World 10-Ball Championships, Feb-Mar 2024, Las Vegas, The Rio
- Thread starter Bob Jewett
- Start date
FSR won his match.
Ouschan up 3 to 2.
Ouschan wins.
two surprises in grabe and bader. FSR looks likely to get to the final for the second year in a row.
Never mind, they finally updated it, along with the next round matchups. Sanchez Ruiz and Ouschan wound up taking their 5th sets.
Scrunge19
Registered
That Fedor SVB match was quite good.
I had a very nice room at the Gold Coast (across the street) and a couple of very nice meals.
This is the first CSI event for which the new hotel management is in place. As for the bananas, as reported before they are somewhat larger and not quite as crisp, and only $3! On the other there was no free drinking water available anywhere in the hotel -- no water fountains and no water stations in the tournament area. Previous CSI events had big kegs of water and cups. It turns out that the new company didn't feel that the contract covered free water and they wanted $10,000 to put water out. The solution is to bring a water bottle and fill up at the restroom sinks.
Bob, It was very nice to meet you in person and have a chat. Hope to meet you again for a longer chat
Edit: we went to the steakhouse at Gold Coast and it was really nice and good steaks
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biado played real strong to take down lil ko. obviously the winner in that semi is favorite, but the winner of the other semi will bring some exciting nerve
George the Greek
Well-known member
The ref was standing in the wrong spot to see Biado foul on the 8 ball on his backstroke.
what foul?
George the Greek
Well-known member
I wasn't paying attention as to what game/set it was in. Biado was shooting over the 8 and he brushed the 8 on his backstroke. The ref was beside him and no way she could see the 8 under him
I carried my own bottle of water inside my briefcase. I bought it outside for .99! Funny story about the "new" Vegas. It isn't so different from the old Vegas. I arrive about 6:30 PM on Tuesday and the line at check-in must be 60 people long and it's barely moving. I look around and see a supervisor sitting at her desk at the very end of the check-in counter. She is engaged with a pool player who seems to have lost his reservation information. I stand close by listening and she asks me if I'm with him and I say no. She now tells me to go to the back of the line. I step back, take out a sheet with my reservation info and put a 20 in my hand. I show her the sheet while holding the 20 in the same hand, and tell her there is a problem with my reservation. She takes a look and tells me to wait behind him! Do you like this so far?
I wait patiently for close to ten minutes until she sorts things out for this guy, and now it's my turn. She smiles and says hello. I hand her the reservation sheet and the 20, which she quickly stuffs in her pocket. Long story short, I get my room on a lower floor that I ask for and she upgrades me to a Junior Suite. Not only that she puts $10 on my new Rio card. I used that to buy an order of chicken tenders at the new food court they have where the old buffet used to be. The room was nice, large and recently remodeled with a big screen (60" at least) TV. Lux bathroom too.
Some things never change. Me, looking for a deal and Vegas, looking for a hand out. Please don't tell on me!
P.S. Bob, I paid 200 for one night and the Gold Coast wanted 190. For the extra ten bucks I'll forgo walking back and forth across the street. I'm sure you got a better deal. I made my reservation last minute for just one night. The good news was that traveling on a Tuesday and Wednesday, flights are cheap. Cost me under $160 RT from L.A. But you must book each way separate, tricks of the trade. Trying to book RT with one airline would have cost me over a 100 more. I booked United to Vegas and Spirit coming back.
The bad news is there are no more cheap shuttles to the Gold Coast (used to have a free shuttle) or the Rio ($10-15). Uber wanted $50 and a taxi wanted $55. I took the bus for $2! Hello! From the airport to Flamingo and Paradise first, and from there right to the Rio on the second bus. Senior discount too. It took longer but it was fun and challenging. Some interesting characters ride the bus and I like 'em all! Waited about 15 minutes for the second bus, after dark with two men of color waiting alongside me. They looked me up and down and I said hello and we talked for the next fifteen minutes. You just gotta let 'em know you're all right. I look 'em right in the eye and start rapping, ha ha. Another day in the life!
On the good side, the little buffet line they had by the tournament registration desk had a really good breakfast for ten bucks! Good Scrambled eggs, a couple of fat sausages and hash browns. Loved it. I was good for the day. Didn't eat again until I got to the airport for my flight back. Food prices and options aren't bad at the Vegas airport. I got a nice quick meal (no waiting) at the Jamba Juice. Juicy egg mcmuffin, choc milk and a thick slice of banana bread. Yummy and only $9. The other places had slow moving lines and higher prices.
My one day excursion to Vegas cost me about 400 total. Had fun, met some AZ people (hello Jack Campbell) and watched a bunch of good matches. All the players in both pro tournaments play jam up! Got a chance to chat with my good buddy Tony Hargain of Hustler gear, Mike Hoang from Omega and Jude the cue repair guy. They were all doing a thriving business.
I didn't make it down to the tournament arena until after Midnight Tuesday. I took a much needed rest break after I got to my room. Took nearly six hours to finally get there; 45 minute drive to the airport, parked at Value Park (only $8 a day) and waited twenty minutes to catch their shuttle. Breezed though the near empty security check and had to wait an hour and a half for my plane. Quick flight, under an hour. The bus trip to the Rio took longer! Still better than making that long drive.
So even at 12:30 AM over half the million tables were going with tournaments, cash games and people practicing. Pool is alive and well! Jude was still in his booth putting wraps on cues. He works 18 hour days (for ten days) when he's there and makes some good bucks. He told me it's 25 years straight now and never missed one day! That's dedication. The income from all the tables (maybe over 300) has to be enormous. Good job CSI! I'm going back to bed.
Almost forgot the nice chats I had with Shane Tyree of the BCA and my main man Ra Hanna. Ra is too cool for school! Pool (and the JIC kids) are lucky to have him in their corner. I loved it (just being honest) that people remembered me and said hello. I'm sitting in the stands talking and a guy turns around and says I know you, I recognize your voice. You're Jay Helfert. Ha Ha. A couple of people even called me Toupee Jay. How do they know that? I'm waiting for a big match between Jayson Shaw and John Morra and Ra introduces me to the crowd (he gives me a big intro), and tells me to stand up. People clap for me and there are no boo's this time. I told Ra don't do that again but secretly I liked it. One time is okay.
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Ask time has passed since he won his first major, he's not the same as back then fast/loose & intimidating and great, he still plays great/BUT.
Recently I've found it very difficult to watch this great player/good guy do his up/down/look around 3 or 4 times on MANY shots before pulling the trigger.
My read, this change to this type of up/down/look around stuff is Not helping him improve his game.
bm
I don't think this event is getting enough praise. Has there been some ridiculousness with the rules? Yes, but the overall quality of play and the almost-best out of 5 format is excellent in my estimation. The racking has improved dramatically. Enough so, that I could be convinced it's the way to go. The production value surpasses anything we've seen in the history of pool, of course with the exception of what Matchroom puts out. That's just bad luck timing on Predator's part. If they could just improve the commentating, I would give it an overall excellent grade, which with my grade and 7.99 you could put down a down payment on a cup of coffee at Starbucks. Nothing against any of the ones doing the commentary, it just comes across like they never have a number one guy (or gal) out front setting the stage. Instead it seems like just a bunch of decent color commentators working together.