Chicagoplayer said:

11/24/25 After his International Tournament 3-peat,
Aloysius Yapp
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Nice.

Lots of drama queens on here.

The USA team are all world class players. Numerous major titles between them. They aren't a bunch of randoms from some bar.

Play the Mosconi every week until a team wins 50 times. I bet both teams would get 40+ wins.

As enjoyable as it is seeing the Kansas City Chiefs (probably) not make the NFL playoffs this season - then (sadly) that doesn't mean that they're now a bad team. Just things haven't broken well for them this season. Just like USA have missed a few key balls. That's the difference.

mnorwood said:

I have always been a workaholic and devoted family man. However, I have had a job change where my stress level is gratefy reduced and my kids are grown now. Incidentally my wife loves the fact that I’m chasing a life goal of a 100 ball run. I turn 50 in April but in good shape physically. I have been turning more of my focus in on straight pool. For many years my high run was 55, last year I ran a 67 and the other day I hit 75. Runs in the 30s are more frequent now. I feel a 100, I feel it more now than ever. I picked up a wall mount for my camera and hope to catch it on camera. I just need to get hard with my discipline in correct practice and he honest with myself with what I need to work on.

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At your age, if you recently hit 75, you most certainly have the skill to string 2 more racks get to 100, but try to do it soon! At your age it starts getting tougher the older you get!

Chicagoplayer said:

Aloysius Yapp said it best when asked why he puts so much time into practicing (up to 8 hours-839 Fargo Rate)
“It’s my job.”

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11/24/25 After his International Tournament 3-peat,
Aloysius Yapp

Sven said:

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I like our chances in match #11. I make Shane a slight favorite. If the other matches go according to form the score would be 9-2 at that point in time. Then Matchroom/Sky could cancel match 12 and we could start talking about a miracle comeback on Day Four. I'm sorry to be so blunt but there is a better chance of this happening than USA winning the day 3 or 4 to 1. My prediction, 11-3 final score.

skogstokig said:

who is evans?

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I think he means Ricky Evans.

garczar said:

what does it say? vector?

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VicVon
I had to take multiple beatings to get that pic, man.

He made 120 billiards to my 52.

garczar said:

Has there been a Stu sighting? He hasn't chimed in in a few days. He may be in some London pub hammered in disgust.

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He is there! I had a chance to say hello

Tyler tends to baby shots the closer he gets to the finish line. He lacks the confidence to let his stroke out and swing the ball around like Filler or SVB will do. His caution kills him time and again. He'll move the ball as little as possible and leave himself tough.

The U.S. really should have won both team matches. In the second one, I trace the problems back to Thorpe taking on a bank while playing Labutis. Makeable bank, but the safe bet in a team game is play safe and keep the pressure on Pijus.

Europe deploys this tactic all the time. The US not as much, and it's cost them.

SA96 said:

It won't happen, but if Team USA take today's session 4-1 or 5-0, then tomorrow would start at 6-6 or 7-5...

I wonder if the venue has a curfew?

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You're right, it won't happen.

Bigdaddi44 said:

So I opened a pool room here in Northern California. Awesome staff, well maintained equipment, in a community of just over 25,000, we have pub style food, 10 beers on tap and great reviews. The problem that I'm having is that our food sales are behind and our early to mid-day traffic is low. We have 2 leagues APA and USAPool. Our weekend numbers are usually higher then the weekdays (as you would expect). I've toyed with closing the kitchen entirely but can't for licensing. I've thought about cutting our menu to Hotdogs and fries only. I,ve also thought about closing the doors and moving to Mexico, but I have too many bills.
I guess what I looking for is a little direction or someone to point me in a direction. Any ideas???

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Your food operation has to be good enough to attract non pool players, both dine-in as well as take-out orders. Our 30 year old 10 table pool room and grill, no alcohol, would never have lasted without the support from our regular and occasional dining customers who have never played pool here.

Also, varying daily chef specials can result in non pool playing regulars to support your food operation multiple times weekly.

garczar said:

C'mon man. The wholesale dogging display i've watched has nothing to do with the equipment. That's just a cop-out pure-n-simple. These guys have played pool their whole life, if they can't figure a table out in a couple practice sessions they shouldn't even be there.

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Adjusting is what Americans have excelled at. I’m sure there’s more to what’s happening to our team than we know.

MRTejano78 said:

I have a 3/8x10 Hsunami shaft I may part with for the right amount or trade!

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DM sent

SBC said:

Exactly....2 rails up above side or around the world 3 or 4 rails to the same place.

Inexcusable.

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Tyler also cost us a point on that missed nine ball in the team match. It was even easier than the missed shape on the two rail position. That's a four point swing on those two matches! Making just those two shots alone and the score would be Euro 4, USA 3 right now. Tyler's game looks like it regressed five years overnight. Or maybe it's just the MC jitters.

I remember when it happened to Dechaine in the MC about ten years ago. He started missing everything, literally couldn't make a ball unless it was hanging in the hole. He was a nervous wreck and it showed.

heater451 said:

Only did a little rules searching online, before deciding to post this, and found fouls resulting in Ball-In-Hand, but not regarding fouls and 'dead' balls. Also, some league guys consulted ChatGPT, but I've seen enough AI stuff to not really trust it for this kind of thing.

APA 9-Ball, a ball is potted, but the player leaves his cue tip on the table. The cue ball returns and hits the cue (shaft). Certainly, it's a foul, and ball-in-hand to the opponent, but does that make the potted ball dead? I am under the impression that it needs to be a scratch to invalidate the point, but also see the logic in "any foul committed during the shot" resulting in the ball being marked as dead.

Note: I'm hoping someone can cite an actual rule on this situation, but opinions are obviously gonna happen.

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Here is the team manual, which includes the game rules for both 8 ball and 9 ball:

Go to the bottom of Page 65, where it explains how to score for 9 ball. There, you will find this:

• Dead Balls: Record any balls not credited to either player (singles) or team (doubles), such as ball(s) made during a scratch, ball(s) made during a foul, or on the table when the 9-ball is made or a stalemate occurs. The 9-ball is never a dead ball. It is spotted.

The bold and italic are added by me, for emphasis.

I'm assuming that you understand the above is based upon the rule that altering the path of a moving cue ball is a foul, which you did acknowledge. The commission of a foul during the shot makes that pocketed ball a dead ball, and ball-in-hand for the opponent.

I think that we should all back up and understand that there are probably four distinct reasons why the custom cue market existed in the first place; 1. One market was for players seeking the best playing cue or a better playing cue.
2. One market was for cue collectors only who collect cues for a variety of reasons
3. One market was for collector/ players who appreciate the hand work and like to explore cue playability characteristics- ( My interests)
4. I would say the fourth market was for profiteers/ resellers of custom cues.

Perhaps reason number one has been eclipsed by the advent of CF/LD shafts
Reason number two still exists, but, I believe, in more limited numbers of people
Reason number three certainly still exists, but again, less people involved in this dual hobby for many reasons
Reason number four still exists, but also more limited in numbers, for obvious reasons- supply and demand.

The pool playing boom of post COM movie brought on many new custom cue makers to the pool scene from late 80s into about 2000 or so. Many of these makers are not in this business any longer- for , again, a variety of reasons that are obvious- both market and non- market related.

I believe that some of the existing more well know makers still have long wait lists of customers- proof that - on any given day- somebody for any of the four reasons stated above, may commission a cue.

I think that Richard Hsu, Hsunami shafts; from a business perspective, has come up with a product that has produced continued long wait times, just for a Hsunami shaft, and this provides him with a very nice income ( his profit on each shaft must be huge compared to his cost), and provides customers with a great shaft ( I bought one) , and excellent resale value for the end user.