Predator WPA World 8 Ball Championship 2023 (17-22 Oct 2023), Austria, Winner $75K

sjm said:
What I'm wondering is whether the game will become popular with European and American fans and whether we'll see the game played much in Europe and America anytime soon.
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Chinese 8 ball is pretty much dead in America and never had much of a footing as it is. There were those 2 or 3 Chinese 8 ball US open events which went completely under the radar that noone cared about.

I believe sandcastle billiards still has a joy table but no one ever really uses it.
 
Lechner and Pehlivanovic seem to be at the pointy end of a lot of recent events but can they turn that into a final appearance or a win?

Lechner has top 10s at the US Open, World Pool Masters, World 10 Ball, and World 9 Ball but nothing better than 5th.
 
skip100 said:
Lechner and Pehlivanovic seem to be at the pointy end of a lot of recent events but can they turn that into a final appearance or a win?

Lechner has top 10s at the US Open, World Pool Masters, World 10 Ball, and World 9 Ball but nothing better than 5th.
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lechner has had the bad habit of drawing ko ping chung
 
shane overcame skids and poor racks to beat a yippy FSR. wasn't the best match

sanjin beat mario and will likely play hannibal lechner next. kaci vs wojciech seems far from over
 
sjm said:
Agreed, but that's not what I meant. Yes, some of the best cueists everywhere are taking a shot at the huge prize money offered by Chinese 8-ball.

What I'm wondering is whether the game will become popular with European and American fans and whether we'll see the game played much in Europe and America anytime soon.
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Ch8b will never be big in the US. Too tough/too slow. Room owners might like it 'cause one game might take an hour if JoeBallbanger tries to play it.
 
garczar said:
Ch8b will never be big in the US. Too tough/too slow. Room owners might like it 'cause one game might take an hour if JoeBallbanger tries to play it.
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I wish more rooms had snooker tables (even the American size), but even that is a bad investment for owners I bet even with golf players.
 
Positively Ralf said:
Chinese 8 ball is pretty much dead in America and never had much of a footing as it is. There were those 2 or 3 Chinese 8 ball US open events which went completely under the radar that noone cared about.

I believe sandcastle billiards still has a joy table but no one ever really uses it.
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I’m not sure Chinese 8-ball is all that alive in China at the recreational level. Quite often the pool halls I’ve seen there will have 1 Chinese 8-ball table and the rest will be 9-foot tables with western cut pockets. I rarely saw any of the younger kids on the Chinese tables.
 
Justaneng said:
I’m not sure Chinese 8-ball is all that alive in China at the recreational level. Quite often the pool halls I’ve seen there will have 1 Chinese 8-ball table and the rest will be 9-foot tables with western cut pockets. I rarely saw any of the younger kids on the Chinese tables.
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I was in China a few times between 2005 and 2015. What I recall on the rooms I went to was about a third full size snooker tables, a third American style pool tables, and a third smaller snooker tables. (In retrospect, maybe the smaller snooker tables were Chinese 8 ball? I actually never heard of that game until on the forums here a few years ago).

All the serious players were on the big snooker tables playing snooker. The bangers were on the little snooker tables. I can't recall now if they were playing with a numbered ball set or a snooker set. The American pool section was not that busy. I got action with the locals every time I went though, and one of the snooker players would come over and beat me on the pool table:)
 
skogstokig said:
so it will be:

lechner vs sanjin
shane vs wojciech

in 4hrs
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Congrats to these fine players. The quarterfinals were played at 6:00 AM New York time, so I missed them, but I won't miss the semis.

It's an interesting mix:

Lechner: Since his silver at the 2022 US Open 9-ball, he has played well, but has narrowly fallen short in some very big moments, including a couple of double hill losses recently to Ko Ping Chung in major championship play and a double hill loss to Filler, which he avenged this week. Max is breaking big and playing well and it may be his week.

Pehlivanovic: He jumped onto my radar when he won silver at the 2022 World Games, further validating his pedigree with silver at the 2022 World 8-ball and bronze at last week's Hanoi Open. It might just be his time.

Szewczyk: After his win at the World 10-ball in early 2022, his finish to the year was unremarkable. Things are going better in 2023, as he's now the reigning European 9-ball gold medalist and he managed bronze at the China Open. It seems he's in very good form and his chances must be taken seriously.

Van Boening: While Efren is, to me, the greatest ever at 8-ball, SVB isn't too far behind. That said, in my view, his effort in the 2013 US Open 8-ball at the Rio in Las Vegas is the best 8-ball I have ever seen live. He won the final, despite nine break and runs from Biado in what I believe to have been the greatest 8-ball match ever played. I reckon SVB is the favorite for the title, but it probably won't come easy.

Let the games begin!
 
sjm said:
Congrats to these fine players. The quarterfinals were played at 6:00 AM New York time, so I missed them, but I won't miss the semis.

It's an interesting mix:

Lechner: Since his silver at the 2022 US Open 9-ball, he has plyed well, but has narrowly fallen short in some very big moments, including a couple of double hill losses recently to Ko Ping Chung in major championship play and a double hill loss to Filler, which he avenged this week. Max is breaking big and playing well and it may be his week.

Pehlivanovic: He jumped onto my radar when he won silver at the 2022 World Games, further validating his pedigree with silver at the 2022 World 8-ball and bronze at last week's Hanoi Open. It might just be his time.

Szewczyk: After his win at the World 10-ball in early 2022, his finish to the year was unremarkable. Things are going better in 2023, as he's now the reigning European 9-ball gold medalist and he managed bronze at the China Open. It seems he's in very good form and his chances must be taken seriously.

Van Boening: While Efren is, to me, the greatest ever at 8-ball, SVB isn't too far behind. That said, in my view, his effort in the 2013 US Open 8-ball at the Rio in Las Vegas is the best 8-ball I have ever seen live. He won the final, despite nine break and runs from Biado in what I believe to have been the greatest 8-ball match ever played. I reckon SVB is the favorite for the title, but it probably won't come easy.

Let the games begin!
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I still think Corey is in the conversation for best 8 baller ever
 
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