Turning Stone XXII- the prediction thread

Just watched hohmann vs morra....dechaine vs shane...Ernesto Dominguez vs sossei all go hill hill....The tension is insane.

This tournament is amazing.
 
Just watched hohmann vs morra....dechaine vs shane...Ernesto Dominguez vs sossei all go hill hill....The tension is insane.

This tournament is amazing.

Yup, the cream has really risen to the top.

Dechaine beats Van Boening, again, just as he did at Derby City each of the past two years. This was after Mike beat John Morra.

Let's face it, the Joss tour is by far the strongest regional tour in America, with Dechaine and Shaw it's two best players, followed by Sossei and Strickland. The guys are very tough to beat. and at least two of them will post a fifth place finish or better.

Winning the Turning Stone event tomorrow will be a great feat for somebody, and good luck to all the remaining players.

Sad we had to miss the Dechaine vs Van Boening match, which figured to be a nailbiter, but I guess Upstate Al figured we'd see plenty of Mike and Shane on Sunday, so it's tough to fault his choice to show Archer vs Earl instead on the stream table.
 
Yup, the cream has really risen to the top.

Dechaine beats Van Boening, again, just as he did at Derby City each of the past two years. This was after Mike beat John Morra.

Let's face it, the Joss tour is by far the strongest regional tour in America, with Dechaine and Shaw it's two best players, followed by Sossei and Strickland. The guys are very tough to beat. and at least two of them will post a fifth place finish or better.

Winning the Turning Stone event tomorrow will be a great feat for somebody, and good luck to all the remaining players.

Sad we had to miss the Dechaine vs Van Boening match, which figured to be a nailbiter, but I guess Upstate Al figured we'd see plenty of Mike and Shane on Sunday, so it's tough to fault his choice to show Archer vs Earl instead on the stream table.

I'm at the tournament and the decision to put earl and archer on the stream table and dechaine Shane all the way over on the other side of the arena was odd. I was hoping they would be next to each other, so if one got over early, you just pan the camera up and view the other. As for being here in person I chose to sit by Shane and Mike while standing up on my chair to watch earl run out in front of the massive crowd.

The tension between Shane and Mike started out light but as the racking problems persisted, Shane threw the rack on the table and lost his cool. Never saw that before. He was down 8 to 4 and dropped a 4 pack to tie it up, then it was a safety battle back and forth. Stellar play by both.
You are right, the joss tour is excellent. Extreme talent. It's going to be a great Sunday finals.
 
You are right, the joss tour is excellent. Extreme talent. It's going to be a great Sunday finals.

So true. The Joss tour just doesn't get the credit it deserves. Jayson Shaw, second best player on the Joss tour has just eliminated Van Boening, who was sent to the B side by the Joss Tour's best player in each of the last two years, Mike Dechaine.

Kudos to Mike Zuglan for keeping this strong tour going for all these years.
 
So true. The Joss tour just doesn't get the credit it deserves. Jayson Shaw, second best player on the Joss tour has just eliminated Van Boening, who was sent to the B side by the Joss Tour's best player in each of the last two years, Mike Dechaine.

Kudos to Mike Zuglan for keeping this strong tour going for all these years.

If I was a super strong player, the Joss tour might be the "regional tour" I'd have a lesser chance to be crowned. Frightening opponents at every other turn.

Turning Stone jacks it up, and seems no walk in the park any time it's racked.

Hat's off.
 
So true. The Joss tour just doesn't get the credit it deserves. Jayson Shaw, second best player on the Joss tour has just eliminated Van Boening, who was sent to the B side by the Joss Tour's best player in each of the last two years, Mike Dechaine.

Kudos to Mike Zuglan for keeping this strong tour going for all these years.

I'd just like to mention the loyal support Dan Janes gives to the tour.
Zuglan and Janes, a great combo.
 
I'd just like to mention the loyal support Dan Janes gives to the tour.
Zuglan and Janes, a great combo.

Thanks for this. Though I've probably met him at some point over the years, I am not familiar with Dan and I'll make an effort to meet him next time I attend a Joss tour event.

Since August 1, Jeremy Sossei (Steinway Classic), Mike Dechaine (Turning Stone) and Jayson Shaw (Turning Stone) have each played Shane Van Boening and Shane has lost to these Joss tour players in all three matches.

No doubt, Dan and Mike are feeling good about the level of play among Joss tour regulars. Wishing them continued success.
 
Thanks for this. Though I've probably met him at some point over the years, I am not familiar with Dan and I'll make an effort to meet him next time I attend a Joss tour event.

Since August 1, Jeremy Sossei (Steinway Classic), Mike Dechaine (Turning Stone) and Jayson Shaw (Turning Stone) have each played Shane Van Boening and Shane has lost to these Joss tour players in all three matches.

No doubt, Dan and Mike are feeling good about the level of play among Joss tour regulars. Wishing them continued success.

Stu, will you be coming to the Joss event in Waterville, Maine in a couple weeks?

I had a couple friends talking about going to watch some...haven't gotten that past the executive branch's planning committee yet :p
 
The tension between Shane and Mike started out light but as the racking problems persisted, Shane threw the rack on the table and lost his cool. Never saw that before. He was down 8 to 4 and dropped a 4 pack to tie it up, then it was a safety battle back and forth. Stellar play by both.

I know nothing about rigging racks, but the practice has to stop. All the pros seem to know what a rigged rack looks like and won't accept it, but the opponent keeps trying, all the while claiming, "What are you talking about, it's a perfect rack?" The war of attrition is on, and either the guy finally accepts a rack he doesn't really like, or he blows up like Shane did.

I saw so much of this over the past few days that I'm getting disgusted by it. As explained by one of the top players in attendance, there are ways to fuss with the rack and leave tiny gaps here and there that lead to balls being wired to just miss pockets. I said it appeared that all the fussing over trying to get a decent rack was actually an attempt to rig the rack instead. The answer was yes, without a doubt. And the protestations of innocence? Fake, without a doubt.

SVB: "All I want is an honest rack."

MD: "Are you accusing me of cheating in public?"

I'm not inside Shane's head, but "Yes", probably.


I don't know what to think about this. So much of the animosity appears to revolve around a few players, but I'm sure the practice of rack rigging is widely known and practiced throughout the pool world at this point.

The answer (according to the same pro that explained what is occurring) is to use the Magic Rack, 9 on the spot instead of the 1, break from inside the box. That way the wing ball isn't wired. Does this sound familiar? I'm sure I've heard this recommended somewhere before.


Best comeback line I heard to an opponent (not MD) was from Ernesto. He asked for a re-rack because he spotted a big gap in it, one of the only time I saw he find fault with a rack. The opponent said, "But you'll make the 6 that way." (but maybe leave no shot on the 1, who knows?). The opponent insisted that Ernesto rack his own if he didn't like it. Which he grudging did, and broke dry IIRC.

The next rack Ernesto said was crooked. More protestations. "Haven't you made a ball on every rack I gave you?" Ernesto looks at the player and says, "It's OK. I know your trying you're best."

Zing. :cool:
 
Ha, ha! Just after I posted this, I was watching how Rodney Morris just took a photo of the rack Mike Dechaine gave him. Then he broke the balls and the announcers said, "Look at that. He got the same result."

Very suspicious to me.
 
Thanks for this. Though I've probably met him at some point over the years, I am not familiar with Dan and I'll make an effort to meet him next time I attend a Joss tour event.

No doubt, Dan and Mike are feeling good about the level of play among Joss tour regulars. Wishing them continued success.

From what I know of you on AZ, sir, you and Dan will get along just fine.
Dan, like me, is a bookworm....that's where he got the idea for JOSS...
..from a James Clavell novel.
I mentioned James Lee Burke to him once...he hadn't heard of him so I
bought him one. He not only liked him, he shipped me a big carton of
hardbacks, only read once...saved me a few hundred.....
....the book I bought him was a paperback....:embarrassed2:
 
I thought there was something strange about the Jayson Shaw vs. SVB match. I previously watched the Strickland vs. Archer match and swore that I saw the loser rack. Then when I watched the Shaw vs. VB match, they were definitely racking for themselves. At the time I thought that I may have been mistaken when I recalled Strickland and Archer racking for each other.
 
I thought there was something strange about the Jayson Shaw vs. SVB match. I previously watched the Strickland vs. Archer match and swore that I saw the loser rack. Then when I watched the Shaw vs. VB match, they were definitely racking for themselves. At the time I thought that I may have been mistaken when I recalled Strickland and Archer racking for each other.

You are correct. Some players agree just to rack themselves not for each other. But as it was explained to me by another pro here, you can rack so a ball drops every time. Shane and Shaw just agreed to rack themselves and just go with it. Shaw broke and ran last three or four and Shane was out.

I don't know why the magic rack just isn't used. If a ball drops every time then just alternate breaks.

The skill by these guys is so unreal they are always looking for an edge.

One of the announcers I talked to said pat Fleming is trying to push the rule that after the break the incoming player either must push or force the opponent to push. I'm still trying to get my head wrapped around that.
 
Ok, I just got clarification. Part Fleming has done this in his challenge matches where after the break, the incoming player is either forced to push out our forces his opponent to push out. So the advantage goes l still rests with you if you make a ball, you force your opponent to push and play from there because you still have control of the table.

But this way all the taking arguments are null and void. Fir the most part.

Edit: and you rack for yourself all the time. I left that part out. Sorry
 
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Well, Turning Stone has delivered again. We've got a great final four.

Immonen: Former US Open 9-ball and World 9-ball Champion

Morris: Former US Open 9-ball Champion

Dechaine: Top player on the Joss tour for two years now and the best American player on the East coast by far.

Shaw: Second best player on the Joss tour, 3rd in the 2014 US Open 9-ball, and Dechaine's greatest rival.

Hot seat match will be a good one but the better match will be Dechaine vs. Shaw. Mike and Jayson are the best of friends away from the table but when they play each other, the intensity is high and the rivalry is fierce.

Congrats due to Earl Strickland for his solid 5th place finish.

Good luck to the final four.
 
All pro/open 9 ball should be MR, 9 on head spot, break from a small box, and no soft breaks. It worked well at the MC for 5 days, why not use it? Because the English came up with it? Very childish. Johnnyt
 
Well, Turning Stone has delivered again. We've got a great final four.

Immonen: Former US Open 9-ball and World 9-ball Champion

Morris: Former US Open 9-ball Champion

Dechaine: Top player on the Joss tour for two years now and the best American player on the East coast by far.

Shaw: Second best player on the Joss tour, 3rd in the 2014 US Open 9-ball, and Dechaine's greatest rival.

Hot seat match will be a good one but the better match will be Dechaine vs. Shaw. Mike and Jayson are the best of friends away from the table but when they play each other, the intensity is high and the rivalry is fierce.

Congrats due to Earl Strickland for his solid 5th place finish.

Good luck to the final four.

Shaw is playing amazing. In the TAR ten questions video he says he feels he pockets balls better than anyone, and he is right. Amazing player. He is up on dechaine now.

Rodney was ahead 4-2 on mika, hung a nine ball, and now it's 8-4. Amazing at this'd level, what one mistake will cost you
 
All pro/open 9 ball should be MR, 9 on head spot, break from a small box, and no soft breaks. It worked well at the MC for 5 days, why not use it? Because the English came up with it? Very childish. Johnnyt

Absolutely agree. You are right
 
Wow, what a finish! At double hill, Mike hooks Jayson but Jayson kicks in the one-nine combo to win 9-8. Just another chapter in this magnificent rivalry.

Mike vs Rodney for a shot at Mika in the finals. This is fun!
 
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