Stack them:

Fall is upon us at Fort Bragg and most players have already settled into a team. Captain Mike Casey of Angellina’s Grill and Bar Team #2 was fully staffed and ready to play pool. Welcome Inn Team #1 was in disarray and down one player. In fact, Welcome Inn lost two games in this match, the second time this season.

The first Welcome Inn player was run over by Roy and the Welcome team continued to stumble. At the end of the first half, the last Welcome Inn player fell and Angelina’s team led 4-2 at the end of the first half. In the second half, however, Welcome Inn Team #1, led by Sam, Jacob, Sean and Matty, reversed the first half defeat and dragged the team to the all-important tiebreaker line. Mike Casey brought in Angelina’s long-time top shooter Roy Yanez. Oakland Sam, playing for Welcome Inn Team #1, was suddenly more alert and snorting, maybe? It was odd, but no, he wasn’t pawing like a racehorse; he was a completely different animal. The fact is, Roy had inflicted a defeat on Sam in the first game of the match and set the tone. But then, when Sam heard Roy was playing the tiebreaker, he started making small talk with his cue. Then a revived Oakland Sam got his revenge on Roy by winning the tiebreaker game and the match for Welcome Inn Team #1. Still, both teams played by the rules, had fun, and showed respect. This was during a perfectly normal, high-pressure competition that lasted for hours. It wasn’t hard to get along. It’s easy when you’re playing against Captain Mike Casey and the players of Angelina’s Grill and Bar Team #2.

Results of the league matches from Tuesday, 08.06.2024

Team Finishes: Angelia’s Grill and Bar Team No. 1: 2 wins; Angelina’s Grill and Bar Team No. 2: 3 wins; Golden West Saloon Team No. 1: 2 wins; Golden West Saloon Team No. 2: 1 win; Milano Hotel and Bar Team No. 1: 5 wins; Milano Hotel and Bar Team No. 2: 1 win; Noyo River Grill Team No. 1: 5 wins; Noyo River Grill Team No. 2: 2 wins; Welcome Inn Team No. 1: 4 wins; Welcome Inn Team No. 2: 0 wins.

This week’s top players on their team: Noyo River Grill Team Team No. 1 John Borba; Milano Hotel and Bar Team No. 1 Raphael Briseno and Flaco Pat; Welcome Inn Team No. 1 Sam Banker; Angelina’s Grill and Bar Team No. 2: Tony Matlick, Rosendo Padillo and Tomas Venegas; Noyo River Grill Team No. 2: Lance Evans, Rick Merlin and Jubilee Placido; Golden West Saloon Team No. 1 Luke Pedersen; Angelina’s Grill and Bar Team Team No. 1 Joshua House; Golden West Team Team No. 2: Raven Dean; Milano Hotel and Bar Team No. 2: Thomas Brannan; Welcome Inn Team No. 2: Priscilla Adams and Omie Behrns.

Angelina’s Grill & Bar, Golden West Saloon, Milano Hotel and Bar, Noyo River Grill and Welcome Inn: All have pool tables and Fort Bragg Pool League player schedules and tournament times.

Look for someone you know and mention where they play. You might meet up with them or make new friends while watching the 8-ball pool games. The league plays on Tuesdays at 7pm and ends at 10pm. The tournaments are open to anyone who wants to join and play.

Tip: If you have a tournament date, you might want to eat carefully to win. Huh? Well, if you’re hungry and rushing around to get something minutes before it starts, it can actually make you anxious before you’ve even started competing. Eating too close to the start of your tournament is another bad idea. But being hungry and starting a competition you won’t finish when the lack of food causes your critical thinking skills to decline is also not advisable. What do you do?

Eating a large meal right before a competition can affect your concentration and alertness. You might feel more like you need to take a nap when you need to be hyper-alert. On the other hand, if you haven’t eaten anything and are now halfway through and starving for food, you might start to rush your game so you can eat something. In either case, you are making it harder for yourself to win the tournament.

If you know when the tournament starts, plan ahead by eating at a convenient time that allows you to recover from the meal. It takes concentrated effort to stay calmly focused while waiting for a tournament or playing in a tournament, so plan ahead. Contact me at [email protected].