IPA English 8-ball player ranks?

[dquarasr]

Here in the USA I have access to Billiard TV channel via Xumo and I have been watching some English 8-ball matches.

Many of these players are darned good but with my access to Fargo (the free version of the app) I don’t find the names of the players there. So I’m wondering how some of these better players would (or already are?) ranked compared to names at the pointy end of Fargo lists.

(For example right now watching Clint I’Anson v Tom Barley.)

This forum doesn’t have much action; hoping people see it here and can respond. Thanks.

 

[Swighey]

World class players such as Gareth Hibbott and Tom Cousins, who have dabbled in 9 Ball, have Fargo ratings in the low to mid 700s. While these ratings are not robust, this suggests they would be competitive against top players in short races.

I think any world class cueist, from any discipline of billards, is likely to be at least 700 in Fargo. What they lack in breaking, strategy and jumping is compensated enough by their superior technique, accuracy and consistency against top amateurs and semi-pros.

 

[Positively Ralf]

I've always wondered something, are English 8 ball, blackball and other variants of the game call shot games?

 

[Jack Fate]

I've always wondered something, are English 8 ball, blackball and other variants of the game call shot games?

No call shots that I’ve ever seen but they have some other strange variations of the rules that seem to change per event

 

[Greg M]

Many of these players are darned good but with my access to Fargo (the free version of the app) I don’t find the names of the players there. So I’m wondering how some of these better players would (or already are?) ranked compared to names at the pointy end of Fargo lists.

Fargo ratings don't exist for English pool, unfortunately, but I've seen one or two YouTube streams using a category system.

No call shots that I’ve ever seen but they have some other strange variations of the rules that seem to change per event

There are only two professional rulesets for English pool, so there can't be that much variation.

 

[Jack Fate]

Fargo ratings don't exist for English pool, unfortunately, but I've seen one or two YouTube streams using a category system.


There are only two professional rulesets for English pool, so there can't be that much variation.

I’ve seen 8 on break win
I’ve seen 8 on break loss unless another ball is pocketed on the break shot.
That’s one that comes to mind

The other day I saw an oddity as the referee ask what color was the player going for on the shot directly after the break. Considering no call shot rule I found this odd


As of late I’ve not seen other variations as I have a couple years ago.

I did find that when I started watching English pool several years ago there were some other variations & matches that were played on a certain day of the week there were variations for games played on that match/ league/day.

 

[Greg M]

I’ve seen 8 on break win
I’ve seen 8 on break loss unless another ball is pocketed on the break shot.
That’s one that comes to mind

The other day I saw an oddity as the referee ask what color was the player going for on the shot directly after the break. Considering no call shot rule I found this odd


As of late I’ve not seen other variations as I have a couple years ago.

I did find that when I started watching English pool several years ago there were some other variations & matches that were played on a certain day of the week there were variations for games played on that match/ league/day.

For the 8 ball going down on a break and winning, I think Ultimate Pool came up with that and calls it a "Golden Break" (or the alternative name of a "Golden Duck", which is strange).

I'm not well-versed on the international rules that UP uses, but I know the whole colour nomination applies to the legacy ruleset of WEPF world rules, where a player must nominate which colour set they're going for if the table is still open after the break, which is different from called shots.

 

[voiceofreason]

Ultimate pool is largely a tv programme designed to entertain.

It is to English pool what the Mosconi cup is to 9 ball. Pretty but not representative.

It’s also £1.6m in debt so akin to the IPT, who knows when it will pop?

 

[dquarasr]

Ultimate pool is largely a tv programme designed to entertain.

It is to English pool what the Mosconi cup is to 9 ball. Pretty but not representative.

It’s also £1.6m in debt so akin to the IPT, who knows when it will pop?

I dunno about all that but these guys can maneuver around on a clustered very small table pretty darned well. I can certainly appreciate their pattern play and shot making in often very close quarters.

 

[Double-Dave]

Here in the USA I have access to Billiard TV channel via Xumo and I have been watching some English 8-ball matches.

Many of these players are darned good but with my access to Fargo (the free version of the app) I don’t find the names of the players there. So I’m wondering how some of these better players would (or already are?) ranked compared to names at the pointy end of Fargo lists.

(For example right now watching Clint I’Anson v Tom Barley.)

This forum doesn’t have much action; hoping people see it here and can respond. Thanks.

Lots of these players very rarely play 9ft at all, so if they do enter a couple tournaments here and there their Fargo will be (quite) a bit lower then their true speed.

Of the well known English 8-ball players I think Mick Hill has the highest Fargo at around 780, several others indeed in the mid to low 700s but I can assure you they are monsters on the English tables. Pretty sure if they switched full time to the big tables they would be close to if not over 800.

 

[Philthepockets]

Ultimate pool is largely a tv programme designed to entertain.

It is to English pool what the Mosconi cup is to 9 ball. Pretty but not representative.

It’s also £1.6m in debt so akin to the IPT, who knows when it will pop?

I am curious who is behind this group, any idea?