Sounds like a typical league night were pool takes a backseat to socializing.
Good for many but not for all.
There is some truth to your post. Probably opening a can of worms here but I am going to say it any way.
Most nights are just like you describe but when it comes to play offs or higher every one gets serious.
Using the analogy that most serious players have said a thousand times on this forum. The higher the stakes the more serious you get and your level of play goes up exponentially according to what you at playing for.
No different in league. A night out playing is just that ... A night out. Playing for a trip to Vegas gets a whole lot more serious and thus so does your focus and level of play.
That's why people cry sandbagging so much. It's no different than some one playing a friend for a beer where you may relax a little at the table but if you play some one for 100.00 your level of play goes way up. Any one on here that denies that this is the way it is in pool is living in fantasy land.
I always try to win but I am not going to play a dozen safes on an average league night. . Come tri cups or cities I may grind out a match for an hour an a half if necessary probably playing as many safes as offensive shots....whatever it takes to win.
You can call I sandbagging if you want but matches are long enough as it is on a typical night with out people adding a couple hours to it playing a crap load of safes on their opponent.
To give you an example. The incident in my op never would have happened in our apa 9 ball cities I played in last weekend .
You better believe I would have been paying attention and even checking the rack before breaking. I am a 6 and played a 9. I won 46-44 in a 46-75 race. Our match took forever. No slow play...just methodical play with a boatload of safes by both of us. My win gave our team a 15-5 score moving us into the next round. Yea I was called a sandbagger and people said I should be at less a 7 and more blah blah blah.
I make no apologies for not playing a 2 hour 9 ball match on a Monday night resulting in our team getting out of there at midnight. Me getting home at 1:00 am . Getting up at 6:00 am and going to work. Getting home .. Getting a shower. Hopefully having time to get a bite to eat. if not then ordering something at the pool hall at Tuesday night league. Playing another 2 hour match resulting in getting home at 1:00 am again . Well you get the picture. I am not going to do all that for a regular session game that means no more than you playing a friend for a beer.
