vincett said:

How did you go around looking out for those events or hosting/starting 1 ?

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Go to the room a few times so they know you. Then ask the houseman/owner if you could host a small tournament. If yes, print out flyers and put them in the room. Advertise on their FB page. Depending on their business model, they’ll either want a few bucks for table time per player, or give the time for free.

If they say no, then you’ll have to become friends with a small group to invite, and just rent tables normally and have your tournament on them.

If all you want is more robustness, Salotto is the quickest way to get there, and you only need to find one person to play, not 8 for a tournament.

I'm actively rooting against Fred, I've had enough

sjm said:

Strategy is a MUCH bigger part of the game today. There are more two-way shots, more kicks, more jumps, and more need for billiard knowledge than ever before. The lack of tactical skills among the old-timers showed up in spades when Hopkins staged the "Legends of Pool" series in what I believe was 1983. The level of play was still pretty high, just not the defensive and tactical play.

There was much less need to be a great kicker/jumper or safety player back in the day, and position play errors were often forgiven because you could push out.

Even ignoring the fact that today's players play on super-tight equipment and the last generation did not, the game is much more difficult today. Similarly, mediocre position play was not punished as much on loose equipment, but today, recovering a lost pattern is a much tougher challenge than back in the day.

For every super-straight shooter there was in Mike Sigel's prime, there are probably ten of them today. Finally, the pattern play today is much better than it was ten years ago, never mind forty years ago.

The only player of the 1980s who is in the coversation with the defensive greats of today is Nick Varner.

But, as you say, comparison across the generations is near impossible. Still, the quality of play has skyrocketed to a level few could have imagined even ten years ago.

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Yes there are more two-way, kick, & Jump shots… no debate there. But why?

Ball in-in-hand lends itself to more two-way shots. And of course, you see more jumps. Jumpers didn’t exist back then. The need for Billiard knowledge is one thing, having it is another, and being able to show it is yet another. Under the old rules benefits player opportunities to showcase that kind of knowledge if they possessed it

I’m not familiar with “Legends of Pool" series in 1983. but my guess anything named “Legends of pool” indicates players past their prime. That’s not a knock, at some point they earned the title “Legend.” But I wouldn’t use that series as a definitive comparison between eras.

Considering the low percentage of intended outcomes on kicks and jumps, I don’t see more strategy, I see less. I do not see how giving a professional player ball in hand is more difficult than spotting a boll and putting the cue ball in the kitchen. Honestly, giving a pro ball-in-hand is far easier than forcing them to spot a ball and shoot from the kitchen, which demanded more creativity and knowledge. Both of these changes (jump cues& ball in hand) give lesser players a chance to win and definitely lends the game to luck and diminishes that advantage of knowledge. When you rolled out you’d better have some knowledge to include safety play if you want to take advantage of the situation more than just having a way out of bad spot. If all you saw was a way out of trouble you definitely weren’t taking full advantage of situations… it wasn’t just a way out of trouble. That dynamic has been largely lost. Today, more kicks and jumps don’t mean more strategy, they just mean more variance, which again gives less experienced players more chances. Taking in account the low percentage of intended outcomes for kicking and jumping, and also considering that the rule lend more opportunities for two way shots that doesn’t add up to more strategy to me but lends the game again to more luck and more opportunities for lesser players.

If the pros had a say, I’m not convinced jump cues would even exist. Players don’t have the say, industry and promoters do and there’s too much money made with every bar player having a jump cue and lesser players having a chance to win in Bar leagues.

Generally speaking roll-out was an option after the break. Any hustle is an option but that’s how I grew up playing it so I’m not following how it’s forgives position errors?

I’d still argue that better pattern-play is as an “illusion” of modern rules for racking the the balls.

We are definitely going to have to agree to disagree on what adds up to more strategy, luck, and what rules benefit, penalize, or rewards the more knowledgeable player. I don’t think today’s game holds any water compared to yesterday’s game as far as the rules go.

I’d also argue that today players would have no difficulty playing on any of yesterday’s equipment including cloth and I also think yesterday’s players would have adjusted to tighter equipment.

Agreed, for every super-straight shooter there was in Mike Sigel's prime, there are probably ten of them today… shot makers.
Agreed, the equipment is tighter.
Agreed, comparison across the generations is near impossible. Still, the quality of play has skyrocketed to a level few could have imagined even ten years ago.

Respect SJM

ShootingArts said:

I never get in those kind of bets but changing philosophies had more to do with the end of Titanic Thompson and people like him than their own behavior. Generally speaking, people don't pay off a bet when they are outsmarted. If people had to admit they lost a bet they used to pay off even if they were tricked.
Peoples' ideas of what is behaving honorably have changed a lot in the last fifty years. I'm not sure if that is good or bad. A lot of the ability of those without honor to take from those with honor is gone. However it seems mainly because more of us are willing to wallow in the mud with those without honor than once existed.

Hu

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I’ve made a lot of bets on a lot of different things…..but I’m not into paying or collecting where semantics is a factor.

TheGrandWazoo said:

I don’t play in a league, I don’t play in tournaments as of now. However, I wanted to get my Fargo established. I got my initial rating by emailing Fargo and they set it. Then I just play Rated players from my pool room in Salotto and report my games. I have 110 games in the system now by doing this.

I have even hosted games at my house with a few buddies.

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Would you explain how that email conversation went? I didn’t think it was possible for anyone assigning themselves a starter rating, if that is what you did.

sjm said:

Biado vs Ko Ping Chung may be the most exciting matchup of the tournament to this point. Biado seems to get it done in the biggest spots, but Ko Ping Chung will be a very tough assignment for him. Roda has run hot and cold but seems to do just enough to win, and I'd be very surprised if he beat Fedor.

Still, there's not much in it. All matches are steamed now, so you can pick the one you like. The future BCA hall of famer Carlo Biado vs World 10ball and US Open 9ball champion Ko Ping Chung is the one I like.

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I agree...
These guys play STRONG IN COMPETITION,
"Toss-up to me,
I liked Ko US Open winning 11-0 ,
I dont recall him missing 1 ball!

skogstokig said:

heart break for duong

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Those are your ''teachers''.

JAM said:

7-2 at the break, Fedor on top.

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Fedor in full mount waging an effective ground and pound.

DynoDan said:

Isn’t there a rule against that? If so, I would think a ref might object if a player picked up & placed the CB with his bridge hand.

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You have to break from where the Ref puts the ball?

fedor is giving roda a proper hiding.

SA96 said:

When you're about to break, loads of players clean the cue ball by rubbing their gloves over it.

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Isn’t there a rule against that? If so, I would think a ref might object if a player picked up & placed the CB with his bridge hand.

Badpenguin said:

I've seen several of them, Casper included, who deliberately wait until they hear that 5 second callout before pulling the trigger.

It should be done like accu-stats does it, once they are down on the shot, the clock should stop.

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What if they stay down on the shot for 30 extra seconds? That defeats the whole purpose of the shot clock. Not to mention the concept of being "down on the shot" is a judgment call.

The clock is the clock. If you don't want someone saying "5 seconds" while you're shooting then shoot faster or wait until they have called 5 seconds before pulling the trigger.