Tournament pet peeve

People who don't pay attention to rules, and talking to their woman while I'm shooting.
I played at Valley Forge PA a few years back and the guy had his wife/girlfriend along. There was a rules meeting before the tourney started. I'm pretty sure I was on the hill when it happened but I broke and scratched which puts the cue ball behind the headstring off the break for him. After getting done talking with his woman he gets up and puts the cue in the middle of the table and takes a shot. Well you guessed it I called a big "FOUL" and his woman wouldn't shut the hell up about me being a poor sport for letting him foul. He got another chance at the table but I think he lost his focus at that point because she just won't stop talking about it, I ended up winning that set.
 
Unless someone is actually getting in my way repeatedly, nothing bothers me while I am shooting. What does bother me though are people who use various things as excuses or distractions.
"That person walking in my line of vision screwed my shot up!"
"Those people talking are distracting me!"

Honestly, most pool is played in bar-type environments, learn to tune things out and don't let crap screw you up mentally.
 
I played in a tourney once and it was so packed that folks were hitting the butt of my cue while I was down on the table (and they were walking by). I was also in the middle of shooting when someone tripped over my foot walking by. Two significant-others took over my players table/space where all my stuff was at....one guys ACTUAL butt kept touching a corner-pocket...The whole tournament was awful. I am usually extremely good at tuning things out. But this place, a true-blue actual poolhall, just let people roam as they pleased during this major championship. I lost my temper like never before and almost ended up in the clank!! Soon after, I started running my own tournaments for a few different reasons. BUT as a tournament 'director' I friggin make it clear in the players meeting to RESPECT the players seat/space! Do not have your wife/husband/kids/cousins/pets/WHATEVER running crazy around the pool hall. RESPECT the players! Respect the sport!
 
When you get someone who gets too close to the table, there are several ways to handle them.

If blocking your path as you walk around the table, some options are:
- Use your stick like broom to clip their toes
- Stamp the cue butt onto their foot.
- Step on their foot.
- Elbow them as you walk by, saying "excuse me".

If sitting down too close to the table:
- Bend over and make "long" practice strokes that can (sometimes) hit them.
- Bend over (guys only) and stick your behind into their face - spread out your stance for best effect.
- As you get down on your stance, use your back foot to step on their foot.

All of these are the "I'm sorry, I didn't notice you were in my way." category.

:)
 
Why guys only.... When people refuse to move... I'm fully capable of swinging back sooooo far up their *&$(%* with no apologies... I don't discriminate between male or female, I'm an equal opportunity swinger., I mean stroker, I mean striker.... Nevermind

They have to be really wasted to not see me coming the next time, typically they leap out of my way.
'nuff said

allanpsand said:
If sitting down too close to the table:

- Bend over and make "long" practice strokes that can (sometimes) hit them.

- Bend over (guys only) and stick your behind into their face - spread out your stance for best effect.

- As you get down on your stance, use your back foot to step on their foot.



All of these are the "I'm sorry, I didn't notice you were in my way." category.



:)
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Sent from my Nokia Lumia 920 Windows mobile phone using Board Express
 
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JuicyGirl said:
Why guys only.... When people refuse to move... I'm fully capable of swinging back sooooo far up their *&$(%* with no apologies... I don't discriminate between male or female, I'm an equal opportunity swinger., I mean stroker, I mean striker.... Nevermind

They have to be really wasted to not see me coming the next time, typically they leap out of my way.
'nuff said
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Quality humor there. Greenie for you!

Get em girl!
 
 
If you don't like someone's spouse sitting at the table, make a little smalltalk with them while your opponent shoots.

Be respectful though, and talk really low so that the shooter can't hear what you're saying. Say something funny.
 
Piss poor edicate

Maniac said:
I took my wife with me to an out-of-town tournament one time. She happened to have a sister that lived in that town and she figured we could go and visit the family after I was out of the tournament (she knew I always go 2-and-out :embarrassed2:). She sat at a little table away from the playing area and read a book until I lost my two matches. She wasn't a problem to anybody.

Maniac
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At least your wife will go to the tournament site Maniac. My wife has went with me on a few occasions and won't even make an appearance at the venue. She will also read a book, she just reads it at the hotel.

As far as the pet peaves are concerned, I hate cell phones being on during matches, conversation initiated by your opponent with the intent of throwing you off your game,lots of unnecessary movement from your opponent to distract you while you're down on a shot,etc.

I wish the rules during the match were, cell phones off, mums (other than saying good out,because I hate to hear good shot over and over and over and over), go straight to your seat when it's not your turn and sit still,etc. It's a damn shame that some people will stoop to these low levels of edicate to win the match, while others will be truly professional the whole time like it should be.

There is just not near as much edicate in pool as there is in golf. Sure you have a few of these types on the links, but there are way to many of these types in pool.

Ok, now that I've give away all the secrets of getting in my head while I play, who's gonna be the first one to ask me if I want to gamble????? LOFL.
 
blah blah said:
If you don't like someone's spouse sitting at the table, make a little smalltalk with them while your opponent shoots.

Be respectful though, and talk really low so that the shooter can't hear what you're saying. Say something funny.
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Just tell them yours is bigger. Talking about cues of course :D.

Mine is 60" :cool:
 
tank69 said:
My personal favorite is the opponent who stands 3 feet away from you and moves around the table with you.
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I used to do this for years, thinking that I was being courteous by staying out of their line of sight. It never occurred to me that I might be sharking them until someone pointed it out to me.:embarrassed2:

I hate it when my opponent selectively concedes the 9/10 ball. I prefer we all agree that you gotta close it all out, no concessions. Conceding the last ball is a subtle shark move, especially when they go back and forth with it, or make that subtle move like they're going to concede but sit back down. :mad:

As for wives/girlfriends/railbirds, I like it...but I hate having my wife table side...she sharks me worse than anybody. When we were first married, she always watched me play, especially in tournaments and gambling. No problem. Now, I can't run three balls if she's watching. I have no idea why, other than I can do without her critique of my game (especially when she's right)! :p
 
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Ultimate pet peeve: My opponent makes the last 9 ball.

To be honest I hate when an opponent is so strict about things in a very cheap tournament. Its only 20 bucks stop checking the rack. You made 2 last time.

I used to put all of the chalks on one rail to piss off the OCD players who need to have all three on different rails. I guess I may have created a pet peeve
 
cousindan said:
One of my biggest pet peeves is when I am playing in a tournament, and my opponent has his wife or girlfriend pull up a chair close to the table to watch then decide to have a conversation with each other when its my turn. What are yours?
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I enjoy having their girlfriend around. Something primevil about torching a man in front of his woman, it always makes me play better.

If they talk exclusively when it's your turn I would strike up ridiculous converstions with them while he is shooting.

I've played opponents who had a whole posse with them, it cracks me up really. My wife would never step foot in a poolhall, even to watch me play. The best part of pool is having something to do alone that gets me out of the house. IMO a guy has to be pretty P-whipped to have to bring his woman everywhere
 
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One thing that bothers me the most is the handicap systems. It seems to favor the weaker players so often. I think the handicap should not be set to keep the weaker players in the money all the time. It punishes those who paid the dues to get good by making it to where their skills cannot win for them very often. Then you have the sandbaggers who play the rules just right to keep their handicap down. At least justice prevails once in a while on that one as a team got second place and then got disqualified at the Super Billiards Expo. They had a very strong player playing as a five.
 
My own team sharking me

Ok, so here lately when I'm at the table one of my team members has to walk around the table several times. Going to the bathroom, packing up their possessions, etc. and so on. Last night they got behind me to where I had to wait over a minute before I could get down and shoot. But at least I was aware of it and just decided to wait. Two weeks ago said person was doing similar things. Anytime someone is moving around in my F.O.V. it is the biggest distraction (my weakness). Talking is no big deal unless I hear them talking about me.

Some people use earplugs or I-pods to cut down the auditory distractions.

I was thinking about putting on blinders while shooting. Let me know what you folks think about that idea or if you've ever tried it.:grin:
 
Good girlfriends gives you incentives to win :thumbup:

My pet peve however is when you are playing a tournament or gambling and halfway thru the match one of their friends or just someone you don't know steals your chair. I usually am real quick with a "hey. my chair!" but a couple weeks ago I was playing an older man who played very bad and some older woman came up and stole my chair then proceded to talk whenever it was my shot.. I didn't say anything because I was going to win anyway, but I wanted to smack that lady right off the chair! :)
 
I hate when they steal my chair as well especially if I have some of my tools and/or my case open on the table next to it or behind it pretend its a bar that you have you coat on a chair you get up to have a conversation and some dude is sitting in your chair like he was there the whole time. I usually tell them to get up out if my chair or to move some where else. it drives me nuts
 
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