9-Ball
Topic: alternate breaks WPC

i just checked out the wpc website and an alternate break format is to be impose throughout the tournament,.,. has anyone have a say to this,.,.,.

I think its good thing i would separate the greats, the bests, hustlers and young guns.,.,.

alternate break format is often used in any philippine tournaments,.,. so i would think it would work in favour to the filipinos and brits,.,.,. considering the EPT imposes an alternate brak format aswell,.,.,. wahehehe

Personally, I'm really not sure about this format. I hear the arguments for it but for me part of the attraction of 9 ball and in particular on TV is watching a player sit another player down for a period of time. I know this means that 9 ball can sometimes be a cruel game - but isn't that exactly the point from a spectating perspective?

I'm not happy with this decision. The thing with the longer races is that with, for example, a race to 10 (as it is in the last 64 and 32 stages of WPC), the players at this stage should be able to string racks together. A player that goes 5 or 6 racks behind from the lag in a race to 10 is not exactly totally out of the match with Winner Breaks. On top of that, to me, there is nothing better than watching one of the greats string a number of racks together - how many of us that saw it will ever forget Efren's 8-rack run against Bustamente in 1999 or Wu's 4 (or was it 5) rack run to steal the World Title last year.

My other concern is that I find that Alternate Break format matches don't "flow" the way that Winner Breaks matches do. On top of all that, how long is a race-to-17 going to last with Alternate Breaks???

Just my thoughts, but I'm not happy at this decision.

thecardman

www.scottish9ball.com
The Cardman's Blog

When Strickland ran 11 consecutive racks a few years back, his opponent was never able to show what he can do. That was cruel
The alternative breaks format is probably better for this tournament.
It is entirely possible that you could play in this tournament and never strike a ball if a winner breaks format is used. Just imagine sitting on a plane for 20 hours for that!!!!

On 2006-10-17 13:57 , thecardman Wrote:

100% agree.

To me alternate breaks always feels like your punishing players for playing well. I love seeing players string rack after rack together, i think thats what the very highest level of 9-ball is all about. I think its a BIG shame we won't be seeing it this year.

Hmmm... I feel a poll coming on!

On 2006-10-17 14:00 , malaguista Wrote:

Peter

When Strickland ran 11 racks, it was races to 15 all the way in that particular tournament.

I should slightly change what I said above in my initial post as that was my second attempt at typing a reply (I had a problem with my PC that forced me to shut down before I could finish posting). Although I am not a fan of the Alternate Break format in 9-Ball, I do think that it has a rightful place in the Group Phase. Once it comes down to the longer races in the last 64, etc, that is where my argument kicks in.

Best wishes

thecardman

www.scottish9ball.com
The Cardman's Blog

thanks for the thoughts everyone,.,.,. but i do agree with the excitement of a player running 5-8 racks or even 10 or 11 racks together,.,.its class.,.,.on tv..... but for play by play alternate breaks work,.,. but do prefer winner breaks for the wpc knockout stages,.,.,.tc

Has everyone forgotten about the 12 racks that Fong Pang Chao ran, from the 1st rack in the 200 WPC against Ismael Paez?...., not only did I watch it, but also that very table is in Club 9 because it was Sammy and Joe were the first people in to buy the table at the end of the tournament

As far as I'm concerned I'm 1000% agreed with my good friend, thecardman, alternate breaks is cool for the group stages, but for the kKO stages, pure sh*te!!!, the organizers of the event have made a goof up in judgement there because as alot of you have already mentioned, it takes away the excitement of watching a top player stringing a few racks and showing exactly why he's there playing in such a prestigious event, instead of all this back and forth break trash, that makes it seem more like watching bloody wimbledon and no pool player alive should ever have to suffer that

Oh well, I guess it's a case of see how it goes, but I'll most likely watch it here and there, but I'm still on the 50 yard line about it

Willie

An interesting point I've seen raised is that you rarely see an awesome comeback with alternate break, but how many times have you seen a player come back from a huge deficit when his opponent is on the hill and simply can't get over the line?

That's awesome entertainment that's gone with alternate breaks.

Matches may go hill-hill, but you simply won't get a come-back of that magnitude!

quite frankly the organisers have it spot on with alternate breaks,

its way more exiting this way, its a bit like tennis who can hold their serve most.

the idea of someone losig without hitting a ball is crazy especially at the biggest tourney in the world

Tennis is the most bloody boring sport that I know of, next to Cricket, Football and Bowls lol, it's meant to be 9ball that is being played, not Tennis, keep Tennis for Wimbledon lol

Willie

u aint got a clue mate its supposed to be an equal playin field, a single match could be decided by a single shot called the lag

if your a supporter of a particular player you at least want to see him play

look at last years final kuo was the more steady player and coz of one loose shot cost him the crown, thats all it was one loose shot

this way the best player will win most of the time, thats all sportsmen will ask for and thats the way it should be

If i was a player in the WPC i'd be happy it was alternate breaks..

But at the moment I am not so sure. I'm torn both ways...

With alternate break, sure it will give everyone a fair chance, and it will be very exciting to see who can hold their own. The most consistant player will win the match.

But one thing I don't agree with is the fact that, if both players are as equally consistant, the lag is the deciding factor of the match.

We also won't see skilled comebacks. A players comeback will be dependant upon their opponent making a mistake, not solely on their own rack running ability.

I'm truely torn...

Spoony - On your comment of me not having a clue, I don't think that is a comment, that is accurate as I have been playing for 20+ years now, even before anyone else in the UK other than Steve Davis and a few others, had dreamed of playing 9ball , but I agree with you on your point that the best player will win, but it seems more like a format to suit snooker players, more than pool players because pool players are generally more acustomed to winner breaks

The problem I find with alternate breaks, is that it takes the edge of out of the game and makes it a bit more like snooker, but I agree consistency will make the difference in the event in 1 sense, but not in another because although alernate breaks is meant for a more equal playing field, it's the world Championships and if they are able to get a spot in the event, then surely, if a player is truely capable of earning a spot in the event, then they are surely able to hold their own in a winner breaks format also, but either way, I'm not too bothered about it because it's great to see more pool on TV, regardless

9ball is a game that is full of twists and turns of fate, as well as being a generally fast paced game, that's why so many of us pool players love it

On the note though of whether or not I'll watch the tourney live, is another matter because I'd rather be playing, than watching , I've done enough of that already, as I've learned over the years

Willie

ALT BREAK SUX IMO!

On 2006-10-20 22:44 , TheWizard Wrote:

Willie

Just seen your posts. Good to see you back online, mate.

Just got to pull you up on something here - Chao did not RUN 12 racks in a row. He won 12 racks in a row during which Paez had a some chances to get on the scoreboard.

Still not happy at this Alternate Break cr@p!

Best wishes

thecardman

www.scottish9ball.com
The Cardman's Blog

Ahh, Hi Cardman , how's it goin' buddy?

I stand corrected oin the 12 rack run with Chao, thank you cardman

Big Dave and thecardman, my sentiments exactly lol

Willie

sorry wizard i was speaking out loud the thing is with winner breaks if the tables are breaking easy then its not impossible to run the match a player might not get a chance to come back thats where i think alternate is a good thing. if u go 3 or 4 down with alternate break then fair enough you must have played a couple of bad shots to be in that situation.

i agree with alot of people that it could be either way but the thought of a player losing a match having played a poor lag is criminal, maybe they could do the same as the eurotour and have the players break in packs of 3 or even more the youll get to see some flowing pool