Sick Pool Players Still Want to Play

A couple of different situations came up over the last year I wanted to share.

It's about people who are very sick, who still want to play pool and gamble, and how that affects them and others.

My friend Dave Faver, who had esophageal cancer last year and now has brain cancer, is a genuine pool player. By that I mean he has no day job, and makes his money either gambling or playing in tournaments. He's 62 and has been living like this for over 20 years or more. Because he's had cancer the last couple of years, his pool playing hasn't been as active as it used to be. However, he SO loves the game still, it helps him stay moving around, he gets to hang out with his friends, and he also needs the extra money. We are talking cheap action, even $5 a game one pocket or $10 a game one pocket.

However, he shared something I had never heard of or thought of. He said that it's super tough for him to get a game. He says that players feel bad taking his money, and if players lose to him, then they get mad about it lol.

He says people go out of their way to avoid him and they don't want to play him because he's sick. But what people don't realize is, he really loves the game and WANTS to play badly, but it's too tough to get even a $5 game anymore because players just don't want to play a guy who is so sick.

A situation came up in the Fall with a friend who was battling colon cancer. He was literally begging to play a certain player (I'll call him JM) and barking at him badly to play $1,000 sets all over Facebook. JM really didn't want to play the guy, not just because he was sick, but because he wasn't playing like he used to because he was sick. JM knew it wasn't a good game for the guy.

The guy was being backed, but that still didn't matter to JM, he didn't want to play him.

JM eventually gave in from all the ongoing egging. And what I found interesting was that some people were really upset at JM for playing him. Like, really upset. They thought he was taking advantage of the guy, but what they didn't know was in reality JM didn't want to play him at all.

JM adjusted in the two sets, but still won both sets.  I can imagine even though the guy was upset he lost, he was prolly still elated to gamble so high and be competitive!  Pool was his passion; he was glad to be put "back in the box."

These situations show how much players want to still gamble and play even if they are sick. Sometimes, pool is the thing they love the most, and they want to still gamble and play. And may not have long to do the thing they love.

So, while players are avoiding Dave Faver, look at it as someone who wants to play the game they love, not that you are taking advantage of a sick person.  Think about it - if you were sick, wouldn't you want to still do what you love for as long as you could?

"Like Making It To The Finals..."

A friend of mine and great pool player, Dave Favor, found out in early July that he has throat cancer.

I keep tabs on him and call him often to see how he's doing.

Friday he had surgery and they added a port for his chemo and also a feeding tube under his belly into his intestines. 

When I called him on Sunday to see how he was doing, he was still in the hospital and after some time, he finally admitted he had had a rough day.  He was in a lot of pain and had been throwing up a lot (and as you can imagine, with throat cancer, it's tough for fluids to go in or out of his throat and it's pretty rough when he vomits unexpectedly) (he has been on a liquid diet, too).

After he finally admitted to me he wasn't doing well or feeling well, he then all of a sudden piped up and says. "But I'm going to be okay, Melinda."

I got tears in my eyes and then he said, "It's kinda like being in the finals of a big tournament.  You've already won when you get to the finals - you are guaranteed 2nd place - that's a big feat already."

I sat silent on the phone as tears ran down my face listening to this man who was having a horrid day (and many more to come) say it would be okay!

He added, "I've had a great life.  Just like getting to the Finals; I've already won.  But I'm not going anywhere, Melinda."

I told him so many people could learn from his optimism and positive outlook.  He replied, "Well, I'm going to fight this.  If it takes me, I've lived a great life. But I'm fighting and not giving up."

Here is Dave just from May from a tournament he won (he's in the middle in the green shirt):

I started a GoFundMe for him to help raise money for his living situation as he goes through chemo and radiation.  He has been overcome and emotional (as I have) with the outpouring of support for him.  Proves pool is family and we look out for each other.

Just Give Me Some Water!

One of the things I have learned that really helps me is to drink water when I play pool.

Diet sodas only dehydrate me, and water keeps me hydrated best (obviously).  And as most people know, hydration is key for thinking clear and being able to compete well. 

So, right before my scotch doubles match at ACS with my partner Marty Jones, I tell him I need to go get some water, "I'll be right back."

I take a $20 bill from my purse and walk to the concession stand.  As I walked down the hall, I see a vending machine.  It has water in it, for a $1.

I still go up to the concession stand, to see how much their bottled water is.  Since I only had a $20 dollar bill, I couldn't put that in the vending machine.

The sweet, kind lady says their bottled water is $2.  Dang, I read it wrong.

I respond as nice as I could as I whisk away (we were about to start our match), "well, at the vending machine water is only a $1.  Sorry!"

Hey, saving a dollar all weekend for each bottled water would be smart, right?

I walk all the way around and get to our table.  As I replace the $20 with a $1 bill from my purse, I explain to Marty proudly that I'm saving a whole dollar, lol.  I walk away quickly and get to the vending machine and put in the dollar.

No water.

What?

OH CRAP!  The soda is $1, but the water is $2!

Well, I've already invested a $1.  So, I walk BACK to our table, get another dollar, and Marty is looking at me funny.  "Sorry, I'll be right back, it's really $2 in the vending machine."

I get to the vending machine quickly, put in the other dollar, and... STILL NO WATER!

OMG, it's OUT of water!

Sh!t.

So, I go BACK to my purse.  Get BACK OUT the $20 (now I'm out of one dollar bills), run quickly around the hall to the concession stand and ask for water.  LOL.

The lady looks at me funny and I give in, "It's really $2 for the bottled water, and they are out of water.  So, what was suppose to be a one dollar bottle of water has now cost me FOUR dollars."

OMG......

The things we do for water!  lol.

How to Stay Healthy at Tourneys

STAY AS LONG AS YOU CAN IN THE TOURNEY.

Lol.

It IS kinda funny but let's think about how true this really is.

When you remain in a big tourney til Sunday for a weekend tourney or til the end on an all day tourney, you tend to take care of yourself more.

You do not eat not too heavy so you can focus better (too much food in the tummy takes away from brain oxygen), you don't drink a lot of alcohol because you want to give yourself a better chance,  you keep hydrated with lots of water, etc.

And if it's a weekend tourney and you last til Sunday, you will more likely not stay at the pool hall and get drunk nor stay out late on Saturday night.   And you won't be eating your sorrow loss away with a stupid heavy meal.  You'll get to bed at a decent hour so you get plenty of sleep (if the tourney means anything to you).

So the moral of the story?  Stay as long as you can in the freaking tourney.  Lol.

I know it helps me.  I've ate plenty of pasta or greasy hamburgers after losing out of a tourney to drown my sorrows, lol.