What is a nice thing to say when you beat someone?

rackmsuckr

rackmsuckr

Linda Carter - The QUEEN!
Silver Member
When I win a match and go to shake the loser's hand, what is a nice thing to say? I usually say 'Nice match' or 'Good shooting', but a lot of the times they didn't shoot their best and we both know it, and it certainly wasn't a nice match for them. I have had people tell me 'Thanks' when I lose and that sticks in my craw too. If they just got knocked to the B side, then I say 'Good luck in your next match', but what if you put them out of the tournament? I have even said 'I'm sorry', but what I am trying to say is that I am sorry one of us had to lose and I know how crummy they feel, NOT that I am sorry I won.

And how about at the beginning? I had one gal who just hates me on our regional tour and one time, she refused to shake my hand before the match. I was left there with my hand in the air. She said I really didn't mean it when I wished her 'Good Luck', or 'Play well' or even 'Have fun' or 'Have a good one." I thought that was terrible as I am pretty conscientious about being a role model for up and coming players and kids.

Anybody have some nice beginning and ending words for your opponent?
 
Before the match i think "good luck" is kinda the standard. After winning i usually just say good game but if it was not then maybe something like "Until next time..." or something along those lines. Just so they know that im aware that the next time it will probably be a better match.
 
rackmsuckr said:
When I win a match and go to shake the loser's hand, what is a nice thing to say? I usually say 'Nice match' or 'Good shooting', but a lot of the times they didn't shoot their best and we both know it, and it certainly wasn't a nice match for them. I have had people tell me 'Thanks' when I lose and that sticks in my craw too. If they just got knocked to the B side, then I say 'Good luck in your next match', but what if you put them out of the tournament? I have even said 'I'm sorry', but what I am trying to say is that I am sorry one of us had to lose and I know how crummy they feel, NOT that I am sorry I won.

And how about at the beginning? I had one gal who just hates me on our regional tour and one time, she refused to shake my hand before the match. I was left there with my hand in the air. She said I really didn't mean it when I wished her 'Good Luck', or 'Play well' or even 'Have fun' or 'Have a good one." I thought that was terrible as I am pretty conscientious about being a role model for up and coming players and kids.

Anybody have some nice beginning and ending words for your opponent?
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"Good luck" or "hit em straight" at the begining and the truth at the end of the match.
 
rackmsuckr said:
When I win a match and go to shake the loser's hand, what is a nice thing to say? I usually say 'Nice match' or 'Good shooting', but a lot of the times they didn't shoot their best and we both know it, and it certainly wasn't a nice match for them. I have had people tell me 'Thanks' when I lose and that sticks in my craw too. If they just got knocked to the B side, then I say 'Good luck in your next match', but what if you put them out of the tournament? I have even said 'I'm sorry', but what I am trying to say is that I am sorry one of us had to lose and I know how crummy they feel, NOT that I am sorry I won.

And how about at the beginning? I had one gal who just hates me on our regional tour and one time, she refused to shake my hand before the match. I was left there with my hand in the air. She said I really didn't mean it when I wished her 'Good Luck', or 'Play well' or even 'Have fun' or 'Have a good one." I thought that was terrible as I am pretty conscientious about being a role model for up and coming players and kids.

Anybody have some nice beginning and ending words for your opponent?
Click to expand...


At the beginning, "Good luck!" said with some life.

At the end, depending on how the match went for both of us, if we both played well and I won, I may say "Good match!" or "I got some lucky rolls..."

If I lost, I'll never say "You got some lucky rolls"... that's just sour grapes. Often I'll walk over and thank them, and say "That was tough. Good luck. I hope you win the tournament. I'll be rooting for you." And if I say that to them, you can be sure I mean it.

When I lose a match, I often consider it a win-win situation, for in losing it helps me either highlight areas I need to work on, and often watching the other player win, if they did so with skill and not luck, can be inspiring as well.

In any case, "Thanks for the match" is always good form.

Flex
 
I always say "Good Luck" before a match in a tourney and shake hands.

Afterwards, I usually say "Good Shooting" because I have got my teeth kicked in. If I do happen to win, I immediately say "Good Match" and offer to shake their hand again and leave it at that.

If they won't shake or whatever, that's their poor sportsmanship and not your duty to correct them, but it was their parents or coaches responsibility to teach them good sportsmanship.

Do what you can to express good sporstmanship, and hope it is contagious is all I can say.

Shorty
 
I rarely shake hands with an opponent before the match, but always do afterward, win or lose. I always say "Shoot well", but we all know we really don't mean that, don't we! LOL I mean, you really want the opponent to fall on their face, and figuratively or literally really doesn't matter.

After the match, it depends on the match or the person. Sometimes just a handshake and a nod... nothing said will make someone feel better if you just steamrolled them, but damn sure don't say "Well, I just got the rolls"... that makes them feel even worse.

If it's someone I like, I'll wish them well in their next match.

If it was a good tight match, I'll say "Great match" no matter if I win or lose.

If it's someone who's a smarta$$, I'll smile and say something like, "Some days you eat the bear, some days the bear eats you". Said that to one guy and he shattered his Schon beating it on the floor.

One player walked away from the table, refused to shake my hand after a 7-0 shutout and said, "You lucky sonuva*****, I thought I'd be dead before you'd beat me 7-0". it pissed me off, so I told him, "Well, if you'll pull your car in the garage, leave it running and close the door, that'll do the job." Should've kept my mouth shut, but the way he said it, just tripped my trigger.

Most pool players I find are gracious losers, and I don't rub it in by saying I got the rolls, or "You just couldn't get a roll". With most men, a nod and a handshake are sufficient.

Later,
Bob
 
I think what is said depends on the person and your comfort level with them. Obviously if you are friends, you're more comfortable with them. I've always shaken someone's hand, regardless of whether they deserved it or not. I'm astounded by people that refuse to shake someone's hand. I think it speaks volumes for a persons character (or lack of character). I've said everything from tough break, nice match, sorry, etc. I've even said nothing at all. There have been times where I smiled, stuck my hand out, and shrugged my shoulders.

On a side note if someone sharked me or acted in an unsportsmanlike way, I still shook their hand and smiled but while I was smiling and shaking hands, I took the opportunity to point out what they did and while still smiling asked them if they really thought that was the right thing to do. They get the point and they know that I know what they were trying to do.
 
Starting saying: "Let's do it." or "Let's do this."

I just get irritated with, "Good Luck." It just seems to boring and like I'm telling them they are going to need it. I don't know, it just bugs me. If they say it first, I will say it back. Otherwise, I say the above.

Ending saying: "Well, we got it done." or If they played real bad, I like to reach out and shake their hand and then while shaking their hand compliment something, like their cue or their shirt or their case or whatever and ask them where they got it. It helps them talk about something besides the match right off. It is nice a way of letting them off the hook. AND MUCH EASIER ON ME.
 
I think it really depends on how the match went. I played a guy not too long ago and we just really hit it off. He was a real gentleman and I recognized that early on in the match and complimented him on it during the match. I won the match and shook his hand and told him it was a real pleasure to shoot pool with him win or lose.

If I'm playing a jerk, I'll just offer to shake hands and say "thanks".
 
Always greet them respectively before the match with what is appropriate for who I am playing (friend, acquantence, or never met them before all makes for different conversation). And always shake hands after the match - if I won and am told good match I say "thank you"---- which I usually get to say !!!! but in case I don't win I say "good game".
Jack
www.johnmaddencues.com
 
I don't usually give any sort of words of consolation after I win a match unless it was against a friend. Typically I'll look them in the eye and shake their hand. Pretty much the same thing I do when I lose a match (though the look on my face might suggest some amount of disappointment ;)).

I don't think there is any need to console your opponent if you win. If you're playing a competitive match, someone is going to win and someone is going to lose. There's no need to sugar coat it. At the same time, there's no need to be a jerk either which, unfortunately, is what some players do (as in, "I got beat by that lucky &@#O", or, "I robbed that sucker").
 
A firm, crisp, slap in the face usually will suffice after you beat someone.

Seriously, I usually don't say anything, unless they say something like good luck or play well. I might introduce myself if I haven't met them before, but otherwise I just quietly shake their hand and smile, and after the match whether I win or lose, I do the same thing. You don't even have to smile. It just makes things alot easier, trust me.
 
Linda,

In my tour the ladies generally shake before the matches, but I don't know if everyone does. In the Player's Meeting, I do let them know how sharking is very much frowned upon, as is poor sportsmanship. And yeah, I know where the friction is between certain players.

You can try and be a gracious winner with the sayings you've come up with, but on the other side, you have to remember your opponent's feelings and when you've lost to someone you shouldn't have or just played bad and you're feeling pretty down about it. Nothing is going to sound okay, especailly when you've eliminated them from the tourny.

I dunno. Good thread and good question.

Barbara
 
Thanks everyone for your thoughts. I always shake hands after a match and try to beforehand, as well as an introduction if we have never met. I also sort of expect it of women on our tour as a form of etiquette that newbies should try to emulate. The Canadians even shake your hand and wish you luck when it is hill-hill, which was very disarming the first time I saw it. But they are so nice and proper. :p

Usually, I say the same thing..'Nice match', 'good or great shooting' depending on how it went, but this was prompted by some hard feelings on my opponent's part and I was trying to find ways to soften the blow, yet trying to be sincere. I will have to try out some of your suggestions. Just hope I don't get punched. lol.

Also, I have said <jokingly> "Take it easy on me" and they thought it was a shark move to lull them into getting sloppy. Sometimes you just can't win...with words. ;)
 
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Before the match get hyped and say "Lets pllllaaaayyyyy!".
After you win either 1) do the booty dance while singing "I beatcha, I beatcha" or 2) say "Nice match" or 3) say "Join me for a beer?".(depending on outcome and what your opponent is like)
If you lose it's their problem what to say.

Terry
 
Win or Lose........

I always say - "Thanks For The Game"! - No matter what.
There is a good player from here, Ricky who used to always say it and I really liked the way it sounded. If said sincerly, it says a lot.

TY & GL
 
After a match, I said "nice game."
My opponent said to me,"you were so rude!"
"What?"
"I said nice shot to you but you didn't say thank you!"

This is a real conversation. Quite interesting.

Richard
 
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