China World=Poor Format

Johnnyt

Burn all jump cues
Silver Member
If I was a top 20 American player I wouldn't spend 2k or more of my own money to travel to the other side of the world to play NINE-BALL. Add the MR, Alt break, single knock-out joke, and you have too much luck involved.

10 ball with only the top 32 players, double elim and winner break. This way no one gets a bye playing 1 or 2 dead money guys or gals...they all play monsters. Johnnyt
 
Check out azb 2013 china open money list. 59 entries, 27 payouts of $1K for last place. The payouts is very deep and generous. Entry fee None.

1st 40k
2nd 20k
4-8 10k

Yes, very good and very generous if you're from Asia. Coming from the U.S.A, not so great. To be 2k+ down before you start and if you go undefeated to get in the knockout round and lose once in it, you get to go home. Still good for players that get sponsored from their gov or privately, but W/O that it's not worth the trip on your own dime. Johnnyt
 
Why wouldn't a player invited to this tournament spend his money to play? Life is too short not to do the things you like and in this situation play some pool with the best players in the world.
 
Why wouldn't a player invited to this tournament spend his money to play? Life is too short not to do the things you like and in this situation play some pool with the best players in the world.

Some $ in savings, a car, a house or apartment first, then play crap. Johnnyt
 
I agree, the format sucks, but maybe it was made for TV? The video angles and replays were very good.


An insert from their FB page..

This is what foreign players in Shanghai this week have to take on. The government funded Chinese national pool team for men and women competing on their home turf. They look ready and confident. The team got in some relaxation today teaching national junior players. Paving the way for more pool superstars coming soon to an arena near you.
 
I agree, the format sucks, but maybe it was made for TV? The video angles and replays were very good.


An insert from their FB page..

Is the draw done in public or behind the curtain? Johnnyt
 
Why wouldn't a player invited to this tournament spend his money to play? Life is too short not to do the things you like and in this situation play some pool with the best players in the world.

What money? Many don't even have credit cards to stiff (anymore)
 
2014 China open money payouts.

http://www.azbilliards.com/tours_an...n/6096-china-open-2014-mens-division/results/

16 payouts of $1800 for last place. No entry fee!

top u.s players should jump over opportunities to play in events like this.

Good point, gxman.

No entry fee? Didn't know that one. If so, top pros, as you say, are doing themselves
a favor by traveling there. China is where the money is now. They want players to attend their events.
They have the resources and general media interest.
Asia is where pool is going to be hot for some time to come.

Perhaps Johnnyt is looking at it from another perspective?
Although I'm not sure what that perspective is because if one is a top pro, spending a few thousand
to make your money back is worth the investment to get familiar with the future format of pool.

Those current pros who eschew the Asia tournaments eventually will be "left behind." It's a reality.
 
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If I was a top 20 American player I wouldn't spend 2k or more of my own money to travel to the other side of the world to play NINE-BALL. Add the MR, Alt break, single knock-out joke, and you have too much luck involved.

10 ball with only the top 32 players, double elim and winner break. This way no one gets a bye playing 1 or 2 dead money guys or gals...they all play monsters. Johnnyt

You get the wrong idea.
You really thing chineses people care about whether some unknown Americans gonna come or not ? Wake up. All they care are the champions ( Shane included ) and chineses players, didn't you see they didn't give shit about some big match up like orcullo vs ralf so they put some chinese guy on the main stream.
WPA format is indentical for all events, it's made to fit the schedule and also for the TV, single elimination is the way to go in every sport, snooker is single elimination from the 1st round. As Niels Feijen said on his FB :" it's how it is now, adapt or get your liver short in"
 
Yes, very good and very generous if you're from Asia. Coming from the U.S.A, not so great. To be 2k+ down before you start and if you go undefeated to get in the knockout round and lose once in it, you get to go home. Still good for players that get sponsored from their gov or privately, but W/O that it's not worth the trip on your own dime. Johnnyt

Agreed, but then, that's the rub on pool. There's not enough sponsorship money, which comes from other issues such as participation, etc, etc. It's a vicious cycle. That's the dilemma our beloved sport faces at present. I still point back to the 90's when the women's tour made a deal with the networks and got some exposure, but the men's tour couldn't agree on anything with the networks at the time and didn't receive the exposure they could have. They never recovered as of today, but I'm still hoping.
 
The China Open is not a free ride for anyone that has to travel to it. Everyone does not get their money back. 64 men of which 32 got money back. 48 women with 16 getting money back. And 9 ball is a crapshoot at the highest level. Johnnyt
 
You get the wrong idea.
You really thing chineses people care about whether some unknown Americans gonna come or not ? Wake up. All they care are the champions ( Shane included ) and chineses players, didn't you see they didn't give shit about some big match up like orcullo vs ralf so they put some chinese guy on the main stream.
WPA format is indentical for all events, it's made to fit the schedule and also for the TV, single elimination is the way to go in every sport, snooker is single elimination from the 1st round. As Niels Feijen said on his FB :" it's how it is now, adapt or get your liver short in"

Says Niels who has 100% sponsorship from their gov. Johnnyt
 
( double elimination preferable)
Double elimination was invented by sadists to torture sheep and fools. It is too bad that it caught on the US.

If you are doing an event for TV, the last thing you want is a bunch of pointless matches (like the first round in the losers' bracket) that you have to administer and referee. Nor do you want a bunch of never-rans clogging up the tables with unwatchable play.

In the US most tournaments are gamble-fests where many of the players are calculating their odds of making expenses and figuring out who to match up with. The payout is funded primarily by the never-rans and backers. See also: calcutta.

The China World seems to be a fine format that is good for both the players and the organizer. I would agree about the 9ball/10ball issue though.
 
Says Niels who has 100% sponsorship from their gov. Johnnyt

The event was packed with full-field, even the qualifiers were packed, so tell me why they have to change something to attrach some tier 2 pro from the U.S ( nothing against these guys, but they are obviously one level below the champions ).
It's like you say : hey I'm in the Top 300 of snooker, tennis or whatever but I won't come to your event unless you make some changes that I want. Doesn't it sound convincing ?
 
Well, Johhnyt.
If you feel the China Open format was bad, what do you propose for a better approach?

For a few years ban anyone that is not a U.S citizen. Nobody but a small group of pool nuts watch pool anyway and even a smaller group of nuts pay to watch it. Keep ALL the tournament purses in the U.S for now while the players and promoters get it together with a organization. If they can't get it together in a year or two, let the floodgates of 100% sponsored players from other countries back in and stick a fork in 95% of the U.S. players. Johnnyt
 
Well, Johhnyt.
If you feel the China Open format was bad, what do you propose for a better approach?

If their boys were winning we wouldn't hear a peep , just like the MC cup ,, it's funny how the Filipino guys end up near the top ,, there's nothing wrong with the format it always produces a worthy champion who was ready to play and and made the least amount of mistakes ,,it's not supposed to be easy ,,
Sour grapes is all it is


1
 
Is the draw done in public or behind the curtain? Johnnyt
In a single-elimination tournament the placement on the chart should be done by seeding and rankings. It is the right of the promoter to decide how this works unless the event is sanctioned.
 
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