9-Ball
Topic: What made you start playing pool?

Everyone play pool but.... how has it happened?
Anybody remember?

Had a game after work with a mate because he played occasionally and got into it from there.
I used to play snooker years ago but my eyes got too bad, very rare I play pool these days but still enjoy it when I do.

When I started college I found myself in the pub fairly often with friends when we had free time. We were all pretty introverted and awkward and kept busy playing Pool amongst ourselves over a pint! I'm the least natural player ever and at first I couldn't even hit the cue ball clean, let alone pot a ball! I used to get annoyed when league players would snigger at us having a go and it spurred me on to get better at the game and ultimately thrash them!

From my "Pro9 Staff Profile"...



Pool has been in my life since I was a kid of 15. My friends and I would bluff our way into a pub, have a pint and play pool. Actually I played so much pool that after a while, I'd often be on the table all night with the "winner-stays-on" pub rule. Then came pub teams and then, all of a sudden I'm commuting to London to play in a Tuesday team and then to Portsmouth to play in a Thursday Team!!!

Obviously I was hooked, but one day a friend from Portsmouth invited me to a Bowl-plex where they had some "new" tables. We walked in and the tables were huge like nothing we had ever seen before. We were going to give it a try apparently, but there was a crowd of people around the main table, and two very smart players in waistcoats battling it out.

One guy was playing the most outstanding shots I'd ever seen (I'd never even dreamed of a masse shot until then, and the other guy was just unbelievable). He never seemed to miss. We watched the entire game until it was finished, awe-struck and amazed by such a stunning display of quality pool.

It was a UK Pro 9 Ball Tour final, and the two players were Tommy Donlon and Ray Allard. It really was a terrific match. Donlon was playing some of the best pool of his life, and it was Allards home club, and he was at the height of his trick-shot prowess. We were so impressed that we bought American pool cues within the week and I've never played English Pool since.

My dad Won Bruce's Price Is Right and i was rewarded with a pool table

On 2014-05-29 11:50 , Twominator Wrote:

Are you serious? That would be a real claim to fame if it's true? Love it!

I always just played english pool rules on an american table. I didnt even realise 9 ball existed until I watched The Colour Of Money in the mid 90's. It wasnt until I quit playing football and realised I was trash at golf that I decided to make 9 ball my main hobby. trash at pool too but enjoy it so much more.

The same reason I play cards - I dont know.
Two games I have always been in love with, Once I touched the american table I couldnt stop playing 14.1 or 9ball - just soo muc better than snooker IMO.

To add to what I said above...

Challenge drew me to the game! Sometimes we're good at something that we don't enjoy and the opposite is true for me with Pool. It's just an awesome game in general and I agree that it's more fun and entertaining to watch than Snooker.

My knees started swelling up playing basketball and golf.... (Still hoping for a round when in blackpool though)

I wonder how many ex snooker players will admit they started because they failed to make it big on the green baize. Nothing wrong with trying and failing by the way.

On 2014-05-29 21:03 , Administrator Wrote:


Yeah it was back in 1999 / 2000 and that year i qualified for suffolk, then the year after for england and then turned pro.... Cheers Brucey