You're a golf fan, imagine if every tournament has different rules. One tournament no sand wedges, the next tournament you lose four strokes for water hazard. Next tournament, a hole in one doesn't count. That's what pool is like. Not only do they have to adjust to different table sizes, pocket sized and different rails depending on table and clement... (Sort of like adjusting to different golf courses), but they have have to play by whatever rules that promoter prefers.
No other sport changes the rules. They're all standard, which makes them legitimate. Pool is a joke on the professional level.
you're kind of comparing apples to oranges here, but I'll play. In golf, the courses are much different for each tourney. In the majors the differences in courses and conditions is even that much more amplified. The formats are different in some tourneys as well. You have a couple of match play events each year (which do carry a different set of rules than stroke play), modified stableford scoring event, etc..You also have different weather conditions for each tourney.
If every golf tournament was played on the same indoor course with the same stroke play format and same rules then nobody would watch.
I love watching all different kinds of formats and rules variations. I love the high drama of the world 9-ball where pretty much any of the upper tier pros can win with the short race, alternate break format. I also love watching the long race gambling matches because it identifies the better player. I also like the different tournaments and their unique formats like derby city or the bar table championships, etc...Variety man, it's the spice of life.
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