Chinese 8 Ball

Gareth says I am unfazed and runs out to go up 12:5 - Melling responds with I am still here and runs out to 12:6 - Gareth at the table with what looks like a really tricky out for me, probably routine for him.

These guys play such pinpoint position. This time however he left himself awkward and could not convert - first miss I have seen by Gareth since I started watching.

Melling running out a wide open table - whoa Melling misses a relatively easy shot and hands it back - that could really hurt - Gareth wins now 13:6

If anyone is reading this please post - if not then I won't keep updating.
 
Thanks John. I'm reading, but I am watching also :) These two really are showing top notch 8 ball.
 
Gareth Wins! 17:9 The break was simply too hard for Melling to fade. I don't know how many break and runs Gareth had in the set but it wouldn't surprise me to know it was 10 in a race to 17.

Gareth is the more solid player. Chris is a beast on steroids but he made more unforced errors. Chris shot his way out of several hairy situations though. Great match but Gareth figuring out the break and running out on his breaks was the winner.
 
Scaramouche said:
English 8-ball is played on a similarly setup 7 ft. table - snooker cushions & pockets, no diamonds to aid aiming. Balls are 2", cue ball 1 7/8".

So, would Americans like playing on such tougher tables?
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i LOVE these tables. End of january im doing a trip to south england and i cant wait to play some on these tables :thumbup:
 
JayKidd said:
Grand finale. Hope we can have this event next year.
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If you don't mind would you post the link to the recorded match if one becomes available?

FWIW I just stepped into a pool room while out for a quick break from the hospital room and had time for just one game. Guy breaks and doesn't make anything and I ran out semi-spectacularly. Was on a regular pool table but after watching so many hours of Chinese 8 Ball I felt that I should never miss on a pool table. As well I paid much more attention to the tangent line and shooting without side spin.
 
JB Cases said:
If you don't mind would you post the link to the recorded match if one becomes available?

FWIW I just stepped into a pool room while out for a quick break from the hospital room and had time for just one game. Guy breaks and doesn't make anything and I ran out semi-spectacularly. Was on a regular pool table but after watching so many hours of Chinese 8 Ball I felt that I should never miss on a pool table. As well I paid much more attention to the tangent line and shooting without side spin.
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Hey John here's the link:
http://so.cntv.cn/search.php?qtext=中式八球&sid=0000&pid=0000

You gotta visit me in Wuhan soon, we can play on the exact table all day!
 
JB Cases said:
When your case and other products are done I will personally deliver them.
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If you don't wanna come to Wuhan you can just tell me...that's a terrible way to tell me you ain't never coming to Wuhan..
 
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JB Cases said:
9:2 another break and run. Gareth uses the tangent line like other players use chalk. Amazing.
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I take it the CB is the same size as the OB in chinese pool? I assume Potts plays a bit of American pool in practice, but I've only ever known him play English pool, which has a 1.75" CB and 2" OBs - let me assure you, it's very difficult to switch between the two as the balls react completely differently after contact with a smaller CB. Reading different tangent lines correctly is impressive. I've only seen him play a few times but it's clear he has gears to go through if he needs them.

With English 8 ballers like Potts & Hill, and a smattering of ex snooker players, it looks like an attempt to harmonise games to create a new era of 8 ball. Will be interesting to see if it catches on.
 
JayKidd said:
Thanks for the link. When was the match?
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A few years ago - 2009, I think. They were playing for £21k, about $35k.

I like this one for an introduction to Blackball, a rule variant of English 8 ball. English 8 ball can be turgid to say the least, with players blocking pockets and playing more safeties than pots. I saw two players deliberately foul for 45 mins in a league match recently, rather than play a risky shot. The two-shot rule is a disaster for pool IMO. Blackball eliminates the negativity, to an extent, encouraging more attacking play. Pool is joyous when it's played like this. And these guys make it look easy - I can assure you it is very, very difficult indeed to pot balls down the rails.

http://www.cuesport.tv/video.php?id=910&catId=blackball&itemsStart=
 
TheThaiger said:
I take it the CB is the same size as the OB in chinese pool?
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Right, they are standard american pool balls, Aramith TV balls I think.

I think I was wrong about consider English 8 ball as the same as English Blackball. So from which game Potts earned his 3 world titles?
 
TheThaiger said:
Blackball eliminates the negativity, to an extent, encouraging more attacking play. Pool is joyous when it's played like this. And these guys make it look easy - I can assure you it is very, very difficult indeed to pot balls down the rails.

http://www.cuesport.tv/video.php?id=910&catId=blackball&itemsStart=
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I used to play pool in the English 8 ball rules back when I was young and lived in the inner China city where Jive is right now. Then rules and equipments become more standarized, WPA-like rules dominated from the late 90's.

Yes, the pros practice frozen side rail cut everyday, they make those shot look easy. It is as hard as any similar shots on a snooker table.
 
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StraightPoolIU said:
I can't quote the exact post because I can't get on Facebook here at work, but Darren just a few minutes ago posted a status update stating he was very upset at the way the officiating went in one or two of his matches regarding the "call the 8" rule. He states that twice he had shots on the 8 where even though the pocket was obvious he still, in keeping with the rules, announced his intended pocket only to be told afterwards by the referee that he did not call it and lost the game, and in one case match, as a result.
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Welcome to league pool, Darren! Next time, mark the pocket.

Jeff Livingston
 
A local room has just put some of these tables in, they are tricky for sure.
the only issue I have is the napped cloth, too slow. You need all the help you can get to travel the CB with the pockets so tight, would be better with 860.
 
Jive said:
Joy pool halls in China are pretty well received, the ones i visit in Wuhan have typically 20-40 tables and they're mostly full come evenings and not the mention the newer ones have great renos. Also the regular pool tables that they recommend in their halls are Aileex tables which i think is definitely one of the better pool table.
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Funny thing, Wuhan is my hometown. I first witnessed a pool table being built on a street in a day when I was about 8 years old. They used plywood board as the slate and rubber pipes as the rails, that wave of pool popularity was promoted by of some TV coverages of some American pool games. But nearly no one could afford buying an american build table back then, so people built their own tables. I've seen many "pool equipment innovations" in the 80's.

Yeah, I forgot to mention marble balls (some of them looks like forged from cement to me).
 
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JayKidd said:
Funny thing, Wuhan is my hometown. I first witnessed a pool table being built on a street in a day when I was about 8 years old. They used plywood board as the slate and rubber pipes as the rails, that wave of pool popularity was promoted by of some TV coverages of some American pool games. But nearly no one could afford buying an american build table back then, so people built their own tables. I've seen many "pool equipment innovations" in the 80's.
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Haha ok well it's a small world then. I've travelled thousands of miles from Singapore to be in your home town. I still like my regular American pool but Chinese 8 ball influence is still too strong in Wuhan and most of my friends here play don't play regular pool so I just have to succumb. I only get to play regular pool on my home table and that's mostly played alone. Which I why I always look forward to my trips to Shanghai.

I remember in the 90s we bought a Chinese Pool table here and had 10 guys carry the whole dam thing (not taken apart whatsoever!) up 4 level. It only cost $350 and came with some half decent balls and crap sticks. It was good pass time though.
 
JayKidd said:
Right, they are standard american pool balls, Aramith TV balls I think.

I think I was wrong about consider English 8 ball as the same as English Blackball. So from which game Potts earned his 3 world titles?
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I think it was World rules. Blackball is becoming more popular, but World/EPA are still more widespread.

The sooner we have one unified set of rules for 8 ball, the better.
 
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