most of the time I just act like a mime even if they make an Efren Z shot.


JoeyA

 

[houmatroy]

When someone makes a nice shot, I like to tap the rubber bumper of my cue on the floor making a slight motion with very little sound. I find it to be a bit more courteous and less distracting than talking while they are still at the table.

Most of the time I just act like a mime even if they make an Efren Z shot.


JoeyA

Your point doesn't count since most of the time you control the table & are running out..lol:thumbup:

 

[jensen_lover]

My 3 cents.

I love to talk when I play. I usually play with my friends so we like to chit-chat and catch up. If we are gambling with someone else of course we will keep our mouths shut. We stop talking when we shoot to try and not distract each other too much. It is just a game to most people. But football is also just a game and look how seriously most people take that. Kids my age look at me when I play by myself because they do not understand why I practice straight in shots or odd banks. I do it completely quitely and when I miss shots I should not I sigh or tap the table and they look at me like I am nuts for not having another player and because they do not understand how I can run two balls in a row.

 

[tom mcgonagle]

If I wanted to talk to you while I'm playing I wouldn't be wearing an I-Pod. Talking during a tournament or a money match should be against the rules unless it has something to do with the match' For your opponent to strike up a conversation with somebody else while your playing, is bogus. The person shooting has the right to play without listening to distractions. The game is hard enough. You shouldn't have to put up with any nonsense. If my opponent is at the table an he wants to talk. I could care less. It's his turn at the table.

 

[nasc]

If I wanted to talk to you while I'm playing I wouldn't be wearing an I-Pod. Talking during a tournament or a money match should be against the rules unless it has something to do with the match' For your opponent to strike up a conversation with somebody else while your playing, is bogus. The person shooting has the right to play without listening to distractions. The game is hard enough. You shouldn't have to put up with any nonsense. If my opponent is at the table an he wants to talk. I could care less. It's his turn at the table.

Tom,
I have seen you play in Merrimack Nh, Methuen, Worchester, New Bedford , Chelmsford Ma. and other places "in the old days". You have always shown the ability to tune all distractions out and just consentrate on just making balls. Whats up with the I-Pod >

Glen

 

[CreeDo]

I prefer no talking. Plenty of time to socialize while you're racking.

Occasionally I can tune it out if they're just rambling and I really don't give a crap. I hate when they ask questions or tell jokes or anything that people normally expect a reaction from, because I don't react, I just shoot.

I have gotten into some mild confrontations over other people talking to each other while I'm shooting. It probably has gotten me a rep as a whiner who makes excuses for his missed shots, but I don't mind. They can think I'm a whiner as long as they shut up and keep their opinion to themselves.

If I miss a ball that I know I normally make 99 out of 100 times, anyone with their mouth open is gonna hear about it.

 

[chin0]

Tom,
I have seen you play in Merrimack Nh, Methuen, Worchester, New Bedford , Chelmsford Ma. and other places "in the old days". You have always shown the ability to tune all distractions out and just consentrate on just making balls. Whats up with the I-Pod >

Glen

We all gotta stay groovy sometimes right?

 

[tom mcgonagle]

Hey Nasc,

The I-pod, is a way to listen to the music I prefer to listen to. I love listening to music while I'm playing but not the music of this generation. It helps me slip back to the past and think young thoughts. I enjoy it very much. I have also found the older I get the tougher it is to hold my concentration. I also have a saying about listening to things I don't need to hear. "If you're listening to a dope you'll start playing like a dope>"

 

[PetToilet]

If I feel that someone is trying to shark me, I just stop and let them finish. I won't shoot again until they are finished. No big deal. I don't mind waiting.

i can't believe i have never tried that

 

[Da Bank]

this is something i struggled with today.

I'm a pretty quiet guy and definitely prefer to not have conversations while i'm playing a match. When a guy is yapping in your ear the whole time, even if it is well intentioned, how do you get them to shut up without being a jerk about it or coming across as a disinterested asshole?

I know I should not allow yappers to get to me, but sometimes I do. I guess if I have to ask them to stop talking, I'm already past the point where their talking has affected my game and focus.

I just had a little shithead drunk country bumpkin banger talking after every time he missed a shot and walking around the table. He was sharking, but there is no reason I should lose to this caliber player no matter what their sharking techniques are. I do, however, draw the line when someone speaks or tries to distract me while i'm down and about to take a stroke... it's the in between times that I have trouble dealing with.

 

[Da Bank]

I don't care if you talk, yell, or jump in your seat.

I enjoy the game for what it is - a game.

If I feel that someone is trying to shark me, I just stop and let them finish. I won't shoot again until they are finished. No big deal. I don't mind waiting.

this is a good idea, i'm going to try it.

If someone starts talking when I'm analyzing the table, I'll just stop in my tracks, look them in the eye, not say a thing and wait for them to stop talking. If they continue, I will ask them if they want to continue playing or have a conversation. kill them with kindness, as it were

 

[Drew]

That's just it, I enjoy the game itself. It's not monotonous. In fact, chatter takes away from my enjoyment of the game.

Hmm..we play for different reasons. I enjoy the challenge. Bring on the chatter and I'll conquer that too!!

 

[Da Bank]

Hmm..we play for different reasons. I enjoy the challenge. Bring on the chatter and I'll conquer that too!!

i don't think it has anything to do with for what "reason" you play pool. Most of us play pool because we enjoy it, that's reason enough.

It's not about conquering sharking either... when the pros play in real tournaments there is a level of respect and etiquette that generally takes place, and if people were to act like most people do while playing in a pro level tournament they would be banned! In pool's purest form, you shouldn't have to deal with distractions like that as it does take away from performance in the end.

My buddy suggested a good way to deal with these type of distractions. He said that he used to play a cheap ring game where your opponents were allowed and encouraged to shark you intentionally. There was no approaching the table or waving your hands to distract the opponent in their line of sight.. but anything was allowed to be said.

I think that I'm gonna try this out.

 

[JesPiddlin]

I don't care if you talk, yell, or jump in your seat.

I enjoy the game for what it is - a game.

If I feel that someone is trying to shark me, I just stop and let them finish. I won't shoot again until they are finished. No big deal. I don't mind waiting.

That's the way I feel. It's just a game... enjoy it!

When I played league games, I could get super-focused and didn't hear anything anyone else said or did, when it was my turn to shoot. If it sounded like something I needed to hear, my hearing usually came back, but otherwise, I didn't hear. When my turn was over, all the sounds in the room returned.

But, games for fun should be games for fun. That means a little chit chat makes the time go easier and more enjoyably. I am real bad to reply when I shoot, though. If I could get that one little habit overcome, I'd be famous.

 

[14-1StraightMan]

Talking

I don't like a lot of chit-chat while shooting, whether its practice, fun or tourney, and DEFINITELY not when gambling.

Now, I have been known to shoot the breeze during my own games for fun, but that usually ends up with us stopping play altogether so the conversation can continue, if the conversation is good enough and the play was for fun to start. Or we'd stop, finish the convo and start playing again. I guess it depends on who I am playing. Sometimes I won't speak at all with certain people so as to discourage them from chit-chatting too much, because I know them and I know what would happen if I start up.

I have been told by some that they don't like playing me, even for fun, because I am "too serious". I guess they look at my face while I am shooting and think so, I dunno. I am just trying to concentrate.

There are social games, and then there are social games.

It doesn't totally bug me, because after the 2nd or 3rd comment the player realizes I am not going to offer much in the way of a reply and he shuts up.

What REALLY bothers me is when my opponent strikes up a conversation with a railbird and they talk away while I am trying to shoot! I have no problem asking them to stop, but I'll only do so in a tourney or when gambling. Not much action in my home room, so the gambling thing is not a problem.

Yeah, I'm rambling, just don't feel like sitting in traffic right now!)

So do you all like to talk and play or not?

There is a guy here in the Dallas A/Master League that runs his mouth 24 hours a day (all the players know who is) and it seems like he runs it against me the most when I am down shooting. Last week my Team was playing another Team during the league match and my table was two tables over from where his Team was playing. I was down getting ready to take my shot when I heard my last name coming from his mouth as loud as you can get. It all comes down to (Jealous feeling towards other players & themselves). This talking does not trouble me at all. When I play his Team, I can stand up from my shooting stand, laugh in his face and get back down & beat him or his Teammates. After all we are playing in a sports bar with all kinds of talking, people suddenly walking inbetween tables, sometimes the worst vuglar words in the world coming from so call music that jerks pay money to listen to. I just can't believe it.... I hate to hear a guy say "I missed that shot b/c someone moved their leg 15' away from the table. Come on, we are in a bar. As for the people that run their mouth or do other things to try to win and I seen it all over the years. Those people hate themselves in their own life.

 

[Sam Waltz]

I'll do my thing, you do yours.

A couple nights ago I got matched up with an acquaintance of mine playin' some $20 one pocket games. I wasn't very focused and he won the first 4 games in no time at all. During that little run a mutual acquaintance decided to come over and interject his "knowledge", AKA his mouth, into our game and I was finding it very distracting. My opponent, also a very talkative individual, joined in the chit chat craziness and proceded to shoot his mouth off with the railbird everytime he wasn't hitting a ball. Oh well...

I bellied up to the ol' bar and ordered myself a glass of happiness and then returned to our match. Pulled out the earbuds and "plugged-in" my happy music...then proceded to beat his brains in the next four games. LOL

It was obvious that I hadn't appreciated his antics or his little "cheerleader" so when we hit even he made the following comment, "Hey Sam, I know you don't like my antics and my talking, so we can quit now if you don't wanna deal with it." My response, "Matt, your dancing around, beggin' for rolls and shootin' your mouth off just isn't gonna cut it anymore buddy. From now on I'm just gonna laugh at ya while your actin' a fool instead of gettin' mad about it. If you wanna quit, that's fine, or you can go ahead and keep playin', but either way...you can't win." He comes back with, "So you don't mind if I keep beggin' then?" LOL That was classic! He kept playin' thankfully and a little while later he handed me a C-note and departed my playground. :grin-square:

It's was nice to finally accept the problem as my own and find a way to overcome it 'cause God knows you can never control what somebody else is going to do. My suggestion...you can't change 'em so find your own way to conquer in the face of adversity! :thumbup:

Shoot well my AZ brethren and may the "focus" be with you! :grin:

 

[Big Perm]

If it's practice or just playing around, especially when I play a good friend, I like to chat.....it makes the game more fun for me.....during tourney or cash matches, typically I try to keep things more professional and limit conversation....both for myself and out of respect for the other player...

 

[ftgokie]

I like to have 10-15 people around me that are motor mouths.....I am always talking and joking around and interacting with the crowd...I enjoy entertaining the crowd....man, you just cant get me to shut up....yappity yap yappity yap...I go on and on and on and on......it never stops.....

If your not good enough to play me while I talk, you DEFINATELY dont want me to put on my Serious Face.........Dont say I didnt warn Ya!:thumbup:

 

[ftgokie]

And when I start singing some Bee Gees and dancing.....You BETTER watch out cause the pain is coming! Thats when I usually just run rack after rack.....Its like a Migraine isnt is:thumbup:

 

[Quesports]

Best yet

If it's practice or just playing around, especially when I play a good friend, I like to chat.....it makes the game more fun for me.....during tourney or cash matches, typically I try to keep things more professional and limit conversation....both for myself and out of respect for the other player...

This is exactly how I like to play pool. Really it boils down to the seriousness of the game you are playing. Gambling, tournament or leagues matches require a different approach to the game and also require a different attitude than does having some social time at the table with some friends. Treat others as you expect to be treated yourself and always show respect is my approach..