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Tuesday, May 09, 2006

Snooker times 

We have a Snooker table in the office premises and of-late most post-lunch pre-mandatory-email-check time is spent potting reds and snooking the white or at least in the attempts to do so. Its' not everyday that my colleague and I find an empty table the moment we enter. This calls for a forbearing stance in the room overlooking the proceedings on the table. Every missed shot will be met with absolutely no emotion from the overlookers which rings as volumes of abuse heaped on the one who goofed the shot. The more aggressive ones will stand right up at the table pretending to observe the opposite wall. Gentle tactics to get people to play fast and leave the premises asap. Over time you get an idea of which tactic works on what set of people. Like the freshers who monopolise the pool table can be rounded off if one of their mentors happens to walk in OR if you call up the mentor on the phone for a casual name-dropped converstation :) Or the UPA (read hyderabadi; internal joke) bunch who can be packed off with sniggers and eye-rolling. Very subtly, of course.

Playing on the same table with a small selection of people allows you to formulate tactics for each one of them. One interesting criteria is the favourite pocket of each player. This can be observed from the number of balls in each pocket at the end of a game. Place a yellow or green in the vicinity of said pocket and their game takes a hit. :D
The cue-stick is another formidable weapon. Knowing the characteristics (cue-tip wobbles during spin-shots on some sticks, two are warped and needs adjustment for a straight shot) etc. make it a more intersting game than just gaining the most points.

My level of expertise? : I've hit the Uncanny Valley meaning my skills are going downhill, I'm getting cross-eyed, my back aches, and I suspect one of my arms is getting longer than the other :D

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