One of the things Hunter said that I agree with 100% is that Mika plays on emotion. This can hurt his game at times. I will, however, say that when he's at his best I don't think anyone can beat him.
Turning Stone XXV Day 3 Update Thread
- Thread starter Cardigan Kid
- Start date
One of the things Hunter said that I agree with 100% is that Mika plays on emotion. This can hurt his game at times. I will, however, say that when he's at his best I don't think anyone can beat him.
Sorry Scott but Mike totally in the wrong there you watch the video any other player might have given him a back hand, that's what he deserves for that kind of stuff!!
He can be a head case I don't know if he's unbeatable in top gear but he's pretty dam good and will give anyone in the world a battle they won't forget , would love to see him matching up in long sets
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Maybe I'm wrong but I don't think Mika gambles. In a long set I like his end of it because he keeps himself in shape.
I think there are a bunch of top players who look unbeatable at their best. Think of the top gear that Shane, Alex, Jayson, Earl, Rodney, at least half a dozen Filipinos and Taiwanese players can hit. Any one of those players in top gear look like no one on the planet can touch them, at least until they cool off or run into another player equally on fire.
To me, the difference among the super elite pros is (a) how often they find that gear (think of Earl now versus in the 1990s); and (b) how well they play and can grind out wins when they don't have their top gear.
Gideon
That is why he is allegedly misunderstood. I thought he was kidding around.
Down here in the states you get to see world class play pretty often , you also can see who has that it factor something that seperates them from the others , Mika has that I doubt many who watched him play over the yrs would not agree he's a very special player he just has that it factor few have , I think to some extent he's been Americanized and lost some of that enjoying American lifestyle but if he decides to drop that and dance with what got him here , he could be someone to recon with
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You may remember that we discussed this subject about a year ago (http://forums.azbilliards.com/showpost.php?p=5275358&postcount=37).
Since Immonen won today from the losers' side, the Turning Stone record is now 10 winners from the winners' side and 14 from the losers' side in the last 24 events. [I still don't know whether Immonen won the first event undefeated.
So Erick won the single elimination event.
Mika won the double...DOH...that's right. Erick didn't get a second set.
The single extended race in a double elimination event is something I will never agree with.
Mika played some tremendous pool there. It was also interesting to listen to him talk about switching shafts after his loss to Erick, and why.
But as far as I am concerned, Mika won the first set 9-2, and who knows who would have won the lag to start the second set.
If Mika had his opportunity to regroup after his loss, swap out his equipment and have a heart to heart with himself, Erick should be afforded the same opportunity. Instead of having to face long odds and make a tremendous comeback, the slate should have been wiped, the score reset to zero zero, and let them both come out swinging.
This IMO is the ONLY thing Zuglan is butchering.
The only stain on what is otherwise, the best run tournament and the best venue in the country.
Mika won the double...DOH...that's right. Erick didn't get a second set.
The single extended race in a double elimination event is something I will never agree with.
Mika played some tremendous pool there. It was also interesting to listen to him talk about switching shafts after his loss to Erick, and why.
But as far as I am concerned, Mika won the first set 9-2, and who knows who would have won the lag to start the second set.
If Mika had his opportunity to regroup after his loss, swap out his equipment and have a heart to heart with himself, Erick should be afforded the same opportunity. Instead of having to face long odds and make a tremendous comeback, the slate should have been wiped, the score reset to zero zero, and let them both come out swinging.
This IMO is the ONLY thing Zuglan is butchering.
The only stain on what is otherwise, the best run tournament and the best venue in the country.
Wow, how time flies. Thanks for refreshing my memory.
So it's statistically safe to say, the odds are against you if you run undefeated through Turning Stone and wait in the hot seat.
Like Superstar says, I wonder if there is an edge to losing and taking time to make changes and regroup.
When Shaw won his first TS, he lost his first match to the Canadian player Parent. I sat by his table the whole match and he seemed almost lackadaisical in his play. I got the sneaking suspicion that he laid off in that match so he could steamroll through the dead money and not have to face many monsters until the end of the tourney.
There is. You get to review your play. Your mentality. Your approach. Your equipment. Your game plan. Your energy. Your mood. Everything.
All with a brand new lease on life at zero zero and not when you are getting pounded on and trying to come up for air.
Anyone who has ever played a lot of pool knows that every set is different.
Why every player BUT the winner of the hot seat, gets the opportunity to learn from their mistakes and analyze their game to try and address any issues is beyond me.
It's just stupid.
Especially, when every other JOSS event but the Turning Stone tournaments are true double elimination.
You are wrong.
I have played many tournaments both ways and makes absolutely no difference to me. Although I do prefer being on the winner's side at all times.
That makes no sense to me, you have no way of knowing when you will face the top players especially after a couple of rounds. Usually you have to beat more tough players from the loser side than you do on the winners.
It was 9-6.
I see that score is missing from the brackets on AzB. That match was streamed, so the score can be found here: http://forums.azbilliards.com/showthread.php?t=415931