(I am assuming that both players were playing to win. Stranger things have happened when big money is on the line. Does anyone know who the odds makers had winning?) My point: Earl should have had a solid corner man. Maybe someone like Nick Varner would have made a great corner man. Earl was all alone. On the other hand, Efren had a few heavy hitters from the pool industry in his corner. And even some celebrities/politicians if I remember correctly. Earl should have paid Nick's way. Then a bet could have been made in such a way as to cover the cost. Bet a small amount on Efren. Or take it out of Earl's winnings. The cost either way would have been negligible.
I remember it like it was yesterdzay,
Earl was luckier at the start of the match (day 1, and half of day 2) at the end of day 2 both were as lucky.
Day 3 the luck reversed, Efren was muuuuuuch more luckier especially on the break. Every break worked flawlessly for Efren while the break stopped working for Earl even though it had worked in day 1 and day 2....but day 3 the pool gods decided that Earl's break shouldn't work.
Also some tiny stuff in the middle of day 3 where the luck was heavily on Efrens' favor, I remember a foul which got Earl very annoyed. Also a miscue? You can say miscue isnt a luck but I think the break is the big factor on day 3.
It's luck, pure luck because the break swinged, its not like someone learned something! But who knows maybe the racker did something....go back and watch how the break on day 1 Favors earl where he led by 17 racks, then on day 3 the break swang to favor Efren biiiiiig time. Its sad that the most important shot in pool is a luck shot, I know lot of people still swear by "PRACTICE THE BREAK" but thats to me is bullshit because each table is different even if its the same brand, same cloth. And even if you broke on the same table, you can literally come 2 hours later and it'll break different again, so don't tell me "Learn the table you break in" or "practice the break" both of which are bull.
Whenever we find a way to eliminate two things (One is the break, the 2nd needs another thread) in pool then we'll start talkin that pool can get somewhere, until then the game of billiard will stay where it is whereas the most important shot is a luck shot. And the second thing to fix if you want pool to get anywhere is when somebody misses & shot which he intended to pot then it is all left to pool gods to decide what happens next....2way shot is a myth, but that's a topic for another thread I could write a book about this issue.
