Respond With Love

I wrote this in the weeks after Shirley and I were almost killed in a bad car accident. We not only lost our car - but the people that owned the car that had hit us reported the car as stolen to help save a family member from getting in more trouble - and sadly, lying about all of that worked out for them (in the short-term).

Recently, I read the news - you see things you don't want to see. You come to Facebook and you see posts where people post their views - people disagree on their views - and it causes even more division - more arguing - and it seems to be spiraling out of control.

We are all people. We all have our own perspectives and our unique life experiences that we shape our world, our opinions, and our views. If you are arguing with somebody over these recent events - please remember to respect the path that person has walked to earn their perspective, their opinions, and their views. I believe that we need to all take a step back and remember that no matter how clever we are - no matter how slick we are - no matter how good we can lie, cheat, and steal our way through life - none of us will escape Final judgement.

My message for today ...

Respond with with love and let God sort them out.

This was my response when I found out nothing would be done to the person that almost killed kill us. It is still my response today.

"I believe that it all comes down to senselessness, and selfishness. Goodness diffuses itself - it gives - it shares - it loves - it creates - whereas evil is motivated by self and/or selfish things - it takes - it steals - it hates - it destroys... goodness is light - evil is darkness - only one has the ability to shine out the other. We cannot allow the darkness of this world to overpower the light of our love, our compassion, or our ability to see the darkness for what it really is - hurt, disappointment, bitterness - and an inability to feel the same emotion that we are all felling now. No matter how evil their deed - I'm going to pray for them anyway and shine out some darkness." ~ Blackjack's Random Thoughts, December 14, 2012.

3 Rules

I wrote this several years ago. I had initially intended to add it into my book Lessons In 9 Ball - but for some reason it wasn't. Not sure why. I'm pretty sure that the date on this is incorrect - by about 10 years. I believe that I wrote a draft for this while I was in Germany in 1990 - but all I have to go on is the date that says that I edited it in January of 2000. Feel free to pass this on and share it - as it was shared with me by many people that came before me.

My 3 Rules for Success in Life and in Pool

Rule #1
Love, honor and respect the game - and in return, the game will love, honor and respect you.

Honor and respect is not something you are born with – you have to give it to receive it – and to receive it you have to earn it. Exercise honor and respect - not only for the game – but also honor and respect yourself – honor and respect your opponent – honor and respect the people that are watching you.

Be grateful for everything – good or bad. In my experience, gratitude shines the light that will lead you out of the darkness. Ingratitude is the halitosis of the soul. I make very few guarantees, but I can guarantee you that nothing will take you farther in life than a heart that is filled with honor and respect – and wrapped in gratitude.

Rule #2
Never give in to disappointments or setbacks.

Disappointments and setbacks are the stepping stones that will lead you towards greatness. Failures, setbacks, disappointments – they show us where we need to improve – they show us where we need to direct our energy during practice – and they provide the motivation and drive that we need to constantly seek improvement and growth. Nothing should be smooth or easy for you. Never forget – that to start a fire you need friction – that friction gives birth to the spark that will ignite the flame that will grow into a blazing fire. Adversity is just another log on the fire – so keep that fire burning strong!

Learn how to welcome and accept adversity the same way you would accept winning the lottery. As long as you don’t quit before the miracle – you will eventually grow to accept and understand that adversity is the most precious gift that you will ever receive. Your attitude towards adversity will shape you into who you will become.

Rule #3
Remember … none of this is ever about you – it is about the people you touch with your life.

Be open – be accessible to others - and above all - be generous. When you are generous with your knowledge and your experience, you extend your legacy outward towards infinity. Make sure to go out of your way – EVERY DAY – to help and assist others to grow, achieve, and overcome. Eventually, the lives you touch will touch the lives of others. Every life that is touched adds another link to the endless chain of your love, honor, and respect for the game. That is how champions – real champions – persevere and endure. ~ Blackjack’s Random Thoughts ~ January 15, 2000

When you lose, You win ...

"I've always looked at it like this ... you will always learn more when you lose than when you win. If we won all of the time - how could we stay motivated towards constant improvement? In the game of pool, "losing" is just another word for "Motivational Fuel" ... Losing teaches you - it teaches you where you need to improve - and it teaches you that you still have a lot of work to do to get where you want to go ... Losing keeps your ego in check - and losing shows you exactly what you should be working on during practice ... No matter what happens out there on the table - I don't care what it is - you can take it and use it to your advantage in the future. This includes all of the bad rolls - all of the missed shots - all of the silly mistakes - all of the position errors - and all of the losses. They are all gifts from the pool Gods that should be used to transform you into a stronger, better player - a stronger, better person - and eventually ... a stronger, better CHAMPION!" ~ Blackjack's Random Thoughts, November 30, 2014.

What I think ...

I received a question from somebody yesterday about the Michael Brown incident. The questions was this ... "Having been a police officer - what do YOU think of their decision to not have the officer face charges for this murder?"

Not knowing much about this incident - I hesitated to respond. First of all, I realized that I was being baited into a pissing contest - and I try to avoid pissing contests at all costs - but I did feel that I owed my friend a response - and I'm pretty sure that he didn't expect to hear this from me - or anybody else.

----,
What do I think?

... what I think doesn't matter half as much as what I am seeing. I see cars being flipped over - buildings being damaged and looted. On one channel, I see a police officer trying to explain his actions, while on another channel I see the parents mourning their child - and mourning the results of a legal process that they have lost faith in.

I see people yelling. I see people marching in the streets. I see people hating each other.

I hear cries. I hear arguing. I hear disagreements on both sides of an issue that just seems to be bringing out the worst and best from so many people.

I see the media sensationalizing this situation from every angle in an attempt to keep the emotions on both sides heightened for as long as possible. I find that disrespectful to everybody involved in this situation.

You see ... I have no side in this in this issue - but I do have life experience that gives me a very unique perspective. I find it interesting that you have asked me this question because I was a police officer.

When you think of that uniform - you obviously think of me - and you have baited me into this response because I was a "a cop" ... and because I was "a cop" - I am being singled out and baited into a private sub-argument. So ... against my better judgement, I'll bite around the hook.

Let me state that my law enforcement career is just a small part of my life experience. It does not define my life - nor does it define me as a person. In almost 50 years, I have been many different things - I have worn many different uniforms - many different hats - and I am aware of who and where I am today because of all that I have experienced.

Now ... I can clearly see that you are upset with law enforcement. That is understandable because of the emotions that are charging and fueling this incident. I won't pretend to understand your point of view because I have not walked in your shoes. I have not lived your life - I have not experienced your struggles. Your perspective is unique to your personal experience. So is mine.

So ... I thought I would take a moment to share with you my experience and why I became a police officer (over 20 years ago). You may be surprised - you may change your mind - or maybe you won't. I have no control over how you will take my response, but here it goes ...

In the fall of 1980, I was 14 years old. I was at my brother's flag football game at local field in Hollywood, Florida. We had forgotten something at home, and my mother had asked me to walk back home - it was about 5 blocks - I had to run home - retrieve what ever it was - and bring it back. So off I went - powered by Converse.

I looked no different than any other teenage at the time. I was wearing jeans and a t-shirt - my hair was kind of long and shaggy - and I probably looked like I was up to no good - but I really wasn't. I was good kid - even if I didn't look the part.

Two blocks into my journey - from out of nowhere - a police car quickly pulled up beside me and stopped abruptly. The officer got out of his car and approached me with a scowl - screaming for me to put my hands on the car. I was scared shit-less. Even though I had done nothing wrong - I almost ran out of fear. The officer startled me - and his demeanor gave me the impression that I was going to experience his wrath.

After I was told to put my hands on the car. I did. Then I found out that it wasn't good enough for him, so he violently kicked my legs apart and tossed me head first over the hood of the car. My left arm scraped against the windshield wiper on the passenger side of his patrol car. When I raised my arm up to look at my injuries, he pulled me by the back of my t-shirt and ripped it as he tossed me back on the hood of the car - head first. He asked me my name. He then rummaged through my pockets. He tossed everything I had onto the hood of the car and berated me for over 10 minutes.

People came out of their houses to watch. This was not my neighborhood - nobody knew who I was. The officer continuously insulted me personally - I was called an asshole. I was called a spic (being Italian, I wasn't sure if I qualified for the slur - but he seemed to like calling me that). I was also called a dumb-ass. All I was doing was walking home and doing what my mother had asked me to do.

I was to told to "get the f--- out of that neighborhood" and then he left.

I ran home. Got the item. I took a different - longer route back to the football field - and completely avoided that neighborhood.

My mother was enraged when she saw my arm - my clothes were ripped - and I was terrified. I distinctly remember that when she called - there was no record of any police officer stopping me in that neighborhood.

So ... I've been there - and I know what it is like to feel violated. That was 34 years ago - but I remember it like it was yesterday. It was my one and only experience - I can't even imagine having to deal with that on a regular basis.

In 1986, a friend of mine was being harassed and threatened by her estranged boyfriend. She pleaded with the police to help her because she feared for her life. They dismissed her requests for help as a simple "lovers spat" - they did nothing at all - and 2 nights later she was murdered by him at the location she was hiding. She was shot twice in the head - and then he turned the gun on himself. She was 20 years old. She did everything she was supposed to do. It's a shame that law enforcement didn't do all that they could do.

Those are the two significant reasons that pushed me to becoming a police officer. I wanted to be different. I wanted to make a difference. That is why I wore the badge.

I believe that I did make a difference. My 5 years as a police officer was a lot of things - but it mostly a struggle for me to try to find a way to "fit in". People that served with me on the El Paso Police Department will tell you that as well. I did the best that I could day after day - night after night - and I parted ways when I didn't enjoy the job anymore. If you don't love that job, you shouldn't be out there. If you don't love that job, you become a liability to the people around you. Thank God I noticed that and moved on.

In my law enforcement days, I worked with some really great people. I also worked with some real jerks - but its like that in any job. There are good and bad people everywhere. I never tossed anybody over the hood of a patrol vehicle. I never called anybody names or lashed out on them in anger. If somebody called for help, I did all that I could do for them - even if some of the people that I worked with thought that I was getting too "personally involved" in the call - I did all that I could because ... I had a purpose. I always believed then - as I do now - you can never do too much for somebody in need. I never looked the other way.

That is who I was behind the badge. That is who I am now. I doubt that I will ever change. If that's a fault, so be it - that's how I'm wired.

I have also lived through the experience of losing a child. It has been 22 years. That pain never goes away. You think about it all the time. Holidays are different - so are anniversaries - it is sharp, dull, constant pain that pierces your heart and soul on a daily basis. I pray for anybody that has lost a child. They know a pain far too great to explain in words.

I have also worked in the local media on and off for many years now. I know what goes in to "keeping a story alive". The depths that some people will go to aggressively "keep a story a live" or to "manipulate/add fuel to the fire/create a public outcry" is limitless. When I see this at any level of media, it is a sure sign of a lack of talent, creativity, and personal integrity. I know that because on several occasions I have lacked talent, creativity, and personal integrity when faced with a deadline. Guilty as charged.

So what do I think?

Having the perspective that I have today - I think it is a very unfortunate situation. I think that people need to put love where there is no love. I think that people need to try and understand each other more. I think that people need to listen more than they talk. I think we need to love our kids. I think that we should exercise our compassion more than we exercise our need to exploit our political views. I think we need to do something for somebody other than ourselves - expecting nothing in return. I think that we need to realize that skin color does not perpetuate hatred - people perpetuate hatred. I think we need to show compassion. I think we should think before we speak. I think we need to look at ourselves before we look at others. I think our actions need to reflect our words. I think we need to forgive more than we realize. I think we need to turn to God - not violence. I think we need to realize that we are all human and we all make mistakes - and that "human" is an all-inclusive, terminal condition. I think that we need to concentrate on what we have in common - rather than to use the things that make us different as an excuse for division. I think that in this situation - everybody is right - and I also think that everybody is wrong ... ON BOTH SIDES OF THE MIRROR.

That's what I think ... and I won't try to force anybody to think the same way.

Marek Hajdovský - Jan Meisner (MR 2014 - 10-ball)

Amazing player - so proud of Marek Hajdovsky!!  Highlights from the final match of the Czech Republic National 10 Ball Championship Vs Jan Meisner !!! Check this out! Phenomenal! 

14.1: The Crucifix Drill

Rich Can Come Fairly Easy ...

Obsession?

"I didn't start running hundreds over night. For me, it was a struggle. I played every single day and I learned everything that I could possibly learn from some of the best teachers in the world. I would cleverly pick the brains of world champions and hall of fame players - desperately searching for those magical words of wisdom that just might get me there. Despite my best efforts, I still struggled for years - and was never able to run a hundred balls.

My quest to run a hundred was just heartbreak after heartbreak. I had come close a few times. I hit 99 twice, and 98 four or five times. On two of those 98 ball runs, I scratched on the break ball. My first 99 ball run - I got stuck in the pack without a shot.

My frustration grew to epic proportions. Sometimes I got mad at it - sometimes I got furious. There were days when I just wanted to say the hell with it and never play again. I remember one day in particular where I sat in my chair after yet another sub-par performance - clenching my cue in my hands and ready to snap it over my knee. Maybe I was just trying too hard. Maybe I didn't have enough talent. Maybe it just wasn't meant to be.

Instead of smashing my cue - I just kept showing up every single day - getting on the table and hitting balls hour after hour - all day - all night - all week. I wasn't getting the result that I wanted, so I made it my business to find out why. I found out what was holding me back, and then I did something about it. I just kept playing - shooting ball after ball - rack after rack. With each shot I was getting a little bit stronger - a little bit wiser - and little bit closer ... until finally .... that day came where the stars aligned and the balls moved like magic - and I did it! I finally did it! Not only did I run a hundred - I ran 122 balls that day - smashing my previous high run by 23 balls. I'll never forget how it felt to finally accomplish that goal.

Since then I have run 100+ balls more times than I can remember. I have even been over the 200 ball mark on four separate occasions. I learned that hard work and persistence only pays off when you invest your energy into the solution - not the problem or the frustration.

Of course it's cool to have a 200+ high run - but I never forget where I come from and what I had to do to get where I am at today. If you're discouraged - if you're frustrated - if you tired of trying - tired of failing - if you feel as if you don't have enough talent - just remember this:

A long time ago, in a land far, far away I sat in a chair - angry - bitter - frustrated - pissed off at the world - ready to smash my cue over my knee because I didn't think I had what it took to play the game of straight pool.

Somehow, I was able to transform all of my anger and all of my frustration into positive, powerful energy that propelled me and my game to a level I could have never imagined as I sat in that chair.

Today, I have a high run of 212 balls in 14.1 Continuous. Somehow - someway I have also became highly regarded as one of the best teachers in the game of straight pool. Crazy stuff like that happens when you refuse to give up - and when you don't smash your cue." ~ Blackjack's Random Thoughts, November 25, 2006.

4 Basic Lessons

Your Capacity to Learn

"Your capacity to learn is limited only by your desire succeed. Your desire to succeed is limited only by the size of your dreams. The size of your dreams are limited only by your imagination. Your imagination is limited only by what you believe. If you BELIEVE you are limited - then you are limited. If you believe that you are limitless - then your potential is infinite.

Many of us are conditioned to recognize limits and it shackles us to the word "impossible". The word Impossible makes most obstacles in our lives "impassable". This leads to frustration and avoidance behavior, and eventually we surrender ourselves to our circumstances.

I believe that it doesn't matter what you are facing in life - or what extenuating circumstances you may have going on. Your situation may be bigger than you - but it is NOT bigger than God or His power to guide you through it.

Every single minute of every single day, you have to free yourself from the chains of limiting beliefs and the impossible. To be a champion at the pool table, you must first be a champion at defeating your own doubts and limiting beliefs. Start every day and face every situation with faith, conviction, positivity - combined with an attitude of gratitude for all that you have been blessed with. When you do that, you will finally realize that the word "impossible" was invented by some loser who just wanted to attract others to join him in his misery. Now you know that the misery is optional."
~ Blackjack's Random Thoughts, December 11, 2012.

Ignore The Haters

Sorrows Are Our Best Educator ...

How Did I Get So Good?

John Wooden: Blame

Greatness

"Greatness doesn't fall from the tree of complacency.

Complacency is a silent killer. It creeps up on you like a thief in the night and robs you of your full potential. You won't even know that complacency is there until after everybody else has noticed it - by then, most have already taken advantage of complacency's presence in your life. Just as weeds will choke out and destroy the flowers in your garden - complacency will choke out and destroy every goal and dream in your life.

Complacency lures you in by giving you the illusion of self-satisfaction and contentment. Contentment kills motivation. If greatness is your goal, then you have to protect and defend yourself against and from complacency in your attitude, in your approach, and in your actions.

Greatness doesn't fall from the tree of laziness.

Laziness is the result of the loss of momentum that leads to the cessation of progress. The loss of momentum and the loss of progress is usually attached to disappointment and discouragement which fuels a lack of self esteem - a lack of self belief - and ultimately - a lack of motivation.

A lot of players get trapped into trading in their long term progress for short term comfort. As they trudge the road of happy destiny - they finally arrive at the fork in the roads that leads to PROGRESS or STAGNATION. They look down the road of progress and see that there are battles to be fought and mountains to climb. As they stare down that road, they realize that they might have to crawl on their hands and knees through fields of broken glass and razor blades - through minefields and firestorms - it's tough - dangerous road that intimidates more than it entices.

Suddenly ... they look down the road of stagnation. It is much more inviting. There is a warm, comfy couch - sitting in front of a fireplace - a remote control for a big screen TV that hangs on the wall - add in a couple of pepperoni pizzas from Domino's and a 12 pack of Bud - and it looks like a great place to relax and enjoy! It's an easy decision! They take the easy way - and the easy way takes you to an abrupt dead end that I call STAGNATION.

The funny things is ... once you're trapped in that dead end - enjoying yourself and lounging on that couch - flipping the channels - enjoying the pizza and the beer and all the comfort that comes with accomplishing nothing - immediately the door slams shut behind you. You're trapped. You're locked in. There is no way out, Once the pizza and beer runs out and fire smolders to its death - you will be left there all by yourself - usually lost, usually disoriented, and definitely unmotivated. Your character building has been lost in your rush for comfort. If greatness is your goal - if you aspire to be an exceptional player as well as an exceptional person - then you MUST protect and defend yourself from laziness in your attitude, in your approach, in your thoughts, in your words, and in your actions.

Greatness falls from the tree of constant hard work, fearless dedication, and total commitment. Take note of the adjectives that I have attached to those qualities. Those are what I call "ABSOLUTE" words. I believe that it is extremely important to find and use definitive and descriptive words that add an "absolute" quality to everything that you do - then put those words into constant, permanent action.

The word absolute ... it means ... free from restriction or limitation; not limited in any way - unrestrained - unlimited - free from imperfection.

Strengthen your words and you will strengthen your mind and the thoughts that it will generate. Inner strength is the result of conquering inner weakness. Inner strength comes in many different shapes and sizes - but I recommend that you invest in the unlimited variety of inner strength - and bond that unlimited inner strength to your vocabulary.

When you add unlimited strength to your words - you add unlimited strength to the your thoughts - this will unavoidably add unlimited strength to your attitude. By protecting and defending yourself from laziness, complacency, and stagnation, you will have a distinct advantage in your overall approach to life and of the challenges that will come with it." ~ Blackjack's Random Thoughts, 03-15-2002.

Cowboy Jimmy Moore

No Points For Style

As life goes on, our priorities do change. There was a time when every spare second that I had was spent at the pool table - every last dime that I had went for table time - or entry fees - or travel - etc. Playing pool was my only priority. It came before work - my social life - it came before everything. My decision-making process was easy ... anything involving pool came first. Pool was what I did - pool was all that I wanted - and eventually pool was all that I had - and - my game was all that I had to show for it. That's what I really wanted and I took pride in it. I went out of my way to be what I was. No points for style. 

Then life happened. 

You find that special someone - you opt for apartment living rather than the back seat of your car - with that comfort comes bills - with bills come responsibilities - which eventually puts you in an office filling out a job application. For a pool player, "job" is 4-letter-word - but if you're smart and you enjoy the comforts of living indoors - you will do what you have to do - and eventually ... I did. No points for style.

Before I knew what hit me ... there was a bunch of kids crawling around the apartment ... these kids were loud - they were demanding - and oh-boy were they  expensive!!! So ... there I was ... being pulled away by my hair - kicking and screaming from the apartment into a 5 bedroom house ... the cost of which forced me back into the education system so that at some point I would be qualified to find a job that paid enough to afford all of this new found "responsibility" that was being shoved up my rear-end. I didn't like any of it - I bitched - I moaned - I complained - I would daydream about my glory days when my mailing address was the back seat of my Honda ... life was so much easier - so much simpler - and so much quieter back then ... but ... if you're smart - and if you enjoy the comforts of living indoors - and if you love you love your family - you will do what you have to do - and eventually ... I did. No points for style. 

To be able to meet those responsibilities, I had to reassess my life and prioritize. I was at the crossroads of Pool and Life ... While I was working and furthering my education, there were things that had to be sacrificed - and there were things that had to be put on hold ... and pool just happened to be one of them. My decisions were not so easy anymore because all of  my decisions affected other people - people that depended upon me - they affected my family. It wasn't so easy anymore to belly-up to the table and accept those $100 and $200-a-set challenges. A missed shot here -or- a bad roll there would have meant the difference between being able to provide -or- standing there having to explain why I was unable to provide. You just have to mess that up one time to really learn the difference between coming home with a reason and coming home with an excuse. Times were tough - but we managed - I learned how to stand there with fingers pointed at me as other called me names - labeled me this - and labeled me that - but I didn't have to answer to THEM ... so I did what I had to do. No points for style.

In hindsight - I guess I could look back at all those dreams that were never realized -at all that money that was never won - at all of those trophies that were never hoisted in the air ,,,  of course there are things that I never did that I wished I had - etc etc etc ... but my life - and all of the changes and responsibilities that came with it - has been abundantly filled with countless blessings. I was lucky enough and blessed enough to have been able to play this game every step of the way. I may not have played at the level or the frequency that I wanted to - but I was able to juggle my education - my career - my family - and when it made sense .... POOL. Along the way, I have learned that pool always will have a place in my life as long as I meet my responsibilities first -  and ensure that my life (and the people that are in it) are taken care of first and foremost ... but the biggest lesson that I have learned is that it is just as important to be amazing in life as it is to be amazing at the pool table ... you only learn all these life lessons in responsibility by living through it - and once again ...  you get no points for style. 

Blackjack's Random Thoughts - 11-10-2014 

Don't Sweat Losing ... Do Something About It

"Losing is part of moving forward. When somebody hands you a loss, do something with it. If you lost, then a weakness was detected. You can either deal with the weakness and make it stronger, or deny that the weakness exists, and allow it to become your Achilles' heel.

Winners know that losing is a part of winning. If you have any weakness, then you have to realize that your opponent will go out of his way to find a way to exploit it. It doesn't matter whether it's your break, your shot making, your banks, or your kicks - your entire game has to be fine-tuned.

Your opponent is going to attack your weaknesses, not your strengths. So you have to do something to get your game stronger every single day. That is why you should always use your practice time wisely. Don't just waste your time doing nothing - spend all of your time getting stronger and better. Losing will only set you back if you don't do anything about it." ~ Blackjack's Random Thoughts, March 4, 1991.

When Things Go Wrong

When Things Go Wrong

Reassess the Situation
Most of us don’t know exactly what is happening when things are going wrong, yet we self-prescribe ineffective remedies for our deficiencies. This can definitely make things worse. You don’t hire an electrician to fix your plumbing. You get a plumber. The same is true with pool. You can't fix the mental by adjusting the physical. Many of us don’t understand that misdiagnosis is just as good as no diagnosis. If we are still frustrated about not making balls, we can try changing where we are breaking from - or we can try changing the cue we are breaking with, etc.; yet if the deficiency is because of a problem in our stroke mechanics or improper alignment - then these remedies will have little or no effect at all.

By taking a few steps back, we broaden our perspective and we are able to see more of the entire picture. If you have to - take a break. There is no shame in stopping for a few minutes to evaluate, reassess, and change your strategy. Taking a break can stop frustration dead in its tracks. It's a smart move - and it makes sense. Giving in to frustration will quickly build a wall between you and your good sense, so it is wise to stop, take a breath, take a step back, and reconnect to the positive.

Apply a Remedy & Reevaluate
Many of us apply our remedies in frustration - at a heightened state of emotion - and because of that, we become so entangled in the emotions of the situation that we fail to reevaluate. We must pay attention to whether or not the remedy was effective. You have to ask yourself: Was this particular remedy a solution to the problem, or did this remedy have no effect at all? If it did work, then you move along in a positive direction. Take steps to document what was learned from that situation. Keep a journal. It is extremely important to remember exactly how you were successful or unsuccessful at avoiding frustration.

You need to know what works and what does not work - and you also need to know what makes it better and what makes it worse. The more you know about yourself and how you perform under pressure, the easier it will be to correctly apply effective remedies during the heat of battle. Don't be one of those white-knuckled players that sits in the chair cussing at themselves and everything else. That's not productive or effective - and it will only deplete your mental energy. You are going to need all of your mental energy for that next shift in momentum. Always be prepared for things to start going your way again. It is inevitable.

Let's face it, things are going to go wrong and you're going to get frustrated. You need to expect that. However, you must have a planned strategy to get yourself back on track. Think about it ... if you saw a big spider crawling up the wall in your bedroom - you would quickly find something to take out the spider. You might grab a can of bug spray - or - if that's not available, you can just take your shoe off and smash it to death. You don't want to just leave him alone and let him live there - rent free. If you run out of the room - the spider is still in there - and God only knows where he might hide - or - when he might surprise you again. Frustration is that spider crawling up the wall. Get rid of it!

Frustration is the ultimate form of self-destruction. It really is a pool player's number one enemy. Frustration is the main ingredient for most of your worst nightmares. Frustration is YOU VS YOU. You're fighting yourself. Think about it - you don't want to come out of the match as your only victim. Somewhere there is a graveyard filled with hopes, dreams, and close matches that were taken out by frustration. They suffered a death by their own thoughts and lack of self-control. You can avoid that graveyard by practicing your Frustration Avoidance Techniques just as much or MORE than you practice everything else. Developing a strategy for every aspect of your mental game is worth every second that you put into it.
~ Blackjack's Random Thoughts, December 12, 2013.

Avoiding Frustration

Be careful not to expose yourself to the pitfalls of frustration. If you lose a set - learn to recognize why you are losing - look at the weakness that is causing you to lose - and then devise a plan to transform that weakness into a strength. 

Constantly and immediately going right back onto the battlefield with the same weakness will only frustrate you.The definition of insanity is trying the same thing over and over again while expecting different results. Until you solve the problem - you will get the same result every single time - so it makes sense to solve the problem - not make it worse. :)

Mental Game: Conquering Frustration and Fear

Long answer to how I overcame the "100 Ball Wall".

Reigniting That Passion

"I had to hit a point where I wanted to win. I had to WANT it again. I had to reignite that desire that pushed me in the beginning. I needed fuel to start that fire, and my current frustration and disappointment were exactly what I needed. It sent me to a point where I reconnected to my game on an emotional level. I learned that if I am not connected to my game on an emotional level - I stop caring. That's not only applicable to pool, it is applicable to everything in life. If you don't care anymore - if you disconnect from anything emotionally - it starts to slip away from you." ~ Blackjack's Random Thoughts, 08-20-1993.

Taking It Into Battle

It Can Be Done!

Gunfighters and Pool Players

"I look at it like this ...

The gunfighter with the most bullets doesn't always win the gunfight. Neither does the gunfighter with the prettiest/most expensive gun in his holster.The gunfighter that wins is usually the gunfighter with the combination of the calmest nerves - stone cold killer instinct - the fastest trigger finger - and the deadliest aim. They are quick, confident, deadly, and accurate to a fault. When the $hit goes down, it doesn't matter how much they have or how pretty and expensive their gun is. If they're not the absolute best when and where it counts the most - they won't survive out there.

The pool player with the biggest mouth doesn't always get the cash. Neither does the pool player with the prettiest/most expensive cue in their case.The player that wins is usually the player with the combination of the calmest nerves - stone cold killer instinct, the ability to adapt quickly - and the deadliest aim. They are quick, confident, deadly, and accurate to a fault. When the $hit goes down, it doesn't matter how much they have -or- how pretty and expensive their cue is. If they're not the absolute best when and where it counts the most - they won't survive out there." ~ Blackjack's Random Thoughts, 02-08-2010.

Just Breathe

"Sometimes ... if we try too hard, we sabotage our own success. The game/match is important - you want to win - however remaining in the process can be difficult if you feel that you are off. We can concentrate on our pre-shot routine until we look like someone on the dance floor looking at their feet and counting steps. That doesn't always work - especially if you're pissed off, aggravated, or frustrated already. Like most things in pool and in life, sometimes the most difficult situations have the easiest solutions. The best thing to do is to take a second to concentrate on your breathing. Bring the air in and out of your body and focus on nothing else. Usually when things aren't going the way we want them to, we are drawing in a lot of the environmental negatives. By drawing a breath - you can inhale the positive - and exhale the negative stuff right out of your system. Shallow breathing=Less oxygen & poor focus ... deep concentrated breathing = more oxygen, better thing - calmer nerves - stronger focus. The air is free - and always available for you to use to your advantage.

While you are shooting - it is a good idea to cue in your focus on the color of the cloth and the rails. Allow that color to absorb your thoughts and intensify your focus and concentration. Concentrate on each breath - and with each breath that color intensifies with your focus. One feeds the other. Cue your ears to listen to a sound that is positive - like the clicking of the balls contacting each other - the sound of the chalk brushing your tip - the sound of the tip contacting the cue ball - or the sound of the balls rolling into the pockets. Allow that sound to intensify the color of the cloth which intensifies with your breathing - which will intensify your focus. When you do this exercise, you are cueing in all of your senses. Your thoughts - just like the air, are being directed inward. You have complete and total control and authority to change what is going on inside your head. You can control that - but you cannot control anything that exists or that is going on around you. You can only adapt to your environment - or you can collapse within your environment. You always have the choice to direct, restrict, and narrow your focus and your energy to within your own mind.

At first, it might be difficult to achieve absolute clarity, but the more you practice this - the easier it becomes. Best of luck to you - hoping that you have a better time next time you are at the table!" ~ Blackjack's Random Thoughts, 11-07-2013.

Putting All of Your Heart Into It

"There was a time I stayed in the pool hall - day after day - night after night just shooting balls for hours and hours. I'd toss all of the balls on the table and shoot them all in using only center ball. I couldn't use draw. I couldn't use follow. Just center ball. After I did about 5-10 racks like that - I'd switch to using only follow - then to using only draw. After that, I'd play 14.1 for 2-3 hours. I'd put crazy restrictions on myself such as "5 rails or less" - whichmeans if my cue ball touched a rail more than 5 times in a single rack - I had to stop and start all over again - or - I would increase my difficulty by placing two shafts below the side pockets - restricting myself to using just half of the table. After that, I'd play the 9 ball ghost for the remainder of my practice - spotting the ghost 3 games on the wire in a race to 7. I'd play the ghost as many sets as it took to overcome, persevere, and experience my victory.

By structuring my practices with ever-increasing difficulty, I maximized my potential for learning. By placing restrictions on my cue ball movement - I tightened my focus and I maximized my control and accuracy with shot-making and playing position. By constantly fighting to dig myself out of a hole on a daily basis against the ghost - I became a fighter at the table. If someone was going to win a match against me - they'd have to go through hell to do it because I wasn't going to give it away peacefully. I wasn't just going through the motions - I training and preparing myself to compete.

It was a lot of hard work. It took up a lot of my time. It required patience, dedication, discipline, and persistence. None of it came easy to me because I didn't make it easy for me. Every single day was a challenge. Every single day I created the opportunity to become a better player than I was the day before. I was constantly inventing new, innovative, and creative ways to enhance my practice sessions to where they accurately mimicked the competitive environment. I prepared myself and pushed myself to edge physically - mentally - and emotionally every single day. That's what it took - so that's what I did. So if I wasn't easy on myself - don't you ever think for a second that I'm going to be easy on you. Ain't gonna happen." ~ Blackjack's Random Thoughts, 07-26-2008.

Look Around the Room ...

"Be very careful about the people you hang around - the people that you allow into your life - and the people that you allow into your social circle. In pool, and in life... your success or failure will accurately reflect the people that you have surrounded yourself with. Remember that.

I know a lot of players - and I am sure that you have people just like this at your pool hall - that have the ability to run rack after rack after rack, solving every layout and every little puzzle on the table with relative ease ... yet when it comes to the game of life, they seem unable to get anywhere. Away from the table, they're lost, ineffective, and their lives (for the most part) they were very unstable personally, professionally, and financially. They probably started out their lives motivated and with the best of intentions - but somehow they got lost along the way down at the pool hall. That's my nice way of saying that as a result of their lifestyle - their lives - their relationships - and their finances didn't amount to squat. Despite their flashes of brilliance at the pool table against mediocre players for laughable stakes - they had gotten absolutely nowhere.

As a pool player - no matter who you are - or - how good you shoot - nowhere is always a very bad place to be. It doesn't matter whether you're there permanently - or just on vacation - nowhere is a horrible place to visit - a awful place to end up -.and an even worse place to get stuck. If you're already there - or if you think that you might be there - the best thing to do is to immediately latch on to some good sense - or something or someone positive - move forward in a straight line at a fast pace and don't ever look back.

At the age of 23, I looked around the pool room and saw 25 examples of everything I didn't want to be in 25 years. Luckily, I learned early on that there is much more to life than being able to run balls on a pool table. Think about it.

My pool hall was no different than most pool halls ... and when I looked around the room - most of the guys I saw were in their mid-late 40's - they were gambling every single day - and amazingly ... they had absolutely nothing to show for it. Most of the time, they were asking me (or anybody else they could find) to borrow money as they chased the same fifty-dollar bill that they had chased the day before.

If any of them had jobs, they were crappy jobs - low or no responsibility - low paying, one step above entry level, dead end jobs. I would learn that in some cases, they actually sought out these crappy jobs to be able to continue on with whatever bad habits they had allowed into their lives. Absolutely everything in their lives was consumed by their habits, and their habits stunted their growth in life as well as their game. None of them were successful. None of them were rich. None of them were champions.They were all trapped on an endless hamster's wheel - chasing the illusion of a big pay day that would never come.

I made a conscious decision that I would do everything in my power to not end up like that some day. I immediately latched on to some good sense - I surrounded myself with smart, successful, positive people - and I moved forward in a straight line at a fast pace and I never looked back.

I strongly caution you against being consumed by the game of pool to the point where you sacrifice your education, your relationships, and your professional progress. I believe that anything that is good will enhance the quality of your life. If the game is causing problems in your life - then I believe that is your signal to take a step back and reevaluate your priorities. It is okay to have the game high on your list of priorities - but remember - life, family, friends, education, career ... they must come first. Those are the things that will sustain you when the balls start looking fuzzy." ~Blackjack's Random Thoughts, 12-08-2007, Mental Game Mastery.

The Chair

The Stop Shot

Sunday, September 21, 2014.

The Stop Shot

"Never underestimate the power of the STOP SHOT. It may appear to be something so simple... but the STOP SHOT is the most powerful weapon that you can have in the game of 14.1. The best players are the players that have mastered the art of the stop shot - and it is a beautiful thing to watch them use it to simplify everything else." ~ Blackjack's Random Thoughts, 02-04-2013

LEARNING HOW - WHY - BECAUSE - and HOW TO KEEP IT ALL IN PERSPECTIVE

Blackjack's Random Thoughts                                                                                                      Saturday, September 20, 2014.

LEARNING HOW - WHY - BECAUSE - and 

HOW TO KEEP IT ALL IN PERSPECTIVE

My pool playing knowledge flows  from 4 major arteries ...

How
I learned "how you do it this way" from Cisero Murphy. At that point in time, I knew almost nothing - and most of what I knew was wrong - incomplete - bad habits - and misinformation. I will always be appreciative of the way Cisero was generous with his time - generous with his knowledge - generous with his guidance - and generous with his friendship. He was never "easy" on me. I didn't understand that at first - in fact, for a time I resented it - but I have been immensely blessed because of it. I learned a lot about pool - but I also learned a lot about the importance of patience, dedication, commitment, perseverance - and how to apply all of that not only to pool - but to life.

Why

I learned how to take "how you do it this way" and turn it into "why you do it way" from Steve Mizerak. It is one thing to know how to do something - but Steve always made a point to explain why it was necessary. The time I spent with him opened up an entire new world for me at the table. He had a way of cutting through my know-it-all-attitude with the same subtlety as a torpedo going through a paper sailboat. I learned a lot about pool - but I also learned a lot about professionalism, attention to detail, and how to not take myself so seriously in pool - and in life. 

Because

I learned how to "Why you do it this way" and turn it into "because you have to do it this way" from Cowboy Jimmy Moore. Cowboy was real big on common sense. He once told me that if I was ever at the table having trouble finding the solution - just close your eyes - take a few steps back from the table and then look at it from a broader perspective. He followed that up by saying - "Amazing things happen when you have the good sense to realize that you have to get out of your own way." I learned a lot about pool - but I also learned about keeping my cool - smiling through adversity - and how to get out of the problem and into the solution (not only in pool) but also in life.

Keeping It Simple
I learned how to take "because you have to do it this way" and turn it into "this is the simplest way" from Buddy Hall. Buddy has a way of making everything look so easy at the table. I remember him telling me that the secret to getting out was - "just stay in line and don't get caught behind anything." Easier said than done at first - but I studied his every move at the table and I asked a lot of questions. I learned a lot about pool, but I also learned about taking my time - keeping it simple - and believing in what I was doing - not only in pool - but also in life.

Putting It All Together
Somewhere along the line, their lessons, their advice, and their guidance was compounded and molded into the way that I do what I do. Today I know the importance of patience, dedication, commitment, perseverance, professionalism, attention to detail, and how to employ that without taking myself so seriously. I know how to keep my cool - how to smile through adversity - how to get out of the problem and into the solution - how to take my time - how to keep it simple - and I definitely believe in myself and what I am doing. No matter what pool or life tosses at me - I think I'm going to be OK." ~ Blackjack's Random Thoughts, March 14, 2008.