2016 World 9-Ball Championship

spartan said:
Next year will be last year Qatar will be hosting. I hope another country snatch it from them. Canada can go for it since the W8B did not pan out this year.
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No offence to my home country of Canada but we are probably not the best place for it. There is not a huge amount of interest in pool as far as a spectator sport and the World 9-ball Championships would not even be a blip on anyone's radar in whatever city it was held in.

The same might be true for many places, but the WPA needs to find a place where people "actually" want to watch live pool and put it in a venue where it will get a huge number of fans. I think the Philippines is the best chance for this. The WPA should spend some cash, get a few shuttle busses to help get the pool fans from the pool halls to the tournament venue and make sure it is easy to get in there and watch the live action.

Set the event up in something with a little more ambiance than a dark empty trade show room as well. The presentation of this sport is dry as hell and it is no wonder people think it looks boring when you are on a small little pool table in an otherwise huge dark empty room. Create a bowl, do it like snooker with fans surrounding the table on all sides from elevated platforms and have some TV's set up behind the players tables showing the score of each match. You can buy 50 inch 1080p TV's for peanuts at this point. Production value does not have to cost a fortune, just some thought and effort.
 
daylate$short said:
I got up at zero dark thirty to watch the Albin-Alex match. Alex didn't play his best, but Albin was totally in stroke. Destroyed Alex.

I didn't know Shane won his semi, until I started watching this morning.

Albin looked like he was just as strong against Shane. When Shane made his errors, and gave away a couple games, I knew it would be hard for Shane to come back. Just too tough to come back, with alternate break, when your opponent is breaking so well.

Great Tournament showing by Albin, well deserved victory.

Proud of Shane for his professionalism during the match.

Charlie
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Congrats to Albin and kudos to Shane to make the finals 2 years in a row

thats a major accomplishment in itself.

Shane had too many unforced errors and when Shane tried to safe him

on the 3 ball and Albin cut it in going up and down the table for the 4 ball

you knew it was over. Albin got on the hill with that rack.


Shane represented the USA and did a dam fine job!!!
 
Isn't a race to 13 between any of the last 4 players a literal crap shoot? The alternating break really plays a huge role here as 1 or 2 unforced errors and just bringing the score back to even is tough. They could play again tomorrow and Alex might wipe the floor with everyone. Do it again the day after that and who knows.
 
barrymuch90 said:
If the barbox affected Shane so negatively how did he beat so many monsters n get to the finals? Oh and look how much avoiding playing barbox in preparation for 9 foot play did for Darren. I'm pretty sure I read it was a scheduling conflict for darren not playing the barbox I'm just using him as an exapme because people argued he was not playing the barbox because he didn't want it affecting his game and he had a poor showing and on the other side Shane plays both barbox tournaments and still flys to Qatar n has an exceptional tournament missing being world champ by a smudge.

For Shane especially he's played all games on all size tables his whole pool career so it won't matter going from barbox to 9 ft to 8 ball to 9 ball to one pocket he's going to play world class regardless. He came short because Possibly he ran out of gas or because albin was in top form looking u beatable or because sometimes it's not meant to be. To say one certain thing caused Shane to come in 2nd n not 1st is ludicrous. He had a great tournament but Albin had a better one. Albin is allowed to have a better tournament he's showed the last few years he plays world class and is very deserving of this title.

Congrats to all players who mAde the trip and especially those who did well.

Ps congrats to rob hart for putting himself out there making the trip and gaining necessary experience to get better. More importantly congrats on being the first African American to play in the tournament
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i agree. You cannot blame Shane's loss on barboxes. If he went 2 and out, then maybe- but he made it all the way to the finals. Shane adjusts to different size tables very well
 
westcoast said:
i agree. You cannot blame Shane's loss on barboxes. If he went 2 and out, then maybe- but he made it all the way to the finals. Shane adjusts to different size tables very well
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Going into the finals Shane had 7 matches under his belt. With his high Fargo Rating of 823, Shane has to perform at a high level (not just barely win) just to meet the expectation set by his rating. He in fact overall exceeded that expectation over the 7 matches.
 
westcoast said:
i agree. You cannot blame Shane's loss on barboxes. If he went 2 and out, then maybe- but he made it all the way to the finals. Shane adjusts to different size tables very well
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I think people discussing this started out referring to this post:
Cardigan Kid said:
Congratulations to Albin.
Stellar fundamentals, safety, shot making.

Albin- Training academy in Austria, coach, euro tour

Shane - bar box tourneys.
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I don't think Cardigan Kid is referring to the short-term effect of playing in bar box tourneys in the previous week, I think he's referring more to all the local low-budget bar box tourneys that comprise so much pro playing in the US in comparison to an organized pro tour in Europe.
 
The late stages were a downer from last year.....I was on the edge of my seat with Ko playing
Van Boening.....
Sometimes, you get out of bed...and things just aren't going to work.....
...this is how Alex and Shane played beneath their ability.

Albin looked like a winner at all times...tremendous composure....
...he looked like he had a plan...and it was working.
 
I'd like to know what the down-time looked like for both finalists during this tournament.

I've always been interested in how a sense of community and camaraderie affect individual performances at foreign events.
 
BRussell said:
I think people discussing this started out referring to this post:


I don't think Cardigan Kid is referring to the short-term effect of playing in bar box tourneys in the previous week, I think he's referring more to all the local low-budget bar box tourneys that comprise so much pro playing in the US in comparison to an organized pro tour in Europe.
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We are lucky to have the Eurotour, but it's only 5/6 events...most of our top players also play in Asia and/or the US too!

There's nothing stopping your top pro's playing on the Eurotour if they choose too...although sadly they'd find the winners cheque barely covers their flights,

My point is that although the Eurotour is great and as a fan I'm greatful we have it, that's not the sole reason Euroepan players are doing so well at the moment,
 
Celtic said:
No offence to my home country of Canada but we are probably not the best place for it. There is not a huge amount of interest in pool as far as a spectator sport and the World 9-ball Championships would not even be a blip on anyone's radar in whatever city it was held in.

The same might be true for many places, but the WPA needs to find a place where people "actually" want to watch live pool and put it in a venue where it will get a huge number of fans. I think the Philippines is the best chance for this. The WPA should spend some cash, get a few shuttle busses to help get the pool fans from the pool halls to the tournament venue and make sure it is easy to get in there and watch the live action.

Set the event up in something with a little more ambiance than a dark empty trade show room as well. The presentation of this sport is dry as hell and it is no wonder people think it looks boring when you are on a small little pool table in an otherwise huge dark empty room. Create a bowl, do it like snooker with fans surrounding the table on all sides from elevated platforms and have some TV's set up behind the players tables showing the score of each match. You can buy 50 inch 1080p TV's for peanuts at this point. Production value does not have to cost a fortune, just some thought and effort.
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Well said. I agree on the production part. Has to look fun!
 
BRussell said:
Shane on Facebook:
I had a lot of fun in Doha. I played well to get in finals. Apparently I ran out of gas and had a bad start in the finals. Congrats to Albin Ouschan, he played well and got the title. Fun to play in finals again, 2 years in a row. ��thanks to fans for all support. Next time.
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A gentleman and a true champion! Congrats SVB!
 
mikepage said:
Going into the finals Shane had 7 matches under his belt. With his high Fargo Rating of 823, Shane has to perform at a high level (not just barely win) just to meet the expectation set by his rating. He in fact overall exceeded that expectation over the 7 matches.
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It's being brought up on FB that Albin would have little chance in a winner break format
Can't say I disagree totaly with that statement since Albin seems to shine in a alternating break formats not so much in winner breaks
If you looked at the match using only Fargo rate . Shane looks like the clear favorit ,, I'm not so sure he's a big of favorit in alternating break

I wondering in the future if the Fargo rating will expand to show how a player performs on differant formats and tables

Like Iv asked before will it ever get to the level of a horse racing form where speed ratings are assessed on each race based on the track they ran on and the distince

1
 
SVB has a great 10 ball break. At one time it was the best in the world. Today almost all the top players have a great 10 ball break...that they copied from SVB. IMO, Shane never had the best 9 ball break. He has a good one, but far from the best. Johnnyt
 
BRussell said:
I think people discussing this started out referring to this post:


I don't think Cardigan Kid is referring to the short-term effect of playing in bar box tourneys in the previous week, I think he's referring more to all the local low-budget bar box tourneys that comprise so much pro playing in the US in comparison to an organized pro tour in Europe.
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Yes this ^^^^^^^^^^

I don't think I can stress enough that Shane may very well be the best player on the planet in terms of skill, offensive potential, banks, etc etc (just look at his resume)....

But he needs a coach, and not just any coach, but someone who doesn't care that it's Shane Van Boening, and coaches him with the intensity and criticism needed.

Shane has self coached and judging from his (especially) as-of-late tourney results- to me - proves that he is the best player on the planet that can get better (if you could imagine).

Would anyone ever argue that Albin (a stellar player himself) is more skilled than Shane?
Not really.
But could you argue that Albin is better coached than Shane in discipline and fundamentals?

Albin is not beyond mistakes (watch the last tourney of champions ESPN - big time meltdown along with Shane in that one) but what a mental rebound to take down a world title.

I believe in the American pool scene (bar box tourneys, etc) there is an element of if you can't play better than the pro then don't criticize. From what I have seen in the Euro mindset, you have world class players taking instruction from coaches who could never out play the pro, but in life, sport experience, their ultimate knowledge is that glue the pro needs to hold it together when pressure is on.

And that ultimately pays dividends.
 
At the end of the day Albin played solidly in his last 2 matches. Neither Alex nor Shane gave him much of a challenge as neither played well. As well as Albin played it truly might not have mattered. A well earned win.
 
one stroke said:
It's being brought up on FB that Albin would have little chance in a winner break format
Can't say I disagree totaly with that statement since Albin seems to shine in a alternating break formats not so much in winner breaks
If you looked at the match using only Fargo rate . Shane looks like the clear favorit ,, I'm not so sure he's a big of favorit in alternating break

I wondering in the future if the Fargo rating will expand to show how a player performs on differant formats and tables

Like Iv asked before will it ever get to the level of a horse racing form where speed ratings are assessed on each race based on the track they ran on and the distince

1
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Doesn't look likely, as Mike has stated MULTIPLE TIMES IT DOES NOT MATTER............
 
The way Albin Ouschan was playing reminded me of Garreth Potts in the 2014 Chinese 8 Ball Champion. They just looked unbeatable and eventually won. Played perfect pool.
 
Cardigan Kid said:
Would anyone ever argue that Albin (a stellar player himself) is more skilled than Shane?
Not really.
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Than again I would not say he is "less" skilled either. I watched Albin play at ~14 years old in the world juniors in 2004 and he was already playing very high level pool. He is from a pool playing family with obvious fairly good genetics for the game given his sister is one of the top female pool players on the planet.

I would say as far as aptitude for the game goes Albin is up there near the top of the world. Shane has worked "very" hard to get his game to the level it is currently at. Shane is one of the hardest working pool players out there, there are people with more natural talent and aptitude but there are not many people who have "worked" as hard as SVB to get where he has gotten.

Albin is a beast, he has loads of natural talent AND he has the focus and commitment and support that has led to where he is today. He is easily one of the best players on the planet and this is not his first major win and the second time he has made the finals of the World 9-ball Championships, he took second place to Niels only 2 years ago in 2014 and won the China Open for $40,000 last year beating a world class field.

If SVB is playing Albin in the finals of a major world class event he has his hands full. Anyone who thinks SVB is the favorite is not really looking at the other guy close enough...
 
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