The FAQs of Pool & Pocket Billiards Frequently Asked Questions for the Casual & Regular Player (Billiard Education Foundation Special Edition) First Edition Allan P. Sand, PBIA & ACS Instructor Billiard Gods Productions Santa Clara, CA The FAQs of Pool & Pocket Billiards PDF Books are available here. Click for Printed books: Billiards Skills Competition Training Program Basic Defense and Safety Fundamentals for Pool & Pocket Billiards Drills & Exercises for Pool and Pocket Billiards Advanced Cue Ball Control Self-Testing Program Cue Ball Control Cheat Sheets Safety Toolbox - Advanced Defensive Strategies & Tactical Tools The Art of War versus The Art of Pool Foreign Language Translations ISBN 978-1-62505-218-6 First edition Copyright © 2014 Allan P. Sand All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. Published by Billiard Gods Productions. ii The FAQs of Pool & Pocket Billiards 2627 Pilot Knob Drive, Santa Clara, CA 95051 U.S.A. Feedback can be forwarded to: [email protected] For the latest information, go to: http://www.billiardgods.com For those inclined to be politically-correct - the term "he", as used in this book, implies both (or more?) genders. iii The FAQs of Pool & Pocket Billiards Table of Contents WELCOME .................................................................................................................... 1 GENERAL FAQS .......................................................................................................... 1 Laws of Pool .............................................................................................................. 1 What is a pre-shot routine? ......................................................................................... 2 Do you perform a post-shot routine? ............................................................................ 3 How can your game go wrong? .................................................................................... 4 Can you achieve "perfect" position? .............................................................................. 6 When do you play a safety? ......................................................................................... 7 What are the different types of safety shots? ................................................................. 8 What is the purpose of safety/defensive play? ............................................................... 9 What happens when applying English to the cue ball? ................................................... 10 What is this "killer instinct"? ...................................................................................... 10 What is an A, B, and C level shooter? ......................................................................... 12 How do energy cycles affect my game? ....................................................................... 12 What are some good excuses for missing? ................................................................... 13 Can a guy mix family life with pool? ........................................................................... 14 How does age affect skills? ........................................................................................ 16 You are addicted to pool if ......................................................................................... 17 What is the real secret to winning? ............................................................................. 18 Why do you love pool? .............................................................................................. 19 How do you know when you are good? ....................................................................... 19 What is the "Zen" of the Green Game? ........................................................................ 20 What are some bad habits to avoid? ........................................................................... 21 You are obsessive about pool when… .......................................................................... 22 Why is luck (good & bad) such a big part of pool? ........................................................ 23 How do people get hooked on pool?............................................................................ 24 Where can you play pool? ......................................................................................... 25 Got any pool jokes? .................................................................................................. 27 PLAYING SITUATIONS AND CIRCUMSTANCES FAQS ........................................... 29 How do you respond to a beaten opponent? ................................................................ 29 Can a losing match be turned around? ........................................................................ 29 How can you warm up for a competition? .................................................................... 31 How can you get used to another pool table? ............................................................... 32 What can you expect in a handicapped league? ............................................................ 32 Can I do a restroom break during a match? ................................................................. 33 What can be eaten while competing? .......................................................................... 34 What are the different tournament formats? ................................................................ 34 How can you stop missing cut shots? .......................................................................... 35 Why do you play badly against a lesser skilled opponent? ............................................. 36 iv The FAQs of Pool & Pocket Billiards When breaking, should you inspect the rack?............................................................... 37 How do you calculate the odds on a shot? ................................................................... 38 What do you need to know about one rail banking? ...................................................... 39 What is "pocket speed"? ............................................................................................ 39 Why do you choke on the game ball? .......................................................................... 40 How do you analyze a lost match? .............................................................................. 41 How can you play for long periods of time?.................................................................. 42 How do you handle a bad 8 Ball break? ....................................................................... 43 What can give you an edge? ...................................................................................... 44 How much fair play is fair? ........................................................................................ 45 Can you get hurt playing pool? .................................................................................. 45 How can you play a better bar table game? ................................................................. 46 What are recommended breaking positions? ................................................................ 47 How can you get over a slump? ................................................................................. 48 How can you learn ball speeds on different tables? ....................................................... 49 Does drinking mix with pool? ..................................................................................... 50 How can you keep score with coins? ........................................................................... 50 What are the different ways to keep score? ................................................................. 51 How does someone concede a game? ......................................................................... 52 How can you handicap 9 Ball with a friend? ................................................................. 53 How can you handicap 8 Ball with a friend? ................................................................. 54 How can you play while nervous? ............................................................................... 54 How can you rack for 9 Ball to make it easier or harder to run out? ................................ 55 What is a well-racked set of balls? .............................................................................. 56 Do you play the opponent or play the table? ................................................................ 57 How can you evaluate your playing skills? ................................................................... 58 What is sharking? ..................................................................................................... 59 How can you stop someone sharking? ......................................................................... 59 How do you handle an opponent who is a poor sport? ................................................... 60 What if your opponent is an ass? ................................................................................ 61 How do you handle an angry opponent? ...................................................................... 61 How can you make an accurate 1 cushion kick? ........................................................... 62 What are the different kinds of break shots? ................................................................ 63 How can you improve side pocket shooting? ...............................................................