The day you became a player!

dukeboy1977 said:
My definition is this: Anyone who is looked upon by his peers as a consistent threat when playing pool...
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Ok! Based upon that definition I would say it was in 1987 when my team went to the APA nationals and my game was the match winning #3 against a 7 and I was at the time a 5 sl !

but as most long time shooters know your game is constantly (hopefully) :eek: improving as well as your competition! So the next level was recently when I learned that I didn't LOL! know it all and improved my mechanics enough that the local "hero's" started watching me! :)
 
In the early 80's I could really shot-make but didn't have a lot of heart or a lot of smarts at the table. Somehow I managed to make it to the finals of our city championship after being put on the left side of the bracket by the room owner. He was about 30 years older than me and a strong 1-hole player with a real intimidation factor even though this tournament was 8-ball. From the time the finals began the only thing I remember is shooting the last 8-ball in the side and turning around and seeing him slumped down in his seat by his wife. Everyone came over and started congratulating me and said I let him to the table 1 time in a race to 5. Talk about being in the zone!:eek: I don't remember a single thing about that match, and in the 20 plus years since I don't think I've ever been that locked in again. It did give me confidence and I think everyone else decided that I was a "player" though from that point on.
 
First felt

The first time was when I beat Monte Nuss, from Jetmore, who had run 2 consecutive racks of Snooker, 1 a 147 in Pool. That was the day I knew I had potential.

Another time was when I beat a black player out of Denver playing bank 8 ball, with the 8 having to be banked 3 rails for the cash.

There weren't leagues when I grew up where I lived, it was all matching up.
Started at a $1 a game and went up from there.

But, when I felt I had really 'arrived' was when I was playing Jr. Brown (chapter 19 in The Green Felt Jungle) here in Wichita $1,000 sets, race to 11, down at Burke's Steakhouse, 60-70 people in the booths surrounding the only table, it was the money table in town, had hard 8 ball shot, didn't get shape, had 9 on foot end rail frozen, the bank didn't look good to me because of the 9 being frozen a diamond away from the pocket with cue ball not quite straght, I was up 10-9, if I missed Jr was out, he was the best player in Wichita, been on the road, he was about 19 at the time, so I took my time, looked it over carefully, and decided to kick for it.

I was a little shaky, looked it over 2-3 times, got down and hit it with center high, it came off the rail, my heart stopped, and it hit the 9 and end rail at the same time, I had nailed it. I won 11-9. If I had missed that shot, Jr. would have been out, and breaking hill-to-hill, and he was breaking good.

Funny thing is, while we were playing, he made a comment, 'Are you God, you haven't missed a bank yet?' so the decision to kick that 9 ball was a big one.

The crowd went crazy, absolutely crazy, clapping, cheering, lots of side bets on the match, hollaring like I had never heard before. That day, I knew what it was like to win the Superbowl. That day, I arrived.
 
Snapshot9 said:
The first time was when I beat Monte Nuss, from Jetmore, who had run 2 consecutive racks of Snooker, 1 a 147 in Pool. That was the day I knew I had potential.

Another time was when I beat a black player out of Denver playing bank 8 ball, with the 8 having to be banked 3 rails for the cash.

There weren't leagues when I grew up where I lived, it was all matching up.
Started at a $1 a game and went up from there.

But, when I felt I had really 'arrived' was when I was playing Jr. Brown (chapter 19 in The Green Felt Jungle) here in Wichita $1,000 sets, race to 11, down at Burke's Steakhouse, 60-70 people in the booths surrounding the only table, it was the money table in town, had hard 8 ball shot, didn't get shape, had 9 on foot end rail frozen, the bank didn't look good to me because of the 9 being frozen a diamond away from the pocket with cue ball not quite straght, I was up 10-9, if I missed Jr was out, he was the best player in Wichita, been on the road, he was about 19 at the time, so I took my time, looked it over carefully, and decided to kick for it.

I was a little shaky, looked it over 2-3 times, got down and hit it with center high, it came off the rail, my heart stopped, and it hit the 9 and end rail at the same time, I had nailed it. I won 11-9. If I had missed that shot, Jr. would have been out, and breaking hill-to-hill, and he was breaking good.

Funny thing is, while we were playing, he made a comment, 'Are you God, you haven't missed a bank yet?' so the decision to kick that 9 ball was a big one.

The crowd went crazy, absolutely crazy, clapping, cheering, lots of side bets on the match, hollaring like I had never heard before. That day, I knew what it was like to win the Superbowl. That day, I arrived.
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Jr Brown was a pretty darn good player back in those days. He used to come up to Denver once in a while with Weldon Rogers. They were always trying to trap or beat Danny Medina on the bar table back then but as most coming through Denver found it very, very tough to do.

Just curious, was the Black guy from Denver Melvin Sharp?
 
I_Need_D_8 said:
John, don't be so hard on yourself. Anyone that plays 1hole on the barbox is a player. ;)
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LOL I don't know if you are thinking of the same day I am when we all played one hole on the 7 footer at Buccaneer's Den but I matched up with some guy form Denver who was playing in our game. We played on the 9 footer that same day and beat him out of $800.

His comment was that anyone could make balls on the bar table and that I couldn't make a ball on the big table. The first game I ran 8 and out on him. He didn't have any quit in him and stayed on for 7 more games. I don't know how to lay down.

I tried to match up with him a year later at Table Steaks and had forgotten who he was. He reminded me and wouldn't even take weight to play again.

So Neil stepped up and gave me 12:8 and robbed me. Well I robbed myself but I lost nevertheless. He won't give me that spot now. In the words of the high rolling Corvette --- "he can bet up to his net worth". :-)
 
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John Barton said:
[...]
His comment was that anyone could make balls on the bar table and that I couldn't make a ball on the big table. [...]
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BEWARE John's "Bar Tables."

The first time I played on his bar table, it had tripple shimmed pockets or something.

The next time I played on one of John's bar tables it had a fluorescent strobe light traveling circus or some such thing imprinted on the cloth.

So anyone who can makes balls on one of JB's bar tables would own a normal big table.....
 
ironman said:
Jr Brown was a pretty darn good player back in those days. He used to come up to Denver once in a while with Weldon Rogers. They were always trying to trap or beat Danny Medina on the bar table back then but as most coming through Denver found it very, very tough to do.

Just curious, was the Black guy from Denver Melvin Sharp?
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i knew melvin real good, great guy, we had alot of fun in 91-92 in Vegas.
 
John Barton said:
LOL I don't know if you are thinking of the same day I am when we all played one hole on the 7 footer at Buccaneer's Den but I matched up with some guy form Denver who was playing in our game. We played on the 9 footer that same day and beat him out of $800.

His comment was that anyone could make balls on the bar table and that I couldn't make a ball on the big table. The first game I ran 8 and out on him. He didn't have any quit in him and stayed on for 7 more games. I don't know how to lay down.

I tried to match up with him a year later at Table Steaks and had forgotten who he was. He reminded me and wouldn't even take weight to play again.

So Neil stepped up and gave me 12:8 and robbed me. Well I robbed myself but I lost nevertheless. He won't give me that spot now. In the words of the high rolling Corvette --- "he can bet up to his net worth". :-)
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I'm guessing that would be Neal Morrison.
 
Fatboy said:
i knew melvin real good, great guy, we had alot of fun in 91-92 in Vegas.
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I've known Melvin since he was a kid and we even played several times when we were both much younger. He is an incredible character. He's been on the scuff for a long time.

One funny story about Melvin.

Years and years ago I hung out in this bar in Aurora Colo. and used to get some pretty good action on the bar table there.

One afternoon my partner, Bob and I were just hanging out there bsing when Melvin strolls through the door . He walked right up and asked me to play some $30 9-ball and took us both by surprise as he was never one to step out on a limb. I agreed and away we went, I thought.

I lost the flip, Melvin broke and made it on the break. I racked again, Melven broke made a ball and then made a combination on the 9.

I got a phone call at the bar and while I was talking saw Melvin walk out the front door, but didn't pay much attention to it. I finished my call and Bob said Melvin left.

I walked to the front door and saw Melvin running down the street. Bob and I just looked at each other and couldn't figure out what had happened.

A couple of months go by and I run into Melven at the pool room one night and ask him what the hell happened that day to make him run like that. He just gave me that Melvin smile and said, I'm sorry, I just needed $60.00 really bad. All he said he could have lost was $60.00 because he only had $30.00. I LMAO.

He had a new stake horse though and I beat him out of $1200 that night.

Funny how things work out.
 
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I'm not yet a player, but I'm looking forward to that day...

In my mind, I'll be a player when I know in my heart and soul, that with money on the line, I'm a threat to run 3 racks in a row from behind, whether it be 9-ball, or 8-ball, or straight....and more importantly, the guy I'm playing knows it and I can apply that kind of pressure.....I'm not there yet, but I'm gonna be...

Good post Gerry, thanks for the idea and your story...
 
ok it was about 7 years ago, i was in a small pool room in nj making some money against the local kids, when the room was getting ready to close the owner asked if i wanted to play him some even. i was already up a few hundred so i agreed. we were playing by the rack and i was down 10 racks before i could blink an eye but i just felt like i could beat him so i kept at it. 6 hours later i was up 17 racks and the owner quit me. on my way out i saw a "legends of one pocket" tournament poster with pictures of all the pros playing,,, and here was the guy i just played right on the poster. that was the first time i ever beat a pro even and when i realized that my A game was good enough to beat anybody on any given day!
 
UWPoolGod1 said:
Wait...I thought you got 2nd to me that year. :D :D Good luck down there as well.
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Hah, I can't believe I dogged that 8 ball hill hill, one day I will master the stop shot :D

Ericccc
 
This isn't when I first became a player, but funny nonetheless.

I was playing in a 3-man league match, our team against Tony Annigoni, Ed Ames and Bee Davison...and we had to give them weight! My team was Moe Wright, Me and Matt Keveney, Les Bradford was our captain, but didn't play that night... The fact that most people reading have heard of at least 2 of them and none of us should tell you something.

A lot of people were watching the match and after we won I said to a old-timer who was watching, "man, that's tough action to give those guys weight" and he said "You're supposed to, they can't play you even!" I laughed my ass off.

Cheers,
RC
 
When I ran my first two pack for the $$. That felt damn good. I was on autopilot the second rack, but my third break came up dry.
 
When I started getting in the Money...

For me, I knew I was becoming a player when I was no longer out in two in the biggest tournaments in my area. When you start getting last place money and better in the tourneys, you start thinking you may have something. These are the 2-3 day big events of your area. Maybe 20-100 dollar entry. When I started beating the players who win these things I knew I was a Player. For me, I now am usually in the money somewhere or very close to it.

Another sign was that recently I have run a couple 5 packs on the big table and also a 4 pack as well...

Like many other posters here, the Players around you will sure let you know when you have joined their ranks...

Thanks again,

Mr. J. :-)
 
My First.

When and how did you all become a player?

Gerry[/QUOTE]

Nice thread, Gerry.

I never considered myself "a player" and still don't. Seriously, the title "Player" has always been reserved for those guys that always continue to offer me weight.

However, there have been several defining moments that changed what other people thought of me and some of those moments cemented in me, what I believed about me all along.

One of those moments was in 1996 when I played the opening match in the Legends of One Pocket against a player who was at the top of his game. I had practiced like a man possessed for almost 30 days non stop, playing every day for 3-7 hours a day. Tournament day came and they announced that I would be playing one of the favorites in the tournament, a young, tough, talented lion named Shannon Daulton. I had kind of programmed myself those 30 prior days and had no fear. I knew I had paid my entry fee and no one expected me to do much except for myself. but there was ONE other person that knew what I knew. How he knew, I will never know because no one else ever saw it coming in me. He predicted that I would play a great match and wasn't trying to make me feel good or put the bite on me either. :-)

I decided that no matter who I played I would play up to my best ability come hell or high water and nothing would deter me from that; not my respect and fear of professional pool players, not my fear of winning or losing, not my lack of natural talent, not how much money I could win or lose-nothing was going to stand in my way. I wanted to play at least one match in my life, to the upper limits of my ability. I had trained hard and expected to play well.

I never fully realized how well I played until I after my match which I won 4-2, I watched as Shannon beat one champion after the other, winning 10 matches in a row to win the tournament, leaving me with a rather pleasant memory to keep with me on my journey.

With each match that Shannon won, I mused to myself, "Boy, wouldn't it be something if Shannon won the tournament? That would make me the only guy that beat him" and so I summoned all of the luck that had ever been mine, all the luck that I would ever have and sent it Shannon's way but he had no need for my best wishes as he man-handled each and every player, each match, each game with a tenacity and skill unlike anything I had ever witnessed before. I knew then that I had in fact been quite lucky that day to have caught a young Shannon Daulton cold and unprepared for a tenacious and ready wannabee like myself. When my match with Shannon was over I meekly shook hands with that great player, as people poured out of the stands high-fiving me and shaking my hand, I knew I had achieved one of my most favorite dreams.
JoeyA
 
One night when I was 18 I picked up these two smoking hot women at a bar and took them to motel.....ohhhhhhh become a poolplayer. Wrong thread. Johnnyt
 
The Black Rattle Snake!

ironman said:
I've known Melvin since he was a kid and we even played several times when we were both much younger. He is an incredible character. He's been on the scuff for a long time.

One funny story about Melvin.

Years and years ago I hung out in this bar in Aurora Colo. and used to get some pretty good action on the bar table there.

One afternoon my partner, Bob and I were just hanging out there bsing when Melvin strolls through the door . He walked right up and asked me to play some $30 9-ball and took us both by surprise as he was never one to step out on a limb. I agreed and away we went, I thought.

I lost the flip, Melvin broke and made it on the break. I racked again, Melven broke made a ball and then made a combination on the 9.

I got a phone call at the bar and while I was talking saw Melvin walk out the front door, but didn't pay much attention to it. I finished my call and Bob said Melvin left.

I walked to the front door and saw Melvin running down the street. Bob and I just looked at each other and couldn't figure out what had happened.

A couple of months go by and I run into Melven at the pool room one night and ask him what the hell happened that day to make him run like that. He just gave me that Melvin smile and said, I'm sorry, I just needed $60.00 really bad. All he said he could have lost was $60.00 because he only had $30.00. I LMAO.

He had a new stake horse though and I beat him out of $1200 that night.

Funny how things work out.
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Melvin spent a year or two in Albuquerque in the late 90's.. Those were some of the funniest days of my pool life! I would steak Melvin in any and all kinds of action and there was never a dull moment. One funny story is one time when we got a game with one of the women touring pro's from Abq. The game was 9 ball... she got 2 games on the wire race to 7. She also made Melvin take 3 shots of tequila right before the match. (she bought the shots) Melvin beat her 7-2. As we left, Melvin says... from now on, anyone wants action with the black rattle snake... they have to buy the shots to get the motor running!

I miss having that guy around.

-Back2good1
 
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