Some of My Favorite Pool Players
This article is part of Volume 4 of PoolSynergy, a monthly collection of the best writing on pool. After you read this, be sure to check out the rest of the February edition of PoolSynergy for other great articles over at Gail Glazebrook’s Confessions of G Squared. February’s theme is Fan Favorites.
I love to watch high quality pool almost as much as I enjoy playing. I enjoy the seeming effortlessness with which the pros make shots that flabbergast me. I appreciate their amazing focus, enabling them to play for hours and almost never miss. I’m constantly amazed by their sharp & creative minds, seeing safeties, shots, and patterns where I didn’t see a thing. I appreciate the calm they can maintain after missing an important shot and I marvel at their heart which empowers them to come back from deficits that would daunt ordinary players.
But as much as I relish watching these extraordinary men and women play a game at a level I can only dream of, there are a number of players that I appreciate even more. These mostly unsung heroes of the game are the ones who I appreciate the most; the ones who add to the game and its culture, improving our pool world for all of us.
My list of favorites is not in any particular order. Also, I know there are innumerable people out there also doing some of these things and I can’t possibly credit them all by name. I don’t even have any idea who most of them are. I hope everyone understands, especially those who fit my descriptions but didn’t get named, that even though their name doesn’t appear, they’re here in spirit. Their work is appreciated even if they themselves go unnoticed. I hope they get every break in life and in pool that they deserve.
Our sport suffers from a relative dearth of serious women players, but I’m not at all surprised, given what they have to put up with. It’s such a shame that so many men just can’t seem to leave them alone when they come to the pool room to just practice. When a woman is at a table by herself, you’d think it was the first day of hunting season and she was the only game in town. Also, taking any sport seriously, if you’re a woman, automatically puts you in the weird camp, for so many people, until you start to win on a national level, when they suddenly become OK again. So the first of my favorite players is the woman who has found ways to get past all the crap and made herself into a serious player. More power to you girl; keep it up.
Another favorite I have is the knowledgeable/experienced forum poster who shares their knowledge freely. These folks tirelessly answer questions, explain how the balls react and why, offer advice on how to isolate a stroke problem and how to go about fixing it, etc. They clarify complex issues, or explain something in a new way, so someone who doesn’t get it can see it in a new light and finally understand it. They are patient with beginners, remembering what it was like to be a noob oh-so-many years or decades ago. This category has so many people in it I just can’t single anyone out for a mention, it just wouldn’t be right.
Another group of folks create explanatory or how-to videos they then post on YouTube or their own sites and share with the world. Dr. Dave Alciatore has created amazing super slo-mo videos to demonstrate things you just can’t see with the naked eye. He also created, along with Bob Jewett, a pool rules video quiz to help people test their knowledge and learn to correctly determine if a shot is a foul or not. Mike Page, on his Fargo Billiards Channel, Force Follow on his Everyone’s Game Channel and Blackjack David Sapolis on his BlackjackDSapolis’s Channel also epitomize this. The videos are amazing, the clarity of instruction is superb and they freely share with everyone.
Another group of players who have my admiration are guys who give of themselves on a more personal level. Cocobolo Cowboy, who posts on AZBilliards, has chronicled his efforts to help the Boys and Girls clubs in Phoenix, AZ. Through his efforts and coordination, and the generosity of a number of AZB members, numerous new cues and ball sets were provided along with boxes of chalk, brushes, tips, bridge heads, etc., lighting up the faces of all those needy kids. Scott Lee, another kind and giving man, made a stop at one of these Phoenix B&G clubs and gave the kids a free lesson in how to play, as well as a trick shot demonstration. Scott, a BCA Certified Instructor who travels the country giving lessons, has done this on a number of occasions and is a true ambassador of our great sport.
Personal involvement of another kind is demonstrated by guys like Marcus Norwood in Houston, TX; Earl Munson in Dallas, TX; and Roy Pastor in Harvard, MA. These guys have put together after-school pool programs for high school kids, a number of whom have gone on to participate in the Junior Nationals. What a great way to give back to the community, help individual kids to learn a sport they can play for the rest of their lives, and to advance the sport by both enhancing its reputation and encouraging new young players. These guys, and more like them, are provided support by the Billiards Education Foundation.
Since I’ve been all mushy so far I guess it’s time to snark it up a little. My remaining favorite player is whoever’s playing Earl Strickland. I don’t know Earl personally, we’ve never met. I hear from many that away from the table he’s the nicest guy you’d ever want to meet, and I have no reason to doubt that. But while at the table his antics are a disgrace and deserve nothing less than scorn and ridicule. Though Earl is clearly one of the best players who have ever played the game, what with his 5 US open wins and numerous other major titles, I personally can’t see past his boorish behavior. Maybe this is a personal weakness on my part, but I don’t think so. I thoroughly enjoy rooting for his opponent.
So there you have it, my favorite players. May they all continue to get better as long as they live.
Return to February PoolSynergy
Past Editions of PoolSynergy
Volume 1 – November 2009
Volume 2 – December 2009
Volume 3 – January 2010
Related Posts
Don’t be “That Guy” in the Pool Room
Bob Jewett & Dr. Dave Alciatore’s New Referee Quiz
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One Response to “Some of My Favorite Pool Players”
Markus Hofstätter
- February 15th, 2010
Thanks for inviting me to PoolSynergy.
I loved seeing the Perl @ the Color Of Money Hongkong game against Efren.
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