1. Remain Seated Until the “Plane Reaches the Terminal”
You ought to remain seated at all times while your opponent is at the table. Standing in their line of sight or behind their stance is distracting and considered bad form.2. Leave Chalk On the Rail After a Miss
Many players with an aggressive personality type have the annoying habit of chalking with vigor following any miss. Their chalking and body language express “I won’t miss next time, by golly,” but all they’re accomplishing is wasting time at the table when it is their opponent’s turn to shoot.Faced with this behavior, strong players redouble their efforts to win. I know that I think to myself, “Let’s just see if we can kill his stupid chalking so he does not have the second chance he wants!”
Chalking after a miss is considered extremely poor form. Please eliminate this habit from your game if it besets you.
3. Stow the Noise
“Why did you hit the 5-ball with top left english?” is not what I need to hear while I’m shooting for the 6-ball. Are they asking to compliment my game or criticize it? And hadn’t I better sink the six successfully to justify my choice taken on the five?The more intense the competition, the more I restrain comments to something brief like “Good shot on the 11-ball, by the way,” and only after the player’s full run has completed.
4. Compliment in Style
The age-old compliment for an outstanding play is to tap the butt of one’s cuestick on the floor. Antique cues, especially from the 1950’s or earlier, are without rubber bumpers for this purpose, to make for louder “cue applause”.5. Get Aid Before the Dispute
The time to ask a referee for a ruling or to judge a shot made is before a shot is taken. A nightly duty for me at league is to watch shots by request of a player or team for legality before declaring the stroke foul or legal.But, how to judge shots made after the fact? Unsurprisingly, opposing players’ testimony varies widely after the shot is taken.
6. Be a Gracious Winner (Loser)
The best shooter at the poolroom is also the most humble player, if he/she wants a game from anyone else. Nobody likes a braggart and they usually are left solo at the table.Breaking cues and other non-sanguine behavior following a loss will brand you as a party pooper as well.
7. Be a Vicious Shark
The reverse of all these decent behaviors typifies sharking or hustling--talk and ask questions while someone shoots; dispute obvious legal shots, chalk aggressively after a miss, dance about the hall, be a grumpy competitor, etc.Such behavior may earn you victories or cash but not many friends, and certainly some intense enemies. Hustling is a dangerous lifestyle.
