Thes best 2010 US OPEN Interview...

Standards..........

jalapus logan said:
I agree with most of what you say, but not the break. Winner break is the best format, IMO. I think the viewing public wants to see packages. Can't event string two with alternating break. I would even love to see a player get shut out for the whole set. I know that the players differ on this, but pool needs to cater to the viewing public if they ever want to have a piece of the pie. Right now, the pie is so small that no pro player (however you define the term "pro") can survive. Let's increase the size of the pie so that more and larger pieces can be served...
Click to expand...

It's almost Pumpkin Time and the wishy-washy Charlie Brown is coming out in me.

I don't know why I posted "Like Billy says, 'Alternate the break'." That's just going to make it less exciting and far more boring. More fair, maybe? Kind of reminds me of making sure that all of the kids pass on to the next grade school level no matter if they fail to learn the curriculum.

That Billy must be a hynotist. That's probably why he used to book a winner every now and then.

If you want to satisfy what the players want, then you alternate the break. If you want EXCITEMENT to satisfy what the public, WINNER BREAK.

And I agree with you that the pie is so small right now that the pro player has difficulty "surviving". If the public gets behind the players and wants to watch their matches, there will be a bigger pie. We need advertising dollars to make pool work for the professional players, period. We need spectators and viewers to attract the advertisers and the media.

To take it to a much further extreme, if you want EXCITEMENT, enlarge the table pockets to look like buckets so anyone can win. :rolleyes::grin:

The public loves a dark horse with a little whip at the finish. :smile:

Best Regards,

Charlie
 
14.1 is the only way to decide the best pro pool player.

Nine ball is a joke for pro level players.

Why dos it surprise anyone that the best players are the ones who control the break?

They are not going to slop around any other shot and leave it up to chance. Why would the break be any different?
 
Brian in VA said:
I think you're on to something here Voodoo!

In pro golf tournaments, each hole is marshalled and forecaddied by volunteers. Scorers are volunteers. In fact, 90% of the tournament staff is volunteer. I think enough volunteers could be arranged to provide racks that are unbiased for all the matches. (Although I'm thinking about how much crap I'd be willing to take off of some of these guys whining about my racks.....)

In any case, I'd step up with you. Only thing you'd need to give me would be a pass for that day.

Jay Helfert, what are your thoughts on this idea?

Brian in VA
Click to expand...

Barry wanted to have "rackers" on all the tables this year. The problem was finding enough competent people to do it. We needed as many as 12-16 people to handle this job, with the very long days. One shift in the daytime and one at night.

As far as alternate break goes (and this covers some other arguments as well), take a look at all the matches that went hill-hill. Does that tell you anything? Folks, it ain't just about the break in 9-Ball. It's all about heart and how you handle pressure. Remember this one thing, in 9-Ball the closer you get to winning, the closer you get to losing at the same time. And that goes for every rack. Think about it!
 
JoeyA said:
... I think the U.S. OPen 9 Ball Championship has a $180,000.00 benefit to the pool players of the world. ...
Click to expand...

The prize money totaled $180,000. What was the total for entry fees plus expenses for travel, lodging, food, etc.? Did more than 10 or 20 players come out ahead?
 
jay helfert said:
Barry wanted to have "rackers" on all the tables this year. The problem was finding enough competent people to do it. We needed as many as 12-16 people to handle this job, with the very long days. One shift in the daytime and one at night.

As far as alternate break goes (and this covers some other arguments as well), take a look at all the matches that went hill-hill. Does that tell you anything? Folks, it ain't just about the break in 9-Ball. It's all about heart and how you handle pressure. Remember this one thing, in 9-Ball the closer you get to winning, the closer you get to losing at the same time. And that goes for every rack. Think about it!
Click to expand...

Rackers arent easy to find, your right but if you want em bad enough you reach out deeper into the community for help. I think the one thing Id add is neither player can approach the rack after its been lifted from the table. Jays right on the heart and dealing with taking the heat. Ill volunteer NOW to rack next year...7 days 1 day/1 night shift, no problem.
 
1. Svb wants to play 10ball and not 9ball because he has a huge advantage with his 10ball break and that's the only reason why.

2. Corey says he will play Raj 10ball with a mandatory pushout after every break so the break doesn't come into play at all. He also said the only way Raj could win like that is if Corey has to wear a blindfold while he plays.
 
I am supposed to be able to grab a tray of balls, go to a table, and play a match without complication, grief, or aggravation. That simple.

With all due respect, all these proposals tell me that pool has lost its way. These solutions create a vicious circle. Its all way too complicated.

Furthermore, "Shut up and shoot pool" is not a fix. I have read this one too many times.
 
There will always be something for these guys to complain about. If you have rackers, then they will complain about the position and order of the balls.

For example, in Europe they had a rule where the 2 ball could not occupy the same position in the rack until it had been in all the other available positions.

You see where this is headed. Rule after rule after rule can be created to keep addressing the various issues with racking.

We should compile a list of racking rules and conditions to illustrate the nonsense that has plagued the game of 9-ball....

1. Break box
2. Balls past the center string
3. 9 ball on the spot
4. Balls past the head string.
5. Pattern racking
6. Floating 2 ball
7. No 9's in the bottom corner pockets
8. No 9's on the break at all
9. Mandatory push outs

That's just off the top of my head in 30 seconds. I know I've forgotten and missed at least another half dozen rack or breaking rules.

9 ball just isn't that great of a game. Texas Express made it downright awful. Which is why it is sad to see Texas Express style rules taking over 10 ball.


14.1, Rotation, 8-ball are better choices.
 
Rotation may be the best and toughest game of them all. It encompasses everything that it takes to play good pool. A Race To Five is a good match.
 
I always thought that if you played winner break and required that the first shot right after the break be a push the game of 9 ball would be a whole lot more interesting. Also, no jump cues allowed under the format.
IMHO
 
Tominator said:
Raj didn't object to practicing breaking, rather what he objected to was practicing racking.
Click to expand...

This is absolutely correct. Raj was inferring that, right over his shoulder, Corey & Donny were practicing the art of rack rigging.

Alternating breaks is a great equalizer. What a shame, though, to lose the chance to see packages laid down.

Sometimes, pureness of a game, and what can be best marketed, are at odds.

Raj's candor was refreshing to me. I didn't take it as whining after not playing well, but rather him simply sharing his observations.

I think, overall, he gained some new fans.

Best,
Brian kc
 
Alternate break in 9-ball is just awful. 9-ball as is, in Texas Express form has become redundant and boring over the years. The last exciting 9-ball was back in the Efren/Earl peak of the mid 1990's...it's been downhill from there, especially with the rise of the ultra-boring Europeans who take 10 minutes per shot. Efren came up with the shots, Earl was a shotmaking run out machine. Now you got slow pokes and soft breakers. It's ugly.


Alternate break does nothing to solve the problems of the rack riggers. Instead of rack rigging and soft breaking one rack after the other, they just do it on their turn every other game!!!


What alternate break does is kill the game even more. Takes away the running of large packages. That's the same excitement killer as if you said 30 ball max runs in 14.1.


I think the whole issue was better articulated and discussed in the 10-ball threads. The main theme being that 9-ball is obsolete as the preeminent game of professional pool.
 
:smile:Raj's comments are refreshing !! Not that I agree with everything he says, but its nice to hear someone speak from the heart.

Raj sounds like he longs for the 9ball of yesteryear, but lets face it time marches on and changes are made. Sometimes change is good and sometimes it needs some tweaking.

I think one of the new racks should be implemented, like the Magic Rack, to speed up the process while imroving the rack quality. And winner breaks is more fun to watch. Call shot should be played as well, not counitng the 9 on the break.

Personally I think 9 ball wil never go away in the USA, and fans and pros will never agree on the way it should be played. Thats what makes this forum interesting :smile:
 
If the money was right, the players would play Six Ball! Yes you heard me right. And guess what, the best players would still win! You heard that right too!

I've seen it all before a million times. Richie Florence put on a big money tournament at the Tropicana Hotel in 1979 where the matches were two out of three games, two out of three sets. Long match huh!! At the end the best players won the money.

The World Series of Tavern Pool in the early 80's. Same thing, very short matches, similar to what Richie did, also on bar tables. Same result too, the best players got there in the end. Figure that one out! I already have.

Pool is half physical and the other half mental. Ask a few guys who know that post on here like Tom Mc. and Geno. See what they say.
 
Voodoo Daddy said:
Rackers arent easy to find, your right but if you want em bad enough you reach out deeper into the community for help. I think the one thing Id add is neither player can approach the rack after its been lifted from the table. Jays right on the heart and dealing with taking the heat. Ill volunteer NOW to rack next year...7 days 1 day/1 night shift, no problem.
Click to expand...

I volunteer as well!
 
jay helfert said:
Pool is half physical and the other half mental. Ask a few guys who know that post on here like Tom Mc. and Geno. See what they say.
Click to expand...

Actually, Jay, I believe that pool is 80% mental and the other half is physical! (Apologies to Yogi Berra.)

Brian in VA
 
I see 6 ball played around here too and its all in the rack....:lmao:
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top