What is the format of the finals?
- Thread starter f210
- Start date
agreed, the NA Open final was ridiculous.
Personally, i'd do a race to 25 or 30, make it an all day affair.
Personally, i'd do a race to 25 or 30, make it an all day affair.
The race to 8 in the finals of the NA Open was ridiculous. It is one of the few decisions by the IPT that I've been strongly opposed to. Hopefully, the IPT has heard enough outcry after the NA Open to reconsider deciding a champion based on so short a race. It should be a minimum of race to 15, or best of 3 sets, race to eight, or, better yet, as previously suggested, a race to 25.
jjinfla said:
Race to 7 2 out of three, like the womens US Open Tennis.
ttt for confirmation
Snapshot9 said:
If this format is adopted, it should also be alternating breaks per set. So the player that wins the right to break in the first rack of set one, gets it in the opening rack of set three, but not set two.
Snapshot9 said:
Or you could make the third set sudden death, like tennis, race to 5 win by two, alternate brakes.
Press release
Reading the official press release (referenced on the front page of the website, and link to), I found this:
(excerpt)
Before he left for the evening, Rodney answered what the thought of playing for so much money feels like. “It feels wonderful. It feels like … I really feel good about myself. Efren is the greatest that ever lived, as far as pool, in my opinion, but he’s fifty-two years old, and I’m in my prime, I think. So I’m ready. If I just play my game, I think I’ll be fine. And I’m not even worried about the money. I mean, I’m excited about it, but if I think about the money while I’m playing, I’m not gonna win. The money’s not even a thought right now. I got one more race to eight. I gotta get eight games tomorrow and that’s it. He’ll never get eight.”
========================================================
So it looks like it is just 1 race to 8, which will probably be better for Rodney. Still think 2 out of 3 race to 8 is better.
So it will go from a minimum of $33,333 a game (15 games) to a maximum of $62,500 a game (8 games).
Reading the official press release (referenced on the front page of the website, and link to), I found this:
(excerpt)
Before he left for the evening, Rodney answered what the thought of playing for so much money feels like. “It feels wonderful. It feels like … I really feel good about myself. Efren is the greatest that ever lived, as far as pool, in my opinion, but he’s fifty-two years old, and I’m in my prime, I think. So I’m ready. If I just play my game, I think I’ll be fine. And I’m not even worried about the money. I mean, I’m excited about it, but if I think about the money while I’m playing, I’m not gonna win. The money’s not even a thought right now. I got one more race to eight. I gotta get eight games tomorrow and that’s it. He’ll never get eight.”
========================================================
So it looks like it is just 1 race to 8, which will probably be better for Rodney. Still think 2 out of 3 race to 8 is better.
So it will go from a minimum of $33,333 a game (15 games) to a maximum of $62,500 a game (8 games).
Good God not again! I really think the better player (Efren) is getting
completely screwed here.
completely screwed here.
jjinfla said:
Two out of three races to 8 is by far the best format for the final. Race to 15 can allow for a person to get a early lead that is almost insurmountable. In 2/3 races to 8 even if you lose the first set you are still very much in it. Whoever wins best 2/3 races to 8 would have earned it over the other opponent with both getting their chances.
smashmouth said:
I don't know if I would go as far as to say Efren is getting "screwed" but a longer format always determines who the better player is on that particular day. I think the players and the fans also would prefer to see a different format for the finals, but it's not up to us to make the rules.
2 out of 3 races to 8 is too long for TV, and I wouldn't change the race to 8 format that is used for the whole tournament.
But 2 races to 8 might work, and then a tie breaker game if they split the 2 sets, or best out of 3 to break the tie. You should be able to edit that down to a nice 2 hour show, and even live it should be close to 2 hours, heck I would mind adding a shot clock of some kind to make sure it doesn't go to long.
One set to 8 is just crazy.
Also, should the stats for the final be kept separate from the rest of the tournament like say the world series stats are?
But 2 races to 8 might work, and then a tie breaker game if they split the 2 sets, or best out of 3 to break the tie. You should be able to edit that down to a nice 2 hour show, and even live it should be close to 2 hours, heck I would mind adding a shot clock of some kind to make sure it doesn't go to long.
One set to 8 is just crazy.
Also, should the stats for the final be kept separate from the rest of the tournament like say the world series stats are?
This debate seems to come up from time to time here on AZB, though in many different forms.
Some are shocked by the fact that ESPN televised finals are always races to seven, even in some tournaments where the standard match race is nine or eleven. Others bemoan the fact that "true double elimination" is not used in televised events.
I've always felt that having a final suitable in length for the intended television audience is more important than tending to the interests of the players.
Perhaps when pool becomes more popular with its television viewing audience, a longer final may be appropriate for its most special events. Right now, the IPT probably feels that a one set final will be more suitable for its television audience. I don't have as much marketing savvy as they do, but I'm inclined to agree.
One race to eight is, in my view, just right.
Some are shocked by the fact that ESPN televised finals are always races to seven, even in some tournaments where the standard match race is nine or eleven. Others bemoan the fact that "true double elimination" is not used in televised events.
I've always felt that having a final suitable in length for the intended television audience is more important than tending to the interests of the players.
Perhaps when pool becomes more popular with its television viewing audience, a longer final may be appropriate for its most special events. Right now, the IPT probably feels that a one set final will be more suitable for its television audience. I don't have as much marketing savvy as they do, but I'm inclined to agree.
One race to eight is, in my view, just right.
I am sure that no matter what the format is the winner is going to think it is great.
If you listened to the latest CD by Kevin you will find out that they kept records of all qualifiers where the races were to 10. They found that in 94% of the time the person who reached 8 first was the winner. So statistically there is not much difference in a race to 8 or 10.
Jake
If you listened to the latest CD by Kevin you will find out that they kept records of all qualifiers where the races were to 10. They found that in 94% of the time the person who reached 8 first was the winner. So statistically there is not much difference in a race to 8 or 10.
Jake