Episode 41 - Kristina Zlateva

Kristina Zlateva is a fabulous pool player out of Bulgaria who is on the fast track to success. With a number of high finishes over the past couple years, she is on the verge of a breakthrough victory on the WPBA tour or in other big events. A student of the game and a computer programmer by trade, Kristina's approach to solving problems on the pool table provides an interesting perspective focusing on process over results. You are going to hear more from this talented player in the near future. As always, thank you for liking, sharing, and subscribing to this channel. Please consider supporting the channel through our Patreon at patreon.com/dogginit. Also, don't forget to catch out live update shows on this channel or on the Window's Open facebook page. Topics in this episode: 00:00:00 Intro 00:00:33 Episode Introduction 00:01:28 Interview Begins 00:02:42 How did she get started playing pool 00:03:47 Kristina talks about playing basketball, math, and competition 00:04:53 Was there a moment where she knew that she could be really good at pool 00:06:11 Joey disagrees with Kristina about how most people think 00:07:06 Did she have a coach? Other people who helped her? - I think you'll be surprised at her answer 00:11:06 Kristina talks about the pool scene in Bulgaria 00:14:42 She talks about the difference in gambling in the United States vs Europe 00:15:00 Who would Kristina like to gamble with in a challenge match? 00:16:35 What does she enjoy about the United States and playing pool here 00:20:12 Kristina talks about her career as a developer and how she manages pool and a full-time job 00:23:24 With her job as a developer, does that help her with her pool game 00:25:30 Focusing her mind in her work and how that translates to pool 00:26:02 Kristina talks about nutrition and why that's important to her pool game 00:28:25 She's quitting caffeine!!! 00:30:12 Thoughts on sugar and playing pool 00:33:06 When was that moment where she made the transition to being a professional pool player 00:37:27 Does she feel like she's on the verge of breaking through and winning big events? 00:38:41 Joey discusses the mental game and results 00:39:47 What does she do mentally to handle high pressure situations 00:45:10 Have the Europeans brought something different to pool to elevate its stature 00:47:04 What was her favorite food when she was in America? 00:48:01 What has been her most crushing defeat so far in her career? 00:51:10 Thoughts on playing with the shot clock 00:52:10 Kristina shares stories of playing with the shot clock and how it can affect you 00:53:40 Which game does she prefer and why? 00:56:20 Kristina talks about one pocket 00:57:15 Does she have any stories about how men treated her at the pool table? 00:57:55 We discuss the differences in men and women playing pool 00:59:05 Kristina's theory on why men tend to achieve a higher level at the pool table 01:01:32 We talk about the similarity in her answer and Kelly Fisher's answer to that question 01:02:50 What advice would Kristina give to a younger, up-and-coming player? 01:08:02 Kristina gives a shoutout to her sponsors and some other folks 01:09:30 How do people follow Kristina online