good point when u put it that way makes sense
Whats Better For Improving Your Game Tournaments Or Action?
- Thread starter midwest__player
- Start date
Big C said:
All I can say is what works for some may not work for others.
Playing someone better is great, its probably the best way to learn and improve your game. "Doubling the stakes" against them...... Best way to clean out your wallet and have nothing to show for it. If you cant beat them, why bump the bet and stress about losing TWICE what you could have lost to play them in the first place.Big C said:
I want to buy that car...... but I want to pay you DOUBLE for it...... :thumbup:
Chuck
i will try to play some better players than me from now on when possible but doubling the stakes doesnt make sense unless u got money like fatboyRiverCity said:
goodnight everyone
I have a few suggestions that may help. When I was just turning old enough to go to bars (around here the pool rooms are bars, not your traditional 2 - 3 room joints, but 10+ tables), I didn't have a lot of money to waste on gambling or tournaments.
Lets face it if you get into a tournament with drinks, greens fess or quarters, and entrance fees even a cheap tournament can cost a bit of cash, and coming in "out of the money" can eventually become a significant cost.
If you don't have your own table at home, learning can be an expensive issue - I was lucky and found a place with free pool 7 days a week, they made their profits from food and alcohol sales.
Anyhow, getting to the point. Watching a better player spot you and run racks while you just continue to rack balls can be more cheaply observed by watching someone else gamble, tournament streaming, or attending tournaments but not playing. The money you don't spend can be used for the practice room - there are TONS of threads on things to practice so i won't even go there.
Go to the local establishment and be on the look-out for people to play for free (I have met a lot of good practice buddies this way), and play them just to practice playing another person instead of just yourself. Don't gamble just to gamble until you can beat the better casual players very consistently.
Once you have done all this and have some confidence that you can beat some of the people you have observed gambling, determine an amount you are readily willing to loose, which can be considered your "stake". Find the person who is in your estimation an equal and play them for half your "stake". Attempt to play as long of a set as possible so you can get good value for the risk. You have accepted this money as gone so the value of the practice playing for money is what you most seek. Play them 2 sets, if 9-ball try to race to nine or more if 8-ball a race to 5 can be pretty long. If you loose both bets you lost nothing more than the "investment" and have realized you need slightly softer action. If you win one of the sets you basically got a bonus 2 sets. If you win both you move to the next higher run, and possibly found someone to fund your future gambling endeavors.
Tournaments are great if you have patience, because it takes a long while before you get any financial reward for your time. Remember that because many a great gambler looses their focus waiting on matches in a tournament only to get beat by a player more willing to sit and wait and maintain focus.
Personally I had friends wanting to find me good games, playing for as little as a couple bucks a game. I would win and use this money to play some of the premier players to get used to higher stakes gambling. Eventually I was able to become one of the bigger fish even on my very tight budget!
Lets face it if you get into a tournament with drinks, greens fess or quarters, and entrance fees even a cheap tournament can cost a bit of cash, and coming in "out of the money" can eventually become a significant cost.
If you don't have your own table at home, learning can be an expensive issue - I was lucky and found a place with free pool 7 days a week, they made their profits from food and alcohol sales.
Anyhow, getting to the point. Watching a better player spot you and run racks while you just continue to rack balls can be more cheaply observed by watching someone else gamble, tournament streaming, or attending tournaments but not playing. The money you don't spend can be used for the practice room - there are TONS of threads on things to practice so i won't even go there.
Go to the local establishment and be on the look-out for people to play for free (I have met a lot of good practice buddies this way), and play them just to practice playing another person instead of just yourself. Don't gamble just to gamble until you can beat the better casual players very consistently.
Once you have done all this and have some confidence that you can beat some of the people you have observed gambling, determine an amount you are readily willing to loose, which can be considered your "stake". Find the person who is in your estimation an equal and play them for half your "stake". Attempt to play as long of a set as possible so you can get good value for the risk. You have accepted this money as gone so the value of the practice playing for money is what you most seek. Play them 2 sets, if 9-ball try to race to nine or more if 8-ball a race to 5 can be pretty long. If you loose both bets you lost nothing more than the "investment" and have realized you need slightly softer action. If you win one of the sets you basically got a bonus 2 sets. If you win both you move to the next higher run, and possibly found someone to fund your future gambling endeavors.
Tournaments are great if you have patience, because it takes a long while before you get any financial reward for your time. Remember that because many a great gambler looses their focus waiting on matches in a tournament only to get beat by a player more willing to sit and wait and maintain focus.
Personally I had friends wanting to find me good games, playing for as little as a couple bucks a game. I would win and use this money to play some of the premier players to get used to higher stakes gambling. Eventually I was able to become one of the bigger fish even on my very tight budget!
Thanks For The Great Advice
Which one?
Matching up WILL help your game more than tournaments. Period.
The reason........ You're playing under pressure non-stop for as long as you want or can afford. In Tournaments you are waiting for long periods in between matches.
I love tournaments, but matching up for 6-8hrs straight will help your game. Just keep it within your budget.
Ray
Matching up WILL help your game more than tournaments. Period.
The reason........ You're playing under pressure non-stop for as long as you want or can afford. In Tournaments you are waiting for long periods in between matches.
I love tournaments, but matching up for 6-8hrs straight will help your game. Just keep it within your budget.
Ray
Find someone a little bit better than you. Just good enough to beat you consistently but not torture you. Match up with them even until you can beat them and they won't play you even anymore. Then find someone else better than you - and continue repeating that process.
My vote is for Tournaments.
do;s and dont;s
The only way to get better is to play players better then you.Watch learn and make freinds..If you cant play your best game without playing far money you will never play your best game..and dont forget anytime anywhere anybody can be beat..
The only way to get better is to play players better then you.Watch learn and make freinds..If you cant play your best game without playing far money you will never play your best game..and dont forget anytime anywhere anybody can be beat..
midwest__player said:
Midwest,
First you need to gamble with what your comfortable with.... If that's playing 20$ sets then go for it.... But also make it worth your time too, doing 20$ sets in a race to 4 or 5 and losing 5-0 or 5-1 or w/e isnt going to be worth your time.
Also, if your not comfortably doing that play 2$ a game or w/e and call it quits if your down 10 or 20 games. you'll get plenty of playing time that way too.
Another thing, when you goto the pool hall talk to someone who is REALLY GOOD, about wanting to get better, tell them you want to play them once or twice a week for X amount per set or per game. And play on a 9ft table if you have the option too. Also, make the weight slightly in your favor, like the breaks and the 5 & 7 ball. Or the breaks and the last 3 or 4. But also explain that you want the match to be fair, and also make them play thier best.
Then find someone who's just a bit better than you and play them even.... For an amount your comfy with... And play them till you can beat them... And this will be a good challenge for you and him, because even though he is a bit better than you.... your still going to win some sets, so its not like he is stealing.
Also play tournaments, ones with handicap or open tournys, and just play your best.
IMO Matching up is a quicker way to improve than playing in tournaments.
But, also getting taught by a professional well qualified instructor is even a quicker way to improve your game.
Practice and then Perform.
Table time and lots of it. Tournaments are way too slow.
Set a goal, ask your instructor what a good goal would be.
Where do you want to be in 3 months? 6 months? a year? 3 years?
How are you planning to reach your goal? goals?
Table time... lots and lots of table time.. either playing or practicing. Get those trouble shots taken care of. Find the drills you need to stay in stroke all the time.
Table Time. Tournaments... are good, you can measure your success of your goal or goals by how you place in tournaments.
Table time Matching up... only shows you how well you are doing against ONE person. But it is table time...
When you fine a weakness in your game, get to the practice table... work it out... eliminate it... with Table time...
But, also getting taught by a professional well qualified instructor is even a quicker way to improve your game.
Practice and then Perform.
Table time and lots of it. Tournaments are way too slow.
Set a goal, ask your instructor what a good goal would be.
Where do you want to be in 3 months? 6 months? a year? 3 years?
How are you planning to reach your goal? goals?
Table time... lots and lots of table time.. either playing or practicing. Get those trouble shots taken care of. Find the drills you need to stay in stroke all the time.
Table Time. Tournaments... are good, you can measure your success of your goal or goals by how you place in tournaments.
Table time Matching up... only shows you how well you are doing against ONE person. But it is table time...
When you fine a weakness in your game, get to the practice table... work it out... eliminate it... with Table time...
Im going to stick to cheap action unless good tournaments come around. Thanks Everyone