The journey begins

[MANTIS01]

Sure, but then again give Tiger Woods a set of hire clubs and some range balls and the man would still blaze round the course. Yea he could perform better with quality equipment but anyone could still see at a glance he has skillz.

[celtic]

For what would be just a friendly game, with a bit of banter, would it really matter the state of the tables?

[thetank]

If you give Tiger some shitty clubs he'd only blaze round the course if he first agreed to play with the shitty clubs.

If you send Lewis Hamilton round Silverstone in a Daweoo Matiz you might be able to show he's a decent enough driver but if you're thinking of hiring him to drive on your F1 team best have a look see what he can do in an F1 car.

[MANTIS01]

Yah, but fugly isn't trying out for the Mosconi cup here he's hustlin the local market. I don't know how successful his ruse will be if he insists on playing with Aramith Pro-Cup TV balls when negotiating a match up.

[thetank]

For what would be just a friendly game, with a bit of banter, would it really matter the state of the tables?

It wouldn't be just a friendly game for Baz tho. It sounds like the plan is for potential investors to use the match to evaluate his abilities.  

I have no idea what a Mosconi Cup is but probs the people who compete in it didn't earn the oppurtunity to do so by treating everything that wasn't a Mosconi Cup like it was an inconsequential muckabout.

[celtic]

For what would be just a friendly game, with a bit of banter, would it really matter the state of the tables?

It wouldn't be just a friendly game for Baz tho. It sounds like the plan is for potential investors to use the match to evaluate his abilities.  

I have no idea what a Mosconi Cup is but probs the people who compete in it didn't earn the oppurtunity to do so by treating everything that wasn't a Mosconi Cup like it was an inconsequential muckabout.

Could prob play on a dining table and assess his ability. Well, not quite, but you know what I mean.

[MANTIS01]

Yah I would say performing when conditions are adverse prob tells you more about overall sporting ability than performing when conditions are perfect.

[vegaslover]

I would have been interested in this if i lived closer and could get to see Baz play, as I don't know him.
Pretty much the same for investors. Ralph is stating the tables are okay, which should be perfectly acceptable for a few friendly competitive games to show what you can do.
Anyone who has played in serious comps/tours in England will tell you that there is shite tables everywhere. It's how you react to it, that shows what kind of player you are. Better players will always be able to read a table, and play accordingly

[FuglyBaz]

Yah, but fugly isn't trying out for the Mosconi cup here he's hustlin the local market. I don't know how successful his ruse will be if he insists on playing with Aramith Pro-Cup TV balls when negotiating a match up.

Not hustling lol. Just using my reputation as a chopper (because I've only been playing 9-ball for a year) to get matchups that are in my favour, and winding up enough locals who insist 'they will one day beat me' that they get their cash on the table. Sad thing is for them, I play better than most of the idiots who've played 15 years whether it be snooker or 8ball or whatever lol.

When any match up is discussed with any player who plays pool properly, Aramith match balls are always used. At the flyer tournaments (non-ranked at clubs) all the players bring their own sets to avoid using club balls.

The main reasons to avoid club balls are 1) Never clean 2) most sets 5-10 years old 3) the balls arent perfectly round 4) all weigh different amounts 5) cueballs often are dead and give no reaction at all

You cannot screw back a cueball very far or very accurately if it is either dead or weighs more than the other balls.

[FuglyBaz]

Yah I would say performing when conditions are adverse prob tells you more about overall sporting ability than performing when conditions are perfect.

Depends HOW adverse the conditions are. I can handle a table with slow cloth or cushions that spit out at the wrong angle, but let me tell you that even the pro's cannot adjust 100% to ridiculously bad tables. It turns games into a leveller because there is no real time to adjust in a match. If a cushion is dead, it won't react the same every time and it makes things like banking (doubling the ball) or kicking (escaping out of snookers) something of a lottery, more than a precise science.

if we're gonna use analogy here then let's use the fact that Cricketers don't play under 'bad light'. Tennis gets abandoned when it rains. F1 races get abandoned when heavy rain comes. So if there are things in other sports that are deemed unacceptable, why should it be that pool players accept anything and everything?

Not arguing, I'm just keen on this discussion in general and interested in everybody's views.

[FuglyBaz]

I would have been interested in this if i lived closer and could get to see Baz play, as I don't know him.
Pretty much the same for investors. Ralph is stating the tables are okay, which should be perfectly acceptable for a few friendly competitive games to show what you can do.
Anyone who has played in serious comps/tours in England will tell you that there is shite tables everywhere. It's how you react to it, that shows what kind of player you are. Better players will always be able to read a table, and play accordingly

I go to wakefield sometimes. Will be there this Saturday for Money Match TV. But can let you know (in advance) when I'm up north and if you want to play/see me play then we can do.

There are crap tables everywhere, you are right. But if I'm being given a chance to demonstrate that I have knowledge of the game and am looking for potential investment you can be sure I'll be after the best table possible.

[GreekStein]

Go play with ralph but sack hopkin off, he is a complete pool nit. Takes like 2 mins per shot.

[FuglyBaz]

Go play with ralph but sack hopkin off, he is a complete pool nit. Takes like 2 mins per shot.

lol sounds like a guy I took £100 off on Thursday afternoon. Race to 25 took 7 hours! He was so slow averaged out at 10 minutes per rack.

[ ] I oppose the use of shot clocks on slow players

[GreekStein]

Me and hopkin played for a nifty at turny's place in luton. Oh my that was boring. Watching him chalk up, judge a shot, stand back up, walk round the table, get back up, then finally break.

He makes terry griffiths look like ronnie

[FuglyBaz]

Me and hopkin played for a nifty at turny's place in luton. Oh my that was boring. Watching him chalk up, judge a shot, stand back up, walk round the table, get back up, then finally break.

He makes terry griffiths look like ronnie

Thinly veiled 'I lost to Hopkin' post?

BTW Stuart - do you have a relative called Dave Hopkin who plays out of Notts Rileys? If so he's a good player!