Alex Pagulayan going to UK to try pro snooker

smashmouth said:
Kudos to all three for giving this a shot, I wish more players crossed disciplines,

as I've mentioned, if anything it's a vaca to the UK, always a fun trip imo

Chris and Corey, I suspect...from a match standpoint, will not win once though:sorry:
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You don't like Chris' Snooker game? You do know that he was a ranked pro snooker player previously right?
 
Just wondering how many commenting here bothered to listen to Alex's interview last night on ABR? He explained why he is doing it, what he expects, and what happens if he falls flat on his face.

To sum it up, he has always wondered how he would do, is getting old enough that he knows he can't put it off any longer, and doesn't want to have the regrets of never even trying. If he falls on his face this year, which he figures he probably will because he says he doesn't even really know how to play the game, then he will get back up and try again next year. At least he will be able to say to himself that he at least tried. And that is what is motivating him, not having any regrets down the road.

I imagine Corey has much the same thoughts, maybe a few extra incentives there too.
 
Neil said:
Just wondering how many commenting here bothered to listen to Alex's interview last night on ABR? He explained why he is doing it, what he expects, and what happens if he falls flat on his face.

To sum it up, he has always wondered how he would do, is getting old enough that he knows he can't put it off any longer, and doesn't want to have the regrets of never even trying. If he falls on his face this year, which he figures he probably will because he says he doesn't even really know how to play the game, then he will get back up and try again next year. At least he will be able to say to himself that he at least tried. And that is what is motivating him, not having any regrets down the road.

I imagine Corey has much the same thoughts, maybe a few extra incentives there too.
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I haven't listened to it yet. I'll say one more time, that Alex is my 2nd favorite player, right behind Efren. I'm rooting for him, and want him to succeed. Which is the reason I wouldn't bet against him, despite the fact that I'm favored to win that bet.

Look at it this way. I'm a HUGE Miami Dolphins fan. Always have been, and always will be. At the start of each season, I make no reservations about them winning the Super Bowl, let alone even making the playoffs. But I still root for them through and through.

I don't think that makes me a "negative nellie", and neither does rooting for Alex to do well in snooker, but being knowledgeable enough to understand he's an enormous underdog.
 
JB Cases said:
Two EXCELLENT posts.

Go Alex. The fact that you dare to go where others fear to think is itself a success.
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Alex has more HEART then any player I have ever seen.

Not only is he a great person but he is an amazing player, no matter what cue sport he plays.

When Alex decides to put the time in and play, no one has to like it on a pool table. If he puts his time in on a snooker table I do not see why he will not compete.

I am willing to bet none of the guys he plays will be taking him lightly, if they do they will find out very fast why they call him the LION.

Alex, good lucky my friend, you deserve everything you work so hard for. You are a class act and a great person.

Alex P fan for life.
 
SakuJack said:
I think everybody here should agree with that.

The one thing I really take from this is how sad it is that somebody like Alex - who is arguably the best all around pool player in the world when he's taking the game seriously - sees snooker as the more attractive option, and worth a risk/effort like this as a way to make a living with a cue in his hand.
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It's not sad at all.
Listen to the interview with Alex rather than presume to know his intentions.
He is not in it for the money.
www.americanbilliardradio.com
 
Thanks for posting those links, Scaramouche. I would recommend those who have opinions about snooker pockets take a look at those templates and take note of the measurements.

I can say those pockets on the Hard Times table are insanely tight and not even close to regulation size. I'll also say that you cannot tell how loose or tight a pocket it is by looking at a picture comparing it to balls. Snooker balls come in a wide variety of sizes other than just the most typical 2 1/16" or 2 1/8".

Go Alex, go Chris, and go Corey
 

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Not to change the subject, but I watched Fast Lenny's video of the Schmidt-Frost one pocket match...and thought John Schmidt would make a good snooker player.

Your thoughts?

Any other current pool players you think would do well in snooker?
 
bdorman said:
Not to change the subject, but I watched Fast Lenny's video of the Schmidt-Frost one pocket match...and thought John Schmidt would make a good snooker player.

Your thoughts?

Any other current pool players you think would do well in snooker?
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Thorsten Hohmann.
 
BeiberLvr said:
The difference is that when Ronnie is on, he DESTROYS his opponents.
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This is a not a very good comparison. In snooker, if you have a skill level of say 100 and your opponent has a level of say 95, you will beat him or her just about every time in a decent length match, say over ten matches that are a race to 5 or 6 you're going to win eight or nine.

In a game like nine ball with a similar differential in ability you'd be lucky to split the sets, and you might even lose the large majority of them, even as the better player. Pool games just have ridiculously higher variance than snooker.

I certainly don't take anything away from O'Sullivan because the level he's playing with is sick, but the way Shane keeps winning events despite the monster variance that's just inherent in pool is just amazing.
 
bdorman said:
Not to change the subject, but I watched Fast Lenny's video of the
Schmidt-Frost one pocket match...and thought John Schmidt would make a good snooker player.

Your thoughts?

Any other current pool players you think would do well in snooker?
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Good observation. John has that sort of controlled, almost pokey short-backswing stroke
that seems to work well in snooker. It's very careful and straight.
John's not just about the short tippy-tap patterns in straight pool (which I'm sure help in snooker),
he shoots super straight and drills long shots.

Others... Niels Feijen comes to mind, along with Toasty and maybe Mika.
All good straight pool background and textbook fundamentals.
 
Jaden said:
You're friggin insane if you believe that. Shane is the favorite in EVERY tournament he plays in right now. Ronnie is at best at the same level in Snooker...

Jaden
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That wasn't his point, and your statement is palpably absurd anyhow.

I'll go further with SakuJack's statement, as it was unduly lenient: Whatever Shane's speed is now, Ronnie was playing better than it aged around 15.

An absolute insult to compare SVB to Ronnie O'Sullivan, and one which demonstrates a profound lack of understanding.
 
CreeDo said:
Good observation. John has that sort of controlled, almost pokey short-backswing stroke
that seems to work well in snooker. It's very careful and straight.
John's not just about the short tippy-tap patterns in straight pool (which I'm sure help in snooker),
he shoots super straight and drills long shots.

Others... Niels Feijen comes to mind, along with Toasty and maybe Mika.
All good straight pool background and textbook fundamentals.
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JS is the one that springs to mind as being adapted to snooker. His fluency and CB control is at straight pool is impressive. He would make top amateur status, no more, however. Much more to pro snooker than simply potting balls.
 
J.W. said:
Just wanted to clarify a couple things.

Firstly the post earlier by Thaiger saying that the best Alex P could hope to achieve is the standard that Alex Higgins played.
I can tell you I used to drive up an practice with Alex H every day when I was based near Manchester and if Alex P gets anywhere near the level of play that the multiple world snooker champion Alex H attained, he will have climbed a mountain. And to say that Alex H in his prime couldn't crack the top 1000 today is about as far from the truth as you could ever get.
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Just look at the stats. Snooker took the 'great leap forward' following Alex, and the standard of play today is incomparable to how it was then.

The top 1000 players today in their prime would beat Alex Higgins of circa 1972 with ease. It is merely a matter of evolution, one that all sports go through.
 
TheThaiger said:
JS is the one that springs to mind as being adapted to snooker. His fluency and CB control is at straight pool is impressive. He would make top amateur status, no more, however. Much more to pro snooker than simply potting balls.
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Not really to be honest.. It's all about potting balls.. It's why it's so dull
 
yobagua said:
He'll never make it. The system favors the seeded players. Going through the qualifiers is brutal and costly. Rempe and Mizerak tried to do it and they didn't come close. You just don't enter a tournament by buying in. Most of the places are already spoken for. Besides talent and skill you have to understand the culture.
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With respect, Miserak and Rempe were too old and not near good enough when they tried.
 
J.W. said:
Just wanted to clarify a couple things.

Firstly the post earlier by Thaiger saying that the best Alex P could hope to achieve is the standard that Alex Higgins played.
I can tell you I used to drive up an practice with Alex H every day when I was based near Manchester and if Alex P gets anywhere near the level of play that the multiple world snooker champion Alex H attained, he will have climbed a mountain. And to say that Alex H in his prime couldn't crack the top 1000 today is about as far from the truth as you could ever get.

The standard in today's snooker is much higher and nobody ever questioned that - but you eluding to one of the sport's all time greats in the Hurricane and saying he could not compete........ he was one of the first players, along with another dear friend of mine who passed away a few years ago, John Spencer, who brought an aggressive attacking style of play into professional snooker. If I had to pick one player from that era who may have been able to compete today, its Higgins. A great example of my statement is Jimmy White. He is still competitive and just the other day reached the last 16 in the China Open. Higgins was his idol and model for most of his early days. If I'm not mistaken Jimmy was even a paul - bearer at Alex's funeral, they were very close. Jimmy styled his game after Alex Higgins.
If you need further evidence to support my feeling on the Hurricane, get his autobiography, not sure of the title, but its called something like "the Hurricane". In it you will find Steve Davis' quote on Alex and what he thought about the man and his game. I was sat right next to Steve when he gave this quote for Alex's book, he couldn't have praised any snooker player's ability higher.

I hope I've put that to bed.

Now with regard to Alex and his snooker endeavors, he is very realistic about his chances. He knows his game has to reach new heights but he knows the only chance he has to attain this level is to get over to the UK and watch and play against the best. If you can't admire that philosophy then I really don't know what else to say.
And believe this if you believe nothing else, he is not the same Alex P you have all seen playing pool. When he plays snooker he locks in and his fundamentals are superb. He cues the ball differently and stays still through the stroke, a vital aspect of being successful in snooker.

Finally a couple of you have mentioned top Canadian players over the years and Alex will have the benefit of all of their experience and insight before he heads overseas. Cliff and Kirk are very much behind Alex and his goals in snooker and in pool for that matter. Cliff is the best we have ever had and his knowledge and chats with Alex are invaluable. For those of you who don't know these two, Cliff was world number 1 in the 80's and Kirk was world number 4.

I've always said that coming from snooker into pool is by far an easier transition than coming from pool into snooker. And I have seen nothing to change that mind set. But Alex has a great attitude towards all of this and he is set up as well as any overseas player trying to make the grade can be. He has friends in London he can stay with, I am helping to set up top level practice for him at various clubs where pros play and he will be able to get around with his pals with transportation. So he is giving himself every chance to grow. And right now that is all he is looking to accomplish. Qualifying would be a huge bonus but I promise you, he will definitely be a better snooker player and quite possibly, a better pool player, when he returns from Q School.

I see most of the posts here, regardless of their opinions as being supportive and realistic. And everyone is entitled to an opinion.
I hope I am not being too forthright with mine.

Hey how would we all feel if cue sports had a dozen just like Alex Pagulayan.......

Oh one more thing I totally forgot in my earlier post a couple days ago - good luck to Chris Melling as well. Chris has a professional snooker background as you can plainly see when he plays pool. He is entered into Q School and let me tell you that guy can play snooker. Two stars from the pool world trying it on for size, can't be bad.

Lets get behind these two!!

Jim
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This is a very fair post.
 
TheThaiger said:
Just look at the stats. Snooker took the 'great leap forward' following Alex, and the standard of play today is incomparable to how it was then.

The top 1000 players today in their prime would beat Alex Higgins of circa 1972 with ease. It is merely a matter of evolution, one that all sports go through.
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Higgins, as far as I am aware is the last player to win snooker WCs with two different types of ball, he is certainly one of a very few. The game took massive "leaps forward" due to changes in cloths and balls which allowed a greater variety of shots to become available to more players.

This led to the pack breaking more easily and scoring going through the roof. Trust me, if Reardon or Spencer had played the game in conditions where they cod leave half ball blues and blacks and split the pack, they would have scored, and how!

As to your "1000 players". If you look at solely at stats where is Jesse Owens 10.2 PB in the 100m? It's probably been beaten more than 1000 times, does that lessen his achievements or reduce his status as a great player?
 
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