Is Darren Appleton the best All-around player ?

voiceofreason said:
Who do you rank about and why?

Current form is the key don't forget..
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Alex P for one. Darren is a great player in rotation but not the clear best. Imo KO clouds that water in rotation along with Cheung (sp) . He's also clearly not the best bank or 1pkt player. Great player yes but best all around..... I just don't see it
 
peteypooldude said:
Alex P for one. Darren is a great player in rotation but not the clear best. Imo KO clouds that water in rotation along with Cheung (sp) . He's also clearly not the best bank or 1pkt player. Great player yes but best all around..... I just don't see it
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So which world standard events has he won this year then?
 
He is having a helluva run...that is lasting a decade!

But the best all around at american pool? no way. Gotta be the Pags.

I woud hate to have half or darren's side playing a 10 ahead 1p.

A long race? well, we can stop talking about Darren in that format.
 
Ak Guy said:
I would not bet against him, no matter who he is playing. Well maybe a winner breaks 10 Ball race to 100 on a 10" Diamond against Shane.
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I agree. Darren's incredible determination is what separates him from most other players.
I've never seen him "mail it in" or give up, even when he has fallen far behind in a match. Yes, Shane pockets balls better, especially on the 10 foot Diamonds, but I've seen Shane fall behind in matches and gently fade away, especially when the prize money is not that great. I would also include Alex in that mix, as the best all-around player.

In the last Accu-Stats All-Around Invitational, which was a round-robin format (8-Ball, 10-Ball, One-Pocket, and 14.1) Darren came out on top. Shane finished second and Alex did not play.

Darren probably has the edge in 8-Ball and 14.1
Shane probably has the edge in 10-Ball and 9-Ball.
Alex probably has the edge in One-Pocket.

That being said, each one of them could beat the others at any game on any given day, but I think Darren will give you the biggest bang for your $.
 

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voiceofreason said:
You answered the wrong question there I think captain...
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What has all around got to do with international short race format tournaments?
With all due respect it's far from best all around (at all games) I don't think he's won a single challenge match but he's still an awesome player
 
Based on what I've seen I think Darren still needs to develop his one pocket game to truly be at the top of that list, but he's definitely near the top already considering his strength in 8 ball and 14.1.

How could would it be to see a long 14.1 match (400 points or so) between Darren and someone like Thorsten or Schmidt (if he's been practicing)? You might end up with something nearly as epic as the TAR 14.1 match with Harriman and Schmidt that included 4(!!!) 100 ball runs.
 
Maybe not now, but it sure may have been Earl Strickland. 14.1 over 300 ball runner. Played Pyramids and snooker with pros of those disciplines, and all the games here he has dominated for years. My bet would be on him, but I don't gamble (and that would be a gamble)...
 
There have only been a handful of C8B tournaments. Also, nobody of note has switched from A8B to E8B so best "all around" in that sense is pretty meaningless (although Jim Rempe entered one E8B tournament one time and won that one tournament). What can be said about Darren Appleton is that he has excelled at every pool variant he has had a go at and in the "multi-variant" world of "A8B" he is a match for anyone at any game. No doubt Selby would be too.

For now, he's having a great run. Any arguments for him being called "all round best around" (whatever that actually means) can be backed up pretty well. Equally strong cases could be made for others too.
 
He did win the "Make It Happen" event. I give him credit, he can play every game out there.....well. I vote yes at the moment.
 
In around 2000-2001 there was a multi-disciplined billiard event where some of the world's best in each sport were invited to Sydney, Australia to play off.

The format was US 8 ball, US 9-Ball, Snooker and English Billiards. Steve Davis competed, as did Oliver Ortmann. The winner of both events was Quinten Hann, an Aussie who was a top 16 ranked snooker player and had won the World English 8 Ball title and a 5th place in a World 9 Ball Masters event, if I recall correctly.

He also performed pretty well in the IPT events, despite having a pretty ordinary break.

If a similar event was held today, I'd have my money on Selby over Appleton, by a close margin, assuming that Selby could put a few weeks into US game practice. Though he hasn't played the game much, I'm pretty sure he'd be as good as any US rotation player within a few weeks of practice.

Colin

FWIW: I'd back Selby tomorrow against any US player in any form of 8 ball, from barbox to Chinese 8 ball.
 
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Colin Colenso said:
In around 2000-2001 there was a mulch-disciplined billiard event where some of the world's best in each sport were invited to Sydney, Australia to play off.

The format was US 8 ball, US 9-Ball, Snooker and English Billiards. Steve Davis competed, as did Oliver Ortmann. The winner of both events was Quinten Hann, an Aussie who was a top 16 ranked snooker player and had won the World English 8 Ball title and a 5th place in a World 9 Ball Masters event, if I recall correctly.

He also performed pretty well in the IPT events, despite having a pretty ordinary break.

If a similar event was held today, I'd have my money on Selby over Appleton, by a close margin, assuming that Selby could put a few weeks into US game practice. Though he hasn't played the game much, I'm pretty sure he'd be as good as any US rotation player within a few weeks of practice.

Colin
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Quentin Hann, excellent all round cueist...

Sorry excuse for a human being though...

Beats women and deliberately loses snooker matches for money...

Scum!
 
assuming that Selby could put a few weeks into US game practice. Though he hasn't played the game much, I'm pretty sure he'd be as good as any US rotation player within a few weeks of practice.

Colin

FWIW: I'd back Selby tomorrow against any US player in any form of 8 ball, from barbox to Chinese 8 ball.[/QUOTE]

Damn...... Could someone please post this snipet on Shane's FB page.
I don't do Facebook but I do think this statement is interesting
 
Black-Balled said:
Typical azb member...which he is. I do not recall his name here though.
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In that case I am not a typical AZB member!!

He was banned from snooker for 8 years for taking a bribe to lose a match...

I seem to remember he is in trouble for some sort of fraudulent activity in Australia now as well with his finance company he set up after he was booted...
 
Grantstew said:
Quentin Hann, excellent all round cueist...

Sorry excuse for a human being though...

Beats women and deliberately loses snooker matches for money...

Scum!
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He was acquitted of charges. Turns out the girl lied about a lot of things and admitted such.

Yeah he took money for losing it seems. If that gets your knickers in a knot, so be it.

As we don't know much about such things, I'd not rush to judgement.

Colin
 
peteypooldude said:
assuming that Selby could put a few weeks into US game practice. Though he hasn't played the game much, I'm pretty sure he'd be as good as any US rotation player within a few weeks of practice.

Colin

FWIW: I'd back Selby tomorrow against any US player in any form of 8 ball, from barbox to Chinese 8 ball.
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Damn...... Could someone please post this snipet on Shane's FB page.
I don't do Facebook but I do think this statement is interesting
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I'm guessing Shane has played 1/10th the amount of 8 ball frames as Selby. Shane played in the earlier Chinese 8 ball event and fell way short. I doubt he'd be jumping at the chance of playing Selby, for whom 20k would feel like a 5 quid bet.
 
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