OverTheNut said:

Fast forward to Aug 2025...
I know by default that they don't - but has anyone ever played in a TAP league that reports to Fargo? Is it possible?

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I didn't even think about that. Good question. I'm thinking of possibly a TAP league again for this year. Did USAPL last year and the league operator let everything go as far as sandbagging and other BS. The local TAP owner here has a reputation for not letting that stuff go.

Fast forward to Aug 2025...
I know by default that they don't - but has anyone ever played in a TAP league that reports to Fargo? Is it possible?

mjantti said:

That’s one the most difficult ”under the bridge” support hand techniques you can learn.

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the red hot chili technique

cueball2010 said:

When did they reduce pocket size? 30 years ago? What was the size?

With the advances in Cloth, Pocket facings, rails, cue tips, etc.. Don't the pockets play just as big as bigger pockets in the stone age? I feel like the ability to move the ball must have went way up through the roof in comparison to any reduction in pockets size. My first clue would be Dr. Dave and his new, smaller pockets playing bigger then his old bigger pockets.

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Don't know when they went with 4-inch pockets; it wasn't like that in 2010. I think that it was 4.5 to 4.75 back then and before.

I agree that a well-maintained table with tight pockets will play wider than a badly maintained table with wider pockets. I wrote about it in the past.

But a lot of players come from countries where tables are not that great and humidity is high.

High humidity will make the rails very bouncy, and the balls will return short, and it'll change from hour to hour, so no rail system works... (somebody said waxing?) This makes players less dependent on banks and CB accurate paths and more on the ability to pocket balls with sometimes very hard shots and extreme cut shots. But with 4 inch pocket, some of those shots are impossible, so you play safe.

I first noticing this change in the game with young asian players like Wu Jiaqing back in early 2000's and pockets were still wider back then.

I agree with rexus31 on cleaning the cloth at the nose of the cushion. A bit of Woolite in the water solution will help breakdown the crud that gets into the cloth at those contact points. Thanks for reminding me that I need to clean my cloth today. I'm getting a bit of hop on the short rail as well. From my experience that ball hop is inevitable if you have the same practice routine everyday and are slow at cleaning the table and balls.

ChatGPT pictures of rat (holds stick better than Jam's) and a colorful cue stick:
_

sjm said:

There's a huge difference.

I think it is very unlikely that even one sub-Fargo-750 will make it to the last 16. Yes, a few sub-750 players will score a major upset at some point but making a deep run in a major means knocking out champion after champion, and experience says it will not happen.

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they don't need to knock one champ after the other, the lack of the draw may clear a path

skor said:

Hohmann was unknown when he won the WPC in 2003.
It could happen....
Vogel is playiing Strickland in the first round, I would love to see Earl reaction getting bit by a kid...
I don't think that is a single event, there is much difference between 730 player to an over 800 player. All it takes is a good day and luck of the draw. it definitely dosn't matter in a single match.

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it's all mapped out now though, there are very few unknown monsters. ameer ali was one in last year's WC. baseth mocaibat was fairly unknown until beating fedor and others on shark's in quezon.

fast improving youngsters are the potential "surprises". but i would think that the 100k first prize in itself favors previous MR major winners..

Around the horn one time

skor said:

Hohmann was unknown when he won the WPC in 2003.
It could happen....
Vogel is playiing Strickland in the first round, I would love to see Earl reaction getting bit by a kid...
I don't think that is a single event, there is much difference between 730 player to an over 800 player. All it takes is a good day and luck of the draw. it definitely dosn't matter in a single match.

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There's a huge difference.

I think it is very unlikely that even one sub-Fargo-750 will make it to the last 16. Yes, a few sub-750 players will score a major upset at some point but making a deep run in a major means knocking out champion after champion, and experience says it will not happen.

JAM said:

ChatGPT, create an image of me shooting pool. Check out where the end of the cue stick is.

View attachment 844915

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That’s one the most difficult ”under the bridge” support hand techniques you can learn.

Bob Jewett said:

The last I heard, pool on ESPN works like this:

You organize an event. You pay a production crew to film it. I guess you round up the commentators and take care of them. That will cost you tens of thousands to produce a tape.

You take the two-hour (with commercial slots) tape to ESPN, and say, "Please, sir, is this good enough for you to show?"

And then they say, "It's OK. You get part of the commercials in the first two times we air it, and then the tape is ours to use as we see fit."

That may have changed, but ESPN was absolutely uninterested in investing their time and money to produce a standard pool event.

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If that's the way it works I wouldn't work with ESPN either.

Reed Foley said:

1Use of a Jump cue only the first shot if your inning. 2Make cue tips that don't need chalk 3Better payouts for pros.

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I like this - although why not go all the way and make a jump shot legal only on the first shot of your inning..