U A Gambler, Tourney, Or Fun Player?

JER-MAN

JER-MAN

Registered
First off, I love to play, You know why. You all know the addiction, that atmosphere, even though you may feel surrounded by morrons, though some may shoot better then you (prob some kind of mild billiard idiot savantism), the bold colors of the balls, the crack of the break, the soft almost imperceptable click of that pocket speed extreme cut that walks 90% the length of the table, that one where u just sliced the peepee off a ball you shouldnt have and kept yourself at the table with Pos. to finish the out. Even that nut safe, that feeling of "eat sum of that mutha effer" as you walk to your seat not even to sit down 'cause ball in hand is inevitable, or even better when someones got you locked and you play three rails nip the object and leave him kicking, a futile attempt, strike one on the way to a three safe. The Cues, You know.. made by ..insert favorite maker here.. The almost musical note a cue can transmit thru your arm when you're in dead stroke. The aesthetics of hardwoods, ivory and the dedication poured into a cue by the artisan.
THIS IS WHY I PLAY. THIS WHAT I LOVE ABOUT POOL
But there are some things i know about my own game that got me thinking about how other people feel about their game.
I know i really like to gamble. I'll gamble with anyone if the other guy doesnt have a lock, hence the word gamble, and i'd probably place my limit at around 5-600$ posted up for a session.
I LOVE to play for nuthing. i wouldnt consider that all for all fun exactly, sometimes its like a workout or a learning experience. finding somone with a skillset signifgantly higher than your own willing to play without gambling(see above refference) is difficult enough. MANY POOL PLAYERS DON"T SHARE. I play pretty well for money(within my limit)that kind of pressure doesnt affect MY game.
Tournements..... if im local...know most people there... no problem.
no matter who i'm playing. Put me in another town, another room, I FOLD.
Ive been trying to get into more tourneys just to get used to this mental deficiancy i have. well throat related acchhhemmm cough cough.. I CHOKE. I PLAY LIKE A HACK. (im no world class player, 53 ball high run, can string 3 racks of nine here and there, have snapped in 6 balls on break 4 or five times will play 8, 9 strt pool, one hole, golf...) This ...AHEM.. CHOKING.. shouldnt happen to me.
but it does. my wife thinks its funny at least.

Well i think that was verbose enough. (i have been partaking of the grape juice tonght)

any thoughts?? about me?? yourself?? any comments appreciated.
 
All I can say is that was fun to read. It was poetry, reflection, insight, and humorous. KUDOS!
 
Donovan said:
All I can say is that was fun to read. It was poetry, reflection, insight, and humorous. KUDOS!
Click to expand...

thanks donavan
as far as poetry goes my favorite is

"that one where u just sliced the peepee off a ball"

even though i wrote it and may be biased....i think its creates the best, most vivid image of a shot these mere pixels on a screen can convey. (you can see the shot in your head again cant you ?)

of course I have partaken in a little more vino since orig post ;) ;)
 
I use to have a very hard time playing unless there was real motivation ($$$) to play. Playing for fun was boring to me.

Now that I have been working fulltime for well over a decade and have not had the time to devote towards playing pool more than 3-5 hrs a week, I find myself daydreaming alot about playing. Nowadays I can go into a pool room and just hit balls with another player for fun. If there is a matchup or tournament available though, you wont find me playing for fun.

BTW, love the dog in your avatar. Now that is one happy looking pooch!
 
JER-MAN said:
First off, I love to play, You know why. You all know the addiction, that atmosphere, even though you may feel surrounded by morrons, though some may shoot better then you (prob some kind of mild billiard idiot savantism), the bold colors of the balls, the crack of the break, the soft almost imperceptable click of that pocket speed extreme cut that walks 90% the length of the table, that one where u just sliced the peepee off a ball you shouldnt have and kept yourself at the table with Pos. to finish the out. Even that nut safe, that feeling of "eat sum of that mutha effer" as you walk to your seat not even to sit down 'cause ball in hand is inevitable, or even better when someones got you locked and you play three rails nip the object and leave him kicking, a futile attempt, strike one on the way to a three safe. The Cues, You know.. made by ..insert favorite maker here.. The almost musical note a cue can transmit thru your arm when you're in dead stroke. The aesthetics of hardwoods, ivory and the dedication poured into a cue by the artisan.
THIS IS WHY I PLAY. THIS WHAT I LOVE ABOUT POOL
But there are some things i know about my own game that got me thinking about how other people feel about their game.
I know i really like to gamble. I'll gamble with anyone if the other guy doesnt have a lock, hence the word gamble, and i'd probably place my limit at around 5-600$ posted up for a session.
I LOVE to play for nuthing. i wouldnt consider that all for all fun exactly, sometimes its like a workout or a learning experience. finding somone with a skillset signifgantly higher than your own willing to play without gambling(see above refference) is difficult enough. MANY POOL PLAYERS DON"T SHARE. I play pretty well for money(within my limit)that kind of pressure doesnt affect MY game.
Tournements..... if im local...know most people there... no problem.
no matter who i'm playing. Put me in another town, another room, I FOLD.
Ive been trying to get into more tourneys just to get used to this mental deficiancy i have. well throat related acchhhemmm cough cough.. I CHOKE. I PLAY LIKE A HACK. (im no world class player, 53 ball high run, can string 3 racks of nine here and there, have snapped in 6 balls on break 4 or five times will play 8, 9 strt pool, one hole, golf...) This ...AHEM.. CHOKING.. shouldnt happen to me.
but it does. my wife thinks its funny at least.

Well i think that was verbose enough. (i have been partaking of the grape juice tonght)

any thoughts?? about me?? yourself?? any comments appreciated.
Click to expand...


Nice post bud. I feel the same way
 
I'm kind of the opposite. When I play in a new room, I play great usually. There's no pressure to perform to any level like in your home room where everyone knows your speed. You also have the advantage of being the unknown...

G.
 
Great post.

I enjoy all types of play. I love to gamble (not big money) and play league or tourney.

I'm not a big fan of playing "for fun" For example playing with people that don't shoot a lot just for something to do while drinking. I tend to lack focus and play under my normally poor level :-)

People know what I do and expect me to play very well. It annoys me to play at less than my best.
 
I just enjoy the game period. I won't put more then $5 on a game though because I am better suited making money in other ways. Tournaments are great, playing partners sucks and the atmosphere surrounding the game is exhilarating. I like the off the wall games as in not 8-Ball or 9-Ball. Golf, cutthroat, bottle pool and snooker come to mind. I have made many friends playing pool, all kinds of them, some are trusted friends and others are definitely not, some share other interests and some do not. Pool is a hobby that I play well but have not mastered, I can make the amazing shots regularly and miss some shots I should make in my sleep. My worst enemy at the pool table is me, I hate that guy sometimes. It's a whole lot better then frying the brain watching TV a couple of nights a week. Pool also allows some away time from the girlfriend, we both need that to keep our sanity.

Rack'em, lets have some fun.
 
If I'm a heavy favorite, I can play good for $100.
Solid favorite-$50.
Somewhat of a favorite- $20.
even - $10.
underdog- $2.
My favorite game is called" Hondo wins".
I don't mind losing some out of town but HATE to lose
in my home pool room.
 
hondo said:
My favorite game is called" Hondo wins".
QUOTE]


LOL @ "Hondo wins"


You need to bet it up more if your the heavy favorite. Thats about the time I like to have the entire BR up on the light.
Click to expand...
 
I love to gamble. It can be for 5 bucks or 500 doesn't matter. I have started playing in a lot more tournaments, however I don't like the wait times just sitting around with nothing to do. As for playing for fun, I wish I could do it. I seemed to not be able to play just for fun without getting bored. I guess I'm just to damn competitive....lol
 
What is your name?
What is the city you play in?
What is the pool hall name?

Joey's been known to sip a little grape juice on occasion.

You summed up many of the things I like about pool as well as some of my perspectives.

Seriously, you could check out Dr. Gary Beale. He is a sports psychologist and can help you with virtually any competitive psychological problem although he couldn't make the wing ball if you gave him a hundred tries. :-)
YOu should be able to google him up. He helps professionals and amateurs alike achieve their goals (in all sports).

But have your considered that you are currently a big fish in a little pond and when you venture into the big lake there are bigger fish than you? That doesn't mean you should quit venturing out. If you are a real competitor you will keep entering that room until you are comfortable and competitive.
Good luck.
JoeyA


JER-MAN said:
First off, I love to play, You know why. You all know the addiction, that atmosphere, even though you may feel surrounded by morrons, though some may shoot better then you (prob some kind of mild billiard idiot savantism), the bold colors of the balls, the crack of the break, the soft almost imperceptable click of that pocket speed extreme cut that walks 90% the length of the table, that one where u just sliced the peepee off a ball you shouldnt have and kept yourself at the table with Pos. to finish the out. Even that nut safe, that feeling of "eat sum of that mutha effer" as you walk to your seat not even to sit down 'cause ball in hand is inevitable, or even better when someones got you locked and you play three rails nip the object and leave him kicking, a futile attempt, strike one on the way to a three safe. The Cues, You know.. made by ..insert favorite maker here.. The almost musical note a cue can transmit thru your arm when you're in dead stroke. The aesthetics of hardwoods, ivory and the dedication poured into a cue by the artisan.
THIS IS WHY I PLAY. THIS WHAT I LOVE ABOUT POOL
But there are some things i know about my own game that got me thinking about how other people feel about their game.
I know i really like to gamble. I'll gamble with anyone if the other guy doesnt have a lock, hence the word gamble, and i'd probably place my limit at around 5-600$ posted up for a session.
I LOVE to play for nuthing. i wouldnt consider that all for all fun exactly, sometimes its like a workout or a learning experience. finding somone with a skillset signifgantly higher than your own willing to play without gambling(see above refference) is difficult enough. MANY POOL PLAYERS DON"T SHARE. I play pretty well for money(within my limit)that kind of pressure doesnt affect MY game.
Tournements..... if im local...know most people there... no problem.
no matter who i'm playing. Put me in another town, another room, I FOLD.
Ive been trying to get into more tourneys just to get used to this mental deficiancy i have. well throat related acchhhemmm cough cough.. I CHOKE. I PLAY LIKE A HACK. (im no world class player, 53 ball high run, can string 3 racks of nine here and there, have snapped in 6 balls on break 4 or five times will play 8, 9 strt pool, one hole, golf...) This ...AHEM.. CHOKING.. shouldnt happen to me.
but it does. my wife thinks its funny at least.

Well i think that was verbose enough. (i have been partaking of the grape juice tonght)

any thoughts?? about me?? yourself?? any comments appreciated.
Click to expand...
 
There's nothing like swinging the door open in a new room, and strolling in to see whats what, as fast Eddie would say...
G
 
Gerry said:
There's nothing like swinging the door open in a new room, and strolling in to see whats what, as fast Eddie would say...
G
Click to expand...


Gerry, If it's a room with a lot of action, I couldn't agree more - I am totally psyched/geeked up walking into that strange poolroom....

....and unfortunately on the other side of the coin...There's nothing more depressing to me than being in a new city and going to the only poolroom in town and finding there, a dead, morgue-like atmosphere - 0 players/0 action - just 3 or 4 tables with fun players or kids playing on them.
 
I love to play pool. I almost can't get enough of it as long as I'm having fun. However, whenever I have gambled, the fun of the game just went out the door for me. I think it's because it went from fun to drudgery. Instead of thinking I'd love to try that shot just to see if I could make it, I'm thinking don't go for that shot because you got to play the shots where the odds are in your favor.

Playing only the smart shots also comes up in tournament play but the tournament only lasts so long and it's over. Gambling at pool usually lasts as long as the stuck player has funds to keep going and that can last a long time when you're playing someone that has deep pockets and isn't too bright. For me, it gets really tough to keep up my game when the session goes long.

I will gamble pretty much the same way Hondo does, Rick has the nuts type situation, but I still might not enjoy it that much. I like to play tournaments once in a while and I don't mind if they're local or in another town. My problem with tournaments, though, is if I'm doing well and I stay in for a long time, I tend to burn out too soon. I literally get to a point when I just get so tired of playing. This has been one of my biggest problems and I thought it would be cured by me retiring from work. Unfortunately, it's as bad now as it ever was.

As for the dog in you, heck we all get that don't we? I think if you push yourself to play more tournaments in other towns, eventually you will get over that hurdle. Good luck!
 
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