UWPoolGod1 said:

I'll be downtown at McCormick Place West convention center. I have heard of Chris's but might cost an arm and a leg to uber there.

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Pay the arm and a leg….

middleofnowhere said:

... . In say CA they have to pay state and fed taxes if the tournament is held there. ...

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Hmmm, I see that CA has a "jock tax" -- created specially for high-earning athletes. It seems that even some cities have such a tax. According to our computer overlords:

AI Overview
California state taxes for visiting athletes
California levies an income tax on the portion of income earned within the state by professional athletes (and others) who do not reside in California. This is commonly referred to as the "jock tax".
Here's how it generally works:
Scope: The jock tax applies to income earned by professional athletes, coaches, trainers, and other individuals associated with a sports team who travel and earn income in different states.
Origin: California introduced the jock tax in 1991, taxing the earnings of visiting athletes like Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls during the NBA Finals in Los Angeles. This led other states to adopt similar measures.
Calculation: The jock tax is typically calculated by determining the portion of an athlete's income that is subject to the tax. This is often done using a "duty days" method, where the number of days spent performing services (games, practices, travel) in California is divided by the total number of duty days for the season.
For example, if a player's team has 200 total duty days in a season and they spend 10 of those days in California, then 10/200, or 5% of their total salary, would be subject to the California jock tax.
Withholding: Withholding agents (like teams or event promoters) are required to withhold 7% from payments to nonresident payees (including athletes) when the total California-sourced income exceeds $1,500 in a calendar year.
Impact: Athletes playing for California teams face a high marginal tax rate of 13.3%, which is the highest state-level tax in the U.S.
Deductions & Planning: Athletes can claim deductions and credits, and strategic tax planning can help them manage their overall tax burden. For instance, credits for taxes paid in other states can help prevent double taxation.
Important Note: The jock tax rules and regulations can be complex and vary by state and city. Athletes should consult with a tax professional specializing in athlete taxation to ensure compliance and understand their specific tax obligations

cueball2010 said:

I think this is the first time hearing this argument against using wood shafts. I have been thinking for a while of switching from my Revo to a 314 shaft so I can get more feedback. Maybe even keilwood. But apparently wood shafts play different depending on humidity. Humidity changes depending on the season and geo location. I mean humidity changes a lot all the time, like a rainy day. I would rather not add another inconsistency to playing pool if there is any truth to what she is saying?

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With all due respect to Pia, who gives a F###.

Jerry R said:

I believe he still uses Prather (the original Kielwood) blanks and finishes them out, but it's been a while since I spoke to him about that so he may have a new source.

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I'm not sure but they do hit a ton. Really good shafts IMO.

Texas Carom Club said:

at 30 players i think 4 places paid for calcutta is fair, especially if theres a good amount of money

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I'd be all for this or any other payout format as long as it was posted beforehand. Even if it states that the payouts will change based on the number of entries or calcutta money brought in, I'm fine with it because I know what I'm getting into. But being able to decide the day of the tournament how many places are going to be paid out opens the door to too much BS.

poolscholar said:

Because reasons listed, nobody wants to sit there and practice the rail speed before every match. If the lag is a skill shot then make it more skillful and less luck.

If you were a pro would you want to have to practice the lag?

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By the same token if you are going to lag to a rail you will need to practice cloth speed, it can very greatly with different brands and ages.
As far as being a pro and practicing the lag how do you think they get so good at speed control??????? I will give you a hint, they practice speed drills, probably something every player should do if they want to play good, I do.


Wow, just wow!!!!!!!!

Hooray?

I got a Rich cue pretty cheap and sent it to Rick Howard to make a new shaft for it.......

I smile everytime I play with it. I probably will give it to one of my grandsons as a starter cue.

For those folks that might pick up one of these cues with a crappy shaft, I recommend talking to Rick and have him make one of his killer shafts for it.

Best of rolls,

Ken

I’ve seen people run racks with wood cues off the wall at bars. To each their own, but it’s how you play not what you play with.

bbb said:

actually the lag has to be repeated if that happens
from the WPA rules
pertinient area bolded by me
.................................................
1.2 Lagging to Determine Order of Play
The lag is the first shot of the match and determines order of play. The player who wins the lag chooses who will shoot first.
The referee will place a ball on each side of the table behind the head string and near the headstring. The players will shoot at about the same time to make each ball contact the footcushion with the goal of returning the ball closer to the head cushion than the opponent.
A lag shot is bad and cannot win if the shooter’s ball a) crosses the long string;(b) contacts the foot cushion other than once;(c) is pocketed or driven off the table;(d) touches the side cushion; or(e) the ball rests within the corner pocket and past the nose of the head cushion.In addition, a lag will be bad if any non-object-ball foul occurs other than 6.9 Balls StillMoving.

The players will lag again if a) a player’s ball is struck after the other ball has touched the foot cushion;(b) the referee cannot determine which ball has stopped closer to the head cushion; or(c) both lags are bad.

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Yeah I’ve tried to explain this to the league operator but so far it seems he doesn’t get it. Not gonna go all el chappo about it though

I'm right at 6'2" in my stockings and was shooting with a cue that was 6" longer than most long before Shane , Earl or most others had thought about it or were using a cue that length .
I still bring it out from time to time just because with it's 2 extra shafts in a 2" pvc pipe case that appears to be a fishing rod case more than anything else .

Then if you're not careful I may even win a few games or get a honorable mention for trying my best .