The Brits are coming! (Snooker debate part 2!)

TheOne

TheOne

www.MetroPool.club
Silver Member
After the Brits took the IPT by storm several are now doing the same to the Euro Tour. Converted snooker players Jonni Fulcher and Daryl Peach now sit 2nd and 3rd respectively in the Euro Tour rankings. In addition ex Snooker player Mark Grey finished 3rd in Holland last week and Tony Drago continues to reach the latter stages of every Euro tour with typical nonchalance!

http://www.epbf.com/sportsite/Rankings/eurork.html

Add to that Appleton, Boyes, Hundal, Majid, Uzzel, Osbourne, Worthington and Hill etc it seems the Brits are finally starting to take American pool seriously!

Is it just a matter of time before one of them snaps off a major?

Does this show that it really is easier to convert to pool from Snooker than visa versa?

Discuss...

:)
 
Snooker

yes, it is easier to go from Snooker to Pool. And the Brits will do okay as long as they take on Allison's form (may have to pad their hips a little), and we will have to teach them that 'Breakout' is not a dance.

I have nothing against Snooker, I named my dog Snooker.
 
I think their major strength is that they can always rely on their stroke if nothing else works. It is just so straight, repeatable and reliable. It virtually never betrays them. And with tapped tables at Eurotour where a lot of players can get the balls to fall on a break, they are always a threat to win.

As for pool players trying snooker, I think their only chance would be at Pot Black cup. For those who don't know it's a single frame shootout.
 
Snapshot9 said:
...... and we will have to teach them that 'Breakout' is not a dance.
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Knowing some of those reprobates you are more likely to have to teach them that "shag" IS a dance;) :)
 
Was there a doubt? Anyone who thinks it's not easier to go from Snooker to Pool than vice versa is off their head. However as Snookers players also learn it's not ALL about the potting. Pool players have to learn that it IS all about the potting though. :-)

Figure that one out.

One of two things will happen - either the Snooker players will settle in and face the same dilemnas that 9 ball players do, funny angles, bad rolls, bad layouts and begin to worry about them - or - the pool players will learn to pot better and never miss. :-)

Actually, I hope it's the latter.

I have always said that Snooker has straight pool patterns until the last six and then it's the same as 9 ball. I have seen Hendry and O'Sullivan run off the colors playing the same type of shape as one would play it if it were a 9 ball rack. As well they dissect the pack like a straight pool champion would.

So in that respect they have all the skills to succeed at nine ball with the possible exception of banking as that isn't something that is needed much.

But as Kelly Fisher proves - all it takes to bank good is a few lessons on how to aim them and then it's no problem if you have the skill to put theory into practice immediately.

John
 
John Barton said:
Was there a doubt? Anyone who thinks it's not easier to go from Snooker to Pool than vice versa is off their head. However as Snookers players also learn it's not ALL about the potting. Pool players have to learn that it IS all about the potting though. :-)

Figure that one out.

One of two things will happen - either the Snooker players will settle in and face the same dilemnas that 9 ball players do, funny angles, bad rolls, bad layouts and begin to worry about them - or - the pool players will learn to pot better and never miss. :-)

Actually, I hope it's the latter.

I have always said that Snooker has straight pool patterns until the last six and then it's the same as 9 ball. I have seen Hendry and O'Sullivan run off the colors playing the same type of shape as one would play it if it were a 9 ball rack. As well they dissect the pack like a straight pool champion would.

So in that respect they have all the skills to succeed at nine ball with the possible exception of banking as that isn't something that is needed much.

But as Kelly Fisher proves - all it takes to bank good is a few lessons on how to aim them and then it's no problem if you have the skill to put theory into practice immediately.

John
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Good post, mostly agree.

I've always thought Snooker players would be best suited to 14.1 and I'd love to see one try. Don't want to hijack this thread but would be nice if one got a wild card to the 14.1 event one year, not sure they would be interested but as a fan it would be great.
 
I think when it comes to UK snooker players converting to American pool, nobody had a smoother transition than Tony Crosby. He would be my pick to win a major before anybody else.

TonyCrosbyWorldpoolChampioshipsMatch.jpg
 
Blackjack said:
I think when it comes to UK snooker players converting to American pool, nobody had a smoother transition than Tony Crosby. He would be my pick to win a major before anybody else.

TonyCrosbyWorldpoolChampioshipsMatch.jpg
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I think if one were to weigh relative success then perhaps Allison Fisher and Karen Corr have had a smoother transition than Tony. They have found it much easier to dominate and succeed against their peers than Tony has among his.

But I hope Tony does start snapping off majors soon. Among the nice guys in pool Tony IS one of the nicest.

John
 
OMG I missed Tony!!! (sorry mate, u see what a missed bar tab can do hehe)

Also Chenman and Broumpton that live overseas of course :eek:
 
Its an interesting point though, British players have probably under achieved, but then again US Pool is a tiny fraction of cue sports in the UK. For the most part its been unsuccessful Snooker players that have made the transition, plus the best 8 English ballers.

What would you consider the best ever British finish?

  • Davis world 9 ball semi or was it quarter final?
  • Appletons US Open 5th?
  • Hundals world masters?
  • Hill/Appleton/Boyes IPT results?
  • Fulcher Euro Tour win?
  • Majids TWO Euro tour wins?
  • Knight was before my time but guessing he had a few?
 
TheOne said:
What would you consider the best ever British finish?
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I would pick TWO Imran's Eurotour wins. Because the strength of opposition is usually the same as could be found during the WPC (though we should check his opponents to be precise). Davis and Appleton share second position for me.

BTW as this seems to be a thread about Brits, what is that hussle around Fulcher as a Swiss? I remember it was Mr Leenders of EPBF himself saying smth like "we didn't know he is British or wouldn't let him play for Switzerland" or "he did represent Switzerland therefore he can't be British now". Probably it was in regard with World Cup of Pool.
 
Vahmurka said:
I would pick TWO Imran's Eurotour wins. Because the strength of opposition is usually the same as could be found during the WPC (though we should check his opponents to be precise). Davis and Appleton share second position for me.

BTW as this seems to be a thread about Brits, what is that hussle around Fulcher as a Swiss? I remember it was Mr Leenders of EPBF himself saying smth like "we didn't know he is British or wouldn't let him play for Switzerland" or "he did represent Switzerland therefore he can't be British now". Probably it was in regard with World Cup of Pool.
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He's British living and working in Swiss. They forgot this when picking the world cup team as he should have represented England.
 
Isn't Mark Selby the current world 8-ball champion? He is a top tier snooker pro. I know I heard this somewhere but being lazy I am just going to post without checking.
 
raybo147 said:
Isn't Mark Selby the current world 8-ball champion? He is a top tier snooker pro. I know I heard this somewhere but being lazy I am just going to post without checking.
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Yes, he won uk 8 ball WC in 2006, but he got taken out by Gareth Potts in this years. Almost won the snooker WC too.
 
Tony Drago 2003 World Pool Master and finished 3rd in the World Championship that year..

He has also won some big 9-ball tournaments, and been runner-up in many.

But he doesn't like 14-1 at all, but he is GREAT in 8-ball. Finished runner-up in the European 8-ball Championship this year.
 
TheOne said:
... What would you consider the best ever British finish?

  • Davis world 9 ball semi or was it quarter final?
    ...
Click to expand...
He finished 5th-8th in the 2000 Cardiff event. That was the tournament where he was trailing Efren 8-2 going to 9 and got the win, making some amazing shots. Efren finished tied for 33rd. I think that was his highest WC9B finish.
 
Bob Jewett said:
He finished 5th-8th in the 2000 Cardiff event. That was the tournament where he was trailing Efren 8-2 going to 9 and got the win, making some amazing shots. Efren finished tied for 33rd. I think that was his highest WC9B finish.
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Thanks Bob, you know that was my earliest memory of Efren, who is this guy I thought who they keep raving about!

Also prob my first real memory of watching a US Pool match.

Any info on Steve Knight, I did hear great things about his game?
 
TheOne said:
Thanks Bob, you know that was my earliest memory of Efren, who is this guy I thought who they keep raving about!

Also prob my first real memory of watching a US Pool match.

Any info on Steve Knight, I did hear great things about his game?
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Hi,
I'm a huge Steve Knight fan so I can fill in a few blanks for you! Steve won the World Pool League in 2000 beating Francisco Bustamante in the final and the winner of the previous 2 WPL titles, Jim Rempe, in the semis. Given the calibre of players involved (Ralf Souquet and Niels Feijen were both involved as well as I remember) that was definitely something.
Steve's best WPC finish is the same as the other English Steve (Steve Davis). He was a quarter finalist in 2000. I can only hope that we get the chance to see him back at the Worlds someday.

Steve taught Imran, Raj and Tony Drago the basics of pool and that's why he's always talked about as the father of the US pool scene here. Apparently he was the first Brit to own a Predator 314 too!

Hope this helps,
Chris (Chrstc).
 
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