Few Games Of Pool example essay topic

662 words
After a hard days work, nothing satisfies me like going out to play a few friendly games of pool. Pool itself is supposed to be a gentleman's game, but many of the people I play against taint the image of the game. The average person I play is just out looking for a good time. It could be someone trying to free his or her mind after a stressful day at work, or a group of friends hanging out for a while. These are the people who normally come in, have a couple drinks, and enjoy a few games of pool before going home for the evening. Although some do clown around a little, they rarely get out of hand.

If you look towards the back of a bar or pool hall, this is where you will often find the better skilled pool players. These people tend to take the game very seriously. Good pool players are generally some of the most nice and courteous people I have ever met. Most of these players play the game in the utmost gentleman-like fashion and cherish their moments at the table, but there are some who try to take advantage of others. These "hustlers" or "sharks" as they are commonly known will act as if they do not know much about the game, but in all actuality are some of the better players around town. I have learned to keep an eye out for certain things, but other people should be aware of who they are playing when money is involved.

One of the most annoying opponents on a pool table is someone who always whines and complains. Every time someone like this misses a shot they have to make some excuse to take the blame off of their own self. I have heard nearly every excuse there is to hear: from the table not being level and someone's stick being warped to pocket gnomes and earthquakes. One or two remarks here and there is okay, but making an excuse after every shot gets old very quick. The next category is one you should expect to find quite often: drunks. Just like everywhere else, drunks are by far the loudest and most obnoxious people in the pool hall.

I have played many games against them. The thing that really bothers me is when it is their turn to shoot; they are always talking to someone else and will keep talking until you remind them that they are in the middle of a game. Although drunks can be very obnoxious, one of the best ways to catch a few good laughs is by watching them stumble around the table and attempt to play the game. Most drunks are fairly harmless; they will normally hurt themselves before hurting anything else. The worst type of person to play against is someone who has no control of their anger, especially when that person has had a few drinks. I have witnessed a few fights over games of pool, but this occurs only on rare occasions.

One night in a tournament I won against someone who thought that they should have beaten me. After the game was over, he grabbed his stick and broke it over the table. The situation struck me funny, but I did not say anything. In the end, the only thing he accomplished by this act was showing everyone how big of a fool he could make of himself. Being a pool player, or anything else for that matter, one must take the bad with the good. As long as I play pool I will have to deal with all kinds of people.

The best thing I can do is learn about these different personalities so I can better deal with them in the future.