Jay Helfert - The "Million Dollar" Tournament Director $peaks Out on Earl Strickland

From what I have read, I don't think Chris thinks one foul or two foul is right or wrong. He has only played with the one foul rules, and is a smart gambler, so why would he want to play by rules no one uses anymore? He maximizes his ROI by becoming good at the rules most people want to use when gambling with him.

You totally missed my point, re; Bartrum !.. (what does 'ROI' mean ?)
 
You make some valid points, sir...However, CJ is absolutely correct !...'One shot BIH' rules, completely ruined ALL rotation games. (and 8ball)... Until this is rectified, none of the other things you are hoping for, can EVER come about ! :frown:

IMHO, Texas Express rules, set pool back at least 20 years !.. It has become so ingrained in the younger players, its going to be a real tough sell, to change it ! :frown:.....Case in point, Chris Bartrum..Great player, in his late 30's, and thinks 1Foul-BIH, is the right way to play !.. Were he just a few years older, he would see the wisdom, in what Buddy, CJ, and myself, are talking about ! :rolleyes:

It ain't about 'lipstick on a pig', its about improving our image ! I agree, a nice shirt, and 'clean' tennis shoes, would help !...Or are we trying to attract the loser kid's, who think showing their ass-crack, is appealing ? ;)

So how far did rotation pool set back the game ,, after all Willie and fats by far were the most recognized names in pool
Sticking suits and ties on and playing in morgue like settings is not going to help pool one bit ,, ten balls a harder game has it even remotely brought pool back ,, not a chance
I don't care if you have five shot push out it does not make the game anything but more boring ,, the general public could care less about the chess game of pool after all when's the last time you have seen chess on TV
When live in a fast paced world now regular turny pool is simply boring
The MC is much more viewer friendly and it give people a side to root for
If the get it in TV the popularity of the players will carry over to tourney play
Which needs also to be adjusted to not longer boring races but shorter races again
Getting with the times


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Great to see you put up that picture of George (Ginky), he was a great player
and representative of the game.
RIP my friend.

We went through many rolls of film before we got this one...
 

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You gotta love that style....I still have several silk shirts in my closet.....pool is a game of the suit and tie though, it's classy, and professional to see players sporting a suit or tux. imho

CJ, I always appreciate your posting here but I couldn't disagree more with you on this one, respectfully of course. I don't think it looks good to see players in jean shorts and flip flops but if we want to attract young people to the game, and I think we can all agree we need that. Having people dressed up in suits and tuxes is definitely going to have the opposite effect. I think the golf style clothing, slacks, polos with sponsors, etc. looks the best and gives it the appearance of a sport or competition. Anyway.. back to Jay's shirt.

I have to agree, business casual or golf style should be fine. Pool already has a ZERO return on investment, why make it more expensive by requiring what most great pool players don't have (formal clothing)?

Let pool be the game it is. Don't turn it into a circus. Just keep it clean and neat. This means no wife-beater/t-shirts, no worn/torn/low-hanging jeans, no sneakers, and no gang-sta style headwear. Sorry Raj Hundal, but you look like a friggin' idiot with that rag on your head (grow up already).
 
You gotta love that style....I still have several silk shirts in my closet.....pool is a game of the suit and tie though, it's classy, and professional to see players sporting a suit or tux. imho

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George SanSouci competed in several of my events at CJ's Billiard Palace and was Always a Professional Player and Representative, the Pool World Misses Him.

I have a question about the Mosconi picture. I'm guessing that is a titlist cue. Was that the standard taper for their cues or was it a special shaft for Mosconi?
 
CJ's Billiard Palace

Kool picture, That is Checsea Billiards the columns and drink rail give it away.
He's young there.

Actually that's CJ's Billiard Palace at the DALLAS OPEN back in 1994/95 time period. (the picture with Ginky...(although you may be
talking about the picture with Mosconi.....he is very young in that picture)
 
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I guess I never saw two foul played with much excitement. Roll the cue ball where you want, that is a foul, but leave a hard shot. Then bump that to another hard shot without fouling. The player rolls foul one then gets to shoot again and bumps the ball to another hard place. The boring series of events goes on and on.

That makes pool boring. I don't think one foul ruined pool. But I think what ruined pool's excitement factor was the fast cloth. Back when people played on really slow backed Mali cloth you had what we called "Power Pool". You had to really stroke the ball and hit a lot of shots hard. It was fun to play and watch.
 
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Pool lacks the "Dare!!!" or "Challenge!!" of other sports, and even poker

I guess I never saw two fould played with much excitement. Roll the cue ball where you want, that is a foul, but leave a hard shot. Then bump that to another hard shot without fouling. The player rolls foul one then gets to shoot again and bumps the ball to another hard place. The boring series of events goes on and on.

That makes pool boring. I don;t think one foul ruined pool. But I think what ruined pool's excitement factor was the fast cloth. Back when people played on really slow backed Mali cloth you had what we called "Power Pool". You had to really stroke the ball and hit a lot of shots hard. It was fun to play and watch.

That would be boring to play the game like you describe, and you really couldn't against a champion caliber player....they understand the art of the "two way shot".

Pool lacks the "Dare!!!" or "Challenge!!" of other sports, and even poker is a great example of wanting to see the "ALL IN" situation (that could be a bluff).

Pool has these components, but no one has figured out how to bring it out....until now.;)
 
I guess I never saw two fould played with much excitement. Roll the cue ball where you want, that is a foul, but leave a hard shot. Then bump that to another hard shot without fouling. The player rolls foul one then gets to shoot again and bumps the ball to another hard place. The boring series of events goes on and on.

That makes pool boring. I don;t think one foul ruined pool. But I think what ruined pool's excitement factor was the fast cloth. Back when people played on really slow backed Mali cloth you had what we called "Power Pool". You had to really stroke the ball and hit a lot of shots hard. It was fun to play and watch.

I've seen some great matches when two foul is played by top players and some dogfights when the caliber of play is of average ability or below. I really agree that the super fast cloth has not been good for the game. I had a hiatus for twenty years and got back into it a few years ago. The biggest change I saw was the speed of the tables and how it watered down the challenge of moving the cue ball around the table. Stroking the cue ball gave way to bunting balls around the table. :(

Best,
Mike
 
Jay Helfert - The "Million Dollar" Tournament Director $peaks Out on Earl Str...

Kool picture, That is Checsea Billiards the columns and drink rail give it away.

He's young there.


Yes, the Ginky jump shot photo was taken at the old Chelsea Billiards, downstairs, by the soda machines. He was trying to learn how to jump, and I needed a photo for a project I was working on (Nikon FM2; motor drive; 105mm 1.8; Tri-X pushed to 1600). CJ would have to respond to the photos he posted.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk 2
 
.the only attire as powerful as a suit and tie is a policeman's outfit

You gotta love that style....I still have several silk shirts in my closet.....pool is a game of the suit and tie though, it's classy, and professional to see players sporting a suit or tux. imho

CJ, I always appreciate your posting here but I couldn't disagree more with you on this one, respectfully of course. I don't think it looks good to see players in jean shorts and flip flops but if we want to attract young people to the game, and I think we can all agree we need that. Having people dressed up in suits and tuxes is definitely going to have the opposite effect. I think the golf style clothing, slacks, polos with sponsors, etc. looks the best and gives it the appearance of a sport or competition. Anyway.. back to Jay's shirt.

It's ok to have a difference of opinion, although attracting "kids" into the game is probably impossible these days. I was drawn into the game because of Mosconi being a "class act" and ALL the players dressed in suit and ties......the only attire as powerful as a suit and tie is a policeman's outfit to the subconscious mind....and this is proven.

'The Game is the Teacher'
 
Don't worry gang, I burned that shirt! :eek:

I use to see some players that wore those and i always assumed it was an inside joke or something-wearing the ugliest shirts imaginable-maybe get played or something. I swear that was what i thought.

When after many years i found out they actually thought they looked good, i was utterly shocked and my opinion of modern mankind sunk to a new low.
 
Too bad pool went the other way and sped up conditions

I've seen some great matches when two foul is played by top players and some dogfights when the caliber of play is of average ability or below. I really agree that the super fast cloth has not been good for the game. I had a hiatus for twenty years and got back into it a few years ago. The biggest change I saw was the speed of the tables and how it watered down the challenge of moving the cue ball around the table. Stroking the cue ball gave way to bunting balls around the table. :(

Best,
Mike

Yes, speeding up any game is not a good idea, and pool is the "sample example".

Many don't "real eyes" that tennis made the balls bigger/heavier to SLOW the game down because the serves were getting to fast and it threatened the integrity of the game.

Too bad pool went the other way and sped up conditions when they should have been slowing them down.

If you notice at Wimbledon they don't even "serve and volley" on the grass surfaces anymore. It used to be there would be a "track" between the service line and the net, but not anymore, the players stay back and hit groundstrokes because the ball is slower and the returner has too much extra time to hit a "passing shot".

'The Games are the Teacher'
 
it's a tragedy what happened to George....he will always be remembered.

Yes, and Tony Ellin. No telling where his game would be now, wow. He was dedicated and could play. And he had a great break for the rotation games. Certainly great losses, to US pool as well.
 
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