Predator WPA World 8 Ball Championship 2023 (17-22 Oct 2023), Austria, Winner $75K

sjm said:
Eight ball on a nine-footer is so easy for the pros that it's a joke.
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To bring tactical warfare into eight ball, it needs to be played on the seven-footer.
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8-Ball could be a great and entertaining game at pro level. First, I don't remember any complaints about Accu-Stats Invitational series. Even though the regulations were the same as of now.
Next, it only takes a smart organizer who runs the show, to come up with a rule set which makes things more interesting even at modern highest level of play. I think it has been beaten to death, look at the way Darren Appleton approached his World Series. Break box along the rail (no breaks from the spot and around), take what you make on the break. Add 4.25" pockets and you are almost done. If that still turns out to be kind of easy, add some napped cloth (like Gorina used at IPT events I suppose), well, the one which would be demanding in terms of stroke, as opposed to babying the balls.
I bet there are enough 9-Ball players who will get crazy over the requirement to make decisions on their own, instead of following the suit (playing by numbers). Even Django Bustamante was saying so during the afore-mentioned Accu-Stats Inv., if memory serves me.
 
Vahmurka said:
8-Ball could be a great and entertaining game at pro level. First, I don't remember any complaints about Accu-Stats Invitational series. Even though the regulations were the same as of now.
Next, it only takes a smart organizer who runs the show, to come up with a rule set which makes things more interesting even at modern highest level of play. I think it has been beaten to death, look at the way Darren Appleton approached his World Series. Break box along the rail (no breaks from the spot and around), take what you make on the break. Add 4.25" pockets and you are almost done. If that still turns out to be kind of easy, add some napped cloth (like Gorina used at IPT events I suppose), well, the one which would be demanding in terms of stroke, as opposed to babying the balls.
I bet there are enough 9-Ball players who will get crazy over the requirement to make decisions on their own, instead of following the suit (playing by numbers). Even Django Bustamante was saying so during the afore-mentioned Accu-Stats Inv., if memory serves me.
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Umm no. Good rotation players always play good 8 ball but it doesn’t work the other way a round. You’ll see the guys who play nothing but 8 ball show up for a 9 ball tournament and be out quick. But the good rotation players show up in the 8 ball tournaments and it’s business as usual. They are still in the money or winning it. You can be average at position and if you’re good at seeing the pattern you’ll play good 8 ball. . 8 ball is about patience and finding the path of least resistance. I know from personal experience. I was that guy. I had to really put time into position play and understanding the rails that I didn’t need to be a good 8 ball player when I started playing nothing but 9 ball. I wasn’t any where near as good as I thought I was . Look at apa lol all 9s in 9 ball are 7s in 8 ball But it’s not even close to being the other way around.
The problem to me is 8 ball is suited for bar box pool. Balls cluster up and then the chess that is 8 ball comes into play more. On A 9 foot table everything is pretty much open and for The best in the world its just child play to make the balls in any order they want. maybe you could make it a little harder by the table not being open to choice after the break 🤷‍♂️ but these rules make it a snooze fest.
 
MattPoland said:
What’s with the refs and the lag? Seoa vs. Sarac. Both players get down to lag. Neither has hit the ball yet. Ref stops them and declares Seoa’s ball is on the head string and awards Sarac the break without the players even attempting the lag.
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@MattPoland , @spartan
Can not tell you for certain here, but be assured the referee team here in Klagenfurt this year is the most qualified and skilled ref team EVER. These are EPBF referees with very high degree of rules knowledge. I'm also sure the players were informed at the players' meeting about all the intricacies of the rule set applied here. All that said, there is a reason for sure why improper lags are treated like this.
Btw the pal featured on video is an AZB member, so he might explain that here later (if he wishes or is free to do so). Unless I get it sorted yout for ya all before 🤠
 
trob said:
Umm no. Good rotation players always play good 8 ball but it doesn’t work the other way a round.
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The way I was educated (and got to know myself later on) is that 14.1 is the primary game which will make you good all-around player. 8-Ball is half 14.1 (it also requires building a pattern, having plan B and so on). 9-Ball can be demanding for a recreational 8-Ball player with longer shots and position play routes which require adding more juice. But for a pro that's out of question.
One of the best pool quotes ever for me is the following: 9-Ball is play by numbers while straight pool forces you make your own decisions.
Again, I treat 8-Ball as half 14.1 game, so it is always going to be smarter to me than 9-Ball.
I'd be a happier man in regard with pool if MR took 10-Ball over 9-Ball and also run 8-Ball events (with one or two 14.1 per year).
 
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Vahmurka said:
8-Ball could be a great and entertaining game at pro level. First, I don't remember any complaints about Accu-Stats Invitational series. Even though the regulations were the same as of now.
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Well then, let me offer the first complaint. Of the Accu-stats events, all of which I attended, the eight ball was the least entertaining of the disciplines, behind nine ball, one pocket and straight pool.

Still, I agree with you that an eight ball event could be great, but it's a much better game on the seven footer.
 
MattPoland said:
I can’t fathom what that reason is other than OCD interpretations of the rules. Like what value, intent or purpose is behind that?
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Well ....... Van Boening likes to lag from closer to the side rail. Think what he has been getting away with for all these years. Just atrocious!
 
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spartan said:
Down to last 32 single elimination
They rush at super speed to eliminate off 64 players over 2 days (with 32 players eliminated on Day 1). Then slow down to
snail's pace to eliminate 31 over 4 days (from October 19-22).
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I don't play poker, but I think what they're doing here is called "slow playing it" in poker.

Six days to play a 96-player event is just plain ridiculous, and it certainly increases the total expenses of the players.
 
I did watch some today and it was more entertaining than I anticipated. It certainly flows a lot better than the Chinese version. There's also more cue ball movement, making it a more beautiful game than than either the English or Chinese versions.

Anyway, it's still not my favorite but I can see there being room for it on the calendar.
 
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BasementDweller said:
I did watch some today and it was more entertaining than I anticipated. It certainly flows a lot better than the Chinese version. There's also more cue ball movement, making it a more beautiful game than than either the English or Chinese versions.

Anyway, it's still not my favorite but I can see there being room for it on the calendar.
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Chinese eight ball should probably fall under the snooker association IBSF rather than WPA. Just like the snooker cueists, the Chinese 8-ball cueists are most impressive, but I find it hard to watch and wonder whether it will ever find popularity outside of Asia.

Agreed that this event is a better watch than Chinese 8-ball.
 
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sjm said:
I don't play poker, but I think what they're doing here is called "slow playing it" in poker.

Six days to play a 96-player event is just plain ridiculous, and it certainly increases the total expenses of the players.
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they played one match yesterday, will play one match today, two tomorrow and one on sunday. i have never seen that before. the only explanation i can think of is they are making room for the two other events, the women and junior world championships. why they have three events running simultaneously idk.
 
Day 4
So stingy the number of matches that are being played :LOL:

d4t1.jpg


d4t2.jpg
 
skogstokig said:
they played one match yesterday, will play one match today, two tomorrow and one on sunday. i have never seen that before. the only explanation i can think of is they are making room for the two other events, the women and junior world championships. why they have three events running simultaneously idk.
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Which likely means that either the schedule is being mismanaged or the venue chosen isn't big enough. Either way, it's a shame for players trying to manage expenses.
 
trob said:
Umm no. Good rotation players always play good 8 ball but it doesn’t work the other way a round. You’ll see the guys who play nothing but 8 ball show up for a 9 ball tournament and be out quick.
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True. I remember a World Cup of Pool event where Malta was a last minute entry and Tony Drago brought the Malta National 8 Ball Champion and that kid was completely lost on what to do when it came to 9 ball.

As for this event? It needs to be on a bar box with 4 inch pockets. Rules should be take what you make with ball in hand behind the line on scratches. It's the rules that even non pool players know when they first pick up a stick at a dive bar. It cannot get any simpler than that.

Also, I would imagine with bar boxes being used, the English 8 and blackball players would make it their duty to be there for those events.
 
skogstokig said:
they played one match yesterday, will play one match today, two tomorrow and one on sunday. i have never seen that before. the only explanation i can think of is they are making room for the two other events, the women and junior world championships. why they have three events running simultaneously idk.
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Actually there are 3 Main tournaments, but Juniors play in 3 different divisions U17, U19 and Girls. So basically like running 5 different tournaments at the same time.
Still, they made it stretched out mercilessly in time
All the best,
Kris
 
Are the people bashing this even watching any of the matches? It’s not a snooze fest, it’s not a BnR fest, it’s some of the best in the world, showing their skills. 2nd to last rack, Albin has one stripe to open up the eight. It is covered by four solids. He gets there right away, but doesn’t quite like it. He sinks three more balls, and makes a beautiful shot. He moved all four solids and never touched the eight. It was a great sequence!
 
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