Which one will happen First?

Tom In Cincy

AKA SactownTom
Silver Member
For the room owners to install nappy cloth? and change their tournaments to 8 ball?

Or, how long will it take the players to ask for nappy cloth and 8 ball tournaments?

The IPT may change the way room owners and players are doing things in todays pool rooms.

My guess would be by the end of Feb 06. After the IPT's 'King of the Hill' and then the 1st regular scheduled event.

Time will tell, but after waiting for 40 years, pocket billiards is starting to get exciting again.
 
Tom In Cincy said:
For the room owners to install nappy cloth? and change their tournaments to 8 ball?

Or, how long will it take the players to ask for nappy cloth and 8 ball tournaments?

The IPT may change the way room owners and players are doing things in todays pool rooms.

My guess would be by the end of Feb 06. After the IPT's 'King of the Hill' and then the 1st regular scheduled event.

Time will tell, but after waiting for 40 years, pocket billiards is starting to get exciting again.
Also, will we see more 8 ball action around the pool rooms because of this tour? Peace, John.
 
Tom In Cincy said:
For the room owners to install nappy cloth? and change their tournaments to 8 ball?

Or, how long will it take the players to ask for nappy cloth and 8 ball tournaments?

The IPT may change the way room owners and players are doing things in todays pool rooms.

My guess would be by the end of Feb 06. After the IPT's 'King of the Hill' and then the 1st regular scheduled event.

Time will tell, but after waiting for 40 years, pocket billiards is starting to get exciting again.

I definitely share the excitement with you.

Regarding nap, I think many pool halls already have it on some of their lower end tables. I know the pool hall I play in has nap cloth on the older Brunswicks.
 
Low end?

pete lafond said:
I definitely share the excitement with you.

Regarding nap, I think many pool halls already have it on some of their lower end tables. I know the pool hall I play in has nap cloth on the older Brunswicks.

I have nappy cloth on all my non-Brunswick gold crowns, which are located upstairs away from the action.
 
8-ball tournaments will increase in popularity very fast, and owners who don't already have some tables with 21oz cloth will eventually install it on a few tables.

Variety is the spice of life and pool has been to one sided when it comes to fast cloth and 9-ball, I hope even straight pool will get some more interest.

This tour will certainly not eliminate 9-ball action or simonis 860, If anything the popularity of all forms of pool and billiards will see an increase in popularity.


Also I would like to see a multi format tournament put on, I do remember seeing a few of these and I think it would be cool to see a 9-ball race to 11 and then an 8-ball race to 11 with a 10 ball tie breaker if needed. This would be an interesting format for any of the current 9-ball tour promoters giving you the best of both worlds.
 
Tom In Cincy said:
For the room owners to install nappy cloth? and change their tournaments to 8 ball?

Or, how long will it take the players to ask for nappy cloth and 8 ball tournaments?

The IPT may change the way room owners and players are doing things in todays pool rooms.

My guess would be by the end of Feb 06. After the IPT's 'King of the Hill' and then the 1st regular scheduled event.

Time will tell, but after waiting for 40 years, pocket billiards is starting to get exciting again.


There is a room on the West side of Phoenix that already has all of the tables covered in a beige nappy cloth... I did not know this when I drove by the room and noticed it for the first time...As I drove by at night...it was the typical people overflowing into the parking lot waiting for a table type room...

The one and only time I walked in....I noticed that the most popular cue in the place had some kind of fish bowl in the butt end of the cue..... and at only 37 years of age, I felt extremly old in this place....

However...even though (from what I saw) no one in the room could make more than a 3-ball run.......this room was packed...every table was in use (during the day)...and the game of choice in this room was 8-ball...

Perhaps the IPT is on to something regarding the marketing to the masses of pool players.....
 
It's going to crack me up when people start hitting each other up for 8 Ball action. I wonder what kind of handicapping system people will come up with. I think I would rather have the last 2 in 8 Ball than in 9 Ball. Could be food for thought.

Louis
 
Louis Ulrich said:
It's going to crack me up when people start hitting each other up for 8 Ball action. I wonder what kind of handicapping system people will come up with. I think I would rather have the last 2 in 8 Ball than in 9 Ball. Could be food for thought.

Louis

Hey Louis,

I don't know if your remember this action from a while back.

Tell someone you'll spot them all their balls except for one ball and the eight ball. The deal is you get to take their balls off the table. Sounds good for a newbie except the ball you leave on the table is the one tied up. They can not make it and you now have an open table.
 
Tom,

I think the players will be requesting the ph owners to change the tables to nappy cloth first.

The ph's that I've been to usually have simonis 860 on there tables. A couple of places have nappy cloth but their tables aren't in very good shape. It's going to be interesting to see the best tables in the house or the "action table" having nappy cloth on it.

I'm also interested to see how players match up in 8b. And, like you, I'm really excited to see what kind of impact IPT is going to have on pool in general. It's really an exciting time for pool!!!
 
Rickw said:
A couple of places have nappy cloth but their tables aren't in very good shape

Therein is one of the flaws in the concept of moving back to heavy napped cloth - It does not wear as well or stay as consistent as napless/worsted cloths like Simonis.

For IPT and other pro tournament setups where new cloth is always installed on new tables just for the event this is not an issue; brand new napped cloth can play great. (Just look at all the big professional Snooker tournaments played on heavy napped cloth). But in heavy commercial use it quickly degrades, shedding pills, rolling funny and getting really, really slow.

I would personally consider it a step backwards if heavy nap cloth becomes the standard installed on the "good" tables in most rooms, unless it is changed more frequently than the napless worsted cloths used now.
 
I was wondering how many of the '43' has new nappy cloth on their practice table and reading anything they can get their hands on that will give them an edge at 8 Ball.

I wonder when they will publish the new IPT 8 Ball RULES?
 
I like 8-ball and like to see that it is going to get more attention, but the purpose of having to play on "nappy" cloth instead of Simonis totally escapes me. Why was this instituted as part of the IPT requirements? I'd really hate to see everybody changing back to it. However, if that's what it takes for some unfathomable reason to crank up pool again I'm all for it.
 
pete lafond said:
Hey Louis,

I don't know if your remember this action from a while back.

Tell someone you'll spot them all their balls except for one ball and the eight ball. The deal is you get to take their balls off the table. Sounds good for a newbie except the ball you leave on the table is the one tied up. They can not make it and you now have an open table.

Let me know if you find somebody willing to play that game!! :)
 
If any pool hall switches out simonis to put in Mali Nap cloth I would be shocked. I agree with a previous poster that this would seem to be a step backward.
 
napy cloth

I am one owner that wont switch, the kids and some of the better players slam balls now, and with the slower cloth it will be hell, might have to have a hard hat area.
 
uwate said:
If any pool hall switches out simonis to put in Mali Nap cloth I would be shocked. I agree with a previous poster that this would seem to be a step backward.

Keep in mind Simonis in the last 15 years or so has invested heavily in tournament advertising as the "cloth of champions." Please repeat after me in your best Mitch Laurence voice "Beautiful Simonis Cloth."

This translates into virtual monopoly on the better tables/clubs when the only billiards on TV is 9-ball, played on Simonis 860 or 760 cloth, and all players are noodging the management for it when time to change cloth on tables in the local room rolls around. Most rooms keep the cloth a year or so or more depending on useage, clientele standards, leavened by cheapness of owners, etc.

Simonis has had a virtual monopoly hold on the informed pool player market for a while, and charges almost twice (insert facts are nice here) as much as some very acceptable but nappy longer-wearing cloth. I note here in Japan some rooms have started installing a Korean brand cloth heavier than Simonis but very playable in a polyester slick way.

It will change, especially if they advertise the cloth, but it will take a while to change over, and Simonis or Granito for 3C tables is great product to play on.

I don't really care in the long run, since table conditions change and must be adapted to snd my opponents must play on it as well, but my preference is the faster Simonis 760.
 
highrun55 said:
I am one owner that wont switch, the kids and some of the better players slam balls now, and with the slower cloth it will be hell, might have to have a hard hat area.

Long ago, one tavern had a rule that putting a ball on the floor was a quarter in the Juke Box (or kitty) and the regulars would all shout it out! Kept some of that action down, taught manners, and was a reasonable fine for abusing the equipment.
 
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