Some stats for the streamed round-robin matches can now be found here: https://forums.azbilliards.com/showthread.php?t=482470
American 14.1 Straight Pool 2018
- Thread starter Bob Jewett
- Start date
The stream https://www.facebook.com/MolinariUSA/ is one of the finest production streams I have seem. Multi camera shoots, zoom-in capability, crystal clear picture (especially if your using a high end monitor), and well produced.
Should be a fun couple of days as the 24 who remain (very few surprises) battle it out.
FYI - and this is an important feature - for those who cannot watch the stream live, replay is available for all stream matches under the video tab.
Finally someone got it right. Great work to all involved in this effort, from the in-house producers to tournament producers, and most importantly every sponsor. All at no cost to the viewership.
Should be a fun couple of days as the 24 who remain (very few surprises) battle it out.
FYI - and this is an important feature - for those who cannot watch the stream live, replay is available for all stream matches under the video tab.
Finally someone got it right. Great work to all involved in this effort, from the in-house producers to tournament producers, and most importantly every sponsor. All at no cost to the viewership.
Even if it was a PPV show, knowing how well put the production is, you'd still pay for it. It honestly really is the best production I've seen for a pool tournament outside of the accu stats and matchroom stuff. Only complaint I've had is the majority of the guys not wearing a vest and tie. Would have loved to seen that.
Thorsten on the verge of running 150 and out vs Ruslan. And this is after Ruslan ran 86.
edit : seems that Thorsten ran an 80 something before this run. but I cant tell because the chat is mixed about it and the commentators aren't saying much.
edit : seems that Thorsten ran an 80 something before this run. but I cant tell because the chat is mixed about it and the commentators aren't saying much.
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RC1 -- opening safe, left tough shot on 12-ball
TH1 -- badly missed 12-ball
RC2 -- ran 86 and got stuck, missed a cross-side bank [0-86]
TH2 -- ran 144 and got stuck, missed a swerve shot on a long, off-angle combo [144-86]
RC3 -- ran 9, missed a cross-side bank [144-95]
TH3 -- ran 6 & out [150-95]
This tournament is what happens when you put the best 14.1 players in the world on 5-inch pockets with new Simonis - it's a joke for a field of this caliber. Just watch the final shot Gorst made on the 8-ball in the corner pocket when he was on 149. The cue ball hit between the first and second diamond on the side rail, and still went in. That ball wouldn't have gotten anywhere close to the pocket on our tables. I know these are great players, but they need a little more of a challenge than these tables offer. Just my opinion.
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I went to the tournament tonight. It was a great experience.
Peter Burrows told me that he made the room shim all tables so as to make the pocket size uniform from table to table. He even provided a template. Corner opening size is 4 5/8, he said. This was selected because after the tournament ends, the tables will be used by the room’s regular customers, and the pockets can’t be overly tight. There are significant budget limitations with this event, and they are doing their best to balance the needs with the wants and with reality. I think they are doing an excellent job and deserve our full support.
Postscript — I watched a couple of young Polish players (not including Konrad J.) defeat John Schmidt and Alex Pagulayan tonight. They were very impressive. After his match had ended and he had had something to eat, Schmidt came over and randomly sat next to me to watch the Hohmann vs. Orcollo match. He was very friendly and engaging, and shared aloud his thoughts on the shots facing and just played by the two players, which was very interesting. In any event, at one point I asked him a simple question about his opponent in his just completed match, and he volunteered that there are lots of really good young players today, adding that “they are all really good,” and then saying: “It’s never been tougher.” Interesting comments.
Correction — The player who defeated Pagulayan — Klenti Kaci — is Albanian, not Polish.
Another scoring error happened today. So the high-tech approach has reduced scoring errors but not eliminated them.
It was in the Kaçi/Pagulayan match, with the score at the end of the prior rack 63-89 Pagulayan ahead, Kaçi at the table. Kaçi broke the balls open and ran 6 (i.e., 9 balls still on the table). He then cut the 8-ball along a side rail into a corner pocket. The CB crossed the table, hit the 5-ball on the other side rail, and was kissed a pretty good distance into the corner pocket on that side of the table. Commentator Danny Barouty said he had never seen such a thing happen before. Kaçi stood there in amazement for a bit, then returned to his seat.
So Kaçi made a ball and scratched. But a ball was not returned to the table. His score went from 63 to 69 when it should have been 68. Pagulayan came to the table with 8 balls up instead of 9. He polished off the rack, getting 7 points when it should have been 8 (assuming he would have made the extra ball).
This error could have had an effect. By the official scoring, Kaçi was out after 12 balls in the final rack. Would he have made the 13th if the score had been correct? Probably, but who knows.
It was in the Kaçi/Pagulayan match, with the score at the end of the prior rack 63-89 Pagulayan ahead, Kaçi at the table. Kaçi broke the balls open and ran 6 (i.e., 9 balls still on the table). He then cut the 8-ball along a side rail into a corner pocket. The CB crossed the table, hit the 5-ball on the other side rail, and was kissed a pretty good distance into the corner pocket on that side of the table. Commentator Danny Barouty said he had never seen such a thing happen before. Kaçi stood there in amazement for a bit, then returned to his seat.
So Kaçi made a ball and scratched. But a ball was not returned to the table. His score went from 63 to 69 when it should have been 68. Pagulayan came to the table with 8 balls up instead of 9. He polished off the rack, getting 7 points when it should have been 8 (assuming he would have made the extra ball).
This error could have had an effect. By the official scoring, Kaçi was out after 12 balls in the final rack. Would he have made the 13th if the score had been correct? Probably, but who knows.
John's right in suggesting that there are more very straight shooters than ever before, and that's why I mentioned in my evaluation of today's top 14.1 players that I'd restrict my analysis to those that had already shown strong in the discipline and that I was omitting the really straight shooters that didn't play much 14.1, who always posed a threat to the top 14.1 players.
The straightest shooters who don't play much 14.1, and Kaci is certainly counted among them, are always a threat, regardless of who they draw.
Still, I'm not buying the "it's never been tougher" part of John's statement. Back in the golden age of 14.1, the number of guys that had run 125/150 and out in one inning and out in World Championship play (and, at least for this comparison, I'll count the Dragon event as a world championship) was dozens. Today, extremely few of the competitors have ever done it, and, to my knowledge, not even the undeniably superb Schmidt has managed it.
There are fewer guys who would qualify as world beaters in 14.1 today than back in the day. No, it's not tougher than ever to win, but it's still pretty darn tough.
