My twist. (I'm bracing myself.)
Okay people...BEFORE replying, take 5-10 minutes and think about this. Put different players at different levels with slightly different strategies into the scenario and see what you think will happen and how it may actually play out. THEN feel free to voice your thoughts, feelings and predictions. They will all be greatly appreciated. I'm thinking of a way to satisfy EVERYONE equally - an impossible task to satisfy 100% of the players and viewers BUT I think this may be a happy median! I am calling it, "Break Possession" and trying it out as an equalizer this Friday night to entice MORE GREAT MATCH-UPS and MORE ACTION for EVERYONE! (Hopefully!) :wink:
Pool at a high caliber usually comes down to one thing - the break.
With two run out players with good cue balls, good safety play, good kicking and great pocketing skills, the one whose BREAK is "working" that day for them usually gets a huge advantage in a race. The break determines it all at that point.
FACTS:
- Players hate alternate break format. They want to string racks together.
- Spectators agree and want to see racks strung together.
- Players want a guarantee to get to the table and NOT have a set run out on them ESPECIALLY when THEY have their OWN CA$H at stake.
- Spectators also want to see BOTH players play in a match-up.
- We ALL want to see good players and good pool but there are only so many players in a given area at the same time that can be matched up AND willing to play each other EVEN UP. There are many good players that are just under a great world-class player that won't want to just donate when stepping up and playing a world champion.
So how do I propose we satisfy BOTH sides to this? "BREAK POSSESION"!
With possession of the break for a period of time, no matter who is up or down, they will have a chance to string racks and take a lead OR catch up. Just as in Football (American) you may be getting the ball back at half time for a chance to do something with possession. If they don't do anything on their breaks, that's their own fault.
How does all go down?
The two players will LAG for first possession.
The winner of the lag will be granted the first 5 breaks win or lose!
No matter what the score is or who won the 5th rack, possession will then switch over to other player for the NEXT 5 racks! This will continue until someone wins a total of 10 racks to end that set. It will also carry over to the next set!
Crazy? Or just different, new and UNPREDICTABLE???
This adds so much more value to the opening lag and will determine the possession throughout the rest of the entire night! NOT just that set. There will be NO OTHER LAGS for 1st possession in order to prevent 10 breaks in a row being granted. That's way too much in these races to 10.
In this Friday's event (1st of a monthly occurrence) it will level out Ronnie Alcano's accomplished World-Class rank with Jayson Shaw's Rising Star classification. Now they can simply play even up and all the action junkies will have a coin toss!
This post is long enough. What are your thoughts? I think it allows for more even up matches without any game spot handicaps or ball spot weight and levels out the playing field enough to entice more action at the same time.
This is NOT an exhibition. Players actually have something to lose! This is the first of a monthly event. Please show your support and enjoy the show!
