Don't know about pool, but he co-owns one of largest billiard halls in Moscow and plays pyramid from time to time.
Just started a YouTube channel about Russian pyramid with English commentary!
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Don't know about pool, but he co-owns one of largest billiard halls in Moscow and plays pyramid from time to time.
Thanks for the update. Stalev was (and maybe still is) a force to reckon with. What I remember is that he had a very powerful break (probably on par with Larry Nevel of old). Scratch pool was his best game (this is where you score points by scratching the cue ball off an object ball), probably a courtesy of his Russian pool days. Even Efren wanted none of his scratch pool game!
Bizarrely, most of the Accu-Stats matches have Stalev on the losing end. His best recorded match, by far and large, is the one against Charlie Williams from 2001 Derby City. I think Accu-Stats still carries it.
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I've watched all 3 videos on your channel and I think I have the basic rules down for combination pyramid (yellow ball has to be used as cueball) and "free" pyramid where any ball can be used as a cueball.
Can you tell me anything about the rules for the game that has a yellow ball, a red ball, and 2 green balls?
I'd love to try these games but no tables around. I wonder if playing on a 6x12 snooker table with 16 3C balls would make a reasonable approximation?
Again, thanks for posting these.
I've watched a lot on youtube, and it's obviously an extremely difficult game. Like snooker, I like watching really good players that make it look easy, when it's anything but easy!
Here is Stalev - Williams 2001 game if anyone is interested:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=79Ww6CPbpMs
And here is Stalev - Gorst match from Kremlin cup 2014:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=12vgcctMmpI
And another one Stalev - Chinanov - same Kremlin cup 2014, but this time - it's finals - a MUST SEE ending:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XsGW4E0Zu9M
Yellow-red-green game is custom and even has no name (yet?) - it was a sponsored match to try it out. New games are always emerging in pyramid community, but few have gotten traction so far.
The rules are about points: red - 3 points, green - 2 points, white/yellow - 1 point, white pocketed with a bank shot - 2 points.
Regarding using snooker table to play pyramid - I thought about different options and basically none of them work as expected.
Many pyramid shots are about power and cushion compression, but this doesn't work on snooker cushions, because they are round.
You can get the idea of caroms into tight pockets if you use real 68mm pyramid balls on a snooker table - just don't hit hard, since cushions are made for 52mm balls and can send bigger one flying. But other than that - no way around pyramid cut pockets - even pocket reducers can't give similar feel.
But if you have some extra space you can get a small 6-7 feet pyramid table with pockets cut for 3C balls. I guess 9 feet table already can be used with full sized balls.
Planning on posting one of the legendary matches next week. Some of the pros of the past decade put beauty of the game before victory and played way more attacking shots than necessary - one of the best pyramid matches ever.
These days it is played more delicately regarding the stance, pre-shot routine - more like snooker.
I guess it's same with pool - players like Reyes looked far more relaxed in 2000 matches than most of the top pool players these days.
Thanks for posting these videos and added commentary here.
I’ve been playing with a set of 2.5 inch Bumper pool balls on my Snooker table. Making up a few variations in rules as I go along.
I’d put the level needed for American Pool at a 2. Chinese 8 ball at a 4. Snooker a 9 and my version of Russian Pyramid at a 10. Potting a 2.5 inch ball into a 3.5 inch snooker pocket is great feeling. I play about 1 game a day, then back to Snooker.
I had a friend over and he found it almost impossible...and he’s a good Snooker player . I did too the first time. I never practice billiards but play versions of games that help sharpen a particular skill. Russian Pyramid and a game we call ‘Side Pocket’ really help with cueball placement.
I’ve been playing with a set of 2.5 inch Bumper pool balls on my Snooker table. Making up a few variations in rules as I go along.
I’d put the level needed for American Pool at a 2. Chinese 8 ball at a 4. Snooker a 9 and my version of Russian Pyramid at a 10. Potting a 2.5 inch ball into a 3.5 inch snooker pocket is great feeling. I play about 1 game a day, then back to Snooker.
I had a friend over and he found it almost impossible...and he’s a good Snooker player . I did too the first time. I never practice billiards but play versions of games that help sharpen a particular skill. Russian Pyramid and a game we call ‘Side Pocket’ really help with cueball placement.
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Thanks! I thought the height of the cushions Viv a vid the size of a 3c ball would be a problem.
Another question, if I may. On one of the videos the commentator said something about the length of the cues, and that players didn't care for such long cues but it was all that was available. Which made me wonder why shorter cues aren't available.
Only criticism I have is that the music is loud and I have trouble hearing your commentary.
Fun fact is that some people in pyramid community push to use lighter balls which are slightly smaller - by 1mm (1/25 of an inch)!
After pros tried to play them - they said "ah, smaller balls, but same pocket - now it's too easy". And that's from going from 4mm (1/6 inch) ball-pocket size difference, to 5mm (1/5 inch).
As far as I know - there are no equipment standards set for many things in pyramid and cues are one of them.
Historically everybody played with exactly 160cm cues and in any cue shop there are only 160cm cues and nothing else.
Surprisingly there is a common rule of thumb in pyramid community on how to choose the cue length - stand it vertically in front of yourself - the tip should be between your lip and nose. And 160cm would be okay for 180cm man, but even if it isn't - no way to buy cue of other length other than custom order.
Today there is a movement to use 150-155cm cues for people of height 170-180cm. And still - almost no way to buy one.
I have custom ordered cues of all possible lengths for experiments: 130, 140, 150, 160cm. I like the 140 although my stance is nowhere strict as it should be and on some shots I want the cue to be 145cm.
curiously, it looks like 160cm being kind of standard, but some pyramid cue makers do smaller cues on request...
Vantex , from Kazan, made me a custom pool cue some years ago , in macassar ebony / finnish birch... Mr Tautorov choosed me a nice "butterfly/pyramid" design ...The resul is a very special cue, i love it.
Bumper pool balls are larger than American Pool balls but actually lighter. At least the two sets I have....likely no standards for bumper pool.
When getting down to such a tight clearance, even 1/5th of an inch makes a difference.
Anyways, all about having fun. I’ve even played pool With a set of golf balls designed with billiard colours and numbers.
