Shane Van Boening challenging Chinese 8 Ball @ China

Steve Davis said a champion is a champion in any billiards discipline and he is confident that if Efren had grown up playing snooker he would have been a snooker champion just as he, Steve Davis, would have been a pool champion.

No one knows what would happen IF a truly elite pool player were to go full force trying to learn and play high level snooker. What we do know is that there is a ton of competition because there are ALREADY a ton of high level snooker players.

Maybe Alex and Corey will do some damage now that they are reportedly making a run at it.

I still think potting is potting and if a player can adapt to conditions then he should do well.
 
JB Cases said:
Steve Davis said a champion is a champion in any billiards discipline and he is confident that if Efren had grown up playing snooker he would have been a snooker champion just as he, Steve Davis, would have been a pool champion.

No one knows what would happen IF a truly elite pool player were to go full force trying to learn and play high level snooker. What we do know is that there is a ton of competition because there are ALREADY a ton of high level snooker players.

Maybe Alex and Corey will do some damage now that they are reportedly making a run at it.

I still think potting is potting and if a player can adapt to conditions then he should do well.
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The problem is while they are trying to learn the game the already elite player are not just sitting around playing tittley winks their still getting better ,,


1
 
Well it's a problem for elite players to solve. Mortals can speculate while elite players play. The overriding point is that Shane shows he can certainly play on a foreign table at a high level in direct contrast to what some people have said.
 
@ 40:38 of the 1st vid Shane locks up his opponents ball and automatically loses the game???
 
EL'nino said:
@ 40:38 of the 1st vid Shane locks up his opponents ball and automatically loses the game???
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You're not allowed to foul deliberately on Chinese 8 Ball. Good acting is another thing all together.
 
I played on the same type table a couple years ago in Beijing and yes they are tough to play on.
 
I only watched a little bit, but the first thing I noticed was the difference in his stance and stroke. The stance was more straight on and he had a more straight pull back and more of a deliberate pause than usual.
 
JB Cases said:
Why on earth would anyone persist in saying that elite players couldn't master another type of pocket billiards game? Here is an example of an elite player going into a competition on completely unfamiliar equipment and running out. And he obviously understood the strategy enough to move balls away from the rails to make them easier later.

Just imagine if Shane were to install one of these tables in his house and put the same type of 10-18 hour days into mastering it as he has done on a regular pool table. And by the same token the great players who have mastered Chinese 8 ball could easily learn to play one pocket, banks, 9 and 10 ball. All of these players have great pocketing and cue ball control so it should be obvious that all of them could adapt to any playing conditions.
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Correct. Any top player with top cue ball control, safety game and potting can master 6.7,8,9,10 ball or any variations. It is not as if they had to play with cue in one and a shovel in other :)


Jive said:
You're not allowed to foul deliberately on Chinese 8 Ball. Good acting is another thing all together.
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Always tot this is ridiculous rule simply cos it is difficult and subjective to determine whether it is deliberate or accidental . I think they have similar rule in British pool/ British 8 ball/blackball :)
 
JB Cases said:
I am going to have to disagree, having played on both. I think that the tables simply force a different game to be played.

You simply adapt to the condition and play the strategy that the table dictates. Chinese 8 ball tables simply force 8 ball to be played with less options than American pool tables offer the player. Essentially cutting off pretty much all shots frozen to the rail means that more safeties will be played and more treating those balls like clusters to be moved off the rail.

Players will not take a lot of the tougher shots that they would go for on American tables because of the table conditions.

I respect both types of tables and the strategies that go with them. Neither one is really "harder" in my opinion, just different aspects. Sure the pocket openings are smaller but try running 7 racks of ten ball on 4.125" pockets.
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Most people who brag about wanting or needing tight pockets can't hit the center of ANY pocket. I agree that in cuesports champions are champions regardless and could and can adapt across disciplines.

Even Lil ol' me broke and ran the first rack of English eightball the first time I ever set eyes on those little tables with those small balls and pockets. They called it a clearance he he. But I would hesitate before I called one game tougher than another. The only thing that matters is whether or not you pocket more money balls than your opponent.
 
spartan said:
Correct.

Always tot this is ridiculous rule simply cos it is difficult and subjective to determine whether it is deliberate or accidental . I think they have similar rule in British pool/ British 8 ball/blackball :)
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It is true, no safes in me.

I am pretty damn sure duck's a bird.
 
Well the thing about Shane tying up the balls is that if they allow deliberate fouls like that then some of these games would last forever. It is stupid though and why the three foul rule is there in other games. As well there is a stalemate rule covering situations where neither player will move the clustered balls.

Simply barring deliberate fouls is not the right answer imo.

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The break seems to be totally wired with one or two balls in the side each game.

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smoooothstroke said:
Nice find.Interesting stuff.Looks like Shane didn't call the kiss on the side pocket shot.The ref? has some peculiar functions like holding up her hand to signal the start of the lag and cleaning the CB without marking the location.
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Referee is holding a stop watch to signal when she starts the clock.
There is a transparent acrylic marker that she places on the CB spot when she cleans the CB.
 
I think these videos of SVB isn't the best representation of how tough these tables are...some rail shots he makes are just ridiculous...i knew SVB was good but seeing him make some of the shots he did on this table really makes me admire his skills even more.
 
JB Cases said:
Steve Davis said a champion is a champion in any billiards discipline and he is confident that if Efren had grown up playing snooker he would have been a snooker champion just as he, Steve Davis, would have been a pool champion.

No one knows what would happen IF a truly elite pool player were to go full force trying to learn and play high level snooker. What we do know is that there is a ton of competition because there are ALREADY a ton of high level snooker players.
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These are completely different things, though. If Shane was born in the UK and had picked up a snooker cue instead of a pool cue then he would be an excellent snooker player. Of course he would. Making the transition as an adult, especially at world class level, is a completely different beast (in either direction).
 
The criticism that Svb gets bout his overseas play is ridiculous, race to 7 with best players in world in the 4 or 5 tournament he plays overseas sounds pretty tough! ... Another thing is Svb gambles overseas and takes the cash not only just recent in Greece but the philipenes were action is tough!
 
To add, his cue ball control is remarkable considering how little he has played on this table.
I remember watching Ralf Souquet play last year in the same tourney and he was playing no where close to what SVB is doing.

If more of you guys are interested in watching i can provide links to all the streams for the 2014 Chinese 8 Ball Masters (the same tournament that SVB was playing in and placed 9th).
 
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