tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12690009Sun, 19 Apr 2026 10:17:49 +00008-ballwinAPAEl-Maestropractice9-balllossbar-tablesmentalequipmentexercisestraight-poollibraryquotesatttitudebookscueexcusesfocusgoalsleft handplansevenstrategystrokevideoDVDHard TimesOn CueScore keeperTeachingThe Dark Ages of No PoolUS Amateur Championshipsaffirmationsbreakcharacterclothingconcentrationconsistencydrawdrillfoulshealthin the moneyinstructionlearningmagazinesmoorinew-post-noticespocketspositionprecisionrulessafety playshaftsmokingsorto stringspirittalkingtapestiptournamentuniformweightThe Adventures of FastMikie in Search of Truth and Beauty in the Art of pocket billiards.https://poolshooter.blogspot.com/noreply@blogger.com (Michael McCafferty)Blogger727125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12690009.post-2690777843338391236Sat, 06 Dec 2025 16:56:00 +00002025-12-06T09:01:19.287-08:00 Now on Amazon.com https://poolshooter.blogspot.com/2025/12/invincible-book.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Michael McCafferty)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12690009.post-148673374606445051Sat, 06 Dec 2025 16:03:00 +00002025-12-06T08:47:42.031-08:00 Lessons to be learned:I feel that I don't play safe often enough.That leads me to question "enough".What I'm really wanting is to increase my win rate.by optimizing my probabilities of winning with each shot.It's seems that we are wired to take the shot.Taking the shot is more aggressive, more manly.Playing safe seems passive, avoiding our responsibilities.Most of the time, when it is our https://poolshooter.blogspot.com/2025/12/shoot-or-safe.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Michael McCafferty)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12690009.post-1211345771622610501Thu, 27 Nov 2025 03:52:00 +00002025-11-26T19:52:23.633-08:00 (top) https://poolshooter.blogspot.com/2025/11/pool-movie-trick-shots.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Michael McCafferty)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12690009.post-2866924822206423641Thu, 21 Nov 2024 23:01:00 +00002024-11-21T15:01:08.466-08:00 I sure am enjoying the beautiful days here at FastMikie's Fun House.Although I'm not playing as much as I would like, it's good to have my table back home,knowing that I can play anytime I want...(top) https://poolshooter.blogspot.com/2024/11/its-beautiful-day-in-neighborhood.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Michael McCafferty)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12690009.post-7968447178543533726Sun, 21 Jul 2024 21:48:00 +00002024-07-21T14:48:39.398-07:00Score keeper Shown below the Geochron map/clock, the new score keeping device, especially useful for straight pool games. Shows the score of my last straight pool competition FastMikie: 100, Visitor: 57. On the shelf are just a few of the APA trophies. Left to right: 2005 - MVP Triple Play Masters, undefeated2004 - California amateur playoffs, undefeated, 2007 - 8 ball Perfect https://poolshooter.blogspot.com/2024/07/keeping-score.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Michael McCafferty)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12690009.post-3063498063899577747Wed, 24 May 2023 22:07:00 +00002023-05-24T22:48:29.892-07:00 Fresh cloth (Tournament blue Simonis 860)Fresh rubber (J&J)Fresh setup/leveling (Brian)Fresh balls (Aramith TV)Fresh stick tip (Abram)Fresh lights (X-10 remote control dimmable switch by Steve)Fresh Philosophy:   Instead of seeing pool as a social event or a competition event, as before, there is a changed awareness of time on the table to be a https://poolshooter.blogspot.com/2023/05/fresh.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Michael McCafferty)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12690009.post-8879777232367513003Thu, 04 Nov 2021 15:53:00 +00002021-11-04T08:53:31.797-07:00 I have been away from the game for a while, so I guess that, from the perspective of the world of pool, I've been living under a rock, so I'm the 18 millionth person to see this wonder of intelligence over the real world.  Enjoy! https://poolshooter.blogspot.com/2021/11/automatic-pool-cue.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Michael McCafferty)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12690009.post-505270389756407382Tue, 01 Sep 2020 20:39:00 +00002023-05-24T19:11:51.074-07:00Hard Times Over 30 years of glorious billiard history has come to an end. Hard Times Billiards was southern California's hardcore pool players headquarters. No other pool-hall came close to the history and true pure love of billiards. They had no alcohol, no fancy sports TVs. What did they have? They had hardcore tables. Snooker tables, Heated Carom Tables, and 25 tough gold-crown 9-foot tables,https://poolshooter.blogspot.com/2020/09/hard-times-is-gone.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Michael McCafferty)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12690009.post-4775576804830560913Thu, 27 Aug 2020 01:21:00 +00002020-08-26T18:39:41.879-07:00 INVINCIBLE  now available  on Kindle books (Amazon) Click Here https://poolshooter.blogspot.com/2020/08/invincible-kindle-book.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Michael McCafferty)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12690009.post-1491609872040693667Thu, 07 Nov 2019 06:04:00 +00002023-05-24T18:26:29.753-07:00 When I moved from Philly to Chicago in 1974, one of the first things I did was buy a beat up old pool table, had it refreshed, and installed in the new family home. I loved that table. Every day after work I'd shoot a few racks to unwind.  That lasted only a couple of years until I just couldn't handle the Chicago weather and moved to San Diego.  (Best move I ever madehttps://poolshooter.blogspot.com/2019/11/my-first-pool-table-now-bffs.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Michael McCafferty)2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12690009.post-2516037497779601250Wed, 17 Apr 2019 20:30:00 +00002019-04-17T13:30:32.390-07:00 (top)https://poolshooter.blogspot.com/2019/04/efren-reyes-some-seriously-super-shots.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Michael McCafferty)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12690009.post-288561798981376750Sat, 09 Mar 2019 18:58:00 +00002023-05-24T18:24:48.953-07:00 In the fullness of time, a pool table has finally appeared in the village of Del Mar, where I live. This has never happened before, at least in the last 40 years! I took this photo through the front window; they were closed at the time. The location is the new Debonair Barber Shop, 1202 Camino Del Mar. Ask for Lauren for a great cut. The table is "challenging" due to the absence of https://poolshooter.blogspot.com/2019/03/pool-table-comes-to-del-mar.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Michael McCafferty)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12690009.post-84368280197462734Tue, 22 Jan 2019 21:50:00 +00002019-01-22T13:52:17.524-08:00 I'd like to hear stories about how MLK got into the game... (top) https://poolshooter.blogspot.com/2019/01/id-like-to-hear-stories-about-how-mlk.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Michael McCafferty)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12690009.post-1141646857980934881Thu, 02 Nov 2017 23:40:00 +00002023-05-24T18:14:07.693-07:00 In a recent 13 day road trip I found myself in Mountain View, California to visit the Computer History Museum (geek heaven, right?) and figured I stop by Shoreline Billiards to move a few racks around. I Googled Shoreline Billiards to get the address for my GPS, and... OMG, WTF? Shoreline Billiards is gone. It has ceased to be! This is very troubling because it is/was the scene of https://poolshooter.blogspot.com/2017/11/shoreline-billiards-is-gone.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Michael McCafferty)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12690009.post-4961176612357255741Fri, 16 Dec 2016 04:07:00 +00002023-05-24T18:20:53.370-07:00 Jerry Scott is a long time subscriber to this blog, and recently sent me a few photos of the cue that legendary cue maker Herman Rambow built for him 54 years ago in 1962... for only 47 bucks! I can't imagine what that beauty is worth today. But playing with that great cue is priceless. This is the first time I've even seen photos of the great cue maker's work, so I asked Jerry if I https://poolshooter.blogspot.com/2016/12/the-jerry-scott-rambow-cue.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Michael McCafferty)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12690009.post-6227850416746807642Tue, 13 Dec 2016 21:34:00 +00002023-05-24T18:18:48.459-07:00 I'm totally loving the 3 new 9' Diamond pro tables where I occasionally shoot pool. They replace a mismatched set of beat up tables that weren't regulation size... but I managed to win on them anyway (when my game was stronger). These tables were just installed last week and are the gift of several of the players and a little donation from the county. I stopped by to check out the https://poolshooter.blogspot.com/2016/12/im-totally-loving-3-new-9-diamond-pro.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Michael McCafferty)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12690009.post-2386044707678006334Fri, 10 Jun 2016 01:58:00 +00002023-05-24T18:15:43.450-07:00 Every once in a while I take a couple of hours away from Global Domination to shoot some pool at the local pool hall. In this case, it's not that local. About 20 miles away, but that's the closest. And now it's not. Not not closest, just not, as in that it has ceased to be. WTF? That's kind of rude, actually, not even an email, no notice whatsoever! But I guess anybody https://poolshooter.blogspot.com/2016/06/another-one-bites-dust.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Michael McCafferty)3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12690009.post-4713145179551952595Thu, 21 Apr 2016 19:29:00 +00002016-04-21T12:29:41.515-07:00 It's hard to be humble when you're me,  but I work at it every day,  and every so often somebody notices! :) Diary of a Pool Shooter has been featured in the Best Billiard Blog Awards:  www.affordablebilliards.com.au/awards/best-billiard-blog-awards/ (top) https://poolshooter.blogspot.com/2016/04/among-best.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Michael McCafferty)2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12690009.post-2945704224427231597Sat, 09 Apr 2016 18:39:00 +00002016-04-09T11:51:18.736-07:00 Practice: Shane does Billiard University Exams Billiard University has devised Playing Ability Exams and world champion player Shane Van Boening gave it a go. Check these two videos of the exams, and try it on your own: Fundamentals: Advanced: More info at BilliardUniversity.org https://poolshooter.blogspot.com/2016/04/practice-shane-does-billiard-university.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Michael McCafferty)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12690009.post-4180913032165356736Sun, 03 Apr 2016 17:49:00 +00002016-12-13T13:52:41.721-08:00 https://poolshooter.blogspot.com/2016/04/practice.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Michael McCafferty)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12690009.post-4812896596147111523Wed, 15 Oct 2014 07:05:00 +00002014-10-15T07:35:01.528-07:00 Today should be sad, but it passed without emotion, probably because I wasn't there when it happened. My pool table, for two years on loan to a tech client's company, was disassembled and the pieces wrapped and stored. For how long is anyone's guess, but it will cost a hundred bucks a month to keep it safe while it hibernates. Hope is strong that it will soon again see good play, and https://poolshooter.blogspot.com/2014/10/dark-times.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Michael McCafferty)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12690009.post-1511864426672283501Mon, 11 Aug 2014 02:00:00 +00002014-08-10T19:00:01.291-07:00 This is such a worthy project by good friend and fellow pool shooter Tina Hou.  Meet her and learn more about her very fun children's book about learning to shoot pool.  Then sign up to support her project, and tell your friends! https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/83460758/no-matter-how-small Please Share With Your Friends only 6 days left (top) https://poolshooter.blogspot.com/2014/08/no-matter-how-small-by-tina-hou.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Michael McCafferty)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12690009.post-1081375670202821427Wed, 11 Dec 2013 01:37:00 +00002013-12-10T17:46:29.304-08:00 Earl gets a lot of flack for some of his actions, but when he and I were shooting here at the Fun House (along with Johnny Archer), he was a real gentleman.  This video tribute to Earl's career is excellent. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Namjr1Rkxwo (top) https://poolshooter.blogspot.com/2013/12/earl-stickland.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Michael McCafferty)7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12690009.post-7024664646676456987Sun, 24 Nov 2013 20:44:00 +00002013-11-24T12:44:58.961-08:00 Just outside that pool room door there is another world of fresh air and sunshine and healthy living! Here is my latest attempt to enjoy it all:  This is the Pedego Trail Tracker, an ELECTRIC bike, so you only pedal when you want to.  I really like taking my bike for rides, as long as the rides are level, or down hill, but when the going gets tough, I turn on the https://poolshooter.blogspot.com/2013/11/life-after-pool.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Michael McCafferty)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12690009.post-7918402119652731539Fri, 28 Jun 2013 17:24:00 +00002013-06-28T10:24:46.339-07:00 While we are on the subject of pool in TV and movies, this new blog comes to my attention featuring all the great stuff we may already know about and some that we most certainly haven't seen yet. Check out 8-ball on the Silver Screen by Jason Moss.  I really enjoyed the movie clips and hope you do too... (top) https://poolshooter.blogspot.com/2013/06/8-ball-on-silver-screen.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Michael McCafferty)2