Lucky Breaks Podcast

About Lucky Breaks Podcast

Listen. Learn. Play. Repeat. 🎱 Join host Sue and the Lucky Breaks Podcast team as they break down smart strategy, mental toughness, and competitive grit for the obsessed amateur pool player. Stop hoping for a lucky roll; start playing a smarter game. #LuckyBreaksPodcast Subscribe now for episodes, shorts, and livestreams!

Publisher

Sue Lueder

Category

sports

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

16 May 2025

Latest episode

10 Oct 2026

Latest episodes

45 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   10 Oct 2026

   The Pleasures of Small Motions: Why We Fall in Love with Billiards | Bob Fancher

   Bob Fancher on Pool’s Mind-Body Game, Sensory Imagery, and the Pleasures of Small MotionsOn the Lucky Breaks podcast, host interviews Bob Fancher, author of The Pleasures of Small Motions, about pool psychology as embodied performance. Fancher recounts his path from a conservative Mississippi upbringing that forbade pool to taking up the game seriously in New York during a divorce, hiring instructor Fran Crimi, playing extensively, writing for The American Cueist, and eventually self-publishing the book before expanding it for Lyons Press. He argues motivation should center on the game’s aesthetics, precision, and “small motions,” not simply winning, and that players need multiple motivations. Emotions are necessary and bodily; the “right” level keeps you engaged without distraction, supported by body awareness. Good play relies on sensuous imagery and unconscious wiring built through systematic drills and practice journaling, with words used mainly for labels. He distinguishes focus from concentration, critiques bravado versus well-founded confidence, and frames competition as status-driven, requiring self-knowledge to manage.00:00 Mental Game Basics00:15 Meet Bob Fancher00:56 Pool Origins Story02:57 NYC Divorce to Pool04:17 Learning and Writing05:34 Psychology Career Context11:23 Why We Play Pool15:35 Beauty Over Winning19:11 Emotions and Arousal25:29 Body Awareness First31:59 Sensuous Imagery35:39 Words Into Pictures39:41 Feel the Shot Center41:14 Match Night Body Check42:09 Conscious vs Unconscious Wiring45:56 Focus vs Concentration52:04 Quiet Confidence Not Bravado55:49 Practice Drills and Journaling01:02:39 Tracking Emotions and Awareness01:05:08 Competition Status and Mindset01:12:49 Magic 8 Ball Wrap UpWhere to Find The Pleasures of Small Motions: https://a.co/d/03vgmU2dWhere you can find our guest:Dr. Fancher's Therapy Website: Therapypdx.com𝗪𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗱 𝘂𝘀: Linktree: https://linktr.ee/luckybreakspodcastFacebook - https://www.facebook.com/luckybreakspodcastYouTube - www.youtube.com/@luckybreaks-podcastInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/luckybreakspodcast/#Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@luckybreakspodcast📧Email - luckybreakspodcast@gmail.com✅Guest Sign Up - Apply To Be A Guest or Suggest A Topic https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeai_jCboxj2P-p1Qol3KjSaMqFbUvJLCBSql_5kPJOg0Y4Rw/viewform#luckybreakspodcast #pool #billiards #podcast #poolpractice #amateurpool #poolplayers

2. 

   3 Oct 2026

   Play Through It All: Healing, Mental Toughness, and Pool with Gloria Jean

   Gloria Jean on Healing, Mindset, and Community in PoolOn the Lucky Breaks Podcast, host Sue interviews Gloria Jean, owner of Cue Sports Media and a PBIA/ACS instructor, about how pool became both a healing outlet and a community for her. Gloria shares starting at 16, returning to the game after her mother’s death in 2002, working at Boston Billiards, and launching the Ride the Nine Tour on Nov. 1, 2007 after meeting top women players at WPBA events. They discuss playing pool across a lifetime, including older players like Ron Richardson, and coping with aging, injury, and illness. Gloria explains her student assessment process and emphasizes calm, neutral mindset, nutrition, avoiding alcohol before matches, meditation, breathing (4-2-6), and progressive muscle relaxation. She also describes building community through Women in Pool (launched Jan. 17, 2022), Resilient Rack Warriors, pandemic-era virtual tournaments, and the Kelly Fisher Challenge.Gloria Jean also has accomplished:New England Pool & Billiards Hall of Fame 2018Contributing Author "Good Days Bad Days Advanced"Longest running tour by a Female in RI - 19 years November 1 - est 2007Blending PBIA & ACS Educator with over 2 decades of hands on work in hospitals in approximately 12 fields and as a first responder I want to make an all inclusive approach to Billiards from aim/angle, spin & spin to nutrition, sleep, stamina, mental fortitude, mindset, mantras, and yes, humor.00:00 Find a Way Mindset00:22 Meet Gloria Jean01:02 First Time Playing Pool02:03 Loss and New Purpose02:47 Flow State and Competition03:48 Tour Beginnings05:11 Pool as Healing Community07:01 Playing for Life08:20 Coaching Whole Player12:18 Meditation and Breathing15:14 Progressive Relaxation17:20 Neutral Mindset Wins19:32 Health Battles and Limits21:57 How to Keep Going25:18 Women in Pool Community26:31 Virtual Tournaments Era29:23 Authenticity and Identity32:30 Closing Advice and Thanks33:29 Magic 8 Ball Finale35:51 Wrap Up and GoodbyeWhere you can find our guest:Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/GloriaJean121Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/gloriajean121RT9T.COMYouTube - 𝗪𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗱 𝘂𝘀: Linktree: https://linktr.ee/luckybreakspodcastFacebook - https://www.facebook.com/luckybreakspodcastYouTube - www.youtube.com/@luckybreaks-podcastInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/luckybreakspodcast/#Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@luckybreakspodcast📧Email - luckybreakspodcast@gmail.com✅Guest Sign Up - Apply To Be A Guest or Suggest A Topic https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeai_jCboxj2P-p1Qol3KjSaMqFbUvJLCBSql_5kPJOg0Y4Rw/viewformGloria's Sponsors:https://www.vikingcue.com/https://taombilliards.com/https://iwansimonis.com/https://www.bosbarandbilliards.com/https://triple-60.com/https://aramith.com/#luckybreakspodcast #pool #billiards #podcast #poolpractice #amateurpool #poolplayers

3. 

   26 Sept 2026

   From Zambia Street Market to the World with Chileshe Mubanga

   Chileshe Mubanga on Mentorship, Discipline & Growing Pool in Zambia | Lucky Breaks PodcastThis week on the Lucky Breaks podcast, professional Zambian pool player Chileshe Mubanga shares how she began playing at 15 in Kabwata market, was discovered by Cheelo Himanje, joined Wingo’s Pool Club, and shocked everyone by beating national player Milton Mwila in her first league match, later winning a national title after 15 years. She discusses mentors like Patrick Banda, Nkole Matanga, and others, emphasizing discipline, focus, respect, training, and learning from failure by recording and reviewing both good and bad play. Chileshe explains balancing offense and defense, offers guidance on mentoring youth through time and fundamentals, and reflects on competing in China at the 2024 Heyball World Championships, the shift from blackball to heyball, sponsorship gaps in Africa, and advocating for pool as a serious sport.00:00 Meet Chileshe Mubanga00:14 Origin Story in Zambia00:54 Discovered at Kabwata03:33 Mentors and Mindset05:38 Training and Self Review07:49 Pool Is a Sport09:22 Offense vs Defense11:34 Coaching the Youth14:57 Bouncing Back From Loss15:40 China and Heyball Dream21:55 Growing Pool Worldwide27:08 Tell the Sport’s Story31:12 Magic 8 Ball Finale32:07 Closing ThanksWhere you can find our guest:https://www.facebook.com/chileshe.mubanga.161https://www.tiktok.com/@UC5jJ5wBfN5n4PhsVurDNW5Q Sponsors:𝗪𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗱 𝘂𝘀: Linktree: https://linktr.ee/luckybreakspodcastFacebook - https://www.facebook.com/luckybreakspodcastYouTube - www.youtube.com/@luckybreaks-podcastInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/luckybreakspodcast/#Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@luckybreakspodcast📧Email - luckybreakspodcast@gmail.com✅Guest Sign Up - Apply To Be A Guest or Suggest A Topic https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeai_jCboxj2P-p1Qol3KjSaMqFbUvJLCBSql_5kPJOg0Y4Rw/viewform#luckybreakspodcast #pool #billiards #podcast #poolpractice #amateurpool #poolplayers

Who has been a guest on Lucky Breaks Podcast

Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.

• Jesse Gallegos
• Mike Holt
• Edward Arciniega
• Sean Ahlers
• Jared Pitts

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

YouTube views

13,582

Score snapshot 15 Sept 2025

Apple Podcasts (US)

4.6 / 5

7 ratings

Spotify

5.0 / 5

6 ratings

Podcast Authority Score: 65 / 100

A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.

Quality

70

Social presence

90

YouTube

72

Engagement

32

Contact Lucky Breaks Podcast

Guest appearances

Does not typically book guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.

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Questions about Lucky Breaks Podcast