Being the captain of 2 teams I always throw myself against the other teams best when I can.. other than a few acting like dechaine when I rack 9 ball I really enjoy playing the better players. Some of those guys must have microscopes for eyeballs complaining about cracks that I cant seem to never see....other than the occasional rack that will not stay tight no matter what.
9 's are notorious for complaining about racks. A few 8 's do also. Most 7's and below hardly ever complain but there is a 5 and a 4 who are as bad as any 9 about complaining. Me ? I never check a rack ...probably why my break sucks lol.
There is a reason that higher level players want good racking.
1. They can run out after a good break
1a they often need to run out due to spotting players games or balls in order to win
2. They have the knowledge to understand the difference between a good rack and a bad one and what can happen with a bad rack
2a see 1a
3. The higher level a player is at, the more knowledge they have, the more precise they play, so they need a good playing field to perform to the level they need to in order to play vs others they are giving weight to.
A good player and a bad player on a bad table/equipment will be a lot more evenly matched than on good equipment. Here I am talking about a good rack as "good equipment" as well as having good rails, level table, non funny pocket cuts, etc..
Think about it, a bad player usually hits random shots anyway, so they don't even know what the balls SHOULD do most of the time, they just hit and see what happens. This is bad but also due to this fact they don't need to win a lot of games to win a set. A good player knows where a ball should go, hits at the correct speed and angles with correct spin and can use this to play better position. If a table or other setup is crap, a good shot can turn into a scratch or a hook on an uneven table, or a dry break leading to a loss vs someone that only needs 2 racks to your 7 to win. I have played on may tables where a good safety turns into a scratch because the ball curves 4 inches off line and goes into a pocket or the cueball curves and misses the object ball. This is all in the same area as players looking for a good rack, even if it's not racking but table setup. The game starts with the break, so the rack should be looked at as a shot, not as a random thing that is tossed aside as not a big deal. Good rack = balls can be aimed off the break = less clusters = better cueball control from the break, all of that is needed for a good player to play good.