He Took His Date To A Pool Bar - And When He Cleared The Table, He Cleared His Chances Too

Reddit user u/Neither_Professor605 thought he’d nailed the perfect low-key date night: drinks, casual vibes, and a few friendly games of pool. But one final break shot may have accidentally sunk his chances at a second date.

The Redditor explained that he’s genuinely good at pool, playing regularly against strong competitors — including two friends who compete at nationals. So when his date suggested a pool bar because she “loves playing,” he figured it was a safe bet.

They grabbed drinks, laughed, and played a few easygoing rounds. He admitted he was holding back a little, just keeping things light and flirty.

At one point, he casually mentioned his competitive friends, and that’s when she threw down the challenge. “Next game, don’t go easy on me,” she told him.

He obliged, making the games more competitive but still fun. Nothing ruthless — just enough to keep her on her toes.

Then came the final game of the night. He broke, sank two stripes, and ended up clearing the table in one smooth run.

He insists it wasn’t a mic-drop moment, just a solid break and good positioning. Still, on the drive home, she went noticeably quiet.

Later that night, she texted him, saying it felt like he’d turned it into an ego statement and that it made her uncomfortable. He responded, explaining it wasn’t about showing off — he simply played it straight after she asked him not to go easy.

Now he’s wondering if he misread the room… or if competitive pool is a dating red flag.

He insists it wasn’t a mic-drop moment, just a solid break and good positioning. Still, on the drive home, she went noticeably quiet.

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Here’s the original post by Reddit user u/Neither_Professor605.

So for context I am quite good at the game, I play regularly and against good opponents, 2 of which are in my country's nationals. So I went on a date with a girl last Saturday, went to a pool bar as she had mentioned she likes playing Pool. I said I know a spot, I picked her up at her place and we went to the bar, we got some drinks, settled and then we played our first game, I was taking it easy just enjoying the moment, we played a few more rounds then ate, while talking I mentioned the 2 mates of mine who play nationals, so she then said "Next game, don't go easy on me" We played a few more I made it a bit more challenging for her to win, nothing impossible, just a bit more of a challenging game, and just before we left around 10-11pm, we racked one last game and I decided to just play it normally, I cleared the table on the break, not to show off, but just for fun. We finished our drinks, and I paid the bill and we left, on the ride back to her place she was extremely quiet, like noticeably less talkative, I thought nothing of it, she must have been tired. I dropped her off and went home. When I got home I saw a message from her saying: "I asked you not to go easy on me, but I didn’t mean turn it into a statement. It honestly felt a bit like an ego thing at the end, and it made me uncomfortable" I was taken aback by the message, and haven't heard from her since after sending her a message explaining it was nothing of the sorts The last game wasn't me trying to show off or anything of the sort, I had a good break, sunk 2 stripes and had good positioning on the rest of them, seeing as she said don't go easy, I just played it out how I normally would AITAH?

Let’s see how the Reddit community reacted.

JavaNoire

ESH.

MegWithSocks

You’ll never see that girl again.

vbandbeer

It’s not a good look.

Pale_Height_1251

You were messing with her.

KTeacherWhat

You embarrassed her.

chikiinugget

YTA.

Flashy-Sport2868

NTA.

wowieowie

She sounds like a sore loser.

grimaces111111

NAH.

yummymamiii

Sounds like she has an ego problem.

Powerful_Culture_928

Her attitude sucks.

Long_Ad_2764

Sounds like you dodged a bullet.

jhannah0806

So now the Redditor is left wondering whether he accidentally turned date night into a championship round — or if he simply did exactly what she asked. Was it a harmless display of skill, or did he miss the unspoken rule that first dates are more about connection than competition?

Either way, it’s a reminder that sometimes it’s not about who wins the game — it’s about reading the table. And in dating, as in pool, knowing when to take the shot can matter just as much as how well you play it.