World Snooker Championships 2020

Cornerman

Cue Author...Sometimes
Gold Member
Silver Member
This is why you need to subscribe to DAZN (Da Zone). $100/yr. Snooker World Championships, Mosconi Cup, and US Open 9-ball from Matchroom. Plus all the rest of their offerings.

John Higgins and Kurt Maflin, tied 8-8. Both playing some of the most high powered offense I've seen (granted, I only watch Crucible time, but have watched live snooker event many times while in Europe over the last couple decades).

Higgins potting over 93% and has made a perfect 147. I unfortunately missed it as I was still in bed! Maflin is plowing reds from everywhere, which cost him a bit as I tried a red from 11 ft away with no safety. He was 100% locked in to make. He was up 8-6, and with that miss Higgins won the frame with a 70+ break.

The final game of the session saw Higgins foul twice trying to make the thinnest of tickles on a red. The respot is something you won't see in pool, where Higgins helped the ref place the white back into position to where he (Higgins) couldn't quite see the red. Maybe it's not understandable for those that don't follow snooker, but this is absolutely gentlemanly to help the ref ensure that the white was in the worst place possible. And that led to Higgins fouling again. He got the hit on the 3rd attempt. I think maybe he had more red to hit that time! LOL!

Higgins eventually swiped that final frame of the session after another miss by Haflin (dropped his potting percentage down to 90%) and made the final clearance needing every ball. The final black won that frame. Exhilarating stuff.

With no crowd in attendance, it was still pretty damned thrilling. What's missing is the occasional clap by the crowd on a good, crucial shot or groan on a crucial miss. I believe they have a clap track, but it isn't always turned on, so it does become obvious when no clap comes up after a crucial pot or great safe.

Freddie <~~~ #DAZN
 

couldnthinkof01

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
One of the matches I really enjoyed was
Judd Trump vs Tom Ford.
Not particularly well played but very
back and forth. Ford had a great look
in the very first frame to run a 147.
Iirc he had another 140 at one point.
Trump was really struggling from the
outset. Down 5-2 at on point.
Then, you see why Ford is always a
bridesmaid and never the bride.
After a great deal of misses and
some poor positional shots, Trump
catches a gear that Tom has no
rebuttal for. Trump ties it up around 6 frames.
The next few frames are scrappy. In the end
Trump stays mentally just a few % points above
Ford and showed what makes him a champion.
 

gregcantrall

Center Ball
Silver Member
I got DAZN for one month at $20. The matches I have been watching already have given me my monie’s worth.
Enjoying Mark Williams and Stuart Bingham. Now at 6-6.
 

sjm

Older and Wiser
Silver Member
Yeah, I'm enjoying DAZN, too. At a cost of $100 for a full year, it's a bargain.
 

skogstokig

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
kudos to maflin for winning that one. higgins is the toughest opponent because he can win a seemingly lost frame from anywhere, the best frame thief in the business. very well earned win.
 

Cameron Smith

is kind of hungry...
Silver Member
I would have agreed a year ago, but my feelings on them have soured quite a bit since then. The stream constantly freezes for me now and it's only snooker that seems to be affected. They randomly stopped showing snooker last year without warning even though it was advertised on the WST broadcasters page. And, snooker is the only sport they have that does not show replays now. I don't know who or what is responsible, but I've found their service has suffered greatly within past year starting with the UK Championships or slightly before that.
 

Geosnooker

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I just watch all of the matches on YouTube 5 minutes after a session ends.

This way I can also fast forward, rewind, etc.

Also, because of time differences, prefer to watch at my leisure.
 

gregcantrall

Center Ball
Silver Member
I would have agreed a year ago, but my feelings on them have soured quite a bit since then. The stream constantly freezes for me now and it's only snooker that seems to be affected. They randomly stopped showing snooker last year without warning even though it was advertised on the WST broadcasters page. And, snooker is the only sport they have that does not show replays now. I don't know who or what is responsible, but I've found their service has suffered greatly within past year starting with the UK Championships or slightly before that.

I am experiencing the start and stop. It is annoying. Was hoping to at least support snooker.
 

fan-tum

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
This is why you need to subscribe to DAZN (Da Zone). $100/yr. Snooker World Championships, Mosconi Cup, and US Open 9-ball from Matchroom. Plus all the rest of their offerings.

John Higgins and Kurt Maflin, tied 8-8. Both playing some of the most high powered offense I've seen (granted, I only watch Crucible time, but have watched live snooker event many times while in Europe over the last couple decades).

Higgins potting over 93% and has made a perfect 147. I unfortunately missed it as I was still in bed! Maflin is plowing reds from everywhere, which cost him a bit as I tried a red from 11 ft away with no safety. He was 100% locked in to make. He was up 8-6, and with that miss Higgins won the frame with a 70+ break.

The final game of the session saw Higgins foul twice trying to make the thinnest of tickles on a red. The respot is something you won't see in pool, where Higgins helped the ref place the white back into position to where he (Higgins) couldn't quite see the red. Maybe it's not understandable for those that don't follow snooker, but this is absolutely gentlemanly to help the ref ensure that the white was in the worst place possible. And that led to Higgins fouling again. He got the hit on the 3rd attempt. I think maybe he had more red to hit that time! LOL!

Higgins eventually swiped that final frame of the session after another miss by Haflin (dropped his potting percentage down to 90%) and made the final clearance needing every ball. The final black won that frame. Exhilarating stuff.

With no crowd in attendance, it was still pretty damned thrilling. What's missing is the occasional clap by the crowd on a good, crucial shot or groan on a crucial miss. I believe they have a clap track, but it isn't always turned on, so it does become obvious when no clap comes up after a crucial pot or great safe.

Freddie <~~~ #DAZN
Approx how much snooker could I watch for $100/yr?
 

gregcantrall

Center Ball
Silver Member
Well shoot! Went back on the time line to rewatch Judd vs Yan. Was looking for the conversation when the score was 11-10. Found it then after a few minutes it was killed. Got a message that the license had expired.

The commentary by champions is a big part of the value of the program. I was looking for the point where they discussed looking at the cue ball as the cue starts forward. They simply mention that the book says look at the object ball but some (top players) look at the cue ball.

Well that’s what I remembered. Wanted to make sure of the exact words.
 

sjm

Older and Wiser
Silver Member
The commentary by champions is a big part of the value of the program.

Agreed 100%. The commentary has been exceptional. The player's options are often pointed out before the shot, and the relative merits of the choices analyzed skillfully. Good shots and good ideas are recognized and celebrated , but poor decisions, poor execution and missed opportunities are properly pointed out with objectivity. In other words, the commentary is in no way similar to what we usually get in pool.
 

couldnthinkof01

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Agreed 100%. The commentary has been exceptional. The player's options are often pointed out before the shot, and the relative merits of the choices analyzed skillfully. Good shots and good ideas are recognized and celebrated , but poor decisions, poor execution and missed opportunities are properly pointed out with objectivity. In other words, the commentary is in no way similar to what we usually get in pool.

I agree. I would like to see pool commentary take
a more professional approach like snooker.
Way more appealing to listen to in my opinion.

Like some have said in the Danny D thread, the stories
have a place and I don't want to lose that.
Maybe pool needs intermissions like snooker
so we don't lose all the guys who have stories to
share as well.
 

Cameron Smith

is kind of hungry...
Silver Member
Well shoot! Went back on the time line to rewatch Judd vs Yan. Was looking for the conversation when the score was 11-10. Found it then after a few minutes it was killed. Got a message that the license had expired.

The commentary by champions is a big part of the value of the program. I was looking for the point where they discussed looking at the cue ball as the cue starts forward. They simply mention that the book says look at the object ball but some (top players) look at the cue ball.

Well that’s what I remembered. Wanted to make sure of the exact words.

One of the eye patterns in snooker is to look at the cue ball on the back swing and then switch to the object ball right before you start the forward swing. But John Higgins and Stephen Hendry do look at the cue ball as they strike it, I believe.
 

gregcantrall

Center Ball
Silver Member
One of the eye patterns in snooker is to look at the cue ball on the back swing and then switch to the object ball right before you start the forward swing. But John Higgins and Stephen Hendry do look at the cue ball as they strike it, I believe.

I switched to cue ball about 7 years ago and now could not imagine doing anything different. I am able to achieve accuracy of my cue ball placement that I was not experiencing looking at the object ball.

By following the aiming process (pre shot routine), I like to focus on the contact point and path through the cue ball. After each practice stroke my eyes trace the projected path. The final stroke is after a pause(Barry Stark) to see the shot then feel it, then stroke.

I had deduced John Higgins by the lift and lower of his brows. Ronnie O’Sullivan when asked on a particular shot, replied that he was not sure as he on occasion did look at the cue ball. I had never considered Steve Hendry. I think it was him that raised the discussion. I could not catch a clue from his comments as to his preference.
 

gregcantrall

Center Ball
Silver Member
Ronnie is showing his stuff at 7-7 with Ding. The broadcast is stalling and getting scrambled with audio from another match. Grrrrrrrr
 

skogstokig

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
loved the commentary on the ding match. perfect mixture of analysis and banter. "this is my kind of snooker, dennis. you can keep your 1 hour frames" lol

and i agree, avg frame time 13 minutes, brilliant snooker.
 

sjm

Older and Wiser
Silver Member
loved the commentary on the ding match. perfect mixture of analysis and banter. "this is my kind of snooker, dennis. you can keep your 1 hour frames" lol

and i agree, avg frame time 13 minutes, brilliant snooker.

Yes, listening to commentators that are genuinely enthused as fans about a sporting event adds so much. They really draw you in, much the way Sid Waddell did with darts. In America, we had Football commentator John Madden and Boxing Commentator Howard Cosell who were highly skilled at the "I'm very excited to be part of this sporting event, and you should be, too" approach. You nearly never get this in pool commentary.
 
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