Billiards - Texas Hold em

[Rickw]

I just watched a couple of hours of it and liked it a lot. I really like the rule that you give up ball-in-hand when you miss a shot. This brings out the offense. These players are not used to doing that and with time and the fact that the money is so big, they will start getting much better at offense. I think it would be great to see some phinominal offensive shooting for a change.

 

[ScottW]

I just got done watching the second semi (Phillips, Archer, Owen, Salvas). It's an interesting format - but wtf does it have to do with "Texas Hold'em"? Methinks that's just a hook to get eyeballs. May as well have called it "Naked Women Billiards". *shrug*

And as far as being open to collusion - with four guys, and the rotation, and depending on who comes after who and who's "all in" etc - I could see the potential for one player to dump a shot to another.

 

[jnav447]

It is a little disturbing to me to see everyone chiming in saying they liked the Texas Hold Em' format which allows no safety play.

It was twice as bad as the usual ESPN billiards broadcasts because I not only had to live through Mitch and Allen making fools of themselves, the game itself was an insulting bastardization of 9-ball attempting to cater to the average joe who doesn't understand defensive play to begin with.

I felt sorry for the players who had to whore themselves out to this circus to make a buck. How depressing.

--
JMB

I'm sure there are quite a few of us old-timers who think the Texas Express version of 9-ball is a bastardization. The game of 9-ball was played without safety escape for 70-80 years. I think 9-ball is a much better game, to play and watch, using the old 2-shot push out rules. I am an average joe who does understand safety play, but that doesn't mean it excites me. More fun watching Earl fire in an impossible-looking shot after his opponent passed it up. To say the players had to "whore themselves out" is heading for a slippery slope. If that statement is taken to its logical conclusion, it means that any player who enters an event with different rules than they are accustomed to are "whores". What about the IPT, Mosconi Cup, 7-ball events, etc.? Texas Express 9-ball is not a sacred cow, it's merely one way of playing 9-ball. It may be the best format, it may not, but to use a different format to increase viewership makes no one a "whore" or "whoremaster". BTW, I would gladly pay to watch good 1-pocket over watching free 9-ball, and really do appreciate good safety play...just not as much in 9-ball. Anyway, if it's pool, and it's on TV, it's a good thing IMO.