Test Yourself

[book collector]

I still have no idea what '# balls better' means. I thought I had an idea, then people would say they're 2 balls better and they haven't even changed an APA rank. People on here have been getting a ball better for years and still don't play much different than they did before.

Also, some people are fun players, some are tournament players and some are gamblers. A few are both. Wasting money to try proving somebody else's point is not good.

Occasionally I'll throw some easy money at strong master or GM, but if it's involving money, I try to stick to games I have a chance at. You don't need to play a strong player to know that you still can't run a rack.

1.Balls better to me means if I can give you 8 to 6 playing one pocket and beat you , I am at least 2 balls better than you, in 9 ball I guess it would be if I can spot someone the 7 ball and win regularly , I must be 2 balls better than them.
2.One day your game will start deteriorating like most of us old guys, if it hasn't already.
It's hard to admit you are going downhill.
3.I gambled most of my life at everything you can bet on except horses.
It started to bother me when I took money from someone because I finally realised that the "mark" is never the one that suffers the loss.
It is his kids that don't get school clothes, or his wife that needs new teeth and can't eat and all the other sad things in life.
I also don't care for the person I am when I hustle, I prefer not to be involved with it any more.
I wrote an article another time and a lot of great people also addressed that aspect,
If anyone is interested PM me and I will try to get the thread.

4. I believe I said to play for cheap money , not lose your rent to test this theory and just feel it, if even only one time in your life.

Also, playing against people you have a chance against is great, I'm not advocating playing world champions every day , that won't do anything but break down 99% of the people in the world , {the other 1% become champions themselves!.}

I know probaby 500 people by name , who go to a poolroom somewhere in the US and sit around all day,waiting on the nuts , or something real close to them.
They don't care if they never play a game of pool again in their life , they will not be the underdog when they step up.
They were all schooled by the same "smart" guys in each city.
Some of them I can tell you the lineage back a couple of generations.
I also didn't say anything about giving away easy money, I was never a great player but if you ask anyone who knows me , I fight tooth and nail for every ball no matter if I was playing for 500 dollars or fun.
I'm trying to convey that it isn't about the 20 dollars it isn't about whether you win or lose, it is about getting that experience {cheaply} as far as I am concerned of how to deal with
1. A much stronger player
2. Peer pressure{ what a sucker he is to play jimbo}
3.To see if you can reach in and find some guts, or if theres just an empty hole where they are supposed to be.
Number 3 is what keeps most people from ever finding out what they can do in life at anything.
There are ways to fix number 3 but we have to identify it first.
Sorry I switched thoughts several times in this post , thats what old people do.
I reread this and I want to make sure you know I am not attacking you, I am trying to address the ideas and give my perspective on them.
We are all at different points on the same road .

 

[Banks]

1.Balls better to me means if I can give you 8 to 6 playing one pocket and beat you , I am at least 2 balls better than you, in 9 ball I guess it would be if I can spot someone the 7 ball and win regularly , I must be 2 balls better than them.
2.One day your game will start deteriorating like most of us old guys, if it hasn't already.
It's hard to admit you are going downhill.
3.I gambled most of my life at everything you can bet on except horses.
It started to bother me when I took money from someone because I finally realised that the "mark" is never the one that suffers the loss.
It is his kids that don't get school clothes, or his wife that needs new teeth and can't eat and all the other sad things in life.
I also don't care for the person I am when I hustle, I prefer not to be involved with it any more.
I wrote an article another time and a lot of great people also addressed that aspect,
If anyone is interested PM me and I will try to get the thread.

4. I believe I said to play for cheap money , not lose your rent to test this theory and just feel it, if even only one time in your life.

Also, playing against people you have a chance against is great, I'm not advocating playing world champions every day , that won't do anything but break down 99% of the people in the world , {the other 1% become champions themselves!.}

I know probaby 500 people by name , who go to a poolroom somewhere in the US and sit around all day,waiting on the nuts , or something real close to them.
They don't care if they never play a game of pool again in their life , they will not be the underdog when they step up.
They were all schooled by the same "smart" guys in each city.
Some of them I can tell you the lineage back a couple of generations.
I also didn't say anything about giving away easy money, I was never a great player but if you ask anyone who knows me , I fight tooth and nail for every ball no matter if I was playing for 500 dollars or fun.
I'm trying to convey that it isn't about the 20 dollars it isn't about whether you win or lose, it is about getting that experience {cheaply} as far as I am concerned of how to deal with
1. A much stronger player
2. Peer pressure{ what a sucker he is to play jimbo}
3.To see if you can reach in and find some guts, or if theres just an empty hole where they are supposed to be.
Number 3 is what keeps most people from ever finding out what they can do in life at anything.
There are ways to fix number 3 but we have to identify it first.
Sorry I switched thoughts several times in this post , thats what old people do.
I reread this and I want to make sure you know I am not attacking you, I am trying to address the ideas and give my perspective on them.
We are all at different points on the same road .

On the 'balls better' thing, I sort of agree. Many people use it as a general reference, though, but I don't think they recognize what it means or just don't know what they're talking about. There have been people on here claiming to have gotten 'two balls better' every six months for the last six years - that's 12 balls better, about a rack and a half! It's like saying I know I've gotten faster at running, I'm probably a minute better than before - without having any kind of reference as to what it is - a minute better in the mile? in a marathon?

I started playing at about 30, I'm not 40. Hopefully I won't be headed downhill any time soon, but you never know.

I don't play nearly as hard for fun as I do for money. Playing a tough safety on an APA 4 and running out isn't really my, or their, idea of a good night out. Sometimes I like to do it in response to something they do, but in general I like trying to run everything out.

Not thinking you're attacking me or anything, no worries. Many people read that 'play better players for money or in tournaments' and think that it means you have to sit there giving your money away repeatedly. It's nice to measure yourself once in a while, but making a (costly) habit of it diverts some people from the real goal - working on your game.

If you can leave some bread crumbs on that road to let me know I'm going the right way, I'd appreciate it! :thumbup: