Pool

[Savage Pumpkin]

After 15 years I finally went back to a pool hall and shot a game yesterday. I was in Best Buy last week and came across a 2 DVD pack of The Hustler (1961) and The Color Of Money (1986) with Paul Newman. Needless to say it got me thinking of getting into pool again. As I said I went yesterday just to see if the skills were still there. Man, that was fun! I'm a bit rusty but slowly over the hour I was there I was making some good shots. And at $4 an hour in Chicago!!!!!! So my question is how many of you shoot pool regularly or did? I know Chicago is one of the pool (billiard) hotspots in the midwest. I'd like to get better to so am hoping to get over there three times a week.

 

[MetalSpice]

I played on a Bush APA League for four years while in college. Now, I just dont have the time anymore.
I mostly played 8-ball, but one season played 9-ball as well.
The league was based on handicap skill level, to give everyone equal opportunity to win. Naturally, as your skill improved, your handicap went up. Skill level ranged from 2 to 7, with 7 being the best....meaning you could run the table and your opponent didn't stand a chance in Hell of beating you.
I was a 6....so I pretty much kicked ass. Ha Ha!
Nah....I wasn't great, but had a good record.
I also beat Alison Fisher/ in a game of 9-ball. Yep! She broke, didn't make anything, so it was my turn to shoot. I knew if I missed one shot, it would be all over, so I decided to go for the 1-9 combo for the win. And only by the Grace of the Metal Gods, did I make that impossible shot. That will never happen again....Ever! But it was cool to say I beat the World's #1 Female Poolshark.
I quit playing about 4 years ago, due to lack of time and I guess I just wasn't into the league anymore. Being in a male-dominated league like that made me very competitive...almost unhealthy competitive and I lost the love for simply playing the game. It always had to be a battle that I had to win, which didn't make playing the game fun anymore.
But if anyone is intrested in joining an APA league, here is the website:
http://www.chicago-pool.com/

 

[kittybeast]

I used to play a lot as a kid. My grandfather owned a billiards hall in Williston ND. on a side note Phil Jackson (Lakers) worked there while in High School.

My dad has told many a story of my Grandfather beating Minnesota Fats while in playing in Chicago. (now you've peaked my curiosity and I'm looking at old billiards news articles My father got me started playing and it was always for fun. I never really "knew" what I was doing (technical style or mathematics of the game) but seemed to do it very well.

People used to tell me to join a league or go pro but I wasn't that into it, I did it for fun. It stopped being fun when I could hold and run a table for hours and insecure men would get mad that a women beat them. It is a game isn't it?

Now and then I play for fun but only one or two games.

 

[booB]

damn! I haven't played in years, but I fricking LOVE it. I was pretty decent back in the day... never really played competitively, but I could make some crazy difficult shots, and I routinely beat my friends who took Biliards in college.

 

[Cheiron]

Played tons in college. Wanted to start playing in a league but time kept me from doing that. But I was getting to the point where going on a friday/saturday night to a bar I could at least get a few free games in before having to give up the table and rejoin the queue. I also somewhat grew up around a pool table. Grandparents on one side of teh family owned a tavern in Wisconsin, so I'd spend a lot of time up there. Family and friends also had pool tables. I haven't played much in a while though. I keep thinking about joining a league, but I have enough hobbies as it is.

Metalspice, that is indeed pretty awesome.

 

[MetalRose]

I haven't played in years. I was never very good at it due to the, uh, extra padding I had. I was always getting in my own way...

-Metal

 

[SharkBlack]

I used to play all the time... I got pretty good playing at my friends house almost 5 days weekly. I find I need to be perfectly relaxed when I play or I'm not as acurate as I should be... So no beers I'm only so so, 2,3 beers...perfect everything goes in... 5,6 beers skills start to slip... beyond that I don't care haha...