How will you defend SVB this time?

[SCCues]

That's right, the Mosconi Cup is a race to 5 which is certainly not any kind of test of skill.

A race to 8 is better, but just barely.

We always used 30 games as the mark for evening out the rolls and proving who's actually a "better player" that week.......so a race to 30 would be ideal, however, in a race to 15 the games are going to be close enough to 30 total - even with luck leaning one way racing to 15 is enough make it a skillful test.

Any race under a race to 15 is not going to even out the luck element. On Real ESPN Matches we always played to a lesser number, but the pressure was much higher playing in front of millions of people.

Great post and opinion.

In my weekly 9 ball league we match up equal handicaps and race to 9. Flip for the break and see who gets to 9 first. I play all the guys of equal handicaps in my league and I've won against the best in the league and lost to the weakest in the league! The flip for the first break is big in a short race, then do I make a ball on the break and get a shot or does my opponent make a ball and get a shot or not make one and leave me a shot, if my opponent misses does he or does he not leave me a shot, is my break working and letting me keep control of the table, are the balls opening up and giving me chances to run out and break again, all of these factors are so big in a short race to 9 games. Put two pro players against each other and these same factors apply especially in a race to 8. It's not that unusual for one of them to lose 8-0! Short races are unpredictable to say the least.

James

 

[parvus1202]

SVB is a very good player. I don't know the reason behind the argument. It's as if he is the only great player who has not won in any international scene. There are a lot more of them. Why people can't wait for him to win. He is not retiring yet. Many more years for him to play. I admire him more than some good US players where many of them refuse to travel as they already giving up winning outside their turf.