GoldCrown said:

Played in a senior league where a player did the same thing, At least 25 strokes. At one point felt like saying... Would you fkn shoot. And he was not that good. I hope he eventually wore his hand and cue out. What an annoying fk.

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In the mid-2000's, in a local Rockville MD tournament, there were two players who had a habit of getting down, standing up, getting down, standing up, and repeating this for as many as ten times each. Both of them were really good people, and one of them was a world class nine ball player who once beat John Schmidt 11-0 in a tournament semifinal, while the other one used to win Planet Pool women's tournaments on a regular basis. If they'd been married their offspring might've broken every shot clock in existence. Those who know them will know who I'm talking about.

skogstokig said:

meanwhile bergman has beaten two of the hottest players on the planet. what a story that would be if he were to go all the way. will play gerson next to qualify for L32

fedor, shaw, yapp, biado look strong on the scoreboard

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Agreed, the Bergman story is captivating. I've known Justin since he was a teen, saw him at his best and would be thrilled if he were to recapture the game he showed about ten years ago. His decision making has always been elite across all the disciplines, so if he is able to execute at a high level, he'll offer a stiff test to any opponent.

Gerson is also an interesting story. Many have suggested that South Americans deserve Mosconi Cup consideration. With absolutely brilliant play, Gerson beat Filler in the Big foot 10-ball at Derby City in January. Gerson is one of those players that can catch fire at a moment's notice.

My hunch is that Big Kaci is very dangerous in this spot. His big, powerful break is a much more important weapon in 8ball than in 9ball. He also played well at the recent European Open, so his current form appears to be solid.

The World 8ball has never been easy to handicap, but it is usually won by one of the game's giants, so that's what I'm expecting.