For those who were wondering about the cost of all the restoration...
The chateau and all the buildings around it and 18 acres of land cost about a million dollars. The owners have spent about three million so far in the restoration. Because it is a historic site, the French government supports the restoration work, with the requirement that the work be done by skilled/approved architects and workers. It seems that the chateau started to be abandoned after WWI, after the cheap local labor died fighting the Germans. No one had lived there permanently "for decades", and 11 different family members were co-owners, so nothing got repaired.
When they are using the cushions for position--after speed, and maybe also using follow/draw to affect the tangent line deviation.
However, I mostly agree, because I don't think most 'beginners' have any idea what the sidespin is for. Like, they think it helps them pot balls--and I do realize that for some shots it can--but because they don't already understand positioning with speed, and/or controlling the cue ball with top/bottom, they don't realize that hitting side doesn't really do anything for them. More to the point, they don't know what it *should* do for them.
Like it or not, our sport is based in large part on gambling. Not paying off at the end of a match is a pool felony. In my mind, it can never be undone.
Some quotes from O'Sullivan from an interview a few days ago
"I think it's a bit unrealistic to think about winning the title but if I can win a few matches, I'd be happy with that” said O’Sullivan, who in the 1990s played for Team Europe in the Mosconi Cup - one of 9-ball pool’s flagship events.
“I'm just going to enjoy playing against the best players in China and watching and learning. Just to watch them play and pick up some tips.
“I know there's no expectation on me. I think everyone really knows that you can't just go from snooker to pool, or pool to snooker - you have to really practice one to get good at it.
“I don't think there's any pressure on me in that sense. I think everybody will expect me to be not that good.”
In the finals of that event (2/23/26). Filler broke successfully 7 out of 10 times, whereas Gorst was 1 out of 5. I don't have any stats on earlier matches in that event.
