Results of Shark Match

Read previous post before this one.

Well, I lost.

I played my 10th straight pool match of the season, going into it 8-1.

HOWEVER, I didn't let my opponents' comments from earlier in the week get to me. Instead, I played quite well in the beginning, just lost in the end.

I was up 22-6 almost right off the bat, but he started to creep up to tie it 40-40. I told myself to breathe to calm the adrenaline inside me. He started to really play good safes and I admit he probably only took a risk on ONE shot. The rest of the shots, if he wasn't sure OR didn't have a good shot next, he wouldn't go for it and instead played safe.

He started to outplay me and I found myself trying to catch him when he scored 50 (and I was at 43). But I made it close.57-63, 62-69, for example. Even if I was down ten, I would just tell myself to take advantage when I got to the table. And I did that.

The guy talked a lot during our match. Throughout the whole match, he made comments. I felt I was getting a lot of rolls in the beginning and felt kinda bad, but after his one comment "at least you got shape" when I missed the stack and landed almost on the end rail, I no longer felt sympathy for him. I was annoyed by him and his talkative style. I admit it. It was a good test for me, though - because even though I know that's not why I lost - it's still nice to be able to swim with sharks so I can thicken up my skin for future bites.

Here are some other comments from him:

"Do you know Ralf Souquet?"
"I watched some of his videos today."
"I heard you were a meteorologist."

I admit he would sometimes say "nice shot" or "nice run." A few times we would also talk about our shots - why we did certain things (the reason we didn't go for a breakout or if a shot was dead or not).

Eventually I lost 85-100.

And guess what? I was upset. I was mostly embarrassed, but the feeling was horrible - that sinking, sick feeling in your chest.

A lot of people were watching; losing was tough. Super tough. Everyone kept coming by and checking the score. Like, literally, moving the pen out of the way that was on the scoresheet so they could read the score underneath. Throughout the match people were commenting to me, the whole race to 100, which took 4 hours to play. Realistically, if I had won, I wouldn't be writing about this, but I was annoyed. I really felt distracted by everyone sitting so close to me. That is not my excuse for losing though - he did outplay me - but it doesn't change the fact the atmosphere around me was in the back of my mind during the long match.

I was annoyed and upset after the match because.... now I have TWO losses, instead of one. :(

Then... the negative emotions weren't over yet....

After the match, 2 different people within ten minutes came up to me and told me I gave away the match.

I WAS LIVID.

Really? I was SO ticked after I lost, and they couldn't wait to tell me that?

When IN FACT, I thought I played well!

Yes, I lost. Yes, I was ahead. Yes, I missed some balls. But what they don't know is (besides the fact to wait to tell me I should have won) is the fact that I have improved and played better than I normally would! I use to miss MANY of the shots I made that match. But even under pressure, I played so much better than a year ago, hell, even six months ago!

I was upset I lost, yes, but VERY proud of myself for staying down, MAKING my break out shots WELL, making shots under pressure, and taking the CORRECT shots. My fundamentals have really been solid lately and I felt that during the match.

They saw the final score; I saw progress. Yes, I snapped at both of them when they remarked to me what they saw. However, I apologized after I cooled off. Of course, they both had quickly let my venom roll off their backs right away (typical guys, lol) and didn't think again about it, but I still felt bad and wanted to apologize.

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My stats went down.... :(