Gambling or Tournament

Which do you prefer watching?

  • Gambling

    Votes: 77 59.2%

  • Tournament

    Votes: 53 40.8%
  • Total voters
    130
  • Poll closed .
JAM

JAM

I am the storm
Silver Member
Which do you prefer watching, whether on TV or your computer or in person?

This is a private poll, so lurkers can feel free to vote and maintain their privacy.
 
I'd have to say i prefer to watch gambling simply because the stakes and amount of pressure are usually a lot higher for each person involved.
 
Either, as long as the races aren't short ones. I voted gambling simply because most tournament races are too short.

The advantage to watching tournaments is that you get to see a larger variety of players. If tournament races were to 13 games MINIMUM for ALL rounds, then I'd prefer to watch the tournaments simply because I get more variety.

I haven't purchased a TAR stream yet, but this format is the very best way to determine which player is the better one in a particular match.

Maniac (could have voted either way)
 
Good poll.

To put it another way, which do you think would get more YouTube views:

Highlights of this year's APA

or

Dippy v. Scooter for $100,000
 
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Bob Callahan said:
Good poll.

To put it another way, which do you think would get more YouTube views:

Highlights of this year's APA

or

Dippy v. Scooter for $100,000
Click to expand...

I wouldn't watch either of these two choices. If I'm gonna spend time watching pool (as opposed to playing), then I want to see world-class pool, not a bunch of freaking amateurs slapping balls all around the table, high stakes or not!!!

Maniac (watches pool to LEARN)
 
Ghosst said:
Well if you take that kind of extreme ...

US Open 9-ball

vs

Two "C" players playing for $50
Click to expand...

Well...I picked those two for a pretty good reason. There are lots of APA players...so you'd think there'd be plenty of hits. But my money is on Viffer v. Bet Hi, even though most players have never met either one.

20100124-9128-Scooter-web.jpg

1171769508_Ay9VW-M.jpg

Images stolen from OnePocket.org *grin*
 
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I prefer tournaments because I think there is more pressure in tournament pool. This shot, right now means everything. Lose and you go home. When gambling there is always the next game, the next set. You can play all night. Plus all the big time gambling I see no one is playing for their own money. Where is the pressure in that?
 
I like them both, but gambling has more of an "edge" during the match. Tournaments are cool as you see way more players though.
 
Bob Callahan said:
Well...I picked those two for a pretty good reason.
Click to expand...

I picked my choice for a reason too, but we're starting to go *aiming thread* here so let's just end it with, in an even debate, I'd like to watch the tournament. You'd like to watch gambling. I appreciate both, as I imagine you do. But in the end, we have different preferences.

I was just presenting the other side of the coin.
 
Where is challenge matches? They are by-in-large a huge buyin winner take all tournament with a really long race or multiple set races. But they are not really just a regular "tournament" match.

Basically the TAR matches are what I like the most because it is so long of a format that you really get to see who the better player is over the long haul. But unlike a normal "gambling" session the race is set, there is no open ended play that can continue forever or until the money runs out.

I cannot stand short set tournament pool, things like the US Open 9-ball I find almost pointless because the short sets and tables they play the event on make so many of the matches little more then coin flips for the top 20 guys when they play each other. The last time I really got into the US Open was the year they used 3 7/8 inch pockets on all but the TV table. Back in the early 2000's some time.
 
When playing I prefer gambling to tournaments.

When watching I prefer tournaments to gambling.

Given my record at both, I should also prefer watching to playing.
 
I long for the days when I could go into my neighborhood pool room and sit on the rail and sweat a good action match -- ALL NIGHT LONG. The hours went by like minutes. Gone are those days, I'm afraid. :(

Here's a few action photos I took on the tournament trail. The tournaments were actually gathering places for some players, and the real action took place after the tournament. :grin-square:
 

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Here's one of my faves taken at the DCC at my all-time favorite hotel, the Executive West in Louisville. Players of all caliber from around the world came together with a common goal: ACTION! Those were the good 'ol days for sure. :)
 

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Ryan was having a good day in the action pit at SBE. I yelled out to him from the rail, "Hey, Genie Man, how are you hitting 'em?" This picture is priceless. Ryan was running out of pockets, he had so much cheese! :p
 

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