It is wonderful to be a Shortstop

[Tobermory]

Isn't it an amazing opportunity that reasonably seasoned 1p players have when they can wrangle competitively with top players and not come out of it feeling like they never had a chance? In what other important individual contest of skill and experience do 2nd and 3rd tier players, hell maybe even 4th tier on occasion, have to beat the top dogs? It wouldn't happen in tennis, golf, chess, fencing, boxing, ping pong. The pros would easily dominate the non-pros in those disciplines.

Poker, I suppose...anybody can catch a rush of cards.

What is it about pool, 1p in particular, that makes this so? Just enough luck to give the underdog a fighting chance?

What other discipline is like pool in this respect?

 

[BRLongArm]

Isn't it an amazing opportunity that reasonably seasoned 1p players have when they can wrangle competitively with top players and not come out of it feeling like they never had a chance? In what other important individual contest of skill and experience do 2nd and 3rd tier players, hell maybe even 4th tier on occasion, have to beat the top dogs? It wouldn't happen in tennis, golf, chess, fencing, boxing, ping pong. The pros would easily dominate the non-pros in those disciplines.

Poker, I suppose...anybody can catch a rush of cards.

What is it about pool, 1p in particular, that makes this so? Just enough luck to give the underdog a fighting chance?

What other discipline is like pool in this respect?

It's the format, mostly. If you played an eight ahead set, it would get ugly early. But in a short race, you can compete. You can compete with a PGA pro on your home course for a couple of holes, but not four rounds. In Boxing, you could land a lucky punch before you get knocked out. In chess, you could win one out of eight or nine if you were really channeling Bobby Fischer. Are you really competitive? No. But he'll know you were there. The point is, in a limited event, you can win a little. will you ever beat the pros and win the title? No. But you can win games. And that's nice.

 

[Masta Cruz]

Isn't it an amazing opportunity that reasonably seasoned 1p players have when they can wrangle competitively with top players and not come out of it feeling like they never had a chance? In what other important individual contest of skill and experience do 2nd and 3rd tier players, hell maybe even 4th tier on occasion, have to beat the top dogs? It wouldn't happen in tennis, golf, chess, fencing, boxing, ping pong. The pros would easily dominate the non-pros in those disciplines.

Poker, I suppose...anybody can catch a rush of cards.

What is it about pool, 1p in particular, that makes this so? Just enough luck to give the underdog a fighting chance?

What other discipline is like pool in this respect?

Precisely the reason I began playing this game about six years ago when I realized I lack the talent and/or motivation to become a top tier 9 ball player. But I still loved competing with the top players, so I devoted myself to one pocket primarily from them on.

Now it’s just as you said, top players that I have zero chance to beat in rotation games, in one pocket I can hold my own, maybe even steal a set here or there. It is an amazing feeling. I completely agree with you, Michael. The shots are so much more different in one pocket. Creativity can get us a win here or there when the odds are against us playing a top player whereas in other games stellar offense is key, and without it leaves no chance to compete against the top level players.

 

[jrhendy]

Isn't it an amazing opportunity that reasonably seasoned 1p players have when they can wrangle competitively with top players and not come out of it feeling like they never had a chance? In what other important individual contest of skill and experience do 2nd and 3rd tier players, hell maybe even 4th tier on occasion, have to beat the top dogs? It wouldn't happen in tennis, golf, chess, fencing, boxing, ping pong. The pros would easily dominate the non-pros in those disciplines.

Poker, I suppose...anybody can catch a rush of cards.

What is it about pool, 1p in particular, that makes this so? Just enough luck to give the underdog a fighting chance?

What other discipline is like pool in this respect?

You saw me have a day/night a few months ago where I played at a level that surprised everyone including me.

Sometimes there is a perfect storm in one pocket and there could be many reasons it happens. There are days where almost every shot that comes up, offensive or defensive, comes up where you know exactly what to do and it lays where you are sure you can execute it correctly. This builds up your confidence level and you hit the shots the way that you plan them.

Then there are the other days. Every angle/bank looks a little off and one bad shot turns into poor execution on other shots and doubt starts creeping in and that long straight in or thin cut that was a hanger before is now a low percentage shot in your mind. Then shots sometimes come up where you just do not know what to do.

One of the good things about one pocket IMO, is when your shotmaking, execution and confidence level is low, you can adjust your game by reducing the risk on the shots you take while you are waiting for the flow of the game to change. (If your $$ lasts long enough).

 

[El Chapo]

I think 9 ball is the game where good players can hang with anyone. I think we are supposed to see a lot more upsets actually, but people lose to who they think they should lose to in pool way too often. I heard about a San Diego brat pack player once get on the hill against strickland early in a major LA tournament. He was straight in on the 9 on the hill and he dogged it and lost the match. You see this way more often than you should; I have my reasons as to why I think it happens but I wont go into it. I saw luat miss a straight in ball he'll shoot it in 1000 times in a row without even looking at the ball, and he missed it when on the hill against strickland and lost. Why? Because he didn't think he was supposed to win is my theory.

 

[vapros]

I think that happens in all sports. The Prevent Defense can jump up and bite you on the ass. To find yourself 'in danger of winning' when you were expecting (and planning) to lose, can do something terrible to your performance. We see it often.