Alex Pagulayan going to UK to try pro snooker

He played plenty of snooker in Canada, but I'm guessing the UK pros will give him a tough time. Can't wait to see his matches and also all the "how pool players will do vs snooker players" threads.

Hopefully those threads will start AFTER he has a chance to play several events instead of impossible to figure out conjectures. Like "who will win Lassider or SVB in a race to 30".

His "body english" wont help him a lot
I personally think he will fail - big time

Snuden said:

His "body english" wont help him a lot
I personally think he will fail - big time

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You should be a motivational speaker, with all that optimism..

j_zippel said:

You should be a motivational speaker, with all that optimism..

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Well, I have followed snooker for more than 20 years now. Never EVER have I seen a (successful) player with fundamentals such as Pagulayans.

He is a great pool player, but snooker is a different ball game.

Go get em lion..

Hes been at my local pool hall a lot recently practicing snooker. He looks sharp

too far behind the learning curve. others have been playing it all their life.

Pryme said:

Go get em lion..

Hes been at my local pool hall a lot recently practicing snooker. He looks sharp

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Making breaks of ???

hang-the-9 said:

Can't wait to see his matches

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Ditto that.

Will the q school matches be recorded / broadcast ?

Cheers.

He'll never make it. The system favors the seeded players. Going through the qualifiers is brutal and costly. Rempe and Mizerak tried to do it and they didn't come close. You just don't enter a tournament by buying in. Most of the places are already spoken for. Besides talent and skill you have to understand the culture.

gxman said:

too far behind the learning curve. others have been playing it all their life.

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Alex grew up playing snooker in Canada. While Canada snooker is probably not at the level of UK snooker, I'm sure it's tougher than the top US snooker players.

I'd say he has a chance vs 50% of the field and a small chance vs the top 50%

"In 2011, Alex Pagulayan defeated Floyd Ziegler 6-0 to win the final of the 2011 Canadian Snooker Championships, in his return to competitive snooker, a title he successfully defended in 2012"

Stephen Hendry won his last World Championships in the 1998/1999 season at age 30.

Steve Davis won his last major event in the 97/98 season at age 40 and peaked at 30 or so years in age.

Jimmy White won his last major even in the 92/93 season at age 30.

Snooker is a young mans game for the most part and the best players in the world are already in sharp declines when they reach Alex's age.

For Alex to actually "start" playing professional snooker and climb the ranks at close to 38 years old when most world champion level players have already lost their top gear and their ability to win the major events anymore is a fairly huge stretch.

Ronnie O'Sullivan is considered something of a freak for still being as good as he is at his age. He is one year older then Alex and likely has a small few years left where he can hold off the effects of age and the younger eyes and nerves coming up the ranks.

Alex at age 18 when he was already a world class pool player and had already played some snooker, had he focused solely on snooker at that age and stage he might have squeeked into the top 16 by his mid 20's had he really committed himself to the game. Now I am afraid he has little to no chance.

He is without a doubt the best of the true pool players when it comes to playing snooker, WAY better then Deuel, but he is still in REALLY tough in England going for the pro tour. Anyone who gets through Q school and actually gets to the pro ranks of snooker is an absolute beast. Alex can beat the old pros in Canada who are way past their prime a lot of the time now, but Alex vs Kirk Stevens in his prime? Cliff in his prime? Even Finstad at the peak of his game? Alex would have hated that action.

It will be very interesting to follow

I believe that if anyone can do this, Alex can. He's one of the best all-around pool players in the world who will probably do whatever it takes to win at this game.

It's hard to believe that even a champion like Alex can draw out the 'naysayers'. I hope he proves you all wrong.

Go Alex!

On the rare occasion, where i make a 2 or 3 pack in 9 ball I also think I might be able to compete with the top pool pro's

Snuden said:

Well, I have followed snooker for more than 20 years now. Never EVER have I seen a (successful) player with fundamentals such as Pagulayans.

He is a great pool player, but snooker is a different ball game.

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Alex has fundamentals quite a bit better than Alex Higgins had.
He moves his head much less than John Higgins, who I greatly admire as
the best match player of the modern age.

Alex' stroke is very snookerish even when he plays pool.

To me, the toughest thing is his age...Did he wait too long?
For his world 9-ball title, he quit smoking and drinking that year...
...if he wants it bad enough, he'll be dangerous.

And they're gonna love him over there

pt109 said:

Alex has fundamentals quite a bit better than Alex Higgins had.
He moves his head much less than John Higgins, who I greatly admire as
the best match player of the modern age.

Alex' stroke is very snookerish even when he plays pool.

To me, the toughest thing is his age...Did he wait too long?
For his world 9-ball title, he quit smoking and drinking that year...
...if he wants it bad enough, he'll be dangerous.

And they're gonna love him over there

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I basically disagree with everything you wrote

Most games I have watched with AP, not only does he move his head, but his entire body.

He will most likely be seen as "The Clown of Snooker" as the etiquette in snooker is quite different compared to pool.

Snuden said:

I basically disagree with everything you wrote
Ah, maaaan, I'm crushed. :crying:
Most games I have watched with AP, not only does he move his head, but his entire body.

He will most likely be seen as "The Clown of Snooker" as the etiquette in snooker is quite different compared to pool.

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Watch his stroke.....it's piston, like most great snooker players.

And he'll have a following like Cliff Wilson did....Cliff made everyone smile....
....but he made it to the top 16 after a 20 year break from snooker.

I've been watching him practise in Toronto the last few weeks. I'll tell you he's been hitting them good. He cues the ball just as well as anyone else in the world. He ain't called the lion for nothing, I wouldn't underestimate any game he try's and puts his heart into.

pt109 said:

Watch his stroke.....it's piston, like most great snooker players.

And he'll have a following like Cliff Wilson did....Cliff made everyone smile....
....but he made it to the top 16 after a 20 year break from snooker.

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In what year did this Cliff Wilson make it to the top 16?