Gareth Potts

dundeewizard said:
fair play you obviously know them better than I do. Hasn't that been Mellings problem good at everything but not great at anything? I personally think Shaw has the best chance to be next world champion but we'll see how his temprament goes.

I do think even tho the IPT came along Aplleton Melling Shaw did move for a new challenge and the greater popularity of 8.9.10 then straight pool one pocket can be thrown in there too, much more money involved..that is funny story about Vicki layton never knew she was with Daz, maybe expains the bit of needle you could see in the final.
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I agree with your point regarding Melling. Appleton had a very good backer who gave him the support he needed to take the plunge.

Shaw came with the help of Appleton and he is young enough to upsticks from Glasgow and give it a go.

In answer to a previous post somewhere or other with regard to English pool talent that could make it at American pool, as well as Potts and Hill already mentioned.

All the following are under 30 and all are from Wales and all ranked professionals:

Jordan Shephard - an animal potter who's fearless and aggressive approach would suit a switch to rotation games
Simon Ward - almost as sweet an action as Potts
Ben Davies - as above
Craig Marsh - multiple event winner

All can be found on youtube.

English pool is being dominated by the Welsh at the moment. I know the Scottish boys less well I'm afraid..
 
Mark Selby played in the 2003 World Pool Championship after qualifying in his local club. He never made it out of the Group Stages where he had to face Fabio Petroni for a place in the Last 64. Fabio won 9-3.
 
Colin Colenso said:
Davis may not be a great example, though Drago and Peach are pretty good examples.

No one stands out like Darren, as he's dedicated himself more than any. But, I've no doubt there are a dozen or so UK 8 ball players around who could challenge any in the world of US table cue sports if they applied themselves.

That said, if 9 ball had a $10MM+ year tour, I'm sure we'd see Chinese, UK, and various other country reps showing form, and I'm sure some from the US too. People adapt to the requirements, whatever origin.
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If any game had the type of prize money that would support say 50-100 players full time on tournament winnings alone then you would see a huge leap in the quality of play in all classes.

My friend Ilona used to say mass makes class.

Sometimes I wonder if billiard sports are really too fractured to ever really have any of them be truly taken seriously worldwide.

I sort of scoffed at Chinese 8 ball when I first saw it. 8 ball with 2.25" balls on basically 9ft snooker tables. But the past two years of this amazing event have show me that this is a great game actually and very tough. I also had the experience of playing it several years ago in Beijing when a local league held their finals tournament side by side to a WPA 9 Ball event. I actually held my own for a little while until the real players showed up. One of them was a woman who I felt belonged on the other side of the wall playing in the pros with the way she cleared the table at Chinese 8 ball.

Chinese 8 ball MIGHT be the billiards sport played by the most humans on earth. In northern China that is almost all you see in the pool rooms. That Gareth Potts won the same event twice in China shows how insanely good he is.
 
JB Cases said:
If any game had the type of prize money that would support say 50-100 players full time on tournament winnings alone then you would see a huge leap in the quality of play in all classes.

My friend Ilona used to say mass makes class.

Sometimes I wonder if billiard sports are really too fractured to ever really have any of them be truly taken seriously worldwide.

I sort of scoffed at Chinese 8 ball when I first saw it. 8 ball with 2.25" balls on basically 9ft snooker tables. But the past two years of this amazing event have show me that this is a great game actually and very tough. I also had the experience of playing it several years ago in Beijing when a local league held their finals tournament side by side to a WPA 9 Ball event. I actually held my own for a little while until the real players showed up. One of them was a woman who I felt belonged on the other side of the wall playing in the pros with the way she cleared the table at Chinese 8 ball.

Chinese 8 ball MIGHT be the billiards sport played by the most humans on earth. In northern China that is almost all you see in the pool rooms. That Gareth Potts won the same event twice in China shows how insanely good he is.
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I like you JB your comments always make a lot of sense.

I wish I knew Gareth Potts surname
 
JB Cases said:
If any game had the type of prize money that would support say 50-100 players full time on tournament winnings alone then you would see a huge leap in the quality of play in all classes.

My friend Ilona used to say mass makes class.

Sometimes I wonder if billiard sports are really too fractured to ever really have any of them be truly taken seriously worldwide.

I sort of scoffed at Chinese 8 ball when I first saw it. 8 ball with 2.25" balls on basically 9ft snooker tables. But the past two years of this amazing event have show me that this is a great game actually and very tough. I also had the experience of playing it several years ago in Beijing when a local league held their finals tournament side by side to a WPA 9 Ball event. I actually held my own for a little while until the real players showed up. One of them was a woman who I felt belonged on the other side of the wall playing in the pros with the way she cleared the table at Chinese 8 ball.

Chinese 8 ball MIGHT be the billiards sport played by the most humans on earth. In northern China that is almost all you see in the pool rooms. That Gareth Potts won the same event twice in China shows how insanely good he is.
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While most Chinese I saw played 8 ball on the US tables, I can't recall ever seeing it played on 9' english tables in Shanghai. It must be a Northern China / Beijing game.

Perhaps they are putting more of these tables into the snooker clubs in Shanghai these days... hmmm. I'll have to return to investigate :)
 
Colin Colenso said:
While most Chinese I saw played 8 ball on the US tables, I can't recall ever seeing it played on 9' english tables in Shanghai. It must be a Northern China / Beijing game.

Perhaps they are putting more of these tables into the snooker clubs in Shanghai these days... hmmm. I'll have to return to investigate :)
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In Shanghai now it's a mix. Most pool rooms have American tables up front, Chinese 8 ball tables in the back and some snooker tables. Beijing is dominated by Chinese 8 Ball tables with American tables in the minority and relegated to the back.

All over China though if you go to pool rooms in the outlying towns you will often find mostly Chinese 8 ball tables and sometimes all American pool tables. Also the table of choice for streetside tables - those found outside shops - is Chinese 8 ball style.

Those are most often seen in horrid condition and there are literally thousands of local makers - little more than carpenters turned pool table makers who build them. Forget about slate, being level or even being square. :-)

And there are some SERIOUS factories making very good quality and some very high end Chinese 8 ball tables. I have seen some very elaborate ones for $20,000+
 
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