Guy Beats Date at Pool Game – Reddit Says He’s the Asshole
The Original Post
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?
What Reddit Said
Reddit was split on this pool hall drama, but most users leaned toward YTA (You’re the Asshole). The top comment perfectly captured the issue: OP continued going easy on her for several games after she asked him not to, then suddenly unleashed his full skill level. This created a false sense of confidence before pulling the rug out from under her.
However, many commenters noted that dating dynamics around skill differences are genuinely tricky. One highly upvoted response shared a personal story about learning not to “school” dates in activities where you have a major advantage. Meanwhile, others argued she literally asked for it and shouldn’t complain about getting what she requested.
The Verdict
The consensus was mild YTA for beating his date at the pool game in such a dramatic fashion. Reddit recognized that while she asked not to be coddled, the execution was poor. This falls into classic dating drama territory where good intentions meet bad timing. The lesson: when someone says “don’t go easy,” gradually ramp up the competition rather than going from beginner-friendly to pro-level instantly.
Original post from r/AmItheAsshole (1,903 upvotes, 663 comments)