This is really a PSA for all those up and coming hustlas out there. Know your limits. Last night, after league I saw a guy who’s rated a 5 play a guy who’s rated a 7 for $50 a rack. Now, the 5 is a good shooter and in all probability, he’ll be moved to a 6 in a few weeks at session’s end, but the guy he’s playing is a strong 7, probably should be an 8. It should have been a good match, but after the very first loss of the very first rack, the 5 was nothing but a ball of anger. Well, you can imagine what happened after that. In the next 30 mins he was down $200. Okay, so maybe he’s looking at this like a lesson – but the thing is, this isn’t the first time. He’s learned this lesson before, or should have. I have a sneaking suspicion, he won’t learn this time either. The lesson he needs to learn, even more important than knowing his limits, is that it’s absolutely critical to remain in control of your emotions. As soon as he gets angry, he’s lost. He sees everything as ‘not getting the rolls’ and the other getting every roll there is. When he has an open shot, he’s so frustrated that he can’t think clearly and gives up position, again complaining about the table, the cue ball or just bad luck. Sure, there are times when it really is bad luck or a bad bump – but more often than not, it’s just a poorly executed shot. I’ve wrote about this a few times now and I’ve tried to give him some advice, but since he’s 100% certain I have nothing to teach him, he won’t listen. It’s unfortunate really, he could be a really great player if he can just get a handle on his anger issues.