lfigueroa said:

Same.

I think he drew Poteet on the TV table after losing to Gomez.

Lou Figueroa

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I wasn't very familiar with Poteet but he played great. I watched him play other matches after playing Dave. Who ended up winning the tournament?

LesterP said:

My name is Lester Petracca and i am a titlist collector. i was recently contacted by a gentleman who said he has a Luther Lassiter cue for sale. I would like to speak with the family before considering purchasing the cue. Does anyone know how i could get in touch with any one of his family. Thank you.

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Attn @wrldpro

Matt_24 said:

Lou, is that the same tourney that was streamed this weekend on XPOOL? I saw Dave playing some champion and the table definitely looked tough.

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Same.

I think he drew Poteet on the TV table after losing to Gomez.

Lou Figueroa

Could part of the problem be the training that the U.S. boys get when they are younger? As opposed to the training that the Euro boys get?

I've seen alot of the training here in the states. Rolling balls down the table isn't exactly helping much.

r/DCP

maha said:

even if sponsored, it costs all players money to travel and enter a tournament in some way or another.
so tournament does not represent real life earnings.

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jayson isn't even top 10 on that list

JolietJames said:

Yep, this was true in both rooms in which I came up through the ranks.
The money table was for top players only. It had tighter pockets and the only time casual players were allowed on it is when all other tables were full and no pool players were in the room.

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Absolutely true - only the table next to the front desk was reserved for the best players and, many times, it had a pocket shim or 2!

sjm said:

Not on board with this line of reasoning. In 2005, most of the top players in pro pool were still American. Entering the 21st century, only a handful of Europeans were full-time players of American pool. Among them were Ortmann, Souquet, Feijen, Lely, Chamat, and Immonen, and nearly none of the others traveled to America to compete. In all the major pool events, the fields before 2000 featured very few Europeans.

The watershed moment came in 2000 when Matchroom, which produced only the Mosconi Cup and the World Pool Masters at the time, made its first ever move into large-scale tournament pool, producing the World 9ball in Cardiff for 2000-2003. Although the Euro-tour had existed since 1992, for many Europeans, and I have spoken with some of them over the years, this is when American pool came into full view among European cueists. In 2004, the World 9ball moved to Asia, but Europe's interest in American pool had been piqued, and from 2005-15, the number of Europeans playing American pool skyrocketed. From 2015-25, the game became increasingly global, and there are now great players in every corner of the globe.

Americans dominated at American pool prior to 2005, to some extent, because they were the ones playing it. While there is no denying that pocket size figures in the equation, attributing America's fall from grace to the tightening of the pockets is missing the boat. Everyone plays 9ball now, and the American domination seen prior to 2005 may never be seen again.

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I think this is exactly correct along with Jay's post above it. It's so sad that "good enough" is not just about pool, it's part of the US culture for at least the last couple generations. The pass down of knowledge and understanding of hard work just isn't here anymore. To make matters worse, all these handicap tourney's using fargo in the US are just terrible, to clarify that, terrible for developing strong players. Big money events can be won with just a good enough spot, yuk. Players are punished for putting in long hours of work and not sand bagging the system while the no good doer's reap the benefits. It's such a bad example for the next generation.

ok rant done... carry on all and have a nice day

The poolroom slump seems to be coming to an end with more new rooms opening in the last year then in the prior ten years. For the naysayers it can be done and you don't have to own the building. There is lots of vacant space in industrial areas, and it's a buyers/renters market. You don't have to be on a main street! Build it and they will come!

There are beautiful and successful poolrooms operating all over the country. Maybe not nearly as many as before, but they are out there. And there's room for more. If I was a younger man I would do it again right now! The magic formula is no different than before. Give the people what they want for a fair price and they will come. Good music, sports on TV, nice pool tables, some other games like foosball, darts etc., good pizza and other finger food, beer and wine is fine. Work hard, make money. What's wrong with that?

Nobody wants to stay cooped up in their house playing video games and watching netflix day and night. Give them a nice place to go and have a good time, then watch what happens.

One more thing that I noticed in my previous rooms, where I had both big tables and barboxes. Even amateurs preferred playing on the real pool tables. The barboxes were more for the beer drinkers and for league players.

"The Euros attend pool schools from a young age- strokes are totally honed for those that stay into their late teens. Euros play in " pool clubs" where they are highly competitive but supportive of each other and the game - so they stay with it much longer - in America, every time you walked in a pool hall- somebody was trying to rob you/ hustle you - people get tired of that real fast and move on to other sports/games/interests."

So true. I know people here like to rail on 7ft tables, leagues, caps, and all that stuff. I feel there is a perspective being left out. You hear people say those things I mentioned are ruining pool and people just need to get better. Here is the perspective, What if they don't want to get better? Meaning, what if the largest group of pool players in this country (USA) play pool for fun. They use it as a time to go hang out with their friends and play a sport they love, knowing full well they have a ceiling, which for many is very low. That group of people far outnumber the people that do want to get better and will practice, take lessons, invest in good equipment, play against better players, etc. Its the same in golf. How many people on a given weekend at a golf course are just there to drink beer and hang out with their friends vs trying to break 80? Here is another perspective. That group of "casual players" that some talk bad about are the reason pool rooms stay in business. The reason pool companies can sponsor tournaments and players. If we greatly decrease that number by doing some of the stuff i hear suggested, it would be even worse.

I saw a comment online that makes a lot of sense. American pool players practice. European players train. I agree with others that say the mindset is different. Team USA has proven they have the firepower to win, but just don't finish.

lfigueroa said:

This weekend I played in a one pocket tournament at Railyard in Louisville on Diamonds with 4.25" pockets and I'm here to tell you, based upon first hand experience, that it's a different ballgame if you're not accustomed to those size pockets.

Your strategy has to be different and your technique has got to be *far* more precise. I play on a Diamond with tough 4.5" pockets and I'm here to tell you the game is different when you lose that 1/4".

Lou Figueroa

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Lou, is that the same tourney that was streamed this weekend on XPOOL? I saw Dave playing some champion and the table definitely looked tough.

This is the radial pin version my cue has……..made by Tim Scruggs.