(About the Author)

Life can be a bowl of cherries or it can be the pits. Any opponent who uses this has chosen the low road and decided to be that bowl of pits. His efforts also put him at the top of your "DO NOT be friends with" list. Continue reading →

(About the Author)

This is an insidious effort, and one of the easiest sharking tricks that a pool hustler can implement. His compliments on various aspects of your pool game are delivered with obvious sincerity and clothed in good sportsmanship. This shark is successful when you react with touchy-feely enhancements to your self-esteem. Continue reading →

(About the Author)

There are still a few jurisdictions and countries where smoking in a public place (pool halls, bars with pool tables, etc.) is not strictly prohibited (or totally ignored). These lonely locations are usually in areas where tobacco has not been super-regulated. If you play in pool halls where smoking is still allowed, watch out for this shark attempt. This requires a relatively limited air space with limited air flow. A small bar with a beat-up pool table would be an excellent venue for this effort. It does not work in outdoor situations. Continue reading →

(About the Author)

This pool shark combines some delaying tactics with the game of hide and seek thrown in. The hustler only needs to use this a couple times during a match to throw your game focus off kilter. It is rarely the only shark being used against you. But, piled on top of other distractions, it can be one more nail in the coffin of your loss. Continue reading →

(About the Author)

This sharking trick is a series of small distractions in the disguise of friendly sportsmanship or what could pass as normal playing chatter around the pool table. Nits are little nags about being careful about something important during play. Continue reading →

(About the Author)

On this sharking effort, the pool hustler wants to interrupt the game flow and rhythm. He does this by continuously moving from the table to his equipment and burning up groups of seconds and minutes. These back and forth movements are only done during his turn at the table. Continue reading →

(About the Author)

A shocker shark is any activity designed to destroy your game focus and make it difficult to recover any ability to play effectively. It does this with an action that is a complete surprise. It can be a shock to your sensibilities or to your nervous system. It can even go so far as to be a dangerous threat to life and limb. At its more intense levels, this is a gross violation of the spirit and idea of sports. The lesser shockers often fall within the spectrum of juvenile horseplay. Continue reading →

(About the Author)

If you are a younger player, you are more susceptible to this hustling trick. As a general rule, less aged shooters seem to be willing to take larger chances on shots that old-timers are wise enough to stay away from. Continue reading →

(About the Author)

Of all the overused words in the world of table billiards, the most common of all is, "Good Shot!" These and other pool phrases have become so common as to have lost all real meaning, from the provider or to the recipient.

Such words can be used as a sharking trick. Here are some examples that, with various emotional efforts can be distracting: Continue reading →