Alternate Break is a disease upon the game

[nine_ball6970]

And I agree with you. You might notice that I said in "major" events I thought playing Winner Breaks was better. In short race formats, I would also opt for Alternate Breaks. Of course, by now we know there is a better alternative. Just add one ball and play Ten Ball and all of a sudden no one is stringing racks. Okay, no one except Shane!

Did you miss the match where Kaci broke and ran the set vs Alex P playing 10 ball?

 

[Swighey]

Did you miss the match where Kaci broke and ran the set vs Alex P playing 10 ball?

Immensely impressive 8 pack. No words to describe how good it was. But it was incredIbly boring to watch in the context of a competition between two players. Kaci and Alex both running a combined total of 14 consecutive racks and then Kaci breaking at hill-hill would be way more excitng. Enough players will soon be good enough that we will see this happen when the big guns play each other - so why the hell would you let them run out 8 racks?

 

[Bob Jewett]

... so why the hell would you let them run out 8 racks?

And the best way to stop that is to play to 15. Single elimination.

Alternate break sets up a different kind of drama but it's still there. A player runs the rack and the opponent has to respond. A player gets ahead and tries to guard his lead but makes a mistake and doesn't hold two breaks in a row and the other player is knocking on the door. Or a player has run out his first seven breaks -- will he run out the winning rack?

 

[jrctherake]

Enough players will soon be good enough that we will see this happen when the big guns play each other - so why the hell would you let them run out 8 racks?

Don't believe that will ever happen. But, if, and I mean "if"........ damn big if at that.....it ever does pass that players start running sets on regular basis (top players or not), all we got to do is put another ball in the rack OR make pockets a little tougher OR do as Earl has suggested for years........ 10 footer with no side pockets.

Again, don't think it will ever happen. One can hope though.

Also, how the hell can anyone find someone running a set boring? Where the hell do you play pool to see that often enough to make it boring? Seriously, I'd like to know cause I'll pack a bag and tell wife were going for a trip.

 

[jrctherake]

Don't believe that will ever happen. But, if, and I mean "if"........ damn big if at that.....it ever does pass that players start running sets on regular basis (top players or not), all we got to do is put another ball in the rack OR make pockets a little tougher OR do as Earl has suggested for years........ 10 footer with no side pockets.

Again, don't think it will ever happen. One can hope though.

Also, how the hell can anyone find someone running a set boring? Where the hell do you play pool to see that often enough to make it boring? Seriously, I'd like to know cause I'll pack a bag and tell wife were going for a trip.

Just reread this post and wanted it to be clear that I wasn't and not now I'll, upset or mad. Lol, I have no idea why I used the word hell 1000 times in 1 post.

I meant what I said, just meant it much more respectful than it sounded to me after rereading it.

Having said that, I'm still hoping we see lots more set running in the future. I would pack a bag way more often for that. Kinda reminds me of people traveling to see the greats play str8 pool back in the day. I'm talking about people that didn't play pool at all, much less serious pool.

We need more of the talents that can run sets.

What do you think made the str8 pool GREATS.....great? I can assure you it was not their fabulous breaks and safety play. Sure breaks and safety play are noticed by us "players"...... but to get a non player to be interested it will take exciting matches.

Safety play is only exciting to people who play at intermediate levels and above. If we continue to rely on "us players" to support pool, we will never see another hay-day for pool.

I think players that run sets should be rewarded with extra $$$, equipment etc... something to make it worth shooting for. Don't have to be a million dollar bonus that never gets paid. It could easily be a $1,000 dollar bonus that actually gets paid.

Again, I just don't see the bordem in a set being run in 9 ball or 10 ball, especially 10 ball.

I don't know ANYBODY that would be brave enough to bet they can put an 8 pack together at will. SVB himself said in an interview that 10 ball packs are NOT as easy as people think. He was talking about 2 and 3 packs, not sets.

Anyways, this very subject was beat to death just the other day at a room I go to. One of the regulars there is kin to SVB. He has seen Shane play many, many times in private and even he admitted that Shane would NEVER bet his own money that he would run the set before the match started. IMO, its DAMN impressive and would take a complete moron to bet they could run the set before starting.

It's just to rare.

David.......the part about SVB was for you SIR!

Rake

 

[Grilled Cheese]

Inevitably when promoting the superiority of winner breaks, and the inferiority of alternate breaks - someone will come along and bring up some kind of super rare match like Kaci's 8-pack. Well, what about Earl's 11 racks?

First of all, these are very rare.

Secondly, I'm HAPPY they happened. With idiotic AB, such awesome displays just would never be seen. Depriving the world of pool something special.

It is far, far worth it that Alex got to sit and watch, and that we as a community lost out on just 1, only 1 match where there wasn't any "exciting counter play" ...to see an amazing spectacle like a 10-ball 8-pack.


Critics of this would rather have had it been some kind of hill-hill that would be forgotten among all the other hundreds of hill-hill matches in major tournament play over the years.


Why is this match even talked about? Because of the 8-pack. If it was 8-6, no one would remember it.

 

[KMRUNOUT]

Inevitably when promoting the superiority of winner breaks, and the inferiority of alternate breaks - someone will come along and bring up some kind of super rare match like Kaci's 8-pack. Well, what about Earl's 11 racks?

First of all, these are very rare.

Secondly, I'm HAPPY they happened. With idiotic AB, such awesome displays just would never be seen. Depriving the world of pool something special.

It is far, far worth it that Alex got to sit and watch, and that we as a community lost out on just 1, only 1 match where there wasn't any "exciting counter play" ...to see an amazing spectacle like a 10-ball 8-pack.


Critics of this would rather have had it been some kind of hill-hill that would be forgotten among all the other hundreds of hill-hill matches in major tournament play over the years.


Why is this match even talked about? Because of the 8-pack. If it was 8-6, no one would remember it.

Excellent point! Well said.

KMRUNOUT

 

[JC]

Here's an alternate break match where Alex comes back to win from 8-4 down in a race to 10 against Shane.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sq2xo6dxHb8

Is alternate break a problem?

Depends I guess.

JC

 

[Swighey]

Don't believe that will ever happen. But, if, and I mean "if"........ damn big if at that.....it ever does pass that players start running sets on regular basis (top players or not), all we got to do is put another ball in the rack OR make pockets a little tougher OR do as Earl has suggested for years........ 10 footer with no side pockets.

Again, don't think it will ever happen. One can hope though.

Also, how the hell can anyone find someone running a set boring? Where the hell do you play pool to see that often enough to make it boring? Seriously, I'd like to know cause I'll pack a bag and tell wife were going for a trip.

And those potential changes to the game would reduce the reward of winner breaks........
It will happen. 147s used to be rare in snooker (it was sensational and then some when a 147 happened on TV) and century breaks were something special. Not so much any more - pool will go the same way.

 

[Paul Schofield]

Is alternate break a problem?

It is only a problem without it. I wish everything was this easy-a-fix. Again: Take a lesson from all other sports.

 

[Swighey]

Inevitably when promoting the superiority of winner breaks, and the inferiority of alternate breaks - someone will come along and bring up some kind of super rare match like Kaci's 8-pack. Well, what about Earl's 11 racks?

First of all, these are very rare.

Secondly, I'm HAPPY they happened. With idiotic AB, such awesome displays just would never be seen. Depriving the world of pool something special.

It is far, far worth it that Alex got to sit and watch, and that we as a community lost out on just 1, only 1 match where there wasn't any "exciting counter play" ...to see an amazing spectacle like a 10-ball 8-pack.


Critics of this would rather have had it been some kind of hill-hill that would be forgotten among all the other hundreds of hill-hill matches in major tournament play over the years.


Why is this match even talked about? Because of the 8-pack. If it was 8-6, no one would remember it.

It’s hard to take any points you make seriously when your starting position is that alternate break is “idiotic” or a “disease”. Talk about “entightlement” and “no hand outs” suggests that this isn’t really about the benefits of winner breaks vs the benefit of alternate breaks. It increasingly looks more and more like a love of winner breaks because we get to see awesome packages that will be remembered and talked about for years, with little interest in what is actually good for the game and will see it grow both at the amateur level and the big bucks professional one. Yet the awesome alternate break comebacks like the one by Alex that someone else mentioned are completely off your radar - are they irrelevant because the format was one that you think is suitable for fearful losers who don’t “understand” the game the way you do?