this is why I hate 9 ball

Interesting match yesterday at the Euro Tour event in Albania.

Mika Immonen was ahead of Joshua Filler 7-1.

Filler won 9-7.

Alternating breaks.

Oh man, I gotta watch that.
Would that be available on kazoom?
I've been toying with the idea of getting a subscription for that, to watch that match might just be the reason to do it.

Thanks for the heads up.
 
Love 9 Ball. WOW...Nice racking and breaking demonstration there. Racking took longer than Shaw's B&R's.

Searched for the final with Mora with no luck. Did Shaw stay in stroke in Final ? Anybody have a link ?

Best rolls,

-Kat,
 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IY1yV8PEY6s

World champion doesn't get a real chance in a race to 9 until he's down 8-0. What other sport can you think of where a World Champ and a hall of famer in his prime gets so effortlessly destroyed by another player. Can you imagine someone destroying Floyd Maywheather so effortlessly in a ring? Just toying with him without breaking a sweat? Or chess champion Magnus Carlsen? Too much luck in 9 ball or perhaps in pool in general. If you test their stroke and CB control there's no way Jason is that much better than Mika.

8-0 effortless?
his 8-0 is just a straight punch in the opponent's face, he isn't KO yet. Since it is a race to 9, he can now return the damage...
 
As I said above: ALTERNATE BREAKS!
It is the future of this game.
Winner breaks is out. Alternate breaks is in.
ESPECIALLY at the pro level.

That only results in longer matches. If a player breaks&runs all the time he is going to win no matter the breaking format.
I prefer to see an 8 pack and the other player needing to come back, than a b&r of player 1, b&r player 2, until 8-8 etc.
Think about that, the winner doesn't depend of the breaking format, and in a perfect set, the winner is determied by the winner of the lag.
 
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I would expect that answer from a top level chess player (part of the Texas Tech program?). Makes some sense in that game because there's an inherent advantage to moving first.

However, there is one move before the first break in a 9 ball tournament that isn't present in a format like chess: the lag. Both players have the opportunity to use a skill shot to have that advantage of breaking first. Want to go first? Lag better than the other guy.

Lag matters only because of the stupid rule of win by 1 rack
Rule should be changed to win by 2 racks especially for semis and final. Set limit of number of racks . If still no winner by 2 racks then shoot 5 long shots each to determine winner
 
Oh man, I gotta watch that.
Would that be available on kazoom?
I've been toying with the idea of getting a subscription for that, to watch that match might just be the reason to do it.

Thanks for the heads up.

Looks like Kozoom has a lot of free videos to watch, but none from this recent event yet. Whether that one will be available, I do not know.
 
You're delusional, what you're describing isn't pool. Neither is alternating breaks.

You play the racks as they present themselves. You toss a beating when you can, when someone tosses you a beating you take it like a man, flip a coin & play again, if you have the heart for it.

I always find it ironic they nicknamed him "Iceman". More like Ice Princess, he's always been a fussy little b*tch. The fact that he was one of the loudest voices crying years ago that led to alternating breaks makes watching him get worked like this that much more pleasurable.

I agree 100%.
 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IY1yV8PEY6s

World champion doesn't get a real chance in a race to 9 until he's down 8-0. What other sport can you think of where a World Champ and a hall of famer in his prime gets so effortlessly destroyed by another player. Can you imagine someone destroying Floyd Maywheather so effortlessly in a ring? Just toying with him without breaking a sweat? Or chess champion Magnus Carlsen? Too much luck in 9 ball or perhaps in pool in general. If you test their stroke and CB control there's no way Jason is that much better than Mika.

Mika? Is that you?
 
Remember, in 14.1 you start with a full rack and specific break requirements. Someone doesn't just get up and start running balls, and the other guy sits in his seat. For someone to start shooting in 14.1, someone else has to make a mistake and leave a shot.

No real luck involved.

Anyhow, Mika lost because he didn't play well. I don't think he's whiny or arrogant. I think he's pissed at himself for not playing as well as he should. Not only dd he play some bad safeties, when he finally got to the table he scratched on the break.
 
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That's what the folk purists told Bob Dylan when he plugged in. Somehow this electric guitar thing worked out.

you're vision for pool is like what dylan's was for music? :grin: ;)

breaking after winning a rack is a just reward.

stringing racks together is a thing of beauty.

alternating breaks reminds me of all of those misguided (imo) social programs where Big Brother kept stepping in to level playing fields.

I guess the next thing we'll be seeing are participation trophies for all who show up.

I'm weary from hearing 9b is a game of luck. While there certainly are some lucky shots that count or unintended good or bad rolls, the game is for the very most part a game of skill.

If 9b was all about luck then we wouldn't keep seeing the same familiar names finishing at the top in big tourneys. It's talent and skill that consistently keeps them up there.

imo

best,
brian kc
 
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bunch o lucky bastards

same lucky bunch poor mika..not

anyone ever hear the horsefuxing comment? that was luck too
 
you're vision for pool is like what dylan's was for music? :grin: ;)

breaking after winning a rack is a just reward.

stringing racks together is a thing of beauty.

alternating breaks reminds of all of those misguided (imo) social programs where Big Brother kept stepping in to level playing fields.

I guess the next thing we'll be seeing are participation trophies for all who show up.

I'm weary from hearing 9b is a game of luck. While there certainly are some lucky shots that count or unintended good or bad rolls, the game is for the very most part a game of skill.

If 9b was all about luck then we wouldn't keep seeing the same familiar names finishing at the top in big tourneys. It's talent and skill that consistently keeps them up there.

imo

best,
brian kc


Alternating breaks is a good thing. When these pros get a certain level, the game isn't hard anymore. They can consistently win against the ghost. Instead of there being 9 balls on the table, let's say there were only 3 or 4... pretty sure any pro could break and run that 20+ times in a row no problem. At a certain point, most of the pros look at 9 balls the way most of us would look at 3 or 4.

So at that point, why would you ever go to a competition? The winner would be decided by the coin toss.
 
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While I like winner beaks, I sincerely believe that this sport should adopt alternate breaks forever to avoid situations demonstrated in the OP.

It only has advantages and is fair to everyone. Everyone gets equal chances.
 
NEWS FLASH

People that don't like a fast, furious, and dangerous game like nine-ball.....
....don't have to play nine-ball.
 
While I like winner beaks, I sincerely believe that this sport should adopt alternate breaks forever to avoid situations demonstrated in the OP.

It only has advantages and is fair to everyone. Everyone gets equal chances.

just to be clear, in the op's referenced Mika v Jayson match, despite Upstate Al repeatedly saying Mika (or Meeker :grin:) didn't do anything wrong, he actually did.

Mika missed a ball that he had a clear shot on in the upper left corner; he did later win a game and had control of the table then scratched on the subsequent break, and he played a poor safety that resulted in Jayson having a combo on the 9 which he made and then Mika was actually making hand motions at that pocket like it was a gaffe pocket for letting that shot in.

The bottom line was that Mika had chances in that match but fell victim to the masterful play Jayson displayed on that particular day.

To say Mika didn't have an equal chance in that match is not accurate.

best,
brian kc
 
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just to be clear, in the op's referenced Mika v Jayson match, despite Upstate Al repeatedly saying Mika (or Meeker :grin:) didn't do anything wrong, he actually did.

Mika missed a ball that he had a clear shot on in the upper left corner; he did later win a game and had control of the table then scratched on the subsequent break, and he played a poor safety that resulted in Jayson having a combo on the 9 which he made and then Mika was actually making hand motions at that pocket like it was a gaffe pocket for letting that shot in.

The bottom line was that Mika had chances in that match but fell victim to the masterful play Jayson displayed on that particular day.

To say Mika didn't have an equal chance in that match is not accurate.

best,
brian kc

Oh I know. I should have clarified.
 
While I like winner beaks, I sincerely believe that this sport should adopt alternate breaks forever to avoid situations demonstrated in the OP.

It only has advantages and is fair to everyone. Everyone gets equal chances.

I like winner breaks too, but with a set format. Race to 5, best of 3 sets. Suddendeath, after the 2nd set, if time constraints are required. Though I understand the use of Alternate breaks, I feel that it really doesn't showcase a players ability to string racks. A set format can show that ability and still allow the other player a chance to do the same in the following set.
 
When you have a very strong field in non handicapped 9 ball tournaments and you are playing short sets, up to 7 games, you have to alternate breaks otherwise the lower players have no shot. You can have a B player win a match if they are on their game and get a few rolls. B players have no chance in short race ses non handicapped tournaments if you use a winner break format.
 
Remember, in 14.1 you start with a full rack and specific break requirements. Someone doesn't just get up and start running balls, and the other guy sits in his seat. For someone to start shooting in 14.1, someone else has to make a mistake and leave a shot.

No real luck involved.


while all luck cannot be eliminated
straight pool is my favorite, now only pocket game i can still enjoy

has the least amount of luck

no quick possible way to win,
no unlucky lose ball, or win ball on the break

and its just far more interesting to me than any other pocket game
 
I ike it.

I like 9 Ball and find it and 10 Ball the most entertaining of all the games. Especially if I am watching pros on TV playing on 9 foot tables. It seems like America's game.

I like winner breaks. I like the speed of it, the cue ball movement, the safety play, and the possibilty of a player stringing racks together.

I don't live in a real pool playing town, the local pool hall can't even stay upen due to a lack of motivated players. The shooters around here shoot for fun and like the bar box tables, even though most are in poor condition.

Not much of a chance of any one stringing racks together and most get into trouble after 3 or 4 balls. But, they still like paying pool, so good for them!

Any pool is probably better then no pool and if I really don't like a game I don't play it.
 
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