what do you do when playing friends/family?

paksat

paksat

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
When I go out with such to bars and stuff, obviously the skill level is in my favor by a large marigin and i'm trying to figure out the best way to deal with this situation.

I've come to the point where i'll let some people win but I really don't feel good about it. Most of the time I just let everyone else play so they can have fun instead of putting their quarters in and hardly getting to shoot if at all.

I'm just wondering what others here do because I really don't feel strongly about just giving someone a game to make them feel better. Should I just let them play and stay out of it? I've been given advice not to go 100% but, that's kinda hard to do sometimes.
 
I don't let them win, but after I win a couple games I'll tell them I have to go to the bathroom or get a beer or something of that nature and tell them to go ahead and play. Then I'll get back in line. This usually gives them some time to play and win a couple games against one another. I just can't dump a game, I don't take it too seriously though. I'll try and get out regardless of how hard the table is as opposed to playing a safe.
 
This is actually a good question, IMO.

I don't think anybody wants anything but your best game. Modesty can go a long way, too.

That said, you may be surprised by how many good players are out there. For some reason, a lot of people in my business seem to play pool, and some pretty well.

But, the best advice like said is to let others play and duke it out amungst themselves, and not to dominate the table and table time. This is not fun for anybody watching.
 
To be honest, I try as hard as I can to stay away from playing friends/family for fun. I practice too seriously for me to just hit balls around.

I'm prolly in the norm, but....
 
I personally try to crush everybody. Like said above after winning a few games i give up the table and hangout and maybe play again later.

No need to torture people for an ego boost. That and it shows your a humble and good person :grin:
 
paksat said:
When I go out with such to bars and stuff, obviously the skill level is in my favor by a large marigin and i'm trying to figure out the best way to deal with this situation.

I've come to the point where i'll let some people win but I really don't feel good about it. Most of the time I just let everyone else play so they can have fun instead of putting their quarters in and hardly getting to shoot if at all.

I'm just wondering what others here do because I really don't feel strongly about just giving someone a game to make them feel better. Should I just let them play and stay out of it? I've been given advice not to go 100% but, that's kinda hard to do sometimes.
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I don't cut anyone any slack. I don't care if it's my friends, strangers, or even my dear old mom, I always go for the throat. If the runout is there I'll go for it, and if it's not, I'll play a safe and lock 'em up tight. That's just the way it is. I refuse to lay down for anyone.
 
Belive it or not I introduce them to One Pocket and they love it because all they know how to play is 8 ball. They have know idea that there are other games out there. The first game I play them even and after I win that I spot them something crazy like 12 to 3 and they love it.
 
Family Friends

For me it is an obvious waste of time you may not have the heart to go all in all the time against someone who will most likely send you back to the table over and over. And of course they expect you to run out on every table layout. For a while i promissed myself i would just stay on the sideline, however i like to play too much. So if i have to whe we play eight ball i'll make my balls in rotation or i'll use the time to practice playing from the oposite hand. God forbide i lose one game that makes them better than me.
 
When I go out to the bars I always try my hardest...and usually lose.

Seriously, I won't even play unless they are gambling or playing for drinks. Why even bother playing people like that, unless you are trying to impress someone? I do not usually play with friends/family, but if I play a friend, they probably are a pool player also. If you want to give them a chance, you could play opposite handed. They will have a better chance and it will be more fun for them, and you get in some practice. Also, when the local bar shark comes to challenge you, you can switch to how you regular shoot and beat him and win the girl and admiration of all of the bar patrons. Just like in the movies!:grin-square:
 
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I dont go out much to bars but when I am playing bar pool, I always try to play hard. If I wasnt going to try to play hard, why even put your quarters up? Save it for the jukebox or something instead.

Like Gregg points out, there are good players everywhere. It has happened to me before that when I put my quarters up its total pool idiots involved, then after I win a few, some new players who have been sitting around watching jump up to play and they are better, sometimes much much better than the original pool idiots.

When I was living in the Cocoa beach Area we use to go to this one popular bar, "Johnathans" and they had 3 bar tables and a decent league was run out of there. Every time me and my future wife would arrive, what would end up happening was that all the better local league players who were there at the bar would end up migrating to this one table. The best of the bunch said to me on a few occasions that he was glad I showed up because he wasn't going to even play if he had to play the complete ducks at the bar. That one table would go from 14 inning 8ball games to 1 and 2 inning games in a short while.
 
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If I win

Then I am happy and they are sad and unhappy with me.

If I throw off.

Then I am sad and frustrated but they are happy and still like me.


HELLO!!!!

I don't like sleeping on the couch.
 
If it's bartable 8 ball (where most social pool is played), I try a different pattern that what I would if I were playing in a tourney or league. I make it a little tougher on myself without bringing down my game. And if you get the occasional good shooting coworker or something, and they win one or two games....I'll just have to start playing the pattern I would normally play :cool:

One guy I work with called me out on this, and I kind of felt bad. He won 2 outta 10 games or so, and asked why I was playing tougher shots in the first 3 or 4 games...lol. I just said I didn't want him to get mad at me for him paying and racking the whole time, but after he won a couple that's all the hit my ego could take :grin: honesty usually works. :wink:
 
For me, it depends on the skill level of the opponent. If I know the person is good, I'll play my best. If I know s/he sucks, I'll still play well, but I'll pick the group that has the harder layout and take harder shots. I'm usually still challenging myself, and only have myself to blame if I lose.
 
I'm up front with friends, most of them know I breathe pool. My wife gets a different game, think 15 ball, she can shoot anything and gets 3 turns to my one plus coaching, person making the last ball wins. She beat me last night and enjoyed rubbing it in all night. Honesty is the best policy, let them know how bad you might stomp them and work around it. Giving them tips are good as well because they can take them and beat their friends then. Main thing is, don't be an a$$ and rub it in.

Kai
 
I usually play with my opposite hand versus friends/family/weaker league players. When I play my son eight ball I shoot my balls in rotation which makes it incredibly fair.

Shooting with your opposite hand really makes you focus and when you switch back to your normal hand everything seems so easy. It also comes in handy in real matches when you have the confidence to shoot with your opposite hand over using the bridge.
 
paksat said:
When I go out with such to bars and stuff, obviously the skill level is in my favor by a large marigin and i'm trying to figure out the best way to deal with this situation.

I've come to the point where i'll let some people win but I really don't feel good about it. Most of the time I just let everyone else play so they can have fun instead of putting their quarters in and hardly getting to shoot if at all.

I'm just wondering what others here do because I really don't feel strongly about just giving someone a game to make them feel better. Should I just let them play and stay out of it? I've been given advice not to go 100% but, that's kinda hard to do sometimes.
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My friends won't play me and that's fine, when we are all at a bar or whatever drinking, i will stick to the dart boards until someone wins a lot of games at the pool table and starts talking trash but besides that I stay away from those tables. If I get really drunk and I want to play someone that knows me, i usually have to play one handed or they won't play, they won't even let me play lefty anymore. Darts and jagerbombs!
 
If my friends and family are bangers, then I'll make a couple of balls and then miss....they want to play too....

Sometimes I'll play left handed, makes me pay attention and gives them a chance.....
 
I take the opportunity to practise the most outlandish shots, which pretty much guarantees that I'll miss 95% or more.
 
If I am playing friends/family I will usually be drinking. At that point I will pretend to be drunker than I am, and miss shots I would usually make. Then when the wallets come out to take money from the drunk guy who usually beats them; I crush them, and take their money.:eek:
 
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