2020 Champion of Champions - 2nd-8th November on ITV4

zuutroy · 01-11-2020 6:12pm #1

Some good snooker to look forward to this week. 16 man field including tournament winners and some of the highest ranked players not to win one. Each 1/4 of the draw is played out over a day. Disappointingly it's best of 7 in the first round which makes little sense to me.

Trump and O'Sullivan are joint favourites at 3/1 and go on Wednesday and Thursday respectively. Can't see how they make them joint favourites based on what Ronnie has done so far this season but a short week against a tough field might arouse his interest a bit.

Snooker will be a great help for the next few dark, cold, locked down weeks!

Glenman · 02-11-2020 11:36am

€50 on Jimmy, could come out with a nice pay day?

Joe_ Public · 02-11-2020 12:04pm

Trying to remember last time jimmy actually beat a top player in a big tournament but then he should have beaten ronnie in this last year. Robbo doesn't tend to go all kamikaze like ronnie does sometimes, but you never know.

02-11-2020 1:08pm

I've often thought about (in these best of 7 comps) - though never done it (tried it once, but the machine in Paddy's wouldn't allow for all the combos) - having a 'cheeky punt' , by backing all the outsiders in 'combination doubles' , as the theory being that the 'outsiders' would have a better chance over the shorter format than their odds would suggest.

Granted, there's only 16 players in this, and there would not be such a huge disparity in their rankings and abilities, so maybe for another time in a 'Home Nations' with a bigger field and online which I shall have to sign up to 'going forward'.

Just throwing my theory out there. Don't wish to go off on too much betting talk, so apologies for that.

Since I'm watching ITV4 atm,I think Jack Regan would have made a great ref.. I don't think we'd have as many YouTube clips to watch of Ronnie 'doing his own thing' though, against the ref's optimistic directives

Joe_ Public · 02-11-2020 1:22pm

It could be a decent theory. Only way is to test it, really. I recall subscribing to a good stats site a couple of years ago and one i remember that surprised me was the amount of favourites winning in bo7 matches. Traditionally, the opening tournaments of the season were best for shocks, on account of players being a bit undercooked probably, but the tournaments so far this season have gone remarkably to form. Not many huge shocks at all.

02-11-2020 2:19pm

^^^
I noticed that alright with the recent TV tournament Joe - started off with 128 players in it I think.

A lot of the favourites prevailed; seemed to buck the trend a bit, but I'm thinking back to the lst 3-5 yrs when I first noticed lower
ranked players winning regular at massive prices - likes of Bingham/Murphy, or Judd to name 3, often being beat by massive outsiders
ranging from 9/2 - 7/1, as well as quite a few winning at bigger than 5/4. Didn't (couldn't) do the maths really, but I figured it was something to at least take note of. Also, when to do the perms etc.. Would last 64 be more or less profitable with ~ 4 times the amount of doubles perms (at tiny units) than the last 32.. Will look into it more again...

To be effective one would probably have to venture to a few of the layers - anyway frame 1 handy enough there, should be an enteraining few days.

Joe_ Public · 02-11-2020 2:51pm

[Deleted User] wrote: »

^^^
I noticed that alright with the recent TV tournament Joe - started off with 128 players in it I think.

A lot of the favourites prevailed; seemed to buck the trend a bit, but I'm thinking back to the lst 3-5 yrs when I first noticed lower
ranked players winning regular at massive prices - likes of Bingham/Murphy, or Judd to name 3, often being beat by massive outsiders
ranging from 9/2 - 7/1, as well as quite a few winning at bigger than 5/4. Didn't (couldn't) do the maths really, but I figured it was something to at least take note of. Also, when to do the perms etc.. Would last 64 be more or less profitable with ~ 4 times the amount of doubles perms (at tiny units) than the last 32.. Will look into it more again...

To be effective one would probably have to venture to a few of the layers - anyway frame 1 handy enough there, should be an enteraining few days.

Agree on the theory. With short format and multi table format, it should by any logic lead to more erratic results. The likes of ding, murphy and one or two others do seem to have a habit of losing at very short odds and i am partial to a low odds lay on the exchanges every now again but wouldn't have the patience or inclination to try to make more of it tbh.

02-11-2020 3:10pm

Been a long time since any fan could realistically expect Jimmy to be competitive. I can't remember the last time he got past the second round of any comp (seniors aside) , and it's an achievement for James to just get to round 2 this last while. Sad really

The Nal · 02-11-2020 4:33pm

Deleted User wrote: »

Been a long time since any fan could realistically expect Jimmy to be competitive.

Nearly 20 years now apart from the odd game here and there.

Chalk McHugh · 02-11-2020 4:38pm

Jimmy White was awful today. I watched the full match and while Robbo played well when Jimmy had his chances he was missing easy balls by a country mile. Even the commentator said after one miss ' that ball was so wide it has ended up in another county!. He missed a simple yellow off the spot and a simple black off the spot as well as a few others. He looked like a club player out there today.

Chalk McHugh · 02-11-2020 5:26pm

Ding has just butchered a simple red by chipping the cue ball leaving the frame and match at John Higgins mercy. No excuses just terrible mistake.

Chalk McHugh · 02-11-2020 5:33pm

Johns safety game has been poor all match and he has given Ding a second chance to clear up.

Chalk McHugh · 02-11-2020 5:37pm

John will be livid with himself letting Ding back in to win. That killer instinct definately on the wane. Ding marches on 4-3.

zuutroy · 02-11-2020 8:04pm

Didn't see this afternoon. Surely a new record for least area of the screen taken up the table on the main view?

Chalk McHugh · 02-11-2020 8:38pm

Nice 139 from Robbo. Interesting listening to Alan McManus earlier where he said it a few times that Ding lacks fight and gives up too easily. Or words to that effect. I definately agree with that. Great player has all the talent but sometimes his will to win goes missing in action.

02-11-2020 8:42pm

zuutroy wrote: »

Didn't see this afternoon. Surely a new record for least area of the screen taken up the table on the main view?

Haven't noticed that myself.. Looks no different than usual tbh..

Chalk McHugh · 02-11-2020 8:55pm

Robbo did the hard work dislodging the final red from the cushion but then missed the pretty elementary middle pocket pot. Big mistake. Ding gobbles up the balls and leads 2-1.

zuutroy · 02-11-2020 8:57pm

Deleted User wrote: »

Haven't noticed that myself.. Looks no different than usual tbh..

Compare it with the BBC view....

02-11-2020 9:04pm

zuutroy wrote: »

Compare it with the BBC view....

Bit of a difference there alright. Table doesn't go as far up towards the top of the screen compared to the image there.

I guess if the view of the table is acceptable, i don't generally notice I'm missing out on an extra few percent.

Chalk McHugh · 02-11-2020 9:09pm

Have referee's being wearing masks before today? I dont remember them doing it?

Chalk McHugh · 02-11-2020 9:10pm

I don't like the structures of whatever they are that are in the background.

zuutroy · 02-11-2020 9:11pm

They were in some events. I think Matchroom events they have to wear them at.

02-11-2020 9:12pm

Haven't noticed the refs wearing masks until today myself. Must be a new rule.

02-11-2020 9:22pm

Some pot on the brown!

Arthur Daley · 02-11-2020 9:50pm

Tough on the refs wearing that for hours on end. When it was not warranted before now.

Arthur Daley · 02-11-2020 9:51pm

Hendry calling out the '9 ball' pockets for pots down the cushion.

Chalk McHugh · 02-11-2020 9:54pm

What next for the poor referee's? Having to wear elbow pads for the pre-match greetings?

zuutroy · 02-11-2020 11:11pm

Poor enough quality match.

Rothko · 02-11-2020 11:57pm

A couple of strange decisions by Ding in that frame.

Joe_ Public · 02-11-2020 11:57pm

That was a compelling frame of snooker. Robbo lucky enough to win it, some of his shot choices were iffy to say the least.

Joe_ Public · 02-11-2020 11:59pm

Arthur Daley wrote: »

Hendry calling out the '9 ball' pockets for pots down the cushion.

Same every year with these tables, different to the star ones used on the main tour.

Chalk McHugh · 03-11-2020 3:08pm

Bingham badly off form here. In the second frame he missed a red i'd say he'd pot 999/1,000 it was that easy. He doesn't seem his usual confident self.

Chalk McHugh · 03-11-2020 3:29pm

This Radzi lad introducing the players into the arena ike it was a boxing match is absolute drivel. No need for it. Cringe fest.

Rothko · 03-11-2020 4:07pm

Big miss by Murphy there. It could well be a decisive moment in this match.

03-11-2020 4:09pm

Bingham was brutal today.

Chalk McHugh · 03-11-2020 4:12pm

I wonder was Murphy the first professional player to miss the reds with his break off shot? The studio showed it prematch. Must have been a recent tournament. He's experimenting with his break offs he said. Murphy has nearly been as bad as Bingham so far.

03-11-2020 4:12pm

Dave is playing some lovely stuff.. Murphy will be demoralised, an 8/10 red that he missed..

Arthur Daley · 03-11-2020 4:14pm

No excuses with break offs at this level.

Murphy just hasn't looked settled for a while now. And he's had to decamp to Milton Keynes. Can hardly be exciting.

Chalk McHugh · 03-11-2020 4:22pm

Murphy must have played about 10 shots there looking for a snooker and each one of them as bad as each other. He really is hopeless at the tactical side of the game.

Chalk McHugh · 03-11-2020 4:26pm

Holey moley lads, Murphy is only after missing the reds with a break off not once but twice in a row right now! Idiotic carry on. Plain and simple.

weemcd · 03-11-2020 4:34pm

Murphy should be several levels above Gilbert but he's badly struggling here now.

Didn't see the missed break off, but I really wish I did.

03-11-2020 4:36pm

He must be trying a new kind of break off like catching the paint or something. It might be a tactic to not leave one. Maybe it'll catch on. Could be his mate Fergal O'Brien's gameplan for The Murph :pac:

zuutroy · 03-11-2020 4:36pm

Chalk McHugh wrote: »

Holey moley lads, Murphy is only after missing the reds with a break off not once but twice in a row right now! Idiotic carry on. Plain and simple.

That's even more weird considering he did it last week too.

03-11-2020 4:39pm

weemcd wrote: »

Murphy should be several levels above Gilbert but he's badly struggling here now.

Didn't see the missed break off, but I really wish I did.

There's always ITV4+1 if ya have it. Be on in about 45 mins on that channel.

Chalk McHugh · 03-11-2020 4:39pm

zuutroy wrote: »

That's even more weird considering he did it last week too.

Three times in a few weeks? If he missed them for third time today he would have forfeited the frame and match. What a numpty

weemcd · 03-11-2020 4:52pm

Absolute fluke from Murphy then a poor snooker after. This is still Gilbert's to lose.

zuutroy · 03-11-2020 5:02pm

Chalk McHugh wrote: »

Three times in a few weeks? If he missed them for third time today he would have forfeited the frame and match. What a numpty

I think he's trying the superthin contact so as not to leave the bottom red sticking out as a potting chance for the opponent.

Chalk McHugh · 03-11-2020 5:05pm

He's only gone and done it for a third time today.! Then clips the outside red on his second attempt and leaves a long red on. Absolutely nonsensical snooker.

weemcd · 03-11-2020 5:06pm

Another miss by Murphy, I saw that one. Pretty poor stuff. Gilbert in now, needs to wrap this one up to avoid letting Murphy off the hook.

Chalk McHugh · 03-11-2020 5:06pm

As Hendry said 'he's hardly trying to reinvent the wheel' with this break off experimentation anyway.

Chalk McHugh · 03-11-2020 5:08pm

And Murphy is the last player i remember to forfeit a frame by missing three balls. He's lacking a bit between the ears it seems.

2020 Champion of Champions - 2nd-8th November on ITV4

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