Cue Tips: Any challengers?

Is it possible? Are we actually getting the past year of restrictions behind us? Oh my, it does seem as if that is what might be happening after all!

Hugh “Ponytail” Miller came to Fort Bragg with a plan, it has been over a year since he played a 7-foot table, and he was looking forward to seeing how he played on a bar box table. He hasn’t seen a little table for a year, so he was excited. Hugh has his own 8-foot table and has played on it nearly every day — unless he was busy observing chickens on an island in the Pacific Ocean.

The entire Angelina team shows up once or twice a week to hone their pool playing skills. If Hugh is an example of their improvement, it will be tough to beat them at pool for any team.

Upon arrival at the Daisy table, he exclaimed that he was “shocked” at how small it seemed. After dominating at the table for a couple of hours, he had decided what to do. He wanted a team match between his Angelina team against Ed’s Welcome Inn team. The agreement was made to pit the two teams against each other this coming week. There are some teensy weensy problems for the Welcome Inn team, they have lost one of their best players; Roy Ulatan moved away from Fort Bragg.

Another problem is that the Welcome Inn team has not played together for over a year. With Angelina’s team playing together weekly, you might wonder, are we afraid? Well, yes — maybe a tiny bit, but the

match is set, and bragging rights, and possibly more, will be on the line. The results will be eventually posted.

The Tip Top Lounge team No. 2 decided they have a strong enough team to make a challenge to any brave local team for a match. Yep, for bragging rights and more. Don’t be shy, talk to your team captain, and let the games begin. Captain Randy Gibson has been playing pool nearly every day for months. Well, of course, his right-hand man Justine Hawk has played daily as well, and Justine can barely wait to make it tough on any League player.

He is like Meesha the dog, jumping up and down in anticipation. They are both young and strong which may explain, careful, either can, or will, leave a mark, not depending entirely on what you do.

Captain Dan has been playing more recently and is getting his 9-foot table upgraded with new felt. I didn’t ask, but I would bet Dan and Rebecca have been playing daily. Rick Merlin has been playing more and is one of the best players. Rick has been playing with Mike Casteel and Mike is happy with how his game is going since Rick has been coaching him. Go, Big Mike!

Dick Bartz is another player with his own 9-foot table that I bet has seen more play lately. The King of Wall Street has been over there regularly getting lessons from that master player, so I believe we could get small teams to play regular games with good competition from different teams. What do you think? CUE TIP >> There are different methods players use to respond to someone trying to upset them during their time at the table in a pool game. Listen to them and you may become angry, then the adrenaline flows. Your heart rate races, your hands shake and your mind occupies itself on methods of physical retribution. Knowing you can’t do much concentrating on pool strategy while in that state of mind.

If you have a plan, that starts with the knowledge that if someone is trying to hinder your play, it is only because they are intimidated by your game. Smile, because now, for sure, the odds are in your favor, they are worried about you, not focused on their own game. Relax, be kind to them with honest feelings. That should be the last thing they expect and may help you to ignore them, remaining focused on your own pool strategy. Contact me at mcbohanon@gmail.com.