World 10-ball

[benjaminwah]

Hooooly crap that Ko Pin Yi/Jesus Atencio match was amazing.

 

[BeiberLvr]

Nice win for Sky over Kazakis.

 

[BRussell]

I think it’s great that Savannah Easton likes and plays pool well, but I’m sorry I don’t really want a 13-year-old girl doing commentary on the 10-ball world championship. Am I the asshle?

 

[nicksaint26]

I think it’s great that Savannah Easton likes and plays pool well, but I’m sorry I don’t really want a 13-year-old girl doing commentary on the 10-ball world championship. Am I the asshle?

Yea since it's not Savannah. It's Sofia Mast

 

[BRussell]

Yea since it's not Savannah. It's Sofia Mast

Lol! That definitely makes me the axxhole.

 

[BeiberLvr]

Is she really 13? It did throw me off hearing what sounded like a child in the booth. I thought it might have been bring your daughter to work day.

 

[BeiberLvr]

In other not so surprising news.

Only 2 Americans in the final 32

 

[easy-e]

In other not so surprising news.

Only 2 Americans in the final 32

It's all about perspective... There are more Americans in the final 32 than Africa, Australia, and Antarctica COMBINED!

 

[9ballhasbeen]

I think it’s great that Savannah Easton likes and plays pool well, but I’m sorry I don’t really want a 13-year-old girl doing commentary on the 10-ball world championship. Am I the asshle?

I wasn't much for Kristina Tkach commentating on Fedor's Match either. In this case, she's his girlfriend, and that makes it too hard for there to be any real objectivity. Then again, I'd rather listen to her than Mark White. That guy, I really can stand. Jim Welch is the only decent commentator they have since they ran JJ off.

 

[easy-e]

I wasn't much for Kristina Tkach commentating on Fedor's Match either. In this case, she's his girlfriend, and that makes it too hard for there to be any real objectivity. Then again, I'd rather listen to her than Mark White. That guy, I really can stand. Jim Welch is the only decent commentator they have since they ran JJ off.

I was wondering why JJ wasn't there. Why/how did they run him off?

 

[Brookeland Bill]

I was wondering why JJ wasn't there. Why/how did they run him off?

I don’t miss him. He has oral diarrhea. He like a broken record.

 

[jsp]

If you asked a marketing concern whether what the players want is more important than what those who purchase the professional pool product want, 0% of them would say that what the players want matters the most.

Making the product as marketable as possible is the only thing that will maximize the revenue that pool generates, and that's the only path to prize money growth and greater income for the players. Let them play any game they like when they're gambling, but when they play for an audience, let them play something simple like nine-ball or snooker.

Thankfully, Matchroom, pool's greatest powerbroker and greatest innovator, understands this.

I don't disagree at all what you say here. I've stated previously that 9-ball is fine the way it is. And yes, I completely understand the argument that the more marketable game is probably the one in which luck is more of a factor. I will never make the argument that we should bring back straight pool as the game to put on TV.

So just to be clear where I stand...

1) Don't mess with the rules of 9-ball. I'm prefectly okay to keep it slop rules.
2) 9-ball should still be the primary game that should be marketed.
3) 10-ball being call shot is a great idea, to differentiate it from 9-ball. Variety is good.
4) Luck favors the weaker player. But added luck can actually be good for a more marketable game.

 

[thoffen]

I wasn't much for Kristina Tkach commentating on Fedor's Match either. In this case, she's his girlfriend, and that makes it too hard for there to be any real objectivity. Then again, I'd rather listen to her than Mark White. That guy, I really can stand. Jim Welch is the only decent commentator they have since they ran JJ off.

The commentators don't have any effect on the actual match, so I don't care so much about bias here. As was pointed out in the Mika/DeLuna controversy and verified by the length of that discussion, people want conflict and bias and personality in their entertainment.

 

[jsp]

This wont be an answer that would satisfy you, but 14.1 was created with two specific requirements: call shot and continuous play with a called shot. Previous continuous pool did not require a called shot off the full rack break. Any change of straight pool then would include a change to non call, which would change the game to something else.

8-ball changed it’s rules many times. It was slop for decades. So when it changed, most professionals were not playing much 8-ball (though professional 8-ball tourneys did exist), and the majority of 8-ball was played in bars. So the change was going to be more from bar players who are used to playing cal-all-the-details, and they did and do complain. For me, I like playing slop 8-ball. Love it, in fact.

Thanks for info. I'm not too familar with the history of the rules of those games.

So 10-ball… the change from no call to call shot is just the same as trying to change 14.1 to non call. That would totally change the game, and therefore if it happened it should be called something else. For me, it has nothing to do with what is more skillful. The game as a non call shot game had its own nuisances and magic to love and enjoy. The change to call shot makes it a different game. Since many of us played that way and enjoyed it, of course a change to something else is taking away part of what we loved about the game.

I agree making 10-ball a call shot game makes it a different game. I never stated that it's 'more skillful' making it call shot, but rather it reduces the luck factor. And I stand by the argument that reducing luck favors the stronger player (stronger player will less likely lose to a weaker player).

It’s as simple as that. Call it something else, but let me continue playing the 10-ball I love.

I'm perfectly fine calling call shot 10-ball by another name. Let's call it Call Shot 10-ball.

 

[easy-e]

I don’t miss him. He has oral diarrhea. He like a broken record.

Who do you think is the best?

 

[pt109]

 

[sjm]

I don't disagree at all what you say here. I've stated previously that 9-ball is fine the way it is. And yes, I completely understand the argument that the more marketable game is probably the one in which luck is more of a factor. I will never make the argument that we should bring back straight pool as the game to put on TV.

So just to be clear where I stand...

1) Don't mess with the rules of 9-ball. I'm prefectly okay to keep it slop rules.
2) 9-ball should still be the primary game that should be marketed.
3) 10-ball being call shot is a great idea, to differentiate it from 9-ball. Variety is good.
4) Luck favors the weaker player. But added luck can actually be good for a more marketable game.

Well said. Nice post.

 

[sjm]

And yes, I completely understand the argument that the more marketable game is probably the one in which luck is more of a factor.

While there may be some truth here, I don't think this is where the crux of the matter lies.

The more marketable game is the one that's easier to follow for a casual fan. Snooker is even easier to follow than 9ball. Come to the table and if there's even one red on the table, you must begin with a red and then shoot colors and reds alternately. In 9ball, hit the lowest numbered ball on the table and then anything that goes in counts. Anytime you make the nine and don't foul, you win. Their utter simplicity is part of what draws fans to both nine all and snooker.

 

[BRussell]

While there may be some truth here, I don't think this is where the crux of the matter lies.

The more marketable game is the one that's easier to follow for a casual fan. Snooker is even easier to follow than 9ball. Come to the table and if there's even one red on the table, you must begin with a red and then shoot colors and reds alternately. In 9ball, hit the lowest numbered ball on the table and then anything that goes in counts. Anytime you make the nine and don't foul, you win. Their utter simplicity is part of what draws fans to both nine all and snooker.

It’s not a spectator sport when you can watch a kick shot and see a ball go in a pocket and not know whether to cheer because you didn’t hear if the player called that ball.

 

[BlueRaider]

I'm sure he's commentated lately and I've missed it, but it's nice to hear Jim Wych back in the booth. For "play by play" commentary, I think he's got the most authoritative and polished voice out of anyone in pool.