Alternate break is ruining pool

This happens in all sports. Pros are not allowed to enter amateur events. Probably something to do with them being pros and therefore, by definition. not allowed to enter amateur events. It's the difference between being a pro and being an amateur.

What they need is more pro events, run professionally with referees and rules conducive to professional play. Alternate break would clearly be one of those conducivish things that would make it professionalish and therefore likely to get some kind of sponsorship and some interest from those that are interested in the game beyond hooting and hollering about a once on a lifetime x-pack that omg we haven't seen since the last time.


How about this......we need more pro am events. A way both can play, and a good way for an amateur to mingle with the pros.
 
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I don't like alternate breaks in long sets of 9 Ball a I like seeing good players string racks together. I don't know if is ruining pool and view it as another format.

I do think there is an on going issue in professional tournaments and I think I understand part of it. It appears to be to expensive to hire professional grade referees to rack the balls and officiate the games.

So maybe, the alternate break in combination with a Magic Rack or other fixed template is a way to avoid some of the rack issues we have today, maybe.
 
How about this......we need more pro am events. A way both can play, and a good way for an amateur to mingle with the pros.

This is one of the great things about pool. It's relatively easy to actually meet and talk to the best players in the world. Pro events, serious amateur events - have proper rules and formats. Pro-am events - keep it interesting, short races, maybe even scotch doubles random draw events, etc, etc. We need a stronger, better sponsored pro circuit first though to encourage more active pros to value this kind of exhibition style stuff.
 
I agree. Winner breaks is thing that makes Pool unique sport.
It is also little bit boring to watch aöternative break matches.
Matches should be at least race to 9 with winner breaks format.
However, races to 5 or 7 are common due time management solving and alternative break is okay for those.
Just my 2 cents.
 
I prefer alternate break for covenional 9 ball. Tourney with break rules to make it tougher I still prefer alternate break but ok with winner break.

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I agree. Winner breaks is thing that makes Pool unique sport.
It is also little bit boring to watch aöternative break matches.

I think pool has a lot more going for it that makes it stand out from other games than who breaks. Also, I find alternate break more interesting than winner breaks. There is certainly a split here in who finds which breaking format more exciting, but it's clearly not true to say that alternate break makes the the game boring, Unless you think the game of pool is boring? And winnner breaks makes it exciting?
 
I think pool has a lot more going for it that makes it stand out from other games than who breaks. Also, I find alternate break more interesting than winner breaks. There is certainly a split here in who finds which breaking format more exciting, but it's clearly not true to say that alternate break makes the the game boring, Unless you think the game of pool is boring? And winnner breaks makes it exciting?

Pool and exciting are not synonymous.
 
Pool and exciting are not synonymous.

Football/soccer is generally deemed to be a borefest by stateside pub bound sports fans but is regarded as the most exciting thing on the planet even when it ends 0-0 elsewhere. Tennis is a one dimensional game that is popular everywhere despite a lack of creative shots and a more than mundane repetition of standard match winners. There is nothing exciting about it whatsoever but it's doing ok.

For me, pool is exciting. People I know love it equally. Hope you do too.
 
The winner should always & for ever be rewarded the break, as well this creates an excitement for any spectator. Alternate break is like watching grass grow and creates pool muck less enjoyable game. Everybody trying make a fair field & it does not work because the best players still come on top!:)
 
The winner should always & for ever be rewarded the break, as well this creates an excitement for any spectator.

Winner breaks in TV tournaments will lead to less spectators.

Everybody trying make a fair field & it does not work because the best players still come on top!:)

Of course the best players still come out on top. Just like they did before.

Do you actually have an argument for why winner breaks is better?
 
The winner should always & for ever be rewarded the break, as well this creates an excitement for any spectator. Alternate break is like watching grass grow and creates pool muck less enjoyable game. Everybody trying make a fair field & it does not work because the best players still come on top!:)
How many tournaments do you attend? Reason i ask is i've seen what WB can do to turn-outs. WB works for major's full of high-level players but for lower-level regional stuff WB can cut your field size by a 1/3(if not more). People often have to get off work to go, buy gas, hotel, food, entry, etc. If they think they may not get to shoot, a lot of them stay home. Not throwin you under the bus but a lot of people talk all this winner break crap and rarely if ever play in a tournament. Just my take, nothing more.
 
Winner breaks in TV tournaments will lead to less spectators.



Of course the best players still come out on top. Just like they did before.

Do you actually have an argument for why winner breaks is better?

These types of threads always lead to the same conclusion: What each of us values is subjective. There is no right or wrong about it. You like it one way, he likes it another, I like it another, and on and on...

Now, there might be better results for the game itself from one way or the other, but "better" is also subjective. I think loser-breaks would, for example, make the games much more exciting for pool spectators who might not yet be fans of the game and would tend to bring them back for another match. I think it would draw in more gate money overall and draw in more potential players and sponsors, too.

Others have a different view, as we've seen here. But there are some good ideas being spouted, too, and that's good for the game overall, I hope.

8am...gotta practice.



Jeff Livingston
 
These types of threads always lead to the same conclusion: What each of us values is subjective. There is no right or wrong about it. You like it one way, he likes it another, I like it another, and on and on...

Now, there might be better results for the game itself from one way or the other, but "better" is also subjective. I think loser-breaks would, for example, make the games much more exciting for pool spectators who might not yet be fans of the game and would tend to bring them back for another match. I think it would draw in more gate money overall and draw in more potential players and sponsors, too.

Others have a different view, as we've seen here. But there are some good ideas being spouted, too, and that's good for the game overall, I hope.

8am...gotta practice.



Jeff Livingston

Loser breaks could work and almost has a logic to it but why not just go with alternate break which is almost the same but fairer?

Winner breaks is great down the pub but has no place in a tournament style match up for reasons that are obvious. It's also no less exciting than alternate break despite what some winner breaks fans might say or might have witnessed on the 23rd April 1972 or whenever it was.
 
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Loser breaks could work and almost has a logic to it but why not just go with alternate break which is almost the same but fairer?

Winner breaks is great down the pub but has no place in a tournament style match up for reasons that are obvious. It's also no less exciting than winner breaks despite what some winner breaks fans might say or might have witnessed on the 23rd April 1972 or whenever it was.
I agree. When its alt.brk. you HAVE to win on your break or you're most likely toast. The upcoming event at Shooter's in Olathe,Ks. is alt.brk. and its ALWAYS some of the best pool you could hope for. The pressure to win on your snap is huge.
 
I agree. When its alt.brk. you HAVE to win on your break or you're most likely toast. The upcoming event at Shooter's in Olathe,Ks. is alt.brk. and its ALWAYS some of the best pool you could hope for. The pressure to win on your snap is huge.

Alternating brakes, short races, magic tracks, double elimination, has no place in Professional pool, all they are is a handicapping system in an effort to give weaker players a chance to compete, and in doing so, does nothing but hold back true PROFESSIONAL ONLY events!!
 
Alternating brakes, short races, magic tracks, double elimination, has no place in Professional pool, all they are is a handicapping system in an effort to give weaker players a chance to compete, and in doing so, does nothing but hold back true PROFESSIONAL ONLY events!!
So you're saying DCC, US Open, TurningStone, Swanee AREN"T professional events? Whatever dude.
 
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