My impression of Judd Trump

[middleofnowhere]

Before seeing him play I watched all the available videos of him primarily interviews, not him playing. He seems like a very humble professional.

In one interview he honestly discussed what he saw as the future of snooker and how he was disappointed that snooker is declining among young people. It was funny how he sort of compared it to golf much like American pool players do.

I don't see that he brings any more to the table skill-wise than any of the other professional players, Filipinos, Asians, Americans and so on.

He seems like a very nice man who if he continues to show up will be an asset to the pool scene. So far I think Judd Trump is a plus and I hope he decides to stay around pool for a while.

As far as the commentators that's another story. The one who interviewed him after the McGee match wanted to give him a b***job.

 

[rexus31]

Very fair assessment. He can play for sure but needs more time playing rotation games to have an impact. I understand what Matchroom is trying to do in promoting Trump and his matches to gain viewership, especially in the UK. I just wish they displayed a little more respect for the intelligence of the viewers and stop pretending Trump did something spectacular in winning his first match. His opponent was a very low level amateur and the only thing spectacular about the match would have been if Magee beat Trump. Trump opened the door many times that even a high level amateur would have taken advantage of and possibly made a match out of it. Any informed fan sees right through the BS and I think it shines a bit of a negative image on Matchroom from a fan perspective.

 

[DaveK]

Judd Trump earns a million dollars a year playing snooker, not sure how much of that he will be willing to forfeit to play pool in the US. I can see him entering the odd prestige tournament but can't see him playing pool regularly.

Dave

 

[hotelyorba]

He's definitely not giving up any part of his snooker career any time soon. Any pool tournament he'll enter has to be between snooker tournaments, and there are plenty of them on the snooker tour so I'm not holding my breath to see him in a pool tourney after this week.

 

[JoeyInCali]

We should be glad he gave pool a shot in the arm it needed .

 

[couldnthinkof01]

The guy was asked by Matchroom to promote and lend his name to their venture most likely.
Doubt he gives 2 squirts of piss about pool. His sponsors $ just to show up would probably allow pool player to "retire".
I would liken it to Trout going back to a AAA
team for a day to park a couple and show face for the brand.
Still fun to watch.

 

[middleofnowhere]

The guy was asked by Matchroom to promote and lend his name to their venture most likely.
Doubt he gives 2 squirts of piss about pool. His sponsors $ just to show up would probably allow pool player to "retire".
I would liken it to Trout going back to a AAA
team for a day to park a couple and show face for the brand.
Still

So what you're saying in reality he just fooled me and he's actually a total prick.
While he does well, in one interview he did compare snooker to golf and basically said golf was a more worthwhile pursuit.

 

[couldnthinkof01]

So what you're saying in reality he just fooled me and he's actually a total prick.
While he does well, in one interview he did compare snooker to golf and basically said golf was a more worthwhile pursuit.

Not at all. He seems like a very nice man and true professional.
As much as I would love to see a guy like that
around pool more, I believe he's just wetting
the beak of Matchroom by showing up. I don't
see any reason, other than doing a solid for
the hand that feeds, for him to play many
pool tournaments.

 

[middleofnowhere]

Not at all. He seems like a very nice man and true professional.
As much as I would love to see a guy like that
around pool more, I believe he's just wetting
the beak of Matchroom by showing up. I don't
see any reason, other than doing a solid for
the hand that feeds, for him to play many
pool tournaments.

Well, if that's the case matchroom is going to be involved in a lot of pool so I guess he better get used to showing up when the master calls.

 

[gerryf]

Well, if that's the case matchroom is going to be involved in a lot of pool so I guess he better get used to showing up when the master calls.

There's been more media attention about Trump than any pool player, so the promoters knew what they were doing.

Maybe next year Trump, Selby, Murphy, Wilson, O'Sullivan, Williams etc., will all come and spent a few days between snooker tournaments to play in the US Open.

Ha! Ha! Wouldn't that be something!

 

[Astrolabus]

Judd Trump earned over £1.2 (about $1.7) million last year, he isn’t playing because he needs the money.

He does not work for Matchroom, the prize money on offer is not “big”, and he is not obligated to turn up.

He obviously is getting some incentive from Matchroom, and is treating it as a bit of fun and a bit of a holiday. Nonetheless unquestionably he is playing to win and his presence alone is generating interest.

More interest in the tournament must be good for all players, it will increase chance of more sponsorship and prize money in the future.

 

[skogstokig]

he is sponsored by home leisure direct that sells pool tables in the UK, so i bet they're giving him an incentive to go play pool. doesn't mean of course that he won't be trying to win the tournament, he is by default very competition-minded

 

[Fatboy]

His interviews have improved dramatically over the years. His publicists and handlers have smoothed out that issue very well. When he was 17-18 he was just painful to watch and listen to.

His cueing skills are amazing in snooker and will serve him well in pool. Hopefully he has some close entertaining matches here. Matchroom made a great move with this idea.

Best
Fatboy

 

[vjmehra]

Very fair assessment. He can play for sure but needs more time playing rotation games to have an impact. I understand what Matchroom is trying to do in promoting Trump and his matches to gain viewership, especially in the UK. I just wish they displayed a little more respect for the intelligence of the viewers and stop pretending Trump did something spectacular in winning his first match. His opponent was a very low level amateur and the only thing spectacular about the match would have been if Magee beat Trump. Trump opened the door many times that even a high level amateur would have taken advantage of and possibly made a match out of it. Any informed fan sees right through the BS and I think it shines a bit of a negative image on Matchroom from a fan perspective.

I think though the target is not informed fans!

The plan (as I see it) is very clearly to try and take snooker to the US, hence this exercise is about promoting one of the game's best known faces (I'd imagine ROS would have been offered the chance too if they thought he'd do it) to a new audience. It doesn't matter too much how Trump does, so long as it gets a good amount of media coverage and he plays some exciting shots. Then potentially next year they can bring a few more faces over, maybe even enter some in the World Championships like the Cardiff days and then eventually bring a snooker event to Vegas / Atlantic City.

Additionally of course the other part of the plan is to increase the exposure of pool itself, that is done by trying to attract some of the UK snooker audience. Again it doesn't matter too much if Trump gets far, if he does great he's beating the American's in their own backyard, great PR! If he doesn't, great it shows that pool is actually tricky in its own right and isn't just an easy version of snooker, great PR!

So its win-win really, they seem to have a strategy and appear to be executing it well!

 

[rexus31]

I think though the target is not informed fans!

The plan (as I see it) is very clearly to try and take snooker to the US, hence this exercise is about promoting one of the game's best known faces (I'd imagine ROS would have been offered the chance too if they thought he'd do it) to a new audience. It doesn't matter too much how Trump does, so long as it gets a good amount of media coverage and he plays some exciting shots. Then potentially next year they can bring a few more faces over, maybe even enter some in the World Championships like the Cardiff days and then eventually bring a snooker event to Vegas / Atlantic City.

Additionally of course the other part of the plan is to increase the exposure of pool itself, that is done by trying to attract some of the UK snooker audience. Again it doesn't matter too much if Trump gets far, if he does great he's beating the American's in their own backyard, great PR! If he doesn't, great it shows that pool is actually tricky in its own right and isn't just an easy version of snooker, great PR!

So its win-win really, they seem to have a strategy and appear to be executing it well!

I understand what Matchroom is doing. IMO, getting snooker off the ground in the US is a bit far fetched. I've been put off by the over the top praise from the commentators to this point. A small dose of reality would go a long way toward credibility.

 

[vjmehra]

I understand what Matchroom is doing. IMO, getting snooker off the ground in the US is a bit far fetched. I've been put off by the over the top praise from the commentators to this point. A small dose of reality would go a long way toward credibility.

But that's sort of the point, as someone who's presumably knowledgably about cue sports already you're not the target market, its more the casual fan.

I think this will work to some extent in raising the profile of pool in the UK, as for the reverse, like you I'm not yet convinced, but give it time, who knows!

 

[gerryf]

 

[middleofnowhere]

Its funny, yesterday he praised the Diamond table. But went on to say how bad the table was he was given to practicing on back home. Ithink he goofed there.

 

[vjmehra]

Its funny, yesterday he praised the Diamond table. But went on to say how bad the table was he was given to practicing on back home. Ithink he goofed there.

Wasn't he just commentating on how nicely the table played under the TV lights and with new cloth?

That's a fairly standard comment (for him at least) about how he prefers playing on the TV table as the conditions suit him better.

 

[Thunder Thighs]

Maybe next year Trump, Selby, Murphy, Wilson, O'Sullivan, Williams etc., will all come and spent a few days between snooker tournaments to play in the US Open.

Ha! Ha! Wouldn't that be something!

That would be bloody awesome!