Category: Tournaments
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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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A Memorable Weekend at the Brendan Crockett Memorial Tournament
This past weekend, I had the privilege of participating in the Brendan Crockett Memorial Pool Tournament at Hard Times Billiards in Sacramento. As always, Oscar and Desiree Dominguez orchestrated a flawless event that drew in 157 players—all eager to honor the memory of a remarkable young man and support a great cause. My first match…