the win any way you mentality of some pool players

lorider

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I entered an apa singles regional qualifier yesterday ....this was for 8 ball. Let me stop here and say I do not want to turn this into another apa bashing thread or how much you dislike the sandbagging ...shitty rules etc etc. Due to numerous threads on here covering the subject I already know how many of you feel about apa.


This is about the mentality of some pool players trying to get a win any way they can. .. Which often leads to them trying fo use rules when its beneficial to them and disregarding those same rules when its not beneficial.

This post pertains to the marking the pocket on the 8 ball. Yesterday after winning my
3rd round match hill- hill against a guy that plays on one of my teams. He does not shake my hand and just signs the scoresheet and writes something below it. I picked it up and read it and he had written.....if i was an asshole I would have called you on not marking the pocket. I thought...wth ?? If he had had a problem during our match with me calling the pocket instead of marking it he should have said something . I would have taken the time to mark the pocket if it was such a big deal to him. I chalked it up to him being a sore loser .

5th round I face one of the 3rd round opponent buddies who he also plays for on a other team. I get up 2-0 in a 4-4 race and call the 8 ball in the bottom corner pocket. After pocketing the 8 my opponent says. Uhh...i didn't know where you where shooting to and you did not mark the pocket. I look at him with a serious wtf ?? Look on my face . I then say what do you mean you did not know where I was going with it and that I had indeed called that pocket and guess you just were not paying attention like you should have been . He says...you could have been banking it for all I know. I give him an incredulous look and say...why in the hell would i bank an easy cut shot ? He stammers...i dunno.

Let me stop here and say I have known this guy for 2 years and he played on one of my teams and was my co captain for a year before he decided to start his own team and we remained pretty friendly with each other ever since . I look at him and say ...i am going to give you the benefit of the doubt that you honestly did not know where I was shooting to as I don't want to think you are lying or being a nit and trying to use the ...you did not mark the pocket excuse. I started grabbing the bald to rack and said I am giving you this rack because I don't want a doubt in your mind that I did not whip your ass fair and square when this match is over. I went on to win 4-1

Now I know many of you feel that this is a stupid rule. I guess I kinda feel the same way...as do many who play in my area. Darn near every body extends the courtesy to each other of just calling the pocket . I will say that the marking the pocket rule definitely prevents crap like I encountered yesterday...as long as ever one marks the pocket.:o

In fairness to my apa brethren in my area....this is only the 4 th time I have encountered this drama over marking the pocket in over 7 years od playing apa and having over 1300 matches to date.

Like the title says ...some people just want to win any way they can...just cant believe the drama came from a team mate and a supposed friend.

Btw. I won the tournament.:grin-square:
 
I don't play APA,,,,, BUT if I did
I would have "Marked" the pocket.
I thought it was a rule YOU had to
mark the pocket ...
 
As someone who doesn't play in a league that (at least so far) seems to bring out the worst in human beings, how exactly does one go about marking a pocket? Take a leak on it? Put a fancy hat over the top? Laser pointer? I haven't heard of this rule. In all my years of playing, calling the pocket or it being obvious was enough for everyone.
 
Last edited:
Most people I play we just call the pocket. I've played and known many of these guys for many, many years. However, this one is kinda on you. Even guys I know & would consider very good friends I still ask when I'm about to shoot the 8 (in the first game only) "do you want to just call it?" I know the answer is yes but I still ask. And if they get to the 8 in the first game I tell em before shooting the 8 "I'm good with calling it if you are."

That said I would never, EVER call someone on this nor make any sort of stink about it. It's a weak move.
 
I don't play APA,,,,, BUT if I did
I would have "Marked" the pocket.
I thought it was a rule YOU had to
mark the pocket ...

In higher level tournaments yes you have to. Most apa players...at less in my area are just like bcapl players or any player for tgat matter that says ...no need fo call an obvious shot. We do the same thing with mark your pocket as a matter of courtesy or respect for one another . I even had 2 8 ball shots conceded to me yesterday...kinda goes against what most people think of apa players is it not
 
Stop playing leagues will solve many of these problems. Not all, but many. Leagues are the worst.

Yea you are right. I can donate to tournaments I don't have a chance in hell od doing better than 2 and out. Play in some handicap tournaments where I was ranked a 4 and am an ala 5 and played ranked 3 who was in fact an apa 7

can gamble like a friend of mine did and WI d up in the hospital with an lacerated eye or get beat to death with a cue stick over 16.00. yep leagues are the worst kind of pool out there aint it ? :confused:
 
Precisely the reason that I constantly remind my teammates to mark their pocket, even at the local level and even when the opponent says it is ok to just call it.
 
Most people I play we just call the pocket. I've played and known many of these guys for many, many years. However, this one is kinda on you. Even guys I know & would consider very good friends I still ask when I'm about to shoot the 8 (in the first game only) "do you want to just call it?" I know the answer is yes but I still ask. And if they get to the 8 in the first game I tell em before shooting the 8 "I'm good with calling it if you are."

That said I would never, EVER call someone on this nor make any sort of stink about it. It's a weak move.

I see your point and without a doubt adopt your policy from here on out. The thing is both of these guys played cod mw and have more often than not adopted the policy if not marking the pocket just like the majority of players around here.

The thing is ...if you have a problem with some one not marking the pocket say it during the first rack when some one is on the 8... Not after you lost or when you are down 2-0 and the guy is getting on the hill in the 3rd rack when you decide to call him on it .
 
I usually ask at the lag if pointing at it is ok and have neve been turned down.I think the smart move is just to mark it as a habit unless told not to.It's stupid but when in Rome....
 

Attachments

  • IMG_1861.JPG
    IMG_1861.JPG
    49.6 KB · Views: 367
any guy who says you didn't mark the pocket while you are shooting the 8 ball on an obvious cut just goes to show that guy has no ****ing game. whatever respect you have for that guy from that point on you should have no more ever. i'm glad you thrashed that guy.
 
Brilliant move by the Pyramid '23' rule APA genius' to avoid drunken fights, disruptions, stoppages and appeals by the 75% who play toasted and the 100% who pay them boatloads of cabbage with little payout other than the 'Big Trip to Vegas' carrot.

Keep kicking their ass Lo

-Kat,
 
I have one ....somewhere lol.

I just pull my magnetic chalk holder clip off my belt when I do mark the pocket. It saves me from having to walk back fo the sitting area to grab something fo mark with.

You know, the rules don't say what the marker needs to be, I imagine that a marker
could even be a mental marker. :smile:
 
Brilliant move by the Pyramid '23' rule APA genius' to avoid drunken fights, disruptions, stoppages and appeals by the 75% who play toasted and the 100% who pay them boatloads of cabbage with little payout other than the 'Big Trip to Vegas' carrot.

Keep kicking their ass Lo

-Kat,

Gosh ...i asked nicely not to post this type rhetoric in this thread. I guess some people just cant help themselves. :D

I have played on several teams where no one drank alcohol.

In 7 years and over 1300 matches I have never seen a fight...let alone a drunken fight. Disagreements over rule interpretations and fouls yes. But you see that all the time all the way up to pro level.

The 23 rule does not bother me at all.

Boat loads of cash ? You call 6.00 a week to play boatloads of cash ? Plus half the places offer league players some type of free or discounted table time.

This tournament I mentioned in my op is a qualifier for our state regional. It cost me a whopping 20.00 to play and no green fees. There is no fee to play in the state singles regional. If you play good and get a few lucky rolls and win regionals you get a free trip to Vegas.

Lets recap this.

if you win a 20.00 local tournament with no green fees. Another tournament 3 hours down the road with no entry fee you get a trip to Vegas with a chance to win 5,000.00 .

Now I that sounds like boat loads of cash to you ....well I dont know what to say to you but I consider it fairly cheap expenses to enjoy playing pool.
 
I have one ....somewhere lol.

I just pull my magnetic chalk holder clip off my belt when I do mark the pocket. It saves me from having to walk back fo the sitting area to grab something fo mark with.

But the rule usually says you can't use chalk or money or weapons to mark a pocket.

That one rule of marking the 8 has CAUSED more problems than any other "rule" I can think of. In our State tourney the scoresheet now has a place for both players to sign agreeing to not mark the 8. If it isn't signed and a player pulls this shit to win, it stands.

I've signed it twice in about 100 matches or so, I'd guess. Mostly we just do the verbal agreement. It is never a problem anymore, as it was just a few years ago. There are so many leagues in town and so many players knowing about it, that the nits have been embarrassed or afraid to pull out this "rule" only when needed.

This rule is fading away, like the rule you can't park your horse in front of a pool hall.



Jeff Livingston
 
Back
Top