First of all as most of you can see its a really tough field.
I got there in time for the first round and stayed all day and most of the night. I will try to put some thoughts into readable statements.
The bank the eight for 1k was for any 8 ball no matter what the score was. It added alot of added excitement. While I hate someone spoiled it I did not hear or see what happened.
I looked at the list of players that made the 8 and I saw quite a few of them make theirs and the was I saw were honest. I imagine something happened that is not showing in just the numbers.
The fans, other players and players in the matches really got excited when players played shape for the banks. I really wish it would have continued.
The cloth looked slow but not horrible. However it appears to produce
large amounts of lint. There are lint brushes at every table and every table was cleaned before during and after the matches.
There was some very good play and some play that I felt was lower than
what a PRO should be. Maybe thats what is suppossed to be at a
qualifier.
Players that stood out to be were
Orcollo -- very smooth..takes the easiest and most natural routes around the table yet still has the great shot making ability. Very good cueball control and IMO he gets more focused and down to business
than any other Pinoy. Very tough player that will be a factor down the road.
Foldes -- He will be a great player one day. He seemed a little out of focus and really messed up some easier type shots. His opponnets
proved that you can not do that here. He is very smooth and passes the
"looks like a player" test easily. I would have liked to have watched him
more. I think I cursed him by making him one of my two to do very well.
Breedlove -- Has to be a favorite to do very well in this and on the tour.
He is a solid mix of solid positioning with added firepower when needed.
I was surprised at some of his offensive shots. He really comes out firing.
Kills the break as well.
Craig and Gary Sanossian -- not sure if they are brothers or what but they came and drew each other. What are the odds?
Everyone said the Ortmann was playing well. I will check him out tommorrow.
Wu plays very well and has a strong break. He plays very loose and I wonder if that might bite him. Dan Wallace gave him all he wanted and neither guy played bad. I thought Wu caught a break near the end and that was the difference.
Cliff will have to play better tomorrow or Rivera will upset him. Cliff
moved over to a One pocket match and fired them in better than
in the event. Maybe he will get loose. I figured him for a few thousand
with the bank the eight but he really never got the chance to go for any.
The Richeson match was alot closer than the score with Richie missing the
8 at least 4 games plus he made it and scratched once. Neither could get the break going.
Clint McCullough --- he is a guy I am more familiar with than most here and
a HTs. He is played well and has alot of firepower to get out.
It was odd to watch him deliberate for a few minutes on an easy shot deciding whether to play to bank the 8 or not. He played for the bank but just missed it. I think had he just shot the ball and then banked it he would have drilled it. I wondered if he thought people would think
oddly of him playing for the bank. He looked around for a few minutes on
a simple two ball out. I wish he would have made the bank as people in the stands were rooting for him to go for it.
Hybler Never heard of him before but will watch more closely. He played very well. In his match with Orcollo he came to the table after a jumped cueball off the table on the break and ran out.
He then broke and ran two racks. A miss then gave the table to Orcullo who never looked back. A couple of small miscues and lack of balls on the break cost Hybler the match. IMO one missed safety might have cost him the match. Orcullo missed an eight which hung in the hole(ball might not of had room to go but Orcullo gave it a great try. Hybler then missed a safety leaving a Pinoy a one rail spinning kickshot while squeezing the cueball behind a ball close to the rail. A hanger for those guys. Orcullo
actually made it look easy even though a ref had to be called and he deliberated over which way to kick. Hybler gave a wry look when Orcullo made it appear easy.
Cliff and Durbin were playing when I left with Durbin one game up in a 4 ahead set. I believe the game was 10-7 and the breaks or 9-7 and the breaks. I watched some and there were some amazing shots and some that left you going "huh". Fun match to watch but Durbin looks like he could go postal at any moment.
Sorry so long but it was a 12 hour adventure.
I still wonder what the two IPT Girls were suppossed to be doing or what their purpose was. The cameramen, Deno and some other support
personnel should be schooled in watching and waiting for players to shoot.
Several times all the above walked up on shots or highstepped over
a seperation chain. In one particular hill-hill match one of the ladies(not the IPT showgirls) helping run the event quickly moved over the chain and
went right off the corner (less than 6 inches) where the guy was shooting the game winner. She did not do it on purpose but they should have a
better understanding of sharking or quick movements bothering players.
Even Deno did this at times which was very surprising.
Hardtimes was packed but everyone seemed to be getting around and along aright. There was a different feel with so many strong players and
so many that were virtually unknown to most fans.
No fee to watch and same old rates and prices. They used 14 tables and rented the others excepted for two. These were used as a buffer.
There was a cameraman videoing for TV I am assumming and a few photo
gurus.
I only hope the rest of the weekend is as good as the first day.
Oh yeah and I ran into Robb Seaz who is an old friend. I really enjoyed seeing him as he did me. Its been almost 6-7 years. He did not play well in his first match and I hope I dont offend his opponnet but Robb should
beat him pretty easily. Robb said he never could get started but was
going to regroup. He ran into Victor Ignacio and fell there as well. I hope Robb is able to get on the tour eventually.
Again sorry so long.
I got there in time for the first round and stayed all day and most of the night. I will try to put some thoughts into readable statements.
The bank the eight for 1k was for any 8 ball no matter what the score was. It added alot of added excitement. While I hate someone spoiled it I did not hear or see what happened.
I looked at the list of players that made the 8 and I saw quite a few of them make theirs and the was I saw were honest. I imagine something happened that is not showing in just the numbers.
The fans, other players and players in the matches really got excited when players played shape for the banks. I really wish it would have continued.
The cloth looked slow but not horrible. However it appears to produce
large amounts of lint. There are lint brushes at every table and every table was cleaned before during and after the matches.
There was some very good play and some play that I felt was lower than
what a PRO should be. Maybe thats what is suppossed to be at a
qualifier.
Players that stood out to be were
Orcollo -- very smooth..takes the easiest and most natural routes around the table yet still has the great shot making ability. Very good cueball control and IMO he gets more focused and down to business
than any other Pinoy. Very tough player that will be a factor down the road.
Foldes -- He will be a great player one day. He seemed a little out of focus and really messed up some easier type shots. His opponnets
proved that you can not do that here. He is very smooth and passes the
"looks like a player" test easily. I would have liked to have watched him
more. I think I cursed him by making him one of my two to do very well.
Breedlove -- Has to be a favorite to do very well in this and on the tour.
He is a solid mix of solid positioning with added firepower when needed.
I was surprised at some of his offensive shots. He really comes out firing.
Kills the break as well.
Craig and Gary Sanossian -- not sure if they are brothers or what but they came and drew each other. What are the odds?
Everyone said the Ortmann was playing well. I will check him out tommorrow.
Wu plays very well and has a strong break. He plays very loose and I wonder if that might bite him. Dan Wallace gave him all he wanted and neither guy played bad. I thought Wu caught a break near the end and that was the difference.
Cliff will have to play better tomorrow or Rivera will upset him. Cliff
moved over to a One pocket match and fired them in better than
in the event. Maybe he will get loose. I figured him for a few thousand
with the bank the eight but he really never got the chance to go for any.
The Richeson match was alot closer than the score with Richie missing the
8 at least 4 games plus he made it and scratched once. Neither could get the break going.
Clint McCullough --- he is a guy I am more familiar with than most here and
a HTs. He is played well and has alot of firepower to get out.
It was odd to watch him deliberate for a few minutes on an easy shot deciding whether to play to bank the 8 or not. He played for the bank but just missed it. I think had he just shot the ball and then banked it he would have drilled it. I wondered if he thought people would think
oddly of him playing for the bank. He looked around for a few minutes on
a simple two ball out. I wish he would have made the bank as people in the stands were rooting for him to go for it.
Hybler Never heard of him before but will watch more closely. He played very well. In his match with Orcollo he came to the table after a jumped cueball off the table on the break and ran out.
He then broke and ran two racks. A miss then gave the table to Orcullo who never looked back. A couple of small miscues and lack of balls on the break cost Hybler the match. IMO one missed safety might have cost him the match. Orcullo missed an eight which hung in the hole(ball might not of had room to go but Orcullo gave it a great try. Hybler then missed a safety leaving a Pinoy a one rail spinning kickshot while squeezing the cueball behind a ball close to the rail. A hanger for those guys. Orcullo
actually made it look easy even though a ref had to be called and he deliberated over which way to kick. Hybler gave a wry look when Orcullo made it appear easy.
Cliff and Durbin were playing when I left with Durbin one game up in a 4 ahead set. I believe the game was 10-7 and the breaks or 9-7 and the breaks. I watched some and there were some amazing shots and some that left you going "huh". Fun match to watch but Durbin looks like he could go postal at any moment.
Sorry so long but it was a 12 hour adventure.
I still wonder what the two IPT Girls were suppossed to be doing or what their purpose was. The cameramen, Deno and some other support
personnel should be schooled in watching and waiting for players to shoot.
Several times all the above walked up on shots or highstepped over
a seperation chain. In one particular hill-hill match one of the ladies(not the IPT showgirls) helping run the event quickly moved over the chain and
went right off the corner (less than 6 inches) where the guy was shooting the game winner. She did not do it on purpose but they should have a
better understanding of sharking or quick movements bothering players.
Even Deno did this at times which was very surprising.
Hardtimes was packed but everyone seemed to be getting around and along aright. There was a different feel with so many strong players and
so many that were virtually unknown to most fans.
No fee to watch and same old rates and prices. They used 14 tables and rented the others excepted for two. These were used as a buffer.
There was a cameraman videoing for TV I am assumming and a few photo
gurus.
I only hope the rest of the weekend is as good as the first day.
Oh yeah and I ran into Robb Seaz who is an old friend. I really enjoyed seeing him as he did me. Its been almost 6-7 years. He did not play well in his first match and I hope I dont offend his opponnet but Robb should
beat him pretty easily. Robb said he never could get started but was
going to regroup. He ran into Victor Ignacio and fell there as well. I hope Robb is able to get on the tour eventually.
Again sorry so long.
