Billiards in Vietnam?

DynoDan

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
While the totalitarian/communist gov. there has embraced some capitalistic enterprises, I assume they likely still wouldn’t encourage anything associated with previous (French) imperialist cultural activities?
My only ever serious strait-rail competition was with a native teenager on a (tented) outdoor table in Nhatrang ca.1966 (I lost). I was a fair pool player for my age, and even though my hometown room had a carom table, we only played 3-cushion. Just wondering? Can anyone illucidate?
 

Bob Jewett

AZB Osmium Member
Staff member
Gold Member
Silver Member
The Vietnamese players have been one of the major developments in 3C in the past decade. Here are the current world rankings for 3C from the UMB website. Five in the top 30 including number 7.

The US has no one in the top 100.

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Texas Carom Club

9ball did to billiards what hiphop did to america
Silver Member
I think trying to get straight rail out of Vietnam would be like trying to eradicate the invasive Burmese python from Florida

Thing Kent last yr opened a new club and had 2 Europeans come in for exhibitions

The swiss and eruo champ Xavier gretillat
And the young Dutch champ up and comer Sam can etten

To add to this ho chi Minh City holds a 3cushion world cup week long event yearly

So probably not trying to discourage too much
 
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DynoDan

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Just curious, but I thought pre-20’s era American competition had made traditional straight-rail passé? Do the foreigners play ‘Balkline’now? (pardon my ignorance).
 

Texas Carom Club

9ball did to billiards what hiphop did to america
Silver Member
for the elite players, its too easy, but not so much for the rest of us, try to see how many you can run and youll see how easy it is, said hoppe
then see if you can get that position from the break, by bringing all the balls to the position, its VERY hard, as hoppe will tell you in his book, or the first time you try the game, its very apparent how hard it really is
most in vietnam play straight rail, balkline and 1 cushion are catching on with kents play and him bringing the pros to help grow those games
and of course many play 3c
 

DynoDan

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Tell me about it! As I said, I was a fairly decent pool player, but that Vietnamese kid trounced me. He knew how to trap those (ivory?) balls in a corner. I suppose the humid playing conditions made it easier to keep them there.
He told me (broken English) his main ambition in life was to get to America. I hope he made it.
 

DynoDan

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
the viets dont really play with the corner zones marked off where you have to walk the balls up the lines like the europeans do to make it a bit harder

here is caudron showing and talking about it

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r-sJiAjnUaE

aka freegame in europe

WOW! I had never before seen a top pro straight-rail player work. What a touch he has. A talent that would certainly come in handy when taking an intentional foul in 14.1 while minimizing the change in ball positions. He is obviously performing a legal stroke on each shot, and yet the balls barely move at times.
 

Texas Carom Club

9ball did to billiards what hiphop did to america
Silver Member
Holding the cue at the balance gives you the greatest control over the speed, as well can cueing below center can help to further deaden the balls as I read in hopped book and tried myself.

But caudron actually kicks them both infront the perfect amount each time, what I find most entertaining is seeing him walk them along the corner line
 

Dean_H

luv the small modalities
Silver Member
They still like french bread as thier sandwhiches are pretty tasty.
 

maldito

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I would say the equipment today is much faster than that was used yrs ago and that of course contributes to greater runs .
 
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