1200 or 150?

[Bavafongoul]

I think the most accurate measure as to who is the best player was the old format of the U.S. 14.1 Championship.

The field of players was ultimately narrowed down to the last two standing. Those players commenced a series of
individual matches. In fact, those matches were played in different cities around the nation. The first player to reach
2500 points was the winner. As always, after the records are reviewed, Willie M. is the undisputed, irrefutable King.

 

[Scott Lee]

They do it anyway. Watch a guy behind 9 to 2 in a race to 11. He will just give up and the audience knows it and lose interest as well.

You must be talking about amateurs (or you've never seen pro players play)...NO pro players "give up", even when down 9-2 in a race to 11.

Scott Lee
2019 PBIA Instructor of the Year

 

[middleofnowhere]

You must be talking about amateurs (or you've never seen pro players play)...NO pro players "give up", even when down 9-2 in a race to 11.

Scott Lee
2019 PBIA Instructor of the Year

Even pros get discouraged. If they get that far behind you just look at them and you can tell where their minds are. Earl will often just quit. Players rake the balls in with 3 or 4 still on the table when they begin getting frustrated. This came up due to talking about the audience getting bored. Playing a 9 ball match to say 100 can get really one sided. It won't necessarily interest the audience any more. It is not like straight pool where a player can maybe catch up putting together a few good runs. 9 ball has a lot of back and forth and once lop-sided will usually finish that way in a long match.

 

[Scott Lee]

Even pros get discouraged. If they get that far behind you just look at them and you can tell where their minds are. Earl will often just quit. Players rake the balls in with 3 or 4 still on the table when they begin getting frustrated. This came up due to talking about the audience getting bored. Playing a 9 ball match to say 100 can get really one sided. It won't necessarily interest the audience any more. It is not like straight pool where a player can maybe catch up putting together a few good runs. 9 ball has a lot of back and forth and once lop-sided will usually finish that way in a long match.

middleofnowhere...Just FYI, professional events do not allow "raking the balls". That is a sportsmanship foul, that is dealt with severely...b-i-h to the opponent on the first infraction; loss of game on the second infraction. You describe player reactions from gambling matches very accurately (temper tantrums, verbal anger, raking the balls, etc.), even between pros. That said, the professional behavior being demanded of today's professional players, imo, represents an opportunity for the game to progress, both in player performance for world rankings and more potential sponsorship money (again benefitting the players in the end). About the long races to 50 or 100...that's strictly about gambling, and the bettors could care less about an "audience"! They will hang there until the end...be it an hour, a day, or a week!

Scott Lee
2019 PBIA Instructor of the Year

 

[sjm]

You must be talking about amateurs (or you've never seen pro players play)...NO pro players "give up", even when down 9-2 in a race to 11.

Scott Lee
2019 PBIA Instructor of the Year

Even more incredible is when the comeback from 9-2 occurs in the final of a major pro event.

The greatest comeback for which I was present was in the final of the 2013 BCAPL 10-ball event at the Rio in Las Vegas. Dennis Orcullo led Rodney Morris 9-2 in the race to 11 final and Dennis was in dead stroke., With some of the finest shooting anyone's ever seen, Rodney completed the comeback to win the title.

That said, I've seen some awfully resilient amateurs over the years, too.