Two Players in Stroke....

[poolplayer1988]

Is it just me, or is it rare that two players in a match get in stroke at the same time? Normally, when I play and am in stroke, my opponent isn't, and vice-versa. Has anyone here ever saw two players, regardless of their skill level, both play like a champ? Just wondering....

Doug Talbot
"the White Elephant"

 

[LastTwo]

This is a little virus that likes to dwell among us amateurs. I see this all the time. With the pros, however, I rarely see this happen. You leave them an open shot after having them sit in their chair for the last 8 racks, and they are usually out, from what I've seen. At the same time, I have seen two pro players shoot extremely bad, like lightyears under how they normally play. Nick Varner vs. Danny Harriman at the UPA tournament in Los Angeles a few months ago. They both could barely run 5 balls. This is another virus among pool, where one player plays bad, and it brings the other player down too. I've seen this happen among pros alot more often than the first one mentioned.

 

[Pigcarver]

I saw Rodney Morris play Dennis Hatch like in '95....Rodney broke and ran the first 4 or 5, played a nice safe, Hatch kicked a ball in from the hook, and then ran then next 5 or so.....It pretty much went like that the whole set....seems to me they were racing to 13....Some of the best shooting I ever saw.

Maybe all together there were only 2 or 3 misses between the two of them in the entire set...everything else, was just pure pool....

 

[thebigdog]

Is it just me, or is it rare that two players in a match get in stroke at the same time? Normally, when I play and am in stroke, my opponent isn't, and vice-versa. Has anyone here ever saw two players, regardless of their skill level, both play like a champ? Just wondering....

Doug Talbot
"the White Elephant"

I heard a story of Johnny Archer and Francisco Bustamonte gambling before a tournament. I don't remember the exact amount they played for but they were playing race to 13. As the story goes Archer wins the flip and runs 13 rack. After Archer wins the set, Bustamonte then asks Johnny if he wants to double the bet! Archer doesn't win another set.
Can you imagine running 13 racks then the guys asks you to raise the bet then beats you, brutal.

 

[LastTwo]

I heard a story of Johnny Archer and Francisco Bustamonte gambling before a tournament. I don't remember the exact amount they played for but they were playing race to 13. As the story goes Archer wins the flip and runs 13 rack. After Archer wins the set, Bustamonte then asks Johnny if he wants to double the bet! Archer doesn't win another set.
Can you imagine running 13 racks then the guys asks you to raise the bet then beats you, brutal.

They were playing a race to 11 I thought, and Archer had lost the first set. The next set he runs 11 and out...or was it 13? After that Bustmante asked to double the bet, and beats Archer.

 

[thebigdog]

They were playing a race to 11 I thought, and Archer had lost the first set. The next set he runs 11 and out...or was it 13? After that Bustmante asked to double the bet, and beats Archer.

I wasn't there, but the story I've always heard was that they were playing to 13 and Johnny had run the first set. Who knows maybe someone here can set this one straight.

 

[CebuanoNiNoy]

I wasn't there, but the story I've always heard was that they were playing to 13 and Johnny had run the first set. Who knows maybe someone here can set this one straight.

Here's a link from a easypooltutor for that story:

http://www.easypooltutor.com/bios5.html

It's a three set 2,500 $ per set django won the first,
then johnny won the second 13-0 and then django ask
to double the bet but archer decline and django won.

 

[thebigdog]

Here's a link from a easypooltutor for that story:

http://www.easypooltutor.com/bios5.html

It's a three set 2,500 $ per set django won the first,
then johnny won the second 13-0 and then django ask
to double the bet but archer decline and django won.

Thank you, CebuanoNiNoy for sharing that link, this is an example of what makes this site great.

 

[Wally in Cincy]

I saw Rodney Morris play Dennis Hatch like in '95....Rodney broke and ran the first 4 or 5, played a nice safe, Hatch kicked a ball in from the hook, and then ran then next 5 or so.....It pretty much went like that the whole set....seems to me they were racing to 13....Some of the best shooting I ever saw.

Maybe all together there were only 2 or 3 misses between the two of them in the entire set...everything else, was just pure pool....

I watched Max Eberle and John Schmidt play at this year's DCC. I don't think either player missed a ball. It came down to whether or not a ball was made on the break.

I don't know if you would say they were in stroke or if they are both just real freaking good players.

Perfection is a joy to witness.

 

[mjantti]

For pros playing "in stroke" means a little bit different compared to a B player or average player. The average/routine level of play of a pro is so high that he/she can win tournaments never falling in dead stroke. I once was talking with Ralf Souquet and despite having a good success in tournaments over the last months, he said that he hasn't been playing well at all. Pros tend to have a little bit neutral opinion how they are shooting. Outsiders might think he is in dead stroke but inside pro's head everything is going by routine and nothing special is happening. Pros will hardly ever get excited how they are playing, because they have a realistic attitude and they know that tournaments aren't won in dead stroke but at a high routine level of execution. That's why pros don't try overambitious shots just because they feel that "everything is dropping today, I might as well have a go at this shot even though I know it's a wrong choice". It's quite easy to fall in dead stroke and it's quite easy to fall out of it by choosing poor shots or thinking every shot for granted.