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  1. sjm

    10 best players in the world

    Very well analyzed. Capito, for sure, has the "raw materials" to be a superstar, but neither the touch nor the tactical insights that today's game demands. His fundamentals are among the best in the game, but as we both seem to feel, they just aren't enough if he wants to be counted among the...
  2. sjm

    10 best players in the world

    Just how I see it. Wiktor is the greater talent, but Maciol is much stronger mentally. Maciol also has the better break at both 9ball and 10ball. Wiktor, who can get very negative at the table, may have the weakest mental game of any elite player in the world. Yes, Yapp belongs above KPC for...
  3. sjm

    10 best players in the world

    Excellent list, but I rate Maciol above Zielinski among the Polish players. Ko Ping Chung is just plain awesome, and I'm glad to see you rate him so high. Big Ko has a sightly better break and just a bit more power in his stroke but, to use your terminology, Ko Ping Chung is the tidier player...
  4. sjm

    Keith McCready Alive and Kickin'

    The front cover of the March 2026 issue of Billiards Digest says Keith McCready is Alive and Kickin'. Believe it. A great article appears that not only relates Keith's great story but takes note of how Jennie (JAM in these AZB parts) influenced his life for the better and has kept him...
  5. sjm

    10 best players in the world

    In Shane's words, Josh has "worn him out" in competition over the years, going as far as calling Filler an "alien.". In their two most recent meetings, Josh beat Shane 9-0 at the Derby City 9ball and he also beat him convincingly in 10ball in the quarterfinals of the Las Vegas Open 10ball...
  6. sjm

    10 best players in the world

    Yes, these matches were quite similar. Fedor was brilliant in the first set of the Las Vegas Open final, actually nailing two different bank shots in the double hill rack, one of them off a jump shot. With his back against the wall, however, Josh won eight racks in a row to close out the match...
  7. sjm

    10 best players in the world

    One thing that has helped Filler become a great all-around player is not very well known, and that's his long-time willingness to mix it up in the action room with the superstars in the various disciplines. He didn't mind getting into a game in which he would be the underdog if he felt it would...
  8. sjm

    10 best players in the world

    Yup, other than Jayson Shaw and Jeanette Lee (and, needless to say, Ernesto Dominguez), few pro pool players I have ever seen brought their kids to events in which they competed.
  9. sjm

    10 best players in the world

    I was there at the Las Vegas Open. The tables played very tough.
  10. sjm

    10 best players in the world

    Yes, I was in the camp that complained about the format once used in the Predator US Pro Billiard Series, which had far too many shootots. What we saw in 2023 was a bit ridiculous. In contrast, the format used in the World Predator Pro Billiard Series, that requires that the deciding set reach...
  11. sjm

    "Star LA chef who doubles as one of America’s best pool players"...NOT!!!

    He's a great chef with a passion for pool, too. That's a great story in my books.
  12. sjm

    10 best players in the world

    Yes, very well said. One must look at the entire picture in the assessment of excellence. It's about all-around excellence. not just 9ball and 10ball titles, and we must recognize that the 9ball majors and 10ball majors are about equal in number and produce fields of similar quality.. As you...
  13. sjm

    10 best players in the world

    Although they once were, the pockets are not looser in Predator events than WNT. You may judge a player based on two events (both of which are on Filler's resume), but that's ridiculous. Actually, there were extremely few shootouts in the 2026 Las Vegas Open 10ball, and I can't even remember...
  14. sjm

    SJM at the Las Vegas Open

    Wow, it's a first-time arena, so, like me, you'll need to see the seating chart. I will likely buy seats near the center of the table, at least a few rows back. In Matchroom arenas, the first couple of rows are sometimes less preferred as your view may be obstructed by either players or...
  15. sjm

    10 best players in the world

    I stand corrected. Capito is the one that troubles me. He runs the table almost as well as anyone in the game, but he has failed to develop the other skills needed to win. I think Kural is every bit the player Capito was a few years ago. I'm curious to see whether he adds all the...
  16. sjm

    10 best players in the world

    I think Souto is also 23. He had outachieved most of these. He won two WNT ranking events last year and also came 3rd at the International 9ball.
  17. sjm

    10 best players in the world

    I agree, and I really like your choice to call his play tidy, because that describes it. He's not flashy like a Filler or a Pagulayan, but he's super-efficient at the table, like a Ralf Souquet or a Nick Varner.
  18. sjm

    10 best players in the world

    Nice post. well said. Actually, I thought Josh played quite well vs Van Berkel. He raced out, with excellent play to a 7-2 lead and when he scratched on a jump shot in rack 10, he didn't return to the table until it was 7-6. Yes, he made one bad error down the stretch, but I thought this...
  19. sjm

    10 best players in the world

    Another promising player in that age range starting to show top form is Wu Kun Lin. Robbie Capito, to me, has the talent to be a superstar, but his game has largely stopped developing and his tactical weaknesses may limit him. Mickey Krause might have what it takes, but he looks like he has...
  20. sjm

    10 best players in the world

    Let's face it, this is a matter of opinion. Tough to say for sure. I attended the last two Las Vegas Opens, and felt the intensity was ramped up. Per Mike Page at Fargo, the best two out of three races to four with possible shootout is, in terms of probability of winning, the same as a race...
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