9-Ball
Topic: Cuesport Haters!

How do you deal with the idiots? I haven't met many playing 9-Ball but on my doorstep it's full of them!

If they get online through Facebook and Twitter and make comments anonymously with fake accounts you either stay on there and monitor the situation for your own protection or you blissfully ignore it and hope that it goes away. Maybe it's best to just remove yourself (which I have) but that's letting them win with their childish little games!

With mobile phones they can be at it too. They're a convenient tool to have but you can't always trust people you meet over the table and it only takes one snake and all of the hate starts over again when your number is shared!

What do you all do if verbal abuse starts when you're at the table? I've played finals before and I've had idiots making all sorts of personal comments directed at me. As soon as you hear it all it will have an effect on your game, fight or flight and all. Normally at the least it effects my timing of the ball and that's the same if I call people back or try and ignore it. If it's a group of people or a bigger/tougher guy you have to be careful too!

I've tried all of the tricks and countermeasures but nothing seems to be truly effective. As far as Widnes goes (the joke of a town that I come from) I've discussed things with family, friends and players that I respect and I think I need to just not play at all there again. I'm off of Facebook and Twitter and I haven't bothered with a mobile phone for a while. I'll have to stop the English Pool, Snooker and Billiards and stick with American Pool I feel. Hopefully I can excel at the one game but obviously I need to try and find more competitions and up my game to make tougher tournaments worth playing in!

I'm interested in all opinions but I'm particularly interested in how players at the highest level have managed hostile environments and partisan crowds. If I make a clean break from the local scene and deny myself Facebook, Twitter, Mobile Phones, local leagues and casual games then it's a big sacrifice but the only way people can cause me a problem in future is at the table...

I mentioned to you saturday during our match that total 9 ball events are well worth taking part in. I know you don't like travelling mate but the atmosphere at Phil's events is a world apart from what you seem to be experiencing. I know you didn't play your best but I saw enough to suggest you can hold your own. Worth considering mate...

Years ago I had a pool website, a pre-cursor to this one actually and I decided a good marketing ploy (I was 20) was to go onto a massive pool forum and loose off their site and recommend mine.

I was insta-barred and all the sheep who followed the leader around were gathered around my table for the first IPA tour match I had ready to give me some stick. They had said they would and didn't think I'd turn up but I did lol. I didn't care less. As I remember I lost the match and there were a few comments but it was fine in the end you just have to ignore it.

Most places are ok it might just be particularly bad where you play. Travel around a bit and play in a few events around in the UK like 1 day events etc that are advertised on here. Mostly it's like minded players enjoying a bit crack and a game or two. There's always one mind you, but 99% of us are great.

Get on GB9! The most professional tour you'll ever see

Cheers guys!

I know that T9B and GB9 both run great events and the organizers themselves are good people also. I played GB9 for a season in 2010 and I'm still not convinced that my game is ready to make playing worthwhile. I played a T9B event in Barnsley earlier this year and played okay but not really my best. For me I really have to be careful with cash and select the events that offer me the best value for money but the main thing is that I play a decent percentage of my best game each event and take the wins and losses as they come. I'm definitely not bothering even going to the places in Widnes again, let alone competing. I'll just play American Pool with my family and friends and play events when it makes sense. Obviously I want to keep getting better and better...