2009 US amateur pool tournament

Any of you guys interested in pool, they are holding the 2009 US Amateur
pool tournament at Strokers on Hillsborough av. in Tampa Fl. Free entry for spectators.
128 Players from all over the US will be playing.
One of my sons won one of the prelims and will be playing in it. I lost in one of the prelim finals so I will be a spectator.
Starts this Fri. 10/06/09 and runs to Sunday 10/08/09 Not sure of the exact time it starts but it is in the evening.  

I love billiards but I'm no where near the level to play in a tournament.  

The great thing about pool is you can play it from 8 - 80.
My suggestion is to start out in league play, such as the APA or BCA leagues.
There you are ranked and receive a handicap when playing against better players. I have been playing in leagues for about 19 years now.
You may be suprised at how fast you get better as the more you play the better you get.  

Good to know. I have my own cue and everything but never have the time or the money to go to a local pool hall. Maybe after the new year I'll try to play more. I wish I could fit a table in my apartment.  

Of all the sports I have tried, and I have tried them all, Pool is one of the few that just about everyone can compete in with a handicap system.
The fact that you can play the game at just about any age is one of the great things about it.
I have my own 4 1/2 x 9 table in my home and it is an advantage to have your own table, and you of course do improve if you use it. Leagues do not cost much, 8.00 a week here in Fla. and they are always looking for beginners. Call one of your local league operators and they can place you on a team if you are interested.
My son finished 4th in the US Amatuer tournament which is quite an accomplishment as there were 128 good players in that event. There is another post here on this site where I tell the whole story.

Just a quick funny story about the handicap system. I had a recent loss where I thought I was playing in the twilight zone TV series. I played a woman who I have seen playing many times and she is pretty weak normally, ranked 3 out of a possible 7 in league play. Normally a 3 misses a lot of shots and I have not lost to a 2 or 3 in a couple of years. She came out shooting like she was posessed making a long rail bank to win the second game and only missing 2 shots in the whole match. I only missed a couple of shots myself but she had to win 2 games to my 6 and she won easily. None of the 4 games went over 2 innings, most 3s take 5-8 innings to win a game. This just shows that anyone can win in a handicap situation.

This is my table.  

I had my own table when I lived at home and played for hours a day. Mom had to sell it once she moved to a smaller place and didnt have the room to store it. Had a 8 footer with a automatic ball return from SEARS.