Timeout

By David Ertman

Outline

Introduction                                                            1

Let’s start with the fundamentals                       3

Your Bridge 3

Your Back Hand    3

Head Position                             4

Your Stance   4

Suggestion #1                                                          4

The Balance to Suggestion #1 (Suggestion #2)   4

Using the bridge zzz                                              5

Ball in hand                                                           6

How to play High level pool      7

Consistency                                                             7

Playing in the Zone                                               8

3 Three ways to Gamble                                         9

The Calcutta                                                            9

Chicago                                                                   11

3 Ball                                                                      13

A Pool Story                                                       14

There is always a shot                                          17

PS; A shot from Mel’s bag of tricks                    18

How to sink the eight on the break                    19

Straight Pool (The Hustler)                                20

Kiss Pool                                                               21

Lock down pool                                                   22

Practice                                                                 23

Lagging                                                                23

English                                                                 24

Draw and Follow & force follow                        25

Bumper Pool                                                        26

Bumper bums and The Mysticks                      26

10 for 10                                         28

I finally lost                                                          30

Going to Vegas

My Magic Q and the collection…                     31

How to beat a seven (win early, safe, slow down, attack ego)   34

Seven sevens

Who is number

Kiss Pool

A pool song

The Ira experiment        

Inadvertent English

GOOL (Getting Out Of Line)

Playing it Natural                                                              

Some more about gambling                            

Danny plays Bumper pool                               

Danny does it again                                    

Captain \ Co-Cap how to win and how to lose

Two way pool                                                                   

Timeout!

Diary of 100 games   ( scoring system)

my bag of tricks

(Gear effect, Automatic shots, The impossible cut )

Trick Shots (jumps, Masse’ )

Don’t kick at the eight       

Cluster f-ck 

Hit and pray

Games and the skills they teach you intro to the different games

How to create stroke (substitute a stripe for the cue to see revolution)                                                                                                        

How to run balls (Break and Run)

Breaking out balls

Leave an out ball

Three ways not to gamble

Banks and Combos

Three pool stories

Three ways not to gamble

One pocket

Golf     (house of Lords $$)

Bowlliards

7 ball

Cutthroat

Pill Pool

Conclusion 

The Party

Evan Broxmeyer

Jose Sato

Introduction

This book is being written by me to pass on as much knowledge of the game of pool to my pool player friends and future friends.  I am writing this using pool slang and terms. I did not write a definitions page. It will be up to you the reader to learn pool vocabulary. I will try to use these words and terms in a way that will help you learn them.

Most of the information will be applicable to all games of pool except when it comes to 8-ball strategies.  These will be APA 8-ball specific to the rules as they are on this date 3/12/2019.

          I will cover all skill levels, including being a good captain and co-captain. When to and not to take a timeout? I also include in this book other games you can play to have fun and help you build other skills. How to keep a score card of your games that makes it possible to track different skill and your % of accuracy of those skills. This book will end with an interview with seven sevens.   If you are reading this book you are probably looking to improve your game. If I can offer one piece of advice before you read any further.

Pool should be FUN first and foremost. Good sportspersonship ensures fun for everyone. It always feels better to win but that means someone has to lose and that isn’t fun so I always try not to get too happy about a win or too upset about a loss.    More of this will be covered in the captain \ co-captain chapter. Good sporting ethics is important but it doesn’t mean you shouldn’t continually be trying to improve your game. If you enjoy playing in league then you should enjoy practicing even more and practice makes perfect. During practice time you can take high risk shots or shots with lots of spin just to see what happens. It’s practice time.. These are shots you might not try during a match. Try to masse’. Why not. Combos and kicks. Have fun!

Everyone that reads this plays at a different skill level. Not everyone is their skill level for the same reasons but there are generalities I will use for each skill level that I will focus on but that doesn’t mean a seven can’t brush up on the fundamentals, or that a two might want to try and masse’.

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If you read something in my book that is making you question or contradicts the way you are shooting and you are uncomfortable making a change, then you should make the change. You can’t improve without change. I don’t have all the answers but you have to break some eggs to make an omelet.  Try the techniques. It might take some time to break an old bad habit but it will be worthwhile in the end.

Enjoy the learning experience. I hope you will be able to gain useful information and improve your game

I’m a 5 right now. When I started in APA I went briefly to a 3 and recently, but briefly, I went to a 6. I’m hoping my recent winning streak that has also been a part of the inspiration for this book will get me back to the 6. Maybe some of you out there feel like me that you are better then what you are ranked. Evan Broxmyer once told me I was the best 5 in the country and I believe he meant it and I feel like it’s true too. There is no reward for this other than that I just challenged every 5 in the country. There are many many 5’s I know that I have the greatest respect for and have beat my pants off and may even own my ass so don’t feel personally challenged. I would still rather be a middle of the road 6 or eventually a 7.

Although I have a vast of information to offer, my 5 status doesn’t exactly make me a credible source so a good amount of research for this book was done. Seven sevens were interviewed and reviewed and added content to make this a more complete guide for improving your game.

What won’t be in this book are any sandbagging techniques.  I won’t teach APA sharking techniques but there are psychological strategies that may help you to beat that 7 that I don’t consider sharking. Gambling will be covered, along with being a pool shark and the art of the hustle. You never know when you might need to hustle someone. You will find out that not every hustle is meant to scam money. It also pays to know when you might be being hustled. It pays to be informed and hopefully that’s what this book will do.

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Chapter 1

Let’s start with the FUNdamentals

When you are just starting or if you’ve been playing a while, it pays to make sure you have the fundamentals. Make sure you have good shooting technique.  People come in all shapes, sizes and physical capabilities. Form your own style but try to keep these critical elements. 

These are the critical elements:

1. Your Bridge: When you are shooting pool, the pool cue is supported in the front usually by your weaker hand that is formed into a bridge to support the tip of the stick. There are many ways to form a bridge so get creative but it should be stable to the table and allow the free flow of the cue without allowing any wiggle or shake. I like to wrap a finger around the cue whenever possible to eliminate wiggle. I create a tiny bit of friction and use my stronger arm to push or swing the cue.

Your bridge needs to support the cue’s tip, at a height that will allow you to hit the height on the cue ball that you want. Your bridge hand should be on the table as close as possible to the cue ball that will still allow enough room for practice strokes. For very light shots you could be only one inch behind the cue ball. For shots with a lot of bottom stroke you might place your bridge six to eight inches behind the cue ball. Too far from the cue ball and you start to lose accuracy.

• Your back hand: Find the balancing point of your cue. The butt of the stick is heavier than the tip end so the balance point will be about 1/3 from the bottom. Your back hand should hold the cue about three inches behind the balancing point. Your grip should be light only using your thumb and the next three fingers to support the stick. Your wrist elbow and shoulder should all be used to create a smooth level swing or stroke.

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• Head position is important. Eyes, nose, chin in a straight line over (level) over the stick when shooting.  Your eyes should be

level looking down the stick through the cue ball to the object ball. Tilting your head and or closing 1 eye will make aiming much more difficult.

I recommend you break this habit immediately unless you are looking for a challenge. If you are a higher level player that plays with a tilted head it only means that with enough practice even a difficulty like that can be overcome. This game is difficult enough without adding to the challenge 😉

• Your Stance: Positioning your feet and body to allow the free        flow of the stick is imperative.  I stand with my feet shoulder width apart from side to side and about double that distance from front to back. My body is turned squarer to the ball but not all the way. My head, neck and shoulders do the rest to allow the stick to move along the side of my body. My head needs to be over and looking down my pool stick.
• Suggestion #1 -Look at pictures of famous pool players shooting and take notice of their head position, bridge, stance and emulate.
• The balance to suggestion #1 (suggestion #2) Keep your own style and uniqueness. Your head height, speed and amount the way you pre stroke the cue should be your own.

No matter where the cue ball is on the table, critical elements should be maintained. If you have to reach to your limits or if the cue ball is against the rail, try to keep good form. Eyes, nose, and chin in a straight line over the stick. When the cue ball is hard to reach, this is not possible.  This is a good time to use a bridge.

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Using the bridge  z z z

I personally don’t like using the bridge and almost never use it. The facts are, if you want to increase your chances of making hard to reach shots, then you should be using the bridge. Using the bridge requires learning new techniques. With practice, those hard to reach shots will become easy.

          I have a few tips that might help when using the bridge.

          The first you might already know. Most bridges can be turned on edge to make them taller. This will help to get over a ball that might be in your way. Most bridges can be used the tall way but some can’t. My suggestion is to keep a proper bridge and a good piece of chalk in your cue case. This way you have what you need when you need it. It sucks to delay the game to look for a crappy bridge that doesn’t do the job. 

Another suggestion is about technique. I suggest you forget about pool and think about Darts. Yes Darts..

          This is how it works. Your bridge hand holds the bridge in the best possible location to support your cue stick to make your shot. The bridge fits in places your hands can’t with better stability. Be creative. Place the tip end of your cue stick on the bridge. Now is when you forget pool and think about darts. Your bridge hand should be holding the bridge and your back hand should be holding the butt end or grip of the cue stick. Bring the stick up to eye level. Hold it like you are throwing a dart. Usually when you shoot without a bridge, your hand swings back and forth below you elbow. With this you bring your hand above your elbow to eye level. Look down the stick. Practice swing like you are throwing a dart. Hit the cue ball like you are stabbing it with the dart. Remember to remove the bridge from the table immediately to avoid contact with any of the balls and causing a foul.

          Recently I purchased a cue extension. This makes hard to reach shots much easier. It feels a little bit like cheating even though APA rules say differently

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Ball in hand: When I started in the APA, a teammate suggested paying a dollar to each of the other team mates if you missed your ball in hand opportunity. This is a bad idea because it discourages taking a more difficult shot.

With ball in hand you should be taking care of your most difficult problem on the table. Don’t take the easiest shot… Take the most difficult. Think about this. The most difficult ball is only going to be more difficult without ball in hand so take care of that most difficult ball.

You may need to do a break out shot or even a strategic defensive shot back just to loosen up the balls. Leave the balls that are hanging in front of and blocking pockets until the end. If there are no problem balls and the table is open then pick your set up ball for the eight. Work it backwards if you can. Set up for the set up ball and so on. This requires knowing how to play position so be patient.

Sometimes the ball you want to shoot at is across the table and hard to reach. If you place the cue ball near that ball it will also be hard to reach and may need a bridge to help. If instead, you place the cue ball near the center of the table, then you won’t need the bridge. The comfortable shooting position is more important than the balls being close to each other.

Getting ball in hand can be a tremendous advantage.

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How to play High Level pool.

It is always good to understand why you should do something. You will be more likely to do that something and gain the effect from it.

Consistency – Everything from the moment you stand and approach the table should have a purpose and should be routine. The rules say you only have 20 seconds to shoot and 45 seconds for special shooting situations. I need about half of the 20 seconds to aim (10 seconds) and shoot so that leaves me 10 seconds to walk the table and to the next ball I want to shoot at. I use the 45 seconds in the beginning of a game when it is still choice and I want the extra time to think and decide a strategy. All of this should have a routine to. I like to call it my dance. I also like to call it getting into the zone. The last 10 seconds when you go down on the ball aim practice stroke a bit and shoot should be  an exact routine. Like a baseball player trying to hit a baseball or the pitcher that throws it. They both have a routine that they follow that will give them the most amount of accuracy. Golfers also have an exact routine when they approach the ball and gauge the distance, line up the club, practice swing and hit the ball. Their routines can become legendary but are helpful to the best they can be. The game of pool is played in a similar way as these sports.

Consistency will also help you to get into the Zone.

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Playing in the Zone

The Zone is a special place.

          From the moment a match starts I get into the Zone. Starting with the lag and continuing through the break, ball selection and the entire time of the match, I become routine. The problems of the day are set aside and complete focus on the match takes over. I have trouble remembering shots I’ve made because I become so focused on the next ball.  

          That’s the Zone. Being so focused on your game that nothing else is seen or felt or heard.  Complete focus on the mission at hand.

Some people don’t like to have timeouts because it breaks their focus. That logic takes away a powerful tool of the game and should be overcome. The trick to staying in the zone during a timeout is to stay in the zone. Use every extra second the timeout is providing to confirm your plan or hear an alternative. The person that called the timeout might not have a suggestion you ultimately use but talking it out never hurts. Your focus should not be broken. The problems of the day are still out of your mind. Continue to shoot and be thankful you had a few extra seconds to confirm or alter your plan.

          Getting into the Zone is a form of meditation. It will relax you and make you a better pool player.

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3 ways to gamble

The Calcutta:     This is my favorite way to gamble. Anyone and I mean anyone can participate as long as their money is green. You don’t have to even play any pool. That is because a Calcutta isn’t a pool game. It is an auction! To have an auction you need something to sell. So what is sold?   Pool players of cause. That’s right, People are auctioned off and all the money goes to one winner. A Calcutta auction can raise a lot of money and can be a lot of fun. The more people the more they know each other the more fun it can be. As fast as people are bought they can be sold. Egos’ definitely make a showing and many side deals are made so stay sharp. Pool sharks are usually in the house. 

          This is how it works:       The first thing that needs to happen is there needs to be a pool tournament. Any kind of pool tournament will work. If the tourney has teams instead of individual players, then the players are auctioned as a team.  A typical tournament has 16 entries of $25.00. This raises $400.00 that gets split 3 ways. $200 to the winner, $100 second place and $100 to the house. Hopefully everyone spends a little money so the house can make more than a bean for the day’s pool. Now you have something to sell. Which player or team is going to win the tournament? I think it will be me and yes you can bid on yourself. But first you will need an auctioneer. This person needs to know the players the best and cannot be shy. The auctioneer should start the bidding with the lowest rated players first and end with the player or team they think, according to the rules, is going to bring the most at auction or most likely to win. A good auctioneer will make or break this kind of event. They need to really try to sell each player. Talk them up pointing out their most valuable assets.

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A good sales job might sound like this.

The first player for sale is David “sure shot” Ertman. He is ranked a 3 in APA but don’t let that fool you. He plays better than that. He’s been hanging around this pool hall for many years and knows his way around a table. He has experience playing in these events and in fact almost won the 9-ball tourney 1 month ago. The handicapping for this tournament gives this player a legitimate shot at winning this tournament. The bidding will start at $5.00.  I heard $5.00 then silence. The first time I was auctioned off I was purchased for $10.00 by a friend that felt bad for me that I was only worth $5.00.  I was unknown and there were a couple of sevens that brought in the big money. The best players sold for over $100 each. The total of the Calcutta can be any amount but typically will bring in 2-3 times the value of the actual tournament. $500-$1000 easy.   

So let’s say I purchased a player for $100.00 and the player gets to the end and wants to make a deal with the other player not to play there match and to just split the $300, $150 each. That would be a tie and cause me to have to split the Calcutta that I thought would be all mine. The player makes any decisions they want because they don’t have a part of the Calcutta money and why would or should they care?  That is why after a player is auctioned, the winning bidder should offer the player they bought half the bet.  Meaning; My friend paid $10.00 for me. If he wants to keep us on the same page then he should offer me half the winnings for half the bet. In my case I only had to give my friend $5.00.

I watched a seven get auctioned for $200 and had to give his purchaser $100 to get the action. The players are not bound to pay but it is the right thing to do so bring extra money if you’re playing…

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Chicago

Played like 9-ball, this game can be a lot of fun. It is played for money at its core. The balls are generally hit harder because any extra balls that go in count and are more valuable. Luck becomes a big factor. Perfect for gambling.

These are the rules:

Like 9 ball, you must hit the lowest ball on the table first. The number on the ball is the value. One is the lowest and fifteen the highest. There are 120 points available on the table.

The first to get to 61 points or more wins the game and the money. The game gets played until someone wins and all the money balls are scored. There are six money balls on the table. The 1,5,8,10,13,15 are multipliers. This means the winner of the game can double, quadruple or win six times the amount according to how many money balls the person scores.

If the winner scores 1,2 or 3 money balls then the loser scored the same or more so the winner doesn’t get a multiplier. But, if the winner scores 4 money balls, then the loser scored 2. The winner has 2 extra so 2 is the multiplier. 5 balls minus 1 from the loser makes a multiplier of 4 and all six makes a multiplier of six.

          Rack all fifteen balls with the one ball in front so it can be hit first on the break. The rules are you can rack the rest of the balls any way you want. I like to hide the money balls in the middle with the fifteen in the eight ball spot. Then I put the two and three balls on the corners. The corner balls are most likely to go in on the break so make them have the lowest value.

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As long as the person breaking hits the one ball first whatever goes in gets counted. So if the two ball and the ten ball go in on the break that person scored twelve points and already has one of the money balls. As long as something goes in a pocket you continue to shoot. You don’t call your shots. Any pocket allowed as long as you hit the lowest ball on the table first.

          If you don’t hit the lowest ball first it is not considered a scratch. It is considered a push. This means the opponent has the option to shoot, or not and force the person to shoot again. However, if the person fails to hit the lowest ball first again, then it is considered a scratch. The penalty for scratching is ball in hand.

          According to a rulebook from the early 1900’s, when playing Chicago pool, the person with the worst score pays for the refreshments. The person with the second worst score pays for the table.

          This game is great for gambling. Don’t be afraid to change the betting ways. This is a part of the fun. You can play $1.00 a point. The money balls can have dollar values instead of being multipliers. There is plenty of luck so handicapping is not always necessary.  Remember to hit’em hard and pray.

Three people can play. The person that sinks the one ball plays alone. The other two make a team and alternate shots.

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Three ball

Three ball is the commonly played gambling game of the day. Any amount of players can play. Beware of sharks! It costs one dollar each player to play. Three balls are racked in a triangle shape. The rack is not needed to accomplish this. One player shoots at a time the three balls until he or she sinks all three balls. No order. Each player that paid gets a chance. The player that accomplishes sinking the balls in the fewest strokes including the break shot wins the pot. To win the pot you must win it. There are NO TIES..  A tie prolongs the game. Each player that wants to continue has to add a dollar to the pot to get another chance at the pot. The pot will continue to grow until a single player wins alone. New players can enter the game at this point. New players are not allowed into a pot mid-session.

It is common to sink the balls in 4 or 5 shots. To win the pot it helps to sink 1 or 2 on the break. This will usually win you the pot but no guarantee. Someone could always sink all three on the break. I’ve never seen it happen. A shark will through balls in order to build a pot to win later. Beware of the last to shoot.

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A pool story:

Back in the 80’s if you were cool you were a punk rocker. Leather spikes and chains was the dress code of the day. I lived on Long Island and would go to night clubs in Manhattan that played hard core mosh music. 

          One day some of my punk rock friends, and I decided to go upstate skiing. We were a bunch of city slickers punk rockers going to small town USA. We had a great time at the mountain but later that night it got very interesting.

          That night we decided to go to the local watering hole and do some drinking. Country music was on the Juke. This wasn’t like the night clubs we were used to but it had a pool table so I was happy. I walked right over and put my quarters on the table with a peanut shell on it so I would know my turn. On coin operated tables it used to be a custom to put your quarters on the table in a line and when your quarter was up, you played.

          Well without me seeing, my peanut disappeared and I couldn’t figure out my place on line. I could tell that the people playing were locals and they didn’t like the looks of us so I think they gave my peanut a flip off the table. I was in no rush to play and my friends wanted to drink. One of my friends was this girl that I only know by the name of Spike. She wore spikes and chains all the time. Spike was from Brooklyn and was a bad ass. She was scary but also had a sweet side.  Well this place had not seen anyone like this so attention was on us and not in a good way. It was time to get out of dodge. I said to Spike and company that I just wanted to play one game of pool and we could leave. That was fine so I went over to the table. The game was just wrapping up. I walked up to the coins and announced that it was my turn and that I wasn’t taking any bullshit.

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They decided not to challenge me to a fight but to just put their best players on me and told me I needed to have a partner. I just wanted a chance to shoot a few balls so I said Spike would be my partner. It wouldn’t matter because I was the only person to shoot. My very first break and run and it couldn’t have happened at a better time. They had pissed me off and I was feeling pretty loose so I was glad they got buzz sawed. I put the stick down and walked out with Spike and crew. This was only going to be the beginning of a long night. The locals didn’t like the beat down or that these freaks were showing them up in their place so they decided to take things outside. In the parking lot a group of locals came up to the driver’s side window to try and start a fight with me and Spike, that was sitting on the passenger side.  The guy had is head and hands inside my car window yelling at us to get out of the car. Without a hesitation Spike leaned across unclipped a chain from her boot and whipped it around the guy’s head. He fell back and I hit the gas and got out of there. They weren’t able to follow us so we were happy to get away from that problem. We drove back to our motel room for a night cap thinking our problem was history. Here is the problem. When you are in a small town there are only so many places a local would need to check to find your car to see where you’re staying and that is what happened.  Two pickups and I see a riffle rack in the window. They want us to come outside. My roommates were completely freaked. For some reason these guys seemed like a bunch of wimps to me so I went outside to see what they wanted.  They didn’t know what they wanted other than to show me the damage that was caused to the guys face.  They finally decided they wanted an apology from Spike. Really?

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I don’t think she will do that but let me go ask her. I went into her room and told her the deal. She said to me she would apologies to them if they came into the room to get it. OK, I went outside to tell them they could get the apology that they just had to go inside to get it.

          Well there was no way they wanted to go inside that room with a psycho like Spike. They wanted her to come out to them. I told them that wasn’t going to happen. If they wanted  an apology they needed to go inside and get it or they should go home with their tails between their legs.

          This was a dramatic night for these guys and they weren’t going to leave without that apology. With great depredation they decided to enter the room. Like I said Spike had a Nice side, so when they came into the room Spike didn’t beat them to a pulp. Instead she sincerely apologized to them and made friends with them. We spent the rest of the night drinking with them and having a good time. The guys face was marked up pretty good but I’m sure it healed fine.  

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There is always a shot.  Mel Miller was my best friend’s dad. Mel and my dad were great friends as well. Our families would do sleepovers; go on vacations together and everything in-between. Both parents made their homes into playgrounds. Pool tables, foosball, and Ping-Pong were mainstays.  Anything to make the home more than just a place to eat, shit and sleep. Mel had a bigger home than most. He was a MIT graduate that had a company that used his engineering skills to make money. He was a brilliant man so he made some good dough.

          He also had a beautiful 9’ antique table with a ball return. He would let us use the table as long as we were respectful of the sticks and table. We would always put everything back in its place. One day Mel was watching us play. It was my turn to shoot and I didn’t have a shot. I wanted to give the shot back to my friend when Mel interfered. He explained that there is ALWAYS  A SHOT.  It may be a very difficult shot but there is always something you can do to improve your chances of winning. A difficult shot may have a lower percent chance of being made but there is still the chance.

This inspired me to find the hardest shots I could find instead of the easiest. Jumping the ball, masse’ bank and combo shots became fuel for my pool fire if that makes any sense. Mel unfortunately had a bad heart. He was one of the first recipients of a valve made to help the heart. It gave him 5 extra years. Today open heart surgery and valve replacement is not a death sentence.  We lost an amazing person when he passed. His influence has gone on passed his years and has effect many. Those who knew Mel still miss him. XXO

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PS: Another trick of the game from Mel.

Everyone complains how hard it is to sink a ball when it is resting or kissing the rail. The object ball always seems to roll away from the rail. This is because you hit the object ball before the rail. The object ball pushes into the rail and then bounces away from the pocket. It might not look like this is happening but it is. Everyone has this problem whether they admit it or not. This is because you have trained yourself to hit the ball to full on the most similar shot which is the same shot but just off the rail. You hit it too full because you know that if the object ball too thin hits into the rail on the way down that it will likely still go in the pocket. This is called cheating the pocket or making the pocket wider.

To make the object ball in the pocket when it is kissing the rail, it needs to travel along the rail and into the pocket. You must hit the cue ball into the object ball and the rail simultaneously. When you hit it right the sound is unmistakable. The thump of the rail and the clack of the balls harmonize for a unique sound of success. If you miss the object ball by a smidge it is okay. The cue ball will hit the rail first, it will dig into the rail and roll into the object ball. The cue ball will hit into the object ball and cause it to roll along the rail into the pocket. Practice to see how far in front of the object ball you can hit and still make it in the pocket. Try using some inside English. This will make the pocket even wider. A wider pocket is created by anything that makes it more likely or easier to make the ball.

Thank you again Mel.

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What is Pocket Speed. Pocket speed is one of the first things you should learn as an APA 8 ball player. Perfect pocket speed is the speed that will make a ball travel just to the edge of the pocket and then just drop in. It should not hit the back of the pocket. If you hit the ball at the right speed but your accuracy is off the results are usually still positive because the ball ends up hanging near the pocket making it easier to get in next time and it might be blocking your opponent as well. Use this technique when shooting at side pockets it will make the pocket bigger (Wider). If you focus on hitting the ball at perfect pocket speed then if you miss the pocket and hit one of the corners it will likely catch the round edge of the pocket and suck into the hole. If the ball is rolling too fast it will roll over the edge like it is barely there. It needs to be so so slow to catch the edge and not pass it over. Have you ever shot at the side pocket and hit one corner and then had it cross the pocket and hit the other corner and bounce away? This same shot hit at perfect pocket speed will hit the first corner and then catch the round edge of the hole and drop in every time.

How to sink the eight on the break.

I have taught dozens of people how to do this and most have been low rated players that never believed they could do it. You don’t need to be a seven to snap an eight. With a little practice you should be sinking the eight one in twenty attempts so don’t give up on it.

The first thing is you don’t need to crush the balls. The cue ball is hit with draw or bottom. Draw loses its effect when it is hit too hard. The ball glides instead of spins. If you take a little power off, more revolution will be created and you will be less likely to send the cue ball off the table.

Place the cue ball all the way to the right side of the table for righty’s, near the rail but an inch away. You want your right eye to be able to see its mark the best. This requires getting your right eye as far around the side of the table as possible. Bring the cue ball an inch away from the rail, enough to be able to hit the cue ball with bottom.  Aim to drive the second ball through the eight ball. The cue ball should draw to the side rail and back into the pack where the eight ball stands. The eight gets a shove towards the side pocket. Sometimes it comes all the way back to the shooters side of the table corner pocket. Do not hit the front ball first. This will cause a scratch and a weak break. Focus on hitting the second ball through the eight. This will give you a solid break.

People fear scratching on the eight and losing instead of winning. This generally doesn’t happen because when you hit it right the cue ball gets trapped safely in the pack. When you hit it wrong the cue ball goes off the table for a scratch but this shot won’t create the effect that will score the 8 and make you lose. The power gets diminished and it doesn’t bounce off the rail and back. So break away! I have sunk many eights on the break and I can’t remember even once scratching at the same time.

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Straight pool

          This is a classic game that surprisingly few people know how to play. Whenever someone asks me to play something other than Eight ball they almost always want to play straight pool. The assumption is that it is an easy game because you can shoot at any ball. It is not so easy. The first thing is you need to do is call every shot. Call the first ball that will get hit and the ball that will go in and its pocket. Other balls in the combination don’t need to be called. Any extra balls that go in don’t need to be called, stay in and are counted. Calling your shots increases the difficulty.  Keeping track of your score isn’t so easy either.

Each ball scored is one point. When you miss your shot and are done shooting you add your points to a running total. A typical game is played to 51 or 100 points.

          Some people also call this game Continuation. That is because the last ball of the rack is left on the table. The fourteen pocketed balls are re-racked. The shooter will attempt to sink the leftover ball and break the rack up on the same shot. To make this difficult feat more possible you should try to leave a breakup ball on the table just for this purpose.  If at the end of the rack the last ball is within the racking area then it is absorbed into the rack and break rules apply. This game builds skills like breaking up balls and working in tight spaces.

I personally like this game because it requires honesty and trust that is so lacking in a todays pool hall.

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Kiss pool – is a game designed to teach players about the cue ball and where it is going. This is because the rules are reversed in this game. The balls are racked with the 1 ball at the head spot. Use the cue ball to break up the balls as much as possible. Pocketed balls count. After the break every shot must be taken with the lowest object ball on the table. To score a point you must hit the lowest object ball into the cue ball and sink the object ball into a pocket.  This game teaches you how to scratch. Knowing how to scratch is a very helpful skill to have to help avoid scratching in other games.

When a ball is used to glance or bounce off of it is called a carom. Carom shots can be very useful and easy to perform when playing other games. The trick is to see the shot. In order to see the shot you need to look for the shot. The only way you will look for the shot is to practice it. Kiss pool will make building this skill fun. Once you build the skill, place it in your bag of tricks and pull it out when you need it.

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Lock down pool

Lock down pool is playing in way that will not allow your opponent a chance to win. Now this might seem like it isn’t really possible and it isn’t. There is always a chance for bad luck. It is also possible your opponent shoots amazingly to win. Kudos to that player. Make them earn a win. Reducing the luck factor and taking only high percentage shots or play defence is the basis of the strategy. It might sound simple but knowing the likelihood you are to make a shot is essential and having the composure not to take the risky shot that will leave the ball in an advantageous position for your opponent. You need to always know where your opponent doesn’t want the ball. Leave or create problem balls. Fix your problems before you clear the table. Take the table when you are ready. Make the other player earn the win.

All shots have a percentage of likeliness that you will achieve your goal. This relates to defensive shots as well. Defensive shots seem easy because nothing has to go into a pocket but as everyone has come to realize is, defensive shots can be even harder. Speed control becomes essential lowering the success percentage. Nobody is 100%. Even the easiest shots get missed once in a while even by the best players. Some shots have a low percentage of likeliness of success. Knowing this percentage is important to know when choosing you shot.

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                    Practice– Only playing on league night doesn’t allow you to practice more fun high risk shots. Play for fun and try some crazy shots. You will have a good time and improve your shooting dramatically.

Lagging –

It is better to be shooting then sitting…Win the lag if you can. It is possible to win the game without your opponent even getting a chance to shoot. A break and run or sinking the eight on the break accomplishes this. That has to be better than actgiving your opponent that chance. My only tip for trying to win the lag is not to lose it stupidly. Don’t disqualify your lag by hitting the side rail or pocketing the ball. I put a smidge of top right or left English to keep away from side rail. If the ball goes over into you opponents space and hits’ their ball during the lag it is a redo not a loss. I wouldn’t bother practicing this for reasons of boredom.

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English

Putting left or right spin on the ball is called putting English on it. You create this spin by hitting the cue ball on its side. If you hit the ball too far to the side the tip of your stick will slip off and you will miscue. It is wise to practice to find the extreme edge you can hit it and still have the leather tip grip the ball and spin it.

The use of English increases the difficulty of the shot by a lot. This is why people recommend not using it when you are starting out. It is better to learn how to sink balls first. Once you have gained the accuracy, then you will be able to recognize something called deflection.  An easy shot that you make more than 90% of the time you will miss 90% of the time if you do not account for deflection.

Deflection is what happens when you hit the cue ball on its side but in a forward direction. The cue ball gets a little side nudge that makes it slip to the side as it leaves the tip of your stick and then straightens out. The harder you hit the ball and the more to the side you hit the ball the more deflection is caused. It is important to practice to get a feel for how much you will need to correct for this. Higher level players will use the tip of their stick as a measuring device. A half or quarter tip correction for lighter less extreme shots up to a full tip or more on harder more extreme hit shot.

It takes some practice but you start to develop a feel that will bring your accuracy back but probably not all the back. English adds variables that lessen the accuracy but if you want to control the cue ball this is an important tool to have in your bag of tricks

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Draw and Follow

          Draw and follow are also referred to as bottom and top. This refers to the spot on the cue ball you need to hit to create the draw or follow effect.  It is always easier to hit the cue ball with a natural roll. This is when you hit the ball on the lighter side, just above the middle of the ball to generate forward roll without causing any other effect on the ball. When the ball is stuck harder it will tend to glide without rolling. If this effect is happening at the point of contact then it will stun the cue ball. If you are trying to play the cue ball to stop in place then this is the technique that should be used. Realize that if even if there is a slight angle on your shot the ball won’t stop in place. It will deaden and drift to that side.

To create draw you will need to get the cue ball to rotate backwards while the ball is moving forward. The rotation needs to still be in effect at the moment of impact for draw to happen. The more counter rotation there is on the cue ball the more draw it will have,

Try substituting a stripped ball for the cue ball. The stripe will give you a visual of if you are putting rotation on the ball and if it is holding all the way to the object ball.

Follow is can be easier but force follow is difficult. When the cue ball is struck naturally it rolls down the table. That roll is enough to get a little bit of follow. To create extra follow or force follow the cue ball must be rotating more than the amount it would do naturally. Try hitting the cue ball near the middle of the ball. Make sure your tip grips the ball while following through over the top of the ball. This will create forward spin that is more then what is natural. The problem is that you are creating a little lift and through. Practice will give you a feel for how much through you are creating and how much you will need to compensate. 

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Bumper Pool

My father had this belief that you should have at least one thing in your home that was for enjoyment purposes. Your home should be a place that you can have fun. With this philosophy in hand my father continually brought things home to accomplish this goal. Foosball, treehouses, go-carts waterbeds, anything to have a good time we had. My house was the house everyone wanted to be at.

When I was around ten years old my father bought a bumper pool table. Our home wasn’t that big but this fit perfectly in the middle of our living room.  My mother didn’t seem to mind. In fact she was my partner when we played as a family and my brother partnered with my dad.

The Mysticks against the Bumperbumbs.  It got pretty competitive.  My father was good at the game. Whenever he attempted and made particularly difficult  shot  he would say the word Chinga. Chinga is not a word I have ever heard from another person’s mouth and I have never seen it in a book. When you heard Chinga look out because he was making a difficult shot.

But I had time to practice. So I would try all kinds of crazy shots during the day when my dad was working. When I found one I liked I would practice it until I could do it at will.

Later that night, after dinner we would play a little pool. At some point the shot I had been practicing would become possible to execute. That is when I would stop shooting to explain what I was about to attempt to do. I didn’t want to be accused of being lucky.

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Then I would go ahead and make the shot to everyone’s disbelief. One time the shot I was taking seemed so impossible.  After announcing and making the shot my father said that it was absolute luck and that I would never make it again in a thousand years. Well the heck with the game, Line it up and let’s see.  So we set it up and I knocked it down again. My father’s jaw is still on the floor. He had a whole new respect for my pool skills. To this day he is still the second best bumper pool player I know.

A side note. When my father moved to Florida he sold off a lot of things including the table. Some years later the person that purchased it called to ask if I wanted it before he went and sold it. He never even set it up but somehow managed to lose the balls. I didn’t even know he had it so I said of course I wanted it. This was from my childhood and how often does an exact artifact find its’ way back to you.

To this day I use skills developed specifically for bumper pool in all other pool games including eight ball that I play mostly.

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10 for 10

Last night I won my tenth match of the 2019 season. My stats for the session are:

10 matches played 10 matches won 100% win percentage.

2.4 ppm points per match

.80 PA points available.

3 Rackless patches plus 1sweep but I lost the lag.

I played 50 games. won 37 and lost 13.    74% win percentage

I beat           7’s  –  3        (9 games lost 3)             1 sweep

6’s  –  2        (8 games lost 4)             1rackless

          5’s  –  3        (12 games lost 5) 1 rackless

          4’s  –  1        (4 games lost 0)             1 rackless

          3’s  –  1        (4 games lost 1)  

Some personal notes about the opponents

Stephanie Papageorge (3) was the lowest ranked player I played. She got on the hill early and was getting some excellent coaching from Charlie Dash. It forced me to play tight and conservative. It was the toughest match of the season. Steph played great. I want to thank her. She was a worthy adversary and a lot of fun to play.

Patsy Saccente (7) and I were on the same team for a couple of years. He has been a friend and mentor for me. He taught me many things and has improved my game overall. Patsy has mastered the art of 2 way pool. This is when you try to make a ball but if you don’t your opponent won’t have anything or little to shoot at.

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He also taught me the importance of keeping the cue ball under control. I already had control of the cue ball but he would stop me when it got a little wild. Wild balls can carom off each other and can accidentally knock in the 8 out of turn. This is considered a freebie for your opponent and you should not give any freebies. Make your opponent earn their victory. This is particularly important when you are on the 8. Scratching on the 8 is a sin that should not happen. This is another freebie. NO FREEBIE’s.  It was especially nice to play against Patsy. He usually beats me but not this time. I am honored that I got to play against Patsy during this winning streak. He didn’t have his best night but it still felt good for me. When the student plays the teacher it is always fun. Thank you Patsy.

One of the higher ranking opponents I played, who’s name I won’t mention, had really good skills and was able to move the cue ball around at will. He hit on the hard side and sometimes the cue got a little wild. He gave me 2 freebies, one scratch on the 8 and an 8 out of turn. The eight was hanging on the pocket and extreme caution was advised.  A wild cue ball knocked it in. I’m sure I would have won anyway. He should go play on Patsy’s team. He needs to learn about freebies. For the record, I don’t give more than 1 or 2 freebies a year if any. 2 in 1 night is unacceptable for me.

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My Magic Q:        When I was 18 years of age I dropped out of college because I was spending too much time in the Nassau Community College student union that had a pool table in it. Free pool! All you needed to do was win to stay on the table. I was already a pretty good shot from all the time I was spending at House of Lords in Plainview. So I played a lot. Not as much as some but more than most. There were some good shooters. One guy in particular never lost. He would play his first shot to open up any problem balls. His next turn at the table he would run out his balls and game over. Thank goodness he was a good student that didn’t miss classes because he owned the table when he was around.  I would hang out there all day. People would come and go and for some reason I wouldn’t. I guess the classes weren’t as interesting to me. I quickly failed out of college and started working full time.  

I was working full time and living with my parents. My expenses were low with my mom making me great meals and my dad providing the roof.  I would say my situation was providing me with plenty of discretionary income.

What to do with it? I know. I need an awesome pool cue. There was no internet so you could not research the web and get anything delivered by the next morning. I started working the Yellow pages to find  pool table supply companies that sold cues. The 2 best places I could find were Blatt Billiards in Manhattan and Century Billiards on Long Island. Both places have very high standards for the products they sell and produce.

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Since Century was close to home I figured this would be a good place for me. When I went into the store I was pleased to see an amazing collection of cues to choose from. The Meucci’s were the nicest to me. There was a stick in the catalog that spoke to me. It was called “City of Lights”.  It would have to be ordered. They wanted a deposit and I could have it in 6 weeks. It was more money then I wanted to spend but this was discretionary income so my discretion said buy.

Unfortunately six weeks turned into a year. Meucci felt terrible. The cue that was made for me had disappeared. Their thought was that it might have been stolen. They were willing to do anything to try and correct the situation but I had waited long enough.  I wanted a cue and I didn’t want to wait anymore.

The next Saturday I went to Blatt in Manhattan. They also had beautiful sticks available. They also had the most unbelievable collection of antique tables. I stayed focused on the sticks as hard as it was. This time I was going to pick one from stock. No more waiting. The stick that captured me was a Helmstetter. $350.00 and out the door I went. I played with that stick for the next 25 years. The shaft is turned blue with chalk dust. The stick is retired now. It served me well and still has a lot of life in it. When I started in league a Predator cue replaced the Helmstetter. It has a similar feel with less deflection.  The shaft of the cue has been narrowed and has a pro taper. The stick was made for me and plays perfect for me. It doesn’t need replacing.

Neither of these sticks are magical even though a lot of magic has happened with them. The magical Q is the one that returned to me after 30 years disappeared.

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I found it on Ebay. The ad read; City of lights pool Q. Received as gift in the 80’s. It has been left in a closet since.  Always felt it was too nice to play with.

Could this be the very stick I ordered back in the 80’s? I can’t prove it is but it feels like it is. After winning the bid and getting the Q, I called Meucci. They made me a custom shaft for it to make it more playable for me.

When I play with this stick I can perform magic. I really do feel like it has magic powers. It found its way home to me without knowing were home was. It stayed loyal to me without ever meeting me. Now it is with me where it belongs. The Q has a life of its’ own and it will live on when I am gone. The magic only happens if you use the Q. Hopefully the next caretaker will use it and enjoy what it can do.

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Seven Sevens

Questions:

How do you determine which ball to shoot at when playing APA 8-ball?

Can you offer us something from your bag of tricks?

What is your favorite game to play?

Tell us a pool related story, just keep it clean…

What is the number 1 thing you would attribute to your skills as a pool player?

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How to beat a seven.

Sevens have lifetime win percentages between 65-80% and they mostly play each other. How is this possible?  It is because they win 99% of the matches against everyone else. This is why the APA offers a patch when you beat a seven.

To beat a seven you will first need to play your best. It is also good to receive a little help from something called lady luck. There are some strategies you can use that might help.

You will need to get into their head and hope they make a mistake or two. You need to play up a level but they need to play down a level. I’m not suggesting sharking… I’m suggesting winning the first game and getting on the hill if you are a 2, 3 or 4. This will get into the sevens head and make that seven more conservative and nervous for 5, 6, or 7 games.

It is not sharking to slow the game down. This means in every way. Sevens are used to winning and winning fast. 0, 1 or 2 innings and they are done. The longer the game goes on for the more nervous they get that they might lose. Use every bit of your time and use your timeouts. A good timeout turns a 3 into a seven at the critical moment. Playing safeties makes the game longer still.

Don’t be in a rush to sink your balls. Balls hanging on a pocket should be left to defend. Only shoot at balls that are not blocking your opponents.

When a player that is used to winning and getting their way is made to work they are more apt to get frustrated and make a mistake. Many sevens deservedly have big egos and will let their guards down, especially if you are low ranked.

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Ask yourself, does your opponent know your name? The seven expects you to know their name. They probably don’t know yours. If 

Maybe you have all your balls on the table and the seven safes themselves on the eight. This puts you in the driver’s seat. You can hope that the seven makes a mistake like kicking at the eight and scratching. If they don’t, play even more safeties. The goal would be to sink the hangers last and set up for an easy eight.

Sevens know the right things to do but they are still human. They get frustrated and make mistakes like everyone does. If you are lucky enough to win the first game don’t squander the opportunity. Know that you are in their head and stay there.

35.

I finally lost.

The six I played is usually a seven. We played on a coin operated table that definitely through off my game. The cue ball is slightly larger than the object balls. The larger size ball doesn’t fit into the lock box where the object balls end up but instead returns to the (break side) head of the table. If you find yourself in this situation I recommend hitting your shots with a little extra cut. Usually these tables are not level either. This means you need to learn which way the table leans. You will have to hit your shots medium to hard. Soft shots will roll off and miss.

More importantly my opponent was using the same strategy on me as I was trying to use on him. He was more patient with it and I ultimately lost the match. My fear is that I will go on a losing streak and all my work will be for nothing. As a punishment for losing I will play 50 racks of pool.

Maybe this was an overreaction. The next few weeks I played lights out pool.  I call this steam rolling because there is nothing a person can do about it but get flattened.

36.

Who is number 1?

Bliss Hammock’s wants to know!

Bliss is paying for the table time and trophies for the longest and most complete pool tournament to answer this question.

$200.00 entry fee.

Each player must have a sponsor. Half entry fee is customary. 

Sponsors are allowed 1 timeout per night.

Everybody plays everybody.

4 different games will challenge different skills.

All competitors play every round. (No one gets eliminated)(No losers bracket)

Highest point total will determine winner

8-ball bank to win.  Race to 4, 10 pts per win

7-balls 3 pockets.  Race to 4, 10 points per win

Golf (18 holes). Subtract your score from 108 to get score. Miss 5^th shot score it 6.

37.

Straight pool (Continuation) 10 racks exactly. 141 points available

Kiss pool – balls are racked with the 1 ball at the head spot. Use the cue ball to break up the balls as much as possible. Pocketed balls count. After the break every shot must be taken with the lowest object ball on the table hitting into the cue ball and trying to sink the object ball in a pocket.  This game teaches you how to scratch. Knowing how to scratch is a very helpful skill to have to help avoid scratching.

A Pool Song

Break and make the eight

Don’t leave it to fate

If you make a ball

It’s your turn to call

Solids or Stripes

Solids or Stripes

“Chorus”

Problem ball?

In the pool hall

You know what to call.

Solids and Stripes

Solids and Stripes

There’s an open ball

No need to call

Put it in a pocket

Like a SpaceX rocket

Solids and Stripes

Solids and Stripes

Problem ball?

In the pool hall

You know what to call.

Solids and Stripes

Solids and Stripes

If you are having doubts better not to run it out. Put the cue in no mans land. It might get you ball in hand.

Racing to the Eight

On my first date

Don’t take the bait

It’s too late.

Solids and Stripes

Solids and Stripes

Problem ball?

In the pool hall

You know what to call

Solids and Stripes

Solids and Stripes

The Ira experiment

On a Sunday in 2020 I get a call. It’s from my brother in law Ira. He wants to know if I would teach him to play pool. He had just come home from a weekend stay at beautiful winery on the North fork of Long Island.

It is the place where he married my sister in law.

          Once a year they meet some friends for an overnight at this BNB. The accommodations include a good quality pool table centrally located that invites you to play. Ira never really played much pool and never had any instruction. His buddies like playing and seem to know how to shoot to some degree. Every year Ira gets some razzing so he decided to turn the tables on them. He wants to SHARK them next year. He doesn’t know it’s called that yet but this is what he wants to do none the less.

He made a decision to really dedicate himself for one year to learn to shoot pool. Next year, he plans to keep his skills hidden from them and then to use these skills to get even with them somehow. He has recruited me to help him. He asked me if I could make him into a very good pool player in one year and I said I could and would. I will also give him some ideas for messing with his buddies and teach him the sharking skills to make it happen.

          The very first thing I had him do was have him become a member of the APA. This is a no brainer. Playing in the APA will make him a better player and give him the ability to track his progress. He will find out his skill level and utilize all that the APA website offers.

          Now he needed a team to play on and coincidentally my team had an open spot. The timing could not have been better. It was week four and that night was his last chance to get on a team for that season. That night at the Dublin Jack he popped his cherry and played his first APA match.

          After his match we sat at the bar and talked. Getting blanked by the other player didn’t dampen his excitement to keep playing. In fact it probably did the opposite. He wants to come to my home and practice before next week’s match. I love the enthusiasm and encourage him to make practice time every week or more. I told him that I play every day and that any time he wants to break some balls with me that my doors are open.

          It’s Sunday again and it’s Ira at my door. He got to my home around 2pm and he shot for 2 hours by himself. I sat with him and gave him instruction while he shot both sides of 8-ball games.

Every shot he wanted to ask questions. I answered them all but tried to keep his focus on his basics. Stance, bridge and keeping your cue moving in a straight line are important if you want to hit what you are aiming for.

          When you try to make a shot in pool and miss it is difficult to determine whether you missed what you were aiming for or were you aiming for the wrong spot or both. This one factor alone will make it very very hard to improve your play. The trick is to focus on hitting what you aim at. Once you are confident you can hit your mark then when you miss you can recalculate and adjust where you need to aim.

          When he was done his head was over filled with information. Hopefully 1 or 2 things stick. I know he is committed to doing this. I have decided to keep a diary of his progress for one year. He is as beginner as it gets but he is already improving quickly and he is motivated. My minimum goal is to get him to a skill level of 5 with maximum expectation of 6. Right now he can hardly hold the stick.. The diary below will document the process as best as possible.

1st match                       –         see above

Day 1 practice                –         see above

Ira calls me… He was looking online at videos for help. Intrigued by ghost ball technique.

I told him that it is a good technique and that I use it myself but that we needed to work on hitting the spot not what spot to hit.

2^nd match                        –         He won!!!    Rackless!!!  He won the lag. The first game was a freebie from his opponent SO8. The second game he won straight up. It is nice to get your first win out of the way. Get the man a patch…

Day 2 practice                –        

Inadvertent english is when you put spin on the ball but did not intend to. You might think this does not apply to you but it does. It applies to everyone. Even if you can’t intend to put spin on the ball.

This is because a little bit of spin is created on every shot and I’ll explain why. The ball is perfectly round. The tip of the stick is round. There is only one exact spot that is dead center on the front of the ball and only one exact center on the back of the ball. Imagine how hard it must be to hit the exact center of the tip of your stick into the exact center of the cue ball and then follow through to the exact center of the back of the ball. The odds of this are slim. Don’t try this but it would be like holding a pin in each hand and trying to meet the points. I know you’re tempted so use two pens and give it a try. Imagine still needing to follow through to another center. The follow through is where most of the damage is done. You can reasonably hit the center of the ball but to continue through to the center of the back of the ball is entirely different. To make matters worse, the harder you hit it the more spin is created even if you didn’t intend for it to happen.

So what do you do to combat this problem? What I do is intend to put some kind of english on every shot. This way there is nothing ever that is unintended. This leaves what should be your most common shot. Natural is when you don’t want any effect to happen and you want the cue ball to go to where it would naturally roll to. For these shots you must practice perfect technique. When you hit the ball the stick must follow through perfectly straight to the back of the ball. A little above center will remove bottom spin and keep the ball going forward with a more natural roll. These shots must be hit on the light side. The hard hit cue ball will slide in the beginning because the spin can’t keep up. When the ball slows down it begins to roll. At that point the damage is done.

Danny Plays Bumper pool

I’m sixteen years old and I’m hanging out with a friend of mine after school and playing some bumper pool.  My friend Danny loves to gamble. Back in the seventies and maybe even to this day, pool tables represented gambling. This was too much temptation for him. Immediately he wanted to play for 25 cents per game. I was and am still an expert bumper pool player. After school I would play for hours trying all kinds of crazy shots. Danny on the contrary had hardly any experience.

 I had a tremendous advantage. I tried to explain this to him and that we should be playing for fun rather than for money. This only made him want to prove me wrong. He knew I would be a better player but he thought he was better at gambling.

We start playing and I start winning, 25 cents at a time. He loses every game and now he is down $5.00. He wants to play one game double or nothing. I agree thinking 10 bucks is a nice win. When he loses the game he says double or nothing again. 10 bucks is nice but 20 bucks is nicer. He loses and wants to play again double or nothing.

Danny… You owe me 20 dollars. This is a loss but one you can live with. We have been playing all afternoon and you have not beaten me even one game. To keep going will only put you into a debt that you won’t be able to reconcile. His addiction to gambling and his reckless mentality was more then he could resist. He wanted to keep playing.

Now he owes me 40 dollars. It goes to 80. Then 160 and 320 and 640 and 1,280 and 2,560 and 5,120 and 10,240 and 20,480 and 40,960 and 81,920 and 163,840 and 327,680 and 655,369 and 1,310,720 and 2,621,440 and 5,242,880 and 10,485,760…

In all, I beat him over 40 consecutive games. Not a bad days work and I am set for life. Danny never gave even 20 bucks of the ten million he lost that day. 40 games and blind to what was happening.

If I asked him today if he wanted to play bumper pool there is no doubt in my mind that exactly the same thing would happen again. The rush Danny gets from this is addictive for him and he can’t control it. He would make the exact same mistake again maybe worse because this time I would make him pay.

Danny does it again

It’s a couple of years later and I am playing a lot of regular pool at the few remaining pool halls open around long island. The Color of Money didn’t come out until 1986 so the boom in the industry was still to come. The pool halls in these days were more reminiscent of the movie the Hustler. They were not the most respectable places. There would always be someone hanging around ready to hustle you. No one played for fun. It was always about how much a game. Gambling and the pool hall were synonymous.

I start to recognize the better players. One player caught my attention.  I realized that while playing eight ball he would take his first shot and only look to open up his balls without making any. On his next turn at the table he would run it. He never missed a shot he intended and was smart enough not to clear any balls until he could get them all. That’s when he would run them out. This guy was the best eight ball player I had seen until that point. He made every shot look like an easy one.

On no particular day Danny asks to join me at the pool hall. I tell him that I only want to play for fun and not for money. He agrees and joins me at the pool hall. We get a table and start to play. Danny sees this guy playing in the corner by himself. It’s the guy!  I make the mistake of telling him who he is and how good he is at 8-ball.

This is all Danny needed to hear. The next thing I know Danny is challenging him to play 8-ball for money. I try to stop him but there is no way. The more I told him there is no way for him to win the more he wanted to try.  He made me sit there and watch this guy tear him apart. I don’t think Danny sank a ball and the guy he was playing didn’t miss a shot. Danny’s pockets were emptied. I probably ended up paying for pool that day.

I’m still not sure why he would challenge this guy. I’m telling him how this guy doesn’t lose a game and doesn’t miss a shot. The few times I played him I lost every time. Danny was losing every game to me. If he couldn’t beat me, why did he think he could beat him? I couldn’t? This is the sickness of a gambler.

PS: Many years later I ran into Danny. We were on opposing teams at a 40+ softball game. He tells me how he has changed now that he has grown up and married. No more gambling or other destructive behavior. I was glad to hear that he has gotten past that time in his life. I wish him good luck in the game. He tells me it’s not luck and that he had a hundred bucks that says his team would beat mine. What can I say?

Captain \ Co-Cap how to win and how to lose

The captain is usually under appreciated. They deal with team mates with varying opinions and opponents that are trying all different kinds of things to try and win.  Then there is the hassle of collecting money and recruiting players and sending in sheets. The captain usually spends time researching there opponent and planning a strategy. All this and you can’t even name the team without a vote. They usually don’t even get a thank you.

My suggestion to everyone is to make sure you continually thank your captain. It’s a big job and you don’t want to have to do it yourself. It is also nice if you don’t make their job any more difficult than it already is. If you don’t like how they run the team, keep it to yourself. If it bothers you so much you can quit. Make your own team and be captain. Otherwise let the captain be. Whatever decisions the captain makes can only have a small affect. The players still need to play within a handicapped system that is set up to keep competitive balance.

Having said all this, there is a strategy that I think is best for APA playoff eight ball.

It starts with figuring out who your best player is in the clutch. If you get to your final match and it is for all the marbles, you want the person that best can handle the pressure. You will be tempted to use this person before the final match but don’t. If your clutch player should lose then you will be relying on a not so clutch player to win it all. Clutch players will rise to an occasion, put them up too early and there isn’t an occasion to rise for.

The last match is the most important because it is for all the marbles. The first four matches lay out like this:

Match 1 puts you up by one or puts you down by one. It’s nice to lead off with a win but one up or down is easy to swing the other way. Play your third best player for this match.

Match 2 is what I consider the second most important match after the final one.  The second match will either put you ahead by two, behind by two or get you back to even. This is a big swing and you want your second most clutch player playing then.

Match 3 you are in 1 of three spots. Tied, up by two and about to win or down by two and about to lose. If you are tied, then this match will only put you up one or down one. So for this situation you should play your fifth best player and preserve you strongest for the final. If your back is against the wall and you think you need to play your best player, you don’t. You should still play your weakest. Until this point you have played two of your best players and they have both lost. My guess is that your opponent has put up some of their better players and is due to put up a weak player. If the player they put up is a high rated player why not try lowballing them. If you don’t and put up your best player then you may win that game but then you will be relying on that weak player to win it all in the end.

Match 4 is a little more intense then match 3 but far less then match 5. You should be playing your forth best player in this spot and hope to get to your closer.

There are many that would say it’s not wise to lose you night and not play your best player. I say to them that one player can’t win the night by themselves. Other players need to win or get on the hill. If you lose the night before your ace gets a chance to play so is it. At least you know you played a winning strategy.

Another strategy that works is called lose one to win four. You can lowball their best player and lose one. This should gain you the advantage on the remaining four games.  This is a good strategy to use if you believe the other team will beat you straight up.

There are other strategies but these are the two that I believe work best.   

Co-Captain

A best co-captain is one that can instruct their team mates and help them to be better players. It should be someone that can call a proper timeout and be a mentor for the rest of the team. They should know the rules and the proper etiquette. Adviser to the captain and can fill in when needed. The co-captain should be watching every shot of the night for time outs.

The best thing the co-captain can teach to team mates is the proper way to win and how to lose. Know body likes losing. If you win then somebody lost so don’t make a big deal out of winning. I teach my team mates to congratulate their opponent when they win directly and immediately upon the conclusion of their match. I like to say good match and you played well. I will try to say anything to them that I think will make them feel better about the loss. It is also important to lose correctly. Getting all aggravated about a loss is not cool either. Even if you are only getting mad at yourself, I don’t advise. Your opponent has beaten you fair and square. They deserve to feel good about it. Any kind of frustration at the end of a match will diminish the win for the other person and will make you look like a sore loser. Lose with dignity. Shake your opponents hand immediately after the match and say good match and you played well. Give your opponent that extra second before you return to your team. They can congratulate you when you’re done.

 A good co-captain can teach you many ways to improve your pool game.  Learn to be a good person at the end of a match and this will improve your life game. 

Two way pool is when you take a shot that is both offensive and defensive at the same time. Two way shots are very effective. Spotting these shots is usually more difficult them making them. A truly effective two way shot will allow you an opportunity to make your ball and get position on the next and at the same time not giving a shot to your opponent if you miss. Good two way shots are uncommon but most effective when spotted. Keep your eyes open. 

Don’t kick at the Eight.

It is a bad idea to kick at the eight ball. The accuracy of a kick shot is 50 % at best and drops to as bad as only a slim 1% for more difficult kicks. The problem isn’t that you are likely to miss. The problem is that you are just as or more likely to scratch or 8 wrong pocket. Both are automatic losses. I call it giving your opponent a freebie. Don’t do it. Push your opponent’s balls together or to the rail to give them a challenge and give them ball in hand. If you create a little challenge the opponent will have to do some work to earn the game. It’s better to make them earn the game then to give it to them on a silver platter.

Being able to execute an accurate kick shot is an important tool to have but not on the eight. Keep it in your sock.

Golf

There is a version of golf that can be played on a pool table. It can be frustrating to play but when the proper skills are developed can be very fun. I was introduced to the game back in the 80’s at House of Lords pool hall in Plainview. There was always a couple of people playing golf and gambling. Just like regular golf there are many ways to make a bet. Never bet more than you can afford to lose and you’ll be fine.

This is how you play.

There are six pockets on the table. Go around the table numbering the holes one through six in order starting with the pocket on the left side of the object ball side of the table 1, then to the side pocket 2, to the two corner pockets on the breaking side of the table 3 and 4, around to the other side pocket 5, and back to the right corner 6. Go around three times and you have 18 holes just like regular golf. The lowest score wins. This means the person that can put the ball in the correct holes in the least attempts wins.

All scratches cost a stroke.  There are 4 ways to scratch.

1. If you hit a ball off the table it is a scratch. It costs one stroke and the ball is spotted.
2. If the cue ball goes in a pocket it is a scratch. It costs one stroke and the ball is spotted.
3. If you hit the object ball in the wrong pocket it is a scratch. It costs one stroke and the ball is spotted.
4. The last rule is this.  If on your attempt to pocket the ball you don’t pocket it then at least something needs to hit a rail. If you do not successfully hit the rail it is a scratch. It costs one stroke and the ball is spotted.

The game starts with player number one. The cue ball is put on the spot and an object ball is put on the other spot. Player number one shoots until they get the object ball into pocket one. Wherever the cue ball lies it stays and is where the next player starts shooting from. A ball is replaced onto the spot and player two now tries to get the object ball into hole number one. When each player has gone the first goes again and for hole number two. Each time the player continues to shoot until they have successfully pocketed the ball. Play as many holes as you like and remember to keep score. The lowest score wins.

One tip; the side pockets are difficult. You will need to learn how to control the speed of both the cue ball and object ball at the same time. This will help you to get the two balls lined up to make the shot. Even with this tip the side pocket can be rough. In the beginning you might want to call it a five or six stroke max. You might think this is unnecessary and it may not. All I can say is that I have seen many good pool players give up on the side pocket after 20 strokes and the most was 30 strokes and gave up. It can be frustrating but you will know how to control the speed of both balls when you are done.

The Party

     In my senior year of high school, my parents used their wisdom and decided it would be okay for both of them to go on a business trip together. I’m not sure what my parents thought would happen but the party that went down that weekend is still talked about by the people that were there.

     High school in those days had four groups that most kids identified with. You were a Jock, a Nerd, or a Dirt bag. If you didn’t feel like you fit into one of those three then you defaulted to the Crew. The Crew was a group of smart but not A+ smart, Athletic but not enough to make the team and we were tough but not as tough as the dirt bags. The Crew accepted all members and for those kids that didn’t know who they were yet, found acceptence in the Crew.

     A good thing about being in the Crew was that we could co-mingle with the other groups. The other groups were too different from each other to be friends. The Crew was able to bridge the gap between the groups.

     I wanted this party to be a big. The Crew was going to be there in force and a few from the other groups. One of the Jocks that showed up I knew from soccer team that

     When he arrived he was immediately drawn to the bumper pool table. For Crew members it was enough to play each other for nothing more than bragging rights. For this Jock, bragging rights wasn’t going to be enough. He wanted to play for money. Not a lot per game. Enough that everyone played and slowly everyone lost. He played everyone until they were all cleaned out. He tried badgering them into more but they were done.

     Franky finally turned his attention towards me. He said, “How about you Ertman. You haven’t played me all night. It’s your turn to lose some money. I haven’t lost all night. Are you chicken?”

     I had been quietly watching everyone play all night while trying to be a good host. Franky had obvious experience.

     Evan Broxmeyer, in my opinion, is the best 7 in the country. 

     The first time I met Evan I knew I was playing a pro level player. Evan exudes pool. He loves to play for money and tries his best to make pool pay.

     Our first encounter was at a BCE tournament that paid $500.00 for first place and $250 for second. This was a BCE sanctioned event so your APA handicap didn’t matter and if you won any money you would become a professionally ranked player.

     I didn’t know this. For me the offer to be in the tournament was last minute. I was there and they still had spots to fill.

     The tournament was a lot of fun. I was able to win enough to get myself to the semifinals. A win in the semifinals guaranteed you a spot in the finals. Winner takes first place money and loser gets second place money and both players get ranked professionally. That is if you make the finals.

     My semifinal match was against Evan. I didn’t know anything about him at the time or what motivated him. I know now that winning money and getting ranked was something he wanted very much. Beating me was going to give him both of these things.

     This would not happen. I was really on my game. You would say I was in the zone. It doesn’t matter how good of a player you are. If your opponent is on a roll, there is nothing you’re going to do about it. Sit down and watch. That is exactly what he had to do.

     To his credit he took the loss very well. Instead of getting all pissed off, he made a friend. He appreciated the level of my play and wanted to recruit me for his regular APA team. This did not happen but we have remained friends ever since.

      I went on to lose in the finals. $250.00 went in my pocket and for the next year I was ranked as a professional player, somewhere on the bottom of the list.

     Many years go by. We would not get another chance to play each other. Then, one night Evan asks me if I would like to buy his pool cue.

     He was being sponsored by Pool stick companies and he was switching to a new company. He wanted to sell his old cue. I told him he should play with the new stick first before deciding to sell his old one. If at the end of the night he didn’t like the new stick then he would keep his old cue or he could keep the new stick. He agreed with that wisdom so we decided to let him play that night with the new stick and then decide.

     When he was done playing for the night he wasn’t 100% convinced about the new stick. He was enough to sell me his old.

     Two weeks go by when I see Evan again. I ask him about the new cue. He mentions that he still needed to get used to it that he was 95% there. The new stick has a carbon fiber shaft that plays a little different than the spliced wood shaft he was playing with.

     Another two weeks go by. I see that our teams are facing off and I want to make sure he wasn’t planning on ducking me. He told me he never ducks anybody and that we would be playing each other that week.

     The night of our match arrives and I have a plan. I know I am going to need an edge to beat Evan. I need to get in his head. The fact that I beat him ten years ago was not going to be enough. I needed fresh pain and shooting with a cue that is unfamiliar is perfect. Just a tinge of doubt gets you to over think. This leads to going for shots that are unnecessarily more difficult and eventually a mistake happens.

     My plan was simple. Before the match starts I take out his old cue and place it with his cues. I tell him that I brought the stick for him in case he wasn’t comfortable with the new one. My intension was to get in his head and not let him be so damn confident with the stick he was playing with. I won the first game with authority and got him sweating immediately. He came back at me hard winning 4 games in a row. All he needed was 5 to win so this means he was on the hill. The pressure was on me now. I didn’t want to go down without giving him some kind of a battle. I needed a total of 4 to win and I already won one. I manage to eke out my second win and I realize that if I win one more I earn a point. This refocuses me and helps me along to win my third game.

     Now it’s hill hill. The pressure is full for both of us and we are both missing shots. I get some lucky breaks but it has come down to one shot. If Evan can make the shot, the game would be over with only two easy balls remaining. I’m on the eight but he shoots so he controls the table.

     He is taking his time to shoot so I decide to shark him. I say excuse me Evan. If you don’t feel good about the shot because of the cue you are using that he shouldn’t forget that I brought his old cue and it was available for him to use.

     This is absolutely sharking and is against the rules of the APA. Evan and I are friends and he is quite familiar with sharking. He is not used to being the recipient of it so when it was happening to him he recognized it and could only smile to know it can happen back.  

     When he finally took the shot he muffed it up. He left me an easy eight. He conceded the game and the match.

     After the match I went outside to have a team meeting with him and some of his teammates. At the meeting I tried not to make him feel bad about losing. I had gotten some lucky breaks so I like to mention that fact.

      At some point there is a silence. Evan breaks the silence with. “SO ERTMAN, What is it going to cost me to get my stick back.”  Wholly shit is this funny. His teammates rarely see him lose a game even worse a match and they never see him lose the edge. The people at this team meeting were the same people that were at the team meeting that I bought the stick. At that time they all thought Evan had pulled one over on me because Evan charged me a good amount of money for a stick that was sponsored.  Now he wanted the stick back and he is willing to pay an upcharge to get it. I look at one of his teammates and the expression on his face just cracks me up. He has been with Evan a long time and I don’t think he has ever seen anybody fuck with him anything close to what I was doing to him.

     Evan wants to give me his new cue and some cash to get his old cue back. I have no interest in the new cue and I’m not feeling great about what I have done. I decide to give him back the stick on a loan so he uses it for and up until Vegas.

     When he gets back we will discuss the ultimate fate of the cue. I’m not going to bend him over like he did to me when I bought it. Only enough to make him know he had been had but so little that he appreciates the compassion.

     I love getting the chance to play the best players. It is the reason I play in league. I’m not looking for a trip to Vegas.

Vegas Baby!

I promise.  It has never been a big deal for me personally to win a trip to Vegas. I had to travel there twice a year for work and the excitement of going to Vegas just wasn’t there for me. I always play to win and for my teammates especially I always give my A game. The 2020 season was a ended by covid19 in the month of March. Our team was in first place and several of our players were in line for MVP’s including me. A year went by before we would play again and finish the season. We won the season and qualified for the Vegas boards. Three wins away from going to Vegas to play in the APA World pool tournament.

Jose Sato

is considered the best player in the Suffolk County APA by mostly every player that plays in it with the exception of Evan. The comment I have heard most about the way Jose plays is that he makes it look so easy… I think what is happening is that he plays most of his shots with natural leave and at pocket speed. Meaning, he isn’t doing anything more then what is needed. He doesn’t need to use much cue ball manipulation and never hits it harder then he needs to. This raises his shooting percentage and increases the likelihood that the cue ball will go where he intended. He makes it look simple and for him it probably is.

     I had a chance to play him in an MVP tournament or maybe it was a captain’s tourney. I was on fire. Locked in. Everyone I played that day got steamrolled. That was until I met Mr. Sato in the final match. My steamroller got mowed over by his buzz saw. I never played so well and lost so fast.

     I won the lag and got my steam engines going. The first game I broke and ran. I broke dry in game two giving him his first chance to shoot. Jose ran out the table and then broke and ran another making the score two games to one and we have not finished an inning.  In game four he gave me another chance to shoot. I ran the rack and tied up the match. I was feeling my oats but I had won my last game. In game five I missed a shot and that was it. Jose ran out the table and another to win the match four games to two in what was only two innings of play. Like I said, I played so good and lost so fast.

     Mr. Sato is a great sportsman and just an all-around nice guy. What is not as known is that he is also an exceptional photographer. He is responsible for the cover photo and others in this book. I want to thank him for his contributions to this book.