Latest tournament happenings and Mosconi Cup 2017

Hello everyone.  I have been keeping up lately with some of the tournament action.  Skyler Woodward 3-peated the Side Pocket Open in Shreveport, LA.  They have never had anyone win that tournament 3 times in a row!

Dennis Orcollo went undefeated in the West State Billiards/POV Pool West Coast Swing One Pocket tournament at California Billiards in Fremont, CA, beating opponents like Shane Van Boening, Jayson Shaw, and Alex Pagulayan.  Dennis beat Alex in the finals to win the tournament.

Also at this stop, Dennis and Tony Chohan each put up $50k for a One Pocket race to 40 match.

Vivial Villarreal smoked the field at an AWBT event recently.  The site was Main Street Billiards (Mesa, Arizona, I believe), July 8th and 9th.  Villarreal went on a tear with 7-1 wins over 3 opponents.  Sunday was much of the same with a 7-1 win and a 7-2 win.

In upcoming tournament news, the US Open 10-ball players have been announced.  The field includes (to name a few):

Shane Van Boening

Dennis Orcollo

Alex Pagulayan

Lee Vann Corteza

Justin Bergman

Francisco Bustamante

Vilmos Foldes

Ralf Souquet

Mika Immonen

Warren Kiamco

Karl Boyes

Alex Kazakis

Thorsten Hohmann

Rodney Morris

Mario He

Skyler Woodward

This tournament will be played July 17-19 at Griff's in Las Vegas.

MOSCONI CUP 2017

As of this writing, the top ten in points for the 2017 Mosconi Cup are:

Shane van Boening
Dennis Hatch
Oscar Dominguez
Rodney Morris
Billy Thorpe
Donny Mills
Hunter Lombardo
Skyler Woodward
Johnny Archer
Ernesto Dominguez

The 2017 Mosconi Cup will be held in Las Vegas.  In my opinion, having the tournament in Las Vegas will give team USA a slight chance of not getting crushed by team Europe...but I just don't see team USA winning.  Might as well start calling it the European Cup.

The Box Game

Hello everyone!  Occasionally, I like to make up pool games for fun and as a practice aid.  One of these games I call, The Box Game.  It's pretty easy and will help you with position play.

Arguably, the best position (in most cases) to be on the table is in the middle of the table.  Obviously, is some instances, the middle of the table isn't going to work out for some shots, but most of the time, the middle of the table is a good place to be.  So this game will help you with position play to the middle of the table.

As with most of my games I create, it can be played either alone or with multiple players.

For solo practice.  Rack all the balls like you would for 8-ball, order of the balls doesn't matter.

Break the balls like you would for 8-ball.  Spot any balls pocketed.  If you leave the cue ball in the middle of the table in the blue box as indicated on Figure 1 (see below), give yourself 2 points.  If the cue ball ends up outside the blue box, but still contained within the red box (see Figure 2 below), then give yourself 1 point.  The goal here is to break the balls with a good spread, leaving the cue ball in the middle of the table to have a good shot on the remaining balls.

For each ball pocketed after the break, if the cue ball ends up in the red box after coming to rest, give yourself 1 point.  If the ball is pocketed and comes to rest in the blue box, give yourself 2 points.

The maximum score is 32 (15 balls x 2pts = 30 + 2 bonus pts for leaving cue ball in blue box after break = 32pts)


For multiple players.  Rack all the balls like you would for 8-ball, order of the balls doesn't matter.

Player 1 breaks the balls as in 8-ball.  Spot any balls pocketed.  If Player 1 pockets a ball, their turn continues after any pocketed balls are spotted.  If Player 1 leaves the cue ball in the middle of the table in the blue box as indicated on Figure 1 (see below) after the break, give them 2 points.  If the cue ball ends up outside the blue box, but still contained within the red box (see Figure 2 below) after the break, then give them 1 point.

For each ball pocketed after the break, if the cue ball ends up in the red box after coming to rest, give the shooter 1 point.  If the ball is pocketed and comes to rest in the blue box, give the shooter 2 points.

Player 1 continues shooting until a miss occurs.  After a miss, the next player shoots until they miss or all the balls have been pocketed.

The player with the highest score wins that round.  An alternative could be to play similar to 14.1, such as, play to 100, 150, or any number.

The maximum score is 32 (15 balls x 2pts = 30 + 2 bonus pts for leaving cue ball in blue box after break = 32pts)

Figure 1. The Inner Box.  Box is formed by drawing a line from the diamonds closest to the pockets on both the ends and sides of the table.

Figure 2.  The Outer Box.  Box is formed by drawing a line from the diamonds closest to the pockets on the end rails and the middle diamonds on the side rails.

*Note:  If half or more of the ball appears to be across the line, it is considered inside the box.

Inaugural Scotty Townsend

If you didn't know Scotty Townsend, there's a good chance you have at least heard the name.  He was a larger than life pool player and legend.  I had heard so many tales of Scotty Townsend while playing pool in North Louisiana that I wasn't sure he was even real.  Until the one day he walked into a pool room in Ruston, Louisiana.  Shenanigan's was the name of the place, no longer in business in Ruston.  The owner knew Scotty and we practically begged him to call Scotty to come up there...and he did.

Tragically, Scotty was killed while riding his motorcycle.  Being from around the Monroe/West Monroe area, The Arena Billiards in West Monroe held the Inaugural Scotty Townsend Memorial Tournament March 13-19, 2017.  There was a HUGE turnout!!

There were some big names that showed up to the tournament including:

Shane Van Boening
Dennis Orcollo
Jeremy Jones
Sky Woodward
Warren Kiamco
Billy Thorpe
Charlie Bryant


One Pocket ($1,000 entry with $5,000 added to the Calcutta)

1st - Billy Thorpe
2nd - Shane Van Boening
3rd - Evan Lunda
4th - Charlie Bryant

10-Ball Ring Game ($100 entry)

1st - Dennis Orcollo
2nd - Warren Kiamco
3rd - Johann Gonzales Chua
4th - Joshua Roberts

Open 9-Ball ($75 entry, $25 Green Fee)

1st - Dennis Orcollo
2nd - Sky Woodward
3rd - Ramil Gallego
4th - Gary Abood


Here are some pics I took during the 9-Ball tournament.

Shane Van Boening warming up.

Warren Kiamco playing right in front of where I was sitting.

Charlie "Hillbilly" Bryant.  Skylar Woodward is just behind him in the b/w shirt.

Want to get rich? Don't play pool.

Ok, so my title of this post isn't necessarily true.  There are some pool players who I would consider, by my salary anyway, rich.  They are doing pretty well for themselves.  But why aren't professional pool players making millions of dollars like pro football or baseball players?

I read an interesting article not long ago where the author was explaining why professional pool players don't make the kind of money that other athletes make and it made a lot of sense.  I wish I could find the article again, but I'll try to remember what it said.

According to the article, the reason that professional pool players now don't make lots of money was that back at the start of mainstream sports on television, TV deals were made with sports like baseball, football, basketball, etc. to broadcast them to a huge audience.  Then, of course, because of the viewership, commercial slots became huge because of the massive amount of people watching them.

Ok, you are probably thinking, but sitting in front of a TV watching pool would be boring to probably the majority of people.  You may be right, but how exciting is it to watch a pro baseball game when both pitchers are striking out batters and it's the bottom of the 6th inning and neither team has scored yet?  I guess you could argue that it's exciting waiting for that crack of the bat to send the ball over the outfield wall, but baseball, at least to me, is fairly boring to watch on tv, but yet, those players (some of them) are making MILLIONS of dollars.  Advertising, merchandise, those are the keys.

So what does professional pool need?  It needs a miracle at this point.  Professional pool got left behind years ago.  Imagine if pool were marketed like pro football or basketball.  Pool needs a revival.

In my opinion, what needs to happen to professional pool is almost a complete overhaul, at least in terms of broadcasting, marketing, and excitement.  Is pool exciting to watch for fans of the sport?  Absolutely.  Two top players playing for a big payday in a tournament or challenge match hill-hill, give me some of that!  Could it be tweaked to be more exciting?  I believe it can.

Here's a final thought.  I don't know how to fix pool so that the players can get paid, but here's an idea.  What if there were a dedicated outlet for pool.  What I mean by this is what if there were an all billiards channel on satellite or Netflix.  I'd pay to watch quality billiard broadcasts.  I'd pay to watch some of the greatest pool and billiard players in the world battle for a tournament title.  Make this happen!

The smoky pool room

March 7-8 Sidepocket Billiards in Shreveport hosted their annual Open 9-ball Championship.  I decided to go over there to watch, but not play in the tournament as I haven't played in a tournament in quite a while.  So my friend and I drove over there the day before the tournament started so he could get a feel for the tables and see who was there.  I was also interested in seeing which pro players might show up.  Johnny Archer had come to the previous tournament (and won it) back in October, I believe.  Skyler Woodward was there along with a few other names I've heard in big tournaments.

We walked in and it was like somebody had set a big pile of wet leaves on fire.  The smoke was BAD.

Now I don't mind a little smoke, hey, if you choose to smoke, that's your business, but when it's so thick that I can barely see across the room, that's too much for me.  5 minutes in there and I felt like I was at risk for lung cancer.

I think it's pretty clear with all the research done that smoking is bad for you and second hand smoke equally bad if not worse.  Many of establishments I've been to over the years allowed smoking, but NONE as bad as this place.  I will not go back there.  Ever.

It was disappointing too, because it's a fine establishment.  Good size place, lots of tables (mainly bar tables and two 9-footers), great food, etc.  But the smoke...

Many places now don't allow smoking, which I feel is a good thing.  I know some smokers that don't even like all the smoke.  It gets in your clothes, hair, hell, I even smelled the smoke on my leather belt...days after I left.

I feel it would just be better for pool in general if places did not allow smoking inside.  Smoky pool rooms just add to the negativity that pool has accumulated over the years.  Time to fix that and get more people interested in shooting some pool.

2014 Mosconi Cup Results

Well, another Mosconi Cup has come and gone...to team Europe, again.  Being a US citizen, I had hoped for a different outcome given the fact that Team USA retooled this year and had a stronger team, in my opinion, than in years past.  Unfortunately, I did not get to watch this year's event.  I did see some video clips on YouTube and the environment there looked outright hostile.  The Europeans really get behind their players.

Although Team USA lost again, I feel as though this year's team was much better than in year's past.  The European team over the last few years has taken the Mosconi Cup very seriously by forming the team months early, practicing together, spending time together, and becoming a team focused on winning.  This is something the USA team didn't do, usually throwing the team together weeks before and never spending time together or practicing...and it showed.

This year, Team USA selected Mark Wilson as the team Captain and he handpicked eight players.  The eight potential players were:

Shane Van Boening *
John Schmidt *
Corey Deuel *
Brandon Shuff
Justin Hall *
Oscar Dominguez
Justin Bergman *
Jeremy Sossei

* 2014 Mosconi Cup team members

Team USA had a tough task ahead in this year's Mosconi Cup.  Team Europe had been dominating, winning the last 5 in a row and the last 7 of 8 Mosconi Cup tournaments.  Also adding to the fact that Team USA took a whole new approach to the 2014 Mosconi Cup, they had to travel to Blackpool, England to play on the Europeans' home turf.  Following, last year's drubbing  11-2 loss by Team Europe, Team USA had nowhere to go but up.

In the hostile environment of Blackpool, Team USA started Day 1 pretty well, ending the day with a final matchup of Shane Van Boening vs. Darren Appleton and a chance to take a one point advantage.  Darren ruined those hopes with a 5-3 victory, putting the European team ahead 3-2 at the close of the first day's matches.

Team USA started Day 2 on a high note, tying the score at 3 each, but Team Europe charged ahead to 6-3, winning 3 matches in a row before Appleton/Gray fell in the last match of the day to Deuel/Van Boening, ending Day 2 with a score of 6-4 in favor of Team Europe.

Day 3 started off with a European win to make the score 7-4.  Justin Hall beat Nikos Ekononmopoulos 5-3 to get back to within 2 points, but Team Europe was too strong and won the next 2 matches to pull ahead 9-5.

It was over quickly for Team USA on Day 4 as Team Europe only needed 2 wins to claim the 2014 Mosconi Cup and they cleaned it up in the first 2 matches.  Darren Appleton defeated Shane Van Boening 5-2 and Nikos Ekonomopoulos also defeated Shane Van Boening by the same score to once again claim the Mosconi Cup for Team Europe.

Although Team USA lost by 6 points, there were some positives in my mind.

1.  We actually formed a team vs. previous years where we just threw a team together at the last minute.
2.  We had a non-playing Captain, which I feel is important to actually have time to properly form a team, schedule practices, etc.
3.  We didn't lose by 9 points like last year.
4.  We added youth, which in time could grow as a team and hopefully win.
5.  We play next year in LAS VEGAS!!  

Hopefully this team will be able to stay together for the 2015 event, which will be held on US soil and should provide the advantage to Team USA.

We'll get them in 2015!!!

Coming on strong...Skyler Woodward

If you haven't already heard the name, let me introduce you to Skyler Woodward.  Skyler, according to his Facebook fan page, is 21 years old and is from Ledbetter, Kentucky.  I've been hearing his name more and more lately as he is starting to rack up top 5 finishes left and right.  Starting in January 2014 at the Derby City Classic, he has continued to get hot.  At the Derby City Classic, he placed pretty low in the 9-Ball Banks division at 65th, but placed 13th in the One Pocket tournament.  He won the Bank Pool Ring Game, taking home $6,000 for that win alone.

The next month, February 24 - March 2, he placed 5th in the US Bar Box Championship in Reno, Nevada, and took 3rd in the 9-Ball division.  But he was just getting warmed up...

In March 2014 he placed 5th in the Big Tyme Billiards One Pocket tournament and took home the top prize in the 9-Ball tournament ($4,000).  Later that month, he played in the White Diamond Billiards annual tournament in Lafayette, Louisiana, placing 7th.

In a unique event, Skyler took on Jesse Bowman in Wisconsin June 13 - 14 for a 9-Ball race to 100 event for $20,000!!  After the first night, Skyler was up by just 1 rack, 50-49.  On day 2, after it was all over, Skyler came out on top 100-82.  $20,000!!

July saw Skyler play in the 2014 BCAPL National 8-Ball Championships...he won it.  Rounding out the top 5 were Charlie Bryant, Oscar Dominguez, Dennis Hatch, and Greg Harada, Jr.  Stiff competition!

Lastly, Skyler just won the Smokin' Aces Bar Box Tournament...undefeated, I might add, held August 16-17, in Poplar Bluff, Missouri.  Key to this win was defeating Shane Van Boening, not once, but twice!!

I predict we'll be seeing a lot of Skyler in the future!

If you would like to keep up with Skyler, you can follow his Facebook fan page.

Pool is dying in America. Can it make a comeback?

     It's easy to see that over the last few decades pool in America has been on the decline.  I personally can think of several places where I have played pool that are now closed.  You don't see pool on tv anymore.  I used to faithfully check the tv listings to see when pool was going to be on ESPN or ESPN2 and even record them on VHS.  A media format that has gained steam since broadband internet, live streaming over the web, seems to be the future of pool events, but TAR closed it's production, due to presumably lack of viewers.  Apparently snooker is broadcast on tv in Europe and people watch it.  So what has caused the decline in the US?

     In the 40's, 50's, and 60's, pool was thriving.  Large cities had (and probably still have a few) famous pool halls where the greats such as Ralph Greenleaf, Willie Mosconi, Eddie Taylor, and Willie Hoppe played.  Pool seemed to be classy back then.  All the old photographs you see show these great pool players in suits, sure, that's how they dressed back then, but it gave pool a more elegant feel.  After the movie, The Hustler, pool was probably at it's peak.  Towards the 70's, 80's, and 90's, I feel that pool halls became places where the gamblers, criminal types, and seedier people hung out and they lost the elegance and nostalgia.  Not all the pool halls had these types of people, but I believe the perception was there.  Pool halls weren't somewhere you would go to take the kids or a date for an entertaining afternoon of pool.  They were to be avoided.

     Also, I believe part of the decline has been technology.  Before cell phones and the internet, guys that traveled around playing pool, like most of the greats did, could walk into a place and if nobody knew them either win the tournament or clean the place out playing for money.  There are several books out now that chronicle the life of some of these great pool players.  I'm currently reading a book about Danny Diliberto and his life on the road.  It's interesting reading about this age of pool that will never be again.

     Good pool players today can't walk into a pool hall without being recognized or recorded and put on YouTube.  Going on a road trip like they used to do back in the golden age of pool is tough.  Everything is more expensive.  Food, gas, hotel not to mention if you are recognized, not many people will play you for massive amounts of money.  Makes it hard to make a living playing pool on the road these days.  So where does that leave the guys that play pool really well?  How do they make money?  They either play in tournaments, challenge matches that are set up by folks like TAR, which is now shut down, Accu Stats, or they give up a lot of weight because everybody now knows them thanks to the internet age.  You might ask, how has that added to the decline in pool in America?  Well, why would you want to go on the road if you can't make any money?    So I believe there has been a decline in the non-pro great pool players due to the fact they can't go on the road and make lots of money.  They are relegated to playing locally or going to a few large tournaments if they can afford the entry, trip there, and hotel.

     Can pool make a comeback?  I think it can, but it's going to take a lot of work.  Organizations like the American Pool Players Association and the BCA are making it happen.  Mike Sigel is trying to start a pool league that looks interesting.  I see pictures from the big amateur tournaments and it looks like there are literally thousands of people at those events, so the amateur side seems pretty well off.  I think the professional side needs help.  The men need a professional billiard association that regularly holds events that pay well.  The women professional players (and men) need to have more events and more live streaming via the internet so people can watch.

     There also needs to be more interest in watching pool.  I think the Mosconi Cup event could be a way to do this.  USA vs. Europe, I mean, what better way to get behind pool in America than watching YOUR team of the best American players compete against Europe's best.  Marketing needs to happen to pump up this match and have it broadcast, if nothing else on a pay-per-view cable or satellite channel.  I'm hoping to be able to watch some of this year's Mosconi Cup online.

     Pool can make a comeback, so get out there and play some pool!!
   

   

Latest 2014 Mosconi Cup Team USA News

Not a whole lot has been mentioned lately about the 2014 Team USA Mosconi Cup Team.  Team Captain Mark Wilson has stated in the past he probably won't make a decision on the final team of 5 until after the US Open in October.

Most of the candidates did assemble in San Diego, California for the first time for a team get-together in late May.  According to Captain Mark Wilson, they discussed what is expected of the team, professionalism and dedication being two of the topics.

They also had some challenge matches for charity.

It's good to see Captain Mark Wilson is taking this serious and getting the team together early to provide some unity.  I look forward to hearing more about this and can't wait to see who the final five team members will be!

2014 Mosconi Cup Team USA and other news

2014 Mosconi Cup Team USA News

So those of you who have not been keeping up with the 2014 Mosconi Cup Team USA news, team captain, Mark Wilson has announced the 8 players vying for the 5 member team.  The 8 players are Shane Van Boening, Corey Deuel, John Schmidt, Oscar Dominguez, Brandon Shuff, Justin Bergman, Justin Hall, and Jeremy Sossei.

Mark Wilson has been working on a practice routine to analyze player performance.  He is doing some pretty high tech stuff with video analysis on an iPad and trying to get the players together to participate in various events together to build team unity and support.

Wilson plans to announce the final team of 5 in October, probably just after the US Open 9-ball Championships.

On another note, in an article in the May 2014 issue of Billiards Digest, Johnny Archer was quoted as saying, "I'm very disappointed. I don't understand why a few of us don't even have a chance to earn a spot on the team.  I know they want to go young, but Corey and John [Schmidt] aren't young."

Here's my thoughts to that statement...STOP YOUR WHINING JOHNNY!!!  It's time for CHANGE!!  Johnny was a part of 17 Mosconi Cup teams and in my opinion, he seems like a nice guy, but only seems to care about himself.  He was team captain a few times and never organized team practices, never brought the team together...it was just "We're team USA, we're badass, and we'll show up and kick Team Europe's butt."  Guess what, Johnny, Team Europe united their team, organized team practices, and showed up to US soil and kicked OUR butts.  Change was overdue.

Other Billiard News

The Billiard Congress of America will hold it's 31st annual Summit on June 24-27.  The BCA's annual industry trade fair will return to Louisville, Kentucky, which has been the host city three times before, the last being in 1990.  The event organizers expect only 75 vendors to show up, the lowest in the 31 year history of the event, however, more on-floor events are planned and more after-hours social events.  The lack of vendors doesn't bode well for the future of the Summit, but the American pool industry seems to be in an evolving state right now.  I'm sure it will be a great event and maybe the change of venue will make future Summits better.

The U.S. Amateur Championships are coming up in November.  November 5-9, 2014 in Tampa, Florida.  The entry window is April 1 - June 15, so if you plan on entering, get signed up.  For more information, visit www.poolplayers.com/usam/

2014 Accu-Stats "Make it Happen" All Star Invitational

I haven't been able to watch all the Accu-stats All Star Invitational matches...hey, some people have to work!  I did watch last night's (April 16) matches between Darren Appleton and Dennis Orcollo at One Pocket and Thorsten Hohmann vs. Shane Van Boening at Straight Pool.  It was WELL worth the money!!

Appleton vs. Orcollo One Pocket

Darren Appleton and Dennis Orcollo battled for nearly 4 hours in a race to 4 One Pocket match.  Both players looked patient and in control, with Orcollo my early favorite.  There were lots of safety moves and the first 2 games took a long time.  Neither player made many mistakes.  The only mistakes coming near the end of the set, Dennis Orcollo left some shots for Darren, which probably cost him the match.

The real highlight of the night was the last rack.  The match went hill-hill at 3 games each.  There was a 60 second shot clock, but the final rack lasted for what seemed like 2 hours.  Both players eventually battled to where they each needed just one ball to win the rack and match.  Darren out-maneuvered Dennis to get the last ball for the win, which put Appleton at a perfect 4-0 score so far in the round robin format of this tournament.

Hohmann vs. Van Boening Straight Pool

Thorsten Hohmann and Shane Van Boening squared off in a 150 point Straight Pool match.  Darren Appleton joined Danny DiLiberto in the commentator booth after defeating Dennis Orcollo at One Pocket.  Darren provided some good commentary throughout the match.

Thorsten Hohmann looked to be in control of the match early, going on a 70+ ball run before eventually missing in one of the lower pockets, which Darren Appleton mentioned several times were playing very tight on that particular Diamond table.  Shane got to the table and ran a few before also missing in the lower pocket.  An added bonus to the match was if a player ran 100 balls, he received a bonus of $500.  For every 50 balls he ran after that, another $500.  Thorsten looked to reach the 100 ball run before shooting an awkward shot down the rail, which almost looked as if he miscued.

Billy and Darren commented that Shane Van Boening really doesn't play or practice much Straight Pool, but said he will pick it up quick if he were to play and practice it more.  They also predicted he would do well at the game due to his superior pocketing ability.

Shane eventually got the score to 113 before Thorsten got to the table and pocketed the remaining 3 balls he needed to win the match 150-113.

To check the current standings, visit the Accu-Stats website.

The 4 Types of Pool Practice

As I see it, there are 4 different types of practice in pool.  I will break down each type of practice and give my opinion on why each is good or bad.  Regardless of what you've heard about bad practice is bad, sometimes "bad" practice isn't all that bad.  I'll explain later.

Here are my 4 types of pool practice, in order of less desirable to more desirable practice types:

1.  Individual, relaxed, non-focused.
2.  Partner/Group, relaxed, semi-focused.
3.  Individual, structured, focused.
4.  Partner/Group, structured (or semi-structured), focused.

Now for the break downs:

Individual, relaxed, non-focused

In this type of practice, maybe you are at your favorite pool hall killing some time or at home playing (if you have a table at home).  You are not bearing down trying to pocket each shot, trying to run racks of 9 or 10-ball, nor are you concentrating on technique, aiming, or cue ball control.  You're just playing pool for the fun of playing.

Why this is important.

You may be thinking, "Shouldn't I be playing somebody as good or better than me to get better?" or, "Playing pool without focus and determination will make me play worse."  You need to occasionally play just for the fun of it.  If you're constantly pushing yourself and practicing hard, you will get burned out and frustrated.  You might even fall into a slump.  See my article about dealing with the slump.  You will definitely get better by practicing hard, but eventually you will reach a point where it's not fun anymore.  A bad day of playing pool will turn into a bad week, month, etc.  You might also be surprised when you relax and not worry so much about running racks or a high run in Straight pool, that you will fall into stroke easier than you might think.  Now, I'm not saying it will happen to everybody, but I've noticed over the years of playing that after practicing hard for a while, then going to play pool in a more relaxed mindset of enjoyment of the game, I shoot pretty good without concentrating hard.

The flip-side.

If you are a serious pool player, should you do this all the time?  Absolutely not.  Taking a relaxed, just-shoot-for-fun mindset will not improve your game much over time.  You have to put yourself in a more concentrated, focused mindset of practice to see improvement.

Partner/Group, relaxed, semi-focused

This type of practice is similar to Individual, relaxed, non-focused, except as the name suggests, you are playing with a partner or group of players.  This is also an important form of practice in that you are playing in a more relaxed, enjoyment of the game mindset, only with another individual or group of players, which adds an important factor...competition.

Why this is important.

You may have noticed instead of "non-focused" I used "semi-focused" as part of the practice type.  The reason for this is when you are playing a partner or with a group, there is some degree of competition that goes on.  Whether you are playing a beginner, an average, or a semi-pro player, at least for me, there is some level of "I'm going to beat my opponent until they leave crying."  It happens, don't deny it.  Just know when to ease up or you might end up on the couch if it was your significant other you just tortured on the pool table!!

Remember, HAVE FUN!!  Pool is fun!  I guarantee you the pros do this from time to time.  They play because they love the game not just for a paycheck.

The flip-side.

So there's usually a flip-side to most things.  Like I mentioned in the previous practice type, don't fall into a habit of always going out with a playing partner or group of players to just "knock balls around."  You need concentrated, focused practice time more than relaxed, play-for-fun practice.

Individual, structured, focused

OK, now we are starting to get serious. If you want to improve your game, this is where you need to pay attention.  Having individual, structured, and focused practice WILL IMPROVE YOUR GAME.

Why this is important.

What this type of practice means to you is different for everybody.  There are countless ways to practice.  Maybe you know your technique needs work, maybe you are having trouble with a particular cut shot, or maybe it's your bank shots that need more practice, whatever it is, you need the individual time on the table where you are really concentrating, bearing down, and giving focused effort.  By structured, I mean set up a shot that is giving you trouble and shoot it until you can make it 8 or 9 times out of 10, or play the ghost in 9-ball until you reach an obtainable goal for yourself.  Tell yourself, "Today I'm going to practice (insert shot, game, position play, senario, etc. here) until I master this goal."  Whatever it is, practicing with an intense, focused, and structured effort and you will improve your game.

The flip-side.

The only real down-side to this type of practice is that sometimes it might be hard to gauge your improvement...which is where the last type of practice comes in.

Partner/Group, structured (or semi-structured), focused

This last type of practice, in my opinion, is probably the best type of practice, provided you can find a practice partner(s) that is good for you.  Finding a good practice partner who is around your playing speed or slightly better WILL IMPROVE YOUR GAME.

Why this is important.

Practicing by yourself with concentration, structure, and focus, is good, but it's lacking one thing, competition.  Find a practice partner who is as serious about improving their game as you are yours, and you will have struck gold.  Not only will you have the competition factor, but another person (or persons) to split the table cost :)  You will not get bored racking for yourself over and over, you will have a "bar" to gauge your playing, and someone to potentially learn from to further improve your game.  Sometimes you shoot a particular shot a certain way, while your partner might shoot it differently...the different approach to the shot might come it handy down the road.

The flip-side.

About the only thing I can think of is if you have found a good practice partner, just make sure it's understood from the beginning that the relationship is for practicing and improving each other's game.  I wouldn't let the competition get to the point where a friendship is broken.  Nor would I play each other for money.  It should be a positive, beneficial situation, with the goal being to improve each other's game.

GO FORTH AND PRACTICE!!!!

15 Draw

I got bored today and decided to come up with a new pool game.  If nothing else, for practice.  I call it 15 Draw, since you use all 15 balls and a pill bottle to draw your next ball.  As you will see in the rules below, it is a game of randomness and creativity.

Here is the table layout I chose:

General rules of the game

Object of the game:  The object of the game is to pocket all 15 balls in the lowest number of shots.  The player with the lowest score at the end of the game wins.

Determining opening shooter:  For more than one player, a numbered pill shall be drawn from a bottle to determine shooting order.  Player with the lowest numbered pill shoots first, player with the next lowest numbered pill shoots second, and so on.

Called shots:  All balls are called shots unless it is blatantly obvious in which pocket the shooter is trying to make the ball.

Arrangement of the balls:  All 15 balls are to be arranged and ordered as diagrammed above.

Opening shot:  Incoming player shall draw a numbered pill from a bottle to determine first ball to shoot.  Once the opening ball is determined, player shall have ball in hand*.  Ball in hand only applies on the opening shot, or after a scratch or ball jumped off the table.

Legal hits:  Player shooting must hit the cue ball once, causing the cue ball to hit an object ball.  The object ball must then hit at least one rail after contact.  If an object ball is frozen to a rail, the cue ball must hit at least 2 different rails after contact, or the object ball must hit a different rail from which it was frozen.

The shooter is not required to hit the ball drawn by numbered pill from the bottle.  For example, in the diagram above, if the shooter legally pockets the 1-ball and stops the cue ball where the 1-ball was, then draws the 4-ball as the next ball to shoot, the shooter is not required to hit the 4-ball in the next shot.  The shooter may hit another ball first to get position on the 4-ball.  As long as the object ball was legally contacted and rules of a legal hit followed, then the shooter may continue until the 4-ball is legally pocketed.

A ball pocketed that was not called shall be spotted as closely as possible to the original location of the ball illegally pocketed before the next shot is taken by the player at the table.

Fouls:  A foul occurs if the rules of legal hits above is not followed.  Shooter is assessed a 1-shot penalty for each occurrence of the foul.  Cue ball shall remain in place for the next shot.  If the shooter scratches the cue ball, a 2-point penalty is assessed, unless the object ball was made in the called pocket, in which case, only a 1-point penalty is assessed.  The incoming player shall have ball in hand* for the next ball.   A cue ball jumped off the table is a 2-point penalty, unless the object ball was pocketed in the called pocket, in which case, only a 1-point penalty is assessed.  The incoming player shall have ball in hand* for the next ball.

*See rules of Solo game vs. Multi-player game for rules of ball in hand.

Solo game

1.  Draw a pill from the bottle to determine first ball to shoot.
2.  Give yourself ball in hand anywhere on the table for the opening shot.
3.  Shoot the ball that was determined by drawing a numbered pill.
4.  Record the number of shots it took to legally pocket the ball.
5.  Leaving the cue ball where it came to rest after legally pocketing the first ball, draw another numbered pill from the bottle to determine next ball to shoot.
6.  Repeat Steps 3 to 5 until all 15 balls have been legally pocketed.
7.  Total the number of shots it took you to pocket all 15 balls.

If you foul by scratching or jumping a ball off the table, assess a penalty as described in the general rules of the game and give yourself ball in hand anywhere on the table for the next ball as determined by a pill drawn from the bottle.

If a foul occurs by not following the rules for a legal hit, then the shooter is assessed a 1-shot penalty for each occurrence of the foul.



Multi-player game

1.  Draw a numbered pill from the bottle, player with the lowest numbered pill shoots first.
2.  Following the same general rules for the Solo game, draw a pill to determine first ball to shoot.
3.  Opening player has ball in hand behind the headstring.  If the first ball to shoot, as determined in Step 2, is behind the headstring, player must shoot past the headstring, legally contacting an object ball or rail before hitting an object ball behind the headstring.
4.  Shoot until the object ball is legally pocketed in the called pocket.  Record the number of shots it took to pocket the ball.  The object ball made by player A is then spotted as close to the original placement of the ball and player B has ball in hand behind the headstring.  Player B shoots until the object ball is legally pocketed in the called pocket.
5.  Continue drawing numbered pills to determine the next ball until all 15 balls have been pocketed.
6.  The player with the lowest score for the game wins.

If a foul occurs by scratching or jumping a ball off the table, assess a penalty as described in the general rules of the game and incoming player has ball in hand behind the headstring for the next ball as determined by a pill drawn from the bottle.

If a foul occurs by not following the rules for a legal hit, then the shooter is assessed a 1-shot penalty for each occurrence of the foul.


Let me know what you think.  I've got a few more games I've made up and I might post them some other time.

TAR 39: The Last One

Justin Collett of The Action Report announced they would no longer be doing challenge matches between the top professional pool players.  The Action Report was started in 2007 and had put many matches together in the 7 or so years since starting.  I unfortunately only got to watch 3 matches starting with TAR37, a rematch of TAR #1 (Corey Deuel vs. Shane Van Boening).

TAR39, the last one, was a matchup of Shane Van Boening vs. Efren Reyes.  I was really looking forward to this one as they were playing One Pocket, Rotation, and 9-ball.  I was really excited to hear Rotation was being played one of the nights, since I've never really seen it played, much less by the great Efren Reyes.

One Pocket

Efren had to be the favorite for this event.  He had just gone undefeated at the 2014 Derby City Classic One Pocket event.  It was not to be.

Efren won the first game and Shane won the next two.  Efren won rack 4 to tie it at 2 apiece, but that was it.  Shane won the next 9 games and defeated Efren by a score of 11-2.  It was not clear whether Efren was tired mentally, physically, or just having a bad night, but he was missing balls and coming up short on shots.  In a rare sign of frustration from Efren, on the last rack he sold out and broke the balls wide open.

Rotation

The Rotation event was something I was really looking forward to watching Efren play.  The rules were Filipino Rotation.  Corey Deuel was commentating alongside Robert "Cotton" Leblanc for the first half of the match.  Corey understood the rules, having played before.  It was definitely interesting to watch.  If your opponent plays safe and you get hooked behind a ball, you could spot the ball and give ball in hand behind the headstring to your opponent.  It is an aggressive game.  You don't get rewarded for playing safe in Rotation.

Efren looked a little better in the Rotation event.  He got the score up 9-3 early on Shane and was out maneuvering him, but after the player break, it was all Shane.  At the break,  I believe the score was Efren-11,  Shane -9.  Efren would only win 5 more games after the break.  Shane ran some racks and generally outplayed Efren during the second half, at one point winning 6 in a row.  Final score, SVB-20, Efren 16.

9-Ball

The 9-ball match, I thought, could go either way.  I gave the advantage to Shane because of his big break, but for some reason, he didn't put together any big packs.  Shane might have put together a 2 or 3 pack once or twice and that was it.  Only once or twice did I see Shane come up dry on the break, whereas Efren broke them dry most of the time.  Again, Efren missed balls he should have made.  He even missed the 9-ball.

This match went back and forth to some degree.  They traded games in 2's, 3's, and 4's until the break.  The match was tied at 10 and that's when Shane took over.  After that point, Shane won the next 3, Efren got a couple, then Shane won 5 in a row, eventually winning the match 25-16.

My thoughts on this final TAR match...

I was really disappointed Efren wasn't playing his best.  It was painful to watch him, especially on the One Pocket night, miss balls and get out of line on several shots.  He still made some miraculous shots, but overall, he wasn't playing his best game.  I was very surprised to see Shane win the Rotation match given that he claimed to not know the game.

I know one challenge match doesn't mean a whole lot, since Efren seemed to not be playing his best, but Shane, in my opinion, has proven that he is quite possibly the best men's player right now.  He has one of the most powerful breaks...with control and he can make balls from everywhere.  In the 9-ball match, I can only remember seeing him miss 2 or 3 balls all night long.

Sad to see these TAR matches end.  I really enjoyed watching them and listening to the commentators.

OB Classic Shaft Review

Low deflection shafts seem to be picking up steam over the last few years.  I remember several years back when Predator shafts were the ones to have.  They took pie shaped wedges and glued them together to create a stiff shaft.  Lately, OB Cues seem to be the rage.  I have wanted an OB cue or at least a shaft for a little while now.  I was impressed with the layered technology and the way the shafts are constructed.  Well, I finally took the plunge and bought one.

I purchased an OB Classic shaft (12.75 mm, 1/4" ferrule) with the radial pin to fit a Lucasi Ltd. cue I've had for maybe 3-4 years now.  I was excited after receiving the shaft to go hit some balls.

I first played a few racks of 9-ball with the shaft that came with the cue.  I had been using a different cue for a few months now, so I made sure to hit several racks of balls to familiarize myself with the way the Lucasi played.  As a side note, in my opinion, a radial pin is the way to go.  I have played with many joint types over the years and so far, I have found the radial pin feels like the most solid hit for me.

So after getting a feel for the cue again, I switched out the shaft for the new OB Classic.  It came with, I believe, an Everest layered tip.  When first hitting some balls, the short ferrule threw me until I got used to it, then I didn't even notice it.  The tip is a tad soft for my taste as I usually play with a little bit harder tip.  I will probably get a new tip soon.  The shaft itself needed a light sanding with some really fine grit sandpaper.  After a quick sanding, it was smooth as butter.

My first impressions of the OB Classic shaft was why did I just spend $200 for this shaft?  That is, until I hit some really long, firm draw shots.  You can put some terrific english on the cue ball using this shaft!!  I drew the cue ball back nearly 8 feet after pocketing a ball in the corner, but not only that, it seemed like it required less effort to do so.

After playing with it for about 3 days now, I believe it was a good purchase.  It's not something that is going to completely change my game, but due to the low deflection, will help improve my game over time.

So if you are thinking about getting a low deflection shaft of some kind, I would encourage you to go down to your local pool retailer and hit a few balls with the shaft you are considering or any low deflection shaft, really, to see how it feels to you.

Book Review: Pool Wars: On the Road to Hell and Back with the World's Greatest Money Players

While watching Darren Appleton and Dennis Orcollo battled it out on TAR 38, one of the commentators, Jay Helfert, mentioned he had a book about life as a pool player on the road back in the heyday of pool hustling in the 60's, 70's and 80's.  I enjoy hearing and reading about exciting pool stories, so I bought the book to check it out.

I found Jay's book on Amazon, but you can also find it on Jay's website.

The paperback version is about 160 pages of Jay's experiences travelling the country and beyond, playing for money on the road, owning a pool hall, and being a consultant on movies.  I enjoyed the stories Jay had to tell, although I didn't know many of the pool players he mentioned until he got further into the book.  I did know some of the players, though.  Legends like Minnesota Fats, Willie Mosconi, Luther Lassiter, and Cornbread Red.

Overall, I liked the book and the stories Jay had to tell.  During the commentary at TAR 38, he mentioned he might write another book of more stories from his experiences.  I hope he does, because this era of pool he lived is gone.  The internet, video, and smartphones have killed those days.

If you are a fan of pool hustling or want to know what life was like back in those days, pick up this book.  You won't regret it.

TAR 38 Darren Appleton vs. Dennis Orcollo

The Action Report continues to put together some nice match-ups between some of the world's best pool players.  This match-up was a race to 7 One Pocket, race to 30 8-ball, and a race to 30 10-ball.  I had a hard time deciding who would win the event overall.  Both players shoot really strong.

Friday, January 17, One Pocket race to 7

The commentators, Jay Helfert and Robert Leblanc, both seemed to agree that the slight edge in this match would go to Dennis Orcollo.  That was not the case, however.  The first 2 or 3 games went fairly quickly with some mistakes by both players early on.  Dennis scratched at least twice in the first couple of games and Darren left Dennis an out.

Dennis looked strong in the first game, winning 8-0, but Darren came right back in game 2 and won by a score of 8-3.  Both players traded games and it seemed the player breaking was a favorite to win the match.  Neither player went ahead by more than one game until late in the match when Darren Appleton started heating up and took the win 7-5.

The One Pocket match lasted right at 5 hours, but it looked like it would last much longer.  In game 4, both players started off the game going -3, before Darren finally pulled out the win.  Game 6 was extremely long with Darren winning 8-3 after lots of safeties back and forth.

Darren won by a score of 7-5.

Saturday, January 18, 8-ball race to 30

This was a pretty close match the entire time.  Neither player got ahead by more than about 6 games.  There weren't any significant packs put together, 2 here, 3 there.  Toward the end of the match both players looked fatigued.  The commentators mentioned Dennis Orcollo said he was tired toward the end, stating he didn't get much sleep the night before.

Overall, it was a pretty decent match.  Darren was breaking from the side, hitting the 2nd ball square, which usually tied some balls together, making the outs tough, compared to Dennis who was breaking near the middle of the table, hitting the head ball square.  Darren ,throughout the match, consistently ran out the tougher racks.  Even though it was apparent Darren was making the tougher outs and playing better than Dennis, he never could catch back up to Dennis after he got ahead 9-1 early.

The highlight of the match came when Dennis was hooked on the 8-ball and made an extremely difficult 2 rail kick for the win.  I hope that makes it to YouTube for those that didn't get to see.

Dennis won the 8-ball event 30-22.

Sunday, January 19, 10-ball race to 30

Both players were playing much better than the previous night.  The commentators noted that 8-ball is a lot more mentally challenging than 10-ball and I would have to agree.  The 8-ball event seemed like it lasted forever, starting at 5 pm Pacific and ending around 12 am.  The 10-ball match also started at 5 pm Pacific and ended just after 11:30 pm.

It was a close match with neither player taking a large lead.  It looked like Darren was going to get out to a big lead, breaking and running the first 3 racks.  They tied at 15, 17, 20, 21, and 22, but from then on, it was pretty much all Darren.  Darren's break was consistently better than Orcollo's pocketing balls and allowing the break and runs.  Orcollo just couldn't seem to make a ball on the break and several times making a ball, but leaving himself no shot on the first ball.

Just as we thought Darren would take the match, Dennis pulls out the last 5 games when the score was 29-25 to win 30-29.  An exciting last day to the 3 day event sees the match go hill-hill for all the money.  What a great match-up of these two top players.

Earl Strickland The Story

I recently found a video on YouTube while searching for pool videos of Earl Strickland.  It's called Earl Strickland The Story The greatest ever.  The video is about 45 minutes long and it's a documentary on probably one of the greatest pool players ever and also probably one of the most misunderstood pool players ever.

If you are a fan of Earl Strickland or don't know much about him, you really should watch this video.  Before watching this, I had always thought Earl was just a whiner and liked causing controversy.  I thought maybe his "game" was antagonizing the other player to throw off his opponent's game.  After watching this video, I have a little better understanding of what makes him who he is.

It's a very excellent look at the fiery Earl Strickland.  There are some really good stories that Earl tells and some of the top pros talk about him also.  It's at times funny, at times inspiring, and at times really sad.

If you have about 45 minutes, take a look.  You might change your mind about Earl too.

Can Team USA make a comeback in Mosconi Cup?

     The 2013 Mosconi Cup was hyped up in the months and weeks before the tournament started.  The United States had selected their top players, bringing back the fiery Earl Strickland, veteran team captain Johnny Archer, top US players Shane Van Boening, Dennis Hatch, Rodney Morris, and even the legendary, Buddy "The Rifleman" Hall as a non-playing co-Captain.  The all-star team was set...and they went down in the worst loss ever.  The previous worst loss by Team USA was 11-5 in 2008.

     So what went wrong?  You just about could not put together a more veteran team of professional pool players.  Each of the Team USA players are some of the best in the world.  Billiards Digest has an extensive article in the January 2014 issue which discusses in length the differences in Team Europe and Team USA's approach to the 2013 Mosconi Cup.  This, I feel, made the difference.

     Team Europe were a cohesive team.  The team Captain, Johan Ruijsink, didn't play.  He was there to coach.  He communicated with his team months before the tournament.  They collectively discussed the tournament.  They arrived together several days before the tournament.  They ate together.  They practiced together...get the picture here?

     Now let's look at Team USA.  Johnny Archer, arguably one of the best players in the US and a veteran of the Mosconi Cup tournament (16 consecutive appearances) was again team Captain.  But the difference being Johnny was also playing in the tournament and he's a pool player, not a coach.  Then there are the other players...Dennis Hatch, Shane Van Boening, who appears to be a pretty nice guy, but does seem to have an air of arrogance (just my opinion here, folks), and we all know the reputation of Earl Strickland.  Lastly, there is Buddy Hall.  I've watched some interviews online and he appears to be a super nice guy.  He's obviously a great pool player, probably one of the best ever.  Here's a quote from the Billiards Digest article by Buddy Hall when asked what he would tell the Team USA players, "I'm not going to say much.  I'm here if they need me."  It sounded like he wasn't even utilized.  Johnny Archer was reported to say that he, "couldn't speak to his players in any authoritative way as a captain, because they were all champions just like he is."  Team USA was doomed before the tournament even started.

     How can Team USA solve this problem?  It needs to start now and I believe the first step in the solution is a team coach.  No offense to Johnny Archer, but the team Captain needs to be a non-playing, motivational coach.  This coach needs to be determined...not a few months before the tournament...now. This coach needs to find a way to bring 5 of the top professional pool players together as a team.  The second and more difficult step is the team itself.  Who is going to play?  AZBilliards.com has a list of the all-time career money earners, since, at least in my mind, more money equals more tournament wins, so just for fun let's pick the team based on the top career money list.  We would have Johnny Archer, Shane Van Boening, Rodney Morris, Corey Deuel, and Earl Strickland...wait, what?  Except for Corey Deuel, this was the 2013 team!!!!!

     Is this the best way to pick the team?  Who else is there?  Continuing down the career money list let's throw some more names out there.  Charlie Williams, John Schmidt, Jeremy Jones, Mike Davis, Gabe Owen, Shannon Daulton, Tony Robles, Mike Dechaine.  I skipped a few that I'm not sure how well they play and after these names the players I'm familiar with start to rapidly dwindle.  The US has a talent problem.  There are a lot of great players in the US, but at Mosconi Cup level?  Probably not.  The talent is pretty vast in Europe and Asia since they have more tournaments and a more structured pool world.

     The article from Billiards Digest quotes Barry Hearn, promoter for the Mosconi Cup tournament, as saying, "There's no leadership in American pool.  Someone has to come up to the plate and figure out how to improve the lot.  American pool is too centered on individual needs."

     Team USA needs help and needs help fast.

 

Dealing with the slump

As a pool player, eventually you will hit a slump or a plateau.  It happens as you are learning the game and developing your skills.  It will happen when you have reached professional status.  What do you do to pull yourself out of a slump?

When you are first starting out learning the game of pool, inevitably you will reach a point where your game will plateau.  You have seen vast improvement from when you first picked up a cue, but you can't seem to get past a certain point.  Maybe that point is running 5 balls in a row in a game of 8-ball or maybe it's being able to run 5 racks in a row of 9-ball.  Eventually you will reach this point where it seems like your game just is not improving further.  If you are a semi-pro or professional player, maybe you just can't seem to win tournaments where, considering the level of play, you should win.  Or maybe you have won tournaments in the past and find yourself not winning them now.  For whatever reason and level of play you find yourself, here are a few thoughts on getting yourself out of a slump or getting over that plateau.

First you have to assess your situation, since it will be different depending on your skill level.  If you are a beginner, intermediate, or advanced player and find your skills have reached a point where they are not improving despite your hours of practice and steady play, consider these questions:

1.  Am I practicing/playing with extreme focus?  Watch the pros.  They approach a shot with extreme focus, studying the shot as long as time will allow (or is acceptable if no shot clock).  Not only are they aiming, but they are studying the table to see how to hit the cue ball, where it should travel, what balls might interfere, and where to best have the cue ball end up for not the next shot, but in a position so that the next shot will put them in a position to get good shape on the shot after that.  In other words, they are playing 2 shots ahead in their minds.  Once they have decided all this and are ready to shoot, they approach the cue ball with confidence and only focusing on hitting the cue ball precisely.  I guarantee most all pros practice with extreme focus.  Why practice to get better and just bang balls around without paying attention to what you are doing?

2.  Am I distracted?  There is a reason most professional pool tournaments are held in hotels and large convention centers with paid admission for spectators.  A bar with drunk, skimpily dressed girls dancing around, people yelling or singing with the ear-splitting music, and smoke so thick you can barely see the other side of the room, isn't the greatest place to play your best.  Playing professional level pool requires enormous amounts of concentration and even a small distraction can cause you to miss a shot or get out of position on the next shot.  But not only distractions in the environment around you, but what in your life outside of the pool room might be causing a distraction?

3.  Am I putting too much pressure or expectations on myself?  Sometimes if you are just starting out playing pool or are at a place where you feel you should be playing a little better, you put too much pressure on yourself.  You might be playing in tournaments where a handicap system is in place and you know you should be shooting a level higher, but can't quite seem to get there.  Putting too much pressure on yourself or having too great of expectations will usually result in disappointment.  While it is good to try and improve your game, you need to set reachable goals.  By setting smaller goals, such as placing in the top 10 of a tournament instead of pressuring yourself to win or by beating all the lesser or equally handicapped players instead of getting upset when you don't beat the higher ranked players, will result in less frustration and improve your confidence.

4.  Am I practicing/playing enough?  If you don't practice or play pool often, how are you going to get better?  You don't.  Very few players can pick up a stick and play like the pros without spending hours upon hours at the pool table.  Playing pool, in my opinion, is 90% mental, 10% skill.  Think about it...a stick and a ball.  It takes relatively little effort to swing the cue stick to strike the cue ball and after that point, it's up to the cue ball.  So being able to make that cue ball go where you want is mostly mental.  The mental ability comes with lots of practice, play, and competition.

So after you have asked yourself these questions, what can you do to get out of the slump and improve your game?  I believe there are only 2 general ways to get past a slump or plateau.

The first is to take a break.  Maybe you are playing and practicing nearly every day and competing in a lot of tournaments.  You might be playing so much it's not fun anymore and you can't enjoy the game.  Try taking a break for a few days or even a couple of weeks.  I wouldn't take too much time off, just enough to give yourself a break so that when you decide to start playing again, you can enjoy it and not feel like it's a struggle or put that pressure on yourself to improve.

The second way is to practice or play more with high levels of concentration.  Set up some shots that have been giving you trouble, practice them with lots of concentration and become confident at making them.  Compete in tournaments or play against someone who is a higher level than you.  Learning by competing is a good way to see if you are improving and it also teaches you to play under pressure of competition.   Don't get frustrated by losing or not reaching a higher level, but try to take something positive away from every time at the table.  Learn by watching the higher level players, remember certain shots or mistakes and add those to memory.  Playing a high level of pool is about confidence and ability which will come with focused practice and competition.