Scott, I have watched a World 2006 semi finals match between Max and Hohmann several times lately. It was the first time I had seen Max play straight pool. Max was clearly nervous at the outset, but his routines and mechanics are so good, he dog-proofed himself until he could get settled. I really admired the way he seemed to accept the pressure and literally ran around the table several times to quiet his nerves. Yet, each time he got down to shoot, he prepared himself and never rushed. I was very impressed by his pool skills and his capacity to handle the pressure. I think his pre-shot routine is something everyone can learn from.
As for his straight pool knowledge, I was extremely impressed. He did many things in the course of play that reflected a ton of experience. Things like creating breakshots are routine to top level players. But Max was creating second breakshots and key balls to increase his options. And he cleared the balls with excellent patterns. I think he was more careless than he should have been at not maintaining safety-valve shots when he'd go into clusters (but Hohmann did the same thing too often). Otherwise, I thought Max played superbly.
So, if Max is in form, I agree, he could win the tournament. He's a far better player than I realized. He's one big win from pool stardom.
