Mathematical analysis of Predator format (sets)

Good old fashioned "long" races have one big thing that the best of short races can never have. The chance of a big dramatic comeback. OOOOOO someone was down 0-3 and won 4-3, big deal happens all the damn time and isn't all that unlikely. Someone is down 7-8-9 to 0 and comes back to win, thats always fun to watch as you see the tide turning etc. Just never can have that with these short races.
There are still dramatic comebacks. Kaci was just down 2-0 in sets and 3-1 in the third set to Capito, then came back and won.

Cue Order

Some believe in what they do, and won’t forsake that for money. That’s known as integrity, not as you call it, “a dumb ass business approach”.

You say it seems arrogant and use the example that “more heralded cue makers build their cues differently”. More heralded by who? You mention arrogance, and because you have regaled us REPEATEDLY with the story of your cues, most notably, what you put Bob Runde through, it appears to some that you may be arrogant, bordering on pompous. That you’re one of those with money and feel that somehow makes you right, about just about everything. Not a judgement, merely an observation.

There are those in life that will cater to the carriage trade and endure all their crap for money, there are those who will not. That doesn’t make those that will “better businessmen”, it just means they’re willing to do whatever to get that money. The customer isn’t always right, and frankly I admire the idealists that refuse to let the customer think he is.
I believe it would help to have a open conversation between a builder and a customer. it would be a difficult scenario if either of the 2 are stubborn to listen as far as the rationale of either side of building a cue. for me, I do respect the cue builders opinion and highly of them as they are the one building it and have been on the trade especially if they have been doing it since the beginning of time. in the part of the customer, it is also good if they say what they expect from a cue. now, I can understand if the cuemaker refuses to work on a cue if the sole purpose of the customer is only for aesthetics but is terrible for play. I guess I would direct the customer to some display wood/etc artisans rather than waste a cuemaker's time. point being, principle over money.

2026 WPA Predator Men's World 10 Ball Saigon

Congrats to Wojciech, that was a great run to win the championship.

I went to bed at 3AM and thought Filler was gonna take the match against Kaci, good job to Kaci for coming back to win against Filler. I thought whoever won that match would win the finals, but I was wrong.
Yeah, this final seemed a coin toss on paper, but Szewczyk was a little more consistent than Kaci and was the very deserving winner. Gotta love the unity among the Polish contingent of players. I loved the way they all greeted the champion when the match ended.

At first, this event was a real drag, as far two few matches were played in the early days of the event. Then, however, it got really exciting and delivered some great drama in the final stages. The profile of the World 10ball continues to rise, and a great tradition is being built before our very eyes.

Congratulations to the 2026 champion! Thanks to Predator for a great event.

Junior Pool Is a Complicated World

The second picture says pretty much everything. They are spitting in the face of someone who is trying to take junior pool in a direction which was well said in your opening paragraph. One prize for this event is sponsorship. They can have a say in who they think will represent their brand well. Probably not a teenager with highway robbery on his shirt holding a brick of cash.

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