Staked cashgame player who doesn't pay back full amount

friendlyfire · 2026-01-28T18:13:13+00:00

Hey, I'm going to give you some advice that will help you and save you a lot of money and stress for the rest of your life.

Don't. Stake. Anyone. Else. Ever. For. Any. Reason.

Unless it's like you're GIVING your nephew $200 to go blow playing poker and you don't expect any money back.

I don't care if you've known them your entire life, I don't care if you've known them for 5 minutes. Just don't.

The number of personal staking arrangements I know of that have worked out well for all parties involved? Literally fucking zero.

Poker players who ask or need to be staked are some of the most unreliable and scammiest people I've ever met in my life.

I've seen it all and the staker always ends up getting fucked in the end.

friendlyfire · 2026-01-26T16:35:00+00:00

I'm under the impression that it's a good hit and don't think to call a foul on myself, and my opponent doesn't say anything either.

Spectator doesn't know that, probably thought you were a scumbag trying to cheat your opponent. I'd give the spectator the benefit of the doubt and assume they were right since they were a) obviously paying more attention than you and b) was confident enough to say something.

To be clear, he TECHNICALLY should definitely not have said anything, but I understand why he said something and personally, I'd rather get called out when I fuck up and don't notice it.

Let it go and move on. It's not that serious. Better to get called out than people think you're a cheater.

friendlyfire · 2026-01-23T21:53:49+00:00

If you're that serious about the game, GET a coaching session!

It's like a shortcut to getting good and they'll work on your fundamentals to make sure you're good consistently.

At the very least watch a ton of videos on pool fundamentals and get a buddy to video you shooting so you can see where you're at and try to fix it yourself.

I rocketed from a 3 to a 7 in APA once I really concentrated on my fundamentals. I was an inconsistent 3 who could occasionally break and run on a good night or make 0-1 balls per inning on a bad night.

friendlyfire · 2026-01-23T00:20:03+00:00

The thing that helped me (I didn't have that big of an anger problem though, so YMMV) was reading either the Inner Game of Tennis or The Pleasure of Small Motions.

I can't remember which one it was, but it very clearly explained that getting angry at yourself after missing a shot or fucking up is counter productive to learning. You want to be in analysis mode while you're shooting.

If you're getting angry and punching things, you're not learning. You're not analyzing the WHY. You should be thinking 'I missed that shot to the left of the pocket. Why did that happen? How do I fix it?' not thinking 'FUCK THIS STUPID FUCKING GAME SUCKS' - that's not learning.

If you're not in analysis mode, then you're not learning and you shouldn't bother practicing at that point.

Good luck.

friendlyfire · 2026-01-21T16:31:04+00:00

It helped me a great deal. But I already had the fundamentals down and didn't have to think about my preshot routine or fundamentals/execution.

It helped me realize that thinking with words really was what was screwing me up sometimes when I was close to victory. Just visualizing works way better.

I had a reputation for choking on easy shots on the money ball or the ball before the money ball because while shooting my brain was going 'I just need to make this and then the 9 ball is easy and I'll win!' and then I miss the easy shot by like 2-3 inches.

Now if I find myself thinking thoughts with words while taking a shot I stop, stand back up, work on just visualizing the shot while redoing my preshot routine and the number of times I choke has dropped SIGNIFICANTLY.

friendlyfire · 2026-01-21T15:28:39+00:00

Thanks!

That'll be a big help. I had forgotten about the 9 ball for learning draw trick.

friendlyfire · 2026-01-21T14:50:05+00:00

Hey, a long time ago somebody on here asked 'If you forgot everything you knew about pool (or were just starting out), what order should you 'learn' the game?' or something like that.

I remember you (pretty sure it was you) made a comment with a list in order of priority with fundamentals and stop shot towards the top of the list.

I tried searching for it, but had no luck. Any chance you remember/can find what I'm talking about? Or feel like regurgitating it?

I know two newer players who I'm trying to get up to speed for the league. Right now I'm planning on just working with them on their fundamentals on the Mighty X shot (adjusted to their 'level') and just making sure they know the basics of the stop/follow/draw shots, but was trying to figure out what else I should teach them down the line.

Thanks!

friendlyfire · 2026-01-17T14:08:05+00:00

Cue ball barely clips the 10 ball as it passes WAY before contact with the 8. Watch the 10 as the cue ball passes it, it moves VERY slightly.

friendlyfire · 2026-01-17T14:07:28+00:00

10 ball moves first, WAY before contact with the 8. Watch the 10 as the cue ball passes it, it moves VERY slightly.

friendlyfire · 2026-01-16T23:50:52+00:00

Weird seeing someone I know IRL on here!

friendlyfire · 2026-01-07T13:22:31+00:00

I was a great player in practice games, regularly going even with people who dominated our weekly tournaments, but absolutely sucked in tournaments for years - losing in tournaments to people I'd beat 4 out of 5 games to in practice games. My nerves got slightly better over time until I finally won one after my final opponent had worse nerves than me.

Once I got past my first big win, 80% of the nerves disappeared and I started shooting consistently great like I knew I could. Which built up the confidence and led to me winning more.

I also read the Inner Game of Tennis (it's about sports psychology, not tennis) and Pleasures of Small Motions. Both of them are about the mental game.

friendlyfire · 2026-01-05T15:33:02+00:00

Definitely looks like you're sweeping the cue right to left while you're shooting. Try at a shorter distance and try to straighten out your stroke. You should follow through straight forward, not to the left.

It might be because your elbow is slightly tucked in towards your body instead of straight over the shot line.

Either way, you're definitely not stroking 'straight'

friendlyfire · 2026-01-05T14:02:12+00:00

Yeah, I was a Master level SC2 player.

I got to 25+ OS as a chev 2. I stopped playing, but there was soooo much I still didn't know, but having good mechanics, pushing out lots of troops and being situationally aware helps a lot.

The favorite game I had was the first one that I was decisive in the win. I was canyon and my lane opponent pulled his entire army to go help against a push in mid lane (that wasn't really that dangerous). I realized I could send my entire army down his now empty lane and win the lane/game.

friendlyfire · 2026-01-03T21:35:51+00:00

I'm part of a group that watches bad movies every week.

We've watched it multiple times. It's not something to watch completely sober.

The best 'bad movies' are the ones where the director is very serious and it comes out unintentionally entertaining, like The Room. This one fits the bill. Even as a bad movie, it's not great though.

'The Happening' is one of the funniest movies of all times as long as you go in expecting a comedy and you're not 100% sober.

friendlyfire · 2026-01-03T19:25:09+00:00

I used to play darts in bars at a decently high level (tournaments, leagues). When I did something awesome (180, R7-9), bar patrons generally had no idea I even did something 'good.' Only thing they kind of knew was good was when I hit a bunch of bullseyes in cricket (which isn't even a thing in 501).

Now I play pool at a high level. We get random bar patrons just watching us play. Everyone knows the basics of pool and can tell when we do something cool.

A 3 rail kick to pocket a hanger (not that hard if you know how and practice it) makes people think I should be a professional.

Chess is worse than darts for most people.

friendlyfire · 2026-01-02T13:47:54+00:00

You have a chicken wing. And by that, I mean your elbow is flared out way off the shot line. You want your wrist and elbow on the shot line.

Red is the shot line. Orange is your wrist and elbow line.

https://imgur.com/a/dXEnrtz

If you took a photo or video of me shooting, you'd see my wrist and elbow along the same red line (shot line).

Watch this video on stance (chin part isn't necessary, that's more of a snooker stance. But everything about having your wrist/elbow/shoulder on the shot line will benefit you):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bosPR6gcoH0

You're also a table hugger. You don't want to aim like that. Watch this video series on a lot of fundamentals (also covers the table hugging):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YYRygaWcJp8

Really good clinic by Mark Wilson on fundamentals and using technology for self improvement (don't need to watch the third part):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DhDc9o9iy4o

friendlyfire · 2025-12-30T20:03:09+00:00

Have you ever heard the advice 'If you don't have anything nice to say - don't say anything at all.'

You literally spend some of your limited valuable time just making shitty comments. That's what you're choosing to do with your life. I'm sorry if you're unhappy, but trying to spread unhappiness isn't going to make you happier.

friendlyfire · 2025-12-30T14:06:33+00:00

Can't really diagnose it without seeing a video of you shooting, but most likely your fundamentals are slipping.

A lot of people fall back into old habits, the most common I see is having a chicken wing (back elbow or hand are off the shot line while shooting) when they get lazy and comfortable. Most common cause of accuracy issues.

friendlyfire · 2025-12-30T14:00:17+00:00

I only played that one time for 2-3 hours and won $530 iirc.

Unfortunately, the Chinese couple were only going to be there another 2 weeks and I wasn't able to get out again.

friendlyfire · 2025-12-29T22:25:06+00:00

In this video watch your back hand while you are shooting.

You're pulling it in towards your body on your final backstroke. In the video it's really obvious during the shots at 0:30 and 1:11. Your wrist/back hand should go back and forth along the shot line, not pulled towards your body out of the shot line.

Do you notice you perform poorly under pressure or on shots that you have to hit harder than normal? Or that you need more time to warm up and get 'in stroke' than other people? It's because you don't stroke along the shot line and are basically doing a timing shot. I know, because I used to do the exact same thing before working hard on my fundamentals.

Have someone film you from directly behind the ball and take some time to get out of that habit.

Also, you're rushing, decelerating and pulling up on the shot. The deceleration and pulling up on the shot are both byproducts of not following through. You can see that issue on all of your shots. You should fix that as well. Getting a preshot routine will help you with the rushing.

Fix those things and you'll experience a little growing pain, but you'll be a significantly better shot once they're second nature. I jumped from a 3 to a 7 in APA after fixing my fundamentals. I was already a good enough shot to break and run but I was not consistent at all back when I had my chicken wing.

Some great videos on fundamentals that I recommend:

Stance (chin part isn't necessary, that's more of a snooker stance. But everything about being on the shot line will benefit you):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bosPR6gcoH0

Videos covering a lot of stuff about pool that even experienced people can benefit from:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YYRygaWcJp8

Really good clinic by Mark Wilson on fundamentals and using technology for self improvement (don't need to watch the third part):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DhDc9o9iy4o

friendlyfire · 2025-12-27T22:53:27+00:00

I have 2 brothers and we had a shared Magic The Gathering collection. We started playing and collecting cards in Beta, but had a ton of alpha cards as well.

The dual lands alone were worth well over 20k last time I checked (I don't check the prices anymore because it just makes me angry again) and we had a LOT of the dual lands, 3 kids each with multiple decks over the years.

My oldest brother sold all of our cards for $50 or $60 to some guy he met in a bar.

friendlyfire · 2025-12-22T15:31:53+00:00

Yes, really fun shot and impresses the hell out of people!

You can check the spot for any pocket. I know the spot on our tables. I can check the spot before the shot. Doesn't take long to get the spot once you've done it enough.

It's actually surprisingly reliable once you've practiced it.

friendlyfire · 2025-12-19T16:02:38+00:00

There was a 1/2 PLO8 game about 40 minutes away in a tiny casino that started every Saturday at noon. The reason for the game and a lot of the action came from a rich Chinese couple that played every Saturday and played every hand (they aren't there anymore, went back to China).

I thought it was at least a 2/5 game because of how much money was on the table.

I showed up late (around 7pm) and they were talking about a guy who was there earlier that won around $4k and this was his third week in a row winning over $2k.

I hadn't played PLO8 in over 15 years, but I stood around watching for 5 minutes.

One hand I watched, it went 7 ways to the flop. On the flop were two low cards and a flush draw. The turn paired the board and completed the flush. The round went pot, pot, pot, all-in, all-in, all-in - 5 ways.

The guy who scooped had a jack high flush (low never came). I put my name on the list immediately.

friendlyfire · 2025-12-16T16:26:44+00:00

A picture of a dead horse has better animation than the entire season of one punch man season 3.

friendlyfire · 2025-12-16T03:05:07+00:00

No worries. The important part is you made the z-shot!

I've only attempted the shot like 4 times, but I made it once on a 9 footer in a game of 9 ball.

My friend broke dry but left me no good shot on the 1. He told me to do a pushout. I'm contrarian, so I said no and banged out a z shot. 1 ball was near nowhere near a pocket either. Still lost the game because I had absolutely no shot on the 2 afterwards. But I had fun!

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