Quick Poll - which would you rather watch...?

[Celtic]

Yeah, one pocket all the way here. But as you way Mark, I would learn alot watching a race to 7 between two top players in one pocket as compared to watching a race to 15 9-ball with 2 top players where I might learn nothing.

Even at the top if I were there I still think I would find more interest in 1 pocket. The styles can be so different, tight conservative safety play, and all out offesive play in 1 pocket, a match between Frost and Varner for example would be thrilling in 1 pocket. On the other hand 9-ball is a offensive game by default. People only play safe or conservative when forced to, at the top you either break and run racks or you lose. That way you see far less differing style when watching top players in 9-ball. I love seeing strategy and chess on a pool table, one pocket offers it in spades, 9-ball rarely does at all. I can only watch someone break hard and run racks so long before I get bored, I never get bored of watching 1 pocket as it always has both players trying to screw the other over and work the table into their favour.

 

[mjantti]

One pocket by far. I hear it can be really fast and exciting at times. A few years ago I was at the Cue Club in Vegas with a friend watching Earthquake and Scott Frost play a something ahead set for something (??) anyway Keith was stuck two games, I ask my friend if he wanted a beer he said sure. The Cue Club was pretty crowded as there was a lot of action going on at that time (during the BCA event). I danced through the crowd up to the bar and got a couple of beers and danced straight back to sweat the match. Now …Keith is UP 2 games!! In the time it took me to get a couple of beers he scored 4 games of one pocket! My friend just shook his head and said wow that was really something. It must have been pretty special (like yesterdays fishing).

Sometimes however I have seen the score change like that in a match I am playing in when I return from the bathroom …but that is a different situation.

Nice story ! Keith rules !!

Similar story was maybe a decade ago when 147 breaks were quite rare in pro snooker, especially in televised stages. Well, a low quality match between two good players shooting badly was on and was taped by BBC for broadcasting in near future. Anyway, during the match, the camera crew was bored, switched off the cameras and went to have lunch and on the very next untelevised frame there was a maximum 147 break which was never got on tape !! I think this cameracrew got some bitter feedback on choosing their lunch hour !

On the topic, I enjoy watching one-pocket. There are still many shots to learn, so I really like to watch two top players shooting 1hole cause I learn new moves. In 9-ball pretty much all the shots are already familiar and only thing that interests me in 9-ball how well players are able to execute shots of different difficult level in tough and high pressure situations such as WPC or US Open etc.

Yes, I think in 9-ball for me I enjoy watching excellent shot execution and in 1pocket I enjoy watching excellent shot selection. And in straight pool I enjoy watching excellent pattern play. But, nowadays I prefer 14.1 and 1pocket.