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
This shark won’t directly affect your game if your political opinions are either in the soft middle or you are politically illiterate. On the other hand, if you have a passionate interest in political discourse and debate, a pool hustler, on knowing this key bit of information, can easily affect your game and concentration. Continue reading
This is a delaying sharking trick. Basically, by stretching out the simple process of racking the balls for a game, the pool hustler wants you to also run out of patience.
This is a simple hustler’s trick. This distraction tactic is most effective when there isn’t a lot of room around the pool table. This means that there are not always designated chairs for the players.
This shark can be used in any informal competitions, such as team matches, local tournaments, and any playing areas that have to crowd a lot of players onto the tables. It cannot be applied during formal competitions where players have designated seats in which to wait while the other shooter plays his inning. Continue reading
All pool hustlers have a library of sharks based on different tactics. Many sharks can be categorized. There are a large group of conversation-based sharks and another group based on delaying tricks. The “Thinker” shark is one of those delaying sharking tactics. Continue reading
Everyone experiences some natural and ordinary nervous anticipation at the beginning of an important match. These reactions are the body’s natural fight or flight response. Some of the symptoms can include:
If you expect your match to go smoothly through to the completion with a winner (hopefully you) and a loser (hopefully your opponent), this shark can bother you. Continue reading
Somewhere, someplace, maybe in an alternate universe, there is a book entitled “The Correct Behavior of Bad Sportsmanship”. If there was such a book, there would be a section that talks about proper behavior of a player when his competitor suffers a massive reversal of fortune. In that section would be recommendations for proper decorum of competitors, spectators, and friends. These gamesmanship responses to the player’s tragedy would range from unsympathetic observations to expressions of heartfelt sorrow for the poor suffering victim. Continue reading
You can play for 50 years against all types of pool players with skills great and small. Each and every one of these opponents owns a variety of sharks of varying effectiveness. Many of these are of the minor variety, relatively benign in effort, intention, and application. Watch anyone play pool for half an hour and you can spot a minimum of three sharks. Some people, when their sharks are identified, are surprised. Generally, these relatively minor sharking tricks have become part of his playing routine. Continue reading
This shark is designed to seriously consider whether your health is may not be as good as you thought – and maybe you need to have a serious discussion with your medical practitioner. This trick is a diversionary tactic to redirect some of your game focus from the competition onto thoughts and worries about your personal abilities to be alive tomorrow. If you are an introspective personality, this can be very effective. If you are a hypochondriac, it would be easier to pay up and go home. Continue reading
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