I've seen pro players that have come to Santa Monica House of Billiards and played on those super tight tables without really practicing on them and lose. I am talking about guys that have won major one pocket pro tournaments.
When they open the doors after 8 pm that room gets crowded, it gets very humid with the sea air coming in and often what they call the ( marine layer ) fog. In the humid conditions the balls bank differently too.
This condition makes the tables play super tight and it's a movers game. Tighter pockets in my mind favors the guy with the most knowledge that can move. The guy that can move until you sell out and then run a bunch of balls on his own terms.
Under conditions such as I've described if a ball hits a rail it ain't going into the pocket period.
If your opponent never misses under any of these conditions, that is gonna be very annoying and you might have to wire home for money.
I guess you missed the Filipinos who played in there. They are used to playing under similar conditions in the Philippines. I know because I've played many times on hot, muggy days over there. It was like playing pool in the mud.
I took Dennis up there and he spotted the best players at HOB and had no problem firing balls in the hole from distance and down the rails, but he's kind of a pool freak, similar to Filler in that respect - see it, make it! :wink: