Would you tell your opponent they are shooting the wrong ball???

[BillyKoda]

A very timely thread. Yesterday was just plain strange, I came close to witnessing 3 car accidents, I mean within inches of cars colliding. I had my guard up all day because things were not right. Anyway, when I got to the pool room last night the weirdness continued, the first 4 or 5 games I played, my opponent (different each game) was lining up on the wrong balls, if I had solids they were lining up the solids? This continued off and on for the entire night. I corrected them on each occasion but man yesterday was just strange, never seen anything like it.

The answer is yes I tell them they are shooting the wrong ball, I want to beat people, not have them lose to me.

BK

 

[TheConArtist]

It depends on the situation. If it is league play then I would tell them. If it is just for fun I would tell them.

If it is a tournament I wouldn't say a word. I am in it to win the thing, and if they don't want to pay attention enough then to heck with them. If they wanted the money that bad then they wouldn't shoot the wrong ball.

Yeah we think purdy much the same Bro

 

[RBLilly]

Cool

Yea Con,

Some people think like that and some people don't.

I do however have one team in league that I wouldn't tell, but that is because they are the type that tries to call everything, even when there is nothing to call! They also have a couple of subs so when they play a good team they bring in an unknown sub with no handicap. The handicap on our league sucks so it gives them an unfair advantage. In that case I call every dang foul I can call on them, but it is only because they deserve it. Heck, they cheat and still can only win 3rd place the last 3 seasons!!!! LOL

Everyone else in league I try and help them out!

 

[TheConArtist]

When I was in school in a small town, I played leagues to pass the time. I really don't play leagues much, but there was little else to do in this town. One time I broke and ran out on this guy. You had to patch the pocket of the eightball. Actually, I have told guys that they forgot to patch, but that's another story. I patched the pocket for the eight, and after I shot it, he told me that the patch was touching one of the diamonds. At first, I was like, "your kidding right." He just wanted to be a jerk about it. I ask him if he knew where I was going, since I was straight in on the eightball. He told me he knew were I was going. I argued a little bit and basiclly told him that he was a dipsh#t. My friend that happened to be at the bar, almost got in a fight with him, which was kind of funny. I think he was just mad that he didn't shot. The game didn't really matter too much, because his team had no chance to beat us ever, but he made himself look like a jerk to everyone there. But oh well, he won, so I guess he is a better player!!!

I had almost the same situation There was this one team that had the top shooter of my first year of playing, now he didn't get beat the whole year until we played them, i patched the pocket but it wasn't touching the pocket what he said. Ever since he doesn't like me

 

[The Kiss]

If the guys a jackass I might not tell him especially if we are gambling....Or I might tell him once but never again....Paying attention is the other guys problem not yours...For fun I'd tell him...

 

[TheConArtist]

Yea Con,

Some people think like that and some people don't.

I do however have one team in league that I wouldn't tell, but that is because they are the type that tries to call everything, even when there is nothing to call! They also have a couple of subs so when they play a good team they bring in an unknown sub with no handicap. The handicap on our league sucks so it gives them an unfair advantage. In that case I call every dang foul I can call on them, but it is only because they deserve it. Heck, they cheat and still can only win 3rd place the last 3 seasons!!!! LOL

Everyone else in league I try and help them out!

Sound like a few teams here one team is known for this, bringing someone with no hadicapp, and calling everything. My teammates give them hell for it, as when they are shooting before they get to the table they say Foul, just to mess around with them, all in good humor though.

 

[Bigtruck]

What would I do?

I have found that It's hard to go wrong if you treat others the way you like to be treated.It doesn't matter if they are a jerk or a gentlemen, I believe If you treat your opponent the way you like to be treated you are the winner.

 

[supergreenman]

I think it comes down to the way you expect to be treated by your opponent. I said earlier that it depended on the situation. I would definatly let the nit pickers shoot the ball, however, I know most of the players in the area and am friends or at least friendly aquaitance with them and I would let them know they're shooting at the wrong ball.

I think if I was playing one of my team mates though I'd let them shoot the wrong ball just for laughs. Just like I let them shoot the 8 ball without patching the pocket (big for me now since I'm just starting my first year in a VNEA affiliated league and I've never had to worry about it before).

We play for fun and enforce the rules so that we remember them when we play against other teams.

 

[Pushout]

I personally don't understand the snobs that look down thier noses at pool leagues. There have been a lot of great players come up from league play to end up in the higher echalon of pool. I've always found that there's plenty of quality compitition playing league around here.

Not to start anything, but WHO has come from league play to the higer echalon?? I guess you mean from apa, or some such? Do you mean to good short stop level or pro calilber?

 

[Barbara]

If I'm paying attention and I catch it, yes. If they did it without my paying attention, oh well.

Barbara

 

[Black Cat 5791]

Well if I'm playing in a league match and it's someone that I'm cool with I'd tell them, if not I'd let them shoot 1 ball then take the foul even though the rules state you could allow them to run the rack.

If I'm gambling then I'd let them shoot then I'd take the foul, I don't know too many people who would do it any differently. I was alway's taught to pay attention, if you snooze you loose.

Black Cat

 

[Scottlucasi19]

I just dont see how anyone could shoot the wrong ball, if someone shoots at the wrong ball they obviously arn't paying enough attention to actually care if they win or lose. I say let them shoot! I'll take ball in hand anyday.

 

[GADawg]

I've seen a tape of a about a ten year old 8 ball match between Efren and Mark Jarvis, I think. Jarvis shot the wrong balls. Nobody said a word until after he shot and Scott Smith called a foul.

In a social game, I tell people, but in a refereed match, it's a different story for me.

 

[catscradle]

...One of the reasons I quit the APA was because so many people (many of whom are nothing more than bangers) take it SO seriously.

My rule of thumb in situations like this: Do I really want to win like that? No.

I agree about the APA. I actually enjoy the APA, but there is always some jerk. I tell people if they're going to screw up if I notice, half the time I wouldn't notice until after they shot.

 

[suckershot]

I agree with whoever said this: "Its just a league. Tell them."

One of the reasons I quit the APA was because so many people (many of whom are nothing more than bangers) take it SO seriously.

My rule of thumb in situations like this: Do I really want to win like that? No.

I totally agree with this. Sometimes other things creep into our minds that make us forget. Tell them if you see it's going to happen.

I agree that a lot of APA people take league super seriously, like it was for the championship of the world or something. Very recently I was talking to a friend of mine while he was playing, and he wasn't playing very well. We were joking about it, he as much as myself, but he talks real low, so I was the only one being heard, I guess. So his team captain who is scoring says something to the effect of "Are you sharking my player??? This is a match, we don't need that ****." My friend on the other team who was also scoring came to my defense, saying that essentially, his player was saying the same things about his play as I was. Get a grip people.

 

[shark3149]

I would tell them but that is just me.I think they sould pay more attintion to the game but I have to be honest no matter what even if it cost me the game or match.

 

[TX Poolnut]

Expect more from yourself and take the high road. Would you expect this behavior from your opponent? You shouldn't expect it from yourself either.

 

[Bob Jewett]

... What do you guys think?

I think you need a couple of more choices. I often say, "Wrong ball. I won't tell you next time." I suppose this is partly for their benefit, since keeping track of which ball is legal is an important skill that they need to learn.

But you need to ask in different scenarios. You're shooting in the IPT Reno finals. Efren is about to shoot the eight but he has miraculously overlooked his six ball which is down at the other end of the table. It's hill-hill. What do you do? (I suppose this is not such a hard choice because you are already going to get $150,000, but let's also say that your mom's liver transplant is going to cost $300,000.)

You're playing with your boss. You broke and got solids and missed. Your boss finishes telling a joke to your co-workers -- a good joke -- and puts down his beer and lines up bleary-eyed on a nearly impossible shot on the three. What do you do? Did I mention that he just gave you a $300,000 year-end bonus?

A related joke is http://www.anvari.org/shortjoke/EmailJoke_Set_8/8635.html

 

[cardsfan]

I would definitely tell them. If you tell them after the shot, they are mad and unpleasant; you are involved in confrontation and your sympathetic nervous system kicks in, potentially affecting you as much as him.

If you tell them before the shot; you feel good about yourself (you've done the "right thing" for the first time in a couple of weeks if you're average like me). Your opponent, however, is embarrassed and his sympathetic nervous system kicks in; giving you the subsequent advantage. Hey, it's only a league.

P.S. - If the guy is an a$$hole, then please ignore this post and stick it to him.

Tap! Tap! Tap!

 

[suckershot]

I would also agree that if the other guy is a real a-hole, or if I don't like him for some reason, I probably wouldn't say anything. That's just because I'm terribly vindictive, I guess.

But in all other cases, I would say something.