05/06/2026
Tonight was a good reminder of why I love pool.
I sold highest in the Calcutta, practiced 10-ball for 45 minutes, and then they switched the tournament to 8-ball. 😂
I lost my first 3 chips and found myself down to my last 1.
At that point, most people start thinking about results.
I started thinking about process.
One rack at a time.
One decision at a time.
I ended up winning 5 games before finally finishing 8th.
Here's the lesson:
Confidence isn't believing you'll always win.
Confidence is believing you'll keep competing when things aren't going your way.
One rack tonight summed it up perfectly. I identified a cluster as the problem from the start. Six different times I tried to break it open. Six different times I missed the cluster. Everyone watching thought I was shooting great because the balls kept going in. Meanwhile, I was frustrated because I knew what I was actually trying to accomplish.
That's the difference between results and ex*****on.
Most people judge themselves by whether the ball went in.
Strong players judge themselves by whether they made the right decision.
I didn't cash tonight.
I didn't win the tournament.
But I battled back after a rough start, had some great conversations, stayed within my budget, and left with a full gas tank and a smile on my face.
The older I get, the more I realize pool is a lot like life.
You don't always get the outcome you want.
But if you keep making good decisions, eventually the results take care of themselves.
Now it's time to rest, get ready for Monday night league, and keep building.
🎱 Zero-zero. Race to one.