[BangDaBoom]

All I get is lousy slug racks. I assume most of this is on purpose to mess up my chances of a run out. How do I deal with this?

[gian323]

stand next to your opponent when he racks and if he messes up tell him to rack it again

could be your break but that's exactly the head trip they're trying to pull on you

[Hazer]

How common is stuff like this in pool halls? Do you always have to be watchful of your opponent, and worrying about this and other forms of sharking?

I have a rather limited view of pool playing. I only play in the pool hall on my college campus. A great 6 table pool hall for 1300 students. There's no intended shenanigans that occur, everyone's almost always nice, and if there's a bad rack people will always offer to re-rack (except in tournaments though I basically never see bad racks there either because people tend to be better pool players and not screw things up).

[gian323]

well it doesnt happen often, but if big money is involved that's when people will do anything to win.

sometimes people are shady and will do anything to win. At college campuses it doesnt happen that often because they usually just play for fun.

[Hazer]

Yeah, I understand. I assumed that if money was on the line, shady business would happen, but was curious about how many people felt driven to win just playing around with people.

We do play for money, but because it's a small campus we all know each other and are pretty much friends, which makes for a pretty incredible (and sheltered) place to play.

[ Edited by Hazer on 2005/12/4 14:11 ]

[Billy_Bob]

Most players attempt to rack good. I have caught a few intentionally giving bad racks. When I play these people, I stand next to them while they are racking and watch what they are doing. Then I lean over the rack and look for gaps between the balls.

These people will rack differently from other people. Maybe take more time, not press against all the balls in the back, but just press the side balls forward (leaving gaps in the middle.) Etc.

This is not a complement for me to do this to someone. It is quite obvious that I will only do this for one person in a tournament. They get the hint.

Also if you lean over and check every rack every time, you might find that you are suddenly breaking better! Everyone knows you check the racks, so they don't pull any tricks.

It is your right to be able to check each rack. If someone complains about your doing this, then I would pay very close attention to that persons racks. Otherwise why would they care?

Also cheap racks will not rack properly. Some plastic racks will rack differently depending on which corner you use! So may not be person rackings fault...

[WebDude]

I've seen many plastic (and some wooden) racks that rack differently depending on which corner you use. Even some high end racks don't always have the tightest tolerances.

[ Edited by WebDude on 2005/12/5 14:03 ]

[paco1076]

Well, I play in a relatively small hall/bar and everyone pretty much knows everyone else. That being said, I always watch almost everyone when they rack for me. I know who is a good/honest player that I can turn my back on and who isn't. If you aren't an honest player, I watch you like a hawk. Now I know this does leave me open to some amount of risk, but I play for fun so I am willing to take some of that risk. You slug rack me once, I watch you like a hawk for the rest of the night. You slug rack me again, I make you rack again. You keep doing it and I walk away. You can't play straight up, don't come to my table. It is that simple. I don't allow crap racks when I am playing and I don't allow my teammates to slug rack someone else. I will call it on them if I see it. Just the way it is. Everyone in the bar knows me and that I am an honest player. Good thing about this is that I get the questionable calls going my way most of the time. People just believe that I am in the right most of the time.

I we refuse to put up with that crap it won't continue to happen. You will push away all the sausages and get back to playing with the up standing players.


Good luck,
Craig

[westhills2]

I would say it's always a good idea to watch your opponent rack the balls, but don't hang over their shoulder like a hawk. That might lead to a fight!

Just be aware and watch for balls rolling off or spreading or the rack touching the balls when removed. Especially if there is money on the line.

You can always tell if someone is really trying to rack tight or get the 1 right on the foot spot by how they do it and how long it takes them. Also, just watch the balls.

Maybe one good thing to do if you are playing for money is to have a third person rack if there are people hanging around watching. Make sure it's someone who knows what they are doing though.

[Sodapop]

Simple solution, each player racks there own balls.
If you notice he is getting the 9 ball flying towards a pocket quite often, then check and make sure the back balls are tight.

[Black-dot]

Quote

Sodapop wrote:
Simple solution, each player racks there own balls.
If you notice he is getting the 9 ball flying towards a pocket quite often, then check and make sure the back balls are tight.

A little while ago when playing at Chris's in Chicago in the Sunday evening handicapped 9-ball tournament with 26 players, I found myself in the semi-finals against a friend who I brought for the evening. He's no slouch, by the way, and is quite a bit better than me, at least he usually is. :-o

Anyway, I was there to win that night, and he felt that, and it spooked him. Funny how even a good player can get the shakes when they feel you are really gunning for them, not taking any unnecessary chances, riding the 9 when it's the thing to do, and so on.

We go hill-hill, and it's my break. I pull out my Meucci with SUPER flexible modified black-dot shaft, Talisman hard tip, and break off the long rail at the second diamond, with low inside english, crack the sucker, torque the cue ball big time. When my friend looks up, the 9 ball wasn't on the table. It had rocketed like a hornet into the top left corner, straight in. Told him, "The 9 ball went in." What a look of disgust on his face there was!! :-D

So I go into the finals, against a better player, very precision potter and cue ball controller. Played him in the past and he creamed me that time. This time though, I got on the hill early and he still needed two to win. He racks the balls, and I pull out the same Meucci, crack the rack the same way, really torquing the cue ball. Guess what happened? Son of a gun if the nine didn't split the same pocket, scorching the Simonis on the way!! :-D

Where'd that break come from? Why Fast Larry, of course!! :-D

Was that win sweet, or what??

Black-dot