Hey Heath, been missing you out there, even though I understand the reasons you've been staying away. If it were up to me, they'd make it a race to 5 / race to 4 nine ball only tournament, but a lot of players get intimidated by the better nine ball players and so they want to have a game where shot making isn't emphasized as much. At least that's the excuse I've been told.
One other thing I should have mentioned, although it's something my wife noticed before I did: They installed a new ventilation system, and so now your clothes don't smell like hamburger grease when you get home. I think this is what's known as one of life's little victories, at least for the wives and non-pool playing GFs.
Oh, and there's a new room with 10 regulation Diamond tables opening up soon on Shady Grove Rd. in Gaithersburg, between 270 and 355. It's called Seven Billiards, and here's their
Facebook page. Hopefully they'll start having a nine ball tournament, because driving to Virginia in rush hour is a pain in the butt.