Alternate vs Winner Break on WPBA Tour?

[sjm]

The only thing I would like to add is I prefer to watch a "winner's break" format because the alternate break format, in my opinion, takes away some of the excitement in a match once a player gets several racks ahead.
I like to see players string racks, get ahead of their opponant and then, when the opponant does return to the table, there is still tension in the match because the incoming player now has "to do or die".

My thoughts, too, Terry. Big comebacks are quite a bit rarer in an alternate break format. A player's right to hold the table indefinitely as long as they don't err, a time-honored concept in straight pool, brings some electricity to a match. Watching players string racks is exciting, and couting how many they run in a single trip to the table is a time honored measure of playing excellence across the generations.

Of course, proponents of alternate break in inne ball correctly point out that while cmebacks are harder to pull off, there will be fewer lopsided scores, and hence, fewer players needing to come from way behind. It's a debate for the ages.

 

[Whodat?]

I agree with you, but don't forget the legendary match between Allen Hopkins and Efren Reyes, which Efren trailed 10-1 (or something) and won 11-10. Alternate break.

Edit:
http://www.billiardpulse.com/2006/05/souquet-and-ouschan-claim-top-spots-in.html

There have been quite a few comebacks on the WPBA tour with the alternating break format in place. The big one that comes to mind is Kelly Fisher v Allison Fisher, and I believe it was KF's first or second event. She led the match 8-1 over AF, and AF came back to beat her 9-8.

In the past several months, it seems that Liz Ford has given her opponent's huge leads and then come back to win the matches. Some of the players were joking about it on the streaming.

I tend to agree that winner breaks is the way to go. The alternate break format does seem like it was intended to slow down the top players. However, I just wanted to point out that comebacks are still possible with alternate breaks in play.