Category: Rules and Etiquette
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On Kindness, Identity, and the Future of Pool
Recently, the finals of the Ultimate Pool women’s tournament featured two transgender women–Harriet Haynes and Lucy Smith. That fact alone seems to upset a lot of people. Social media comment sections lit up with cruelty, accusations, and worse. As a lifelong player and someone who cares deeply about this sport, I’ve been thinking a lot…
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Play Hard. Play Fair: The Line Between Gamesmanship and Sharking.
Pool is a beautiful game: equal parts precision, psychology, and composure. And when money’s on the line or pride is at stake, it’s easy to justify doing whatever it takes to win. But there’s a line between playing smart and playing dirty. Some players know exactly where that line is, and spend most of their…
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Empathy in Sports: Understanding the Human Behind the Athlete
In the high-stakes world of professional sports, emotions can run exceptionally high, and even the most seasoned athletes may experience moments of intense frustration. Recently, renowned pool player Mika Immonen faced such a moment during the final day of The Pennsylvania Open in a gripping 9-ball match against Skylar Woodward. With the score tied and…
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Billiards Etiquette
For many years, pool has had a tarnished image. Ask the average person, and they’ll tell you that it’s mostly hoodlums, bikers, and gangsters who play pool in seedy bars while Hank Williams, Johnny Cash or Lynyrd Skynyrd plays in the background (please no more Ring of Fire or Freebird!). In bar fights, cue sticks…