worriedbeef said:
No. It doesn't matter that it's english eight ball and not american in the slightest. The pattern play is the same and it's the key element to the game.
Actually i'm not trying to have it so the game favours my favourite player - it's just i can't help but feel that playing eight-ball you might as well be playing snooker or straight pool in a way (although maybe not quite to that extreme) because one player has a huge advantage. Quenten is an experienced eight baller - the fact the balls are now bigger is irrelevant. John hates the game and therefore doesn't play it.
The way I see it beating John at eight ball wouldn't prove a thing. He's trash talked John, and claimed he is the more talented cueist. The way you prove this is by playing John at nine ball and beating him - that would be a convincing argument that Quentin is the better player. How could John argue then? Also it's kind of ironic that the better cueist would want to play the game where you need the least proficient stroke.
Just calling it how I see it - I just think eight ball would be a bit pointless that's all.
I do understand the points you are making but still believe that American 8 ball is the most fair game based on both of their previous experiences with that game as well as with other games. The majority seem to feel the same way.
The problem with your argument on 8 ball not being the right game is that the same argument can be made about any game that exists. No matter what game you choose, you can argue that it favors one player or the other for whatever reasons, or does not allow one or the other to showcase some of their specific talents very well. All you can really do is go with the game that is the least tilted in favor of either player, and that game appears to be American 8 ball. 9 ball is out for obvious reasons, and so is snooker, unless they play a set of each. The only other fair alternative is to play an all around with several different games, but with an equal number of games favoring each player. So far John has been unwilling to do either one and will not play a more neutral game, or an all around with the same number of games favoring each player.
John says that Quentin's claims of being better are not true, which means that John is claiming to be just as good or better than Quentin. Maybe John should just play him snooker and beat him at that--that would be a convincing argument that John was the better player. How could Quentin argue then? See how that argument just doesn't work?
They both come from backgrounds of playing completely different games on completely different equipment. The point is to determine the best and most talented cueist, not who will win the game they specialize in. They have to find something as neutral as possible, which IMO is American 8 ball. The only other game that would be completely fair that neither has any experience in would be 3 cushion billiards, but they are trying to determine who the best overall cueist is in terms of pocketing, cue ball control, and strategy, so that game wouldn't fit the requirements.
Since they each specialize in different equipment, and different games, I can only think of one other idea that would be completely and equally fair. It sounds kind of silly but I will throw it out there. They could play snooker on a American 9 foot table, and 9 ball on a 12 foot snooker table. That is the perfect blend of fair, even though it may be goofy. For each set one player has the advantage of the table they specialize in, and the other player has the advantage of the game they specialize in, and then the advantages switch around in the other set. So one player always has the advantage with the patterns and the strategy, the other always has the advantage of knowing the equipment. If one player were to win both sets it would send a pretty convincing message.
Aside from that, as I outlined in a previous post, Quentin is giving up ALL of the numerous advantages so far, and John is giving up nothing. Several options that are more than fair have already been thrown out there by Quentin, but they are both going to have to give equally if they truely have an interest in making a fair contest to determine the most talented cueist.
