An important Rule

Many books have been written on sport psychology, and although this will not be a major discussion subject, there is one fundamental rule that should be applied to your game:

Play Billiards

Enjoy and focus yourself purely on the game. By doing this you will lose all cares with the 'world' and engross yourself into the game. For example, score-watching will generally have a negative effect on your game and if you start playing to score rather than to play the right shot (for your game), you will get into all kinds of trouble.

As you get absorbed into the game you will enjoy yourself much more and your performance will be enhanced. If you are surprised when your opponent comes to shake your hand because you have won the game with your last stroke, you must have been playing with the right focus and were in the 'zone', so to speak.

Of course you will have games that are very tight and close finishes are an inevitable aspect of the game. There will times such as this where you have to go for a risky shot when you are behind (in a timed match) or perhaps play safe if you are in front. However, for the majority of the game, Play Billiards.