Finally. A little time to post. It's been kinda crazy around here with people visiting and crashing at casa de monkeys & buddhas. There was also the 2009 Super Billiards Expo (SBE) held at the
I'm still exhausted from the experience.
The SBE is like, for recreational hacks like me, the Super Bowl of Pool. There beautiful custom cues to drool over, a Men's and Women's Pro 10-ball Event to watch, amateur events to play in and all the bar box gambling you'd want all under one roof. Not that I gamble on pool but it's always fun to sweat the action.
It's 4 days of pool, pool and more pool.
This is my 3rd time attending the event. The first year I was strictly a spectator. I played in the Open Amateur Event last year once I realized that it's $75 to play in it, and I get to use the tables when they're open for practice, over $50 for a weekend spectators pass and no table usage. I wasn't quite ready for competition at that time in my pool life and went 1 and done. (It's a single elimination competition.) This year I was determined to at least win a match. (Setting myself small achievable goals.)
Checking the board I drew a guy named Denis and I was like "Yes! A name I don't recognize!"
Now a "name I don't recognize" is a good thing because there are people who play in this event that are "pro-speed", who everyone's heard of/about, but are somehow still considered amateurs. I'm not sure how they determine who's a pro and who's not a pro as that seems to be a very, very gray area but I'm just glad I didn't draw a name and my chances of winning a match were still alive. (At least in my mind.)
I got to my table early and got myself warmed up properly since it's short races to 5 and I didn't want to start slow like I normally do. Denis arrived shortly after and I got to watch him shoot a few racks. He's pretty good. I thought he was about the same speed as me, maybe slightly better, but I have a chance. A good chance too as I think he was hung-over/still half asleep.
First set went my way and I felt I was playing pretty well. He started slow, the whole hung-over/still asleep thing, and he missed some fairly routine balls. When he missed I felt like I was getting out. I won it fairly easily 5-1? 5-2?
The second set...I lost my concentration. I don't know how but I did. I think I got a little too confident due to the score of the first set and I allowed myself to get distracted by what was going on over at the Mezz Cues/Billiard Life booth where all my friends were working/hanging out. Plus he started to wake up/sober up. Now I was missing routine shots and he's getting out. He beats me fairly easily 5-1? 5-2?
Last set - a tie-breaker for all the marbles.
I'm trying to get it back together by slowly down and making sure that I go through my pre-shot routine - plan, pause, take dead aim, shoot. Rinse. Repeat. – I fight to keep the match close.
1-0 him. 1-1. 2-1 him. 2-2. 3-2 him. 3-3.
He's starting to play a little tight - the pressure! - so I liked my chances. I’ve played under these conditions before (thanks Predator Tour!) and while he seemed to be losing it I was slowly getting my game back.
The next match was a critical one - winner gets to the hill first.
He makes a unforced error mid-rack leaving me with a wide open table. I run out and get to the hill first. It's always a relief to be on the hill first. Now there's a ton of pressure on him.
He makes another unforced error mid-rack. I’m running out but brain-fart the position from the 8 going to the 9. I got a shot on the 9 but it's a tough cut all the way up table with a shallow angle.
I shoot.
I miss.
I get lucky.
I leave him straight with the 9-ball stuck near the bottom of the rail.
(I GOT A ROLL! WOOOHOO!)
He tries a really tough back cut and hangs up the 9 for me.
YES! I didn’t go 1 and out!!!
My next match was against nice older gentleman named Lyn and, while I had chances, I didn’t play as well. I think I was a little too happy that I’ve already met my goal and, if I win this match, the next match would be at 8am the next day. It was in the back of my mind and it caused my focus not to be entirely there as I missed two ball-in-hand shots among some other bad unforced mistakes.
He played very well and got out open racks regularly. He also got a couple of “rolls” at the right time too. (I had left him a long rail bank on the 8 at 3-3 the first set and he double banked it in. The second set at 3-2 he missed the 7 ball and left me safe. I made the kick but the cue ball goes 3 rails and finds the side pocket.) It’s not fair to be good and lucky at the same time.
Final scores were 5-3 and 5-2.
From there, with my matches done, it was pretty much party time!
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