Played at Paul Schofield's Gold Crown Billiards in Erie, PA yesterday. He has received lots of flak for the dress code requirement as well as the "no Conflict Rules" for his quarterly 9 ball events on this forum. All I can say is wow! What a great business. Pictures posted do not do the room justice. Here is my report.
Arrived around 10 AM. Paul invited all the players to partake of free coffee, a variety of fruit juices and pastry's. His business is offering food for sale. Free was good.
Auction started slightly late. Top bid player went for $500+. Second was $250+. Someone there knew me and bid me to $100. Event started about half an hour late. The event rolled right along. Final two on the winners side played at 8 PM. Not bad for an event with 68 players. Lost my match for the final two winners by missing a straight in 9 ball. Oh well. Lost to Chris Szuter hill-hill on the one loss side. Although I'd been in the final four winners, his bracketing system had me finishing 6 - 8 instead of 5 - 6.
Left around 9 PM for the two hour plus ride home. Pretty quick for an event of this size which brings me to the "No Conflict Rules". I've played the game of pattern racking. I've done the soft break thing. Done the full force break as well. We all do these things in an attempt to have the very best layout possible after the opening break with the cue ball in the center of the table. This format rewards cue ball control. Doesn't matter whether you make a ball or not. The breaker always shoots first at the rack (except if you scratch). It just doesn't matter where the balls are racked. The breaker is racking for himself. The player not breaking gets to blindly arrange the balls in the rack. No pattern racking. No loose racks (except for the one I gave myself at hill - hill with Chris). NO ARGUMENTS!!!!!. Matches speed right along. No complaints. Just a great event. Thanks Paul.
Lyn
Arrived around 10 AM. Paul invited all the players to partake of free coffee, a variety of fruit juices and pastry's. His business is offering food for sale. Free was good.
Auction started slightly late. Top bid player went for $500+. Second was $250+. Someone there knew me and bid me to $100. Event started about half an hour late. The event rolled right along. Final two on the winners side played at 8 PM. Not bad for an event with 68 players. Lost my match for the final two winners by missing a straight in 9 ball. Oh well. Lost to Chris Szuter hill-hill on the one loss side. Although I'd been in the final four winners, his bracketing system had me finishing 6 - 8 instead of 5 - 6.
Left around 9 PM for the two hour plus ride home. Pretty quick for an event of this size which brings me to the "No Conflict Rules". I've played the game of pattern racking. I've done the soft break thing. Done the full force break as well. We all do these things in an attempt to have the very best layout possible after the opening break with the cue ball in the center of the table. This format rewards cue ball control. Doesn't matter whether you make a ball or not. The breaker always shoots first at the rack (except if you scratch). It just doesn't matter where the balls are racked. The breaker is racking for himself. The player not breaking gets to blindly arrange the balls in the rack. No pattern racking. No loose racks (except for the one I gave myself at hill - hill with Chris). NO ARGUMENTS!!!!!. Matches speed right along. No complaints. Just a great event. Thanks Paul.
Lyn
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