Playing pool and winning a trip to Las Vegas to play in the National Team Event!

virtualgrowth (72)in #writing • 8 years ago (edited)

"I need you to win tonight.", says my pool captain.

Going to Las Vegas has always been a dream of mine.

Always wanted to go to Las Vegas sometime. It's like a dream to many poker players like myself. Also to pool players that play in leagues. At one point I played four nights a week on teams that could possibly win a trip to a National team tournament that was held in Las Vegas.

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"I need you to win tonight.", says my pool captain. She had just arrived to the pool hall where we play together on a team for one of those bar leagues that play weekly for a season to win prizes. Being a middle ranked player on the team I am thinking to myself, "Why me?". There's a few players ranked higher than me on the team. Aren't they the ones that we need to win? After all they are the ones who win the most often. This is why they are ranked higher than me. They are better shot makers. So I reply, "Yes of course my gorgeous captain."

She was also a very good friend and a beautiful young woman so I had a habit of calling her gorgeous and she appreciated it so why not. Apparently she had gone to another good friend of mine at the local pool hall and was inquiring on how to get me to play my best. She knew I had my ways of winning as I have demonstrated this before for the team. So hearing say she needed me meant a lot to both of us and we knew this in our own ways.

Tonight you're playing without your glasses

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Thinking back to one of our practice sessions together a few weeks back. You see we normally play on eight foot bar room tables. We went to a place that had nine foot Crown and Diamond tables which were much nicer and nicer to play on because they played better. Normally I played with my glasses on because my eyes aren't the best. But on that night she told me I was going to play without my glasses!

So we played a nine ball match. Normally I play eight ball and she plays nine ball singles tournaments. Talk about a challenging captain and friend! She tells me to feel the shot not see it. I'm thinking what? But guess I kind of know what she means. So I concentrate on playing to leave myself shots that I don't need to see as well on this long table. We shoot a few racks and it is close at times. But by playing defense I manage to beat her without my glasses!

I am mentally prepared for my pool match.

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So I am mentally prepared for my pool match. Or should I say matches. In this league we play four matches against four different opponents. I like this league for that reason getting to play different skilled players which makes it more interesting. We had finished in fifth place and this team won our division. This was going to be a challenging match for sure! I was only an eights and they had three players that were nines and tens! And she needed me to win!

I play my first match against a nine. They are beating me as I expect. So I try to play defense to gain control of the game. They get down to two balls left. I manage to find a run out and win my first match tonight! This is a great thing. Tonight we are playing for first place, prize money, and a trip to Las Vegas to play in the National Tournament. So there's no pressure... Yeah right!

No pressure... YOU'RE TURN! :) - credit: tumblr.com

I watch my other teammates play their matches. We are behind by a few balls and is still early in the match so we have a chance. My next match is against their weakest player and I manage to win by a few balls. Doing well so far. Still have the two toughest players to play the next two rounds.

We do well overall and are only down by a couple of balls. This match is still well in reach of either team. Get up to play against the second best player who I believe was a 9.5. So my thought it to get some balls in but also to play mostly defense. They win the break and run out half of their balls. This immediately puts me on the defensive. So risk not getting a ball in early in hopes to block them from having a run out. Of course they play defense against me. Now I'm feeling the pressure. We exchange turn each getting some more balls in. We're both down to one ball left! They left me with a cross side shot. Thing is if I make it I'll leave myself a tough shot on the eight having to make another bank shot in the side with the eight as well. So I think this over for a long while. About fifteen seconds later I decide to just go for it. I can see and feel my team watching me. I manage to make the first ball in leaving a bank shot on the eight. I walk around the table and mark the pocket. Then go back. Taking a few moments to carefully look over the shot and calculate my angle and how hard to hit the cue ball. I take a deep breathe making sure to not breathe during my shot. I hit the eight and it rolls across the table. Then off the bank. Towards to the pocket and it goes in!

My other teammates shoot well and we win overall pulling us into the lead. Now up a few balls instead of down a few balls. This is great! Can feel our energy building up over the course of this night.

Watching my team win and lose the next few matches. Then I am called up to play the ten. This will be my hardest match of the night! one of the last two matches with another player playing at the same time as me. So I don't know exactly where we are in the match and just go to give it my best.

We lag for the break and I lose the lag again and my opponent gets to break. They manage to run out five balls. This only leave them two balls and the eight ball. I watch the table intently as they shoot one ball after another. Starting to put my plan together. Which balls to leave in the way. Sticking with my defensive strategy from earlier. And which balls to shoot in. To make my way around the table for a good defensive leave shot. I shoot a couple of my balls in this time. Thinking I need to try better defense for this match! They miss their shot. But I still don't like my chances of running out the table yet. So I shoot one ball in and go for another defensive leave. They look at the table for a long moment. Then get down to shoot. They hit their ball and it goes towards the corner pocket missing it by only inches! Almost thought I was about to lose! Now I'm thinking this is my chance and "I need to win" as I was told earlier. I get down low on my shot and hold my breathe while shooting to be sure to keep good form. I manage to get my last balls in and down to the eight ball. Not too hard of shot and I've almost won. I go around the table to mark my pocket. Go back and shoot the eight ball in.