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Snooker Shoot Out

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124

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    #92
    Muppet Man
    Registered Users Posts: 1,650 ✭✭✭Muppet Man


    Ken going home :(


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    #93
    Joe_ Public
    Registered Users Posts: 13,023 ✭✭✭✭Joe_ Public


    Ken and Fergal gone home, Ross and Aaron marching onwards. Could it be a sign of the changing of the guard!


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    #94
    FR01
    Registered Users Posts: 194 ✭✭FR01


    Joe_ Public wrote: »
    Not sure you're in the minority. I see the logic of your post, some good points there.

    That said, i see a danger in it. With cricket it seems to me that the short form isnt just an addition anymore, but is actually taking over and test cricket is very gradually being squeezed. It'll be a 4 day game before long.

    Snookers going same way too. Best of 7s are the usual now, long form uk champs was scrapped and you hear more and more people advocating reducing frames at the worlds. Tv companies would especially love it! I just worry its a slippery slope, once short form gets its feet in the door, it basically takes over the whole house!

    Like i said here before, that may just be me being old school and out of touch. But that's how i see it.

    Snooker won’t change much more, and the format of the worlds will certainly not change.


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    #95
    FR01
    Registered Users Posts: 194 ✭✭FR01


    Joe_ Public wrote: »
    Ken and Fergal gone home, Ross and Aaron marching onwards. Could it be a sign of the changing of the guard!

    Don’t think so, Ken & Fergal May lose their pro cards but no changing of the guard just yet


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    #96
    FR01
    Registered Users Posts: 194 ✭✭FR01


    Cosmo Kramer wrote: »
    I'm probably in the minority here but I actually quite like the shootout for what it is and watch quite a lot of it most years - a lot of the time with the sound down because of the morons in the crowd, but the snooker itself is very watchable.

    I could actually see some kind of non-ranking shootout series in the off season working quite well - a bit like the Premier league darts, get the top 12 or 16 players as well as a few legends and some of the newer talent involved and it could be something for Sky to show in the summer when they're a bit low on sports rights.

    The shootout format has no real bearing on 'proper' snooker but there's potential there as a marketing tool to increase interest in the game. Other long form sports like golf and cricket are having to use shorter formats to grow their sports and it is no harm for snooker to do the same.

    They did have the snooker premier league a few years back which offered a decent pot to the winner but the calendar is so full now it’s hard to find the time to fit in the matches.


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    #97
    Joe_ Public
    Registered Users Posts: 13,023 ✭✭✭✭Joe_ Public


    No problem fitting in the greatly loved championship league anyway.


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    #98
    Chalk McHugh
    Registered Users Posts: 3,534 ✭✭✭Chalk McHugh


    Great win for Billy Castle there. Delighted for him.


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    #99
    Muppet Man
    Registered Users Posts: 1,650 ✭✭✭Muppet Man


    Chalk McHugh wrote: »
    Great win for Billy Castle there. Delighted for him.

    Are you delighted because he won, or delighted cos he beat Ronnie :)

    It was a great win though to be fair. Snooker on green won it for him. Sloppy start from Ronnie.


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    #100
    FR01
    Registered Users Posts: 194 ✭✭FR01


    Joe_ Public wrote: »
    No problem fitting in the greatly loved championship league anyway.

    Greatly loved !!! :-)


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    #101
    Joe_ Public
    Registered Users Posts: 13,023 ✭✭✭✭Joe_ Public


    Same as last time he faced a bit of rules controversy, he goes and loses next match! Some really bad misses there but castle took his chance well enough, good on him.


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    #102
    FR01
    Registered Users Posts: 194 ✭✭FR01


    Muppet Man wrote: »
    Are you delighted because he won, or delighted cos he beat Ronnie :)

    It was a great win though to be fair. Snooker on green won it for him. Sloppy start from Ronnie.

    Ranked 103 in the world , when is this guy ever going to get a chance to play Ronnie yet alone beat him. That’s why this event works, everyone getting a chance.

    By the way is everyone still of the opinion that the pockets are big ??

    Tightest I’ve seen them play all week


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    #103
    Joe_ Public
    Registered Users Posts: 13,023 ✭✭✭✭Joe_ Public


    Yes I've thought pockets have played a bit tighter than normal this week. The bed is also clearly playing faster so these just dont feel like regular tournament tables. For whatever reason, dont care to speculate.


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    #104
    FR01
    Registered Users Posts: 194 ✭✭FR01


    Joe_ Public wrote: »
    Yes I've thought pockets have played a bit tighter than normal this week. The bed is also clearly playing faster so these just dont feel like regular tournament tables. For whatever reason, dont care to speculate.

    Same Star table, same pocket templates, same temperature on the slate heater and the exact same Stratchan 6811 tournament cloth.


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    #105
    Joe_ Public
    Registered Users Posts: 13,023 ✭✭✭✭Joe_ Public


    FR01 wrote: »
    Same Star table, same pocket templates, same temperature on the slate heater and the exact same Stratchan 6811 tournament cloth.

    I guess.


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    #106
    zuutroy
    Registered Users Posts: 6,854 ✭✭✭zuutroy


    FR01 wrote: »
    Same Star table, same pocket templates, same temperature on the slate heater and the exact same Stratchan 6811 tournament cloth.

    More action and more brushing than a regular tournament table though. Dale reckons it's changing and I tend to trust him as a hardcore snooker nerd.


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    #107
    El_Duderino 09
    Registered Users Posts: 19,948 ✭✭✭✭El_Duderino 09


    AllForIt wrote: »
    If snooker stays exactly the way it is, i.e. largely UK based, then I'm happy with that. If it should go global I think it should do so on it's own merit's and not be changed to force it to do so. GAA isn't global and why should it. Is it any less worthy because it isn't. Why does everything have to be global anyway. If snooker becomes more popular worldwide - fine, if it doesn't, fine too. I don't ever see Snooker loosing it's popularity here or in the UK. I don't think Snooker is under serious threat for lack of global recognition. There are no pool events on TV here and I think a lot of western European pool players enjoy watching snooker and learn a lot from it. It's just the same thing basically. I think sometimes we forget what we have and try to fix things that aren't broken.

    You mention golf and the main difference is golf's ability to draw major sponsors.

    Snooker can only get betting shops to sponsor its events. The prize money is minuscule compared to golf and golf is a thriving global game. So I think gold was a terrible example of the point you’re making.

    The future of snooker (if it has a future) is mostly in China. They probably have more snooker fans already, than Europe. If they can monetise that fan base, then snooker will most likely increasingly move over to China.

    I suspect the game of snooker is much less healthy than you seem to think.


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    #108
    FR01
    Registered Users Posts: 194 ✭✭FR01


    El_Duderino 09 wrote: »
    You mention golf and the main difference is golf's ability to draw major sponsors.

    Snooker can only get betting shops to sponsor its events. The prize money is minuscule compared to golf and golf is a thriving global game. So I think gold was a terrible example of the point you’re making.

    The future of snooker (if it has a future) is mostly in China. They probably have more snooker fans already, than Europe. If they can monetise that fan base, then snooker will most likely increasingly move over to China.

    I suspect the game of snooker is much less healthy than you seem to think.

    Snooker was never going to be in the same league as golf either by viewing numbers or prize money. For a sport of its size having £15 million per season prize money is about as good as I believe it will get. Top players can pick and choose the events they want to play in, ie the worlds, the masters, the U.K. and next seasons Saudi event carry huge winners cheques totalling in and around £1.5million if you were to win all four.

    The China market has been tapped as far as I think it can go, they was rumblings the of the worlds going there but a contract extension for it to stay in Sheffield put paid to that.

    I believe professional snooker is thriving and the top players are duly rewarded very well.

    However I fear the day that betting firms etc are no longer allowed to sponsor sporting events, that could well be a game changer for the worst.


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    #109
    ArmaniJeanss
    Registered Users Posts: 13,293 ✭✭✭✭ArmaniJeanss


    This tournament does a couple of things better than 'normal snooker'.

    Lagging for (choice of) break is clearly better than a coin toss as it at least has some sort of snooker skill involved. It'd be a fairly minor change.

    Must hit a cushion is something that would be a huge benefit in snooker ; being able to just roll behind a baulk colour is terrible and something that should have been done away with decades ago.

    The shootout penalty for a foul (ball-in-hand) is worthy of debate as well. It may give too much advantage to a player but the normal rules aren't great either - oftentimes 4 points and putting the ball in the 'D' are of no material advantage.
    Perhaps the 3rd foul per player in a frame being automatic ball-in-hand would be a good mix of the two formats.


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    #110
    Joe_ Public
    Registered Users Posts: 13,023 ✭✭✭✭Joe_ Public


    ArmaniJeanss wrote: »
    This tournament does a couple of things better than 'normal snooker'.

    Lagging for (choice of) break is clearly better than a coin toss as it at least has some sort of snooker skill involved. It'd be a fairly minor change.

    Must hit a cushion is something that would be a huge benefit in snooker ; being able to just roll behind a baulk colour is terrible and something that should have been done away with decades ago.

    The shootout penalty for a foul (ball-in-hand) is worthy of debate as well. It may give too much advantage to a player but the normal rules aren't great either - oftentimes 4 points and putting the ball in the 'D' are of no material advantage.
    Perhaps the 3rd foul per player in a frame being automatic ball-in-hand would be a good mix of the two formats.

    Wouldnt be totally against those being trialled in a regular tournament format. Striking a cushion would also curtail one of my great bugbears - the cowardly rolling up to the pack or a red. Or make it less easy anyway.

    In the event of being snookered, a rule decreeing ball in hand if player fouls 3 times might be worth looking at i think. Might be some pitfalls but a trial would at least show you what they were.


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    #111
    nkl12xtw5goz70
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,497 ✭✭✭nkl12xtw5goz70


    The shootout has combo rules from snooker and 9-ball pool (that's where they get lagging for break, ball must hit a cushion, ball in hand for fouls, and shot clock rules) with the raucous atmosphere of darts. It's no coincidence that Barry Hearn is heavily involved in all of those sports.

    I'd be a snooker traditionalist. I don't want to see the game's format and rules compromised like this. The shootout is a bit of craic but I don't think it should be a ranking event.


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    #112
    Muppet Man
    Registered Users Posts: 1,650 ✭✭✭Muppet Man


    Ross Bulman out against anthony Hamilton. Never really got going. Pressure must be immense for him.


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    #113
    Brian?
    Moderators, Recreation & Hobbies Moderators Posts: 20,767 Mod ✭✭✭✭Brian?


    ArmaniJeanss wrote: »
    This tournament does a couple of things better than 'normal snooker'.

    Lagging for (choice of) break is clearly better than a coin toss as it at least has some sort of snooker skill involved. It'd be a fairly minor change.

    Must hit a cushion is something that would be a huge benefit in snooker ; being able to just roll behind a baulk colour is terrible and something that should have been done away with decades ago.

    The shootout penalty for a foul (ball-in-hand) is worthy of debate as well. It may give too much advantage to a player but the normal rules aren't great either - oftentimes 4 points and putting the ball in the 'D' are of no material advantage.
    Perhaps the 3rd foul per player in a frame being automatic ball-in-hand would be a good mix of the two formats.

    No thanks. All of that turns snooker into pool. Snooker is fine the way it is.

    they/them/theirs


    And so on, and so on …. - Slavoj Žižek




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    #114
    Joe_ Public
    Registered Users Posts: 13,023 ✭✭✭✭Joe_ Public


    Muppet Man wrote: »
    Ross Bulman out against anthony Hamilton. Never really got going. Pressure must be immense for him.

    Not sure there was value in going for the early long pot but a good experience for him anyway. He's played ronnie this season, hawkins a couple of times - all goes in the bank.


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    #115
    FR01
    Registered Users Posts: 194 ✭✭FR01


    Disappointing to see the two young irish lads go out but they will take a lot out of the last few days.

    I’m sure we will see a lot more of Hill in the coming seasons. Up to the National snooker Association to take care of these lads and help them further their careers.


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    #116
    Muppet Man
    Registered Users Posts: 1,650 ✭✭✭Muppet Man


    Aaron hill also out and he gave a good account of himself. Cracking opening red and was robbed not to get the black. He only had about 5 secs to sight and strike the cue ball on the opening red. Not sure how he got it. And then another long pressure red later in the frame. Unlucky not to do better.


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    #117
    Joe_ Public
    Registered Users Posts: 13,023 ✭✭✭✭Joe_ Public


    Muppet Man wrote: »
    Aaron hill also out and he gave a good account of himself. Cracking opening red and was robbed not to get the black. He only had about 5 secs to sight and strike the cue ball on the opening red. Not sure how he got it. And then another long pressure red later in the frame. Unlucky not to do better.

    Yeah, couple of cracking pots there. Could have easily gone his way. Just a bonus for him really, big target is euro championships coming up for which he'll be one of the favourites. Tour card up for grabs there.


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    #118
    Chalk McHugh
    Registered Users Posts: 3,534 ✭✭✭Chalk McHugh


    Nice to see a couple of new young Irish snooker players for a change. Pretty mad how it's still Fergal and Ken flying the flag for us after nearly 30 years or whatever. However it's only a pub competition really so i certainly wont be reading anything into the two of them winning a couple of frames each. Hope to see them on the big stage in the not too distant future, though. The sport badly needs a new star to give it a boost here in Ireland and someone we Irish snooker fans can give our support to. Time will tell. A small crumb of hope at least.


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    #119
    zuutroy
    Registered Users Posts: 6,854 ✭✭✭zuutroy


    ArmaniJeanss wrote: »
    This tournament does a couple of things better than 'normal snooker'.

    Lagging for (choice of) break is clearly better than a coin toss as it at least has some sort of snooker skill involved. It'd be a fairly minor change.

    Must hit a cushion is something that would be a huge benefit in snooker ; being able to just roll behind a baulk colour is terrible and something that should have been done away with decades ago.

    The shootout penalty for a foul (ball-in-hand) is worthy of debate as well. It may give too much advantage to a player but the normal rules aren't great either - oftentimes 4 points and putting the ball in the 'D' are of no material advantage.
    Perhaps the 3rd foul per player in a frame being automatic ball-in-hand would be a good mix of the two formats.

    Usually on the ball AJ but I couldn't be having any of that except maybe the lag for break, maybe.


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    #120
    Chalk McHugh
    Registered Users Posts: 3,534 ✭✭✭Chalk McHugh


    Fairly vociferous crowd in for the final night in Watford. Once players get into the last 8 they will all fancy leaving town with 50 grand in the back pocket. How bad?


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    #121
    zuutroy
    Registered Users Posts: 6,854 ✭✭✭zuutroy


    Hoping its one of the ones that won't cost us a Trump v Ronnie match at the Players'.


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