Office Pools
Office pools can be a great way to bond and have a little fun while at work. While many people consider them to be just for sports, office pools can be for just about anything from March Madness to the Lottery to American Idol. If there’s a winner, there can be an office pool!
However, since this is an office activity, you want to ensure that you manage your pool in such a way as to ensure that everyone involved has a fun experience and it’s a morale-building event.
1 – Check the rules on office pools!
Since office pools are not allowed in all offices, you should check with your manager and the gambling laws of your state before starting any office pools. You don’t want to cause any trouble for you or anyone involved. Once you’ve verified that you’re not breaking any laws or office rules you can start your pool!
2 – Know your duties!
As the organizer of the pool you will generally be known as the “Commissioner”. While it can be a fun job, it can also be a LOT of work. You are responsible for keeping track of the stats, participation, money and general communication. If you don’t have extra time (this should be done outside of work hours) you should not take on this responsibility. If you have the time and you’re ready to take on the work it’s time to start your pool!
3 – Establish the rules!
Before you start gathering participants you should have the rules established so people can review them and decide whether they want to participate. Rules should include what kind of communication is expected (on both sides), payment dates, what to do in the event of a tie, prize amounts, etc. Try to cover as many contingencies as possible so there can be no hard feelings and solicit feedback from participants in case there is something you missed.
3 – Notify your co-workers!
Once you have the rules established you need to notify your co-workers. You should do this via whatever method is acceptable in your workplace and, in general, the pool should be open to everyone who wants to participate. Notification should be sent at least one week prior to the event start date so people have time to consider whether they want to participate or not and make any necessary payments.
4 – Send regular updates!
Once the event has begun it is your job to send out regular updates to all of the participants. Make sure you do this in a timely manner and at least once a week. To save yourself from a headache I would suggest posting a publicly viewable stats board that people can reference so they aren’t constantly asking you for updates.
5 – Declare and pay the winner!
When your office pool event is over you should send an announcement within 24 hours to all of the participants giving the final stats of the event and naming the winner(s). The winner(s) should be paid according to the rules of the event.
Pool Expert – 3 Tips to Get You Playing Like a Pro!
Pool Expert
If you’re like many people you love to play pool but you don’t have the level of skill you want. Becoming a pool expert isn’t hard but it requires time, effort and lots of practice. The tips below won’t make you a pool expert over night but if you follow them and practice hard you’ll find that you improve very quickly.
Tips For Becoming a Pool Expert
If you’re new to pool it’s likely that you’re making several common mistakes that, when corrected, will have a big improvement on your game. The drills listed below will help you fix the problem and take just a few minutes to practice. Do them every chance you get and you’ll be a pool expert in no time.
1 – Keep your eyes on the prize!
When you start to take your turn, line up your shot and then take a few practice strokes to make sure that you’ll hit the cue ball where you want to. Then, even though it goes against your instincts, look past the cue ball to the spot on the target ball that you want the cue ball to hit. While continuing to look at the target ball, take your shot.
When you start doing this it’s probably going to feel awkward and there’s a chance you’ll actually do worse for a while until you get used to it. However, once you’re used to it you’ll find that your accuracy is a lot better. If it seems like strange advice, think of what you do when you’re driving or riding a bike. You look and steer where you want to go – and you don’t stare at your wheels while you’re doing it. Playing pool like a pool expert is just the same.
2 – Power isn’t everything!
A common misconception with new players is that they have to hit the ball very hard in order to make their shots. In fact, the opposite is usually true. Hard shots usually result in bad aim and bad leaves (where the cue ball is on the table after it is done moving). This means that even if you do make the shot, you’re not aligned well for the next one.
To determine how hard you should hit the ball, you need to figure out your lag speed. You can do this by hitting the cue ball down the table hard enough that it hits the opposite rail and rolls back to you. Practice this until you can get the cue ball to go down and back almost to where it started. Play close attention to how much force you are using because, unless you have a good reason to do otherwise, this is how hard you should hit a standard shot.
It may seem obvious to say, but to have good aim, you need to keep your cue stick level. People who are new to pool tend to angle their pool cue so the end of the stick is up in the air and they’re hitting down at the cue ball. Hitting at this angle causes the cue ball to spin which curves the path enough to result in hitting the wrong spot on the target ball and missing your shot.
Because you have to adjust for the angle of the rail, your cue stick will always be just a little raised but while you’re shooting, look back at your grip hand to make sure it’s low and as level as possible. Then, using the rail and the fabric on the cushion as a guide, line u your shot and stroke the cue a few times. Once you get a feel for what this level approach feels like your shots will be much more accurate. Once you’re a pool expert you can practice using a higher angle to make some of the popular trick shots.
While these tips may not solve all of your pool problems, they’re a great start and will have you well on your way to becoming a pool expert.
pool expert