Pool's last rites

[pro9dg]

I have just finished watching 127 matches each with a maximum of ten minutes duration. What was interesting was that they freely borrowed the format and rules from pool and made them more appealing. The Snooker Shoot Out paid out $140,000.with winner Anthony McGill pocketing his way to a $50000 pay check for less than 80 minutes work.
Pool used the format of the One Rack Shoot Out to fill last minute spaces in the World 9 Ball Championship in 2000 and 2001.

They also pioneered The Shot Clock but the snooker version allowed only 15 seconds per shot for the first five minutes, dropping down to 10 seconds for the remaining 5 minutes play. Snooker introduced BIH after any foul and also the rule that you must hit a cushion during the stroke (or pocket a ball). Most racks were won by the player who was ahead when the time ran out.

Several first round matches were won without the loser making a ball. Tough if you travelled from China, Thailand or India
The tournament was shown in many Asian and European countries. This makes life more difficult for pool trying to reach new TV markets.

With Chinese 8 Ball sucking interest out of traditional 8 Ball the future of the game could mean that the US is the last bastion of the Game

 

[pt109]

I have just finished watching 127 matches each with a maximum of ten minutes duration. What was interesting was that they freely borrowed the format and rules from pool and made them more appealing. The Snooker Shoot Out paid out $140,000.with winner Anthony McGill pocketing his way to a $50000 pay check for less than 80 minutes work.
Pool used the format of the One Rack Shoot Out to fill last minute spaces in the World 9 Ball Championship in 2000 and 2001.

They also pioneered The Shot Clock but the snooker version allowed only 15 seconds per shot for the first five minutes, dropping down to 10 seconds for the remaining 5 minutes play. Snooker introduced BIH after any foul and also the rule that you must hit a cushion during the stroke (or pocket a ball). Most racks were won by the player who was ahead when the time ran out.

Several first round matches were won without the loser making a ball. Tough if you travelled from China, Thailand or India
The tournament was shown in many Asian and European countries. This makes life more difficult for pool trying to reach new TV markets.

With Chinese 8 Ball sucking interest out of traditional 8 Ball the future of the game could mean that the US is the last bastion of the Game

I've seen that version of snooker.....I hope it never becomes popular.....
...it's like listening to good music.....and then rap takes over.

Snooker, straight pool, one pocket, and three cushion billiards will stand the test of time.
...they are beautiful games.

....as a matter of fact, they already have.

 

[voiceofreason]

Tend to agree largely with pt109's position,

I dispute the comment regarding chinese 8ball too. IIRC there remains only one such table in the UK still and I am not aware of any at all in the USA (I stand corrected of course).