Is Alex the Best Player Alive?
- Thread starter sjm
- Start date
that's an impossible question
The answer to that is yes and no. At any given time in any given game a top notch player can win or lose. A rattled nine ball, a missed straight pool shot can happen to anyone at any time. I was at the swannee memorial in San Diego and watched Parica play a perfect nine games. He broke and ran out eight of teh nine and had to play one safety in game 7 because of a three ball tie up. He got ball in hand and ran out. HE DIDN'T win the tournament though. That's just an illustration that at that level of play there is no who is the best? They'll beat each other one day and lose to each other the next.
It's kinda like in pro poker tournies, sure the last table will almost undoubtably have five of the top twenty players, but which five of the twenty? and which one is the absolute best. Ask most people and they;ll say Texas Doyle or Johnny Chan, but ask Phil Helmuth and see who he says and anyone one of them would have valid points.
The truth is that the best pool player on the planet and the best poker player on the planet likely hasn't won any majors. Hell go back to JAn 2004 and ask someone if they thought Gabe Owen would win the Open. There will always be someone better coming along. I know some pretty awesome players who only play in one or two opens a year and otherwise don't play pool except the occassional money game. They won't play the way it's necesary to win the majors because there's no money in it. Hopefully that will soon change. I'd for one like to be able to do nothing but play pool and feel comfortable that I can make a decent living at it without having to play a single money game.
The answer to that is yes and no. At any given time in any given game a top notch player can win or lose. A rattled nine ball, a missed straight pool shot can happen to anyone at any time. I was at the swannee memorial in San Diego and watched Parica play a perfect nine games. He broke and ran out eight of teh nine and had to play one safety in game 7 because of a three ball tie up. He got ball in hand and ran out. HE DIDN'T win the tournament though. That's just an illustration that at that level of play there is no who is the best? They'll beat each other one day and lose to each other the next.
It's kinda like in pro poker tournies, sure the last table will almost undoubtably have five of the top twenty players, but which five of the twenty? and which one is the absolute best. Ask most people and they;ll say Texas Doyle or Johnny Chan, but ask Phil Helmuth and see who he says and anyone one of them would have valid points.
The truth is that the best pool player on the planet and the best poker player on the planet likely hasn't won any majors. Hell go back to JAn 2004 and ask someone if they thought Gabe Owen would win the Open. There will always be someone better coming along. I know some pretty awesome players who only play in one or two opens a year and otherwise don't play pool except the occassional money game. They won't play the way it's necesary to win the majors because there's no money in it. Hopefully that will soon change. I'd for one like to be able to do nothing but play pool and feel comfortable that I can make a decent living at it without having to play a single money game.
Put Alex on a 12' snooker table and then see if his "stroke" still holds up before making any statements like that . Ronnie O'sullivan , worlds top snooker player , has the best stroke both left and right handed going around . He can also make 100 breaks either handed . Give him a few years till he's bored with snooker and the current pool players will be ducking for cover ! 
he actually did well in the Canadian Snooker Championships a few years back, I believe he made the first century in that tournament. I'm not saying he's at a world snooker level but he can hold it down.lignum said:Put Alex on a 12' snooker table and then see if his "stroke" still holds up before making any statements like that . Ronnie O'sullivan , worlds top snooker player , has the best stroke both left and right handed going around . He can also make 100 breaks either handed . Give him a few years till he's bored with snooker and the current pool players will be ducking for cover !
this goes back to a well known thread before comparing snooker players and pool players! read that thread first before you make comments like that mister...lignum said:Put Alex on a 12' snooker table and then see if his "stroke" still holds up before making any statements like that . Ronnie O'sullivan , worlds top snooker player , has the best stroke both left and right handed going around . He can also make 100 breaks either handed . Give him a few years till he's bored with snooker and the current pool players will be ducking for cover !