2026 WPA Predator Men's World 10 Ball Saigon

GideonF said:
My own preferences are the opposite of yours here.

The biggest events with the most prize money should have the longest races. World 9b used to be race to 17. Wu and Alex (just to pick two that spring to mind) both would have lost if you’d stopped the match earlier - ignoring whether the opponent might have tightened up earlier. As the players get better and we see more packages, I like giving longer for the players to fade a few ups and downs.

So for me, I like stepping up the races as we get to the last stages of the major events. 9 for preliminary rounds, 10 for knockout rounds, 11 for 1/4 finals, 13 for semis and 15 for finals would be great from my perspective, but I can live with race to 13 for a major final.

I don’t like sets, with a shootout, especially for a world championship. But if you’re going to do them, 2 out of 3 is way too short for a world championship, IMO. 3 out of 5 is long (especially with breaks between each set) but I don’t have a better option if you’re going to do sets. Actually, I guess you could keep it 2 of 3 sets but make each set longer - like going to 6 each set, but I suspect that would be more confusing to spectators than just extending the number of sets.
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You're speaking my language.
 
This is was my first time watching Zhu Qing Bi play, she has a nice (and somewhat unconventional) stroke. I could see her going deep in this event.
 
GideonF said:
My own preferences are the opposite of yours here.

The biggest events with the most prize money should have the longest races. World 9b used to be race to 17. Wu and Alex (just to pick two that spring to mind) both would have lost if you’d stopped the match earlier - ignoring whether the opponent might have tightened up earlier. As the players get better and we see more packages, I like giving longer for the players to fade a few ups and downs.

So for me, I like stepping up the races as we get to the last stages of the major events. 9 for preliminary rounds, 10 for knockout rounds, 11 for 1/4 finals, 13 for semis and 15 for finals would be great from my perspective, but I can live with race to 13 for a major final.

I don’t like sets, with a shootout, especially for a world championship. But if you’re going to do them, 2 out of 3 is way too short for a world championship, IMO. 3 out of 5 is long (especially with breaks between each set) but I don’t have a better option if you’re going to do sets. Actually, I guess you could keep it 2 of 3 sets but make each set longer - like going to 6 each set, but I suspect that would be more confusing to spectators than just extending the number of sets.
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Not for me to tell you what you should enjoy. I, of course, respect your opinion here.

Still, here on the forum, we often compare pool to the two major individual sports of tennis and golf. Neither of those sports has the same philosophy as pool.

In tennis, at the majors, they don't lengthen the sets when they get to the late rounds and they don't add sets either. At Wimbledon, the first round is best of five sets and so is the final. In golf, they don't add a round or more holes at the majors, either, even though they could. In golf, they play 72 holes at both the Texas Open and the Masters.

Only pool sees the need to lengthen the matches in the late stages of the majors. It's not for me, but to each his own.

For the record, I didn't enjoy the old race to 17 finals at the WPC.
 
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sjm said:
Not for me to tell you what you should enjoy. I, of course, respect your opinion here.

Still, here on the forum, we often compare pool to the two major individual sports of tennis and golf. Neither of those sports has the same philosophy as pool.

In tennis, at the majors, they don't lengthen the sets when they get to the late rounds and they don't add sets either. At Wimbledon, the first round is best of five sets and so is the final. In golf, they don't add a round or more holes at the majors, either, even though they could. In golf, they play 72 holes at both the Texas Open and the Masters.

Only pool sees the need to lengthen the matches in the late stages of the majors. It's not for me, but to each his own.

For the record, I didn't enjoy the old race to 17 finals at the WPC.
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What's the history of the race length? Could it be the beginning stages are actually shortened for time as opposed to lengthening them in the later stages. I prefer a bit longer race; however, I will fully admit I do not have the patience to watch a live stream online. I will wait until it's at least halfway through, or more, and then start watching it, that way, I can zip past the boring parts.
 
sjm said:
Not for me to tell you what you should enjoy. I, of course, respect your opinion here.

Still, here on the forum, we often compare pool to the two major individual sports of tennis and golf. Neither of those sports has the same philosophy as pool.

In tennis, at the majors, they don't lengthen the sets when they get to the late rounds and they don't add sets either. At Wimbledon, the first round is best of five sets and so is the final. In golf, they don't add a round or more holes at the majors, either, even though they could. In golf, they play 72 holes at both the Texas Open and the Masters.

Only pool sees the need to lengthen the matches in the late stages of the majors. It's not for me, but to each his own.

For the record, I didn't enjoy the old race to 17 finals at the WPC.
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Yeah, I agree that it’s personal preference.

But to address the points you make, in tennis a normal tournament is best of 3, the majors are best of 5. They also had a different approach to 6-6 in the 5th set (at least at Wimbledon). US Open Golf plays a full extra round if tied after regulation.

For pool, I think a WC should at least be 5 sets (I’d be fine with it throughout the tournament).


I am also influenced by snooker, where bigger tournaments are longer races and increase in length as you go deeper. The snooker World Championships is a best of 35 (race to 18) (played in 4 sessions over 2 days). It’s a marathon for sure, but probably why the greatest players win so many of them (Ronnie 7, Hendry 7, Davis 6, Reardon 6, Selby 4, Higgins 4).
 
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GideonF said:
My own preferences are the opposite of yours here.

The biggest events with the most prize money should have the longest races. World 9b used to be race to 17. Wu and Alex (just to pick two that spring to mind) both would have lost if you’d stopped the match earlier - ignoring whether the opponent might have tightened up earlier. As the players get better and we see more packages, I like giving longer for the players to fade a few ups and downs.

So for me, I like stepping up the races as we get to the last stages of the major events. 9 for preliminary rounds, 10 for knockout rounds, 11 for 1/4 finals, 13 for semis and 15 for finals would be great from my perspective, but I can live with race to 13 for a major final.

I don’t like sets, with a shootout, especially for a world championship. But if you’re going to do them, 2 out of 3 is way too short for a world championship, IMO. 3 out of 5 is long (especially with breaks between each set) but I don’t have a better option if you’re going to do sets. Actually, I guess you could keep it 2 of 3 sets but make each set longer - like going to 6 each set, but I suspect that would be more confusing to spectators than just extending the number of sets.
Click to expand...
Not for me to tell you what you should enjoy. I, of course, respect your opinion here.

Still, here on the forum, we often compare pool to the two major individual sports of tennis and golf. Neither of those sports has the same philosophy as pool.

In tennis, at the majors, they don't lengthen the sets when they get to the late rounds and they don't add sets either. In golf, they don't add a round or more holes at the majors, either, even though they could.

Only pool sees the need to lengthen the matches in the late stages of the majors. It's not for me, but to each his own.

For the record, I didn't enjoy the old race to 17 finals at the WPC.
GideonF said:
Yeah, I agree that it’s personal preference.

But to address the points you make, in tennis a normal tournament is best of 3, the majors are best of 5. They also had a different approach to 6-6 in the 5th set (at least at Wimbledon). US Open Golf plays a full extra round if tied after regulation.

For pool, I think a WC should at least be 5 sets (I’d be fine with it throughout the tournament).


I am also influenced by snooker, where bigger tournaments are longer races and increase in length as you go deeper. The snooker World Championships is a best of 35 (race to 18) (played in 4 sessions over 2 days). It’s a marathon for sure, but probably why the greatest players win so many of them (Ronnie 7, Hendry 7, Davis 6, Reardon 6, Selby 4, Higgins 4).
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Yeah, good point about snooker. I'd forgotten. To each his own.
 
Race lengths have to be shorter to attract a modest increase in fans globally, not to mention any form of mainstream media.

Pool has to evolve from just satisfying the diehards or the players. That's the only way pro pool will find a somewhat bigger niche and deliver more prize money.

WNT commentators keep talking about speeding up the game. I suspect something is coming. A 25-second shot clock, perhaps. Shortening the first shot after the break from 60 seconds to 45 (my pref) or 30. No extensions, or only a handful of extensions to be used at any time in a full match.

Predator has already been experimenting with the set format.

I don't have a problem with race lengths being increased modestly during a tournament. Matchroom goes from race to 9 in the first stage - races to 8 on the losers side - to races to 10 in the knockout stage and races to 11 toward the finish.

I don't think any race should go beyond 13. Even 15 is too long. Why make the biggest event in pool a race to 15? It's type of event you want more fans to watch, but races to 15 make it harder.
 
jbart65 said:
Race lengths have to be shorter to attract a modest increase in fans globally, not to mention any form of mainstream media.

Pool has to evolve from just satisfying the diehards or the players. That's the only way pro pool will find a somewhat bigger niche and deliver more prize money.

WNT commentators keep talking about speeding up the game. I suspect something is coming. A 25-second shot clock, perhaps. Shortening the first shot after the break from 60 seconds to 45 (my pref) or 30. No extensions, or only a handful of extensions to be used at any time in a full match.

Predator has already been experimenting with the set format.

I don't have a problem with race lengths being increased modestly during a tournament. Matchroom goes from race to 9 in the first stage - races to 8 on the losers side - to races to 10 in the knockout stage and races to 11 toward the finish.

I don't think any race should go beyond 13. Even 15 is too long. Why make the biggest event in pool a race to 15? It's type of event you want more fans to watch, but races to 15 make it harder.
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in snooker they play final to best of 35 and people like to watch...
 
Poolmanis said:
in snooker they play final to best of 35 and people like to watch...
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I don't think it's relevant. Snooker is only a big viewing sport in a few countries. Pool has the chance to be bigger globally, especially if the games are shorter imo. Not big, mind you, but bigger than it is.

Also, the U.S. market clearly is crucial for Matchroom. I doubt any casual American viewers will tune into best of 15s, never mind best of 35!
 
AI Overview
Snooker is a popular television sport globally, reaching an estimated 1.5 to 1.8 billion cumulative viewers worldwide and maintaining a core fan base of about 500 million people, heavily driven by massive audiences in Asia and strong traditional viewership in the UK and Europe. [1]
Regional Television Popularity

[th]Region / Market[/th][th]Key Broadcasters[/th][th]Audience & Popularity Scale[/th] [td]China & Asia[/td][td]CCTV5, Douyin[/td][td]Accounts for over 50% of the global TV audience, with hundreds of millions tuning into major events and digital streaming platforms.[/td] [td]United Kingdom[/td][td]BBC, Channel 5, TNT Sports[/td][td]Considered a major staple of free-to-air and public television; the World Championship final regularly peaks at 3 to 4 million viewers domestically.[/td] [td]Europe[/td][td]Eurosport, Discovery[/td][td]Enjoys steady, dedicated viewership across countries like Belgium, Germany, and France, with pan-European audiences rising.[/td]



Matchroom is trying to do pool same as snooker earlier...
 
Poolmanis said:
AI Overview
Snooker is a popular television sport globally, reaching an estimated 1.5 to 1.8 billion cumulative viewers worldwide and maintaining a core fan base of about 500 million people, heavily driven by massive audiences in Asia and strong traditional viewership in the UK and Europe. [1]
Regional Television Popularity

[th]Region / Market[/th][th]Key Broadcasters[/th][th]Audience & Popularity Scale[/th] [td]China & Asia[/td][td]CCTV5, Douyin[/td][td]Accounts for over 50% of the global TV audience, with hundreds of millions tuning into major events and digital streaming platforms.[/td] [td]United Kingdom[/td][td]BBC, Channel 5, TNT Sports[/td][td]Considered a major staple of free-to-air and public television; the World Championship final regularly peaks at 3 to 4 million viewers domestically.[/td] [td]Europe[/td][td]Eurosport, Discovery[/td][td]Enjoys steady, dedicated viewership across countries like Belgium, Germany, and France, with pan-European audiences rising.[/td]
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Sorry, I don't believe those numbers for a second. A core fan base of 500 million people? Come now.

In any case, pro pool is not going to get much bigger with long or longer races and long matches.
 
AI Overview

Snooker is extremely popular in China, boasting an estimated 50 to 60 million players and hundreds of thousands of dedicated clubs.



Key Facts on Snooker's Popularity
    • Massive Participation: Estimates show tens of millions of people play cue sports in China.

    • Explosive Infrastructure: The country features roughly 300,000 billiard and snooker venues, with major hubs like Beijing and Shanghai housing over a thousand clubs each. Unlike traditional quiet halls in the UK, Chinese clubs often double as vibrant, modern social gathering spots.
      YouTube·Stephen Hendry's Cue Tips +2
    • Star Power and Milestones:Pioneered by trailblazing stars like Ding Junhui, the sport reached new heights when Zhao Xintong became China's first world snooker champion, drawing massive television and streaming audiences in the hundreds of millions
      .

    • Tournaments and Economy: China hosts several of the professional circuit's most lucrative ranking events, such as the Shanghai Masters, fueling a major shift in the sport's global center of gravity.
 
jbart65 said:
Race lengths have to be shorter to attract a modest increase in fans globally, not to mention any form of mainstream media.

Pool has to evolve from just satisfying the diehards or the players. That's the only way pro pool will find a somewhat bigger niche and deliver more prize money.

WNT commentators keep talking about speeding up the game. I suspect something is coming. A 25-second shot clock, perhaps. Shortening the first shot after the break from 60 seconds to 45 (my pref) or 30. No extensions, or only a handful of extensions to be used at any time in a full match.

Predator has already been experimenting with the set format.

I don't have a problem with race lengths being increased modestly during a tournament. Matchroom goes from race to 9 in the first stage - races to 8 on the losers side - to races to 10 in the knockout stage and races to 11 toward the finish.

I don't think any race should go beyond 13. Even 15 is too long. Why make the biggest event in pool a race to 15? It's type of event you want more fans to watch, but races to 15 make it harder.
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Yeah I just don't agree, Race length has absolutely nothing to do with fan engagement. It's all about interest. You have to get the viewers interested in the outcome. Some kind of interviews, or bios that are pretaped and thrown into the match during racking, or clips of either sportsmanship or poor sportsmanship. Create a hero and a villain, or someone to root for or root against.

That's how you develop interest. Then the play doesn't matter, only the outcome. And creating a desired outcome creates engagement.

A casual viewer gets the bio of Jayson Shaw, originally from scotland living in the US now and running his own pool hall in such and such a town. Someone watching may have grown up in the town, Knowing Shaw has a pool hall there and is trying to support a family gives background and can create interest. Die hard pool players that would already know that don't care and will watch anyways, but the casual watcher who just clicks onto the link has no reason to keep watching.

Almost every sport is boring if you have no skin in the game.
 
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