★ world 9 ball championship ★ qatar★

[Cardigan Kid]

it's short race 9-ball, alternate break. Look at it for what it is and always will be, a crap shoot with a title.

Correct, sir.

With so much discussion generated about this tournament being the official world championship and the most important title in all of pool, I thought racking disputes and human manipulation would've been drummed out of the tournament.

They are even using plastic racks and still getting gaps and rack inspections, player complaints, referees ruling, etc.

If this was the US Open, there would be a lot of jive about how this isn't a great tournament and the WPA knows what is best yada yada yada

 

[skip100]

Has anyone seen the 2-ball racked anywhere other than in the back? I think putting it in back is a requirement at this event, as it was last year.

That makes sense if true.

Otherwise, taking the Ignacio rack to its logical conclusion, you'd want the 1-2-3 at the front and 6-7-8 at the back.

 

[Celtic]

Look at it differently for sure....under these rules, I don't think we would still be talking
about Earl's eleven-pack....or Willie's 526....can you imagine somebody telling Willie
that he had to play "50 and stop"?

Actually, closer to home, no one would be talking about a 16 year old Wu being down 12-16 against Kuo in the finals of the World 9-ball Championships, only to run the set out and win 17-16.

One of the most amazing things the World 9-ball Championships ever created, and they have basically ensured that nothing that cool can ever occur again in the event...

 

[Nostroke]

Current WPA rules have been in effect since 1/1/2008 (except 10-Ball, 1/1/2009). I'm not aware of any modifications since then.

well Liu Sha Sha ran 5 racks in the 2009 9B WPA Women's WPC.

 

[Colonel]

Actually, closer to home, no one would be talking about a 16 year old Wu being down 12-16 against Kuo in the finals of the World 9-ball Championships, only to run the set out and win 17-16.



One of the most amazing things the World 9-ball Championships ever created, and they have basically ensured that nothing that cool can ever occur again in the event...

But everyone gets one of these and that's oh so much more fair

 

[AtLarge]

well Liu Sha Sha ran 5 racks in the 2009 9B WPA Women's WPC.

See post 334 above.

 

[AtLarge]

Actually, closer to home, no one would be talking about a 16 year old Wu being down 12-16 against Kuo in the finals of the World 9-ball Championships, only to run the set out and win 17-16.

One of the most amazing things the World 9-ball Championships ever created, and they have basically ensured that nothing that cool can ever occur again in the event...

I think it's also cool when someone comes back to win from way behind with alternating breaks. And it's even more agonizing for the guy who was ahead because he had so many chances.

Yapp came close to that today. Down 8-2 to Gray, Yapp got it to 8-7 before Gray finally broke and ran for the win.

 

[pt109]

I think it's also cool when someone comes back to win from way behind with alternating breaks. And it's even more agonizing for the guy who was ahead because he had so many chances.

Yapp came close to that today. Down 8-2 to Gray, Yapp got it to 8-7 before Gray finally broke and ran for the win.

But that's the trouble from my point of view.
In alternate breaks, a huge come-back requires cooperation from your opponent....
....whether from hard luck or dogging his brains out.
In winner break, you're master of your own destiny, to a point, and there is always light at
the end of the tunnel....if you can just get back to the table.

My fondest memories is not killing somebody in a match, but running the set out when my
opponent was on the hill.

 

[skip100]

But that's the trouble from my point of view.
In alternate breaks, a huge come-back requires cooperation from your opponent....
....whether from hard luck or dogging his brains out.
In winner break, you're master of your own destiny, to a point, and there is always light at
the end of the tunnel....if you can just get back to the table.

My fondest memories is not killing somebody in a match, but running the set out when my
opponent was on the hill.

agreed. Especially in a time when people are trying to get pool back on TV, alternate breaks take away the edge of the seat factor.

Tennis has alternating serves, but they also break matches up into sets. There's a reason tennis matches are not comprised of an alternate-serve race to 18 games.

 

[Jerry OC]

Especially in a time when people are trying to get pool back on TV, alternate breaks take away the edge of the seat factor.

Loser breaking absolutely takes away from the excitement of the game and slows it down to a crawl, I think it also makes for more safety play, which doesn't help. I realize kicking and safety play is a big part of the game.

I don't think the loser breaks scenario would be good for TV if that ever came about.

 

[victorl]

Actually, closer to home, no one would be talking about a 16 year old Wu being down 12-16 against Kuo in the finals of the World 9-ball Championships, only to run the set out and win 17-16.

One of the most amazing things the World 9-ball Championships ever created, and they have basically ensured that nothing that cool can ever occur again in the event...

What about the 2012 WPC final between Daz and Li He Wen?
Daz 2 games away from the win at 11-3 and Li He comes back to make it 12-12. Alternate break format, and yet still produced one of the most amazing comebacks I've ever seen.

 

[Nostroke]

If these girly girl alternate break rules are used to determine the best in the world It's no wonder SVB has a hard time and may never get there. Play it like when Wu won it, when Alex won it, when Earl won it, Mika and so on like it was played by everyone for Forty years or more. WTF?!!

Qatar loves the alt break as it gives their guys a little chance to win some matches!

 

[pt109]

If these girly girl alternate break rules are used to determine the best in the world It's no wonder SVB has a hard time and may never get there. Play it like when Wu won it, when Alex won it, when Earl won it, Mika and so on like it was played by everyone for Forty years or more. WTF?!!

Qatar loves the alt break as it gives their guys a little chance to win some matches!

Can you imagine a boxing match where they have to trade punches?

 

[molinatx4206]

What about the 2012 WPC final between Daz and Li He Wen?
Daz 2 games away from the win at 11-3 and Li He comes back to make it 12-12. Alternate break format, and yet still produced one of the most amazing comebacks I've ever seen.

On of the most incredible matches I've ever seen

 

[Nostroke]

Can you imagine a boxing match where they have to trade punches?

Imagine a boxing match where you can only hit back the same number of times you've been hit. Yay everyone gets a trophy!!

 

[NYC cue dude]

If these girly girl alternate break rules are used to determine the best in the world It's no wonder SVB has a hard time and may never get there. Play it like when Wu won it, when Alex won it, when Earl won it, Mika and so on like it was played by everyone for Forty years or more. WTF?!!

Qatar loves the alt break as it gives their guys a little chance to win some matches!

A lot of these players really like alternate breaks. Just listen to former world champ Ralf Souquet during his commentary of the finals last year. It's the format he definitely prefers. I know other top players, too:wink:

 

[pt109]

A lot of these players really like alternate breaks. Just listen to former world champ Ralf Souquet during his commentary of the finals last year. It's the format he definitely prefers. I know other top players, too:wink:

What a top player wants is not necessarily good for the game.
I knew a top straight pool player that preferred loose cloth....'cause it stopped players
from running hundreds.....not good for the game, but it suited his style.

 

[corvette1340]

A lot of these players really like alternate breaks. Just listen to former world champ Ralf Souquet during his commentary of the finals last year. It's the format he definitely prefers. I know other top players, too:wink:

The ones that prefer alternate break obviously realize that it gives them more of a chance to win against a better player. They also probably have sh!tty breaks compared to the top guys. I'd venture a guess that Ralf has changed his viewpoint over the years. No way would he have preferred alternate break back in the day when he was running rack after rack of 9-ball.

 

[spartan]

Obviously the best breakers prefer winner breaks
But is 9 ball just a breaking contest or all round game?
If it is breaking contest then winner break
If it is all round game, then alt break

On that basis , IMHO alt break is better format and more exciting . You will have more hill hill matches as evident in group stages .

Boxing is bad analogy - in boxing both can punch at same time while in pool only 1 can shoot . So better analogy is tennis. And in tennis alt break worked for ages. Maybe what needs to be changed is maybe the score format like instead of 1 set race to 11 , make it 2 sets race to 5 and if tied 1 set each, play a decider rack like in past editions of the popular international Challenge of Champions
:grin:

 

[Bbutler]

I'm inclined to agree - but these patterns are against WPA 9 ball rules. That would include Klatt's positioning of the 2-3-7-8 and Shane's 2 in the back and 3 on the left.

http://www.wpa-pool.com/web/index.asp?id=117&pagetype=rules
"The object balls are racked as tightly as possible in a diamond shape, with the one ball at the apex of the diamond and on the foot spot and the nine ball in the middle of the diamond. The other balls will be placed in the diamond without purposeful or intentional pattern."

Sorry but the rule is nonsense. It was obviously written by someone with no knowledge of either pool or patterns. Yes racking the balls in the same order every time is a pattern, but oh by the way racking them different every time is also a pattern. In fact I'm not sure there's a way to put the balls up that couldn't be construed as a pattern in one way or another by someone.

the 'intentional' part is also stupid, because any time a player goes to the ref and says, "hey, player A pattern racked those balls!", all the other player needs to say is, "No, I didn't," and that pretty much ends the discussion. Neither the opponent nor the ref can determine whether someone racked with any specific intent unless they admit it, and why the hell would they?

So yeah, pool is pretty dumb. But we knew that already.