Tournaments.....dead money players

cueball1950

cueball1950

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I am going to use the phrase from poker tournaments and call these players dead money players. we all know them. the C or D players that have no chance of geting to the money in a group of A players A+ players and some b+ players. If they have no chance of cashing then why do they do it. so i decided to ask a couple of them.

player1. if you have no chance of cashing why do you play?
answer.....I like the excitement, i hope to improve my game by playing better players, and i like to support the regional tourns when ever possible.

Player 2. Same question. If you have no chance of cashing or winning why do it.
answer...to better myself, maybe i can get lucky and maybe win a couple of games against a dennis hatch or a mike zuglan. I may only win a couple of games but i also learn a great deal when i play them. and besides, it helps the tour by supporting it/

so the general consesus is that they enjoy playing the better players and hope to improve their game.and that they enjoy supporting the tour and promoter.............................mike
 
I'm a big sports fan, and would love to have tried to hit one of Roger Clemen's heaters, thrown a pass to Jerry Rice, try to get a serve past Andre Aggassi, hit a drive farther than Tiger, block one of MJ's jumpers, or cut Jeff Gordon off in the last lap and steal a victory. Sadly, none of this will ever happen. However, for a fairly modest entry fee, I have a longshot chance at putting a lock-up safety on one of my pool champion heroes, and hear the poetic words "nice shot". While you may be donating $, you're also donating to your "magic memory warchest" which is of much higher value.
 
jnav447 said:
I'm a big sports fan, and would love to have tried to hit one of Roger Clemen's heaters, thrown a pass to Jerry Rice, try to get a serve past Andre Aggassi, hit a drive farther than Tiger, block one of MJ's jumpers, or cut Jeff Gordon off in the last lap and steal a victory. Sadly, none of this will ever happen. However, for a fairly modest entry fee, I have a longshot chance at putting a lock-up safety on one of my pool champion heroes, and hear the poetic words "nice shot". While you may be donating $, you're also donating to your "magic memory warchest" which is of much higher value.
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Yea! What he said.
 
Cueball1950 - I have to pipe in on this one because I have played in a Joss tournament myself knowing that I wouldn't win it AND knowing that many of the players/spectators wondered the same thing that you asked. In fact, I remember a spectator at that event not too far from my table asking someone else why "she" was in the event because the guys were going to blow me away. I sucked it up and entered anyway because I knew that the opportunity to build my mental game playing the guys would be more beneficial then the $100 entry (this would translate into any tournament, not just the Joss - it is purely seasoning). Just being able to compete with such a high caliber of player not only is a challenge, it builds your mental game, and forces your best game to come out when it may not normally because you didn't HAVE to bring it.

By the way, my first opponent was down several games before I became a deer in the headlights and thought to myself, hey, I am winning (NEVER think that, it will kick ya in the bootie immediately). I lost on the hill and my second match was 9-8 loss - so I got a lil respect from that same spectator for the effort and I learned a lot about my own game from that event.

Just had to share.........
 
I would say, sometimes its because the person wants the experience of playing top notch players.

And also thinking if they get in, and get a lucky draw or two, they can make a cinderella run for the $$, Or they might get into a groove and play the game of thier life.

I have done this several times, played in a Open tournament, when i am at best a B+ player. And both times i got smoked by guys, but also managed to win a couple games. Plus I learned from the event everytime.

Theres not too many times where you can play against a AA or Open level player cheap.

dave
 
As another well written post stated. Only in the world of billiards can an everyday 'no name' player pay a modest entry fee and end up on the same playing field with one of the worlds best. And unlike in sports like baseball, boxing, football, golf, tennis, soccer.....................................with the game of nine ball, the game of my life against a world class player having the worst game of his life along with some bad rolls, is enough for me to possibly walk away with a win. (I've done it twice, and trying to do it a third time is the very reason that I keep going back!)
dave "has beaten Goliath twice"
 
The Need to Compete

I'm Playing my first tournament on Wednesday......You'd call me a banger an APA SL3 so a C- player at best ....The tournament is the Pro - AM Charity event at the SBE. My goal is not to embarass myself and to get a taste of tounament play......

There is only so much you can do by yourself in a pool hall. I started hanging out at the local dive and joined a league because I need to compete to learn how to win....Sounds funny "learn how to win" but Winning is a state of mind before anything else.....and I'm not going to stop hanging out at the dive until I can hold the table all night.....I'll get out of APA as soon as I'm the dominate force in the area.....

I don't Need to be the best in the world I just want to make a better player bring their best game if they want to beat me........and if you beat me and I brought my best game well....I feel pretty damn good about that too

McCue...Banger McCue
 
Mike,
I have been spending some time focusing on my mental game lately. Along those lines, I have picked up some good mental tips from some of the Monk's books. I have stopped thinking in terms of winning or losing, but in terms of playing my game. When I am at the table, it's my turn to perform, and I evaluate my success based on my performance rather than on the outcome.
If you focus on winning or losing, you are either a winner or a loser...if you focus on playing, you are a player.
Also, as others have pointed out, what other sport lets you test yourself against some of the best in the world?
Steve
 
Not everyone plays to win all the time.

Not everyone plays to win all the time.

Not everyone plays to win all the time.

Everyone's "why" is different. In fact, I was chastised by a very good player precisely for having this attitude, a week or so ago. I was told I shouldn't talk about wanting to play a great player, as I "[had no chance of beating him.]" Well whoop-de-phuggin'-do, like I didn't know that before I said I'd play him. Der! My (slower) speed is well known (see DM Holiday Tourn, e.g.) and I don't hide it as its importance to me is subservient to my happiness.

I play for ME, not for anyone else. What I want is MY business. If I happen to want something else from the game beside winning, who's to argue with that, and why???

Every shot I play adds happiness to my life or else I don't shoot it. If winning is involved, so be it; if it isn't, so be that. MY shot involves MY conscious, carefully-thought-out reasons for shooting it.

Got that off my chest, :)

Jeff Livingston
 
We prefer the term Field Filler please.:) I traveled with 2 very good players for years until 1995. Slept in hotels, payed entry fees logged a lot of miles. Not too many sports can a fan participate. My game improved so much because of these week end trips that that alone would have been enough to justify it.
It was a blast and to get the fun back in my game is my new goal. Like Pooltchr says I'm a player, I'll let someone else worry about winning and losing.
My 2 friends? Oh they still play pretty good;)

Andy
Former Touring Pro Field Filler:p
 
So far everyone that has posted in this thread has what I call a "healthy outlook". There are folks that won't play in these tournaments because the players are too good and they can't win.

IMO these are the people that will never be good or even decent players. They don't have a clue. If they did have a clue, they would be the first in line to sign up for the tournament. ;)
 
I have seen lots of players improve greatly by playing in masters or pro tournaments,yesterday i saw a guy 70 yrs old beat 3 top masters in a tournament,finish second to a pro,5 yrs ago he would have never went pass 2 rds.I used to spot him now we play even,he told me yesterday since he plays regular with top players he sees so many different ways to do things,also it is only 8 ball he plays,allows for a little more strategy in some games,
 
In the pool world, mixing it up and trying your damndest even though you're a weaker player is called having heart. Never quit and don't back down just because his name is Fransisco. If I fall, at least I stepped up and danced. There's more to life than winning.
 
TX Poolnut said:
In the pool world, mixing it up and trying your damndest even though you're a weaker player is called having heart. Never quit and don't back down just because his name is Fransisco. If I fall, at least I stepped up and danced. There's more to life than winning.
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A fitting analogy from my favorite John Michael Montgomery song....

The longer I live the more I believe
You do have to give if you wanna recieve
There's a time to listen, a time to talk
And you might have to crawl even after you walk
Had sure things blow up in my face
Seen the longshot, win the race
Been knocked down by the slamming door
Picked myself up and came back for more

Life's a dance you learn as you go
Sometimes you lead, sometimes you follow
Don't worry about what you don't know
Life's a dance you learn as you go

:)
 
Tokyo-dave said:
Only in the world of billiards can an everyday 'no name' player pay a modest entry fee and end up on the same playing field with one of the worlds best.
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I'd offer tournament bridge as another example. My playing partner and I are very solid players, but far from world class. In 1983, during a national, druing the course of play, we competed against the great Oswald Jacoby and his partner for four hands, and we beat him and his partner handily.

We didn't really belong at the same table as one of the greatest bridge players that ever lived, but I'll never forget what a thrill it was.
 
There's "dead money" and what some may think are "dead money." No namers come through a tournament bracket all the time and win the whole shibang. Well, not all the time, but enough to know that anyone has a chance to win.

But I do agree that there are plenty of players that know they have no chance but for the love of the game, they play as many as they can. I think the 2 answers that the thread starter got from the players was awesome.

There's going to be a day that the champions of today will be "dead money" too but we'll still be there to watch them play. Peace, John.
 
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Enjoyment?

cueball1950 said:
If they have no chance of cashing then why do they do it. so i decided to ask a couple of them.

so the general consesus is that they enjoy playing the better players and hope to improve their game.and that they enjoy supporting the tour and promoter.............................mike
Click to expand...
I do it because i really enjoy playing and enjoy the competition. Unfortunately, I don't have as much time as I would like to dedicate to my pool game due to other priorities so I am probably never going to be a threat in a regional type tournament (Joss, Planet Pool, etc). However, I can play well enough to beat anyone in a short race at any time.
 
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