Maybe at least in part because Allen Hopkins shot the purple five instead of the pink four at least twice at a US Open.
Super Billiards Expo 2026
- Thread starter Chicagoplayer
- Start date
John Morra vs Lechner started an hour and a half ago and they're still at 5-5. Two super slow players
In more exciting news, FSR beat Billy 10-7.
Oscar vs Tyler battling it out 4-4, that match might be over at midnight.
Johnny may not be fast but he beat Max and then Fedor and is into the final 8. Let’s goooooo!
He's on a tear these past couple months, probably playing better than he ever has. Won the Turning Stone, won the US Open 10Ball and the US Open Bank Pool, came 2nd in the DCC Bigfoot, placed 5th in the US Open One Pocket and the Texas Open One Pocket.
What a year he's having. Seems like he's due for a really big title soon. None of that takes away from the fact that he plays at a snail's pace though.
Also, I'm sad that my prediction came true, no Americans will make the finals of the SBE, as there are none in the final 8. Tyler and Thorsten came the closest by making the top 16. The top 32 consisted of 5 other Americans.
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Yes, there are plenty of Americans at the SBE, but I was specifically referring to American Mosconi hopefuls.
A lot of the American players competing aren’t in that conversation at all and many probably have no interest in being there. And that’s perfectly fine. The SBE draws a wide range of players and fans for all kinds of reasons.
For many, it’s about convenience, especially with the location. For others, it’s one of the best places to check out the latest and greatest in pool, new gear, new products, all under one roof. And honestly, a big part of it is just the atmosphere. It’s fun to connect, catch up, and hobnob with fellow pool enthusiasts who share the same passion.
But that said, being this is a so-called “WNT ranking event,” I still find it surprising that some of the American Mosconi Cup hopefuls, the ones who do want to make the Cup, aren’t in attendance. If you’re chasing a spot, every ranking opportunity matters. Showing up, competing, and putting yourself in the mix seems like part of the deal, especially at an event like this.
Maybe there are reasons like scheduling, finances, or other commitments, but from the outside looking in, it does raise an eyebrow, thus, the reason for my original post.
uk_9_ball_convert
Active member
Delighted to see Elliot Sanderson doing so well. Think he's been putting a lot of work in after being disappointed in his performances in first few tournaments of the year and it's really paid off
No.. hasn’t been for a few years . It’s hit or miss with that. Women are playing in the pro even though.
Not sure what you have in mind.
Yes, SVB and Sky are absent, but SVB has not been playing in WNT events this year so far and Sky, arguably the only successful member of Team USA over the last decade and a two-time Mosconi MVP, may feel he can still pick his spots and find his way onto Team USA. Fedor, of course, is in this field, but he is a lock for inclusion on Team USA.
... but Nathan Childress, Eric Roberts, Lukas Verner, BJ Ussery, Shane Wolford, Landon Hollingsworth, Billy Thorpe, Tyler Styer, Donny Mills and Thorsten Hohmann are all possible Team USA members, and every single one of them was in this field. Yes, a couple of teens who might have a shot down the road are missing, such as Lazaro Martinez and Payne McBride. but I feel most of the realistic hopefuls showed up.
To me, the only supposed Mosconi aspirant missing of note is Justin Bergman who has still yet to play in even one WNT ranking event in the over four-year history of the tour. Perhaps years of absence from all 9ball competition makes him believe he'd be overmatched here. but even if that is the case, he needs to get more experience in events using the Matchroom break. For now, it is not easy to take his candidacy seriously.
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I'm not sure what that means.
But reading the rest of your post, I’m not convinced that some of the names you listed are truly Mosconi Cup hopefuls. Yes, they’re there competing in a World Nineball Tour–ranked event, but that doesn’t necessarily mean the Cup is their target.
Billy, Tyler, and Thorsten, absolutely. Those are legitimate contenders with their eyes on the prize. The others? I’m not so sure. Some of the players you mentioned have been pretty open on social media about their lack of interest in chasing the WNT ranking trail. For them, it’s viewed as an impossible dream, bogged down by logistics, commitments, and, in their eyes, a fair amount of politics.
They are all contenders for a spot and, in my mind, they are probably the top contenders. The extent to which they intend to chase a Team USA spot is, of course, to be determined and perhaps, as you suggest, many won't bother to do so. Nonetheless, you have suggested that numerous Mosconi contenders for a Team USA spot failed to show at SBE and you haven't identified who, among the top American players, it is that you think skipped this event for any of the reasons you suggested were at work.
As for the logistics and commitments, it has never been easier for the American pro to chase down Mosconi ranking points. There are now about ten US-based WNT ranking events, so Mosconi aspirants need no longer leave US borders to chase down a Mosconi spot. Prize money is also way up at US-based WNT ranking events. We are certainly of one mind on the politics. Matchroom's a) failure to make the selection process objective in recent years and b) unwillingness to include younger American players, has definitely demotivated a few from chasing a Team USA spot and will continue to do so if the 2026 Team USA selection process is as biased as most of us have come to expect.
In the end, I think we're on the same page. We are equally concerned that the passion needed to chase down a Team USA Mosconi Cup spot is found in fewer and fewer American players. It will be interesting to see what 2026 brings in this regard.
Philly represented! 4 of the 16 final bracket in the open were Philly players. The women's finalist, one of the senior's, and one of the juniors. I didn't find all the winners yet.
Funny, I spent more time this year at the expo than I have in years, barely hit a ball, and barely watched a single shot. I think I was just "seeing the games" from afar. Maybe how a top chess player analyzes the whole game.
Funny, I spent more time this year at the expo than I have in years, barely hit a ball, and barely watched a single shot. I think I was just "seeing the games" from afar. Maybe how a top chess player analyzes the whole game.
Some aggregate stats for the Stage 2 matches played on the feature table (just 7 matches) are now available here: https://forums.azbilliards.com/thre...fessional-players-championship-9-ball.586217/
3 hours and 18 minutes for 19 games. That's an average of 10.4 minutes per game. They didn't have a referee for each table, but apparently an area referee was somewhere there. Although shot clocks were not being used in this event, you'd think the area ref would be empowered to do something when a match is obviously going so slow. It caused a semifinal match to start at least an hour later than the scheduled time.
Thanks for sharing your perspective on Mosconi Cup hopefuls and the idea of “numerous contenders.” I see it a bit differently, and that’s okay. We don’t have to agree on everything.
I don’t believe the majority of Americans in this event are truly chasing the Cup for ranking points. I understand you’ve been a strong supporter of the Matchroom and WNT over the years. I used to be as well. But when I started to notice what I felt was favoritism, it took some of the shine off for me. And then there was the WNT Filler prohibition, which I won't go into. You and I do agree on an aspect of the aftermath.
Even with increased prize money in U.S.-based WNT events, I’m not convinced it’s enough. A $40,000 first-place prize today doesn’t go nearly as far as it once did. Honestly, it feels comparable to $10,000 back in the ’80s. Meanwhile, the cost of living of hotels, airfare, gas, and just surviving on the road has skyrocketed. Living out of a suitcase isn’t cheap, and unless you’ve truly lived that grind, worrying about how to pay bills back home, not able to hold a full-time job due because of constant travel, going without health insurance, and sacrificing stability just to chase ranking points, it’s easy to underestimate how difficult it really is, especially for those fortunate enough to be looking at it from the comfort of an ivory tower.
Sponsorships in the U.S. often don’t provide real financial support either. Many players receive product instead of cash, which is why you see them selling and/or auctioning cues and equipment online to raise funds for expenses, and those sponsors only give product to top pros, not aspiring pros who pay their own way while keeping their bills up to date back home. And on top of all that, they still have to compete against the best players in the world, whether at home or abroad.
I could go on, just like you have, but I’ll leave it at this. We’ll have to agree to disagree on some topics.
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If you're a "pro" tournament player doesn't that mean travel is a necessary part of your job?Thanks for sharing your perspective on Mosconi Cup hopefuls and the idea of “numerous contenders.” I see it a bit differently, and that’s okay. We don’t have to agree on everything.
I don’t believe the majority of Americans in this event are truly chasing the Cup for ranking points. I understand you’ve been a strong supporter of the Matchroom and WNT over the years. I used to be as well. But when I started to notice what I felt was favoritism, it took some of the shine off for me. And then there was the WNT Filler prohibition, which I won't go into. You and I do agree on an aspect of the aftermath.
Even with increased prize money in U.S.-based WNT events, I’m not convinced it’s enough. A $40,000 first-place prize today doesn’t go nearly as far as it once did. Honestly, it feels comparable to $10,000 back in the ’80s. Meanwhile, the cost of living of hotels, airfare, gas, and just surviving on the road has skyrocketed. Living out of a suitcase isn’t cheap, and unless you’ve truly lived that grind, worrying about how to pay bills back home, not able to hold a full-time job due because of constant travel, going without health insurance, and sacrificing stability just to chase ranking points, it’s easy to underestimate how difficult it really is, especially for those fortunate enough to be looking at it from the comfort of an ivory tower.
Sponsorships in the U.S. often don’t provide real financial support either. Many players receive product instead of cash, which is why you see them selling and/or auctioning cues and equipment online to raise funds for expenses, and those sponsors only give product to top pros, not aspiring pros who pay their own way while keeping their bills up to date back home. And on top of all that, they still have to compete against the best players in the world, whether at home or abroad.
I could go on, just like you have, but I’ll leave it at this. We’ll have to agree to disagree on some topics.
Just get a job and be done with it if you can't afford it. I'd love to play poker full-time but I'd be living in my car and robbing car washes/laundromats to survive. So, I have a full-time job, it's really that simple.
Making $18,000/year as a pro player seems like a good way to end up destitute
Over three hours to play nineteen games of 9-Ball! And people wonder why pool is boring to watch on TV or streaming.
When I was running the U.S. Open we would schedule matches based on two hour time slots for Races to Eleven. I would say over 90% of our matches were over in one and half hours, with a long match closer to two hours max. Myself, and my co-directors Ken Shuman and Bill Stock made sure to speed up slow matches, first with warnings and then with penalties. We used volunteers with hand held stop watches when necessary. And it worked! We played full field 256 player events basically in five days, with a sixth day featuring only the final four players.
That said, there still some nights that went until after 2 AM to finish. I would never schedule those players to play early morning rounds (11 AM) the next day. I would make sure their next match wasn't until at least 1 PM.
One last thought about this thread. It really makes no difference who does or does not make the U.S. side in the MC. There, I said it! That team will get demolished anyway by Team Europe. It's like Lucy with the football Charlie Brown is trying to kick. Always starting out with high hopes and ending up with nothing but another numbing defeat. U.S. Pool and it's players are completely undermanned against the Europeans and the Asians as well for that matter. I contend I could put together a team of Philippine teens (all under 21 for sure) who could defeat Team USA! God bless the American hopefuls but there still a full speed below their counterparts overseas.
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Confirmed!Making $18,000/year as a pro player seems like a good way to end up destitute
SVB didnt play at this event in 2025, 2024 or 2023, it seems. Sky did play in 2025.
Bergman playing in a WNT ranking event will be cause for champagne! (-:
I mostly watch matches with a shock clock unless the players are playing at a fast pace. Or I skip between shots.
Predator uses a selection process that has favoritism built in. Top players get in on points, same as WNT. Yet there are a lot of players who get invited to big events because they are preferred by some regional federation or, if they lack points, are seen as good draws. Predator is just less overt about its selections.
WNT has played favorites with the two wild card picks for the Mosconi, mainly the US players. Given the high visibility of the event, it's pretty glaring.
The first three players on each team, however, are chosen on points (with the one-off exception of Filler's exclusion). This is often ignored.
The choice of player captains was the most political. I'd argue Jayson Shaw was a logical and deserving choice. Sky not so much. And he compounded the error by picking Billy.
The selection of the Reyes Cup was a disaster last year. Team World is a bad concept.
Still, any top pro who wants to, can get into a top Matchroom open. They can't do that with Predator.
The other way MR plays favorites is by who it markets (AJ Manas the most recent flavor). I get it, though. MR is trying to build and popularize a tour, and Frazer thinks smarter marketing is the answer. One could argue its marketing is flawed, but all marketing involves a choice. It's never pure in any sport.
Spot on. I think players have become even more cost conscious the past year or two. That's why WNT/Predator are both creating more events in Asia.