Predator World 8 Ball Championship (Nov 19-22), Puerto Rico, Winner $60K

[sjm]

I miss Nigel R. Knew how to control a crowd and not project himself as more important than the game. Pure class and accuracy.

The best ever referee at controlling the crowd at the Mosconi was Michaela Tabb.

 

[jay helfert]

I'm going to push back on both pieces of this narrative a little.

Total prize fund is a good measure if you're comparing events of similar size and can be misleading otherwise. Consider events with $500 entry and $50K added. The prize fund will vary a lot whether it is 64, 128, or 256 players [82K, 114K, and $178K]. But these three events will all have a 1st place prize of around $30K and will be similarly hard to win. They won't look all that different to the top pros.

The distribution (prize fund falloff) doesn't vary all that much. Here I compare the US Pro Billiard Series event (Puerto Rico) that just finished to the International Open from a few weeks ago. Both had 128 players, so it is apples to apples. With my "first place prize" measure, I call the US Pro Billiard Series event $25K, and I call the International Open $30K, i.e., 20% higher. Below are the details.

First, the total prize funds are $100K and $114K. So INO is 14% higher, not 20% higher.

Second you will notice both pay 25% of the field and the payouts are essentially the same for those who finish 5 through 32. So this actually makes the International Open a little more top heavy with 58% of the prize fund to the top 4 (as opposed to 52% for the US Pro Series Event)

When talking about how much money is in pro pool, it is common to compare to a favorite spectator sport or to some other goofy gaff competition. But there is only one reasonable comparison that actually informs pro pool's trajectory, and that is how do we compare to ourselves of a few years ago or a decade ago. By that measure we are exploding. Between men and women, and with the $20K 1st place standard, there are this year 25 events! (13 10-Ball, 9 9-Ball, 1 8-Ball and 1 One Pocket). This would, I believe, be in the single digits anytime before the pandemic going back a long time.

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Thanks for this info Mike. 25 tournaments with decent prize money and probably a dozen other poolroom tourneys that pay good money (in cash) with lower entry fees ($250 average), large fields and huge calcuttas attached. There are more than a handful of pros able to make a decent living these days, and I couldn't have said that five or ten years ago.

 

[Nick B]

The best ever referee at controlling the crowd at the Mosconi was Michaela Tabb.

Slight advantage in "female" soft touch but firm (Iron Lady like) but for me Nigel never got it wrong.

 

[jay helfert]

I hate to say it but Leyman makes way too many mistakes. More interested in being the center of attention than doing his job. Always seems to be in the wrong position and blows more calls than should be allowed. In the words of Jay H...it is a requirement of a good referee to be in the correct position AND not be the center of attention.

I miss Nigel R. Knew how to control a crowd and not project himself as more important than the game. Pure class and accuracy.

Nigel and Michaela were two of the best refs I ever worked with.

 

[skogstokig]

Anyone know if any of the Blackball, English 8 Ball, Chinese 8 Ball players made it over to play in this event?

i don't think so. chang is a chinese 8 ball player (no pun intended, he played c8b during covid) and i assume the kiwi players have some e8b background.

 

[skip100]

Just now the referee confidently and quickly called a foul on Wu Ku Lin that didn't look like a foul.

 

[Nick B]

Just now the referee confidently and quickly called a foul on Wu Ku Lin that didn't look like a foul.

Who was ref?

 

[garczar]

Who was ref?

fat white cat. not ponytail guy.

 

[garczar]

SVB is struggling. Down 5-4 and trying to run out to tie it.

 

[garczar]

5-5 now. This Taiwanese cat plays ok. SVB gifted him some early.

 

[straightline]

fat white cat. not ponytail guy.

Lehman was doing the women's side. Speaking of women, anybody know who this is? I don't see her in any matches or galleries.

 

[garczar]

5-5 now. This Taiwanese cat plays ok. SVB gifted him some early.

6-6 now.

 

[jay helfert]

Shane won 8-6

 

[garczar]

Shane won 8-6

didn't see the clock. that guy made him sweat.

 

[skogstokig]

kaci didn't miss a ball against ko ping chung. brutal.

jayson is also looking very strong. maybe those two are favorites right now. filler isn't missing much either but doesn't have as strong break. big ko looking good too.

 

[jay helfert]

They start all over again in the final 32. Some new names and some old names emerging in this event. Haven't heard from Jason Klatt in a long time. Nice to see Tony Robles was in the mix. Ralf and Darren appear to have regained their old form.

 

[spartan]

Post 79 sums up what happened, but I'll give some more information. It was Game #13, score 7-5 in Makkonen's favor. After a dry break by Yoshioka, the pocketing of 5 solids by Makkonen, and a safety by each player, Makkonen had to kick at one of his remaining two balls. He missed the intended hit but hit the other solid, so it was a legal shot. Yoshioka had his hand over the 4-ball to pick it up, apparently thinking Makkonen had fouled. Referee Leyman called out "ah, ah" or something like that, stopping Yoshioka from fouling. Makkonen was peeved and informed Leyman of his mistake. The game went on a long time after that with lots of safeties. Yoshioka got out after Makkonen made a great kick off the foot rail at his 4-ball hanging in the head-rail pocket on the same side of the table. The cue ball touched the 4-ball but it didn't fall, and Yoshioka got out.

Except for Leyman's mistake, it was an interesting game to watch. It lasted over 16 minutes, including racking.

Petri's eyes petrified the commentators. Spitting image of the late Meat Loaf

I hate to say it but Leyman makes way too many mistakes. More interested in being the center of attention than doing his job. Always seems to be in the wrong position and blows more calls than should be allowed. In the words of Jay H...it is a requirement of a good referee to be in the correct position AND not be the center of attention.

I miss Nigel R. Knew how to control a crowd and not project himself as more important than the game. Pure class and accuracy.

Leyman is a diva. His nickname should be J Ley. Don't know why he is head referee /tournament for many MR and Predator events instead of snooker ref Marcel Ekert.

 

[spartan]

Who was ref?

Dwayne Payne. He is pain in the neck for some players

 

[spartan]

World Junior 9 Ball Finals today. Predator mopping even 9 ball events which is domain of MR Good to see them support the juniors also. When WPA was organising it more than 2 years ago, none of it was streamed

Girls final at 2pm Table 1
Brackets https://cuescore.com/tournament/bracket/?id= 19987168

Boys under 17 at 5pm Table 1
Brackets https://cuescore.com/tournament/bracket/?id= 19986820

Boys under 19 at 7 pm Table 1
Brackets https://cuescore.com/tournament/bracket/?id= 19986886

What's the deal with under 17 and 19 for boys instead of just under 19?

 

[benny-the-blade]

Petri's eyes petrified the commentators. Spitting image of the late Meat Loaf
View attachment 671821

“I’ll do anything for pool, but I won’t do that.”