This autumn, my wife and I went to Europe, and (like the last time a few years ago) we found that there are several places where people play chess outdoors, on large chess boards with large pieces. Last time we found such boards in Lucerne and Zurich in Switzerland, and in Salzburg in Austria.
This time, we found a board in Danau Park in Vienna, and also revisited the board on the Lindenhof in Zurich. It is always a good time playing on these boards. Depending on where you are, you can play in front of quite a crowd, and the crowd participation ranges from quietly watching to actively commenting. In Vienna, it was a lot of fun to play while 5-10 people who sat nearby would shout suggestions to both players. The trick was to ignore the bad suggestions while occasionally taking a good one. :-)
Over the years (1992 - Lausanne, Switzerland; 2003 - London, England; 2010 - Lucerne, Switzerland; 2012 - Vienna, Austria and Zurich, Switzerland), I have played many outdoor games, and through a combination of skill and luck I have never lost. I have drawn a few games, though.
I always look forward to finding places in new cities where such games are played.
Monday, December 17, 2012
Monday, November 12, 2012
Back on the table!
After about two months away from the pool table (due to work and vacation), I went back to Legends last Monday for a couple of hours. I did not have much in the way of expectations, since I figured I would be rusty, but things actually went pretty well. I met a nice guy named Larry, and we played several games of eight-ball and nine-ball. I won most of the games, but I was very streaky - one game I would run the table, and the next I could not make an easy shot.
At the end of my evening at Legends, I received a tip from a really good player who had been watching me shoot for the previous few minutes. He told me that even though I had my back (right) hand on the cue extension, I did not have it far enough back, so my cue was still coming up at the end of my stroke. This is not a tip one would normally get in a pool hall, since usually you do not have a really good player watching your stroke, but I was lucky.
Saturday, I went back to Buster's for the first time in a long time. I incorporated the latest tip into my play, and immediately things started to fall into place. I practiced a bit, then challenged my friend Will to some games of eight-ball. Will is someone that I played in the Straight Pool League, and he beat me then and in a casual straight-pool match that we played a bit later. I had never played him in eight-ball or nine-ball, but I knew he was a good shot. He continually ends up in the money in the straight-pool leagues.
Well, after losing the first game to Will, I came back and won the second one. Then I broke and ran out for the first time in ages...and that set the tone for the match. I went on to win 5-1 before Will had to leave, and even he remarked that my play was more consistent than he had seen in the past. It felt really good to play well against such a good player.
Tonight I will be heading back to Legends, and hopefully I can continue to improve and to remember to move my right hand further back on the cue. I will be using the extension for a longer time than I was originally planning, because the person who is making my custom cue has recently had a work-related accident, and it may be weeks or months before he can come back to work on the cues that he has in his queue.
At the end of my evening at Legends, I received a tip from a really good player who had been watching me shoot for the previous few minutes. He told me that even though I had my back (right) hand on the cue extension, I did not have it far enough back, so my cue was still coming up at the end of my stroke. This is not a tip one would normally get in a pool hall, since usually you do not have a really good player watching your stroke, but I was lucky.
Saturday, I went back to Buster's for the first time in a long time. I incorporated the latest tip into my play, and immediately things started to fall into place. I practiced a bit, then challenged my friend Will to some games of eight-ball. Will is someone that I played in the Straight Pool League, and he beat me then and in a casual straight-pool match that we played a bit later. I had never played him in eight-ball or nine-ball, but I knew he was a good shot. He continually ends up in the money in the straight-pool leagues.
Well, after losing the first game to Will, I came back and won the second one. Then I broke and ran out for the first time in ages...and that set the tone for the match. I went on to win 5-1 before Will had to leave, and even he remarked that my play was more consistent than he had seen in the past. It felt really good to play well against such a good player.
Tonight I will be heading back to Legends, and hopefully I can continue to improve and to remember to move my right hand further back on the cue. I will be using the extension for a longer time than I was originally planning, because the person who is making my custom cue has recently had a work-related accident, and it may be weeks or months before he can come back to work on the cues that he has in his queue.
Wednesday, September 5, 2012
Change of game, but the streak continues!
This week I was unable to play the Monday night 8-ball tournament at Buster's, so I decided (just for grins) to try my hand at the Tuesday night 9-ball tournament. I have not played a 9-ball tournament at Buster's in almost 6 years...though I did win it back then, mostly because I was given a handicap that was way too low for my level of play.
I was rated a B this time (instead of a D+), the same as two others in the tournament (Tom and Perry). Besides the three of us, there was Dennis (an A++ player) and Bob (an A+ player).
I had a bye in the first round, and Dennis beat Perry while Tom beat Bob. I played Dennis in my first match, and I managed to win mostly because of the spot. The difference in handicaps determines the type of "spot", or advantage, the lower-rated player gets. The difference between my rating (B) and Dennis' (A++) means that I get the 7-ball and the break, and instead of 3 games Dennis has to win 4. It is a pretty big spot, but his rating shows that he is a VERY good player. I won the match mainly because all I needed to do was to sink the 7 to win, and he missed a couple of shots that he should have made. I also managed to play a couple of good safeties.
My second match was against Tom, and it was ugly on both sides. Since we were rated the same, it was a race to three games with no spot. We got to 2-2, and then we both played badly in the fifth game, but I made the last mistake and lost.
So, I was in the loser's bracket, and waited while Perry got his revenge on Dennis (Bob was already out of the tournament, having lost to Perry after losing to Tom). Then I beat Perry pretty handily 3-1 to gain a rematch against Tom in the final. For the EIGHTH straight tournament, I was in the final!
I had to beat Tom twice to win the final, as he had not yet lost a match. In the first match, we got to 2-2 again, and he had the chance to put me away, but he muffed it and I won the match. I was very lucky there, as I was all night - several times my opponents had chances to knock me out of the tournament. Only the match against Perry was decisive.
The final match showed a major change in momentum, though, and I won 3-0. This meant that I won a tournament for the SEVENTH time in eight tries! I could not believe it - I had no expectations going into the tournament, I was rated correctly, and I did not shoot especially well...but things just kept bouncing my way.
I was rated a B this time (instead of a D+), the same as two others in the tournament (Tom and Perry). Besides the three of us, there was Dennis (an A++ player) and Bob (an A+ player).
I had a bye in the first round, and Dennis beat Perry while Tom beat Bob. I played Dennis in my first match, and I managed to win mostly because of the spot. The difference in handicaps determines the type of "spot", or advantage, the lower-rated player gets. The difference between my rating (B) and Dennis' (A++) means that I get the 7-ball and the break, and instead of 3 games Dennis has to win 4. It is a pretty big spot, but his rating shows that he is a VERY good player. I won the match mainly because all I needed to do was to sink the 7 to win, and he missed a couple of shots that he should have made. I also managed to play a couple of good safeties.
My second match was against Tom, and it was ugly on both sides. Since we were rated the same, it was a race to three games with no spot. We got to 2-2, and then we both played badly in the fifth game, but I made the last mistake and lost.
So, I was in the loser's bracket, and waited while Perry got his revenge on Dennis (Bob was already out of the tournament, having lost to Perry after losing to Tom). Then I beat Perry pretty handily 3-1 to gain a rematch against Tom in the final. For the EIGHTH straight tournament, I was in the final!
I had to beat Tom twice to win the final, as he had not yet lost a match. In the first match, we got to 2-2 again, and he had the chance to put me away, but he muffed it and I won the match. I was very lucky there, as I was all night - several times my opponents had chances to knock me out of the tournament. Only the match against Perry was decisive.
The final match showed a major change in momentum, though, and I won 3-0. This meant that I won a tournament for the SEVENTH time in eight tries! I could not believe it - I had no expectations going into the tournament, I was rated correctly, and I did not shoot especially well...but things just kept bouncing my way.
Tuesday, August 28, 2012
Of streaks, and custom cues...
Last week I did not play the tournament, but I did go to Buster's to practice for a couple of hours on the night of the tournament. The practice went pretty well, and I ended up playing a mini-match with Perry (someone from out of state who showed up to play the tournament) before the tournament, beating him 3 games to 2 in eight-ball.
During the past week, I started negotiations to get a new cue made. I have been using the same two cues (switching back and forth between them over the years) for the past 15+ years, and even though the extension I am using currently is helping a lot, it would be better balance-wise to have a longer cue without the extension on it. I am hoping that I can get pictures of the cue in its various stages of development and post them here. What will be the butt of the cue is right now a beautiful piece of unturned spalted maple, with another good-looking piece of bird's-eye or curly maple used as the contrast. The shaft of the cue will likely be a long low-deflection blank from Predator or a company like that.
The idea is that, in several months (the cuemaking is a sideline for the man who is doing it, so he works on cues when he has time), I will have a beautiful one-of-a-kind cue that will be long enough and balanced enough to use without the extension. I will likely need a new case for it, too. It will not be cheap, but it is not as expensive as I thought it would be. Part of what keeps the cost down is the fact that I just want the natural wood - no wrap, no points, no inlays. Part of what drives the cost up is the requirement of a long low-deflection shaft, which is likely to cost me about $200 by itself.
Last night I got back into the tournament, and there were five of us total. I squeaked past Geoff in the first round (it helped that his handicap is -1 and mine is 8), and then beat Chris (a newcomer) in the second match. My third match was against Tracy, who beat me in the finals a few weeks ago. I got my revenge this time, though, beating her by a slim margin to advance to the final for the seventh time in a row.
Tracy beat Geoff in the semi-final, and so (like the last tournament where we played) Tracy and I ended up playing each other for the first (and only) prize. She needed to beat me twice, but I won the first match and the first prize! Made $40 and shot pool for almost four hours!
So..thinking of this in Olympic terms, I have SIX golds and a silver in my last seven events! I have no idea how long this will last, but this is the best streak I have ever had.
During the past week, I started negotiations to get a new cue made. I have been using the same two cues (switching back and forth between them over the years) for the past 15+ years, and even though the extension I am using currently is helping a lot, it would be better balance-wise to have a longer cue without the extension on it. I am hoping that I can get pictures of the cue in its various stages of development and post them here. What will be the butt of the cue is right now a beautiful piece of unturned spalted maple, with another good-looking piece of bird's-eye or curly maple used as the contrast. The shaft of the cue will likely be a long low-deflection blank from Predator or a company like that.
The idea is that, in several months (the cuemaking is a sideline for the man who is doing it, so he works on cues when he has time), I will have a beautiful one-of-a-kind cue that will be long enough and balanced enough to use without the extension. I will likely need a new case for it, too. It will not be cheap, but it is not as expensive as I thought it would be. Part of what keeps the cost down is the fact that I just want the natural wood - no wrap, no points, no inlays. Part of what drives the cost up is the requirement of a long low-deflection shaft, which is likely to cost me about $200 by itself.
Last night I got back into the tournament, and there were five of us total. I squeaked past Geoff in the first round (it helped that his handicap is -1 and mine is 8), and then beat Chris (a newcomer) in the second match. My third match was against Tracy, who beat me in the finals a few weeks ago. I got my revenge this time, though, beating her by a slim margin to advance to the final for the seventh time in a row.
Tracy beat Geoff in the semi-final, and so (like the last tournament where we played) Tracy and I ended up playing each other for the first (and only) prize. She needed to beat me twice, but I won the first match and the first prize! Made $40 and shot pool for almost four hours!
So..thinking of this in Olympic terms, I have SIX golds and a silver in my last seven events! I have no idea how long this will last, but this is the best streak I have ever had.
Tuesday, August 14, 2012
What a difference a week makes!
One week ago last night, I went to the pool hall for the weekly 8-ball tournament. While waiting to see if anyone else would show up, I had my normal hour or so of practice. The practice went really badly - I was missing shots that I should make, and my position play was way off. Luckily, no one else showed up for the tournament, and I got back my entry fee and went home.
On Thursday, my wife went to visit family for the weekend. As the weather was pretty bad for most of the weekend, I spent quite a bit of time at the pool hall (about 10 hours over Friday, Saturday, and Sunday combined). I met a guy named Scottie who plays there a lot, and he and I played quite a few games and did some drills and such on Friday and Saturday. We even played another couple of players in a team match (both 8-ball and 9-ball). Scottie taught me the rules of 3-6-9 (a variant of 9-ball) and I taught him how to play straight pool.
One of the main bonuses of playing with Scottie is that he often plays on the hardest table in the pool hall - table 16. This table combines a fast surface with smaller-than-usual pockets, which is a combination that forces a player to be VERY precise with their shots. If you get good on table 16, you will be able to shoot on any table. Of course, the process of getting good on table 16 has its frustrations, as many shots that would go in on another table will miss on that one.
Sunday I was on my own for practice, and I managed to run 20 in Straight Pool practice, only the second time I had ever run that many. Other than that, though, the practice on Sunday did not feel like it went all that well.
That brings us to yesterday - the day of the weekly 8-ball tournament. I went to the pool hall for my hour of warmup, and at first it seemed that I would be the only one there. But, before the deadline, three other players showed up, and suddenly we had a tournament!
Suffice it to say that my practice paid off! I beat each of the other three players on my way to my SIXTH straight payday and my FIFTH tournament victory out of those six! I missed a few shots that I could have made, but in general my level of play was pretty high.
After the tournament, Harold (the one I beat in the final, and someone I have played quite a few times in the tournaments) asked me if I wanted to play him in Straight Pool to 50 points for the pool time (meaning that the loser pays for the time used by both players). He has been after me to do this for a while, and the timing was never right, but this time I said I would play. I knew that he plays in the higher division in the Straight Pool League, so I figured I was in over my head, but I also had an extra $30 in my pocket from the tournament win and I saw it as a way to get a Straight Pool lesson for not much money.
Instead, I beat him! Again, I missed a couple of shots that I really should have made, but so did he, and the final score was 50-42.
FOUR hours of pool, and I came away with $30 more than I went in with! Much better than the lousy practice of the week before.
On Thursday, my wife went to visit family for the weekend. As the weather was pretty bad for most of the weekend, I spent quite a bit of time at the pool hall (about 10 hours over Friday, Saturday, and Sunday combined). I met a guy named Scottie who plays there a lot, and he and I played quite a few games and did some drills and such on Friday and Saturday. We even played another couple of players in a team match (both 8-ball and 9-ball). Scottie taught me the rules of 3-6-9 (a variant of 9-ball) and I taught him how to play straight pool.
One of the main bonuses of playing with Scottie is that he often plays on the hardest table in the pool hall - table 16. This table combines a fast surface with smaller-than-usual pockets, which is a combination that forces a player to be VERY precise with their shots. If you get good on table 16, you will be able to shoot on any table. Of course, the process of getting good on table 16 has its frustrations, as many shots that would go in on another table will miss on that one.
Sunday I was on my own for practice, and I managed to run 20 in Straight Pool practice, only the second time I had ever run that many. Other than that, though, the practice on Sunday did not feel like it went all that well.
That brings us to yesterday - the day of the weekly 8-ball tournament. I went to the pool hall for my hour of warmup, and at first it seemed that I would be the only one there. But, before the deadline, three other players showed up, and suddenly we had a tournament!
Suffice it to say that my practice paid off! I beat each of the other three players on my way to my SIXTH straight payday and my FIFTH tournament victory out of those six! I missed a few shots that I could have made, but in general my level of play was pretty high.
After the tournament, Harold (the one I beat in the final, and someone I have played quite a few times in the tournaments) asked me if I wanted to play him in Straight Pool to 50 points for the pool time (meaning that the loser pays for the time used by both players). He has been after me to do this for a while, and the timing was never right, but this time I said I would play. I knew that he plays in the higher division in the Straight Pool League, so I figured I was in over my head, but I also had an extra $30 in my pocket from the tournament win and I saw it as a way to get a Straight Pool lesson for not much money.
Instead, I beat him! Again, I missed a couple of shots that I really should have made, but so did he, and the final score was 50-42.
FOUR hours of pool, and I came away with $30 more than I went in with! Much better than the lousy practice of the week before.
Sunday, August 5, 2012
End of the line...sort of
Well, it was bound to happen sooner or later. Last Monday night, there were six players in the tournament, and I did not finish first. However, after being knocked to the loser's bracket, I worked my way back to the finals before losing again. Both losses came down to a single shot...these things happen.
Still, second place and my FIFTH straight time in the money...I'll take it. Second prize was the same as my entry fee, which means that I got to play four hours of pool for free. I'll take that too :-)
Still, second place and my FIFTH straight time in the money...I'll take it. Second prize was the same as my entry fee, which means that I got to play four hours of pool for free. I'll take that too :-)
Monday, July 30, 2012
Rolling along, and with improvement!
Last Sunday afternoon, I went to the pool hall for a few hours of practice. I took along with me the excellent book "Break Shot Patterns" by Phil Capelle. I was planning to run through several of the patterns in the book and see what I could learn from them.
Well, it took me over an hour to get through THREE of the patterns. By "get through", I mean that I practiced the pattern until I could get it right ONCE. They were much harder than I expected - it is amazing how easy the pros make it look.
The practice paid off immediately, though. After going through three of the patterns, I decided to practice some straight pool of my own. Within another hour, I had raised my all-time high run in straight pool from 17 to 25! This is a huge advance, and I am really happy with it.
The next night was the next 8-ball tournament. This time there were seven players, with these handicaps:
Roger (1)
Harold (3)
Jocelyn (3)
Jeremy (8)
Me (10)
David (12)
Scott (16)
I beat Jeremy in a tough match in the first round, and then beat Jocelyn in the second round. My third match was against Roger, the top player in the tournament, and our match came down to the final game, which I managed to barely win. This put me into the Finals, and I waited while Jeremy worked his way back through the loser's bracket (taking out Roger in the semifinals) to face me again.
In the final, I just needed to win one match out of two, and in the first match I won the first two games, which meant that all I needed to do was to sink two balls in the third game for the win. Jeremy broke, and nothing went in. I sunk two balls, and had my FOURTH tournament victory in a row!
Well, it took me over an hour to get through THREE of the patterns. By "get through", I mean that I practiced the pattern until I could get it right ONCE. They were much harder than I expected - it is amazing how easy the pros make it look.
The practice paid off immediately, though. After going through three of the patterns, I decided to practice some straight pool of my own. Within another hour, I had raised my all-time high run in straight pool from 17 to 25! This is a huge advance, and I am really happy with it.
The next night was the next 8-ball tournament. This time there were seven players, with these handicaps:
Roger (1)
Harold (3)
Jocelyn (3)
Jeremy (8)
Me (10)
David (12)
Scott (16)
I beat Jeremy in a tough match in the first round, and then beat Jocelyn in the second round. My third match was against Roger, the top player in the tournament, and our match came down to the final game, which I managed to barely win. This put me into the Finals, and I waited while Jeremy worked his way back through the loser's bracket (taking out Roger in the semifinals) to face me again.
In the final, I just needed to win one match out of two, and in the first match I won the first two games, which meant that all I needed to do was to sink two balls in the third game for the win. Jeremy broke, and nothing went in. I sunk two balls, and had my FOURTH tournament victory in a row!
Friday, July 20, 2012
One-on-One "Tournament"
Two Mondays ago, I was the only one to show up for the tournament, so it was called off and I got free practice time instead. (Pretty cool of Buster's to do that - I was expecting that they would charge me for the practice time when there was no tournament).
Two days after that, I went to New York, and one of the things I did there was to get two pool lessons from a pro whose books I have been reading. (Long story there, which I will likely share in a separate post). The pro, Phil Capelle, is a really nice guy and a great teacher. The lessons were fantastic.
The day after getting back from New York, there was another tournament scheduled, so I went in there with high hopes. As it turned out, there were just two of us in the tournament, so Buster's threw in an extra $5 (again, very cool of them - they made no money on this, and frequently all of the entry fee money goes to the prize fund) and made it a winner-take-all best of three matches for $25.
My handicap is still a 10, and the man I was playing against had a handicap of 3. This gave me a pretty good edge, as I was playing pretty well and I think I would have done okay if we were even. The first match was amazing - I beat him 10-5 and 10-1 and we did not even need the third game.
The second match did not go so well, and I missed a couple of chances. He won that match, which set us up for a rubber match. He won one game, and I won the second one (neither of us playing all that well), and because of the handicaps all I needed was to sink four balls in the third game to win the match. I had stripes, and he knocked in one stripe on the break, so when he missed I just needed to run three balls to win. And I did.
The lessons came in handy, but I am hoping to get in some practice this weekend to incorporate them even more.
Two days after that, I went to New York, and one of the things I did there was to get two pool lessons from a pro whose books I have been reading. (Long story there, which I will likely share in a separate post). The pro, Phil Capelle, is a really nice guy and a great teacher. The lessons were fantastic.
The day after getting back from New York, there was another tournament scheduled, so I went in there with high hopes. As it turned out, there were just two of us in the tournament, so Buster's threw in an extra $5 (again, very cool of them - they made no money on this, and frequently all of the entry fee money goes to the prize fund) and made it a winner-take-all best of three matches for $25.
My handicap is still a 10, and the man I was playing against had a handicap of 3. This gave me a pretty good edge, as I was playing pretty well and I think I would have done okay if we were even. The first match was amazing - I beat him 10-5 and 10-1 and we did not even need the third game.
The second match did not go so well, and I missed a couple of chances. He won that match, which set us up for a rubber match. He won one game, and I won the second one (neither of us playing all that well), and because of the handicaps all I needed was to sink four balls in the third game to win the match. I had stripes, and he knocked in one stripe on the break, so when he missed I just needed to run three balls to win. And I did.
The lessons came in handy, but I am hoping to get in some practice this weekend to incorporate them even more.
Thursday, July 5, 2012
Somehow, it happened again...
After my first tournament victory (see last post), I did not play any pool for a week. I decided to try to defend my "title" anyway, though, so I went out last Monday and entered the 8-ball tournament again, giving myself plenty of time to warm up. My warmup went well, and only two more people entered the tournament (Ah, the dog days of summer...), so we had a three-person, winner-take-all tournament for the $30 in total entry fees. Once again, for $10 I was guaranteed an hour of warmup plus at least two matches, so I was fine with whatever happened.
For the third straight week, I ended up with a first-round bye. I asked Frank (the guy who runs Buster's, and the tournaments there) if the person with the highest handicap always gets a bye in the first round, and he said that it is all luck of the draw. Well, I lucked out again, and as a result I got to warm up some more while the two others (Chris - handicap of 3, and Matt - handicap of 5) battled it out in the first round.
Chris won a good match, so I needed to play him in the next round while Matt watched. My handicap had been lowered from 11 to 10 after last week's triumph, so I had a seven-point edge out of the gate. I needed it too, as I broke the balls only to have Chris run them out for a 10-0 whitewash in the first round. I managed to win the second game 10-7, though, which tied us up going into the third game. I won that one too! For the second straight week, I was in the finals, though this time placing second was not worth anything.
Once again Chris and Matt played each other, with the loser heading home and the winner having to beat me twice to win the tournament. Chris won again, which meant that I never got to play Matt at all, even though there were only three of us. Chris and I played once more to determine the winner of the $30. If he won the first match, we would play a second one.
The first game I won 10-6, and the second game he won 10-5. This made the score 25-19 in my favor, which meant that all I needed was to sink five balls in the third game (a 10-5 loss still would give me a 30-29 win on points). When he missed the first time, I sank four balls and then badly missed the fifth one. I had only one ball left that I needed, but none of the balls were in a good spot.
I had a long shot along the rail to win, but I made it! Two tournament victories in a row...even though they were small tournaments, it still feels really good! I feel like I have a decent chance against anyone now.
For the third straight week, I ended up with a first-round bye. I asked Frank (the guy who runs Buster's, and the tournaments there) if the person with the highest handicap always gets a bye in the first round, and he said that it is all luck of the draw. Well, I lucked out again, and as a result I got to warm up some more while the two others (Chris - handicap of 3, and Matt - handicap of 5) battled it out in the first round.
Chris won a good match, so I needed to play him in the next round while Matt watched. My handicap had been lowered from 11 to 10 after last week's triumph, so I had a seven-point edge out of the gate. I needed it too, as I broke the balls only to have Chris run them out for a 10-0 whitewash in the first round. I managed to win the second game 10-7, though, which tied us up going into the third game. I won that one too! For the second straight week, I was in the finals, though this time placing second was not worth anything.
Once again Chris and Matt played each other, with the loser heading home and the winner having to beat me twice to win the tournament. Chris won again, which meant that I never got to play Matt at all, even though there were only three of us. Chris and I played once more to determine the winner of the $30. If he won the first match, we would play a second one.
The first game I won 10-6, and the second game he won 10-5. This made the score 25-19 in my favor, which meant that all I needed was to sink five balls in the third game (a 10-5 loss still would give me a 30-29 win on points). When he missed the first time, I sank four balls and then badly missed the fifth one. I had only one ball left that I needed, but none of the balls were in a good spot.
I had a long shot along the rail to win, but I made it! Two tournament victories in a row...even though they were small tournaments, it still feels really good! I feel like I have a decent chance against anyone now.
Sunday, July 1, 2012
Breakthrough, and Victory!
Last Monday night, I decided to play in the handicapped 8-ball tournament at Buster's. I wanted to break my streak of two full tournaments without winning a game, and I thought under the right circumstances I *might* win a match.
My hour of practice went okay, and my handicap was set at 11 (the same as it was for my last tournament). There were six players, and so two players got a bye in the first round. For the second straight tournament, I was one of those players, so I practiced some more.
My first match was against Jeremy, whom I had beaten in one of these tournaments a few months ago. His handicap is an 8, and he was amazed that mine was higher. It would be a recurring theme throughout the night - players commenting that my handicap was too high. My response was the same to everyone - in practice I play well, but I have not been able to put it together in a match or tournament yet.
I lost the first game to Jeremy 10-5 (see my earlier post about the scoring method for these tournaments), but then I WON the second game 10-5! This was not only my first win of a game in three tournaments, but because of the handicap, I could stay alive even if I lost the third game 10-7 (in which case one tiebreaking rack would be played). Instead, I won another game 10-5! My first match win in months!
What this meant was that I got to play Geoff in the second round. Geoff has a handicap of -1, easily the lowest I have seen. I did not even think they went below 0! In my last tournament, I had lost to Geoff narrowly after missing a couple of shots on the 8-ball. This match started off the same way, as I played well in the first game but missed my first chance at the 8. Luckily, I ended up with another shot on the 8 and made that one. The 10-5 win meant that I had a 21-4 lead going into the second game. All I needed was to make four balls in the second game, and my total of 25 would be one that he could not reach. I managed to do that, and suddenly I was in the finals!
Jeremy played Geoff to see who would face me in the final while I practiced some more. No matter what, the final would be a rematch of an earlier victory. The other three players had already been eliminated.
Geoff beat Jeremy, which meant that Geoff would have to beat me twice to win the tournament. If I beat him in the first match OR a second match (if needed), I won the tournament and the $50 first prize. I won the first game 10-6 and lost the second one 10-4, which made the score 25-15 going into the last game. All I needed was to make one ball...and when Geoff did not run out, I did just that.
My first tournament victory EVER in 8-ball at Buster's...and my first tournament victory there of any kind in several years (I won a 9-ball tournament there back before they stopped allowing smoking in pool halls). It was a good night. I made $40 and got to shoot pool for about 4 hours.
Tomorrow night is the defense of my title...I am sure my handicap will no longer be 11, though, which will make it a bit more difficult.
My hour of practice went okay, and my handicap was set at 11 (the same as it was for my last tournament). There were six players, and so two players got a bye in the first round. For the second straight tournament, I was one of those players, so I practiced some more.
My first match was against Jeremy, whom I had beaten in one of these tournaments a few months ago. His handicap is an 8, and he was amazed that mine was higher. It would be a recurring theme throughout the night - players commenting that my handicap was too high. My response was the same to everyone - in practice I play well, but I have not been able to put it together in a match or tournament yet.
I lost the first game to Jeremy 10-5 (see my earlier post about the scoring method for these tournaments), but then I WON the second game 10-5! This was not only my first win of a game in three tournaments, but because of the handicap, I could stay alive even if I lost the third game 10-7 (in which case one tiebreaking rack would be played). Instead, I won another game 10-5! My first match win in months!
What this meant was that I got to play Geoff in the second round. Geoff has a handicap of -1, easily the lowest I have seen. I did not even think they went below 0! In my last tournament, I had lost to Geoff narrowly after missing a couple of shots on the 8-ball. This match started off the same way, as I played well in the first game but missed my first chance at the 8. Luckily, I ended up with another shot on the 8 and made that one. The 10-5 win meant that I had a 21-4 lead going into the second game. All I needed was to make four balls in the second game, and my total of 25 would be one that he could not reach. I managed to do that, and suddenly I was in the finals!
Jeremy played Geoff to see who would face me in the final while I practiced some more. No matter what, the final would be a rematch of an earlier victory. The other three players had already been eliminated.
Geoff beat Jeremy, which meant that Geoff would have to beat me twice to win the tournament. If I beat him in the first match OR a second match (if needed), I won the tournament and the $50 first prize. I won the first game 10-6 and lost the second one 10-4, which made the score 25-15 going into the last game. All I needed was to make one ball...and when Geoff did not run out, I did just that.
My first tournament victory EVER in 8-ball at Buster's...and my first tournament victory there of any kind in several years (I won a 9-ball tournament there back before they stopped allowing smoking in pool halls). It was a good night. I made $40 and got to shoot pool for about 4 hours.
Tomorrow night is the defense of my title...I am sure my handicap will no longer be 11, though, which will make it a bit more difficult.
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