I have 5 more people to play this season. The top player I lost to (that's my only loss so far). The second place person I have yet to play.
Eeeek!
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
Second Quarter 14.1 Stats
Here are the stats from June and July of my current Straight Pool Season (you can click on the image to enlarge). Pretty disappointing I win 7 out of 8 matches and am only in third place. :(
I have 5 more people to play this season. The top player I lost to (that's my only loss so far). The second place person I have yet to play.
Eeeek!
I have 5 more people to play this season. The top player I lost to (that's my only loss so far). The second place person I have yet to play.
Eeeek!
Monday, July 12, 2010
Interesting One Pocket Rule
I watched the HollyWood Jack Memorial One Pocket Tournament online (thanks to Lenny who streamed it for us avid one pocket fans via ontherailtv.com!) a couple of weekends ago. They had an interesting rule to speed up the play of this one pocket tournament that they incorporated into this event:
From Tournament Director Jay Helfert:
"Here is how it works. There can only be three balls inside the kitchen (head string). When a fourth ball (or more) goes inside the head string, you spot one (or more) balls on the foot spot. You take the balls(s) closest to the end rail first."
Jay added on the onepocket.org forums:
"Interestingly the better players adapted quite easily to these rules (like Sylver), and still controlled their matches. It does affect some of the strategy, knowing that a ball will be spotted if you shoot one more ball into the kitchen. So you must be cognizant of that fact when there are already three balls in there. Even with these rules the best One Pocket players dominated."
It was a pretty cool rule to watch in action - I obviously hadn't seen that before. Not everyone would remember when 4 or more balls were in the kitchen and then had to be spotted, and sometimes they would need to be reminded, but by the second day of the tourney, everyone was remembering the rule more.
I was curious what the Champion of this event thought of the rule and so I called Sylver Ochoa after the tourney to get his take on it.
He said that although it was intended to speed up the game, if some of the players had used the rule repeatedly in certain situations, it might have instead slowed the game down a little.
He acclimated to the rule pretty quickly and he noticed just like the online fans did, that on the first day not many players were spotting balls in the first or two rounds. Jay announced reminders throughout the event which helped, because it was a new rule not many were cognizant of while they were playing. It took a while to get used to and remember. Even the top players would forget sometimes to spot balls when too many were in the kitchen.
When Sylver was playing in the semi-final match again Ismael "Morro" Paez, in one particular game of the set, there were only 4 balls left. Sylver said he would normally leave the balls down table but since each time one was spotted, he at one point rolled one of the balls close to the kitchen, but not in it. The normal reaction in this one pocket spot is for the incoming player to move that ball further up the table and leave the cue on the rail. Morro took the bait, nudged the ball, but forgot it would be spotted and Sylver had a cross bank and made it.
Other times, Sylver said he would go for a long rail bank and deliberately nudge balls into the kitchen at the same time. He knew that the ball would be spotted and he wouldn't sell out because he deliberately nudged them into the kitchen to be spotted with an already spotted ball.
He also mentioned that against players who didn't shoot at their hole much, he would move several balls into the kitchen to be spotted, and that helped out as well.
It was an interesting perspective from someone who had to use the rule for the first time, so I'm glad I asked him about this for my blog.
Link: Article and Results
Til Next Time!
From Tournament Director Jay Helfert:
"Here is how it works. There can only be three balls inside the kitchen (head string). When a fourth ball (or more) goes inside the head string, you spot one (or more) balls on the foot spot. You take the balls(s) closest to the end rail first."
Jay added on the onepocket.org forums:
"Interestingly the better players adapted quite easily to these rules (like Sylver), and still controlled their matches. It does affect some of the strategy, knowing that a ball will be spotted if you shoot one more ball into the kitchen. So you must be cognizant of that fact when there are already three balls in there. Even with these rules the best One Pocket players dominated."
It was a pretty cool rule to watch in action - I obviously hadn't seen that before. Not everyone would remember when 4 or more balls were in the kitchen and then had to be spotted, and sometimes they would need to be reminded, but by the second day of the tourney, everyone was remembering the rule more.
I was curious what the Champion of this event thought of the rule and so I called Sylver Ochoa after the tourney to get his take on it.
He said that although it was intended to speed up the game, if some of the players had used the rule repeatedly in certain situations, it might have instead slowed the game down a little.
He acclimated to the rule pretty quickly and he noticed just like the online fans did, that on the first day not many players were spotting balls in the first or two rounds. Jay announced reminders throughout the event which helped, because it was a new rule not many were cognizant of while they were playing. It took a while to get used to and remember. Even the top players would forget sometimes to spot balls when too many were in the kitchen.
When Sylver was playing in the semi-final match again Ismael "Morro" Paez, in one particular game of the set, there were only 4 balls left. Sylver said he would normally leave the balls down table but since each time one was spotted, he at one point rolled one of the balls close to the kitchen, but not in it. The normal reaction in this one pocket spot is for the incoming player to move that ball further up the table and leave the cue on the rail. Morro took the bait, nudged the ball, but forgot it would be spotted and Sylver had a cross bank and made it.
Other times, Sylver said he would go for a long rail bank and deliberately nudge balls into the kitchen at the same time. He knew that the ball would be spotted and he wouldn't sell out because he deliberately nudged them into the kitchen to be spotted with an already spotted ball.
He also mentioned that against players who didn't shoot at their hole much, he would move several balls into the kitchen to be spotted, and that helped out as well.
It was an interesting perspective from someone who had to use the rule for the first time, so I'm glad I asked him about this for my blog.
Link: Article and Results
Til Next Time!
Friday, July 2, 2010
Four More Straights
After my first four straight pool matches the weekend before for the league season, I did it again the following weekend! What am I trying to do to myself?! lol.
The first of the four was fairly easy (I know, rude of me) but I won 100-59 in less than 2 hours. No high runs, but I won and that helps my stats. :)
Unfortunately, I hung around after the match to grab something to eat and drank a little, also. They had a little weekly 9ball tourney that Friday night and so I watched a lot of friends play. Then the worst thing happened to me - peeps asked me to play scotch doubles.
"No, really, I don't want to."
"Please!"
"Seriously, I'm okay. I can WATCH. "
"Nope, we need you."
"No, you don't"
"Yes, we really do!"
"Okay, fine...."
So I play scotch doubles. My partner hates to lose and so he's getting frustrated with me (I cannot drink and play pool at the same time, it just isn't a pretty sight, lol). Eventually, they all keep drinking but yet I stop drinking to sober up for the drive home. I start to play better and my partner gets more impressed (either b/c I can now actually make balls or because he is drunk by now, lol, not sure which) and we get it to even toward the end of the night. Unfortunately for me, it's now 2AM! Yes, folks, 2AM! OMG, really? I've closed the bar down? How old am I?
I not only leave at 2am, I talk on the phone to a friend til 3am. Wait for a return call from someone else at 430 am and proceed to not go to sleep til 545 am. Now, normally on a Fri Night/Sat morning this wouldn't be a big deal, but when you have a straight pool match against a "tedious" player at 11:30am, it is a pretty big deal. However, I know from experience that the DAY OF not getting sleep I can usually handle. So, I do NOT let the lack of sleep creep into my mental attitude (btw, it's the next day I am dog tired and worthless).
I get up in time to still do my morning chores (feed the dog, fix Mom her food, get myself ready) but yet still walk in 5 minutes late to my scheduled appointment time. :(
I set my things down and take my cue out of my case and as usual my opponent is surprised by my answer to practicing, "no thanks, I'm ready." He probably has been hitting balls for 30 minutes...
Anyway, I know I have a match after this one, so it is on my mind. I order some tacos and proceed to eat while we play. I miss a couple of easy cut shots for some reason and the score stays even for the most part. My friend watching our match tells me to buckle down, my opponent is playing good and determined. We are close for the first 34 innings.
12-17
27-28
31-31
31-31
48-49
I have missed a few shots and so has he. I start to talk to myself - "wait for your opportunity, think positive, figure out why you missed then move on quickly." Then it happens. A 13 ball run. Guess what? he makes 5, and I make ANOTHER 13 ball run back to back. No longer close, buddy!
80-61, me.
At this point he tries to catch up but he starts to worry about shape too much and misses some key balls. I win 100-82. Yay! However, it's been 3 hours and 45 minutes! Goodness! And one more match to go.
I didn't realize it had been that long. My body didn't feel it, my mind wasn't tired. The only reason I knew it was taking a while is because my next opponent was waiting for me.
Match 3 starts and it's over in about 2 hours. He isn't staying down well like he should and I win 100-54.
Match #4 on Monday night is completely different! I walk in late, it was pouring during the drive in all that traffic, I was upset at something at work, upset at something personal, but still tried to be okay in my match. I am suppose to win (well, I think so) and we start off close and eventually I get up 15 points and feel pretty relaxed (big no-no). He catches up to me and almost ties it: score now only 44-46. Eeeek - too close for comfort for me. So, I bear down (that awesome self talk to get me back in the game), but then I start to scratch. A LOT. I am no longer missing, but scratching and giving up points and ball in hand. Ugh! It remains close!
64-61
79-73
83-80
86-84
86-85
93-88
96-89
99-94
I finally win 100-94, but I was SUPER nervous! Pressure was on both of us full blown! We couldn't make shots, we got bad safes, we were miscuing, hooking ourselves, it was a tough, close ending. Every time each of us got to the table we thought we were done. It was so brutal but fun (well, I can say fun b/c I won, lol). My heart was racing, my adrenaline pumping, oh, it was exhilarating but scary to almost lose like that! The shots become so difficult near the end when the match is super close! Forget hill-hill in 9ball - try 89-95 in straight pool, race to 100 when the balls are open! Eeeeek!
We did have one stretch where we each played ten safes in a row. We were both determined and wanted the win!
After 8 total matches in 12 days, I have won 7. Eeeeek! Don't jinx me! I still have 5 more people to play!
- 1 match Friday night
- 2 matches Saturday
- 1 match Monday night
The first of the four was fairly easy (I know, rude of me) but I won 100-59 in less than 2 hours. No high runs, but I won and that helps my stats. :)
Unfortunately, I hung around after the match to grab something to eat and drank a little, also. They had a little weekly 9ball tourney that Friday night and so I watched a lot of friends play. Then the worst thing happened to me - peeps asked me to play scotch doubles.
"No, really, I don't want to."
"Please!"
"Seriously, I'm okay. I can WATCH. "
"Nope, we need you."
"No, you don't"
"Yes, we really do!"
"Okay, fine...."
So I play scotch doubles. My partner hates to lose and so he's getting frustrated with me (I cannot drink and play pool at the same time, it just isn't a pretty sight, lol). Eventually, they all keep drinking but yet I stop drinking to sober up for the drive home. I start to play better and my partner gets more impressed (either b/c I can now actually make balls or because he is drunk by now, lol, not sure which) and we get it to even toward the end of the night. Unfortunately for me, it's now 2AM! Yes, folks, 2AM! OMG, really? I've closed the bar down? How old am I?
I not only leave at 2am, I talk on the phone to a friend til 3am. Wait for a return call from someone else at 430 am and proceed to not go to sleep til 545 am. Now, normally on a Fri Night/Sat morning this wouldn't be a big deal, but when you have a straight pool match against a "tedious" player at 11:30am, it is a pretty big deal. However, I know from experience that the DAY OF not getting sleep I can usually handle. So, I do NOT let the lack of sleep creep into my mental attitude (btw, it's the next day I am dog tired and worthless).
I get up in time to still do my morning chores (feed the dog, fix Mom her food, get myself ready) but yet still walk in 5 minutes late to my scheduled appointment time. :(
I set my things down and take my cue out of my case and as usual my opponent is surprised by my answer to practicing, "no thanks, I'm ready." He probably has been hitting balls for 30 minutes...
Anyway, I know I have a match after this one, so it is on my mind. I order some tacos and proceed to eat while we play. I miss a couple of easy cut shots for some reason and the score stays even for the most part. My friend watching our match tells me to buckle down, my opponent is playing good and determined. We are close for the first 34 innings.
12-17
27-28
31-31
31-31
48-49
I have missed a few shots and so has he. I start to talk to myself - "wait for your opportunity, think positive, figure out why you missed then move on quickly." Then it happens. A 13 ball run. Guess what? he makes 5, and I make ANOTHER 13 ball run back to back. No longer close, buddy!
80-61, me.
At this point he tries to catch up but he starts to worry about shape too much and misses some key balls. I win 100-82. Yay! However, it's been 3 hours and 45 minutes! Goodness! And one more match to go.
I didn't realize it had been that long. My body didn't feel it, my mind wasn't tired. The only reason I knew it was taking a while is because my next opponent was waiting for me.
Match 3 starts and it's over in about 2 hours. He isn't staying down well like he should and I win 100-54.
Match #4 on Monday night is completely different! I walk in late, it was pouring during the drive in all that traffic, I was upset at something at work, upset at something personal, but still tried to be okay in my match. I am suppose to win (well, I think so) and we start off close and eventually I get up 15 points and feel pretty relaxed (big no-no). He catches up to me and almost ties it: score now only 44-46. Eeeek - too close for comfort for me. So, I bear down (that awesome self talk to get me back in the game), but then I start to scratch. A LOT. I am no longer missing, but scratching and giving up points and ball in hand. Ugh! It remains close!
64-61
79-73
83-80
86-84
86-85
93-88
96-89
99-94
I finally win 100-94, but I was SUPER nervous! Pressure was on both of us full blown! We couldn't make shots, we got bad safes, we were miscuing, hooking ourselves, it was a tough, close ending. Every time each of us got to the table we thought we were done. It was so brutal but fun (well, I can say fun b/c I won, lol). My heart was racing, my adrenaline pumping, oh, it was exhilarating but scary to almost lose like that! The shots become so difficult near the end when the match is super close! Forget hill-hill in 9ball - try 89-95 in straight pool, race to 100 when the balls are open! Eeeeek!
We did have one stretch where we each played ten safes in a row. We were both determined and wanted the win!
After 8 total matches in 12 days, I have won 7. Eeeeek! Don't jinx me! I still have 5 more people to play!
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