It always seems that everytime I play someone that I really want to beat badly, I always end up trying so hard that I dog my brains out. Well, not tonight.

Actually, I wouldn’t necessarily put this guy in the “really want to beat badly” category. I’m not too fond of him, but there’s definitely people more worthy than him on my list. It was still pretty rewarding though.

I played in the Rack ‘Em big table 9-ball tourney tonight and lost my first match, playing horribly, as I have been, barely won my second match, still playing horribly, and in my third match, drew this particular short, cocky whiner local cue maker individual who once said to my friend Ray (a super nice guy who had just spent a lot of money buying a cue from him), “You’re making my cue look bad,” while he was having a bad night. Poor Ray. He broke his cue down and sold it the following week. I don’t blame him. I don’t care how nice your cues play, you’re a cocky jerk!

So, back to the rewarding victory part… I was down 3-1 and ended up winning 5-3. Fortunately, I started playing exceptionally well. After the match was over, he (as I mentioned, being of the whiner type) says, “I don’t think I’ve ever lost a match to five 9-ball combinations before.” I took a minute to try to remember all my wins. He hung up a 4-9 combo for me and gave me ball-in-hand on another one. I got on the wrong side of the 5 ball once and had to make a tough cut into the 9, but I didn’t know I was supposed to be keeping track.

“You didn’t finish one single run-out,” he cried. To which I responded: “Well, at least I won.”

I continued to play well in my next match but he played just a little better. This will probably be the last time I hit a ball before I leave for the Open. So much to do. So little time.

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