j2pac said:

If you have the ability, coring might help ease your mind as well.

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I, for one, would be reluctant to core these old butts. It is not unusual to find a metal dowel glued into the bottom 6 inches or so. They weren't designed to be removable.
Just sayin'

Bump......

Except for the most featured matches, you will typically find an arena seat and, as Bob Jewett noted, when there is a small crowd for a match, Pat Fleming likes it when people move up to the VIP seats, with the understanding that in the unlikely event that the person who bought that seat shows up, you'll have to get up. Don't forget the upstairs bleacher seats that overlook the stream table, too. Even for some of the tastiest matches, you can find good seating up there.

Getting a seat for a really good matchup on an outer table can be very tough, so you'll likely end up watching some of those matches standing up unless you are one of the first few to show up to that table.

Outside of the steak house, the food isn't very good at the hotel, although the breakfast buffet in the hotel (not in the casino) is halfway decent. Still, expect to be using plastic utensils at most eating establishments, so if you want real utensils, bring your own. Coffee and soda are free in the area by the tournament room, so that might save you a little money, but the food is a bit overpriced.

Most of the action matches are upstairs, in either a) the primary action room just by the top of the escalator, b) Ray Hansen's one table action room, which tends to feature the best action matches of the week, but I think you may need to purchase a seat to watch in there, or c) after hours, in one of the upstairs rooms.

You'll have to learn to work the system to stay on top of which really good matches are coming up next in both the tournament rooms and the action rooms.

Enjoy!

tim913 said:

On 12/13/25 I ordered a Christmas present for my daughter in law who lives in Peoria, Illinois. It was supposed to be there before Christmas. On 12/17/25 it was in East Peoria, across the river from Peoria, with delivery scheduled for the next day. The next day it was sent to Winnipeg, Canada. After coming back through customs it made it’s way through many states and was delivered to her yesterday .. it was labeled a “sortation error”

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I feel you Tim. I have a Defy shiaft that was processed on Nov 29. Shipped out on Nov 30 via USPS and it's still not here. I have received 3 different notifications from USPS that it has been delayed again at 3 different locations. Very aggravating
This was not ordered from Seyberts so more of a reflection on USPS. For the prices they are trying to charge for shipping this kind of stuff is really unacceptable

Congrats to this newly married couple who will both be playing in this event. This must be first pool marriage since WNT and PBS tours started. I think the Fillers, Styers were pre-WNT PBS

Matches
https://digitalpool.com/tournaments/2026-4th-universal-chinese-taipei-open-台北職業撞球公開賽/matches

Brackets
https://digitalpool.com/tournaments/2026-4th-universal-chinese-taipei-open-台北職業撞球公開賽/viewer

This one is in Pool Wars but if you haven't read it I'll give you the short version. After laying around L.A. getting high and playing little pool for several months I got bored and went on a road trip north to Frisco. I'll skip the stops I made in Bakersfield (played Nate at the Cue Ball which I would buy a few years later) and in Fresno where I gambled all day at Blackstone Billiards, winning maybe $100!

Finally I got to Frisco and after a 9-Ball fracas with Frisco Dave Piona (broke even) I headed to Berkeley where there were lots of rich college kids hanging out in the local poolroom (Kips). It was packed and I got a couple of cheap games like $5 9-Ball right away. Made some hotel and gas money and checked into a small hotel across the street from the Peoples Park. They called it that cause all the kids liked to hang out there and smoke weed. I got sick as a dog that night, maybe caught something from someone at the poolroom I don't know. So I slept all the next day and drank hot tea trying to fight it off. Early the following morning I wake up to hear all kinds of commotion going on outside. I drag myself to the bay window overlooking the park (I was on the second or third floor so I had a good view). The university had erected temporary fencing around the park and I was not aware they wanted to turn it into a parking lot. The kids were not having any of that and hundreds of them were banging on the mesh wire fence and trying to tear it down.

It was soon an out of control mob scene. There were maybe only a couple of dozen police and university security trying to stop them and they couldn't quell the disturbance. I watched the whole thing from the safety of my room. Soon more police came and then there were hundreds of cops from different jurisdictions surrounding the park fence and the battle became more intense. At least a thousand or more kids vs. a couple hundred baton wielding cops. I was an eye witness to what became known as the People's Park riot (look it up). This lasted for literally hours with kids getting beat up, with many being carried away, and injured cops retreating back behind their lines. It was totally out of control, covering a large area surrounding the entire park.

Then I began to hear gun shots. Only a few at first and I thought they were blanks. But they weren't. Kids got shot! And one kid (Steve Rector) got killed while throwing rocks at the cops from the roof of a house on the other side of the park. He was the only fatality as far as I know. But there had to be dozens of injured on both sides. Finally at nightfall the police had driven the kids back and the fence was pretty much all torn down. I never left my room all day, and by late at night I was hungry and decided to venture out. I walked towards Kips and on the main drag I saw police in riot gear marching down the street and shooting tear gas at any kids they saw outside. That included me! I hid until they had passed me by and went running towards Kips. Why I went there I couldn't tell you, other than I was a pool hall rat back then.

I made it to the entrance hall way at Kips before the riot police spotted me and one of two others entering the hallway. They lobbed tear gas canisters at us and we ran into Kips as fast as we could. Some of the gas got inside and everyone's eyes were watering and we were looking for water to wash them out. My eyes burned for a long time (over and hour I'm sure) and when I felt better I just wanted to get the hell out of there. It was late by now, after Midnight and it seemed quiet. I snuck outside and just wanted to make it the few blocks back to my hotel. I was triple careful when I realized cops were still patroling the streets. I ran from one place to another hiding every few yards to remain unseen. I saw the cops but they didn't see me.

At the hotel I packed my few things and waited until just before daylight to make my escape. My car was parked close by and I got in and drove out very carefully, looking in every direction until I got far away. Fuck pool, I was in survival mode.

I found out later hundreds of kids they caught went to jail and many served short terms like 15 or 30 days. A few of the instigators got longer terms, up to a year or more. I got lucky I guess. The only time I was ever tear gassed and it was no fun.

garczar said:

you might want to try a 314 first. going from a Z to a V is a massive difference in hit/feel imo.

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I play with a Barnhart and prior to the Z3 i was using the standard maple shaft thats 13mm and 4oz. I really like the shaft but the deflection was killing me

cool, I'm currently shooting with a Z3 for about a year and i love the deflection and firm hit, but it occasionally feels a little unwieldy hitting long stop shots or long draw shots. Like im just a hair off center and it punishes me. I know its stroke related, but my stroke is actually pretty good so im just looking for a touch more forgiveness from the shaft to help with that little extra consistency