i think efren reyes will win this king of the hill, he always rises to a new type of tournament, and he is exceptional at 8-ball, he said "8-ball and one pocket are my best games" i know he's had a lousy year, but this will be his swan song, a very fitting way to go out.
also, in the year of 2006, i think marlon manalo, thorston hoemann, allison fisher, earl strickland, and ralf souquet will do best. i believe that strickland is gonna LOVE the slow cloth,but HATE the tight pockets! because he hits the balls harder than anyone, and he loves letting his stroke out. allison fisher, in my eyes is as strong than any male player in the world, she is talented beyond belief, coupled with the facts, that she learns to adapt to any cue sport quickly and when it comes to closing out, she is the champion of champions, she will NOT flinch! also, i expect the australians and the british to do very well, since they play 8-ball all the time. it should be the most interesting tour, perhaps ever. my only real complaint is having tight pockets, i believe it is a mistake. it will slow down the game, and make it on the boring side. example, a long time ago a regulation sized table was 5x10, until too many players were missing, and then they went to 4 and a half by 9, for the sake of the auidence, i feel, they should open up the pockets, and then you'll see pool that's "MADE FOR TV!" loose players like bustamante,strickland and myself, are gonna have a hard time adjusting. just my two cents.
also, in the year of 2006, i think marlon manalo, thorston hoemann, allison fisher, earl strickland, and ralf souquet will do best. i believe that strickland is gonna LOVE the slow cloth,but HATE the tight pockets! because he hits the balls harder than anyone, and he loves letting his stroke out. allison fisher, in my eyes is as strong than any male player in the world, she is talented beyond belief, coupled with the facts, that she learns to adapt to any cue sport quickly and when it comes to closing out, she is the champion of champions, she will NOT flinch! also, i expect the australians and the british to do very well, since they play 8-ball all the time. it should be the most interesting tour, perhaps ever. my only real complaint is having tight pockets, i believe it is a mistake. it will slow down the game, and make it on the boring side. example, a long time ago a regulation sized table was 5x10, until too many players were missing, and then they went to 4 and a half by 9, for the sake of the auidence, i feel, they should open up the pockets, and then you'll see pool that's "MADE FOR TV!" loose players like bustamante,strickland and myself, are gonna have a hard time adjusting. just my two cents.
But keep in mind, slow cloth does reduce any slide simonis had. Helping make the pockets a bit tighter. I'm hoping Diamond signs with the IPT because those deep shelf pockets make it tighter also. One thing is for sure, the better overall skilled player will win these tournaments.