I started playing on barboxes in 80 or 81. Went to the pool room in 85, All-In.
I’ve taken a couple breaks but pool will always be #1 for me. It’s in me, not on me. And I love that!
I started playing when games were nickel-a-cue, dime a game for two, fifteen cents for three or more. It didn't matter the game, five ball, six ball, seven ball, eight ball, nine ball, rotation, one-pocket, or straight pool.
I learned to play them all. I have shot more than two million balls into the holes, and maybe missed a million more in my 63 year playing period, no extended layoffs from the games.
I perused this forum for a number of years prior to taking the joining plunge in 2014.
I play old school pocket pool. Keyboard artistry of the games doesn't hold any interest for me.
I don't practice. I detest playing alone. I will always pay at least half of any table time involved, if no gambling is involved.
I had two instructors in my early playing years. One instructor for the short games. One instructor for one-pocket and 14.1 continuous.
Many other players have contributed tidbits of pertinent information through the years and still do.
You can always pick up some new useful info.
I learned early that I could easily take the big table game skills down to the smaller tables, but vice versa didn't work nearly as easily.
Old school pool player, yes.
Old school keyboarder, not so.